Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Site of the Month

Eking this right under the wire, I'd say......as it is the last day of the month and all.

The Humanity Star isn't a star at all. It's not even human. It is a man made.

I get it - and yet I don't.

The Milky Way alone has about 300 BILLION stars alone. There are allegedly 100 BILLION galaxies. Assuming each has as many stars as our Milky Way, well, that's a buttload of stars. So why do the heavens need a man-made star?

I like the idea of public art, I'm not sure I agree with it being in space. I've seen Gravity - I know what happens when space debris goes flying! Still the folks behind the Humanity star claim "it was built to reflect the sun’s light and “encourage people to consider their place in the universe".

Oh wow man.  Deep.

That disco ball star is covered with iridium, which makes it shiny and easy to see from earth. Parts of the International Space Station are cladded in the same material. Actually, I was able to see the ISS a few times this week in the a.m.

I do like looking up and seeing things in the night time (ok, very early morning) sky, but I'm torn on this.

Astronomers are not happy with this. As it whizzes by telescopes and cameras, it obscures and leaves streaks of light.

While I can see both sides of the Humanity Star, push comes to shove, I see no actual reason for it. But that said, since it is already up there, I suppose I should know when it's flying overhead so I can take a gander.

And at the hyperlinked site up above, if you type in your zip code, you'll know when and where you can see the Humanity Star.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!


During his prime, I would say that Neil Finn was one of the greatest songwriters out there. Most of that work was with Crowded House, but he had good solo stuff and also with his pairing with the Finn Brothers (his brother, Tim).

In the later years, there wasn't a huge difference between his solo and collaborative work. Crowded House had / has become a semi-revolving door, with the only constant being Finn. So much of his work though just sticks with me. Finn's solo work has been spotty at best.

But in this topsy-turvy world of music, it has to be frustrating to know where a veteran stands. Or how. Music isn't made, played or released the way it once was. Radio, well, I mean, it exists, but does it?

I won't say these days you need a gimmick, but maybe you do to get your records noticed amongst the lack-of-talent tweens and horrible rappers. I think Finn had a novel idea of getting some publicity, but I don't think it generates sales.

Out of Silence was recorded live in the studio over a period of Fridays........on Facebook.  You could watch live while he and his assembled band and Kiwi vocalists cut the track(s) real time. I missed every single one. But I like the results.

The songs are low-key and piano heavy, but that's all good, though a song like "Second Nature" picks up the pace and does a good job of it.  I like "More Than One of You" and really love "Chameleon Days"

Some aren't bad, but I won't say they're good either. "Widow's Peak" falls into this category. There is a danger in the track list of some songs sounding too alike one right after the other.

Finn is in good voice. I like the arrangements and the lyrics. It might be his best solo disk. It doesn't quite measure up to one of the Finn Bros records or  some of the stellar Crowded House disks, but Out of Silence is a solid release.

Monday, January 29, 2018

My Music Monday

Still doing the 10th song rotation thing.  Kind of.  I did it twice and both times it landed on songs I have already used for this thread. So now we are on attempt #3.

I thought for sure I would have used "Hounds of Love" by Kate Bush. I have not.

I know I have mentioned that Hounds of Love was my co-first CD that I ever purchased back in {gulp} 1985?  1986?

The album is still great 32 years later.  And I still like the song.  And I'm guessing Dr. Spo will like it as well.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Newspaper Blanket

"In the First Amendment the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors."

So said Justice Black back in 1971 writing the Supreme Court decision on the publication of the Pentagon Papers after the Nixon administration attempt to cease publication by the New York Times and Washington Post.

And yes, we saw the Post yesterday evening. Black's message from 47 years ago couldn't be more timely today - though I suspect it is the entire reason that Spielberg made this movie in the first place.

The heart of the matter is well founded, the making the movie was fair. That the Post is up for Best Picture says more about the  current feeling of some of us in this country than it does for the film itself.

I've never been a huge fan of Spielberg's anyway. Sure, I loved Raiders and I really liked Lincoln. But that's where it ends. I've seen a lot of his work, but nothing is on my top 10 list (well, maybe Raiders).  Yes, someone will say something about Shaving Ryan's Privates, but then I'll have to counter with AI.......and then I am unanimously declared the victor.

The movie flows well, but the acting of the two stars is just ok. Meryl Fucking Streep (as Billy Eichner would say) does nothing groundbreaking or even mildly interesting here. She has some good scenes, but the arc of her character seems to come out of nowhere with no growth in between. Hanks is......well.....Hanks. He didn't play Ben Bradlee with anything that made him stand out either. That he didn't get a nod by the academy seems in line with the performance. I'm beginning to think the same academy is afraid of Streep, as I don't think this is Oscar worthy - let alone nomination worthy.

I'm glad someone has been hiring Bradley Whitford this year. He did a good job. I was surprised to see David Cross in the movie. Alison Brie's short time I don't know, came off as a little creepy, and I know it wasn't supposed to. Sarah Paulson....well......I've yet to see her really stumble in anything.

It's hard not to compare this movie to other genre pieces like All the President's Men or Spotlight. When you do with either of those films, even though the Pentagon Papers were important, the Post doesn't really measure up in quality or execution.

I thought Spielberg was a little heavy-handed here and there. With Katherine Graham walking down the steps of the Supreme Court flanked all the way down by women. All women. My first thought was #methree.

Yes we get it: girl power!  It's the early '70s and not a lot of women in charge of things. Thanks for the 2x4 over the head, Steve.

And for a guy who can be so hung up on realistic time periods, some clothes were completely out of era and a staged Vietnam War protest looked just that...........staged, like he didn't remotely even try.

I agree, the Post needed to be heard / seen by today's population. I hope they're smart enough to draw a line from point A to point B. I fear they cannot.  The Post is an ok movie. I don't understand the raves I've heard about it from friends.

So this is our fourth movie in four weeks. If this continues, we are going to crush the 2018 movie goal!



2018 Movie Count / Goal:  04 of 12


Song by: the Cowsills

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Watch Out

Workin' all week, just so I could supply you with these. You put up with the other 6 days of my blogging just to get to this.  Don't deny it.


Watch Dog. 

Osprey down on the ice at Lake Erie. ....and he sees every one of 'em. 

Nosing Around. 

You'd think it was the first time he'd ever encountered her. Always has to check her out. 

This didn't quite come out the way I wanted.  His big canine was showing as he was laying back for rubs. It was funny. Vicious and harmless at the same time. 

710: the Pet Whisperer. 

710 is like my dad. All the animals wanted to be with or around him. All this house and three of them are within 9 square feet.  I love seeing it. 

Sister Batrille. 

My fave of the week. I took it on Saturday and didn't even see the actual picture until Thursday. I had no idea I captured the ears in the wind. 



Song by: Fleetwood Mac

Friday, January 26, 2018

Playing with Fire

January 12th.

That's the last day I wrote about politics.  I've eschewed (yes.....eschewed!) writing about them..and tried not to read about them either, but that's tough.

I skipped the shutdown. I've skirted the tariffs on washers and solar panels. I've stayed silent on the White House staying silent on the most recent school shootings. I haven't said boo about Stormy Daniels (worst. porn. name. ever!  - - but a good weather girl moniker). I said nothing about the women's march(es).  I didn't even chime in with testimony of Sessions and Comey.

It's not that I don't care - though sometimes it is really hard to. I just think there is so much futile energy. I get worked up. I see no recourse. I get discouraged I shut-down. All in that order.

I get so annoyed at people who seem reasonable and then say 'BLOTUS is doing a great job'. 

I want to say.......at what?  And then I want to ghost these folks.

The only think I can think they're thinking is the stock market. Yes, it's going crazy. But that's what happens when a billionaire lets other billionaires become unregulated and no one is watching the candy store. I can't see how this can end well. It's going to make 2008 look like someone shoplifted a pack of gum.

But that is what they're talking about. Money.  What else is there:  no end to ISIS.  no wall. The swamp not only has not been drained, now there are like four additional swamps.

So it does not surprise me all with the NYT's revelation late yesterday that BLOTUS tried to fire Mueller last June.  Yes, this investigation has been going on at least eight months. UGH.

That this "revelation" comes at a time when Mueller allegedly wants to speak to BLOTUS is also not shock. I think the blaring headlines are making this look like news - but I'm cynical enough to believe that the story was revealed to the Times when this administration wanted it to be known. They are controlling the news cycle.

They are distracting you / us / everyone from something else.

BLOTUS could have fired Mueller I suppose, but at what cost? How could that have ended well for him?  So, there's something else to this 'breaking news' than meets the eye.  Am I crazy?

They're waving something shiny at you.  Don't look away.




Song by: Brandon Flowers

Thursday, January 25, 2018

App of the Month

So, the other day, we were off to see LeBron not only NOT score his 30,000th point, but at a game where we were up by 23 points and ended up winning by 1 in the final two seconds!

That's Cleveland sports for you in a nutshell.  I think LeBron has 12 points the entire game.

SAD! - as BLOTUS might say.

But while 710 and I were attempting to meet up at home, calling during our respective commutes, he tells me about this app people at work mentioned:  15SoF.

Or for us non-millennials: 15 Seconds of Fame.

W.T.F.

Did Andy Warhol lie to us?  Or has instant gratification become so instant that we can't be bothered to count our potential and promised fame in terms of minutes? 

I've been robbed!

Anyhooo......15soF.  It's an app that, let's say you go to a Cleveland sports match, after the fact it will scour any and all of the televised shots and using facial recognition software, will search for you and send you the clip of you at the game.

Oh don't get me wrong - this could be horribly horribly creepy. It's got NSA and George Orwell written all over it. And it's all at your own hand.

YOU have to provide the image they use to search you out.  YOU have to give your phone number and any other contact info.  YOU have to tell them what event you are attending. YOU have to give them permission to send you the video.

I will say, for blog purposes only, I downloaded and used the app.......to no avail. Our seats are never where the cameras go.  I'm never on the dance cam, or kiss cam. I'm too high up in the rafters.  But man-o-man, those people who do get on those eat it up.

Of course, with those cams, I love it more when people don't know they're on and they're ironically playing with their phone. If they had the app and just looked up from their screen, they'd have gotten that clip emailed to them.

Now, my sister could get this and be on it all the time. Her seats at the Cavs game are right at the edge of the tunnel the team runs in and out of. She'd never touch this app.

As is no surprise, I did not get any clip emailed my way. 

I'm still waiting for my 15 seconds.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Stuck With Me

I made it all of 23 days into the year before seeing a doctor for something non-work related.

I think you know I've been in physical therapy since October for a shoulder impingement. With my fall, and getting a bad cold, PT came and went. It helped, but it didn't truly make the shoulder better.

Honestly, as much as my shoulder hurt, I was just kind of semi-dealing with it. I've found ways to dress that were slightly less painful. I've learned to walk the dog a certain way....yada yada yada.

What was not doable was completely washing my back or shaving my head, as I am still left arm / hand dominant. You really don't want a razor in a hand that you don't feel is in total control scraping over your head.

Reaching out the car window to pay for things, or to use the key card at the work garage was just beyond painful. Raising the arm was annoying, getting back down became tear-inducing......though I never cried, I just put up with it. I endured.

Until the end of last week.

PT was just a double-edged sword. In theory, the therapy would / should make it better stronger and have less pain, but the pain I was having made it difficult to do the exercises. I tried to power through it - sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

Yesterday, I had an appointment for a cortisone shot.

I've heard stories. Horror stories. Success stories too. "The shot is so painful!".  "10% of people get flares, which make the pain worse."  or "One shot and I never had to go for another, the pain went away".  I figure I had nothing to lose.

I worried more about the shot. I'm not big on them, but really, who is? The doc, whom I really like goes, "I don't like needles".......as he was handling this one.

The needle injection was nothing. Less than a blood draw.  There was zero pain.

What I didn't know that they used ultrasound as the guide the needle. I could see - with instruction - the collar bone, the joint and the humerus. I got to see the needle too....via ultrasound.

So now we wait.

As I write this, the lidocaine portion has worn off, so there is a little ache from the needle stick. The full effect of the steroid won't be in place until the end of the week.

....then we'll take it from there.



Song by: Green Day

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Somebody Make Me Laugh

I've said it before - I love my friends.

We never see each other enough. I "ran into" Morty at the Orlando airport last month.  It was great fun catching up over Dunkin Doughnuts while TSA surrounded the luggage that I left there after I paid and just walked away with out.

Unattended baggage, indeed.

Still, we had a good chat before we caught our respective planes.

And I met up with Rebecca and her husband (and in-laws and one daughter, and her father) about two weeks ago. That was a nice time too. Uncomplicated conversation and lots of jokes. Not like, "what's up with airline food....." jokes. We're better than that.

This last Sunday, I headed to Columbus to surprise Meredity for her b-day. Her....boyfriend (?)....arranged a brunch for her. The question mark comes from, can you (or should you) call the man with which you live a "boyfriend" when you're and adult. "Partner" seems.......well.......gay.

Anyhoo, about a dozen folks were there to greet her. I think she was legitimately and pleasantly surprised. It was low key, and most people knew each other, or of each other. When I introduced myself - by my real name, the comeback was, "are you Blobby?".      <insert>eye roll emjoi</insert>.
(that's my fake html).

My fame precedes me, apparently.

The core group was there, save Jon. He was missed. Sam - a very welcome blast from the past - was there. I hadn't seen him for almost three years, so I was glad that someone invited him. I didn't get involved in planning at all, to the point that we couldn't even get Shep boarded somewhere, so 710 could not join - something he was sad about, as he loves Meredity.

We are "adults" now, so we discussed media, politics (and the combination). Sam, like me, has stopped watching and listening to the news, NPR included. But it's a fine line, we discussed about being uninformed which is what the current administration wants.

Harry Potter was mentioned: mainly Ron Weasley....and that except for a game of Wizard's Chest did he really do anything in the entire series. Save for speaking parseltongue in the last movie to get into the chamber of secrets, the answer is 'no'.

But we also talked about the women's march, the #metoo stuff, Aziz Ansari especially. Let's just say it was lively, as everyone might not have been on the same page. ....and there was a lot of 'what you watching on Netflix...'....because we're old.  It seems everyone - save me - are into the psychological twisted shows. But I was instructed by Morty to watch a few different shows. So they are in the queue.

That's the thing about my friends, they make me laugh. I mean really laugh. Often at my expense, but I set myself up, for sure.

Take the blog image. Ditto captured that. I didn't even know she was taking pictures, which probably worked in my favour. I'm not a fan of pics I'm in and I just love this one. It's a real moment. I know I was laughing at something Sam said / did to me. He bested me.

At some point during the day, every single person made me laugh this way. Hopefully, I made a few folks chuckle. Sam laughed when I told him my wrist injury was a fisting accident....and that the guy clenched when he shouldn't have. Morty sort of laughed when I chided him about his "last girlfriend" comment.....which would have been like 34 years ago. She's currently thinking of assisted living, I'm assuming at this point in her life.

The day was all too quick. I have rarely ever come down and back in just a day. I was tarred when I got home......and I hadn't had a thing to drink that wasn't sparkling water!  Unheard of with this group. I wouldn't have changed a thing though. It was a great day.



Song by: David Broza

Monday, January 22, 2018

My Music Monday

I was purposeful in titling my post on Call Me By Your Name "Love My Way".

The Psychedelic Furs song figures into the movie itself. Not heavily, not pivotally, but still....it's there.

As we talked afterwards, David, who is my age, said, that song is from my era, but not my soundtrack. He didn't know the song or the band.  I on the other hand did. It was part of my soundtrack.

If I have a problem with the Furs, it's that some of their songs are interchangeable. You can easily sing "Pretty in Pink" into most of their songs. Still, it's hard not to listen it and not reflect on where I was in the '80s.

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Love My Way

Finally.

Call Me By Your Name finally arrived in Cleveburgh. It is just one of those movies I've been jonesing to see.

No, I didn't read a review, the book, or even any press about it. I like to be surprised at movies. As luck would have it, our friends David & James were able to join us.  David forewarned that he was still spontaneously broke into tears now and again.

As you might have read, both David and James have lost a parent in the last 3-4 weeks. I offered to change the movie to go see Bad Dads 2, but David was pretty emphatic that we not see that one.  Bullet dodged.

....and btw.....who the fuck ever thought to hire Mel Gibson for a movie ever again? I can only imagine two scenarios:  Mel has something over the producers of the film or he's the only one who would agree to play Will Ferrell's father.   Anyway.....on with the Call Me post.

To be honest, I don't know even how to get into this movie without spoiling anything. I found it to be beautifully shot, well paced, as it did build - for as much as a movie like this can. The story we well written and told, if not at time ambiguous.

I thought Armie Hammer did a great job as a visiting graduate student to a host family in Northern Italy. Timothée Chalamet does an admirable job as a teen struggling to find his sexual identity. I think that is was the ambiguity to which I referred comes in. While the dialouge can be quite captivating, sometimes I had a difficult time who they connected point A to point B.  But parts of it you can chalk up to being a teen and in a difficult time in your life - that things won't flow so easily or as planned.

I don't take too much stock into a man / boy situation. Elio (Chalamet) is 17. Oliver (Hammer) is a grad student - so maybe supposed to be mid-20s. It's not that big of an age difference and let's face it, who hasn't  been 17 and in lust / love / admiration of an older, more experienced man?

The reality of the somewhat clumsy relationship might have looked strange from the theater seats, but was probably more realistic than anyone cares to recall or wants to see.

The Italian setting was perfect. I felt you really immersed yourself into how it would be in summer at a home like this.  The house, the town, the bikes, all local colour that fits well with the area, though one brief scene of Elio picking a peach off a tree was a little biblically heavy.

As much as I enjoyed the progression, when it comes to gay movies, I always wring my hands at the prospect of fear of outing, bashing, ostracization, bullying....or all of the above. It seems standard fare for it this genre.

What I semi-counted on early-on was Elio's parents. Worldly and intellectuals, they seemed supportive of their son and his pursuits. When some things were encouraged (to a degree) and discussed, that did not change. A conversation with his father was so poignant to me, it totally made the movie. Elio's father's line: "nature has cunning ways of finding our weakest spot", just dug at me.

There was the way it ended and the way it ended was unsatisfying and great. The story might not go the way you want it, but the final long shot of Elio is marvelous, though I'm thinking many other than the four of us might think so.

I truly enjoyed the film. It's gotten raves I know, but not enough to get more than a dozen and a half folks into theater seats in this mid-west city.  Mind you, we did not see it at the 'art house' theater, but the big cinaplex. So many it won't play that setting.

One thing I can tell you:  you'll never eat a peach the same way again.


2018 Movie Count / Goal:  03 of 12


Song by: the Psychedelic Furs

Saturday, January 20, 2018

No Salt on Her Tail

It's that time!  Shep Porn.  Sophie Smut.  I think there was a good selection this week. I didn't even use them all.  I'll save some for next week.


With the taking down of the tree. 
He was a very good boy with the entire thing. Not a branch touched, not a thing broking. 

Holding court.


Shep, the jumper. 
Picking up at daycare. 

Favourite new toy. 
We call it Ball-Ball (though there are three of them combined).  The duck is now out of favour. And if Sophie is even remotely around Ball-Ball, the charge is on. He is very very very protective of this. 

....but now and then, they are as close as can be. 

the King of Daycare !!!

...a final sign-off from HRH. 


Song by: the Mamas & the Papas

Friday, January 19, 2018

Casual Match

Quarterly, we have a leadership meeting at a nice hotel downtown. I'm surprised how many 'leaders' opt out of this meeting - though I don't know they're supposed to, but attendance is not taken, so......

I'd say of each four hour meeting, there is one really good presentation and point taken away that makes it worthwhile. For me, it's usually financial or government relations related. Yes, I'm that guy.

This week's meeting didn't have any of that. The year close hasn't finished, and they aren't about to give preliminary numbers. I'm a little tired about hear of tele-health. It might come more into fashion, but I'll be retired or dead before that happens.

During a break, I had to pee, so went with the throngs of folks who all had to do the same thing. Depending on the meeting, these are usually attended by 800-1000 folks. Once again, the pool women having to wait in line like it's a Def Leppard concert.........again.   The smart ones go to another floor in the hotel to find another facility.  I do that too......but when I have to poo.

So, I'm standing there, peeing, and kind of look to my left, and there stands (and pees) the CEO. He's an imposing man, towering over me at least by 4-5".....and I'm 6'2". I also notice he's still mic'd. If I truly knew him - and was comfortable talking to someone while they urinated - I'd have mentioned the scene in Naked Gun when Leslie Neilsen goes to the restroom.

I would then have been looking for new work, after he faux laughed at my joke. So I said nothing.

I have never not stayed for the entire event. But this last one, I had a meeting back on main campus and I still had to drive back and find a way to eat something before said meeting. So I snuck out 20 minutes early, as the head of HR was talking about employee engagement. Yes, the irony was not lost on me.

Now the head of HR knows me.  Kind of.  We are good friends with a third party, but we have never crossed paths even with that friend. So I don't know him know him enough to have commented that he wasn't wearing a tie at what is always an adult dress-appropriate event. Just sayin'.

Cut to the next morning - yesterday morning. I'm in a budget meeting and a peer of mine, Bill, asks why I'm wearing a tie.  Not that he's not.  I said, because, I always do.  Dick (it's not Richard, honest), is next to him looking all out of sorts.

Bill goes, "I saw you were at the meeting yesterday, what did you think about the business casual announcement".    Blink.  Blink. Blink.  (on my part.) 

Yes, I missed the point where HR-guy said we, as an organization, were behind the cultural times in the workplace and spoke how we should be business casual.

Many - and many of you - would applaud this. I'm not one.  I mean, you've seen my closet of ties. Dozens upon dozens. And I also think it changes the dynamic of work and non-work. And I like wearing ties.

So Dick, who always wears a suit, is just flummoxed by this turn of events. He's a man lost. I don't think he was ever able to focus on the budget meeting at hand.

Bill says to Dick and myself, "I'm not going to be an early adopter.......I'll wait for you guys to do this".  I think Bill might be waiting for a while. I did notice three of the men were already tieless. Clearly they took this to heart.....and quick.

Oddly enough, on the way to this meeting I passed the CEO - and he was still in a tie. I suppose he has to be:  donors and all.

We will see how this all plays out, but for now, my dress-up habits will not change.



Song by: Suzanne Vega

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Weight of the World

Submitted Without Comment







Song by: Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Now We're Even

In life, there are winners and losers.

When it comes to my life with Mike, I'm a loser.  ....most of the time. He's a winner - like when he got to spend an evening with me last July.

HUGE win!  That I paid for everything and brought cupcakes did not hurt matters.

The cupcakes were payment for my loss at last year's 6th Annual Academy Award Guessing Game®. 

I lost at this year's Emmy go-round too. Mike said no payment necessary and that we'd make the next contest double or nothing.

Well, as you saw a week or so ago......I lost again. Double it was. But I alluded to that we'd think about something other than sweets as the prize. The idea was to send him to see Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

I sent Mike a message reminding him to send me a theater, date and time. He nicely responded if they could change the movie selection. While he did want to see Three Billboards, eventually, they would like to go see Call Me By Your Name.

Done and Done.

In a matter of minutes, the tickets were purchased and the code was sent to his phone, so he could pick them up at the movie kiosk.  I almost...........almost.........just bought senior tickets. And where I could make a joke on his age - as he's 7 months older than myself - that wasn't the reason. They're cheaper. And I'm nothing if not cheap.

On the off-off-off-off chance that someone would card him {snort!}, I didn't do it. He's not a senior.....yet. I cannot vouch for Peter.

Apparently, it all went off without a hitch. Peter said the theater was crow-ded! Everyone clarmouring for tickets and they just pranced in and took their seats.

I might have been the one to select the verb.  It's quite possible they minced. You just never know.

Anyhoo....they loved the movie. Loved Loved Loved.

I asked for no spoilers, but then we had this exchange......



Not so oddly, I haven't heard from him since.......


But at least I'm all paid-up.



Song by: Michael Penn

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Atomic

So, we came out of the Opera movie and sat down to have lunch out - which is a real treat. Usually, we high-tail it back home to be with Shep, but we are trying to reclaim "us" time.  Who knows if that will pan out.

So while 710 goes to use the little boy's room, I check my mobile Facebook only to come upon this blog title image in my friend Glenn's news feed.

Glenn lives in Hawai'i.

It was disconcerting, to say the least.

Now, I was a little stunned, naturally, as I read the announcement before I read his posting, so I thought this was a real thing. As we all know by now..........it wasn't.  I just didn't read further in his posting (though later I made a War Games reference in his comments).

Operationally, this alert system was doomed to fail on so many levels. Forget the fact that to sign into my banking site that I need a password and to answer at least two security questions. But hey - that's only $$$.

I could yak about BLOTUS just playing golf through the entire thing, but did you expect anything else out of the douchenozzle?   (the answer you're looking for is: no.)

My friends Morty and Meredity clearly have read about all of this more than I. The tales of people saying their goodbyes and the associated heartbreak. I saw none of that.

I'm crass I know, but I kind of chuckled at the people running..............to safety.  On an island. Thousands of miles from any land mass. With alleged nuclear warheads headed right toward them.

Clearly, none of these folks saw the Day After, or read anything on Hiroshima, or saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (but you can't blame them for that last one!).

I suppose there is a survival instinct that kicks in, but putting yourself in your bathroom, unless it's lead-lined, seems like delaying the inevitable.........by .0000021 seconds.  And now you have to do it crammed into a place where the last thing you see is the ring around the tub you kept meaning to clean, but hadn't gotten around to.

Me? I'm enough of a fatalist to be the Téa Leoni of Honolulu.  See - there is a Deep Impact (oddly, not a porn title..........probably) reference right there.  I would so rather be put out of my misery immediately than the inevitable giant nuclear rats that survive and come to eat the maimed folks left behind.

I say that of course, until it comes to 710, Shep and Sophie.  I'd probably want to keep them safe, but if not, I want to be with them in the end.



Song by: Blondie

Monday, January 15, 2018

My Music Monday

Typically, the third Monday in January is considered the most depressing day of the year. Or as it has been labeled: Blue Monday.

There are multiple calculations on how "they" determine this. Weather, Work, Debt, Salary, Sleep, etc all allegedly have a factor.

Today is the third Monday of 2018.

I mean, if you have a day called "Blue Monday", well then hell, the post pretty much writes itself, doesn't it?

New Order's song with the same name as the day first appeared back in 1983 (!!!!).  Since then it has made eight other New Order releases in one form or another - rarely the same mix.

35 years later, I still love the song - in any iteration.


Sunday, January 14, 2018

Verdi Cries

When I first met 710 so many moons ago, I might have tried to "impress" him with the fact that I enjoyed opera.

In today's terms, that would be called: Fake News.

In reality, at this time, I had seen two operas only:  Faust and La Boheme. ...and the only reason I saw those was that my sister had the lead roles in both.

Spoiler alert:  in most operas, the female lead dies.

But I've been around enough to know more about opera than I should care to - including having a tingling feeling "down there" when, as a pre-teen, I encountered Sherril Milnes on the Dick Cavett Show

....btw....has a gayer sentence ever been written?

In my defense, this was what Mr. Milnes looked like then.



If you go to the art house movies (and actually, the big theaters now), they advertise showings of Shakespeare plays (Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench, etc) and operas. It's not that I've ever been inclined to go to one, but they also show at odd times:  14:00 on a Tuesday.  Maybe during retirement when I'm free on at 2p on a Tuesday.

But there was a movie on the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center (the movie is called the Opera House) that has been shown in previews and 710 was interested and asked if I would go with him.

Of course I would. It's a buttload of husband points.........again, not that you can actually cash them in for anything. 710 says those points are used for annual relationship maintenance fees, but I have yet to see an invoice or statement. Then, there is that whole pesky 'for better or worse' stuff in the vows.

While part of the "movie"(?)  seemed to include opera, just as much seemed to be about, city planning, urban development and the creation of the venue itself. I can certainly live with that..........right?

Oddly enough, some of the opera stuff was more interesting. Or let me rephrase: sometimes the filmmaker went too deep into some of the city planning etc that you just wanted or needed a break from it.

Leontyne Price opened the new opera house at Lincoln Center. They did some interviews with her at the age of 90. While she was diva in her prime, she is pretty hilarious in her present.

There was a great tale regarding the lights at the Met. If you've never been, they are quite unique and very beautiful, but they came about quite accidentally.  But no spoilers here. hehe.

Oh - who am I kidding, the most you all know about Lincoln Center is that Dana Barrett met Dr. Peter Venkman there to discuss Zuul. .....which is still more than most people know.

I didn't know 100% what to expect, but I wasn't banking on almost two hours. There was some editing that could have been done - and sequencing - to make it a tighter movie. I didn't need to hear a Julliard choir sing ''G-d Bless America", I guess it could have worked for like 20 seconds, but not the entire song.

The Opera House is very PBS-y.  I expect that it will be on during a fund-raiser at some point in time. It shows an interesting slice of New York City all during the Metropolitan Opera's history and the development that went on while it looked for a new home. One that is now 50 years old.



2018 Movie Count / Goal:  02 of 12


Song by: 10,000 Maniacs

Saturday, January 13, 2018

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 94th 12 of 12.

Normally it is 12 pictures taken on the 12th of the month. Since I only post once per day, you get my images the following day. All pictures taken with my iPhone. Click images to enlarge, if you choose.

Created by Chad Darnell and picked up from, what I can tell, any number of random bloggers who then link back to him and vice versa. Chad is no longer doing this, nor is successor coordinating the linking of other 12 of 12'ers anymore. Now it's just Erik and myself - that I know of.....as it's the only blog post he's still doing......for now.  

I still continue to do this, because of all my consistent post topics, I actually like this one the most.

06:10.  Dressing for work. 

New-ish brace for my arm. 

06:30.   Rain.  As seen from my car on the way to work. 

The day is broken up into rain / sleet / wind / snow.  At this time, it was 58 degrees. 

08:30.  Second b'fast. 

I normally do not have a second b'ast at work. But I was starving, so I got an asiago bagel and cream cheese.  It didn't satisfy me, but on the other hand, I didn't eat sugar, which was my initial thought. 

10:10.  Scanning. 

Very secret important documents. 


11:30.  Going up. 

Went from my first office to my second office.  Just to tell my staff to go home early. 


14:20.  Sleet & Wind

Blobby leaving early.  A freezing mix had closed most schools and businesses. The 30 mph gusts blowing the sleet into my face was painful!  .....but I'm a survivor. At this time, it's now 28 degrees. 

14:35.  Gassing up, as temps are headed to single digits. Also cleaned my headlights. They were filthy to the point I wasn't sure my lights were on.

15:30.  "Lunch".  Such as it was. 

Again, at least it wasn't sugar. And it has 'skinny' right in the name, so you know it's good. 

16:40. Snow. 

It's now 22 at this point. Shep wanted to walk, so Blobby took a walk. The footprints I made leaving the driveway were gone by the time we returned 15 minutes later.  Allegedly getting a lot of snow. We'll see.

19:00. Stink bug. 

Ugh.  So tired of these things. 

19:20. Dinner. 

Hastily thrown together mac & cheese and a field green salad. 

21:25.  Fuzzy Pants. 

You've seen the ones with bears, but I have a set with dogs too.  Clearly. 


....and now your Baker's Dozen......

22:10.  Cookie time!

My one sugar fix of the day. 


Check in next month for the next 12 of 12.

Friday, January 12, 2018

I Got Shit



Can we just agree, that regardless of what you think of BLOTUS, he has brought down the level of civility in this country?

THIS was the headline on CNN. 

I'm a huge admirer and user of profanity, but I don't write my work emails with those words. And yet, how can the news organizations accurately report their stories by sugar-coating the choice of verbiage used by Offender in "Chief"?

At what point did we sink so low we have to use 'shithole' in headline..........I mean, ones other than a craigslist "personal" ad?


CBS - yep.  albeit, they are the old people's network, so you don't want to offend-offend. 



NBC.  Uh-huh. 


FOX?  Umm.......no. And of course they go even lower. 


I expect Jeff Bezos and the WaPo to make sure it gets out there. 



the New York Times takes the highest road, though they do use the word under the headline. 



But yes, if you dare think that BLOTUS & Co are not extremely racist, you're either not paying attention or so far fucking deep in denial that you couldn't recognize it if it hit you right in the face. 

Take a look at the headlines:  it hit you right in the face. 

Norway is the Maine of Europe. 90% white. Not like "Haiti, El Salvador and African countries". You know - the shithole places. 

So when BLOTUS talks about those places, he means people of colour. You can pretend he doesn't. You can says it's for other reasons, but he's talking about those folks being bad hombres. 

The only truly bad hombre I see anymore sits his fat ass in a white house.


So this is it. Everyday this "man" takes the entire country down just a little lower. He's crass. He's rude. He's ill-informed. He's a bigot. He is a racist. I'd say he's ugly, but that sounds like I'm being petty.  So I won't say he's ugly. 

g-d.......this country is depressing. 


BTW.....mid-terms are only 10 months away.  Fingers crossed!




Song by: Pearl Jam