Bluntness

I've also been told I have little tact, so if this offends you simply ride on.

Monday, December 31, 2018

Four Letter Words

Well, today is December 31st, the last day of the year 2018 which was not a bad year for me.  In fact, I'd describe the last 12 months overall as being Good.  That's a 4 letter word, just in case you have problems counting.
When you say 'four letter words' some people's minds automatically gravitate to the vulgar and the obscene.  They demonstrate their puerile baseness, and usually they are Republicans.  For them Poor is a dirty wordTrue is 4 letter word that is an obscenity.  Tucker Carlson used those 2 words when he talked about those damn (another 4 letter word) gathering at the border.  He said something to the effect that "true they are poor but who says we need to take care (2 four letter words) of them."  Tucker Carlson is a true Republican and also a phony Christian.
Of course, this little banter about four letter words has to do with Kellyanne Conway's verbal faux pas yesterday on some Sunday morning talk show, which is rather funny since she neither talked about anything truthful, nor showed any signs of active intelligence.  What else can you surmise when she said "the Democrats want to turn the wall into a four letter word."  I think perhaps the peroxide she uses on her hair has seeped a little too deeply into her roots.  Now we know, Republicans spell wall 'waaalll,' or at least that seems to be how the Idiot Jerk pronounces it.  Holy Shit!!  Did you see what I did?  And I never knew!  The Idiot Jerk is really nothing more than two four letter words!  The truth is before us.  He is a vulgar obscenity...   I knew he was a moral degenerate but shit!  He is also a vulgar obscenity.  Hell, what a way to ring in the New Year.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

The syringe is loaded.

Someone ate a stick of butter.  It wasn't me.  The empty butter dish was found lying on the kitchen floor... licked clean.  I checked both dogs for butter breath... no luck, only the lingering scent of Gravy Bones biscuits.  Unsolvable?  Most likely.  Neither is about to point the paw at the guilty party.  Good thing I have 2 other sticks in the fridge, otherwise I'd be in a butter free zone.
I did sleep late this morning.  I turned off the 0500 alarm as it started buzzing on the dresser.  There was no need to get up for work.  Sleeping in is good, I told myself.  I'm still in the recovery stage.  A bit about sore throats, bacterial vs viral.  Let's use Strep throat as an example.  With Strep, you are contagious for quite some time after symptoms show up which is why you want to have it treated with antibiotics as soon as possible.  Strep is considered a very contagious bacterial infection.  A viral infection, like what I had, is usually only contagious during the incubation period, they are sneaky that way.  The average person will recover from both Strep throat and a viral sore throat on their own, Strep taking usually 3-5 days.  Within 24 hours after taking an antibiotic the contagion level of a person with Strep drops drastically, to almost zero which is why it needs to be medicated as soon as possible.  The co-worker who shows up with Strep is a volcano of infection, where as someone like me?  I was just a nuisance because of my whining and complaining...
In 4 days the Democrats take control of the House.  From what I've been reading, the Idiot Jerk is totally unprepared.  What's so surprising about that?  Not much.  He's always been more of a wanna be pseudo-business man then anything else.  He points fingers and blames, cites statistics no one can verify.  Democrats are responsible for 2 children dying because they didn't give him what he wants, a wall.  He is a fat, ugly man with the maturity level of a twelve year old.  He epitomizes the Republican thought process using his Twitter account to supplicate his base.  The Idiot Jerk doesn't understand that Pelosi is going to say "we are not going to give you what you want just to satisfy the 31% of Americans who kiss you ass."  Well, she may not exactly use those words.  However, that is what he's doing, giving a minority group of racists what they want.  The fact that those swing states which helped him get is electoral victory have swung back to favoring Democrats is beyond his comprehension.  He is a lot like a bacterial infection, contagious until the antibiotic hits.  His brain is way to self-centered to even consider what's going to happen in 4 days.  Prepare yourselves.  Nancy Pelosi is going to be a double shot of penicillin in his ass and his disease will start exploding out of every single orifice.  It will be ugly.
 

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Floppy Eared Dogs

Well, today is my... I guess you might want to say Friday, since I'm off tomorrow.  Of course I do get to work the next day, New Year's Eve (like I go to bed around 9:30 PM anyway), but then I have 3 days off in a row, which is the equivalent of a long weekend for a lot of you.
The HR position I did for almost 5 years opened at my store.  I did not apply, though a number of people did, two from the Flooring Department.  Neither got it.  One of them didn't want the job, the other, whom I'll call #2 did.  #2 is an older person who embellishes his work history.  He is a older and desperately trying to be important.  When I told this #2 they had announced the name of the applicant who got the job he said "(the store manager) had told him 'you were our best applicant until (so and so) threw her hat in the ring at the last minute.'"  Well, that's a lie.  #2 wasn't even in consideration... I know (ha ha) because, even though I am no longer a confidential person, people still confide in me.  There is going to be another supervisory position opening up in about 2-3 weeks and #2 thinks he's got a great shot at it.  He doesn't.  I do know who will get promoted.  Since I don't like #2 I would sincerely like to tell him he's going to crash and burn.  But I'm a nice guy, you know?  And I don't even need to tell management #2 is shit, they already know.
I saw where the TSA is going to change the breed of dogs they use from German Shepherds to a dog with 'floppy ears.'  Floppy eared dogs are less scary and come across as being much less aggressive.  This is true, I know, I have floppy eared dogs.


I don't know how other doctors work, but with the VA I always receive in the mail detailed information and diagnosis after every visit.  Yesterday I received the print out from my last visit, for my 'viral infection.'  The diagnosis:  Acute Viral Pharyngitis.  For those counting, this is day 12.  Just think, if it had been Strep they could have given me an antibiotic and everything would be cleared up by now.

Friday, December 28, 2018

Suckers in Washington

Well, let's call today Friday, not that names of the week really mean anything to me.  For the next couple of weeks my schedule is 'on again, off again.'  I don't believe there's a stretch where I work more than 3 days in a row, which is ducky dandy for me.
This is day 11 for my viral infection.  I have reached a point where my symptoms are normally what I would call "a cold."  Usually, when I do get a cold, the total duration is 3-4 days... sometimes they'll hang around 6-7, but rarely.  This is not fun for me.
One of the statements I hear as a flooring specialist that I find most appalling, is when a customer states they're "looking for a color that's going to hide dirt."  Think about that now....   Are you thinking?  Just what does that statement tell you about this customer?  They don't vacuum?  Or maybe they just pull out the old Hoover every other week.  And, if they do get a carpet that "hides the dirt" will they ever pull it out...? the Hoover, I mean.  I have dogs, one is sort of large, the other is very large, and when they do a dump outside, they do a dump.  They also play outside... a lot, and even though my yard is fairly large, you can  bet the farm that one, if not both of them, will run through that pile of shit.  Now, I have hardwood floors with area rugs and believe me, I would not want an area rug that "hides the dirt."
On the Idiot Jerks recent, and not too secret, trip to a very safe war-zone is coming under more fire for very many reasons:  the faces of clandestine operatives were revealed, and he handed out those little. red sinner's caps so many of his followers wear.  But he said something to the effect of "we are no longer the world's suckers."  Now, there have been times when our government has made bad decisions and gotten us involved in wars a majority of Americans didn't agree with, Vietnam for one, and W's Desert Stomp (or what ever he called it).  Never once, however, did I think a foreign government was using us the way you use a 'sucker,' or a stooge.  The definitions for a sucker is

 a gullible or easily deceived person.and they got suckered into accepting responsibility

As far as I can remember, we were never suckered into anything.  And when it came to defending democracy, whether our on, or that of other peoples, the Republican Party had always been at the forefront. Not anymore.  Those who go to help others are now seen as "suckers."  With that one word the Idiot Jerk wipe away the honorable life of every American who has died in war from the Revolutionary War to the present.  
Remember that great meeting with Kim Jong Dumb and the Idiot Jerk.  Afterward, the Idiot Jerk crowed "they will denuclearize!"  Well, that's not happening.  Reports are coming in that just the opposite is the new reality, that the North Koreans are moving into a 'mass production' phase, adding up to 20 new nukes a year.  Denuclearize?  Kim just showed the world who the real sucker is... the Idiot Jerk in the White House.




Thursday, December 27, 2018

Leaning

Okay, I felt tired so I went to bed at a little after 8 last evening.  I've been a bit ill, you know?  On Christmas Eve I hit the sack around the same time and slept for over 10 hours.  That didn't happen last night.  About 0245 this morning I woke up.  Going back to sleep?  Wasn't going to happen.  That's a pretty clear indicator I am on the mend.  I may try for a little catnap before heading in this morning, but otherwise I'd say I'm up for the duration.
I saw the Idiot Jerk went to Iran yesterday.  They were calling it a trip to a war zone.  They must be right.  He took Melanoma along as a shield.  Of course, his base was delighted.  How quickly they've forgotten Veteran's Day.  Short term memory loss... what else can you expect from the nearly brain dead?
And the stock market went up, too.  No doubt one last flight before it finally crashes.
As I said, I do get to work today.  In fact, I work for the next three... and then I'm off for 3.  I think I'm going to paint the staircase.  I'd bought the paint back in July, some sort of minty thingy color which should go well with the Juniper Berry gray / green / blue of my dining room.
Okay, and there's a section in the new book which revolves around a marble statue in the Louvre.  One of the things I've been doing during my viral infection is scouring their statuary, trying to find the one perfect piece.  I've narrowed it down to two:

The Wounded Galatian

or...

The Borghese Gladiator
The Gladiator is actually a 'warrior' who's missing his sword and shield (broken off centuries ago).  I'm leaning toward the Galatian.  Curly hair, you know?



Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Things that are funny

Okay, so here it is Wednesday.  I have the day off.  Good.  I slept through most of yesterday getting up just to give the dogs their toys.  The toy of the hour was not the 6 foot snake with 12 squeakers.  Nope.  Nothing could compare to the red, naked woodpecker that honked... that's right, a woodpecker that honks.


Both dogs wanted it.  When I told Seig I'd only bought one he gave me a very sad look.


And then turned away in disdain.


They do switch off, he'll have it for a while, and then Lily will have it for a while, and at some point one of them will chew off the nose or the toes and it will not longer honk and they'll move onto something else.
Today will be an interesting day for the Stock Market.  Funny how the Idiot Jerk is sill blaming the Fed.  Glance at any financial page and you'll see most reporting takes the Fed rate hikes into account, but what's really creating the havoc is the Idiot Jerk and his administration.  Mattis leaves and he wants to give the job to someone with no military experience and only 2 years at the the Pentagon... oh, but he used to work for Boeing (I think).  And then yesterday he started telling people they should buy 'the dip.'  You can bet Mnuchin is, that's how he made his money, buying stocks after the 'W' crash.
And Gallup did give the Idiot Jerk some good news.  He has the most stable approval rating of any president to date.  With all the other presidents, their approval rating goes up and down, they do something the country likes, it goes up, they do something Americans don't like, it goes down.  The Idiot Jerk's approval rating doesn't do that.  Nope.  It has never gone above 45% or below 35%.  In fact, his approval rating seems to be most comfortable at around 39%.  That % includes the 29% of Americans registered Republican, and 10% of everybody else registered to vote.  This is not a good thing if he's planning on trying to get re-elected.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Reason

What so many fail to understand, or choose to ignore, is that there is one reason we are here.



To go out there.

Monday, December 24, 2018

My Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and things started moving
The meds in my throat are now really quite soothing
The snake with twelve squeakers is waiting in silence
With the red rubber chicken, they're timing their entrance,
And Biggie and Lily will have such a day
With a new duck and rooster, they'll pull and they'll play
And I will be reading and watching the tube
As the Idiot Jerk becomes more of a boob
Oh wait, that's the wrong word, cause boobs can be nice
I should ask for Coulter's or Limbaugh's advice
Cause they know the hate words that scathe and that burn,
They use them to make the Idiot's brain churn
We all need a wall, they scream and they shout
What are you?  a fuckhead?  How can you have doubts?
"I'll shut down the government," he shouts out with glee
"This shutdown is mine as you sucker's can see!"
And Nancy and Chuck just sit there and smile
For just like in scrabble the proof's in the tiles
They're spelling impeachment, oh yes, that word fits
While Mueller's indictments give the Idiot Jerk shits
Our future looks brighter with each passing day
And like Biggie and Lily, we'll soon get to play.



Sunday, December 23, 2018

Balanced

Well, here it is Sunday morning.  I stopped taking the Mucinex at 0230 not because of any issues, rather my Dr said the torrential nasal drip symptom should be gone in about 4 days.  For the most part it is and now I'm left with that standard, run of the mill cold so many others get.  This viral infection thing?  I know 3 other people who have had it including my runner friend Steve who told me "it really knocked me out, I couldn't run for 7 days."  That's almost an eternity for him.
I saw a headline on my phone this AM from Faux News claiming Schumer was demanding the Idiot Jerk drop his wall.  Chuck did... back on 12/10.  That was before the American Freedom Caucus, soon to be a minority group, played hardball with the Idiot Jerk.  "Give your base the wall," they threatened, "or we will stop defending you against the Mueller Investigation."  Well, the Idiot Jerk popped a little turd, and then reneged on his word (something quite common), and the government was shut down.  We're getting to see their last gasping breath of racism before Democrats tell the members of the Freedom Caucus to do what they have been telling Democrats and Independents for years "shut up and sit down."  They know that in 10 days their wanna be Idiot Jerk dictator is going to pop another turd... actually, he's probably going to pop more than one.
On a much brighter note, if you haven't heard David Hogg is going to college!  Remember when Laura Ingraham mocked him on National TV because he'd gotten a few college rejections?  So David raised up his voice a speaking clearly and plainly to Laura's advertisers.  "I am a survivor of a mass shooting.  I have seen the violence of guns in the wrong hands and have waved a red flag.  Because of this she feels justified in mocking me, in trying to humiliate me on National TV."  Her advertisers looked down with disdain upon Laura and started pulling their advertising.  Faux News started popping little turds and sent Laura on a wee vacation.  When she returned, she apologized for her words, but not to David Hogg because she is too enraptured in her Conservative beliefs to ever understand.  Of course, Karma looked down and said "Laura, you're a phony blond, and a phony human being."  And then Karma looked down on David and smiled.  Karma balances everything by punishing and rewarding. 


David Hogg is going to college.

David Hogg is going to Harvard.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Desperate Republicans

Well, the viral infection has moved... I repeat, the viral infection has moved... south.  Initially my Dr had recommended chloroseptic and Tylenol, neither of which did a thing to stop the torrents of mucus raging down my throat.  I ended up doing Mucinex and Ibuprofen.  They worked.  I slept well last night.  A thank you goes out to the Mistress who recommended Gin...  the liquor store was out of Bombay Sapphire, which is why I went with the Meds.  As I started to say, the infection has moved south and located in the general vicinity of my Adam's apple, using my vocal cords as some sort of camouflage.  I sound like a rusty gate when I talk.  When I asked the dogs if they had to "go potty outside," they both gave me a WTF stare.
Oh, and in case you haven't heard, we have a partial government shut down.  I repeat, we have a partial government shut down.  The wall, you know?  Poll after poll, except for those the crazy right-wingers fudge, point out that only 31% of Americans want a border wall.  In case you don't know, that's the total sum of registered Republicans, with about 2% Independent voters added in just for shits and giggles.  The Idiot Jerk is telling a majority of Americans to screw themselves just so he can give his base what their little, racist hearts crave.  This is desperation.  They really need to stop lying to themselves about their own popularity.
I saw where the Taliban is claiming victory of the United States.  Now isn't that a great message to send terrorist groups?
And the stock market dropped a lot last week... the most in 10 years.  The list time this happened the Idiot Bush was president.  Remember, Republicans have always been failures in regard to the economy.  Always.  The Idiot Jerk wants to fire Powell.  The real problem is Powell, it's that the stock market was terribly over inflated... by greed.  We have the cheerleader for American Capitalism in the White House and he's nothing but a turd, spitting out cheap words for greedy people.
Today will be another slow day at the store.  Tomorrow will be slower, and Monday slower still.  I work Monday.  Odds are they will let me go home early.  That's fine with me.

Friday, December 21, 2018

The Jolly Holiday (pt 2)

Golly gee whiz... yesterday was quite the Jolly Holiday, wasn't it?
My doctor told me I had a 'viral infection' (cold) which I already knew.  His explanation for my swollen glands?  This 'viral infection' was severe, creating buckets more mucous than normal, and all this extra mucous was creating a tidal wave of post nasal drip.  This tidal wave is so large a secondary infection was created around my Adam's apple, the reason for those large, swollen glands.  Since this is a viral rather than bacterial infection, he recommended 'over the counter' meds.  Well, the Chloroceptic failed against the gush and swash of the tidal wave.  Totally.  So at around 0200 I went on line and discovered I am not alone.  One of the most popular products to reduce the level of mucous is... Mucinex.  Guess what I'm buying on the way home from work.
And, of course the Jolly Holiday continued with the Freedom Caucus, that white, racist body losing their power in 11 days, demanded the Idiot Jerk renege on his agreement to sign a funding measure without monies for their racist wall.  They did what they've always done, shouted "shut up! screw you!  we're in charge, so just shut up!' and passed a bill that is dead before it reaches the Senate floor.  You see, they don't really care about America, or Americans.  All they truly care about are their only narrow minded beliefs.  As might be expected, their narrow mindedness sent a tidal wave around the world's stock markets.  Believe me, their tidal wave was far more destructive than mine made out of mucous.
If you thought the Jolly Holiday was going to end there, boy were you wrong.  Mad Dog Mattis got... mad.  He is burning mad!  Angry as a hornet.  And he's making sure every body knows.  His resignation letter has been published everywhere.  He is furious that the moron Idiot Jerk in the White House is leaving Syria to the Russians.  That's right, Mad Dog is running for the hills, making sure he doesn't get swept up in the Tidal Wave of stupidity spewing out of the Idiot Jerk's administration.
For those who don't know, the Idiot Jerk was not sent to make America great again, we've always been great.  He's here to destroy the Republican Party.  He is here to prove why religion needs to be completely excised from politics.  He is here to screech the death knoll for his base.
On a lighter note, as I was sitting at my writing table last evening, I noticed Lily watching me from the futon.  I thought, oh, my gosh, she is so cute.  So, I took a picture.  I call it Lily on the Futon.


Thursday, December 20, 2018

And the Jolly Holiday continues

Well, I don't have a cold, rather my Adam's apple appears to be the focal point of this health event... or...in planer words, I have a sore throat.  Glands are swollen.  Which means I'm taking off work for a 2nd day in a row.  I took my temperature and it's a tad below normal which probably means there's no bacterial infection, still around 8 I'll call and see if I can get a doctor's appointment.  Yippey for me!
By the way, the stock market dropped again yesterday - the Fed raised interest rates.  The Idiot Jerk hates this.  His motto has always been "more Money! more Money!"  He wants you to be as deep in debt as possible since that makes his banker buddies lots and lots of money.  A higher interest rate tends to curtail lending organizations who desperately want you to sign away the farm as collateral.
The Idiot Jerk also decided to pull our military out of Syria... purely to satisfy his base, or maybe it was the Russians.  Having our troops there was an expense... and he'd rather have them getting paid to stand around down at the border with Mexico.  The fact that doing so leaves Syria in the hands of the Russians and the Iranians means nothing to him.  For all we know, his focus is still on building that tower in downtown Moscow.
I talked to the director of Greenfield yesterday about not receiving my Mom's last billing.  That's right, I haven't gotten her final bill.  He mumbled something like "... uh... well... I believe it's in this months billing."  I used to manage Account's Payable for International Paper.  His response is unacceptable.  When I told him so, he said "... uh... well... I can call my boss."  Did he call me back with an update?  Now, why would he do something so professional?
And, of course, "Mary Poppins Returns" will be opening in a theater near you in just a few days.  Will I go?  Well, of course.  Back in that magical summer of 1964, when I was 11 years old, I went to see the original twice.  Can we even compare Emily Blunt to Julie Andrews?  I think not.  Julie has a voice and Emily?  Well, she sings.  There are two openly gay men in the cast - Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ben Whishaw... well, it is a musical, isn't it?  I don't doubt for a second, however, nostalgia will make this a blockbuster.  All those other kids who saw it in 1964 will sit in the audience and cry.


We like to think of those days as filled with innocence.  What so many fail to realize is that in 1964 two American destroyers were fired upon by the North Vietnamese signaling our entrance into an ugly war which killed so many of our young men and women.  I'm one of those few who got watch "Mary Poppins" and go to Vietnam.  How's that for a jolly holiday?

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Spring Harvest

Late post today because... I have a cold, of sorts.  It started yesterday with pressure on both sides of my throat, not really tender, and as the day wore on I could feel that steady drip, drip, drip.  Around 2 in the morning I got up and gargled, that helped a little.  When I called off sick the manager didn't know who I was, he said "Dave in flooring?"  This is how it goes sometimes.  Anyway, I went back to bed, waking up around 0830 - which means I slept for almost 12 hours....  Now, my throat doesn't bother me so much, though I can tell my voice still sounds like something from a horror movie.  Oh, and there's still a lot of pressure still building in my sinus cavities.  Sometime, probably this morning, that log jam will bust open and I will experience 3 or 4 days of some serious drainage.  What's irritating is that I had one of these things 8 or 9 months ago.  Damn!
Somehow I managed to buy an extra pound of almonds, so I make bake cookies today.  Since I might still be contagious I might have to eat all of them... myself.  I don't really know if that's such a bad thing.
I saw where Flynn's sentencing was delayed after the judge called his actions treasonous... he said something like for all intents and purposes, Flynn was a "traitor to his country."  Pay close attention to his words.  They are gearing up for the spawn of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  I suspect the boys are going to get a little bit more than a good spanking.
Oh, and the Idiot Jerk back off his demand for money to pay for his racist border wall.  Just like a spoiled loser he whined something like "there's other ways I can get that $5 billion."  No doubt he means through some illegal money laundering scam, or maybe he's talking about getting a high interest loan from his friends in Moscow.
And finally a bit about seeds.  I have this habit of saving seeds.  Anytime I cut up a fruit or a vegetable I usually end up setting a few seeds aside.  Last year I grew and harvested acorn squash because of this habit.  Well, the other day I stuck two seeds in a planter and voila!


I think they might be butternut squash, but I can't be sure.  I've moved them to a place where they get  full sun most of the day.  Wouldn't that be awesome?  Harvesting butternut squash in my kitchen!

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Diaper This

Hello, it's me...  Here's a picture of me that my Mom had when I was just a little shit, a mere 7 months old.  Aren't I cute?  That's my first Mohawk!!  No, I'm not naked, I'm wearing a diaper.  Some day that may happen again, but for right now everything is safe and secure.


Yesterday, while doing all sorts of odd things around the house, I took some time to scan the headlines.  Talk about a potpourri of bullshit.  Did you know Roger Stone has admitted to lying.... and as part of his punishment he has to publicly admit to doing so and apologize for being a lying sack of shit.  And where did he get these lies?  Guess.  Well, Roger says he got them from some guy named Sam who's with the Idiot Jerk's administration.  So, do you think Roger has started wearing a diaper?  My money says you can Depend upon it. Most likely the Fit-Flex.
And then there was the Tucker Carlson shit show.  He said that because immigrants are poor, and dirty, they should be kept out of our country, especially those dark, brown ones coming up from south of the border.  Tucker's going to stand his ground!  He's not going to cave in to the liberals no matter how many sponsors leave his show.  So is Tucker wearing a diaper?  Probably not, he's choosing to wallow in his shit.  Tucker's proudly proclaiming "I'm a racist, damn you, so stop trying to make me human."
In case you missed it, the Russians are still in the news... but when aren't they.  It seems like every day we get more and more information on how they were working to get their guy elected.  Social conservatives want to believe the Idiot Jerk was elected through divine intervention...  That may be the case, as long as the divinity speaks Russian and calls himself Vlad.
Finally, there was this little, tasty chestnut.  It seems that 62% of voting Americans believe the Idiot Jerk is lying about Russia.  Every time he shrieks 'witch hunt' they think 'asswipe.'  And the 38% who believe the Idiot Jerk?  I suspect some of them have already started hitting the Depends store. They are prepping for that day in the not to distant future when they all start shitting in their pants.





Monday, December 17, 2018

Weathering the Storm

Today is the first of my 2 consecutive days off.  It will be filled with chores - cleaning & laundry, and hopefully some cardio later this afternoon.  Right now Biggie is laying beside me as I type.  His loyalty is amazing, especially if there are  biscuits nearby.
My brother in law got my sister a Facebook Portal (what ever that is) for Christmas... this means she's now on Facebook.  My nephew and his girlfriend live 2 hours away, and that's the only way she can get her fill of baby pictures.  And they have another on the way.  It seems as though grandchildren are the only way she can be forced into the 21st century.
For those who look forward to such things, we have 4 more days until the Winter Solstice.  I like long, sunny days.  They don't need to necessarily be warm, just sunny.  Hitting the shortest day of the year is always a turning point.  The days will begin to get longer.  Hopefully 2019 will be sunnier.  2018 was, for us, the rainiest year on record.  My lawn is still green.  Shit.
The weather patterns this past year have been shit for this country.  We've had rain, rain, and more rain.  There were record breaking rains in and around the DC this weekend.  California is warning people to stay away form beaches because they're going to be getting 50 foot waves....  That's a big wave.  In fact, it's relatively easy to see a correlation between the Idiot Jerk in the White House and the chaotic weather patterns that have dominated the US this past year.  Chaos equals chaos.
In literature, in film, and in art, storms have always been an indicator of inner turmoil.  "The Tempest" begins with a storm.  "King Lear" ends with a storm.  Those are just 2 literary examples, there are many others.  In film, from the complexity of "The Ice Storm," to a tornado that takes Dorothy Gale from the chaos of Kansas to land of Oz (that's film and literature).  This is what art says.  This is what Karma does.  So, is it any wonder I see a correlation between the weather the the Idiot Jerk's administration.  And the weather seems to be getting worse.  The Idiot Jerk doesn't believe in Global Warming.  He only believes in himself.  He lives in a whirlwind of purchased friendships, where bought allies orbit in and out of his sphere of stupidity purely on the depth of their transient loyalty.  And we've got some really bad weather raging across the country.  This isn't "hold on to your hats" weather, this isn't even "fasten your seat belts" weather.  All we can do is hold on tight and wait for the damn thing to blow over.  Remember, storms are Nature's way of cleaning up the shit.  Just make sure you're not near a sewer when this shit starts going down the drains.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

On seeing Aquaman

First let's get some stuff out of the way.  Evidently Ryan Zinke is slinking away after doing his best to trash the environment... and getting replaced by a lobbyist.  Qualifications mean nothing to the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  We have some douche named Mulvaney who's going to become evidently a Temp Chief of Staff.  Is it just me, or do all the jobs in his administration seem to be manned as Temp Positions.  Any way, back in 2016 this Mulvaney jerk made comments about the Idiot Jerk being a "terrible human being."  So... do you really think he's going to be getting along with the Idiot Jerk in the White House?
And now what some readers have been waiting for.  I went to see "Aquaman" last evening.  I thought I might see some overweight fans dressed up in yellow scales... I didn't.  Most of the audience, which was fairly large looked like your average movie fan.  The movie was scheduled to start at 7 PM and started at 7PM - there were no trailers for coming attractions.
The first thing that surprised me was Nicole Kidman as Atlanta, Arthur's mother.  She does action sequences... well.  Wilhem Dafoe, who does a very good job in a very quiet role.  Of course, every wants to know how Jason did...  Sixpence wants to know if he "pulls it off."  His shirt?  No, it's already off and is for most of the movie.  I was concerned he might be Jason Momoa all through the film... sort of like some Jack Nicholson movies, where he mostly plays himself playing a character.  Well, Jason does at first.  Interestingly enough, he transitions... and by the final action sequences the audience gets to see this as he turns from a beer guzzler who takes selfies with bikers into hero.  By the end of the film he is Aquaman.  The only issue I had was his name.  You see, Aquaman's human name is Arthur Curry, and (mini-spoiler here) when he becomes Aquaman he's called 'King Arthur,' but only once.
Director James Wan has a history of horror and action.  The action sequences are tight, quick camera moves, quick edits.  The horror?  Well, there's a moment high reminiscent of that classic moment in Aliens where Sigorney meets the Alien Queen Mother Bitch.  It was surprising and effective.


What makes a movie good?  Well, if in the end you believe something.  There was a lot of applause from the audience because something clicked, because in the end you really do get to see Aquaman.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Within the Sanctity of MY

Saturday and it's raining here... supposed to continue through the weekend.  That's fine, I work.  Monday's supposed to bring brilliant sunshine which is fine with me.
Oh, and I saw a Texas Federal Judge ruled that Obamacare is Unconstitutional because the Republicans took out the clause about 'financial responsibility.'  The states complaining were Republican.  If you look on a map they are the 'MY' states.  Republicans chose to shit away the 'family value' claim replacing it with the 'MY' moniker.  'MY' is their most favorite pronoun.  If you listen to a Republican, and more importantly, a Social Conservative, they quite frequently punctuate their conversations with 'MY.'  MY money.  MY taxes.  MY religion.  For the Republican, everything revolves around ME.  "I don't want MY money helping to pay for your insurance."  That's MY money.  It belongs to ME.  MY money is more important than your health.  Republicans have this growing disconnect with humanity.  Sort of like Ebenezer Scrooge.  Their focus is totally on the ME and the MY.  They take their cue from the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  They gather round and bless him because he has sanctified their 'MY.'  They believe he is a blessing because he "gives ME what I want most, the absolute authority of 'MY.'
My nephew Adam and his wife are expecting a baby in a month... give or take a couple of days.  She is blond and blue eyed, he is dark complected, brown hair and brown eyes.  I told them, genetically speaking, he's got it in the bag... literally.  Dominant Genetics, you know?  I think the odds are about 80% that baby's going to have brown hair and brown eyes.
And, for those who've forgotten.  Tonight I go see "Aquaman!"  Be jealous... be very, very jealous.


Actually, doesn't he really look like he's just escaped from some 70's Hair Band?

Also, a big Thank You to the 17 people from Tanzania who decided to look at my blog!!



Friday, December 14, 2018

Light this Up

Well, it's Friday and also my hump day.  Ain't that sweet?  A storm's moving eastward.  This translates into more rain.  The temps are supposed to go up, too, closer to what we might consider normal for December.  If memory serves me, this has tended to be a yearly occurrence:  cold in the first part of the month, but then warming up.  January and February are the months we are normally cold.
I had my review yesterday.  It was fine.  I'm getting a nice increase which is nice.  I can't wait for the next 2 weeks to pass.  Not only will we lose the Christmas music (remember when we called the Carols?) but it looks as though I'll be down to 32 hours per week.  I find that ducky dandy.
I hear there are a lot of whispers going around that the Idiot Jerk is quietly complaining to friends (I mean, does he really have any) he is concerned he might be impeached.  As I've said before, I think he'll quit before that happens.  I'm not one for New Year's predictions, but I wouldn't be surprised if he pardons everybody (except Cohen) and then resigns and relocates to Russia.  Pence desperately wants to be in the 'hot seat,' so he'd love it.  2020 rolls around and it's Pence running for president with Nikki Haley as his VP.  The social conservatives would love that shit.  They don't understand how badly they've been tainted by the Idiot Jerk, how he has managed to reveal how truly phony they are.  There ain't no smart bulb going to go off in their heads.
And speaking of bulbs, or... well... lights, I bought a new one for the dining room... and a nifty little end table - birds and vines.


This me slowly transitioning away from the very bright lights of the ceiling fan into something that provides more ambiance.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

One size does not fit all

Well, it's Wednesday and the schedules are out for the first week in January... and I'm off for the first 3 days.  Now, ain't that nice.
I replaced the toner cartridge in my printer - I tend to print a lot of things off.  They included an mailing envelope for me to return the cartridge... it's way too small.


Why include something that's not going to fit my cartridge.  Size, you know, has always been very, very important.  This means I'll have to drive it in to Staples.  Well, that's going to have to wait until the holiday traffic is passed.
I printed off the first 60 pages of my next project for my editor.
My Mom had a policy with  Met Life which was supposed to pay for her funeral.  Well, I paid for it out of what was left of her savings.  Met Life has been slow.  Then yesterday my brother sent me a text and said he, too, was listed as a beneficiary.  Shit.  That meant both he and I were going to be getting checks, a bit of a complication since there are 3 of us.  I called Met Life and was told there were actually 3 beneficiaries, though they couldn't tell me who the 3rd was.  I guessed my sister.  I gave her their 800 number and she called them.  Yepper.  She is the 3rd.  If this policy had truly been intended to pay for her funeral expenses, 3 checks would have been a bit of a complication.  I don't like complications, you know?  3 people writing 3 checks to pay for one bill.
Anyway, my blog yesterday on Camp Paradise got massive amounts of hits.  I had no idea so many people had an interest in blond Russian hookers...  Of course, it may just have been the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  I don't now, maybe he was waiting for one of them to pee.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Camp Paradise

Camp Paradise is back.  That's the Chaturbate site with the naked, blond Russian chicks who for some reason find my blog interesting.  I should thank them for being loyal readers, so here goes  "Hi!  Naked, Blond Russian Chicks crawling across the bed!  I'm glad you like my blog!"
Do you think the exclamation marks were too much?
And here's some breaking new!  Kathie Lee is leaving what ever the hell that morning shit show is she hosts.  It's a rather sad day in America when that headline gets as much attention as the "Chuck and Nancy Show," which premiered yesterday.  I didn't catch the entire episode, just a small clip where the Idiot Jerk kept repeating "Chuck, I need 10 votes.  You got to guarantee me 10 votes."  Of course Nancy kept interrupting with "We start with the White House."  She did that on purpose, you know, patiently goading the Idiot Jerk over and over again.  I'm sure his supporters must have been freaking out.  How could she treat this moral degenerate in such a way!  Didn't she know he was sent by Satan God?
And, of course, there were the private comments in which words like 'skunk' and 'tinkle' were bandied about.  How infuriating that must be for the Idiot Jerk, knowing men... and women (especially women) are laughing at him.  My money says he regretted skipping his daily session of Camp Paradise in order for him to guest on the "Chuck and Nancy show."


"See Chuck.  See Chuck smile.  Smile Chuck, smile."  Did you notice how Pence just sat there while Schumer sat there and smiled, not nodding, barely turning his head from side to side, like a statue?  Doesn't he remind of Norman Bates in the last scene of Psycho?  I didn't blow up the picture to check, but can anybody tell me if there's a fly on his nose.  Or maybe he too is thinking Camp Paradise would have been the better option.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Make it Pop

It's Tuesday morning and I slept in until 0500.  Nice, huh?  Yesterday was busy... and I did other things than laundry... and clean.  Like I lowered the TV in the cycling, weight, computer room.  I don't know what was initially going through my head when I first mounted it on the wall, but what ever that reason was... I stuck it up high.  This meant craning my neck.  One the reasons it's mounted is so I can watch beautiful vistas while riding the bike.  Well, I never did because it was... too high.  Now it's at eye level.  Things should work out better.
As part of Big Seig's "take off pounds sensibly plan" we all went for a walk.  The dogs loved it.  By evening they were quite exhausted.  Lilly especially, she had her nose in everything.


The funny thing is Lily looks almost as large as Biggie and in reality she's half his size.
I watched a clip yesterday in which some guy named McCarthy (conservative talking head) told the phony talking heads on Faux and Friends that the Idiot Jerk will end up being indicted.  The clips was meant to show their utter disbelief, which it did, in a small way.  What it did in an obvious way was show the Faux propaganda machine in full bullshit mode.  The moment the he said 'indict' the skinny, bony chick pointed out that the Obama administration had their own campaign finance problems.  She failed to mention that charge was filed by the Satanic RNC, while there are 4 different investigations going on in regard to the Idiot Jerk.  What these four puppet heads attempted was quell any concerns his demented base might have about their guy going to jail.  They twisted and lied, but that's to be expected, they're crazy conservatives.  What they should have said was "the minute that indictment becomes a definite course of action, he'll be on a plane to Moscow."  These people are going to go bug shit crazy when those indictments start dropping.
On a lighter note, I've got to stop buying LED light bulbs.  They last for years... and years.  So why, in the name of Universal Consciousness do I have 10, am I planning on living for another 120 years?  The USPS dropped off 4 more this AM.  Right now the dogs are chasing each other around the house with bubble wrap in their mouths.  They like to make it 'Pop.'



Monday, December 10, 2018

Get the Red Out

Okay, so I just listened to the sound of wind on Mars.  NASA has a recording.  They have amplified and speeded up the sound so humans can hear it.  One commenter says it sounds "otherworldly."  No it doesn't.  I've heard the same sound sitting in my car at a red light on real gusty day.  Still the hearing something new generated my interest enough so I listened.
And I was sitting at the empty flooring desk yesterday when I heard that Nicky Ayer's turned down the Idiot Jerk's offer to be Chief of Staff...   Is the result of his separation anxiety about not getting enough Pence time... or has he seen the writing on the wall?  I mean, how many rats waited until the Titanic was going down to jump on board?
As for my latest project?  It's coming along fine.  I'm going to be turning over a decent chunk to my editor.  He asked if the pages would be paper or electronic.  He's getting paper.  In certain ways I'm old school.  I told him I'd give him a marker.  He said, "don't worry, I have a red ink pen."
And speaking of red... there's a good possibility the stock market will be pro-active in a negative way today.  The Meng issue, you know?  The administration says her arrest was not political, but everybody in the world knows what a lying sack of shit the Idiot Jerk and his sycophants are so only a fool would believe them.  And China is pissed - big time.  This is the sort of 'big deal' the Idiot Jerk likes to brag about... but don't look at his bankruptcies, if you do you'll realize a lot of people get financially hurt with his 'big deals.'  In fact, one of the big concerns right now is so many other countries are looking at the US as failing and China as being... more correct, more fair, and possibly more powerful.  There is no reason for them to keep their allegiance with us especially because we all now know the Idiot Jerk couldn't run a successful cluster fuck even if he tried.
Finally, what about all of that snow down in the Carolinas?  Woah!!  The corrupt Republicans were so concerned about maintaining power, they never thought they'd have to contend with charges of hellacious  voter fraud, let alone end up in a rather low grade Christmas TV special.


Of course this Bumble might be just as fake as their voter registry.

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Coal for Everybody!

I guess there are a number of you who are sleeping in this morning because the day just happens to be named Sunday.  Not me.  For me, the days of the week are only identifiers for when I have to work, like I work on Sunday, but am off on Monday and Tuesday.  They might as well be colors for all their value.  I get to work on Orange, but than I'm off Red on Yellow.  Imagine how colorful our calendars would be if we substituted red, and yellow, and orange, and blue, and green instead of day names.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House would hate a calendar with colors rather than day names.  Can't you hear him "why is every day black?  Why is every day Black!?"
Yesterday was a slow day at the store...  It took a long time, but the great orange home retailer I work for finally realized we are not a Christmas store.  We do sell the obligatory tools husbands, and brothers, and sons, and fathers use, but most of these gifts fail to kick in that gleeful rush of adrenaline when they are unwrapped.  Finding a shop vac nestled under the tree creates a lot less excitement then say... oh, a ring, or tickets to Hawaii, or maybe even a puppy or a kitty cat.
Speaking of presents, some of the dog toys Big Seig and Lily are getting for Christmas arrived yesterday.  The bestest is a 6 foot green and yellow snake with 12 squeakers.


Just call me crazy.
Oh, and John Kelly is leaving the Administration and some guy name Nick Ayers is taking his place. Ayers is evidently a Pence lackey who lacks organizational skills.  Of course, he isn't there to keep things in order, he's there to suck up as much dirt on the Idiot Jerk as possible.  Pence is going to need as much ammunition as possible when he runs for president in 2020.  He doesn't seem to understand that when the Idiot Jerk goes, he goes too.
And in case you're wondering, there is a bright spot.  The West Virginia coal industry is going to make a killing this year thanks to the Republican  party.  No 6 foot green and yellow snakes with squeakers for the Idiot Jerk in the White House, just lumps of coal.  In fact, he's probably going to start using that at his rallies.  "Coal for Everybody!  Coal for Everybody!"

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Tsk Tsk, so much fraud

Well, yesterday was pretty much of a shit show for the Idiot Jerk in the White House, wasn't it.  Cohen seems to have been talking answering questions to... what is it?  Four different investigations?  And the revelations, woah,... wait a minute, so Cohen was acting pretty much as a liaison between the Idiot Jerk and Russia... I mean, didn't we already know his dirty, little fingers were all covered with shit?
And evidently the bimbo Donnie Jr has been banging, you know, the homewrecker from Faux News, Tweeted some sort of semi-nastiness to Ocasio-Cortez.  It seems Donnie Jr has been Tweeting shit about Latinos eating dog and Ocasio-Cortez fired a reminder his way about the subpoena power she, and fellow Democrats, will have on January 1.  Of course, Jr doesn't have the testosterone to reply himself, so he had his bimbolina do it instead.
And what the Republican sponsored voter fraud in North Carolina?  Holy Shit!  Interesting how the Republicans have decided to play the wolf in sheep's clothing when it comes to voter fraud.  This is not the first time they have a problem in North Carolina.
Yesterday I made sticky buns.  The bun part is simply delicious.  The gooey syrupy topping?  I cooked it too long and it sugared.  It still tastes delicious, it's just not the runny deliciousness I had been hoping for.
And I moved one of my xbox-one's back downstairs ( I have 2 of them - the regular xbox-one and the xbox- one x).  I may end up switching them, putting the 'x' down there instead. I'm doing this because Oblivion is coming out with a new game in 2019.  They've been bought by Microsoft, however their game will be on all 3 platforms (PC, PS-4, & Xbox).  Oblivion is responsible for the initial Fallout game, as well as what is considered the best in the series Fallout New Vegas.  They dropped the trailer for their new game yesterday, and it looks great.  Take a look.






The Youtuber talking about the game is ESO, a blond Brit with a beard.  How interesting.

Friday, December 7, 2018

The Good, the Bad, and the Nominations

Okay, so the Golden Globe nominations came out yesterday - they were interesting.  However, one in particular stood out.  A nominee for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical was that every popular Christian Bale.  You know who I'm talking about, he's a real cutie (with a bit of a temper).  He plays Dick Cheney in a movie called "Vice."  And it's considered a comedy...  Are you laughing yet?  What caught my attention was his picture.  He gained a couple of pounds for the film, as you can see.


If you're like me, you can smell an Oscar nomination.
So I had a conversation with Met Life yesterday about my Mom's funeral benefit.  I was told they mailed it to me on Tuesday.  I was a bit harsh - no language, I don't curse or swear at people over the phone, it does no good.  My voice usually drops an and I use phrases like 'lack of professionalism' and 'demonstrating the total inability to understand the distress,' and 'failure to show any consideration.'  The agent kept repeating 'my condolences,' and how it takes them 7 - 10 business days to process the paperwork.  Of course that's pure bullshit.  This is the age of computers.  You report a death and the agent clicks a box on his / her computer screen which sets some future date for the paperwork to be generated.  In today's high tech world the first human hands to touch that paperwork might actually be an associate as the envelope is loaded into a tray for a bulk mailing.
And now for a bit of irony.  In the project I'm working on there are 2 characters with the last name 'Blanchet' who work at the Louvre.  Gerrard is the Directer of Antiquities.  Last evening, while researching organizational positions at the Louvre, I discovered that the actual Directer of Antiquities' last name is... Blanchet.  I'm not too good at Probability, if anyone is, can they give me the odds of that actually happening.
And finally for today's funny bit.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House wants to nominate Heather Nauert for the position of Ambassador to the United Nations.


She's a spokesperson for the State Department and has been for about a year and a half.  She has no political... or policy experience.  Nikki Haley was a 2 time governor - that's experience.  So, what does Heather have going for her besides being blonde?  Well, before she became a Spokesperson, Heather was an anchor and correspondent on Fox and Friends, the Idiot Jerk's most favorite show.  Evidently that was a Home Run on her resume.

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Holy Water

Well, it's Thursday and I'm off work.  Tomorrow, too.  Then I go back to work for 2 days and then off for another 2 days.  It's kind of like a split vacation, isn't it?
I had the Funeral Director mail me my Mom's bill.  $423 for the obituary.  Pricey, eh?  I will pay it sometime this AM in order to get the discount.
There was an email update on my tickets to see Aquaman.  We're being moved to a different theater, from #10 to #12, most likely because they've sold so many tickets.  I've never been to an early show before so this might be... interesting.  In case you didn't know, certain individuals who are really into DC Comics, or Marvel Comics, and who really love a specific Super Hero like to dress up like that Super Hero.  This means there might be Superman, or Batman, or maybe even an Aquaman, or several of each, sitting in the audience with us.  If there's an Aquaman, I hope it's someone who works out.  Can you just imagine?
No, I didn't see any of the George H memorial service yesterday.  I did see a couple of still shots.  I understand the Idiot Jerk shook hands with every living president except Jimmy Carter.  Perhaps he was worried the skin might burn off his hands, or his face, or that his phony crown of fake hair might burst into flames.  Jimmy Carter is a very honorable, very good man.  I understand his touch is worse than Holy Water to an evil the likes of the Idiot Jerk.  Of course, I do believe Jimmy has criticized the Idiot Jerk for being a moral degenerate so the lack of a handshake may actually have been so some sort of snub.


Nah... I think the Idiot Jerk was more afraid of being set on fire.
And, on the financial front, if you're thinking the Wall Street might bounce back today, well... that might not happen.  It seems the Canadians arrested some chick named Meng, who just happens to be the CFO of Huawei, which just happens to be the super duper telecom corporation from China, for the purpose of extraditing her to the US.  China is furious.  Think ripple effect. And I doubt very much if the Canadians said to themselves "hey, let's arrest this chick and ship her off to the US."  Nah.  You can bet there was pressure applied because the Republican party has never been too smart, and with the Idiot Jerk in charge they've been dumber than bricks.  They would see her as a 'bargaining chip."  Wrong.
Jimmy!  Bring out your Holy Water now!

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

What the hell is a smoking saw?

Wednesday.  I got up early this AM to do my cardio... and then went back to bed for half an hour.  Fun Stuff. 
The post office is closed today because of George H's funeral service.  A national day of morning, which is irritating because I'm still waiting for my Mom's final bills to arrive.
And speaking of George H's funeral.  I can not even begin to imagine the tension that will be in the National Cathedral when the Idiot Jerk arrives.  Sure, there will be those who will shake his tiny hands if he so deigns, but mostly, to his horrifying chagrin, he will be shunned.  No one's going to casually saunter up and say... oh... "my, your latest tariff Tweet nearly crashed the stock market yesterday."  Most likely he'll sit there silently Tweeting things like "what a really tremendous service, shame they didn't hold it closer to Mar Lago so I could go golfing after wards."  I mean, do you really think Jeb's going to shake his hand and say "Gee, I'm really glad you could make it."  If we hear anything from the Idiot Jerk it's going to be along the lines of "Someone get me out of here."
Oh, and the NRCC was hacked - that's the National Republican Campaign Committee .  I think they're the ones who are responsible for getting House members elected and re-elected... and it was happening for a several months.  OH... MY.  Remember when the Democrats were hacked and the Idiot Jerk criticized them?  This hacking, I suspect was worse.  Some foreign actor uncovered a treasure trove of Republican dirt.  So far none of the emails have been made public.  Of course not, because... well... you know what's coming... this... is ... what's called... Blackmail.  So, I wonder if the Idiot Jerk's gotten the phone call yet, the one in which a heavily accented voice says "kiss our ass, or we will destroy you."
Let's face it.  Yesterday was a real bowl of Chop Suey when it came to bad news for the Idiot Jerk.


Mueller signaled that those cooperating with him will most likely get light sentences at best.  That's works.
And Gina Haspel to the Senate, behind closed doors, that the Saudi Prince is guilty as hell.  Lindsey Graham was so convinced he pulled his lips from the Idiot Jerk's ass and said "this is not a smoking gun, this is a smoking saw...."  That's right, he said it was a smoking saw.   Can someone just tell me what the fuck is a smoking saw?  Everybody knows what a smoking gun is, but smoking saw?  I Googled it... no pictures... anywhere.  Just what in hell has Lindsey been smoking?  And did he light it with a saw?  Maybe he's just talking about a saw that cuts down trees really, tremendously fast.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Life and Death

Going back to work today, can you hear my lower case yippee?
Yesterday was nice, a mixture of clouds and sun, the temp got up to 54 (F), so I took the dogs to the park.  That was their first time in the new car.  At first I thought I let them ride in the back seat, however upon opening the door, they both stood there and looked inside.  I ended up putting down the back seat so they could ride in the back.  The Crosstrek is much smaller than the Rogue, but they didn't seem to care.
For those who don't know, John Gray from Going Gently lost his dear William.  If you get a chance, send him your condolences, losing a pet is often as bad as losing a child.
I got a small check in the mail yesterday.  $14.14.  It's part of a Class Action Settlement against a company called JK Publications.  Evidently the settlement was actually reached in 2000 (18 years ago).  This is not the first check I've gotten from that settlement.  I get them every 2 -3 years.  Back in the 90's, JK Publications bought access to over 3 million credit card numbers from a California bank and made unauthorized charges on them.  And they got caught.  I don't remember what was on my credit card statements that far back, of course that doesn't mean I'm not going to bank the check.
Wall Street is closed today in honor of George H.  I don't know when the funeral is... maybe Thursday.  I believe he will be buried down in Texas.  Let me tell you, there is going to be stress that day.  The Idiot Jerk is supposed to be attending.  In fact, he is being forced to attend.  For a sitting president to skip the funeral of a former president would be ignorant as hell... Now, we all know, the Idiot Jerk is ignorant as hell, let's just hope he doesn't get a chance to speak.  If he does we will mostly likely get to hear how George H had problems with popularity.  In fact, the Idiot Jerk might go so far as to brag about being so much more tremendously popular than George H.  That sounds about right, doesn't it?
I set up my compost bin yesterday and dropped in the first organic matter:  coffee grounds, egg shells, and butternut squash husk.  I also threw in the butternut seeds.  I have no idea if they'll survive the winter.  If they do, my first crop of compost might include some butternut squash plants.  Now, wouldn't that be nice!


Monday, December 3, 2018

A bit about benefits

Monday!  I'm off.  Originally I had read my schedule wrong and thought I had off 2 days, worked a day, and then had off again.  Turns out I have off a day, work 2 days, and then have off 2 more days.  Does that count as dyslexia?
Maybe that's what's wrong with the Republican party.  Even after a bruising midterms, they continue to go about as though nothing has happened, business as usual.  Do they see going from a majority of 23 to being the minority party by 39 / 40 seats as normal?  Or is there something twisted in their brains which lets them see that loss and still say "hey, we got this!"  I mean, they've always been great on denial and pointing fingers.  Of course, they are terrified to point those fingers at the Idiot Jerk in the White House - that would mean they've made a terrible mistake, that they're completely out of step with a majority of Americans.  Come to think of it, being out of step has never stopped them before.
So, I went on line last evening to order the dogs their Christmas toys.  Well, the first thing I saw at the top of Amazon's home page was an announcement about Aquaman.  Amazon Prime members could actually purchase tickets to see the movie a week before release.  That's right, while the rest of America waits until 12/21, those who have Amazon Prime get the chance to see it early.  So, of course, I bought tickets.  Now, I call that a really nice benefit.


Finally, a bit about Met Life.  If you're my age, or there about, you will remember The Peanuts Gang and Snoopy.  They were unbelievably popular with daily cartoons in the paper and specials on TV.  The specials on TV were almost always sponsored by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.  Both of my parents bought Met Life insurance policies - it was the thing to do.  Well, now I'm dealing with Met Life.  They are greedy as hell.  I notified them on 11/16 of my Mom's death.  I was told they would mail me paperwork in 7-10 business days.  I notified them on Friday 11/30 that I still had not received the paperwork.  Their agent reminded me they had 7 - 10 business days "and there have been 2 weekends and a holiday since the 16th."  There agent then went on to tell me that once they receive the paperwork back, with the death certificate, they have another 7 - 10 business days before they have to mail out the check.  This means it could be over a month after I notified them that I receive the insurance check.  When I told her there might be people out there who might be in dire straits and might desperately need these funds, she said, "this is our policy."  In my opinion, this defines failure.  So, if you have annuities or polices with Met Life be forewarned, they will hold onto your funds with their tight little fists as long as possible.  They are not there to provide a benefit.

Sunday, December 2, 2018

The Bells will be Ringing

The numbers just keep going up.  Yesterday, at our Kid's Workshop, we had over 350 children show up to hammer and nail and paint their little projects.  Lots of noise as those tiny hammers missed tiny nail after tiny nail.  And red paint?  Foreshadowing of what the Oval Office is going to look like in the coming days as the Idiot Jerk tries to emulate the 'red queen' shouting "off with his head!  Off with her head!"
And then there was the dinner date the Idiot Jerk had with President Xi of China.  All you have to do is look at the pictures to see somebody isn't happy.


While Xi looks happy as hell, perhaps he was told he's getting a really big, tremendously large penthouse in Washington, the Idiot Jerk looks like he is ready to cry.  One can only wonder if this is the result of Michael Cohen's guilty plea, and his confession, or maybe the Idiot Jerk is trying to think of some way in which he can deny those written answers he handed in to Mueller.  Can't you just wait for him to begin blaming others for changing his words?  Or maybe he looks so unhappy because they told him meatloaf was off the menu.  John Bolton seems to be having a good time though, doesn't he?  Steve Mnuchin seems deep in thought.  Is he wondering if his Trophy Wife is banging her chauffeur, or possibly wondering how this meeting will look on his resume.
Oh, and no more tariffs after January 20, 2019.  The White House is calling this a win... now, hold your laughter.  Maybe that's why Xi looks so happy.  It could be that the Idiot Jerk realizes the fallout from Cohen's plea is going to be so tremendously bad... and I mean just really tremendously bad for him, that more tariffs might signal the death knell for his presidency.  I would have thought he'd have known that someone started ringing that bell a long time ago, and it wasn't Anita Ward.


Saturday, December 1, 2018

Two Timed!

Saturday, the 1st of December... which means we're going to have a super duper Kid's Workshop in the store... and it's supposed to rain.  Yippee!
For those who don't know it, the Idiot Jerk in the White House had a very bad time yesterday... all... day.  As if Michael Cohen's guilty plea wasn't bad enough, or the fact that the written answers he turned in to Mueller most likely just defined him as a lying sack of shit, the worst of all possible things happened om Argentina.  His Homo Bromo Vlad two-timed him with a Saudi prince... in front of the world.


Look at those smiles!  My money says someones getting a little sugar on the side.  I can't remember the last time I saw 2 dictators giggling like little girls.  Of course, this pissed off the Idiot Jerk.  Face it, the prince is much younger and has real hair.  I've heard he's a real dynamo on the dance floor as opposed to the Idiot Jerk who struggles with a simple two-step.
And, of course, George H died.  I think it's unfortunate he will mostly be remember for his comment "read my lip.  No new taxes."  Like so many other people, he had been duped into believing Reganomics was going to work.  Republicans have always been terrible when it come to economics, in fact, you have to go back to Eisenhower to find a Republican president who left office with a solidly working economy.  Reganomics started failing right after his re-election because the only thing trickling down were the bills.  The tax breaks given to the corporations were finding their way into executive's pockets, rather than down to the common man.  This is why George H had to raise corporate taxes which is why he went on to lose his bid for re-election.
At some point the Idiot Jerk is supposed to have dinner with China's Xi.  I wouldn't be surprised if the first questions out of Xi's mouth is "where's my $50 million penthouse?"