esrosedotblog

So I am 80 godammit and am feeling feistier than ever.

Where do I start?

Look at the utter incompetence of the new administration. Even I find it shocking.

Apparently inherited wealth, shysterism and a skill for self promotion don't cut it.

Their haste in closing the immigration doors has resulted in a big time goat fuck.

Shameful. Good people being hurt. These guys are heartless! (Add that to incompetence)

Steve Bannon. Prick. A revenge junky. Priebus a political hack. The clueless soninlaw.

I weep.

I will be 80 on Saturday and all the family is coming to celebrate. 16 people?

Anyway a lot all staying at the same place for two or three days, some longer.

I am going to be off the air until it is over.

Happy birthday to me.

I am back on track.

The new president is traumphing (new word) all over the place just as expected. The pendulum swings the other way.

Action reaction.

They took down the LGBT pages on the web site. A little late to deny us. We are here queer and getting our marching boots back on. The closet doors opened and they can't be put back. I mean for the actual people.

Same for all the rest of Obama time.

It rained like hell another day.

Teeming!

And my main concern was for Obama and whether he could play golf or not.

They are here for a vacation. I don't want him to think bad thoughts about us. Seriously.

To say I have a bro-crush on him should not be news.

But now it's over. A bit of moon and we're told it is clear sailing ahead.

Another rain thing. The condo board is slowly repairing the roofs in the complex. The priorities for this are not easy to set. Today? Questions answered. Ten units report mild leaks. Great. Now we can direct the roofers.

Tomorrow,sunny.

Heavy lifting watching the orange one inaugurate.

And learning how to do this on the iPad.

We will see.

Even the Obamas arrival in Palm Springs had to be detoured to another airport fifty miles away. The sky was crying.

I had my regular condo board meeting yesterday to cap it off happily.

Today is mostly sitting. I am obsessing a bit about turning 80 next Saturday. I think in a good way. Quiet reflection.

All the family will be here so we will have a good time.

CAKE!

My iMac is on the sick list.

So I am off the air for awhile.

In the meantime, best wishes!

I have been reluctant to say what the weather is doing here.

It has seemed much wetter than we are used to in the long term drought.

I am happy to read this morning in the LATimes that I am right. We have had more rain.

After six years of drought, this is the winter weather we're 'supposed to be getting,' meteorologists say

One of the biggest signs here is that the snow is now accumulating on the mountains. For the last few years they have become barren and bleak.

I have not had to water my small patio garden for a while. Natural watering has been enough.

Good for us.

Labels: Palm Springs, snow, weather

Donald Trump is about to meet the real government.

The Civil Service that actually runs things. They can kill the initiatives of any purely political leader. Or one who thinks government is just like a business and needs to operate on good business principles.

This pretty much reflects my views of the situation:

Donald Trump, Bureaucracy Apprentice

They will grind him down and spit him out again if he does not pay attention to the way things work in government.

When I trained managers, I often encountered the idea that government needed to operate more like a business. Nothing could be further from the truth. I never heard this from the civil servants I trained.

It reveals an astonishing ignorance on the part of business people of how things work in government and politics.

I had to run my programs differently for government workers because, to be frank, their cynicism would defeat me.

They do not like change. They feel as though they are under attack on all sides. They are particularly angered by people who think that they are lazy, resistant and not capable.

And they can smell that attitude a mile off.

Presidents come and Presidents go. The same for Congress. But the Civil Service, protected by law, is where governing gets done and they do not suffer fools gladly.

Herein lies the stability of our wonderful system. It will kill the guy who has been surrounded by business yes-men unless he wises up.

Want to bet on who will win?

Labels: government, President Trump

John went to the Rose Bowl Parade today.

Marcus and I dropped him at the bus stop at 5 AM.

He has reported in from time to time.

He did have a good time. The bus tickets include seats on some bleachers. They reserved 1.5 feet per person. Apparently there were some no shows so God was looking after John and his neighbors. They did OK.

The parade was as expected but there is no substitution for seeing it live. Television cannot capture it. I know this but I still didn't want to see the parade.

The Wells Fargo float had a stage coach (their hot brand identity) with horses, of course, and sitting on the top in the shotgun seat was an airedale terrier. Classy.

And 20 mules pulling a borax wagon. You might be aware that borax comes from the desert just north of us. They don't use the 20 mule teams anymore though. Except for parades.

As for Marcus and me, we stayed home and enjoyed the quiet of no people at all.

Crowds bug me more now than ever and I do my best to avoid them. Like going to the super market at 6AM and so on.

This post is not really about me but since I mostly sat at home and head gay romance novels. Today it is better to write about someone else.

Labels: holidays

From time to time, I have been labeled an "optimist".

More like an accusation, really.

And, I have to admit that it is true.

Even when the villains have beaten their way through the gate I still think that perhaps we can become friends. Or that they really want to take care of me in my old age. Or that perhaps one or two of them will come to my defense and convince their colleagues that I am an OK guy. Who should survive.

This, from the NYTimes today, touched me heart. C'est moi.

Labels: optimimist

Obama is working overtime to set up new regulations, establish government agencies and fill up the civil service with loyal Democrats.

Obama’s Last Days: Aiding Trump Transition, but Erecting Policy Roadblocks

And the GOoPs are not happy about it.

But this follows an old tradition. Well, not that old. I remember when this happened the last time to Georgie W. Bush.

White House Vandalized In Transition, G.A.O. Finds

Vandalized. Put a smiley face here.

Or a smirk.

I know. It is pretty sophomoric. But Obama himself has been more than helpful to the Trump people. It just won't go down the line that far.

Obama will lose his job but probably set up a strong opposition organization to look after his legacy. A rumor at this point.

But there are about 4000 people who will also be on their way out the door and you can't expect them to go quietly into the sunset.

One person's vandalism is another person's political action. God bless America. I mean it.

And you know? I wish the Trumpers all the best. I have to. It is a mean world and we are Americans. We stick together. But, on the inside while we are doing our world job, a bit of pranking hurts no one and lets some steam off.

Labels: Administration Obama, Trump Administration