North Korea is the Enemy

Well, here it is, Monday morning and we have humidity.  While the forecast doesn't call for a repeat of yesterday's weather, the 85% chance of rain means we're going to get close.  We had long periods of soaking rain yesterday.  Thunderstorms were supposed to arrive later in the evening.  They never showed up, however the soaking rains continued through the night.  My prediction for today is that it's going to be drab... very drab.

Because I had some ham hocks that needed to be used, I made bean soup yesterday.  I threw in some rice as a thickener, so I ended up with something more akin to bean stew.  On cool, rainy days, stews are good.  

Mostly what I did yesterday was work on The Body in the Words.  I've been doing a lot of research on wellness clinics and the courses they offer for public consumption.  There are those which teach the more traditional aspects of wellness, such as hearth health, and mobility, and nutrition.  Than there are those which focus on more trendy subjects like vaginal wellness, sperm maxing, and parasite cleansing.  As for those instructing these classes?  Some of them are certified in other fields and then discover that talking about... oh, say vaginal wellness, will earn them a bigger paycheck.  And then there are those with no credentials, who con you into thinking your an expert.  These people say a lot of words that, if they're not careful, could get someone killed.

Then I played some Balder's Gate 3.  This 2nd playthrough is so much better because I'm now much more familiar with the game's mechanics.  While casting spells can be great, sometimes you also need simple brute force.

When I'm playing a video game, I never pay attention  to social media because I'm having too much fun, so I do a quick catchup before I go to bed.  Of course, this humdinger was the first thing to catch my eye.

Is there anyone reading this who doesn't know that Kim Jung Bung is a Communist dictator fascist?  A day doesn't happen when I don't wonder what the Orange Anus is going to do that is worse than what he's already done.  Have we hit the bottom of the barrel yet?  Just a little reminder, he's always been fascinated by authoritarian dictators.  I don't doubt that in his mind dictators are the ultimate in CEOs.  He sees them as have absolutely no accountability.  And a communist dictator would own every company in the country.  This is what Orangie has been dreaming about for years.  And Republicans, instead of saying "enough is enough," are staying silent.  Their dream has always been to have total control over the country.  They have no idea what that dream is going to cost them, but then they have always been non-thinkers.

The Heat is On!

I took yesterday off.  I went into full relax mode.  Only one load of laundry.  I didn't write a single word.  However, I did put the Red Synapse on the new Tacx trainer.  Interestingly enough, I don't need  to plug this trainer in, simply pedaling generates all the power needed.  Now, isn't that Green of Tacx?

I'm sending out wishes for a speedy recovery to AM's spouse - hip replacement.  May all of his physical therapists be attractive and wise.  That way he'll appreciate those hot therapy sessions.
And, of course, yesterday I did spend some time playing Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.  Character creation is one of the most important things you do.  You want to make yourself look good... right?  Well, what I can I say besides "oh... my God... I'm a Blonde!"  With a little blonde mustache.

Just call me "one hot blonde"

And Mitt Romney slammed the Idiot Jerk in the White House, his asking foreign governments... like the Chinese, for dirt in order to get himself re-elected.  And the Idiot Jerk flipped out.  He and his henchies know it's just a matter of time until there are enough Republican Senators lined up to vote for impeachment.  The idea that America is going to point it's steely finger at him and say "you're fired" is driving him over the edge.  This president is really nothing more than one hot mess.

Oh, and I just saw where talks between North Korea and the United States have just collapsed.  Yeah, I think that's the word they used.  Well, what were you expecting?  We have a blowhard, lying sack of shit in the White House.  My money says he and his spawn are already setting up safe house outside the country.

Finally, I did switch my thermostat from Central Air to Heat.  No, I don't use one of those fancy Nest thermostats, or something similar.  I set the temperature at 71 (F) and leave it alone.  I'm on the UGI budget plan.  I pay $57 a month.  For this past year, UGI owed my $5.27.  In the summer I'm cool and in the winter I'm warm. 

Rejection.

Wednesday... and schedules are due to be updated in the system.  I can't wait to see what mine looks like because it's been kind of crappy here lately.
Temps here are supposed to 92 (F), which is stinky winky hot.  And, of course, some moron at work claimed this was Indian Summer....  Sorry.  Indian Summer does not occur until after the first frost of the year.  Oh, and we don't always get one.  And some years we'll get two.  People just don't understand weather lore.  I don't expect them to.
And, of course, the Idiot Jerk in the White House termed his henchie Bolton, who's lucky, if this were North Korea he'd have had his ass fed to the dogs.  The firing was... messy.  You know it's bad when things like this turn into Twitter Affairs.  But then the Idiot Jerk lives for Twitter.  Twitter keeps the spotlight on him.  He needs that.  I found it interesting that, at least from what I heard, two voices kept him from bringing the Taliban to Camp David:  Bolton and Pence.  Now, one of them is gone.  Rejected and ejected by the Idiot Jerk because he just didn't say 'yes' enough.  He'll keep Pence around because he can't afford to alienate his Crazy Christian Base.
I also saw where the North Koreans want to sit down and chat again.  Is another breakfast buffet in the works?  How is this for speculation:  with Bolton out of the picture, the Idiot Jerk can, courtesy Air Force One, fly Kim Dumb Shit to Washington for an "very important morning meeting on the Mall."  Hey, with maybe a stopover in Disneyland so Kim can ride Magic Mountain!  Even though Bolton hated everything that wasn't pure, white, and American, he did wield some control over the Idiot Jerk... now he's gone. Soon to be replace by a 'yes man' extraordinaire.
I began playing Greedfall last night.  This game is from an independent group of game developers named Spiders located in Paris... yeah, that's right, the City of Light.  Right now, if I'm correct, about 22 people are employed by Spiders.  This is amazing when you consider how complicated video games are these days.  Developers like Bethesda employ hundreds of people and have studios all over the United States and Canada.  Because Greedfall is a Role Playing Game, you can have relationships with most of your companions.  So I tried to pick up the first Companion I signed up:  Kurt.  Of course, I got rejected.  He's still suspicious of me.  But, it's a role playing game so that can change.

Swifty gets Tooled

Well, it's Monday.  I have the day off.  Plans were in the works to go see "It, Chapter 2" this evening... I've asked for a postponement until next weekend.  I have so much crap to do today.  Blame goes to the split days off.  I hate them.  Catching up, not only on my household chores, but also my 'to do' list, is virtually impossible.
I see where the Idiot Jerk's planned Koffee Klatch with the Taliban crashed and very publicly burned badly.  In case you didn't realize it, this was part of his re-election strategy.  You know?  On 9/11 announce that a 'peace accord' had been reached with the Taliban... the guys who shielded Bin Laden for all those years.  His base, his adoring fan club, would have heralded this enormous breakthrough causing a lot of voters to see him as a 'peacemaker.'  They don't realize it's all done for PR.  They're trying to make this Idiot Jerk look pretty.  They were hoping for another 'North Korean' breakthrough... except that one is rapidly falling apart.  Kim Dumb Junk got exactly what he wanted, acceptance as the legitimate ruler of a ruthless dictatorship.  Remember when the Idiot Jerk said that Kim "had to make some difficult decisions?"  The only thing the Idiot Jerk is any good at is blowing smoke up the asses of his believers.
And this 2nd bit is for Bob.  If he hasn't heard this, it may actually make him squeal with delight.  The rabid fan base of his least favorite pop start Taylor Swift, (Swifty, as he calls her) evidently have burning diarrhea of the mouth.  For those who don't know, she's the one with CGI lyrics who sells millions of $$$ in music to pop fans who love floundering around in the shallow depths of her emotion.  Yeah, you know what I mean... she's the white version of Beyonce.  But then, that's why they're Pop Stars... they go Pop!
Anyway, Taylor released an album called "Lover," (I think that's what it's called) about a week ago and it shrieked to the number one position in the charts.  She loves being in number one.  However, one week later a Rock & Roll group named Tool (don't you just love that name?) released an album called Fear Inoculum.  Holy Shit!  Sales are great!  In fact, they're so great Tool has knocked Taylor's ass out of the number one spot... after only one week.  That's right, she was only number one for one week.  I like Tool.  I have a number of their albums.  Isn't it great when Rock & Roll puts Pop in the shallow end of the pool?  For those who've never heard them, here's the title track of their new album, the one that kicked Swifty into the gutter.

Good.

Okay, so it's Sunday.  I don't work, which is nice since yesterday's storm brought down a small branch and it needs to be cut up.  Cooler temps are forecast - today's only up to 87 (F), it is summer after all.  I have Central Air so I'm not too concerned.
I get to work tomorrow... and then off again for one day.  Tuesday I go for blood work, annual physical, you know?  Needles... hate them.  And it's 5 vials...  I don't know why they need so much of my blood.
I've been putzing around with Google Maps... not locations, but evidently you can make your own maps.  I've been thinking about creating one for the next book.  Something I can put in front of the chapters.  That way people will know exactly where the Rattler's Den Reptile and Snake Emporium is located.  Yes, I know, snakes are reptiles... but I like the alliteration of the name.  Don't you like the way it rolls of your tongue?  Say softly.  Rattler's Den Reptile and Snake Emporium.
I guess the Idiot Jerk in the White House walked into North Korea.  His minions are shrieking "Yes!  Yes!"  Let's give a violent dictator exactly what he wants...  an American president saying "yes... yes."  You see, little Kim Jong Dumb Shit has learned the Art of the Deal.  He now knows how to manipulate the Idiot Jerk in the White House, a man so desperate to be accepted into the Dictator's Club, he will bow his head to any dictator in order to win praise.
Word is that the Idiot Jerk also caved to the Chinese.  Remember, the Idiot Jerk initiated these Trade Wars... and now he's making concessions to Xi Jingping in order to start "trade talks."  It looks like Xi has learned the Art of the Deal, too.
And the Idiot Jerk is also doing some shitty on the Fourth of July... he's making a speech during the celebration at Washington.  There's a lot of concern he's going to try and turn it into a political rally.  Excuse me, but how dumb do you have to be to not see this coming?  In his small, putrid mind he believes this is going to be great.  He does not comprehend an approval rating in the very low 40's is not good.  As long as his adoring base shows up, he'll be happy as a pig in shit.  The fact that a number of protests are being planned doesn't enter into his dictatorial fantasy sequence.  He doesn't understand a large majority of American want to wipe that shitty smile from his face.  He is stupid.  He is totally clueless that America is going to react badly when they see a lot of MAGA heads jumping around at his feet.  Democracy is going to fix this problem, and he's not going to like it.  Good.

Pink Peonies... and other stuff

Well, I'm starting this a bit late this AM, I had the alarm set for 0430 but the dogs decided they needed to go 'potty outside' at around 0300, so I turned off the alarm and got up around 0530.  I'm thinking I may have to rethink my schedule again.
Yesterday we had storm warnings all day, and only one thunderstorm went through around mid-afternoon.  I was worried we'd have constant storms all night.
The pink peonies are in bloom.

And, of course, the wall of roses in my front yard is prepping for their first display of the season.

This is the top of one of 3 bushes

And, on the political scene - things are not just too peachy for the Idiot Jerk.  He's shrieking, and moaning, and Tweeting.  North Korea's blaming the administration for the failed summit.  The Pentagon is asking to send 5000 - 10,000 troops to the mid-east.  We just gave another $16 billion to America's farmers - tariffs, you know.  Oh, and he just signed an Executive Order instructing "all" intelligence agencies to give his henchie, Billy Barr, all info, classified and non-classified, on Russian interference in the 2016 election.  And all that happened in about 20 minutes, yesterday.  

For those who didn't know, Merrick Garland is the judge of the hour... the week... the month... and the year.  The Idiot Jerk's taxes... you know?  This is what you call Karma, or, if you're religious, Justice.  I'm sure that when Mitchy McTurtle heard this knews he turned his head slightly to the side and mutter and quiet "Oh, shit."

Finally... Theresa May is resigning.  Is this the end of Brexit?  Nope.  It just means the divorce is just going to get messier.  And all those bobble-headed voters who thought this was going to be an easy process are rethinking their votes.  Maybe I should try sending them all a picture of my pink peonies... that might brighten their day.

Dumb as a Brick

Friday! and my work week is one half over!  Sales have been low this week.  The weather's been shitty, drizzly, and rainy.  The same thing is on tap for today. 
As I was eating my oatmeal this morning, I watched two bunnies chase each other around the yard, out into the street and then back into the yard.  It was fairly obvious they were playing the copulation game, you know?  Tag... you're pregnant.  This means one will dig a hole and have babies.  Bunny holes are always hell in the yard.  They're always outside the fence because... well... big dogs don't know the difference between a bunny and a toy.
Evidently North Korea launched a more missiles yesterday - missiles that can actually hit the United States.  One of the articles I read said something to the effect that "the Idiot Jerk's diplomacy was wilting...."  That's right, wilting.  Holy Shit...   What diplomacy?  The only reason that first summit was held was to fluff up his ego.  Only a fool would call it diplomacy, all he did was lie to a brutal dictator.  Now that Kim Frump Dump knows he was used as ego food, he's pissed.  Oh, and our Navy commandeered one of his black market ships, or what ever he calls them.  I'd say things are beginning to look a bit bleak on that peninsula.
And, of course, the tariff war with China just hit a 25% increase snag... Ooops.  I'll bet that's going to lighten your 401k.  I would not be surprised if the Idiot Jerk believes that all he needs to do is have the United States declare bankruptcy and all debts will disappear.  I mean that is the way he's run his own business, just file for bankruptcy and clear that red ink off the books.
I was stunned to read that the Idiot Jerk was surprised Donnie Jr got a subpoena.  Pardon my French, but this guy is dumb as a fucking brick... oh, wait, that isn't French, it's just the truth.  Of course, he doesn't realize this, he's a conservative.  Their mantra has always been "Shut up!  I'm in charge!  I can do what I want!"  If we let them, their incompetence will destroy the country.  Vote Blue.  Vote them out of existence.

Cinco de Mayo

Did you miss it?  My hump moment? I think it was around 8:22 PM last evening if my calculations are correct.
It's supposed to be shitty and rainy today.  This is May.  In Central PA, for the past 2 years the month of May has been rainy.  April's were nice.  Mays were wet.  Weather patterns may be changing due to global warming (yeah, that's what global warming does).  Ain't life great!
North Korea shot off some rockets, one of them happened to be an unarmed  ballistic missile. Oops.
Kim Dumb Shit is sending the Idiot Jerk in the White House a message.  People are starting to get nervous.  They should.  He's been a dictator for a while, and you can bet he's going to try and dictate the terms he wants, one of which is the elimination of Pompeo from their Friends list.
And the Idiot Jerk is spewing an angry shit stream because Facebook shut the accounts of a number of far-right hate individuals and groups.  He loves him his hate!  If you take out the haters who support the Idiot Jerk, his base really starts to dwindle.   That's right, MAGA Heads are haters.  This is one the ironies of life:  he wants to shut up the voices that criticize him and that call him out for being a racist, while at the same time encouraging the voices that sing of anger and bias and white supremacy.  He loves him his racist people.
So, I have 2 more days until I have a day off.  And then, all I get is one day off.  Then it's 4 more days of work until my next weekend, which happens to be on Sunday and Monday.
Oh, and today is Cinco de Mayo.  They're bringing in lots of nachos for lunch.  I'm taking chicken.  Not that I'm going to not chow down on some nachos.  A lot of people classify them as a 'Mexican' food, but they're really more of a snack than a food.  Personally, I'll take a good burrito over nachos any day of the week. Tacos are good too, not the ones that are wrapped, the ones in the shell, all crunchy and delicious.
I can eat well this afternoon without concern of calories because I did 35 minutes of cardio this morning.

This is good eats.

No Deal

Okay, so it's Friday and I get to go back to work.  This is why I have a calendar on my refrigerator, and buy my desk, and on my phone.  In the retail word, the names of days have very little value.  Now I get to work for 5 days.  My next weekend is what you call Wednesday and Thursday of next week.  I call them my next 2 days off.
Yesterday was another day filled with accomplishment.  I always like it when I get shit done, when I use my time constructively.  This doesn't mean I don't enjoy being a slug every now and then, just that I like to keep those days as few and far between each other as possible.
World Cup Cycle and Ski and a bike sale / swap every spring.  I took over my Kinetic Rock and Roll smart trainer yesterday.  When I told them I thought $300 was a good price, I got one of those looks:  "There are smart trainers out there for around that price."  So I pointed out that it was a... smart trainer.  Buying it was a mistake.  It was advertised as working with either Apple or Android products... well, it turns out it's best connectivity is with Ipads and Iphones.  I'm not an Applehead and am not about to become one now.
Remember when the Idiot Jerk took credit for getting Otto Warmbier back?  Like everything else this moral degenerate does, he was just spitting out bullshit.  It turns out that before the North Koreans would release his comatose body, the Idiot Jerk authorized a payment of $2 million to pay for his medical expenses.  That's right.  We paid the North Koreans $2 million dollars.  I guess this is what you call the "Art of the Deal."
After finishing "The Body on the Lawn," my next planned project was supposed to be something called "The Body on the Beach."  It has a nice ring to it, right?  So, I started putting some notes together.  At first the beach was up in Maine... too cold.  Northern California would be better, yes?  Well, no, that didn't work either.  I've been there.  The coastline is beautiful, but nothing clicked.  Since "The Body in the Tower" is pretty much wrapped up, I thought "now, maybe... the Body on the Beach."  However, two days ago, while I was doing my cardio, something else just sort of popped into my head.  This is how it usually works.  You don't get to pick and choose.  And because I like to give out little hints and teases, I can tell you this little guy gets involved.

Now, ain't he cute?

How does my garden grow?

Spring officially arrives in 20 days.  Woohoo!  Not that there aren't already signs.  My daffodils by the back porch already have buds, and the Idiot Jerk in the White House thinks Donnie Jr has the worst judgment... Oh, wait!  That's not a sign of spring!  Well.... maybe...    When I read that yesterday I almost burst out laughing.  We normal people have known that for years, but now, thanks to Michael Cohen, the whole world knows it, including... Donnie Jr.  I can't even imagine the size of the brick little Donnie shit when he found out his old man pretty much thought of him as a dumb fuck.
Let's head back to spring, okay?  I have roses in my front yard, this year I thought I'd plant some oriental poppies and some vibrant sunflowers among them to jazz things up a bit.

You know what I'm talking about, like when Rashida Tlaib accused Mark Meadows, a white Republican from North Carolina of using Lynne Patton, a "friend' of the Idiot Jerk's family, as a prop to prove the Idiot Jerk was not racist.  My, what a colorful conversation that was, Meadows being called a racist using a racist stunt in a desperate attempt to prove the Idiot Jerk wasn't racist.  My, I'll bet his cheeks were burning, redder than the scarlet poppies I'll be growing next to my roses.
And, of course, those seeds of futility the Idiot Jerk had hoped to nurture into blooming deceit during his "summit" with Kim Dumb Chunk fell on fallow ground.  No flowers there.  Perhaps if he'd sent Donnie Jr in advance to spread a little manure, and maybe pop a few MAGA hats on some of the Vietnamese.  Nahhh.
Yesterday rattled the Republicans terribly.  Their worst nightmares are coming true.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House, who many believe God sent to fulfill their most craven dreams, is actually harvesting souls... for the other guy.  Today, Cohen is going to speak again, behind closed doors.  Today he's going to talk about the Idiot Jerk... and Russia.  After today, they will be shaking in their boots.  Today they will get an earful on the types of weeds the Idiot Jerk has planted and nurtured.  I can tell you, there isn't a poppy, or a rose, or a sunflower in his garden.

Similarities

It's Saturday... finally.  I weighed myself and discovered I'd gained half a pound.  Shit.  I got up this morning with the intention of doing at least 40 minutes of cardio and ended up putzing around.  No cardio.  Shit.
The results of the Mueller investigation will most likely not make it to the Justice Department until the week of March 4... which is when the Idiot Jerk is planning on throwing a Beach Blanket Bingo party for Kim Ding Dong.

Oh, wait, neither of their names are in the credits... damn that Main Stream Media and their Fake Trailers.  Everyone knows Frankie and DeeDee are just minor characters!  He and Kim are the real stars of the show.
Back when Jussie began his little lie jive it occurred to me that there was a similarity with another celebrity from the days of yore who also tried to hide behind a melting fudgsicle.  This morning I saw the LA Times also saw fit to make a comparison.  Tawdry little tale, isn't it, the woeful history of Aimee Semple McPhearson?  Many of the Crazy Christians bowing down to Aimee forgave her, to do otherwise meant they had placed their faith in a phony, that the words she was preaching were flawed, and that they had made a terrible mistake.  They encapsulated their beliefs within a thick husk of denial.
The same thing is true today with the supporters of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  "How can he be so bad if he gives us what we want?" they cry, without understanding he is giving them what they want for a reason:  praise... loyalty... fealty.  They are a very selfish group.  They care about only themselves, and their beliefs, and the more narrow minded those beliefs the happier they are.  They are desperately trying to control how you channel your emotions and desires, your wants and your needs.  They crave power.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House will give them everything they want because he's a stupid, arrogant man.  Little does he understand that by doing so, they usurp the power he, himself, so desperately craves.  He is fulfilling their heart's desire.   So desperate is he to be re-elected, he will do whatever they want.  This clown is anything but a genius.
Oh, and I see the Idiot Jerk nominated another perky bottled blond to be Ambassador to the United Nations.  Shit!  I wonder if she let him grab her pussy.

Spicy!

Okay, so it's Monday, my 2nd and last day off for a whole week.  Sometime this morning I'm going to have to rekey my calendar and fix my faux pas of dates... my 3 day weekend is next week.  Now, ain't that disappointing.
I did 45 minutes of cardio yesterday.  If anybody wants to see the results, here's the link.  This is the new Suunto app.
I am making my chickpea fritters today.  I know everybody is waiting for the pictures... I will oblige, of course.  I made the sauce yesterday - cucumber, dill, and plain yogurt... tasty stuff!  My friend Betsy said it was also good on scrambled eggs, and then went on to say "actually, it's great on just about everything."  We'll have to wait and see how it sits on a Chickpea Fritter.
I also ordered dog steps for the bed... for the dogs, or, I guess I should say Seig since he's the big one.   He sometimes finds vaulting 118 pounds up the the 33 inch bed difficult.
And, of course, yesterday morning the Idiot Jerk in the White House sent out his minions to drum up support for his racist wall.  His supreme immigration racist, Stevie Miller didn't do so well with Chris Wallace on Fox.  His responses were dodgy.  When asked to cite an example where a president had over-ruled Congress to declare a National Emergency he failed... totally.  You have to remember, he is as racist as his two-bit, wannabe dictator boss.  This whole episode is not sitting well with the country.  While his minions love him, the Idiot Jerk's approval rating continues its decline.  One funny article I saw claimed he was hoping his meeting with Kim Jung Dumb was going to bolster his approval rating.  Shit!  That's bad. 
And what about the McCabe interviews?  I found the the little tidbit about Putin telling the Idiot Jerk not worry about North Korea since they could "never hit the coastline with a ballistic missile," really spicy.  I'll bet that's going to sit well with Little Kim.  Oops!  Ah, well, not to worry, Kim learned a long time ago the could lie through his teeth to the Idiot Jerk and get away with it, as long he peppered the fool with praise.  We all know that's what Vlad does in between the beef stroganoff and the cheap sex.

Suckers in Washington

Well, let's call today Friday, not that names of the week really mean anything to me.  For the next couple of weeks my schedule is 'on again, off again.'  I don't believe there's a stretch where I work more than 3 days in a row, which is ducky dandy for me.
This is day 11 for my viral infection.  I have reached a point where my symptoms are normally what I would call "a cold."  Usually, when I do get a cold, the total duration is 3-4 days... sometimes they'll hang around 6-7, but rarely.  This is not fun for me.
One of the statements I hear as a flooring specialist that I find most appalling, is when a customer states they're "looking for a color that's going to hide dirt."  Think about that now....   Are you thinking?  Just what does that statement tell you about this customer?  They don't vacuum?  Or maybe they just pull out the old Hoover every other week.  And, if they do get a carpet that "hides the dirt" will they ever pull it out...? the Hoover, I mean.  I have dogs, one is sort of large, the other is very large, and when they do a dump outside, they do a dump.  They also play outside... a lot, and even though my yard is fairly large, you can  bet the farm that one, if not both of them, will run through that pile of shit.  Now, I have hardwood floors with area rugs and believe me, I would not want an area rug that "hides the dirt."
On the Idiot Jerks recent, and not too secret, trip to a very safe war-zone is coming under more fire for very many reasons:  the faces of clandestine operatives were revealed, and he handed out those little. red sinner's caps so many of his followers wear.  But he said something to the effect of "we are no longer the world's suckers."  Now, there have been times when our government has made bad decisions and gotten us involved in wars a majority of Americans didn't agree with, Vietnam for one, and W's Desert Stomp (or what ever he called it).  Never once, however, did I think a foreign government was using us the way you use a 'sucker,' or a stooge.  The definitions for a sucker is

 a gullible or easily deceived person.and they got suckered into accepting responsibility

As far as I can remember, we were never suckered into anything.  And when it came to defending democracy, whether our on, or that of other peoples, the Republican Party had always been at the forefront. Not anymore.  Those who go to help others are now seen as "suckers."  With that one word the Idiot Jerk wipe away the honorable life of every American who has died in war from the Revolutionary War to the present.  
Remember that great meeting with Kim Jong Dumb and the Idiot Jerk.  Afterward, the Idiot Jerk crowed "they will denuclearize!"  Well, that's not happening.  Reports are coming in that just the opposite is the new reality, that the North Koreans are moving into a 'mass production' phase, adding up to 20 new nukes a year.  Denuclearize?  Kim just showed the world who the real sucker is... the Idiot Jerk in the White House.

Me and my crank

So, it Sunday and I get to work.  Weird schedule this week, off a day, work 2 days, off a day, work 2 days.  I hate not having 2 days off in a row.
My new crank arrived yesterday.  From Utah to Pa in 2 days is not bad.  Now, I know there are perhaps one or two people who would like a little more information about my crank.  Well, cranks come in many different sizes.  Mine is big.  175mm, or 6.88 inches.  Personally, I think it looks bigger than it actually is, but I suspect that's normal.

Me, holding my crank

Since I'm off tomorrow, I'm planning on replacing the damaged crank with the new crank.  We shall see how that goes.  Right now the X6 is on the trainer which makes for a loud ride.  The tires are made to be taken off road, down paths and on trails, not for Cycleops trainers.

Oh, and in case you didn't hear, the denuclearization talks in North Korea didn't go so well.  I understand there is to be a follow-up meeting on 7/12 for lower level individuals.  Here's a little hint to those buffoons who thought the Idiot Jerk in the White House had struck a deal with Kim Sum Dumb, he didn't.  In fact, Kim played the Idiot Jerk for a fool.  He got what he wanted.  Recognition by a super power legitimized his dictatorship.  And he has photos and videos to prove it.  I wonder if they publicly laughed at Pompeo.

In just 8 days the Idiot Jerk is going to sit down with his wanna be "BFF."  Right now Putin is just trying to decide which finger to wrap him around.  Or maybe he'll just show him the Golden Shower tape and ask him what America is going to do to make Russia Great Again.

Day 2 for Le Tour.  I didn't get to watch the whole race yesterday because... they called me in to work early.  I went, knowing I'd get to leave early.  They haven't called so far today, the last day at my old schedule.  If it's slow later in the day, I'll see about leaving early.  I want to get a good night's sleep.  Tomorrow's going to be a big day for me and my crank.

My Special Nut

Well, it's Friday and the 5th day of my vacation and I... slept in... until 0630.  Yesterday was busy.  Lots of accomplishments:  weight training in the AM, 11 + mile ride in the afternoon, lawn got mowed, grass around shrubs was trimmed, and one of my wisteria vines was cut down almost to the ground.  The one in front of the house was spared because of.... a bird's nest, with 3 little blue eggs.  Hopefully today will be just as fulfilling.
One of the things done yesterday that I'd been planning to do for some time was to put a coat of Helmsman on my special nut.  Now, I don't know about you, but I have a nut which is really dear to my heart. You see, a long, long time ago, in a state far, far away, I was born.  Florida.  My dad's parents were delighted.  I was their first male grandchild.  I would carry their genes forward... oops.  Anyway, because they could afford to do so, and because they wanted to see their true heir, they took vacation and drove all the way down to the land of Florida to meet me.  I don't remember any of this, now, so am forced to go on physical evidence alone.  But one day my grandmother picked up a coconut on the beach, sometime in mid-December, 1952.  She packed it into their car and brought that nut back to Pennsylvania.  And I still have it.  My Special Nut is going to be 66 years old this fall.  Amazing, the things we pick up in life.

And wasn't yesterday a shit storm for the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  New York is suing to close the family Foundation - turns out the most favored charity on it's books is DDI (Donald, Donny Jr, and Ivanka).  Of course he freaked out.

There was also the video of the Idiot Jerk saluting a North Korean Major General (or whatever he's called).  The video I saw included a North Korean announcer shrieking his excitement in a brittle falsetto.

Oh, and the Idiot Jerk said that Kim had to do all of those brutal executions because he needed to be a strong leader and.... what the fuck?  That's right.  The Idiot Jerk said 'Kim's a tough guy, but he needed to be tough."  Translation:  if the Idiot Jerk ever gets the chance, he will start executing.  

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a special place to put my special nut, a place where anybody and everybody can see it.

Gullibility

Thursday, the 4th day of my vacation, and I've finally managed to settle into some sort of routine.  The weather helps.  Yesterday AM was drizzly and cool.  The sun did break through until much later in the afternoon.
I went to my neighborhood Giant yesterday.  When I got home I discovered that someone who was Biggie enough had pulled the butter dish from the counter and licked that sucker clean.  Now, I wonder who that was?
And I only rode for a little over 8 miles yesterday - I stopped when the music stopped.  My ear buds weren't charged and lost the Bluetooth connection.  When riding on the road, you need to keep focused.  Music is essential, however, when riding on a trainer.
Today is nice and sunny.  This means I'm going to get so much more accomplished.  Already my writing table downstairs has been re-organized. At present I'm working through an upper body free weight routine.  My ear buds are charged so this afternoon I'll get another ride in.
And then there are the foolish Americans.  I'm a member for a group called the Tonkin Gulf  Yacht Club on Facebook which is for Navy Personnel who were in Vietnam.  Some foolish old Sailor actually wrote "now that the [Idiot Jerk] has negotiated peace with North Korea, we can bring our troops home."  There is no fool like an old fool... and the Idiot Jerk has a lot of supporters who happen to be fools.  Has gullibility ever been so strong in this country?  They see the stock market and say, "my isn't the economy doing great."  They look at their 401k's and shout "isn't this great!" without understanding both the stock market, and their 401k, can drop in a matter of hours.  Unemployment has dropped, but hire rates have stayed the same.  Pay increases are still piddly.  The gullible don't see this.  They are too blinded by the Idiot Jerk and his propaganda fireworks.
Economically speaking, this country will soon be in the place we were 12 years ago.  Dodd-Frank will be obliterated by greedy Republicans who never learn.  They always find it easier to point the finger at someone else.  And, of course, the Idiot Jerk is cheering them on.  And gullible Americans will believe the illusion.
Anyway, since it's nice and sunny, and warm, I'm going to push my lawn mower back and forth across my lawn.  I have some wisteria which will be cut back as far as I can cut it.  If tomorrow is as nice as today, I'll take the dogs up to the park in the early morning.  They love that!

This is from a walk last year

Ho Ho Ho and beyond

Well, here it is Wednesday which is sort of my hump day since I work on Saturday.  Of course, I'm off then until next Wednesday.  The temptation is there to all off on Saturday.  I'm hoping I'll be strong.... hoping.
I've been pondering the idea of stepping down from my Specialist position.  Right now sales goals are set.  I need to sell so many $'s to meet my goal.  Some weeks I surpass my goal, others I don't.  There's very little praise when I do but always a 'friendly' conversation when that goal isn't reached.
E3 is over.  Bethesda announced some really good games, but their Fallout 76, an online MMO failed to excite me.  There's no offline, single player mode.  This means every 'human' character you see will be another person playing the game.  Sometimes these players can be fun, but then they can also be 12 year old asswipes.
Ubisoft has a new Assassin's Creed coming out.  Odyssey, like in Homer's Odyssey.  And it takes place in the Greek Peloponnese during Greece's Golden Age.  You get to play as a Spartan, either male or female.  This is now a full blown RPG which includes crafting... and romance... with either gender.  One commentator said this is similar to the Role Playing Games Bioware put out before they were bought by Electronic Arts.  As you might guess, I've already pre-ordered.

And speaking politically, I got a real chuckle this AM while perusing Bloomberg.  There was a lengthy article about how the real winner from the meeting of the Idiot Jerk and Kim Sum Dumb was... China.  Didn't I already say that?  Oh, and there was another article about the North Korean propaganda machine and the version they are putting out.  Evidently, the Idiot Jerk sat down with Kim Sum Dumb because North Korea is now equal in its nuclear capabilities to the United States.   So tell me, do you really thing they're going to give up their nuclear weapons?  Make themselves weaker than the US?  This whole thing is going beyond Ho Ho Ho, and not in a good way.
As for me, now I'm looking forward to running around Greece looking like Alexios.

Now, how's that for a Ho Ho Ho?

Defining Moments

Yesterday, on my first vacation day, I baked bread.  Wheat Bread.  It is delicious.  I used molasses instead of honey, but threw in a little extra sugar.  Simply scrumptious.
And there was another Supreme Court ruling yesterday that Conservatives are applauding regarding Ohio, and how they purge their voter rolls.  The initial case was brought by some guy named Harmon.  He evidently went 7 years without voting - his excuse was that he was unimpressed by the candidates.  He chose not to vote in the 2012 presidential election because neither Obama nor Romney jingled his bell.  What did finally send him to the voting booth?  A ballot measure intent on legalizing marijuana.  That's right, he didn't want pot legalized in Ohio.  In fact, he was so upset he couldn't vote against legalization, he took his fight to the Supreme Court.  I have a sneaking suspicion this dude wears are red hat that says "Make America Great."  The message is very clear.  Get your ass out and vote.  Your civic responsibility is the only way to control who governs, and how we are governed.  Think about why this moron wanted to vote.  Think about who we have in the White House.  Being unimpressed by the candidates is not a valid excuse.  Had Mr. Harmon gotten his lazy bones out of his Lazy-Boy and voted, he would have had no problem trying to keep marijuana illegal in Ohio.  We have an Idiot Jerk in the White House because so many, many voters stayed home because they thought Hilary had it tied up, or they didn't like either candidate.  My, didn't we all get a big fucking surprise.
Oh, and in case you missed it, the Idiot Jerk and Kim Sun Dumb met yesterday.  They shook hands.  They also signed some sort of pact.  A Russian political analyst told the BBC that "the devil is in the details."  The Chinese are saying pretty much the same thing.  They ought to know since I suspect they are the silent force guiding Kim.  Of course the Idiot Jerk will take credit.  And his supporters will trumpet his foolishness.  Every one has their opinions.  The Idiot Jerk and his supporters will see this as a most excellent propaganda tool.  Foolish Americans will be suckered in.  I'm reminded a lot of the moment when the Idiot Bush stood on the smoldering remains of the World Trade Center.  That photo op got him re-elected because so many thought those few seconds, when the setting was perfect, defined him as both a human being and a president.  How wrong everybody was.  Unless we take charge the country will head down an even darker path.  Make sure your defining moments are done in the voting booth, and not on your ass in your Lazy-Boy.  Vote Blue.

Time Test

Friday... my 2nd day off.
I have an appointment this AM with a VA optometrist.  I do need to get my glaucoma drops refilled.  Hopefully they'll be able to do with without my having to see an Ophthalmologist.
I went to see Deadpool 2 last evening.  Even though I liked the film a lot, in my opinion the first Deadpool was better.  The humor in the 2nd installment is much darker.  The ending does try and resolve this, which was nice.  The only problem I had with it was the "time issue."  Bit of a spoiler here, though not much of one.  The Josh Brolin character comes back in time to solve a problem.  In fact, the use of time to fix a problem seems to be quite common in science fiction / fantasy.  Captain Kirk did it how many times in Star Trek.  Superman spun the earth backwards to bring Lois Lane back to life.  Oh, and "The Avengers, Infinity War 2" and something's going to need to be done to fix the ending of part 1.  Changing the past might actually make the future worse.  Nobody thinks of that.  This is because people look at an isolated event.  Things are much more complicated than that.
Look at the North Korea mess.  Where's the Republican chatter about the Peace Prize now?  Or the Idiot Jerk reneging on the supposed tariffs for the Chinese tech industry?  On that last one, I still think that has more to do with both Ivanka's and the Idiot Jerk's trademarks than anything else.  He's a deal maker, remember, and nothing's more important to him than his own personal gain.  He sees his supporters as nothing more than tools for enriching himself.
On a lighter note, all the branches torn from the maple trees behind my house have been sawed into smaller chunks.  They are piled on the back side of the fence.  As I looked at them yesterday, I thought to myself, "gee, maybe I should get a wood chipper."  Nah.
My roses and peonies are all in bloom even the ones in Little Stonehenge.

I have four rose bushes in my back yard, two peonies, and a shit load of Rose of Sharons which I'm starting to rip out.  Oh, and some beans I planted earlier are beginning to grow.

Ducky Dandy

Well, we had rain all through the night, a steady soaking rain, which is supposed to continue through the rest of the day.  In fact, looking at the forecast, things might not start drying out until Monday... maybe.  No lumberjack outfit today.
There are other things needing to be done around the house on my day off.
I'm going to see my Mom this afternoon.  Picked up cookies this morning at Giant to take over as a snack.  She usually seems to remember me... that is slowly changing.  She'll turn 85 in July.  In her mind she's always turning 81 and nothing can convince her otherwise.  Someday her age will be irrelevant.
There was an interesting article in the BBC about our Crazy Christian Vice President and some of the things he's been saying.  His delusions make my Mom's delusions look like flights of whimsy.  Every time he thinks about his beliefs his dopamine levels must crash through the roof.  He's a neurotransmitter junkie.  Like all junkies, he will do anything and everything to keep the rush going.  For him that means more religion.  As the article points out, the statistics he uses fail to meet the reality check.  They're not true.  However for him, the truth doesn't give him the little jolt his deceit does, and so he lies.  And like a junkie, he doesn't know or care that he's lying.  All he really wants is that little ping in his brain.
The sad truth that Pence and the rest of his zealot friends fail to understand is that they are in a non sustainable position.  They aren't making enough babies.  Perhaps this is how the Universe passes judgment.   Not with a bang and a flash, but rather something less extravagant.  They are in the process of dying off.  Next on the list is Islam.  If it fails to meet Universal standards, it too will fade away.
Anyway, we seem to be sitting in a swamp of humidity here in Central Pa.  We are in a flood watch.
The peace talks with North Korea may be in jeopardy - like supporters of the Idiot Jerk in the White House are surprised.
Gas are going up!  Brent crude was up to $80 a barrel.
I have a ride scheduled for this afternoon.  I'd like to get 20 miles in - that would be ducky dandy.