We’re having a new central air/heat unit installed over the next couple of days, and it’s a big, ugly, expensive undertaking. The previous owners smoked in the house for 30 years, so we’re not just replacing the old, crappy A/C unit and ancient handler; we’re having the duct work ripped out and replaced and starting afresh.
My husband chose the HVAC vendor, and he did not screen them for political views. Imagine my horror when a truck covered in Trump stickers and hauling a trailer with a giant MAGA banner rolled into my fucking driveway a while ago.
I was this-close to saying, “Get your goddamned MAGAtmobile off my property, you gormless dupe of the most obvious conman who ever swindled a sucker!” But then I remembered my husband had given the A/C outfit a substantial deposit.
When the driver emerged from the truck, Badger, who has heretofore been a friend to all, barked hysterically, as if the man were a Nazgûl invading our yard instead of a garden-variety fool. Daisy seemed confused by the hub-bub.
The A/C guys are friendly enough. But I eventually had to banish the dogs to the porch because Badger would not chill, and I thought he might bite someone and cause a lawsuit.
Anyhoo, we’ve got no A/C for the next couple of days (luckily the weather is mild) and an infestation of Trumpsters in our attic. And it looks like Badger has hidden talent as a stupidity sniffer.
How’s your Thursday going?
Mary G
Badger knows. Listen to him.
donnah
Badger picked up on your vibes about the MAGA guy. Smart dog! He’s also cuter than ever, what with the “Talk to the paw…” move he’s got going there.
Vidya Pradhan
I want that dog.
Leto
@Mary G: This. Badger is BC’s spirit animal. He gets extra treats from here on out.
Ohio Mom
In fairness to Mr. Cracker, it is difficult to find tradesmen (they are almost always male) who aren’t right wing or worse (counting as worse our appliance repair guy who is also a religious nut).
I was sorry to see the McCain sign a few elections ago in front of the painter’s house (he lives a few blocks away) and I never want to know my plumber’s politics, he’s my favorite and I don’t want my heart broken.
Lapassionara
Ouch. I feel your pain.
Photos of the pups are good, but I really love your bird pictures. I am not sure why I enjoy birds so much, but with the weather around here (greater St. Louis area), I am not seeing as many as usual in our neck of the woods.
MomSense
Who’s the bestest boy? You are, Badger!
Anyone else change the lyrics to songs to make them about your dogs? Or give your dogs a voice/accent?
The few times I’ve asked this question to humans IRL they look at me like I’m nuts.
lurker dean
good doggo!
reminds me of when i drove by my former plumber’s truck and noticed that it now has a “hillary for prison” sticker. glad i don’t use that asshole any more. he was such a delicate genius that he thought he didn’t have to return calls from customers. jackass.
Yutsano
I was going to make a comment about how Betty should be listening to Badger like the Democratic voters should be listening to black women. I couldn’t make it inoffensive so yeah.
delk
When they finish the job tell them that Trump stiffs his contractors.
MomSense
@Yutsano:
How are you feeling? Last I heard, they had maybe partially discovered the problem?
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
Do any jackals have any opinions on the Shamima Begum case in the UK?
R-Jud
Writing a brace of e-mails for a higher ed client who is really, really keen for me to use the phrase “Enhance your skills” in the subject line, and I’m trying to find a way to explain to him why that phrase has certain, uh, unsavoury associations.
I’ve also had to explain to this particular guy multiple times that the correct usage is “Bachelor of Science” and not “Bachelor’s of Science”. Finally got through to him when I asked him to look at what it says on his MBA diploma– Master or Master’s?
Major Major Major Major
What a good boy!
I don’t think Samwise has ever encountered a Trump supporter; I have no idea how he’d react.
NotMax
Turn on MSNBC and crank the volume to 11?
DHD
It’s a couple years old and too long for me to finish over my lunch break but I stumbled on this article by Sofi Oksanen on Russian information warfare in Estonia and Finland (among other things) which is super-fascinating:
https://upnorth.eu/sofi-oksanen-what-its-like-to-write-about-russia/
I’m going to have to read her other books when I get a chance (“Purge” is highly recommended).
Eric NNY
@MomSense: ALL the time. To all songs.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Major Major Major Major:
Hiss and scratch their eyes out? //
Honestly, Samwise seems like a sweet cat and wouldn’t do that. How old is he by the way?
satby
Living in the redder parts of the country makes us subject to this. I try now to just settle for ones that keep their politics to themselves. I have a hard time keeping my yap shut about it and used to have regular arguments with my handyman about his bonehead politics. He ignored my last two calls, so now he doesn’t get my money at least.
Shame though, he had mad skillz fixing things.
Amir Khalid
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
Do you have an opinion? If so, you’re more than welcome to share.
Josie
Dogs know. My big dog, Teddi, used to stare with unblinking ferocity at repair guys if she doubted them. She never barked or growled, but she weighed 140 pounds, so her stare made them somewhat nervous. Good for Badger for sniffing out the bad guys.
MattF
I had my HVAC mostly-replaced about a year ago. I got a new roof unit and a new thermostat– connected via wifi to my computer and to a ‘cloud’ HVAC server in some unknown location. The air handler was upgraded but not replaced. Modern design and modern coolant, so that’s all good.
Ducting and coolant flow is mostly built into the condo structure, so that’s not going to get replaced any time soon. It was all a bit less expensive than I expected (although not what you’d call cheap) and my monthly electric bill is a bit lower, so the final verdict, after a year, is around a B minus.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Amir Khalid:
Tbh, I don’t.
RAVEN
@MattF: Heat pump or gas furnace?
MattF
@RAVEN: Heat pump.
In fact, there’s no gas into the building. One of the unit owners in the condo is a retired Federal lawyer who dealt with gas explosions. She’s perfectly happy with the situation, and I’m not going to argue with her.
MomSense
@Eric NNY:
Yes!
RAVEN
@MattF :keeps you warm that’s what counts.
Betty Cracker
@MomSense: We both do that all the time. I’m especially notorious for singing to the dogs and making up stupid lyrics for them.
Jager
Missus J and I have a friend who handcrafts furniture and accessories. He’s really talented. His politics are raging rightwing. He’s now started to spout them on his business Facebook page. He’s building a set of doors for our laundry area, he was doing the final measurements the other day and was whining about business being down. I was tempted to say “keep your fucked up political opinions away from your business”. I kept my mouth shut because we really want those new doors.
Aleta
The Badger “Stop!”
(in the name of love)
Miss Bianca
I love that pose – “Talk to the paw!!” Badger vs. TEH STOOPID!!
Mr. Mack
I have geothermal in my home and our rental has ductless units and I’m not sure which I love more. They are both very efficient, particularly in the summer. Both were installed by tradesmen whom I know lean Right, mainly because tradesmen by and large don’t do nuance in anything, especially politics. Lower taxes and less govt regulation appeals to them, and has a direct effect on their businesses. The thing is, quite a lot of them don’t bother to vote. So, there’s that.
Miss Bianca
@MomSense: I do. My last two Huskies were nicknamed Bips and Boo, and “The Bips and Boo Show” had its own theme song. So, yep.
Major Major Major Major
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Since he’s an indoor cat, I hope to never find out.
According to his papers, he was born on August 23, 2014. So he’s just a little younger than you ?
Aleta
@MomSense: I have adapted so many songs to sing to him. (But I tell him they were originally written for a dog, then changed for the human market. I believe it’s true.)
geg6
@MomSense:
I do that all the time. Koda’s theme song is her name sung to the tune of the Kink’s Lola. Lovey’s is her name sung to the tune of Yummy, Yummy, Yummy. Haven’t figured one out for Cleo yet.
Aleta
@Miss Bianca: Oh that reminds me of the theme song for the Cubby Show (starring my little nieces’ pug).
Drunkenhausfrau
Good boy, Badger!
Jager
My sisters had a little black cocker named Missy, the dog’s nickname was Puppa-Loo. The changed the lyrics of the old Rivington’s song “Poppa Oom Mow Mow” to Puppa Loo Mow Mow. Missy went nuts when they sang it to her.
Eljai
@geg6: How about singing Cleo to the tune of Duran Duran’s Rio? But if she doesn’t like to dance on the sand, I don’t know if it would work.
Sloane Ranger
A dog of discrimination and taste (and cute as anything in that pic).
jc
@delk: Be careful the MAGA AC guys don’t do substandard work and over-charge. Get clear of them ASAP, cuz if they find out you’re an evil liberal, they might stick a dead rodent in your vent system.
lgerard
You could give them the MAGA treatment and refuse to pay the bill when they are done.
Welcome to trump’s America suckers!
Pogonip
You perceive the a/c guys as a threat and your dog is picking up on this.
J R in WV
Great picture of the puppy… but what I want is a pic of the Trumpy-truck and MAGAt-trailer.
We had the well water go out Sunday, Monday I found a replacement part for the bad contactor relay switch, Tuesday I was dormant as the weather really sucked. Yesterday I called a very professional and reliable mechanical contractor firm that does mostly commercial work, but who have done a lot of complicated repair work for us.
By about 1:30 pm I had a master electrician on site, and chatting with him I learned he took a brief break from commercial work at a big Auto dealership rebuilding their facilities to come fix our water system. He’s been working there for quite a while, weeks now, and taking a 3 hour break to support a customer’s water plant was a big deal to the customer without water. Evidently they had their fire-alarms installed by a non-licensed electrical practitioner, and the Fire-Marshall went off on them!
We did not discuss politics at all. But I’m a hippy and look like it, and he had a grey crew cut, so probably a good thing. Otherwise we have a lot in common and enjoyed the conversation while he worked. I could have installed the part, but there’s also a 120-volt leg taken off the 240-volt power to the pump, which I’m not that familiar with.
How about a picture of that Trumpy-Truck and the MAGAt-trailer? Please? So stupid!
scav
Not a bad superpower to have. And I utterly envy the canine license to fully voice that instinctive reaction when confronted with the Nazgûl. It’s hard work having to constantly banish yourself to the porch without showing your teeth and lunging a little.
KateP
I left my home/auto insurance broker over the crap he posted on FB after years of excellent service. I was considering calling other independent agencies and vetting their politics until I thankfully remembered that one of my daughter’s friends was taking over her dad’s agency. Not giving my money to the hateful people if it can be avoided.
Pogonip
P.S. Present your dog with a spider and see what happens! ?
trollhattan
Oh lawdy, you’re entering adventuretime with this crew. Now all you need is them hauling a Dewalt worksite boom box into your attic and cranking Limbaugh and Beck and Hannity.
Have they told you air filters are for sissies yet?
Sloane Ranger
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: It’s difficult. On the one hand she seems totally unapologetic for joining ISIS, but on the other, she is British and I don’t like the idea of stripping her of her citizenship and leaving her stateless, especially as she has just had a baby.
As I understand it, the Home Secretary has argued she has a right to Bangladeshi citizenship through her parents but the Bangladeshis dispute this. She is currently exploring Dutch citizenship as she was married to the baby’s father, an ISIS fighter of Dutch background. In either case, trying to dump our problem citizens on other countries doesn’t seem right.
opiejeanne
@MomSense: I do that with one of our cats. I know that a group of people on Facebook that I know from a now-defunct forum have admitted to singing to their cats or dogs, changing the words to popular songs for a certain value of hilarity.
Betty Cracker
@J R in WV: I did think about including a photo of the truck and trailer, but that seemed vaguely unethical. I can maybe get some shots of the dumb stickers without identifying info included.
@trollhattan: I’d shoo them out of the house with a broom if they attempted to subject me to Limbaugh. Gotta draw the line somewhere!
Aleta
Kindly offer them a glass of ice tea every day.
Fantasies: On the last day
Let the air out of a tire? (Too hard to do on a truck tire maybe.)
Set out a bottle of very good whiskey and glasses in the passageway, before they arrive. Drink together just before they leave; then report a weaving MAGA truck full of drunks on the road.
eta: Oh wait I guess that would endanger others. Never mind.
opiejeanne
@Jager: On Monday we signed the papers to list our cabin for sale. The realtor we had previously thought we would use moved into the big office in Blue Jay when hers in Lake Arrowhead closed, and we have refused to do business with the one here because they are dumb enough to put big ads for vile politicians in their windows, Tim Donnelly and others, but especially Tim Donnelly.
We signed instead with someone we like and who is a raging Democrat but has the smarts to be very circumspect about politics when in public.
I do not understand people who bring their politics into their workplace.
opiejeanne
@Major Major Major Major: My cat would probably hiss and hide, although she was very interested in the guys who did our kitchen. She was young and I suspect a lot of cats are Republicans at heart.
StringOnAStick
Creating RW talk radio is how the Right took over the white guy contractor/trucker space. All that time in their vehicles, all that RW crap to absorb with a side of righteous rage. A friend of ours finally threw the pair of gold bug/Deep State/Libertarian loons out of her house after they completed 90% of the work; she couldn’t take their ranting all day long and the fact that their ranting slowed down their work speed really pissed her off. She’s a pretty busy real estate agent too so they doubly screwed themselves by getting on her last nerve. These two did drywall and barre installation at the yoga studio I go to, and I was there talking to the studio owner while they were doing it so I got to hear some of it. I thought I’d heard serious crazy before, but these two took the cake and their constant fighting with each other was just stressful to be around.
Luciamia
Good dog!
My Thursday? Meh. The smoke alarm s in my building went off at 5 AM and it took three hours for them to turn them off. So I’m a little tired.
geg6
@Eljai:
Ooooooo, that’s perfect! I’m going with that! Thanks!
MomSense
I’m not alone! I also gave my dog a southern accent and have this whole running monologue for her about all the dogs and people she knows.
Renie
Why do people think it makes good sense to talk political when working for a customer? I had a guy in my home fix some lamps for me; it was the first time he came. He was talking some RWNJ points. I never said anything until he was done. I paid him and told him that he might think about keeping his political views to himself next time cuz I would not hire him again and would not refer him to anyone because of his ranting.
BeezusQ
When they are working in your house, sneak out and put stickers OVER their stickers – not even necessarily political ones… just stuff to cover up their obscene ones:
“I was never an honor student!”
“Mean people suck.”
“Cookies: Good.”
zhena gogolia
@MomSense:
I had an array of songs and hymns for my cat Louis. “All cats bright and beautiful / All felines great and small . . . .”
rikyrah
Badger is still so freaking adorable :)
Gelfling 545
Woke up to no heat and 9 degree temp outside. The repair man arrived quite quickly thank dog and now $900+ later we have heat. The motor had burned out. Got it in ‘02 but he says that with the new motor it may run another 10 years which would be good and who knows if I’ll be functional that long.
Eljai
@geg6: Happy to be of service :)
DonBoy
You know, they don’t “just happen” to have a truck and a trailer covered in MAGA stuff; I guarantee-effing-tee you that when someone came over to bid the job, that vehicle did NOT have stickers. Then, once they have your deposit, they roll up with fuck-you trucks. I mean, what does it take to think it’s a good idea to cover a vehicle that goes to customer work sites with masses of political messages?
Betty Cracker
@MomSense: I often speak to Badger in a fake French accent and address him as “mon petit Bah-JER.” Yeah, I’m stupid. Good to know I’m not the only one.
TomatoQueen
Is this Thursday? Sheesh. Good news: Rec’d new managed care ID for the young man on Medicaid in this house. Mr Andersen predicted kerfuffle, hoohah, and flapdoodle when Virginia went all-managed care alla time for all Medicaid and of course he was absolutely right; I have just now climbed down from the ceiling after two months of rage, but the steam still emits from my ears, just in case, as I haven’t dealt with the new web site. Bad news: still can’t sleep, still get 405 errors trying to post on here, Joe Biden turns out to be yet another old white guy in a bubble. We need less of that. Rule: in any Badger v Nazgul conflict, Badger wins. Corollary: Badger always wins.
Betty Cracker
@DonBoy: Yep — that sounds about right. Here’s a partial view of the fuck you-truck trailer, which gives the idea of the scale:
One of the Trump stickers on the truck itself has a picture of the shitgibbon with an upraised fist, doing the Mussolini jaw-jut, and it says, “Out with the Chump, in with the Trump.”
Motherfucker. I’m tempted to pour a bottle of Karo syrup in his gas tank.
mrmoshpotato
@Betty Cracker: After the work is done, and you have the bill, ask them when they’re going to become migrant farm workers.
TomatoQueen
Jebus Cripes. DARK Karo syrup AND some Grandma’s Molasses.
J R in WV
@Betty Cracker:
Well, I don’t need to know who they are, so I don’t ask that you Dox them to the world — although, if they have those stickers and signs on the vehicles, out in public…
Really, tho, just the idiocy is what I’m interested in… how stupid is it for a commercial business to take a political stance that will eliminate anywhere from 45% and up of their market??? Making a living is hard enough without shrinking your market share before you even start the day’s work… I guess maybe that’s why they’re Trumpettes, tho…
John Revolta
How’s the face Betty?
SFAW
@Betty Cracker:
No, Betty, that’s NOT stupid. Perish the thought.
However, it’s pretty much nutso.
Aleta
Only one of the animals here, Charley, requires me to address him in a badly counterfeited Cockney accent.
Betty Cracker
@John Revolta: Better! Not so swollen today at the bite site.
Aleta
Trump would stiff those guys if they worked on his place.
Betty Cracker
@J R in WV: It is stupid, though in this county, the ratio is more like 75/25 pro-Trump. I live among idiots.
trnc
I thought that you would have first, so kudos on the self control.
John Revolta
@Betty Cracker: Good news. I hate them creepy bastards.
Karen
I m not happy that Biden is running. Am I the only one?
J R in WV
Great photo, love the jungle, hate the trailer.
Who involves their fringe political BS with their business? I guess people dumb enough to support a politician who doesn’t pay his contractors!!
Betty Cracker
@Karen: Did he announce? Damn. You’re not alone. I like Biden, but his time has passed.
MoxieM
Go Badger! cute and smart are a terrific combo
NotMax
Serious question.
Did you instruct them that if they are concealed carrying, your house is a no gun zone?
Shana
Well the new roof got finished today. Next week we have the foundation at the front of the house fixed to stop the water leakage. Got one of the heating/AC systems replaced last week. The week after the foundation we get the chimney relined. Oh and we also need to remodel the basement bathroom because we have mold, but thankfully not the dreaded black mold.
On the plus side, when we sell the house in 5 years when Hubby retires we shouldn’t have any problems with a home inspection. Fingers crossed.
Aardvark Cheeselog
You can comfort yourself (maybe) with the mantra “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism.”