STUFF & NONSENSE

Why I would not want to be John Boehner right now.

First, he couldn't sell the Republicans he supposedly leads in the House on his bill to avoid the "fiscal cliff".  

Then the Democratic leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, held a news briefing in which he essentially said Boehner was more interested in maintaining a dictatorship than in doing what's right for Americans.  Boehner reportedly responded by telling Reid "Go f--- yourself!"  In the White House!  Within a few feet of the Oval Office.  When Reid asked him what was wrong Boehner reportedly repeated his epithet.

Then Mitch McConnell, Boehner's counterpart in the Senate, cut a deal with Vice President Joe Biden to raise taxes on millionaires but with hardly a lick of spending cuts in it.  The Senate then passed the bill overwhelmingly.

When Boehner brought it to his group, they angrily rejected it.  Even Boehner's right hand man, Eric Cantor, was against it.  After a couple of meetings with Boehner telling them if they sent a heavily amended bill back to the Senate it would be dead on arrival, the House voted on the bill as it was, passed it and the President signed it before hopping on Air Force One to take him back to Hawaii.

And then!  And then!  Not only was Boehner getting heat about what the hard right was calling a disaster of a bill, he postponed a vote on a bill to provide funds to New York and New Jersey for relief of problems associated with Hurricane Sandy!  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, never one to hold back, said he tried to call Boehner four times and his calls were not answered.  Christie and other politicians from the two states were fuming, boiling over, threatening to run amok. 

Boehner was again on the hot seat and today after meeting with Republican politicians from the two states said he would schedule votes on two votes promptly to provide the millions of dollars in necessary disaster aid.

Holy cow!  What a week!  And he still has to be re-elected House Speaker!  It's enough to drive a man to drink!

So, in spite of my enjoyment at his problems, that's why I wouldn't want to be John Boehner right now.

Incidentally I spoke to an 88 year old female friend of ours the other day.  She's always been a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat.  We were talking about the mess in Washington and she insisted on referring to the House Speaker as Boner.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

SWMBO and I are getting ready to pay a visit to our good friends Tom and Lana in California shortly.  Lana is opening two art exhibits and we had planned to surprise them by arriving at the second one, just walking in unannounced.  But the woman I share living quarters with told me the other day she felt awful about that because they might have other plans, other company or whatever and we would be throwing a wrench into their situation.  So I said I'd just call them and let them know.  When I did, Lana just kept saying "You're kidding.  You're kidding."  But they are as excited about our coming as we are to go.  And it's probably just as well that we broke the surprise to them because, without going into graphic detail here, Lana said if we had just walked in unannounced she would have embarrassed herself.  'Nuff said.

==========================

Lots of people have criticism of the Internet and how much time it takes out of people's lives.  But I'm constantly turning up things that I, at least, find interesting.  Here's one of them.

And with those weird thoughts, I'll let the Gratuitous Critters in for a second.

"Aw, c'mon, guys, you're acting like a couple of Congressmen!"

DIVE RIGHT IN!

The new year - 2013 - or MMXIII - has officially begun.  I found a message on my telephone this morning from the BRD and her Beau Jack.  It came in at 12:05 a.m. on the phone just a few feet from where I was already sleeping.  I never heard the phone ring.  The message was those two jokers singing (if I can stretch things by using that term) a loud and off-key Happy New Year.  Suffice it to say you are fortunate I can't play it here on my blog.

So today is January 1st once again.  I see the Senate overwhelmingly passed a tax increase for the wealthy.  It's now up to the House to do the same.

In spite of the weather where ever you are today is also a day for Polar Bear Plunges.  That's where people strip down to bathing suits and go for a (quick) swim in the usually icy water.  It is named, of course, after polar bears that swim in all kinds of weather.

"Huh?  Are you talkin' to me?"

Not all people (or bears) are ready for such an immersion into the new year.  I certainly am not.  But my late uncle, who lived in San Francisco, told me he had spent one entire year swimming every day in San Francisco Bay.  Brrrr.  Not for me the spartan life.

But I admit the Polar Bear Plunge, or whatever it's called around the world, does fascinate me.  So if you're looking to get your year started with a shock to your system . . . be my guest and dive right in.

"Ooooohhhhh, this looks like it's gonna be another belly flop!"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012 has been a great year for me and I think 2013 is going to be even better.  For example . . .

Now yesterday it snowed, heavily for awhile.  It left this.

And this . . .

And this . . .

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  (Except Christmas here was brown and dry this year.)

But today the sun has been shining off and on, the snow is melting, the streets are clean.  It's looking more like Arizona, once again.

Contrast this with the first photo above to really see the difference.  Our home faces north so the snow lasts a little longer than near the south-facing homes across the street.

New Years Eve makes me think of that traditional song, Auld Lang Syne.  But as some of my friends would say, I'm a little kinky.  So it also reminds me of this version, sung by the late comedy song writer Allan Sherman.

For you traditionalists, there are many versions of Auld Lang Syne on You Tube.  I'll leave it to you search them out and pick your favorite.

With the help of some Gratuitous Critters, I'll just say for 2013 be nice to your family . . .

and your friends . . .

and let's make 2013 a year full of joy.

"NYAH, THAT STORM WILL MISS US."

Famous last words, eh?  Take a look.

SO, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE?

4 P.M. SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

Here's where I'll be celebrating tomorrow night.  At home.

For those of you going out to make fools of yourself in public, enjoy!

Even a Gratuitous Critter knows when to hole up with a warm blanky.

AS 2012 DRAWS TO A CLOSE . . .

Even the Gratuitious Critter seems optimistic.

A THREATENING SKY

This dark threatening sky greeted me yesterday morning.

(By the way, I don't know why it has those sort of oil painting smears.  I didn't do anything to the pictures.)

At any rate, it lived up to its threat.  A little later as I came out of a store the air was filled with snow pellets, b.b. sized dry pellets.  I quickly learned that my fancy new car with all the bells and whistles does NOT have a rear window wiper.  But thankfully it does have a defroster.

The skies threatened most of the day and the temperature hung in the upper 30's/lower 40's.  I talked to one young woman at the pharmacy who said she had grown up here but she didn't like the cold, snowy weather.  "I wish it was summer again," she said.

I agree.