Is Mark Meadows a human slug

And here it is, Thursday.  Unless requested off, Thursdays will always be on my schedule.  With semi-retirement comes the need for regularity.  I am serious.  The temptation of idly sitting around wasting hours on the Internet is great.  As a result, I have set up my own schedules.  Certain chores get performed on certain days of the week.  Laundry is Tuesday.  Friday, I mow the lawn.  If I bake, it's always on Wednesdays.  I write during the afternoons I don't work, usually about an hour to an hour and a half, that's enough time for me to pound out 500 - 700 words.  This all works well for me.

Last night I went to the movies.  It was, for me, a really late show: 8 PM.  I was surprised by the number of people in the theater at that hour since this is a work week.  The film was R rated, so no kids.  Quite often I think studios dumb down movies to get a PG 13 rating.  Dialogue is less sharp because 13-year-olds don't have the same vocabulary as adults.  The dialogue was edgy last night.  Oh, and what movie did I go see?  The Black Phone.  A drama / thriller with a couple of jump scares.  The acting was top notch.  This is the best thing Ethan Hawke has done in years.  Originally supposed to be released in February, they wisely waited and made this a summer movie.

And, speaking of phones, I was pleased to see that quite a number of people noted how out of the picture Mark Meadows seemed on the days leading up to January 6.  Usually, a president's Chief of Staff is also an advisor, an individual the president turns to for an opinion, someone who not only manages the staff but also has the ability to say "hey, prez, that might not be a good idea."  I wonder how long it to Mark to realize that Trump didn't really want a Chief of Staff, that he was instead expected to be a combination lapdog, fanboy who submissively did everything he was told to do.  I don't doubt that shortly into his tenure he decided to just resign himself and accept that position, after all the job paid well.  For those who don't know, Meadows was Trump's 3rd Chief of Staff in less than 4 years, so I'm fairly certain he must have been well aware of his future boss's demands.  This, as well as Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony on his indifferent approach to January 6 pretty much prove he's nothing but a human slug... wait, I have to take that back, that's not being very kind to slugs.

Finally, and not surprising in the least, Ginni Thomas has changed her mind.  Remember when she said she couldn't wait to sit before the January 6 committee and set the record straight?  Now, her attorney is saying that such a sit-down would be irrelevant... oh, and he added that the Thomases are undergoing a lot of stress, death threats, you know?  What did Clarence think was going to happen when he chose to help upset the lives of a large majority of Americans?  I suspect God never told Clarence or Ginni that their future involved such a shit storm.  

The Biggest Loser

 Well, a golly good morning to you all, or afternoon, or evening, or whenever you happen to be reading this.

Yesterday, the sun came out.  The temps stayed cool.  The grass was dry.  I mowed my lawn.  I also weeded among the dahlias and the marigolds.  More is needed, almost daily.  I've heard it said nothing grows like a weed.

I like to use song lyrics in my writing to set the tone of a certain chapter, or to foreshadow what is coming down the road, or to give insight into one or more of my characters.  For example, in The Body in Repose a line from Grandson's song Dirty, "we might not make it till the morning,' did one, or more, of the above so lyrics from that song were used for a chapter that included an alternative music dancercise class.  I don't spend hours a day listening to music to find these lyrics, in fact my world is relatively quiet, though I will sometimes listen to German or Spanish folk music while I'm writing.  With that being said, I'm pleased to say the some of the lyrics from this song have made it into The Body Under Ice (snigger, snigger).  

And, of course, Cassidy Hutchinson provided testimony yesterday and a special January 6 hearing.  While many are saying her revelations were shocking, I have to admit to not being surprised, though I will admit to laughing loudly from time to time.  The throwing of his dinner against the wall?  When she mentioned about helping to clean the ketchup from the walls, I thought, holy Hell, this loser was sitting in a presidential dining room off of the Oval Office eating a Big Mac, and I couldn't help but wonder if his large order fries were on the floor as well.

Mark Meadows came across as being completely detached from reality, spending a lot of time sitting on his couch swiping his way through?  Twitter, maybe?  Or possibly Tinder?  Cassidy didn't specify if he was swiping left or right, so I guess will never know.  The fact that he couldn't personally join John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani in a meeting on the 5th in what was called the War Room is also significant.  

Also significant was that fact that everybody knew the crowd listening to Trump's speech was well armed.  His statement that "they're not here to hurt me," implies he knew whom they were there to hurt.  Knowing this makes his speech to the mob on January 6 nothing more than a call to arms.  The truth is he was willing to do anything to stay in power.  Overturning the election was the only thing he could think of doing.  It was the only thing capable of taking away the burning humiliation of losing the presidency on the world stage.  He has despised losers his entire life, and he was determined to do whatever it took to keep from becoming the biggest.

 

Earthshattering

 Shall we say hello to Tuesday, and the beginning of my first weekend?  The temps are supposed to climb into the mid 80s (F), which means today is going to be a good day to mow the lawn.  I will probably be picking more peaches as well.  Is there a peach cobbler in the near future?  I'm suspecting the likelihood is strong.

When I got home from work yesterday, I waited by my car for a neighbor walking her Irish Wolfhound.  As she passed, I said 'hi.'  She nodded.  Heading slowly towards my house, I told her I'd wait until she was past to go inside because my dogs were going to be loud.  She nodded, and smiled, and said, "ah, yes, the Boxers."  That made me chuckle and wonder how many people in my neighborhood know Biggie and Lily as simply The Boxers.

I've been sorting through one of the boxes I have of old photograph.  Some I will give to my sister, others to my brother, quite a few I'm simply throwing out because they have no relevance.  You might be surprised to learn that I've taken quite a few irrelevant pictures in my day.  At least now they seem irrelevant.  Their only worth right now might be in deciphering how my brain works, or perhaps I should say worked since I'm fairly certain those little gray cells have changed their functionality several times of the years.  Anyway, when I got out of the Navy, we held a big party, lots of people, lot of beer, and balloons.  It was a celebration of my returning to civilian life.  Here's a shot of me from that night that I only vaguely remember taken when I was rightly toasted.  I loved that flannel shirt.  Oh, and I'm 22 years old, on the verge of turning 23 not 14 heading into my 15th birthday.

Yesterday, as I was preparing to end my shift, my sister called and asked if I had seen there was going to be a surprise witness and today's abruptly called hearing.  My sister has never been political, until now, and I do not doubt that her interest is so peaked because my brother-in-law is a raging MAGA.

I was hoping one of the key players had flipped.  John Dean Tweeted that calling an abrupt hearing witha surprised witness needed to be something earthshattering.  It turns out the witness is Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide who worked closely with Mark Meadows and Trump.  We shall have to wait and see how much ground she moves.

On the Run

Well, this should come as no surprise to anyone.  It's raining.  Again.  Yesterday, which was supposed to be warm and humid, you'll notice I'm saying warm, not hot, since the temps were only supposed to go into the low 90s (F), we got rain.  We had a lot of rain.  Downpours, and they turned into on again, off again showers.  If things dry out enough, I'm mowing my lawn tomorrow.

I'm having Brussel sprouts for breakfast because they're chunky with Vitamin C and because I opened the refrigerator door and thought, 'damn, I'd better eat those before they go bad.'  Keep in mind, your stomach has no idea what time it is.

Business was slow at the store yesterday, though I did manage to get 2 measures.  One is for a tile job.  Tile is an expensive installation.  Tile is considered an asset to the value of your home, though it doesn't nearly increase the value as hardwood.  Most of us know the true value of hard wood.

With all the depressing horse shit going on, I figured I'd post a little video of Sir Paul McCartney, at 79 years of age, performing Band on the Run.  Let me repeat his age for those of you who know nothing about aging, he's 79.  I love this song.  I'm so glad I was able to see him perform this live when he played in Hershey, PA.

I saw that there were protests yesterday, mostly peaceful.  There were some gunshots fired at Pride events in both San Francisco and in New York, I believe, and there's not loud indication that bias was pulling the triggers.  A number of Pride events became anti-abortion quietly controlled anti-abortion protests.  The Cracker Jack Crazies Christians, and their enablers on Fox News had been broadcasting about the approaching violence from liberal extremists.  Instead, there was quietude.  Intelligent conservatives have begun to mutter this lack of an intense outburst portends to something far worse, the worst trouncing they've ever received at the ballot box.

American will never rid itself of conservatives, so they need to be marginalized, constantly on the run.  This begins with local elections.  Electing enough Democrat senators to codify Roe v Wade, same sex marriage, and the right to contraceptives will never be enough as long as Clarence Thomas continues to try and prove that he is the strongest, whitest, conservative on the Supreme Court.  Red states need to be turned blue.  Laws will need to be passed to protect our rights.  This needs to be started now, this November.  Since the court has said this is up to the states, we need to take back control of the states.  We also need to keep a majority in both the House and Senate in order to begin fixing this radically, extremist court that Trump built.  Right now, whether the GOP realizes it or not, they're standing still.  The time has come for us to light a fire under their asses so we can see how fast and how far they run away.

 

Call a Liar a Liar

 Say hello to a quiet Sunday.  Well... maybe.  I have to work an 8-hour shift today.  Business might not be too slow early in the day, then, there might be a mini rush when the after-Church crowd arrives, but later this afternoon it will be slow.  I'm getting paid for 8 hours whether the store is busy or not.

Yesterday the temps around here peaked at 91 (F).  This is not the first time we've been in the 90s, though this is the first time since summer has officially arrived.  Compared to many other parts of the country, that's not too hot.  Being aware of this, I played a little game with customers by saying "I understand it's hot outside."  To hear their responses, you would think the temps were so high the heat was practically sucking the breath from their lungs.  So, I added that it was much hotter in Texas and their eyes would glaze as dumbness reigned.  When did so many people turn into non-thinking sheep?

I did freeze several bags of peaches yesterday.  I even went so far as to cut out all the little, itsy-bitsy worms.  I get enough protein in my diet; I don't need anymore.

More of my dahlias are getting ready to bloom.  I have at least 3 (possibly 4) more plants in this little garden, with marigolds sprinkled among them.  Color is simply great!

Maureen Dowd, who can at times sound dated, has an interesting piece in the NYT regarding Clarence Thomas.  She does mention how he is anti-contraceptive, meaning he's against birth control.  This is interesting since Ginni, his wife, has never given birth.  She married Clarence in 1987, when she was 30 years old, quite a fruitful age for making babies.  Remember, he is supposedly a devout Catholic, which is why he's anti-abortion and anti-contraceptive, and yet he and Ginni made no babies.  If she wasn't on the pill than God must have damned her to be a barren wife... or maybe, they just don't have sex.

One of the things that has bothered me is the fact so many are afraid to can a religious extremist an Extremist, or a Zealot.  We are dealing with a radical group that is constantly labeling centrists as fascists.  They call Democrats Communists and those people who believe 92 (F) is hot believe them.  Too many people in this country think we have only 2 choices, taking the high road, or taking the low road.  There is a middle road called standing up for your rights.  When a religious zealot, like Marjorie Taylor Green calls us fascists she needs to be called out loudly.  We need to loudly begin labeling these people as Extremists, and we need to do so loudly.  We need to tell America who these people truly are.

Susan Collins' failure was exemplified by her saying Brett Kavanaugh misled her.  Misled her?  No, he didn't, he lied to her.  Told her straight to her face Roe v Wade was settled.  She would have done more to save her face by just admitting that he lied to her.  Do not dance around the truth.  Every congressman, every senator, every time they get in front of a microphone need to remind the American people that Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch, and Samuel Alito, and Clarence Thomas lied to congress.  These people misled nobody.  They lied.

The Bitter Hatred of Clarence Thomas

Well, wasn't yesterday.... Special?  

I made lemon potatoes with oregano.  Not as tasty as I had hoped, thought a ton of parmesan cheese helps.

A lot of peaches were picked.  There are so many of them, they will be either frozen or turned into sauce.

Of course, after the news broke about Roe vs Wade, I spent most of the day on either the computer or my phone.  After the leak, no one should have thought there those conservative judges were going to change their mind.  This decision further divides the country.  Remember, conservatives desperately need to say "shut up!  we're in charge!" no matter how small their minority.  This is their way of saying "fuck you, America."

While the anger is directed towards every one of the judges who side with the majority, Clarence Thomas stands above the rest in his demonstration of hatred.  He provided a laundry list of opinions he wanted overturned:  LGBQT and contraceptive rights.  Robert Reich, among many others, noted Thomas did not mention Virginia vs Loving, another ruling that set a precedent:  interracial marriage.  Being married to a white woman, this exemplifies how 74-year-old is on a personal vendetta.  He is going to make the Centrists and Liberals who objected to his nomination pay dearly. This man epitomizes Conservative hatred.

As more proof, Thomas believes the court should reexamine Griswold vs Connecticut, the ruling which permitted married couples access to birth control.  After 2 marriages, the first to a black woman, he only has one child, so either his little swimmers are weak, or he hasn't been having intercourse, however there is also a very good possibility his spouse has been using birth control.  This has nothing to do with his believing in the sanctity of the sacred sperm impregnating the holy egg.  Remember how he was conveniently hospitalized when his wife's intimate involvement in the Trump coup was going to be released?  He was terrified of being questioned, so he ran away and hid.  This man is a gutless sack of shit pushing his bitter anger onto America.  

Yesterday, while the Republican party was dancing in the street, there were those who were not cheering.  Even the Orange Anus, Donald Trump, was voice reservations about the decision, rather it was the closeness to the mid-terms he was muttering about.  Because Republicans are so bound up in their own selfish wants and desires, they never take a second to consider other opinions, how women might vote this November.  While there may be many women who are stridently anti-abortion, there are many, many more who were glad that option was available.   There are also many, many women who see this decision as taking away their rights to equality, suddenly they are now more inferior and no longer have the right to decide on how to handle a pregnancy.  They are being forced into a role of submission.  This is not going to sit well with them.

The Rainy Day

 The best way to describe yesterday is Rainy in so many, many ways.  

We had drizzly, misty, on and off again showers until late in the afternoon.  They are great for the garden and great for the lawn, but they tend to put me into a rather torpid state.  No ambition.  Instead, I waste time and snack.  No treadmill time.  No dumbbell time.  No cycling.  I did do some laundry, but most of the times was spent on the computer reading bits and pieces of semi-newsworthy opinions in anticipation.

Lily has a small lump on her front leg.  Boxers get lumps, especially as they get older, and that little lady is going to be 9 years old in August.  Biggie has them.  He's had one on his rump for almost 5 years.  His vet wasn't worried because, well, Boxers get lumps.  So, Lily's lump will be under observation.

I did run to Giant yesterday morning.  I'm going to be baking lemon, oregano potatoes this afternoon and I need some chicken broth.  I stopped and looked at my dahlias.  They're going to be stunning this year.  Here's a pic of one I took 2 days ago.

And, of course, it was a Rainy Day down in Washington.  The extremist Supreme Court, even as gun control was moving through the Senate, made things worse.  There are many other words in the 2nd amendment than "the right to bear arms," yet every decision they make is solely focused on those 5 words.

It was a Rainy Day for Jeff Clark... actually his showers began with a pre-dawn raid on Wednesday morning.  This is a man who desperately wanted to be a tool of Trump.  I understand the DOJ took all of his electronics, including his phones.

Scott Perry, from PA, had a very Rainy Day.  I almost spit out a little guffaw when his Tweet "why don't we work with the Italian Government," was projected on the screen.  The fact that his desperate mind could not understand how 'patently absurd' the YouTube video was says a lot about his mindset.  Oh, and he was the one who first took the nefarious Jeff Clark to meet Trump.

And, of course, there were Rainy Days for Jim Jordan, and the other 42 Republican members of congress who voted against the impeachment.  The fact that he was asking for a blanket pardon, which included himself, of course, illustrates how he felt he needed to protect his ass.

And then there's Matt Gaetz, who was evidently pushing for a pardon from back in December.  I'm suspecting his Rainy Days are never going to end.  I am surely not the only one who feels his pardon was to cover more than his involvement with the insurrection, don't doubt for a second he wanted his crimes with little girls to be included.

Buzz This

 Well, we did get rain yesterday, some in the afternoon, most of it overnight.  In fact, there's still a bit of the drizzly wizzly still falling outside.  I don't mind the rain.  Rain is free, watering my mini-garden costs money.  Within the past 2 months, every one of my utility bills has increased: electricity up $6 per month, natural gas up $2 per month, and water up $4 per month.  These expenses are all easily covered by my paychecks from the big, orange home improvement retailer I work for, but this is not the case for others which may be why we've been hiring a lot of seniors lately.  

If the forecasters are correct, out temps today will only climb into the mid 70s (F) with a 92% chance of rain, however, this weekend we'll be topping off the thermometers in the mid 90s (F) with full sun.  Our next rain event will be arriving on Monday, that is if the forecasters are right.

Buzz Lightyear didn't hit expectations on when it opened this past weekend.  I will wait for to watch it when it hits Disney +.  I understand a lot of phony Christian /Conservatives are blaming a fleeting, lesbian kiss.  You have to remember that these parents and grandparents have turned Disney in a babysitter.   Plop the kids down in front of the TV and all you need to do is cast the occasional eye on them.  These homophobes are now pissed off because their kiddies might learn that there is nothing wrong with two mommies kissing, or two daddies for that matter.

I made some French toast yesterday with homemade bread.  Tasty!  Today I'm going to attempt potatoes with oregano, a side dish which will probably be main for later this afternoon.  That's right.  I usually eat my dinner late in the afternoon.  Meals before bedtime are not the best.

There's another January 6 hearing this afternoon at 3 PM.  I'll be watching.  I understand they're going to touch on Jeff Clark, the Trumpist Scott Perry was pushing to replace the Attorney General in order to steal the election.

I understand more subpoenas have been issued in regard to January 6.  Very interesting.  Republicans are really beginning to hate these hearings.  Democrats are allowing Republicans to make high level Republicans look reprehensible.  

One of those subpoenaed was Mo Brooks.  The Orange Anus saw him as a Golden Child, until Mo spoke up and said we need to move on and leave the 2020 election behind.  Suddenly his favorability ratings were shot to Hell.  Rumors are now swirling that he will testify, but only on live television.  Translation:  he's going to go for the throat.

As for blubbery Ginni setting the record straight and correcting those 'misconceptions?'  I wouldn't count on that happening anytime soon.  She likes to see herself as a behind the scenes mover and shaker.  The idea of having her bacon fried on TV is something she holds in deep disdain.  Besides, there's a limit as to how many times she can wear her stylishly red cardigan in public, and no other color picks up the roses in her cheeks as well as red.

"It looks bad for Trump"

 This afternoon, we here in Central PA are going to be celebrating summer with severe thunderstorms.  Supposedly, these storms will be bringing heavy downpours, so they've put us into an areal flood watch.  Right now the temp outside is 71 (F), with a high sometime this afternoon of around 87 (F).   That's quite a bit cooler than many southern parts of the country.  If our long range forecast hews even close to predictions, cracking 90 (F) is not in the cards.  However, we all know the accuracy of long range forecasts.

I've got a boatload of peaches again this year.  My tree has grown so tall I'm going to need to get out the big ladder to reach those near the top, unless I want to lean out of my 2nd story window to harvest.  This pic was taken at ground level.

I saw where a video has surfaced of Herschel Walker saying God has multiple personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I'm suspecting he read this in the Book of Herschel.

And, I was planning to do 2 miles on the treadmill, but I only managed to finish one; the January 6 committee hearing was more important.  The testimony was quite riveting at times.  Rusty Bowers from Arizona?  He may be a Republican, but I have to admit that man has cojones!  I, personally, might have taken a shotgun to those individuals driving around his neighborhood using speakers to broadcast that he was a pedophile.  His quote from Giuliani stating that Team Trump had "lots of theories but no proof," was damning as Hell.

The phone call between Trump and Raffensberger?  Ho Ly Shit!  That conversation is a great illustration of why Georgia is going to send the Orange Anus to jail.  Listening to it, I couldn't help but think that this loser is making shit up on the fly.  And whine.  Hell.  There was nothing thinly veiled about his threats.

Of course, the testimony of Shaye Moss and her mother Lady Ruby.  That was devastating.  I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like to have Trump call Shaye a 'vote scammer and hustler.'  May he rot in whatever country he runs to when the indictment comes.

Finally, I did have to laugh when I saw Neil Cavuto of Fox News saying it "looks bad for Trump."  That is an understatment. 

Hello Summer

 So, when I got home from work last evening, I found the butter dish lying on the living room floor.  Licked clean.  Both suspects were happily wagging their little tails when I walked in the door, no compunction there.  This is what happens when you have big dogs who have no problem standing up at the kitchen counter.  Mostly it tends to be Lily.  Biggie is too big to stand on his hind legs for long.

I stepped on the scale this morning to see what my Summer Weight was and saw the price I'm paying for all of those damn sugar cookies.  And when I got to work yesterday, I discovered several more boxes were waiting for my addiction.  And I'm not talking about the teeny-weeny sugar cookies you buy at your supermarket; I'm talking about PA Dutch sugar cookies.  They're a lot like little cakes.  

Outside, the skies are overcast.  We've got a 50% chance of rain today.  That goes up to 80% tomorrow.  Last year we had a fairly wet summer.  Predicting the weather has always been iffy, though if we get another wet summer next year, I'd have to say rainy summers are trending.

I was watching to see if Republicans would condemn Eric Greiten's decision to sell MAGA licenses to hunt RINOs in a political ad and did not see many congressional representatives speaking out.  This party keeps veering sharply to the extreme right.  Look at Texas wanting to secede from the United States.  This is what happens when you have a bunch of fools trying to put their single cell brains together.

Evidently Trump is whining about Kevin McCarthy's decision to pull Republican representation from the January 6 committee.  I'm fairly certain he thought it a smart move back when the committee was being set up, when he thought his stupid attempt at a coup was well hidden.  There is a reason why this man takes so many to court, he makes a lot of terrible decisions and then tries to blame someone else.

And finally, I saw where Mike Pence has said he has never known anyone to lie as much as Joe Biden.  Stop laughing!  Seriously, should we put any credence in what's being said by a man who looks like he's still auditioning for Stranger Things?

Alienating the Base

 Monday.  I always work Mondays.  The shift is shorter.  I'll spend 6 hours at the store and leave.  Oh, and I'll take at least one 15-minute break during which I'll eat the lunch I took yesterday but didn't eat.  Why take a lunch and not eat it?  Father's Day.  They had barbecue for Fathers.  They let me eat because "you have fur babies."  And so, I did.  There was also food for Juneteenth.  Sugar cookies, cherries, strawberries, grapes, and watermelon.  I ate sugar cookies.  Quite a few.  Over 10.  Easily.  As I've mentioned before, I'm a carboholic when the right carbs present themselves.  Sugar cookies are the nefariously right carbs.  Interestingly, there was Mac and Cheese with the barbecue.  That is not the right carb.  I had a small spoonful. It only becomes the odiously right carb when I make it at home.  The small spoonful was nothing more than a tease.  Now I'm thinking of making an entire pan of Mac and Cheese.  We shall have to wait and see.

Business was slow... until 15 minutes before I was ready to leave.  Then a couple asked for information about blinds.  The wife kept saying "I'm confused.  I really need to see samples in my house."  Well, that ain't gonna happen.  Twenty minutes later she thanked me and told me they would talk about it... and get back to me.  So, I ended up punching out late, but not late enough to get an extra 15 minutes of pay.

I have a little tomato in my little garden.  I tried to take a pic, but the camera focused on Lily.  That's fine.

I saw that Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas who nearly physically attacked extremist MAGAs.  They called him names, one of them shouting he 'needed to be hung.'  This is the base the GOP is so desperate to hold on to.  How desperate?  Adam Kintzinger has pointed out that so far Kevin McCarthy has said nothing.  Don't expect him to, at least until maybe later this afternoon or tomorrow, if he says anything at all.  Maybe he'll just run away from the reporters, like he's done before.  This party is so terrified of alienating one MAGA hate monger, they will tolerate any evil.  

In another example, Shannon Boon, from Fox News, asked Mike Lee if the GOP might be out of step with the constitution regarding gun legislation.  Of course, fearful of alienating even a single one of those MAGA gun owners, he obfuscated.  You could say he did a little Texas Two Step in his response, saying there wasn't really a bill and that you can't ascertain anything without a bill.  You know what I'm talking about.  He spit out the same horse shit Republicans always spit out because they're terrified of alienating even one vote of their gun loving base.  The idea that they might gain more voters than they lose by voting for gun control isn't even something they can see in their rear-view mirror.

Quayle vs Cheney

 Well, let's all say hello to a sleepy Sunday morning.  I don't know about you, but I turned off the alarm and rolled over to catch an addition hour of shuteye.

Yesterday the weather was cool and windy, today it's going to be nice, with the temp possibly hitting 78 (F).  Sadly, I do have to work an 8-hour shift.  There is the good possibility the store will be slow.  I am hoping for as much.  It is Father's Day after all, another Hallmark Holiday, and a lot of fathers, especially the conservative ones, are expecting to be treated royally.  If you're a MAGA, it's just another day to suck down beer without thinking about the hangover you'll be dealing with tomorrow morning as you head into work.

I drove down to York yesterday to have lunch with my friend Betsy.  We talked politics.  It was a good time.  The only problem was with the diner, (diner food is great).  She only ate half of a very thick BLT, and half of her sweet potato fries, and so she asked for a box.  We continued our conversation as we walked to the car, when she suddenly said, "oh, I left my box on the table."  By the time she got back to the table, they'd thrown the rest of her meal away.  Bad customer service.  For all that clean-up person knew, Betsy might have left her container on the table while she went to the restroom.  It should have been taken to the cashier, not thrown into the garbage.

My dahlias are preparing to burst into bloom!

I saw where Trump was at the Faux Faith and Freedom to Lie conference.  That Cracker Jack Crazies were in their version of heaven (no caps).  Once again, he criticized Mike Pence for not breaking the law and creating a constitutional crisis.  And as if cue, Steve Bannon called Pence a Judas.  Guess who wasn't at that phony festival of fools.  Mike Pence.  He avoided it for the first time in 5 years.  Can you guess why?  Well, besides being a coward, he wants to run for president.  More power to him, since there are 2 groups of Christian voters:  the Evangelicals who believe God sent Trump, and the rest of the believers who quietly shake their heads at this blasphemy.  We might end up with a knockdown, drag out war, Christian against Christian war.  Honestly, I don't think Pence has the fortitude for such a fight.  Remember, when his little, faux Christian world was spinning terribly out of control in 2020, the person he turned to for advice was the namby-pamby Dan Quayle, not the aggressive Dick Cheney, who'd been Vice President for 2 terms.

 

Lock Him UP

 The thunderstorm on Thursday night brought a windy Friday as a front moved through Central PA, and today?  The temps are cool and overcast.  This will many of you down south jealous, and probably a lot of you in the Midwest, but our temps are only going to climb into the low 70s (F) today.  I can live with this, though I'll have to water my little garden since the wind will dry everything out.

The fungus which effected the leaves on my nectarine and peach trees has also done some damage to the fruit.  I don't know how much of the crop has been ruined, I guess I'll find out over the coming days.  And, speaking of the nectarine tree, this year I do have nectarines, however they're about the size of a manzanilla olives.  I haven't cut one open, but I'm suspecting is mostly a big pit.

I saw this in the NYT this morning, call it a little treatise on election denying Republicans.  This group will never believe the truth.  Ever.  They are becoming modern day Confederates who will never believe the war is over, that Lee actually surrendered, or that Trump is a malignant force out to destroy Democracy.  I do not doubt for a second that they are decedents of that group of Americans who stayed loyal to the crown during the Revolutionary War.  These are people who need an authoritarian leader, that one thing Democracy will never provide.  Their souls vibrated with the need to say "Shut up!  We're in charge."  The sad truth is that when they do manage to get themselves in power, they cater only to their own wishes, leaving everybody else to just rot.  They are a very selfish group of people.  The reality we need to face is that when they lose, they need to be punished, which creates a problem.  After the Civil War, Confederate leaders were just allowed to go home.  No punishment was levied against them.  That was a big mistake.  They didn't learn.  Ford pardoned Nixon because... well, maybe he thought it was the civilized thing to do, or maybe he thought it would keep the country unified.  Big Mistake.  He should have served jail time.  That pardon sent a message: you can pretty much get away with anything if you're president.  And not only presidents.  Oliver North, a Republican, was found guilty of going through Iran, our enemy, to weaponize the Contra rebels in Central America, and when George H. Bush, a Republican, was elected president he pardoned North.  Holy Shit Bangs!  We have been sending the wrong messages for decades, which is why we have to deal with the Trump Shit Show.  How do we stop this?  End it forever?  Simply lock that asshole up.  Lock up Scott Perry, and Eastman, and Navarro.  The punishment needs to begin now, otherwise they will continue to do it over, and over, and over again. 

Pardon Me

 Well, hell, it looks like Friday has finally arrived and temps up here in Central PA are going to be very warm, low 90s (F), though the humidity will probably be as thick as a wet sponge.  We had a loud crashing and booming thunderstorm last night.  Heavy rain, so heavy I could hear it pounding on the attic roof.  There were lots of lightning flashes, but no nearby strikes, at least as far as I could see from my 2nd story windows.  I had cleaned out a cooler and left it to air dry out back and the wind blew it off the chair.  It now has almost 5 inches of water in it.

And weren't the hearings a joy yesterday?   Being at work, I couldn't watch them, however I did look at the comments lighting up Twitter.  Evidently there were quite a few flashy Holy Shit moments.  While the day is now registered in infamy, Dan Rather noted, however, that the Trump White House grew very, very polite after January 6 with so many people saying "pardon me."

As might be expected, polls are being taken on what America thinks of the hearings.  After looking at several of them, a slim majority (54) of Americans want the DOJ to prosecute the Orange Anus.  There are a smaller group, one that 'can't decide,' made of independents and a small number of Republicans, and then there are the Republicans, half of whom think January 6 was justified.  From what I'm gathering, that number is about 14%, which is still a significant voting block.   These people will never change their minds.  That's large enough to swing an election should the GOP run a popular president.  We cannot let this happen.  Vote once, and make sure you vote Blue.

A Serendipitous Tour

 Thursday.  I work.  For a full 8 hours shift.  Luckily, I start an hour early, which means I leave work at 1800, rather than 1900.  I'm fine with that.

And yesterday was one of those days when I got a lot done: mowed the lawn, couple loads of laundry, worked on the tank in the living room, played some Elden Ring.  Oh, and I did 2.25 miles on the treadmill.  I increased the weight in the spats by 1 pound on each foot, and my left knee was achy last night, so I'll probably drop it back down for a bit.  And, speaking of walking, I perused this article in the NYT this morning. Very Interesting.  Like the scientists involved in the study, I, too, would have thought dancing would have had more of an impact than just walking.

I went to see the latest Jurassic Park movie last night.  It started off a little clunky as the old cast members were reintroduced and the romance between Laura Dern and Sam Neil seemed forced, but the movie turned out to be far better than I was expecting.  Jeff Goldblum had the best lines.  In the last few Jurassic movies, action scenes seemed to take place because one of the writers said, "we need an action scene here."  In Jurassic World - Dominion, action scenes are integral to the plot, now, isn't that a nice surprise?

The January 6 committee is having their 3rd public hearing this morning and (crap, crap, carp) I have to work.  Was anyone surprised yesterday when they released video of Rep. Loudermilk (R) taking a group of people on a tour January 5?  I wasn't.  How about that gent taking pictures of staircases and hallways?  Rather serendipitous, wouldn't you say, since he happened to be one those marching to the capital the very next day.  At first Loudermilk said the tour was for family, and then he said it was for family and friends, and then he changed his story to say it was for family, friends, and friends of friends (or something to that effect).  You do know that the Republicans pulled this shit because they thought they were going to get away with it.  Now they're running around trying to coverup their shitty asses.  

Finally, it seems as though the GOP is going to escalate 'voter fraud' into being their most favorite dead horse to kick.  Pay close attention to what's happening in Nevada.  Losing candidate Joey Gilbert is already stomping away because he won in so many counties, though lost bigly in Clark county, which gave Lombardo the win... by 11%.  Ouch.

The Weak Grip

 The heat Jennifer was talking about yesterday arrives in Central PA today.  We will, however, only be sitting in the low 90s (F) rather than be hitting the triple digit temps she is experiencing, of course, we have another week before summer officially arrives.  I will have to water my little garden, though.

Yesterday was a day of accomplishment!  

I tried something different during my 43 minutes on the treadmill: weighted spats.  I've had them for years, and years, and have never really used them.  The weight can be adjusted up to 5 lbs. per foot.  I started light, strapping just one pound on each foot.  Easy peasy.  Your legs are the engines of your body.  The idea is to make them work harder to make them grow stronger.  

I decided to put in some marigolds out front.  I planted seeds, but also picked up a pack of 8 small plants thinking they'd get a head start on the seeds.  Well, the seeds are going to town, while the plants are struggling.  They're struggling.  Here's a blurry pic of my dahlias.  They should be bursting into bloom any day now.  

The next January 6 committee public hearing was moved from today until next week, tomorrow's hearing is still on.  I work tomorrow, so I'll not be able to watch it with any type of consistency.  

There were primaries yesterday.  I find it fascinating that the media is so laser focused on Republican candidates, especially those endorsed by Trump.  Take Lombardo in Nevada.  He's backed by Trump, getting 38.4% of the vote.  That's the headline, rather than 41.1% of Republicans in Nevada voted for someone else.  If they're trying to show how strong Trump's grip is on the GOP, they're failing.  His candidates might win, but when a majority of Republicans vote for other candidates that grip is not nearly as strong as the media implies.  Trump's dinky little hands aren't nearly as strong as his MAGA base wants them to be.

I'll drink to that

 My weekend is begging with a thunderstorm, not too much thunder, but rain... again.  Lucky for me I got the dogs out before it started, neither likes to get showered upon.  On the bright side, even though outside the skies are overcast, I already have the first load of laundry in the washer.

Yesterday was slow at the store.  My measure goal for this week is 1.  Last week I managed to get 2 measures, my goal was 3.  For me, I think 1 is doable. 

I was talking to our HR rep yesterday and she let me know that the old woman whom I'd told to shut up is being transferred to the front end.  She's going to be a cashier, a position she had originally been hired to do.  When the realized she had problems with understanding that job, they made her a Greeter, and then they had her taking returns to departments for a while, and finally they made her an aisle associate in my department.  I'm suspecting they know she's going to fail, providing them with a valid reason to let her go.  I should feel bad because she's a senior citizen, she might need the income, however, we have a number of seniors citizens working for us now.  Many of our day cashiers are now older men and women.  The difference between them and this woman?  They know how to filter their opinions when dealing with customers, and other associates.  Perhaps if she weren't a Holy MAGA this woman might understand.

My new printer has now become part of the decor in my writing room.  Originally, it was sitting on a rolling laptop desk, which I hated.  So, I took a very old, two drawer beige filing cabinet and painted it to coordinate with the area rug.  Voila.

I painted the handles Sea Foam Blue

The January 6 committee was in fine form yesterday.  The only issue I had was with Billy Barr.  When he said that Trump did not have a grasp on reality, I wondered whether he was setting up some sort of insanity plea should the DOJ indict.  Later, I saw I was not the only to take a long 'hmmm' moment to question what Billy was actually doing.  The $250 million raised for an election fund raised the ominous specter of wire fraud.  Jail time there, if he's still in this country by then.  

A bit I saw in the NYT that I found interesting, helmet-haired Betsy DeVos, upon finding out how arduous the process would be to remove Trump using the 25th amendment resigned.  That fit her selfish profile.

And finally, one of the funny things I saw on social media was this:  every time the name Rudy Giuliani comes up in the hearings you need to take a drink, alcohol of course, since witness after witness has somehow managed to say, "you could tell he'd been drinking."

It's in the Stars

Is everybody excited for the new work week?  I am.  Not because I have to work, which I do, but this morning the January 6 committee has another hearing... and I don't need to be at work until 12, that means I'll get to watch part of it.

Yesterday, as I expected, was another slow day at work.  I had around $2000 in sales, so I hit my goal for the week.  That's nice, it kind of keeps management quiet.  Otherwise, we sat around.  Here's a sample of how poorly things are going: for the same week last year the flooring department had 26 measures, this year we had 5.  Ouch!  To compensate prices are going up because American Capitalism has decreed that in order to satisfy Wall Street, you will need to punish the general population.  This makes things worse, but tell me, do you think corporate America really cares about anything other than their own financial gains?

Right now, I'm using my old laptop stand as a printer table.  I hate it, so I'm replacing it with a small, 2 drawer filing cabinet my mom gave me decades ago.  At present, the cabinet is beige, later this morning it will be painted red to fit in with the rest of the decor.  Pictures to follow.

Since business was so slow yesterday, I got to watch the Xbox / Bethesda showcase on the flooring desk computer.  Not the who 2.5-hour showcase, mind you.  I had the sound playing lowly and now and then would open the window to see which games were being talked about.  There was only one game I was truly interested in, and that was Starfield, Bethesda's first new IP in 29 years.  If you don't own stock in Xbox, now's the time to buy.  I know there are people who think gaming is only shooting things up, but there is so much more, like exploration.  There are over 1000 planets in Starfield to explore.  There is settlement building, where you have to gather the raw materials to build a settlement and then hire people to work there, all done without firing a weapon.  There are millions of gamers who find that fascinating.  Here's the release video with game play.  Oh, and in case you're wondering there is some shooting.

And today is the January 6 committee's 2nd public hearing.  A lot of people are trying to predict just what they're going to do, but let's be honest, without a program, we'll just have to wait and see.  Some of their guest witnesses are intriguing:  the guy who ran Trump's campaign and got fired because losing is not in Trump's vocabulary.

And then there's Georgia.  Even Newsweek is implying the case there will bring us the arrest so many want.  There's so much evidence.  Like stars in the heaven, if you look up, you can't miss them.

 

A little Patriot Fund Pride

 Sunday.  The 7th day of the week.  One on which we're supposed to rest, according to some religious mythos.  But not me, not today.  I'm looking forward to an 8-hour shift.  Things will most likely be slow because it's going to rain, and the big Memorial Day sales are over.  On days like this I get in thousands and thousands of steps.  Sitting at the flooring desk grows boring fast, so I walk.  Think of it as a mini-cardio workout.

The newest new printer arrived yesterday and is set up downstairs.  I did not sign up for the 'toner plan' that HP was offering:  you pay them $1.99 a month for the first 2 months, but then a higher monthly charge kicks in.  I normally buy generic cartridges since they're much cheaper.  I already have several for the old printer.  If they fit the new printer, that'll be grand.  If not?  Well, they were cheap.

And this gave me a big laugh when I saw it.

Of course, there was a lot of chatter on social media about Ivanka's cameo.  Let's be honest here.  She's looking out for her own ass.  Nothing else counts to a Trump. You see, her daddy raised her to be just like him.  

The edges around the Magaverse are fraying and beginning to shred.  The evil is starting to float to the surface.  31 white supremacists, members of the group Patriot Front, were arrested up in Idaho yesterday.   Their plan was to disrupt, possibly cause a riot at a Pride Festival.  29 of them were riding in the back of a U-Haul, along with their shields, clubs, and at least 1 smoke grenade.  The orange retailer I work for rents U-Hauls.  I know how big that U-Haul is, and they were packed in their tightly, up close and personal tightly, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were celebrating a little Patriot Fund Pride.  Maybe that's why they wear those white balaclavas, so they don't know who's zoomin' who.

Eggs in a Basket

 Let me begin by wishing those of you who are starting your 2-day weekends, a happy weekend.  I work tomorrow.  A full 8-hour shift.  And I work Monday as well, but only for 6 hours.  Then I begin another weekend.  Heading into the July 4th weekend, I have a week where I'm only schedule 2 days, 14 hours.  I like around 20 - 24 hours a week, that gives me enough for spending freely without having to tap my savings or use my social security.   Just because I'm semi-retired doesn't mean I'm going to stop saving.  I think that might happen when I hit 80... or so.

I got the results from my CAT scan.  Nothing new.  Nothing to be worried about, which is what I want to hear.  

The printer I order arrived yesterday and it's being returned on Monday.  Wrong thing.  I'm replacing a printer / scanner, which is what I searched for; the one I purchased was at the top of that list, and it's only a printer.  I ordered another.  That one is arriving today.

Also, the yellow laptop I used for my Tacx training, and running videos has been retired.  The flat screen monitor it was attached to is a smart TV, so that has a mouse and keyboard attached, and I now watch videos directly on YouTube.  I mirror the Tacx app from the tablet I bought a while back.  Everything works out rather well.

Since I'm dropping pics from my past, here's a shot I took while in Paris.  

I hear and read where a large number of people are waiting for Merrick Garland, and the Justice Department, to do indict Trump.  I doubt very much if he will do anything, not because the proof isn't in the pudding, rather, I think there is a lot of concern what that would do to the country.  The MAGAs would not take such an action lying down; many do see him as some sort of icon.  The civil unrest in this country would be unprecedented.  The Republicans know this.  The main purpose of the January 6 committee is to teach America all about Republican evil ways, and then vote Republicans out of power.  This is the legitimate way to remove them without violence.  However, this doesn't mean Trump is not going to be indicted.  That will happen, don't worry.  However, it will not come from the Federal Government.  Nope.  That indictment will come from either the New York Attorney General, or the state of Georgia.  If I were to put my eggs in one of those 2 baskets, I'd say Georgia.  I'm also suspecting they will charge him for something like racketeering instead of voter intimidation.  Of course, this is just me putting my eggs in one basket.  Who knows how that omelet is going to be made. 

And then there was Liz

 And so, my 2nd weekend of the week begins.  The weather is sunny.  No rain is expected today.  The forecast for tomorrow is not so good.  Rain is expected.  And on Sunday as well, though I'll be working so it's not going to bother me.

My new printer should be arriving today.  This is a good thing.  The one still works, somewhat, so I'm probably going to keep using it for odd things until the toner cartridges are empty.  While we all wish our 'electronics' would last forever, they don't.  The yellow Samsung gaming laptop I bought, again, quite a number of years ago (9 to be precise), is having problems with its HDMI port.  This is the laptop I have attached to the big screen TV and is used for my Tacx rides.  There are workarounds, however.  

And, of course, last night was the first Prime-Time hearing of the January 6 committee.  I spent some time looking for any kind of ratings information, none was available.  I did find a lot of commentary regarding Fox's continued attempt to foist The Big Lie on its viewers.  Someone pointed out that Tucker Carlson did the first 60 minutes of his show without a commercial break, indicating Fox is so desperate they were willing to lose money.

As for the hearings, I watched them.  I was impressed by so very much.  America got to watch and hear Billy Barr say the election lies were "bullshit."   I thought the juxtaposition of Trump's speech with the clips of the mob breaking into the capital buildings quite compelling.  I was impressed with Liz Cheney; she no doubt made her dad proud last evening.  Her comment to Republicans on how someday Trump will be gone, but their dishonor will always remain was stupendous.  I got a real chortle when she mentioned that Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, had, after January 6, requested a pardon from Trump.  His spokesperson quickly called that comment ludicrous, however, she wouldn't have made it without proof.  The testimony by the documentarian was fascinating, pointing out for the first time how The Proud Boys and The Oath Keepers were working in conjunction with each other.  The police officer's testimony was riveting as she compared the insurrection to a warzone.  

Last night's hearing is not going to change the minds of those who turned to Fox, it was never intended to.  It was for the vast majority of Americans, Democrat, Centrist, Independent, and level-headed Republicans, many of whom are just beginning to realize that the party of Trump has morphed into something that is craven for power.  Conservatives don't want to make America great; they just want to dictate how the rest of America lives its lives.

Tonight

 Well, yesterday turned out to be a do nothing sort of day.  I did do laundry and some yardwork, but not much.  This is what usually happens when I stay up late watching movies.  These old bones aren't used to my burning the midnight oil.  On the plus side, the dogs and I took a nice, long nap yesterday afternoon.  

So, what other films did I watch on Tuesday night.  Well, of course one of the was X - the Unknown, and the other was a remastered Blu-ray of Help, a very old Beatles movie.  Help was an extremely popular movie, one of very few films I saw twice in a movie theater, but from my understanding was not a lot of fun for the Beatles.  Life was becoming very complicated for the most popular band in the world and neither the world, nor the Beatles were ready for it.  Here's the only full length trailer I could find.

I ordered a new printer.  The 13-year-old HP laser printer downstairs doesn't handle Windows 11, even though I updated the drivers.  My laptop, still Windows 10, had serious issues printing to it last fall that were so bad I worked with Microsoft to try and fix them, it would only print 'current page.'  Back when I purchased it, I remember the salesclerk telling me that printers had gotten so inexpensive, when they went bad, people simply upgraded.

And, of course, tonight is the night the January 6 committee goes prime time, sans Fox, and Fox is scared.  Laura Ingraham spit out some sort of nonsense saying the network 'caters to their audience.'  Doesn't she admit that's an admission of guilt?  Republicans are scared.  Rubio spit out the broken record comment "no one is going to watch," thought I don't doubt for a second what he's saying is true those who supported the insurrection.  They are terrified because this hearing is going to be everywhere... except Fox, which is not good for that entertainment network.

And Tonight is just going to be the beginning.  True, there will be MAGAs that will call these hearings lies.  There are Evangelicals who will deny everything, since the truth will mean that... well, they will never admit that God didn't choose Donald Trump to give them what they want, that would be a denial of their faith.  Tonight will not go well for either of these groups.  In fact, for some it might be the beginning of the end. 

 

Duped

 Well, here it is Wednesday, that last day of my first weekend this week.  I have the same schedule for next week: work a day, have 2 days off, work a day, and have 2 days off.  I have no problem working 20 hours a week.  

Yesterday was an on and off, drizzly, overcast, sometimes nappy day.  A number of loads of laundry were washed and dried, dishes were washed, and some writing was done before I settled down to watch movies.  First up was The Phantom Menace, the 1st film in the Star Wars timeline.  I'd seen it a long time ago.  It raised a lot of eyebrows when it was first released, mainly because of a CGI character named Jar Jar Biggs (sp).  I didn't like him in 1999 and still don't.  23 years after first seeing it in a theater, my opinion hasn't changed much, the movie is terrible, with all of the actors sleepwalking through dialogue written for an 8-year-olds maturity level.  After checking the Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores, I see I'm no alone with it barely earning a a 50% approval rating.

There have been a number of articles and opinions coming out regarding percentages of the Republican party believing this, or that, all of them implying that the GOP is much larger than it truly is.  So, when Newsweek says that 44% of Republicans believe school shootings are something we need to accept, don't believe it.  As I've said before, Newsweek is conservative making their newsworthiness unreliable, add to that polling, in itself, is questionable at best.  And Newsweek is not alone.  Every news outlet wants a headline that grabs your attention, and nothing grabs like that % sign.  For a society that is supposed to be intelligent, so many are duped far too often.  

Prime Time

 Tuesday morning and I slept in because when the alarm woke me up, I turned it off, rolled over, and went back to sleep.  What did finally rouse me into full wakefulness was the thought that I was going to be late for work.  That and the dogs pawing at me to let me know they had to go 'potty outside.'  The thought of being late for work was something I could ignore, the 'potty outside' could not.

Outside, the sky is overcast.  We have a 60% chance of rain today.  We had a lot of rain last summer, this year we may see a repeat.  Even so, I still need to water the veggies and the flowers, which happens daily.  I might swing over to the store this morning and pick up a few more herbs.  I already have rosemary, which is actually a shrub, but I want to get some coriander (which, for those of you who don't know, is also chamomile).

I snapped this picture of Lily yesterday, isn't she the perfect little lady?  You can see a fragment of one of her bones tucked safely into the little bookcase.  Now you have to admit, she is so ready for prime time.

For those who didn't hear, and this news shouldn't be surprising at all, Fox News is not going to be airing the January 6 prime time hearings.  I do believe I might have mentioned earlier that they were never going to participate directly; that would be like waving their shitty underwear in public.  I didn't see if OneNews is going to carry the hearings or not.  For those who haven't heard, MAGAs are switching to OneNews because... well, their lord and savior, Donald Trump, no longer likes Fox.  Many Americans now realize that Fox News has turned into the National Enquirer of cable news networks.  This should have been expected.  Rupert Murdoch and his spawn will always fall back on that open thing that made them rich:  tabloid news.

X - the Unknown

 A busy Monday has arrived.  Not only do I get to go to work this afternoon, but this morning also I will be driving down to the Lebanon VA for a test.  Because a long, long time ago I used to be a smoker, they now do a CAT scan of my chest yearly nothing is budding in my lungs.  I have no problem with this whatsoever.  My dad died of lung cancer; it is not a good way to end the last days of your life.

The flooring department was hopping yesterday, mostly because after 1 PM I was the only one in the department.  Not a lot of issues.  But questions.  I designed blinds for several customers, changed the color of carpet for another, and signed up 2 customers for measures.  My managers should be happy.

In a fit of what you might call whimsy, I ordered a Blu-ray copy of one of the films that scared the crap out of me when I was a kid because those minutes of cowering behind my hand standout in all of my youthful memories.  In my pre--teen years, the Academy Theater in Lebanon would do Saturday matinees of movies from the 50s.  From all of those movies I saw, 2 stand out:  The Creature from the Black Lagoon, which I found really terrifying, and X-the Unknown, in which, while I knew the radiation was never going to kill, I thought the suspense truly might.  Anyway, I bought the disc.  Here's the trailer for those of you bold enough to watch it.

I saw where Louie Gohmert is continuing to get a mountain of shit for his "you can't lie to the FBI line." The idea that people actually voted this man into public office is appalling.  I wonder if they find him embarrassing, or if they simply shake their heads and chuckle "well, that's our Louie."  If that's the case, they really should avoid polling booths at all costs.

As for other political news, the weekend was rather quiet.  The UK's BoJo has some trouble brewing up today.  A vote of no confidence might pass because... you see, this buffoon enacted a serious Covid lockdown, and then members of his party... partied, behind doors... and got caught.  Ouch.  For those who don't know, Boris Johnson is the UKs version of mini-Trump.  He's the one who pushed Brexit, telling Briton's life would be Chim, Chim, Cheree happy.  It isn't.  BoJo deserves everything he gets.

I'm wondering, will the Prime-Time January 6 hearings get higher ratings than Amber and Johnny?

Me, Again

 Another slow Sunday has rolled around.  As usual, I'm working.  Sundays aren't bad.  I spend a lot of time walking around the store or sitting at my desk.  Customers wander by occasionally and I'll talk to them.  So far this week, my sales are great, I'll probably end with around $12,000, which isn't bad for a part-time associate.

I did have to deal with a white racist yesterday.  After putting some returns away, I found a large, very white woman standing by the flooring desk waiting for my associate to finish up with the customer he was working with, so I asked if she needed assistance.  She'd been in the day before to purchase flooring only there had been a problem with her credit card.  Yesterday, she was going to pay by check.  She claimed the other associate had made mistakes on her bill: he hadn't included the delivery charge, so the total was wrong.  Actually, her bill was correct.  There was nothing wrong.  When my fellow associate finished with his customer, he asked if there was a problem.  She looked at him and rudely said, "I'm dealing with this gentleman, now."  He said, "okay," and walked away.  As I was printing off her bill, she leaned forward and said, "I'm so glad I got to deal with you today."  Instead of pointing out her racism, I sent her to the Service Desk to pay for her flooring.  The associated she didn't want to deal with is a Pakistani.  When I told him what she'd said, he replied, "it's the skin."  Of course, I knew that.

Here's a rather obscure photo of me from 2001 in a money booth, of all places.  My friend Betsy is watching me not really try to catch dollar bills because most of them were fake.

Here's a bit of humorous, speculative political news.  Trump has left Florida for New Jersey.  Florida gets stinky, winky hot in the summer and who knows what that humidity would to do his fake tan.  I also find it interesting that a number of polls have come out recently noting that DeSantis is... well, to put it bluntly, more popular with a growing number of ex-MAGA cult members.  There are whispers Republicans lean towards Ronnie because he doesn't have the boorishness and buffoonery that comes with Trump.  That must really burn Trumps ass.  That, coupled with several articles about his announcing his candidacy for 2024 leads one to wonder if he's trying to get a jump on Ronnie.  Let's face it, the candidates Trump has been endorsing are not hitting homeruns in this primary season.  While there are still Republicans in line to kiss his ass, that line appears to be growing shorter by the day.

Fingers, it's fingers

 Well, hello weekend for most people.  I work weekends, but then I have most of the daily, grinding week off while most people work. I got a pretty good deal, I think.

Yesterday, I planted some marigolds and cooked.  Since I will be taking my lunch to work for the next 2 days, I figured I might as well take something tasty.  It will probably come as no surprise to most of you that many associates who have a lunch break take pre-packaged, frozen meals.  There was a time when I did the same thing, but that was many long years ago.  I got tired that there wasn't really a lot of variation in flavor in meal by Marie Callendar, or Swanson.  They have a lot of fat calories and sodium issues, but not a lot of taste, so now I make my own meals and take them.  Today and tomorrow, I'm going to be dining on homemade meatloaf, and homemade scalloped potatoes.  Here's what the potatoes looked like when I popped them from the oven.  Very tasty, let me tell you.

I uploaded another short vid to my YouTube channel.  This one's a bit on the new book and the cover art.  I think everybody in the world can see it.  

And for those who missed it, Peter Navarro was taken into custody yesterday, not because he was fomenting the insurrection, this had to do with his ignoring the January 6 committee subpoena asking him to spend some quality time with them.  Being the old, white supremacist he is, Petey boy flipped out.  I watched about 20 seconds of his whiny performance.  That's all it took for me to realize he was cut from the same material as the orange douchebag America fired in 2020.

Is it me, or has anyone else noticed how self-destructive conservatives have become?  Because they are anti-mask, and anti-vaccine more conservatives die from Covid than any other group (it used to be black men, I believe).  Because they are so vehemently pro-gun, they are responsible for more gun deaths among children than any other group.  Anytime someone mentions the word regulation they go into conniptions shrieking "it's my right to make that decision," however, they sure do like to make the rules.  WE must not let them get into power ever again.