Mundane Monday

Gloom

Snowplow at work in Brooklyn, New York

Here is southwest Iowa we have had little to complain about with regard to weather, at least in comparison to our neighbors in the east, who are still feeling the effects of a deadly, record-breaking winter storm.

As I type this, my area is still under a Winter Weather Advisory for
a few more hours.

Mondays suck badly enough with crappy weather, Mother Nature. Get it together...

Soon

One week from today, the first votes will finally be cast in the 2016 presidential nominating processes.

Yesterday the caucus sites for my county were announced, but I still have to find out which precinct
I live in.

I'm looking forward to participating next week, not least because I'm sick to death of reading about all of the bullshit polls that are being trumpeted by various partisans in the campaign.


One week from today, the only kind of polling that really matters will take place.

And snow is in the forecast for that day. Of course.

"Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow should keep you from caucusing for Hillary."

Don't even think such a thing...

Cut It Out!

I'm on the email mailing list for a very cool company called Model Train Stuff. I always enjoy seeing their mailers, as I like to keep up on new stuff being released for hobbyists. Every once in awhile, though, I regret it because they'll have something in their catalog mailer that sparks an inordinate amount of acquisition lust. Something like this...

True Line Trains Fairbanks-Morse C-Liner

One of the things that appeals to me as a model train collector is the rarity of a particular locomotive design. Fairbanks-Morse introduced its Consolidated Line of locomotives in January 1950. These locomotives were intended to compete directly with the popular "streamliners" being built by ALCO and EMD. The so-called "C-Liner" was a commercial flop, though, with fewer than 100 units sold to U.S. railroads.

Although they were not much loved by actual railroads, collectors are fond of C-Liners precisely because so few ever saw service.

"So, model railroaders like to celebrate failed designs?"

Not exactly, no...it's complicated...

Anyway, I really don't appreciate Model Train Stuff dangling something like that Milwaukee Road C-Liner under my nose. Unfair.

Better Than Average

From the droll comic strip Dilbert, by Scott Adams, which you should read every day,
as I do.

Until Next Time...

As often happens, I was poking around in iTunes last night looking for a song I wanted to listen to, and stumbled upon another, different song I hadn't listened to for awhile. That's how today's selection came about.

"The Call and The Answer" is a charming romantic ballad by Irish singer-songwriter Phil Colclough and his wife June. It has been recorded by numerous Irish artists and groups, including De Dannan, one of my favorites. The lyrics are a simple paean to the enduring nature of true love.

De Dannan has been around in one form or another since 1975, but as often happens with bands there have been ups and downs, break-ups and reunions, etc. I like all of their stuff, no matter which version of the band (or which spelling of its name) we're talking about.

Today's send-off is the group's 1988 recording of the song from their album A Jacket of Batteries, paired with some splendid images of Ireland. Enjoy...