Huey Long was the same way as Cruz.

Although he played the rube and did indeed once live in a converted chicken coop, he was Hitler's equal in manipulation and insanity. I did my college thesis on him, with inside information from one of his brothers who actually lived a decent life. They never spoke past childhood. Since both men are gone now, of course, I can tell you that the brother said he always felt guilty being relieved when Huey died because the man was just that dangerous and sociopathic. Huey would've become president if he'd lived, that's for sure.

I wouldn't warn him if I knew a meteor was about to fall out of the sky and land on his head.

When you folks are feeling low,

try to remember how much you're loved and valued, especially here but doubtless elsewhere as well.

I'm sure you can understand why I celebrate Christmas by a complete withdrawal from the outside world and intruding electronics. Well, I do listen to James Earl Jones reading the Bible, but no tv or internet that day. Sometimes I receive welcome phone calls from friends far away, but basically I just roll up the sidewalk that day. I'm unwilling to spend Christmas at the home of my few local friends because if they're home, that means all their crazy relatives will be there with them, and that I can do without. It's damn near impossible to celebrate a holy day in good conscience by cussing out some slug, which I don't believe in doing in someone else's home anyway. Those cross-forum friends who also belong to the DU loners group will understand this readily.

It's what he sees every morning in the mirror. If he's sober enough to see at all.

Someone - of course I forget who - recently compared Cruz' tactics to Lenin

I answered that person that as a lifelong student of Russian history, I'm deeply embarrassed at not having independently noted that myself. But it's true. Cruz won't start a 3rd party. He will wreck as much destruction of the GOP overall as might be required to take full control of it. Never mind what he's doing and certainly would do worse to the rest of us. Sorry, but I can't think of one redeeming virtue he might possess - he's one of the most dangerous persons in our history, and don't expect any tears from me over whatever comeuppance he receives.

I'll take that man's care and guidance

over Rethug vultures any day!

BTW, thanks for those wonderful pics. I've had to designate a separate thumb drive just to store my DU collection for backup, because periodically they crowd out everything else and then I offload, knowing there's a fresh batch on the way.

If I yearned for any expensive electronic goody, it would be a digital frame at least 3'x5' with a terrabyte storage capacity. Now that would be something. I suppose I could stream from a computer to a big screen tv. But I'd still rather have a separate, dedicated GIANT digital frame.

There must be an internet virus going around

I've been doing the same thing. Won't say which progressive sites, but I told off a couple in no uncertain terms for their most recent hard push, which included inexcusable attempts at embarrassment if not downright shaming. My explanations to them were far less gentle than Hekate's. I told them I didn't appreciate emails headed "Your Name - NOT A DONOR" and even one in bright red letters declaring "last notice" like they were bill collectors and I a deadbeat debtor! I also wrote President Obama about some of the terrible things being done in our party's name, since I'm sure he never sic'd the fundraisers on widows, orphans, and little old ladies on SS. I don't mind and do expect normal fundraiser emails at certain seasons, but damned if I'll put up with something that sounds like it came from Sam(Stan?) Kennison.

Actually, the two that made me angriest also got my worse insult. I told them they sounded like REPUBLICAN VULTURES.

But I kept my favorites, especially since they offer me the greatest # of petitions to sign, and those can be powerful tools.

Yes, a most beautiful day

as I had to keep muttering under my breath when I went out to bring IN the trashcan and discovered the dogs had found the new, huge regional phone book I'd requested from the phone company. I asked for it to be placed outside the gate, but apparently it just got thrown in the yard. By the time I came out it was scattered all over the 1/4 acre in such tiny pieces you'd think it had been through a mechanical shredder instead of two dogs' teeth! By the time I got it all picked up, I decided that counted as my exercise for the day. And I wasn't mad very long.

I hope Bo and Sunny behave better than Molly Maguire and Brigid. My two try to sneak indoor items outdoors in order to complete their work before discovery. But it's funny how Brigid will just stand there at the door, waiting to go out, and not trying to conceal anything at all. She's easy to catch. Molly on the other hand is quite the sneak. Last week I noticed at the door that her head was tucked way down when it's usually carried high. She had my gloves in her mouth and was pressing them tightly between her lower jaw and chest so I wouldn't see. Only her posture gave her away. You gotta love dogs like that. It's okay, I don't mind so long as they vote Democratic!

I believe dogs do go to heaven.

Partly because they have perfect souls, and if flawed humans are welcomed in, how could dogs not be?

Besides, every dog I've ever lost has returned to me at least once in a dream soon after, in a way to let me know he or she is well. I know dreams are not always real, but sometimes they are. Some close sense of the other side runs strong in my family line anyway. I had a son that if he warned you of danger ahead, you ignored him at your own peril. So I feel confident in the matter of our furkids, and besides I worked in hospice for enough years to have seen and heard and felt the most marvelous things. Who knows but what our guardian angels are sometimes our departed pets? And I've been saved from potential deadly harm too many times not to realize that somewhere, somebody's watching out for me.

It's natural that right now you don't see the path, immediately after such a shock.

But you will.

Give your stepson my loving thoughts as well. If he got rid of his weapons, he really does want to get better. You need each other more than ever right now.