Below the Squiggly Black Line

 Okay, so I'm sitting here waiting... anticipating the approaching snow storm.  The air is colder than the last time the weather forecasters got their prediction wrong, so maybe this time we'll have a resoundingly heavy accumulation.  They originally forecast the start time as 0300.  Well, that changed to 0500 and here it is 0630 with nary a flake to be seen.  Just got an Update:  1-3 inches today plus another 7-14 inches over night.  The dogs are waiting.

I am just below the squiggly black line

Yesterday was busy at the store.  Believe me when I tell you that myself and my fellow associates are wishing business would just slow down.  For us, this has been constant since the time of Covid began.  An associate from my International Paper days stopped in during the afternoon and asked if I'd gotten the vaccine yet.  When I told her I was on a waiting list, she frowned behind her mask.  "But you're an essential person!"  

I received a notice from the Cumberland County Board of elections in the mail notifying me that I needed to process an application if I wish to stay on a mail in ballot list.  Doing so will make my status permanent.  Consider it done.

And, as was to be expected, the Idiot Jerk's legal time has quit a week before his 2nd impeachment trial.  I guess that's not exactly true, I don't think any of us expected that, but I'm sure most of us were expecting something.  I understand that now some of those arrested during the Capitol Riot are now volunteering to testify.  This is definitely not what the GOP ordered, members of the Cracker Jack Crazy base telling Congress that they rioted because their failed president told them to do so.  Ouchy!

Even more amusing is that both McCarthy and McConnell (I don't believe for a second believe they are of true Irish stock) think they can get enough red voters to the polls in 2022 to take back both the House and the Senate.   They have no clue as to how much of a sucker punch in the gut January 6 was to the American voter.  No one said they were smart. 

The Lunatic Fringe

 For some of you it's normal to sleep in on a Saturday, for me normal is a 0530 wake-up call.  Being a morning person, I don't mind.  Unless I request off, I'm always working on Saturday.  This is the way of Retail.  This is what I told a Navy buddy of mine who's setting up a video meeting this afternoon.  I told him that I'd love to join, but these things need to be scheduled at least 4 weeks out so I can request the day off.  

AMC emailed me a survey, I'm a Stubbs ticket holder, which is their free entry level account.  I earn points towards free purchases at the concession stand with every $ I spend.  Filling out the survey earned me 500 points.  There were some interesting questions regarding my concerns of going to the movies in the time of Covid.  One of the odd questions concerned my interest on playing my video games on the big screen.  While that might be interesting, I do think seeing my Eivor on a giant movie screen might be a little overwhelming.

Oh, and snow is in the forecast.  In some places they're forecasting for 6 inches (plus).  Don't you just love that 'plus'?  That's also known as a guestimate.  All we have so far is an advisory, however when I check the map I saw that Harrisburg is just north of the warning zone.  This means they're tracking the storm to move south of us.  Also, this storm is moving slowly, so our accumulation will come from sporadic spurts.

There was a bit on NBC News about the Biden administration beginning to repair the Court system.  During the four years of the Idiot Jerk's term, McConnell shoved through a lot Cracker Jack Crazies bent on thrusting a Conservative agenda down America's throat.  This is an excellent example of their "shut up, we're in charge" approach to dealing with a majority of Americans.  For a change it seems as if the Democrats are moving with extreme haste, mostly because the party in power tends to lose seats in the House and Senate during the first election cycle of a new president.  That statement is true under normal circumstances.  These are not normal times.  The losing party is splintering.  Their failed president wants to start an egocentric party of Cracker Jack Crazy Conspiracy Theorists.  Moderate Republicans who stayed onboard simply because it was the Republican Party are abandoning ship.  They are a party desperately trying to hold onto a minority Lunatic Fringe.  The next voting cycle will be anything but normal, and that terrifies the opposition.

Game This

 Even though I was scheduled to work in the paint department yesterday, I did end spending most of my time in flooring.  That's fine,  Business has slowed down somewhat, though not to the level where we see occasional customers.  I'm beginning to think this is because so many are now working from home.  When one of my neighbors worked from home, it was not unusual to see her out working in her garden wearing her little headset.  Most people tend to decorate their offices  or cubes, so why not redecorate their house?  The problem with that rationale is that it ignores the fact that home improvement costs can be rather prohibitive.  The simple answer for many is to simply charge it.

Anyway, in case of you haven't noticed both Gamestop and AMC have been turning Wall Street on its head.  These two organizations are not considered serious investments by a small percentage of wealthy investors.  However, many of these investors desperately want to get on board when a company's stock begins to rise.  With these two company's though, heavy investors will end up losing more then they earn since stock prices are fickle, going up and down almost by whimsy.  I do not doubt for a second that these day traders pushing these stocks are giving the 1% ulcers.  Good.

And, speaking of games, I did finally get around to undressing my Viking lad Eivor.  As you can see, he's blonde with a bit of scruffy beard.  Is it any wonder gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry?

I heard an associate at work yesterday complaining about all the Republicans who were changing their party affiliation.  You know there's some serious concern when your basic, average Republican begins to worry aloud.  Isn't it funny how the party's reaction is to wrap themselves even tighter around their beliefs.  They don't understand these are moderate Republicans who are fed up with the Idiot Jerk and his bullshit.  Some people will never learn.

And for those who think The Body in the Loch is only about murder:

Surprise!!

I had another post planned for today... and then yesterday happened.  No, nothing horrifying happened, the dogs are okay, I'm healthy, and no meteor smashed into my backyard.  Everything was so normal.  I did a few loads of laundry, got in a 12 mile ride, made my version of shrimp scampi for dinner.  Everything was fine until UPS dropped off the DVD player I ordered.  He was sly about it, even the dogs didn't know he had slid the package across the floor.  The first notification I received was a test shouting out "Surprise."  Well, it didn't really shout out surprise, but it was very surprising that the dogs hadn't started barking.  They love their UPS drivers.

Anyway, since I was working on a paragraph of the new book, I grabbed the box with my new DVD player and took up stairs and then returned to my laptop to finish what I had started.  An hour later when I finally sat down to open my new present, I noticed immediately something was very much awry with the packing tape.  Instead of sealing tape, the box was sealed with scotch tape.

Exhibit 1 - scotch tape

That's right, this box had already been opened.  Of course, my first natural instinct was to speak French.  Deciding to see if it worked, I unpacked it, connected it to my TV and powered it up.  Everything was going fine, so I grabbed one of my cycling DVD's and popped open the tray and found.... there was already a DVD in the player.

Exhibit 2 - The Real Housewives of Melbourne

Rather than speak French again, I began laughing.  Have you ever heard of anything so absurd?  Instead of a new DVD player, they sent me one that was not only used, but one with a DVD left in by the original owner.  I can only wonder if The Real Housewives of Melbourne is so bad they needed to return the player with the disc still inside.

Amazon is giving me credit, of course, an email with some toasty little words has been sent to the 3rd party seller.  I did off the DVD to my friend Justin who said, "sorry, I'm not a Real Housewives kind of guy."

On a lighter note, while the Republican party in Washington is desperately trying to shore up loyalty to the failed 45th president, an Exodus away from the party has commenced in the heartland.  Actually, it's not just in the heartland, Republicans are changing their affiliation all over the place. over 5000 in Pennsylvania alone.  And it hasn't stopped.  Moderate Republicans are furious with the Crazies.  And the Crazies, because they are crazy, don't understand moderates outnumber the party's delusional base.  At this time, I'd like to remind you all of Dave's Axiom:  A popular president can move the country to either the left of the right, an unpopular president will always move it in the opposite direction.

 https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/536113-tens-of-thousands-of-voters-drop-republican-affiliation-after-capitol?rl=1

The Never Ending Gerrymander

 Well, I had planned on sleeping in yesterday but the dogs and their bladders would have none of it.  This morning things were different.  After I turned off the alarm at 0530, neither roused themselves.  An hour and half later I climbed out of bed.  Nice.  I do like sleeping in now and then; wouldn't want to make the practice regular.  Now the chores begin.  Right now, I have eggs boiling to make egg salad.  Don't know why, but for some reason I've been eating a lot of egg salad yesterday.

My new color printer arrived yesterday and setup is complete.  Took longer than I thought, probably an hour since I took the time to connect it to the cloud and to my mobile device. That right.  I can now print pictures straight from my phone.  Isn't that nice.  Also, and I found this a bit interesting, it's an Epson, which is owned by Seiko.  For years and years the only watch I wore on my wrist was a  Seiko.

The storm system that moved through yesterday gave us mostly rain, a touch of sleet, and a bit of ice early on.

I saw an interesting article this morning on how Wisconsin's tepid Covid response was the direct result of Republicans' gerrymandering.  Over time, Republicans in that state have gerrymandered district lines in order to maintain control of the the state's legislature.  That is not the case in Pennsylvania, where the State Supreme Court directed a redrawing of voting districts.

This does not mean, however, that gerrymandering is going to stop for the near future.  Political parties are always going to try and wield as much power as possible.  To do this they need to redraw the lines.  One of the many great things to happen with the recent transfer of power was the hold put on the 2020 census.  This halted the Republicans despicable attempt to limit which people can and which people cannot be counted.  They did not just want to stifle voices, they wanted to eliminate them completely.  This silence they intended to foster was designed specifically for the purpose of enabling them to redraw the lines. The best way to muzzle people is to say they do not exist.  Republicans refuse to understand that America is changing.  In order to stay in power, they would need to redraw the lines more and more frequently, creating a never ending gerrymander.  Their inability to understand this truth is the keystone of their approaching failure.

Dominion over the Truth

 How good it is I wasn't anticipating snow...  The Weather Channel is broadcast on a large screen TV at work, one of the few channels permitted on the HD Network, and they have been shrieking out forecasts of an impending winter doom and while it's snowing in Chicago... and Nebraska we, however, have an extremely thin dusting... if you want to call it that.

And today begins my weekend - 2 consecutive days off.  Simply lovely, I think.  I had thought of sleeping in, but after sleeping for around 10 hours the bladders of big dogs are quite full.  You listen when 180 pounds of dogs tell you they need to go outside and pee.

I have a number of cycling DVDs I bought back when I was using my Cycleops Trainer which have been sitting on the shelf unused for years.  Since I'm doing my running / jog thing several days a week on the treadmill, I thought I might get some use out of them again.  Unfortunately, I have no DVD player.  I  gave that away a long time ago.  So I bought an inexpensive one I saw on Amazon.  A Jinhoo.  It had good ratings, and it doesn't work.  It will begin to play and then starts to spin so badly it vibrates and the vibration is so bad the little thing sounds like a washer going into spin cycle.  In the troubleshooting section of the manual it actually says that if this happens the player was probably damaged during shipping which is a good indicator this must happen quite often.  It's getting returned today.

And what about Dominion suing Giuliani for $1.3 billion?

Is that a freaking hoot, or what?  A few hours after Dominion filed their suit, Rudy Gazooti said Biden and Harris won.  Dominion has already filed against Sydney Powell.  Both are considered to be major players among Conservative Crackers.  However, because both have continued their unsubstantiated, baseless lies about voter fraud Dominion is going to do a little dance on their bank accounts.  I would not be surprised if the Idiot Jerk, himself, was not sitting in the bullseye.  This is just what he needs, another lawsuit.  Now, don't that gladden the cockles of your heart?

 

Waiting for the Snow

 Holy Crap! Yesterday Flooring & Décor was very, very steady.  That's a nice way of saying I was busier then all shit.  And last 4 hours I was by myself since no other Specialist had been scheduled.  Usually there is also an aisle associate to help but ours is working overnights to help prep for inventory.  Shifts like this prove that people with patience get good customer service, those who without either walk away or complain or both.  

They were forecasting snow for tonight and tomorrow, that's changed to a dash of snow and sleet with a decent splash of rain.  I was rather hoping for the snow.  We're a third of the way through winter and while we do get snows in March, the deep ones usually come in January and February.  Here's an old picture of Lilly in the snow.  This is what we want.

Rather than go for a run or a ride yesterday since I'd ridden 15 miles the day before, I went for a nice walk.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take of the GPS which is what measures your distance and you don't go very far walking on a treadmill.  

I saw where Rand Paul (yes, the one with the bad hair) was on Stephanopoulos yesterday singing that failed Republican ditty about voter fraud in the 2020 election.  Can you smell the sour craving of a wannabe president oozing from his black heart?  Someone should tell Rand the party is shrinking, not growing, as this bit from Penn Live shows.  Tampa is reporting thousands have changed their Republican affiliation.  This switch all over the country and was initiated by the January 6 riots, loyal Republicans disgusted with the direction of their party.  This is the dying base Rand wants to tap into.  Dumb Shit.

Run This Way

 I'm hoping today turns out to be a slow day at work.  Maybe we can have a Sunday like we used to have in previous winters.  I don't mind if the weather is overcast, I'm inside.  Whether it's sunny or not, the dogs are going to be home sleeping, one on the sofa and one on the futon.  

Since I bought my running shoes from Amazon, I knew I should be expecting one of their little 'review' emails.  What I wasn't expecting was the product.  The running shoes I bought are evidently 'women's' running shoes.  My selection was made on size  (9 1/2 wide US) and color alone, not gender.  So tell me, do these look like women's running shoes?  If so, what makes them specifically for women?

I did file my 2020 taxes yesterday.  Evidently the Fed doesn't accept them until February 12, so I'm no in the queue awaiting my refund.  I use a service called OLT which takes care of my Fed and State returns but not my local taxes so they will have to wait since I find them such a bother.

And I went for a 15 mile ride around Amsterdam yesterday on a route I created with their maps.  Really nice, though my legs were a bit wobbly afterwards.  Oh, and I no longer use the earbuds.  I simply shut the door and turn up the speakers, that too is very nice.

Arizona Republicans censured Cindy McCain yesterday.  She was not alone; two other high level Republicans were also censured because they opposed the Idiot Jerk.  And the Fool in Florida is now talking about starting a 3rd political party.  I am too kind by calling him a Fool, but then neither he nor his base understand January 6.  On that day, a large majority of Americans flushed them down the toilet.  They are now truly the minority party.  This idea is beyond their comprehension.  Over 5000 Republicans in Arizona changed their party identity on January 7, and while numbers disavowing the GOP have slowed down, they are continuing. This is happening in every state.  Son of a Bitch!  Instead of assessing the damage done to their party by the Washington Riot, they are clenching their teeth and buckling down as they screech 'screw you.'  That's right, they're going to bury themselves in their own shit.

Where's Alex?

 Today is special in the paradoxically odd scheduling universe I work in: today is my Saturday and according to the calendar this is Saturday.  There is a bit of a contentious point, however, in that I have to work tomorrow, which means today might actually be considered my Sunday.  Or maybe I should think of it as a Combo Weekend, where both days are smushed into one, and call this my Satursunday.  That doesn't exactly work for me since it's impossible to scrunch 48  hours into 24, so maybe I'll just call it a day off since my weekend actually begins on Tuesday.

I did order a color printer last evening, an Epson.  Rather than go with a laser, I went with an inkjet which has a lower cost and, surprisingly, better reviews.  The dpi (dots per inch, I believe) is higher on the printer I'm getting then on most laser printers.  It even works with Alexa...  That's a bit of a joke.  I have a tablet which works with Alexa and she is turned off.  You see, Alexa listens and I have a habit of talking out loud.  Alexa doesn't understand what I'm saying (bad AI) and will either say the equivalent of "that does not compute," or display something extraneous on the screen.  Some might enjoy watching a video on olive picking because Alexa incorrectly interpreted what they've just said.  Not me.  Of course, I also have a problem of having to talk to Alexa rather then Alex.  Why does society seem to think our assistants need to be female?  For example, if Alex misinterpreted what I said, I might actually watch something like this:

Bathwater has just published his first book on Amazon. Give it a look.

Also, the 2nd impeachment trial for the Idiot Jerk is set for February 8.  Since he's listed as a Republican, enough Republicans will never vote to find him guilty since that implies their own guilt.  However, I understand a number of them are 'agreeable' to using the 14th Amendment to keep him from ever holding office again.  There's a paragraph in there about initiating and / or participating in an insurrection.  This might prove necessary because in his tiny mind he believes the lie that he won.

 

Starting Here

 I am pleased to announce that at 3:47 PM yesterday I received notice that the credit for the printer I returned had been processed.  Now, ain't that nice?  Now some might think the first thing I did upon getting home from work was to order another printer... well, I didn't.  I don't have that sense of urgency in regard to purchasing one.  All of those color images I want to print off are not going to suddenly disappear.  I have no desperate little demand inside which needs to be satisfied, unlike so many others who fail the test of patience.

I saw on one of the news feeds I check daily that Jade... something or other (one of Lori Loughlin's spawn) has uploaded a video to YouTube.  I cannot imagine anyone actually choosing to be an 'influencer' as their vocation in life.  Doesn't this say more about her growing ego then anything else?

Oh, and if you want to sign a petition to get Frankie Graham fired click here.  There is a growing movement to terminate him from his job because he's still a pusher of lies.  I have no problem with this petition, in fact, I encourage people to sign.  Never forget that when Covid was doing it's worst in New York City, he set up a hospital and then forced nurses and aid workers to sign a Cracker Jack Crazy agreement of hate.  This fool may be a believer, but he is no Christian.

The last of my necessary tax documents was dropped into my mailbox yesterday.  Yippee.  I have off tomorrow, so guess what I'm gong to be doing?  That's right, filing my taxes.  Except for one year, I have always gotten refunds.  I will also admit, I have never had a problem paying taxes, but then I'm not some cheap ass Republican pissing and moaning about where every little penny of my tax dollars gets spent.  

And speaking of Republicans, or maybe I should say Conservatives, or perhaps Cheap Ass Bigots, I understand there are a number of them complaining about Garth Brooks' performance at the Inauguration.  Isn't this always the case?  I remember Obama holding out an Olive Branch and they all summarily said "screw you."  This is why we need to vote them all into the party of obsolescence.  They will always refuse to compromise.  The only way to shut them up is to put them down.  So, let's start here... and now.   

Interesting Things

 Well, it's Thursday and I'm going back to work.  I was supposed to return yesterday, however I ended up taking a personal day because something cropped up.  Something other than the inauguration.

My new color printer was set to arrive 3 days after I placed the order so bright and early, before I even had a chance to start writing my bog entry, I went to went to my 'orders' tab at Amazon and clicked on my recent order.  To my surprised, the cost had dropped $88 dollars, from $423 to $335.  Wow!  I requested an adjustment from Amazon, who sent my request to the 3rd party seller, Provantage LLC.  An hour later I received my response.  Provantage LLC does not price match after an order has shipped or is considered complete.  I was astounded, but then I work for the largest home improvement retailer in the world and I can say we have no problem price matching an online order as long as the time period is within reason.  So, I processed a return and the minute FedEx dropped that printer off on my porch I threw it in my car and drove it over to the UPS Store.  I also filed a complaint with Amazon about Provantage, and in doing so discovered a number of complaints have been filed against them through the Better Business Bureau.  Ouch.  Now that I've got that bitch moment out of my system... on to more interesting things.

And, as you all might suspect, I did watch the inauguration.  Now, wasn't that simply fantastic!  I must say I enjoyed the lack of pomp.  Simplicity can be very powerful.  We now have a Centrist President who understands the diversity of America.  One party one the election fairly and legally, the other has lost in so many, many ways.  While America anticipates a Biden presidency, do not doubt that their eyes are still on the losers, watching as that party dissolves.

Some things I find interesting:

  Both The Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers have issued statements breaking with Biden's predecessor, citing the fact that he is a failure and a loser.  The Proud Boys have actually issued a statement congratulating Biden saying they are glad to have a president who stands for what he believes in...  I have to admit, that was one of the weirdest things I saw yesterday.  Truly odd.

Those Q people?  Their brains are shredding, half of them understand they've been duped from here to Hell and back while the other half have jellified their thought processes in total disbelief.

Joe Exotic can not understand why he didn't get a pardon.  Right.

Welcome to a Brand New Day

 Yesterday history was made.  Yesterday Joe Biden nominated Rachel Levine as the Assistant Health Secretary.  Social Conservatives are... upset because she is transgender.  They have a problem which only time will resolve.  You see, they like to view themselves as a rock, rigid and unmoving.  They believe that makes them strong.  They don't understand that Rachel Levine is like a blade of grass, and while that blade of grass grows and becomes a field of grass over time that rock is slowly being worn down, eventually becoming nothing more than sand.  This is how time works.

Rachel Levine

And, of course, today Joe Biden will be sworn in as President of United States of America.  His predecessor wants a military send off with a twenty one gun salute which, unfortunately, will not be pointed at him.  Fifteen Executive Orders are set to be signed within hours after Uncle Joe is sworn in.  I understand Kamala Harris, the first female person of color Vice President, has more than enough pens ready and waiting.  Things are not going to be easy in this divided nation, but at least we can now see a path forward.  We are now and have always been a country of Immigrant Centrists.  This is what has made us strong.  The ability to include left leaners and right leaners is our heritage.  There is no strength in division.  The weaker side will always fail.  We are also the country of change.  Evolution is upon us.  The secret to success is not fighting it, rather understanding and accepting it is on our path through this continually changing unknown wilderness. The past is unchangeable, so we learn from it.  The future is ours to build.  Welcome to this Brand New Day.

Numbered Days

 Good Morning!  Any day that I don't have to work is a good day, and today is one of those days.  Yesterday I had to work, and there were customers.  Yes, at the time of year when sales are normally very slow we are making money hand over fist.  At one point we had 3 people working in the paint department, one who was scheduled and myself and another associate.  This is usually a break time for us, two months where we get a breather before business begins picking up in the spring.

The artwork is done for The Body in the Loch.  I will be picking it up on Thursday, and I ight give a tease.  If not that, then maybe I'll show one of the diagrams I've put together for the drawing room at Dun Adair, I'm using graph paper to track the movements of the characters.  There are 18 people, not counting Max and Eli, and of those 18 people one is a cold blood killer.  Nice, huh?  And since not everybody knows exactly what a loch is, I thought I post a picture.  If you look closely, you might be able to see McCreary's Creagh.

I am scheduled to work tomorrow, but since my new printer is arriving I will probably take a personal day.  No signature is required, which means FedEx will just leave it sitting on my porch if I'm not home to move it inside.

And, of course, tomorrow is Inauguration Day. After four years of dealing with a tinfoil dictator, America is finally going to be getting a president, and from what I've heard he's going to hit the ground running, signing as many as 10 Executive Orders.  I do not doubt that a long list of Centrist and Liberal Judges has been made to eliminate those 4 years in which evil ruled the country.  Biden will have the most diverse Cabinet in history, a far cry from the 'whites only' billionaire club his predecessor created.  There will be people who hate him because they want a strictly controlled white America.  Shit, someone should tell them their days are numbered.

Respect

 And so the week begins, yeah, that's right, yesterday was my day of rest, well, on and off if you know what I mean.  I washed a couple loads of laundry, and got a 30 minute joggy / runny session in, and even had time to bake a blueberry pie with fresh blueberries.  The lattice looks a bit crappy since I'd never done anything like this before.  The recipe had the oven temp at 375 (F) with a note that said the original temp had been 425 (F) but had been adjusted down.  Well, I must have had too many blueberries because the lower temp didn't give the cornstarch a chance to thicken the sauce.  That's right, it's runny.  Later this morning I'll pour the sauce into a pan and heat it to hot enough temperature for the cornstarch to do its stuff.

I received a notification from FedEx that my new printer will be arriving on Wednesday.  I was scheduled to work, but will take a personal day since I need to sign for it.

The Idiot Jerk in the White House is expected to issue a flurry of pardons over the next 2 days, including pre-emptive 'get out of jail free' cards to his kids.  Of course, this makes them look horrific, but do you really think they care what you think?  Don't worry, they will be challenged in the courts.

And it seems many of those rioters who have been taken into custody are blaming the Idiot Jerk.  They are claiming his words spurred them on to violence.  What they really want is for him to give them pardons, too.  Remember, he doesn't like losers and, unfortunately for them, they got their asses arrested.  That's right, in his eyes their losers.  Ouch.

And finally, today is Martin Luther King Jr Day.  Notice, I didn't use initials.  To me, mlk sounds like something you might pick up at Dairy Queen.  I like the way the syllables ring out when you say his full name:  Martin Luther King.  Give him the respect he deserves.

Rate this

 So, it was a sleep in morning after 4 days of work.  I also stayed up late last evening, watching "The Prom."  The music was nice.  There were quite a few comments about James Corden playing a gay character and I agree with them.  Don't hire an actor just to get a name on the marquee.  I like Meryl Streep, but again, they should have hired someone younger, but again the marquee won out.  The show may have played well on Broadway, on my large, flat screen TV I thought most of the two hours came across as... well, flat.  Be forewarned, Act II comes across as a Disneyfied sugar rush.

Of course, ever since the Idiot Jerk's failed coup attempt, we've been flooded with images, videos, and statistics.  One of the statistics I find most amusing is the one regarding his approval rating among Republicans, which is around 74%.  At first glance, that % seems rather high but then that first glance is seeing it out of context.  That figure represents his Republican base.  His overall approval rating across the country is 29%.  That is the % represents America, not the GOP.  The 74% of Republicans is, in reality, 29% of Americans.  The GOP is now and will always be a minority group because they are mostly white, and they are just not making enough babies.  

Oh, and the funniest thing I heard yesterday was a comment made by Rand Paul, that if the Senate finds the Idiot Jerk guilty, half of the House will walk out.  Sorry, but does he really see that as a threat?

Magical Thinking

Honestly, I feel as though I could go back to sleep.  Yes, it is one of those mornings.  Today is my Friday... kind of... so to speak since I am off tomorrow.  Then it's back a day and then off a day.  I don't have consecutive days off until January 26.  Crap.

Yesterday was steady at work.  Typically, this time of year the retail slow down is well under way, not this year.  Looking at our daily sales boggles the mind.  Customers are investing in big ticket items, like new kitchens and decks.  Flooring?  Meh, not so much so.

I ordered a color printer last evening.  I already own a nice little black and white HP printer which is going to be moved downstairs by the desk.  That will be handier for me since I print off a lot of pages while I'm writing in order to note changes I want to make in the manuscript.  This makes editing a lot easier for me.  It's a Canon and I'll be able to print of pictures straight from my phone.  Now, won't that be nice.  Soon my will will be covered with pictures like this!!!

Biggie has a duck in his mouth

I saw in the LA Times a number of publishers have decided not to publish ''tell-all books' written by those who stuck with the Idiot Jerk in the White House for all of his years.  You do know this is what many were planning on doing.  This is how Karma works.

And I saw some blurb about Melanoma firing her agent.

Oh, and apparently rifts are splintering supporters of the Idiot Jerk who stormed Congress.  The white supremacists are fed up with the magical thinking of the qanon conspiracy theorists.  I laughed out loud at the magical thinking.  In a nutshell (and I truly mean nutshell), the Cracker Jack Crazy q's believe there is going to be national blackout for 10 days after which the Idiot Jerk will triumphantly emerge, executing all of the Satanic pedophiles, as well as his enemies, for a second term in the presidency.  You may want to read that twice... or maybe even three times to get the gist of the magical thinking.  Whoever thought the rabid fans of Twilight would move from sparkling vampires into politics.   Believe me, you just can make this shit up.

Abandoned

Okay, so today's Friday.  I thought yesterday was Friday for most of the day for some odd reason.  This is how things go when you're not working a regularly scheduled 40 hour work week.  As time goes on, I find my inability to remember which day is which seems to have little relevance.  I suspect those working from home are discovering they also have this issue, no set five-day work week to mark the regular passage of time.

When I write about locations, accuracy is very important.  I look at a lot of pictures as part of my research before I begin describing places, especially if I have never been there.  I've spent some time at the Louvre, so in The Body in the Tower I had no problem writing about tapestries and staircases.  In The Body in the Loch I ran into a bit of a problem.  I have never been to an abandoned abbey.  Since my description may come across as rather weak, here is what I hope readers visualize when I talk about the abandoned abbey at Adairton (not a real place).

I understand Lauren Boebert, that Cracker Jack Crazy Freshman Congresswoman from Colorado, is pissed off.   Seems as though she has been getting death threats because people believe she's the one who led unauthorized tours the the halls of Congress.  She's also the loser who Tweeted out Pelosi's location during the riot.  This woman has so much hatred for Democracy, I can't understand why she didn't moved to Moscow years ago.

Oh, and the Evangelicals seem to be in a bit of a quandary.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House now seems to be more Satanic than Godly.  I like the bit where the one pastor says God has abandoned him because of his arrogance.  Excuse me, but where has this fool been for the past 4 years?  They loved his arrogance.  They said he was brash.  And they're saying he's been abandoned?  I don't know about you, but when I see and smell horseshit, I call it horseshit.

Republican Benghazi

 Well, here we go, once again we are ready to approach that thing some call a weekend.  Small pause while I take my digital temperature...  .... 97.5 (F).  That's a little warm for me, but I've been drinking coffee.

I have a laminate floor sale going through today,  Honestly, I really hate dealing with laminate.  There are so many problems which can pop up, the levelness of your floor tends to be a culprit.  Besides, while I know some of you out there might have it in your homes, I'm not wild about it since I see it as faux wood.  I have real hardwood.  I like hardwood.  With laminate, you have a picture of hardwood on top of a pressed core.  That's why it's less expensive.  

Damn, the battery is going in my mouse.  I hate when that happens.  I have a really nice gaming mouse I might switch to so batteries are no longer a problem.  It was used heavily when I was playing games on the PC.  A little dusty from sitting in a drawer for a couple of years, but it should do fine.

And, of course, the Idiot Jerk was impeached a 2nd time yesterday for inciting his supporters to violence.  Since is Twitter is gone, he's very quiet, which is rather nice.  The word is out McConnell, who had no problem with his supporters until they shit in the halls of Congress, wants him purged from the party.  Like all spineless Republicans, he's going to let that happen after Biden takes office.  Purging the Idiot Jerk means purging his base.   They are already beginning to point fingers at each other.  This is how the GOP splinters.

As time passes, more and more information comes out about Republican Congressmen who may actually aided and abetted the riot.  There seems to have been an increase in Capital Tours in the days prior to the riot, which is odd since they had been restricted because of Covid.  And apparently one Congresswoman Tweeted Pelosi's location.  If that's true, she's going to be arrested for insurrection.  And there are other investigations on the way.  I don't know how many Republicans know this yet, but they're staring down the gun of their own Benghazi, only this is a thousand times worse.

That Gentle Touch

 Crap, the alcohol wipes I use at work to disinfect my hands are taking a toll on my skin.  I go through quite a few in a day because I touch a lot of things... and there are still those people out there who simply don't understand and want to shake your hand.  The truth evades these individuals, most likely because those in authority have downplayed the seriousness of this pandemic for too long.  As a result, I've begun using Gold Bond Ultimate.  Now my fingers are so freaking soft.  I have the gentle touch!

From time to tome, (what can I say, sometimes a bad pun is better then no pun at all) I have dropped clues regarding an upcoming book.  With that being said, your question de jour is what does a body found floating in a Scottish loch have to do with the Vulcan Mind Meld?

I find it rather pathetic that there are those Republicans out there who are shrieking that a 2nd impeachment does nothing to unify the country.  Dumb ass Jim Jordan Tweeted some shit about how 50 million Americans believe the lie that the election was stolen.  As a Congressman who pushed that lie, it's up to him to fix it.  The fact that he expects America to handle his lying ass with kid gloves show you just how out of touch from reality he is.  Sorry, Jimmy, no gentle touch for you.  Oh, and in case you haven't heard, the Idiot Jerk in the White House gave Jimmy the Presidential Medal of Freedom yesterday.  

And speaking of impeachment, more and more GOP Senators are jumping on board that train.  The word is that they want the Idiot Jerk purged from the party before he does any more damage.  Duh, maybe they should have thought of this back when he started lying about the election.  Of course, they were more obsessed with holding on to his radical base than accountability.  Now they face the reality that the American voters are going to hand them an Iron Fist in the next election, rather than the welcoming hands of a Gentle Touch. 

Dissecting Evil

 Tuesday.  This is one of those randomly scheduled days off I've been dealing with for the past couple of weeks.  My next consecutive days off, or weekend as some like to call those two days, will not happen until January 26th.  I am not excited about having to wait.  

Since I am off today, I stayed up and watched episodes 2 and 3 of The Stand.  It's entertaining, but some changes have been made.  In episode 3 Tom Cullen, a 42 year old mentally challenge man, enters the storyline and his arrival is completely different then in the novel.  The mini-series' reliance on flashbacks to tell a majority of the story is a definite weak point.  No suspense or tension builds since the good guys are already in Boulder.  While being more detailed then the first version telecast way back when, the individual story arcs lack intensity.  Ah, well, it is a monster of a book.

Tom Cullen

As might be expected, the Fallout from the 6th is continuing to grow, or, as many are want to say "this shit's getting deeper."  I don't have cable, but when I talked to my sister yesterday, she told me you can't turn it's on every channel.  My friend Betsy said that even Court TV is dissecting this evil as though it was some scurrilous rat.  Corporations are now beginning to hold their donations from Republicans, and we all know how important money is to them.  While this will in no way be permanent, think of this as a temporary assist in getting the far right extremists out of office.  

Deutsche Bank is no longer going to deal with the Idiot Jerk, and Signature Bank has closed out 2 of his personal accounts.  New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has refused to accept the Medal of Freedom from him.  Ouch.

Supposedly, his base has other events planned for January 17, and inauguration day.  They don't understand how bad they will look if they if they do pull this shit.  This is how they write themselves out of existence.  

No Sacrificing Babies!

 Good Morning... or afternoon, or evening when ever and where ever you are in the world.  Hello Greece, and Italy, and Sweden, and Australia, and to all the people in those countries who read this blog.  Hello America!!  Things are getting better every day here!  Now, if only here in Central PA we could get a snowfall like they did in Madrid!

My friend Justin stopped by yesterday morning before work for a quick chat about... well, the subject everyone is talking about right now: my new Balega running socks, right?

Not the Topic du Jour?

Oh, and you were going to invite me to lunch using Parler, forget it.  It is shut down completely.  Ain't life tough?  Of course, the Cracker Jack Crazies on the right are shrieking Freedom of Speech.  They don't understand Freedom of Speech is a Right, but, as with every Right, there are limitations, it is not all inclusive.  Take Freedom of Religion.  You can worship any deity you want, in any way you want... as long as you don't start sacrificing babies to the Sun God.  Even sacrificing kittens will get you in really deep shit trouble.

I see the PGA has pulled it's tournament from one of the Idiot Jerk's golf resorts.  Ouch.  That might actually piss him off more than loosing his Twitter account.

Finally, there are rumors circulating that his base is planning more 'events' on both January 17, and the 20th.  If they had an inch of intelligence they'd realize how much worse this is going to make the Republicans look, of course, we know they're dumb as bricks.

Frantic Fingers

 Crap, the timer on my washer has started to go.  I put a load of pants / trousers / jeans in last evening and the damn thing just kept washing.  Rinse Cycle was a distant place that timer was never going to find.  The quick solution is to just start farther into the wash cycle.  That works... for now.  Eventually, I'm going to have to decide whether I should simply replace the timer (something I should be able to do) or purchase a new unit.  I'd like to wait on the buying bit.  One of the last things I ever want to do is spend my hard earned bucks on a new appliance when I'm 87 years old, so I'm thinking to just wait until the thing finally crashes before doing anything.

Yesterday was relatively slow at work, at least in the afternoon.  In the morning, we cut a lot of vinyl, answered a lot of questions, and dealt with customers until around 2:30 PM and then everything just died. Up until then, customers bought, bought, bought.  Where are people getting all of the money?  Well, you have to remember that while large swathes of the country are suffering from the pandemic, our local infection rate is low.  The state capital is located 5 miles away.  Our next door neighbor is a very large Navy supply base.  We also have a lot of hospitals, two within 3 miles of where I live with a 3rd opening within the next few months.  We are almost at Shangri-La status.

Don't worry, we're working on the architecture

And what about that three ring shit circus down in Washington.  Lots of memes went around yesterday showing the Idiot Jerk desperately trying to sign in to Twitter.  Can we talk about frantic fingers here?  Of course, that doesn't stop him from spitting shit out through fascists like Jared, and the rest of his crime family.  Of course, the far-right crazies are flipping out because Parler is now without a host, Amazon cloud services shut them down.

A majority of Americans want him out now, of course, that's only 57% according to Reuters.  Quite a few Republicans want him out, too, but they don't want to impeach since that would make them legally complicit.  The want to just wait for his term to expire.  They do not understand the damage they are doing to themselves... but that's fine.  Senators and Congressmen are being called out by name... and picture.  You see, a lot of them who were in Washington for that riot thought this was a great idea.  Vote them out.  Show the world how a Democracy does this legally and without violence.  Vote the party into oblivion.  

About those Whigs

 I cannot believe today is Saturday.  Of course, I have to go back to work wishing I had accomplished more yesterday.  This is the problem with not having consecutive days off.  I always look back and ask myself what I did?  How could an entire day pass without my checking off more chores.  Son of a bitch!

I did get a bike ride in yesterday, over 11 miles.  Oh, and I did go to the movies last evening.  Wonder Woman 1984.  I enjoyed it, though I'll admit it wasn't your normal superhero, entertainment fare.  There's a moralistic prelude which runs about 10 minutes, and then a 2 hour and 20 minute moving primer on that moral.  There was an obvious parallel between the villain and our failed president, a man who has no problem sacrificing everything as he grasps for ultimate power.  The resolution was a little weak, but hey... at least we got to see Chris Pine.  Spoiler:  There is no revealing bathtub scene.  There is, however, a very long digital flight through fireworks,.  In fact, there are a number of extended scenes which could have have been cut short.

Every now and then a memory will surface, a thought that rattles around inside my head for several days and then something serendipitously happens in the outside world which references that thought.  There was a time when my brain was like a sponge, absorbing shiny, little facts.  Back on Wednesday, as the shitstorm was unfolding in Washington, a facet of memory splintered off and began bouncing around inside my skull.  The Whigs.  For those who don't know American history, the Whigs were a political party that came to a rather unceremoniously ugly end.  However, like a bad virus, they mutated, the end mutation was what we call the Republican Party.  The problem with the Whigs?  They vomited out their principles to make room for their craving for power.  This morning, while I scanning the Washington Post I found an article referencing the similarities between the Republicans and the Whigs.  Interesting, isn't it?

And Twitter finally had the balls to shut down the Idiot Jerk's account.

Oh, and Apple is forcing Parler to begin moderating their hate.

Not surprisingly, 30 % of the country, the Republicans, believe the Idiot Jerk did nothing wrong.  This is similar to what happened when Nixon resigned.  They just can't believe the truth.  They are so out of touch with reality they have no idea how much damage he has done to them.  They won't understand that until we vote them out of existence, and then they'll blame us because we shut them up.

The Guilty

 Friday.  While today is considered by some to be the end of the work week and is a day off for me, the next 24 hours are just a brief hiatus in my work schedule.  There are chores.  Yep, I've already got one load of laundry in the dryer and a second churning away in the washer.

I did block out a number of sequential days to take off in February.  I need to remind myself not to look at the calendar since those days are over a month away, during inventory, I believe.  Of course, that's no longer something I need to worry about; no more overnights prepping the overheads.

And some running socks were ordered, bright colors.  You do know I'm into bright colors.  This is one of the pair.  Now isn't this pretty?

Not surprising, helmet head Betsy DeVos has tendered her resignation.  She may be a Cracker Jack Crazy billionaire, but that doesn't make her stupid.  She desperately wants to avoid any guilt by association.

And who is coming to the support of the Idiot Jerk?  Well, Republicans, sort of, since many will condemn his actions without mentioning his name.  They are so concerned about his base.  And, of course, they are all suffering from the same guilt association Betsy has, which is why many are deflecting the blame and placing the wrong on other's shoulders.

Yesterday, at work, there was an associate who was claiming the Democrats had paid and bussed Antifa members to the capital. "Several busses," he claimed.  So, I did what comes naturally to me, I told him to shut up.  When he repeated this lie, I said, "shut up, you old fool."  He said he wasn't one, so I repeated myself... and he shut up.  This is the only thing these people understand, that and having their representatives voted out of office.  They do not understand that in just 2 years many of them are going to be fired.

On a brighter note, that wannabe tinfoil dictator apprentice, had a book deal with Simon & Schuster go south.  And this loser is angry.  He doesn't understand the consequences which can result from his actions.  This shithead thinks he can do what he wants.   For those who don't know, Josh is a Senator from Missouri, and here's a pic of Josh supporter the rioters on Wednesday.  He needs to be voted into oblivion... but then they all need to be voted into oblivion.

Yesterday

 Yesterday was... well...  I believe the last time America and the World sat glued to their TV sets and fervently watching their computer screens, and their smart phones, was on 9/11.  The events which unfolded seemed to have come straight from the warped mind of some 'B' movie scriptwriter: a failed president inciting acts of treason in a desperate attempt to start a revolution.  And he called these traitors to the constitution patriots. He Tweeted praise until his account was shut down.  I suspect this will be permanent since reactivation is contingent with his deleting photos of the insurrection, photos he Tweeted, photos he praised.  For him to do so would be admitting publicly how terribly wrong yesterday was, something he cannot do.  And when he finally asked them to leave the Capital, he continued his lies about the election.

I watched some of the speeches last evening as the Senate and the House gathered again.  I noticed a tremor in McConnell's voice as he spoke.  He knows that yesterday was a bullet in the heart of the GOP.  The party has splintered into disparate factions and not one will survive.  I listened as the hypocritical Lindsey Graham suddenly decided to switch sides.  His political career is over.  Romney stated the obvious, the seditionists will never believe the truth, they have been too deeply indoctrinated by the constant lies.  Schumer and other Democrats placed the blame directly on Trump.  Republicans, except of Graham, danced around his name.  They feared call him out and placing the guilt on his shoulders would associate them with his attempt at tyranny.  They are just as guilty. 

Over 100 members of the House and 7 members of the Senate still voice their objections to Biden's win.  There will be no unbinding them from their deceit.  The newspaper in Hawley's, a newly elected instigator from Missouri, has openly blamed him, saying he has blood on his hands.  Media outlets across the country and around the world are publishing the names of those traitors to the Constitution, those Trump insurrectionists by name.  They are now worse then shit on your shoe.

And yesterday was not all horror.  There were winners!  The Democratic Party now controls the Senate!

Beep... Beep... Beep

 So, yesterday was slow at work... really, really slow.  Not that there weren't customers in the store, the foot traffic we saw was light, though to be honest was normal for this time of year.  Winter is turning out to be a bit cooler here then last year.  On most days temps hit the 40's (F).  

I did receive the first of my 2 yearly reviews.  The process has changed.  Gone is the folder with pages of critique, your strengths and your weaknesses.  This was more of a chat, shorter then some as I have no interest in growing my career at this point in my life.  I did mention the fact that there are times when I am still put in position of authority; I don't like that.  I took a cut back in $$$ because I no longer wanted to deal with 'situations.'  

Cori, the artist who does my cover-art, told my she should be finished with The Body in the Loch sometime next.  I'm excited.

My new running sneakers arrived yesterday.  The uppers are some sort of meshy material which fit snugly across the top of my foot.  There's also a removeable insert made of Parley ocean plastic, which is upcycled, not recycled, and evidently better for the environment.

Like many of you with smart phones, mine is set up to give me notifications, not personal Facebook Pablum, rather when something of interest happens in the political spectrum I get notified.  So, last night I'm in bed and I hear this 'beep.'  A few seconds later there is another 'beep.'  Because my sleep is important, I did what I always do, rolled over and started grabbing another few minutes of rem.  Well, around 0330 Biggie decided he needed to pee.  When a 118 pound dog tells you it's potty time, you better rouse your butt out of bed because baby it's potty time.  Grabbing my phone as I headed downstairs to let him out, I began checking the headline.

Congratulations Raphael Warnock!!

I am so glad someone has finally braided the locks of Kelly Loefler.  Of course you know she's going to contest the election.  That's what all Republicans are going to do from now on until we vote them into extinction.

Tick, Tick, Tick

 Can we talk about personal accomplishments?  Jeez!  Yesterday was:  aquarium? (check), laundry? (check), bike ride? (check), groceries? (check) dog walk? (check), bike ride? (check), haircut? (check). 

 About the bike ride?  A really super great improvement Garmin has initiated in their Tacx software is the ability for you to create your own route.  That's right.  Now you can break up a 40 mile ride into what ever lengths you want.  The video starts where you want it to start, and ends where you want it to end.  Now you can create fresh, new rides where ever you want!  

As for The Body in the Loch?  I'm rapidly approaching the denouement, a little chapter called 'All Knives Can Kill.'  

And, of course, I do have to go back to work today.  Can you feel my excitement?  These are the doldrum weeks, those days when you decide to take a vacation because there are better things to do then sit at a flooring desk.  The aisles are fairly empty and the slow ticking of boring seconds can be a monumental weight.  True, there are worse things then being bored, but reminding yourself of this fact while you're checking the time every three minutes as you wait for your shift to end is always difficult in what seems to be one of the most difficult times of your life.  Will it ever end?

There is also what seems to be the eternal wait until the Congressional vote tomorrow brings some finality to the 2020 election.  I have to remind you that does not mean this is going to end.  Sometimes putting the final nail in the coffin is just not enough.  We will still have to deal with the zombies for some time to come...

though I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few of them attempt to follow him as he relocates to... well, right now Scotland seems to be his point of entry into Europe. Don't expect him to stay there.  Damn, those men in kilts will stomp his wannabe tinfoil dictator's ass into smithereens.    

The Phone Call

 And a very good Monday Morning to you.  I know I'm fine, but then I don't have to work today.  There are chores galore, though that always seems to be the case.  Laundry is stacked and ready to be washed.  The shorts, and shirts, and socks I use for cycling (and now jog /walking) get washed separately with a detergent specifically designed for their fabrics.  They are not casual wear.

Yesterday, a fellow associate and I dealt with a customer who had purchased a Peloton (pieces of shit bike, as I call them).  Concern about putting it on her plush carpet in her office / training room is driving her to distraction.  She does something with orthopedics and at one point spoke of her concern about insuring her new, fake bike was level and her concern of blowing out her knee if it wasn't.  At least that's what I think she was talking about since her vocabulary switched to Medical Jargonese.   I do not doubt for a second, that given the chance, she would turn a minor knee injury into major reconstructive surgery requiring months of physical therapy.  And a scar, of course.

I do plan to go for a ride today, though I haven't a clue where it will be.

And then, of course, there was the phone call yesterday.  Remember when the substance of phone calls was... well, rather naïve in relation to yesterday's call.  How many future Broadway dancers can you pick out in this video.

The recording of yesterday's call between the Idiot Jerk and Ken Rafensberger is crackling over the airwaves.  Can we talk about sedition here?  And every faction of the GOP is picking up their little, backstabbing knives.  The party is chewing off their own feet, and legs, and arms.  The party is tearing itself apart.  Good.  They deserve every second of bad publicity they get.  And as for the call to Kenny?  Don't worry, I do not doubt that at some point in time it will be put to music, with lyrics something like this:  

Hey Kenny, how's it hanging?

Get me votes, help me score

Did you hear that those ballots were rigged?

Dominion

Is Crooked

And they're working for Hugo Chavez

who's dead, but

maybe not

Ken I need you to get me some votes

Just fake them,

Just find them

Ken I need you  need you to help me to win.

 

 

Hot or Not?

 I'm taking my temp as I type with the digital thermometer given to me as a Christmas Present by the largest home improvement retailer in the world.  In a second, we will all see the results.

So, am I Hot... or Not?

My normal temp is around 96.5 (F).  Oh, and I've drinking coffee, hot not iced.  

I got a 2nd holiday basket from work yesterday.  Not because I'm special, rather they made more than enough.  Not that I wanted the full basket, really, all I was after was the succulent.  Sometimes it's really all about the succulents, if you know what I mean.

Treat him right and he will grow

And yesterday was odd at work with many customers in the morning who really didn't buy much of anything, but who helped waste time... until around 3 in the afternoon, when for some reason everyone decided to go home.

I also ordered two pair of jogging shorts in bright colors, each having a different leg length: one is 5 inches, the other 3 inches.  I will have to see if there's a difference when I run.  As far as I know, the only real plus side for the shorter length is that I get to show more leg.

And what about that group of 11 Republican senators who plan on protesting the election?  Mittens Romney says their actions are egregious.  Everyone is a wannabe future two bit presidential candidate wanting to hook up with the Idiot Jerk's base.  Ted Cruz?  That man is so desperate to be an idiot in chief I can smell his stench way up here in Pennsylvania.  Someone should tell that loser his name was scratched off that dance card a long time ago.  He is not now, nor will he ever be hot.