I was so relieved to wake up this morning and see Trump's latest effort to subvert the U.S. election thrown out of the Supreme Court. Thank goodness some adults are holding it together and respecting the system and the will of the people, and not joining Trump and Giuliani in their destructive, floor-pounding toddler tantrum. I will be so glad when the electors vote and inauguration day comes and goes, and their furious charade is over.
Of course, I had to check the commenters on a crazy right-wing news site to see what they had to say about it. "So it's war," was the first response -- which was unsettling until I remembered that the entire online comment stream, which seems so threatening, actually consists of a handful of extremists drinking beer in their bathrobes. Or Russian bots, as I've said before.
Meanwhile, here in the U.K., we've been unable to strike a trade deal with the E.U. It looks like we'll have what Boris Johnson euphemistically calls an "Australia-style" deal, which is his more palatable way of saying no deal at all. Even Australia says it's a bum rap.
I don't pretend to understand it all and I have no idea what it's going to mean for us, the everyday consumers who depend on goods we get from Europe. Higher prices or reduced availability, I suppose. And who knows what it will do to exports and travel.
This crazy world!
Here's the latest interesting street debris I've seen on our walks to and from work. When it was newly painted and stenciled with those swallows this must have been a nice dresser! I love those stencils. I don't understand why people throw stuff like this away. All it needs is a new coat of paint. (And some knobs.)
When I was a kid, I had a dresser that looked a lot like this, and so did my brother. Over the years both of them became worn and covered with stickers (because kids cover everything with stickers). My mom bought some bright paint and we painted them -- my brother's blue, and mine green. I used it for many years afterwards – until I was in college, in fact. Maybe even after that. I can't quite remember.
Anyway, it would be nice if someone rescued this dresser. It looks like it has a lot of life left in it.
Speaking of household design, have you seen minimalist nativity sets? Brilliant!
(Top photo: Colorful graffiti in Billy Fury Way.)
I love the swallow stencils but their positions bug me. My borderline OCD has me repositioning them in my head. The graffiti eye and its colors are somehow intriguing. And, yes, what a relief about the Supreme Court UNANIMOUS decision. But the situation in the States has me in a constant state of anxiety.
ReplyDeleteHa! I kind of like the randomness of the stencils. That's how swallows fly, after all -- they're all over the place!
DeleteHa-ha! I love the minimalist nativity scenes - especially baby Jesus as a toilet roll. I believe he was "swathed in swaddling bands" which may be Hebrew shorthand for toilet tissue. As for the swallow-festooned dresser, why don't you bring it home yourself Steve? You could paint it green to remind you of your childhood.
ReplyDeleteIf it had just been me, and we needed a dresser, I would have. But Dave warned me away from it!
DeleteI remember painting two dressers red for the kids when they were young. We couldn't afford the handles so I drilled two holes for each handle and threaded rope through, it worked fine.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
That's a good solution! Kind of nautical.
DeleteHey Steve. We are not guilty and I don't know anything about a bum wrap.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. The drawers are too good to be thrown away. I expect someone will pick the unit up and decorate and maybe sell.
If we must have nativity scenes, the minimalist ones look quite good.
Apparently Australia is actually trying to strike a better trading deal with the EU, so for us to follow your existing lead (no deal at all, just WTO rules) is kind of crazy.
DeleteDeals, deals and deals. We have a free trade deal with China, and now China has banned many of our prime exports. They really aren't worth the paper they are written on.
DeleteTHe dresser is lovely. I would take it if I lived near there! I would keep the blue and the swallows too. The minimalist nativities are funny. Some of them are quite attractive. It has made me wonder if I should try one! I haven't put my nativity things out yet as there is no room (at the inn!) but I have more time!
ReplyDeleteI know! I think if someone removed the stickers, which could probably be done easily enough, and touched up the blue paint it would be fine.
DeleteSee, now, here is the sort of thing that would lead me to big trouble. I'd be unable to leave it, because 'it is a perfectly good dresser, and someone could use it.' I'd bring it home and I would wait, and at some point, the ad would appear in the local helping hands "Does anyone have a dresser they need to get rid of..." I think I am called to be a matchmaker. Between people and furniture.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm thinking I need to go get it!
DeleteThe Electoral College meets to vote on the election on Monday. Fingers crossed there won't be too many rogue right wing wing nuts subverting the will of the people.
ReplyDeleteI'll be very interested to see how the vote goes. I don't think there will be many renegade electors, if any at all, but I could be wrong.
DeleteDig That Mural Over The Red Bricks Of The UK - Be Well Brother
ReplyDeleteCheers
It's cool, isn't it? Colorful and yet kind of creepy!
DeleteI remember my children and I painting an old bookshelf once. It had flowers and hearts and it may still be in use in either Jessie or Lily's house still. And why DO kids want to put stickers on everything?
ReplyDeleteI hope that Brexit isn't the complete nightmare it would appear to be. What an insane world we live in now.
I don't know why stickers are so appealing to kids, but they are. And then, when you have them, you HAVE to stick them to something -- otherwise what's the point?!
DeleteI know you know how relieved we were when the Supreme Court rejected Trump's latest insane plea for flipping an election. Now we just have to get through the electoral college vote. I cannot wait for this monster to get out of the White House.
ReplyDeleteLove the mural and the swallows on that dresser.
It just goes on and on. Every day there's drama.
DeleteTrump continually comes up with more ideas to create mayhem.
ReplyDeleteHe's astonishing that way, isn't he? He is a bottomless well of anxiety-inducing mischief.
Deletei would have that dresser, distress it further and put it in a shop for one million pesetas! I love the swallows! The nativity scenes are brilliant- Always amused to see what object folks use for the newborn christ child.
ReplyDeleteErik covered his bedroom door with stickers- it was a thing a beauty, a diary of sorts. I wanted to save it but Dennis did not appreciate the artistry of it, so they all got unstuck, sort of, there is sad residue. Guess i will paint it.
The orange gas is creating havoc, trying to do as much damage as possible before leaving , no surprise, He is killing people on death row as fast as he can.
Oh, distressing it is a good idea -- geez, I really AM thinking about going back for it now.
DeleteI have a bunch of old furniture in my basement that I think I am storing in case one of my grown kids needs it in their home or apartment. I do not really think that any of them need or want it but since I am not positive about that, it sits filling up basement space. So if you ever need any furniture, check with me first; although, getting it to England is on you!
ReplyDeleteRepublicans have really screwed this up and how they will work with the Biden administration will be interesting to see. They have ruined their credibility and their party.
Ha! Well, I guess if you have the space it's not a problem for it to sit down there. Someday you can have a huge yard sale!
DeleteI know of someone who restores furniture like this. Unfortunately, she's in Perth Australia so I doubt she can help. But, I've seen photos of her work and she does an excellent job.
ReplyDeleteTrump tweeted this morning that our Governor (who he used to be pals with) is worse than any Democrat. We are all waiting for the head of the Arizona Republican party to chime in. She's a real trumpian loony tunes.
I'm with you. I can't wait for the electors to vote. At least the election will be settled. I doubt it will shut up the idiots.
Well, basically, in Trump's book, anyone who's not on his side is an enemy and a "loser." There is no gray area.
DeleteYou're brave to read the comments on the right wing sites. If I did, I would probably try to leave the country ASAP. When I thought people were crazy several years ago, I had no idea what the depths of crazy could be.
ReplyDeleteI do have to remind myself that they're a small subset of people, and probably just blowing hot air -- but still, they are terrifying. I wouldn't be surprised if some degree of violence arises from all this.
DeleteActually, I see there already HAS been violence...
DeleteSteve, we know now that even the people he put on the supreme court aren't stupid enough to risk their careers to do crooked things like he thought they would do. He sure can't tell them they are fired. If you can remember months ago he said if he lose he would take it to the Supreme Court. That was his plan but all of his crooked shit have backfired on him. He must know by now he is not in control of the world. Who the hell he think he is. Dumb bastard. He need to disappear now. He and his so called legal team. Rudy with all that dye dripping down his face and looking like the hunch back of Notre Dame. They need to keep up mess to feel important. After inarguration day, the news channels should not carry his mess on any of the television channels.
ReplyDeleteI agree -- I think the media should just freeze him out once he leaves office. Donald Trump suffers the most when no one is paying him any attention.
DeleteI love the article on the nativity scenes. I sent a link to a friend of mine who has the old-fashioned one in her heavily decorated home.
ReplyDeleteThey ARE very creative, aren't they? I really like the stained glass one. I'd consider buying that myself.
DeleteThose nativities are great! I want to create one of my own. Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteYes, I was SO relieved that SCOTUS declined to even take up the case. Even though I knew that it was a stupid lawsuit, likely a publicity stunt, and not likely to get traction, I still had a lot of anxiety around it.
You could probably make one with vegetables! LOL
DeleteI prefer the nativity sets of a couple of years ago which was a sausage roll in a manger
ReplyDeleteHA! I remember that! I think you posted it!
Deletethat is a nice dresser. love the color and the swallows.
ReplyDeleteso yes, the SC did the right thing but things are getting nasty now. big march in DC with the Proud Boys rioting, physically assaulting bystanders and counter-protesters, destroying private property by tearing down all the Black Lives Matter signs. no cops, no tear gas, no rubber bullets.