I can’t take it any more. I can’t take another political ad. It must be torture to live in Iowa right now. Yesterday as I watched my eighth or ninth ad, I wondered what we ought to call a group of politicians. Some of my favorite collective names are a murder of crows, a maelstrom of salamanders and a nest of vipers, all perfectly fitting politicians. I was leaning toward a nest of politicians figuring the vipers wouldn’t mind, they might even be honored, but then I found the perfect collective: an intrusion of politicians, borrowed from the cockroaches. That one fit all around. I also have a second choice just in case: a deceit as in a deceit of lapwings. Feel free to use either one.

It may reach 60˚ tomorrow and feel more like spring than winter. Today is already in the 50’s. We’re having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave is falling unbidden from the lips.

Zombies have trouble sitting upright. I just saw one try to get out of her coffin. I’m watching a 1943 black and white movie called Revenge of the Zombies. The evil doctor is really a German who is providing his services to Nazis. He has volunteered to provide an army which can’t be killed as they’re dead already. The Nazi is a caricature, a heel clicker. The setting is Louisiana. I never thought of it as a hotbed of spies, but I guess a zombie army was too good for any Nazi to pass up. The zombies are turned by some sort of swamp mud. The antidote is coffee though I don’t know if you can add cream and sugar. The movie is terrible so I like it. My favorite character is played by Mantan Moreland as Jeff, the driver for Scott and Larry, two of the main characters. Moreland was also the driver for Charlie Chan. Moreland sees dead bodies which are always gone by the time he gets Scott or Larry to check so they think he’s crazy and seeing things. Borland is wonderful and funny and plays up his part perfectly, “”Well, I’m sure there’s a logical scientific explanation for the proliferation of supposedly paranormal activity in this sector — er, I mean, lady they’s boogedy-boogs in the bushes!” I’ve learned Zombies walk slowly, speak in almost an echo and come when called. Good to know stuff.