Needing Special Forces

 Thursday.  Fixed workday.  The temps are barely supposed to hit 70 (F).  The skies are overcast and there is a 25% chance of rain.  

I was supposed to go see Downton Abbey last evening but cancelled.  I was not in the mood to sit through 2 hours of costume drama silliness.  Instead, I ate ice cream (lots of ice cream) and played Elden Ring.   For those interested, the little white Speedo is gone; I'm now wearing brightly colored clothing.

Mike (the plumber) came back yesterday morning are replaced the old, cracked cast iron piping with brand, new PVC.  It took him about 3 hours.  He was not talkative.  I spent most of the time outside with the dogs, who were very excited someone was working in the basement.  Now and then, I'd take them in.  They were very good: laid on the floor waiting to hear his feet climbing the stairs.  He seemed fine with them.

I'm not a big one for having strangers in the house and even though he'd been here on Tuesday to do an assessment, I was pleased when his work was complete, and he finally packed up his gear and headed out to his truck.  For those interested, here's a picture of what $1700 of new PVC piping looks like:

And of course, the country is still reeling from the Tragedy in Texas. For those who missed it, Beto O'Rourke challenged Governor Abbott of Texas in a press conference.  Beto challenged him, saying he was doing nothing.  Republicans were not happy.

Abbott is scheduled to speak at an NRA convention in Dallas on Friday.  When asked about his scheduled appearance last evening, Abbott refused to answer.

Mitt Romney is under fire for his standardized 'those families are in our prayers,' comment.  People began noting that over the years he has received approximately $13 million in donations from the NRA.

The security at Robb Elementary was top notch, and the shooter still managed to gain entrance.  There was at least one-armed officer he managed to get past.  The shooter shot and injured 17 other people, including police officers because he was using an AR-15, something they were not prepared for, and it took a special force team to actually stop him.  Think about that.  A special force team.  This was an 18 year old who just recently purchased 2 AR-15s.  Needing a special force, armed border patrol team to take him out says a lot about the problems of letting 18 year old kids buy automatic rifles.

Beginning of a Trend

Well it's Kid Workshop Saturday and I'm off.
Outside the temps are a chilly 34 (F).  That storm we had on the 31st dropped 3 inches of rain in about an hour.  Many, many roads were closed for a while because of flooding.  As a result, in Enola at least, Trick or Treat for the kiddies was held last night.  Things have changed.  When I was a kid, if you were younger than 6 you stayed home, you weren't old enough to go Trick or Treating.  In today's world, if you're 6 years old you're approaching the senior side of Trick or Treat time scale.  Parents love taking their 4 and 5 year-olds door to door.  I treat them by letting out my BIG dogs who have BIG barks.  Here's one of my BIG dogs with her yellow duck and purple squirrel.  Lilly is half the size of Biggie.

I saw last evening where Beto has finally decided to drop out of the race.  Like so many of the 'contenders,' he should never have thrown his hat into the ring.  People may love him, his ideas, his philosophy, the fact that he's Latino but... he needs more experience in dealing with those on the dark side.  Exemplary ideals are simply not enough when it comes to facing off with the hate on the right.

So, the Idiot Jerk in the White House had a rally in Tupelo.  He barked at a large crowd.  This is deep in the heart of his Base Country:  Crazy Christians, Crazy Confederates, and the KKK.  Why hold a rally in this deeply red state?  It's a sure thing, right?  Sorry, but there's a smudge of blue threatening to turn the state purple.  Republicans know this.  I see the beginning of a trend.  As the impeachment process slowly continues, so does the slow erosion of his base.  The Idiot Jerk is desperately trying to keep his loyalists from being disheartened.  Any second now he's going to start sounding like that Idiot Reagan shouting "stay the course! stay the course!"  Prepare yourselves for any lie.  Both he and the Republicans hate the Constitution.  That document keeps him from being the shitty, little Tinfoil dictator he wants to be... and he knows his Blow Bro Vlad will reject him if he doesn't achieve that status.

There's an election in some parts of the country this Tuesday.  Vote Blue.  And remember, in some states, like PA candidates can cross register into both parties so don't just vote straight ticket.  To kick their asses out of our government vote for Democrats or Independents. 

Standing Out

Thursday... the 27th of June.  The forecast is for stinking hot temperatures - up in the 90's (F).  Yesterday was hot, too.  When I got in my car to leave work the temp was 96 (F).  That's a bit on the warm side.  Since there was not a lot of humidity it wasn't too bad.  We're supposed to have thunderstorms pass through on Saturday should cool off a bit.  I am so glad I have Central Air, that was a worthwhile investment.
And, of course, the first of this week's 2 debates was last night.  I turned them on for a bit, not the entire thing, mind you, just for a few minutes.  I heard some of Klobuchar's none performance, and Warren talking about Medicare for All.  I did not hear anything from Ryan, or Delaney, or... oh, what's his name....  I was surprised at how fiery Warren was; I've always though of her a quiet.  The funny thing about Medicare for All is that it's nothing more than the Universal Health Care they have in Canada, and the UK, and... in fact, in a lot of countries around the world.  Here, in the United States, our government wants us to pay through the nose - that's American Capitalism.  Somebody needs to be making a fuckin' buck.  This is why the GOP has always been failures when it comes to Health Care.  They don't vote for anything that doesn't make some rich guy even richer.  Their wonderful tax overhaul shows just how much proof their is in that pudding, how the wealthy and corporations got cake out of the piece of legislation and everybody else got crumbs.  They will never change.  Greed is part of their nature.
I understand the BBC, Beto, Booker, and Castro, spoke in Spanish.  Nice.  Too early in the campaign, though, I think.  Being bilingual is an asset.  However, when speaking Spanish becomes the high point of your performance in a debate, rather than where you stand on issues, you fail.  This morning, while reading articles about last night, the fact that those 3 spoke Spanish got press portends problems since their positions on America's difficulties resonated little.
Reuters said Warren remained unscathed.  That's their way of saying she ruled the roost.
If you have your red pens ready, there are at least 5 names you can cross off your list.
Finally, I'd like to introduce you to another member of my rose family.

He's an orange climber.  Hopefully he will climb up the wrought iron on the side of my front porch.  He has some perfume, but mostly his color is what stands out.  In an odd way, he does what Warren did last night.

Into the Limelight

Well, it's Monday.  Yesterday was my Hump Day.  Sunday... Fun day... well, it got a bit hectic at the Flooring desk and I kinda didn't get a chance to hump.
Yesterday was rainy.  It was also the last day of the bike swap at World Cup Ski and Cycle.  I had taken my Kinetic trainer there... no one bought it.  Now I have to go back and pick it up.  Shit.  I have no idea what I'm going to do with it.  Putting it back up in the attic is not an option, so I'll probably see if either my nephew or his wife want it... for free.
I did manage to get in 30 minutes of cardio this morning, that's to make up for the Pop-Tarts I ate at work yesterday. 
Today one of the two readers should be returning 'the book,' which will leave just one copy left out there.  That's the one in the hands of the person who's editing and, most likely, going to pick it apart.  To be honest, I'm not expecting to get a lot of corrections.  I was far better organized going into this one than I was on "The Body on the Lawn."
And I did get a big laugh yesterday when I read in 'The Hill' that Mitch McConnell is claiming to be the 'fighter of Liberalism,' or some sort of horseshit like that, which is funny as hell.  Mitch is a 77 year old white guy from Kentucky.  Just let that fact sink in for a second or two.  He is an old, white guy who has no comprehension how America is changing.  77 Years Old.  He refuses to accept the fact that every day Kentucky becomes more and more racially diverse.  Instead, he's going to stand there waving the flag for white conservatism, even though they are slowly dying off.  Mitch should have retired a long time ago.  It's time for the state of Kentucky put him out to pasture.
And Beto gave me another chuckle.  He pretty much said that Faux News is the propaganda outlet for the White House...  Someone should tell Beto this isn't news.  Corrupt Rupert Murdoch is an ally of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  He's going to do everything he possibly can to support his buddy from Hell.  We haven't heard from Beto lately.  He's going to need to come up with something fresh if he wants to step back into the limelight, and I'm not talking about bashing other Democratic hopefuls.

Trump's Pimp

Well, Fall is here.  That's fine with me.  I don't mind the cooler temperatures.  They're killing off all the mosquitoes.  That's doesn't mean things are beginning to dry out, though.  No way.  Every 3 to 4 days we get showers.  Almost as regular as clockwork is the hissing drizzle of rain on my window panes.
Anyway, I just threw a load of white wash into the washer.  I'm out of white socks.  I do own other colored socks, they're a poly-blend and I prefer cotton.  I've been planning on stopping off at Target and buying more, I just haven't had the chance.  Since there's no more K-Mart, or at least none within driving distance, I've been shopping at Target.  My sister is a cashier for one of the Target's on the East Shore, so I guess you could say I'm showing them some familial loyalty.
There was another debate last evening between Beto O'Rourke and Lyin' Ted Cruz.  Sadly, ol' Lyin' Ted may pull this election out of his ass.  People in Texas love their lyin' racists.  Cruz is the Latino version of the Oreo cookie, Latino on the outside and white on the inside, which is all you need to satisfy those racist Texans who don't understand their days are numbered.
Oh, and the Idiot Jerk's pimp has died.  Hos, I think his name was.  Or maybe that was just slang for ho's.  No, I'm wrong, his name was Hof, Dennis Hof.  Either way, they have a problem out in Nevada because he keeled over so close to election day.  There's not enough time to take his name off of the ballot.  Even if they could, there is zero time for any Republican candidate to campaign.  This is... well, you might say, the way Judgment goes.  Evangelical Christians had no problem with this man. who owned and ran several whorehouses.  I remember seeing a quote in which one of those holy believers said that Hof was "really just a business man," and nothing more.  As long as he supported the Idiot Jerk, he was okay.  And now he's dead.  Struck down by God no doubt.  These fools don't realize, there is a price for everything. 

And could the October surprise be something from Mueller's probe?  Anne Marie seems to think so (key evil laughter).  We'll have to wait and see.  Though, there are.... whispers.

Feeling cold and feverish

Well, it's Saturday.  At least that is what my calendar says, not that my calendar talks much.  I do look at it daily.  Some times more than once a day, because retail screw with your head.  Really.  Today seems like it should be Sunday and it isn't.
Since Tuesday I've been dealing with a rhinovirus.  I don't get them normally.  When I do, they usually last about a day.  Good immune system here.  About every 3 or 4 years I'll get one which is more intense.  I don't just get a nuisance runny nose.  Nope, sinus headaches, a sore throat, and a cough are all added into the symptom mix.  Oh, and there's the low grade fever.  These colds last about a week.  I have one of them now.  I went to work yesterday, not so today.  I have some chest congestion.  As a result, I'm going to call off work.  This will leave them short handed.  On a Saturday, normally the busiest day of the week, my department is not fully staffed. You are going to have these problems when your scheduling system relies on last year's sales figures.  Supposedly trending sales data is also used, but rarely is there evidence of that.  Yesterday one person was scheduled in Hardware until 1:00 PM.  Ooops.
There was a heated debate in Texas last night.  Lying Ted Cruz against Beto O'Rourke.  All the headlines say "they clashed."  Lying Ted, however, has spent most of his political career... well, lying, and misdirecting.  Beto pointed this out.  Lying Ted is in trouble.  He has gone from a "sure thing," to a toss-up, finally moving into the "too close to call stage," and he's got to struggle through another month and a half, and another 2 debates, until he loses....  Oh, did I just say that?  Bet he's feelin' rather feverish right now, pattin' himself on the back, and lyin' to himself about winning the debate.
And evidently most Americans are now seeing the great Tax Bill the Republicans passed for what it really is: a gift to the wealthy and big business.  Sure, right after the bill was first passed corporations pissed a little cash around, set-decorations, nothing more.  The truth is they're simply not coughing up the new jobs this bill promised.  And their revenue is increasing because of lower taxes.  Those $$$ are nothing to sneeze at.  Wall Street is joyous.  But, where are the pay increases?  Oh, wait, payroll is an expense.  Corporations don't like expenses, especially payroll.  So, what do they do?  In retail they rely on bare-bones scheduling, giving customer service the cold shoulder.  This is how it goes when your economy is based solely on greed.

Photogenic Excuses

Okay, sometime today, or this evening, Flo is going to make landfall.  Torrential rains are forecast.  Because she's a bitch, she might just choose to sit on her ass for a couple of days and piss all over the Carolinas.  I'm not talking buckets here, I'm talking feet.  If you're in a low lying region, run for the hills, literally.  Getting hit by a wall of moving water is just like running headfirst into a wall of bricks.
Oh, and the guy from FEMA says they only gave $10 million to ICE.
On a lighter note, Betsy DeVos got a boot up her ass.  Where as the Obama administration had a problem with predatory schools, Betsy doesn't.  She doesn't see anything wrong with a school that lies to you, makes phony promises, and fakes statistical records in order to sign you up for high interest loan.  To Betsy, that's just American Capitalism.  Her government should not have to police these scavengers.  If you sign on that dotted line, then you, and you alone, are responsible for the financial wreckage that loan will cost.  Except 18 states, plus the District of Columbia, sued ol' Betsy, and a Federal Judge said they were right and she was wrong.  So far there's been no comment from the Department of Education.  No doubt Betsy doesn't know how to respond to someone telling her to "just shut up."
On the even funnier side of things, articles are beginning to pop up about the mid-terms.  Conservative political pundits are scratching their heads.  They don't understand how, with the economy this good, so many can hate the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  His approval rating has dropped to 39.9 - that's really terrible, especially with an economy that's this good.  These conservatives believe if you're making money, you should be happy with any scumbag sitting in the Oval Office.  They don't understand why people don't say "well, so what if he's a reprehensible dick, I'm making money."  And they are muttering about the up coming elections, about how that non-Hispanic Ted Cruz is struggling against that Irish guy Beto O'Rourke, (don't let the last name fool you, Beto is proud of his Hispanic heritage).  I saw one article in which the suggestion was made that Beto must be surging in the polls because he was more photogenic than Ted... 

These people are so fucking stupid.  Their tones are low as they discuss other Senate races, the ones they thought of as sure things.  What did they think was going to happen?  Did they really think a majority of the American People were just going to sit back and swallow their shit?  And instead of dealing with the problem, they're looking for photogenic excuses.

Digging and Picking Propecia

Well, here it is Wednesday and I have the day off.
My neighbor's sewage problems are far worse then they thought.  Yesterday 6 feet of cast iron sewage pipe were removed - filled with rocks and debris (and I don't use the word debris lightly).  PVC piping replaced the damaged pipe.  They checked my side, and there's no drainage problem.  There's still more blockage, however, on their side, so the plumbers are back today.  They're going to use pressure 4000 psi to blow out what ever blockage is left in their pipes. 
I had breakfast with my brother this AM.  Pickpockets hit is wife at Michael's, took her wallet with all the credit and debit cards.  In the 15 - 20 minutes she spent browsed the store before heading to checkout, they stole almost $7000 by buying gift cards at a Target 2 blocks away.  Of course, Target shut down the gift cards and the debit and credit cards are all frozen.  They didn't really lose any money, but this has been a learning experience.  Her wallet was filched from her purse, which was setting on her shopping cart, when she turned to answer some questions from a man to her rear. This is how it goes.
Evidently the great big super tax cut the Republicans isn't working the way Republicans said it would.... so says Marco Rubio.  Now why am I not surprised?  Probably because Republican tax cuts have always played like a broken record... they keep repeating the same faulty belief that American Corporations will use their breaks to reinvest in the American Worker.  Truth is they do, but only in a very minor way.  Mostly they buy back stocks, give bonuses, and pay dividends.
And a funny thing is happening on the way to the Texas Midterm election.  Rafael Cruz is being challenged in a big, big way by Beto O'Rourke.  Not only is Beto raising big bucks, he's challenged Rafael to 6 debates... 2 of which are supposed to be in Spanish.... Oops.  Seems as though Rafael's Espanol is not so great... not so good, well, maybe he's as good as a beginner.  This is about what you'd expect from a Republican who's trying to put a lot of distance himself and his ethnicity.  Oh, and by the way, in case you didn't know, Rafael is the son of an immigrant.
And finally, it seems as though the Idiot Jerk in the White House takes Propecia  His personal physician prescribes it for him.  Maybe we should all be digging Propecia, picking it up anyway we can.  Why?  Because Propecia apparently does amazing things to hair follicles, tickles and stimulates them.  If we all took Propecia we could all have hair like this!!!