WHAT’S A FINIAL??? If you know what it is, you’re one of the few. Recently I knocked a lampshade off its lamp and when I tried to find the finial- the thing that fastens the shade to the harp- it had vaporized or been stolen by a goblin or something. It was GONE. Very weird. I went online and saw that Joann Fabrics claimed to carry finials so I went over there. The clerk didn’t know what a finial was and couldn’t find what I had just found on the website so I spent awhile waiting and talking with two women who knew exactly what a finial was. They advised me to try Shafer’s. The clerk at Joanne eventually gave me what turned out to be a faux final, wooden, with no hole and no way to attach it to a harp or anything else. It was kind of like a little chess piece. I ended up at Shafer’s and was turned over to the estimable Chuck Goodwin. He proffered a selection of finals of which I picked the smallest, which came in pairs and looked like thimbles. It was cheap, worked fine and saved me a trip to Pierson’s. I have ransacked that room and still cannot figure out what happened to the original and this time I can’t blame it on the dog.
CHRISTMAS WITHOUT KFC-Are you ready to admit you miss them? The holidays were MADE for takeout chicken and WINCO’s is pretty bad. There’s no relief unless you want to drive to Redding or Healdsburg. Or Costco, whose chicken is good but not as festive as good ole KFC. BTW, the Chic-Fil-A on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa DID make it through the fire. Let me know if you’re making a run.
CRACKER BARREL- Speaking of food, is anyone excited about Cracker Barrel moving into California? I didn’t think so. They are opening in Victorville, then Rocklin, good redneck neighborhoods both. I’ve had two meals at CB. The one in Knoxville was awful the one in Joplin was terrific. Go figure.
PORE WITTLE PUTIN-His buddy Trump wants to save him from being insulted by
questions about the attempted (and maybe successful) hijack of the American election of 2016. Trump’s nose is so for far up Vlad’s ass it’s not only an embarrassment, it’s an indicator that he has no judgment when it comes it comes to America’s prime enemy. And this is the President who’s supposed to keep us safe? He doesn’t have the guts to confront Putin (Or China OR the Mexicans). Today he defended Putin while calling our intelligence personnel “hacks”. He believes what that KGB thug says over our generals and security experts. This man is not fit for his office and it becomes clearer every day.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT- I’m not an expert but know one thing: Some employers tolerate sexual harassment, some don’t. l’ve always been lucky enough to work for the latter, or maybe I just gravitated toward work in government and nonprofits. My first job out of college was with Blue Shield, a government contractor. My friend who worked upstairs in the corporate HQ was harassed by one of the VPs. She got him fired and the whole company knew about it. I never felt I had to put up with anything offensive but I’ve had more choices than most women. And I’ve never been an aspiring actress who depended on the perp for employment. God bless the women who are coming forward, however belatedly.
FINNTOWN VS FINNETOWNE: What the heck is going on over there? Wednesday’s Times-Standard was the time I saw the “new” spelling and frankly I am nauseated. What are they planning over there? Shoppes? Bars and Grilles? Gentrification is raising its ugly head!. This reminds me of the old joke about the guy who built houses on Billy Goat Hill and marketed them as Angora Heights. Something tells me the rugged sailors and shipbuilders who settled our Bay would not appreciate the effete spelling. Stop it now!
IF I THOUGHT I COULD GET AWAY WITH DECKING HIM, I WOULD TOO: Rand Paul has got to be the most annoying politician in the country, yet he managed to spend 17 years living next door to that doctor (in a gated development in Bowling Green OH). without incident. Mark my words, this has the smell of an HOA gone wrong. When I was still living in Honolulu, Chris’ parents bought a gorgeous penthouse overlooking Diamond Head and the Zoo. One Sunday we went over to visit and shortly after we arrived they were visited by the president of their tenants’ association. They settled in to talk and TWO HOURS LATER they were still going on and on about leaves in the pool and whose kids were making noise. I remember telling Chris on our way down in the elevator that I would NEVER live in a place with an HOA. And I never have.
IF TRUMP STARTS A WAR AND YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A FOXHOLE, WHO DO YOU WANT FIGHTING BESIDE YOU- DONALD TRUMP OR JOHN McCAIN? Don’t all answer at once.
OLIGARCHS- Do we have oligarchs in Humboldt? The dictionaries define an oligarchy as government by the few. The first name that comes to mind is Rob Arkley but you can’t be a oligarch by yourself. There have to be other oligarchs to plot with. Personally, I don’t think we’re very well set up for oligarchs. Your opinions welcomed.
ROY MOORE- Poor Alabama! Routinely in the bottom two or three States in all the numbers that count, they can’t catch a break. They even have a ballet festival in Birmingham but they’re not fooling anyone. Harper Lee was no Faulkner and Roy Moore is an ignorant creep who admits to fondling a fourteen year-old. Is there another State in the Union where this guy would be running for Senator? But wait! There’s more! The GOP’s nominee for a lifetime Federal judge position has never practiced law! And Mitch & Co are okay with this. Check it out HERE.
TRUMP ON PUTIN- “I can’t stand there and argue with him”. Yes, you can! That’s your job! Start doing it!
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING- Do you fall for that BOGO stuff? You can’t tell if it’s a bargain unless you know what the regular price is. And if the product is new to you, you can get stuck with two of something you don’t like. I’m one of those annoying people who give popcorn tins as presents. I love them! I’m working on a whole wall of them in the garage filed with Christmas stuff, lights, etc. They’re great for storage. As long as you don’t have to look at them.
Rolling Stone did a really nice piece on Jerry Brown in their October 19 issue. As their piece by Tim Dickinson points out ,”When Brown returned to (Sacramento) in 2011, California’s finances were a horror show..But with a combination of tax ahikes and temporary belt-tightening, California eliminated a $25 billion deficit, paid off $32 billion in debt and has stocked away a rainy-day fund that will soon top $8 billion…. In the past five years, with just 12 per cent of the US population, California has driven one-quarter of America’s economic growth. The state’s greatest challenge today is a downside of a hot economy : an affordable-housing crisis and a spike in homelessness.” Hard to believe there are still people who call him Moonbeam.
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