Napping at the Funeral

We had storms yesterday afternoon.  I'm not talking about the windy, blow down trees type, but rather the thunder, and lightening, and torrential rain storms that cause flash flooding.  Starting around 2 PM, this storm last at least 2 hours and the rain fell in buckets.  Depending upon where in Central PA you live, you got between 1 and 4 inches of rain.  The temps dropped as well. We might get more shower this afternoon.  I hope not.  I want things to dry out.

Nothing was done in lawn cleanup because of yesterday's rain.  Today I'm hoping to get out the chainsaw and finish off the remains of the big branch that's in my backyard.  I'd also want to start chipping away the hundreds of little branches I tossed up onto the hill.

Otherwise, yesterday was pretty much a meh day.  I did go for an 8 mile bike ride in Bavaria.  Words were written.  And I also played some Balder's Gate 3.

And Amazon made a $2.07 deposit to my bank account yesterday and I have no idea what it's for.  Kindle deposits are identified, but this came from Amazon Services which, from what I've been able to discern, deals with 3rd party charges and credits.  Amazon did lose a class action lawsuit and is being forced to pay back $2+ billion to customers, so maybe that's my share.

So they had Lindsey Graham's funeral yesterday.  I was surprised that in all of the pictures of the mourners, there was not a single escort.  Nope, they were all middle-aged and older men wearing black suits.  Orangie was there.  He gave a rally speech eulogy, and then he took a nap.  The internet went viral with this pic.

There is no hypocrisy greater than that of a Republican.

And Orangie's administration is eliminating Medicare Supplemental Plan D in 2027.  While this doesn't effect me, there are about 25 million other seniors who will see an increase in the cost of their medications.  Also, those with this plan will see their deductible climb to $700.  We are seeing this because conservatives are more concerned about their own selfishness and greed than anything else.  Their actions are now defining them as being soulless.  2027 was chosen because the GOP estimated that they were going to lose either the House or the Senate during the midterms, which would put the Democrats in charge when these higher costs hit.  Of course, they were not counting on the possibility of a blue wave.  These greedy sacks of shit are so unprepared.

Lindsey's Pallbearers

We're under a heat advisory today.  That means I'll be doing as little as possible outside.  One of the forecasts I've seen has us topping off at 97 (F), however, there are others there are others that have us reaching triple digits; either high temp is a good reason for us to stay inside.  Tomorrow and Friday our outside temp is predicted to be in the low to mid 90s (F), after that we're in for a cool spell with daily highs in the upper 80s (F).

One of these days I'll check to see how badly these hot days are effect my electric usage.  The main reason I signed up for the budget plan for both my electric bill and my natural gas bill was because payments were balanced throughout the year.  This worked well.  For years my heating bill stayed at $59 a month.  Then 5 years ago the monthly cost went up to $69.  That lasted 2 years.  Three years ago the cost went up to $79 a month.  Two years ago the monthly charge was $89.  This year, on the budge plan, I'm paying $100 a month.  This is what happens when utility companies become "for profit" entities, when they sanctify 5% growth.  Now I'm going to have to shop around for lower natural gas prices the same as I do for electricity prices.

This is my 2nd week in which I have 4 days off in a row.  Now, while I'm sipping my morning coffee, I need to take a few seconds and ask myself if today is Wednesday, or Thursday.  

And I'm pleased to announce that Lindsey Graham's pallbearers have arrived!

People are wondering why Dementia Don is so fixated with the Georgia electorate.  One of the theories gaining speed is that black voters came out in large numbers and gave the win to Biden.  Hey, that sounds good to me.  Orangie has always been racist and the knowledge that black votes made him a loser would put salt on a wound he's always cherished.  Sitting presidents usually only made nationally televised speeches once a year, the State of the Union, unless there was a national emergency.  In Donnie's head, the Republicans losing the midterms is a horrifying national emergency.  Recent surveys have shown that many MAGA cultists, and by many I mean lots, and lots, and lots, believe that if the Democrats win the midterms Dementia Don will be sent to jail.  While I think that would be simply wonderful, I don't think that will happen.  If and when there is a Blue Tsunami, the first thing he'll do is try and void the midterms by declaring a national emergency.  That will fail.  At that point someone is going to load his 300 pound lard ass into Air Force One and fly him to a safe country, possibly Argentina.  He might even set up housekeeping next to Peter Thiel, who has already read the tea leaves.

Jubilation

 Well, it Sunday morning our outside temp is 69 (F) and by Tuesday we're going to be sweltering again.  The long range forecast originally had us sailing smoothly through the mid 80s (F) for the upcoming week, well, it looks like the weathermen got it wrong again.  Sadly, we're just heading into the hottest part of the summer.

Before I went to work yesterday, I got a nice little workout in, upper body, of course.  I got a text from my trainer asking if we wanted to start bringing back some light leg work. I'll have him add in some leg extensions, but no squats.  I think I've mentioned it here before, but I've always hated squats.

When I went in to work yesterday, I discovered someone in corporate decided a regional training class in improving sales was necessary.  I was told that everybody needs to go.  Not me.  I'm not driving down to Nottingham, Maryland, for a rah! rah! training class.  And corporate, in their ineptitude, gave me the perfect out.  You had to provide them with your birthday in order to complete the form.  They had a little calendar for the month and day, however, to give them the year you had to scroll, unfortunately, it only scrolled to 1956.  There were no years prior to that, so evidently the cutoff was 1956.  I was born in 1952. That's age discrimination.  Ouch!

And put on your party hats!  Lindsey Graham has died!  While he wasn't Cornpone, he was definitely a loser.

Truthfully, I almost did a jig when that headline flashed on my phone this early morning.  So many questions suddenly flashed through my head.  What in hell is the Republican Senate going to do now that they're 2 votes down?  How does this upset Alito's retirement plans?  What about Clarence Thomas?  He's 78 years old.  Usually NDAs die with their authors, so are all of those male escorts going to start talking?  

One person describe Graham as a pilot fish, one of those fishies who suck on to the belly of a shark so they can live off detritus.  His only loyalty was to that one person who could make him feel most powerful.  He was a gay man who sold out regularly to the Orange Anus.  To say Graham was a pathetic, spineless human being would be kind.  To be honest, I'm waiting for all of the "tell all" books to come out with titles like "I Diddled Lyndsey in the Shadow Docket."  This man deserves all the ridicule you can think up, and then some.

Put up or Shut up

 Hello Wednesday.  Midwoch for some, and the weather outside is lovely.  Skies are a clear, cool blue, though them temps are suppose to climb into the mid 80s (F) this afternoon.  In the early hours of tomorrow morning Autumn will come knocking.  I hope everybody's ready, I know I am.

One of the lights in my refrigerator burned out.  I need to pick up milk later, so I'll see if they have one at my local, neighborhood Giant supermarket.  If not, I'll pick one up when I go to work tomorrow.  

Speaking of the store, our bonus checks are being disbursed on Friday.  This will be the first I've gotten since going part-time.  While being a benefit, part-timers have never real gotten anything substantial.  Of course, I'm not a regular part-timer... I have mgmt. history, so I was pleased to see that this little deposit will handily pay for the flooring I just bought.

And I went to the movies last evening to see the comedy, mystery See How They Run.  It was quite enjoyable.  Split screens were used effectively, especially in one pivotal scene where something has happened and the cast members are all rushing to discover... something.  The movie begins on the 100th anniversary of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.  The cast, including Dickie Attenborough, is celebrating, and of course murder and mayhem ensue.

Judge Dearie, the Special Master that Donald Trump so desperately wanted, basically told Trump's legal team to "put up, or shut up," yesterday.  He wants a list of the classified documents Trump claims to have declassified and the proof the declassification was done.  Ouch!  This was a gamble by the Orange Anus and, if one takes a look at his previous wagers, (the steaks, the ties, the wine, and the university) you'll see he loses far more often than he wins.  Being the pathological narcissist that he is, however, in his mind there are no losses, only successes.  

There's a good possibility Trump's bad week will be continuing this week.  Fani Willis, the Fulton County AG, is going to make a big announcement today.  While a lot of people are praying she's going to indict Trump, I'm betting it will be Rudy Giuliani who makes the Perp Walk.  Though, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be disappointed if it was Lindsey Graham.  Though I think Rudy will flip faster than Graham, who will never leave his concrete closet.  

UPDATE:  my apologies it seems it was Letitia who had the big announcement, not Fani.

The Dogs of Summer

 Can we all say "Howdy," to a nice, sunny Thursday morning.  Downstairs, the dogs are jumping around, at least Lily is, Biggie is no doubt observing from the sofa.  For a 9-year-old dog, she is very active.  Biggie is... well, big.  He's getting 900 mg of gabapentin in the morning, and another 900 mg in the evening.  This dosage works well for him.  He is a lot more active than he had been.  Dogs are the same as people when arthritis sets in, they tend to slow down.

Yesterday was sort of a day of accomplishment.  A time-consuming chore was completed, a little yard work was done, and words were written.  I'm always happy to when words get written.  The issues with B & N seem to have been resolved.  They are much slower than KDP, which is something I'm going to have to get used to.  

Homemade ice cream was the time-consuming chore.  Pics tomorrow.  I'd post them today but after I finished cleaning off the front porch, I blocked off the steps with a piece of wrought iron fencing and let the front door open.  Lily loved it.  Biggie laid right inside the doorway letting the late summer breezes blow over him.  

Of course, there wasn't a lot of political news yesterday, other than the Biden administration managed to get a tentative deal going between the railway owners and their employees.  Unions seem to be coming back into favor.

And there was more shit about the Trump mob family and the small insurrection fete Donald chose to hold.  Meadows has apparently turned over everything he'd originally turned over to the Jan 6 committee, to the DOJ.  

Marco Rubio jumped on board the Lyndsey Graham anti-abortion law train.  People are saying "what the hell?"  Well, I have a feeling about that national law the Republicans are suddenly trying to push.  It's really about the midterms.  Remember that after Biden won many, many pundits said traditionally the losing party in the general election picks up seats in both the House and Senate?  Well, Republicans thought that meant it was going to be a done deal, so they basically all turned their asses on America and let out a big fart.  The Supreme Court they politicized overturned Roe v Wade and, as a result, people got pissed.  The red tsunami they had been counting on ran into a big wall.  Then the Jan 6 committee began its hearings, and Trump started looking really bad.  And then there was the secret document horseshit; many Americans believe he was selling them to foreign governments.  Now it appears that the Republicans are almost assured of losing a few more seats in the Senate, and possibly winning only one seat in the House, which keeps them a minority.  The loyalty they had counted on is disappearing.  When your party is in political trouble, you do whatever you can to hold onto your base, so they're proposing the one thing they believe will keep their base loyal: a national anti-abortion law.   Believe me, the Republican Party is desperate.

Screwed

 Let the rain begin!  Actually, Lily woke me up around 0300 to go potty outside and the drizzling had already started.  Showers and soaking rains are supposed to continue through Tuesday.  The daily high temp is supposed to crest in the low 70s (F).  Autumn is arriving.

My neighbor was back yesterday with her daughter, and her brothers-in-law.  There was some hammer banging (not much), so I suppose they were fixing the attic stairs so a potential buyer can actually go up to the attic.  I had talked to her on the phone, and she said there was water damage, they thought the leak might be around the dormer. She and her husband bought the place in 1985 and have not replaced the roof, so there are probably several leaks the new owner will need to contend with.  The house is still filled with furniture.  Her daughter told me that in about 2 weeks they were going to have a walk through 'yard sale' hoping to clear some of it out.  They are so naive. 

Sometimes I rail against our customers.  Usually, when I do so, there is just cause.  By the same token, we have associates who, for some unknown reason, enable these asshole customers.  Take yesterday.  I went up to the Service Desk to get our returns and found someone had returned 2 white shelf brackets.  However, these brackets were no longer white, they had yellowed with both age and possible cigarette smoke.  That irritated me.  They were evidently past the return date.  But what truly pissed me of was the screw.  Can you see it?  That's how it was returned, with the screw still in it.  What the hell is wrong with people?  This customer definitely wanted to screw us over.  And the clerk who took this return had no problem being screwed.

Everybody is waiting for Trump to be indicted.  What I've heard is that it will happen after the election, at least as far as the DOJ's investigation is concerned.  Georgia is another story.  For that case Trump did manage to hire a highfalutin' attorney by the name of Drew Finding.  Expensive.  I hope Drew understands he's never going to be paid for his services.  Mr. Finding also usually defends rappers, though I'm wondering if his style will help him keep Trump from taking the wrap for election interference.  I'm suspecting Trump pretty much screwed himself when he made that call to Ken Rathensburger.  In fact, Georgia may be responsible for several indictments, including one nicely wrapped for Lindsey Graham.  No matter how desperately Lindsey tries to get an NDA from the Georgia Attorney General, it ain't going to happen.  He's going to end up being screwed, too, by Donald Trump.  Of course, maybe that's what he's always dreamed of.

Republican Blackmail

 Well, I get to go to work today.  That fact is sweetened by the fact that I will also have the next 2 days off.  For those who don't know, life is about balance.  The more we keep things on an even plain, the happier we are.  

Even though the forecast claims we have 0% chance of rain, the sky outside is heavily overcast.  A little rain would be nice.

I got a lot done yesterday, including a 2.5 mile walk through Herculaneum.  It is not nearly as tourist friendly as Pompeii.  

Twitter gave me headaches yesterday.  First of all, I got a message I was being locked out for sending threatening or harassing Tweets.  There was no example, but not knowing what else to do, I clicked 'next.'  A few minutes later telling me that there was suspicious activity on my account, and I was being locked out for them to verify.  Shortly after that I got a warning telling me there was no email attached to my account.  Well, shit.  How could that be when I'd been verified?  So, I tried signing into my account and got a warning:  wrong password.  Suddenly, there's no email attached to the account and the password I've used since day one is wrong.  Son of a bitch!  What did I do?  I set up a new account.  Easy Peasy.  No problem.  What happened to my old account?  I have no idea.

Looking out my front window this morning, I saw that my elephant ear plant had been devastated.  As you can see in the picture, the culprit was still nearby.  This is what happens when you live in Bunny Hell.

And, of course, people are talking about Lindsey Graham's visit to the Trey Gowdy show on Fox News last evening.  You remember Trey, don't you?  Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi?  Those failed hearing which cost the American taxpayer over $160 million in the Republican attempt to blame Hillary for the incident at Benghazi?  Well, last evening Lindsey told Trey that if Trump were indicted there would be riots.  Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds I think that sounds a lot like Republican Blackmail; the sort of warning a crime boss might make.  Trump, himself, while not make the threat himself, is using the same rhetoric he used going into January 6.  Personally, I'm at the point where I'm saying, "bring it on."  This MAGA cult Trump controls?  They are a cancer.  If they get away with this shit now, they will only grow worse.  The time for niceties is over.  We do not cave into threats of violence.  A large majority of Americans has had it up to their ears with both Trump and the Republican party.  Trump needs to be indicted and jailed along with Lindsey Graham and the rest of these losers.

The Jolly Holiday

Here in Central PA, temps climbed into the low 90s (F) yesterday.  The forecast is the same for today.  And, whereas Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday had been very productive, yesterday turned out to be not so much.  I laid around, sometimes passing the hours by watching obscure YouTube videos.  What a waste of time.

Lily had her cake and ice cream.  Loved it.  Boxers are considered big dogs, not large dogs, except for Biggie whose weight puts him in the large category.  Being a nine-year-old big dog, Lily is now officially a senior citizen.  I've just started her on 150 mg of Carprofen to help whatever minor discomfort she might have.  Jumping off the bed can be an issue for her, depending on how she lands.  The stairs, not so much of one, yet.  And as she gets older, I will probably spoil her more than she already is.  Here's a pic of her bowl of cake and ice cream.

As I was leaving my local Giant supermarket yesterday, my sister called to ask if I had any skeletons in my closet.  Well, not that I know of, so I told her so, and she began to laugh.  It seems as though the police arrest a local man for buying body parts.  Now, when I mean local, I don't mean Harrisburg, I mean Enola, my town.  Son of a bitch!.  Local means 4 blocks away.  Damn!  He bought them from a woman who'd stolen them from the University of Alabama in order to sell them locally.  Holy Shit!  Local police are working in conjunction with the FBI.  

I saw where Lindsey Graham lost another appeal.  All of his appeals make him look just as guilty as if he'd simply gone and used the 5th amendment several hundred times.  Might now be a good time for us to start reaching for our canes and parasols? 

And, what about that Billy Barr memo?  Evidently both he and Mueller came to the conclusion that a sitting president couldn't be indicted and so what they released was heavily redacted.  It was sort of like "hey, we can't arrest him because he's president, so let's not tell America how much he relied on Russia to get elected, and how much he, and the Russians, obstructed this investigation."  I suspect that when the unredacted version is released, it will almost be like a jolly holiday with Mary.

Sydney and the stolen election data

 I'm heading into a work free week beginning today.  The store will not see my happy, smiling face again until Saturday, and then only for 6 hours.  The department has been rather understaffed lately.  I've helped by giving up some of my free time, something I'm not fond of doing.  They still have to hire a specialist to replace the one who gave his notice, and then showed up for a few hours on his last day.  Another associate, as I mentioned before, fell off a roof.  He's scheduled to be back at the desk on Thursday, with his shoulder in a big cast; that's going to put a damper on his texting.  The Haitian we hired to be an evening aisle associate has also stopped showing up for work.  He told us he followed his own schedule rather than the one written for him.  I do hope his personal schedule lets him know he's being terminated as a 'no call, no show.'

They were predicting rain for yesterday, and what we got was the occasional shower.  So, last evening I was out with the hose watering my plants.

When I got home from work yesterday, my neighbor's brother was at the house.  Since they're going to be throwing everything out, I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't picking through things.  As I'd said, Dirty Dawg had been there on Saturday to give them a quote and evidently it was more than they were wanting to pay, otherwise that house would be empty.  It will be interesting to see how the family proceeds.

And Rudy Giuliani is going to be indicted, at least that seems to be how things are playing out.  He's before a Georgia Grand Jury today.  I wonder if he's going to be sweating hair dye.

Oh, and evidently the FBI also confiscated 3 of Trumps passports, though he admitted one of them had expired.  Let that sink in.  3 passports.  He doesn't have dual citizenship with any other country.  I have one because, as a US citizen I only need one.  But he had 2 passports he could use.  Something smells a bit fishy.  The fact that they took them implies they see him as a flight risk.

And I do believe that Lindsey Belle is supposed to be testifying today as well.  He is probably not sweating hair dye, bullets?  yes, hair dye, no.  I wonder if any of those NDAs he had his escorts sign become null and void if his ass gets indicted.

You do have to admit that bombshells seem to be dropping daily now.  The Washington Post dropped this one yesterday.   Treasonous Sydney Powell and her group of traitors hired a computer group to breach sensitive voting machines in 3 states:  Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada.  That's a criminal felony.  These charges will no doubt make Sydney a flight risk.  Ouch.

A Good Day for Science, a bad one for....

 My mid-week weekend has begun.  I certain objectives I hope to complete during the next 2 days, whether they will be accomplished is another matter.  I'd make a list, but we all know priorities change.  I had thought of driving down to That Fish Place but knowing that the holly shrub in my front yard desperately needs trimming is more important than driving to Lancaster to pick up fish and snails.

As expected, yesterday was a slow day at work.  I did manage to get 2 measures, (a sign the economy isn't as terrible as Republicans say), but in between those moments of interacting with customers there was nothing.  Who ever thought being bored could be so tiring?

Of course, they released a photo taken by the Webb Telescope yesterday afternoon; our first really good look at something so immense many will have difficult processing the truth.  This is especially true for certain religious groups, specifically those who claim their deity created the universe.  They will subvert the truth into something their beliefs can limit and control.  Many of these people, if they even take the time to look at this picture, will simply say "that's nice."  You see, their universe needs to be small enough for them to be the focal point.  A truth they will never understand is that everything does not now and will never revolve around them.  They are the ones who will say, "it's not about the size, it's about the faith."

Steve Bannon's trial begins Monday.  woohoo.  I read that his lawyer asked for a delay because he has no defense.  woohoo.  Now, this tub of horse shit is going to be dropped into an ungreased, cast-iron frying pan where he will publicly sizzing in his own juicy lies.

And every second that passes moves Lyndsey Graham to another cast-iron frying pan.  Lyndsey's got a lot of grease, so when he fries there will a lot splutters, and pops, so don't get too close because I'm suspecting he's going to try and burn as many as possible.

And, of course, the January 6 committee is going to go public again this afternoon.  Kinzinger has said that in 10 years not one of those 74 million people who voted for Trump will admit to casting a vote for him.  I don't doubt for a second today's hearing is going to be another nail in the Republican coffin.  Reagan' started the con, Trump is going to end it.

MAGA world has a bad day in Georgia

 Well let's all say 'hello' to Mittwoch, or Wednesday as the English say.  We are in the middle of the week.  Outside, the skies are cloudy.  We have 40% chance of rain today.  Rather than gamble of a stray shower or two, or a thunderstorm which will drop much less rain than needed, I'm going to water my little garden.

Yesterday was one of those ho-hum, why not spend a few hours being a slug, kind of days.  I did get my haircut in the morning.  This was the second time I'd had this barber and she is a rambler, whatever subject managing to flit into her head becomes the topic of conversation.  Really, all I want my barbers to do is cut my hair as quickly and as decently as possible.  I'm not there for the idle chit-chat.

I was going to go for a bike ride... and didn't.  I packed in a lot of garbage food on the Fourth, so I'm thinking my lack of energy had more to do with the slow burn of the carbs working through my system.

I was surprised to find that one of my rose buses is blooming!  They are like a little bouquet.

There was an interesting read in the Five ThirtyEight newsletter this morning.  The premise seems to be that the working class swung to the Republican party and Trump 5 years ago for a number of reasons, but mostly because Republicans are the party of white voters.  This idea was put forth by Rep. Jim Banks, from Indian.  Race and Culture, he says, are what now define the Republicans and that Economics now have nothing to do with it.  Banks also says he believes this shift is permanent.  If Mr. Banks, a Republican, is correct, then he needs to start telling the rest of his party that it's not about the Economy.

And for those who missed it, Lindsey (aka Pittypat) Graham was subpoenaed by the Fulton County Grand Jury.  I'm betting it too Miss Pittypat all of 2 seconds to reach for her poppers smelling salts.  Supposedly this is in reference to his asking Raffensberger to throw out thousands of mail-in ballots.  Giuliani was also invited.  My, isn't that man popular?  He seems to be getting one of these invitations every time he turns around.  Also on the guest list was Cleta Mitchell.  There is so much hatred in that old, white woman for minorities.  I've been saying for some time, the January 6 hearings will have a big effect on the November midterms.  We all need to turn to Georgia if we want to see Trump's ass fried.

Republicans believe Women are Stupid

 Well, good morning people!  Today begins a 5-day stretch without work!  Now, while that is nice, most importantly, the temps are supposed to be in the mid to upper 70s (F).  That means yard work, which will start this afternoon with a mowing of the lawn.

Soon, the flowering will begin!

Yesterday work was... meh.  No measures, no sales.  I was asked to tape and tidy up boxes of vinyl plank flooring, however the store is out of packing tape. We're also out of shrink wrap, something we wrap our rolls of cut carpet in to make them easier to maneuver.  This running out of 'essentials' always happens at the end of the fiscal month, or fiscal quarter, or fiscal year.  Shrink wrap and tape are an expense.  It's bad business to put an expense on your books when you're trying to end your month, quarter, or year with a bang... or, since we're not making our plan, not too deep in the hole.

I did get my car back yesterday.  No more Jeep Wrangler Sport.  This is a good thing.

One of the things I debated about when I bought my new computers was storage.  I had already owned a 1TB SSD drive, so I couldn't see paying Alienware a fortune for another 1TB.  Still, video games take up space... a lot of space.  While that is true, it's also true that I once I get bored with a game, I delete it.  What I ended up doing was buying a 512GB SSD drive just for games for a 1/4 the price Alienware was going to charge me.  

Of course, yesterday the Senate voted to give the Supreme Court justices and their families added police protection.  I wonder if this is because they suspect things are going to get worse before they get better.

One of the most surprising things of this Roe v Wade fiasco the court has put themselves in, is their apparent belief that women are stupid.  This is no doubt based on the conservative male's determination that they are the superior sex, that women are stupid.  Not only that, this antiquated guy's club also believes women should be 'barefoot and pregnant.'  The ending of Roe v Wade is intended to put women back in their proper place.  Republican men need a patriarchal society in order to define their masculinity.  Of course, this is all horse shit to a majority of Americans, something conservatives will never understand.

And, finally, Republicans believe that come November, women will put vote for the economy over their right to choose.  Can you hear me laughing at that?  This is the premise they are counting on.  Lyndsey Graham said as much, that in November people will be more concerned about the economy than the right to choose.  As I've said, Republicans believe women are stupid.

No Sleaze Please

 Two deliveries are expected today:  Biggie's meds by FedEx (he loves FedEx drivers) and a case of wine from St. Michelle Winery in Washington (the state, not the city) by UPS.  Both dogs love UPS drivers, in fact I don't doubt for a second that if the dogs held a competition between the two, UPS drivers would easily top FedEx drivers.  Don't ask me why that is, I don't know.

I also bought myself a new wireless keyboard and mouse.  The old ones had wires and I am literally trying to be done with wires.  

I've also set up a YouTube channel.  I can import any length video from YouTube into Blogger, but there are severe limitations when trying to import them from my phone.  So, I'm resorting to this work around.  We'll have to see how much fun this is.  If I have an enjoyable time, I may make it public.

Did everybody get a chance to see Lindsey Graham ask Kitanji Brown Jackson about her faith yesterday?  His attack was clearly to appease the Cracker Jack Crazies who were upset that Amy Cony Boney was asked a similar question.  People were very concerned that Cony Bony was nominated not so much for her fairness, as she was to push religious zealotry on America.  Let's be honest here, while Conservatives are terribly upset  about her being black, they are horrified she might take away some of the zealotry they have already packed into the court.  Here's the clip if you want to watch.  This is what sleaze looks like.  

Does anybody know how Clarence is doing?  Still on the drip?

Snowball's chance in Hell

 Well, it's Thursday and we have snow.  The prediction is for 'heavy' snow until around noon and then tapering off.  The odds of me going into work are slim.  It's not that I couldn't make it there this morning, it is the getting home that has me concerned.  The storm is to last until tomorrow.

I talked to Verizon yesterday.  Several odd things happened.  I went into Chat to see if things could proceed with my getting put on hold for 45 minutes to speak to a living human.  Surprisingly, 2 seconds after I initiated the Chat, Gary was answering my questions.  When I told him I wanted to eliminate Verizon from my life he gave me an 866 number to call.  Three minutes after I called, I was speaking to Melinda.  When I told her I lived close to a T-Mobile tower, and they have $50 per month internet a door opened.  Melinda offered me Internet alone, at the same speed I have now for... are you ready for this?  $39.99 a month.  You can bet your ass they are not losing money.  They are, however, losing subscribers.  I Googled it.  People are cutting their cable line left and right, at about the same speed moderate Republicans are changing their party affiliation.  Don't get me wrong.  Verizon still sucks, they're just changing their tactics.

I rode 18.72 miles yesterday!!  Took me an hour.  I was very well pleased.  A little over 100 years ago there was a ferocious battle along the Ijzer Front between the Germans and the Allies.  I rode past concrete armaments that are still standing.

 Today, since the possibilities of my calling off are increasing at about the same increments as the snow, I will probably do a joggy / runny thing on the treadmill.

Thin Skinned Rush died yesterday.  No loss.  There is one less voice of hatred in the world.

Did anybody else see the clip with Lindsey Belle whining about 2022?  He's worried.  Really.  He wants all Republicans to unify under the Cult of Trump.  Here's a link to CNN if you want to watch.  I had to chortle at the part where he says the GOP doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell without traitorous 45.  Someone should tell that girl the Republicans don't have a snowball's chance in hell... period.

The Rejection of Ivanka Danka

Okay, so it's Sunday.  After today I have 5 (count 'em) 5 days off in a row.  I'd like to say I'm really excited, but mostly... I'm just really pleased.

Yesterday the other specialist scheduled to work with me called off.  This associate did the same thing last Saturday.  I offered to stay past my scheduled time and the Assistant Manager say, "no, it is what it is."

A friend of mine and his wife stopped in at the store yesterday.  He and I worked together back when I worked for Marriott.  I left, he stayed, and is now a manager with a large Hospitality group.  The funds for their  Covid - 19 stimulus package ran out on Friday.  He told me not to believe the unemployment figures the Idiot Jerk was dancing about.  The group he works for sent termination letters to all of those people they had furloughed. He said, "it'll take a long time for the Hospitality Industry to come back."

And for those who haven't heard, Ivanka Danka had to deal with a little rejection.  Her 'virtual' commencement address was canceled. And she was pissed.  And she's pissed.  Not only is she the spawn of the Idiot Jerk in the White House, she's also married to that sleazy weasel Jared.  She was so insulted she decided to post her speech on line.  That's her way of proving she's special.

If you didn't find that disappointing, I'm sure the following bit might make you feel a bit jovial.  The Idiot Jerk has chosen to cancel his round of golf today because of... bad optics.  Yeah.  Bad Optics.  Translation:  In the past 2 weeks his campaign has had to pump over $650 million into Ohio, a state they considered a sure thing.  His team is concerned people in that state might want him to demonstrate at least of smidgen of interest in the racist issues plaguing this country rather than T-ing off.

Then there's the bit about LG (Lady Graham not Lindsey Graham) and his use of male escorts and male porn stars.  Ouch!  I suspect his career will be ending... shortly.  Good.

And Billy Barr is desperately trying to put more than a little distance between his walk of shame and himself.  Now he's blaming... Park Rangers?  The once who patrol the grounds around the White House on horsies?  His new favorite saying is "The Buck Stop with You."  He knows how big and bright he's going to look in orange.

Finally, here's a pic of my nectarines.

The tree is loaded with them.  Yum!

On being the butt of jokes

My zinnia seeds arrive today, as does a refresher for my strawberry flavored whey.  I have a subscription for the strawberry flavored whey.   That's going to change.  I'm not that impressed with the taste; not quite as strawberryish as I had hoped.   For now I'm going to stick with the chocolate / peanut butter.
Another one of my subscription deliveries is also going to be stopped.  I'm supposed to be having my Every Man Jack delivered on a regular basis.  The last to shipments were cancelled - not in stock. If I want I can pick it up at my neighborhood Giant supermarket.  Perhaps the company has grown large enough they don't need to rely on Amazon for their sales.  Don't know.  I might begin a new search for another small company to help out.
They're forecasting rain for this afternoon and evening.  Yippee.  I'm off Monday and Tuesday, the weather is supposed to be fine.  I hope so.  It's time to sow my bulbs.
In case you haven't heard, there's the possibility Brexit is going to be delayed... again, or at least there's an agreement in the works for a delay to some unknown day in the future, possibly after a snap election.  Big mouthed Boris is failing miserably at getting this divorce hammered out.  In fact, most of the Brexiteers appear to be nothing more than hot air balloons without the pretty colors.
Here, in the US, more people are going to be able to see the unredacted Mueller report.  For those interested, this is what most of us get to read.

You can bet the Idiot Jerk in the White House burped up burning mouthful of rancid Big Mac when he heard this.  In fact, a Federal judge legitimized the impeachment inquiry.   I wonder if Lindsey Graham's thin, little lips began quivering when he heard that.  Not only is his future life as an ass-kisser at stake, he's up for re-election and the Democrat planning on unseating him is raising big bucks.  He might get fired by the voters!  Oh... dear me... poor Lindsey.

Oh, and Rudy the G has been butt dialing reporters and leaving long, incriminating messages.  He can't even get a break from his ass.

The First Big Step

I start my split days off today... no work, and the dogs let me sleep in another 15 minutes. 
Montana had an early snowstorm.  The Southeastern states are having a rip-roaring heatwave.  As climate change continues to effect the world, people will begin to move.  Yes, even in the United States.  This is called immigration.  And animals, too, as their natural habitats grow too wet, or too dry, too cold or too warm, will head towards more habitable areas.  So many people in the world are totally unprepared.  Things like this have happened before in our billion years history.  The difference between then and now?  Someone is here to record the changes.  This will all become very interesting.  If you're thinking of retiring to some sunny trailer park in Florida, keep in mind that expensive mobile home may be underwater sooner rather than later.  Here's one projection:

The smart ones will prepare, the dumb ones won't.  You know who I'm talking about, those fools running around in their little red MAGA hats.  And then they'll shriek "how can this be?!"
So, what am I going to do on my day off?  Lots of little stuff.  Ride bike, of course.  I got 11.1 miles in yesterday.  I find that I'm not as sluggish if I ride.  Those 2 weeks when I was trying to do that 5 rides a week challenge screwed up my schedule for a bit.  You only needed 15 minutes a day.  That doesn't work for me.  I need to get between 45 and 50 minutes a day.
The Idiot Jerk in the White House had his Henchies throw a whine-a-thon yesterday.  Sadly, neither Stevie, nor Lindsay, nor Jimmy Jordan.  Jimmy had to deal with Jake Tapper.   Jimmy ended up his Crazy Christian head slapped silly.  And the rumor's going around Mickey Mulvaney's job might be in the shitter because he didn't have a working plan to deal with... impeachment.  This administration, this political party, is so out of touch with America.  They don't understand that the first big step towards making America great again is to impeach the Idiot Jerk in the White House.

Turkey in the Straw

So, here it is, Tuesday.  Late entry today.  I had breakfast with my sister and brother this AM.  I also slept in... until 5:30.  Tomorrow I'll be back to the standard 0400 wake-up call.  If I get the chance I want to do a couple of miles on the bike this afternoon.  Actually, I know I'll have the chance, it's just that I might not want to put on the shoes and slip into the spandex.
Starting tomorrow I will have the joy of working for 5 days in a row, followed by a single day off, and then another 5 days.  Shit.  This is what I don't like.  Work.  My brother asked me how long I expected to work full-time.  He always asks me this, and my response is always the same, until I get the car paid off and add a little more to my bank account.  Once I feel comfortable, I will go part-time.
And the irony of the day is that the Idiot Jerk is in Vietnam.... you know?  Interesting how bone spurs didn't stop this trip from happening.
What is actually more interesting is that he's going to be out of the country when the shit hits the fans.  I mean, like today the House is going to vote against his racist wall and quite likely the Senate will vote against it, too.  That ain't going to sit well with his racist base... nope, not at all.  They don't like being told that they're assholes. 
Then tomorrow Mike Cohen is going to step into the Center Ring where he will dazzle us with tales of moral degeneracy, and amaze us with feats of wonderment as he details how phony the contortionist in the White House truly is... prepare to be stunned!  Is it any wonder this summit was planned now?  I think this is what his administration considers damage control, offset the negativity with some sort of sketchy deal with Kim Dumb Chunk.  In Vietnam, of all places.  Wouldn't it be funny if the Idiot Jerk gimps around a little bit... because of his... you know?
And then, of course, there is the Mueller probe... well, it's not quite a probe.  I suspect the only one who's in the mood for probing is Lindsey Graham... if you know what I mean.
For those interested in the progress of "The Body in the Tower," I'm up to 65,000 words... with 4 chapters left to complete.  I'm working on a chapter called "Comfort Food," in which Cook serves up Turkey in the Straw.

Not that the chapter is gastronomic by any means.

What the hell is a smoking saw?

Wednesday.  I got up early this AM to do my cardio... and then went back to bed for half an hour.  Fun Stuff. 
The post office is closed today because of George H's funeral service.  A national day of morning, which is irritating because I'm still waiting for my Mom's final bills to arrive.
And speaking of George H's funeral.  I can not even begin to imagine the tension that will be in the National Cathedral when the Idiot Jerk arrives.  Sure, there will be those who will shake his tiny hands if he so deigns, but mostly, to his horrifying chagrin, he will be shunned.  No one's going to casually saunter up and say... oh... "my, your latest tariff Tweet nearly crashed the stock market yesterday."  Most likely he'll sit there silently Tweeting things like "what a really tremendous service, shame they didn't hold it closer to Mar Lago so I could go golfing after wards."  I mean, do you really think Jeb's going to shake his hand and say "Gee, I'm really glad you could make it."  If we hear anything from the Idiot Jerk it's going to be along the lines of "Someone get me out of here."
Oh, and the NRCC was hacked - that's the National Republican Campaign Committee .  I think they're the ones who are responsible for getting House members elected and re-elected... and it was happening for a several months.  OH... MY.  Remember when the Democrats were hacked and the Idiot Jerk criticized them?  This hacking, I suspect was worse.  Some foreign actor uncovered a treasure trove of Republican dirt.  So far none of the emails have been made public.  Of course not, because... well... you know what's coming... this... is ... what's called... Blackmail.  So, I wonder if the Idiot Jerk's gotten the phone call yet, the one in which a heavily accented voice says "kiss our ass, or we will destroy you."
Let's face it.  Yesterday was a real bowl of Chop Suey when it came to bad news for the Idiot Jerk.

Mueller signaled that those cooperating with him will most likely get light sentences at best.  That's works.
And Gina Haspel to the Senate, behind closed doors, that the Saudi Prince is guilty as hell.  Lindsey Graham was so convinced he pulled his lips from the Idiot Jerk's ass and said "this is not a smoking gun, this is a smoking saw...."  That's right, he said it was a smoking saw.   Can someone just tell me what the fuck is a smoking saw?  Everybody knows what a smoking gun is, but smoking saw?  I Googled it... no pictures... anywhere.  Just what in hell has Lindsey been smoking?  And did he light it with a saw?  Maybe he's just talking about a saw that cuts down trees really, tremendously fast.