Global warming is kicking our ass today. It is in the thirties yet again this morning, at least it is sunny. Oh well. My coffee is hot and I don't plan to hang around outdoors anyway. I imagine I will survive. To date May has been decidedly March-like.
I doubt you stopped by for a weather report. That, you can get from any number of channels on the television or radio. I am not sure why you stop by. I could tell you how I managed to miss mowing large sections of my yard yesterday afternoon. Since in our new Obama world nothing is ever the fault of an individual, I will blame my idiocy on a tree. I will fault the maple in my front yard to be precise.
I like to mow a different direction each time. You know, across one week and up and down the next. Yesterday I thought I would get fancy and go diagonal. To get the proper angle I cut a swath down the middle, corner to corner just above the tree. I did the top half and the attached side yard. Then I did the part on the other side of the driveway. I then put the mower away in the back shed. As I was trimming I realized I forgot to mow the bottom half of the front yard. #%^*^%#! I dragged the mower back around front and started on the lower diagonal. The tree has a small flower bed around it so you have to go around it.
I mowed up to the tree for a few stripes, then around the blocks that guard the flower bed. Then I went around to the other side and mowed the three or four strips on the other side of he tree. I shut the mower off and pushed it around to the shed at he back of he property. As I started trimming around the tree I realized I still had not mowed the bottom quarter of he front yard. I did the top half and quit. I did the quarter around the tree, but still not the lower quarter of he square yard. Son of a....
I dragged the mower back around and mowed the last few strips, mumbling curses all the while. I once again pushed me mower to the back of he lot, put it once again back in the shed and resumed trimming. My trimmer ran out of string.
I looked longingly at the garage fridge. I knew beer lived in there. Instead, I wound new string and finished the yard. I had no one to blame for my high level of dumbassery except the maple tree. I sure as heck ain't taking the blame.
I'm not going to mow diagonal any more either.
May 16, 2016
May 15, 2016
Wake up birds, ya lazy bastids
Good morning Blog World. It is a cold spring morning here at the homestead.
So far the weekend has been realitively uneventful. Some friends come over yesterday evening. We went out for a burger and then came back to the house to play Euchre. They left around ten and I was dozing off by 10:30 on the couch. I stumbled off to bed in the middle of the 11:00 news. I promptly woke up at a little after four. Curses. I tried for an hour to get back to sleep before I gave in.
I have to mow the lawn today, unless I wait until tomorrow. I suspect a nap may also be in order. Perhaps I will watch a little baseball.
Ho hum, ho hum.
So far the weekend has been realitively uneventful. Some friends come over yesterday evening. We went out for a burger and then came back to the house to play Euchre. They left around ten and I was dozing off by 10:30 on the couch. I stumbled off to bed in the middle of the 11:00 news. I promptly woke up at a little after four. Curses. I tried for an hour to get back to sleep before I gave in.
I have to mow the lawn today, unless I wait until tomorrow. I suspect a nap may also be in order. Perhaps I will watch a little baseball.
Ho hum, ho hum.
May 13, 2016
Magical Moments
A great magician can transform a vase into a rabbit because he directs your focus everywhere but where the change is going on. This is called misdirection. You focus on his right hand while the left does the big change.
Today we have severe cuts in the military, rising debt, a $2 trillion budget, the administration lied about a horrible treaty that will allow Iran to get nukes, threats from North Korea and China. There are assaults in our freedoms through political attacks in the courts by rogue Attorneys General. A Presidential candidate has demonstrated bad faith at best in setting up an illegal server. Terror attacks are blamed on a video. We have an IRS that targets Americans based on their political views.
We are worried about who is using which bathroom.The news can't stop talking about a reality star running for President.
Obama promised to transform America. We are watching the hot chick in the low cut dress.
*for the record, I wrote this post at 11.43 am this morning, but did not want to put up too many posts at once.
Today we have severe cuts in the military, rising debt, a $2 trillion budget, the administration lied about a horrible treaty that will allow Iran to get nukes, threats from North Korea and China. There are assaults in our freedoms through political attacks in the courts by rogue Attorneys General. A Presidential candidate has demonstrated bad faith at best in setting up an illegal server. Terror attacks are blamed on a video. We have an IRS that targets Americans based on their political views.
We are worried about who is using which bathroom.The news can't stop talking about a reality star running for President.
Obama promised to transform America. We are watching the hot chick in the low cut dress.
*for the record, I wrote this post at 11.43 am this morning, but did not want to put up too many posts at once.
The Pandora Effect
Sources say the Obama Administration is telling all school districts they must accomodate students based on what they "feel" their sexual identity is or risk losing Federal Education funds. The rational for this is the Title IX equal opportunity act. Thus schools must let boys into girls restrooms and locker rooms. This also means boys can play on girl's volleyball teams. This means a young man who may be a sixth player on the basketball team can now start on ne girl's team. It will happen. For some schools winning is everything. Scholarships could be on the line. I would "identify " if it meant free college.
Watch out Boy Scouts. The left hates you already.
Never before have so few disrupted the lives of the majority.
Watch out Boy Scouts. The left hates you already.
Never before have so few disrupted the lives of the majority.
May 12, 2016
Jerkwads dead ahead
I was eating my breakfast this morning in the hotel: bacon, eggs, fresh pineapple, a few spuds, and coffee. "That Guy" was sitting a few tables over when he got a phone call. He was dressed in a tailored suit, the cuffs just the right length to show off his expensive watch. He was important. So was his call. I know this because instead of speaking quietly at his table, or moving out into the lobby, or stepping outside, he proceeded to pace around the restaurant. As he wove between the tables we could all hear how tough a negotiator he was. This was heady stuff, his phone call. He had to be on his feet because, well I supposed he imagined he was quick on his feet or something. The waitresses managed to be quicker yet, as they dodged around Mr. Important, never spilling coffee nor omelettes. I cast my strongest looks of disdain and disgust in his direction. I could feel the vibe from others directed at the jerk. Unfortunately, his suit deflected my castigating looks. An Important Guy like that never notices the small folk.
May 11, 2016
Ketchup on hot dogs should be a felony
I just had a couple of Chicago-style dogs for lunch. You can have your Coney Island crappy hot dogs (yes, you know what I mean Erica, if you are out there). I'll take a red hot any time: an all beef dog, neon green relish, onion, tomato, pickle, sport peppers, and celery salt.
I would probably choose thin crust NY pizza over Chicago deep dish, But when in old Chicago I try to get a good hot dog or a hot Italian beef.
It is a long day and my head still hurts. But my belly is full of good food.
I would probably choose thin crust NY pizza over Chicago deep dish, But when in old Chicago I try to get a good hot dog or a hot Italian beef.
It is a long day and my head still hurts. But my belly is full of good food.
Basics of Hamster Milking
Stupid weather. My head aches like it was wound in a wet leather strap and left to dry and shrink. It is foggy as old London here in my top sekrit local. At least it is not raining.
I used to stay here in this 'burb all of the time. That translates to every month for about 8 years. I used to stay in a Hampton Inn, but it got worn. Plus there was no eating joints near. I moved up the street to a Hilton Garden. I just stayed there in March as a matter of fact. When I went to book this trip the HGI was full, so I tried the Hampton. It too was full. There was a new Embassy Suites near so I booked it.
It was right behind the Hampton. And now there are all kinds of restaurants back here too. I guess it has been longer than I thought since I stayed at the crappy Hampton. I guess I will sleep at he Embassy Suites again the next time I'm here. Look, I'm a guy of habit. If I find a hotel I like, I go there again. A few weeks ago I chose a hotel in Wisconsin based on the German restaurant next door. I had not stayed there in 4 or 5 years, but I remembered the good eats.
Life on the road is not the dream you imagine. I may as well make it as pleasant as possible.
I used to stay here in this 'burb all of the time. That translates to every month for about 8 years. I used to stay in a Hampton Inn, but it got worn. Plus there was no eating joints near. I moved up the street to a Hilton Garden. I just stayed there in March as a matter of fact. When I went to book this trip the HGI was full, so I tried the Hampton. It too was full. There was a new Embassy Suites near so I booked it.
It was right behind the Hampton. And now there are all kinds of restaurants back here too. I guess it has been longer than I thought since I stayed at the crappy Hampton. I guess I will sleep at he Embassy Suites again the next time I'm here. Look, I'm a guy of habit. If I find a hotel I like, I go there again. A few weeks ago I chose a hotel in Wisconsin based on the German restaurant next door. I had not stayed there in 4 or 5 years, but I remembered the good eats.
Life on the road is not the dream you imagine. I may as well make it as pleasant as possible.
May 10, 2016
What would you do?
It looks like it is going to be a most unpleasant day to drive. Rain and wind are forecast in every direction. The severe weather that hit the Great Plains yesterday will visit the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes today. We don't need the rain, my yard is like a bog as it is. My flower beds ate quickly becoming weed beds. I haven't had time to pull, chop, or spray the various unwanted greenery in preparation for planting some flowers. It has been too cold and wet to plant anyway.
Here is a conundrum for you. I'm really interested in your feedback. A local pizza place has a Yelp (insert appropriate trademark here) coupon that states you can get a large pizza for $10. They routinely take $10 off the pizza. The coupon is very clear on the deal. Do you tell them of the mistake or just chalk it up to good fortune if you get a great deal? About fifty percent of the time we go there they ring the pizza for $10 off. Even the manager has made the mistake. What would you do?
Here is a conundrum for you. I'm really interested in your feedback. A local pizza place has a Yelp (insert appropriate trademark here) coupon that states you can get a large pizza for $10. They routinely take $10 off the pizza. The coupon is very clear on the deal. Do you tell them of the mistake or just chalk it up to good fortune if you get a great deal? About fifty percent of the time we go there they ring the pizza for $10 off. Even the manager has made the mistake. What would you do?
May 9, 2016
It has to be a joke
According to the internet, and we all know stuff on the internet is true, there is a motion afoot to draft Mitt Romney as a third party candidate. Romney? He lost in the primaries to the guy Obama thumped in the 2008 election. Romney? Isn't he the guy who lost by a very wide margin to Obama in 2012? In fact, he lost worse than Johnny McRino did in 2008. Is Romney today's version of William Jennings Bryan who lost 3or 4 elections a hundred years ago?
No wonder they call the GOP the stupid party. Why don't they just push for a Romney/Bush ticket? I bet that combo would garner fewer votes than Johnny Manziel received for NFL MVP last year.
No wonder they call the GOP the stupid party. Why don't they just push for a Romney/Bush ticket? I bet that combo would garner fewer votes than Johnny Manziel received for NFL MVP last year.
Tell me why
Happy Monday. I hope you had a good weekend. I did, and that is really all that matters. My daughter and SIL took my wife to brunch yesterday, and I went too. Good for me. I took the wife to dinner last night. I got to participate in that too, even though it was Mother's Day. In between brunch and dinner, she went shopping. I did not participate in that, I stayed home and watched the Cubbies. They won.
I worked in the bearing business for more than 25 years: manufacturing and sales. While I made monumental efforts to never bring work home, it is inevitable that my job or events of the day entered into the routine conversations with my spouse. That said, do you think those conversations in any way qualify my wife to discuss an HM212049 tapered roller bearing in a wheel end application? Then why in sam hill would you think occasionally sleeping with Bill Clinton makes Hillary qualified to be President?
The fact that Hillary knew Bill in the Biblical sense was her sole qualification to be elected Senator, and her accomplishments there are scant at best. Her tenure as Secretary of State was a disaster in every way except increasing the coffers at the Clinton Foundation. If nothing else, she clearly showed a distinct lack of judgement and an obvious desire to escape Open Door laws in her private server scandal. On the bright side, she has a strong track record in investing. Perhaps she can take some tax money and invest in cattle fuotures. She could eliminate our debt in no time.
I worked in the bearing business for more than 25 years: manufacturing and sales. While I made monumental efforts to never bring work home, it is inevitable that my job or events of the day entered into the routine conversations with my spouse. That said, do you think those conversations in any way qualify my wife to discuss an HM212049 tapered roller bearing in a wheel end application? Then why in sam hill would you think occasionally sleeping with Bill Clinton makes Hillary qualified to be President?
The fact that Hillary knew Bill in the Biblical sense was her sole qualification to be elected Senator, and her accomplishments there are scant at best. Her tenure as Secretary of State was a disaster in every way except increasing the coffers at the Clinton Foundation. If nothing else, she clearly showed a distinct lack of judgement and an obvious desire to escape Open Door laws in her private server scandal. On the bright side, she has a strong track record in investing. Perhaps she can take some tax money and invest in cattle fuotures. She could eliminate our debt in no time.
May 8, 2016
May 7, 2016
Content worth waiting for
For some reason I woke up at five this morning. I peed, grabbed a drink of water and tried to catch another forty winks to no avail. Such is life.
I failed to put up a post yesterday. That too is life. I did start a long political rant Thursday afternoon. I have not finished it yet. Right now it is a rambling collection of half-thought ideas. Of course that makes that particular post no different than most of the content around here, but I want this particular one to be good. It may or may not ever see the light of day.
It looks to be a rather decent day. It is slated to be warm and sunny. I hope to get the grass cut. I think we will go to visit my mom, an early celebration of Mom's Day.
I think I will go get some fresh donuts this morning. I have been a good boy, I deserve a donut. I don't know, though. I got a haircut yesterday and donuts today could be excitement overload. I'm going to have to pace myself.
I failed to put up a post yesterday. That too is life. I did start a long political rant Thursday afternoon. I have not finished it yet. Right now it is a rambling collection of half-thought ideas. Of course that makes that particular post no different than most of the content around here, but I want this particular one to be good. It may or may not ever see the light of day.
It looks to be a rather decent day. It is slated to be warm and sunny. I hope to get the grass cut. I think we will go to visit my mom, an early celebration of Mom's Day.
I think I will go get some fresh donuts this morning. I have been a good boy, I deserve a donut. I don't know, though. I got a haircut yesterday and donuts today could be excitement overload. I'm going to have to pace myself.
May 5, 2016
Hurry up
We had Mexican food for supper last night, a Quatro de Mayo celebration, I suppose. It did not really occur to me that it was Cinco de Mayo Eve at the time. Almost too late, I remembered to hang my green card on the fireplace.
As usual, I made my own salsa. The jalapeno I tossed in was hotter than heck. Sometimes I have to put in two, this time one was plenty. In fact, I should have seeded it before I tossed the pepper in. But it was still good stuff.
It is cold as heck this morning. Damp and chilly. Once again the global warming has failed to have an impact, as early May does a perfect impression of early March.
If you loved me you would come over and fix me some biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Bring the ingredients with you. I may have a can of the Doughboy's biscuits in the 'fridge. I have milk and flour. Just bring some good sausage. I have coffee and juice. See, I am trying to meet you half way. What time will you get here? I am hungry now.
The wife is going to dinner with a friend tonight. I am on my own. That is nothing unusual. I am on my own for dinner two or three evenings a week. Usually, I am on the road. Tonight I will be at home. I may throw some chicken on the grill. I don't know. Right now I am more worried about getting some B&G. Are you almost here?
As usual, I made my own salsa. The jalapeno I tossed in was hotter than heck. Sometimes I have to put in two, this time one was plenty. In fact, I should have seeded it before I tossed the pepper in. But it was still good stuff.
It is cold as heck this morning. Damp and chilly. Once again the global warming has failed to have an impact, as early May does a perfect impression of early March.
If you loved me you would come over and fix me some biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Bring the ingredients with you. I may have a can of the Doughboy's biscuits in the 'fridge. I have milk and flour. Just bring some good sausage. I have coffee and juice. See, I am trying to meet you half way. What time will you get here? I am hungry now.
The wife is going to dinner with a friend tonight. I am on my own. That is nothing unusual. I am on my own for dinner two or three evenings a week. Usually, I am on the road. Tonight I will be at home. I may throw some chicken on the grill. I don't know. Right now I am more worried about getting some B&G. Are you almost here?
May 4, 2016
Feel the Bern
For one of the few times in my life, my primary vote counted for something. I proudly cast my vote for Bernie Sanders. He won Indiana's delegates, due in part to my support.
Not really. I chose a "R" ballot. You didn't really think I voted for that communist mofo did you? But it was with great glee we watched the returns crawl across the bottom of the TV screen showing Hillary losing yet again. Can you imagine the shrill anger and panic behind closed doors at her campaign headquarters? No doubt f-bombs and ashtrays are flying.
The Trumpster won big. GOPers better take note, the Donald is picking up lots of blue dog democrat votes throughout the rust belt. That is not a bad thing. I am no Trump fan, but whatever it takes to defeat Clinton. Another four or eight years of the Democrats will doom us. Obama claims his economic plan has worked to a T. If 0.5% growth is what he considers success, then I guess he really does want to destroy the country.
It looks like we are looking like a Trump/Clinton choice come November. I will once again lament the choice. As I have said for a long time now, is this really best we can do as a nation? Out of 300,000,000 people these are the choices to lead the free world? That is a sad state of affairs indeed. I have no doubt the citizens of ancient Rome had the same lament starting with Claudius.
My polling place is around the corner. Literally 100 or 150 yards from my house. I walked over around eleven to cast my vote. I had to wait about 15 minutes -- a long time for a primary election. As I was walking back hiome I heard a voice call my name. WTH? I don't know anyone around here. I looked and it was my son-in-law taking an early lunch hour to cast his vote. I guess I do know someone.
It is again cold and wet. I could write those words as the weather report five out of seven days since about February. I hope you have a great Wednesday.
Not really. I chose a "R" ballot. You didn't really think I voted for that communist mofo did you? But it was with great glee we watched the returns crawl across the bottom of the TV screen showing Hillary losing yet again. Can you imagine the shrill anger and panic behind closed doors at her campaign headquarters? No doubt f-bombs and ashtrays are flying.
The Trumpster won big. GOPers better take note, the Donald is picking up lots of blue dog democrat votes throughout the rust belt. That is not a bad thing. I am no Trump fan, but whatever it takes to defeat Clinton. Another four or eight years of the Democrats will doom us. Obama claims his economic plan has worked to a T. If 0.5% growth is what he considers success, then I guess he really does want to destroy the country.
It looks like we are looking like a Trump/Clinton choice come November. I will once again lament the choice. As I have said for a long time now, is this really best we can do as a nation? Out of 300,000,000 people these are the choices to lead the free world? That is a sad state of affairs indeed. I have no doubt the citizens of ancient Rome had the same lament starting with Claudius.
My polling place is around the corner. Literally 100 or 150 yards from my house. I walked over around eleven to cast my vote. I had to wait about 15 minutes -- a long time for a primary election. As I was walking back hiome I heard a voice call my name. WTH? I don't know anyone around here. I looked and it was my son-in-law taking an early lunch hour to cast his vote. I guess I do know someone.
It is again cold and wet. I could write those words as the weather report five out of seven days since about February. I hope you have a great Wednesday.
May 3, 2016
Woo Boy
Woo Boy, it is election Day. I have been anticipating this for weeks. Not the voting part, but a temporary end to the barrage of political ads. At this stage I can honestly say I hate them all. Not the just the ads -- the candidates; local, state, and federal.
We had some pulled pork and I decided to make some onion rings as a side for supper last night. The first onion I pulled out looked good until I sliced it. The center was black as Hillary's heart. Luckily I had another onion. The onion rings were first rate. I got the batter just right, not too thin nor too thick so it gave a nice crispy coating.
It is misting a little rain on this chilly May morning. I wish I could tell you I have big plans. I don't. I'm working on a big spreadsheet for the boss and I still have customer visit reports to write. A boring day is in store. I will head over to the polls in a while to do my thing. That is it, a glimpse at my sorry life.
We had some pulled pork and I decided to make some onion rings as a side for supper last night. The first onion I pulled out looked good until I sliced it. The center was black as Hillary's heart. Luckily I had another onion. The onion rings were first rate. I got the batter just right, not too thin nor too thick so it gave a nice crispy coating.
It is misting a little rain on this chilly May morning. I wish I could tell you I have big plans. I don't. I'm working on a big spreadsheet for the boss and I still have customer visit reports to write. A boring day is in store. I will head over to the polls in a while to do my thing. That is it, a glimpse at my sorry life.
May 2, 2016
Sweet Nothings
Severe weather -- thunderstorms, tornado warnings, hail -- all rolled just north ans south of us last night. Warning boxes were all around, within a mile or two, but all we got was a few sprinkles of rain and a spectacular light show in the sky.
I have a weird phrase of surfer music looping endlessly in my head this morning. The ear warm is doubly irritating not only because it plays the same bar repeatedly, but I cannot name the tune. Come on brain, if you have to play music, at least play enough of the song that I can recognize it!
two more days and we will get a releief from the political ads. At least until fall. Hurry up Tuesday!
Now it is back to the old grind. Have a great Monday.
I have a weird phrase of surfer music looping endlessly in my head this morning. The ear warm is doubly irritating not only because it plays the same bar repeatedly, but I cannot name the tune. Come on brain, if you have to play music, at least play enough of the song that I can recognize it!
two more days and we will get a releief from the political ads. At least until fall. Hurry up Tuesday!
Now it is back to the old grind. Have a great Monday.
April 30, 2016
I Need a Cuppa Joe
It is not raining yet, but it is going to.
I didn't sleep well last night. I was hot, then cold, then hot again. The wife must have been the same. She jerked the sheets and pulled the blanket up and down all night. She gets hot and throws the blanket on top of me. I kick it to the bottom of the Ned. She pulls it up because she is cold. Rinse and repeat.
What he said.
Part of the wife's problem is she slipped and bumped down a flight of stairs the other day. She is sore as heck. Her back and arms are bruised. Her elbow is sore. Her right butt cheek is completely black and purple. It makes me wince just to see it. I think she stiffens up in the night and then it hurts when she moves.
I didn't sleep well last night. I was hot, then cold, then hot again. The wife must have been the same. She jerked the sheets and pulled the blanket up and down all night. She gets hot and throws the blanket on top of me. I kick it to the bottom of the Ned. She pulls it up because she is cold. Rinse and repeat.
What he said.
Part of the wife's problem is she slipped and bumped down a flight of stairs the other day. She is sore as heck. Her back and arms are bruised. Her elbow is sore. Her right butt cheek is completely black and purple. It makes me wince just to see it. I think she stiffens up in the night and then it hurts when she moves.
April 29, 2016
it says busy, busy, busy on my table, table, table
It looks like it is going to be a rainy weekend. I suppose I'll have to mow after work today. Expenses are due by noon. I better get after it. How about a little music to start off your Friday?
So I don't know what is going on. In the past week or so videos won't start unless you go to YouTube to watch them. It is not just me, either. Other sites have the same issue. I don't know if it is because I'm posting on an iPad or a bigger issue. The Man always seems to ruin stuff just when it is working fine. First it became impossible to post pictures to blogger from the iPad, now this. I suppose you get what you pay for.
Edit. It is only on my iPad that I cannot watch the video. I guess Google is trying to make life tough for Apple users.
So I don't know what is going on. In the past week or so videos won't start unless you go to YouTube to watch them. It is not just me, either. Other sites have the same issue. I don't know if it is because I'm posting on an iPad or a bigger issue. The Man always seems to ruin stuff just when it is working fine. First it became impossible to post pictures to blogger from the iPad, now this. I suppose you get what you pay for.
Edit. It is only on my iPad that I cannot watch the video. I guess Google is trying to make life tough for Apple users.
April 28, 2016
I need my mommy
When I was a kid heading out the door for school my mom would make sure I wore my coat if it was chilly. Yesterday, I tossed my suitcase and briefcase into the car. I grabbed a couple bottles of water from the garage 'fridge and backed out of the garage. It was not until I stopped for lunch that I realized I had left without a jacket. To no surprise, the further north I travelled, the colder it got. Then it started to rain. By the time I left the hotel for supper it was in the low 40s and raining. I had on my dress shirt. I had to turn on the heat in the car. It is cold this morning. My customer will wonder why I don't have on a jacket.
I'm an idiot. I guess I still need my mom to say "Joe, put on a coat". But I don't care what she says, I'm not gonna put on those stupid f-ing rubber boots like I had to wear as a kid.
I'm an idiot. I guess I still need my mom to say "Joe, put on a coat". But I don't care what she says, I'm not gonna put on those stupid f-ing rubber boots like I had to wear as a kid.
April 27, 2016
Behind the Mask
The Left is who they are. They don't hide what they want to do, but they do obfuscate. More than two hundred years of history shows what happens when hard leftists are in charge, the classic examples being the French Revolution, the USSR, Mao's China and Cuba. Destruction of society norms, death, re-education, fear. No wonder leftist hate the teaching of history.
The path to leftist power has a roadmap. Sow chos, destroy religion, cause economic and political turmoil until the People cry out for help, which only comes through the State. Lenin did that way. So did Hitler, Mao, and Castro. Totalitarianism sneaks in under the guise of revolution.
For well over a century the left has tried to crack America. It started with the anarchist reign of terror that morphed into the communist push of the twenties. Since the 1960s the leftists have done their best to destroy religion and old fashioned morality. They have infiltrated the universities and education fields. They were behind the anti-war movements and more recent Occupy movements. Leftists embrace Climate Change and any movement that directly attacks Judeo-Christian values and most importantly, capitalism. The idea of the invisible hand is as loathsome to a progressive as any deity.
The State can tolerate no religion. The State is the most jealous of gods. Why are we suddenly arguing about bathrooms? This is not an issue. Does no one find it interesting that the funding for the unisex bathroom push comes from an accused child molester and ardent Progressive?
Who is it in modern society that wants to tell you what to drive, what to eat, how warm to keep your home, and even what you have to accept as right and moral. I hate to spoil your beliefs, but it ain't the evil righties trying to tell you how to live, what words to use.
The path to leftist power has a roadmap. Sow chos, destroy religion, cause economic and political turmoil until the People cry out for help, which only comes through the State. Lenin did that way. So did Hitler, Mao, and Castro. Totalitarianism sneaks in under the guise of revolution.
For well over a century the left has tried to crack America. It started with the anarchist reign of terror that morphed into the communist push of the twenties. Since the 1960s the leftists have done their best to destroy religion and old fashioned morality. They have infiltrated the universities and education fields. They were behind the anti-war movements and more recent Occupy movements. Leftists embrace Climate Change and any movement that directly attacks Judeo-Christian values and most importantly, capitalism. The idea of the invisible hand is as loathsome to a progressive as any deity.
The State can tolerate no religion. The State is the most jealous of gods. Why are we suddenly arguing about bathrooms? This is not an issue. Does no one find it interesting that the funding for the unisex bathroom push comes from an accused child molester and ardent Progressive?
Who is it in modern society that wants to tell you what to drive, what to eat, how warm to keep your home, and even what you have to accept as right and moral. I hate to spoil your beliefs, but it ain't the evil righties trying to tell you how to live, what words to use.
April 26, 2016
April 25, 2016
Impatience is no virtue
I understand your impatience. I know you have all been waiting with anticipation for my opinion on the Tubman-Jackson $20 makeover. Your long wait is over. I don't care.
That's right. Look, Jackson was the true founder of the Democrat Party. He was a racist assswipe. He trashed the White House, had no respect for the office and there is compelling evidence he was not even born in America, thus not qualified to even hold the office of President. He was the original Trump; a pure populist. The model for the modern Democrat.
Harriet Tubman was a leader in the efforts to free the slaves. Brave, devout, and tireless. Her exploits have been detailed extensively in recent days. But in fairness, if you, or I, or almost anyone, made a list of noteworthy Americans to put on our currency, I doubt Ms Tubman would have made the top 50 on any list, unless you said it had to be a minority and/or female compilation only. Go ahead, jump in your time machine go back a week and look at your list of 100 greatest Americans. Tubman is not on the list is she?
I think there are plenty of folks more worthy than either Jackson or Tubman to be placed on our currency. Welcome to modern America. Western Civilization is not even an offered course at Stanford, Washington and Lincoln do not get a holiday, but MLK does (not that he isn't worthy, but Lincoln did far more for African-Americans and Washington is the Father of our Country). History and civics have been replaced with social studies in our schools. Modern Americans know virtually nothing about our founding, our Constitution, or our history.
Should we honor someone instrumental in helping runaway slaves, who was a key player in the operation of the Underground Railroad on the $20? Absolutely. That is why Levi Coffin will be honored on the $20 bill. Except he is an dead old white guy.
That's right. Look, Jackson was the true founder of the Democrat Party. He was a racist assswipe. He trashed the White House, had no respect for the office and there is compelling evidence he was not even born in America, thus not qualified to even hold the office of President. He was the original Trump; a pure populist. The model for the modern Democrat.
Harriet Tubman was a leader in the efforts to free the slaves. Brave, devout, and tireless. Her exploits have been detailed extensively in recent days. But in fairness, if you, or I, or almost anyone, made a list of noteworthy Americans to put on our currency, I doubt Ms Tubman would have made the top 50 on any list, unless you said it had to be a minority and/or female compilation only. Go ahead, jump in your time machine go back a week and look at your list of 100 greatest Americans. Tubman is not on the list is she?
I think there are plenty of folks more worthy than either Jackson or Tubman to be placed on our currency. Welcome to modern America. Western Civilization is not even an offered course at Stanford, Washington and Lincoln do not get a holiday, but MLK does (not that he isn't worthy, but Lincoln did far more for African-Americans and Washington is the Father of our Country). History and civics have been replaced with social studies in our schools. Modern Americans know virtually nothing about our founding, our Constitution, or our history.
Should we honor someone instrumental in helping runaway slaves, who was a key player in the operation of the Underground Railroad on the $20? Absolutely. That is why Levi Coffin will be honored on the $20 bill. Except he is an dead old white guy.
April 24, 2016
Rock a Hula
I make no secret of the fact that I enjoy Elvis' movies. They are silly, and mostly bad, and a way to pass an hour and thirty minutes, just being entertained. I like the 1960's beach movies for the same reason. I don't need a deeper meaning or comment on society to be entertained.
At some point Elvis became "Elvis" and that guy was almost a parody of himself. The money, the relentless fame, the Cadillacs, the drugs, the movies, the jumpsuits, and Vegas* all made him bigger than life. In his movies he basically played the same role: Elvis. Lost in the hype was the fact that the man could sing, really sing.
The King was a generation before me. He peaked before I was born in 1962. it was not until my teen years and my addiction to watching old movies on late night TV that I really began to appreciate his talent. Elvis has been lampooned for his acting. He was no Spenser.Tracy, but there was no actor alive who could look good with some of those scripts. "Forgettable" is a generous label to apply to some of the soundtracks he was forced to perform. I think we can agree that often the quality of the music was not the same as we find in the golden age of Hollywood musicals.
But sometimes he hit a home run.
*in much the same way this blog has become a parody of itself. Without the fame, the money, the caddies, or the drugs. Alas, not even the jumpsuits. Probably, because unlike Elvis, I never started out with talent.
At some point Elvis became "Elvis" and that guy was almost a parody of himself. The money, the relentless fame, the Cadillacs, the drugs, the movies, the jumpsuits, and Vegas* all made him bigger than life. In his movies he basically played the same role: Elvis. Lost in the hype was the fact that the man could sing, really sing.
The King was a generation before me. He peaked before I was born in 1962. it was not until my teen years and my addiction to watching old movies on late night TV that I really began to appreciate his talent. Elvis has been lampooned for his acting. He was no Spenser.Tracy, but there was no actor alive who could look good with some of those scripts. "Forgettable" is a generous label to apply to some of the soundtracks he was forced to perform. I think we can agree that often the quality of the music was not the same as we find in the golden age of Hollywood musicals.
But sometimes he hit a home run.
*in much the same way this blog has become a parody of itself. Without the fame, the money, the caddies, or the drugs. Alas, not even the jumpsuits. Probably, because unlike Elvis, I never started out with talent.
April 23, 2016
Why, you are soaking in it
I slept late this morning, perhaps because it is chilly inside and out. I sleep better when I'm a little cold.
The rain over the past few days has really "greened" up, well everything. I will need to mow again this weekend. I have to get the flower beds cleaned out think about power washing the patio and porch. Work, work, work. I need to re-build the raised garden. The 2x8s that surround the bed are rotting. I may just take it out altogether. The previous homeowner built it and I don't think anyone would have labeled him a carpenter. All we have ever planted is tomatoes. I do love me some summer 'maters.
We didn't really have the extra money, but we bought the granddaughter a new playhouse for outside. It is one of those heavy plastic models. We also got a little slide. Since the little one will be here most days this summer she needs stuff to do. My granddaughter loves being outside. I'm sure we will get a kiddie pool at some point.
My coffee cup is dry and so is my limited well of blog content. Have a great Saturday.
The rain over the past few days has really "greened" up, well everything. I will need to mow again this weekend. I have to get the flower beds cleaned out think about power washing the patio and porch. Work, work, work. I need to re-build the raised garden. The 2x8s that surround the bed are rotting. I may just take it out altogether. The previous homeowner built it and I don't think anyone would have labeled him a carpenter. All we have ever planted is tomatoes. I do love me some summer 'maters.
We didn't really have the extra money, but we bought the granddaughter a new playhouse for outside. It is one of those heavy plastic models. We also got a little slide. Since the little one will be here most days this summer she needs stuff to do. My granddaughter loves being outside. I'm sure we will get a kiddie pool at some point.
My coffee cup is dry and so is my limited well of blog content. Have a great Saturday.
April 22, 2016
I said I was sorry
I made it home about dinner time from my swing this week through Wisconsin and Iowa. I was tired and when I'm tired I tend to be an ass. I walked in the door and before I even dropped my bags the wife flipped me a fiver and asked if I could go to the grocery and pick up some corn chips to go with the salsa and Mexican stuff we were having for dinner. I quipped that "I just spent seven hours in the fucking car, just what I want to do". The response was uncalled for, especially the swearing part. I don't usually drop the F-bomb at, or in front of, my wife. I was immediately sorry.
After supper I plopped on the couch. The wife was doing laundry. I dozed a bit. I asked her if she wanted to watch some stuff we had DVR'd so we could watch them together. She said in a little while: she was re-arranging her closet. She really was, she had ignored and forgiven my earlier snarkiness. She knows my mood immediately after a long road trip. I flipped on the Cubs-Reds game while I waited. Jake Arrieta was tossing a gem. The Northsider's bats were pounding Reds pitching in the top of the third. The good guys continued piling up hits while the boys from The 'Natti did not.
The wife came down in the middle of the seventh. She dug out the popcorn maker and we watched the end of the game. She was not as excited to see Arrieta twirl a no hitter as I was. She does not understand the rarity. She seemed incredulous that the pitcher got so much credit when he had only six strike outs. I don't care, it was a masterful performance from a pitcher in the zone. I'm glad I saw it.
For no other reason than it is Friday here is a tune from one of the greatest movies ever:
I'm sure it won't be long before some genius in Hollywood thinks this movie should be remade and modernized. Instead of wild parties, the Delts will probably write mean stuff in sidewalk chalk.
After supper I plopped on the couch. The wife was doing laundry. I dozed a bit. I asked her if she wanted to watch some stuff we had DVR'd so we could watch them together. She said in a little while: she was re-arranging her closet. She really was, she had ignored and forgiven my earlier snarkiness. She knows my mood immediately after a long road trip. I flipped on the Cubs-Reds game while I waited. Jake Arrieta was tossing a gem. The Northsider's bats were pounding Reds pitching in the top of the third. The good guys continued piling up hits while the boys from The 'Natti did not.
The wife came down in the middle of the seventh. She dug out the popcorn maker and we watched the end of the game. She was not as excited to see Arrieta twirl a no hitter as I was. She does not understand the rarity. She seemed incredulous that the pitcher got so much credit when he had only six strike outs. I don't care, it was a masterful performance from a pitcher in the zone. I'm glad I saw it.
For no other reason than it is Friday here is a tune from one of the greatest movies ever:
I'm sure it won't be long before some genius in Hollywood thinks this movie should be remade and modernized. Instead of wild parties, the Delts will probably write mean stuff in sidewalk chalk.
April 21, 2016
I don't know
I saw the trailer for the remake of "The Magnificent Seven". How do you improve on the original? I suppose the remake of "Yrue Grit" was not bad, just different, and perhaps this remake will be the same. I have the same mixed opinion about the upcoming remake of "Ghostbusters". What next, redoing "Animal House"? Why screw with near-perfect classics?
Remaking old successes is nothing new in Hollywood. Epics like " Ben Hur" and "The Wizard of Oz" were remakes. Still, aren't there any new ideas out there?
Remaking old successes is nothing new in Hollywood. Epics like " Ben Hur" and "The Wizard of Oz" were remakes. Still, aren't there any new ideas out there?
April 20, 2016
Where the heck is my safe place?
Some people are offended by chalk on the sidewalk. Others go crazy if a white dude wears hair braids. Others are offended by gays, non-gays, wannabe gays, or dudes dressing like chicks to get a cheap thrill in the ladies room. People are offended that people are offended when men shouting "Allah Akbar" start shooting up breakrooms, parties, and art shows. Some are offended that people eat pork, others are offended that a person offers a quick prayer before a meal. Everyone seems to have their tightly-whiteys pulled tight up their ass crack over something these days.
Yet no one is writing, shouting, or trying to criminalize the most offensive thing in our modern society. Yes, faithful readers, I'm talking about perfume and cologne. There is, until the coming change in weather (warmer/colder/wetter/drier/fires/ice/storms/drought) plenty of soap and water. Try a shower. You don't need to bathe in man-perfume. You may like it, but most of us think you smell like a Parisian whorehouse, and not in a good way.
Just this morning, I was deep undercover in the hinterlands of eastern Cheeseheadistan, choking down my Hampton Inn powdered eggs and watery oatmeal, when a dude plopped down at a table a few feet away. The wave of odoriferous scent slapped me in the face. It was as if Channel 3,5,7,and 9 tagged teamed with a musk ox to roll in the shattered detritus of a flower shop. Man, was it offensive.
And how about the women who find the need to surround themselves with a Pepe le Pew-like cloud of fragrance just to buy bananas and hamburger down at the local Kroger?
I find the whole overbearing fragrance issue so troubling I think I'm gonna put on a white robe and go down to the university and chalk up some slogans on the sidewalk.
Yet no one is writing, shouting, or trying to criminalize the most offensive thing in our modern society. Yes, faithful readers, I'm talking about perfume and cologne. There is, until the coming change in weather (warmer/colder/wetter/drier/fires/ice/storms/drought) plenty of soap and water. Try a shower. You don't need to bathe in man-perfume. You may like it, but most of us think you smell like a Parisian whorehouse, and not in a good way.
Just this morning, I was deep undercover in the hinterlands of eastern Cheeseheadistan, choking down my Hampton Inn powdered eggs and watery oatmeal, when a dude plopped down at a table a few feet away. The wave of odoriferous scent slapped me in the face. It was as if Channel 3,5,7,and 9 tagged teamed with a musk ox to roll in the shattered detritus of a flower shop. Man, was it offensive.
And how about the women who find the need to surround themselves with a Pepe le Pew-like cloud of fragrance just to buy bananas and hamburger down at the local Kroger?
I find the whole overbearing fragrance issue so troubling I think I'm gonna put on a white robe and go down to the university and chalk up some slogans on the sidewalk.
April 19, 2016
Historical ADD part 2
My brain works in strange ways. Once I start researching something I cannot quit. Take my Saturday morning for example. I started out watching the Judy Garland flick "The Harvey Girls". As usual I read the IMDB info about the movie. This was before the opening credits scrolled off the screen. Then I did some research on the Harvey restaurants. There was a tidbit that the Harvey chain ran the restaurants when the "Oasis" opened on the Illinois Tollways around Chicago in the late 1950s.
This led me to research the Oasis rest stops. I learned that Howard Johnsons took over from the Harvey chain in the 1970s. That led me to wonder whatever happened to all of the HoJos? I did not know HoJo owned the Ground Round chain. I used to love the Ground Round. Much to my surprise the chain still has locations in the east and upper Midwest, including in one of the places I visited last week.
I shut off the movie because I was bored, partly because I was not paying attention since I was researching tangential stuff.
Yes, I drive my wife crazy. Late in the day Saturday I mentioned that I was surprised that the Ground Round chain was owned by Howard Johnson's and that some were still open. She gave me that "What the heck are you talking about" look I know so well.
Hey, did you know Standard Oil developed the Oasis rest stops on the Chicago Tollway...?
This led me to research the Oasis rest stops. I learned that Howard Johnsons took over from the Harvey chain in the 1970s. That led me to wonder whatever happened to all of the HoJos? I did not know HoJo owned the Ground Round chain. I used to love the Ground Round. Much to my surprise the chain still has locations in the east and upper Midwest, including in one of the places I visited last week.
I shut off the movie because I was bored, partly because I was not paying attention since I was researching tangential stuff.
Yes, I drive my wife crazy. Late in the day Saturday I mentioned that I was surprised that the Ground Round chain was owned by Howard Johnson's and that some were still open. She gave me that "What the heck are you talking about" look I know so well.
Hey, did you know Standard Oil developed the Oasis rest stops on the Chicago Tollway...?
April 18, 2016
Slip Sliding on the Slippery Slope
If you think you are a woman, you should be allowed to use the women's restroom or locker room, no matter your genitalia, says the latest politically correct position.
If, a marginally talented high school basketball player were to decide he now identifies as a she, should that person be allowed to play on the girls' basketball team?
Should there even be separate boys' and girls' teams? Shouldn't the best player play, regardless of sex?
If, a marginally talented high school basketball player were to decide he now identifies as a she, should that person be allowed to play on the girls' basketball team?
Should there even be separate boys' and girls' teams? Shouldn't the best player play, regardless of sex?
One spring night
Here is a rerun from 2010. It shames me to read old stuff and see the effort I once put into this hobby compared to current efforts.
April 18, 2010
One spring night
It was a typical spring evening in New England. The night was cool, but the man sweated underneath his clothing. The sounds and smells of the town were around him. He shifted his weight nervously as he waited.
He looked across the harbor at the dim lights of the city. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He glimpsed a tall steeple of a church in the distance. The white steeple looked a ghostly gray in the night. The church moved him to mutter a silent prayer. He was lost in his thoughts for a time.
:There". A voice said beside him. The distant steeple glowed with a lantern hung in the belfry. A second light followed. The man leaped aboard his horse.
"Spread the alarm, 'tis by sea". he said and spurred his mount into the countryside to warn the militia of the surrounding towns. He set off on the Lexington Road to warn Adams and Hancock. The British army was on the move. They must not be arrested, the arms of the colonists not confiscated. The man had not a thought of his own risk, the hard earned wealth he could lose in an instant. Fighting tyranny was worth any price.
He stopped at selected houses and taverns along the road. His whispered message "The Regulars are out", sent other horsemen into the countryside, warning the appropriate 'Minutemen' in Middlesex County. There was no shouting. The message spread across the fields and through the villages with silent efficiency.
Within a few hours the man had arrived in Lexington. He met with Sam Adams and John Hancock. His companion from Cambridge joined them a little after midnight and along with a third patriot set off towards the nearby town of Concord to warn the militia there the British were on the move to collect the arms cache hidden in Concord.
As the man and his companions, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott, reached the hamlet of Lincoln, they were stopped by a British pickett. Dawes and the Doctor escaped into the dark, but the man had no choice but to submit. As dawn broke the man was being escorted toward the marching army -- back towards Lexington.
Nearing the town the officers and the man, silversmith Paul Revere, heard shouts. Soon shots rang out. The militia had mustered. The colonists had no intention of starting a war. Their only intent had been to bluff the Authorities. As the shots rang out the three British officers made Revere dismount. Taking his horse they rode toward the distant fighting.
Revere walked through the cemetery to the house he was at just a few hours earlier. As citizens and the British Army scuffled on Lexington Green, Revere helped John Hancock and his family escape. As the party fled over the hills, Revere saw the militia he had helped muster fall back toward Concord and history.
He looked across the harbor at the dim lights of the city. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He glimpsed a tall steeple of a church in the distance. The white steeple looked a ghostly gray in the night. The church moved him to mutter a silent prayer. He was lost in his thoughts for a time.
:There". A voice said beside him. The distant steeple glowed with a lantern hung in the belfry. A second light followed. The man leaped aboard his horse.
"Spread the alarm, 'tis by sea". he said and spurred his mount into the countryside to warn the militia of the surrounding towns. He set off on the Lexington Road to warn Adams and Hancock. The British army was on the move. They must not be arrested, the arms of the colonists not confiscated. The man had not a thought of his own risk, the hard earned wealth he could lose in an instant. Fighting tyranny was worth any price.
He stopped at selected houses and taverns along the road. His whispered message "The Regulars are out", sent other horsemen into the countryside, warning the appropriate 'Minutemen' in Middlesex County. There was no shouting. The message spread across the fields and through the villages with silent efficiency.
Within a few hours the man had arrived in Lexington. He met with Sam Adams and John Hancock. His companion from Cambridge joined them a little after midnight and along with a third patriot set off towards the nearby town of Concord to warn the militia there the British were on the move to collect the arms cache hidden in Concord.
As the man and his companions, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott, reached the hamlet of Lincoln, they were stopped by a British pickett. Dawes and the Doctor escaped into the dark, but the man had no choice but to submit. As dawn broke the man was being escorted toward the marching army -- back towards Lexington.
Nearing the town the officers and the man, silversmith Paul Revere, heard shouts. Soon shots rang out. The militia had mustered. The colonists had no intention of starting a war. Their only intent had been to bluff the Authorities. As the shots rang out the three British officers made Revere dismount. Taking his horse they rode toward the distant fighting.
Revere walked through the cemetery to the house he was at just a few hours earlier. As citizens and the British Army scuffled on Lexington Green, Revere helped John Hancock and his family escape. As the party fled over the hills, Revere saw the militia he had helped muster fall back toward Concord and history.
April 17, 2016
Humdrumiest humdrum imaginable
I mowed the lawn yesterday. I'm waiting on it to warm up just a bit more so I can take a walk, then sit on the patio and burn a stogie.
I need to go to the giant home improvement store after bit to get some stuff to repair some broken floor trim. I also need salt for the water softener. The water is so hard around here you can almost chew it.
That is all I have planned for the weekend. I'm sure the One In Charge of doing stuff has a long list of chores I should do. I will do my best to endeavor to persevere.
I need to go to the giant home improvement store after bit to get some stuff to repair some broken floor trim. I also need salt for the water softener. The water is so hard around here you can almost chew it.
That is all I have planned for the weekend. I'm sure the One In Charge of doing stuff has a long list of chores I should do. I will do my best to endeavor to persevere.
April 16, 2016
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
It is Saturday and once again I am up an hour earlier than my usual wake up time. I think I'm looking at the situation all wrong. Instead of complaining that I woke up early, I should consider that I am excited for the weekend and do not want to waste it in bed.
Yeah, I don't really believe that either.
We went to downtown Indy last evening. I like to go downtown. I enjoy the old buildings and I'm just nostalgic enough to envision what the heart of the city might have looked like 75 or 100 years ago before suburbia changed everything. While Indianapolis has revitalized its downtown area, it is still, like most cities, a shell of what it once was.,
Yesterday, it was sunny and in the seventies with no humidity and I sat at my desk and worked. You probably did too, but I suspect I'm the only salesman in central Indiana who did. I did listen to the Cubs game while I typed reports and prepared for next week's customer visits. I won't lie, I caught myself staring out the window on more than one occasion.
There is a remote possibility I could have an opportunity to move into a different position. Next week as I drive more than 1,000 miles, I can assure you the prospect of no longer living out of a suitcase will appeal to me. On the other hand, it has been 20 years since I had to get up and go to an office at a set time to work. Ask anyone who does it, life on the road is not the fun you think it is. Work travel is not the same as vacation travel. That does not mean I don't enjoy my job. I'm 54. Do I still want to be on the road ten years from now? She has never said, but I suspect my wife would not mind if I was gone a little less. The prospect for the office job is slim anyway, but it has made me think about things a little. I probably jinxed it by even mentioning the possibility.
It looks to be a glorious day. I hope you enjoy your weekend.
Yeah, I don't really believe that either.
We went to downtown Indy last evening. I like to go downtown. I enjoy the old buildings and I'm just nostalgic enough to envision what the heart of the city might have looked like 75 or 100 years ago before suburbia changed everything. While Indianapolis has revitalized its downtown area, it is still, like most cities, a shell of what it once was.,
Yesterday, it was sunny and in the seventies with no humidity and I sat at my desk and worked. You probably did too, but I suspect I'm the only salesman in central Indiana who did. I did listen to the Cubs game while I typed reports and prepared for next week's customer visits. I won't lie, I caught myself staring out the window on more than one occasion.
There is a remote possibility I could have an opportunity to move into a different position. Next week as I drive more than 1,000 miles, I can assure you the prospect of no longer living out of a suitcase will appeal to me. On the other hand, it has been 20 years since I had to get up and go to an office at a set time to work. Ask anyone who does it, life on the road is not the fun you think it is. Work travel is not the same as vacation travel. That does not mean I don't enjoy my job. I'm 54. Do I still want to be on the road ten years from now? She has never said, but I suspect my wife would not mind if I was gone a little less. The prospect for the office job is slim anyway, but it has made me think about things a little. I probably jinxed it by even mentioning the possibility.
It looks to be a glorious day. I hope you enjoy your weekend.
April 15, 2016
Side deals
The house next door has been a minor eyesore ever since we moved here. It is a rental and the two previous tenants just did not care about the property. Flower beds were overgrown, the yard mowed sporadically, snow was never removed. The last inhabitant left bags of trash and garbage piled on her back patio, old carpet in the driveway, and a garage full of junk when she left just before the sheriff tossed her out.
The house was sold at auction last December. The new owner has been working on cleaning up the property, inside and out. Alas, he is going to offer the house for rent, but at least the property will be in much better shape. Today a couple of guys are working on repairing the overgrown landscaping. They are digging out the weeds and stray mulberry bushes that have sprung up in the years of neglect. They are bringing in new topsoil for the flower beds. Gutters have been put back up.
I saw an opportunity. You might remember I cut down a dead ash tree a couple of years ago. Only two large pieces of the trunk remain. I went next door and asked what they guys would charge to haul away my big chunks of wood along with the neighbor's stuff. He charged me $20 and it was worth every penny. Now I'm sure the guys doing the shovel and wheelbarrow work are probably on the clock for someone else. I'm equally certain they will split my Jackson between them. What do I care? Two big old pieces of tree trunk are gone from my backyard.
The house was sold at auction last December. The new owner has been working on cleaning up the property, inside and out. Alas, he is going to offer the house for rent, but at least the property will be in much better shape. Today a couple of guys are working on repairing the overgrown landscaping. They are digging out the weeds and stray mulberry bushes that have sprung up in the years of neglect. They are bringing in new topsoil for the flower beds. Gutters have been put back up.
I saw an opportunity. You might remember I cut down a dead ash tree a couple of years ago. Only two large pieces of the trunk remain. I went next door and asked what they guys would charge to haul away my big chunks of wood along with the neighbor's stuff. He charged me $20 and it was worth every penny. Now I'm sure the guys doing the shovel and wheelbarrow work are probably on the clock for someone else. I'm equally certain they will split my Jackson between them. What do I care? Two big old pieces of tree trunk are gone from my backyard.
Dandelion blooms and pernicious ground cover
Good morning fellow Earthlings. It looks to be a Chamber of Commerce kind of day here at the old homestead. It is a bit nippy this morning but it will be sunny and in the mid-seventies by afternoon. I can live with that. The weather quack is calling for more of the same all weekend. Yippee-ki-freakin'-yay. I have lots of yard work to do this weekend, so nice weather is a plus. It also eliminates any excuse to avoid the work.
I had a busy week traveling up and down the east coast of Wisconsin. There was nothing of interest to report and I made only one side trip; the drive-by of Lambeau Field I mentioned previously. That was not much of a side trip, it was about a mile from my hotel. In all, a busy and boring week.
This is riveting stuff, eh? Here is some Friday Music you will not click to finish out the effort:
Yes, Mannheim Steamroller recorded stuff that is not Christmas Music. My roommate had this LP back in college and we listened to it a lot for a brief spell. I copied the entire record over to a cassette at one point, but that recording was lost long, long ago.
I had a busy week traveling up and down the east coast of Wisconsin. There was nothing of interest to report and I made only one side trip; the drive-by of Lambeau Field I mentioned previously. That was not much of a side trip, it was about a mile from my hotel. In all, a busy and boring week.
This is riveting stuff, eh? Here is some Friday Music you will not click to finish out the effort:
Yes, Mannheim Steamroller recorded stuff that is not Christmas Music. My roommate had this LP back in college and we listened to it a lot for a brief spell. I copied the entire record over to a cassette at one point, but that recording was lost long, long ago.
April 13, 2016
bgdxbuyrgkmgxawhoo,jyfn
Snow flakes south of Green Bay were about he size of my palm today. Rain and sleet and snow marked most of the day. Such weather does not affect the postman and it did not deter me from visiting my customers. The sun finally peaked from the clouds in the late afternoon.
Staying the night in the Windy City 'burbs. How is it possible the Cubs are not on the hotel TV?
I've been reading old posts. Let me take the opportunity to apologize for the sorry state of the blog these days.
I noticed one of my old commenters has deleted a significant number of old comments. Interesting.
Staying the night in the Windy City 'burbs. How is it possible the Cubs are not on the hotel TV?
I've been reading old posts. Let me take the opportunity to apologize for the sorry state of the blog these days.
I noticed one of my old commenters has deleted a significant number of old comments. Interesting.
Drive-by shooting
I did a quick photo shoot of Lambeau Field through my windshield late yesterday evening. I got off a half dozen shots, none are scrapbook worthy.
The wife asked "Who plays there" to my texted image. I told her the Packers. She replied " Is that football?"
Sigh
The wife asked "Who plays there" to my texted image. I told her the Packers. She replied " Is that football?"
Sigh
old words
Here is a post from the early days of the blog:
April 22, 2007
Earth Day
Yesterday was Earth Day (I think) and I celebrated it by fighting Mother Nature and her minions. It started with the damn stupid robins assaulting my dryer vent again in a vain attempt to build a nest. The vent is bird proofed, but these dumber than dumb critters just keep trying. The banging on the siding and dropping of white shit down the side of the house finally pushed me to the limit. I crept around the corner and dropped the main offender with the pellet gun. That seemed to keep the other one at bay for the rest of the day.
Later, I embarked on a weed killing spree. I filled my industrial size pressure sprayer and commenced a chemical assault that would have shamed Saddam Hussein. Dandelion, clover, and some pernicious ground cover all were dosed heavily. I will not have much grass left when I am done, but the weeds will die, die, die. If a few tulips and ornamental shrubs take casualties, that is war and sometimes innocents take one for the better good.
For kicks I crossed the little brook and hit some of the weeds on the other bank, to keep them from spreading across like illegal immigrants jumping the Rio Grande. I understand the need for border control.
As I came back across the little bridge I saw a stick under the rail, I went to kick it over into the water and realized it was the tail of a fucking damn whoreson evil spawn of Satan lying in wait to kill me snake. I am pretty sure it was the same SOB that tried to sneak up on me last fall. For once I did not run in fear. I pumped up the sprayer to full tilt. I leaned over the rail and gave the serpent a mega-dose of weed killer right in the face. He dove over the side lickety-split. I fetched the hoe and spent the next twenty minutes trying to find him to cut him to pieces. I hope the weed killer makes it sick and causes a long slow death -- somewhere else. I intend to look for it to end its life today as the it will be even warmer this afternoon. I will not be able to enjoy my backyard and the little bubbling brook knowing the serpent of death is stalking me.
The battle rages.
Later, I embarked on a weed killing spree. I filled my industrial size pressure sprayer and commenced a chemical assault that would have shamed Saddam Hussein. Dandelion, clover, and some pernicious ground cover all were dosed heavily. I will not have much grass left when I am done, but the weeds will die, die, die. If a few tulips and ornamental shrubs take casualties, that is war and sometimes innocents take one for the better good.
For kicks I crossed the little brook and hit some of the weeds on the other bank, to keep them from spreading across like illegal immigrants jumping the Rio Grande. I understand the need for border control.
As I came back across the little bridge I saw a stick under the rail, I went to kick it over into the water and realized it was the tail of a fucking damn whoreson evil spawn of Satan lying in wait to kill me snake. I am pretty sure it was the same SOB that tried to sneak up on me last fall. For once I did not run in fear. I pumped up the sprayer to full tilt. I leaned over the rail and gave the serpent a mega-dose of weed killer right in the face. He dove over the side lickety-split. I fetched the hoe and spent the next twenty minutes trying to find him to cut him to pieces. I hope the weed killer makes it sick and causes a long slow death -- somewhere else. I intend to look for it to end its life today as the it will be even warmer this afternoon. I will not be able to enjoy my backyard and the little bubbling brook knowing the serpent of death is stalking me.
The battle rages.
April 12, 2016
Dear Democrats
These days liberals are focusing on women's rights, LGBT rights, and the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels.
How do you reconcile those concerns with support for Hillary Clinton when Saudi Arabia, a sponsor of terrorism, producer of fossil fuels, a place where women have virtually no rights, where it is illegal to have any religion but Islam, and where homosexuality is punishable by death, is one of the largest contributors to the Clinton Foundation?
Just wondering.
How do you reconcile those concerns with support for Hillary Clinton when Saudi Arabia, a sponsor of terrorism, producer of fossil fuels, a place where women have virtually no rights, where it is illegal to have any religion but Islam, and where homosexuality is punishable by death, is one of the largest contributors to the Clinton Foundation?
Just wondering.
April 11, 2016
Picture This
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| View from guard tower on the Great Wall of China Taken by the author in 2013 |
I think I have told you previously that my wife provides daycare for our granddaughter, Jo. Every day she sends pictures to Jo's Mom and Dad, who miss the kid while they are at work. The wife takes a lot of pictures of the granddaughter. More pictures than I imagined. In the 16 months since she was born my wife has snapped some 2,800 pictures of my granddaughter. Granted, most times there are 4-5 shots of the same thing. Infants and toddlers don't often pose or sit still for a good picture. Still, that is a bunch of snapshots. Thank goodness for digital pictures, film would have bankrupted us.
Last night, the wife, who could never be characterized as computer savy, asked if it was possible to organize her pictures into files. Since all are saved on an external hard drive I told her this was no problem. I created folders by year and month and moved the mass of pictures into the proper folders. Now the wife has to go through them and edit out what she wants to keep. She was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the project and now can work on it in small doises and create printed photo-books chronologically . That next step is her project.
Don't tell her, I did the easy part.
April 10, 2016
a story that may interest only me
We went to visit some friends last night and headed out to a nearby catfish restaurant for fish and onion rings. This joint is in a small town off the beaten path, but not far from the town where I grew up. After we ordered the wife went to the ladies room.* When she came back, my wife said she recognized a man sitting a few tables away. She asked our friend, who still lives in the area, if she knew who he was. Since we moved away almost 30 years ago, old faces may look familiar but change with time, making it hard to put a name with a face. Nope.
A bit later, my wife realized it is a co-worker of mine. The table was to my back so I could not confirm. Finally, since my wife was sure, I went over to say hello. It was him. And his aunt, who also works at the plant.
Why is this notable you ask? Well, there are only about 25 employees at my company, so 3 in one spot on a Saturday night is unusual, especially when you consider the restaurant is more than an hour from the plant, in a small town of less than 2,000 inhabitants, far off any major road or highway. What are the odds I run across two co-workers at a catfish joint 70 miles from their home and sit just a couple of tables away? This encounter is just one of the very many reasons I don't have a mistress.
*by herself, she is not one of those girls who needs company to pee
A bit later, my wife realized it is a co-worker of mine. The table was to my back so I could not confirm. Finally, since my wife was sure, I went over to say hello. It was him. And his aunt, who also works at the plant.
Why is this notable you ask? Well, there are only about 25 employees at my company, so 3 in one spot on a Saturday night is unusual, especially when you consider the restaurant is more than an hour from the plant, in a small town of less than 2,000 inhabitants, far off any major road or highway. What are the odds I run across two co-workers at a catfish joint 70 miles from their home and sit just a couple of tables away? This encounter is just one of the very many reasons I don't have a mistress.
*by herself, she is not one of those girls who needs company to pee
April 9, 2016
Are you freaking kidding me?
The ground is covered in snow. Well, the grass is poking through, but still...
It was like that when the wife and I came home from the movie theater last night. It is like that now. The %#*^# snow won't melt because it is only 29 F-ing degrees outside. We have had snow in April before and even a time or two in May, but usually it is flakes or showers, not usually accumulating snow. Maybe the Indiana AG outta go after the Virgin Islands AG for perpetuating the fraud of Global Warming upon the rest of us.
While I'm bitching and complaining, I cannot believe I'm awake at 6:03 this morning. I've been up past midnight every night this week. I've had to pry myself out of bed every morning for work. Now that it is Saturday and I can sleep in, I wake up early. WTH brain?
I hope you have a great Saturday.
It was like that when the wife and I came home from the movie theater last night. It is like that now. The %#*^# snow won't melt because it is only 29 F-ing degrees outside. We have had snow in April before and even a time or two in May, but usually it is flakes or showers, not usually accumulating snow. Maybe the Indiana AG outta go after the Virgin Islands AG for perpetuating the fraud of Global Warming upon the rest of us.
While I'm bitching and complaining, I cannot believe I'm awake at 6:03 this morning. I've been up past midnight every night this week. I've had to pry myself out of bed every morning for work. Now that it is Saturday and I can sleep in, I wake up early. WTH brain?
I hope you have a great Saturday.
April 8, 2016
Bye bye America
So it has started. The thought police are on the march.
We are no longer talking about science fiction, the dystopian future -- the fascists are now out to make sure you are on board with their groupthink.
Your Oweliian future has duly arrived.
We are no longer talking about science fiction, the dystopian future -- the fascists are now out to make sure you are on board with their groupthink.
Your Oweliian future has duly arrived.
I'm bored with song lyrics and lines from poems as post titles
Sorry I'm late getting to the old blog today. I have been reading An interesting article and watching a video about why dueling with a light saber could be dangerous. This is seriously cool stuff that puts physics in a context even a history major like me can understand.
This has been a long week. I think staying up late to watch baseball is taking a toll on my mind and body. I'll be glad when this west coast road trip is over. I also know that I'm staying up mostly because the season is new. The excitement will die down in the coming weeks and I won't find the need to watch every game.
What say I post a little Friday Music? Give me a second to pull out my iPhone. I'm going to post the video for whatever song comes up next when I shuffle:
There you go, some sixties pop to start your weekend. The Turtles broke up in 1970 after a few top 40 hits. "Happy Together" is notable in that it bumped "Penny Lane" from the number one spot on the US Charts. It stayed there three weeks according to Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge. But what is the story on the French horn dude?
This has been a long week. I think staying up late to watch baseball is taking a toll on my mind and body. I'll be glad when this west coast road trip is over. I also know that I'm staying up mostly because the season is new. The excitement will die down in the coming weeks and I won't find the need to watch every game.
What say I post a little Friday Music? Give me a second to pull out my iPhone. I'm going to post the video for whatever song comes up next when I shuffle:
There you go, some sixties pop to start your weekend. The Turtles broke up in 1970 after a few top 40 hits. "Happy Together" is notable in that it bumped "Penny Lane" from the number one spot on the US Charts. It stayed there three weeks according to Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge. But what is the story on the French horn dude?
April 7, 2016
Random Ramblings Volume XXXIII
Merle Haggard has passed away. I never listened to his music much.
It is National Beer day, hoist one at your leisure, if you are so inclined.
If I made a list of things I don't give a shit about, The Masters golf tournament would be pretty high on the list. I won't waste my time making the list, because then I would have to care about the stuff on the list long enough at least to compile said list.
I had a weird dream last night. My old blog friend Big Dick would love this one. It involved a little person back in the 18th century Romantic Period when ladies wore those enormous hoop skirts and attended dinners and balls that lasted hours. Anyway, it was the job of the "table dwarf" to satisfy his rich woman patron orally during these fetes by hiding beneath her dress under the table. No, I don't know why that popped into my brain. Hola Big Dick out there in Twitterland. You are probably the only reader who would also find this idea amusing.
It is cold this spring morning. Snow is expected later in the day. Accumulating snow perhaps over the weekend. F-ing global warming. I cannot believe I'm running the furnace in April.
I am feeling much better today.
Have a fantastic day.
It is National Beer day, hoist one at your leisure, if you are so inclined.
If I made a list of things I don't give a shit about, The Masters golf tournament would be pretty high on the list. I won't waste my time making the list, because then I would have to care about the stuff on the list long enough at least to compile said list.
I had a weird dream last night. My old blog friend Big Dick would love this one. It involved a little person back in the 18th century Romantic Period when ladies wore those enormous hoop skirts and attended dinners and balls that lasted hours. Anyway, it was the job of the "table dwarf" to satisfy his rich woman patron orally during these fetes by hiding beneath her dress under the table. No, I don't know why that popped into my brain. Hola Big Dick out there in Twitterland. You are probably the only reader who would also find this idea amusing.
It is cold this spring morning. Snow is expected later in the day. Accumulating snow perhaps over the weekend. F-ing global warming. I cannot believe I'm running the furnace in April.
I am feeling much better today.
Have a fantastic day.
April 6, 2016
The thought police are here
Not so very long ago it was accepted scientific theory that the best way to treat mental health issues was to lock the individual up, give them electric shock theory or lobotomies. This was the consensus of the medical community.
Scientists once believed most maladies were caused by bad humours and the patient could best be cured via bloodletting. This was scientific consensus.
Remember the science of phrenology? Look it up if you dont know what Im talking about.
We look askance on the Inquisition and the idea that if, as a scientist, you disagreed that the sun revolved around the Earth, you should be prosecuted and punished. After all there was "consensus".
Today, we cannot believe that less than a century ago a teacher was prosecuted for teaching the Theory of Evolution over the accepted consensus notion of "creationism".
Yet, in spite of the concept that science is an evolving study, that discoveries are made by research and challenging existing notions, theories, and suppositions, seventeen State Attorneys General have embarked on a prosecution of anyone, company, or corporation who does not subscribe to the theory of man-made Global Warming.
That is terrifying. The proponents of the Climate Change theory, and it is no more than a theory-- thus not proven as fact -- have been unable to force societal change through legislation. The Climateers have been only moderately able to change our behavior through public opinion. There is left only option to force their opinions upon us through the intimidation of prosecution and punishment.
Do you feel that chill? That is your freedom slipping away. What next? What if you disagree with free healthcare, or higher corporate taxes? What if one of these AGs becomes a militant vegan? What if the AG of New York deems it a crime to blaspheme Islam? Will speaking out against abortion be next? Will pro Second Amendment advocates be prosecuted? What if you utter words against the political regime in office. Sixteen of these AGs are Democrats, yet those on the left have the temerity to label conservatives as fascists.
Say hello to the modern Torquemada.
More: If I was the CEO of ExxonMobile I would announce that effective May 1, 2016 gas prices would increase by$0.20 $0.30 $0.50 $0.75 (make it hurt) per gallon in the affected 15 states, District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands to pay for the legal costs associated with these political, anti-First Amendment prosecutions.
Scientists once believed most maladies were caused by bad humours and the patient could best be cured via bloodletting. This was scientific consensus.
Remember the science of phrenology? Look it up if you dont know what Im talking about.
We look askance on the Inquisition and the idea that if, as a scientist, you disagreed that the sun revolved around the Earth, you should be prosecuted and punished. After all there was "consensus".
Today, we cannot believe that less than a century ago a teacher was prosecuted for teaching the Theory of Evolution over the accepted consensus notion of "creationism".
Yet, in spite of the concept that science is an evolving study, that discoveries are made by research and challenging existing notions, theories, and suppositions, seventeen State Attorneys General have embarked on a prosecution of anyone, company, or corporation who does not subscribe to the theory of man-made Global Warming.
That is terrifying. The proponents of the Climate Change theory, and it is no more than a theory-- thus not proven as fact -- have been unable to force societal change through legislation. The Climateers have been only moderately able to change our behavior through public opinion. There is left only option to force their opinions upon us through the intimidation of prosecution and punishment.
Do you feel that chill? That is your freedom slipping away. What next? What if you disagree with free healthcare, or higher corporate taxes? What if one of these AGs becomes a militant vegan? What if the AG of New York deems it a crime to blaspheme Islam? Will speaking out against abortion be next? Will pro Second Amendment advocates be prosecuted? What if you utter words against the political regime in office. Sixteen of these AGs are Democrats, yet those on the left have the temerity to label conservatives as fascists.
Say hello to the modern Torquemada.
More: If I was the CEO of ExxonMobile I would announce that effective May 1, 2016 gas prices would increase by
I was out choppin cotton, and my brother was balin' hay
I cooked a chuck roast in the Crock Pot yesterday. Mashed spuds, green bean casserole and warm rolls rounded out the dinner. For no particular reason I dug out the good China and we ate at the dining room table. That was the good part of yesterday evening.
About eleven o'clock the wife moseyed off to bed. All evening I did not feel too well. My head felt like it was clamped tight in a vise. I was achy all over. I was watching the Cubbies and felt like I was going to be sick. Diarrhea and nausea haunted me all night. I slept in short bursts, one minute shivering with cold the next I was throwing off the sheets in sweat. I had intense, strange dreams in between trips to the bathroom. I think I might have a touch of the flu. I know at this point I have already crapped food I'm going to eat next week. Since the wife is fine I don't think it is my cooking.
Look at how devoted I am to you. I'm sick. Most people would likely be in the hospital, surrounded by doctors and caring nurses if they felt like I do right now. Yet here I am chugging out a post. That is dedication, my friends.
About eleven o'clock the wife moseyed off to bed. All evening I did not feel too well. My head felt like it was clamped tight in a vise. I was achy all over. I was watching the Cubbies and felt like I was going to be sick. Diarrhea and nausea haunted me all night. I slept in short bursts, one minute shivering with cold the next I was throwing off the sheets in sweat. I had intense, strange dreams in between trips to the bathroom. I think I might have a touch of the flu. I know at this point I have already crapped food I'm going to eat next week. Since the wife is fine I don't think it is my cooking.
Look at how devoted I am to you. I'm sick. Most people would likely be in the hospital, surrounded by doctors and caring nurses if they felt like I do right now. Yet here I am chugging out a post. That is dedication, my friends.
April 5, 2016
what he said
In a society where you can’t go five minutes without hearing someone scream “rape culture” or “it’s a war on women,” how is it that a threat to the safety, comfort and privacy of women in the bathroom is being treated like it is irrelevant? Read it all
It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day
The garbage truck just picked up my trash, the hydraulic arm dropping the big plastic bins curbside on this chilly April morning. I stayed up and watched the Cubs game and I'm paying for it today. I feel almost hungover even though the strongest drink I consumed was a diet Faygo grape soda.
Party down.
The good guys won.
I cannot believe there are so many voters willing to elect Bernie Sanders. Is it real support for hard line socialist / communist ideas or a rejection of Hillary? Here is a man who claimed in the past that the bread lines in Communist Block countries was good, because that demonstrated the rich were not hogging the food. We will not even get into his support of the Sandinistas and the Castro regime. This is the result of a failure to teach history. One half of our population was born since the Wall came down and have no idea what life under communism is like.
Party down.
The good guys won.
I cannot believe there are so many voters willing to elect Bernie Sanders. Is it real support for hard line socialist / communist ideas or a rejection of Hillary? Here is a man who claimed in the past that the bread lines in Communist Block countries was good, because that demonstrated the rich were not hogging the food. We will not even get into his support of the Sandinistas and the Castro regime. This is the result of a failure to teach history. One half of our population was born since the Wall came down and have no idea what life under communism is like.
April 4, 2016
Weird encounters
Monday. Cold. Sunny. The normal opening around here is now covered in Readers Digest condensed version.
Opening day for the Cubs. Will the lovable losers break out and win it all for the first time since 1908? I hope so, but I doubt it. The weight of expectations was too much in 1969 and in 1984 and especially in 2003. I am prepared to be disappointed. You might say I am optimistically pessimistic.
My granddaughter has a cold that has settled into her chest. She is 16 months old, so there is not much in the way of medicine she can take. Yesterday, my daughter and granddaughter ventured out to the grocery. The went to the posh market that refuses to sell partial foods. There my daughter encountered the original entitled rich bitch. I will relate the tale as it was described by my daughter:
The ERB pulls up behind my daughter in line. Daughter had a full cart.
ERB: oh my god look at her cart. She must have gotten her food stamps
Note, my daughter lives in a swanky suburb. She is a school principal, her husband a VP of a company. She does not look like, or dress like white trash.
Sweet innocent baby in cart(BIC): cough
ERB: oh my god that thing is sick. It will contaminate everyone.
BIC: cough
ERB: Can't you teach it manners? Make it cover its mouth.
Daughter: she is a baby,
ERB: it is disgusting.
BIC: cough ( Daughter covers babies mouth)
ERB: NOW YOU ARE GOING TO GET GERMS EVERYWHERE. I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU LET THAT CHILD SPIT GERMS ON YOU.
HUSBAND OF ERB: it is OK, calm down.
Other customers staring at crazy woman
ERB: You should not bring that...in public. This is just disgusting.
Daughter: ???
ERB: I am going to a different line.
Me, I would have wiped my hands on her food. But I am an ass.
Opening day for the Cubs. Will the lovable losers break out and win it all for the first time since 1908? I hope so, but I doubt it. The weight of expectations was too much in 1969 and in 1984 and especially in 2003. I am prepared to be disappointed. You might say I am optimistically pessimistic.
My granddaughter has a cold that has settled into her chest. She is 16 months old, so there is not much in the way of medicine she can take. Yesterday, my daughter and granddaughter ventured out to the grocery. The went to the posh market that refuses to sell partial foods. There my daughter encountered the original entitled rich bitch. I will relate the tale as it was described by my daughter:
The ERB pulls up behind my daughter in line. Daughter had a full cart.
ERB: oh my god look at her cart. She must have gotten her food stamps
Note, my daughter lives in a swanky suburb. She is a school principal, her husband a VP of a company. She does not look like, or dress like white trash.
Sweet innocent baby in cart(BIC): cough
ERB: oh my god that thing is sick. It will contaminate everyone.
BIC: cough
ERB: Can't you teach it manners? Make it cover its mouth.
Daughter: she is a baby,
ERB: it is disgusting.
BIC: cough ( Daughter covers babies mouth)
ERB: NOW YOU ARE GOING TO GET GERMS EVERYWHERE. I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU LET THAT CHILD SPIT GERMS ON YOU.
HUSBAND OF ERB: it is OK, calm down.
Other customers staring at crazy woman
ERB: You should not bring that...in public. This is just disgusting.
Daughter: ???
ERB: I am going to a different line.
Me, I would have wiped my hands on her food. But I am an ass.
April 3, 2016
A Blustery Day
The wind was howling around yesterday. At times it felt like the house was shaking. Blossoms were flying off the pear trees so fast it looked like snow. No, it really was snow for a while. My back yard was already littered with sticks from the big willow tree, now there are even more to pick up. At the height of the gale, the neighbor across the street lost about half of his tree. A big branch just snapped. There were reports of lost power throughout the area, but we did not have that problem. Today the winds are calm, but it is currently in the 20s. Brrr.
I was driving on the interstate last week. I came up on a jack off in a little blue Toyota who was doing about 60 in a seventy zone. In the left lane. I wax starting to slow because I could see the speed limit was about to drop to 55. Just at the sign the Toyota driver slammed on his brakes and slowed to about 40. Luckily there was a break in traffic and I could get in the other lane. I swear drivers are getting worse. Maybe we do need self-driving cars after all.
More college basketball happened. I did not watch. One more spring training game then baseball starts for real on Monday.
I wish I had tales of interest to share with you. My eleventh "blogiversary" passed a couple of weeks ago. There is that.
I think there is a ghost with a sense of humor living in my iPhone or else the software is far more developed than I thought. "just tell me that you love me" by Fleetwood Mac played and then was followed by "two out of three ain't bad" by Meatloaf: "I want you, I need you, but I'm never gonna love you..." I thought it was funny. When I told my wife, she just gave me that look. Hey, that is the same expression you have on your face right now. The song juxtaposition is funny. Really.
Have a great Sunday.
I was driving on the interstate last week. I came up on a jack off in a little blue Toyota who was doing about 60 in a seventy zone. In the left lane. I wax starting to slow because I could see the speed limit was about to drop to 55. Just at the sign the Toyota driver slammed on his brakes and slowed to about 40. Luckily there was a break in traffic and I could get in the other lane. I swear drivers are getting worse. Maybe we do need self-driving cars after all.
More college basketball happened. I did not watch. One more spring training game then baseball starts for real on Monday.
I wish I had tales of interest to share with you. My eleventh "blogiversary" passed a couple of weeks ago. There is that.
I think there is a ghost with a sense of humor living in my iPhone or else the software is far more developed than I thought. "just tell me that you love me" by Fleetwood Mac played and then was followed by "two out of three ain't bad" by Meatloaf: "I want you, I need you, but I'm never gonna love you..." I thought it was funny. When I told my wife, she just gave me that look. Hey, that is the same expression you have on your face right now. The song juxtaposition is funny. Really.
Have a great Sunday.
April 1, 2016
March 31, 2016
A Post
i guess I should put up a post, lest you think I have abandoned the place.
I'm alive and well, and inundated with work. It happens sometimes.
I'm alive and well, and inundated with work. It happens sometimes.
March 29, 2016
It is not you, it is me
Brrrr. It is a chilly 30F right now. But it will be sunny, so that is a plus.
I wish I could blame writers block for the lack of meaningful content. The truth is I just lack motivation, passion, and inspiration.
What say we take the easy way out and post something interesting from YouTube?
I wish I could blame writers block for the lack of meaningful content. The truth is I just lack motivation, passion, and inspiration.
What say we take the easy way out and post something interesting from YouTube?
March 28, 2016
I wish
...I had something of interest. I don't. Do you care I just ate a couple of bones of ribs, the wife's leftover Sunday dinner? I didn't think so. Do you care about basketball? I have no commentary, didn't watch any of the games. Maybe something later. Maybe not. I'm alive and breathing. There is that.
March 27, 2016
March 25, 2016
This is not the post you are looking for
What, do you think in the midst of all of the recent punditry, soapbox standing, and political posturing I have subjected you to I have forgotten about the Friday music?
To quote the Duke in Big Jake: " Not hardly".
To quote the Duke in Big Jake: " Not hardly".
I'm sorry
I'm sorry our President feels the need to apologize to the world for the United States. He apologized to the Argentinians* yesterday. I suspect he apologized to the Castros earlier in the week too. After all, if it wasn't for the US inventing baseball, the murdering thug Che would not have had a baseball stadium for his executions.
In Argentina Obama said he is sorry we did not do more about human rights abuses. In those days the democrats and the public had enough of interfering in the internal strife of other nations. We had just finished in Vietnam.
I used to dismiss it out of hand when Obama's critics accused him of hating this country and all it stands for. Not any more. No wonder Trump's campaign theme of making America great again resonates with so many.
If Obama wants to apologize for the human rights violation leftists/progressives/socialists/communists perpetrated in this same era in Vietnam, North Korea, Cambodia, the USSR, Communist China, Angola, Nicaragua, El Salvador, East Germany, or Yugoslavia that might be worth listening to.
* no link, the story makes me sick and sad.
In Argentina Obama said he is sorry we did not do more about human rights abuses. In those days the democrats and the public had enough of interfering in the internal strife of other nations. We had just finished in Vietnam.
I used to dismiss it out of hand when Obama's critics accused him of hating this country and all it stands for. Not any more. No wonder Trump's campaign theme of making America great again resonates with so many.
If Obama wants to apologize for the human rights violation leftists/progressives/socialists/communists perpetrated in this same era in Vietnam, North Korea, Cambodia, the USSR, Communist China, Angola, Nicaragua, El Salvador, East Germany, or Yugoslavia that might be worth listening to.
* no link, the story makes me sick and sad.
March 24, 2016
Blamestorming
It is the lack of jobs. It is the hopelessness. It is discrimination. It is because they live in these horrible ghettoes. It is because they feel shut out of their adopted nation's language and culture. It is economic inequity. It is all bullshit.
It is their religion that causes these animals to blow up and murder innocent people. There is a Chinatown in every major city in the world. They face economic, language and cultural barriers. They face discrimination. Yet they are not the ones blowing up children watching a marathon in Boston or in Chechnyan schools.
Millions of people live unimaginable poverty in Mumbai and Calcutta and New Deli but it was not Hindus who flew planes into the World Trade Center, blew up a bus in London, or airport in Brussels.
Immigrants and refugees from Central America and Mexico come to the US. They live in the shadows, congregate in ghettos, face language barriers. Do the jobs Americans won't do, which translates to hard menial work with substandard pay. Yet Hispanics are not blowing up Paris cafes, shooting up newspaper offices, or bombing trains in Spain.
There is one common denominator in nearly every act of terrorism for the past 30 years. It is not poverty, it is not language, it is not nationality. It is Islam. And it is sure as the next sunrise not a religion of peace.
It is their religion that causes these animals to blow up and murder innocent people. There is a Chinatown in every major city in the world. They face economic, language and cultural barriers. They face discrimination. Yet they are not the ones blowing up children watching a marathon in Boston or in Chechnyan schools.
Millions of people live unimaginable poverty in Mumbai and Calcutta and New Deli but it was not Hindus who flew planes into the World Trade Center, blew up a bus in London, or airport in Brussels.
Immigrants and refugees from Central America and Mexico come to the US. They live in the shadows, congregate in ghettos, face language barriers. Do the jobs Americans won't do, which translates to hard menial work with substandard pay. Yet Hispanics are not blowing up Paris cafes, shooting up newspaper offices, or bombing trains in Spain.
There is one common denominator in nearly every act of terrorism for the past 30 years. It is not poverty, it is not language, it is not nationality. It is Islam. And it is sure as the next sunrise not a religion of peace.
March 23, 2016
I want to hear the scream of the butterfly
I don't want oatmeal for breakfast. Maybe I'll have some toast. I could fry up an egg. Who wants to make me some biscuits and gravy?
I have to get the company car serviced this morning. Then I need to make an appearance at the home office. I plan on being there no more than a couple of hours. Plans never work like they are supposed to.
I think, if I bust my hump, I can see ten customers in Wisconsin in two days, my front door to my front door. That includes stops on the east coast all the way to the greenest of bays, then looping through the east-central interior on my way back south. Plans never work out like they are supposed to. Another night in hotel will only help me keep my hotel chain Diamond Staus in 2017.
If the Unions won't turn on Hillary for bragging she is going to "put a bunch of coal miners out of business" then there is no doubt the Unions represent the Democrat Party, not the workers. If you are a Teamster, Steelworker, UAWer, IBEWer, or any other alphabet Union-type in the AFL-CIO, a Wobblie, Ceasar Chavez wannabe, or United Mine Worker and you tug that lever for a democrat you are a hypocrite, an ignoramus, and a fool. The fact that the Unions and Democrats in general are not condemning her words speaks volumes.
Do we really need a whole month of practice games in Spring Training? Watching those efforts is like buying tickets to see a cover band. The Little River Band Cover Band may sound like The Little River Band, but it is not The Little River Band. It is a cover band. With apologies to The Middle , I say bring on the real thing.
I have to get the company car serviced this morning. Then I need to make an appearance at the home office. I plan on being there no more than a couple of hours. Plans never work like they are supposed to.
I think, if I bust my hump, I can see ten customers in Wisconsin in two days, my front door to my front door. That includes stops on the east coast all the way to the greenest of bays, then looping through the east-central interior on my way back south. Plans never work out like they are supposed to. Another night in hotel will only help me keep my hotel chain Diamond Staus in 2017.
If the Unions won't turn on Hillary for bragging she is going to "put a bunch of coal miners out of business" then there is no doubt the Unions represent the Democrat Party, not the workers. If you are a Teamster, Steelworker, UAWer, IBEWer, or any other alphabet Union-type in the AFL-CIO, a Wobblie, Ceasar Chavez wannabe, or United Mine Worker and you tug that lever for a democrat you are a hypocrite, an ignoramus, and a fool. The fact that the Unions and Democrats in general are not condemning her words speaks volumes.
Do we really need a whole month of practice games in Spring Training? Watching those efforts is like buying tickets to see a cover band. The Little River Band Cover Band may sound like The Little River Band, but it is not The Little River Band. It is a cover band. With apologies to The Middle , I say bring on the real thing.
March 22, 2016
Obama and Harry Potter
It seems like our President is much like the characters in the Harry Potter series. In those books the evil Lord Voltemort is so terrifying that the people will not say his name. Instead, they called Voltemort "You-know-who".
Obama feels the same way about the scary, evil people in this world. He cannot bring himself to actually say "Radical Islamic Terrorists".
Obama feels the same way about the scary, evil people in this world. He cannot bring himself to actually say "Radical Islamic Terrorists".
Sic Semper Tyrannis
If I look to my right I can see a beautiful full moon through the window. It is tinged orange-gold by the sun rising slowly under the horizon. The house is quiet. The sounds of traffic on the distant highway are a muted reminder I now live in the city. Life continues apace.
The headlines are grim and sad news: shootings, bombings, death, violence. The world is a dangerous place. Don't fool yourself, it always has been. There is a reason that "man's inhumanity to man" remains an enduring theme of art and literature. Do you think life is tough now? Life was cheaper a thousand and two thousand years ago. Man is nature's top predator and always has been since Cain whacked Able.
Do you think Clinton or Trump are any different than a feudal lord who believes his power derives from Devine right? You are no more important than a serf on a manor. You are a body to be used; you grow fodder, you are cannon fodder, you are just votes.
I've been studying on the last days of Rome: the debauched Emperors, the constant change at the top, endless wars. But the Empire chugged on, administered by the bureaucrats, governing while the politicians politicized. In our minds the Roman Empire lasted centuries. It was only a couple of hundred years between Augustus and Commodus (whose name includes "commode" and "odious" for good reason). Don't fool yourself into thinking the last years of the Republic were so great either. Funny, Julius Caesar and almost every ruler that followed vowed to return Rome to its glory days. Cicero was pining for the good old days almost a century before we started numbering the years forwards at zero.
Jefferson and Madison would weep at what their experiment has become. Washington -- a close examination will reveal he liked being large and in charge. Adams was disliked by just about anyone who ever met him. I suspect Trump and Hilary and Cruz were never the homecoming queen or king either. They will get their revenge now on us ignorant peasants.
Instead of baking delicious cakes, Dolly Madison should have made James put in a term limit provision into the Constitution. We would all be better off.
The headlines are grim and sad news: shootings, bombings, death, violence. The world is a dangerous place. Don't fool yourself, it always has been. There is a reason that "man's inhumanity to man" remains an enduring theme of art and literature. Do you think life is tough now? Life was cheaper a thousand and two thousand years ago. Man is nature's top predator and always has been since Cain whacked Able.
Do you think Clinton or Trump are any different than a feudal lord who believes his power derives from Devine right? You are no more important than a serf on a manor. You are a body to be used; you grow fodder, you are cannon fodder, you are just votes.
I've been studying on the last days of Rome: the debauched Emperors, the constant change at the top, endless wars. But the Empire chugged on, administered by the bureaucrats, governing while the politicians politicized. In our minds the Roman Empire lasted centuries. It was only a couple of hundred years between Augustus and Commodus (whose name includes "commode" and "odious" for good reason). Don't fool yourself into thinking the last years of the Republic were so great either. Funny, Julius Caesar and almost every ruler that followed vowed to return Rome to its glory days. Cicero was pining for the good old days almost a century before we started numbering the years forwards at zero.
Jefferson and Madison would weep at what their experiment has become. Washington -- a close examination will reveal he liked being large and in charge. Adams was disliked by just about anyone who ever met him. I suspect Trump and Hilary and Cruz were never the homecoming queen or king either. They will get their revenge now on us ignorant peasants.
Instead of baking delicious cakes, Dolly Madison should have made James put in a term limit provision into the Constitution. We would all be better off.
March 21, 2016
Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
I had to get up and pee at O'dark-thirty. That happens when you get older. I managed to go back to sleep, even though work stuff was slipping past the weekend firewall I erected in my brain. Some weird dreams ensued. Most days I wake up on my own at around 6:30 or so, if not earlier. The wife's alarm goes off at 6:40 if I sleep later. Since she does not have to watch the grandkid today she did not set her alarm. Somehow I slept until just past seven. How did that happen?
I had a good weekend. It was chilly, but it did not rain. I cooked some burgers on the grill yesterday. Two thirds of my kids came to see me. Life is good.
Have a great Monday
I had a good weekend. It was chilly, but it did not rain. I cooked some burgers on the grill yesterday. Two thirds of my kids came to see me. Life is good.
Have a great Monday
March 20, 2016
I ain't got time for that now
Last week -- no, it was the week before -- I dropped the boss off at the hotel. He wanted to change before boarding a flight to Germany. Since the hotel has a shuttle to the airport I headed towards home. I passed a big school. The sign on the corner told me it was Maine North High School. Synapses fired. Ahh, that is where they filmed the classic flick The Breakfast Club.
I called my wife to tell her what I had seen. She asked me "Why do you even know crap like that?". Sigh.
I suspect you are not impressed either.
I called my wife to tell her what I had seen. She asked me "Why do you even know crap like that?". Sigh.
I suspect you are not impressed either.
March 19, 2016
No time for dancing, or lovey dovey
Saturday. Once again I woke up early. So it goes, I guess. That means I have more time to blog before I do whatever it is I might do later this morning. Yay for me. Yay for you, maybe. I suppose it depends on your point of view.
Hold on for a sec.
OK, I'm back. I had to go downstairs and get some more coffee. I also copped a couple of the wife's little chocolate donuts. Is it rude to type with your mouth full?
The youngest boy will be here this evening. He is going to supper with us before heading to a concert later tonight. He will be back to spend the night. Unfortunately he has to get back to school since he has to work in the morning. I hardly get to see him anymore.
Tomorrow, my other two kids and their families/girlfriends, etc., are coming over for a cookout. It is supposed to be chilly, but the grill works fine in cold weather. Cheeseburgers are on the menu. I sincerely hope I can avoid turning them into hockey pucks.
It seems I've lost my ability to cook a decent meal. Earlier in the week I attempted fried chicken, gravy, mashed spuds. I burned the chicken. This meant I had to grab a different skillet for the gravy (who wants black bits in their gravy?). Without good drippings the gravy was bland. It was also lumpy. WTH? I'm no gourmet cook, but usually my comfort food is at least a triple if not a home run. This effort was not even a hard hit single; more of a reached base on an error-type affair. I did redeem myself a bit Thursday. I pulled a frozen enchilada casserole from the freezer I made several weeks ago and made a pretty decent batch of salsa to go along with it.
That about covers the minutiae of my life. I think I'll read your blogs then see what old movie attracts my attention this morning. I might do one of the big "E"s: Esther or Elvis. And for goodness sake if you ask me who "Esther" is I'm going to come over there and bop you on the head like little bunny boop boop. Seriously...
Hold on for a sec.
OK, I'm back. I had to go downstairs and get some more coffee. I also copped a couple of the wife's little chocolate donuts. Is it rude to type with your mouth full?
The youngest boy will be here this evening. He is going to supper with us before heading to a concert later tonight. He will be back to spend the night. Unfortunately he has to get back to school since he has to work in the morning. I hardly get to see him anymore.
Tomorrow, my other two kids and their families/girlfriends, etc., are coming over for a cookout. It is supposed to be chilly, but the grill works fine in cold weather. Cheeseburgers are on the menu. I sincerely hope I can avoid turning them into hockey pucks.
It seems I've lost my ability to cook a decent meal. Earlier in the week I attempted fried chicken, gravy, mashed spuds. I burned the chicken. This meant I had to grab a different skillet for the gravy (who wants black bits in their gravy?). Without good drippings the gravy was bland. It was also lumpy. WTH? I'm no gourmet cook, but usually my comfort food is at least a triple if not a home run. This effort was not even a hard hit single; more of a reached base on an error-type affair. I did redeem myself a bit Thursday. I pulled a frozen enchilada casserole from the freezer I made several weeks ago and made a pretty decent batch of salsa to go along with it.
That about covers the minutiae of my life. I think I'll read your blogs then see what old movie attracts my attention this morning. I might do one of the big "E"s: Esther or Elvis. And for goodness sake if you ask me who "Esther" is I'm going to come over there and bop you on the head like little bunny boop boop. Seriously...
March 18, 2016
This ain't no fooling around
Hoops mania is in full throttle and I don't care. Much. I'm not a big fan of basketball.
Here is something to ponder. The census counts everyone, citizen or not. Many non-citizens live in big cities and in some of the more populous states. When Congress apportions Congressional seats they do it based on the census, not the count of citizens, thus some states are over-represented.
So what? Well electoral votes are allocated based on Congressional seats, thus states with heavy illegal populations (who theoretically cannot vote) have more sway in the general election where electoral votes are usually winner takes all. Thus California, New York, Illinois, Florida, and Texas have more electoral power than they should because they have a larger population of illegals. Ask me again why the Democrats are in favor of open borders?
Squeezing lime juice when you have a cut on your thumb makes for exciting cooking.
It is Friday, finally the end of what has been a very long week. I think someone snuck an extra Tuesday in there or something.
In the midst of all this rambling I did not forget the Friday music:
What? Who doesn't think the mom is hot? Plus the music is pop at its finest. Still reading? Tell me happy birthday on Sunday. Have a great weekend.
Here is something to ponder. The census counts everyone, citizen or not. Many non-citizens live in big cities and in some of the more populous states. When Congress apportions Congressional seats they do it based on the census, not the count of citizens, thus some states are over-represented.
So what? Well electoral votes are allocated based on Congressional seats, thus states with heavy illegal populations (who theoretically cannot vote) have more sway in the general election where electoral votes are usually winner takes all. Thus California, New York, Illinois, Florida, and Texas have more electoral power than they should because they have a larger population of illegals. Ask me again why the Democrats are in favor of open borders?
Squeezing lime juice when you have a cut on your thumb makes for exciting cooking.
It is Friday, finally the end of what has been a very long week. I think someone snuck an extra Tuesday in there or something.
In the midst of all this rambling I did not forget the Friday music:
What? Who doesn't think the mom is hot? Plus the music is pop at its finest. Still reading? Tell me happy birthday on Sunday. Have a great weekend.
March 17, 2016
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco
It is still dark, but the birds are chirping in the trees. A spate of warm weather and some recent rain has the grass greening nicely. The tulips around the maple in the front yard are poking through the mulch and the trees are starting to burst out in leaves. Spring is here. Oh, we will still get some cold. It is supposed to drop into the thirties this weekend, but warm days are ahead. I was excited to see the trees in bloom on my quick trip to southern Missouri earlier in the week. The past couple of years marks the first time in more than two decades I have not had customers in the Carolinas, and I miss the warm weather and early springs those visits provided to help me through the February cold. In the end we had a very mild winter, little snow and not too many days of sub-zero temps. I can live with that.
It is St. Paddy's Day; since I'm not Irish nor am I Catholic. I mostly don't care. I won't wear green, unless by accident.
So ends another blog entry. Riveting stuff isn't it? You get what you pay for around here.
It is St. Paddy's Day; since I'm not Irish nor am I Catholic. I mostly don't care. I won't wear green, unless by accident.
So ends another blog entry. Riveting stuff isn't it? You get what you pay for around here.
March 15, 2016
Well crap
Sitting in the car for hours on end yesterday I composed a first-rate post in my head. By the time I got to the hotel it was gone. I still cannot even remember what I was going to write about, forget the details of the post itself. Getting old sucks.
You might remember I bought a new phone a few weeks ago. During my drive I discovered somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 songs I had ripped from my personal CD collection have disappeared from my phone. WTH? According to the interwebz, and everything is true on the Internet, iTunes may even have deleted them from my library. I will have to check when I get home. If so, I'm gonna be pissed.
You might remember I bought a new phone a few weeks ago. During my drive I discovered somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 songs I had ripped from my personal CD collection have disappeared from my phone. WTH? According to the interwebz, and everything is true on the Internet, iTunes may even have deleted them from my library. I will have to check when I get home. If so, I'm gonna be pissed.
March 14, 2016
314
Apricot
Peach
Black raspberry
Apple
Lemon
Pecan
Sugar cream
Cherry
Strawberry rhubarb
All pies I would like to have on pi day
Peach
Black raspberry
Apple
Lemon
Pecan
Sugar cream
Cherry
Strawberry rhubarb
All pies I would like to have on pi day
March 13, 2016
You can't say that
What happened tonight in Chicago is why we need Trump, as obnoxious as he is, to keep going. I am not a Trump supporter, and I reject much of his rhetoric. But he has a right to give a speech, even an obnoxious speech, without it being interrupted by demonstrators. All of us do. Trump is revealing how impossible it is to have a normal democracy with the activist left, who think their crying need for “safe spaces” gives them the right to silence their opponents. Link
Throughout history the left has tried to shut down and censor speech they found disagreeable. Even a cursory study of the French Revolution, Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany ( yes, Hitler was a socialist), communist China, North Korea, North Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge, Cuba, and modern Venezuela all show a tendency to silence any opposition and stifle free speech.
Leftism cannot stand the light of day. It is a vampire that sucks the blood of the economy and the citizens. I continue to be amazed at just how intolerant the supposedly tolerant left is. You see it in their speech. You find it at their blogs. They spew vitriol and hate at anyone who dares disagree.
I find Hillary Clinton loathsome. I would vote for an illiterate crack whore from deepest Appalacia who could not even make change for a dollar before I would cast my vote for Hillary. But I would never dream of preventing Clinton from standing on stage offering her prevarications and outright lies.
It is not the supposed fascists righties who are blocking free speech.
If you don't like what Trump says, do not listen. Vote for someone else. You have no right to keep someone else from listening or voting for candidates you do not like. Censorship is evil. Stifling the free exchange of ideas -- no matter how bad they may be -- is the first step towards despotism. Free speech exists exactly to protect the ideas we find most detestable.
March 12, 2016
TMI. You were warned
Long time readers know from stories here that there was a time I had significant digestive issues. One of my meds, not the one that muffles the voices in my head, gave me significant bouts of diarrhea. I'm talking colonoscopy prep type episodes. Explosive, corrosive ass soup so odiferous it would make a sewage plant worker tear up in disgust occurred once or twice a week. I threw away more stained tightly-whiteys than you can imagine. I'm off those meds now.
These days I shit cellophane wrapped cubes.
That is a lie.
My bowel movements have become more routine these days. Now, my turds are compact elongated tennis balls, solid and firm. And they routinely stop up the toilet, especially the low water types.
Thursday morning I dropped an especially heavy load of these rocks into the hotel toilet. I wiped with only a little more paper than Sheryl Crow recommends, and flushed. I saw the familiar swirl of water and the slow rise of the bowl contents. I had log jammed another toilet. I finished packing and as a courtesy told the front desk about the situation as I checked out. I was, of course, a bit embarrassed.
Yesterday evening I got an email from the hotel apologizing for the stopped up crapper! They offered bonus points out of their concern that my stay was not perfect. The hotel apologized because I stopped up their toilet. Can you imagine?
For more than a decade I have stayed exclusively in hotels from the Hilton chain whenever I can choose. I have stayed at this particular Hilton Garden Inn more times than I can count. Now you know why.
These days I shit cellophane wrapped cubes.
That is a lie.
My bowel movements have become more routine these days. Now, my turds are compact elongated tennis balls, solid and firm. And they routinely stop up the toilet, especially the low water types.
Thursday morning I dropped an especially heavy load of these rocks into the hotel toilet. I wiped with only a little more paper than Sheryl Crow recommends, and flushed. I saw the familiar swirl of water and the slow rise of the bowl contents. I had log jammed another toilet. I finished packing and as a courtesy told the front desk about the situation as I checked out. I was, of course, a bit embarrassed.
Yesterday evening I got an email from the hotel apologizing for the stopped up crapper! They offered bonus points out of their concern that my stay was not perfect. The hotel apologized because I stopped up their toilet. Can you imagine?
For more than a decade I have stayed exclusively in hotels from the Hilton chain whenever I can choose. I have stayed at this particular Hilton Garden Inn more times than I can count. Now you know why.
March 10, 2016
Who was Dan Ryan and why does his highway suck so much?
I just don't have the energy. Traveling with the Very Big Boss from Germany this week. All day at customers, late dinners. I need to take five minutes for myself before I address the day's emails, call the wife and prepare for the morrow's efforts. Not complaining, just stating facts.
And writing incomplete sentences.
This seems appropriate:
I am not normally a big fan of jazz, but these guys just ooze cool.
And writing incomplete sentences.
This seems appropriate:
I am not normally a big fan of jazz, but these guys just ooze cool.
March 8, 2016
Mysterious musings
It is a gorgeous day and I'm stuck in the office. Worse, I don't even have time to crank out a meaningful post. You probably should not expect much for the rest of the week either. Unless I write something brilliant. Then you can set the bar higher. You should probably check by every hour or two, just to be safe. Or not. It is up to you. I'm not one of those liberal-types who is always trying to tell you what to do.
March 7, 2016
So long and thanks
18
For those of us in Indiana who ate Colts fans that number says it all.
18
Thanks for showing us excellence. I will miss you on Sunday's, that is a fact.
For those of us in Indiana who ate Colts fans that number says it all.
18
Thanks for showing us excellence. I will miss you on Sunday's, that is a fact.
March 6, 2016
"Charge for the guns!" he said
After I wrote yesterday's exciting and thought-provoking post I went down to see what was available for breakfast. I looked askew at the wife's bag of little chocolate donuts. I considered the granddaughter's Cheerios. Then I spied the fresh pineapple we bought at the store earlier in the week. I had placed it upside down in the 'fridge so that the sugars would evenly distribute. I peeled and sliced and cored the fruit.
Man, do I love me some pineapple. This one was sweet and buttery and just the perfect state of ripeness. Every bite brought back memories of Hawaii, of summer evenings when I grilled slices along with chicken kabobs, of pineapple sundaes, of Mai-tais, Dole pineapple whip and ham steaks and pineapple. Yes, I love pineapple. Especially fresh pineapple. I had some for breakfast this morning too.
Oh, to be back in Hawaii.
Man, do I love me some pineapple. This one was sweet and buttery and just the perfect state of ripeness. Every bite brought back memories of Hawaii, of summer evenings when I grilled slices along with chicken kabobs, of pineapple sundaes, of Mai-tais, Dole pineapple whip and ham steaks and pineapple. Yes, I love pineapple. Especially fresh pineapple. I had some for breakfast this morning too.
Oh, to be back in Hawaii.
March 5, 2016
Forward, the Light Brigade!
We tried a new pizza place last night. I'm not sure what was in the sauce, but I sure had some weird-ass dreams. Fortunately, the dreams faded away with wakefulness like fog in the morning sun so you will not have to read the nonsensical tales.
Traversing Illinois yesterday I drove for a bit on old Route 66. I suppose I should say I drove on new old Route 66. The original old narrow highway lay just to my right, about 30 feet away, crumbling apart. Grass and weeds poked through the old concrete. The nostalgic me kept one eye on the old road and was transported back to a time I never knew. I drove past the Mother Jones monument in the Union Miner's Cemetery in Mt. Olive but did not stop. I saw it from the road and that was enough. I was not that interested in paying homage to a socialist and Wobblie, anyway.
I cut across the Land of Lincoln on Illinois 16 and made it home just before traffic got really bad on the northeast side of Indy. Yay for me.
I'm not sure if we have any plans for today. It looks like it is going to be cloudy and cool, but not cold today. I'm sure the boss will have something in mind. Have a good Saturday.
Traversing Illinois yesterday I drove for a bit on old Route 66. I suppose I should say I drove on new old Route 66. The original old narrow highway lay just to my right, about 30 feet away, crumbling apart. Grass and weeds poked through the old concrete. The nostalgic me kept one eye on the old road and was transported back to a time I never knew. I drove past the Mother Jones monument in the Union Miner's Cemetery in Mt. Olive but did not stop. I saw it from the road and that was enough. I was not that interested in paying homage to a socialist and Wobblie, anyway.
I cut across the Land of Lincoln on Illinois 16 and made it home just before traffic got really bad on the northeast side of Indy. Yay for me.
I'm not sure if we have any plans for today. It looks like it is going to be cloudy and cool, but not cold today. I'm sure the boss will have something in mind. Have a good Saturday.
March 4, 2016
Rode the six hundred
Friday at last. I have a couple of quick customer visits then I'm on the road home. I have to take only two major decisions this morning. Do I eat the crappy Hampton Inn breakfast or get something better? Do I take I-70 or back roads on my way home?
I had some first rate BBQ for supper last night. The place was packed so I grabbed mine to go and ate in the hotel room. That was not my first choice, but such is life.
I have been reading a historical novel about Richard the Lionhearted. It needs to get better and real soon.
I watched some of the highlights from the GOP debate last night. Is there a single candidate, including the ones running for the donkey party, that you would want to have over for dinner? Could you imagine hanging on the patio with a beer and cigar with any of those assholes? I suppose that is true of just about any politician. I guess you generally have to be an asshole to get to the top. I doubt Caesar or Napoleon was a ball of laughs to hang with either.
My first thought when typing the previous paragraph was to conclude that I would never be top dog. That concludes that I am not a self-centered egomaniac asshole. I like to think not, but then it occurs to me that I know some self-centered egomaniac assholes that are not top dog. I realize not one of you has invited me for dinner or to hang on the patio for a beer and cigar and I wonder....
I'm not handsome or athletic, I have no money, I'm not the smartest guy in the room. If I indeed have major personality defects, then I really have nothing to offer the world. That means I'm just another human toiling away on this mortal coil until my time is up, just like billions of others. Are you telling me I'm not a special snowflake? I'm not unique and special? As my old blogging buddy Dax Montana used to say --just damn.
March 3, 2016
We interrupt the normal flow of posts
Eat me Mitt Romney.
We don't need a political lecture from the guy who blew a slam-dunk election against an unpopular President.
And you can just suck a lemon John McCain.
You are a loser too.
All in the Valley of Death
We got less than an inch of snow overnight. Mostly it stuck on the grass. It is wet and heavy. I cleaned the walk and tossed some fake salt ice melt onto the drive. The snow won't be around long.
I wish I had something of interest to discuss with you this morning. I don't. Perhaps an interesting event during my travels will be worthy of a blog post tonight or in the morning. Not too interesting though. I don't want to be caught up in a Ferguson riot or a bank robbery. I could be happy to never be in another car crash.
I just started listening to a British history podcast I recently discovered. There are a hundred-plus episodes, each about 30 minutes long. I think I will listen further while I'm in the car today. I have only listened to a couple of episodes, but I like what I hear. The podcast is very much the way I would teach and discuss history if I was a history teacher. Most history curriculums are horrible and the associated textbooks even worse. Frankly, I learned more from Mike Wallace's "Biography" and the "And you were there" series narrated by Walter Cronkite* than I did from any history teacher in elementary, middle, and high school. I taught myself more history than all of those educators combined. That is not a criticism, but fact.
I wish you joy of this Thursday.
*Did you watch these in school?:
I wish I had something of interest to discuss with you this morning. I don't. Perhaps an interesting event during my travels will be worthy of a blog post tonight or in the morning. Not too interesting though. I don't want to be caught up in a Ferguson riot or a bank robbery. I could be happy to never be in another car crash.
I just started listening to a British history podcast I recently discovered. There are a hundred-plus episodes, each about 30 minutes long. I think I will listen further while I'm in the car today. I have only listened to a couple of episodes, but I like what I hear. The podcast is very much the way I would teach and discuss history if I was a history teacher. Most history curriculums are horrible and the associated textbooks even worse. Frankly, I learned more from Mike Wallace's "Biography" and the "And you were there" series narrated by Walter Cronkite* than I did from any history teacher in elementary, middle, and high school. I taught myself more history than all of those educators combined. That is not a criticism, but fact.
I wish you joy of this Thursday.
*Did you watch these in school?:
March 2, 2016
Half a League Onward
My phone tells me it is 19 F outside this morning. We might get a dusting of snow. I have no further comment on the weather.
I made a pot of potato soup for supper last night. Fresh brewed tea; mine plain, the wife's sweet, and BLT sandwiches rounded out the meal. The best part is I will get potato soup for lunch. It is one of those foods that reheats well. In fact, it may be better today.
It looks like we are edging closer to a Trump-Clinton election in the fall. A liar and a fraud. Seriously, this is the best we can do for Presidential candidates? Just as Obama made us miss GW, either of these two could make us long for The Obama. The US survived Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Grant, Harding, both Johnsons, and Carter. We can muddle through this too. I honestly cannot imagine which front runner would be the worst. We already know we cannot rely on Congress to be anything but business as usual. More people liked the 1980s movie flop Ishtar than like the current Congress.
At least we don't live in Venezuela.
There is a lonely robin singing in the maple tree out front. That is a good sign. Spring is coming, baby.
I made a pot of potato soup for supper last night. Fresh brewed tea; mine plain, the wife's sweet, and BLT sandwiches rounded out the meal. The best part is I will get potato soup for lunch. It is one of those foods that reheats well. In fact, it may be better today.
It looks like we are edging closer to a Trump-Clinton election in the fall. A liar and a fraud. Seriously, this is the best we can do for Presidential candidates? Just as Obama made us miss GW, either of these two could make us long for The Obama. The US survived Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Grant, Harding, both Johnsons, and Carter. We can muddle through this too. I honestly cannot imagine which front runner would be the worst. We already know we cannot rely on Congress to be anything but business as usual. More people liked the 1980s movie flop Ishtar than like the current Congress.
At least we don't live in Venezuela.
There is a lonely robin singing in the maple tree out front. That is a good sign. Spring is coming, baby.
March 1, 2016
Burning Down the House
Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s I was a very young customer service manager at a ball bearing plant. At that time there was a terrific shortage of bearings in the US. Lead times were long and delivery was poor. Customers were put on allocations. This means they were limited in the quantities and sizes they could buy; much like toilet paper is unavailable in any progressive-run country.
Customers spent their days angry and frustrated and it was up to my little fiefdom to try and placate the seething buyer on the other end of the phone line. Often top executives from major customers came directly to the plant to vent their rage. One day a VP of Purchasing fromone of the big agriculture implement manufacturers came to complain about our horrible deliveries, the allocations, and the occasional quality issues and their effects on the customer's manufacturing plants. Even a Deere can't run without bearings.
We are all in the big conference room. The heavies from the plant were present -- plant manager, department heads, production control, and little insignificant me. Mr. VP ranted and cursed. The team from our side told how we have striven to fix the various problems in procurement, production, and quality. We described our heroic efforts in spite of nearly insurmountable issues to get the big customer his product.
"I get it", he said. "You guys are great firefighters. The only problem is it looks like every single damn employee here is a fucking arsonist".
Man, did I get the evil eye from the bosses when I laughed out loud. But it did break the tension in the room. When the big cheese customer left he was somewhat satisfied things were going to get better. After all, that was the purpose of his trip. To this day that is still the best line ever delivered by a customer to a supplier.
Customers spent their days angry and frustrated and it was up to my little fiefdom to try and placate the seething buyer on the other end of the phone line. Often top executives from major customers came directly to the plant to vent their rage. One day a VP of Purchasing from
We are all in the big conference room. The heavies from the plant were present -- plant manager, department heads, production control, and little insignificant me. Mr. VP ranted and cursed. The team from our side told how we have striven to fix the various problems in procurement, production, and quality. We described our heroic efforts in spite of nearly insurmountable issues to get the big customer his product.
"I get it", he said. "You guys are great firefighters. The only problem is it looks like every single damn employee here is a fucking arsonist".
Man, did I get the evil eye from the bosses when I laughed out loud. But it did break the tension in the room. When the big cheese customer left he was somewhat satisfied things were going to get better. After all, that was the purpose of his trip. To this day that is still the best line ever delivered by a customer to a supplier.
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