A Matter of Time

Our outside temp here in Central PA was a cool 48 (F) this morning when I climbed out of bed.  My downstairs thermostat registered the inside temp as 66 (F).  We have definitely returned to sweat shirt/pants weather.  This afternoon our high is supposed to be in the low to mid 70s (F), again, not bad.  Tomorrow, however, a pesky Nor'easter is supposed to bring us more rain... like we need it.

Yesterday much was accomplished besides a baking of the bread.  The front lawn was mowed, too.  The upstairs (1st floor for you Europeans) was winterized.  

And I downloaded a new video game.  This means I just finished Star Wars, Zero Company.  I'd like to say that this was a super game... but to be honest, it was just okay.  My biggest problem was that it wasn't long enough.  Quests were on some odd timetable, you only had 3 or less cycles to play them before they disappeared.  Once they were gone, they were completely gone, the only way you could play through them was by going back to an earlier saved game.  The new game is Kingdom Come, Deliverance II and takes place in Bohemia in the 1600th century.  There is lots of melee.  You can find a lot of joy in clubbing the hell out of a Westphalian. 

I also learned yesterday that I can subscribe to Netflix through my T-Mobile and save myself  $9 a month.  I will be doing that later this morning.  I can also do the same thing for Apple TV and save myself $11, but since I've already paid for a year, I have to see how that works.

And Orangie met with Xi yesterday and, once again, revealed his soul to the world.  

The important thing about this picture is not the rage on Orangie's face or the fact that Melanoma looks just as furious, rather it's the look on Xi's face as he observes their souls at close range.  You can bet the bank Xi's going to avoid the terribly thin ice that Orangie and Melanoma are skating on.  He knows that it's just a matter of time.

I've signed up get updates from The Washington Sun, which is made up of many of the reporters who used to work for The Washington Post until they were let go.  Their criticisms of Orangie and his administration ar pretty much on point.  I like to think of them as the attack wing of Meidas Touch.  They pointed out this morning how the only thing which might save Republicans in the House would be to come back to Washington and try to pass some sort of affordability legislation.  The point was made that this will never happen because Republican Congressmen are too busy back in their own districts fighting for their very lives.  This is the Orangie effect.  What's amazing is that they idolized Orangie so much they failed to understand how much hatred he was generating throughout the entire United States.  Now, they too, realize it's just a matter of time.

The Beauty of Roses

 Outside the temp is 63 (F) and inside the house it's 71 (F), and it's going to get warmer both inside and out.  Our expected high for this afternoon is 87 (F).  The actual heat doesn't arrive until tomorrow and Tuesday when our daily highs will be in the upper 90s(F).  While my ground floor will stay comfortable in this type of heat, my second floor, which is usually about 8 - 10 degrees warmer, will be cooking.  I don't doubt that at some point in the next 2 days I'll be turning on the Central Air.  Beginning Wednesday, the temps are going to fall back down to what's considered more seasonable.

I worked yesterday.  It was slow.  Our garden department was still hopping.  Memorial Day is next week and customers are still dipping deep into their credit to enhance the curb appeal.  Patio sets are flying off the floor.  Unless I had mucho grande cash to burn, I'd never invest in one.  I don't spend that much time sitting out on the veranda, so I wouldn't get much use out of it.  

Since temps are going to be so warm tomorrow, I'm thinking that I might take a personal day.  I do need to have at least one reason to use that personal time.  And there are outside chores that need to get done.  I don't really mind the heat.  Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself that taking off is a good idea.

While Howie was out this morning, I took a pick of one of my rose bushes.  

I like roses.  So do the Chinese.  They also know how to insult with panache.  Putting Orangie on a lower chair so he'd have to look up to Xi was cute.  Having him walk up a super long staircase so he'd have to pause to catch his breath?  Priceless, especially for someone who likes to brag about how fit he is.  I do believe, however, their best insult was to give him rose seeds as a parting gift.  The White House rose garden was formally established in 1913.  A place of beauty, the garden was renowned for it's roses.  Orange dug it up and put in a patio.  Orangie also put in patio sets, chairs and round tables with umbrellas leaving no space to plant rose seeds.  And that's all Xi gave Orangie, no deals to grift from, no commitments for... well, anything.  All Xi offered were insults on the world stage and the words that the world sees America as a country in decline.

The Outer Worlds 2

 We have warm temps outside.  Currently our thermometer is sitting at around 48 (F).  We also have rain.  It's been raining all night.  Forecasters had been calling for an inch of more of rain and I do think they were right.  Looking at the weather map of Central PA, there is still a lot of green swirling around overhead.  Temps are expected to drop much for the next few days.  That's nice.

So yesterday was busy, considering it was a Wednesday and here of late Wednesdays have been rather meh.  I spent most of the morning working on my gaming PC, the one IT fixed.  Well, they fixed it alright.  They have a very conservative idea of just what malware is that's not even close to what I worry about.  Here's an example: Google Play Store.  They consider this malware because you might download an app which might affect your computer.  Well, hell.  They deleted so many things I consider normal, and so I spent a good hour and a half changing the rules in my Panda Security to get things back to normal.  Will they get a renewal in a year? Nope.

My workout yesterday went well.  After my birthday we're going to change up some of the exercises and increase the weight I use in others.  Damn, I may actually have to go out and buy some heavier dumbbells.

And last night I spent some time playing Outer Worlds 2.  It's a new RPG from Oblivion.  I like it.  I am dying a lot, but that's normal in the beginning of a game.  Of course, even though I had to buy the game, it has an anti-capitalism message.  There's also sarcastic humor, as well as the old, reliable dumb humor.  I have no problem laughing as I'm killing aliens.  This is an age restricted video (blood and gore) so you will need to click on the link to go to YouTube to watch it.

The Orange Anus is in South Korea serving up Tacos to anyone who wants one, and in return he's getting nothing.  Well, that's not quite correct.  The Prime Minister of South Korea did give him a toy crown.  The idiot could hardly take his eyes off of it.  World Leaders know how Orangie is so starstruck whenever he's in their presence, especially if they happen to be dictators, then he practically drools.

He just had a meeting with Xi and only dropped 10% off their tariffs.  It would have been more but they didn't give him a crown, just another framework for a trade deal.  If you see any of the clips, you'll notice that while Orangie is grinning like a drunken baboon, all Xi does is smugly give him a rather condescending smile.  Xi knows an idiot when he sees one.

Finally, there were lots of layoffs yesterday because billionaires are only in it for themselves.  They simply don't care.  They never will.  They are a plague on all of our houses.

Besties No Moe

 Well, it looks as though we're in for a repeat of yesterday:  a nice warm afternoon, a fairly cloudless sky, and a nice, warm day over all.  Sometimes the weather in Central PA is marvelous.  Tomorrow, however, they are calling for rain showers in the afternoon.  That's fine.  We need the precipitation.  We've beendry for too long.

And, since yesterday day was my first day off after working 3, I ended up not doing too much, other than laundry.  Napping seemed to be in the forefront of my mind.  Around mid-afternoon I began sneezing, and soon after that realized some sort of nasally, sinusy thing was going on, and before long I had a teeny weeny sore throat.  Nothing to write home about, but an inconvenience all the same.  If I was prone to allergies, I'd put the blame on them.  Thinking today might be similar to yesterday, I took a sinus pill this morning hoping it will keep my nasal passages nice and dry.

My neighbor has started doing something odd.  Whenever she goes anywhere during the day, she places a small, wooden child's chair on their front porch blocking the front door.  I searched, thinking this might be some obscure tradition in an attempt to keep evil spirits away and found nothing.  Does anyone know if this has any relevant meaning, or is my neighbor just nuts?

And Orangie's a bit down in the dumps because Xi threw a military parade that made Orangie's look like moose squat.

Making matters worse for Orangie,  was the fact that Vlad and Xi were actually pictured holding hands. I kid you not!  As someone who has a little travel experience, men who are friends to hold hands in other countries, it's mostly only here in Christian America that it's considered gay.  Anyway, Orangie's feelings are terribly hurt.  He wasn't invited to the party, and Xi's parade made Orangies look like... well, we all know it looked like moose squat.  So did everyone else in the world.  

And Orangie's presser yesterday?  He showed up with bad makeup and even worse hair and rambled.  The Space Force is being moved from Colorado to Alabama because Colorado has mail-in voting.

Finally, for those of you who read The Body in History, spyware by the name of Pegasus made an appearance.  Well, it seems that, Paragon Solutions, the company that developed Pegasus has out done themselves, developing spyware they call Graphite, which can hack into any cellphone.  Orangie's administration has bought Graphite and is planning on putting it in the hands of ICE.  This is not a good thing.  

The Age of Empires is Past

 Holy Crap!  Did I sleep in late this morning!  That was not my intention.  I even went to bed early 10 PM, however, this morning when my alarm went off, I went back to bed.  Damn!  Not exactly what I wanted to happen.  Good thing I didn't have any early morning plans.

While the coffee was brewing, I check the mouse traps - nothing. so, the one I caught may have been going it solo.

And yesterday, since the little laptop was once again working, I added another 45 minutes to my walk through Pompeii.  Interesting point, for the first half of the 5-hour walk, the guide was popping in lots of subtitles regarding points of interest, now, however, as I approach the end of the walk, all he does is identify the houses by name which is disappointing.

I made strawberry French toast for breakfast.  It was rather tasty.

Evidently Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee in Florida is considering possibly appointing a Master to review the documents seized by the FBI.  While this Master may get to review certain documents that might have attorney / client privilege, it will have no bearing on those documents posing a national security risk.  As a delaying tactic by Trump, this is failing since it only covers his personal notes, papers, and letters, like his order from McDonalds, or the perfume drenched notes from Kim Dumb Shit from North Korea.

Ain't it great Mastriano can't seem to get a break?  A picture surfaced of him wearing a confederate uniform for a group shot of teachers at the Gettysburg War College.  As Adam Kinzinger pointed out, he's wearing the wrong uniform.  Pennsylvania was part of the Union Army, from the North.  So far Mastriano's team has not responded as to why he was wearing the uniform of traitors.

And finally, a bit about the 2 large authoritarian governments on this planet.  To put it mildly, Trouble is brewing for them.  Russian troops in Kazakhstan are refusing to return home - the don't want to be sent to the Ukraine.  And Chechnya? That country is arming itself because they don't Putin invading them next.  His 3-day work, which has been going on for over 6 months now, is going poorly, and the Russian people are starting to realize he fed them a lie.

And Xi, in China?  His zero tolerance for Covid is devastating that country's economy.  People can't build cars, or make phones, or cuckoo clocks when they're forced to stay home.  Someone needs to tell these losers that the age of empires is past.  Their only choice for survival is democracy. 

Through the fog

 For those who don't know, Fridays are cleaning days and laundry days.  Because today is also a pay day, this is the day I spend the most money at my neighborhood Giant supermarket.  

Right now the temps are in the mid 40's (F) and we're under a dense fog advisory.  Believe me when I tell you the houses across the street are nothing more than looming shadows.

The temps are supposed to top off around 76 (F) today when the sun finally decides to pop out.  Then I hope to get some planting down.  Dahlias.  I haven't bout them yet, but I'm thinking of buy a few elephant ear plants.  They are nice and big, and take up a lot of lawn.

For those who watch Star Trek Discovery, wasn't Stacey Abrams cameo on the the season finale simply stunning?  For those who didn't see it, she plays the President of Earth.  Can this be cosmic foreshadowing?

Mark Meadows is under investigation for voter fraud.  This is what happens when you lie about where you live in order to vote.  I suspect his wife might be in the same predicament since, while he only voted once, she voted twice, one of those being a runoff election.

Biden is talking with Xi this morning.  I suspect that Xi is not a very happy camper.  You see back in early February he and Trump's blow bro pal Vlad put out a mutual statement saying they were eternally going to be having each other's backs.  And, rumor has it, that while Xi knew Vlad was going to make an incursion into the Ukraine, an invasion of this extent was not communicated.  In fact, it was until 2 days after Russian forces began shelling that the Chinese needed to get their Chinese Nationals out... fast.  Relations between the US and China soured during the Trump presidency, so there is little doubt they will publicly oblige any requests Biden makes, however, this war, and the sanctions, have weakened Russia and the Chinese will probably see this as an advantage.  This means that while they might give Vlad some aid, they're also going to put the screws to him.  In fact, they might just punish old Vlad.  Because of his stupidity, both the United States and NATO are now much stronger.

No matter how you want to look at it, all of this shit flows back to Trump.  He's the one who worked to sour relations with China, and he's the one who bowed down to Vlad.

And, on a bright note, the sun has started to pierce its way through the fog.

The Boohoo Babies

 Holy Crap!  It's Friday, and another one of my days off.  This is good.  What isn't good is being scheduled to work mornings.  Anything after 12 noon is fine.  Workouts, jogs, and rides get done in the mornings.  Saying this, my availability will be changed to that mornings can no longer be scheduled.  I say this because on Monday, 2/21, they have me scheduled for 0930.  Changes are in the offing.

They were predicting ice, sleet, and freezing rain for today, however all we have is a slight drizzle.  Right now temps are still in the mid-30's and on the weather map we're going through a large gap in the precipitation; there are large swaths of rain to our east and to our west there is snow with some ice.  This doesn't bother me in the least.

I bought myself a new end table.  Circular, which I think is a better description than round.  It was advertised as round, but balls are round.

So, the winter Olympics have started.  They gave Xi and his bro Putey Baby a chance to commiserate on the loss of their lackey Trump.  You see, if the Orange Anus had been successful in his coup, then the Ukraine invasion wouldn't be turning into such shit show.  Not only that, Xi could satisfy the raging stiffy tenting his pants every time someone mentions Taiwan.  They're a pair of boohoo babies whining about how their plans for world domination seem to be constantly getting thwarted.

What these despots are actually proving is that authoritarian governments can only grow so much before they begin chewing off their own feet.  They will never understand this.  Like authoritarian conservatives in America who so desperately want to chant "shut up, we're in charge," failure is not an option, it is their only reality.

Way Less Sad

 The temps this morning were a brisk 48 (F), so I did what comes naturally, turned on the heat.  There was a time when I would wait as long as  possible.  That stopped a few years back.  Living in Central PA, where we have boodles of natural gas, and using that same fossil fuel to heat and cook with, my expenses are fairly... well, inexpensive, around $600 a year for cooking, hot water, and heating.

And, speaking of gas, the UK's having problems getting petrol to their stations.  Truck (and or lorry, which ever you prefer) drivers are needed.  This is partially, or mostly, a Brexit problem, depending upon whom your listening to or reading.  Evidently many of the drivers were foreign nationals and they either went home, or don't have the correct paperwork, to continue driving.  

China's having problems, too.  Good for Xi.  The country's still mostly dependent upon coal and there are problems getting it to the factories that need it... and... well, things are beginning to shut down.  Of course, they're also experiencing this little credit issue with one of their largest companies defaulting on their $120 million loan payments.  And Xi is not having an okay day.  Maybe he should listen to a little AJR.  Maybe he should set the bar a little lower and then maybe he'd be a lot less sad.

And in case no one has heard this yet, the Orange Anus and his racist MAGA Pac have fired Corey Lewandowski for groping and sexually harassing a woman in Vegas.  Gee, he must have really believed that 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.'  Of course, there are also the rumors running rampant on social media that ol' Corey has been coring Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota.  She's been denying everything, though now that Corey's freed up from his duties with the MAGA Pac he's going to have some extra time on his hands.  Maybe Kristi needs some help with her re-election campaign.  Or, maybe, if Kristi wants to feel way less sad, she should sing a little AJR.

Torch This

 And a good, sleeping in late morning to you!  

Can you believe we're winding down April?  Crap, we just started it.  We did have another freeze warning last night, so I brought in my potted veggies.  There were scattered snow showers yesterday.  I missed all of them, but was told by many that some were quite heavy.  Next week?  The temps are supposed to hit the mid to upper 80's (F) for a couple of days, before dropping back down into the mid 70's (F).  

I have a Ukrainian customer who wants to retile most of her downstairs and put bamboo throughout her upstairs.  At first she brought her daughter in as a translator.  Yesterday, she brought her sister, who speaks English quite well.  The job is... expensive as hell, with the majority of the cost being in the labor.  Think mid $20's.  For tile, we normally charge $8 per square foot, but we are running a 'deal' right now.  I was told that she's going to talk it over with her husband, which I do believe is going to translate into "No."

As usual, laundry is on the chore list for today.  I also want to change the media in the tank.

The third reader is working his way through The Body in the Loch.  Word provides an 'Editor' so I think I'll use that for the next book, The Body in Repose.  I'm still in the note taking stage for characters.  There's a very good possibility those who read my books might get to meet a torch singer named Sheila Caine.  Now, ain't that a nice name?

And, speaking of torches, I saw Navalny has decided to end his hunger strike.  Oh, and the troops Vlad the Dumb was massing on Ukraine's boarder are being shipped elsewhere.  Translation:  Vlad the Dumb blinked.  Big Time.  Both Alexei's supporters and the EU seem to have torched his plans.  No matter how desperate tin foil dictators are for complete power, they are always going to fail.  Xi will learn this lesson, too.  As will the Republicans in this country.  Things will never stop changing.

My Big Boy, and other things.

 Well, the veggies have been planted, all 5 plants.  This year, the tomatoes are in the ground, not in pots, let's hope I get a better yield.

My Big Boy

I baked another loaf... white bread this time, however, I accidentally used the setting for a 1.5 pound loaf rather the the 2 pound loaf, and, of course, I had the ingredients for the larger loaf in the pan.  Son of a bitch!  The bread tastes great, however there was a large air bubble just inside the top crust, and when I say large I mean 2 inches high and 4 inches across.  Oh, and perhaps the butter wasn't quite at room temperature...  I'm calling it a very tasty learning experience.

A ride had been planned for yesterday and ended up being scrapped.  There was too much other stuff needing my attention.

Some new plants were ordered for the aquarium, plants that don't take up too much space.  Right now there are 2 Baby Tear plants that have grown way out of control.  They take up well over a cubic foot of space, which is a lot.  One of them is going to go, being replaced with more grass like plants.

Oh, and I get to go back to work today.  My next day off is on Friday.  After that I'll have a regulars, 5 day work week before I get another mid-week weekend.

Greece has begun opening up for tourists.  Go Greece!  I suspect that for some time to come, their future relies completely on their past.  There's nothing wrong with that.  Being the home of one of the greatest civilizations is nothing to sniff about.

For those who didn't see it, Xi gave a speech yesterday complaining about the world's hegemony.  Basically, what he was doing was complaining about our democratic influence on other countries.  China is, of course, not a democracy.  Xi has managed to get himself installed as president for life.  Basically, he's managed to get himself set up as an emperor.  Unlike Putin, the faux emperor of Russia, he has yet to run into problems.  They will come.  People are people.  They don't want a strong arm government telling them what to do for too very long.  Life is not like in the olden days.  Like his counterpart, Vlad the Dumb, he longs for a return to those grandiose times when nations bowed down to their leaders.  This is what Loser #45 and the Republican party tried to do in this country, dress a dictatorship up in the costumery of democracy.  There are too many variables for Xi to ever get his plan to endure for longer than a generation.  Look at Vlad the Dumb, he has fires cropping up all over the place.  People are people.

Hello Dolley

Okay, so I was sitting at work yesterday thinking on how I really didn't want to go to work today, it being my sixth day in a row, and after pondering for several hours decided it wasn't going to happen. So, on the way home I stopped by my local Giant and picked up a bottle of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc.  And in spite of what I'd written yesterday morning, I didn't ride last evening.  This is how life happens sometimes.

The store was fairly busy up until about noon, but then began to slow down.  By the time I left, most of the shoppers were foreign nationals.  We still did great business.  People are spending their government checks.

Since I now am off today, I'll drive over to Petsmart and buy my gravel today.  And a net.  And a test kit.  The heater arrives also, this afternoon.  I may actually begin to put water in, too.

I saw an interesting article in Bloomberg on the Idiot Jerk's base.  When the virus spreads among them, support for him withers.  This doesn't mean they'll vote for a Democrat.  They're just going to avoid their local polling station they way they would avoid the plague.  

Before he was elected, the US was a major player in world politics.  We were the good guys next to the Russians and the Chinese.  That is no longer the case.  He is turning us into a minor player leaving a void which both Putin and Xi have eagerly been trying to fill.  They must have given him special financing on his loans for him to do that.

And, of course, every speech he makes is aimed directly at his hard core conservative base as he tries to drum up their hatred.  He is becoming a very angry man as fewer and fewer people accept his lies.  Anxiety is growing in the Senate as he has yet to put out any clear message as to what he plans to accomplish in his second term other than create a statue garden at Mount Rushmore.  He thinks statues of confederate losers, and Dolley Madison (?) are going to be a great draw.  Dolley?  Did she do anything besides make ice cream? 

Oh, for quite some time she was evidently the best known of the First Ladies, and was considered the queen of Washington.  

Imminnent

Oh my, I set the alarm and got up close to my normal time this morning.  Prepping for tomorrow's back to work day.  I'm scheduled for 6 in a row, however the weather's supposed to turn nasty on Saturday (day 4).  Snow, you know?  Forecasters are say we may get anywhere between 2 - 8 inches depending upon what time of day and which app or radio station your following.  There's not an imminent  threat of heavy snow, they just want to deter you from driving.

And for those interested, I did bake my Devil's Food cake yesterday.  The topping is a peanut butter frosting sprinkled with walnuts... I love nuts!

And yes, it is a sheet cake.  Since I don't have a container for layer cakes, I'd need to eat the whole thing in one sitting.  And I know some of you are crying "show us the cake,"  "show us the cake!"  Well, feast your eyes on this.

Now I know some of you no doubt think the entire cake was in imminent threat of being eaten, I'm proud to say I managed to deter myself from such an attack upon this deliciousness.

In case some of you didn't see, the Idiot Jerk, and his administration, is now saying Soleimani was not assassinated because of an imminent threat, but rather his death was intended to be a deterrent.,,. as well as boost the Idiot Jerk's sagging approval rating.  Son of a bitch!  How many different ways can they spell stupid.

Another bit of dashing news is that the Russians hacked into Burisma Holdings, the company Biden's son worked.  No doubt they're trying to back up the Idiot Jerk's claims.  Why you ask?  Well it seem that when it comes to world wide approval ratings, Vlad scores higher then the Idiot Jerk, so does Xi, from China.  That's right, most people in the world believe the Idiot Jerk is more of an imminent threat then they are.  The good news for him is that he scored higher than Kim Fong Dumb.

Mexico caved

After today I have 2 more days off.  I'm excited even though weather forecasters are predicting Monday will be a washout.  Rain, you know?  More rain,  That means I will need to get the lawn mowed tomorrow.
So, the wife of one of my Navy buddies posted a list of the "10 best reads for the summer" on Facebook yesterday.  Good humoredly I asked her where my book (s) were.  Her response was to ask if I was going to read 'her book,' a 118 page volume of essays she'd published in 2016. which was only available in paperback format.  I had no problem buying her book, I can give to my friend Betsy as a Christmas present.  This morning I find a comment from her; she purchased the less expensive Kindle version rather than the paperback, which has the same cost as her book.  Cheap.  I replied by saying I was anticipating her "sparkling review."  Let me tell you, I was a bit irritated.  The fair thing for her to do would have been to pay the same $$ as I was paying.
And, in case you didn't see the headlines, Mexico caved to the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  They should have paid attention to China, learned from them, but they didn't.  What they have done is put themselves in the same position as the contractors who do work on the Idiot Jerk's properties.  Any time he wants he can claim they're not holding up their end of the bargain, and once again threaten them with taxes.  The probability factor of this happening is extremely high.  If they're not holding their breaths, they should be since it's just a matter of time.
Oh, and there's a new couple on the block:  Xi and Vlad.  They're getting quite cozy, going boating together and doing 'what not' in private.  This must be infuriating for the Idiot Jerk.  Chinese exports need to go somewhere, and Russia's just as good as the United States.  Oops!  Whether you want to understand this or not, the Idiot Jerk has in fact initiated World War III.  He's going to bloody the world's economy because he's stupid.  He is the end of the Republican Party.  The GOP has been setting up their downfall for years and their MAGA head base will follow them into oblivion.  Mitch McConnell's 'do nothing' legislature tactic is going to smash him into a bloody pulp.  You see, they never understood Karma, that 'what goes around comes around' because they never understood "I" and "me" and "my" are not the three most important words in the human language.  No one ever said Republicans were smart.

The Bells will be Ringing

The numbers just keep going up.  Yesterday, at our Kid's Workshop, we had over 350 children show up to hammer and nail and paint their little projects.  Lots of noise as those tiny hammers missed tiny nail after tiny nail.  And red paint?  Foreshadowing of what the Oval Office is going to look like in the coming days as the Idiot Jerk tries to emulate the 'red queen' shouting "off with his head!  Off with her head!"
And then there was the dinner date the Idiot Jerk had with President Xi of China.  All you have to do is look at the pictures to see somebody isn't happy.

While Xi looks happy as hell, perhaps he was told he's getting a really big, tremendously large penthouse in Washington, the Idiot Jerk looks like he is ready to cry.  One can only wonder if this is the result of Michael Cohen's guilty plea, and his confession, or maybe the Idiot Jerk is trying to think of some way in which he can deny those written answers he handed in to Mueller.  Can't you just wait for him to begin blaming others for changing his words?  Or maybe he looks so unhappy because they told him meatloaf was off the menu.  John Bolton seems to be having a good time though, doesn't he?  Steve Mnuchin seems deep in thought.  Is he wondering if his Trophy Wife is banging her chauffeur, or possibly wondering how this meeting will look on his resume.
Oh, and no more tariffs after January 20, 2019.  The White House is calling this a win... now, hold your laughter.  Maybe that's why Xi looks so happy.  It could be that the Idiot Jerk realizes the fallout from Cohen's plea is going to be so tremendously bad... and I mean just really tremendously bad for him, that more tariffs might signal the death knell for his presidency.  I would have thought he'd have known that someone started ringing that bell a long time ago, and it wasn't Anita Ward.

Two Timed!

Saturday, the 1st of December... which means we're going to have a super duper Kid's Workshop in the store... and it's supposed to rain.  Yippee!
For those who don't know it, the Idiot Jerk in the White House had a very bad time yesterday... all... day.  As if Michael Cohen's guilty plea wasn't bad enough, or the fact that the written answers he turned in to Mueller most likely just defined him as a lying sack of shit, the worst of all possible things happened om Argentina.  His Homo Bromo Vlad two-timed him with a Saudi prince... in front of the world.

Look at those smiles!  My money says someones getting a little sugar on the side.  I can't remember the last time I saw 2 dictators giggling like little girls.  Of course, this pissed off the Idiot Jerk.  Face it, the prince is much younger and has real hair.  I've heard he's a real dynamo on the dance floor as opposed to the Idiot Jerk who struggles with a simple two-step.
And, of course, George H died.  I think it's unfortunate he will mostly be remember for his comment "read my lip.  No new taxes."  Like so many other people, he had been duped into believing Reganomics was going to work.  Republicans have always been terrible when it come to economics, in fact, you have to go back to Eisenhower to find a Republican president who left office with a solidly working economy.  Reganomics started failing right after his re-election because the only thing trickling down were the bills.  The tax breaks given to the corporations were finding their way into executive's pockets, rather than down to the common man.  This is why George H had to raise corporate taxes which is why he went on to lose his bid for re-election.
At some point the Idiot Jerk is supposed to have dinner with China's Xi.  I wouldn't be surprised if the first questions out of Xi's mouth is "where's my $50 million penthouse?"

A Conservative's Wet Dream

Well, it's Sunday and it looks as if China is going to have an emperor again.  They've had one for millennium so I'm not surprised.  They flirted with democracy for almost a century and didn't care for the fit.  Democracy isn't for everybody.  Historically speaking, the vast majority of their emperors were good for the country.  Like the United Kingdom, which still has a Monarch, they are not going to eliminate democracy completely.  Xi will govern for life.
What made me guffaw was see that the Idiot Jerk in the White House said "we will have that too, someday," or something to that effect. That fool is dumb as a fucking brick.  Our democracy is almost 350 years old.  Democracy is all we know.  Of course, having a King, or a Monarch, or an Emperor is a Conservative's wet dream.  Just trying to imagine what tugs and pulls in Mitch McConnell's dreams is... frightening.  This is a group whose members swell and inflate with the mere anticipation of control.  Don't believe me?  Walk up to a Republican and say "Total Control is yours," and you'll see how freaking easy it is to get a rise out of them; no need to whip or beat these instant mashed potatoes to get them stiff.

Wait a minute... is that Paul Ryan?

Anyway, I'm off for the next 4 days.  Of course, I'm going to have to work 6 in a row after that, but that's okay, I don't mind.  Tomorrow is supposed to be filled with sunshine, so I'll probably change out the dining room ceiling fan... though I might take the old one down today.
In a few hours the Paris-Nice bicycle race is being telecast live on NBC Sports Gold, so that will be playing on the big TV downstairs. 
And, of course, tonight are the Oscars.  Years ago I used to host parties... now it's just me and the dogs... well, mostly just me.  The dogs will be up in bed long before the Best Picture gets announced.  One funny thing to note:  last year Casey Affleck won for Best Actor.  This was after he'd been taken to, and I do believe settled, out of court for sexual harassment.  This year he's breaking with tradition and not going to give away the Best Actress Award... he's not even going to show his face at the ceremony.  What a scumbag.  Has his career tanked too?