The Slice and Dice Period

Woah!  It was a chilly one this morning!  Our outside temp was 22 (F) when I got up this morning.  After today we will be warming up to more Spring like temps.  I talk to a lot of people, no one has said they were sad to see the Winter temps go away.  I will be happy for the sunny days of Spring and Summer.  In the bathroom, my heating vent is about 3 feet off the ground, one of the few good things about this winter was that I could set my drying rack in front of it.  Believe me, it works just as good as the dryer and is a lot less expensive.

I got a nice ride in yesterday on Achille's Island, Ireland.  It had the right amount of low grade hills that get my heart pumping.  Good cardio.

My two aquariums are going to be combined as one.  I'm going to keep the 30 gallon in the living room and get rid of the 50 gallon in the writing room.  This will happen as soon as the last tiger barb in the 30 gallon tank dies.  He has some serious air bladder issues, so I don't think he'll be swimming around too much longer.

While talking to my sister on the phone, she said she told my brother in law to get a job.  He abruptly retired back in November without any plan for how he was going to occupy his time.  Now he sits around the house doing nothing.  He retired abruptly back in November and now just sits around the house.  There are a lot of people like him wasting away the rest of their lives.

And evidently a Federal Judge is... skeptical of the Orange Anus's plans to add a new ballroom and Convention Center onto the White House.  

Wow!  It doesn't seem as though anything is going right for this dictator wannabe, does it?  He starts a war with Iran and then asks for help and all of our former allies tell him to eat shit.  Woah!  They say there are off ramps in place to end this war, but you can bet your bottom dollar he'll not take one of them.  That would mean he made a mistake.  As a result, he will send America's youth to die there, all the while ignoring the fact that American hatred for both he and the Republican party is growing almost exponentially.  

His SAVE Act is dying in a very public manner, with Republican Senators openly saying that there are not enough votes to pass this crappy piece of legislation.  

And every day his dementia becomes more and more apparent.  

And then yesterday Joe Kent, a staunch follower and major MAGA cultist broke away, saying that Israel strongarmed Orangie into invading Iran.  MAGA world is entering the slice and dice period, a precursor the inevitable downfall of the Republican party.  The blades are out for Orangie, himself.  Do not fret for him too much.  You know he's finding solace in a Big Mac and an order of fries.

MAGA Attack

Outside, our temperature is 64 (F) and the skies a blazing with morning sunshine.  Yesterday, the temps did climb up into the mid 80s (F) and while that's not unusual for this time of year, I do think all these days of 80 (F) temps are more than a little foreshadowing for the approaching climate change.  I am curious as to how warm we stay this coming winter.  Last February and March were cold, will this year be a repeat, or will we go back to the warmer winters we've been having over the past several years.

Work yesterday was slow.  There was plenty of food since it was the last day of our bonus weekend.  I don't doubt that there will be leftovers waiting in our lunchroom this afternoon when I punch in.  Surprisingly, I didn't graze as much as I usually do, perhaps because I was saving room for desert.  There was ice cream.  I had a vanilla ice cream sundae with fudge brownies and chocolate syrup.  Scrumptious.  I had thought of getting a banana split but then, once I saw how large they were decided against it.

Of course, most of social media was talking about the Maga Attack on the church in Michigan.

For anyone not living in this country, any vehicle driving around with two American flags attached is the definition of Ultra MAGA, a person so deep into Orangie's cult that reality is barely a faded memory.  Last night Orangie spit out some sort of trash about there being "another attack on a Christian church."  That's pure and simple horseshit.  While his tweet might get some to nod their heads in agreement, I can tell you that the super vast majority of MAGA cultists do not seem Mormons as being Christian.  I work with an associate who has ridiculed and mocked Mormons.  This was not an attack on a Christian church, this was a MAGA attack on religion in America, on the diversity of Faith many Americans hold dear.

In fact, the only thing that stopped the MAGA cheering was the announcement that Bad Bunny was going to be the Super Bowl Halftime Show.  Holy Crap!  Not only is Bad Bunny Puerto Rican, and if that wasn't enough to rattle every MAGA heart in America, he also sings in Spanish.  The instant the announcement was made, their attacks began.

Rebirth

 Well, we did have thunderstorms yesterday.  We even got rain, though there was no downpour at my house.  There was thunder and lightning, and a bit of wind, but otherwise the worst parts of the storm moved around me.  The temps dropped briefly afterwards, but then climbed back up into the upper 80s (F).  We have the same forecast for today.  

I did get a nice ride in yesterday in Corsica.  At present it's one of my favorite rides.  I rode 10.71 miles.  Today it's free weights and bands this morning, and then a ride down to the Lebanon VA for an appointment.  I have to schedule one of those dreadful colonoscopies, not because anything is wrong.  Nope, my doctor just recommended that I do it, and there's nothing wrong with being precautious.

I went to the movies last evening and it was... interesting.  The young man who sold me my ticket was, I think, more concerned with the fact that he was the only one at the concession stand selling tickets and a line was quickly growing behind me.  He'd called for help twice and no one seemed to be coming for help.

Then, during the movie, my friend Patty became irate because the little boy behind her kept kicking her seat.  She turned around and asked his mother to have him stop. His mother said he was moving to another seat, but 10 minutes later he was back.  And he talked because he's a little boy.  He commented in his little boy voice about what was happening on the screen.  He and his mother really should have moved to different seats.  Instead they stayed until my friend stood up and, with no filters, told them she was tired of him kicking her fucking seat.  They moved.

And what movie did I go see?  Jurassic World, Rebirth.  It was fine.  Entertaining.  There was also a lot of reworking of scenes from the original Jurassic World.  It wasn't all a rehash.  Raptors made an appearance, but only briefly, which was nice. They had become a too reliable predator.  T-Rex returned in a rather nice scene.  Probably the biggest surprise was Jonathan Bailey, who was last seen singing and dancing in Wicked.  He did a fine job at playing a nerdy dinosaur guy who is neither meek not mild.

And MAGA world is still flipping out about the Jeffrey Epstein lists disappearing.  I'm enjoying this.  The really big problem for Republicans is that for a very long time they promised the cultists blood, and now they want them to forget those promises.  Does Orangie's name permeate the list?  I don't doubt.  Another fly in the ointment is that it now appears that during a certain period of time Epstein was collaborating with the FBI in their investigation of insider trading on Wall Street, providing them with a lot of juicy information.  This means it's probably not only himself and other perverts that Orangie is protecting, or maybe I should say blackmailing... or maybe I should say extorting.  If this is the case, I wonder how much those billionaires are willing to pay for protection.  And you know, Orangie would love this kind of racket.

The Discussion and the Cultist

 Crap, can you believe it?  Another Monday has arrived.  This past weekend seemed to skip by me.  But than, of course, you have to remember that weekend starts tomorrow, an the weather's supposed to be very nice.  Temps are on the cool side right now with the current temp being 52 (F).  It will be climbing up into the mid 70s (F) this afternoon.  Tomorrow afternoon is predicted to be warmer.

And, as has been the case, yesterday was a boring day at work.  I had to sit at the Lead Generating table and, shock of shocks, I actually signed up a customer for a free consultation on purchasing a shed.  Management  was happy.  I checked yesterday and this lead generation push has created over 140 leads, however, upon closer examination, only a very small number (2) have actually led to appointments being made.  This has always been the problem.  People will sign up for a free consultation but then, after they get home and spend some time thinking about their project, will change their minds.  These are the wise ones who realize that going through with whatever they've signed up for will most likely lead to "buyer's remorse."  And, to be honest, none of the people scheduled to be talking to customers at that table want to be there, so they don't really do what they're supposed to be doing.

I'm picking up the cover art for The Body in History today, so a select few of you should be getting an email.  Since it's too early to post images of the final product, I thought I post this pic of the Castalian  spring, one of the settings in the book.  Now if only I had managed to get seven little goats into the picture.

As is usually the case, yesterday was a slow news cycle in regard to the Orange Anus, but never fear, he has some sort of news conference scheduled for this morning because a day can not go by without his fascist face in front of a camera spewing out hate and discord.  I had an interesting conversation yesterday with several associates and the main topic was the supreme amount of chaos he has painfully injected into common, everyday life.  His evil is pervasive.  When you have a Republican horse's ass like Kennedy from Louisiana complaining about how easily Putin twists Orangie around his finger it's bad.  We discussed how easily Hitler had taken over Germany, though there is a striking difference, all of Germany believed Adolph while here in the states it's only the Republican Party.  We talked about how Orangie and his cult following are embracing white supremacy.  And, while this conversation was taking place, one of his cultists in a MAGA hat and driving motorized wheelchair drove by us.  None of us said a word, simply stared as he slowly moved past us and he frowned at us.  He knew all of us were hating his little red hat and what it represented.  This was good.  Let them know they are despised.  If this cultists is pissed now, wait until Organie dismantles Medicare and he loses his motorized chair.

Betrayal

 While the weather here in Central PA is moderate, the mood is stormy.  Marched came in like a lamb, for those of you who remember that saying.  Does this imply that it's going to go out like a lion?  We shall have to wait and see.

And yesterday was quiet.  I didn't shop.  I didn't buy anything on line, hey, I didn't even browse.  Sadly, I didn't use the time to do anything really constructive.  I did cook a nice chicken dish for dinner, and last evening I played Skyrim.  It is escapist.  Let me tell you, there is nothing more satisfying to killing orcs, and bandits, and daedras is a good way to release pent up frustrations.  Sometimes I use a Dwarven great sword to lop of heads, other times I use a mace and throw fire balls.

I do get to go to work today.  I'm interested in seeing if we made our plan yesterday.  The area around me is rather conservative, so whether enough people stayed home might be questionable.  I did see that Wall Street gained a bit, but not enough to offset losses.  Yes, February was a losing month for all of those owners of stocks and bonds.  And on Tuesday, the tariffs kick in because we have a moral degenerate in the White House who's referencing 1880 when validating his belief in tariffs.

Of course, Orangie and Vancey Pants, following Putin's order, created a scene in the Oval Office... and the world was shocked.  A telling fact is that Tass, Russia's national media arm, managed to get a reporter into the press pool and if not for the eagle eye of Reuter's reporter would have been broadcasting live to Russia; they knew what was planned and they were prepared.  It's nice to know that the White House had to scramble, claiming there had been a mix up, before the Tass reporter was expelled.  Isn't it interesting that the Russian national press can get in but the Associated Press can't?

Except for the MAGA cultists, Americans see this as a betrayal, siding with Orangie's blow bro Vlad instead of Democracy.  Condemnation was universal on social media, except for the cultists who demanded an apology.  Good luck with that.  Here's a short list of those reviling Orangie's attack.

One of the things that stood out to me in this ambush of Zelensky was Orangie's comment about being a business man (can you hear me laughing?)  He might be very good at laundering Russian Rubles, but when it comes to business his history of failures is long.  His startup businesses have all failed badly after the initial grift is earned.  

On Tuesday, Orangie's tariffs are going to kick in and our trading partners, the countries we've traded with if not for decades, than for centuries, are going to go elsewhere, you know?  Like the waiting arms of China.  What we do import, will be at a much higher price, and our exports will diminish.  It's going to get very expensive fast.  The world is going to punish us and their ain't no stoppin' it.  We are racing towards the FO stage of American political evolution.

Kamikaze

 So, California is getting rain.  A Navy buddy of mine posted pictures on Facebook this AM and I was polite.  I didn't tell him that is what most rain storms look like here in Central PA because they don't have the amount of rain that we do.  Two years ago there was a heavy drought in the southwest, today they're getting too much.  This means I need to make a really bad joke:  Isn't this how it usually is?  When it rains, it pours?

Anyway, yesterday was oh, so boing at work.  I did have customers show up who I'd sold blinds to last week.  They got a phone call, the product they wanted was out of stock and there would be a 3 week delay until production could begin on their blinds.  That does happen on occasion.  What does irk me, however, is this belief by some customers that they can show up on Sunday and resolve the issue.  While our store may be open, Bali blinds, Levelor blinds, and Venetia blinds are closed on the weekends.  True, we can reach their customer service reps, but all they can do is look at notes on a customer's order, which is what I can do.  The customers are coming back later this morning when we will be able to get some answers for them.

It seems as though I have Kamikaze snails.  Here's one racing towards the edge of the clam shell.

And so the Orange Anus had made it official, he will not be participating in the RNC debate with the other candidates.  No surprise there.  Gutless and spineless are two very good words to describe the former president.  He doesn't care that most of America now sees him as a coward extraordinaire, not as long as 71% of the Republican party trust him more they they would a member of their own family.  When I saw that figure I was stunned, but only for a moment.  Just think of how these people act, and talk, and dress.  They are a cult, and Trump is, and this is something he truly doesn't understand, their Kamikaze leader.  All together, they are going to wrap themselves up in a great red MAGA flag and do a swan dive directly into history.  Believe, it can't happen soon enough.

Are you Kenough?

The rain stayed away yesterday.  We had sunshine and low humidity, the temps never broke above 90 (F) and in case anyone is wondering, these temps are saving me a bunch of $$$ on my electric bill.  Today is supposed to be more of the same - that's fine by me.  Tomorrow, on the the other hand is iffy, there's a 40% chance of rain.  Hopefully it will hold off until I get my lawn mowed.

I did almost 2 miles on the treadmill yesterday, that's the first time I've done anything physical since I did that little twitchy thing to my back with the kettlebell.  By Monday I should be back on my regular regime.  It's all part of my goal to live to be 100.  I told a friend that and he said if I live that long I'll be decrepit, so now I have 2 goals.  He's younger than me, so not only am I going to live to be that old, but I'm going to prove him wrong by still being fit.  Oh, and I'm still going to be doing the kettlebell exercises, however I've learned to do with with a little less oomph.

So, Barbie's grossed over $1.2 billion at the box office and I suppose that overly patriarchal conservatives are on the verge of going in conniptions. Remember, their 1950s based egos are rather fragile.  Anyway, I got a bit laugh this morning when I read in the Washington Post that Ryan Gosling's song "I'm Just Ken" is a surprise hit.   In spite of all the A List musicians who contributed songs to the film, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the one that gets the Oscar nod.  I can easily picture it being performed, live on Oscar night.

And what about those dipshit MAGA cultists publishing the names and addresses of the members of the Atlanta Grand Jury which indicted Trump.  In case you're wondering, this is what hatred looks like.  These nimrods are provoking thoughtless violence.  They simply do not understand that if anything happens to a single one of those jurors they will alienate themselves even more from the rest of America.  But then the cult has never really understood anything, and it is virtually impossible for them to learn.

A recent AP/IPSOS poll shows that Independent voters are moving away from Trump.  Actually, that movement is fairly rapid, increasing by 3%, from 54% to 57% in a little over three months.  This trend is fatal for the GOP since they are the minority party and rely heavily on Independent voters to win elections. 

The big question is will that 36% -37% of voters who believe Trump did nothing wrong show up to vote for him if he gets the nomination?  I don't know, they might... or they might jump ship like the rats they are.

They Are Eating Their Own

Hello Friday!  It's difficult to believe the week has passed so quickly.  For the past few days the temps have climbed into the very summery lower 90s (F), though we've been spared the rain.  As if to balance things out, forecasters are again predicting rain in the form of frequent deluges.  They may begin this afternoon.  I have plans for a ride this afternoon, so I really don't care.

Yesterday was one of those days of accomplishments I'm happy with: a nice arm workout (55 minutes in total), a good cleaning for the big tank and medium cleaning for the smaller one, and a bit of a rewrite on the chapter called Leslie's Silence.  I do have another video on YouTube, but I'm thinking I will probably post those here on Tuesdays; set up some sort of routine.

Before it gets too hot today, hot for Lily that is, I'm going to take her for a walk.  We go everyday, but early since she is in her senior years.  

They put in a marble counter top in the house next door yesterday.  It is, like everything else in the house, gray.  Marble's fine if you remember to keep it sealed.  If you don't, because it's porous, there's a good possibility of it staining.  I had a customer once who asked if there was a way to get a red wine stain out of a marble counter top.  Rather than give her the bad news that the only way she'd be able to get it out was to cut it out, I sent her to the kitchen designers; let them be the bearers of the bad news.

An evidently the conspiracy theorists are attacking AMC theaters because of the Qanon film The Sound of Freedom.  That's right, they're spreading vicious rumors about delays in showtimes, and showings being cut short because of A/C problems, and what not.  Of course, none of this is true, but tell that to the Qanon crowd who will never let a little truth interfere with a good conspiracy theory.

And then yesterday, this happened.

Wack-job Hageman is the one who replaced Liz Cheney.  She has no clue that Christopher Wray is a true, blue blooded Republican, a Conservative in every sense of the word, while she, herself, is a card carrying member of the Cult of Trump.  Her main goal was not to use intelligent questions to find answers.  Nope!  Instead she spouted unproven conspiracy theories in an attempt to make him look bad.  I did enjoy the bit towards the end where he described her beliefs as insane.  

What made yesterday's hearing more striking was the fact that the Democrats lined up with the Conservative Wray to make the MAGA cult look truly incompetent.  This was another disastrously terrible hearing for Jim Jordan's committee.  As several conservative commentators noted:  They're eating their own.

Is there a Blizzard in your Future?

 Well, a happy Monday morning to everybody.  Another cloudy, drizzly day is forecast for Central PA.  Yesterday was overcast, but all we really ended up getting were showery sprinkles and were spotty, to say the least.  Today is going to be a replay, and then overnight the temps are going to drop.  Tomorrow's high is expected to be in the mid 30s (F).

I went down to York yesterday to have lunch with my friend Betsy.  Our routine is always the same, lunch at the Imperial Gourmet and desert at Dairy Queen.  Betsy decided on an chocolate dipped ice cream cone, which led to a discussion on ice cream cones.  She found it odd that we never had cones while I was growling up.  My mom always served up bowls of ice cream, never cones.  I see cones as messy, and, of course, her chocolate dip fell off and the ice cream began to melt and dribble down over her fingers.  Wisely, I chose a cherry Blizzard with chocolate chips and, for the first time, posted a picture on Facebook.  Quite a number of people recommended other Blizzards to try: Turtle, Butterfinger, Oreo, and Chocolate Chocolate Chip, to name a few.  Evidently Blizzards are very, very popular.  Here's the pic of the one I had for dessert.  You can see her cone (pre-melt) in the background.

I saw yesterday how Megyn Kelly decided to raise a bit of stink on social media about Dr. Jill Biden.  She riled up a lot of people, which was her intention.  I always find it amusing how easily some people can b e provoked, especial those who really ought to know better.  I'm sure Meg got a few chuckles out of the reactions her comment received.  Her sole purpose was to manipulate, and she succeeded.  If you really want to irritate Meg, simply mute her.  Believe me, getting only 50 comments rather than 800 is going to far more painful to her than you think.  Not commenting is an attack on her ego.  The only power she has is when people react.  If you want rile up Meg, say nothing.  If you follow her, unfollow.  Believe me, it will drive her batty.

One aspect of the horrendous beating and death of Tyre Nichols that I find fascinating was that while there were protests, none of the turned violent.  No cars were set on fire, no windows broken, no stores looted.  This is not what white conservatists were expecting.  They were hoping to point fingers.  That never happened.  This is important because when Trump gets indicted, you quite probably will see something totally opposite from his MAGA base.  Guess who will look bad?  Guess which political party will be hurt?

Sleeping in the bed you made

 Well, it's not snowing, though the weather map has a blue snow cloud sitting right over my head.  I don't work today, so a little snow, and a little shoveling wouldn't be a bad thing.  That's what we might get, just a little.  Prediction is for possibly 2 inches.  There's a rather large storm system to the west of us, so Pittsburgh is getting hit, but not us.

I spent a little time yesterday packing up my PS4 Pro.  Buying it was a mistake.  I never found the exclusive games Sony was offering that interesting.  I like Sony's TVs, but their gaming? meh.  And since they've released their PS5, the value of a Pro has dropped, meaning I'll see if I can find someone to give it to.

Yesterday was also Tax day.  I used the Online Taxes even though I earned to much, or at least thought I earned too much.  In the end, they said their calculations had me earning less that their maximum adjusted income requirement so it was free.  As usual, I'm getting a rather nice refund, that should pay off the laundry room.

Saw this yesterday and I had to laugh.  Just think, 74 million people voted for this.

As expected, Kev McCarthy is keeping Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell off any and every committee he can.  For those who don't know, this is Republican Retribution.  You see Kev wanted to put disruptors on the January 6 committee and when Pelosi rejected the likes of Jimmy (shower at your own risk) Jordan and Marjorie (I celebrated my divorce by getting a nose job, Taylor Greene) he threw a hissy fit and pulled all the disruptor names.  Schiff and Swalwell's rejection is nothing more than Kev's revenge.

And for those complaining about a lack of indictments against Trump, et al, well Fani says they are imminent.  People need to prepare themselves.  The MAGA cult is not going to take this lightly.  There will be protests, possibly violent.  Conservatives gambled on extremism.  They are bad losers and their radicalism will be on full display for the world to see.  The ramifications will hurt them for years to come.  This is how a political party splinters.  Parts of it will die.  They made their bed, now they have to sleep in it.

Prepping

 I'm always delighted to say "yesterday was a day of accomplishment."  That isn't because I don't normally accomplish much, mostly I think I do.  It just means that the specific goals I've set for myself, have been reached.  Yesterday the ugly, white PVC drain for my new washer was primed.  If it were in my basement, I wouldn't have given it a second thought, but since the new laundry room may at some point in the future again be used as a walk-in closet painting is necessary.  

Today, I want to get the first coat of paint on the window.  By this time next week, the trim as well as the walls, will have all been painted.  A decorative film, UV protective of course, will be on the lower window.  The top window will have a valance.  The color palette and the film are all about making the room larger than it is.  The bathroom will be repainted in the same color.

I've decided which washer and drying I'm going to purchase.  They're LG (Life's Good) appliances with a 10 years warranty.  Ten years is a long time.  Who knows where I'll be a decade from now.  The house is paid for, that means it's rent free, of the main benefits of home ownership.  It may end up being home port to which I can always return.

My dahlias are still blooming, as are my roses.  Next week the temps are supposed to climb into the mid-70s.  Even though I haven't had a frost yet, this is Indian Summer.   Maybe.

So, Oprah has endorsed John Fetterman.  Not a big Oprah fan, myself, though I will admit she does wield a lot of power.  She has many, many fans.  The fact that she's not endorsing Oz, a quack who was on her show for many years, should not be dismissed lightly.  

Five days from the midterms and both parties believe they'll be victorious.  Will there be chaos on November 8?  Do not disregard in the least the anger of election deniers if their party loses.  For them, The Big Lie is everything.  Segments of the Christian population are devolving.  They have become a cult that will have no problem doing what ever Trump asks of them.  January 6 may have only been foreshadowing.  His pundits, Ingraham, Carlson, Hannity, on Fox, have no problem in both inciting and justifying violence.  They do not understand that America will fight back.  People might die.  And for Donald Trump, a MAGAs death demonstrates the greatest loyalty he could ever wish for.

Kiss My Ass

 Mid-week, long weekend.  I started a 4 day stretch yesterday afternoon when I left work.  This is nice.  I have the same schedule next week.  A regular schedule is nice.  Being a morning person, I accomplish more before going to work than I do at the end of the work day, so the mid-week, long weekend will be nice.

One of my associates had one of "those" customers yesterday; a gentleman who had a quote and then left it expire.  As a result, the charge for disassembling a bed went from $75 per bed to $100 per bed.  He came in and began complaining that this increase had not been pointed out to him when he paid for the installation.  We had no problem adjusting that charge back, but what he really wanted was for us to adjust the charge off completely.  His arguments were small and insignificant and were never going to get him what he wanted, so he played his trump card.  He said "so, let's just cancel the 2nd floor installation completely, that way I won't have to worry about the charges."  So, we played our trump card, "sure you can cancel, but because your flooring has already shipped, there will be a $1000 restocking fee."  The customer was unhappy.  I have no problem with that.  We deal with people like him on a daily basis.

I have settled on which washer and dryer I'm going to purchase.  Whirlpool makes the best appliances, however their stackable washer and drying are too wide and too tall.  That left their competitors.  Samsung has the longest lifespan, but I can tell you from past experience if there's a warranty issue you will lose.  It looks like LG is going to get my business. 

And, of course, there was a debate in Ohio last evening, JD Vance vs Tim Ryan.  I didn't watch, but kept seeing little blurbs come through on my news feeds.  In a smart move by Ryan, he brought up Trump's appearance in Ohio, zeroing in on Trumps comment that Vance "likes to kiss my ass."  Kiss my ass was brought up a number of times.  To be honest, back when Trump said that at Vance's rally, I was stunned.  He likes to kiss my ass.  Think about it.  The truth is Vance was truly kissing Trump's ass just to get him on that stage. Now, we know that all MAGAs want to kiss Trump's ass, but Independent voters?  Not so much.  Independent voters out number MAGAs/  I'm suspecting they don't really want an ass kisser representing Ohio in the Senate.

Shaken Up

 So, the first thing I did this month was start a list of things needing to be done, including chores not on my normal Friday routine.  Every now and then we need to shake things up.  For those who don't know, things do need to be shaken up, given a rattle and a roll, like sharply snapping fingers rousing us from our too comfortable drowsiness. 

Yesterday for was, as far as my supervisors are concerned, rather successful. 2 measures, though one was done using the old system which is being treated more and more like a derelict.  Nothing worth salvaging there, though for old dogs, you know...  Updates are coming fast and none of them are being explained.  Reliable icons are soon to be as obsolete as the carpet carousel every flooring specialist despises.

I watched some of Locke & Key last night.  I'm enjoying it.  Very mysterious.  Murder and mayhem seem to be on the menu.  This is, I believe, it's 3rd and final season.  Doesn't surprise me.  One of the stars is young whose growth and maturity must be creating a serious problem.  Remember the problem Lost in Space had when Will Robinson grew from 4 feet 8 inches, to six feet 2inches?

Of course, Joe Biden gave a speech last evening.  Wow.  I don't normally watch speeches, but last night's I watched.

Even the lighting played a part.  Notice how the Red is surrounded by the Blue, for those looking for political imagery.  I like the clock, especially since this was a speech about time, about both the past and the future of our Democracy.  Symbolically, the red is framing not only Biden's anger, but also ours.  In very precise words he called out Trump and his MAGA cult.  He proved that he has no problem pissing on their beliefs. Everything he said was true.  This speech popped.  

And for those whiny people who always lament "they always talk, and nothing happens," well, maybe it's time you got off your asses and helped instead of simply waiting for things to be given to you.  Democracy is 'for the people,' and 'by the people.'  Don't expect a free ride.

The reaction by MAGA Republicans was... humorously expected outrage.  They want an apology.  How absurd.  You don't apologize to liars, and charlatans, and grifters, you shut them up and shut them down.

Cheaters

 We have about a 55% chance of rain today.  That's okay.  I work 6.5 hours.  That means I get a lunch break.  Lunch will be leftover beef stew.  I made some yesterday at the same time I was baking an olive oil spice cake.  Tasty stuff.  I like spice cakes.  I added walnuts because... well, I like nuts, too.  I like olive oil cakes, too; their moistness is incomparable, though I'm thinking of adjusting the recipe, cutting back on the oil, at least for one cake to see what happens.

However, I must admit that other than baking the cake, I spent most of yesterday as a slug, checking out the news, watching random YouTube videos, napping on and off.  

After over 100 hours, I've pretty much had it with Elden Ring.  While the game was fun, there were issues.  In most games increased experience is what lets you 'level up' (as Bastille sings in Distorted Light Beam).  In Elden Ring you level up by gaining runes, which you get by killing enemies, selling gear, or cheating.  I'm at level 88. To level up I need over 46,000 runes.  To get that many, I have to grind my way through areas I've already completed to slowly increase the number of runes I have, as a result some players have discovered ways to farm runes.  There are also ways to cheat.  Players put out videos on YouTube as tutorials: one guy, who was at level 731, cheated.  I have no patience for cheaters.  If they cheat in a video game, they'll cheat in life.

And what about Alex Jones' $45 + fine?  He thought he could cheat his way out of paying anything by having his company declare bankruptcy.  However, the fine is being levied against him, not his company.  And there are 2 more settlement cases waiting for him up in Connecticut.

And, finally, the Biden Administration is going to pass some major legislation this weekend, and it turns out most of the country approves.  Gas prices are going down, and approval for Democrats is going up.  This does not mean that the MAGA base is no longer a jellified cluster fuck, just that a majority of Americans is realizing that their extremism needs to be permanently checked.

The Lady Lillian on the Stairs

 Late start today, not because I slept in, I had breakfast with my brother.  The conversation was interesting.

Weather wise, today our temp is supposed to max out in mid 90s (F).  The A/C is ready to go.  We might have hit the mid-90s once or twice before this summer, but a no time were forecasters predicting more than one or two days in a row.  This forecast is calling for daily highs in the mid 90's for the next week.  All of the heavy heat seems to be staying south of us.

I saw where a celebrity couple made headlines by getting married.  Nothing says ROMANCE like a drive-through, midnight wedding in Vegas.  I wonder how much alcohol was involved in the planning of that extravaganza.

Lily has developed a new habit of sitting halfway up the staircase.  I don't if it's because it gives her a better viewpoint of the downstairs or not.

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They began picking Steve Bannon's jury yesterday.  The last I heard was that 8 jurors had been selected.  Four more to go.  I understand the rumor is going around that he actually showered, shaved, and got his hair cut for his little dance with justice.  Maybe he thinks prettyfying himself up will lower his jailtime. 

After breakfast, my brother, a Trump supporter, told me he didn't think Trump should run for 2024, that such an attempt would only be about his ego.  It sounds as though the Orange Anus is losing a dedicated supporter.  My comment was, "Trump's killing the Republican party," got no response.  As for me?  I'm hoping that lunatic announces his candidacy much sooner rather than later.

And finally, Joe Walsh the Republican, rather than Joe Walsh the musician, in an interview with Salon has said that if and when Trump gets indicted, there will be a violent reaction from the far right.  Okay.  I hate to ask this, but is there anybody out there who doesn't understand how much the idea of Trump going to jail will piss them off?  American will get to see the MAGA version of the Black Lives Matter protests, only they will be much more violent.  Whereas the Black Lives Matter protests were about inequality injustice, the MAGA's protests will be nothing more than retaliation.  The MAGA's do not understand their anger will work against them.

Cinders

 So, the Fourth of July weekend has arrived.  246 years ago, when we declared our independence from England, there were those who wanted to crown George Washington king.  That mindset is still around today, however today we call them Trumpists, or MAGAs.  I'm suspecting this group has always been a thorn in the side of democracy.

Anyway, we had some excitement at the store yesterday.  Some accidentally, at least that is what the manager told me, pulled the fire alarm behind the Service Desk.  I have no idea how that happens 'accidentally.' but it happened, and we needed to evacuate the building.... five minutes before I was set to punch out.  As a result, I was paid to stand at the far end of the parking lot while a crew of firemen ensured that there was no actual fire.

The incident reinforced something I've known for quite some time:  there are a lot of stupid people in the world.  As soon as the alarm sounded, I slipped into my old manager mold and started moving people out of the building... well, most people.   Some didn't want to leave.  That's right, they wanted to continue shopping.  The alarm is going off loudly, lights are flashing overhead and people were talking about which unfinished base cabinets they wanted to put in their kitchens.  There was a complete lack of conscious effort to comprehend.  For one woman, the question was trying to decide which shade of green spray paint she wanted, and possibly getting her ass burned to cinders, or leaving the building.  One disgruntled customer yelled, "well, I guess I'm going to have to go to Lowe's."  My comment?  "Go to Lowe's."

I redecorated the training room.  

I saw where Clarence Thomas spit out some sort of word salad referencing the debunked lie about the Covid vaccine being made with aborted fetuses.  Remember, he married to Qanon Ginni.

The Guardian noted that it was an associate of Mark Meadows who warned (threatened) Cassidy Hutchinson about her testimony.  Sounds like an arrest warrant needs to be issued.

And, of course, the Supreme Court continues to shriek 'fuck you' to a very Centrist America.  Something needs to be done before these conservative monstrosities destroy America in their attempt to make a bastion for socially conservative religious crackpots.  

I'll drink to that

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

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

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

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

I painted the handles Sea Foam Blue

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

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

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

Tonight

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

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

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

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

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

 

Poll Science

 So, we're into Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend.  I work.  Only 5 hours this afternoon.  Most of our business is done in the morning to early afternoon.  Things should be heading into the slow down period as I pull into the parking lot.  That's fine with me.

If you're looking for an appliance, this is a good time to buy.  Or paint, we usually have a paint sale over the holiday weekend.  While I can't say for certain, since I only occasionally work in that department, I'm betting there's going to be a rebate coupon.  I can remember a time when there was an actual 'sale,' but then some smart guy from corporate realized that not everybody gets around to turning in their rebate coupons.  Translation:  If you don't apply for the rebate, you bought the paint a full price and they make more money.

Here's a blast from the past.  A picture of what my dining room ceiling used to look like.  Don't you just love the raspberry trim on the staircase and the grapevine border?

One of the things frustrating Democrats over the last elections cycles has been the inaccuracy of the information pollsters put out.  Predictions of victory have made us complacent.  A number of people didn't vote because they believed Hillary was a shoe-in.  Could those polls have been any more wrong?  While the polls aren't entirely to blame, they are one of the big reasons why we ended up with the Spawn of Satan, Donald Trump in the White House.  

Why do I bring this up now?  Well, this morning Newsweek sent me an article about Florida and how the polls were saying DeSantis had a large lead.  Double digits in some cases.  Of course, I'm smart enough to recognize conservative propaganda when I see it.  While one of the pollster's names was recognizable (FiveThirtyEight), the rest were not, and the data these pollsters were supposedly referencing was from back in February.  The article was meant to hearten Republicans and dishearten Democrats and I don't doubt for a second it worked for some individuals.

The truth is that most polls are bullshit because most people realize a political tool when they see one.  Here's some advice on how to use this tool.  If your phone rings, and you answer the unknown caller, and it just happens to be a pollster, lie.  Republicans have been doing it for years.  Tell the pollster you worship the holy MAGA worm.  You see all those pre-fascist Republicans will suddenly begin to pay attention to the polls once they believe they're winning.  Make them think red voters are going to take the midterms in a landslide.  And then go vote Blue and vote those dumbshits out of office.

The large bat

 Yesterday was a good day.  The sun was shining.  The temps climbed up into the high 80s F).  Yard work was done.  I bought a spankin' new hose for the yard - 100 feet long!  This one will stretch to the driveway, should I ever have the desire to wash my car.

Oh, and I bought a 'saw on a stick,' at least that's what I like to call a branch saw.  I have a number of trees surrounding my yard with branches that need to be trimmed back or removed completely.  Investing in a branch saw was much safer than climbing up on a shaky ladder with my chainsaw.

Last evening, I went to see Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  This movie is definitely non-brainer entertainment.  A cornucopia of CGI effects, the plot is a bit thin.  Spiderman, No Way Home introduced the multiverse, Dr. Strange tries to explain it... kind of, but my way is better:  there are many parallel universes, and we all exist in some way, shape, or form in each of them.  My movie buddy said, as we were leaving the theater, "they must have been doing some really fine drugs when they wrote that."  I have to agree.

Next Tuesday, Pennsylvania has its primary election.  We are one of those odd states where you can only vote if your registered as either a Democrat or a Republican.  Those registered as independents always sit out primaries.  More people are registered as Independents than the other two parties.  This means no one should look at Tuesday's election as an indicator of what's going to be happening in the state this November.

Too close to call, is what they're saying about the Republican primary.  Three candidates are neck and neck.  That's right.  Three.  McCormack, the guy from Connecticut who seems to be dropping in the polls, Oz, Trump's choice who seems to be climbing in the polls, and Kathy Barnett (sp), a black woman who has never held political office and who out MAGAs the other two.  That's right.  This woman is so far to the right she makes Oz and McCormack seem mainstream.  Tuesday will be interesting.

As expected, the vote for WHPA failed yesterday.  Democrats need to take that and turn it into a large baseball bat and start to batter the hell out of Republicans.  The time has come to take action.