Compassion

 Thursday.  Temps are predicted to be about 2 degrees (F) higher than yesterday which was 92 (F).  For those who are prepared to whine, I hate to tell you but that's a normal summer temperature for Central PA.  We haven't hit 100 (F) yet.  It's also normal for our temps to climb that high.  Tomorrow we're suppose to reach the upper 90s (F), but then the Fahrenheit is forecast to drop back for daily highs in the mid 80s (F)

Yesterday was one of those days of accomplishments I'm happy with.  Weight training, a bike ride, cleaned the living room aquarium, and words written on the new book.  I also managed to move to another level on Star Wars: Jedi Survivor.  I'm always pleased to advance.

Hopefully, sometime this morning I'll get my front lawn mowed.  It's pretty tall, and if we get more rain it's just going to get taller.  The last thing I want to do is get out my weed wacker to cut it low enough so I can mow.

Here's a picture of one of my roses.  They're starting to bloom again, but for some reason all of them are smaller than before.  It's a little blurry, but that doesn't effect the bright color at all.

In case you hadn't heard, Hunter Biden's plea deal fell apart yesterday.  For a while the Republicans were whooping with glee, that was until Mitch McConnel had TIA in public.  All of a sudden, Hunter Biden was old news.  I've watched the clip a few times of him freezing up mid-sentence and it's really weird.  I'd truly feel sorry for the man, but I suspect this is all part of his Karma.  I was pleased to see that Biden called him to see if he was alright; that's todays Republicans would never do.  In fact, it's being pointed out how when Biden tripped over a sandbag he took the brunt of substantial mockery from Republicans, while with McConnell Democrats are offering concern and consideration and compassion.

Will today be indictment day?  

The Meat and Potatoes

 Foggy and drizzly, with the temps hovering at 53 (F) is how today is starting out.  The weather will improve over the coming hours, but the temps begin to drop.  We're heading back into the tail end of winter.  Winter's been very warm so far.  You'll get no complaints about that for me.

I did have to chortle privately at work when one of my associates told me that the winter wasn't cold enough to kill off the insects.  I don't know if he was talking about insect eggs, or those hibernating.  Honestly, we've had warm winters before and I've never noticed the difference.  Being close to the river I will have to deal with gnats occasionally, but never swarms, and the Susquehanna is only 3/4 of a mile away (if that).  

And business was slow yesterday.  You can't sell an installation if there aren't any customers in the store.  I have noticed an uptick in online measures.  I would not want to buy carpet for my house without actually touching and feeling it.

It was sad to see Bruce Willis has dementia.  He is only 67 years old.  His career has filled many lives with memorable moments; over 100 films.  I will never forget sitting in a packed movie theater and hearing people crying at the end of Armageddon.  

And, of course, sections of the Grand Jury report in Atlanta were released yesterday.  Caution needs to be taken.  I did see on Twitter where are least 2 individuals were shrieking that Trump needed to be indicted.  Both received scathing rebukes because not only were no names mentioned, the recommendations for indictment were for those individuals who were believed to have committed perjury, Lyndsey Graham, for example.  What wasn't released was the middle section, think of it as the meat and potatoes of the report.  What we got were the appetizer and the desert, that main course, the part where they might recommend Trump be indicted for racketeering has yet to be served.

Finally, a few words about the mess in Ohio.  I was not surprised when the same people who voted for Trump pushed back on a Tweet for Buttigieg noting the former president deserved some of the responsibility, since it was his administration which relaxed the safety rules regarding rail shipments.  His MAGA base is dealing with a great disconnect from reality.  They truly define the Republican party.

The Big Sucking Truck

 Well, it's Thursday.  I have my physical this morning, and I get my 2nd booster.  Oh, and there is some other stuff planned.

We had a freeze warning. We came close.  It's 37 (F) outside, though dawn's warming temperatures are creeping around us as I type.

The ghost has been at it again in my house.  I woke up this AM to find all of the lights hooked up to Alexa were on.  They were off when I went to bed.   There is the possibility I got up sometime during the night, went downstairs and gave Alexa the command, "let there be light."  Who knows?

Yesterday was odd.  Biggie had a Vet appointment.  They took blood to see how his system was handling the Carprofen.  $164.  Holy Crap!

Oh, and my neighbors had their house sucked, or I guess if you don't like that word, they had it vacuumed, or at least they had their duct work cleaned.  Believe me, it was very loud.

A big sucking truck

I guess the Republican members of the House had a private meeting yesterday at the end of which Kevin McCarthy got a standing ovation of support.  At least that's what was released to the media.  Is the report accurate?  Possibly.  However, none of us will ever know what was communicated beforehand.  One thing you need to be certain of, they are going to do their damndest to show a united front.  Do not doubt there is growing concern among Republicans that the big sucking truck called the January 6 Committee is going to clean their ducts.  Oh, and they know the sucking will be well underway by the time the mid-terms roll around.

 

That's fine with me

 Well, a happy Sunday morning to everybody out there.  I am starting 6 consecutive days away from work today.  If I were working fulltime, I'd call this a Staycation since I'm not going anywhere, however, since I'm a part-timer now, I'll just call it a a non-scheduled work week.  I'm scheduled again next Saturday, the same the Kid's Workshops restart.  Can you tell how excited I am?

The temps today are forecasted to reach the high 70s (F) to low 80s (F), so I'm betting I'll be turning on the window A/C units upstairs.  We might get a late afternoon thunderstorm, again, that's fine with me.  My outdoor plans as limited.  Tomorrow the temps are supposed to drop back into the mid 60s (F) for the rest of the week.  I can deal with that, too.

I'm thinking of extending the veranda by the side of the house.  That would be laborious, which means it's a good way to burn calories.  Burning calories is always good.

One of the things that I realized as I was moving files to the new computer was the number of pictures I have of Lily.  While I talk a lot about Biggie, the shots I have of her vastly outnumber the pics I have of him.  He was not happy, so I took this one as he shot me the stink eye while he brooded away on the futon. 

The French election is today.  Le Pen is close enough that she could swing an upset.  People will vote for her because they hate Macron and his mask and vaccine mandates.  The fact that Le Pen has some serious ties to Russia, and Trump's blow bro Vlad doesn't even cross their minds.  They aren't even considering that if she were to win, they might end up with some 'friendly' Russian troops stationed in France to 'help keep the peace.'  For them, the bright side is not having to worry about mask or vaccine mandates, and they are far worse than Russians in Paris.

We have the same problem in America; people not wanting to wear masks or get vaccinated.  That's fine with me.  We now know that unlike chicken pox or mumps, Covid has no lasting immunity.  Like the common cold, you will get it again, and again, and again.  I know of 3 people in my store who've had it twice, and for 2 of them the second time was worse than the first time they had it.  The one person who had milder symptoms the 2nd time had chosen to get vaccinated.  I'm getting my 2nd booster on Thursday, which is fine with me.  

When the Universe is no bigger than your Ego

The temps are supposed to hit the mid 80s today.  That's hot for mid-April.  The record is 85 (F).  Forecasters are letting us know, perhaps because we might tie that temp, or possibly top it.  Thunderstorms are forecast for this afternoon.  I am so glad I put the A/C units in the upstairs windows, they will keep the temps moderate.  I can live with that.

Sometime during the night, the number 12 switch on my circuit breaker flipped: living room, dining room, and bedrooms had no power when I woke up.  The only things using electricity were the two aquariums.  However, something odd happened when I flipped the circuit back on:  the ceiling light in the dining room came on.  Why is that odd?  The ceiling light has no wall switch, a remote control is used to turn it on and off.  I haven't used the remote control to turn the ceiling light on in weeks.  So why, when I turned the power back on, did the ceiling light come on? (Key eerie music).

Most of us understand that the universe is large... very, very large.

There are those, however, who have no concept of its vastness.  Who are these people?  Well, I've decided that religious people don't get it, especially those with extreme beliefs.  For them, the universe will never extend farther than their property line, or their apartment walls, or their ego.  Ego, you ask?  Yes, you know what I'm talking about?  Those people who believe their success to be a blessing, Like Scottie Scheffler.  He recently won some sort of golfy thing and Jesus came in to play for his victory (pun intended).  You see, in Scottie's mind he is totally incompetent in the game of golf.  His victory was a blessing because of his extreme religious beliefs.  His religious universe will never be any larger than his ego: that makes him special.  No matter what other evils are going on in the world, he was chosen to win golf tournaments, because of his beliefs, they make him a good golfer.  So far in 2022, Scottie has earned around $7.5 million playing golf.  You see, Scottie's ego is telling him the deity he believes in has prioritized golf over a war in the Ukraine, and a ruthless dictator in North Korea who has set himself up as an alternative deity.  In case you're wondering, Scottie is not alone.  We have a problem.

Correction

 My scale is fixed.  Usually I get a little warning when the batteries are running out of charge, that was not the case this time.  Still, the cost of 4 AAA batteries is a lot less than the cost of a new scale.  Oh, and I stepped on it...  ... ...  Need I say anything more?  And, for the nest 2 days, because our store is in Success Sharing mode, there will be lots of food.  Today they'll be cooking out on a grill, the first time since Covid arrived on the scene.  Hamburgers, hot dogs, and tons of high calorie carbs.  Tomorrow:  lasagna.  Son of a bitch!

How about we switch to a chiller topic. We got some cold days ahead, if the forecasters are correct.  For the next 3 nights temps are supposed to be dropping down into the mid to low 20's (F).  How's that for chill?

Since this is the weekend and the blogging universe tends to slow down, I thought I might post one of my short YouTube videos.  My sincerest apologies to the French for Americanizing the name of their country. 

A group of Georgia voters are suing to have Marjorie Taylor dumb ass taken off the ballot because of her insurrectionist activities.   They're using the Insurrectionist Act voted into law after the Civil War.  Legal experts do not expect them to succeed.  While I wish they would, I tend to agree.  What they're really doing is giving her more bad press she doesn't need if she wants to get her bottled blonde ass re-elected.  She is desperately trying to keep Georgia from becoming a Blue state.  While the MAGA brains of her state my thrive on her antics, speaking at neo-Nazi gatherings for example, their numbers, like their potential senators, are limited.  This lawsuit is doing her more damage than good.

And finally, I do have to correct myself on one thing.  I had state that Clarence Thomas had no children.  That's wrong.  He does.  He fathered a son with his first wife, Kathy Ambush.  You may recognize Jamal Adeen Thomas from television.  He is quite the charmer, no?

For an actor, his private life is very... private.  What is known, besides his regularly appearing on TV is that he's 52 years of age.  He is single.  There are no reports of any relationship what so ever.  Oh, and he's 6' 2".  Oh, and he's not saying anything about his famous father.

  

For All of Us

 Well, here it is, Saturday and I'm in a work-a-day, off-a-day cycle until Tuesday, at which point I will be off for 2 days..  The temps are cold outside.  Enola was a cool and nippy 8 (F), and the temps are only predicted to climb another 20 degrees.  Down south they're experiencing the chilly, willy joy of winter.  They needn't worry.  In a few months their temps are going to be blazing hot again.

Rather than right out purchase a new desk chair, I Googled my problem, the seat doesn't stay up.  Wow!  There's a quick fix using a pipe clamp!  I have one of those!  Unfortunately it's too small.  Now, isn't it a good thing I get to go to work today?  I can pick one up before I leave.  I would rather spend $1.79 rather than $300, and if it doesn't work... well, I didn't really lose anything in trying to correct the problem.

There was this really interesting article in the NYT about exercise.  Which is better?  Getting all sweaty in the morning, or later in the day?  Well, it depends.  Morning exercise appears to be better if you want to lose pounds or kilograms, afternoon seems to help with health issues.  The example they give is Type 2 Diabetes.  Working out in the afternoon seems to help your pancreas manufacture insulin.  Me, I'd rather lose the pounds, so I'll keep doing what I'm doing, riding my Cannondale Synapse

And, of course, Mitch McConnell stepped in shit when he attempted to classified African American voters as different than American voters.  The fact that he used the words African American rather than black illustrates just how out he is.  Now he's saying he forgot the word 'all.'  Sorry, Mitch.  Listen to his entire statement.  He forgot nothing.

Two Dogs on a Sunny Saturday

 I hope everybody is having a good Sunday Morning!  We all got an extra hour's sleep, or at least some of us did.  Neither of the dogs got up for a midnight pee break.  Let me tell you, that's nice.

Yesterday business was steady at the flooring desk up until around 2(PM), and then things began to slow down... until just about the time I was ready to leave.  I don't stay, in case any of you are wondering.  I exit the premises precisely on my scheduled departure time.  No hanging around for me.  

Tomorrow I have to go for bloodwork.  Can you see the excitement in my words?  This is because my sugar is borderline.  Honestly, I'm borderline glaucoma, borderline cholesterol, border high blood pressure.  You would think that at some point in time my doctor would realize that being borderline is normal for me.  My temp is normally 96.7 (F).  Normal body temp is considered 98.6 (F), so when I hit 98.6 (F) I'm running a low grade fever... just letting you know.

Yesterday I snapped this pic of the dogs.  I call it Two Dogs on a Sunny Saturday.  Don't you like the way Biggie is giving me his 'hell, not another picture,' look?

You'd think Democrats would be satisfied after Friday's infrastructure note, and most are, but there are those voices clamoring on how we as a party are not united.  To those people I say, no, we are not like Republicans, we don't march in lockstep, our opinions count.  This doesn't mean we should sit back and accept the silent Sinema, or the Maserati driving Manchin.  They are outliers who have too much power and seem to wield it by whim.  Don't worry, the voters of their states will deal with them.

The Liar

 Difficult to believe, but the temps here are supposed to go into the upper 70's (F) today.  Yesterday we topped off at around 62 (F), however there is rain in the forecast again.  In fact, for the past week our skies have been overcast with showers on and off throughout the day.  Climate change, you know?  If this continues, and the temps drop, we might have a very snowy winter... or we might end up like Seattle.

I got over 8300 steps in yesterday and they were done at work.  Improvements continue.  Cori, my cover artists told me "you're no longer all hunched over when you walk, like a 95 year old man."  She's right.  Bending, however, is a problem.  Don't ask me to bend over.  Ouchey, Ouchey!  If my lumbar vertebrae are fusing, this is going to be a continuing problem.

And, speaking of Cori, we were talking about the cover art for The Body in Repose yesterday.  This one's going to be interesting.  She asked me where I wanted that thing that looks like a rocket ship, and then she laughed, telling me she knew it wasn't a rocket ship.  Ha. Ha.  This is what she was talking about.  You might want to save this and then compare it to the final version.

I saw that the Cowboys for Trump are pissed at him.  Actually, pissed might be just a tad to mild.  I like the bit where the founder, Couy Griffin, (and this is me paraphrasing) claims the shouted 'lock her up' for for years, and Loser #45 said he was going to do just that... and not only didn't Loser #45 follow through with his promise, he's letting his supporters be the ones who get locked up.  That's right.  Trump the Liar wants absolutely nothing to do with those people who showed up in Washington on January 6 to stand by him.  In his mind, they got caught so they're the losers.  You'd have thought they'd have realized by now he wasn't sent to give them what they want, he's here to destroy them.

That's Fine With Me

Temperature wise, we have another cool one out there, with the high only supposed to hit 62 (F).  That's fine with me.  Seasons change.  Temps are going to warm up again, don't worry.  Starting tomorrow forecasters around here are expecting highs to be in the mid-70's again.  This means that on my day off there will a mowing of the lawn... and a movie tomorrow night.  Wednesday's a work day, but then Thursday and Friday are scheduled off.  That's fine with me.

Everything seemed fine yesterday when I got home from work, until I went upstairs to change out of my work clothes.  I found the remnants of a can of fish food (fish chips) lying on the bed.  Most of it had been consumed by one or two boxers who will remain nameless to protect the innocent.  The fish didn't like the food and often let it just sink to the bottom of the tank, so I was glad someone enjoyed it.

I had been going to use the lyrics from this song in the new book, a chapter in which Bobby Tussel hangs out at the PF on Pomfrete, but chose something else.  This is a really great Halloweeny update by Broken Peach.  Usually the guys stay silent, but not on this one and that's fine with me.  (oh, shit, I just saw Fearsome posted the same vid.  Hope you all love it!)

This is the week in which they vote to arrest Steve Bannon.  That smarmy assed sack of shit needs to be held accountable.  Of course, during that 4 year period when that disgraced degenerate, the Orange Anus, was in the White House, subpoenas were routinely ignored.  The Republicans in power were always singing a sour chorus of 'that's fine with me.'  Now floating around in a boat riddled with lies and holes and will have to pay the price.  I'm hoping Bannon gets taken into custody.  Honestly, he will shriek out more lies, but I don't care.  Having his ass behind bars is fine with me.
 

Simply Tasty

Well, I head back to work today.  Now, isn't that thrilling news?  Dealing with customers?  One thing that will keep foot traffic down will be the high temps.  We're supposed to crest the 100 (F) wave today... and tomorrow.  In fact, tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter then today.  And if you decide to shop my store, don't expect the A/C to cool you off the moment you walk through the door.  Nope.  It's going to be roasty toasty because we have so many large doors that allow in the smothering heat.  For example, one of our roll-up doors in the back of the building is  twenty feet wide, and it's open most of the day to accept deliveries.

Of course, this is a mini work week.  In 4 days I'll begin another 6 day vacation and shortly after that I'll have another 3 weeks vacation on the books.

I made one of my favorite dishes yesterday for dinner, Shrimp Lo Mein.  Simply tasty.

I understand the figures from the last census get released today and there's fear the Republicans are going to use them to gerrymander the country to hell in order to stay in power.  This is... rather amusing.  Why?  Well one of the pre-release tidbits that came out yesterday is that the country is rapidly diversifying.  Translation?  White people simply aren't making enough babies.  All I have to do is look at my nieces and nephews to see the truth in that.  And the Republican Party is the party of the white voter, a party that is in deep denial about the changes happening in America.  They don't seem to understand that at some point their grandchildren are going to begin paying the price for this denial.

Ah, well, this is how it goes.

 

The Power of Love

 Well, yesterday was quiet.  Today will hopefully be the same.  We had a bit of snow, easily shoveled.  My car was cleared off and ready to go... and I went no where.  No need.  Believe me, it's nice not to have a required destination point.  

The weather today is supposed to be cold.  If the forecasters are right, we should top off at around 29 (F) which is below 0 for all you people using Celsius. Tomorrow, we're not supposed to expect warmer temps.  It's not until Sunday that our thermometer is going to once again rise to 40 (F).

By the way, Sunday, the day I return to the Specialist grind, is Valentines Day.  Translation:  there will be boodles of candy waiting for me at the store.  Candy can be good.  I don't buy it, so the only time comes my way is when someone else buys, or provides.  

As for it being Valentines Day?  I am not now, nor have I ever been a romantic person.  For adults, valentines gifts between each other tend to be a prelude to a fun night between the sheets.  The need for some to celebrate that by having a 'special' day doesn't make sense, as if that were the only day in which you're allowed to show your feelings.

Anyway, the Kaiser Chiefs have released a cover of The Power of Love to celebrate this one day, which is, I suppose, their way of intimating they'd like to have sex with each and every one of you.

And I the Democrats wrapped up their Impeachment charges yesterday.  They warned the country our failed president might try again to steal an election, might incite a riot.  Their problem is that it wasn't just him, it's most of the Republican Party.  For them, Make America Great means Make America White.  They are trying to stop the forces of nature.  The world is changing.  America is changing.  They are desperately hanging on to the vestiges of a belief system which denies science.  They hate science.  They hate the fact that time will mute their voice eternally.  Even though many Republicans would love to screw you over, they, themselves, will never know The Power of Love.

Hot or Not?

 I'm taking my temp as I type with the digital thermometer given to me as a Christmas Present by the largest home improvement retailer in the world.  In a second, we will all see the results.

So, am I Hot... or Not?

My normal temp is around 96.5 (F).  Oh, and I've drinking coffee, hot not iced.  

I got a 2nd holiday basket from work yesterday.  Not because I'm special, rather they made more than enough.  Not that I wanted the full basket, really, all I was after was the succulent.  Sometimes it's really all about the succulents, if you know what I mean.

Treat him right and he will grow

And yesterday was odd at work with many customers in the morning who really didn't buy much of anything, but who helped waste time... until around 3 in the afternoon, when for some reason everyone decided to go home.

I also ordered two pair of jogging shorts in bright colors, each having a different leg length: one is 5 inches, the other 3 inches.  I will have to see if there's a difference when I run.  As far as I know, the only real plus side for the shorter length is that I get to show more leg.

And what about that group of 11 Republican senators who plan on protesting the election?  Mittens Romney says their actions are egregious.  Everyone is a wannabe future two bit presidential candidate wanting to hook up with the Idiot Jerk's base.  Ted Cruz?  That man is so desperate to be an idiot in chief I can smell his stench way up here in Pennsylvania.  Someone should tell that loser his name was scratched off that dance card a long time ago.  He is not now, nor will he ever be hot.

  

Waiting for that Extra degree

 Well, hello to a new week!  I'm off today, sadly, I do have to work tomorrow, but then I'm off for 2 more days.  Can't complain about that schedule.  After that my days off are split... something I don't like, still, it's better than working 10 or 11 days in a row, and having a fixed shift is nice.  For those who don't understand, ask your boss if one day you can start work at 0500, and the next day go in late but work until midnight, and so on.  You will quickly understand. 

Yesterday, I got pretty much accomplished, including a touch up of the pain in the hallway which suffered from some cardboard brush-burns from moving the treadmill up from the first floor. And speaking of the treadmill, I also continued my training for a 5k run.  I think I might download some sitar music since I think running to that might be kind of nice.

Yesterday I jogged from the California coast up into the hills

And then yesterday afternoon I went for an 8 mile ride.  I'd say that all in all, yesterday was a really good day for exercise, and I may repeat it again today.

The day after Christmas, every associate in my store was given a digital thermometer.  If we have a fever of 100.4 (F) we're supposed to call off, which brings up a question for me.  My temp is usually low, often around 96.7 (F).  That's 1.9 degrees colder than normal 98.6 (F).  Should I call off if my temp hits 99, or wait for that extra degree to kick in?  Just when exactly do I begin running a fever?

Anyway, I see that the Idiot Jerk in the White House signed that relief measure.  Was it because Senators were beginning to tell him he was going to leave a legacy of chaos and suffering?  If that's the case, well it just goes to show how stupid he really is since signing this bill will do nothing to change his legacy.  History will record him as a racist loser who did nothing but create chaos and suffering in his attempt to glorify the Holy Dollar. 

Hello... It's me

 Sunday.  Yesterday was busier than I thought it was going to be and as a result went by fast.  I am definitely not opposed to fast days at work.  I did have some customers who were moving into a new house (for them) before Christmas and wanted new carpeting put in.  Sorry, that dance card is already filled.  Right now we're looking at installs sometime in the first week of January.  

Rather than have a Holiday Party, we're going to be celebrating the '6 Days of Christmas.'  Lots of food on the near horizon, so I had to check out the calendar - I only work 4 of the 6 days.  I'm going to be their for the Mission Bar-B-Cue day, but will miss out on the sub and sandwich day.  Oh, and I'm going to be getting a little basket.  Believe me, I'd rather have a bigger basket than a smaller one, but when it comes to baskets beggars can't be choosers. 

And I took a picture of myself while taking my temp at work.  Because the scanner didn't like my camera in front of my face, you can't see I was a scorching 96.7 (F).  Yeah, now you know.  I'm cold.  Been that way all of my life.

Oh, and the Idiot Jerk held another super spreader event yesterday down in Georgia.  This was after he called the Republican Governor and threw some sort of shit fit over the phone, demanding a special section of the legislature be called in order to give their electoral votes to him.  I saw an interesting comment about that phone call, referencing the Idiot Jerk's phone call to the Ukraine.  Similarities, you know?  Angry demands by a rotten loser.  

And I saw where there's talk of starting to sanction the Idiot Jerk's baseless lawsuits.  Evidently there is concern they might begin to overwhelm the legal system.  Do you think he cares?  Nah.

It Fits

 Well, hello weekend?  What a shame I'm working.  Every day for the next 3 days I'll be at the Flooring Desk.  I am so excited.  No, not really, but I'll be perfectly honest, the money is nice.  I get to buy things while still adding to my my savings.  Nice.  And it's not like the job is brutal.  I haven't had to deal with a wacked out customer in a couple of week.

I just took my temp and it's 98 (F) according to the thin strip of a thermometer they gave us.  That's wrong, of course.  Every morning when I go to work I have my picture taken by a thermal camera.  Yesterday my temp was 96.7 (F).  I'm a cold one.  Even when I take it at home, with my 'real' thermometer, it's normal for my temp to be in the mid 97's (F).

We now have less than 2 months to go before the election.  Both Facebook and Twitter have said they're going to stop running all political ads a week before November 3.  YouTube needs to do the same thing.  For those who don't watch things on YouTube, let me tell you, there are a lot of political ads.  Some you can skip, others, however, are only 15 seconds long and you need to let those play through.  Most of the commercials I've seen have been for Biden.  I guess I just don't watch the same videos and the Idiot Jerk's base.

And, evidently, the Law and Order agenda the Idiot Jerk has been promoting is not taking hold.  I read in the Washington Post that only 10% of Americans prioritize crime as an issue.  Nope.  The vast majority are more concerned about... (are you ready) Covid 19.  And since the Republicans have been in charge 70% of Americans feel the country is going in the wrong direction.  That other 30%?  Republicans.  You have to remember, that 30% doesn't give a shit about anybody but themselves.  This has always been the selfish problem with Conservatives.  It's all about the "my."  They will never change.

And now for something light.  I saw this the other day and was impressed.  I have no idea why the character of Reno Sweenee has never been played by a man.  The lyric fits.

Scot-Free

Well, it's Monday and I don't go back to work today, unlike some of you.  That will happen tomorrow.  My schedule is not bad for the next couple of weeks.  What will be interesting will the the one for the week of the new year.  That's a 32 hour work week with 8 hours holiday pay.  I could work for 5 days in a row, or for as many as 9.  I have a scheduled 4 days off starting on 1/4, so we shall have to wait and see.
I have mounted my clock.  I know some will find that sentence amusing.  Here it is.

Not only will I now know what the time is, I'll also know the temperature.  Heat rises.  I always knew my upstairs was warmer than the first floor (ground floor for everyone living outside the United States).  The variance is 4 degrees.  It will be interesting to see how warm the room gets when I start pedaling.
I downloaded another route in Greece, however I won't be riding it today.  This afternoon I'm going to try and climb a 6 mile hill in Italy that's part of my challenge.  If I can get to the top of that I will move up to the next level in Rouvy Cycling.
Oh, and I saw the Russians were banned from the next Olympics.  Doping.  Now, I don't know if the directive is coming from the top, but I wouldn't be surprised.  We have our Idiot Jerk, the Russians have their Putsy Putin.  Both are trying to be Emperors.   I understand Putsy Putin is losing his popularity.  Our Idiot Jerk was never really popular... except among of small-minded individuals.
There was an interesting article in Reuters in regard to jobs and America.  Jobs are going to coastal cities, not cities in the heart of the country.   There doesn't seem to be much potential in cities like Indianapolis, and St. Louis, and Kansas City for future job growth, which runs completely contrary to  the Idiot Jerk's "Make America First" campaign.  The voters in those cities who turned out for the Idiot Jerk might just as well have sat home on their toilets and flushed their votes away.  The only way jobs will return to those areas is if we give corporations big tax breaks and incentives, and that doesn't guarantee those jobs they bring will be high paying.  We should never started giving them tax breaks in the first place.  Of course, isn't that what the GOP has always planned, for the American people to bear the burden of taxes while corporations go Scot-Free?  They call it Trickle Down Economics.

Declines for the far right

Well, here it is Wednesday, and while I did jump into a pair of sweats, because the temperature outside is a chilly 19 (F) I did not haul my ass over to Planet Fitness.  I have free weights here at home that I can throw around.  According to the forecast, this little cold snap is supposed to last for another 10 days with highs temperatures only in the 'teens over the New Year holiday.
Yesterday was a bit more busy at the flooring desk than I had been anticipating - I got 2 measures which was good, but I also lost an install - the customers are going to have "their contractor" handle the installation.  They'll still be buying their product from me, which is nice.  They're going with gray floors, most like vinyl planks, and if you want my opinion, ugly as hell.  Their whole downstairs is going to be done in vinyl planks - about $7000 worth.  And it's gray.  As you might guess, I'm not a fan of gray.  If you're spending that much money, why go with one of the most indecisive neutrals in the world?  Your eyes perceive colors, why take that gift away from them?  Because some moron on House and Garden TV says gray is stylish, that's why.
According to a Gallup Poll, religion in America is continuing its slow decline.  Of course, they didn't quite say it that way.  This is what's called attrition.  The devout die off faster than babies are being made.  While both parties have their religious members, the right gets the prize in the box of Cracker Jacks.  I found it rather amazing to see how many of these 'believers' jumped on board the Idiot Jerk's train of hate and discrimination which tends to define them more as 'crazy control freaks' rather than Christians.  If you look at that poll and compare it to one examining religious donations the decline is much more obvious since the first poll only looks at changes within one year, while the latter details changes over a period of years.
Anyway, I get to work today and tomorrow and then I'm off for 2 days.  That being said, next week I work for 38 hours and 32 hours for the 2 following weeks.  This is okay by me.  I got a bunch of vacation time in September and only about 8 months to use it... and, as you might expect, it's difficult to get it approved during May, June, and July.