The Failure of Thomas

 Holy Crap!  it's Sunday!  and on this day of rest, I have to work.  Very cloudy overhead, with the forecast to reach into the upper 70s (F) and thunder boomers this afternoon.  

Yesterday was only semi-productive.  The veggie meal I was planning was replaced by 2 bowls of salad and a chimichanga.  I did get a 14-mile ride in on Lago D'Iseo, which is one of my favorite rides. 

The Central Air was also turned on yesterday.  It will be turned on today before I leave work since temps are predicted to get warm.  If the long-range forecast is correct, next week we will be hitting the 90's (F) here.  That's much too warm for this time of year.  Global warming is real.  At least we don't have the energy problems Texas is having.  Keep in mind, they do have a Republican governor who added to the inflation problem with his stunt of shutting down the border. 

I ordered a gaming keyboard for the gaming computer.  What can I say, I got a deal... a really good deal.  Purchasing my new Alienware PC gave me so many points, and then I received a coupon in the mail for 10% off any Alienware products, including accessories.  Rather than paying the $154 for the keyboard, I'm getting it for $63.  Thats not a bad deal.

Feel the Rainbow!

Finland is joining NATO!  Putin is all pissy, and this is not what our pro-Russkie senators want: the MAGAs hate that his authoritarian government is being challenged.  Oddly enough, I was talking to a friend on the phone last evening who mentioned that Vlad was struggling with cancer, and not fifteen minutes after that conversation I got a flash from Newsweek blurting out that he had blood cancer.  He is costing the oligarchs money; they want him out of there.

There were many, many Pro-Choice walks yesterday, and I do believe there are going to be more today, not that they're going to affect the Cracker Jack Crazies hunched down in their pews thanking Jesus for helping them overturn Roe v Wade.  Believe me, they are happy as pigs in shit.  Remember, if you're not with them, your expendable.

And Clarence Thomas is also spitting out his normal vein of horse shit.  I took the time to watch a video of him speaking at this conservative conference.  He truly is a bloated toad filled with arrogance.  His ego is bristling with joy that he is part of this decision.  How presumptuous of him to blame everyone else other than the court.  People in the room laughed when he claimed that the court was actually like a dysfunctional family that's fine when it gets together for lunch.  Being dysfunctional is not good and believing that the 'superficial' fineness of shared lunch is terrible.  And he blames everybody else.  This leak has diminished the Supreme Court because 5 justices are politically motivated to force their religious beliefs upon a majority.  Thomas is a failure as a human being, and a black man, and he seems quite happy to blame everyone else for his failings.

Tremblers

Well, a happy Monday morning to all of you out there in blogger land!  I do hope all of you had a nice day of respite from the travails of the world.

One of the things I did yesterday, other than lazing around, was finish going through Dave's notes and suggestions on The Body in Repose.  The input I receive from both him and the other three proofreaders / editors provides the essential polish for turning a rough manuscript into a published book.  Tuesday the manuscript will be on its way to Kris, whose finely tuned notes will only add to the sheen.  Oh.... shit... did you just feel that?  Was it a trembler?  Or is something beginning to happen down in the French Quarter?

Here's sort of what the final set up for my Alienware PC looks like (ignore my breakfast on the left).  I've changed the lighting from teal to purple, since I've never really been a teal person.  The only other change I'm contemplating is moving the unit to the left side of the desk.  Right now, I'm still up in the air about that move.

I saw an interesting article this morning regarding Evangelicals and how some of the younger generation are leaving because of the politicization of those older Cracker Jack Crazies.  There is trouble in that crazy, little world.  As one pastor questioned:  What do you do when you believe God put Trump in the White House... and then God loses?  Not only did He lose, He allowed The Big Lie to spread among the faithful.  I'm sure the idea of Trump being sent to destroy them is a concept that will never occur, I mean, how could their beliefs be wrong?  Now they are desperately trying to ignore the tremors ratchetting back and forth across the Evangelical movement.

Egg Salad

 2nd day with the new computer.  Remember when you could switch your browser with just a click of a button?  Not anymore.  Microsoft doesn't want you using anything other than Microsoft, something I don't want to do.  Google is easier to organize, whereas Windows 11 seems cumbersome, oh, and I hate that their favorites are now on the right side of the screen.  One of the really good things about this upgrade is that I've decided up update my passwords.  That was challenging at time, but... well, most of them were 10 to 15 years old (son of a bitch).

Yesterday, the weather was fine.  The dogs and I spent some time outside, they laid around soaking in the sun while I pottered, without Harry (stop groaning).  The lawn was mowed.  

I do have to work today, which is good.  There are a few things I want to pick up at the store, like a bag of dirt.  One of those elephant ear plants might make it into my shopping basket as well.

Sunday is a scheduled day off.  If I don't finish the most recent edits on The Body in Repose this evening, they'll be done on Sunday.  And then the manuscript is off to the final editor, yippee! 

As I said yesterday, I made egg salad.  Here's a picture of the prep.

I saw where that dimwitted governor Abbott has rescinded his truck search.  In a stunt which was supposed to embarrass the administration, he ended up looking like a losing fool.  In reality, he created a useless blockade that had fruit and vegetables starting to rot in trucks.  His AG, Kenny Paxton, said it was a success.  You know who Kenny is, don't you?  The Texas AG who has soooooo many legal issues?  Who's being seriously investigated?  I wouldn't be surprised if one of these days we hear that Kenny is going to retire to Puerto Vallarta.

 

Old is New Again

 Okay, so this is my first entry using the new computer, something which is going to be a learning experience.  I'm still adjusting the settings.  Windows 11 is different.  Personalization will be interesting.  As with every other time I've upgraded, certain things transfer over easily.  Other?  Well, I'm used to having the NYT and Washington Post in task bar, so I've got to figure out how to do that.  One of the good things that happened is old... really old pictures are now available.  Pictures I'd forgotten about.  Like this one, taken in 2004 of me standing next to a John Deere tractor.  That's right!  This is what I looked like 18 years ago!   Son of a bitch!

Other things were accomplished yesterday besides setting up the new computer:  bread was baked, egg salad was made, my dahlias were planted. In fact, I didn't begin setting the new PC up until late afternoon.  

And what about old Ronnie DeSantis trying to turn Florida into an authoritarian state?  For those who didn't hear, Ronnie is making a very Putenesque move.  Two voting districts that are heavily populated by black voters who vote heavily Democrat are going to be gerrymandered into non-exitance under a map he, himself is drawing up. I can only wonder how long it will be until he begins to poison his opponents because you know, he's not going to want anyone running against him.  That old racism is again rearing its ugly head, and this time that evil goes by the name of DeSantis.

Cool Down

 Guten Morgen!

Yes, I am still working on my German, and I can say more than those two words.  I've tried several different courses.  Right now I'm using Babel and I do seem to be learning, perhaps because this is the first course to actually explain where there are so many ways to say the definitive article 'the' in German.

Yesterday I was by myself at the flooring desk for most of the day.  No problems.  Business is slow right now, much slower than it was in February, which is normally the slowest time of the year.  And it's not just our store, it is all across the district.  Prices have gone up, but I believe that might only be a small, partial reason.  Another part of the problem is, I suspect, credit card debt; if you sign up for one of our cards the interest rate is a (holy mother of god) 26%.  Most importantly, I think, is the fact that during the Covid Years people spent umpteen $$$ on home improvements and have decided that now is a good time to apply the brakes.  Most only have so much disposable cash, and as I said, that credit rate is a real killer.

I had an email from FedEx this AM telling my my new computer will now be arriving on Thursday.  Excitement is building.  I went with a liquid cooling system, rather than air, which means it will look like this on the inside.

Aren't you happy I show pictures like this rather than pictures of naked people?

I saw where the once liberal Lachlan Murdoch, the heir apparent to the sinister Rupert, has changed his tune.  He gave a speech back on March 29 in which he claimed Australia's traditional values were under attack.  While he mentioned that Australia is one of the most openminded countries (?), went on to stress how censorship was ruining those values.  He continued this thread by bringing up  Facebook's attempt at limiting Wuhan conspiracy theories before moving onto Hunter Biden's laptop.  He cited a poll (?) which claimed over 50% of Americans would not stand up and fight if Russia were to invade the US.  But then, what else should we expect from the man who pays Tucker Carlson to be Putin's Puppet?  Truthfully, his complaints were not about censorship, as much as they are about his belief that mass media is needed to create and sustain authoritarian governments, authoritarian governments run by the wealthy.  I think we need to cool Lachlan down by shading him with some serious taxes, otherwise he will be just another rich guy looking for another puppet state to control.  

The Train Wreck is a'commin'

 Let the new week begin!

Yesterday was so, so busy at the store.  Because of call-offs, though, I spent the last 3 hours of my shift as a cashier.  Thanks to my previous stints in management and HR, they paid dearly for that 180 minutes.  Not that I minded.  Thirteen years ago, as International Paper was on the verge of shutting down xpedx, its distributary branch, I began my career with the orange, home improvement retailer as a part-time cashier.

When I checked my email this morning, there was a notice from Dell that my Alienware computer, due to arrive on May 12, was shipping early.  The new arrival date is this Friday, April 15.  Now, isn't it a good thing I'm scheduled off?  Usually I end up going into work late, or calling off when ever a big ticket item is getting delivered.

And even though the editing is going full steam on The Body in Repose, I'm also working on The Body Under Ice.  There are a number of lyrics used in The Body in Repose because there were numerous situations where they fit in.  Such frequent occasions don't arise in the new book, though I'm fairly certain there's going to be a karaoke night at Hennepin's.  Now, if you've read some of my work, you probably know Max Sullivan can not dance.  He doesn't even come close to having a sense of rhythm.  But can he sing?  You'll have to wait until karaoke night at Hennepin's to find out.  And what might he happen to sing?  How about this little ditty?

And, of course, Liz Cheney dropped a little bomb yesterday.  I'm sure the January 6 committee has so much shit on Trump.  At least 2 charges might be sent to the DOJ.  Will they actually arrest him?  Probably not.  He will leave before that happens.  Next month the shit the committee has gathered will start to float to the surface.  Where as the Benghazi hearings were nothing more than red meat for the Republican base, Americans across the board will find these hearings fascinating.  People like to slow down when they pass an automobile accident; they want to catch a glimpse of the morbid, grizzly details.  These hearings are going to be a demoralizing train wreck for the GOP.  People are going to look at the corruption leading up to the insurrection, and scratching their heads, and saying 'you've got to be fucking kidding me.'

May 12

Well, hello Weekend.  I'm talking about the two days, Saturday and Sunday, not the guy who got pissed off because he didn't get a Grammy nomination a few years back.  I didn't see, did he get a nomination this year?  Or has he already begun to cycle past his relevancy?

A lot was accomplished yesterday. I rode 4 miles on the bike and realized I needed to do some more rearranging.  That took up a bit more time than I had been expecting.  The camera and mic are now set up downstairs in preparation for the YouTube channel.  I'm sort of excited... but only sort of.

One of the things that surfaced during my rearranging, was this:  Back in 1977, while at Lebanon Valley College, I direct West Side Story.  Here's my program, with the tatters of my 'opening night' boutonniere still pinned to the cover.

And I ordered a new gaming PC as well:

The new computer is not due to arrive until May 12, which gives me plenty of time to prep the stuff I want to transfer, and decide what I want to store in the 'cloud.'  Honestly, I can't wait.  The speaker jack faded out yesterday.  My speaker system is now connected to the headphone jack in the front of the PC, which still works.   More wires = less fun.