Voting for Survival

 Showers are on the menu for today.  The morning temps were 69 (F), though they've already climbed to 71 (F).  Besides the spotty showers (yes, no steady rain, just occasional drizzles that will do nothing to help the dryness) our high is supposed to be in the upper 80s (F).  Just a little bit less nice than yesterday.

Speaking of yesterday, it was another day of accomplishments.  A walk in the park (2.3 miles), a ride on the bike, and the big aquarium got cleaned.

I'm also trying something new and odd with my kitchen floor.  Old houses like mine do not have a subfloor.  My hardwood planking sits right on the studs.  Over the past 119 years flexibility has crept in, they will go up and down slightly when you walk on them.  To fix this, I installed MSB because it was cheaper than 3/4 inch plywood.  This doesn't eliminate the movement, but reduces it a lot.  Still, those floor boards do shift a little.  To eliminate the possibility of the vinyl planks unlocking, I'm gluing them down.  I'm also going to be cementing all of the seams to make them look more like porcelain tiles.  When that's done, I'm going to poly the top since there's going to be at least one dog in the house when I get back from Greece.

I was looking to see if the RNC convention gave the Orange Anus any boost in the polls, and so far there's none to speak of, which seems about right.  This loser survived a domestic terror event and got zilch.  That tells you what America thinks of Donald Trump.  Even though polls lie, he's pretty much tied with Biden, the 81 year old candidate who's possibly in decline, across the board.  What people really need to come to grips with is that this election is not about the candidate, not at all.  It's really about Democracy vs Authoritarianism.  Because the Supreme Court gave the presidency far reaching powers with their decision that they have to a large extent full immunity for their actions, if Trump is sworn into office he will immediately begin spitting out Executive Orders over ruling everything.  Nothing he does will help the average American and when all those millions realize he and the Republican party have no problem hitting them with the shitty end of the stick, chaos will erupt.  I've said this before, Trump's blow bro Vlad doesn't want us as a political partner, he wants to knock America out of it's place as the number one Super Power in the world.  Putin wants there be violent civil unrest in America.  So, for all you dummies out there, it's not about voting for the candidate, it's about voting for survival.  

Why are Republicans so Obtuse

 The arrival of the weekend means I'll be working tomorrow.  That's kind of nice since I now have to recoup more than my kitchen redo expenditure.  

We are in the nice days preceding Autumn, days are comfortably warm and overnight temps are cool, what we like to think of as good sleeping weather.  No rain is in the foreseeable forecast, but Lee is heading up the east coast so we might get a few showers as he skirts on by.

I pulled the old door frame off the doorway from the kitchen to the back porch yesterday.  There will still be a door because it's still unheated.  That will be changed, and eventually a powder room will be installed.  That expense will be an asset.  Buyers like when there are 1 and a half baths.

On my agenda for today is work on the big tank.  I'm also going to move the stove and rip up the vinyl plank underneath it.  That will be replace with the new click-lock vinyl flooring I will install myself.  Now, how handy is that?

Last nights dinner was spicy Italian shrimp with rice.  Very tasty.  There's enough left-over to cover my lunch at work tomorrow.

I'll be honest, I really like it when losers like Kevin McCarthy find themselves in a "lose / lose" situation and it's even nicer when I see he's sharing that same ground with the GOP.  Being in their own little obtuse world, Republicans don't understand that what their base loves goes grates against American Democracy.  Because they've sold their souls to the Spawn of Satan, they are forced to have impeachment hearings without evidence.  They're going to try and shut down the government because they need to hurt the Biden administration simply because he's a Democrat.  This is the same party that wants to eliminate Social Security even though seniors use those monthly checks help to drive the economy.  How did they get so out of touch with America?  I don't doubt for a second it started with Reagan's re-election, when they began lying to themselves that America was silently conservative.  Unfortunately, they will never learn.

That self-serving Bitch

 We've got a sunny Friday outside.  Again, the temps are forecast to rise into the low 50s (F), which is not bad for this time of the year.  Predictions are that we're supposed to stay this warm until the middle of next week, then temps just might drop.  That's okay.

I talked to the Vet last night about Biggie.  I nixed the idea of doing an ultra-sound on his belly.  There is only a 15% chance this little tumor he has is located on his adrenal glands.  Instead, I'm opting for the low-dose dexamethasone test, which has good results at locating the location.  Two days after the bloodwork is completed, he should be on meds.  

Cori, my cover artist, informed me yesterday that the cover for The Body Under Ice should be ready next week.  I'm finishing up the last chapter.  Then there will be a revision; I have notes on some changes that need to be done before it goes through the editor.  As in the past, I'll be looking for 2 blog readers who want to provide input before the final draft gets published.  As payment, these readers get an autographed paperback copy. They are on a schedule though, meaning it's not something you can take your time to leisurely read through.  Interested people should contact me through the email address I have listed in my profile.

And now, about this self-serving Bitch.

She changed her party designation to Independent.  Honestly, when I saw that this morning I wasn't surprised in the least bit, however, I did blurt out two words: that Bitch.  Comments I've seen in the Washington Post, and the NYT have almost all focused on the fact that she's always been self-serving, prioritizing her own need for attention over everything else.  She doesn't give press conferences, doesn't openly seek the limelight, but everyone is always talking about her.  The minute Warnock won, she became irrelevant.  She could be ignored.  No one was ever going to be wondering what Sinema was going to do, or if she was going to vote with her party, never again.  She would be just another Democrat.  So, what does this self-serving Bitch do?  She changes party.  Sorry, but congressman who change parties halfway through their terms are always asswipes.  By getting elected, Sinema made a commitment to the people of Arizona who gave her their votes that she was going to represent them.  Now, she's done something worse than simply ignoring those voters, she has dismissed their importance with a simple 'fuck you.'  And it puts her in the spotlight.  Paraphrasing Steven Beschloss, she has put herself on a whole new level of attention whore.  Some are saying she changed to Independent in an attempt to save her political career.  What career?

A Wining Vote in the House

Crap!  I slept later than I wanted this morning.  And I was in bed by 11 PM.  It must be the heat.  Or maybe the long treadmill session yesterday.  It was a run up along the shore of Lake Superior.  There was supposed to be a 200-foot waterfall which never put in appearance.  

Even though I can list quite a number of chores I completed yesterday, there is an overwhelming consensus between me, myself, and I that not much was accomplished.  

I'm almost at 32,000 words in the next book, The Body Under Ice.  I'm pleased.  I guess the big question right now is will Eli and Max find anything when they put a camera down through a hole in the ice?  Will there be something at the bottom of Lake Huron?  You should know by now, I'll never tell.

I designed a new controller for my Xbox Series X and ordered it.  You can click the link to see it or wait until I take a picture after it arrives in about a month.

Steve Bannon's trial continues today.  He's going to go to jail because he's an asshole.  He's in a lose, lose situation because he thought his loudmouth gave him the authority to do whatever he wanted.  I think he should look on the positive side:  2 years in jail might be the perfect diet he needs to lose some of his blubber.

Oh, and can we talk about the wonderful surprise yesterday?  The one about marriage?  The bill that passed in the House of Representative with some serious Republican support?  47 of them voted Yeah.  You know what I'm talking about.  The bill about marriage equality.  Now you have to remember that this bill protects not only same sex marriage, but interracial marriages as well.  This was because of Oreo Thomas, and his published opinion regarding Roe v Wade.  Will this bill make it to the Senate?  No one knows.  But remember, this is one more reason why it is imperative that Blue wins in the midterms.   We save the country by outvoting those who want an authoritative theocracy running America.

Centrist

 Oh, my... that WD hard drive of mine that's been slowly dying passed into the nether world of paperweight status yesterday.  This was to be expected.  While I didn't save everything that was on it, what died with it was expendable.  The oldest file I transferred was dated from August, 2008, which means that drive survived for over 12 years.  In hardware terms, that's fairly old.

I did go for a ride in Bavaria yesterday through what appeared to be apple orchards, very nice scenery.  I plan on going for another ride today if I get the time.  My copy of Assassin's Creed, Valhalla will be arriving sometime this afternoon.  Good thing I decided to take a day off, isn't it?  While I can load it into my Xbox, I'm still anticipating the purchase of my Xbox Series X, on which the game will play stupendously.

Oh, and there are some chores I need to do around the house... a couple of loads of laundry.  Sometime this morning I will be priming sections of the upstairs hallway for painting.  Depending upon when the game arrives, I might even begin painting.  There's also a little table I'm working on, trying to make it stylishly chic.  

And, of course, the Republicans are steaming angry.  They were the same after the older Bush lost because they believed they were going to run the country forever.  If you look at the election results, the country is divided: half conservative and half liberal.  The best place to meet is in the center.  In fact, we are very Centrist.  Both sides need to work together for the country to succeed.  This was always the way up until Reagan's landslide.  From then on the Conservatives refused to cooperate.  Instead they looked for another Reagan.  When the only thing to show up was a wanna be tinfoil dictator, they jumped on board his train.  The crazier he gets, the worse they look.  While they're sticking with his legal challenges, the undercurrents are rippling with concern that he's beginning to ruin their Brand.  Even Fox News has had enough.  Yesterday they went so far as to cut away from Kelly the Liar's press conference saying her accusations were false and unfounded.  Ouch!

And for those who've never seen this, my gingko has turned to gold.

The Party of NO

 For me, yesterday was very relaxing.  I did a load of laundry, or two, spent a lot of time napping and reading the news.  The dogs and I went for a nice walk.  There was cake and ice cream, vanilla, no chocolate... dogs you know.  Dinner was a BLT.  In normal times, I'd have gone to the movies with friends.   The need to party hardy scene has long since gone.  No hangover, just a sense of a calm and quiet this morning.

This morning Pfizer announced a Covid vaccine that was 90% effective.  Interesting how they put this forth to the public almost a week after the election.  This was most likely done to avoid politicization by the Idiot Jerk in the White House.

And in The Body in the Loch, Eli and Max have just started their visit to the Rehab Center... wait, was that a spoiler?  At least I didn't tell you someone wears a wetsuit.  Shit!  Did I really write that?... (Can you hear the sound of evil laughter?)

I understand the Idiot Jerk in the White House is planning to hold recount rallies in states he believes he won.  This really has more to do with feeding his ego rather than changing the outcome of the election.  He doesn't understand that recounting can actually benefit Biden but then, in reality, he has never been too damn smart.  Four bankruptcies prove he has always been more of a loser than anything else.  Like a truly bad executive, he has continually blamed someone else for his bad decisions.  He is now, and will always be a loser.  The party of Lincoln is no more.  He has stripped it of what ever tattered honor it had remaining after the Reagan debacle.  

With a Democrat in the White House, the failed Republican Party will once again become the party of NO.  Their hatred will build a wall to prevent unification of the country.  They don't want a United States of America, they want a tinfoil dictatorship.  Never forget this.  

Finally, as I was out in the yard yesterday with the dogs, I saw I still had roses blooming... in November.  Now, isn't this pretty?

  

Now the Work Begins

 Hey!  I got some sleep last night.  And today! is my Hump Day!  After that I'm going to have 4 consecutive days off... now, won't that be nice.  I can get things done.

And I don't know about you, but my emails have dropped off significantly.  I had started going in and unsubscribing because Democratic candidates whom I had never heard of were asking me for money.

Yesterday at work, the MAGAs were complaining.  No matter how desperately I wanted to rub salt into their wounds, I held my tongue... and chuckled under my breath.  There is anger seething through the capillaries of white people without a college education.  Cracker Jack Crazy Evangelicals are dumbfounded.  And Pat Robertson?  The who predicted the Idiot Jerk would win and start the End of Days?  Well, we've all known that man's been nuttier then a fuckin' fruit cake for years.

While the Democrats on a whole failed to perform up to expectations (I understand there's a movement starting to fire Nate Silver), we did succeed in that most important endeavor, eliminating the tinfoil dictator.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House is filing lawsuit after lawsuit.  And even Fox News is saying he can file as many as he wants, no judge is going to overturn the tabulated results of this election.  In fact, one of the said  "lawsuit, schmaltzsuits."

What we are seeing, however, is a clear division in the culture war:  Rural, uneducated America wants a Tinfoil Dictator.  The larger urban areas with a denser population of educated people want a Democracy.   Our work is set out for us.  We have a foot on the gas pedal.  Now is not the time to cautiously brake to take in the passing scenery.  We lost ground in the House.  The divide in the Senate is razor thin.  Democrats need to constantly prod and continuously stick those Republican incumbents with cutting words that slice at their weakness for lies.  We need to hold up the mirror of truth and force them to see the truth.  This is necessary because our 46th President is going to have a fairly hostile Senate.  The only way to change that is to prove their Republican incompetence.

Anyway, now's the time to pull on our big boy and girl pants.  Now the work begins.

 

The Good Week

 Oh, my, Sunday has arrived.  What a week we have experienced.  There were a number of highs:  a co-worker has left the building... for good.  Our schedules for the next couple of weeks are chaotic, but the wasn't that much of a help when he was there.  The Democrats had their Convention.  That was really big.   But probably the biggest thing was how everything coalesced, and as a united majority we came out swinging.  And we landed punches.  And the world now knows we are America, not the crazies on the Right with their petty, tinfoil dictator wannabe.

By the way, did anybody listen to some of the recordings by the Idiot Jerk's sister?  I listened to the one where she said he has 'no principles.'  We've known that for quite some time.

The Republicans are having their convention this week.  Once again it is being called another attempt to reboot the Idiot Jerk's campaign.  This is what?  The third or fourth time it's been rebooted.  They're in reboot Hell.  Not surprisingly, he's scheduling himself to speak every night.  This shouldn't be a surprise.  To add to the entertainment value, I understand they've brought in 2 producers who worked on The Apprentice.  That's right, those poor suckers watching are going to get to watch a reboot of his reality show.  I wonder if he's going to say "you're fired."

And now for something completely different.  While working Thursday, I found a butterfly in aisle 9.  Not knowing how it got so far into the store, I took it outside.  Yesterday I found another one back by the restrooms.  The Kitchen Designer was kind enough to take pictures.  Here I am holding the little guy / girl.

And here's a close-up.

I took him out to our garden area.  It was the oddest feeling when he flew from my fingers to a small branch.  Last week was a very good week.

The Ticket

Okay, so yesterday I added water and cleaned the fish tank.  The cleaning bit wasn't supposed to be difficult, just scoop out floating plant debris, and wouldn't you know it, the second I stuck the net in the water 3 fish swam directly into it.  In fact, they kept swimming into it.  So, it took a little longer than I had been expecting.  Dumb fish.

And, of course, there Kamala.  She's a big problem for the White Republican Party.  They were prepared to issue mini-attacks, but then there were prepared for just about any person Biden might choose.  Pence uttered some sort of nonsense about seeing her at the debate.  Duh.  She was chosen for a number of reasons, one being her aggressive, prosecutorial style she had already demonstrated in debates.  There will be a low, rumbling roar as white Evangelicals drop to their knees in prayer as she fillets his words and actions.  Mike, the android man, will lie, and she will call him on it.  As far as the White Republicans are concerned, this was the worst choice Biden could make.  Kamala's aggressive.  She will bullet point every one of their shit stained lies.

And that's not the only problem White Republicans face; there's a serious decline in Conservatives, or a least those who identify as Conservatives.  Remember Dave's axiom:  A popular president can move the country to either the left or the right, an unpopular president will always move it in the opposite direction.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House proves daily that Conservatives are selfish, self-centered, and ugly as hell.  No matter how desperate they are, they will not be able to force their will upon the American People.  They do not understand they are are feeding their own defeat.

Anyway, it's Wednesday.  I'm about halfway through my vacation and I've already finished most of the chores I wanted to get done.  One of the things I did was order a new waffle iron, actually it's a combo type thing, waffles, sandwiches, you name it.  That should be arriving tomorrow.  I can't wait.  Just as I can't wait to see if Biden's VP pick gives him a bit of a boost in the polls.  I wouldn't be surprised if he goes up another point or two.

Blue on Top

Well, the first thing I had to do this morning was eliminate some Illuminati comments because some dumb shit doesn't realize I moderate my comments because of people like him... her...  It always feels good to clean house.

My appointment with the VA to go over the results of my bloodwork is being cancelled.  My new doctor only wants to do phone visit. I received this email from her assistant:  she will be canceling your appointment due to world wide VA COVID health standards during this time. Maybe in a few months, she added.  I'm not upset.  The results will be posted for me to see in about a week.  I have my results for the past 2 years and they've been spot on, if there's any variation I'll call the VA in Lebanon. 

In case you didn't see it, Biden called the Idiot Jerk in the White House a racist.  The only ones who don't believe Biden are the White Republicans.  They don't care.  Remember, in their minds, everybody else is wrong.

And I find it interesting that more and more Red states are making the use of masks mandatory.  I'm sure his base must be freaking out.  Red governors, like DeSantis in Florida and Kemp in Georgia have no idea how quickly their careers are going to come to an end.  

Federal agents are now being sent to more cities.  This should come as no surprise to anybody as the Idiot Jerk in the White house makes another desperate attempt to improve his approval rating.  This will backfire because of the Wall of Moms.  He is tanking in the polls, big time, partially because he is, as Biden said, a racist, but mostly because of his handling of the pandemic.  He is an unsuccessful businessman who's been making bad decisions most of his life, and many, many others have paid the price.  That's what's happening now.  Like the failed magician, he's trying to pull a little flawed slight of hand and divert attention elsewhere... and he's failing.  The body counts are going up in Trumpland.  

I find the blue on top rather symbolic.

Election Day

It's Tuesday.  Here in Pennsylvania it's election day.  Celebrate by going to the polls and voting Blue.  Remember, voting straight ticket here is a vote Republican liars like Lisa Grayson.  Put your vote to good use.  In Cumberland County vote for Susan Pickford, she's an Independent, a human being who hasn't sold her soul to the moral degenerate in the White House.
While I was riding my bike last evening, the chain popped off.  This is an easy fix, but when something like that happens it throws me out of sync:  I have to unclick my shoes, get off the bike, pull the rear derailleur down and put the chain back on the sprockets.  Chains are greasy and that gets on my fingers and... well... son of a bitch!  As a result, I only rode 8.4 miles (or there about).  The only good thing to come out of it was I realized I need to buy more latex gloves...

You didn't really think I was going to get my fingers greasy, did you?

I saw where the Idiot Jerk is once again supposed to release 10 years of taxes.  Of course, he's going to appeal that decision to the Supreme Court.  No one thinks they are going to halt the release.  So, will he comply?  This will be interesting.  There is so much dirt in those taxes.  Lies and fakery abound within those deductions.  You can bet that Stephanie Grisham is going to sing how it takes a genius to find so many varied ways of cheating the government.  She has to praise him, you know.  We all know.  The only way to keep your job is to bow and genuflect whenever you're in his presence.

Oh, and he was in the land of Kim Davis last evening pleading for the MAGA heads in that state to vote their governor in for a 3rd term.  Kentucky is supposed to be deeply red... so... why was he there.,, pleading.  Oh, wait, it seems that Matt Bevin, the sure thing, is in trouble.  Andy Beshear is tied in the polls.  Hence, the reason behind the Idiot Jerk having a rally.  Today's election day in that state... we'll have to wait and see if it goes blue. Could be the Idiot Jerk knows his fat ass is soon going to be in the fire poppin' and sizzlin' for all the world to see.  

Standing Out

Thursday... the 27th of June.  The forecast is for stinking hot temperatures - up in the 90's (F).  Yesterday was hot, too.  When I got in my car to leave work the temp was 96 (F).  That's a bit on the warm side.  Since there was not a lot of humidity it wasn't too bad.  We're supposed to have thunderstorms pass through on Saturday should cool off a bit.  I am so glad I have Central Air, that was a worthwhile investment.
And, of course, the first of this week's 2 debates was last night.  I turned them on for a bit, not the entire thing, mind you, just for a few minutes.  I heard some of Klobuchar's none performance, and Warren talking about Medicare for All.  I did not hear anything from Ryan, or Delaney, or... oh, what's his name....  I was surprised at how fiery Warren was; I've always though of her a quiet.  The funny thing about Medicare for All is that it's nothing more than the Universal Health Care they have in Canada, and the UK, and... in fact, in a lot of countries around the world.  Here, in the United States, our government wants us to pay through the nose - that's American Capitalism.  Somebody needs to be making a fuckin' buck.  This is why the GOP has always been failures when it comes to Health Care.  They don't vote for anything that doesn't make some rich guy even richer.  Their wonderful tax overhaul shows just how much proof their is in that pudding, how the wealthy and corporations got cake out of the piece of legislation and everybody else got crumbs.  They will never change.  Greed is part of their nature.
I understand the BBC, Beto, Booker, and Castro, spoke in Spanish.  Nice.  Too early in the campaign, though, I think.  Being bilingual is an asset.  However, when speaking Spanish becomes the high point of your performance in a debate, rather than where you stand on issues, you fail.  This morning, while reading articles about last night, the fact that those 3 spoke Spanish got press portends problems since their positions on America's difficulties resonated little.
Reuters said Warren remained unscathed.  That's their way of saying she ruled the roost.
If you have your red pens ready, there are at least 5 names you can cross off your list.
Finally, I'd like to introduce you to another member of my rose family.

He's an orange climber.  Hopefully he will climb up the wrought iron on the side of my front porch.  He has some perfume, but mostly his color is what stands out.  In an odd way, he does what Warren did last night.

Ammunition

It rained hard last night.  The first thing I did this morning was check in the basement for water.  Very old stone foundation here and with heavy rains I can often look down and see that a river runs through it.  The deepest it's been has been 18 inches.  Today there were just some damp patches so there was no need to pull the pump out.
I only did a little over 4 miles on the bike last night.  I'd chose a new route which started off with a hill.  That will only be a good idea if I do a shorter ride first to loosen up my legs.
And what about that racial flap circling around Biden?  A few of the contenders want to knock him out of his Front-runner status, this, however, is not the right way to do it.  Their desperation to get points in the polls is taking them into divisive territory.  Dividing the Democratic Party just so you can make points is a bad idea.  Bernie did it in 2016 and no matter what people want to tell you, the party never truly came back as a whole and... we ended up with the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Racially dividing the base is a bad idea, and if they are not careful that is what will happen.  Let me tell you, if you think the last 2.5 years with the Idiot Jerk have been bad, an additional 4 years will the total ruination of this country.
Part of the problem is that we have too many candidates.  Except for Biden, Sanders, Warren and Buttigieg, no one stands out....  Beto's fifteen minutes are over for the time being, he needs to take a step back and do something in Texas, like take out Ted Cruz.  Bill de Blasio?  Nope.  Booker?  Nope.  Let me toss out a few other names that just roll off your tongue when you think of presidential candidates:  Delancey, Gabbard, Inslee, Swalwell, Williamson, and Yang.  And there are more.... but I think I've already made my point.  I had the joy of seeing and hearing Obama speak in Harrisburg a number of years ago.  He spoke of many issues which needed fixing: health, education, women's rights, human rights, the economy.  Many of today's crop of candidates have only one issue they're going to fix... and with some it isn't even a major issue.  We have 2 nights of debates coming up.  Very few will watch both nights.  Personally, I think the Democratic Party set the bar too low.  They should have raised the criteria to reduce the number of candidates.  Because they didn't do this, these candidates will begin to attack each other in order to grow their own base.
By blowing up this issue of Biden working with Segregationists a long time  ago, Booker and Harris have given the opposition sound bites to use against Biden in a National campaign, if he gets the nomination.  Oh, shit.  Do not give the Idiot Jerk ammunition.

Rate This

Well, it's Thursday and I get to go back to work for a day... and then I'm off a day.  Back for 2 and then off for 2.  I don't mind a schedule like this.  In three weeks I am schedule for 40 hours, but so far it's been split up and there's nothing wrong with that.
Late last night, around 0100, Big Seig woke me up by barking.  He was downstairs by the back door.  He needed to go potty.  Some people might find this irritating, not me.  He's a big dog.  I would rather have to get up and let him out than find a puddle or a pile waiting for me in the morning.  He got 2 biscuits.  He loves his biscuits.
Nobody I know watched the Idiot Jerk in the White House the other night.  Being the curious type, I decided to check the ratings to see how well he did with the American public.  Between 40 and 41 million people watched his address.  Fox News, that cable network dedicated to white Republicans had the highest ratings - 8.2 million.  Of course, if you look at the total ratings for CNN and MSNBC the Fox rating is the low number on the ladder.  CBS had the highest ratings for a network channel because a lot of people turned in to watch NCIS and got the Idiot Jerk instead.  The funny thing, and what everybody is talking about, is that the Democratic response got higher ratings.  That's right, more American voters tuned in to watch Chuck and Nancy.  Over 29% of Americans were more interested in the Democratic response.  What makes this even more spectacular is that immediately after his speech, those 8.2 million white Republicans who had tuned into Fox News didn't stick around.  Nope, they chose to turn off Chuck and Nancy.  All they want is the swill the Idiot Jerk feeds them.  This means the 29% who watched the rebuttal does not include those Fox viewers who changed channels.  Oh, dear me, this does not bode well for the Republicans especially when rumor has it this was really supposed to be his 2020 campaign kick-off.  Oh... shit!  My money says he slammed his hands down and stormed out of that meeting yesterday, not because Nancy said"no," more likely it was because a little bug in his ear told him the Democrats had hit a field goal in the ratings game.  Like all Republicans, instead of learning a lesson and moving on, the Idiot Jerk is going to kick this dead horse until it's no longer recognizable.
The desk I'm getting has a small display / bookcase on the visitor side.  I've been thinking of using it to display some of my porcelain.  My colletction is mostly Von Schierholz from Bavaria.  They survived World War I, but the second World War saw them falling into the hands of the Communists.  As a result they went from making fine porcelain to making dinnerware.  Here's is some of my collection. 

All of this was handmade.  I'm thinking maybe the green egg from 1898.

The Desk Set

Well, today's Friday and I get to go back to work.  For 4 days.  Then off again.  I'm on 32 hour work weeks, hopefully until sometime in the early spring when sales begin to pick up again.
I rode 4 miles on my bike yesterday.  That was good.  I haven't ridden since before my Mom died.  Rouvy updated their software.  All my mileage disappeared.  That sucks.  The big change is that now you are actually riding down the road and on my TV that looks simply terrific... if I had a bigger TV it would be totally realistic.  See what I did there?  Totally realistic?  I wonder if that's a sign my mind is regressing.
Yesterday I also started fixing the archway between the living room and the dining room.  Back in Seig's puppyhood. he tried to dig a hole there... a very big hole.  The location of my Morris chair has always been a way to hide it.  Now, however, the chair is being moved because of the desk and the arch will be visible.  Right now all that's left to do is a little more spackle and some light sanding to feather the edges and it will be ready for painting.  In case anyone is wondering, here's a shot of the desk I bought, notice I'm not showing the arch, that incident was irritating.

I am anxious to see how it arrives.  I bought it from Amazon and they wanted to charge me an assembly fee, however I've checked on several other websites and they advertise it as "shipping assembled."
Yesterday the Blue House passed funding for the government.  The Idiot Jerk says he will veto.  I saw where he wants the military to string razor wire along the border.  This guy is an ugly racist from hell, isn't he?  The fact that he represents a base that is virulently hateful of brown skin is... frightening.  As the population of America continues to evolve, and for those who don't understand it is evolving, this group will begin to segregate themselves into smaller and smaller communities.  I wouldn't be surprised if they end up in North Dakota somewhere.
Today we will have to watch and see if Wall Street rallies... maybe a little.  Here lately it seems to be five steps down and one step back up, five steps down and one step back up.  Financial periodicals are being to ponder if the Idiot Jerk and Republican economic policies are to blame.  Well, he wouldn't be the first Republican president to shit on the economy.

Get over it

Well, it looks as though we had a Blue Surge rather than a Blue Wave... but that's good.  Democrats now control the House of Representatives!  That's a very good thing!  And there are now 7 more Democratic Governors and 7 less Republican Governors, which is another Very Good Thing!  Beto lost... sadly.  On the other hand, Jared Pollis, a Gay Democrat, is now the Governor of Colorado!  Ain't that something to celebrate!  Here in Pennsylvania, our boy Brian Sims was re-elected!!  In very white Republican run Georgia, the race is too close to call.  One of the predictions I liked about that very Republican race was that this would happen, and Abrams would win in a run-off election in December.  Georgia is something the GOP never, ever thought would happen.  So, will they finally understand how America is evolving and change?  Hell no.  To do so would be to admit they have made a mistake.  They are still in the denial stage of their own demise.
And then what about the Crazy Christians?  You know, the ones who have been selling their souls to the Morally Degenerate Idiot Jerk in the White House faster than Joel Osteen can snatch a penny from the hands of the poor.  Either the deity they worship is not as powerful and they think, or else this was supposed to happen.  What if the Idiot Jerk's election to the presidency through a technicality called the Electoral College was really nothing more than a test for them?  He offers them power in exchange for acceptance of his degeneracy.  If so, they have failed.  Their corruption mirrors his.  Now they will have to pay the price.
Anyway, enough of my political ramblings for today.  The midterms are over.  Remember what the Republicans said after the Idiot Jerk's technical win? "Get over it."  Well, that needs to be our response to them when they start whining.  Believe me, they've already started pointing fingers at somebody else, and blaming somebody else, and shrieking 'voter fraud.'  Just tell them to "get over it!"  Or a simple "shut up" will work wonders, too.

OH, and I forgot to mention... Kim Davis was fired.

Blame the Game... Show

So, it's Monday, the beginning of a new work week.  Rain is in the forecast, starting this afternoon and lasting until tomorrow.  Just what we need, another nuisance rain.  Otherwise, everything is ducky dandy... unless your name happens to be Brett Kavanaugh.
Holy Smoking Jesus!  There's another accuser!  And the GOP is now calling this a smear campaign.  Give me a break.  In a weird way they're right.  Just look at them.  With their faces covered in shit, all they seem to be able to do is smear it around.  They will never be shit free, but their hope is to spread it thin enough their base will swallow it.
Right now, Democrats have a big edge in the approaching midterms.  This hoo hah about the Idiot Jerk's nomination for the Supreme Court is only going to make the GOP look worse.  They are losing women voters.  They're bleeding them away.  The fact that they have an Idiot Jerk in the White House whose mantra regarding accusations of sexual misconduct has always been to deny, followed a wallowing plunge into the pool of "fake news," makes their position even more dire.
Anyway, I was playing with my nuts again last night when I got home from work.  There are 3 huge containers of them down in the basement.  So far, it seems that for every 9 nuts I husk, only 6 are good enough to keep.  The rest have sat sallow for too long, they're too old, their husks are too dark.  Now and then some of them have little white worms.  Those get thrown away.  The last thing I want is to have worms in my nuts.
Personally, I suspect that the big problem with the GOP is that they didn't watch enough TV game shows while growing up.  That's right, they never had the chance to be tutored by Uncle Monty.  Nope.  Instead, they ran around in their little navy wool suits, barking kiddie orders at the few friends they had.  Just think about it.  They've always been desperately trying to be in charge.  They never learned how to play with others.  Sadly for them, their president truly believes he is Uncle Monty, and no matter which door you open, there's always a gag prize.  Like nuts with worms.

Teach them a lesson

There is a thin red line running like a razor through out parts of this country.  Slicing rights into shreds, this sharp blade wielded by Conservatives stabs at democracy and hacks away freedoms.  The scar tissue left behind is filled with broken people whose lives have been diminished.  Their goal is a Faith based country in which the majority will be outsiders, ostracized and beaten back and crushed.  How do we stop this evil?

Vote.

Blue.

Today is primary day in Pennsylvania.  The decision is up to you.  Vote and triumph, or stay home and succumb.  Your life, your choice, your democracy, is far more precious than they believe.

Teach them a lesson.

Coordinating your Tops and Bottoms

Today's Wednesday and... my weekend is over... for a day.  I'm off again tomorrow.  This is okay.  Today is going to be crappy, shitty, rainy.  Tomorrow?  Not so bad.  If the weather is fine enough, I'll take the Synapse out on the road.  If I do, I want all of you fashion mavens out there to rest assured my Tops and Bottoms are covered.  Stylish coordination between the two is almost my middle name.  You see, both my cycling shoes and my helmet are made by the same company, Giro.  And, for those of you who don't know, my most favorite color in the whole world is red, which is why I bought the helmet.  I had 3 color choices for shoes:  Black, White, and Black and Red, so I went with the Black and Red.  Now while the Red in the helmet is incestuously close to the Red in the shoe, they're not a precise match.  But you can believe me when I tell you that when I'm wearing my tight, spandex shorts no one is going to notice the discrepancy.

Anyway, there was a special election in Arizona yesterday.  In a heavily Republican District, a district which the Idiot Jerk won by 21%, the race was tight.  As expected, the GOP candidate did win, but only by a 5%.  So, what happened to the other 16%?  The Trumplodyte supporters who threw away their votes to the Idiot Jerk?  Stayed home?  Suffering from 'buyer's remorse?'  You have to remember that Arizona is the state that gave us the very white, very conservative, crazy Jan Brewer.  The candidate who won is a former state senator, her Democratic opponent was a first time candidate.  That should give the GOP reason to worry, having a new kid on the block get so very, very close.  This almost a really big Ooops for them, especially since they flooded the state with Republican $$$.
This is a case when the political Tops and Bottoms are really, really close.

Blue

Well, it's Thursday and I get to go back to work... for 4 days, and then I'm off for 2, back for 1 and then off again.  The following week's schedule is shit since I don't have any consecutive days off, however in 3 weeks I will have 3 days off in a row.  I guess that makes up for it.
The dining room walls have been painted.  Juniper Berries is much bluer than I was anticipating.  This turned out to be a 3 day project, 1 day for stripping, 1 for patching, sanding and priming, and the third to put on 2 coats of paint.  That's right, I always put on 2 coats of paint.  I'm not a big fan of the single coat coverage paint that's out there.  For one thing, I always tend to miss a couple of spots on the first go through, or I don't apply the paint thick enough.  The 2nd coat doesn't take that long, and personally, I think the finish is better.  Once I have everything hung back on the walls I include pictures.
I went to see my Mom yesterday.  This is always an interesting experience.  Dementia, you know?  I found her sitting in the lobby without her glasses.  She told me "they told me to sit here and I left my glasses in my room."  When I asked who told her to wait there she said "I don't know."  She seems to be stuck in the past, about 50 years ago, since those are the memories which come up in the conversation.  She knows they're in the past, but doesn't know how far back she's going when she talks about Rusty.  Rusty was an Irish Setter, and her most favorite dog in the world.  She will say "I wonder how he's doing."  We don't tell her he died half a century ago; that makes her cry.
Evidently Melanoma is having a birthday.  Just what do you get a Trophy Wife, especially one contracted to the Idiot Jerk in the White House?  A 'Get out of Jail Free' card?'
And I was reading how things are really beginning to look bleak for the GOP in November.  So many people retiring, such high disapproval ratings, and fundraising that's somewhat lackluster.  There was a cautionary edge to the article, though, saying it's "too early to call the election a blue wave," evidently they can't say it's a blue wave until the election is upon us.  Instead they're going to say things like "there might be," and "the possibility exists," and "voters are much more appreciative of the Democrats."  And it's only 6 months away.

I wonder how many more Republicans will abandon ship before the truth hits home?