Heavy lifting for Friday

 I'm filling in  NJ forms today and came across this interesting direction 

I wonder if there are penalties for failing to do so?

And if this next bit is tldr, scroll on. But for anyone trying to figure out the current drama in Congress, we're in the budget process. 

The GOP has presented a cr, continuing resolution, full of terrible ideas and threats. A cr is a temporary measure to keep the gummint running while the budget is worked out and passed.  

This has passed the House by a squeaker, because GOP majority is only a squeaker. Now it's before the Senate. If it passes, it goes into effect with all sorts of consequences. 

The idea of cloture is for a number of senators to determine to limit debate, go to a vote, and get it done.  That's that bit. It's like the opposite of a filibuster with endless debate.

What's in process now is a bipartisan stopgap cr with better terms, if the current cr fails. I know, it's very convoluted. The idea is that Democrats are trying for backstop position, which will also avoid a government shutdown.

We'll see where it comes out. Meanwhile Friday's activism was a call to Sen Schumer's office, minority leader, to ask him to vote no. He thinks a government shutdown could hand everything over to T***p, but I think is open to a bipartisan stopgap.  It's a terrible position, but I think a shutdown is less terrible than rolling over for this cr. 

Breaker, breaker: the Senate passed the cr to avert a shutdown. I tried.

On to less stressful topics. Right now I'm reading a great Andy Carpenter mystery, full of dogs and bad guys and Marcus, his scary protector, and Andy's sharpshooter wife and all his books are funny and I never guess the perp.

This dog, Hunter the pug, has attached himself to the resident Golden retriever and basset hound, while team Andy attempts to find evidence to exonerate a dog lover in jail on a murder charge.  A while back I was talking to a lady who insisted the term is doggy dog. No idea what that means.

I made a batch of blueberry muffins, possibly influenced by Carpenter finding them in the cafe at his hotel.

They look shaggy and artisanal, and they're crisp outside, tender inside and with little explosions of berries when you bite in. I just finished reading Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe, can you tell?

And for your Friday viewing pleasure, Mutts, mainly Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, and friends, take us down memory lane with a tribute strip. I'm a bit late with this, but it's timeless, so that's okay.

Happy day, everyone, we'll live to fight another day!!