In my shoes

I sell widgets for a living. Our product is expensive and known for a high level of quality.

Suppose the owners decided they will source our widgets from an outside source, say a group of Aborigines from the darkest jungle of New Guinea. These people not only lack advanced manufacturing techniques, they have no quality source of raw materials and only a basic idea of our widget. The result is a low quality, barely working, yet highly profitable version of our product.

The boss sends me out to sell the new product. What would happen if I went to the customers, told them our product was junk and they should buy from our competitors? How long would I have a job? Would the boss have every reason to fire me? I may not like the new product. I may think it is junk. I may think it is morally wrong to sell the widget's benefits. Would it be my right to disparage the product and still keep my job?

Why in heck is anyone defending Sally Yates? Of course she deserved to be fired.

Starbucks offers a big "screw you" to American workers

How does this sound for a business model? First adopt public policies that take a political stance that alienates fifty percent of your market. Double down by stating that you are going to give hiring precedence to non-Americans?

Good choice Starbucks. I cannot imagine why your sales are flat and declining in many locations.

So in a nation where black teen unemployment tops 25% you are going out of your way to offer 10,000 jobs to "refugees"?

When unions push the "made in America" label how does it look to actively try to hire non-Americans?

How about a policy that looks for the best candidate to fill the open position?

Remember When

...Jimmy Carter banned immigrants from Iran? Or do you remember when President  Obama put a temporary ban on immigrants from Iraq?

Do a little research before you go off the deep end.

Well crap

Yes, Dear Readers poop is the subject of the day. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for the morning so that means my evening will be devoted to the porcelain throne. Just another example of why you wish you were me.

Progressives and open border types are going nuts over Trump's refugee/immigration ban. I have not yet formed an opinion and I want a break from politics today.

Enjoy your Sunday. I don't think mine will be much fun.

Teeing them up

I'm gonna whack a few topics like I am hitting balls at the driving range.

Students at IUPUI are in a tizzy over some "hateful" flyers scattered over campus. They want the police to do something. Sorry kids, the flyers are disgusting, but this is what free speech looks like. Printing nasty stuff is not a crime. Free speech exists exactly to protect the opinions you most disagree with. Throw the flyer in the trash where it belongs and move on with your life. Words only hurt if you let them.

Whack

I am not in favor of executive actions from the President. Not Trump. Not Obama. Not whoever comes next. Congress passes laws and the executive branch carries them out. This is civics 101.

Whack

So far Trump has done nothing outside of the law on immigration. The immigration laws were passed over time by Democrats and Republicans. If the laws are unjust or cruel then they should be repealed or stricken by the courts. Hysterical posturing by various mayors of sanctuary cities is stupid and ridiculous. All Trump is doing is enforcing EXISTING law. Deporting felons who are here illegally is in no way equal to FDR's round up and internment of Japanese during WWII. Do you people hear yourselves? You are arguing to save felons and multiple time criminals. 

Whack

No, Trump does not hate immigrants. His wife is one. He only wants the law followed. And what is it about the "tolerant" leftists makng fun of her accent or his kid? What about those who think it is perfectly justifiable to refuse to sell Mrs. Trump a dress or perform at the Inauguration because they find Trump's beliefs abhorrent, but are outraged when a baker does not want to make a cake for a gay wedding? Hypocrisy, thy nickname is Progressive.

Whack

The same people who are always lecturing us about science! when it comes to global warming want us to ignore science when it comes to heartbeats and life when we are talking about babies in the womb. Make your abortion argument, but don't try to tell me that a moving, breathing, alive baby is just a bunch of cells or a fetus. It is a baby. It is alive. Science!

Whack

That is enough for a Saturday. Why do I think I am going to write this post repeatedly over the next four years?

Get out the good paper plates, company is coming

There is a dusting of snow on the ground. It was easily dispatched from the front walkway with a broom. It is hard to believe it was less than a week since I was sitting on the patio in a T-shirt.

Oh weather, you always keep me surprised.

I mixed up some meatloaf, broccoli, and home made scalloped spuds for supper last night. The meatloaf was OK. I have made better. Of course, nearly all meatloaf sucks, so the scale is relative. The potatoes were very good.

I went back for a follow up at the eye surgeon yesterday. All is well with the transplants themselves. But my vision is slowly getting worse. I could have told him that without the fancy high priced machines. Like the meatloaf scale, my vision is relative. Compared to ten years ago, or especially one year ago, I can see great, but not nearly as well as I could six months ago. My corrected vision is worse by ten points since I got my glasses in November. He thinks I may have some scar tissue that is affecting things. We are going to watch the situation and do a more thorough check in my next visit. He tells me removing the maybe-scar tissue is a pretty simple laser operation. Sigh. This is a minor health problem. Things could be way, way worse.

Enjoy your Friday. My Amazon Echo tells me it is national chocolate cake day. You just might want to keep that in mind if you are considering bringing me something to snack on later today.

'bout time

I have confessed this to you before, many of the posts around here are canned. They may be anywhere from a few hours to a few days old. I wrote my Christmas posts Thanksgiving weekend.  This post is as fresh as a steaming pile of horse dung. It really is 5:06 local time. In the morning, as in aye em. I have been awake since about 3:45. I got up about 4:30 or so. That is just the way things go sometimes.

Liberals are going crazy. My wife says Facebookers are almost in hysterics over the Trump. Funny, when Arizona tried to pass their own immigration law a few years ago liberals lectured about how Federal Law superseded local and state laws. I guess they meant unless the Feds try to actually enforce immigration laws already on the books. I am still trying to get my head around what is wrong with protecting our borders. I still do not understand what is difficult with understanding the definition of illegal. I'm not saying send 20 million people home. If you get here and commit yet another crime -- crossing he border illegally is a crime -- then back you go. Commit any crime beyond a misdemeanor moving violation and you are deported. Your family can stay or go with you. By breaking the law YOU broke up your family, not the US Government.

I have argued this since the earliest days of his blog. We can significantly reduce illegal immigration if we do the following:

1. Charge a 10% tax on wire transfers out of the country. (this will pay for the damn wall). We pay ridiculous taxes on everything from phones to hotels to rental cars. This is a voluntary tax. You don't pay it if you don't wire money.

2. Fine any employer who hires an undocumented worker $100,000 for every hire. Every single person. Hire five illegals for your roofing crew and you lost a cool half million on the job.

3. No, none, nada benefits of any kind if you're here illegally. No free school lunches, no WIC, no food stamps. If the States want to pay for it that is their prerogative, but no Federal aid. And no tax refunds on taxes you did not pay.

Illegal problem solved.

Dear Hollywood

I received this in an email from my brother:

Dear Hollywood celebrities: It’s time to wake up now. Get this! The only reason you exist is for my entertainment.  Some of you are beautiful. Some of you can deliver a line with such conviction that you bring tears to my eyes. Some of you are so convincing that you scare the stuffing out of me. And others are so funny you can make me laugh uncontrollably. But you all have one thing in common. You only exist and have a place in my world to entertain me. That’s it. Nothing else!  

You make your living pretending to be someone else. You play dress-up like a 5-year-old. Your world is a make-believe world—it is not real; it doesn't exist. You live for the camera while the rest of us live in the real world. Your entire existence depends on my patronage. I crank the organ grinder, and you dance.  

Therefore, I don't care where you stand on issues. Honestly, your opinion means nothing to me. Just because you had a lead role in a movie about prostitution doesn't mean you know what it’s like to be a prostitute. Your view matters far less to me than that of a someone living in Timbuktu. Believe me or not, the hard truth is that you aren't real. I turn off my TV or shut down my computer, and you cease to exist. Once I am done with you, I go back to the real world until I want you to entertain me again. 

I don't care that you think BP executives deserve the death penalty. I don't care what you think about the environment. I don't care if you believe fracking is bad. I don't care if you call for more gun control. I don't care if you believe in catastrophic, human-induced global warming. And I couldn't care less that you supported Hillary for President. By the way, she lost!! 

Get back into your bubble. I'll let you know when I'm in the mood for something pretty or scary or funny. And one other thing. What was all that “I'll leave the country if Donald Trump wins”?  Don't you know how stupid that made you sound? What did you think my reaction was going to be?  Oooh!  I better not vote for Trump or we'll lose Whoopi Goldberg?  Al Sharpton? Amy Schemer?  Rosie O’Donnell? Leave. Good riddance. I don't care!  And don't let the door hit you in the keister on your way out. Make me laugh. Make me cry. Even scare me. But realize this: the only words of yours that matter are scripted — just like your pathetic, little lives. I may agree with some of you from time to time, but in the final analysis, it doesn't matter. In my world, you exist solely for my entertainment.  

So, shut your mouth and dance, monkey, DANCE! -- source 

It is part of the job

Lincoln was ridiculed unmercifully by his opponents, of which there were very many. Some powerful leaders within the Republican party often referred to him as "the ape". Criticism is part and parcel of the Presidency.

Just as cruel kids will goad a fellow when they find his weakness, the press and political opponents will hunt the President's weak spot. Trump used this technique to great effect during the Republican primaries.

The Trump Administration better find a way to pick and choose which media battles to fight or they will find themselves in paranoid everyone-is-out-to-get-us Nixonian mode. Picking a fight over the size of inauguration crowds is not only silly, but a waste of time. Who cares? Any casual TV viewer could see the empty bleachers on the parade route. Anyone with even the most rudimentary interest in politics is aware that the new President is a divisive figure and that even Congressmen were skipping the inauguration. The fight over crowd size is dumb,  counterproductive, and spends credibility capital for no reason.

We know press secretaries are paid flacks (read liars for their boss when necessary), but to start right out of the gate with a Baghdad Bob whopper is no way to get respect. If we cannot trust you on the little inconsequential things why would we believe you when it matters?

Rocky was right

I have been writing this post in my head for a few days now. I am not sure I will express myself well. Remember that scene in Rocky where the Rock tries to explain to the teen girl why she should not stand down on the corner smoking and talking trash to the guys? Rocky talks about how being slutty leads to a lack of respect. The scene ends with the girl telling Rocky to get screwed.  That scene occurred to me as I absorbed accounts of the so-called Women's March this past weekend.

Crude, profane, and decidedly unladylike-like are some of the terms that come to mind when I think about the signs and language at the protests. I could not imagine my mother nor my wife condoning such expression. There are some who would argue that that was precisely the point. The anger of these women was so profound that only the crudest possible expression could demonstrate their outrage.

I have on plenty of occasions resorted to crude language and obscenities around here. I am trying to eliminate that practice. Trust me, I rarely speak that way in front of my wife. More to the point, my job is to persuade people. How successful would I be if my brochures were laced with porn, and my spiel was loaded with profanities and innuendo? Sure, such vulgarity might appeal to a few crass individuals, but for the most part I would find myself outside looking in at every major customer. One does not earn respect through disrespectful words and actions.

Madonna or Ashley Judd may feel empowered by dropping the F-bomb. To me it was more akin to an 8th grader cursing in front of his pals down at the playground to show how tough he is. Sorry, the best way to convince me you should not be forced to carry a baby to term in an unwanted pregnancy that might endanger your health is not to shove a picture of your vagina in my face.

Thomas Paine was arguably one of the greatest revolutionary writers of all time. His stirring arguments not only helped spur the American Revolution, but the French Revolution as well. He persuaded uncounted citizens to change and revolt through reason, passion, and eloquence. Not once did he need to use scatological descriptions or foul language to make his point. I have no doubt Jefferson, or Adams, or Lincoln used profanity in private, yet their public discourse was remarkably effective without using a single curse word. Did Susan B. Anthony need to show her breasts, or did Elizabeth Cady Stanton sprinkle her speeches with curse words to make their point?

How effective would MLK's message have been if he demanded an end to segregation on those mother f-ing buses? Would we remember Frederick Douglas if he wore a penis hat while discussing how slavery emasculated the negro male?

I have been often told that people use crude language because they lack the ability to express themselves. I am guilty far more often than I like in that sense.  It seems to me that if you have hundreds of thousands gathered to hear your message and countless more reading and listening via various media, that you would want to make your protest clear, meaningful, and profound. Instead we got the equivalent of immature girls standing down on the street corner talking trash.

Rocky was right. I don't respect you.

Easy BBQ Chicken

Happy Monday.

That is it. I have nothing else at the moment. I have nothing of interest to report for my Sunday. It came and went. The weather was nice.

Football games involving teams I don't care about occurred.

This is the late Acidman's fault. He admonished me to post every day. Fie upon your ghost, Rob Smith. No, I am not going to launch a lament for all the lost bloggers who have moved on.

I am going to refill my coffee cup and get on with the work day.

That is it for now.

Unfashionable to the end, drank his ale too light

Yesterday was a perfect spring day. Temperatures hit the low 60s and the sun was out. March has arrived in January. Today is slated for more of the same but with more clouds. This Chinook won't last. Snow is in the forecast for the end of the week. It does give me something to write about.

Yesterday was a two stogie day. I had one while I was out getting in a walk. Yes, there is something out of kilter when you are exercising and smoking at the same time. I enjoyed another sitting on he patio in the afternoon sun. What? In the morning it was a Cain Daytona (my last one, sigh) and in the afternoon I had a Hoya de Monterey Excaliber.

I ignored the unhinged demonstrations yesterday. It seems a little futile, and a lot juvenile, to protest stuff that hasn't even happened. Oh, threatening to blow up the White House or kill the President is a crime, even if your name is Madonna Ciccone. I see the Code Pinkers have come out of hibernation. I guess they are OK with stuff as long as the man in charge sports a "D" for his political party. By the same token the NOW gang was fine with Bill Clinton groping women and getting blowjobs from interns but are up in arms when the current president said that when you are rich and famous women will LET you kiss them and grab them by the crotch. See, one has been accused of rape and sexual harassment while the other is just a jerk. It is all about one's political affiliation, I guess.

Isn't it ironic that thousands of women are marching and shouting expletive-filled tirades to show they are strong, independent women while demanding that others pay for their stuff?*

My coffee cup needs refilled. Enjoy your Sunday.


* for the record I firmly believe women can do any job they want. They should be paid the same for equal skills and experience. I don't think standards should be different though. If you have to lift 200 lbs to be a fireman then you have to lift 200 lbs.  One of the smartest people I ever worked for was a woman and she was also one of he best bosses ever. She was also younger than me. So what? It is about the ability to do the job.

A crappy post

I got back from St Louis Thursday evening. The drive home was uneventful, other than a lot of rain. About bedtime my gut started rumbling and I spent the rest of the night crapping out everything I had eaten since Christmas. In liquid form. Too bad I wasn't scheduled for my colonoscopy Friday; the prep work was done. I was still at it Friday morning. TMI?

Yesterday evening this strain of stomach flu (?) hit the wife. Hard. She got it from both ends. She too had a long night. I know, fun times abound.

It is supposed to be in the low 60s today. With no rain! How about that for December weather in the Midwest? I can live with this global warming. In fact, I suspect I will have a date with a beautiful cigar lovingly rolled between the thighs of a lovely young lady on a Caribbean island or in the lush jungle factory of a Central American nation. Yeah, I know the stogie is probably rolled by a wizened crone or smelly dude in a soiled wife beater. Let me have my fantasies, OK?

The political hyperventilation from the losers continues unabated. I am sure many were surprised that Trump failed to write that Executive Order creating a cadre of Brown Shirts as soon as he finished the oath of office. Nor did he start rounding up Americans into concentration camps like the greatest Democrat ever and leftist hero FDR did. Maybe those of you so traumatized by the Trumpster should sit back and enjoy some hippy music and chill for a bit until we see what the new President has in mind.

Here, I will help you with a little Saturday music:

Enjoy your Saturday.

Kaboom

Later today we could see liberal heads all over the country spontaneously explode.

Is there any chance they will be classy? Decent? Grown ups?

How many times will CNN cut away to a group of hysterical a democrats crying in frustration that Trump will replace the Obama in the White House?

I would be laughing my butt off if it wasn't so sad.

While I am up on my soapbox

Can we get the facts straight? The election was not "hacked" by the Russians or anyone else. There is not a single piece of evidence of votes being changed or manipulated. Emails from the DNC and others were made public. Those leaked emails contained information that may, or may not, have influenced a person's vote. A damaging video about Trump and his attitude towards women was leaked in the weeks prior to the election that may, or may not, have influenced a person's vote. There is little difference.

Someone, maybe/probably the Russians, gained access to the Democrat email accounts and published embarrassing stuff via Wikileaks about how the Clinton campaign colluded with the DNC to deny Sanders the nomination. The emails revealed Hillary's open borders agenda and her position that one needed to have multiple positions on an issue depending on her audience. If those emails influenced the election that is her fault.

TMZ released the Trump/Billy Bush video without permission, but I doubt we would see 50 Democrats following John Lewis' "principled" stand against election "hacking" had Clinton won.

Do not fall for the hacking narrative. I will no longer use that term here regarding the election. Emails were leaked. No election was hacked. Anyone who says otherwise is disingenuous at best and more likely just a damned liar.

It is all about the narrative

Funny, the Democrats are all outraged about "Russian Hacking" yet have nary a word to say about Obama commuting the sentence of Bradley/Chelsea Manning, who leaked state secrets and is a verified traitor who did actual damage to our nation's security and possibly cost American lives.

I guess if Donald Trump started cross dressing and calling himself  Denise Trump things would go a little smoother with the hypocrite Democrats.

What does "fair" have to do with it?

If you have a wad of $20 bills in your pocket are you responsible for the fact that I only have a lone ten spot in my wallet? Is your suburban domicile with the two car attached garage the reason Mary lives in inner-city government housing? Does Richard's meal at a high-end steakhouse mean I have to eat pancakes for supper?

I will give you time to think about those questions. It is clear that my neighbor's lifestyle or wealth has nothing to do with my bank balance. Then why do we care that Bill Gates has more money than some Third World countries? Leftists are obsessed with the idea that it is unfair that the Haves possess way more than the Have Nots. But the two are not related. Your new BMW has nothing to do with my son's 2005 Malibu and its shorted out right brake light.

Progressives are intent on making the rich pay their "fair share".  How much is "fair" and who decides? If we took 100% of the income, wealth, and assets of the top 1% do you know what we would have?

A new top 1%.

That is why the whole income disparity argument is so silly. Wealth is not finite. It is not like an apple pie where we all get a slice, some get a big piece, others a sliver. No, we can make more pie! And if we run short on apples we can bake cherry pie.

As the World's economic powers meet this week in Switzerland (at a high-end resort beyond the means of all but the globe's wealthiest citizens) there is discussion about income disparity. There is concern over a report that eight men have more money than the combined wealth of half the world. It does not matter if it is true or not. The fact that Warren Buffet can light his cigar with a rolled $100 bill and never notice the loss has absolutely nothing to do with the fact I'm a little short on covering my gas bill this month.

Just because one of the billionaires could pay off my mortgage with an hour's interest does not give me the right to take his money and distribute it to those who have less.

Life is never going to be fair. No matter if I practiced twelve hours a day, I will never play basketball in the NBA. Heck, I probably could not compete down at the local YMCA.  The Constitution guarantees we all begin the race at the same starting line. It does not mean I can outrun Usain Bolt. Should we tie his legs to ensure we all finish the 100 Meter dash together? Why should we expect different when it comes to the race of life?

Four O'clock and All is Well

I don't know why I woke up a smidgen after four this morning. I know I tossed and turned, flipped the pillow, pulled the sheets and blankets on and then off, and then continually repeated the process until I gave up and got up just before five o'clock. The first cup of coffee is down to the dregs and I have read through the political and news sites that make up my Internet day.

We are in the midst of decidedly spring-like weather. No matter, I find myself deep into the I-need-a-vacation mindset. I don't think the vacation day I'm taking in a few weeks to get a colonoscopy will alleviate the longing for a day or two off work. Somehow I do not believe having a tube crammed up the exit-only hole serves as an adequate substitute for warm sun, palm trees, or ocean waves.

Maybe I should change the background on my computer from scenes from Hawaii to one that depicts gray skies, brown grass, leafless trees, and black dirty mounds of old snow in strip mall parking lots. A dose of reality may be what I need.

Once again I fail to come up with an attention grabbing title

That was a wasted weekend. I am not sure where it went. We took the granddaughter to a Winnie-the-Pooh event at the local parks department Sunday. I walked three plus miles yesterday morning. We also...and...yeah, I have no idea. It was that kind of a lost weekend.  I do know there was no beer, cigars, or nookie involved in the time wasting. I read some. I watched TV. We didn't even go anywhere. It was a true lost weekend.

I know John Lewis got the shit kicked out of him during the march to Selma. I know he was a friend of MLK. I know he bled for Civil Rights. Those facts do not make him right all of the time. He is not immune to criticism. Disagreeing with him does not make me a racist, hate-filled bigot.

Someone needs to turn off Trump's twitter account. Please? No matter who gets elected president half the country is going to disagree with him or her. Engaging in middle school spats over every criticism is pathetic. Pick your battles, Mr. Trump.

Today is my Dad's birthday. He is 79.

My work phone is signaling I have incoming emails. Work becons. Have a good Monday.

Chuck that plan into the trash

It looks like I won't be running away to join the circus. Ringing Brothers is shutting it down. It is not like I was really going to try and join the circus anyway. Shoveling crap is pretty much my only circus-related skill. I have not been to a circus since I was a kid, so I do not have a nostalgic fascination with the big top either. Still, the circus is an iconic entertainment that will soon be gone from  our culture. Oh well, I am not a big fan of clowns anyway. If your skill is performing in a circus, where do you get another job when the circus closes down? There is not a big demand for high wire acts or sticking your head in a lion's mouth in corporate America.

The freezing rain that had the StormTeam/ScareTeam on high alert never materialized. We had rain, not a lot. It was more like a drizzle on and off. The temperatures hovered right around freezing, so the coating of ice mostly melted as soon as it formed. The weather lady is calling for a very warm week this week with temperatures pushing sixty. This is a crazy January. I don't mind telling you I am digging this global warming.

I was clearing away the supper dishes last night when I noticed he biggest yellow cat I have ever seen was looking at me through my patio door. Why he was there I don't know. He must have scaled the privacy fence. When I started towards the door he took off into the night. His presence may explain why I haven't seen the chipmunks running around in a while. I thought they were just hibernating.

I hope you have a great Sunday.

Example 5,560 of why this blog needs a better writer at the controls

The freezing rain that was predicted for last night was a no-show. I don't write that with any glee. I do not want to taunt Mother Nature. I could live with people who do not live near me getting iced. I just don't want it. Sorry if it is you. I don't feel too bad, you would wish it on me in your stead. It is OK.

I keep hearing Democrats claim Trump is not a legitimate President. What the Hell does that mean? He won the election. There is no evidence of election vote fraud by the Russians. They released emails from poorly protected server at the DNC. No one has disputed the content of the emails. If the truth cost Hillary the election, I really don't know what to say.

Did you read the Politico story about the info Clinton allegedly got about Trumps campaign manager from the Ukraine? It forced him out. Funny how no one is crying about the Ukrainians trying to subvert the election. Look it up yourself, I don't want homework on a Saturday. Edit: There, now quit complaining

My coffee cup is empty, time for a refill. That is as good a reason to wrap this up as any. Have a great weekend.

Additional edit:  it has started raining. I knew I shoulda kept quiet.

What happened to the classic panatela cigar?

How did Friday get here already? It has been another week on the road featuring anonymous hotels, indifferent food, and lousy weather. The Windy City lived up to its nickname. I will not bore you further with details.

The weather is forecasted to be lousy this weekend with doses of freezing rain and ice to hit repeatedly starting this evening and lasting through Sunday. I can live with snow. Ice just sucks. I hope it stays warm enough that we just get rain. The ground is saturated now, but low level flooding beats the heck out of ice-covered roads.

I am trying to decide of a donut run is in order this morning, or if I should just be a good boy. I know my coffee mug needs refilled.

I bet this outstanding post has you on the edge of your chair, your hands gripping your laptop, mouse, or tablet in excitement, anticipation, and bladder-clinching trepidation. Or not.

Enjoy your Friday.

Shrimp gumbo, shrimp soup, shrimp cocktail, shrimp showers

I'm not a tall man.

No, I am not channeling my inner Forrest Gump,

OK, maybe I am. I rewatched the movie the other night. In my head I wrote that line in a Gumpian voice.

But I am not tall. I am just a shade over 5'9". That makes me considerably shorter than your typical NBA star, and just a bit shorter than the average height of American males, which is 5'10".

All of this makes me wonder who designed the shower in my hotel room? I had to bend down to wash my hair this morning. The shower head was at my shoulder height. I cannot imagine how a tall person would manage. I got the king bed. Apparently that package comes with a prince-sized shower.

Are you laughing?

This is an example of tolerance we have come to expect from the left. You know, those who call anyone who disagrees with them racists hate filled bigots.

What the hell is wrong with people?

Knee deep in swamp water

Way back in history, not even a decade ago, the Democrats swept the Republicans out of office capturing the White House , the Senate and the House. This electoral landslide should remind us all that political power is fleeting. This particular election of 2008 should be a reminder to the current GOPers in control of what took them from power eight years ago. There was the wars in Iran and Iraq. There was W's maddening failure to defend himself. And there was mass defections of voters in the Republican Party, mostly over the profligate spending in Congress. I opined at the time that the Republicans spent like drunken sailors, only their excess was an insult to inebriated mariners. Remember the famous "bridge to nowhere"? I wrote at the time that if Republicans were going to spend like Democrats, the voters might as well elect the real thing.

It is with concern that I read that Congressional Republicans are fighting to remove the ban on earmarks. These are little spending projects politicians throw into the budget to get funding for special projects back home; a library here, a new highway there. It all sounds great, but the process was abused and used to pay back bribes, buy votes, get political donations. Half of the roads, bridges, and public buildings in West Virginia bear the Byrd name from his earmarks.  The problem is that a million here, a billion there, and the next thing you know we are spending some real money.

If the GOP is draining the swamp they must be sending all of that fetid water and stinky mud into a larger swamp more to their liking.

This is not what we voted for.

Jacobinian Jaberwocky

I failed to post yesterday. I doubt anyone noticed. We are in the winter doldrums. The days are short. Football is for all practical purposes done. Meaningful baseball is months in the future. I really don't care about basketball at any level...you get the idea. The boring bloggity weather report is mostly unchanged. It is going to be cold. Politics are on semi-hold waiting on the Trumpocalypse to unfold, or not, depending on where you perch on the political high wire.

That reminds me, do you know where the idea of political "right" and "left" come from? During the French Revolution politically aligned persons sat together in the General Assembly. Those who leaned towards bat-shit crazy, cut off their heads, kill anyone who disagrees with us gang sat on the left side of the chamber. Those who tended to be more royalist sat to the right. Yes, a little bias crept in to my definition. That is how liberals ended up on the "left". That concept and the metric system are the gifts of the French Revolution. Oh, and example 1A of what happens to society when the Progressives gain complete control.

Political correctness is not a new concept. The notion of "equality" got so bad during the French Revolution that if you dared to dress better than the average street beggar, you could be sent on your way to the executioner. You were viewed as trying to be "better" when the mood of the day was "equality". Neighbors denounced neighbors for failure to have enough revolutionary zeal. Imagine the "Occupy Wall Street" gang on steroids. And way more hate. And the ability to kill anyone who disagrees with them. Think 1919 Russia, only with some serious killing, informing, executions, and paranoid political attacks. Imagine life in these United States if Bill Ayres and the Weathermen were in charge circa 1972. Only far worse. If you don't know what I'm talking about look up the Weather Underground and their ilk. Imagine the college campus snowflakes with the ability to extend their safe zones to include everywhere, and if you triggered them in any way you found yourself staring into a bloody wicker head-catching basket while a guillotine blade slid down toward the back of your neck.  That is why you don't hear anyone wish they had a time machine so they could go back to the time of the French Revolution.

It is Monday, and I have a ton of work to do. The kind of work that pays the bills. Mostly.

Have a great day, Citizen.

Make the white queen run so fast

My coffee is fresh and hot. It is black, as coffee should be served. Sinatra is crooning softly in the background as I type. The room is warm, but I can feel a chill from the window beside my chair. I am not surprised, it is currently -1 and the wind chill is -11. That is cold. It also is a reminder that replacement windows need to be on the list of "someday" home improvements. I'm pretty sure it will come after a new front door, granite countertops, new cabinets, an expanded patio/deck, and updated landscaping. Heck, all it takes is money.

A nut job murdered people in a Florida airport.  My heart breaks. Worse, I bet there will be pundits on CNN who will somehow blame Trump. They perversely found a way to blame him for the torture of that poor guy in Chicago.

The South is slated for nasty weather. Here it is just going to be cold. Winter storms and cold weather; seems a lot like January. Be safe and have a great Saturday.

Is that good or bad

I just don't have it in me to rant and complain today. There is some snow on the ground here in southwest Lincolnlandistan, but not a lot. It is cold, but it is January.

My hotel breakfast was mediocre, not really very good, yet not inedible. It was free, I got what I paid for.

I didn't even run into any examples of dumb drivers on my road trip yesterday.

I am not sure if this ambivalence is a new me or a temporary blip on the radar. It probably does not make for good blogging.  Don't fret, I can probably generate a mild outrage about something soon.

There was this traveling salesman and his car breaks down near a farm

I'm heading back on the road today. I have plenty of auditory stimuli to hopefully keep my attention engaged while miles of pavement pass underneath my tires. I have podcasts and audiobooks and music loaded on my trusty phone. There is always the radio to listen to. Yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition. This trip will prove fruitless in the short term. Most of my visits will be to non-customers. It is unlikely I will get to talk with the decision makers. In fact, I probably won't even get to talk with a receptionist since that job has been mostly eliminated. I will leave messages on voice mail and literature and business cards. This is all part of the effort to grow one's business. Fifty percent of sales is showing up. Opportunity eventually knocks. One new order easily pays for the gas to swing by a prospective customer a couple of times a year. It is not rejection if a prospect buys from the other guy, it is business. It is never personal.

Today's swamp news

So much for learning a lesson from the last election. Republicans have gutted the independent ethics commission, moving all ethics charges to the politician controlled Ethics Committee. This is the fox guarding the hen house. No wonder Congress' approval rating is equal to those in favor of Limburger cheese flavored ice cream. I am pretty sure this is exactly the opposite of what voters had in mind when they elected Trump to drain the swamp.

In pot/kettle irony, Dan Rather criticized the WSJ for not calling out Trump. Rather said it is a journalist's job to always tell the truth. I suppose as long as it is "fake but accurate" the reporting can meet that high standard.

The Who had it right. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

We had weird weather yesterday. It was warm for January. In fact, we had thunder and lightning last night. It is supposed to turn cold overnight and snow by Thursday. Mother Nature is messing with us.

Have a good Monday Tuesday.

Mundane Monday Musings

All of the inside Christmas decorations are down and boxed up for storage. I will get the outside lights and wreaths down today if it does not rain. I finished cleaning the carpets. Now we have to wait for them to dry so we can put the furniture back. In other words, I worked my ass off this weekend. Today is a work holiday. Only from the paying job. 

The weather is slated to be warm, in the 50s, today. Cold and snow are forecasted for later in the week. Welcome to January. I'm certain we will see significant cold and some snow before the month is out.

My coffee mug needs refilled. Have a great day.

Day One

Happy New Year everybody. Goodbye to 2016. At first blush I would venture it was a crappy year, but upon reflection I venture it was a year like most others -- filled with good and bad. I was blind, now I can see. Not just a hymn, but real life for me in 2016. While I was not blind in the "everything is black" sense, I was what is classified as legally blind (just barely). My corrected vision after cornea transplants is 20/25 in one eye and 20/30 in the other. In June it was 20/300. With glasses. I would say that is a good thing.

The Cubs won a World Series. 'Nuff said.

Both my wife and I are healthy, wealthy, and wise. We are healthy anyway. One out of three ain't bad. All of our kids are healthy and so is the grandkid. Both of my parents had a tough year health-wise. But they are doing relatively well.

I tried really hard in 2016 to be a whole lot less negative. While I was not always as successful around here (one has to vent somewhere), I think I did pretty well keeping the bad attitude out of my daily life.

I have areas where I need to improve. I like my job, but I don't love it. Since I am reflecting here, I think I have viewed this job as a stopgap until something better comes along. I work hard, but I haven't embraced it fully. It is time to change things.  If I am bored with my work that is my problem.

2017 is upon us. There will be big changes ahead for all of us. Politics will piss me off. One personal crisis or another will bring challenges to life. There will be good and bad. In other words, it will be a year like any other. I started the new year just like I have the last 38, with a kiss from the woman I love. How can it be a bad year when it starts like that?