A lovely day...

...if you like cold, rainy days during which the electricity goes out for three straight hours, that is.

Right now, the thermometer is showing 42 degrees. Well, it was; I brought it in because it was shivering. It's a California thermometer, you know. I suspect it'll get a bit colder tonight.

My 1923-vintage building is not a paragon of good insulation, so the heater gets more of a workout than I'd like. During the blackout this evening, I was relieved to have a gas heater, as it kept on working. I'd definitely have propane service if I lived in the boonies.

And I may be forced boonie-ward by the shenanigans the state government is trying to pull: since tax increases require a two-thirds "yes" vote in the State Assembly for approval, the shitweasels in the majority (numerical majority, but not up to two-thirds) have decided to pass a huge package of "fee" increases on everything from gasoline to sales taxes to income taxes. In the meantime, they are whining about the service cuts they'll still have to make. Oddly enough, the reductions all seem to involve children, the elderly and police officers.

Funny thing: the rest of us generally have to stop spending when we run out of money. What a concept; wonder if it'll ever occur to them?

A lot of people are going to have a crappy Christmas season, it seems. Three people I know have lost their jobs in the last few days as a result of the economic meltdown. More will follow.

But while they look for nonexistent replacement jobs, they'll get to pay more for basic necessities so the government can go on funding graft-ridden junk like "anti-gang" programs (all, without exception, failures), big pay increases for unionized government workers and, of course, ever-increasing perks for the "public servants" themselves.

Don't let me get started on this crap with the economy and the government's responses to it. Makes me angrier than I can say.

I am at least glad I'm not traveling tonight. Several freeways leading out of town are closed tonight due to heavy snowfall. Hell, it even snowed in Vegas today, though 95% of the people there probably didn't notice. No windows in the casinos, you know.

I hope it snows here tonight. That'd not only be historic, but it would keep me focused on local stresses.

Just heard a radio commercial: "Pepper spray makes a wonderful stocking stuffer!"

I give up. At least for tonight.