Opinionated

 Well, as the forecasters predicted, we have sunshine.  In fact, not a single drop of rain is predicted for the next week.  Sure, some of the days are supposed to be partly cloudy, but, if there correct, we'll see nary a drop of precipitation.  That'll be nice.

Work was slow yesterday.  I understand it was busier in the morning, during that constant drizzle, but in the afternoon, after the rain had stopped, the customers dropped off.  The only bright spot was that I had my review.  The large, orange, home improvement retailer I work for had done away with reviews during covid, now they are coming back.  I'm evidently number one in the store in getting measures.  Everyone seems to attribute that to the fact that I'm a "nice guy."  I find that funny since I am surrounded by so many other people whom I think are much nicer.  Perhaps that's because I don't know what's going on in their heads, while I know very well what's going on in mine.  Are my thoughts bad?  Nah, but I am definitely very opinionated and if you rub me the wrong way you will get to hear my opinion.

When I finish here, I'm going to go downstairs to the writing room and download a program called Fotor into the writing laptop.  I began uploading the files for the audio version of The Body on the Lawn yesterday and discovered that the cover art needs to be perfectly square.  Fotor takes the rectangular art that I have and does just that.  I don't know whether to classify this as a learning experience, or a bother.

Here's what my writing room floor looks like with all of the area rugs out.  There's a spot where it looks like I must have spilled some sort of oil and it created a stain.  Whatever it was, it didn't create a strong enough memory for me to remember.  And, for those who are curious, the round thing is a hatbox that has stamps on the lid from the first Grand Prix in Paris in 1906, and that is a Columbia Graphinola dated to 1926.  Somehow, I seem to accumulate old stuff.

And, since it's the weekend, politically things are quiet; that doesn't mean I stop thinking.  One thing that occurred to me is how so many wealthy Christians want to believe that their wealth is a blessing from God.  This makes me wonder if they ever think about wealthy Muslims.  Not Christians, and yet some of them are the richest people in the world.  Or, do they ever consider Asian billionaires, again some of the wealthiest people in world, and definitely not Christian.  Aren't these people blessed, too?  Or is it that Christian billionaires have tiny, selfish, inconsiderate minds that can only regard themselves as being blessed?

Snow

 We have snow!  Not the light and fluffy kind, however, thick and heavy.  Very moisture laden, might be a good way of describing it, and beneath the white is a layer of slush, weighty stuff.  This cardio will be a workout.  Temps are barely below freezing, and as the day goes on, the warmer they're going to be getting.  Some forecasters predicted 1 - 3 inches, other 4 - 8 inches.  I'm guessing we got on the low end of the 4 - 8 inches, and while flurries are still flying, I'm not expecting much more of an accumulation. 

An apology to Sixpence for not responding to his comment yesterday.  Blogger did something odd and the reply button was not working.  In fact, the same thing happened to Maddie's reply button after I responded to her comment.  

Retail was slow yesterday.  Once again, I'm going to repeat myself.  We're in the middle of February, here in the mid-state, the number of people choosing to wait on home improvements is enormous.  The installation measures I have been getting are for blinds, not flooring.  There's no need for doors to be open for extended periods of time while product and tools are carried into the house.  There's also a lot less mess.  Cleanup is virtually non-existent. 

Quick snowy weather update, the sun has just broken through the clouds!  According to Accuweather radar, the storm has passed.  So, I guess we're looking forward to partly cloudy skies with temps in the mid 40s (F).  Meaning the snow is already going bye bye.  Here's a pic from my backyard.

And, if anyone hasn't been paying attention, the social conservatives are flipping out over those pro-Christian ads that played during the Super Bowl.  Holy Crap!  Literally.  They're calling them Satanic, and pure evil.  One of the said that they promoted a Woke Jesus (I found that funny), since social conservatives hate the idea of being woke.  Remember woke?  That thing Americans rejected Ronnie DeSantis, and his campaign, because he couldn't stop shoving it down everyone's throat?

Another bit of bright news is that the last chapter of Moms for Liberty in Pennsylvania has officially disbanded because of... lack of interest.  The thing they didn't understand is that parents really don't want someone telling them how to raise their children.  Nope.  Perhaps if they had provided a list of books that parents might want to consider to be either appropriate or inappropriate for their children they might have had a better success rate, but nope, they charged into schools ripping books from library shelves.  That, and the fact that they heartily approved of a White Supremacy.  

Finally, looking out of my window, I think it's about time I got my ass into gear and went out and shoveled some snow.

Conservative Failure

 Well, it's Tuesday and I'm glad.  I've had 2 weeks of disruptive scheduling because other associates were on vacation.  I worked 29 hours last week, and that's a lot for me.  I'm used to my 3 days on and 4 days off schedule, which has finally started again.  

The temps climbed up to 91 (F) yesterday and it was warm, or at least it felt warm.  Being used to highs in the mid 80s (F), it's amazing how much hotter a few extra degrees can make it seem.  Today we're back in the low to mid 80s (F), which is fine with me.

An offer has been made on the house next door.  I don't know for how much, but when you go into Zillow it is now listed as "sale pending."  There was a family with two teenage children looking at it last week, though I wouldn't think they'd be interested.  They were driving an old Hyundai which might indicate the price might be out of their budget.  I'm interested in how much it will actually sell for.

Yesterday morning I took this picture of some of my roses to post to Threads and because I'm still acquainting myself with how it works, I sent it everywhere except here.  So, now I've fixed that.

Because I was bored yesterday, I walked over to the kitchen designer to waste some time in conversation.  He and I talk regularly, and though he's a Republican, he's very much a Centrist.  Sometimes we talk politics, sometimes we don't.  At one point in the conversation I said, "you know, conservatism is dying," and, after a few seconds, he surprised me by agreeing.  For those who don't understand, it's not just Trump, but in part quite a lot of it has to do with the Republican party's reliance on culture wars.  All they can do is shriek about wokeness, something they can't define, and it's failing.  Ronnie DeSantis has become a joke since he can't finish a sentence with using the word woke.  The shooting this past weekend by a homophobic Christian because she had a rainbow flat hanging outside her bookstore drives home the point.  Conservatism is being violently killed by people like Greg Locke, the Evangelical pastor who destroyed a Barbie dream home with a bible duct-taped to a baseball bat.  While some of the Cracker Jack Crazies were pleased by Locke's behavior, vast numbers of people around the world have watched that video saying WTF.  Failure is no longer an option for Conservatives, it's the reality.

Yesterday

 I woke up this morning to the scent of skunk.  What a way to begin Monday, a work week in which I'll be spending over 32 hours at the store. 

Update on the associate whose hours I'm covering (slightly).  He didn't fall through a roof; he fell off the roof of a ranch house (his son said 9 feet).  His nose was cut (left side) and stitched, and he broke his shoulder.  He'll most likely be back at work next week, but he won't be hoisting any cases of tile for the next few months.

Update on my neighbor's wife:  she came home yesterday afternoon.  I didn't run over and talk to her.  We were never that close.  She wants to sell the house, but I've been seen how fully the dining room is packed with... stuff.  Unless she pays someone to come in and haul it away, it's not something that's going to happen in the next week or so.

I worked 8 hours yesterday, and believe me, they were a very long hour.  I talked to a couple about blinds.  I did get 2 measurements and a lead on a curtain installation.  No, we don't install curtains or drapes.  We sign people up for a consultation with Kirsch, a company that handles 'window dressings.'  

My late summer roses are beginning to bloom.

And yesterday was a good day for Democracy.  Major legislation was passed.  The Republicans hate it.  This bristles them down to the core of their gill slits, not that Republicans actually have gill slits... but then they just might.  Isn't this what happens when a species gives up mouth breathing for bottom feeding?  

Of course, the Republicans voted down a cap on insulin.  They blamed it on a technicality.  The cap couldn't be included with the regular package and so, rather than do something good for diabetic Americans, they offered them as a sacrifice to big Pharma.  They prefer to have people suffer than give the Democrats anything that might be considered a win.

And finally... A Cracker Jack Crazy church in Dallas is in some serious legal trouble by not only performing an unauthorized performance of Hamilton, but they're also under fire making other changes in the script.  For example, Hamilton is 'saved' and becomes a Christian before his death.  They also did a number of other changes to the script making the show anti-LGBTQ.  They also added a sermon at the end.  Oh, and not surprisingly, most of the cast is white.

Quayle vs Cheney

 Well, let's all say hello to a sleepy Sunday morning.  I don't know about you, but I turned off the alarm and rolled over to catch an addition hour of shuteye.

Yesterday the weather was cool and windy, today it's going to be nice, with the temp possibly hitting 78 (F).  Sadly, I do have to work an 8-hour shift.  There is the good possibility the store will be slow.  I am hoping for as much.  It is Father's Day after all, another Hallmark Holiday, and a lot of fathers, especially the conservative ones, are expecting to be treated royally.  If you're a MAGA, it's just another day to suck down beer without thinking about the hangover you'll be dealing with tomorrow morning as you head into work.

I drove down to York yesterday to have lunch with my friend Betsy.  We talked politics.  It was a good time.  The only problem was with the diner, (diner food is great).  She only ate half of a very thick BLT, and half of her sweet potato fries, and so she asked for a box.  We continued our conversation as we walked to the car, when she suddenly said, "oh, I left my box on the table."  By the time she got back to the table, they'd thrown the rest of her meal away.  Bad customer service.  For all that clean-up person knew, Betsy might have left her container on the table while she went to the restroom.  It should have been taken to the cashier, not thrown into the garbage.

My dahlias are preparing to burst into bloom!

I saw where Trump was at the Faux Faith and Freedom to Lie conference.  That Cracker Jack Crazies were in their version of heaven (no caps).  Once again, he criticized Mike Pence for not breaking the law and creating a constitutional crisis.  And as if cue, Steve Bannon called Pence a Judas.  Guess who wasn't at that phony festival of fools.  Mike Pence.  He avoided it for the first time in 5 years.  Can you guess why?  Well, besides being a coward, he wants to run for president.  More power to him, since there are 2 groups of Christian voters:  the Evangelicals who believe God sent Trump, and the rest of the believers who quietly shake their heads at this blasphemy.  We might end up with a knockdown, drag out war, Christian against Christian war.  Honestly, I don't think Pence has the fortitude for such a fight.  Remember, when his little, faux Christian world was spinning terribly out of control in 2020, the person he turned to for advice was the namby-pamby Dan Quayle, not the aggressive Dick Cheney, who'd been Vice President for 2 terms.

 

Omnipotence

 Well, Biggie just had his last carprofen tablet.  He's been only getting one a day for the past 3 days.  This is what happens when his meds don't ship on time.  To be honest, I don't know how much they help.  The gabapentin seems to be doing a much better.  He has less problems going down the back steps.  Before he rarely stood, always sat down, he also has much less difficulty in stand up.  Gabapentin takes 1 - 2 weeks to hit full efficacy.  One of our cashiers takes it for neuropathy and she says it works wonders, it just takes so long before it takes effect.

Today is also the first day of Spring! So man plants are poking their first leaves up through the ground.  I hope this year will be really colorful!  Right now the temps are in the mid 40's (F).  They're predicted to climb into the mid 50's with some clouds.  And, as far as long range forecasts go... well, we all know how inaccurate they are; forecasters can barely get the days right let alone 2 weeks in advance.

So, I've been thinking about the Cracker Jack Crazies and their desperate belief that God sent Trump to give them a Conservative Supreme Court.  I use the word desperate because... well, one of these mornings at 0300, get your butt out of bed and go outside and look up.  If you are not too close to a metropolitan area, you will see the Universe.  You will see stars light years away, as well as galaxies so very, very far away.  The Cracker Jack Crazies will tell you God created the universe: all those stars, all those galaxies, so far away we don't even know where it actually ends.  Seeing this immensity, all of this power, I wonder why is it He can only give them an American president by flipping the Electoral College.  That seems like... well, the tip of a little finger move for something they say is omnipotent.  Maybe He has to use the Electoral College because their numbers are not as great as they think.  And this last election?  2020? The one they said was chosen to give them what they want lost, and attempted a coup, and then started The Big Lie because he believed the Supreme Court he packed was going to throw the election.  Hell, this does not say much for omnipotence does it?  That their deity would need to resort to such deceit?  Perhaps if they weren't so stinking desperate.

Knife in the Back

 We had a frost warning for early this morning.   The temps are down to 38 (F), but so for no frost.  The leaves are starting to fall from trees though, like the rain we never really got yesterday but never did.  I'm off on Tuesday, but if the forecasters are right, rain will be falling here in Central Pa, so leaf raking might not be on my schedule.

I will need to get a snail for my tank.  Algae.  And the algae eater is so damn fickle.  Rather than clean off the side of the tank, it's turned out to be more of a nibbler than an eater, nibble a bit here, nibble a bit there, sort of like a grazer with a free ticket to Ponderosa.  Remember Ponderosa?  It used to be a buffet style restaurant.  Gee.  Does anybody remember buffets?

And there's all sort of interesting bits and pieces of political news.  A number of Republican Senators are in trouble because they suckered up to the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Someone should tell them that after over 3 years of jumping aboard his dribble train, two weeks before the election is a bad time to decide to jump off.  You're hearing people say that slack-jawed McConnell made a mistake by trying to rush a Cracker Jack Crazy Christian onto the Supreme Court.  He thought this was going to help endangered Senators... it hasn't, and if they vote her in before election day?  Well, that might be the bloody knife in their back.

Biden beat the Idiot Jerk on ratings in the Dueling Town Hall competition.  Boy, I'll bet that must sting, to be a ratings loser.

And if you all remember, for quite some time I've been saying that when the Idiot Jerk loses, he'll end up moving to Moscow.  Well, he's starting to drop hints about leaving the country.  That's the only option he has to avoid being taken into custody the second Biden is sworn in.  I'm suspecting the whole family is going to relocate.  Their corruption is going to come out.  

Beware the Wolf

Well, it's Saturday... The weather is supposed to be nice.  Today is not the first Saturday of the months so do not bring your children to the store for Children's Workshop.  Every Saturday people show up with their kids and we tell them that's it's only on the first Saturday of the month.  Tired of hearing the sound of little hammers only one hundred feet away, I've taken to requesting off on the first Saturday of every month.
More of my Dahlias are blooming, though from the same plant.  I have 5 other plants of different colors.  I'll post pics of them when they begin blooming.
Did you ever hear about the wolf in the sheep's clothing? 

it's about people who masquerade as one thing when in reality they are something completely different.  We're dealing with that very issue right now.  I saw this article in The Hill. There was something similar in Towleroad.  I'm speaking about the Evangelical Sect of Christianity, those crazies who love the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  He loves them back because they lower their heads and bow to him.  He gives them the power they so desperately crave.  They are going to do everything they can to get that Moral Degenerate re-elected.  His approval rating is sitting around 40% and they make up a large chunk of that percentage.  They are a minority group who wish to dictate life for a majority of Americans.  For their votes, he will slice apart every style of life they hate and let them pass judgment on all.  Remember that war crazy eyed Michele Bachman ranted about?  They have just declared it... and they will do anything to win it.  We can not let that happen.  Ever.
I picked the last of my peaches from the tree.  They are tasty!  I didn't think I'd get any this year and ended up with 7.  My nectarine tree has about 20.  I'm pleased.

Think

Today is not the end of my work week.
The above statement is aimed at all those people who feel the need to post some sort of dancing gif to celebrate the end of their work week totally clueless about the millions and millions of others who will be working this weekend.  If you're off this weekend and you go to a restaurant, think about your host and server and your busboy who don't work a standard five day week, or you go the mall.  Or you get sick and have to go the Emergency Room, or your house catches fire, or a tornado blows your house to pieces... think about all those people who are there to help you, who are working on the weekend, and maybe reconsider posting your little dancing gif.
The House passed an Anti-Hate bill yesterday because... a freshman senator spoke without thinking.  Her words gave the Crazy Christians ammunition.  I don't care how strongly you might feel she was in the right, this early in her political career she needs to censor what she says in public.  She is a Muslim, and as such needs to understand there is a large swath of Americans, those Crazy Christians who bow to the Idiot Jerk in the White House, who see her as the enemy.  This entire administration is virally anti-Muslim.  The meek shall inherit the Earth, not the loud mouths.
There's a lot of shrieking going on out there over the fact that another strongly anti -LGBT judge.  For everyone who is complaining, you had better be able to say with a clear conscience that you voted in 2016 for Hillary.  A vote for Bernie hurt her at the polls.  If you were one of those who stayed home and didn't vote because you thought she had it in the bag... well, think about what your choice to stay home has cost America.  In fact, you should be thinking about that daily.  Your regret should be constantly sticking you in the back.  In case you didn't know, McConnell and the other members of the Republican hate group have changes the rules so they can confirm even more Crazy Christian judges.  For those of you who didn't vote?  Think about all the damage that is being done to America.
Finally, there's a new exhibit opening at the Museum of Natural History in New York about raptors.  Among them is the updated version of the world's most favorite dino killer... the T-Rex.  Thanks to science, we now have a much better pictures of what this 18,000 lb killing and eating machine looked like, and like us, he had 3D vision.  He could virtually smell the blood pumping through your veins, and if he was hungry... you... were lunch.  Oh, and to make him even more terrifying... they now know he had feathers.

Think about that chasing your ass through the jungle.

Books Are the Order of the Day

Thursday, and I'm the only flooring specialist on the schedule today.  This means if you want to buy anything after 4:30 PM you're going to be dealing with the aisle maintenance people.
How about little old Nancy Pelosi shoving her shiny, little pump up the Idiot Jerk's ass yesterday?  Security, you know?  "Let's hold off on the State of the Union," she said, twisting her sharp, tiny heel to the left.  Kristjen N from Homeland Security fired back saying "no, no, no," without understanding how much she sounded like Mr. Bill.... remember Mr. Bill?

Mike Pence's wife got a job at a phony Christian School where the focus is on Passing Judgement.  I checked, she does have experience teaching art... in elementary school so it's not like this was just a blatant political move to shore up the Crazy Christian base.  But let's be honest here, the only voters Pence can count on when he runs for President are the Crazy Christians.  Funny, isn't it?  This is a group so craven for power, for the ability to Pass Judgement, they don't realize they are sinning themselves straight to hell.  No one said they were smart since they evidently seem to be following the playbook they stole from "Mr. Bill's Almost Devout" book on Theology.

I was talking to Cori yesterday about the artwork for the next book.  She did the cover for "The Body on the Lawn."  To be honest, she wasn't that impressed about that one, though everybody seemed to like it.  She said "It's just some woman standing in front of a Cadillac."  "Oh," she said, I get to play around with a little more joie de mort."  I had printed off a number of pictures and given them to her, like this one:

It's actually not as large as it seems in the pictures.  The first time I stood in front of it I had to pause because I thought it was going to be gigantic.  It isn't.  And in spite of the low hum of voices, I have to say the mood around the display is very quite, people feel muted in the presence of something so great.  Quiet rules constantly... except for that afternoon during the Tour de France when something... unpleasant... took place on the staircase leading down from Winged Victory.

New Toy in Town

People, you are going to need to contain yourselves because... there's a new toy in town.  This little baby was sitting on my front porch when I got home from work yesterday.  Christmas Colors!  And this is actually 2 toys in one!  I can either 'husk' or 'shuck.'  Does anybody which is more fun?  Husking?  or Shucking?  I'm going to need to build myself a box.  You see, the toy clamps to the box (clamps are included, by the way).  The round hole at the top is expandable - that's right, this baby will take any size nut or cob.  Oh, and it comes with a nice crank, too.  You use the crank to turn the wheel as you shove in your nuts... or cobs.  So, is everyone as excited as I am?

And what about that crazy Turkey biz?  The stock market is not happy.  Crazy Christians are, though.  I guess the Turks arrested one, he was on some sort of crazy Christian mission, no doubt.  They said he's a spy.  That has the Crazy Christians in this country pissing sideways.  Because they lubed his slide into the Oval Office, the Idiot Jerk is giving them what they want.  He's going to crash the Turkish economy.  Not that the Crazy Christians in this country care about the Turkish people.  Nope.  You see the Turks are either Muslim, or the 'wrong kind of Christian.'  That means they have no value as human beings.  This is the kind of shit that starts really big, bad wars and they don't care because... well, they're crazy.  Shit, they're worse than fucking zombies.
Anyway, in case you are wondering, I do have wood.  I just have to figure out how to make it into a box.

Social Conservative Porn

Saw an interesting bit in the LA Times this AM regarding James Woods, the crazy to the Right has been actor.  Evidently he announced his retirement from acting, one of the reasons given was his difficulty getting hired because of his... political views.
And, for those who missed it, yesterday, a 70 year old, white, social conservative published his version of Christian Porn.  Yep, Jeff Sessions published 25 pages of the stuff.  Evidently he "consulted" with a  Crazy to the Right Legal team in an attempt to legally cement their hatred towards... well, everybody who doesn't believe what they believe.  The second after publication members of the LGBT community started shouting and waving their red flags, however it effects so many, many more people. because it lets people who have certain beliefs say "no."  This Sessions' porn allows them to inflict pain and suffering simply by saying "it's against my religion."  One's own personal beliefs become the caretaker of discrimination.  If you're a minority, any minority, they can refuse to serve you, to provide help in your times of need.  This Sessions' porn allows certain people to look you in the eye and say "you have no worth."  It gives them the ability to ostracize whomever they choose.  For example, say you just happen to be a straight, Catholic couple who go to a baker who happens to believe that Catholics are phony, that they're false Christians, that baker can refuse to bake their cake because he believes they worship idols.  This Sessions' porn not only opens the door for legal discrimination, but for legal segregation as well.

And, of course, there are voices out there saying that this porn lacks specificity, that because of its generalized details, this thing will be tied up in the courts for years.  That's precisely what these haters want.  You see, they don't mind waiting until the Idiot Jerk in the White House loads the courts with enough like-minded haters who will constitutionalize and legitimize this hatred.
Vote Blue.
Vote Blue.
Take back control.

With Billion Dollar Friends Like These

So, the Idiot is in Saudi Arabia, home of the holiest of Muslim sites - Mecca.  There were, I believe, 2 Saudis involved in the 9/11 Terrorist attack and the country has been known to have been sponsoring terror groups for years.  And this very Muslim country was not on the banned list.  Doesn't that make you go hhhmmmm?  Obama wasn't to keen on the Saudis because he knew they were more interested in buying arms then they were in fighting extremism.  Of course with the Idiot all they had to do was wave a fist full of green backs, buckos, you know?  "Arms Deals" is the magic phrase for the Idiot, as it is for all Republicans, for them, nothing beats making money.
I understand the Saudis are preparing to fork over $100 billion for helicopters and missile defense systems, and most like a whole laundry list of other weapon related merchandise.  Woah!  someone in the good ol' USA is going to make mucho grande millions.  That's right.  The munitions manufactures have always been high donors for the GOP.  A long time ago, when we were involved in a little skirmish we called Vietnam, the vast majority of the country was anti-war... not, however, those who were making the bombs and the bullets.  They were making money hand over fist. not the people who were actually in the assembly lines, nope, they just got their everyday paycheck with a little Overtime now and then.  It was the big guys who were making the money, the CEO's, the Chairmen of the Boards, the ones who donate heavily to the Conservative Party.  And it looks like they're going to make a lot of money again!
Of course, he's only in Saudi Arabia for 2 days, after that he's going to have to go to Israel, whom he betrayed to the Russians.  Holy Crap!  I just got this vision of Judas in my head.  What if the Idiot tries to kiss Netanyahu on the cheek!  Wouldn't that be like sooooo perfect?

Especially after laughing it up with the Muslims in Saudi Arabia?  And for those who didn't know, this whole Muslim 'ban' had nothing to do with Terrorism and everything to do with giving the haters of his base a cherished little something to call their own.  And I suspect that his loyalty to any one country is tenuous at best, unless, of course you're Vlad, the impaler of Democracy.

The 11th Commandment

As I was skimming down Facebook yesterday, and yes, I do skim, I don't read everything posted, I saw that one of my friends, Alicia, had posted anti-Trump video in which actors sang some sort of song.  I didn't watch it, however I did read the 2 comments.  The first was from a woman who put the 'K' in Krazy Kristian, and she went on... and on... and on, about using the Lord's name in vain, and how Liberals were going to burn in hell, and you know the diddy by now.  Now Alicia had posted a warning that there was some language in the video and this woman watched it anyway, with the sole reason, I suspect, to damn it to hell and back.  Being curious, I checked out this woman's page and found lots of Krazy Kristian links.  For Halloween she'd actually carved a pumpkin to look like Jesus... seriously.
Anyway, I had to put in my 2 cents.  I told Alicia to unfriend this woman since she was obviously unbalanced in a Krazy Kristian way and because she has never understood the 11th Commandment.  Now I don't claim to be a Christian Scholar, and I know there are only 10 Commandments on those clay tablets, but if you've ever read the New Testament you'll know there is one.

To be continued

Too many Christians don't pick up on it because they want to be the voice of Authority.  In case you're wondering, here's the 11 commandment.

Thou shalt not cherry pick My Word in order to justify your self righteousness and pass judgement.

That's it.  I mean any fool can pluck out a few words here and a few words there and use them out of context to damn you.  Think of it like eating a banana split.  You've got 3 scoops of different flavored ice cream, you've got bananas, you've got 3 different toppings, with nuts, and whipped cream and a cherry on top.  These people only eat the cherry on top because that's all they want.

I got a thank you note from Alicia.  And she unfriended the woman.

Red State Hate

If you've been paying any sort of attention you've seen that Mississippi is working on their own Christian Hate Bill - you know what I'm talking about, that if you claim to be a Christian it's okay to hate.  While they say this is because of the Supreme Court decision, let's be honest here.  The Red States have hated a lot of people for a very long time; ever since they lost the Civil War.  Now they don't hate everything.  They loved their Confederate Flag and a lot of them were really pissed when those to the north and west of them starting pointing out it was a Racist Emblem.  Of course, in some places they took the flag down... well, at least they moved them so they weren't so public, which means they didn't really come to terms with their racism, just popped it into a closet.
Now they're passing laws which let them use that old joke "it's a against my religion."  You know the joke I'm talking about?  Where someone would ask you to do something and you'd reply "nah, it's against my religion."  And, while they say it's just a protection for their deeply held Christian beliefs, it really is just a demonstration of hatred.  Don't think they'll stop at the LGBT community, either.  These laws let them target anyone they don't like.

And it's only the red states that hold so much hate, the ones controlled by the GOP.  But then it's a long known fact that the Republicans hate every one who doesn't kiss their ass.  And their prayers for a Republican President are being skewered by Trump, who might end up being the biggest loser they've ever nominated.  And he will get their nomination, other wise there will be rioting in the streets of Cleveland.

What's funny is that they put all this energy into hate and it gets them know where.  As a result, they're going to lose more and more.  Perhaps someone should have told them long ago that hate is a cancer, and it's eating them alive.

The GOP and Divine Wrath

I've been thinking about Ben Carson and his inability to get the record straight.  I say this because under scrutiny a lot of his personal history, the stuff he uses to manipulate people, seems to have been padded.  Now he is saying all that jazz about being offered a scholarship to West Point was really a problem with semantics.  Dropping the "semantics" word bomb is a clear indicator that a lie has been told, and this is Ben's way of tap dancing around the truth.  However, because he's a Krazy Kristian a number of other Krazy Kristians believe he's the real thing... how quickly they forget.
Remember George W?  He was also a Krazy Kristian.  He's the one who said to Bob Woodward "I talk to my Higher Father."  There were a lot of jokes back then since it did not seem as though his Higher Father was actually listening to him.  Of course the Krazies ignored the sarcastic humor because they were in love with his words.  He was the answer to their prayers, his presidency a gift from God.  Except nothing really good came out of those eight years.  In fact, if you think back, it seems as though we were actually suffering from Divine Wrath.

Pat Robertson makes a lot of predictions about what is going to happen to the United States since Marriage Equality has come to pass.  However, every one of those predictions has already happened to us during the George W. Bush presidency: worst terrorist attack in history, failed war in Iraq, Katrina, the second worst economic catastrophe in American History.  Someone needs to tell Pat Robertson those were not our salad days.  In fact, someone should point out to the Krazies that the last time one of their guys was in the White House, this country was smacked back again and again and again.

And, of course, the Krazies, and the GOP, will put the blame on someone else.  The fact that their phoniness, just like Ben Carson's, may have resulted in Divine Wrath is totally beyond their ken.

Duck Dynasty - Crackers from Hell

There is a lot of controversy right now about the A&E show Duck Dynasty because one of the characters said some stuff a number of people believed to be inflammatory.  I've read what he said and it's not the kindest thing he could have said, but there are other people out there who've had worse turds fall out of their mouths.  This is the United States and we are guaranteed freedom of speech.  This means even a Judgmental, Crazy Christian can spout shit.  Now that the frenzy seems to have reached its peak, I have to wonder just how much of this PR extravaganza was orchestrated by the A&E Television network.

I have to say I have never seen the show for two reason:  I don't like reality TV, and I despise reality TV which makes celebrities out of white trash.  Just because the Robertson family has a million dollar duck call business doesn't mean they're not white trash.  Money has nothing to do with it.  An associate of mine has told me the show is so popular because the Robertson's are so stupid.  Her comment to me was "you don't even need to watch it, just listen to them talk to find yourself laughing hysterically."  Which brings me back to the PR extravaganza thing.  From what I've read, the executives at A&E television knew that Phil (?) Robertson was a Judgmental, Crazy Christian simply from his conversations on the set.  So why would they arrange for him to have an interview with GQ unless they were hoping he would open his mouth and shit would fly out.  Evidently, there was a representative from A&E present, most likely to see which juicy tidbits could be blown up out of proportion.

Crackers from Hell



Instead of merely putting out a disclaimer about this cracker's opinions, A&E made a big, public announcement that he would not be back on the show, ever.  He was fired because of his opinions.  At this point the bait was set, all they had to do was wait for the media and "socially conscious" America to jump into the trap...and they did.  Ratings went through the roof.  This little PR stunt went global as everybody now wanted to watch Duck Dynasty.  Was this extravaganza minutely detailed by A&E?  I don't think so, however I do believe there was some hopeful anticipation going into the interview.  All they needed was one little nugget and this Cracker from Hell gave it to them and because of it a lot of people are going to the bank.

Garmin's Crash Vande Velde

Every year I look forward to seeing Garmin's roster for the Tour de France; there are certain cyclists on the team that I like and would like to see there, other cyclists who don't impress me much and I wonder why in the hell is he riding.  I was surprised when two of the cyclists I like, Zabriskie and Farrar, were benched this year.  I was even more surprised to see they were sending Crash Vande Velde.  Most of the world knows him as Christian, me, I like to think of him as Crash.  He crashes a lot.  If you check him out in Wikipedia you'll see that in the past three years he's had to withdraw from the three major races because he'd injured himself in a crash.  He started the tour this year but... had to withdraw because he crashed... twice I believe.  One can only wonder why Garmin didn't have a statistician in the room when they were deciding on this year's roster.  The question should not have been "is he going to crash," but "when is he going to crash."

Vande Velde - just looking for a place to crash

One of the redemptive bright spots of this year's roster has been Andrew Talansky.  For a first timer on the tour he's doing really well.  Someone made a smart decision.  In fact, if you look at the overall General Classification, Garmin's top three riders are all in the mid-twenties.  Their older riders just aren't doing to well, and Crash Vande Velde?  He's out.

Jimmy Swaggart - Christian Parasite

I had a nice conversation with my brother this morning about our Mother who will be 80 on July 1.  She had, some time ago, said that she wanted me to added to her checking account so, should the need arise, I'd be able to write checks.  We haven't really pushed this since she is still mentally aware.  However, while I was visiting her yesterday she said she'd been watching Jimmy Swaggart.  It was the mention of his name which actually prompted this morning's conversation.  Many years ago my grandmother had been a fan his and upon her death discovered she'd been sending him checks regularly.  What appalled us was the total dollar amount she'd given, $10 or $25 every week for over four years, all from an elderly woman living only on social security.  That's a lot of money given to a man who's been caught whoring twice, at least that's the number of times it's made it into the news.  In my book that makes him a whore monger.  He is one of those unfortunate evils in Christianity, a Christian Parasite, preying upon the weak, the elderly, the down trodden.  "Let the Lord into your hearts and send me your dollars, now watch me cry so I can prove my sincerity."  This guy is the scum.  This is why either my brother, or myself, is going to have access to her checking account.  You see our Mother is living on a fixed income.  We do not want her sending money to this blood sucker which might be needed to pay for her medications, and she has several.  We do not want her trying to survive on $1.50 frozen dinners in order for his 'ministries' to buy him a new car.  He is worse then at persistent mosquito which drones near your ear in the middle of the night.  Eventually that mosquito will either fly away or bite you once and then fly away.  Swaggart is constantly droning in your ear "Let the Lord into your hearts and send me your dollars." 

Rockem Sockem Politics.

The conventions are over and I suspect a lot of political junkies on both the left and right are hyped up for Rockem Sockem campaigns from both parties.  If you thought the Super-Pac negativity ads were bad before, hold on to your hats, there are going to be so many below the belt punches a vast majority of the American people may have problems walking.  Not me, I rarely watch commercial television so I will not have to endure 7 minutes of hate separating the funny parts of my favorite sitcom.  Talk about a stimulus package, all those billions of dollars being spent should do more then jump start the economy.  I am surprised that the Conservative Republicans are asking their devout, Christian base to do the most liberal thing possible:  vote for a non-Christian.  This sounds so much like what the Democrats would do, not the Republicans.  What I remember most from their primaries was that not one of the potential candidates could satisfy their base.  Santorum was too, too crazy religious, Bachman was just way, way out, and Romney was a Mormon.

Now these two candidates are going to be duking it out.  I think it's  pertinent one of them is red and the  other is blue.  Unlike the game, however, this campaign is going to hurt, both the candidates and the American people.  We, who want to show the world how civilized we are, will be doing just the opposite.  If Obama wins the Republican House will be all the more partisan, another great example of American politics in action.  The more stumbling blocks they put in his way the easier it will be for them to win in 2016, at least that's what their plan will be.