Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Yes, I Know. The Inauguration Happens This Week

 Do I intend to watch it? Maybe a few minutes, for politeness sake. Do I still feel that something fishy happened, so Joe Biden could become President? Oh, yeah... just like many others think. And, ironically, just like Nancy Pelosi alleged about the 2016 election. So she could say it then and it was ok, but people who say it this time are wackos? I don't think so.

But after Wednesday, Joe Biden will be our President, regardless. It is what it is. Here's a basic timeline for Inauguration Day events, if you're curious.

    ( I can't help but think, though, that Hillary Clinton is secretly a little pissed that Biden got the presidency -- and she didn't.)

On to life in general. Still working at various jobs, so we can head south. The Brick is getting antsy...and so am I. But these projects need to be done first. I peeled apples a good share of Saturday afternoon, for pies and applesauce. (Ruby the dog did NOT approve of the deer eating the cores and peels I threw out.) Finished up photo captions (finally) for The New Book. Then it was on to printing out the big household goods report that's been in progress for ages. And finally, I've got a few new appraisals to get out, and a baby quilt to finish restoring. (Mainly requilting.) 

    We're supposed to get snow and rain the first part of the week. I'm so glad -- we need it desperately. Colorado is a DRY state, and we're sure proving it so far this winter.

     Life goes on, Inauguration or not. Someone be sure to mention that to soon-to-be-ex-President Trump. (Frankly, I think VP Pence is relieved.)

                                               Biden's official portrait, via Wikipedia

The International Quilt Association is no more. This is the nonprofit arm of Quilts, Inc. -- which means that the Houston International Quilt Festival will go on (it, like AQS' Paducah show, is for-profit), as well as the virtual quilt festival. But the nonprofit group is gone. 

So is the Dutch prime minister, and his cabinet. A huge scandal with child welfare payments.

Some of the best one-hit wonders. Did you know that Devo claimed its "Whip It" song honored President Jimmy Carter? (I'm still trying to figure out that one.) One of my favorites...

(weird video -- great song!)

And another we heard over and over on the world cruise -- Brits, Scots and the Irish LOVE this song.

Betty White is 99 -- can you believe it!!  (Happy Birthday, by the way...)

The 'Maine Quilt:' one of the more unusual memorial quilts I've seen. Based on the blowing-up of the Maine during the Spanish-American War. And it's for sale. More on this in an upcoming post. (Thanks, Julie Silber.)

Fires that never go out -- on Mt. Chimaera.  Another adventure from Travel with Kevin and Ruth.

Watch what's going on in Yellowstone National Park, thanks to several cams.

The Deutscher recluse who lived with his dad's art collection just died...turns out the authorities haven't been able to identify most of the paintings/prints/etc. as stolen. So they return to his estate. Some paintings have been identified, and are being returned to the original owners.

The vest, now bloodstained, that Charles I wore on the day of his execution is going on display. Weird...but fascinating.

Susan Gutfreund is selling a bunch of her things at auction. Including this incredible Chanel jewelry set, valued at $4000-6000. Before you get all hot and bothered about it, though, bear in mind that the leaves are glass -- and the pearls fake. You're paying for the name(s). (Her husband was the much-reviled 'King of Wall Street.' Check out the link for more.)

What to make when there's "nothing in the house to eat."

And another version of same. 

A customs dog sniffs out Something Really Terrible at the Newark, NY airport: 88 pounds of illegal sausage!  (I am still whimpering from the beautiful cured tapas meats we had confiscated in December, coming home from Mexico. Turns out that the U.S. will not accept any kind of meats except from New Zealand and Australia.)

Jim Acosta's being transferred -- CNN won't have him covering the White House anymore. Interesting...

Another millionaire money interview from ESI Money. I always learn something from these.

Snowboarding a mountain edge -- from the snowboarder's point of view.

Million-dollar spaghetti casserole. Kind of like a spaghetti version of lasagna -- but easier.

Make it for Valentine's Day, and include this.  (You're welcome. My pleasure.)

'Our 2020 finances: how did our portfolio do?'  One of my favorite financial bloggers, Millenial Revolution, holds forth.

Some of Charles Dickens' weekly journals can now be read online! If you're a big fan of Charley's work, like I am, this is wonderful. Also:

You can now earn an M.A. in 'Dickens studies.' 

This reminded me of another Dickens treasure -- his essay on 'begging letter writers,' which sounds suspiciously like the GoFundMe requests I encounter on Quora, and elsewhere. They'll 'just die' if they don't get medical aid/vacations/computers/designer clothes, etc etc etc. My current favorite: the very nice lady who got Covid, so couldn't work for a couple of weeks -- but apparently no one in her family, including at least six husky guys in their twenties, plus a couple of teenaged girls, seemingly weren't able to contribute anything to the family coffers. (And no, they didn't have Covid, too.) 

    Next time your sympathetic impulses kick in, ask two questions:

     *Are they doing everything in their own power to help solve this problem, and

      *Have they done GoFundMe posts before? (Many have.)

Then read Charley's letter. Again.

An incredibly strange optical illusion -- a man's body 'loses' his head in a swimming pool! (Hard to explain. Interesting to watch the two match up again.)

Quote of the Week, from Denzel Washington:

"Quite simply, you can't win with the news. If you read the papers, you're misinformed. If you don't read them, you're uninformed."

Have a good week. God bless America.