The Independents

 The new week is starting off with temps in the mid 70s (F) here in Central PA.  Yesterday our thermometers climbed up into the upper 90s (F), in fact the temp was 98 (F) on my ride home from work.  That was a bit warmer than the weather forecasters had predicted.  Their prediction for today is a high in the upper 80s (F), we'll have to see how close they come.

And yesterday was pretty much a meh day since I spent most of it at the flooring desk.  I did hit my measure and lead goals for the week, and no, I didn't not set up follow up appointments in order to try and force customers to buy.  This is not only about closing that sale as soon as possible, but also about micro-managing your associates.  Believe me, the great orange retailer I work for has always been micro-management oriented.  It is corporate headquarters in Atlanta who decides when the A/C goes on in the summer and the heat goes on in the winter.  

There was a moment of brevity yesterday when a senior woman came up to me and showed me a 1/4 inch nut and told me it was brass.  She then asked if I had brass nuts, of course I knew what she meant and told her where she could find brass nuts.  Still, that bit of levity was shared by myself and others several times over.

I've been watching Murderbot on Apple TV.  Who ever that that Alexander Sarsgaard could be funny.  One of the many things I like about the show is its opening theme.  It reminds me of those old TV shows that had themes composed by up and coming composers, like Lost in Space.  How many know that the composer behind that theme was John Williams... you know, the Jaws, John Williams.  Here's the theme from Murderbot.

So the Senate is going to start voting on different line items today for Orangie's tax break legislation.  They're trying to make the tax break he gave billionaires back in 2017 permanent, and then give them another tax break because billionaires can never have enough money.  This piece of legislation is vastly unpopular.  Do you think Orangie and the rest of the billionaires care?  Absolutely not.  Who likes this tax bill?  Republicans.  Of course Republicans have never actually been economically savvy.  I find it pathetic that so many Cultists believe this bill will bring them tax breaks.  This is because in their tiny minds they know how much Orangie lies, however, they just don't believe he's lying to them.  And when things fall apart, they will blame the Democrats because blaming themselves would mean they'd been lied to by their fearless leader.

Will this legislation die?  I don't know.  As I said this legislation is unpopular and it is growing more so by the minute.  Still, these legislators are terrified or Orangie's base.  Without those votes they will lose their jobs to Democrats, and staying  in power is what drives them.  What they do not comprehend is that Orangie's base is a minority group and it's the Independent voters that put them, and then keep them, in office.  Right now Independents are totally pissed off at this legislation.  If this bill dies, it will be because of the Independents.

America's Sleeping Giant

 Our temps hit 100 (F) yesterday, for the first time in a long time.  We didn't break any records, so it's a pretty good guess that we've gotten that high before.  I went outside on a couple of occasions.  Believe me, it was a great day to dry clothing outside.  Two loads!  My savings from not running the dryer went to paying the Central Air expense, which seemed to be running constantly.

I got a text from Tammy, the neighbor living across the street, asking me why I didn't go to Eileen's Memorial Service on Saturday.  A month and a half ago she had told me part of the service was to be done at the A-Frame Eileen and her husband had built, and then the group was going to move to a spot near the river for spreading her ashes.  Her and her deceased husband's wedding bands were then supposed to be floated down the river on a tiny boat, and after all of that, people were supposed to meet at Dukes (a restaurant on the river).  I had told her I had no idea where the A-Frame was and she told me not to worry.  On Saturday, Tammy left early without saying anything, and I thought it would be rude of me to miss the service and just show up at Dukes for the food.  It's a lot like skipping the wedding and going to the reception, if you know what I mean.  When I reminded her of this she texted back, "oh, I should have told, there was a change of plans, everybody just met at Dukes, the service was done later."  Holy Crap.  Not that I was really upset.  Eileen was a good neighbor.  She took care of my animals when I went to France, and my decision to go to the service was just a nice gesture.  Still, there seems to have been a lot lacking in organizational skills.

And, as one might have expected, quite a few people are mocking Trump's bandaged ear, especially since this was the first time anyone has seen it.  The joke in this picture is that cultists will wear fake bandages to honor the Spawn of Satan.  Sadly, this turns out to be more than a joke.  They are selling fake mini-bandages at the convention that you can buy for just $5 a pop, bandages you can fold around the top of your ear.  This is what cultists do.

So far, there is still not medical report to prove the bullet actually winged his ear.  I'm betting that's never going to be forthcoming.  

The unity he called for disappeared completely on the second night of the Republican convention as people shouted, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

However, the decisions made by this conservative Supreme Court have cursed the GOP.  Flipping Roe v Wade is sending millions of women to the polls and they're not voting Republican.  Their decision on presidential immunity, to completely remove accountability has pissed quite a few people off.  There's a saying, waking up the sleeping giant will make the whole world tremble.  That used to refer to China.  But there's a sleeping giant in this country made up of women, centrists, and every kind of minority you can think of.  Republicans simply do not understand this.  They have convinced themselves that all they need to say is "shut up, we're in charge," and the nation will bend at the knee.  They are going to learn what happens when America's sleeping giant awakens, and then Republicans will be gone.

Kiss My Ass

 Mid-week, long weekend.  I started a 4 day stretch yesterday afternoon when I left work.  This is nice.  I have the same schedule next week.  A regular schedule is nice.  Being a morning person, I accomplish more before going to work than I do at the end of the work day, so the mid-week, long weekend will be nice.

One of my associates had one of "those" customers yesterday; a gentleman who had a quote and then left it expire.  As a result, the charge for disassembling a bed went from $75 per bed to $100 per bed.  He came in and began complaining that this increase had not been pointed out to him when he paid for the installation.  We had no problem adjusting that charge back, but what he really wanted was for us to adjust the charge off completely.  His arguments were small and insignificant and were never going to get him what he wanted, so he played his trump card.  He said "so, let's just cancel the 2nd floor installation completely, that way I won't have to worry about the charges."  So, we played our trump card, "sure you can cancel, but because your flooring has already shipped, there will be a $1000 restocking fee."  The customer was unhappy.  I have no problem with that.  We deal with people like him on a daily basis.

I have settled on which washer and dryer I'm going to purchase.  Whirlpool makes the best appliances, however their stackable washer and drying are too wide and too tall.  That left their competitors.  Samsung has the longest lifespan, but I can tell you from past experience if there's a warranty issue you will lose.  It looks like LG is going to get my business. 

And, of course, there was a debate in Ohio last evening, JD Vance vs Tim Ryan.  I didn't watch, but kept seeing little blurbs come through on my news feeds.  In a smart move by Ryan, he brought up Trump's appearance in Ohio, zeroing in on Trumps comment that Vance "likes to kiss my ass."  Kiss my ass was brought up a number of times.  To be honest, back when Trump said that at Vance's rally, I was stunned.  He likes to kiss my ass.  Think about it.  The truth is Vance was truly kissing Trump's ass just to get him on that stage. Now, we know that all MAGAs want to kiss Trump's ass, but Independent voters?  Not so much.  Independent voters out number MAGAs/  I'm suspecting they don't really want an ass kisser representing Ohio in the Senate.

Vacation entry #2

I think the title is funny since I'm only off work for 4 days. 
Yesterday I did nothing.  Well, not quite, I did do some laundry and worked on the The Body in the Well.  They're forecasting a drizzly day and thus creating limitations as to what I can do, should I plan some outside activities.  One of the things is set the directions for the Wells Fargo Center in my car's computer.  It's been 4 years since I've driven in Philly.  I had to go to a paint seminar in Cherry Hill back when I was managing the Paint Desk.  Now, doesn't that sound exciting.
As for that wine cooler I bought?

This is what happens when the importance of Gatorade supersedes the importance of wine.  At least I'm putting it to good use.  Oh, and in case you didn't notice my Gatorade, just like my politics, is blue.
And, speaking Blue, I guess the Idiot Jerk had another rant rally last evening in Lose-iana for red MAGA heads. That's how they pronounce it, you know?  Not Louisiana.  One of the last things the residents of Baton Rouge, and Shreveport, and Lafayette want is to live in a state named for the King of France.  And that rally?  His vitriol is unprecedented!  He called Democrats radicals and said we were deranged, and that white audience cheered, oblivious to the fact that their party was badly burned in Tuesday's off year election.  Of course, his fan base will never understand, their ears are stoppered to normalcy.  Independent voters in the suburbs are growing more and more dissatisfied with his hateful antics.  Not his base thought, all he need do is say the word and they will happily drink the Kool-aid.

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Oh, dear me... the Idiot Jerk's approval rating is dropping... among Independent voters.  Now, isn't that a surprise.  And this was before he waved a piece of paper touting a 'secret' deal with Mexico.  People in Washington are whispering among themselves "what secret deal... what secret deal?"  In case you didn't know, his base believes him.  They're ecstatic.  This is better than the secret sauce used on your Big Mac!  Tasty!  They are on the verge of foaming at the mouth.  And the icing on the cake is the "nice" letter he got from Kim Dumb Shit... on their anniversary.  The only problem is that the Independents are saying "wait a minute, this guy's an asshole."  Believe me, this does not bode well for the Idiot Jerk in the White House.
Anyway, Don, one my other readers, received his copy of The Body in the Tower yesterday.  He has a degree in English and is the closest thing I have to an actual editor.  When I got his copy of the manuscript back there was red ink all over it.  He wrote things like 'vague,' and 'confusing,' and 'what happened to the yellow sock hat?'  Here is Don.

Don did not appreciate the way the narrative switches between  1st person and 3rd person.  Well, I fixed the 'vague,' and the 'confusing,' and answered the questions about 'the yellow sock hat,' and left the narrative switching as I had originally written it.
I'm off tomorrow and they're forecasting rain.   That's fine.  I don't mind as long as I don't have to go to work.  In 2.5 years my car will be paid off.  Then I'm going to go part-time.
And Biggie just gave me a purple, squeaky squirrel.

Irrational

Okay, here is is Monday and I get to go back to work... for 3 days.
An update from Cymax... I got an email from them yesterday saying they were sorry, but I had only selected White Glove service, Silver grade, which did not include unpacking the product.  Of course you know I'm a smart ass, so I went to the add on Amazon clicked on the "without expert assembly" button where it says: 

• Removal of packaging materials to customer's bin

This I copied and emailed to them.  I am awaiting their response.

With all of this reorganization going on, I find I've got an extra laptop... and not knowing what to do with it, I set it up next to my 24" gaming monitor.  Shit, am I like geeky as hell?

Wallpaper is one of the pics I took at the Eiffel Tower

Anyway, I saw where some guy named Mulvaney, no doubt a slobber sycophant of the Idiot Jerk, claims that our phony president won the shutdown battle....  That is so freaking hysterical.  Evidently neither one has seen this.  Almost 3/4 of registered voters think the country is in the pisser waiting to get flushed.  70% of those questioned were Independents, the largest voting block in the country.  Shit!

Oh, and the Idiot Jerk has not ruled out another shut down.  This is no doubt a result of the prayer session with Gini Thomas...  Damn, these people are not only so lost in the weeds of their own making, they're compass is going to lead them right off the map of rational behavior.  But, have they ever really been... rational.

We're supposed to have 2 (count them) 2 cold days, but then the temps goes back up to the upper 30's and 40's.  Can't wait.

Chortling at the GOP

Ever since Reagan's re-election the GOP has wanted to rule the United States, unfortunately that same landslide win was a curse in disguise..  During his second term all sorts of shit hit the fan:  Nancy employing mediums to set his calendar, the bottom started falling out of the economy because Reagonomics was a failure, and there was a little thing called the Iran / Contra Affair.  Instead of taking a step back and re-evaluating, they went into attack mode. and they've been there ever since.  Any and every movement, not matter how odd or radical, they embraced and called it conservative.  They enjoy membership in something called the "birther movement" because it's a weapon of attack.  What they failed to comprehend is these crazy groups don't jive well with Independent voters and there is no way you cannot win an election with out those votes.  Now they have to deal with this asshole named Akins who is proving that the evil the GOP has embraced is buried just beneath the surface.  So, I'm chortling at the the GOP because they need to step back now and re-evaluate.  They need to stop lying and say the stand for America, because in truth they only stand for themselves.