@HenryAWallace
an innocent looking word that means "imperialist assholes set on thieving and arrogating to themselves control and power over the land, resources and, if present, people(s) of some foreign land". Read their works closely, it's pretty much stank all the way down. This place, once sufficiently stolen and controlled and pried loose from its remote owners was designed and written into law as an oligarchy that was in part a plutocracy, but without the leveling influence that plutocracy grants new money procured by the lower classes.

As it happens, I know a Sister Monica. She is a grandaughter of William Rockefeller, brother of John D who became a nun in a religious community that has been accused repeatedly of being a cult. In her shoes, I don't know if I would have taken a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience. But that's me, obviously, not her.

Trump is, of course, a turd with the most ambitious comb over I've ever seen. However, those who have power over us stink and have stunk for quite some time. Some of Trump's predecessors were just a hell of a lot smoother and more covert about their stank. Like Obama, pretending he wasn't still "torturing some folks" to name only one.

Maybe those with power over America's hoi polloi always stank, whether or not covertly. Andrew Jackson, alleged founder of the modern Democratic Party leaps to mind--and the New Deal was not the only thing FDR gave Americans, as Hikaru Kato Sulu has reminded us. Maybe we just notice the stench more now that every brain fart of the POTUS gets covered all day long and retweeted again and again. I am still too tired this am to sort all that out. And, it now being November, I must, of course, prepare to report for duty in the annual war against Christmas.

I am not, however, too tired to wish you and all your readers a good weekend. Heck, why be a piker? I wish all of you a great weekend and a great rest of 2018.

@Raggedy Ann Though I no longer live there, I'm a native Bostonian and it made me smile to read of your adventures in my home"town." Glad the kids are settled and you got to experience some foliage (although, the colors have been decidedly less vibrant this year ... 'cause of the crazy run of 90-plus degree days?). The boys will get the hang of the T in no time.

Happy weekend to you!

We have returned from a successful mission to move the kids to Boston and it's taken me a day to get my feet back under me.

We arrived in the nor'easter in NYC and made our way to the Port Authority in Manhattan. We caught our bus to Binghamton. Even in the rain, it was a beautiful drive. I got a lifelong wish to see some fall New England colors.

Of course, being constricted to my walking boot, I only supervised the loading of the uhaul. On Sunday morning, we took off for Boston and arrived early afternoon. They are actually in Quincy. On Tuesday we went to the cathedral named Fenway Park. The boys were in heaven. My son said since my husband and I had experience using public transportation in large cities, he wanted our expertise to help them get some confidence about using it daily, so we helped them navigate the train system, called the T. We also took ourselves to the airport on the T. I loved that!

So, back to reality next week. But with the holidays coming up, I'll look forward to lots of time off with people who make my life enjoyable.

Anniversaries and birthdays are the reminders that our loved one is no longer in our physical presence. We feel the emptiness, the loneliness, and the pain of their absence during these times. I send peaceful and healing thoughts your way, dear friend.

Have a beautiful day and weekend, folks!

@mhagle Sending healing thoughts your way, Marilyn. Your family was there for Dixie when she first needed it most, and you're there now when she next needs it most. Not that this makes any of it any easier. Been there, done that with several furry family members. But take comfort in knowing your compassion matters, and Dixie feels that right now.

Tim - I haven't interacted with you much here, so you probably don't even recognize my username, but I want to send a hug across the miles at the end of what has been a poignant week for you. Sue is smiling from somewhere, knowing how much you love her still.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvmEYgFsgyg]

Sorry for the loss you feel. Know you have the good memories to cherish too, as you have shared many of them.

One of our rescue dogs is dying today. Dixie. She is a black lab whose original owners moved away and left her. When our kids were small, husband used to take them to the park everyday after school. This dog who appeared to be homeless, started showing up every day. Eventually husband brought her home and put up a sign in town. Someone called and told us her story so she became our dog. She's good. A gentle giant, but not a shepherd dog. We learned that quickly when we put her with our goats one time! She has had much attention over the years as my husband used to take her with him on trips to his brother's ranch.

Dixie is probably 13 or 14. She has had trouble with arthritis the past few years. Vitamins helped. Months ago one of her claws came out and it has been difficult getting it to heal. A few weeks ago we declared victory on the paw when she started vomiting. I tried every home remedy we could think of. Finally realized this is the cancer the vet told us she had in a tumor years ago.

Anyway. She stopped eating yesterday. We are doing doggie hospice.