71 DAYS, SIGH (August 26)

AND SO ON AND SO ON At the point now when the multitude of political ads promote a la la la response from me to hopefully drown out the cra cra. Love the one about Elissa Slotkin single-handedly creating economic disaster and subsidizing sex offenders by being "one" of the hordes of congress people voting for the CARES Act. This occurred under Trumpie (had his name on the checks even) when we all got a bunch of money for surviving the pandemic. I would assume prisoners would meet the less than $99,000 cut off for income. Oddly enough this once in a lifetime windfall allowed some to live beyond their means thus leading to massive credit card debt when they wanted to continue spending like more checks were coming (my take). Silly me. I just put it in the bank. UPDATE: I get it-gas and groceries are higher than 3 years ago-blame inflation. When people got money, they spent it on everything including home improvements and home offices, for example, which made things scarcer and items more expensive. Wages went up 22%. Interest skyrocketed to tamp down inflation-it worked. But people are still spending (packed planes, etc.) I'm a saver and never buy anything I can't pay for. I could not survive knowing I had credit card debt, etc. Houses and cars (though I keep both many years lol) need loans of course, but vacations, toys, new phones every year not so much. 

MUD THAT STICKS Political mudslinging has been around forever. Like when John Adams was accused of over-powdering his wig. Thus, illustrating being out of touch with the basic population living on a buck a day (a wage that persisted until WWI) though technically a lot more hours than 8 hour/5 day a week job (damn unions). Or the Whigs calling Lewis Cass (1848) a pot-bellied, mutton-headed cucumber in response to Democrats saying Zachary Taylor was, among other things, a crappy dresser. In simpler times (1800) the opposition just claimed Thomas Jefferson was dead. Considering the lack of fast transportation and a 24/7 news cycles that claim probably played for quite a while. Leading right up to 2000 when Karl Rove engineered robo-calls to help Bush by asking primary voters if they would be more likely to vote for John McCain if they knew he fathered an illegitimate black child.  With AI these days, the sky's the limit! Think Taylor Swift endorsing the Con. 

Especially prophetic was the 1831 National Republicans saying Andrew Jackson took for himself "a power no Monarch in Europe dared attempt, the most absolute despot now at the head of any representative government on earth who exercised indiscriminate removal of public officers for the mere difference of political opinion". Ruh ro. 

 Apparently, the RFK endorsement of Rumple in exchange for a job does not even raise a wrinkle, though technically a federal crime. VP Harris refused to meet with him when he offered the same deal. Hmmm. Could there be a difference between a prosecutor vs. a convicted felon? But with the supremies intent on dragging us back to the 1700's and the freedom stifling provisions of Project 2025 who knows?

OOPS On a lighter note. FAX News part of the fake media (and they have the lawsuits to prove it) checked in on "the other guy" to get his take on Harris' acceptance speech. In true and predictable form, it descended into an incoherent rant complete with beeps and burps from his phone as he kept hitting buttons to express his outrage apparently. They gently cut him off LOL. 

WHAT UP DOC? This was seeing your local doctor week. Total clearance from the back surgeon. I mentioned that after knee surgery, my back kicked up. After back surgery, oddly enough my hips are now leading the chorus. "Oh yeah, your left one is pretty bad." Thanks for noticing. He mentioned a doc friend that does hips. They really need to consider a package deal. However, as I also admitted I was back to walking up to 10 miles a day (painful but doable) he snorted. Basically, come back when you're wheelchair bound. Works for me.  Meanwhile the OH has been suffering an eye problem that necessitated a series of shots in the eyeball. Yeesh. I know. After delaying as long as possible, I mean who willingly wants a shot in the eyeball, the first one occurred this week. A quick numbing, look to your right and bing bang boom all done. A monthly routine for the foreseeable future. A case of imagination being worse than reality. 

The bird wars continue. The finch feeder is being emptied every two days and fights ensue. Finches, chickadees, sparrows and the occasional mad squirrel attempting, and failing, to make it up the slippery metal pole. Meanwhile, unperturbed by the action to the south of them the "hummers" jealously guard their own little "sweet tea" feeder. They only need to run each other off rather than any foreign species. Having a tiny beak doth have its advantages. Peace out...💚   💙💙💙

MELLOW YELLOW (August 19)

DID YOU KNOW? Anyone who has been to Washington D.C. sees the perpetual protest groups complete with brochures, flags and dance music ensconced in Lafayette Park across from the White House. Did you know the first group to use it as a protest staging area? The suffragettes as they lobbied to be considered more than a second-class citizen (1 step above slaves) and be granted the right to vote. Their proud tradition of tilting at windmills continues to this day. Democracy in action. Messy but interesting. One prez who shall remain nameless wanted the military to shoot them so he could safely stroll to a local church and hold a bible upside down. There was tear gas, but they came back. 

 PERSONAL OBSERVATION The country is full of outrage just looking for something to vent on. 

CAMERA, ACTION Back to work on podcasts. Recording programs ahead certainly gave me a good summer for recovery. Almost enough down time to consider how long I want to keep doing this.  However, my popularity precedes me as I got three requests for podcasts in quick succession. The latest one was with a local association for Road Infrastructure and Transportation. He promised to be political, and I promised to cut him off if he went too crazy. 

Spoiler alert. He backed down on that threat during the recording even though I teased him with a topic close to the issue-insufficient enforcement and fines for killing road workers. Though actually he claimed that the majority of fatalities occur to our ever-distracted drivers swan diving into the construction zone. I used to work with his boss when I was at MIOSHA and RC never backed down on a controversy, usually at a high volume. His final thought to my "Fix the damn roads" was "We build the best damn roads in the country".  May get pushback on that. Should have asked why they keep fixing the "same damn road" over and over or maybe I'm just imagining it. 

Next topic is a toss-up between the new Heat Stress standard or the dangers of molten metals. I'm all for riveting stories about foundries I have known, or rather my guest has known. The heat standard on the other hand has some really wicked and unpopular sections on record-keeping and references to 115-degree heat. This ain't Florida folks. 

WHY? A lot of things that seem to be common sensical, but in the safety world we can always be surprised. Like the guys freakin' out as the playbox sand they're pouring says silica: carcinogenic. Only if you lay in it for days inhaling it like a sleeve full of coke. (you need the sleeve as you have to keep wiping your nose). Or can a smell make me sick? Void yes, permanent disability not so much. Can we drink the water in the water conditioning tanks for an upset stomach? Well as the song says "put the lime in the coconut" or coo coo nut. Though it is calcium carbonate from limestone wells I'm not sure raising the pH of your insides is a genius move. 

Then the scary ones. Can't I just turn off the back-up alarm. It's bugging me and nobody pays attention anyway. Or having to address a building maintenance meeting to explain why a temporary seasonal worker cannot come inside with the master electrician when he accesses a live bus section. Or why did you go back into the sewer vault after the detector was going off? I didn't think the detector was working right..argghh. 

Followed by the ones that do not complain as they pull out a deep pit pump on the intake side of the wastewater plant. Or the meter reader who lowers themself into a dirt-filled Michigan basement to read a meter. Who would think reading a meter could be so hazardous? I was monitoring the work as we entered an older lady's cockroach infested kitchen and I will not forget the family group covered with blankets in the middle of the day in a house with bars on the windows that just stared at us.  I asked the po po to check that one out. But their biggest complaint? My not allowing them to wear shorts in the summer when EVERYONE had been bitten by an animal at some point when doing their rounds. After I left, shorts and white vehicles appeared. Ah well. What a party poop. 

The dogs may bark, but the caravan moves on.

New bird feeder placed to encourage the yellow finches I've been noticing. They really love the birdbath so decided to provide the whole spa experience. Though I just saw a squirrel climb the metal pole so sq/inhibitors may need to be installed. Peace out....💚  💙💛

                                              

GOING FOR GOLD (August 12)

"I don't approve of political jokes--we've seen too many get elected" (ta rump bop)

POLITICALLY SPEAKING Which is how I preface having breakfast with ex-Governor Snyder last week. He didn't know I was coming; I didn't know he was coming but we were connected by a booth seatback, so I think that counts. Talking politics of course. Well, he was, I was just straining to listen in to him and his buddy. Caught the words of being an example which really leads to some fun speculation. Good or bad example? Dumpf or ,la? Weird Vance or Tampon Tim? (for reference, I have had feminine products around the male gender all my life and none of them died). The active gun range and wannabe terror camp near the lake or just life in general? 

Speaking of felines and supporters; this election is about cats and their rights to exist as substitute children. Their inability to provide their "parents" with extra privileges is just the tip of the whisker. However, their ability to slide into tight spots like boxes and cupboards do make them excellent spies. The intelligence garnered may or may not be provided to their owners depending on their moods, because, well they're cats. Basically, teenagers for life.

APROPOS Been trying to figure out the best shopping days when there are actually lanes open and less people to play grocery cart bumper tag. Apparently, Tuesday is not the day, though how so many people have the day off in the middle of the week I have no idea. But they were armed with children and full carts of unhealthy processed items-so much for all the whining about "the economy". And although I have made my share of snide remarks about how I should pay less for the groceries as I check out and bag them myself, I am getting rather good at it. I have even mastered 2 for 1, coupons and cash sales. Not having to send up the little red neon "smoke signal" when I screw it up is the grocery award of honor. I saw one lady signal at least three times. She should be banned from the self- serving world unless it was a distraction to smuggle a watermelon out under her shirt. 

You know, to get serious for a moment. We have the technology and resources in this world to feed and house everyone on earth yet we find it, apparently, more moral to build character through struggle. Meanwhile, the middle class carries the burden for both the rich and the poor, though we chastise the poor for being that way rather than demanding the wealthy pay their fair share. During the Eisenhower years, the wealthy were taxed at a 90% rate and the economy kept booming. It is now 35% as corporate backed politicians repeatedly slash taxes. And they want to blame the "other side" for ruining the economy? Too bad we don't teach history anymore.

FLASHERS A whole new meaning to lightening round occurred last week for the OH. After finishing 10 holes with a threatening dark sky, the thunder started rolling. Retreat sometimes being the better part of valor, they hit the gas for the clubhouse. Which is relative as those little carts do not have a tremendous number of rpms. Except when the 12-year-olds in our lake neighborhood zip around in obviously souped-up versions.  As they trundled towards the cart shed a tremendous flash made a close encounter of the nasty kind almost on top of the cart. I asked which one voided first? Apparently neither. 

After a short respite in the clubhouse with proverbial buckets coming down, they made the next dash to the truck on foot. The OH figured he was already soaked so why run. Still outside while his screaming (internally) friend was already ensconced in the truck the second flash hit the ground trying to finish the job. He should have bought lottery tickets. 

Now I must break for the Closing Ceremony-Thank you world for the sports, love and togetherness if only for a moment.

AND FINALLY "The word politics comes from poly, meaning many, and ticks, meaning bloodsucking parasites"                 Peace Out.....💚  💙💛

                                    

LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING (August 5)

I had a bad case of the peekaboos. The hospital put me in ICU.  

OPENING UP Which is one way of introducing WINDOW WEEK! One of the hottest weeks this summer and that's when Andersen decided to send their crew in to open things up.  Fortunately, they sent a crew of ex-Georgians who find 90 degrees refreshing. I did offer bathroom, refrigerator and cooling spots of course. They said the weather was much better up here and they get paid better-who would'a thunk it? Most polite gentlemen who sprinkled Ma'ams like powdered sugar on a plate of cookies. I believe I even said "bless your heart" once when they gallantly helped with stubborn furniture. Yes, we tip contractors when they go above and beyond like fixing the relatively new deck when one of the boards took a trip south. Install comes just in time as I believe Consumers is celebrating their most recent rate hike. As I often say, "wonder what the poor people do"? (usually at the pharmacy)

Our problematic patio doors are now history as I manipulate the new ones with the tip of a finger. No more banging, pushing, lifting said doors to open and close. Assuming our house is doing its best to return to the earth (houses settle) we heard a mumble that it took $40 worth of caulk to get the seal just right. Yes, yes, we saved $15 grand, but like most sales they jack up the price, so you feel like you won. Still an obscene amount of money but I guess asking 50-year-old doors and windows to hang in there a bit longer was not an option. The workers claimed they could feel a regular breeze coming out of the bottom of the old door. So technically my electric bill should drop $100 since I am no longer "air conditioning" an open patio, right? No wonder squirrels and chipmunks and the occasional rabbit like hanging out there. Should have noticed the fur moving as they basked in my costly artificial breeze.

                                

The airplane carrier for the horses to the Olympics is named "Air Horse One"

HERSTORY. Sunday before our epic window week we enjoyed a little cruise down the Grand River outside of downtown Lansing. Our friends invited us to a "historical" program but assured there would be wine. There was wine. Our safety talk from the Captain included "since the depth is about 10 to 12 feet in case of an accident we will only descend as far as the second deck and the bar will be open until rescue". Oh yeah, they also had life preservers. Plus, the pseudo paddlewheel (and diesel) boat can only go so far before it makes contact with a bridge, so it is an abridged (pun) version of a river trip. The History Lady decked out in 1900's garb revealed she had created her "historic" pictures through the assistance of AI (huh). Possibly she was also AI, especially when she mentioned a former zoo on the site that tended to lose its animals to thwarted escape attempts. The bear was recaptured...however the alligator may still be roaming free. Lunching on small boys by the missing alligator was also mentioned so I am more convinced she was a robot. You know, because of the no emotion thingee.

History Lady also talked about some slickers from New York I believe, who sold people a lot of swamp land later renamed Lansing. I guess they figured out how to work with that. Further hilarity ensued when she said Lansing became the Capital when legislators from the actually populated areas of Michigan got tired of arguing and just voted the next suggestion that hit the floor. Surprise! Talk about exploiting folks about swamp land. I guess that also worked out. As we had wine, food and lots of cookies we didn't argue any messy details or question possible fake news.  I did put my recent back surgery to the test by climbing very steep boat stairs with a glass of wine in my hand. No wine was lost so success.

"If attacked by a mob of clowns go for the juggler." I don't know I just like puns. Peace out..💚  💛💙