Couldn't Happen...

...to a nicer dumber guy. 

Sleazebag dem taken out by his own party - why?

Because they have such high moral standards they can't tolerate his criminal behavior?

It is, as they say, to laugh.

His predatory behavior was an open secret, ignored by the morally bankrupt dems because they liked him as an obedient attack dog.

When Pelosi was briefed by the FBI on Dirtbag's involvement with the Chinese honeypot spy Fang Fang, her response was to place him on the House Intelligence committee.  (I know, the jokes write themselves.)

In short, dems don't care about anything - not morality, not sexual predators and certainly not truth - other than power; THAT they care about.

And when you get in the way of their grasping, all encompassing lust for power...

...you're immediately and irrevocably toast.

So buh-bye Eric!

Mother Pelosi used to love you...

...until you stunk up the joint.

Guaranteed, she pulled the trigger and 3 days later he's gone.

Now if we can just have the Pelosi treatment for Pelosi herself, along with Schumer, Jeffries, Schiff, Goldman, Raskin, Murphy...

Closer to home, Spring has sprung - leaks that is, and big ones...

flood hazard map - blue shaded areas have flooding

...all over the state.

Record rainfall / snow melt has produced serious flooding issues from Grand Rapids...

the Grand River overflowing its banks

...all the way up to Traverse City...

the Beitner Bridge washed out

...and east to Rogers City and beyond.

Proving I'm self-centered enough to somehow make every issue all about me...

hey, how come Harry Vardon gets to play?

...my first tee time of the year was canceled since my local links are currently underwater.

Now that's a crying shame, but it could be worse:

from this week's RBC tournament in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

That's why you don't try to retrieve water balls down south.

I know you'd love to hang around and discuss Iran's schizo desire to be totally destroyed by US firepower (Hormuz - now it's open, now it's not) -

shades of Monty Python

- and the IRGC may get that wish - but for reasons I'm not free to divulge at this juncture (translation: I'm bored), we're going to 23 Skidoo instead:

a rare sunny, dry day allowed our magnolia tree...

...to strut its stuff.  sadly, the blossoms are already falling due to high winds and rain again.

if they did an all human cast for Shrek, guess who'd be perfect for Donkey?

it was sunny but only 35 degrees when I got up today...lovely to have a warm fire on a cold spring morning

a little closer look at the mantel: that's my dear Aunt Vera and her beloved hound Belvedere on the left, my beautiful wife in the middle, and one of those irksome, ubiquitous Aldi critters on the right

and speaking of, you'll never guess where we found that carrot wreath

8:40 am, solar time; 9:40 am, DST

life is better down that old dirt road

During this chaotic time of war against Iran - when both the dems and their propaganda arm, the mainstream media, are rooting for Iran and against the United States - I've been reading through the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah is known as "the weeping prophet", and no wonder.

He prophesied during the time when Israel was taken captive and carried away to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.

In all of his ministry, there is no record of anyone actually heeding Jeremiah's warnings from God and repenting of their sins.

Given this backdrop of national disaster and headstrong rebellion against God's counsel - sound familiar? - it's amazing to read of God's gracious and forgiving plans for His people:

11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

    - Jeremiah 29:11 

It puts me in mind of something else Jeremiah wrote in the book of Lamentations, chapter 3 and verses 21 through 23:

21  This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope.

22  It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

23  They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

    - Lamentations 3:21-23

later, mcm fans...

It's Finally Here...

...the Greatest Week In All Of Sports! 

While that's debatable, there's no question The Masters has been celebrated through the years as a top shelf event.

It was established in 1934 by champion golfer Bobby Jones and investment banker Clifford Roberts, in an era when the vaunted exemplar of the "Amateur Athlete" still held sway.

And who represented that lofty ideal better than the incomparable Bobby Jones?

To this day Jones remains the only golfer who has ever completed the "Grand Slam" of golf - winning all four major tournaments in the same calendar year - and he did so as an Amateur in 1930.

Played on the Augusta National - the golf course Jones and renowned designer Alister MacKenzie conceived -

- The Masters has grown in stature to rival the granddaddy of them all, <The Open>.

Known for its exclusivity - it's by invitation only - and exquisite beauty, The Masters is the official kickoff to the Majors.

If you don't win this one in April you can toss your dreams of winning Golf's Grand Slam (The Masters, PGA Championship in May, U.S. Open in June, and The Open Championship in July) in the circular file for another year.

There's a language and lore surrounding this tournament - Amen Corner, Hogan's Bridge, the Golden Bell, Nelson's Bridge -

- that adds to its aura and elevates it to a singular sphere in the hearts and minds of golf fans everywhere.

I know this was "the big one" as far as my father was concerned.

Now Dad wasn't a sports guy per se, but he did enjoy bowling...

...yelling at the TV when Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys were playing...

...and of course golf.

His guy was Arnold Palmer - the first 4 time winner at The Masters.

Palmer's aggressive, attacking, go for broke style spoke to my dad and he was glued to the TV whenever "Arnie" was playing -

- especially at Augusta National.

We're 60 years past those halcyon days of yore, and unlike dear ol' Dad, I shan't be riveted to the TV, agonizing over each drive, chip and putt...

...of today's heroes.

To be honest, I'd rather watch Harry Vardon win his 6th Open Championship in 1914 at Prestwick.

Alas, I'm still waiting for them to perfect time travel, so I'll have to content myself with checking on the Masters now and then this weekend.

Thrilled to report our Vernal Equinox Death March...

...aka our Spring diet, has mercifully ground to an ignominious end.

Final tally for yours truly: 40 days ago I started at 206.4; finished this week at 195.2.

At one point I was 194.2, but in a shocking turn of events - and contrary to my initial findings - it turns out that Easter Peeps and Aldi Chocolate Bars...

...are not actually good for your diet.

Who knew?

Now the goal is to remain sub-200, and I'm feeling pretty good about my chances.

As the weather improves there are more and more outdoor projects to accomplish and I've become a big fan of "functional fitness" - getting exercise while doing something useful -

way below target weight

- like mowing the lawn or whatever Karen decides is appropriate.

Can't wait.

After an exhilarating adventure in blexcellence*, we're mercifully pulling into the station...

where the heck is everyone?

...signifying it's high time you disembark and get on with whatever it is you do when you're not here.

As an extra incentive for you to beat feet, I guarantee** there will be nothing golf related in this week's edition of 23 Skidoo:

looking through my old LP albums, I came across this 1980's pic of my favorite female singer from the country music group "Stampede"...

...along with this one.  she has a fabulous voice and the face of an angel.

attack of the silhouette creatures.  I'll bet (Aldi) you'll never guess (Aldi) where Karen found them (Aldi).

what in the world...how did this happen?  management will definitely hear about this.  also, my first tee time of 2026 is less than a week away.

beautiful forsythia taking a running jump at blooming

this doesn't really qualify as golf; more of a tennis thing

sun is definitely rising more in the east rather than the southeast now

*   blexcellence - blogging excellence

** not a guarantee

We're a couple of days into the tenuous <cease fire with Iran>, and it looks like this weekend will tell the tale.

J.D. Vance is spearheading the negotiation team and he's made it clear the U.S. won't tolerate the Iranian's usual lies and stalling tactics.

They will either open the Strait of Hormuz or else it's "bridge and power plant" day, aka the end of Iran as a functioning country.

Personally I'm fine with either outcome - they've been waging war against us for almost 5 decades and are responsible for the death of thousands of Americans and many more thousands of their own citizens and Israelis.

Interestingly, the obliteration of Iran (called "Elam" in the Old Testament), and specifically their military might, was prophesied in God's Word:

<Jeremiah 49:34-39>

The LORD decreed total defeat ("I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might" -and- "I will send the sword after them till I have consumed them") .

This was achieved in the 7th century BC when both the Assyrians and Babylonians conquered / occupied them.

But in Scripture there is often both a "near" and "far" fulfillment of prophecy (e.g., <Isaiah 7:14>, the virgin birth).

So are we seeing at least part of the "far / future" fulfillment of God's prophecy against Iran?

In other words, is Trump God's Hammer of Justice, or will that task fall to someone else at a later date?

Time - and not very much of it - will soon tell.

later, mcm fans...