A Return to Politics...Book Reviews...And Novel: The Plan (Tracy)

Ding dong the...wait a minute...okay, I will tart it up a bit-  So, over the weekend Antonin Scalia finally gave up his lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court of The United States by generously ceasing to respire.  Better?

In other words...

"Mama always said to say nice things about the dead.  He's dead. How nice."

Conservatives in Congress are already puffing up and issuing statements like

"We will block any nomination of President Obama's"

Even though the corpse is barely cold and The President hasn't even mentioned an idea of a nomination yet.

And how is this not obstructionism, again?  And we pay these collective bozos how much?

November is nearly upon us...469 seats up for grabs. Choose wisely.

Fire Them All, I say...

The winner of the latest GOP Presidential Primary Debate?  The Democrats. The Loser- Anyone who  actually managed to sit through the entire thing.  

Seriously.

It is getting UGLY.

Christie and Fiorina have also left the race.  We are down to Trump, Rubio, Bush, Kasich, Carson and Cruz. And if you listen to them tear at each other...well you realize why there just isn't going to be a Republican in the White House any time soon.

The Democrats are down to Clinton and Sanders.

Now that Hillary has realized that Bernie Sanders is a genuine threat to her "coronation" the psycho-babble from the Hilderbeast has gone wild.

I'm Melting...What a World...What a World...

 The latest polls have them neck and neck in Nevada...and only a few points apart nation-wide. Yeah...she is "Feelin' the BERN"


I watched it happen with President Obama in 2008 and looking forward to seeing her campaign "go down in flames" again.

                                              "Marshmallows anyone?"


Can't wait until Super Tuesday...but have a feeling she is not going to go "gentle into this goodnight" and will probably hiss and spit and claw her way all the way to June.  By then Bernie will be Unbeatable, and the rest of us will just be sick of hearing her bitch, piss and moan. 

So...

I finished both the Carlin and the Moore this week.

A Carlin Home Companion: By Kelly Carlin

Excellent, gutsy look at growing up as the daughter of George Carlin. Not sugar-coated in the least. Examining her mother's alcoholism and her father's drug use in the 70's and 80's she gives insight as to what it was like to grow up in a home often without adults...even when they were right there. Not all bleak though and a warm look at George as the father who loved her...and who she loved beyond measure.  As a hippie-in-the-past, myself, it made me feel strangely relieved to know those days were behind me before raising my children.

A must read for the Carlin fan!

and

Christopher Moore's: Second Hand Souls

A Sequel to Dirty Job.

If you haven't read the first novel do...or you will be entirely lost.

For the rest of us:   OMG...laughed until I cried in some spots. Moore's books should come with a warning sticker to

AVOID DRINKING HOT BEVERAGES WHILE READING THIS BOOK

A Comeback by The Emperor and his pooches, Audrey, Abbey, Charlie, Sophie, Minty Fresh and a new appearance by "Lemon" his cousin. The Squirrel People including "Need A Cheez" Charlie Wiggles.

War between good and evil...blah blah blah...yadda yadda...got to save the World from certain destruction...but first "need a cheez".

With the possible exception of LAMB...best Moore yet!

And...when you shut the lights off at the end of a night's reading you will notice something entirely cool he has managed with the lettering on the cover...it is done with the light absorbing glo-stuff. So there in the dark...Second Hand Souls and Sophie's mask is GLOWING...

(...admittedly, I am easily amused...okay?)

At first glimpse I took a double-take...but it wasn't glowing red so I knew it wasn't a soul-vessel. Red glo-stuff would have been awesome, by-the-way...just sayin'

And two weeks away from finishing Virtual Spain. Still a few things left to see and try...ordering the Jamón ibérico, Serrano, and jamón ibérico de bellota this week to sample by next as well.

After having an entire year to poke around France virtually, two months seems extremely abbreviated for all the wonderful things Spain has to offer...but I am attempting to follow the path laid out by Mayes (A Year in the World) and March's Country to Explore will be Portugal.  I must admit to contemplating skipping this one. I don't think I have ever had any interest, whatsoever, in seeing or experiencing Portugal...but after outlining the chapter...it sounds a bit intriguing.
Will share the itinary at February's end...

Now on to Granada!


Have quite a bit of work done toward the fiction novel I began January 1st. The first chapter is complete.  Below is the third interview in the first chapter.

 Tracy (The Wife)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[When she enters my office nothing could have prepared me for this. Honestly, she is as grotesque as Mark in her own way. A cigarette is a permanent fixture between her yellow nicotine stained fingers. She passed up dishevelled a long time back and went straight for slatternly. Her lank hair is greasy and ungroomed. She is anorexically thin, raw, angular and her facial features are frozen in a sort of perpetual anger that reminds me of a Siamese cat we once owned. They are dead now. Both the cat, and my wife. There is a sour sweat and wood-stove smell about her. Layered just beneath the cigarette smoke I catch the stench of what also appears to be cheap whiskey. Her gaze is sullen and steady. Fixed. Seemingly, challenging me. I motion for her to sit. She does not put the cigarette out and flicks her ash in a decorative shell I keep on my desk. It was from our honeymoon on Sanibel Island. I say nothing.]

"So, Just how long is this gonna take, anyways? I don' see how this is goin' tah help anybody."

[There is a long pause then I finally tell her that I would prefer during our session that she refrain from smoking. She makes no attempt to extinguish the cigarette. I didn't expect it. Before she comes in for the next session I will remove the shell]

I don' understand why you people keep pokin' and pokin' and askin' questions now. Mark and me are over. Divorced. D-I-V-O-R-C-E-D.

[She spells jamming her finger in my face for emphasis, or perhaps just to be rude. Ruder. Her body odor is overhelming in the small office]

An' I don' appreciate how you got Jerry all upset yesterday. He came home so upset he calt in tah work. Yesterday and tah-day. Tha's money, ya know. Money don' grow on no trees.

Well, shit. I'm here now.

Whaddya want?

[She lights another cigarette off the end of the last one. A blue haze has filled the office and burns my nose and throat]

What was Mark like befor' ?  Befor' what?

Ya mean before he got hisself blow'd and burn't up, or befor' we was married?

I guess whatchoo might call a Momma's Boy. Real nice and quiet like. Wouldn't say shit if he was steppin' in a fresh pile. His Daddy is a preacher. Did he tell you that? He and Jer moved down here with their folks. Outside Atlanta. We all finished high school tah-gether.

Yah. He and Jer grow'd up in the same town. Yah, they play't...was frien's...back when they was jes little boys.

No. My Momma and Daddy were divorced a long time back. I pretty much jes' grow'd up with my Momma. They was six of us. Daddy lived all over. Sure he see'd us from time tah time. He was a General. The General, we allus call't him. Just like his daddy...and his daddy before that...probably all the way back to when generals first come about.

I think marryin' Mark is the onliest thing my Daddy was ever proud of me about. He loved Mark. He even came to our weddin'. Mark had big plans, he was real smart. Was goin' tah go to college, too. 'Course that din't happen.

I was pregnant with Joshie then, so we got marrie't.

He enlisted right after we got out of school.

No. My folks didn't know. His neither. We jus tole them the baby came early.

I am pretty sure his Daddy would have kilt him if he'd knowed.

They never liked me much, anyway.  We came from differnt sides of tha track, if you get my drift.
They were all churchy and proper "Yes Ma'am" and "No Sir".
They looked at me like I was white trash.

[The term had crossed my mind, too. I don't say this, obviously.]

I was his first.

Girl, stupid. Sex. Whaddya think I meant.

No. He wasn't mine.

I was about  13 or 14, I guess. I can't remember.

Momma's "frien" at the time. 
Consen...I'm not sure I understan' the question.

No. Nobody made me do nuthin'I din't want to.

Maybe 35. I don't know.

My Daddy liked the whole "Yessir" stuff from Mark, back then. Sayed it was respectful. Sayed that us keeds coulda learnt a thing or two from him. Sometimes he acted like he would have 'ruther been Mark's Daddy than mine. I know he sure treated him more like a daddy than his own  daddy did. They was real close. Sometimes I think Mark married me more for my Daddy than for me an tha baby.

I do.

Anyhow.  I thought we was going to move out of this State real quick. That maybe I could be one of those fancy Army wives an throw parties an live on base an stuff. No. He bought a house about a mile from where I had grow'd up all my life. Same street as Jer. How stup't is that?? I wasn't ever gonna get out of this shithole. An he was gone all tha time. Din't let me meet many of his frien's either. Ac't like he was 'shamed of me. Spent all his time with Josh. With Jer. Helping his Daddy at the church.

Yah. He was real good with Joshie. He love't Joshie.
An he always payt everythin'. On time.
A real good provider and such. Thats what my Momma allus calt him.

"So import'nt", she ustah say. 

When he shipped out, well tha's when Jer and me took up.

You know. Took up. Started seein' each other. Sleepin' together. You know. Sex.

[this blindsides me and although I try to remain clinically detatched as possible she has already seen the look that has passed over my face and follows it with an obscene laugh. I am not sure which disturbs me more. The fact or the laugh.]

Well now, look'it you...I guess Jer must'a left that part out, din't he?

[she laughs again...deep and raspy, and pulls a face...it is the first time she has smiled during our interview]

[Our time has passed...she stubs out one more butt in my formerly pristine white shell after lighting another cigarette]

"I'll be back nex' week" she drawls.

[I am grateful our session is up. I feel like I need a hot shower. My office stinks of cigarette smoke and body odor. The Sanibel Island shell has the remains of 5 crushed butts, is filthy, and filled with gray ashes. I dump them in the waste-can and stand at the attached bathroom sink in my office scrubbing and scrubbing the shell clean. Then my hands. Repeatedly. Obsessively. Until they are red and raw. All the while I am thinking just how I would liked to have slapped Tracy right across her white-trash cheating mouth. Not very objective or professional, but it is how I am feeling just the same. I am also wondering how I am going to survive 9 more interviews with this dreadful woman. Suddenly I can understand Mark's repeated re-enlistments. Afghanistan must have seemed like a haven compared to his marriage. ]


Next up:  The Deserter.



More Anon...



 

The "Moonlight" Sonata...The Sicilian...Boxes...and Valentine's Day Tea with The Grands

Presenting Christopher's new ride...a Hyundai Sonata...which he immediately named "Moonlight"

(...yeah...The Moonlight Sonata...)

And you never saw such a happy kid!  It is beautiful and runs like a dream. I can see its maiden (long) voyage being a trip to his beloved Mackinaw City & Mackinac Island this Summer.

And the planets aligned for him, as he also recently found THIS:

A Vintage Hand-Built (in Sicily) Cantania Carmelo Bowl-Back Mandolin. Amazing resonance and all that inlay!  Bach never sounded better. So now he has the as-yet un-named Sicilian.  I've been calling it "Tony". Even scoped out a picture of its builder

                                                          "Carmelo"

(...so if it was Valentine's Day...and if you were eating chocolate...and if you got some of it on your hands which then got on your mandolin...would it then be a "Chocolate Covered Carmelo"? )  

Sorry folks...these ARE the good jokes.

Got a Surprise of my own this week with the arrival of "Idgy's Valentine's Winter Box.

Yes...good things always come in boxes!

Along with all the comfort items (chocolates, card, bubble bath, wildflower honey and such) there was this...my favorite!

A Genuine Metal Faceplate (done in shabby French Chic) picture frame. With a rose photo I particularly liked!

Absolutely LOVE it!

Working on your Spring Box, now. It turns Spring (and therefore seed planting season) much earlier in Tennessee. Soon the FTD "Plant it Your Damn Self" bouquet will be winging its way, your way!  Along with a few of YOUR favorite things.

Hard to believe we have been exchanging seasonal boxes and having morning coffee and chat (whether in REAL TIME or in The Box) for 10 Years now!

The Valentine's Day Tea with my Grands was yesterday. We abdicated the Teddy Bears for a "Puppy Theme" this year

And the Grands arrived in a huge wiggly pile.

Emma, Kaylee and Hannah

Brenden Michael

Jazzie

Preston is at James' today with Brenden visiting, and Aiden is far too young for me to wrangle solo yet...lol! About two hours is as long as I can comfortably manage with all of them together solo now, anyway.

Emma and Brenden brought him home his "Puppy" though. They had named "Chocolate Fudge"  (the dark brown one above).

So for a couple of hours we had pizza and baked cookies (and some extra to send to Parents)

and plotted and planned a new children's story that they are going to help illustrate...and played!

With corners turning into "Puppy Beds" padded with warm winter coats...and my coffee table randomly morphing from bunk beds, to an escape tunnel from the "Puppy Pound", a Veterinary Exam table, and an X-Ray machine :)

All in all, a wonderful Valentine's Tea. 

I am Blessed.

Slow Relaxing Valentine's Day, today. Slept in a bit...started the day with Cappuccino, A Crueller and the Sunday Edition...sprawled in the floor with Tucker like a rug.

The Mid-Day menu is shaping up to be something decidedly Sicilian. Maybe Sausage and Peppers with Zucchini Parmesan and Wine.  Tiramisu Gelato for  Afters.

And going to slip into a deep bubble bath with Candles later with a few of my chocolates!

                                     Happy Valentine's Day!

New Hampshire Win...The Tao of Spring Cleaning...and the Surrender of the Bundy Bunch

Mainstream Media.

So you're all looking around yourselves now, eh?  60.4% in New Hampshire and over 5 million in donations immediately that night...once the results were in.

And Hillary giving her concession speech...well "Berned".

And flailing trying to see what she can do to reinvent herself to "be what the voters want her to be"  Angry at her campaign. David Axelrod gave the best comment I've heard yet...saying:

"Maybe the Clintons need to acknowledge that THEY may be the problem."

You see, Madam Secretary, the thing is, while you are spinning and slamming and getting angry and re-inventing yourself...Bernie is just the same old Bernie...standing for the SAME things he has stood for since the 1960's.  Bernie isn't slick, pre-packaged, beholden to Wall Street or any of that.

 He is REAL. 

And like the Skin Horse told us long ago in a nursery story...you can't BUY REAL...it doesn't come from a store. (or Wall Street)

And you can't reinvent yourself to be REAL either.

So no matter how many debates are granted or withheld.  No matter how many Super Delegates promised. And 2008 should have shown you how fickle they were in the end. No matter how many times your husband tries to paint Bernie as a sexist (...and admit it...wasn't THAT a WTF moment...given by a serial philanderer...), as long as the rest of us stand together and VOTE, you cannot possibly win the nomination.

Face it, hon.
We are just not "into you".

It isn't that you are a woman. A great many of us would vote for Elizabeth Warren this very day. And Carly Firoina is a woman, too...and you don't see us voting for her either. In fact a Sanders/Warren Ticket for 2016 would be my Dream Team!
Just sayin'

For the record I am completely ashamed of both Gloria Steinman and Madeline Albright's recent statements. Neither was helpful or supportive of woman in general. 

It isn't (entirely) that you are bought and sold by Wall Street. Although that is a "YUGE" turn-off.

It isn't even entirely that you turned into a spitting demonic hell-cat after splitting Iowa 50%-50%...instantly...as soon as you realized that Bernie was a real threat.

It is your sense of entitlement. The "It is my TURN" attitude.

It is your "It's never ever ever going to happen," take on Universal Healthcare and Paid-Tuition Public College. Amazing how many other Countries have figured out how to pay their people a living wage, have paid leave, paid public college, and Universal Healthcare, and here in the United States Of America it is IMPOSSIBLE?

I (and millions of others) are waking up and asking

"WHY NOT US?"

Why does 57% of every one of our tax dollars go to the Pentagon and we give huge Corporate Subsidies for things like CEO's salaries and bonuses...yet there isn't money to educate our people, feed them, or make sure they can go to a doctor when they need?

It is your overall unelectability. Very few Moderates and Independents are going to vote for you. Right now nearly half of your OWN party won't vote for you. The GOP sure as hell isn't going to vote for you.  You need to drop the ME ME ME, I, I, I, routine (which is also quite off-putting) and do what is best for this country. Back the electable candidate.

Bernie.

Just my 2.5 cents.

So, anyway,  I have been getting a small jump on Spring Cleaning this week. Which brings us to:

The Tao Of Spring Cleaning.

It was The Zen Moment of Spring Cleaning.

Chris and Tina had graciously let me borrow their carpet cleaner. There were several small spots on the floor...mostly from spills or splashes. They really didn't look that bad but every time I would look at the beige carpet it would drive me nuts. So....armed with proper suction, cleaning fluid and a brief operational tutorial from Chris, I was off and scrubbing stains.

So far so good.

When I finished I stood back and marvelled at what an amazing job the little unit did. 

Nary a spot to be seen from the previous 15 or so.

Wait for it....

I removed the solution chamber and rinsed it. Don't want to send things back dirty.

Then I attempted to remove the collection chamber. You know where all the filthy water and basically the previous spots now were.
It wouldn't budge.

I exerted a bit more force.

Nothing.

At last I gave it a good yank...the side clips came free and with it the canister of spots (filthy water) dumped on my previously spotless carpet.

After sitting in horror for a moment, after seeing what I had done, I realized just how humorous the whole situation really was. I had somehow managed to round up all the tiny spots and then turn them into one huge spot about the size of the bottom of a bucket. 

So, yeah.

I filled the solution once again...and went over the ginormous spot...it was finally gone, and I took care not to get impatient and yank the reservoir this time.

Lesson learned~


After 41 days...the final four of the "Bundy Bunch" (The Oregon Stand-off) seemed to have learned a lesson, too. They have surrendered and are in custody. And the Bird Sanctuary is once again FREE! The Prairie hens could not be reached for comment.

Want a good laugh? Read some of the statements they issued just before their surrender.

 One of the best:

"If they cut off communications again and you don't hear from us...they will have killed us all."

Seriously???

Because I am thinking that someone has been watching a little too much Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. If they had wanted to storm the place and "kill everyone" they obviously would have done it well before day 41.  Or long before it became a major media event.
Don't you think?

Anyway, it is finally resolved...and I hope they all have a nice long time to cool their heels in a Federal prison and contemplate their stupidity.

Domestic Terrorists. 
Every one of them, in my opinion.


More anon ~

Post Game...Superbowl 50

Although they were not my pick...by the end of the game I was very happy for Peyton (and team) on this well earned win. Their defense was brilliant and Peyton stayed on target 99% of the night.

By the end of the third quarter Cam was definitely bruised and battered and I lost track of how many times he had been sacked.

"For God's Sake...take the ring and trophy...just don't hit me AGAIN!!"

For Manning, a nice way to end his career. For Cam, a lesson in over confidence and under-estimation  (and maybe for me, too)...and there will be other Superbowls in his future.

Lady Gaga did a better-than-I-anticipated job with our National Anthem. Loved the glitter suit with matching glitter eye-shadow by-the-way. Nice touch.

Beautiful flyover!


Beyonce, Coldplay and Bruno Mars rocked the entertainment for half-time...

And I loved the compilation of the previous 50 years of half-time shows they put together on the screen. WOW.

And maybe not having to watch Madonna prance around the stage half-dressed this year... (bleah) 

And, Beyonce, once again, wrapped tightly in black leather the way the Good Lord always intended her to be  :)
And all that beautiful hair!

The Commercials...mostly meh.

Enjoyed the Prius Commercial, the Sheep singing Queen for Honda was probably my favorite, and the Christopher Walken Cameo this year...

And the snacks, of course.
We decimated the vat of chili.

The best part of the game (for me) aside from one 74 yard carry...was NPR's live blog this year. Encouraging running commentary with one caveat. You had to format your comment in the form of a Haiku. 

It was wonderful..and at times absolutely hilarious. 

Super Bowl 50: 
From start to end — in haiku.
Want to play along?

two minute warning --
enough time for another 
bowl of ice cream

 Big men in tight pants --
Interrupting commercials
Waiting patiently

There's a football game
At the @Beyonce concert
Guess I'll have to wait

I don't follow sports,
but I'm sure there's poetry 
in men handling balls  

Long pass pauses time
Or almost does…or seems to… 
‘Til someone drops it.



And in the midst of the action...harder than it looks!

So another Superbowl come and gone...and pretty sure after last night's  Snackfest...

"No food for YOU" 

is my battle cry, today..

More anon...

Pre-Game Prattle Superbowl 50

Is only hours away...

And doesn't Superbowl 50 scan better than Superbowl L  (and all the millennials would have ended up in Los Angeles, anyway, trying to find it)

"No...I am pretty sure the L is short for L.A..."


This year held near my beloved city by the Bay, and I don't mean Oakland!
Although by the end...Peyton may well look like this:

"Oh my dear Lord, that is the ANGRIEST black man I've ever seen. Are you SURE this isn't Oakland???"

"I'm Gonna END your career, a'ight...right here in the END Zone."

Face it, Cam is a BEAST...if Peyton doesn't bring his A Game tonight...it is the pet-food factory for our former Colt turned Bronco.



Sorry, Manning. My money is on Newton. Hell, he scares the crap out of me right through the TV, okay?

So...chili bubbling. And we are 4 hours away!

Go Panthers!!!!

And once again, the planets align and the eldest and I are rooting for the same team!

                                 "Sheeeeeeeeeeeeee-it You already gotta ring, Dude! Only thing gonna be ringing tonight is yo ears..."


And although I am firmly rooting for The Panthers...saw this from a Bronco Fan and had to laugh...

Yeah...right...whatever...

See everyone tomorrow!

Segovia (Virtual Spain)...Saints and Pastry...New Hampshire Town Hall and Debate...and Superbowl 50

The Aquaduct: Segovia, Spain.

Built of over 25,000 mortarless stone blocks, it has stood since the 1st Century.

That cinches it...we just need some Roman Architects. Built to last by the sons of the Roman gods. 

And, as someone who collects rocks from EVERYWHERE, is it wrong to want one of these blocks?

 Okay, maybe not.

Segovia is beautiful and resplendent with Monasteries and Convents.  Ten in all.
Within 63 square miles.

With the coming of Catholicism beginning around the first century, after the defeat of the Arabs,  the Mosques were either torn down and the Cathedrals build atop the old site...or in some cases built prominently inside the existing Mosque and the minaret replaced with Church Bells in a classic defiant

"My God just kicked your God's Ass."   

Anyway...Saints abound in Spain and Segovia's Patron Saint is Saint Fructus

St. Fructus is always portrayed holding a book. The book is suppose to be the Book of Life. Followers believe when he reaches the last page of the book the World will End.

On October 24th a procession is held in St. Fructus honor called

"Paso de la Hoja"

Or:

 The Turn of the Page. 

Fructus was a sibling of another better known Saint

Saint Valentine.

A Festival is held in Segovia and pastry chefs have even created a dessert in Fructus' honor.

Segovian Fructus Pastry

It is basically a pastry shell filled with egg cream and topped with sugar syrup and slivered almonds. A small bird figurine is added to remind the buyer that Saint Fructus lived as a hermit and had an affinity for birds. 

I'm baking one soon. Probably sans the bird.

Meanwhile...on the political trail:

We've had a back to back Town Hall Meeting (Wednesday) and the New Hampshire Debate (Thursday) and I have to admit...I have no idea how either Bernie or Hillary, in their 70's and 60's respectively, manage to keep up with these hours. I feel like an absolute slacker. These 11:00 and Midnight stay-ups are wiping me out. They require a midday pre-nap.

The Town Hall Meeting was informative and once again showed the stark contrast between the two candidates. It was straight-forward, easy and relatively bloodless.

The Thursday Night Debate...er...not so bloodless. 

At one point Hillary was so shrill...so obnoxious...so horrible in her attacks on Bernie that the audience soundly booed her.

To his credit, he refused to sling mud with her- and that seemed to infuriate her even more.  

She had the audacity to refer to his facts given in numerous other debates as "Smears"
Honey, it isn't much of a smear when it is verifiable...all true. 

Polls are showing that Bernie Sanders beats Hillary 2:1 in New Hampshire. We will see next week after their primary election.

Supporters have brilliantly linked their donations to him to her attacks. When she attacks...we donate.  Her negativity becomes Bernie's financial windfall...so there is that.

Honestly, I made my mind up who I am voting for...and it isn't her. EVER. Even if I have to write him in. So I am not entirely sure how may more of these debates I can stomach at this point. 

And last, but certainly not least

A Half-Century of Superbowls!

I see they have finally given up on the Roman Numerals.

Both teams have had an outstanding season.

This year

                 The Carolina Panthers ~vs~ The Denver Broncos. 

The Panther's Quarterback, Cam Newton, is a BEAST. And this will probably be Peyton Mannings last season. So it should be an interesting game!

Broncos finished the season 14-4    The Panthers finished their's 17-1
Half-time will include Beyonce, Bruno Mars and Coldplay.

Lady Gaga will be performing the National Anthem.

Out earlier to get fixings for a vat of chili for game day on Sunday!

Can't wait!









 


 

February...Groundhog's Day...Iowa Caucus...Oregon Standoff and A Few Other Things

Or as my friend, Gail in Minnesota, likes to call it....only 46 days until SPRING!
 I love her daily count-down.

So they dragged Puxatawny Phil out this year and no shadow...so Winter is suppose to clear out a bit early!

Not complaining. As winter's go...so far we have had very little snow or ice and only about a week of single digit weather.
I've seen a bit of snow. I'm good.

Moving glacier slow today. Watched the Iowa Caucuses for the very first time last night. Political Junkie that I am.
 So I only have two questions:

WTF?

(...seriously...)

The GOP caucuses were fairly straight ahead. Dare I say civilized? You sign in. You receive a small slip of paper. One district actually had their's in the shape of an elephant. And one of those little mini golf pencils. How cute. You listen to the contenders last minute appeals for your vote. You write the name of the person you are supporting as the Primary Candidate, and you put it in a box. One caucus had a wicker hamper. Then you leave. That is it.
The whole process.

Not  so with the Democratic Caucus. The word archaic doesn't even DO this justice, okay?  Clusterfuck comes to mind. Seriously. I felt stupider for watching the whole thing.  In the Democratic Caucus...they sign in. If you aren't in line or in the building at cut-off time you are excluded from the process.  Everyone proceeds to stand in their little tribes  The Hillary Voters Here, The Bernie's Here, The O'Malley's Way Over There  (both of you) The early arrivals get seats. The rest get to stand. When the voting begins they ask everyone who is seated for a specific candidate to stand. Everyone who is on the floor without seats must raise their hand for the specific candidate. (....really....I couldn't make this up...) then they go around the room and count each raised hand or each standing (previously seated) person. It was like a horrible parody of Duck-Duck-Goose.  One of the caucuses I watched did a re-count several times. So after they counted your vote you could put your hand down or resume your seat. They did this for each candidate. There were several newcomers who left after they were counted the first time...so when they did the re-count it was off...and they re-counted again.

Jesus Wept. 

The Numbers for the GOP were available in less than an hour after their caucus ended.

At MIDNIGHT last night the Democrats STILL didn't have 100% of the Caucus in...but both Hilary and Bernie were at 50% and 50% of the votes...and O'Malley had dropped out of the race. They are still tallying things today.

Which leads to my Second Question:

When did 50%-50% equal  "I WON"  as Hillary claimed her "victory" ?????

And at least 3 Caucuses actually tossed a coin to distribute delegates.  And if you win the coin-toss you lose a delegate.

A COIN TOSS.  Are you effing kidding me?

This was the Headline I woke up to....please note the 50% and 50% in the side box.

So anyway, it was a learning experience...and what I learned is:

Like Sausage...sometimes it is better not watching the process, and
this is the first time I EVER thought the GOP did anything more efficiently. 

Biggest Winner of the Night...Bernie...who came up from nothing to running neck and neck (tie) with the established candidate and got his message across to the entire nation last night. And now the Mainstream Media have to pay attention.

Biggest Loser of the Night. Had to be Donald Trump who got pummelled back by Ted Cruz. I don't think anyone was expecting THAT. Especially The Donald. Rubio bunched in a herd a bit closer and Mike Huckabee dropped out of the race, altogether.

And so...onward to New Hampshire!




And Clive Bundy (from the family ranch) issued a call for more militia to join the fray. If he were Islamic...this would be known as a call to jihad...by the way. Meanwhile Ammon Bundy (still incarcerated) is asking the 4 remaining hold-outs to please peacefully surrender.

The four hold-outs (one of whom is a tagalong from Ohio...and not too tightly wrapped) are STILL refusing to leave unless they are promised complete immunity.

"We will leave if you release the other domestic terrorists...er...Patriots from jail, promise us immunity, let everybody just go home, oh...and order us all a steak dinner and a case of beer to celebrate."

Okay, I made up the steak and beer part...but face it, they might as well be asking for that as well.

They stand an equal chance of ever getting it. 

I do see an all expense paid vacation at a Federal Prison in their future, though.

 So we continue to watch. Meanwhile this little group is racking up taxpayer expense of almost 100,000 a day for each day they remain.

Last...a discovery of not one but two great reads on Monday!

The New Christopher Moore: Secondhand Souls

The long awaited sequel to "A Dirty Job".
Christopher Moore is a wickedly funny author.

And the recently released non-fiction by Kelly Carlin (George's Daughter)

A Carlin Home Companion.

I've just started the Carlin, and it is outstanding...a look at George (and family life) from the inside.

Will review both soon.

Also have decided to forgo the virtual next destination (Portugal) in A Year in The World...and am going to enjoy a bit more of Spain. So much to see, experience!

More Anon...

Woke to a Yard FULL of Cardinals!

And my Eldest and His Wife and their son and daughter who took the kids to see The Monster Trucks over the Weekend!

  

And Aiden!