CPAC is a Russkie Asset

We've had an overnight low of 61 (F).  That's getting close to summertime temps.  Don't worry, there will soon be a chill in the air.  Colder overnight temps will be moving into the area starting Friday.  Sunday's supposed to be a day of rain, rain, go away.  Then we will once again be back to more seasonal temps, but only for a short time.  Summer is barreling at us full blast.

Yesterday was good.  I paid my real estate taxes (ugh) and did some shopping.  Most of my front lawn was mowed.  Most, because I  use and electric lawn mower and the battery ran out.  The mower's probably 6 or 7 years old, and the battery is just as old.  One fact we all know about batteries is that they don't last forever, you can only recharge them so many times before the charge begins to fail.  Sadly, because of the age of the mower, I might not be able to purchase another battery, built in obsolescence, you know?  We are surrounded by it.  Nothing lasts forever.  Being that it's warm again today, I'll be mowing the backyard this afternoon, and also doing more yardwork.  

Today is also tax day.  That means I'll be doing my local taxes this afternoon.  I never owe anything.  It's just that they're a pain to do.

And I received a bill in the mail from Dental Associates, the group that extracted my molar.  I evidently owe another $88.  The total expense was $649.  Of that, Met Life paid $90.40 and $307.20 was written off.  Yeah, that's right, $307.20.  In other words, the dentist needed to overcharge Met Life by $307.20 in order to get a $90.40 payment, and I pay the rest.  That's not a good deal.  There is something terribly wrong with health care in this country.

And here's a pic of my first 2 tomato plants.

And you'll never guess which group of billionaires is making a killing off of of Orangie's war: Big Oil.  It's estimated that they're earning $30 million an hour more than before Orangie started this shit show.  Me?  I'm wondering when that's going to start trickling down.  It's a good thing I'm being sarcastic.  And in case you're forgetting, Big Oil got a really nice tax break in Orangie's Big, Beautiful Bill.  Remember, those billionaires don't care how shitty your life is, they're only concerned with growing their bank accounts.

One of the reasons yesterday was such a good day was that I was too busy to sit down and peruse social media.  However, that didn't stop me from learning certain things, perhaps the biggest of which Petyr Magyar, Hungary's new Prime Minister, said the country was no longer going to fund CPAC.  And the money they were giving to CPAC was actually Russian money, no doubt a way for the Russian mafia to do their money laundering.  This means that Charlie Kirk's ambitious endeavor was funded by the Russkies, which makes them a Russian Asset.  You know, it seems as though those damn Russkie oligarchs got their stinky fingers in just about everybody's pie.

The Krasnov Connection

 Temps are supposed to climb up into the mid 40s (F) today.  I work.  Tomorrow they're predicted to hit the low 50s (F), and I work.  Tuesday, however, they should be up in the mid 50s (F) and I'm off.  I don't mind warmer weather.  We've had a cold winter, colder than it's been in quite a few years.   Of course, temps will cool down a bit because we are just approaching early spring.  

Yesterday was satisfying.  Much was done.  I will need to stop off at PetSmart on the way home to buy a new aquarium heater, the one in the big tank is kaput.  Right now the temp is sitting at round 68 (F), and that's too cold for tropical fish.  They barely move.  My battle with algae continues.  I've been scooping out huge netfuls of gravel and dousing them hydrogen peroxide, which kills the algae.  After they're dry, I pop them back into the aquarium.  It's a slow process, but it works.

I also got an 8 mile bike ride in yesterday and felt good afterwards.  For a while, I was listening to Greek and Roman history while I was riding.  Now I'm listening to Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.  It's an English translation.  There's no way I could understand all of the French geological terms he uses to describe a trip into the center of the Earth.

Of course, CPAC was this weekend, and while videos make it seem like there were thousands and thousands of people in attendance, there were only a little over 1000 tickets sold and believe me, everyone who purchased one is a certifiable nut job.  For those who don't know, CPAC is the Conservative Political Action Conference and his held to celebrate conservative crackheads, or maybe I should say Ketamine heads as one of the most memorable moments this year was Elonia wearing sunglasses to hide his Ketamine eyes while brandishing a toy chainsaw.  This is the stuff conservative wet dreams are made of.

As expected, the Orange Anus was allowed to ramble for far too long.  

And, of course, there is the Krasnov connection.  Probably the one story to continually pick up traction is the claim by some Russian spies that Orange was recruited in 1987.  In fact, when I did a search on it, I was notified that this is a rapidly changing story, that it's been constantly updated, even as I type. They're saying that not only was he recruited, but that he used is phony business empire to launder Russian Rubles.  Suddenly things begin to make more sense.  This is worse than the pee tape, if you know what I mean.  Those who did the recruiting are named, and someone warned them about walking near open windows.  If this is true, I'm sure they have the blessing of Orangie's blow bro Vlad, perhaps because he doesn't think Orangie is acting fast enough. Or, possibly, Orangie has simply outlived his usefulness, at least in Putin's eyes.

Separation of Church and State

 Well, we've started one of those weekends that everybody is working for...  Of course, that doesn't include everybody that I know, many of whom are retired, or else they work from home and pretty much set their own hours.  Also, I do need to point out that being retired does not mean that you're going to sit back and wait for death to come calling.  I have a very few friends that are waiting for this.  I don't understand what's going through their heads when they tell me "they've worked their entire lives, and they're not going to work anymore."  It just might be a form of laziness.

The weather's going to be fine today.  Temps in the low 40s (F), chilling out overnight.  Tomorrow starts a warming trend, not that we haven't been warm so far this winter, that will take us up into the 60s (F).  By the end of the week we'll be in March.  Spring is in the air, I can smell it.

Another third of the kitchen floor was finished yesterday.  I'm working on it again today.  It's not time consuming, except when it comes to cutting the tiles.  Supposedly, you should be able to cut it by scoring it a few times with a box cutter, and then snapping it.  That, however, doesn't always give you a smooth break, so I'm down in the basement with a hand saw every time I need to cut a tile.

My daffodils are pushing their way up through last years leaves.

And CPAC is happening.  There was a time when this gathering of conservative crazies actually represented something other than... well... a gathering of Christian crazies.  The Orange Anus spoke zombie-speak.  One thing the media picked up on was his racist characterization of black people, the one where he said that black people like him because of his mugshot.  

If I'm remembering correctly, it was a CPAC that they rolled out the golden Trump idol.  That's when Christians should have kicked their concern into high gear.  They didn't.  They were too unabashedly delighted that the evil one was going to give them what they wanted.  So happy were they, they told themselves he had to have been sent by God.  Stupid people.  They shriek and moan about all types of sins without understanding how evil actually works.  It gave them what they were praying for, and they helped to spread the evil in return.  Ouch!  This is the reason our founding fathers decreed there was going to be a separation of Church and State.

A Tear and a Prayer

Well, hello Sunday!  Central PA is supposed to have nice weather today, with a high in the mid 80s (F).  Tomorrow?  Rain is supposed to head into the picture.  We have more than an 80% chance of getting some sort of precipitation, my dahlias need it.

Work was odd yesterday.  I walked into customers waiting to purchase their carpet.  I suspect their installation will not go smoothly since several times during the process, he told me that he used to lay carpet and would be there for the installation and is, just in case you had any doubts, an authority.  Business was slowish, meaning there were a number of customers in the store, so one of the managers decided to have all of the pallets of Halloween merchandise pulled down from the overhead.  End result?  Numerous aisles were blocked for customers, and then unblocked, meaning customers who wanted to shop had to stand and wait.

Here's a funny thing:  Rich Guys North of Richmond is getting a lot of conservative airplay because they think it's about Democrats.  However, Oliver Anthony, the singer / songwriter says au contraire  he's actually singing about Republicans.  Ooops.  How could conservatives get this so wrong?  Well, perhaps because they're completely out of touch with America.  Here's the song in case you want to give it a listen

And as if we didn't know that that this little dirt nugget was waiting in plain sight to be discovered: CPAC wants an investigation of Matt Schlapp.  Okay, so what's phony Matty been doing?  Let's see, more groping was evidently on his menu, for one thing.  Oh, and that he tried to kiss a 20 something young man.  Honestly, one must wonder if this is God's judgement on Matty?  To publicly humiliate and break him?  Or maybe it's Karma, and all of Matty's evil ways are coming to roost.  I have no problem seeing this phony Christian being figuratively torn asunder.  The sad truth here is that we all know Matty's praying for forgiveness and that he believes he'll get it.  I've a big problem with a religion that lets you wipe away accountability with a tear and a prayer.

What goes through a Fascist's mind

When is Sunday not a day of rest?  Whenever I'm scheduled to work.  Like today.  Will it be busy?  Well, it's difficult to say.  We are moving into carpet season, however, prices are what I would call exorbitant.  I was talking to a single father yesterday who wants to carpet his basement.  I did an estimate for him and he was like "woah!"  At that point I should have brought up our credit card, where he'd get 0% financing for 18 months.  I didn't because he's a single parent.  If he would have asked about our card, I'd have obliged him, but that's a decision he would need to make on his own.  He knows his finances, I don't.

We hired a new associate who rides mountain bike.  I don't mind walking mountain trails, but riding them?  Not for me.  He was telling me how he just bought some sort of shock absorber for his seat.  Knowing an opportunity when I see one, I asked him if he wanted a bike stand to do repairs and tune-ups (I bought one a few years back and used it once) and he said sure.  So, I got my stand up from the basement, dusted it off, and will hand it over to him this afternoon.

The Washington Post had a really interesting article about walking.  According to medical researches walking just 11 minutes a day will supposedly help you live longer.  While I found it interesting, I couldn't help but wonder if it was written for those who only exercise is to walk from their bedroom to their living room, with occasional forays into the kitchen to nuke a taquito or two.  By saying this, I'm not specifically targeting senior citizens, but for quite a number of them this seems to be the extent of their daily workout.  

A diminished CPAC is over.  LibsofTikTok spoke.  Her audience was non-existent. 

I can only wonder what went through her fascist mind when she looked out and saw all of those empty seats.  Was she disheartened?  Or did her hatred compensate, lie to her and tell her she's not a losing sack of shit.  

Kim Guilfoyle showed up and did her 'I wannabe a stripper dance,' to a slightly larger crowd.  Someone wondered how God's lightening bolts could have missed so badly.

And, of course, The Donald was there.  Sorry, no picture.  His crowd was larger, but it was anything but standing room only.  He spent some time attacking Ronnie D, who wasn't there.  I saw one photo of him and... well, I think he needs to hire a new makeup artist.

When I brought CPAC up to a friend, he just laughed.  This event, with it's lackluster attendance, is a visual demonstration on how the Republican party is splintering.  And stupid Ronnie DeSantis?  He's going to splinter it even more.  He's one of those desperate dumbshits who will never understand that America will never have an authoritarian government.  That thought never enters his fascist mind.

 

The Party that never thinks

 Wow!  We got a lot of rain last night.  Around 0130, I woke up to the sound of a downpour pounding on the roof.  Outside, it's still a little overcast.  I'm certain that will change as we're under a high wind warning.  That's going to dry things out.

I am entering my 3 day stint at work.  That's fine.  Installations should start to pick up, though how mush is anybody's guess.  Sales are pretty much back to our pre-covid days.  Anyone who didn't expect this is a dummy.  It does seem to me that more people are applying for credit cards.  That's not a good thing.  I think they've surrendered to the philosophy that they're going to be paying off those balances for the rest of their lives, so it doesn't make a difference how much they charge.  That's just wrong.

With the warm temperatures and the rain so come the buds and the sprouts.  I'm waiting to see how my peach tree does after that massive trimming I gave it last fall.  The idea was to see if I can get it to grow more vertically and less horizontally.  The few remaining branches to have buds.  And the roses?  Well, take a look.

And, as everyone knows, TPAC is going on right now.  Some of you know it as CPAC, that Cracker Jack Crazy Convention where phony Christians gather to trumpet their hate of everything they have passed judgement on. Turn out is... slim.  Pervy Max Schlapp, better known as The Fondler, is there.  DeSantis isn't, though, neither is Youngkin, both of whom want to make a run for the presidency in 2024.  Videos posted online show how empty the audience is.  These are the core Trump supporters.  They will only vote for him.  And, in case you doubted it, will put in an appearance and he will spit out his usual rant about the stolen election.  He is tearing the Republican party apart.  This is fine.  They should have expected this when they sold him their souls.  Unfortunately, Republicans never really think.

The POM PSA

 Good Morning, and hello to my weekend!  I'm delighted to be here, especially knowing that on Saturday another staycation will be starting!  And how will I be occupying my time?  Believe me, there is plenty to do. 

Yesterday as boring at work.  Not a lot of customers.  The humidity was heavy as hell, even after the thunderstorms went through.  They're forecasting a repeat today. 

I did receive a phone call from the radiology dept. at the Lebanon VA telling me I needed to schedule an appointment.  This is a bit confusing since all of my testing should be done until next year.  When I called them back, they had already left for the day, so I left a message. Later this morning, I'll call my Primary Care physician to see why they called.

The humidity is ripe again today.  Thunderstorms are waiting.

As most of you know, I ride bike a lot.  Remember, your legs are the engines of your body.  Since I do work them on a regular basis, I thought I give you all a little PSA on POM, (pomegranate juice).  I drink some after ever ride.  Even if you're not interested in the POM, you do get to hear me talk.

And what about that Cracker Jack Crazy CPAC down in Texas?  In case you haven't realized it yet, those people are all nuts.  They are so out lost in a fantasy world of their own creation, they have very little, if any connection to reality.  Truthfully, what they've come up with is a 7 point agenda to their own annihilation.  They simply don't understand that if they were to even attempt something like that, the Centrists, and Independents, and Liberals, and Progressives would first reject them, and then begin to club the shit out of them.  Of course, maybe that's what they're waiting for.

A bit about Stew and a bit about Nazis

 We are now 3 weeks away from spring.  Ain't it great?  I have begun ordering decorations for the seasonal tree and they should start arriving any day now.

I made beef stew in the Instant Pot yesterday, took 35 minutes.  Tasty, but not great.  The recipe called for a can of tomato sauce, which gives it too much of a tomatoy undertone.  I want my beef stew to be hearty, with a full beefy flavor, not like I poured in a can of spaghetti sauce by mistake.  Otherwise, the recipe is sound, I'll just have to find an alternative sauce... or gravy.  Oh, and add more potatoes.  

Speaking of beef, Lily is running around the house with the tip of a Puperoni sticking out the front of her mouth like a meaty little cigar.  I warned her, she better eat that thing or Biggy will.

The hate festival that is known as CPAC is now over.  I don't know for certain, but I do believe only white Evangelicals attended, many of whom, though not all, swore their allegiance to Failure.  In a straw poll, their Loser president only received 55% of the vote supporting him for a 2nd presidential run in 2024.  Ouch.  

And, of course, there was a bit of an issue with their stage.  Someone though it a great idea to design it in the shape of a rune used by the Nazis.  Hyatt Hotels is pissed, putting a press release slamming hatred.  Let's see... I guess that means this year's CPAC celebrated a golden statue, a Nazi symbol, and a tin foil dictator wannabe... Did I miss anything?  Here's a picture of the stage, and the symbol, and also a flag from the riot of January 6.  Are there any questions?

Can they get any more evil?

CPAC prepares for the Impact

 Today is Sunday.   Today is also the last day of February.  Tomorrow I get to flip my Red Hot Calendar and see what March looks like.  Today is also a day off for me.  I do not have a lot planned, except for editing, going to my local Giant, and a few loads of laundry.  

I did sleep in because today is Sunday, my day off, and because I stayed up late watching a disaster film called Greenland.  I liked it.  Unlike Armageddon, where Bruce Willis saves the day, the happy ending here is just surviving.  This is not like other disaster movies.  There are no funny bits.  Gerard Butler gives a credible performance as a man trying to save his family.  It's worth the rental cost.

Yesterday was very busy at the store, until around late afternoon.  Then things began to slow down.  Saturday nights, like Sunday afternoons, are normally not that busy.  Things are slowly spinning back into what will be our normal routine.  I wouldn't be surprised if masks become part of our normal routine, especially since they almost totally eliminated the flu season.  Wearing a mask during certain times of the year appears to be the logical response in preventive medicine.

CPAC ends today.  For years the event was nothing more than a far right event where participants angrily spat out their shrill little prayers of anger.  Then 45 managed to get elected through the Electoral College began growing louder.  Rush Limbaugh, a fat racist with thin skin, cheered on their bitter craving for control.  And then Trump to center stage and the Republican party gurgled and bowed to their desperate, wannabe, tin foil dictator.  This year they celebrate his presence with a golden statue made of cheap fiberglass and spray paint.  Participants see him as a great comet ascending the heavens.  In reality, he is the party killer.  There is no hope for Republicans, no bunker in Greenland.  The louder he is, the more devastating his impact will be on the GOP.  Good.

Cheap Republicans

 Okay, so I assembled my new computer desk yesterday... in only 4 hours.  I had anticipated 2 maybe, however that was before I realized you needed to use a tiny allen wrench to tighten every screw.  

The tiny wrench and one of the 2 inch screws

No fast screwing here.  The keyboard tray was not installed because, following the instructions, when it's in place there's no way to tighten the locks holding the desktop in place.  Of course, I now realize I don't need the tray, the shelf works simply fine.  This is what you get when you choose to purchase a piece of  'inexpensive' furniture.  The simple truth is not to believe you're going to get quality when you go cheap.  Those who think 'cheap' is good lie to themselves.  Time will only continue to make the inexpensive less valuable.

I was planning on a ride or run yesterday, sadly neither happened because it took so long to put together my new desk.  I did make some meatballs for a soup I'm making in the new Instant Pot.  Three minutes cooking time.  Now, that's nice.  

Evidently there was some sort of on camera brush-up between McCarthy and Cheney in regard to our failed president speaking at CPAC and his future involvement with the party of failures.  I didn't watch any of the clips, but plenty of people were talking about it.  There is so much seething anger within that party.  Seriously.  You see, like their one time president, they have continuously told themselves they were winners.  This is why so many of them believe the Big Lie.  In their minds, if the Big Lie was truth, then they are not only losers, they are extreme failures.  This is why many of them will take their belief in the Big Lie to their deathbeds.  To believe otherwise is crushing.  Like inexpensive furniture, you get what you pay for and not much else.   

Phony Christians

 Good News!  The Temps are going up!  Wednesday forecasters are saying we will hit 50 (F).  Of course, they will drop back down, with highs predicted to be in the mid to upper 40's (F).  Still, this means winter is on the verge of turning the corner.  I do like the changing of the seasons.

Yesterday was busy at work.  Customers seemed to come out of the woodwork.  Cue stupid customer story, or maybe I should say Phony Christian Story.  So, yesterday I'm sitting at the Flooring Desk and this woman comes up and says "I'm with the Morning Sunshine Church and we're thinking about putting in around 1200 square feet of vinyl plank."  Before I had a chance to say anything, she continued.  "We've already gotten our Tax Exempt paperwork done and I'm interested in getting bulk pricing for 1200 feet of vinyl flooring."  Very politely I told her bulk pricing is handled through our Pro Desk and there was someone working who could help her.  "I'm not doing that," she exclaimed, "I'm just interested in bulk pricing."  Again, I politely repeated myself, to which she said, "I'll have to go someplace where they'll work with me."  And... again, I reiterated that they could help her at our Pro Desk.  "I guess I'm just going to have to go to Lowe's," she threatened as she started tow walk away.  So I said, "go ahead.  Go to Lowe's."  You see, our competitor functions the same way we do, and she'll have to go through their Pro Desk if she wants a bulk price discount.  Do I need to remind you she's purportedly a Christian who attends the Cracker Jack Crazy Morning Sunshine Church?

Did I tell you I bought an Instant Pot?  Sometimes for pressure cooking, but mostly for steaming.  It's also going to be replacing a very old Crock Pot that's at least 30 years old.  That's right, I use a crock pot that old.  Here's the replacement.

Here's a funny thought, as America continues to change all of the gerrymandering the White Republican Party has done to stay in power will be made moot.  Do you think we should tell them?

Oh, and I saw that our failed president is expected to speak at CPAC.  Can anybody tell me if any one person has done more to damage Christianity in this Country then Trump?

Signs

CPAC was a bad place to visit this year.  At least 5 Republican Congressmen have gone into self-quarantine.  You do have to remember, however, that CPAC is a gather of older, white Crazy Christians desperate to force the country down the narrow path they hold so dearly in their hearts.  It looks to me as though they've been given a Sign (capital S), not that they're going to recognize it as one.  That would mean they've made an egregious error.  Personally, I think it's a bit of a hoot, those holier than thou individuals on their way to becoming a Coronavirus hotspot.
There were some of the Idiot Jerk's supporters at the flooring desk, an older couple, he was wearing an camo cap with the Idiot Jerk's name emblazoned in red.  They spit out the same phony talking points the Idiot Jerk spits out: "more people die from the flu."  We all bite our tongues.  Correcting customers is not in our job description.  They do not understand, but every time the quote the Idiot Jerk, they are a Sign of his imminent downfall.  People want the truth.  He tells them what he thinks will make them happy.  The sad truth is he's only concerned about Wall Street.  The sadder truth is that this older white couple don't know they are the primary targets of the Coronavirus.
And, back to those 5 Congressmen in self-imposed quarantine (at least that's what they're claiming).  One of them just happens to be the 'new' Chief of Staff.  Son of a bitch!  How's that for bad luck?  My money says the Idiot Jerk is just about in a frenzy behind the scenes.  He's a fat, yellow-skinned (by that I mean cowardly) old man whose sloth-like body offers little defense against the new virus.
The sad truth is, rather than admit this is a serious health issue, he's going to wear a MAGA cap to the CDC because this is an election year.  Oh, and now he's talking about payroll tax cuts, and extending sick hours... for something he still calls a Democratic Hoax.  Really, all he's looking at is the Dow Jones.  You know how it works, a tax cut makes the stock market go up and his orange ass looks shiny.  If you give voters a tax cut they'll vote for him this November.  This is not the kind of Sign Americans are looking for, which is why he'll go down as the worst president of all time.
Finally, speaking of Signs, Tacx likes it when you post an image of yourself.  It can be a photo, or a letter, or drawing.  I had thought of using a picture of the dogs, but, well, there are 2 of them and their heads would have to be rather small.  Then I thought about where I live, not only in Pennsylvania, but in Pennsylvania Dutch country.  We do have images that represent us.  So I chose one of those to be my sign.  Here it is:

For those who don't know, it says "Welcome."

Carriers

After today I'll be halfway through my 4 day work stretch.  I will be celebrating by having a single, 1, uno, un day off.  Believe me, my excitement is percolating quietly in the background... and you though it was your tinnitus.
Yesterday was the first day I got home from work and we had extended sunlight.  I went for a ride in Amsterdam.  It was... interesting.  There were lots of cobblestones, and people, and a lot of cyclists.  I passed a lot of cyclists with dogs on their bikes, and kids, and groceries.  For a while there was a young gentleman riding in front of me whose spandex was quite... revealing, way too tight.  I wonder if he knows quite a number of people in the world have seen his buttocks bobbling back and forth.  I will have to remind myself to take a video of him for you.
Not surprisingly, 2 members of Congress have decided to 'self-quarantine' after coming in contact with an individual now hospitalized for Covid-19.  Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona, said he had extended contact (can someone define extended contact) with the person, and Ted Cruz, a Republican numb-nuts from Texas claims he had a brief interaction (?).  They, as well as many others, were exposed at (drum roll please) CPAC, that Crazy Christian Political Action Committee meeting held this year in Baltimore.  Can we talk about irony here?  Or just good old fashioned Karma.  Knowing these 2 gents side heavily with the Idiot Jerk in the White House, I'm sure both have tested positive.  They might not get ill, but they are probably both Carriers.  And, of course, you have to ask yourself how many others were infected at CPAC?  And CPAC was 2 weeks ago.  A lot of old Crazy, Christians attended.  I don't know about you, but I think this is rather humorous... Crazy Christians spreading the disease among themselves.  I think I've already mentioned this is going to be devastating when it hit their Mega-Churches, and we already know they're going to blame Bill Clinton.  And for those of you who don't know, this is what a Carrier looks like:

Thanks to the gentleman above, someone's granny might die.

Anyway, yesterday I worked with an very nice Hispanic couple who were having their bathroom tiled today.  That's right, the work is being done today.   And they came to the store the day before to start making their tile selections.  I wonder why their contractor hadn't told them this needed to be done ahead of time.  You see, sometimes (quite often) we only have limited quantities in stock.  We do not have a warehouse in the back.  We do not carry unlimited supplies.  Unlike Ted and Paul, we are not Carriers.

More

Okay, so here it is... Monday, my one day off.  I get to work 5 more days before I have another.  Shit.  I've got a busy day:  laundry, cardio, shoveling snow (oh, right, they're the same thing).
We did get more snow yesterday.  Even though it started falling in early afternoon, the temps were too warm for it to lay.  That didn't happen till around 5 (PM), so all we ended up with was around 3 more inches of the fluffy stuff that hung heavy on the branches.

A woman I've known for about 40 years posted a similar picture on Facebook praising the "Master's artistic handy work," and of course I had to respond.  Knowing she was never a Dr. Who fan, I didn't make a glib comment about him and his most major adversary... The Master.  Rather than that, I reminded her this was the same storm system which killed at least 23 in Alabama.  One of the biggest problems with two of the major religions is their need to make believers personalize their Faith.  Everything is about 'you' which is why their most favorite word has become "my."  She saw the snow on her trees and thought of how beautiful it was on 'her' trees, without even attempting to reconcile that beauty with shattered lives and dead people in Alabama.  To do so would have been more questions about the big picture.  The don't like the big picture, they want the small, personalized picture.
And, what about the Idiot Jerk hugging the flag at CPAC?  Have your every seen a more over-the-top performance.  The only thing this moron is any good at is manipulation, at that he's a Master, especially in the eyes of his followers.  The more overboard he goes, the happier they are.  He is touching their own personalized beliefs.  They hate the big picture since it presents more questions then they can answer.  Their political beliefs are small and personal, like their religious beliefs.  They are about the 'me' and the 'my;' 'you' are more than then can comprehend. 
 

The Ticket

Well, we are now under a

  WINTER STORM WARNING.

That's right.  According to the forecasters the "storm" is supposed to started about 1 PM.  I'm scheduled to work today.  There's a good possibility I will leave once the "storm" begins... just in case, you know?  Not that I'm really concerned much about the snow.  I have a new 'all wheel drive' vehicle which does very well in the snow.  The problem is I've been scheduled to work 5 days, have 1 day off, and then work for another 5 days.  This "storm" will give me a day and a half off.  I did take a picture of Lily while I was outside shoveling yesterday morning.

That's my Snow Lily

I have 3 chapters to go in the 'first draft,' over 68,000 words so far.  This evening (or this afternoon if the snow arrives on time) the story moves deep underground into the catacombs beneath Paris.  Possible chapter titles are 'Catacombs' (the most obvious), but I also like 'Truth among the bones.'
The Idiot Jerk in the White House was ranting at CPAC yesterday.  Holy Shit!  I can remember when the Crazy Christian Crowd used that podium to preach about 'family values.'  Well, those days are gone.  One of those Crazies claimed the Idiot Jerk was sent by God, the fact that he was speaking about almost pure evil should scare the shit out of you.  These people are extreme in their beliefs and extremists to bad things to people.  Terrorists are extremists.  The Nazis were extremists.  The regime of Kim Dumb Chunk is extremist.
Here are 2 things that were apparent.  Those people hate everything they cannot control, and if they can't control it they will destroy it without so much as batting an eye.  However, they are scared shitless of Joe Biden.  They know Joe's family values and his ethics will squash the moral degeneracy in the White House.  He shines a light on their ugliness and hatred.  And the 2020 ticket they fear the most, the one that has them gnashing their teeth and pounding their fists into their heads is... Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.  They are terrified decency will prevail... and, of course, it will.

The ceiling, the NRA, and the padding

Saturday morning - I'm off.  I'll have to work Sunday and Monday but then I'm going to have off for another 2 days.  Right now I'm working 32 hours a week and that's fine with me.
As for yesterday, I got everything accomplished that I planned on - this doesn't always happen.  Usually my 'to do' list ignores time constraints and not everything gets finished.  Yesterday?  Everything ran slick.
The dining room ceiling is painted.  Counting a primer coat to help cover the different shades for green, I used to more coats of Behr Premium Plus (flat) - the color is Garden Rose White (sort of a very, very pale peachy yellow).

You can see where I started ripping off some of the boarder - can't wait until that's gone.  And the ceiling fan is going to be replaced.
And the Idiot Jerk in the White House spoke at CPAC yesterday - after Wayne LaPierre's ranting the day before, these crazy conservatives seem more bent then ever on isolating themselves away from Centrist America.  Of course, our phony president lied about all of his accomplishments because this fool is a serial liar.  What's even funnier is that those morons applauded his lies.  These people are so out of touch I find it amazing that even one of them can wipe his ass without getting it all over his face.
Florida wanting to raise the legal age to 21 for gun purchasers is a small step in the right direction.  You do have to remember that there are a lot of seniors living in Florida who have been brainwashed by the NRA into believing any from of gun control is an attack on their 2nd Amendments rights.  Of course, that's bull shit.
An interesting thing about that NRA - by their estimates, there are only 5 million members.  In a country with a population of almost 330 million where do they get those very major dollars they give as campaign contributions to Republicans?  We're not talking about small change here.  If each one of their members gave $100 each they'd have $500 million in their coffers - until you started deducting wages and business expenses.  However, most of their funding doesn't come from members, rather it's the gun manufacturers and those who sell accessories are those who provide the bulk of the monies. 
Anyway, I ordered a new pair of bicycle shorts - they should be arriving tomorrow.  Bicycle shorts, you ask?  Yepper.  Bicycle seats are not the most comfortable and if you're planning on spending more than a half an hour riding you're going to need a little extra padding.  This comes in the form of 3D chamois (not the real chamois, the fake stuff) which looks a lot like a splayed Kotex (if you know what a Kotex is).  If you don't, here's a picture.

Maybe Kotex isn't the right word....

The Silent Majority Speaks

CPAC is happening right now, that gathering of Crazy Conservatives.  This year there many Republican Congressmen are no shows, the excuse being it's a bad time of year and... get this, they managed to get a Conservative into the White House.  I suspect the real reason is because of the uproar at Town Halls.  Speakers at the convention are saying it is not something to worry about, but it is, and I suspect they are more than slightly concerned.  You see for years, ever since Reagan, Conservatives have been bragging about a Moral Majority, or sometimes they called it a Silent Majority, and those really crazy ones called it a Christian Majority, because they believed there were millions and millions of Americans who loved what they were doing.
In a twisted way, they were partially correct, there is a Silent Majority, however that group is not made up of Conservatives, rather the members of that group are Independents, and Centrist Republicans, as well as those on the Left, and we are the Majority.  And, of course, they are in total denial since the truth scares them shitless.  They are the Major Minority.

We are the Silent Majority

And we are speaking out.  Some Congressmen are getting as many as 300 faxes per hour - that's going to kill their budget for office supplies.  We, the Majority, are standing up for our Rights.  We, the Majority, are telling them to shut up, to do their job, to represent the Majority, not the Minority.  And they have a fool for a President who's sinking in quicksand, and he's going to take them all down with him.  We are the Majority.

Always a good laugh - CPAC

This year's CPAC ended yesterday and, as always, I did get a hearty chuckle out of listening to this conservative block party's speakers beat a dead horse.  You have to remember, those who attend are the diehards, those who wear the blinders, and those who have surrounded themselves with a bubble of denial.  They go to chew on the red meat thrown to them by the likes of Ted Cruz and Sarah Palin, not the slowly awakening awareness of Paul Ryan.  They don't understand Ted Cruz thinks the whole country is like Florida and by playing 'Stand your ground' he's going to go far.  He isn't, but that's beyond their ken.  They let that haus frau Sarah Palin, with her early 60's dated look, take the stage and ride another dead horse, Obamacare, even further into the ground.  Mitch McConnell took the stage brandishing a rifle.  A coonskin hat would have completed the parody, of course that's something the party loyalists will never understand.

Another Daniel Boone wanna-be

Every year CPAC holds a straw poll to vote for the most conservative, most Republican man they would like to see as president.  Notice I say man, not individual.  No woman has ever won.  Now tell me that doesn't sound sexist.  Anyway, this year Rand Paul won.  He won the straw poll last year, too.  If he wins it one more year you could say he's on a hot streak.  This is not a good thing for Rand.  Romney won it four times and failed in his bid for the presidency.  Rand's own father, Ron, won the same poll three times and his failed campaigns were pretty much the stuff jokes are made of.  If Rand does run, he will have to deal with the fact there are a lot of people out there who think of him as a word thief, thanks to his exploits in plagiarism.  Every word he speaks or puts out in print is going to be checked over and over again.  Most people in this country have a problem with those who steal.

Paul Ryan was the one voice which seemed to make any sense what so ever, of course he's been through the presidential campaign grind and is well aware of all the mistakes which were made.  He talks about a more inclusive umbrella in which the party diversifies it's constituents.  He's on the right track.  Of course, he was playing to the wrong crowd.  All this group wanted to do was gnaw on their bones of hate.  They are killing the GOP. 

Why CPAC fails

CPAC ends today.  Who cares.  Except for a disillusioned minority, I don't think too many people even consider the event important.  There may be money sitting in that audience but this last election proved dollars can't buy the White House, believe me, they tried.  I believe Mitt Romney gets to speak today.   Woah, what's up with that?  Don't they realize if he hadn't gotten the racist vote from the south Obama would have crushed him like a bug?  Hell no.  The key to solving a problem is understanding it, however there seems to be a large disconnect there.  Like chain smokers who know they need to stop smoking, they keep lighting up.  I don't think their addiction is so much for party ideals as it is their hatred for the Democrats.  No matter how expensive those cigarettes cost, they're going to keep on buying them.  In 2012 that cost was in votes.  Because of this, candidates who are somewhat centrist need to chew up and spit out right wing red meat just to keep the crowd happy.  Rand Paul talked about a 'new Republican Party,' of course he's talking about converting them all to Libertarians.  Who invited him? They don't seem to understand the voting public is not going to suddenly flock to their closed minded approach.  So they sit in their chairs, like smokers, an ashtray filled with dead butts by their side, and they light up another.