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.

This is What Happens

 I get to take my car to the repair shop this morning.  They're going to fix the damage from when the bitty rock bounced up and hit my fog light.  I asked how long?  Their replay:  "We don't exactly know.  Everything depends upon if there's any 'hidden' damage."  I'm figuring on 3 or 4 days.

Biggie's carprofen arrives today.  He seems to have been doing well with just the gabapentin, so his dosage may be doled out sparingly. 

And, of course, everyone's topic, as I don't doubt will be the case for every blog I read, the leaked document from the Supreme Course will get my little opinionizing comments. 

First off, I'm going to remind all those non-voters of 6 years ago that this is what you didn't vote for; this is also the reason why it should make it self-mandatory to vote.  This is what happens when you say, "I don't really like either candidate."  For those of you who believed the polls and didn't vote because you were sure Hillary was going to win?  This is what happens.

Has anybody been keeping count of the number of times Susan Collins has said that Brett Kavanaugh told the Senate he would not overturn Roe vs Wade?  Well, the drunken frat boy lied and now she's going to be walking around with shit in her pants for the rest of her life.

This is what happens when you don't vote and a moral degenerate wins the election, a man who will give his base anything in order to get re-elected.  This is what happens when you give a socially conservative party control: they will destroy everything you hold dear.  Believe me, abortion is just their first target.

What I really find interesting is the timing of this decision, 6 months away from the mid-term elections.  while the anti-abortionists are dancing in the streets, I do not doubt that largest voting bloc in America let out a gasp of horror.  While there are a number in that bloc who claim to be pro-life, a large majority of them believe the choice for terminating a pregnancy should be theirs, and their alone.  This group does not want to be told they have no choice.  This group believes all decisions about pregnancy should be there, and there's alone.  They want to be responsible for their own bodies.  And it's 6 months from the mid-term elections.

Interestingly, running up to the primaries in Pennsylvania, for the past 2 weeks big John Fetterman has been running ads pertaining to Roe v Wade.  Big bold headlines:  They are going to take this away from you if you let them.  He's right.  This November, Democrats, and Independents, and even Centrist Republicans need to teach conservatives a lesson.  Vote Blue.

On Cue

For the life of me, I don't know why I kept thinking yesterday was Saturday, perhaps because the store was relatively busy.  We are slowly going to be increasing our hours, staying open later.  As I said, on Monday, May 18 my schedule goes back to a full 40 hours a week.  This means I'll be having to adjust my rides to later in the day; 40 - 60 minutes is their stand length.
I was in Lombardy, riding along the shore of Lake Garda yesterday and it's simply beautiful.  I couldn't help but think, however, that Lombardy was one of those regions of Italy hit so hard by Covid 19.  What a shame.
A bit about Tara Reade...   Interesting.  Back, when her allegation started making press, I did some minor research.  She had claimed that she had filed a complaint at the time of the incident, however there was no documentation this happened.  Since her initial complaints, the details of the incident have become more salacious.  Christine Blasey Ford's accusations against Bret Kavanaugh never evolved.  But for Reade, what was once a grope has now become fingers inserted into her vagina.  As I said, this is interesting.  She alleges the assault happened in a hallway when she was delivering a duffel bag to him.  The details have now become rather lurid.  And this is an election year.  And Sanders supporters are now calling on Uncle Joe to drop out of the race.  And Reade didn't really begin to forcefully speak out until after Sanders dropped out of the race.  True, Uncle Joe has a reputation for being a little touchy feely, but... as I said, this whole thing is interesting.
And speaking of Bernie.  He's a bit burned because New York cancelled their primary.  He was hoping to get a few more delegates.  He sees them as a bargaining chip to force Biden to swing farther to the left.  Now, that ain't happening.  Cue Tara.
And I know there are those out there who are waiting for an update on Glen.  I wish I could say he was blooming, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  He does, however, seem to be thriving.

I look forward to seeing how he will dress himself... herself... itself up next year, since he is the offspring of a bulb.  The yellow tulip in the background?  That's what his... her... its parents were hoping for and instead they got... Glen.  Is his bulb angry?  I have no idea.  That happens, you know.  Wanting something so terribly bad and then being terribly disappointed.  This is how grudges are formed.  Does the bulb hold a grudge?  Well, I guess we'll have to wait until next year.

Cleaning Up

Yesterday was a good day.  The weather was very, very nice.  The temp went up into the mid 70's (F).  Warm temps mean the back door stands wide open; the dogs go in and out at their own whimsy.  I cleaned up along the side of the house and started clearing away the winter debris from the back corner of the fence, filling 2 big 30 gallon bags.  I took pictures.  Here's one.

That's my hill behind the fence.  It's very steep.  My land extends another 25 feet back from the top of the hill.  One of these years I'll have someone come in and clear away the scruff, run a pathway up, and extend the fence.  My yard is large, it's a good selling point, the hill, unfortunately, is not.
And I saw where Joe Biden is having what they're calling an 'Al Franken moment.'  An assemblywoman from Nevada is claiming he kissed the back of her head.  She claims she was mortified.  When you look at the horror stories which have surfaced as a result of the #metoo movement, when you look at what Al Franken was accused of... groping a lot of buttocks (he's evidently an ass man) these accusations are enough to make you wonder.  Biden's accuser talks about getting justice... and I'm thinking, wait a minute, she did not have a Brett Kavanaugh moment.  He did not throw her down on the bed and drunkenly try and rape her.  For those who don't know, Joe Biden is a touchy-feely kind of guy.  He touches everybody, and not just women, he touches men too, lays his hands on their arms or shoulders, and even knees.  Google it.  There are literally thousands and thousands of pictures of Joe Biden touching people.  Instead of writing about how 'mortified' she felt, she should have searched for pictures of 'Joe Biden kissing women on the tops of their heads.'  Is a touchy-feely Joe Biden a problem?  Well, for some I'd say that answer is probably yes.  Is his being touchy-feely a reason vilify him?  No.  If he gets the Democratic nomination for president they're going to have to decide?  Vote for Joe, or possibly endure another 4 years of the morally degenerate Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Think about it.  Oh, and I just saw that Lucy Flores, the woman behind the accusations, is a Bernie Sanders supporter.

Better to Lose?

Well, it's Monday.  My hump moment has come and gone.  I have 3 more days of work before I get a day off.  Then, I'm only get one day off.  The scheduler split my week.  I hate that.  I want 2 consecutive days off, not one here and one there.  She also scheduled me to do a clinic in 2 weeks.  I don't do clinics.  I will tell her today, or tomorrow.   Mondays are usually busy, filled with meetings for Supervisors and Managers.  That's one thing I don't miss.
There was an interesting article in Bloomberg this morning on Susan Collins, how that 40 minute rationalization for her Kavanaugh vote was almost all hot air, how both testimonies meant nothing to her because she'd already chosen to vote with the 'old boys.'  The question is if she knew this was her way of checking out politically.  She may suspect so, but she will never admit so publicly.
And as the days go by, those statements about how this vote may have energized the base of fading away, scrubbed off the board to be replaced by questions about the midterms.  Have the GOP put themselves into a serious quandary?  Is this minority going to be put into their minority place?  The suspicion is that this is the case.  Oops, somebody shit in their pants.
And there are lots of discussions about Brett, himself, how every decision he's going to be involved in is going to be analyzed.  He said he's a 'fair judge,' but people are waiting to see if he's nothing more than a predetermined robot vote for the Right.   People are pondering the 'what ifs."  Say the House starts investigating the Idiot Jerk, and the Idiot Jerk turns to the Supreme Court to stop the investigation, will Kavanaugh recuse himself from the decision?  If he doesn't, what ever validity the Supreme Court has will be shit away as it proves it is nothing more than a rabble of right wing stooges.  People are watching. But then you have to remember the GOP has never really cared about people.  Nope, they are far too selfish.
Sometimes, you see, it is much better to lose in the short run.  The proof is coming in less then a month.

So, who's energized?

In case anyone is wondering, this is my kind of half hump day.  You see, you can only have a true hump day when you work an odd number of days, say 5 or 7 (you can't really count 3 since it's barely a week).  Since I'm working 6 days in a row, sometime this evening I will most likely have a hump moment.  Not that it will be anything I will be specifically aware of, sort of like when Big Seig burps.  He doesn't even know what a burp is.  For him it's just a mini 'woah' moment.  Here, and then gone.
An interesting thing about this whole Brett Kavanaugh travesty was the commentary by 'wanna be' pundits, those desperate men and women who feel a need to be the voices of authority.  While I was sitting at the Flooring Desk yesterday, someone came up to me and said "NPR says the midterms are going to be difficult for the Democrats."  That was the third time I'd heard that, or read that, (I believe the Mistress mentioned it as well).  This person is making a consensus statement without so much as a single contrast, or comparison, to the mood in America.  Whether intentional or not, that statement sounds demoralizing as hell, and this commentator needs to be educated.  Conservatives are the minority group in this country.  Having Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court is not going to move voters to the right.  The Idiot Jerk's approval rating isn't going to miraculously climb, not is his disapproval rating going to drop.
Now, I'm not saying the Crazies on the Right haven't been energized.  NPR needed to qualify their thesis, and didn't.  They needed to compare the two.  If the minority conservatives are energized, then the majority of America, then the Liberals, the Centrists, the Independents have become nuclearized.  Our anger is galvanizing.  They are the fluffy, pink Energizers, and we are the Copper Topped, Dominating Duracells.  In case you didn't know, in case you didn't know, we beat the fluffy, pink bunnies hands down..  In performance, we outlast, we endure.  They have the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Don't you think it's time we wiped that shitty smile off of his face?

Give them Hell.

Well, something bad is going to happen today.  The US Senate, controlled by Republicans, is going to vote Brett Kavanaugh onto the bench of the Supreme Court.  A minority group is going to be affecting changes.  Laws many have taken for granted will be eroded and swept away.  The lives of a majority group will never be the same.  And I'm not just speaking about Roe V Wade.  That same sex marriage so many now enjoy?  Those phony Christians who run around shrieking "My Religion" will make sure that disappears.  They will reap great benefits at LGBT expense.  We are going to be stuck with another 2 years of the Idiot Jerk in the White House because a Conservative court will rule that he, as a sitting president, cannot be investigated.  Regulations will be sliced and diced.  Affirmative Action?  Gone!  Phony Christians will begin to give themselves more power... and take away your rights.
This is the price America will pay for all those non-voters who sat home on their thumbs instead of going to the polls in November of 2016.  Now all those people who thought their votes didn't count know their own stupidity. 
The only way to fix this catastrophe is to vote Blue.  The Human Beings of America need to put women and men into positions of power.  I put women first because... well, in case you didn't know, Conservatives really don't like women.  Well, that's not right.  They do like them as long as they're barefoot and pregnant.  They love their stay at home Moms, a concept quite popular in the late '50's.
The truth is, Conservative men have a very difficult time with women who tell them to "just shut up."  Women who challenge their authority also challenge their gender, they point out their flaws and embarrass them.  There is nothing a white conservative man hates more than to have a black woman give him orders.  For dinosaurs like the Idiot Jerk in the White House, that is pure hell.
The time has come to give them hell.
That's right, it's time to light the grills.
Vote Blue.
If they get burned bad enough, and often enough, they will run away with their tails between their legs.  This is their history.

It's in the Details

Well, a good Friday morning to you all.  For some, this will be the last day of the work week.  For me, however, this is the beginning of a 6 day stretch.  Now, ain't that suckie?
I was asked about my writing:  Brief history.  The first time I ever took pen to paper was in 3rd grade.  I had Mrs. Warner as a teacher.  At the beginning of the school year we were given the assignment of writing about "what we did on our summer vacation."  Back then my family didn't go on vacations.  Because most of my Mom's anger issues were rearing their ugly heads, I spent almost the entire summer with my grandparents.  Fiction was more pleasant than the truth.  Instead of detailing the problems, I wrote about how a goldfish bowl in my grandparent's living room began magically overflowing and the room began filling up with water.  Soon, my grandparents and I were swimming around the room with the fish.  It was so much fun.  Mrs. Warner didn't think so.  She gave me a failing grade for not completing the assignment.  That hurt my feelings badly.  For a 3rd grader, it was a good story.
And my copy of Assassin's Creed Odyssey arrived yesterday... one day early.  So, last night I became Alexios.

Ubisoft has always been a stickler for historical accuracy, which means I'm about to participate in the Peloponnesian War.  It's all in the details, you know?  The Greeks loved to celebrate the male anatomy, and now I can explore these glorious details.  An interesting side note.  If you move the camera behind Alexios while he's swimming, you can see up his tunic.  Things move.

Tomorrow sometime, Brett Kavanaugh will be voted onto the bench of the Supreme Court.  He wrote some sort of Op-Ed piece for the NYT in which he claimed to have gotten too emotional while giving his testimony.  He claims he is a 'fair judge.'  Does this man have any clue that the moment his vote is strictly down party lines he fails.  If the Idiot Jerk in the White House races to the Supreme Court the minute the Democratic House begins an investigation and the Court shuts it down, Brett fails, the Republicans fail and...  Shit, I can't say the Idiot Jerk fails since he's already the biggest failure in the White House.  I wonder if he even comes close to understanding his every vote is going to be scrutinized for partisan politics.  I don't think so.  But then the Republicans have never been very good on the details.  They love the overview, the big picture which they pray will overwhelm all the tiny fissures and cracks and lies.  It's always in the details where they fail.  They are so unlike Ubisoft, which glories in the small things so much they want you to get in close, and examine them.

Belly UP

Monday equals a work day for me.  In fact, today and tomorrow.  Then it's off for 2 days.  I will enjoy them.  The weather is supposed to be nice.  The unfortunate thing is that I will have to work 6 days in a row starting Friday.  And the really unfortunate thing is that my copy of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is arriving on Friday.  That's when I go from being Dave during the day to being the stunning Alexios during the night.  Can you even imagine me as a hot Spartan?
One of the interesting things about the Kavanaugh nomination, and I'm seeing this in multiple places, is that a vote for him is a vote against the GOP.  Even if they managed to get him onto the Supreme Court, the party as a whole will lose.  Votes will stack up against them and their policies.  They are in a no win situation.  Of course, they can't see this because they're stuck with one dimensional vision.  Selfishly, they only see what they want.  Consideration of others is not an option.  Whereas the Founding Fathers started off with the words "We the People," a conservative's most favorite word is "my:" my money, my taxes, my religion.  They will be selfish to the end.  I suspect this is part of their genetic code, some faulty mutation which is also causing them to slowly die off.
Now for something funny.  Yesterday I got into a bit of a discussion with my cousin's wife on Facebook.  I stated my axiom about an unpopular president moving the country in the opposite direction his party wanted and she said something like. "I thought you knew, he's not unpopular.  He's very popular."  How is that for shits and giggles?  People who think this way tend not to go to the polls.  They don't see any reason in it.  If you're popular, you don't have anything in the world to worry about.  These are people who believe the world laughed with the Idiot Jerk during his speech and the United Nations.  Anything that contradicts the Idiot Jerk is fake news.  That's right, it's not true, and they have nothing to worry about.  Just think about the stupidity here.  The Idiot Jerk got his ass elected because (1) way too many people thought Hillary was going to win and stayed home; (2) a lot of dumb shits who rarely vote went to the polls to keep her out of office.
Without Hillary there is no enemy.  Hence, there is no longer a need to drag your sorry ass out to and vote. 
These people don't understand the Blue Wave, or the Blue Judgment, or the Blue Takeover.  Thanks to Faux News and the Idiot Jerk, himself, they believe he is one of the most popular presidents in history.  They believe he has accomplished great things, that his administration has done more in his first term than any other president in the history of the United States.  They don't know that they're brain dead.  They don't understand how quickly after the midterms this administration is going to go belly up.

Flirting with Disaster

Okay, so it's Sunday.  I had thought I might sleep late - till maybe 6...  That didn't happen.  Dogs, you know?
Even though we are moving into October, daily temps are still being forecast in the high 70's to low 80's (F).  I do enjoy the cooler mornings, though.  I like sleeping with blankets.  Bundling myself up in cotton and wool has always been a joy.  Unless I have the A/C cranked during the summer, that never happens.
Last evening I watched something called "Singularity" on Netflix - it was bad.  John Cussack has star billing.  He plays an AI which is rather stupid.  He sees humanity as being a big problem and kills just about everyone on Earth.  He says things like "they're human and unpredictable."  He doesn't have a lot of facial expression, but then he's an AI.  The hero is okay - which means his acting is barely acceptable.  The heroine seems to have attended at least 3 or 4 acting classes.  The writing is bad.  The story?  A scavenged mess with bits and pieces taken from every apocalyptic film ever made.
And I guess everybody is wondering just how thorough the FBI investigation in Christine Blasey Ford's accusations will be.  Don't expect much.  There are quite a number of restrictions.  This is what we call serious damage control.  Kavanaugh's testimony didn't just start voters to trickle away, they started running away in droves, and herds.  While dead in the head Republicans see his defense as strong and invigorating, their numbers are far from enough to guarantee votes.  This party is not just flirting with disaster, they're dancing with it. They've been lying to themselves for so long, they don't even know what the truth is anymore.  When the Idiot Jerk in the White House says that the Chinese compliment his 'big brain,' they believe him, nodding their puppet heads and repeating "doesn't he have a big brain."   This car full of clowns is racing towards the edge of the cliff.  When they see the warning sign they don't just ignore them, they get out of the car and cut them down.
They are a lot like the stupid AI in "Singularity," except Republicans say things like "we're number one," and "he has a big brain," and "he's the most popular president in history."

A Brighter Note?

Well, it's Saturday (I think) and neither am I in a park, nor is it the fourth of July.  I do have to work, however.
Looks like the Kavanaugh nomination is on hold.  I suspect for a very long time.  Oh, sure, the Idiot Jerk says he's going to give the FBI a week, but what type of an investigation will that garner?  Not much.  Their best hope was to quickly ram this vote down the people's throats - Republicans are good at that.  Look at their not so great tax cut which gives the Idiot Jerk, and Steve Mnunchin, and Betsy DeVos a permanent tax break.  Most Americans now realize that while they were promised velvet, what they were actually sold was cheap velour.
As for Brett's stalled nomination?  Well, in case you haven't noticed, Evangelical Christians are showing their hateful, ugly side.  Holy Shit! (Literally) They are flipping out!  Their hatred for America and Americans is immense.  They shriek about evil Democrats without understanding they, themselves are a small minority group.  We need to remove these people from politics and give the country back to the people.
Once we take back control, I think a pretty good start would be to take away the tax exempt status we give to churches.  I mean, take Joel Osteen.  He's a business man down in Houston, in case you didn't know.  He runs a Megachurch that nets him tons'o cash.  That heartless sack of shit kept the doors to an arena locked during Hurricane Harvey.  Since Evangelicals did nothing, I think the government should step in and take away his tax exempt status.  Oh, sure, he may talk about God, and tell people how to get on the right path, but in reality his main focus is on those offering plates. He needs to start paying taxes on all of his revenue.  He needs to begin paying real estate taxes.  If he runs it like a business, he has to be treated like a business.
On a brighter note, the little project I've been working on is complete, for the most part.  Right now, all I'm waiting for is to hear how some of the voices I've talked to will sing, or maybe I should say I'm waiting to see how well some will dance.  Ah, music and dance.

With maybe a little... tango on the side.

Missing the Target Audience

Well, I get to go back to work today... but just for today and tomorrow.  Then I have another day off.
Not surprisingly, it rained again last night.  I did manage to get my backyard mowed yesterday.  That's was nice.  I need to get the weed wacker out, maybe on Sunday, if we don't have any rain and things dry out just the slightest bit.
I went to the PA DMV and got my new driver's license - good for 4 more years.  Holy Shit do I look old.  I mean, really, really old.  And I even got my haircut before hand.  What was funny was seeing a young woman fluffing her hair before her picture was taken.  I almost laughed out loud.  She was separating her ringlet, pulling them out with her fingers to make them look fuller, until the woman behind the counter said "okay, we need to take your picture now."  Her first picture didn't do her justice, or so she thought.  The 2nd taught her that your picture on your driver's license is never going to make you look attractive.
Of course, the big news from yesterday was the testimonies of Christine and Brett.  She was soft-spoken and compelling.  The woman hired to drill holes in her story totally failed, and Christine got cheers.  Brett, on the other hand, was fiery, he made faces, called everybody a liar, and tried to call all Republicans to arms.  Who was more successful?  Hhhmmm.
My opinion:  he will most likely be confirmed.  That is not a good thing, especially for Conservatives.  But then Conservatives don't see the precedence of thinking.  Their goal is to make the Supreme Court conservative.  Yesterday millions and millions of women watched Christine speak and their hearts were moved.  These women vote.  Millions of Millennials watched as well and what they saw was a member of the Old Guard raging at women.  Oh, sure Brett may have blamed Democrats, but the blunt finger of his anger was directed mainly at women.  There are more women in the Democratic Party then there are men.  And the midterms are coming.  What the Republicans completely fail to understand, is that a vote for Brett will be countered by many, many votes for Democrats.  You know?  The party which is empathizes with women.  The party which says that the 'good old boys' who forcibly climb on top need to be punched back.
Yesterday the Republicans failed at the number one rule that anybody who has every worked in public relations knows:  succeed with your target audience.  Writers, and singers, and painters, and ad men, and... well, at least Democratic politicians know this.  Even Faux News knows this.  They are saying this morning the Republican Party failed.  They blew it.  They failed to understand just whom their Target Audience is:  women voters.  Yesterday the Republican Party took a big step in ensuring a Blue Judgment.  They played the 'good old boy' game, and shit all over their Target Audience.  Of course, this was to be expected since they are the party of aging white men and failed Christians.

The Whole Truth

Okay, so this entry is being written a little later than usual.  I slept in.  My day off, you know?  The dogs slept in as well.  I'll have to go back to work tomorrow.
I had my physical yesterday.  Everything is ducky dandy except for my blood pressure - it's a little high.  I'm going to be checking it every morning for the next 7 days.  The results are to be emailed to my Dr.  I'm already on a weak dose of Lisinipril.  High blood pressure runs in my family.  You cannot change your genetic make-up.  There isn't really much of a choice, take meds or possibly have a stroke.  I have absolutely no problem taking meds.
A funny thing from my visit:  on the subject of my cholesterol.  He said it's fine, a point or 2 higher than my last visit a year ago.  I told him I had been curious about my HDL, and LDL and all that jazz because I started drinking 'whole milk' again.  His mouth dropped open; he was so stunned.  Why would I drink something so high in fat and cholesterol.  I explained that growing up, whole milk was all I drank, much preferable to water.  He muttered something about "well, as long as it's only in your coffee."  I didn't have the heart to tell him there are times when I guzzle it straight from the bottle.  The truth is whole milk is not nearly as bad for you as you might think.  Whole milk has less lactose than 2%, or 1%, or especially skim milk - bet you didn't know that.

Oh, and I saw where Brett Kavanaugh released several pages of his calendar from 1982...   First of all, keeping a copy of a 38 year old calendar is... odd.  The only calendars I save are those showing a little skin, and they're saved not because of my agenda, but because of said skin.  Believe me, I'm telling you the whole truth.  I suppose releasing his calendars is supposed to prove he is wholly innocent... not quite.  First of all, the notes on them look to have been written by a 12 year old, not a high school student.  I do not know now, nor will I probably ever know, the senior who's excited to be going to summer camp.  Secondly, if he actually was that excited to be going to summer camp, would he list a ' drunken party' party for the following week?  In fact, when I was in high school most parties weren't planned, they more, or less, happened.  There is the possibility, however, that the drunken orgies only happened in the calendar months he kept back.  Thirdly, and this is probably the most important fact, and really has nothing to do with his calendar, one of his good friends, one of the guys he hung around with was... a drunk.  Red blooded, all American boys don't hang around with drunks.  Drunks hang around with drunks.  

We will never know the whole truth about that year.  What we do know is that Kavanaugh hung around with drunks, and got drunk, and went to parties specifically to get drunk, and probably to get laid.  He did the same thing in college.... got drunk.  Now he's lying about those days.  Did he forcefully try and rape Christine Blasey Ford?  Personally, I believe her account is more whole than his.  He, like his calendar, excludes everything which doesn't make him seem wholesome.  What percentage of what he says is the truth?  2%?  1%?  Or, has he skimmed most of the truth away?

On The Level

Okay, so I had to give a customer some bad news yesterday.  I felt  bad.  She wants to have vinyl planking installed and... her floor is not level.  Wit vinyl planking you floor can not deviate more than 3/16 of an inch over 10 feet.  The problem is that it is a click lock product, and there is the possibility it might un-click.  She has a 4 foot by 4 foot section where the deviation is 3/4 of an inch.  That's some serious floor leveling.  Very expensive.  Her house was built in 1997, so I warned her this might be the case.  She, of course, said "that's not going to be a problem, my floors are level."  Wrong.  Over time houses settle.  Their foundations shift.  They always do.  You cannot not stop the Earth from changing.  Because she walks on her kitchen floor daily, and because this 3/4 inch is not an abrupt change, she doesn't realize how out of kilter her floors are.  This is life.  No matter how balanced we think things are, more often then not, they are often slightly askew.
Like Rod Rosenstein's flippant comment about recording the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  That was a good joke, with serious overtone.  The Idiot Jerk found his sense of humor more than a little uneven.  Or take the Brett  Kavanaugh nomination.  I guess he went on Faux News last night in an attempt to appeal to white supporters of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  The Idiot Jerk believe he could  Republican members of the House and Senate stabilized...  but then he's an Idiot Jerk.  But then he is the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  For years he's always had someone nearby who could clean his ass every time he shit in his pants - that's no longer the case.  The funny part is that if he fires Rosenstein, the Blue Judgment will investigate, and scour out, every nook and cranny of the Idiot Jerk's life.  The same thing is going to happen if Kavanaugh gets a seat on the Supreme Court.  The balance beam he's trying to walk down is warped from here to hell and back.  In fact, Kavanaugh's beam my be a little too bent.  There's a good chance, if he gets the vote, that he might be the first sitting Justice to be investigated.  Now ain't that a hoot.

Anyway, I will see if I can have the installers call the customer today and explain what's involved with leveling a floor.  There are options available other than vinyl planks.  The decision will have to be hers.

Blame the Game... Show

So, it's Monday, the beginning of a new work week.  Rain is in the forecast, starting this afternoon and lasting until tomorrow.  Just what we need, another nuisance rain.  Otherwise, everything is ducky dandy... unless your name happens to be Brett Kavanaugh.
Holy Smoking Jesus!  There's another accuser!  And the GOP is now calling this a smear campaign.  Give me a break.  In a weird way they're right.  Just look at them.  With their faces covered in shit, all they seem to be able to do is smear it around.  They will never be shit free, but their hope is to spread it thin enough their base will swallow it.
Right now, Democrats have a big edge in the approaching midterms.  This hoo hah about the Idiot Jerk's nomination for the Supreme Court is only going to make the GOP look worse.  They are losing women voters.  They're bleeding them away.  The fact that they have an Idiot Jerk in the White House whose mantra regarding accusations of sexual misconduct has always been to deny, followed a wallowing plunge into the pool of "fake news," makes their position even more dire.
Anyway, I was playing with my nuts again last night when I got home from work.  There are 3 huge containers of them down in the basement.  So far, it seems that for every 9 nuts I husk, only 6 are good enough to keep.  The rest have sat sallow for too long, they're too old, their husks are too dark.  Now and then some of them have little white worms.  Those get thrown away.  The last thing I want is to have worms in my nuts.
Personally, I suspect that the big problem with the GOP is that they didn't watch enough TV game shows while growing up.  That's right, they never had the chance to be tutored by Uncle Monty.  Nope.  Instead, they ran around in their little navy wool suits, barking kiddie orders at the few friends they had.  Just think about it.  They've always been desperately trying to be in charge.  They never learned how to play with others.  Sadly for them, their president truly believes he is Uncle Monty, and no matter which door you open, there's always a gag prize.  Like nuts with worms.

Soon

I thought it was Saturday when I woke up this morning.  Of course, it isn't.  Friday is on the menu for today.  Well, it is payday, so I guess that's a good start.
Yesterday I went to my brother's farm.  He and I gathered 3 super big buckets of walnuts.  Time to put my tool to use.  He lost 13 chickens to some sort of virus.  I felt bad for him.  They have their chickens for the eggs, so they're mostly treated as pets.  He's needs to build a little coop for the 3 still living, and totally anti-everything the big coop before he can get more.  His turkeys?  Holy Shit!  They are the size of medium sized dogs.  A bit frightening, too.  They can be aggressive birds.  You have to remember, a long, long time ago, their ancestors were dinosaurs.  I have no idea that soon they will take over his farm.
Oh, and of course, there is the Kavanaugh fiasco.  I see the Idiot Jerk in the White House is looking for a quick vote.  We all know he's a selfish sack of shit and only thinks about what he wants.  An NBC/WSJ poll shows more Americans disapprove of Brett, than approve.   Is it because of the allegations?  Or, possibly, because he looks like a smarmy, little, piss-ant of a man?  Look in his eyes and all you will see is petulance.  Another funny thing is that Evangelical leaders are putting out the word that if Brett doesn't get his seat, their voting block may... just... stay at home this November.  Sounds like extortion to me.  Or, maybe, they've just decided that now that they've shit on their plate they might as well eat it.  We will know soon enough.
'Soon.'  I've been using that word a lot lately.  Friends will turn to me and ask me a question and my response is inevitably "soon."  Sometimes 'soon' is a closer than you might think.  And sometimes it's not.  'Soon' puts a chink in the armor of patience.  Everybody wants to know.  All I can say is... "soon," and maybe tease a little.

The Hot Seat

Well, it's Thursday, the last of my 3 days off in a row.  Where did they all go?  The weather has been nice.  I mowed my lawn yesterday... well, the first part.  The damn grass was so tall, I needed to recharge the battery on my mower.  The rest of the lawn will be finished this morning.  Good thing to, forecast for my next days off is... showers.  That's right.  We're going to get more rain.
And I had ordered a new computer / gaming chair for upstairs.  The X-rocker I purchased during Amazon's Prime Days just wasn't working out.  It sits too low to the floor.  I'm not a low sitter.  I work with people who like sitting as low as possible.  Me?  That's too much like squatting.  Also, I had an issue with the speakers.  They're in the chair, which seemed like a good idea, however you use your sound system's jack for them to work, which means there is no sound from your speakers.  Again, not a good thing.  So, the X-rocker is up in the attack.  The new chair is sleek, and black and red, and has a foot rest.

Notice the red and black theme...

And I see the Republicans are going to force a vote on Kavanaugh.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House claims the FBI can't investigate the claims... "Not so," says the FBI.  They just need the Idiot Jerk's approval. Well, we know that's not going to happen.  This shit bag is desperate to give his base a victory, even one so hollow as getting Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.  That's all they want.  They are going to turn the Supreme Court conservative if it kills them... and it will.  Don't they realize these allegations are not going to go away?  Hell no.  Once the House turns blue and the investigations start, when the Idiot Jerk realizes his ass is in serious jeopardy, no one is going to be safe from the sacrificial alter.  If the Idiot Jerk believes an investigation in Kavanaugh's dirty past might keep him off the hot seat,  you can bet there will be three or four.  Republicans just don't understand.  The Idiot Jerk has always run away when the chips are down.  He has always filed for bankruptcy to get out of debt.  The only thing he really cares about is his own ass.  He will bloody the GOP with his own tiny hands.  This is what they get for sitting him behind a desk in the Oval Office.

Cracks

I had my blood work done this AM - annual physical, you know?  The VA Clinic has a new location, out off of Rossmoyne - I tell you this because traffic is freaking horrendous out there.  During normal driving times it takes about 15 minutes.  Rush hour?  Shit!  It can take 45 minutes.  And, of course, there are so many stupid drivers out there.  Like the woman in the Honda Pilot this morning who, instead of getting in the exit lane with everybody else, decided to block traffic.  That's right, she drove pass everybody else, right up to the exit, and then stopped because she wanted someone to let her gyp in line.  So, there she is, blocking traffic, and people are starting to blow their horns because now she's waiting for someone to let her in... and no one is letting her in because they've all been waiting patiently.  This is the kind of driver who causes accidents.  Eventually cars started squeezing by on the shoulder.  As I passed, I glanced over at her.  She was sitting there, waiting complacently, totally unconcerned about the inconvenience she was causing others.
And I see Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court is approaching cluster fuck status.  There is some serious shit going on and their 'screw you' attitude is pissing people off... a lot.  They don't want the FBI involved because... their nominee might actually be a hateful sack of shit.  A majority of Americans are saying "Just Shut Up," and Republicans hate it.  There ain't enough Retinol in the world to fix the cracks and save their face.

Oh, and I saw where the Idiot Jerk gave another on camera interview in which he blasted Jeff Sessions.  He was uttering some sort of nonsense about not having an  Attorney General.  Actually, he's confusing a rim specialist with an Attorney General.  Face it, Jeff Sessions is neither.
The hoot of the day, however, are his claims of a Red Wave coming this November.  The only way that would have was if Russia got involved... again.  Maybe that's what he's counting on.  It worked for him once.  Maybe lightening will strike twice.  His supporters believe him.  In fact, I saw an article in the BBC which claimed they were so assured, they're growing complacent.  You know?  A lot like that woman in the Honda Pilot this morning.  Angry people, blowing their horns at her, failed to register.  Like those who support the Idiot Jerk, she could care less.  I suspect neither know it's too late to do anything about the cracks.

The Mid-Terms are coming! the Mid-Terms are coming!

Today begins a 3 day weekend for me.  I like 3 day weekends... a lot... even if they happen to fall during the week.
By now, Flo has pretty much passed us.  We got rain.  Not nearly the 4 inches they said we might.  This is a good thing.  There is a good possibility 2018 will be one of the wettest years on record for us here in Central PA, if not the wettest.  This is what happens with Global Warming.  Climates change.  The next couple days are supposed to be humid, but dry.  I want to mow my lawn on Thursday, so let's hope the weather people are right.
I ordered myself a new computer / gaming chair for upstairs.  I had purchased an X-Rocker during Prime Days - and it just doesn't work.  Maybe if I were 18 inches shorter, or didn't mind sitting low to the floor, but I'm not, and I don't.
I got on the scale this morning and... Shit!  We've had 4 days of food at work and it shows.  Looks like I will be using My Fitness Pal for a couple of weeks.  I have the app in both my phone and my tablet, but they want you to upgrade to "premium."  I'm not about to, so I'll mostly be using the website.
I guess on Monday both Kavanaugh and his accuser are going to be testifying.  Of course, even though they will not admit so publicly, this is turning into a "worst case" scenario for both the Republican Party and the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Millions and millions of women are going to be paying close attention.  Republicans, fools that they are, will need to discredit her testimony in order to justify a vote for Kavanaugh.  And the Mid -Terms are coming!  If she provides credible testimony and they still vote for him.... well the Mid-Terms are coming!  Making her look bad will light a beacon.  The "worst case" scenario for them is to to turn her into a martyr.  The Mid-Terms are coming!  The party is already destined to lose their majority in the House, and the Senate... it's now up for grabs.  Voting for Kavanaugh now will insure a 'plague on both their houses,' (thought I'd throw in a little Shakespeare there).  And the Mid-Terms are coming.

Can you hear my evil laugh?

The GOP will not RIP

Well, it's Monday - the start of a fresh, new work week.  Flo is set to start pissing on us here in Central PA sometimes this morning.  They say we are guaranteed at least 1.5 inches, possibly (probably) more; as much as 4 inches of rain are likely in some places.  With that being said, I'm going to leave work once the rain starts so I can have my pump at the ready should my basement start flooding.
They're serving us breakfast this morning - the final part of our Success Sharing Celebration.  Since I don't want to have to wait 3.5 hours until I eat, I made breakfast here.  Oatmeal.  For me, not eating until I get to work is not an option.
Yesterday I was told that the associate in my department who normally does the tile clinics is transferring to our store in Niagara Falls - that's where he's from, and so I've been scheduled to do the clinic this Saturday.  I don't do clinics.  I'm not a tile expert.  I've done a small back splash - that's it.  His clinics were 2 hour classes, he put out chairs so customers could sit while he educated.  Mine may run 8 - 10 minutes.  I do not have a massive knowledge base to draw from and am not going to be able to answer many questions.  If they want someone to teach a class, they need to hire in a professional.
Oh, and I see that the Kavanaugh vote is now on hold.  Of course, the white, male Republicans don't see why there's a problem.  They don't understand they are sending a terrible message to women.  Well, I should clarify that.  At this #metoo moment in time, these Republican men are telling women they don't matter.  They have no problem shitting away the facts.  Their only concern is getting a conservative on the bench.  Except... the event was so traumatic, his accuser has been in counseling for a short period a number of years ago.  And, that's been documented.  Ooops.  They have no idea how bad this makes them look.  Do they care?  Hell, no.  If they vote him onto the Supreme Court, the Blue Judgment will be larger, and for every conservative ruling that court makes, the Republican Party.  They don't understand, this is just another part of their death knell.