Friday, May 31, 2019

Faces

I'm still trying to avoid politics.  Mueller be damned.  Since he won't come right out and say it - and I mean RIGHT OUT - then pffffft.  I don't care.  While you and I thought he was clear, you have to go to the 4th grade reading level (well he does) to convey to BLOTUS supporters the man is not free and / or clear.

Anyhoo.........

I got to text my friend, Jon (from 'not Jon's boss' fame) this yesterday:


Debbie Harry's memoir is coming out in October.....of this year.

Way back in 1985 when I met Jon, we bonded over our love of Blondie. No one in my high school would ever admit to liking the band, nor do I think they did anyways for reals. I was a lonely boy listening to new wave in a school who loved Zeppelin, Van Halen and the likes.

I actually listened to Blondie for like eight years before I found someone who loved them as much as I. Or who even liked them.

To this day, we both still get their new releases, even though we probably should stop. They are spotty at best since No Exit.

Still, I've read some of these memoirs and some can also be spotty at best. I've heard so many tales of Debbie & Co, I'm not sure how much new will be in here or not. I'm still looking forward to the release date.

So I'll chant the mantra I did about Shakepears Sister's new song "please don't suck, please don't suck, please don't suck....".



Song by: Blondie

Thursday, May 30, 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!


I was looking forward to the new albums by the National, not so much because it's theirs, but because 2019 has been so-so on any new music. I wanted something good.

I'm Easy to Find is good-ish, but what it is not is a National album.  They can call it what they want, but it's a side project, a vanity project.....or both.

I first played the disk in my car, but you know, it's driving so there are other distractions. There wasn't 100% engagement on my part. I wasn't aware there'd be other singers on the disk, let alone female. Females. Plural.

In the car, and maybe because I was thrown, all I heard was a female vocal. Now it wasn't driving that was distracting me, but not really hearing Matt Berninger's baritone. Things looked up a bit when listening in my office with a pair of earbuds, there is a lot more of which to listen.

I liked Lisa Hannigan's work with Damien Rice, but couldn't get into her solo stuff. Here, I have a difficult time distinguishing her vocals from the other female vocalists here.

Just because a record is different doesn't make it better. I'm all for having talent expand or opening up new windows, but when you bring in 3-4 additional vocalists and {gulp} a boy's choir (awful.....just awful) you're not just changing the dynamics of the band, your challenging it to where could they go from here........or should they.

There are, of course, some really good moments, some more experimental ones. You're the National, not Leonard Cohen, you can cease with the spoken word portion. And of course, the bad - again, boy's choir.

It's a good disk, not a great one..........and actually, not a National one either.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

the Only Thing Worth Fighting For

It was like Nerd Heaven, it was.

A rainy, chilly Sunday - a holiday weekend no less. I didn't do much all day, save for dog walks and naps. It had been a long week.

As we have Spectrum (ugh!), at least in our sequence of channels, in a space of five sequential ones, there was a Harry Potter marathon, a Star Wars marathon and a Lord of the Rings marathon going on.

I had a nerd chubbie goin' on.

Star Wars and Harry Potter are on all the fucking time, so I settled into hours and hours of Middle Earthville. I missed most of Fellowship, but got to see which is arguably the best, the Two Towers. I used to think Return of the King was the best, but the more I watch it, the more I'm annoyed at Samwise's boo-hoo'ing.  That, and why did a bunch of killer ghosts hiding in the hills have to take boats to Gondor?  I mean - these aren't beings bound by "modern" transportation needs, are they?  Oh - and shouldn't all the sulphur from the exploding Mt Doom have killed Sam and Frodo?

Anyhooo..........

There I was....watching a perfectly innocent Nazgûl fly over Henneth Annûn, when Sam has one of his first truly weepy moments of the trilogy.  While I've seen it 100 times before (ok....maybe 34), my ears kind of pricked up.

Watch and listen.  Really listen.





While Sam's soliloquy could apply to many-a-scenario, I couldn't help but attribute it to our current political situation. 

I'm not always the optimistic one (no......really), but I kind of felt a certain calm with this. And I'd like to think that Gollum's reaction near the end of the clip is one of BLOTUS supporters when they hear we will not let this / him get us down.



Song by: Rosanne Cash

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Special

Say what you will about Mike shelved blog Short Attention Span Theater - and I have, do and will - but I totally get the short attention span thing.

I have never understood binge watching .....anything.

At most I can watch two episodes of anything - and even that, it has to be the 30 minute show. No program has ever enthralled me enough that I have to - or want to - watch it all in one sitting. We still haven't made it through the last season of Grace & Frankie or Kimmie Schmidt.

So when (the other) Brett mentioned to me about Special, where each episode is 10 minute and there are only eight of them, I figured: bingo.  My sweet spot.

Over the holiday weekend, we actually binged something, and yes, it was Special.

The show does a lot in short segments and few of them. With the time limit, there isn't a lot of filler, so they move through the storyline efficiently.

For a quick breakdown - the star, creator and writer is a gay man with cerebral palsy. 

He does a great job at not making you feel sorry for himself yet while still getting your empathy. The supporting cast are all good, though none better than his boss, Olivia.  She is unequivocally the funniest and meanest person in the show - and oddly, rarely at the same time.

If you have 80 minutes - even spread out over time - I highly recommend this program.



Now - onto 120 months of Game of Thrones.   


Kidding.  I'm never watching that. Who has the time? Or attention span?



Song by: New Order

Monday, May 27, 2019

My Music Monday

Dirty Vegas just came through the rotation with possibly the only song they have, "Days Go By".

Ok, I'm sure they have other songs, but I dare you to name any of them without looking it up.

I liked and like the song. I just don't hear it ever. It was nice to come across again. 

It's kind of EDM......but only kind of.

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Writing on the Wall

Dr. Spo claims the Muses are here in Cleveland.  I'm assuming he is saying that, as they are not in Phoenix. However, Spo is lying or has been lied to and passing it on as fact. Spo seems to be a not so closeted member of the 2016-2020 GOP.   I mean, it only stands to reason.

I can guarantee said Muses are not in the 216.

I'm avoiding politics as much as possible. Again. I know it won't last, but let me have this one.

I could write on the irony of the replica of the Ark built in Kentucky having water damage, but that seems too easy and a very very short post. It would probably end in ".....where's your g-d now???!'. 

Tales of my mother might sate you, but I'd have to be the one to relive it and write it, so that's not really going to happen. Suffice to say, she's "home" from the hospital - hence me stopping at Bi-Rite Giant Eagle to pick up beer.

To bring things semi-full circle, as a 16 year old tot, I worked at Bi-Rite, which is now the site of a Giant Eagle. And now I'm there - after dropping off my mother - and buying beer that has a 9.5% al-key-haul content. 

Infer whatever you'd like. Chances are, you won't be wrong.

I'd say I hadn't had beer in forever, but then I'd have to tell you 'forever' = 2 weeks and 1 day.  And as you've read, there has been at least two instances of tequila in that 'forever' as well.

So, as you can see from above, I do not lie about the Muses. They are still MIA.



Song by: the Mavericks

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Reach Out

Doggies and Kitties always make the crappy weeks bearable. Soph and Shep are good buds with which to hang.


Shep and Mr. Bun - the one eared purple bunny. 
One-eared..........now. 

HRH. 


Shep: the herbivore. 
Our neighbor must have great grass. Shep stops there every single day to munch. 

Nature Boy. Big hike day. 

My fave or the week:  Sophie's Reach




Song by: Cheap Truck

Friday, May 24, 2019

Heart of a Girl

My mom has a new heart valve.

The procedure went fairly well, but it wasn't a great time leading up to it.

I won't get into all the deets, but it has been a long-ass week for Blobby.

I am EX-hausted.  ....and I still have to make it through today and hopefully get her home. Or to THE home.  The one I put her in.

Just kidding. I didn't. My sisters did.

She will (or should) have minimal recovery time, perhaps some home health care. It beats going to rehab, which I'd never get her to do.....again. Not after last time.

It will take a few weeks, but hopefully she'll feel better than she has for the last year or two. It's not a fix-it-all, I mean, she is 90.5 - years old that is, not an FM station that plays NPR.

I am looking to getting her settled and having a long weekend, because it has been a long week.



Song by: the Killers

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Praise You

It turns out, it seems Mike has some blog material left in him - though it also seems I'm the object of his blogging "affection" / torment.

He might have too short of an attention span to commit it to Blogger, but he has no issue finding me and SMS'ing me stuff.  I'm not complaining.......at his advanced age, any use of technology helps keep him from another day of fighting against the inevitable Alzheimer's.

He sends this to me, and when I comment back, he turns on me like he was a cast member of the original Dynasty.  If I were physically there, we'd be wrestling till we both went into the pool.....or at least our stunt doubles would.

FYI - he send me this and then tells ME to "grow-up" . Mind you - there might have been some exchanges between the video and the comment, but I'm sure it was nothing I said.

(....and yes, you have to watch avec sound!)



Oh - now I remember. I mentioned this chick didn't need to keep it tight for Jebus. He was not only into dudes........but groups of dudes.

But do not be creeped out by Jebus.  Be creeped out by the lack of blinking.  "Let me see those 'praise hands'" might be my favourite part. *

I don't see this getting Mike to church..........or to exercise...........unless it's flapping his gums, which is his cardio (via keystrokes).  Still, the man can make me laugh........even if it's just on the inside. But, that's where it counts.



*is probably Mike's favourite part too



Song by: Fatboy Slim

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

I Ran

Oh, how Family Guy got BLOTUS' "foreign policy" right............from 11 years ago!

Suck it up - it will take 60 seconds of your precious day.





Song by: a Flock of Seagulls

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Hope Against Hope

There really is no "good" political news - but me, ever the optimist (oh, stop snort-laughing!), still hope against hope, I always say.

Can I get some lovin' for a judge who is ordering the release of BLOTUS' accounting records???  I'll pay for the out-call myself.  It's cool.........Robert Kraft gave me a list of names.

Of course, those Deutsche Bank employees in the anti-money laundering division who have reported suspicious activity from both BLOTUS and his nebby son-in-law. You all get free hum jobs!

I oddly have faith that Don McGahn WILL testify before Congress. I mean, if he ignores a subpoena because the "president" says to..........it's not the "president" who is held in contempt.  I'd be standing on the table telling everything I know.  ........except for the fact that I'd have never ever ever ever ever serve at the pleasure of that "president".

Oh - and Michael Cohen, spilling more (hopeful) truths about others in the BLOTUS camp who have lied to authorities.

Listen - if even 25% of any of this comes to pass, it might - I said "might" - make Blobby a happy happy man.



Song by: Rosanne Cash

Monday, May 20, 2019

My Music Monday

It's been a minute since Shakespears Sister has released a thing. And by "a minute", I mean 27 years - at least with its original two members.  Siobhan Fahey (of Bananarama fame) had other iterations of the band in the early 2000s and into the early 2010s, but it never truly went anywhere.

Fahey kicked out Marcella Detroit, best known prior to this to co-writing Eric Clapton's "Lay Down Sally" in 1993. Their last disk, Hormonally Yours, came out in 1992.

So here they are now, almost three decades later, and a year after a Bananarama reunion tour that went nowhere, with some new music. Granted I think it will be one or two songs for "greatest hits" disk, but.......it's something.

When I heard they were doing this, my first thought was "please don't suck, please don't suck, please don't suck....."  ....and it doesn't.

The song more than nods to their relationship, or is my interpretation. And there is a run near the end of the song that I swear is being pulled from the song "Vivid" by Electronic. It's brief, but it's there.

Still, "All the Queen's Horses" is not bad for a 27 year absence.


Sunday, May 19, 2019

Devil May Care

So last night, before more tequila, we went to go see Hail Satan.

I know - I never heard of it either, but 710 said it had a 98% Rotten Tomatoes rating - which is a total lie. It was 96%.

Hail Satan is a documentary.

The movie has its pros and cons. While yes, it does deal with the Satanic Temple, it turns out modern day Satan worship is not really about well......worshipping the devil.

Their views on government, theocracy (or lack thereof), equality, etc are very enlightened. They use their beliefs to counter the entire construct that the U.S. was not built as a Christian Nation.

They fall through on this endeavour by their name itself: Satanic Temple. And following up most things with chanting "Hail Satan".

No one interviewed seems to really think they're worshipping the devil or evil. None of them seem to be. At least in this slice of their lives, they're challenging state governments about their lack of separating of church and state by pointing out the only prayers they say are christian ones and the presence of 10 Commandments on state property - but only the 10 Commandments.

Most of the people are exactly what you think:  black wearing, metal heads with lots of piercings and ink. Save one Alabama, bow-tie wearing guy who reminded me of Kenneth on 30 Rock.  That all kind of takes away from their goals. Let's face it - people have a hard time looking past the black leather and chanting like you're worshipping the devil.

While I'm not moving to the Satanic Temple anytime soon, they operate by Seven Tenets.  They'd be hard for anyone - even a Christian (save #3 these days) - to find fault with them.


  • One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason. 
  • The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions. 
  • One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone. 
  • The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own. 
  • Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs. 
  • People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused. 
  • Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

Again, their message is lost in the wrapping.

It was an interesting movie, though it made me cringe here and there.



2019 Movie Count / Goal: 06 of 15


Song by: Dianna Krall

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Comfort

I might be a wee bit drunk.

....and by "might be", I mean I totally am.   Thanks tequila!

No really. I mean THANKS!   Yesterday, for the most part was a shit day, so as Homer Simpson says, "ahhhhh, alcohol, the cause of and solution to, all life's problems!".

A. Fucking. Men.

But enough of that.  Dog.  and Cat.   Well.......dogs.

Has there ever been a more comfortable dog? 
The question is rhetorical. 

Always the back-up.......never just unrequited love.  
I'm good with it. 

Siggie - up close and personal.  And hairy. 


Cousins and Cousins

I totally pulled a Felicity Huffman and got Siggie into our tres elite daycare. 

Sister, Brother & Sleep Time



Song by:  Alanis Morissette

Friday, May 17, 2019

My Music @ Work

One month and one day into my job, I finally have an "office".

Ok - it's a cube.  .....for now.

The building I moved to, well, I don't have an office yet. That will probably be 3-6 months before I get one.  No worries.

At my last job, before they had us work from home, I had a cube and it was fine. It was fine because people traveled a lot, myself included.

Now I have people near me on the phone constantly - though it is part of their job.

Wireless bluetooth earbuds are going to be my new bestest friend. I also have a pair of noise cancelling headphones (also bluetooth) that might come into play. I've seen others in the work area with them and I'm totally getting it.

What you see is what I have. I don't even have a desktop computer. I put my docking station in the overhead cabinet, so I don't even have that clutter on my actual desk top.

I have an Indians towel hanging and a storm trooper mug (which I use as a pen holder thingy) and that's about it.  And a half pack of post-its.  Right now, and as is my plan: no paper.



Song by: the Tragically Hip  (and yes, I know I used this song before.  T.S.)

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Wishin' and Hopin'

Pinch me - I think I'm dreaming.   If I am.............don't wake me.





Song by: Dusty Springfield

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Warmer Climate

I'm down with anyone calling out this administration on, well, just about any and every thing. But right now, we have Billy Nye and Geo Clooney. 

Thumbs up to both.







Song by: Snow Patrol

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Killing Time

I'm not a woman (this is actually true!) and while theoretically could get someone pregnant, really can't get a woman knocked up, and I'm appalled by the new abortion bills in Georgia and my home state, Ohio (though you can start adding Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Dakota and Texas to the lists).

While yes, social media is all over this - it's unclear if some of the below are even true.

The Georgia governor signed the bill, stating:  “to ensure that all Georgians have the opportunity to live, grow, learn and prosper in our great state.”. 

OMFG.  I don't know it for sure, but he's probably against public funding, food stamps and sex education in schools.  ....and he means all white Georgians, btw.

If actually true, the bill goes into effect January 1, 2020........because...........the law can’t take effect until January because it categorizes fetuses as “minor dependents” under the Internal Revenue Code. I shit you not.  Does this mean child support from absentee fathers starts at 6 weeks old too?

One thing I haven't looked up - doctors who perform the abortions....what are their punishments?

Anyhoo.......some social media items from this all.








This is actually a possibility. A probability?  Most likely not, but.........it seems like this state would try to float this test balloon to see how it goes. They tried in 2015 without this law. Now they have the law. 














Song by: Clint Black

Monday, May 13, 2019

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 110th 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.


05:45.  Leashing up for a.m. walk. 
This is an hour later than usual, so thanks for letting me "sleep in", Shep.

05:50.  One raindrop. 
The beginning of sprinkling after an overnight rain. 

06:10.  On-line purchase. 

06:55.  Cheerios b'fast.  Same as every day. 

09:10.  Let's just say my car didn't need repaired. 

10:30.  I'm not sure our yard has looked better. 

11:45.  Darks. 

12:45.   Sleepy. 

I'm not normally a 'nap person', but I had a 2.5 hour one here on Saturday and two different ones on Sunday. Shep was ok with letting me use his sofa. 

16:40.  Park Walk. 

I totally forgot to take pics at the store or while visiting my mother for her day, but afterwards we took Shep on a 2 mile hike through a park near my mom's new place. 

17:00.  Geese and Kids. 

This was one flock. There were three others at the same area on the path. 710 had to carry Shep as to not upset the families. You can see a parent duck (on the right) actually hissing at us. 

17:05.  10,000 Steps. 

Honestly, with all the naps, I expected to hit maybe 6,000 steps. I'd go on to get 11,331. 

18:15.  Dinner time. 
....well, for Shep. Not so much for us. 


That's it.  I had lots of missed opportunities, but you get the idea. 

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Mother

Yep.   Well, I'm assuming.




Enjoy your mother's day.




Song by: Natalie Maines

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Sleeping

Here is the best time of your blog week............well, when reading mine, that is.

One tired pooch, 

I love being the object his affection - which goes away as soon as we get home for him to see 710. 

Q:  When is an ottoman not an ottoman ? 

The ducks have fallen out of favour. Sebastian, the dragon is still #1.  But Mr. Bun is a close second. Both were give to him by our neighbor. 




Song by: the Band

Friday, May 10, 2019

Low Life

I've said this again and again, and yet, I still surprise myself:  how fucking lower can BLOTUS go?

You know in Sunnydale when there was Hellmouth?  That even had a lower level and nice creatures came out of it.

"And don't forget, we don't let them {immigrants} and we can't let them use weapons. We can't. Other countries do. We can't. I would never do that. But how do you stop these people?" the President said. 

Someone in the audience interrupted Trump, shouting: "Shoot them!" 

Trump chuckled at the shouted remark before shaking his head, as the crowd began to laugh. "That's only in the Panhandle you can get away with that statement," the President then said with a smile, with the crowd erupting into laughter. "Only in the Panhandle!"

As abhorent as he is - and he is - the crowd laughed.........and cheered........at the thought of shooting people.

So, keep in mind, when one of those fucktards actually goes and shoots people at the border (not if, but when), IF he bothers to mention it at all, he will say it was a "joke".

We are going down the drain so quickly. I actually get nauseated.




Song by: Screaming Trees

Thursday, May 09, 2019

Billionaire

Hey BLOTUS - How much money did you lose in between 1985-1994 ???





(I'm hoping the video works)



Song by: Lisa Stansfield

Wednesday, May 08, 2019

Skating Away

Man - I was three quarters of a way through my draft of another post only to find out the item was real, but like two years old, so I scrapped it.  I had nothing else really.  Work has really gotten in the way of blogging.

But my sister sent me this:


The guy on the right is, well....was, my uncle. He died 10 days after I was born, so I don't really remember much about him.  {the eye roll is implied}

Skating was the thing in the 50s in Cleveland. That's where my parents met. Until a few years ago, they'd have a party with their skating club every year. I'm not sure anyone but my mother and aunt (Ernie's and my father's sister) are still alive.   If they are, it's doubtful they can drive after dark.

For those who knew my father - and Jon, Morty, Becky and Dith might be the only ones here - I'd normally say Ernie doesn't bare a resemblance to him, but this picture tells me otherwise. Maybe it's the angle.

Ernie died at 41 and was a confirmed bachelor. I don't know if he was gay or not - and it wasn't a question I really could ask my father. He and Ernie were tight. And even though the second born, was seemingly their parent's favourite.

Ernie wasn't buried in the family plot for some reason, and it was enough for his mother not to be too, as she is laid to rest next to him. I found that weird.

By all accounts, Ernie was a ne'er-do-well. The above picture does nothing to deter this thought. I'm not 100% sure he ever worked after the war.  That would be WWII.  I'm not 100% sure he didn't live at home his entire life.

No one had a bad word to say about Ernie.............................until my father died.  Oh, how my mother loathed him. I think she knew better than to say that while Ernie was alive.  And then to not have to say it to her husband.

One story I have heard is that he'd hide tape recorders in people's houses and then listen to what they had to say.  Ick.

Maybe he's not buried with the family by his choice.

I didn't ask all the questions about Ernie when people were alive. Both his brothers are now dead, with only a sister left, and that's not a person I want to go to for verification of anything anyways. And it's her long dead brother. Doubtful she'd say anything unflattering. I'm not sure I'd get biased stories from my mother.

As Ernie looks so much like my father, and their brother Eddie ended up looking so much like my father.........well, I know my fate. I caught a glimpse of myself in a picture taken at the beach last year. There is no doubt I'm my father's son.  ....and apparently, my uncle's nephew.




Song by: Jethro Tull