How the RNC Treats Its Own

Sigh. I must be on a roll today for posts. That's okay because I'll hit another period where I go weeks without posting anything.

This vid clip is an interview I just watched from the Jon Stewart show of Michael Steele, former chairman of the GOP. Since I hadn't followed politics all that closely in a lot of previous years, I had been wondering why Mr. Steele was now appearing on shows not especially close to the Republican Party.  This went a long way in explaining it, although the details aren't laid out.

Anyway, ya just have to laugh.

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The Kia Hamsters Are Back

Just because it's cute.

Snake In His Dashboard

Bwahaha. Looks like I'm not the only one with snake problems this year. This vid clip is from Knoxville, TN, and the section of I40 that Max and I commuted on for nearly a decade. Brings it just as close to home as the ones here at Lola's.

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Anniversaries and DragonCon

On August 28, 2012, Max and I had our 20th wedding anniversary. True to us, we commented on it coming up last Saturday while he was here. Our comments were generally on the side of: OMG, I can't believe it's been that long.

On the day of the anniversary, neither of us wished the other a happy anniversary. Neither of us mailed the other a card; it has to be mail since we don't exactly live together right now. Neither of us got the other a present. We are such fuddy duddies. Even for 20 years, it's like the day slid right by us. So let me say I love him dearly and have been so glad to have him in my life.

Right now, though, to add insult to the injury, my husband is on a vacation to DragonCon with his bloody sister, while I am listening to books and doing puzzles at jigzone.com . We were hoping I would be able to go, but life hasn't been kind that way. At $9.00 an hour, getting a sitter for Lola for  me to spend 5 days in Atlanta just isn't in the cards. Yep, I'm having some whine with my cheese.

For relatives who don't know what DragonCon is, it's the premier Science Fiction/Fantasy convention in the United States, if not the world. The list of authors and actors in the field that are there right now is mind-boggling. It would have been fun to attend a session or two, stroll through the vendors, and watch the stars. Lynn talked Max into at least getting together a costume, although I'm waiting for pictures to verify that he actually donned it. She pulls together fantastic costumes. This is Lynn in the middle with her pointy elven ears at some con she went to, I think in 2009.

So I'm sitting here in Arlington waiting for Max to send me pics via phone or post some to his own blog http://opinionatedcats.blogspot.com/  so I can vicariously enjoy the vacation. In the meantime, I'm listening all my Michael Connelly books of Detective Harry Bosch and attorney Micky Haller ("The Lincoln Lawyer") and am getting ready to start another run through David Weber's "Honor Harrington" series.

Also, I finished Catherine Asaro's last Skolian Empire book, "Carnelians," but it just left me wishing for more. It was a lot of character building and conversation, which I usually like, but this time I rather wished to just have the story move along. I wish Audible would get another Lois McMaster Bujold or L.E. Modessitt book. Both have plenty out in print, but I find I'm awfully spoiled to listening since I can move about the house, spin, or whatever (used to be weave or work glass) while still "reading."

Lola stayed in bed all day today. Sigh. I suppose I could say it was nice she wasn't up at 9:30, after going to bed at 4:00, and clicking the light on and off, on and off, or flipping pages in the photo album. She simply had no interest in getting up. So finally late in the evening I got her up, cleaned the incontinence issue up and fed her so she wouldn't starve to death. She ate and promptly laid back down. I'll have to make sure she's up early tomorrow to overcome the stagger effect of staying in bed all day today.

And just because it's irritating, I'm noting here at the end that my cable is out, although the internet is still on. The internet connection has been iffy though, the whole time I've been writing this. I gave up on waiting to watch the comments on Paul Ryan's speech tonight. Heavens know I didn't really want to watch Mr. Less-Government-Unless-It's-A-Woman's-Uterus, but I am interested in the short cuts the commentators will put up on him.

Potwench - Oven Challenge

Okay, Potwench. This one's for you. Snork. Actually it's for me, as it's about time I got my rump in gear and did something, anything. You in the mood for a little challenge? How about building an earthen oven challenge?

Since it's way cooler where you are, you go first (no! it's not a set-up.) and you and Bruce cobble one of these babies together. Whenever (in the next decade?) it gets into the 70s around here, I'll start work on one and cry, wheedle and beg Max to help me on it.

Then we'll review, critique, compare and see what we think. You think?

Oh, and BTW, I think I'll make my door big enough to take a good sized pizza. Screw sweet pie. I want pizza pie.

Lemme know if you want to go for this one.

Weekly Update 8/26/12

Wow. It's nearly the end of August. Maybe one of these years, the summer will end. Ya know, I don't mind blocking out the months of January and February from doing much of anything outside because it's too cold. Normally Max and I block out the last week of July, all of August and the first week of September because it's just too danged hot. Actually, until these last two years, I was pretty much shot for most of the summer, but that's changing.

This year? Whoooee, we've just blocked out the whole dang summer. There was no working up to getting acclimated to hot temps this year. It hit 80 in May, and before we turned around, 90 came down on us, and on 90s tail was 100. The best I can say about this last week is that it hasn't broken 100, although it's come close. For August, though, 90s are the norm. Even as I write at 9:28 p.m. it's 81 F outside. Sheesh.

The garden has been a most spectacular flop. I alternately am angry, sad or laughing about it. I do hope it cools off some in a week or two because I want to till this flop of a garden under and plant garlic, turnips and greens.

Max was in for the weekend. Mostly we didn't do much, but he did manage to get a new light fixture up in the garage so we can see on the other side now. It was almost too hot for him for that. Remember now, he works in IT, and they have to keep the temps really cool to keep their equipment running. So he's not acclimated to the heat this year at all.

On Friday, Ms. Mary Helen called to ask if we thought we'd like chicken pot pie for supper. Well, duh. Of course!  She also said she had a watermelon if she could get some help carrying it. Ms. Mary Helen is 91 and still as sharp as a tack. She came over about 6 p.m with a huge pan of chicken pot pie. It was delicious. She used seasoning sold at Patti's Restaurant up by Kentucky Lake. I'm still trying to suss out the rest of the ingredients because it was fantastic. Thank you, Ms. Mary Helen.

Raging Grannies Reply to Todd Akin

I hope this video gets a million hits.  Todd Akin deserves the last line. The stupid idiot.

Birthday Wishes and the State of Life

The amount of happy birthday wishes I've received on Facebook has been gobsmacking. Facebook is not a website I visit often. Actually I tend to stay away from it. Yet yesterday notices kept arriving at an amazing pace for people posting happy birthday wishes on my Facebook wall. I was stunned. 

I think something clicked off on birthdays for me after my parents didn't have a birthday wish or a present for me on my 12th birthday. Being a child, still, I was mortified but hungry, and ended up asking for a birthday present. I got one, but it was so tainted that I still remember it with a mixed measure of like (because I got something I really wanted) and dislike because I had to friggin ask for it.

So for Tuesday, I wasn't expecting anything out of the normal for my lala land world. Except that the weekend before Max had made sure I had a birthday present - a Kindle. Yay! Also, except that on Monday Jill called to let me know that Jeanne, her mother and my aunt, had decided she had to come visit her sister, my mother, and they'd be arriving after noon on Tuesday.

Papa and the iPad

ROTFLMAO

One can really hope someone as young as this gentleman seems really wouldn't be this ignorant about technology. Seriously now. But still and all, age isn't everything.

Don't worry about understanding the language.

Copperhead, Oh, My!

There are certain things I really don't like about living in a fairly rural setting. Snakes sail right up there to the top of the list. This little fellow was on a patio wall no more than 4.5 feet from my window. I think he's a copperhead from the markings; although, his head looked liked aged copper. His markings fit. Won't be doing any wading through the weeds in the garden to get the last of the veggies that may be surviving the strangle.

What Do You Know About Paul Ryan?

Warning! Personal Opinion to Follow

Following Mitt Romney's announcement that his choice for vice-president is Paul Ryan, I've been surprised to learn just how little the people around me know about Paul Ryan. Even my husband, Max, didn't know who he was a couple of months ago when I asked his opinion on Ryan's budget. I had to consciously close my mouth when he said he didn't know anything about it. Until lately, Max has notoriously been more aware of politics than I.

Here are a few video clips that do a very good job of explaining Ryan's ideas on the economy in terms that don't require one to be an economics expert and his idea's on women for the country as a whole.

If you're not aware, Paul Ryan's budget is famous. He has proposed a budget that is known as the "Kill Medicare Budget." A simple explanation per http://healthcareforamericanow.org is,

"The Ryan plan essentially would kill the guarantees that provide seniors and people with disabilities a specific set of benefits and services and then replace it with vouchers to private insurance companies."

Republicans are claiming Ryan is a fiscal conservative. If one looks at Ryan's record and the true definition of "fiscal conservative," Ryan is not at all a fiscal conservative.

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I'd like to preface this next clip with remarks that are nonprejudicial. I can't do it. The idea that any man has the right to tell me I cannot control whether or not I have a child makes me fume. This video shows Ryan's record on women's reproductive health issues.

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It would be very easy for me to rant on about my personal thoughts on men controlling women and society. I won't.

I will say, however, that I don't want this man within spitting distance of becoming president.