Monday, August 31, 2020

My Music Monday


 As much as I think I know about music, honestly I haven't even scraped the surface of what is out there. 

I know of Fleet Foxes, but I don't know their oeuvre, not really. 

I heard "Mykonos" on satellite radio. Once again, I assume 'alt nation' means it's newer and alternative. Usually it's neither of these things.  The song is 11+ years old. 

Go figure. 

But I like the vibe. Folkish with some alternative. There are parts later on that are extremely reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. This is not a bad thing. 


Sunday, August 30, 2020

Neutron Star Collision


I have to stop reading the news and my Facebook feed. It is DEPRESSING. 

I am passed the ability to figure out what is real, what is fear-based, or where on that venn diagram does it overlap. 

Mind you - those fear-based items comes from both the BLOTUS and Pappy Joe camps and followers. 

BLOTUS going on about he deserves a THIRD term because the first one was unfair to him. Yes, we call that dictatorship - but then, I've been calling that for about 2.5 years, if not longer. 

You've got BLOTUS insinuating that if not-reelected, we will see the greatest depression we've ever seen. 

DUDE! You might want to take a look at anything related to economics that isn't the stock market. You have already incurred the greatest debt and had the worst quarter in HISTORY. More people out of jobs and miles long lines for food banks.  But yeah - glad to hear amazon stock is up. 

Of course, 'depression' could mean lots of things, and as it is, I'm already depressed due to the last four years. 

I think that kid in Kenosha just showed us all what it will be like if BLOTUS loses. That is his base. That is his base's mentality. 

Now on top of it all, an asteroid named 11 ES 4 is headed towards earth* around election day. 


Honest to g-d, right now, I'm rooting for the asteroid. 



*121,000 km away (though the moon is 384,400 km away)


Song by: Muse

Saturday, August 29, 2020

a Face in the Crowd

 Pet Day.  Pet Day.  Pet Day. 


We met Bailey at Bow Wow Beach.  
She and Shep - meh?  Bailey and every other dog there? A+++

She's not quite the agility dog. She wasn't sure what to do. 

Lounging Soph

Anymore, 710 usually goes in to pick-up Shep, so I don't see these guys and gals. 
Yesterday, I went in and got quite the greeting. 

He is a work of art. Period. End of story. 

No bathroom peace, but I'm not really wanting any. 
Any attention she wants; she gets. It's that simple. 



Song by: Tom Petty

Friday, August 28, 2020

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! 

The Killers have a new disk out.  Like so many others, Imploding the Mirage, was to be released months ago. But shut downs made it difficult to mix, as sound engineers weren't able to work and such - which seems weird to me, since most anymore, music is digitally recorded and files could be shared electronically. 

But.........four months later, here we are.  Or aren't, as the case may be. 

Like with most any release these days, they are preceded by 3-4 songs. There seems to be no reason or rhyme to what type of songs make that cut. More often than not, to me, they are rarely the better tunes. So does it really entice one to purchase a disk based on those? 

Now, I like the Killers, but with my friends, I am in the minority. They were still one of the best concerts I've attended. But I also know that with about half their disks, I end up liking them much more in later years than upon their immediate release. 

If the same method holds, it might take quite a while for me to feel Imploding the Mirage

The disk starts strongly enough with "My Own Soul's Warning", which is about as traditional of a Killer's song there is. The whole thing sounds familiar and comfortable. It's possibly the best thing on the disk. Oddly, or not, it is the only song written solely by lead singer Brandon Flower. 

But the disk is not consistent and it loses me far more often than it should. 

Let's start with "Lightning Fields". At best, it's a mediocre song. What it really is, is a missed opportunity. It's almost like, how dare you have k.d. lang featured on a song and then misuse her presence? She doesn't show up for almost two minutes and then use melodies and a mix that just make her seem......bland. IF she is singing after that initial part she's in, she is so lost in the mix and over-production it isn't even funny. And it is all melody too. Was there even a thought to doing anything at all with harmonies? 

"My G-d" is something Jim Steinman might listen to and cringe thinking, "even for me, this is all a bit too much" in terms of production. Think about that one for a second.  And while I like "Running Towards a Place", the opening and some of the music seems semi-ripped off from Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg's "Power of Gold" or maybe some song from Orleans. 

"Fire in Bone" is almost a non-starter. The song isn't horrible, if you can get past the horrible opening, which is only 30 seconds but seems so. much. longer.  

"Caution" is a decent song. It seems slightly better than when I first heard it, so that's a plus. Honestly, it's Lindsey Buckingham's guitar work at the end for which I stick around. It's some of his best guitar work in two decades. 

And there lies one of the problems here. The Killers, as of late, seem to be the Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vannucci Show, but I think they took a bigger hit than they'd admit when the band lost guitarist Dave Keuning. Mirage is the first album of which he has sat out completely, and while I wouldn't think one might miss that presence, it turns out you do. 

The songwriting is key too. And "Warning" might prove that Flowers writes better by himself than with 10 others, or sampling another nine ("Dying Breed" while decent, it pulled from Kraftwerk and others - as it took 11 people to write one song).  This proves to be exhausting and uneven. 

The title song is just bad. It just is. They rhyme 'mirage' with just about anything but 'decoupage'. Someone really got use out of their rhyming dictionary. 

Imploding the Mirage might grow on me. Might. But I suspect it will rank much lower in the Killers catalog, maybe right under Day & Age, but above Sawdust

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Knee Deep


 I couldn't decide to write about the 17 dipshit with a semi-automatic weapon that will hopefully be spending what little life he has behind bars. I'm hoping the constant rape pushes him to hang himself. 

Yes. I am THAT uncaring. At least of that turd. 

I'm also not here to give him any notoriety. 

I will give it up for the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Ok. Let's just get this out front. I didn't know Milwaukee had a fucking basketball team, let alone the name of one. I am not a total dolt when it comes to sports, but I'd have to run through a fuck of a lot of cities before ever assuming Milwaukee had a team that wasn't the Brewers.  

But good for the Bucks for boycotting game 5 of their play-offs. It's not every day that a team no one knew existed halts a season no one understands. 

But fuck - the ABA has BLACK LIVES MATTER on their temporary Orlando basketball courts. They sure as fuck had better halted their playoff games for what is going on in Kenosha.  I don't know they would have if the Bucks just hadn't said they weren't taking the court. 

I mean, my g-d, Roger Goodelle apologized to Colin Kaepernick this week. Sure, four years too late. Four years and being blackballed too late. But I suppose it's a start. 

And for historical sake, I will mention that this is all going on during the GOP convention, so you know they're loving this. ....but in all the wrong ways.  


Song by: George Clinton

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Modern Guilt

There's a tweet for everything. 


Two days ago, Eric BLOTUS pleaded the 5th as not to answer questions regarding BLOTUS family based on Michael Cohen writing that BLOTUS, when talking to banks, inflates his worth and holdings. Or as you might call it: bank fraud. 

Oh, and this "witch hunt" is not Federal. It's NY state, so there are no pardons or anything to be had. 

I'm now picturing Eric doing a Jerry Falwell Jr scene, but not with a pool boy and his wife in one of their many homes, but with black and muslim guys, and in a cell in Sing Sing.

Listen - you have your dreams, I have mine. 


Song by: Beck

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Love on the Rocks

 

Well, since I don't know the exact moment Tiffany will be speaking at the RNC, I've opted not to watch. 

And of course, there is the shit show that is Jerry Falwell Jr and Liberty Liberty Liberty University. (I know, now you're gonna have that jingle in your head all. day. long.      You're welcome!)

I might be a little graphic in this post, so make sure you have your parent's consent to go any further. 


Ok - I cannot be the only one to believe that this Jerry's Kid is utter fabrication, right? 

There are a few parts I believe, of course. There was a years long affair. There was a pool boy. There was a "trainer". There probably wasn't his wife's pregnant assistant or a costume party. I'm 99% sure there was cuckolding.

However, it wasn't the pool boy boning Mrs Jerry Jr. while the "resigned" president watched.  Noooooo. Nooooooo.  Noooooooo. 

Jerry was the one taking it up the poop chute. And Poolie was degrading Jer in front of his wife....assuming his was actually ever there - or even knew about it. At least until the pics started leaking a few years back. 

Hence the pic with Kathy Griffin's trashy younger southern cousin. Trying to throw anyone off the track. That, clearly did not work. 

So, my theory is: since Falwell Jr is worth about $100MM, his wife was ok with taking the fall for all of this - for a nice hefty pay-out......and a one way ticket out of Lynchburg. First class. 



Song by: Neil Diamond

Monday, August 24, 2020

My Music Monday

 I think you all know I don't have a streaming service, They pay artists a fraction of a fraction of a cent per play. Honestly,  Napster (that's still a thing?) pays the best at $0.019 per stream. YouTube is the worst at $0.00069 per view. 

Think about that. An artist on YouTube gets paid one penny for every 14-15 plays.  $1.00 for 1500 plays. Since no artist that isn't Taylor Swift or the likes, aren't getting that many plays per day, I'd say these artists were working for peanuts, but I'm also guessing peanuts cost more than a buck. 

I purchase my music, as I believe an artist should be paid for their work. 

That said, 710 does have Apple Music ($0.00783 / stream) and he uses it quite frequently, though not often when I'm around. The exception is dinner prep time. He will put on a 'chill' mix, or lately a 'new music' mix. The latter getting updated a few times per week based (seemingly) on things he's sampled. 

Lately there has been a lot of Alanis (I actually like a few songs on her new disk), Bush (ditto) and the new Psychedelic Furs disk. 

Yes, the Furs have their first studio album in 29 years (!!!!).   ....and what little I've heard, does not suck. 

Today's selection, "Ash Wednesday" has been the best of the three songs I have heard. Their "Hide the Medicine", I'm assuming at this day and age would be their Plavix. 

But the band not only recorded something that sounds good and not nostalgia (i.e. making everything sound like "Pretty in Pink" - though I still adore that), but is just pretty good music. Vocalist, Richard Butler, sounds as he did three decades ago. 

So, click the below and give the guys $0.00069 - though they'll have to split that six ways. 


Sunday, August 23, 2020

Seeing is Believing

My eye exam last week turned into a retail outing, as you might expect. 

I haven't had a new pair of glasses since 2018. I was in need. Literally. 

My last pair, I might have had on a piece of furniture where I sat then leaned on them. They might be fixable, but possibly not. So I've been wearing pairs that are older and well, less seeable. 

Blobby hates shopping, but kind of digs eye glass shopping. I don't wear jewelry or watches, so glasses are kind of my...vice? Is that even the right word? 

Just recently - and by that, I mean yesterday - I finally gave away (read: donated) five pairs of old glasses. They'll match them with someone with my near and far sightedness and astigmatism. 

It is the first time I've given away any frames. Though the lenses were old and useless to me, I was unable to part with them. 710 says I'm the Imelda of eye glasses. I fear in a few years, if not already passed, that cultural reference will be lost. Probably right along with Lorena Bobbitt. 

So I kind of like to go glass shopping, though I fear I am not good at it. I act on impulse, not necessarily practicality. I think I might also be highly influenced.  

Bob, at the place I usually got glasses, had a way of steering me to things he thought I would like - and I did - but were always the most expensive thing in the store. Now that he is gone, his daughter Cathy has the same "gift".  I usually end up regretting my choice a few months in. Or I get bored easily. Or both. 

I couldn't tell her what I liked and didn't. It's not that cut and dry for me, though no longer can I wear 'round' frames. It doesn't look good with my Dr. Bunson Honeydew head. So not having a clear view is a problem for her, as with Covid, she has to wipe down every frame we touch. 

Cathy did a great job picking out some cool frames - including the ones in my pic, which oddly was the first pair I put on. 

In this pic, they look black. They are not. They are brown with minimal tortoise flecks in there. I like them a lot. At least for now. But they are crystal clear........and I can see, far and near. 



Song by: Elvis Presley

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Walk on By

I don't think I need an  intro to these.  You just breeze right past to the main event. I could save myself minute every single week!

Mr. Shep turned 5 last Sunday. 
He was rewarded as he is most weekends - a trip out, and this time to the beach. He had a blast. 

the Prettiest Girl in all the Land 

My lord - Bailey and her ears. 

Still not a starring roll in the IG account but he made it - so I'm happy. 

the Lounge Queen. 
the crossed paws really make this pic. 

Roly Poly Shep. 
He loves a good stop drop and roll. 



Song by: Dionne Warwick

Friday, August 21, 2020

Mixed Messages

Sooooo......yesterday 710 sent this to me via text. 

I believe (well, I know) my response was: Fuck. Him. 

At first I thought it was just an ad.  And it is, but it's a little more. It is a request to my actual board of elections to request an Absentee Ballot. 

Of course, in theory, this is hypocrisy, which is a normal BLOTUS state of affairs. 

He's all like, 'Absentee good; mail in bad'.  Except for the fact that they're the same. How do the idiotic voters on both sides not know this? 

And then there is that whole mail slow down thingy he's got going on. So does he want me to vote by mail or lose my vote by mail? 

Which then get me overthinking:  I'm in no way shape or form a republican or registered as, or even remotely ever thinking about it. So how the fuck did I get on their mailing list?

It could totally be my over active imagination / conspiracy theory that's gotta be workin' workin' day and night, but it is possible they're sending these to registered democrats to get them to do mail-in voting that they're gonna screw up with the mail? 

Honestly, I put nothing past these folks.  Nothing. 



Song by: the Bangles

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Vote for Me

 Is anyone watching the DNC convention?  And if so, why? 

I'm not being a dick (well........), I'm genuinely asking. There is zero surprise at who the nominee will be, or even the speakers. 

Obvi, I'm fine with Michelle Obama talking anywhere, anytime. But Bill Clinton? We already have a pedophiliac president who buds around with Epstein and Maxwell, did we need another one? 

I loved 1992-2000 Bill......but after that, it's just creepy. 

And Hillary?  Honestly - why?  

There were dozens of young democrats who should be the face of the party, not AARP.  And with either Clinton you're just giving fodder to the other side.  They get to call her 'loser' and they're not wrong, as she's not at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. There will be no press on her message, just reaction. It's an act of futility. 

Honestly, in an election year like this one, what is the point of a convention? I'd be hard-pressed to believe there are undecided voters in this election. You can talk about your platform all you want, but it really just comes down to BLOTUS vs Not BLOTUS. 

And why have a convention when there really wasn't even a primary season?  No, not because of Covid, just the DNC shoved Biden on us. If almost any other candidate was sitting in the White House right now, I'm not sure I'd vote for Pappy Joe - that is how much the DNC pissed me off. 

As it is, I'm voting for Harris.


Song by: Chicago

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

the Daily Mail

 

"Help me ___?___, you're our only hope!"

Honestly - help me fill in that fucking blank. 


Truth be told, my stomach has kind of been in knots over this fucking USPS bullshit.

Honest to fucking g-d, how is this even happening and how can nobody stop this? 

Mailboxes being pulled up off the street. Some 671 mail sorters taken out (or slated to be taken out) of post offices in every single state - save Alaska. Machines that each sort 30,000 pieces of mail per hour. Or - 20,130.000 PER HOUR. 

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

Allegedly, USPS (read: who exactly?) is now saying they won't remove machines until after the election. 20 states sued. Where the hell were the other 30?  Well 29. You know...........Alaska. 

Maybe this is true. Maybe not. 

Even IF the cease and desist is true, I still take great issue with this entire scenario. The guy BLOTUS put as head of USPS owns between $30M and $75M (they can't narrow that down?)  in stock with XPO Logistics, a large transportation and logistics company that does business with the USPS for the last 25 years. Clearly a conflict of interest. 

What I don't get with this whole thing:  there is no evidence, one way or the other, that mail in voting benefits Democrats more than Republicans. I'm not saying it doesn't - but I can't find any stats on that, and you know there have got to be some. 

Is it possible that fucking up the postal system would actually backfire on BLOTUS?  One could hope. 

What I do know about the "alleged" slow down of the mail:  Caremark sent my prescriptions on August 11th. They have not arrived and currently unable to track them. So................yay!

So, if there are enough delays in Veteran benefits or old people medications, that fat fuck might have just lost two groups of would be voters. 

 Update: 

Oh, it cannot hurt to email the Board of Governors for USPS:

roman@rmiv.com 
barger.jm@gmail.com 
mduncan@inezdepositbank.com 
ron.bloom@brookfield.com 
lee.moak@moakgroup.com 
DirectorAccessMailbox@cigna.com 



Song by: Radiohead

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Hard Nose the Highway

Since we hit the eye portion of my health the other day, let's travel south a bit to my nose. 

It's not secret that my schnoz is plus sized. Not horribly so, but I get it has that Eastern European Jew thing going on. I'm proud of my nose and I like it. Je have no desire to change it.....at least on the outside. 

The inside? It is in dire need of renovation. 

I've known for about 35 years that I have two deviated septums. The left and right alternate between which is worse, but generally the left is more problematic. I have nothing to back this up at the moment, but I believe it to be a main reason for my lack of sleep all these years. 

Twice before I have had doctors evaluate this issue. The first time, the guy's success stats scared me out of doing anything about it. To go through it with only a 60% chance of improvement wasn't worth the effort to me.  ....and at the time the pulled the dried bloody packing through your nostrils!!!!

Fast forward to 2009, the odds got much better in terms of making a positive impact, but a change of jobs shortly thereafter derailed any plans and then I just put on a far far back burner. Until recently. 

A few weeks of increasingly bad sleep - even for me - and one nap that had me struggling for air had me all hepped up to do something about this. It didn't hurt that Morty had done the surgery a while back and just raved about the outcomes. He said it was the best thing he ever did.............other than becoming friends with me. 

Oh, he didn't say that last part, but I know that's what he meant. 

With my 2020 deductible paid, Q4 of this year seemed the opportune time to get this done. 

While I self referred, I found a new otolaryngologist whom I really like. Youngish, smart and had a decent sense of humour. 

We went through the standard rigamarole of questions and my expectations. I'm not looking for perfection just the ability to breathe a little better. But first he had to stick a camera up my nose and into my sinuses. YAYYY.  I don't have access to those images or you'd be seeing them here.  Count your lucky stars. 

Long story short - I still have the septum issue. And apparently an issue with my turbinates. The doc asked if I knew about those - and I did not, but that it would make a great band name. He chuckled and goes, "the Inferior Turbinates". 

I'm assuming he upper-cased those. Apparently of the three turbinates we all have, it is my inferior ones that need reductions - along with the septum stuff. 

It turns out them thar turbinates can decrease ones sense of smell, which might explain why I have such a limited ability to smell stuff. One of my sisters has almost no ability to smell at all. So, this could be interesting. 

But medicine - and insurance - being what it is, I must use a prescription nasal spray for two months to see if that reduces those terrible turbinates on their own. Morty claims they won't.  Insurance is going to want to try the inexpensive routes first before shelling out for surgery. 

I'd say I get a week off when I have it. Reality is I'll just work from home. He doesn't want me going in due to the blood and crud coming out of my nose - but I'm guessing masks would hide that anyways. 

So in two months I'll know if I'm going under the knife - again. 


Song by: Van Morrison

Monday, August 17, 2020

My Music Monday

Years ago I did a Philosopher King's song I really liked - though it was released back in the early 2000s.  

No, you've never heard of them, even if you did read that post. 

They are Canadian, so.......it may as well be Polynesian. 

Back then, our cable channel got MuchMusic, which was Canada's much superior version of MTV. Except they played videos and not shows of  Poor White Trash tweens getting knocked up. 

And the music they played was diverse and yes, tended to favour Canadian artists, like the Philosopher Kings

The band itself is multi-racial, not just in term of the band, but in the some of the members themselves. So they bring an arguably evolved sound to their pop and R&B mix. 

Case in point - today's selection, "You Stepped on My Life', which throws in Love Unlimited Orchestra-like fusion. It totally works. 

Vocalist, Gerald Eaton has a great voice, and not hard on the eyes. I found him way sexy in my earlier post back in 2012. Good vibe and swagger. 

The video? eh.  But the song is A+.

 



Sunday, August 16, 2020

Pressure

Ahhhh. Aging. Isn't it grand. 

So, I had a late optometry appointment scheduled at the beginning of sheltering in place last March. Clearly, that didn't happen. 

I was already about a year overdue, so now it just delayed it even more. And my eyesight wasn't getting any better. I mean, I don't think it's horribly worse, but my glasses weren't cutting it - mostly due to buying on-line and letting some tech pseudo guess where the transition line should be. 

Anyhooo.......I finally got my exam this last week. A full one, including dilation. Crud. Hate that. 

The doc seemed thorough. To the point where the light exam after dilation seemed to go on far far too long.  Crud.  Hate that. 

The longer it went, the more I thought, "well this can't be good!"  And it wasn't..........not exactly.

It seems I have Pigment Dispersion Syndrome.  

PDS, as I'm calling it, happens when pigment rubs off of the back of the iris of the eye when the fibers supporting the lens rub against it. This pigment is deposited in the trabecular meshwork of the eye, where the fluid drains out. 

When he said 'fluid' and then 'pressure', internally, I'm like "fuck". 

This could be a precursor to a form of glaucoma. 

The literature says this condition is rare (duh, that is my M.O.), occurs mostly in Caucasian males (double duh!). I break the mold with the fact that the on-set usually comes in mid-20s to early 40s. I'm looking at that fucking timetable in the rearview mirror. 

So right now, there is nothing to do. We will watch, wait and see. 

"See" - being the optimal word. 



Song by: the 1975

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Wild Horses

It's been a busy week.  They're all been busy lately. But I was still able to get a few good pics. And we got to visit family - which was important.    


                
Shep at the polo fields - eyeballing the horsies. 
I don't think he knows what to think. 

Daycare photos. Always the character actor, never the star. 

Morning how-do-you-do with Rey. 

When Shep gets bored on hikes, he finds a stick on which to chew. 

Got to spend a few hours - socially distanced - from my cousin and his wife. And Siggie - whom oddly 710 had never met.  They got along famously. 

We also ventured to a dog park. Save one other person, we were the only ones in masks. and we still stayed away, to a degree.  Shep is going in the water on the right side of this pic. 

Siggie wanted attention. Siggie got it. 



Song by: Rolling Stones

Friday, August 14, 2020

Man of the Hour

 I still think Fauci will be Time's Man of the Year, but S.V. Dáte, correspondent for the Huffington Post, is definitely the Man of the Hour. 

Take a 20 second look


Sadly, no way he'll be back in the press briefing room ever again (at least during this administration's time) but with that one question, he has more balls than all on  NBC, ABC, CBS, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN {shall I keep going} combined.

Dáte did exactly what reporters are supposed to do, but they're all so scared about being banned, they ask nothing - at least of substance and you can forget the follow-ups. 

So revel in this one moment Dáte - and all of us. 

I am. 


Song by: Paarl Jam

Thursday, August 13, 2020

12 of 12

 So I'm doing my 124th 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 myself - of which I know.


04:44. Putting on shoes to walk the dog......at 04:44. But we had a nice walk. 

06:10.  Shower and Shave.  The other S was earlier. 

06:29.  Rey's breakfast. She was waiting, who am I to deny? 

06:47.  Daily Covid check.


09:43.  Grapes & Cherries. 
The mid-morning snack of champions. Cherries have been excellent this year. 


13:23.  Like my 18th time washing my hands of the day. 

14:12. Confounded by a reporting issue. It took hours but I think I got it. 

17:03. Leaving for the day. 
Taking a bunch of shit for a site visit tomorrow. 

17:19. Bring in the trash cans. 
Many neighbors have Biden signs. 

17:26. Small run to the grocery store. 

18:10. Shep / Daycare pick up.  He's so happy to see us. 


20:05. Flame broiled.


That's it.......until September. 

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Ticket to Ride

 Finally. 

Pappy Joe finally picked his running mate. And it's about whom 93% of folks thought it would be three months ago. 

I'm good with Kamala Harris. I think I would have been fine with Susan Rice too. I think Tammy Duckworth was a long shot and would have been a desperate move. 

Harris seems like a solid choice. I mean, I hope all this time, Pappy Joe & Co were vetting the fuck out her. You know, like Steve Schmidt didn't do to Sarah Palin. Or that Clinton's team found the most forgettable man on the planet to be her VP. 

I've said it before - when it was down to Biden and Bernie, I thought both should have announced their VP picks then. In the highly manipulated primary "season" (count them: three primaries before almost all "dropped out") I knew I'd be voting for the bottom of the ticket. Pappy Joe isn't living another eight years. He just isn't. And if so, I don't need another fucking addled man in the Oval Office.

Yes, I heard BLOTUS bad-mouthed her already. Shocking!  {not}

The bigger shock is that it took him an hour after announcing it to do so. 

Harris almost makes me want to watch the VP debates. 

Almost. 

I still can't see doing it. 


Of course a big takeaway is: Maya Rudolph has a job for the next three and a half months to eight years. 



Song by: the Beatles

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Behind the Wall

If you didn't know, BLOTUS is building his wall. But it's not necessarily at the border. 

No, he's building it around the White House. 

Obvi, there has almost always been a fence around the corner of 1600 Pennsylvania and Black Lives Matter Blvd. 

Back in 2014 there was another fence erected so you couldn't even get to the fence fence.  

BLOTUS is adding another layer. Maybe two. 

Secret Service opted to add another surrounding after the murder of George Floyd. Apparently, BLOTUS can be a bigot, but he's a big scaredy cat (read: pussy) bigot. Can dish out; cannot take. 

There have almost always been fence and gate jumpers at the White House, which is one reason Gumby couldn't get past the first fence. Now there is another, higher version. 

Make no mistake, this wall isn't to just keep others out. It's also to keep others in. 

Mark my words, this dude isn't coming out on January 20th. Not on his own volition. 



Song by: Tracy Chapman

Monday, August 10, 2020

My Music Monday

I'm not the biggest fan of Alanis Morissette, not by a long shot. And most of the things I like by her are not the stuff that hits the radio, you know - when she used to be ON the radio. 

Jagged Little Pill was 25 years ago, and her record company's wanna be sequel was a semi 180 (a 90?) from that hit disk. Since then, it's more about her vision than purposefully producing a hit. 

I knew she was having a new disk come out this year and a bit 25th anniversary tour of Jagged, almost all of it 86'd by The Covid.

But her delayed album, Such Pretty Forks in the Road, is now out and I've only heard two songs. One - meh. The other, meh+.  

I'm going with the latter, because there is something I cannot touch on that I really like.....and it just might be Alanis herself. 

"Ablaze" is a decent track, clearly a song to and for her children ("my mission is to keep the light in your eyes ablaze'). 

Morissette, hasn't really changed styles, unless you ONLY listen to "You Oughta Know", but really for her last like four disks. She still is wordy and tries and (sometimes) succeeds to jam them all into a musical passage that doesn't seem like it will or should fit. As with a lot of her stuff, her vocals are a little mush-mouthed, so with the combo, you have to pay attention if you really want to hear the lyrics. 

Still, I've played the song about a half-dozen times, so it can't be all bad or I'd have moved on. 

Apropos of almost nothing, I liked that Morissette hired two women to produce her new disk - as it's just rare to see that happening in the music industry.