After the equinox

Some time ago I mentioned an offshoot of the Democratic party called the Democratic Socialists and I recently learned there is another offshoot, the Justice Democrats.  These guys have a lot in common with the DS group in that they are liberal even if they call themselves "progressive."  Their big distinction is that they don't accept any corporate funding or money from PACs.  Maybe it's working for them;  a few of their candidates have won some recent elections, although not many.  Just thought I'd throw that out there.

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My plunging experience differs from yours, Mr. Beagles.  Rather than pack clogs more tightly I've found that plunging sucks a lot of crap, like globs of hair and those damn Q-Tips, back out of the drain.  I neglected to mention that I also use a drain cleaner when I notice the draining slowing down a little.  Instead of liquid cleaners I prefer the classic and dangerous stuff, 100% lye (sodium hydroxide).  Ever wonder why strong alkali solutions feel so slippery on your fingers?  It's dissolving the fat from beneath your skin, or so I've read.  A little goes a long way and if I ever feel a compelling need to whip up some lutefisk I am well prepared.

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The Chinese social credit system keeps rolling along and now I've read that it may even affect foreign sovereignty.  I don't think this train is going to stop any time soon.

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I can't tell which way the Kavanaugh business is going to turn but I expect some lurid details in the upcoming testimony.  For a while I thought maybe he could squeeze out of this jam but now I'm not so sure. His fraternity at Yale was known for its shabby treatment of women; I wonder why he chose to join that one.  And then there are the piscine aspects of his finances and how he resolved his personal debt so quickly.  His background is getting murkier and murkier by the day.  Finally, the state of Maryland has no statute of limitations on sexual assault; he could get arrested at any time if the woman in question decides to make a criminal complaint.  What then?  The best script writers in Hollywood can't come up with stuff like this.

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Here's a bit of useless knowledge...if you're like me you thought that Reince Priebus had a very unusual first name.  Turns out, Reince isn't his real name after all.   He got a head start on his alias in case the coppers come asking his associates about this guy Reinhold Priebus.  Never heard of him.