Tuesday Tidbits

Look at the above map.  You have gray where the US is, and we seem to be in with all of Africa, China, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, half of South America along with Southeast Asian countries.  The green area seems to include Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltics, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.  Wonder what it all means?  Stay tuned to an upcoming post for an explanation. I know, I hate to tease you.  Today just look at the map and see if you can figure it out.  

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Four or so years ago I snapped this pic of Norah at Shawshank as she played in a puddle.  

I took this of her sister, Alfred last week. 

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This is a picture of the ice cream topping section at Wal-Mart. 

 Now, wherever you shop notice how scarce butterscotch is.  I swear, its tough to find.  I wonder why?  Is it just a Kitschlandia thing?  

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POLITICS AHEAD!!!  PASS OVER THIS SECTION IF THIS MAKES YOU SICK OR MAD. 

This section contained about 7 bullet points regarding our Comrade President and the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.  At 5:13 AM ET I erased them.  I don't think anyone comes here to listen to politics or rants about folks you probably voted for.  I will try to restrain myself and refrain from political discussions.  If you are keeping up with the news you have to feel some disdain for the flailing amateurism of the White House.  If you do not keep up with the news then you are likely either a poet or Arctic explorer. 

In my last political statement I will attempt to become a businessman like our Beloved Leader.  

Now!  Get Your Own Trump Troll  

Just send $38.99 to:  Minister of Transportation - Azerbaijan

1 Trump Way

Baku, Azerbaijan*  OR

Bank of Cypress

Nicosia, Cypress*  OR

Wilbur Ross - Secretary of Commerce

Washington D.C.*

*Trump made a business deal with the dictators in Azerbaijan to build a luxury hotel.  The money was laundered by Russian Oligarchs through the Bank of Cypress where Wilbur Ross was a half owner.  Hey, its a long story, but get ready to hear these names in the next 4 years.  

See, that's just like me: take the high road, expulse political crap and then replace it with more political crap.  My apologies.  Anyway, all of the above is true - look it up.  By the way, I voted for Hillary.  C-mon, admit it.  You knew our hate had crossed some kind of line when we gave a pass to Comrade President Trump's not submitting his tax returns. Gotta hand it to Shep Smith and Chris Wallace of Fox: they work for Comrade Trump's mouthpiece news channel and they both attacked the guy the other day.  Obama illegally hacked Comrade Trump?  Oh for God's sake, what a child you are Donald.  A far right wing extremist radio guy spews out crap, it goes to Breitbart and you vomit it out on a Saturday morning tweet.  Just another diversion away from your gross ineptitude.  Jeez.    Regardless of the laws, or the investigations, or what legal scolar or security official says, after this past weekend there will be no convincing Trump loyalists that Obama didn't wiretap him. In 45 days Comrade Trump has attempted to de-legitimize the FBI, the CIA, the Courts, NATO, the Press, the regulatory system, and now the former President.  Bannon calls himself a Leninist and wants to bring "everything down", and it certainly looks like he is in control of things in Washington.Hey DJ?  Still rooting for you and hope you are the best we've ever had, but with your increasing craziness its getting hard.  The pendulum is swinging against you - my patience and blind patriotism is waning.  Any more of this crap and I'll be formally joining the resistance.

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My Cabin in the Woods awaits me.  

• I had originally wanted to have some cable TV so that I might keep up with current events.  Now, I am leaning against that.  Hazel, Leave It to Beaver, Perry Mason and The Big Valley on antenna TV might be more soothing and entertaining.  

•  I miss most of the fireman's pancake breakfasts' I used to go to when I was in G-Burg.  The best one was always the one in Appleton.  East G-Burg used to do a good job and for most food and biggest menu, Alexis always won hands down. I think the fire department puts out something during Rhubarb Days.  I'll try to catch that one.

• Sorry to think with this mild winter I'll be forking out for mowing in April.  

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3146 new highs in Feb - only 27 low records set.  Again, anyone who is a climate change denier - you are a moron.  But, hey, folks, most of the 99.9 % of the scientists of the world who believe it also state that it is just about too late to do anything about it.  It is just too late.  So, no need to worry whether or not you are right or not - the dye has been cast.

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Alfred's hiding spot when she steals my phone, DSL, or channel changer.  

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Check out line at the grocery store.  This caused a classic double-take.  You'll know it when you see it.

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Norah was presented a good citizen award a couple weeks ago.  

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Now some of the Oscar movies that looked so good in December are coming out on Pay-Per-View or DVD and I feasted on a couple this week.  

Arrival is the best head-scratcher Sci-Fi flick since 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Just like the latter, I had to find outside resource material to figure out some of the things in Arrival that eluded me.  Briefly,  some beings come to earth in their definitely cool spaceship to impart a message to earth in general and to the government translator, Amy Adams, in particular.  I'm never very good on back-to-the-past and then forward-to-the-future scenes but mostly present that pepper this film.  I'm a linear kind of guy and too much back and forth becomes a bit like three dimensional chess.  But don't let that scare you away.  It is a cerebral, thoughtful and enigmatic film that they just don't make enough of.  In an era when everyone is a superhero and almost always dumbed down, it is refreshing to see an adult thinking person's film.  Catch it, then afterwards go online and ask your questions in your browser - and you'll get your "Ah, I see!" answers.  

The second one I saw was Manchester By the Sea, an adult drama that stars Casey Affleck and he deservedly won a best actor Oscar recently for his work.  I stopped buying DVD's a few years ago because I discovered I never went back and watched them enough to warrant the cost.  But if you do buy them for yourself, surely this one belongs in your collection.  I won't dwell too much on the plot, but Affleck plays a broken guy who must step up and be guardian to his nephew after his brother dies.  The kid who plays the nephew was up for best supporting actor and I can see why.  great acting performances from all concerned.  A great story that when you find out why the main character is broken will make you intake air like being a sudden jolt.  It is a rather long story (two hours and 15 minutes) but there is no fluff - no filler scenes - it needs every one of those beautifully laid out scenes.  If there is a minute silence after you see it, then you'll be like me.  I was a bit paralyzed with my thoughts and with these characters.  Go get it, but to say you'll enjoy it is to use the wrong adjective - its more like you will be transported into some characters lives that you will appreciated after it is all over.