Sunday, March 31, 2019

Bug

No post. Not really. 

The day didn't start well, with two concurrent leg cramps, in two separate legs - while still in bed. And while I won't be too graphic, I've been side-lined with a GI bug.   So those less than a 1000 steps I'm got in were mostly from bed or sofa to the bathroom. 

710 is on dog duty yesterday and possibly today.  We will see how it goes.

As it stands, March is going out like a lion. We are slated to get 2-5" of snow after I got to be, but before I wake up.  Yayyy March!

Enjoy your day.



Song by: Johnny Marr

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Comfortable

Saturday. You know the drill.

Someone knows what comfort is. 

Sentry Sophie

Waiting for his Uber at daycare. 

Blanket. Window. Radiator. Mountain of Toys. 
check, check check and check!

so. much. sass. 

Horrible pic of me, but someone was so happy to see me when I picked him up, I don't care exactly how I looked.  .........well..........kind of. 



Song by: Ian Hunter

Friday, March 29, 2019

Special

How unpopular must Betsy DeVos and her decision making be if BLOTUS is overriding her bad choices?

This question is actually not rhetorical.

I mean, this is a guy who has made a lifetime of bad decisions and then would double down defending each and every one.

For the record, when anthropologists scour this blog in the centuries to come trying to find where it all went wrong, I refer to DeVos raping the education budget to defund - or attempt to - Special Olympics.

BLOTUS actually overruled her - or overruled a decision he told her to make, trying to make him look good.

I have to believe there are two possible scenarios with this reversal:


1.  Test Balloon
As the morals and resolve of this country continue to deteriorate, BLOTUS & Co are seeing what they can actually get away with. They're not even going by small increments anymore. He might have tipped his hand.  Might.

2. Couldn't Defund Due to Personal Reasons
Due to at least three of his kids being 'tards.

Let's face it, Eric's brain isn't fully formed. You know he just drools all the time.  And Baron - well.....that kid has 'special needs' written all over him.  Spare me the "oh, don't go after an innocent kid".  Fuck that. The family lost that privilege when they locked up kids in cages.

Oh. And Tiffany. I think the less said about her the better.

They need some outdoor time and to run around. Once a year they probably get it participating in the Special Olympics.


Deep down, I'd like to think BLOTUS was shamed into changing "Devos' decision", but I'm pretty sure he's a man with no shame and public opinion is not going to sway that shit.

And as always - never ever ever ever rule out:  this was a distraction.  Probably from the Mueller report, but could be something else they're doing that's evil.  I'll rephrase:  they are doing something evil - we're just not sure what at this point, as it is continual and ever changing.


Song by: Garbage

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Shopping with Blobby

Yet another installment in the drudgery that is everyday shopping. The camera-phone makes it a bit more fun - though I get looks whenever I take pics of products. Like I care what people think

Let's call this one Shopping with Becca.


She was all pukey emoji face about it.

To be fair - I can imagine the waffle taste of a cereal, but not the chicken part........nor do I want to.

I had to remind Ms. F that we are not the target demographic for this brand. To be honest, I never got the combo for chicken & waffles. I don't understand the origins or the appeal......mostly the latter. Adding milk to the scenario takes it to a different, less desirable level.

Make it almond, soy or cashew milk and it intensifies the nastiness. May as well just pour orange juice on them.

Keep in mind, this is called Shopping with Blobby, not Eating with Blobby.....and for good reason.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

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!


Remember when I used to these reviews? 

Blame it on what I consider the plethora of unbuyable music. I'm still not one for streaming an ever-ending amount of music for $5 a month. An artist should be paid an actual wage for their content and with streaming, they aren't.

Napster pays the highest at - get this - $0.016 per play. Notice the 0 after the decimal point. 90,000 plays would get an artist a whopping $1,472.  And this is the highest rate. Spotify?  $0.0038 (notice the two 0s).  YouTube? $0.0006 (not notice the three 0s).

Streaming, at these rates, will literally cut original content to nothing as time goes on? There is suffering for one's art, and then there is starving because of it.

So no, I buy my music. 710 things I'm a fuddy-duddy (and he may not be wrong), but it's not because of my old-school habits of purchasing music.

So - anyhooo...........I did splurge for Jenny Lewis' disk, On the Line.

I don't think any magazine or paper has ever given her a bad review. That said - anymore, it's rare any reviewer gives an artist a bad review. But On the Line is ok, but not all that and not the best of her career as some have pointed out - though I suppose it's all subjective.

They can't keep calling a Lewis record 'retro' when all she does is 'retro'.  There is a Shins vibe to a song or two ("Dogwood", "Heads Gonna Roll").

My bigger problem is, so many songs are interchangeable with so much of what she's done in the past. The three continual piano chords are getting old ("Party Clown").

I tried to get through "Wasted Youth" (same three piano chords) but the "doo doo doo" was just enough to push me over the edge.

The one song I found the most interesting was "Little White Dove".  The groove, according to Lewis came from Beck. I hate to say it (or do I?), the revelation that he is a big time Scientologist kind of ruined him for me. Still he made Lewis sound interesting, which on this album is not a small feat.

While I like the idea of Lewis, to me, she peaked with her first solo album, but then it was all new. Now it's all been done before.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Over & Over

Two Parkland suicides within a week. And an additional one from the father of a Sandy Hook student.

W.T.F.

Parkland has kind of broke the barriers on so many aspects of a mass shooting. Almost never has their been a student response like the one they had. Never have they been so outspoken, so visible. They've taken a tragedy and made it a teachable moment.  Moments.

Now it's time for round two..............unfortunately.

The reality is, the tragedy doesn't stop with the funerals and the reopening of the school doors - though with drop in coverage, many would think that is where it ends. Trauma lasts for years, decades or a lifetime. I think this is pretty evident in the last few days.

I don't really know how people get over these kind of events. Right now, it is clear that some do not, if any of them do.

It is hard to quantify the cost of these events. There are direct and indirect costs - the latter harder to actualize.  There is the amount of money and time on therapy. There is just the time off of work / school and the downstream loss of revenue from that - and all that entails.

I think the most distressing thing about these suicides is - after all said and done - they were carried out with the item that affected their lives so much prior to this:  a gun.

As the country (read: government) is unwilling to do anything to stop mass shootings - of kids or adults - this is a cycle that will go on.  And on.

It seems the next step is to educate, educated, educate after these shootings. While I don't think any of the survivors and families want to live their lives in the media, the second someone stops broadcasting, most of us stop remembering and stop helping.

The GOP might be unable to really pull off trickle-down economics, but they certainly have a huge success rate of trickle-down murder / suicide.




Song by: Fleetwood Mac

Monday, March 25, 2019

My Music Monday

I have decided to embrace the 'baffling music' thing.  Like Popeye - I am what I am. That - and Popeye had an 'it's complicated' thing going on with Bluto.

Did they or didn't they ?  I'm not sure anyone knows.

I could go way off course and start to talk about the fact that I don't think he and Olive Oyl were married, yet somehow there was this kid - so out of wedlock?  fostered?  adopted?  All very progressive for a cartoon of the....30's(?).

.....and now back on course.

From Cowboy Junkies to Sister of Mercy.  THAT is quite a segue, no?  Well, welcome to my life, such as it is.

There actually is a SoM website, but it is for a convent, so.................there's that.

I had no affinity for the band back in the day (1988?), but liked the song "This Corrosion". It's interesting in its own way. And while Jim Steinman produced it, it's not in the vein of Meatloaf - Tyler - AirSuppy - Celine mode. Yes, the song is over the top in places, but not in the Steinman tried and true method.

To the readers who may or may not click on this - I think you can ALL thank me for not putting on the 9+ minute album version.


...........you're welcome!


Sunday, March 24, 2019

Pink

I really have nothing today. Thought we'd see a movie yesterday, but that didn't pan out. I bought some music, but haven't listened enough to write a Record of the Month.  I took dog pics, but you know you have to wait till Saturday for those to possibly surface, right?

So all I have is picture of Gus Kenworthy and his new pink hair.   {swoon}


Gus, as I'm sure he'd allow me to call him, is a Olympic medalist, dog-rescuer and a funny-ish guy. ....and gay. Gus is gay.

He's a handsome enough chap, or so I think. {and I do!}

I'm digging this pic he posted on Instagram. The pink kind of works for him. It brings out the blue in his eyes and yes, the pink in his lips. The contrast of his beard works too.

Mr. K is also funny on Twitter

So, while I have nothing, I'm still giving you Gus Kenworthy.


You're welcome.



Song by: Baby Carrots

Saturday, March 23, 2019

the Couch

T.G.I.SP/SM.S


This man suffers greatly if not doted upon at every turn. 

...so he has the energy for squirrel hunting. 

Sophie owns my hand.  Trapped under her chin for at least an hour. Who am I to move it??

Someone seems very comfortable on the sofa. 



Song by: Alanis Morissette

Friday, March 22, 2019

Morph

After 30+ years, I fear my relationship with my longtime friends is nearing an end.

They barely reacted to the below clip I sent their way - and when / if they reacted at all, it was far far too late after sending it, and I still had to prompt.

Apparently they have matured past me, or my sense of humour is far surpassing what they can process. I'm hoping for the latter.  Swifty was right (as always). A hater's gonna hate hate hate hate hate.

Seriously though:  this is kind of mesmerizing and yet still very fucked up.  Steve Buscemi's face CGI'd over Jennifer Lawrence's.

It's like that car wreck you happen witness on the highway. You shouldn't look, yet just cannot look away. Whomever pulled this off did it flawlessly. Maybe too much so.

....and you must hit 'play' and with sound.




....and for good measure, I put the original footage side by side.






 Song by: twenty one pilots 

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Smack My Bitch Up

Since Hope Hicks is used to getting slapped around {allegedly} at home by Rob Porter, I think it's about time that someone else got their turn to take a whack at her.

That someone is Congress.

A Democratic led House Judiciary committee is opening an investigation into BLOTUS' potential obstruction of justice.

Potential.  Hasn't his entire campaign and time in office been a total obstruction on every level? And "justice" isn't a word he's known - and rightfully so - as of right now, he's gotten away with every. single. thing.

Those around him might be taking pleas or heading to the big house, but BLOTUS.......he's just the fat emperor with no clothes.   ....or true friends.  .....or brains.   .....or dignity.   (you can add 'morals' 'couth', and the list goes on and on and on....)

So, Hicks is reportedly cooperating voluntarily with this investigation unlike John Kelly and any other number of White House officials - past or present.

The committee is "asking for documents on a wide-range of topics, including over former national security adviser Michael Flynn's false statements to the FBI, the firing of then-FBI Director James Comey, Trump's involvement in a hush-money scheme to silence stories about his alleged affairs and the drafting of a misleading 2017 statement to the media about Donald Trump Jr.'s 2016 meeting in Trump Tower with Russians."

Hicks might be going volunatrily because she has not real information so she won't be hurting herself (that's what Rob Porter's for, folks!) or that fat fuck at 1600.

But this always raises a question for me:  WHY DO PEOPLE HOLD ONTO THESE DOCUMENTS????

Knowing there is an investigation on which could implicate themselves or those around them - do they do it 'in case' they need the 4-1-1 for leverage? 

I am constantly amazed what shows up years later. 

Hey, even if it comes up with nothing, I say keep pestering these bastards. Keep them in the public eye where they can only work for FOX since hopefully no other employer would touch them.


I know....I know. There are a lot of evil corps in the world that would be happy to have them on staff. It's quite sad.

Still, I'm ok with a public flogging of anyone in this administration.



Song by: Prodigy

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

No Sleep Till Brooklyn

If JP thinks me getting up before 05:00 is cah-ray-zee, I'm not sure what he'll thinking getting up at 02:35.

It doesn't seem that long ago when I was getting home at that time and still successfully getting some sleep and being at the office by 07:30.

Yet on the other hand, it seems like a lifetime ago.

But no, this is going to bed before 22:00 and being up four and one-half hours later. It appears that starting planning to transition out of my job and already taking on responsibilities of my new one, has my mind - in the immortal words of Micheal Jackson - workin' workin' day and night.

I awoke at 02:35 and there I stayed. Laying in the dark, snoozing dog on one side of me, snoring cat on the other.

Now it's almost 24 hours since I went to bed the last time.  Here's hoping.

I'm too tired to try to come up with anything more than this.  More tomorrow.



Song by: Beastie Boys

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

At Seventeen

Vlog time.  Save the Europe 2018 one, I cannot remember last time I did one.  Enjoy??






Song by: Janis Ian

Monday, March 18, 2019

My Music Monday

Today I'm going with the Cowboy Junkies' "I Don't Get It" from their incredible second album, Trinity Sessions, from 31 years ago. 

How did that disk become that old?  How did I?

The disk was recorded live (but not in one day) with one microphone, no overdubs, edits of mixes.

Most of the material is original, though they throw in a few covers and one standard that they add to. The disk sounds dark to me, but that might be my whole perception of being recorded in a Toronto church.

I'm not a big harmonica fan, as it is usually used badly. "I Don't Get It" avoids that norm.  This selection isn't going to sway anyone from the thought of me having a baffling taste in music. I'm good with that.


Sunday, March 17, 2019

Pay to Play

I have been contemplating all day (well, yesterday) not to write today. It's not for lack of subjects really. It might be due to too many

For now, I feel the need to skip over the mosque killings in New Zealand. I'm not in a place of mind to discuss the continued rise of white nationalism / supremacy. I'm not ready to tie it back to our current administration and the hate that is emanating from our country and spilling so far over the world. 

I guess we can tackle white privilege (again), with the whole college admissions 'scandal'. because that's all it seems to be - unless maybe you're a stellar athlete, then race is off the table. 

I guess I should be upset at Lori Laughlin if I knew who she was, but having never watched Full House or the Hallmark Channel, it seems unlikely I'm familiar with her work. Felicity Huffman, however, boooo.  You're ruining reruns of Sports Night for me, assuming anyone would ever pick that up for reruns. 

I'm not so sure what the big hoo-hah is about this 'scandal'. It's hardly news......or new.  Paying to get into schools has been going on for decades, if not longer.  You don't think Shrub, BLOTUS or Jared Kushner got into Yale, Wharton or Harvard (respectively) on their own volition, do you? 

If anything, the fathers of those three (well, the one that's still alive) should look to these whiter than white actresses to see how they got off so cheap. 

Wasn't Huffman's cost like $15,000?  That's only half a year's tuition and board. If anyone should be offended, it should be her kid: they didn't garner big bucks to break the rules.  They're not THAT special after all.  Still, I've seen her IMBD, she must have saved her dough from Desperate Housewives, because she hasn't been that relevant - and that other chick has been let go from, well....everything. 

But since we are tying this together, let's do talk white privilege and say a bigger form or getting into something you don't deserve, like say

NATIONAL SECURITY CLEARANCE

How is this not the ultimate cheating scandal derived from power, money, nepotism and being Caucasian?

It seems cheating to get into college is just the prerequisite for cheating at your job in later life. 

I guess Felicity Huffman's kid has a job waiting for him / her in the very near future. 




On a side note:  who wouldn't want to be investigated by the above DOJ guy....and his finger???



Song by: Nirvana

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Alone Together

Saturday.  You know what that means............


Shep, tried creeping into the front seat - where he is not allowed.  Little manipulator. 

Sophie:  creature of comfort. 

It's his eyes that kill me. 

Fawning over Dad #1 - and vice versa

And Shep usually brings a toy - usually Sebastian - up to the bedroom when we get home. 


That new sofa you all said wouldn't be delivered in 1-2 weeks???  Well here it is......5 weeks late.r 
You were all correct. 



Song by: Fall Out Boy

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Inside Job

I don't talk a ton about work here, and will continue in that tradition.

But changes are happening for the Blobster. While I'm staying at my corporate entity, in a month, I start a new job.

In terms of expediency for our organization, the time from first discussion to application to interview to selection was lightening quick:  about a month and a half.

To me, the timing was painfully slow - but I can be pretty impatient. There'd be boluses of activity - and then nothing. It got to the point where I was sure the offer was not coming my way - which was about two days before the actual offer.

The no-longer Other Brett can attest to this, as I was lamenting about it transcontinentally.

It will be the first time in a long long long time I will not have any direct reports - at least for a while (maybe a year or more). I am a team of one.  This is exciting and daunting. But I get to use my strategic and development skills over this time to build a brand new program.

Actually, I received the offer almost two weeks ago. But it was a Friday at 16:30.  I didn't get to tell my interim boss of my impending departure until the following Tuesday.  I didn't get to tell my chairman until last Friday, as he was out of town. And I didn't get to tell my staff until two days ago.

So now, the general announcement will go out today and the transitioning of my current jobs beings. Of course, these will be temporary folk while they look for a permanent position. I'm happy to be a resource and they'd like me to be part of that interview team.  We'll see about that last part.

My current boss is out on leave, so I had to tell a peer who is acting-boss that I was leaving.

Honestly, his name is Dick - and that's not even short for Richard. His name IS Dick.  And while I was at a lunch meeting to which he dialed into remotely, he was texing me.




I am glad he's taking with grace and humour. It's gonna suck to find someone to replace me. Not 'me', but the position. While I have a month before I leave, they'll never successfully recruit and on-board someone in that time.

I'm sure there will be more to come here, but nothing too specific.


Song by:  Pearl Jam

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 108th 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.


03:50 !!!!!That moment when you realize you thought it was 04:50, get up, get changed for a dog walk and realize you're up an hour early. 

You try to blame it on the Day Light Saving change, but then figure out body clock-wise, it's only 02:50.  Fuck, it's gonna be a long day. 

06:00.  Which one will it be??


06:25.  Fire!!!!  ....and firemen. 

09:20.  Research meeting. 

10:10.  How fucking passive-aggressive is this?

12:35.  Therapy dog petting.  I opted not to, as I'd never go back to the office. 

14:30.  H20 refill. 

14:50.  Meeting on unlucky 13. 

16:55.  Walking back to office.  
I cast a large shadow. Or the sun is lower in the sky. Or both 

18:25.  Presentation. 
I'm giving a presentation to medical fellows, 

20:45.  Salmon - finally. 
Ok, it was great, even though everyone else ate during my presentation, so I did well after the fact 

21:10.  Welcome home. 
Someone was very very very happy to greet me upon my return. 



That's it for another month.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Lift Off

We got off to a rockin' start with our 2019 movies and then just came to a screeching halt.

I blame Madea and most (if not all) the post Oscar crap that fills the cinemas before the summer season starts......well this week with Captain Marvel.

Oh yes, anymore the 'summer' film season starts in March.

So when 710 mentioned that a movie, yet not quite a documentary, on Apollo 11 was being released, I was hopeful. I mean, it'd been over a month since our last movie and I am a space geek.  So off to Apollo 11 it was.

With restored NASA footage - 99% of which I've never seen (and apparently anyone else) - the footage, and no real narration, tells the story of the Apollo 11 launch, journey to and from the moon, and the inevitable splash down.

Some of the footage is just spectacular, as if it were almost recreated with modern technology to tell the story.  There are some graphics that are used here and there to relay what the plan is for some of the stages of flight, but that's about as close to a narrative as you might get.

The movie is devoid of the mental aspect of going into space and the challenges and fears that go along with such a journey. It also avoids the trap of the Discovery Channel kind of 'how to' mentality. You get get the former from watching First Man and the latter by watching, well, the Discovery Channel.

But if you're space geek like me, I'm thinking you'll like this film.  It has a 100 on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's not just me who liked the movie.



2019 Movie Count / Goal: 05 of 15



Song by: Mike Shinoda

Monday, March 11, 2019

My Music Monday

I swear for April I will have a theme for my music selections. I swear it can be as difficult as it is easy, but lately and for too long, I've just been doing iTunes Roulette.   .....like I am today.

The Bangles.

Or what I called the Bangles.

When bassist Michael Steel left the band in 2005, I was kind of done with them. And by "kind of", I mean, I was.  The band as a trio were just horrible. Their one true album post Steele is unlistenable.  .....and that's saying something.

I always felt Steele was short changed in the band when it came to exposure on albums. Her songs were more originally written and constructed than the rest of the writers, and her voice was more unique as well.  My opinion, of course.

With the six or seven songs Steele had over three albums (one album she was represented with zero songs), "Song for a Good Son", which was on the last Bangles disk on which she appeared - Doll Revolution.

Baffled or not - this is one of the things to which I listen.


Sunday, March 10, 2019

All Things Must Pass

It's early in the month to be taking a pass day - but here it is.

Yesterday I was with friends and a sub-par lunch.  The company, as always, was great. The food? Meh.  Possibly more on that in a few days.

I'm tired. I never get the recommended amount of sleep, but lately have been tired earlier in the evening. I rarely go to bed too much earlier than normal, but I'm trying. What I am, is not waking up 2-4 times per night. They are now straight through sleeps.

That's something, right?

Anyhoo. It's 21:56.  I'm off to bed.



Song by: George Harrison

Saturday, March 09, 2019

Precious

Sometimes writing the intro to the pet posts is the hardest part.  So - let's just skip that and get to it.


Whenever we took Petey or Shep anywhere, 710 says to drive safely, as I have precious cargo on board.  So I made the Little Man pose in front of this bus just for 710. 

Lord - his paws and stance. 
I don't know how all that works, but it does. 

Took Shep to my mom's house, as we were finishing prep to get it on the market this upcoming week. 

Shep hopped up onto my dad's bed and looked quite comfy. It's appropriate, as my father would have LOVED Shep.  ....and vice versa. 

Pretty girl. 

Super tired boy - taking up my side of the bed. 

Side-eye and stare downs. 



Song by:  the Pretenders