Friday, April 30, 2021

Blank

It has been a super long week - and it's not over. 

So I have nothing to post.  Nothing interesting has happened.  I haven't read or seen the news today - so, I have no idea what is going on in the world.  

It could be argued I never have. 

Anyway - free day for you............and me. 

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Take Me Out

So last Saturday we did something that I cannot even recall was the last time. 

We went to dinner at someone else's house!

It was my niece's 30th birthday. While you don't know her, I have a hard time seeing her as and adult, let alone 30. I still remember her 1st birthday vividly, or her as the 7-8 year old singing "Oops I Did It Again"......over and over and over. 

Now she has a Ph.D and treating kids who have had traumatic home lives. I still cannot fathom how she does that, because at most, in my head, she's a teenager. 

So anyways - my sister had dinner for her. She axed if we would be comfortable coming over. We all discussed, as it's kind of a group decision anymore. 

It would just be the six of us. Everyone has been vaccinated. So we took a dive into the social pool, as it were. 

In the last year, I've seen my sister three times:  once at my mother's stone setting, one at a dog park and over the December holidays, we stood out in her driveway for about 20 minutes catching up. 

710 has seen my brother-in-law a few times, as their covid shots were at the same place at the same time. 

And none of us as seen each other's "new" house. We've been here a year now. They've been in their new place about six months. So, out we trekked to their place. 

First off - the house is really nice. They got something we didn't - a first floor master. Sure, I don't need it now, but.......tick tock........  And they have great outdoors space, though it was too cool for that. 

It turns out, they all wanted to go out, but knew we would have turned that down. And we would have. So they go carry in - which was nice. 

Two beers. Dinner - and too full for the dessert I brought. 

Since it was semi-last minute (like 4-5 days notice) it turns out another side effect of Covid - getting a birthday cake made. Used to be 24 maybe 36 hours notice. Now it is 1-2 weeks!  So. I had to find alternative desserts.  It still worked out. 

As I am (or can be) socially inept, I did start the visit with a pre-apology.  Out side of work I have not socialized with anyone. 710 hasn't even been to the office in 14 months, so he, even less so. While I can't say we were uncomfortable, we had the potential to be. I wasn't sure how we would act or interact. 

Overall, it was fine. It was a little strange and we didn't stay a long long time. As it was their new house, we didn't bring Shep (and he and Bailey don't see eye to eye a lot of the time, as I recall).  So, for the second time in a year, he was left alone at home. 

Again, since Covid, he's just never been without us*. Someone is ALWAYS home. So, save for daycare, so is he. He did fine. Nothing was destroyed. 

One toe into the water.  Let's see how this goes. 



* a white lie.  we did leave him for 90 minutes for my mother's stone setting last June. 



Song by: Franz Ferdinand

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

On Your Own



It's a weird time in which we live. 

I know I'm overstating the obvious, but I'm not quite sure I am. Not to the depth of where we are, or going to be. 

This headline from the Washington Post is just fucked up.  A country - gianormous at that - is out of healthcare resources. No room in the hospitals.  No oxygen in the hospitals. No oxygen anywhere. New cases increasing at the rates of almost a half-million every single day. 

Oh, and the mass cremations. 

Cases are on the rise in the U.S. too. Not at India's rate, but in a much younger population than we've seen in the past. Hospitalization rates are up. Vaccination numbers have stalled. And here in Ohio, we're increasing number of people at sporting events - and the CDC just relaxed mask requirements for outdoors. 

Of course that last one comes with caveats:  small groups.  socially distanced.  et a.  But people, as I have come to find, are generally stupid.  I'm guessing the last thing they heard was 'no masks'. 

I know that within the hospital system in which I work, positivity rates and the census is on the rise. ICUs are at capacity, even transferring some patients out to other hospitals to make room for the more critically ill. 

The above headline has not quite spurred my anxiety into overdrive, but it did pique the thought that it might. Sooner than later. 

710 has part of this team in India. Two on that team died over last weekend. Both in their 30s. Both with families they've left behind. I didn't know them,  but I felt horrible for their families and hope the company does something for them. It's also telling that due to India's current experience,  the amount of work the folks there does for American companies - they have to rejigger schedules on products, projects and plans. 

Right now, I feel that it's a watch, wait and see kind of scenario for the U.S. , and if / when it happens, like India, we will be fucked. 


....well that was a downer of a post.  Sorry.



Song by: Bananarama

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Everybody Loves a Winner

This Oscar season has been anti-climatic. But being our 10th, maybe this has become like a marriage tolerating each otherand just trying to make it through to the next year. 

And it's tough to get behind something where no one has seen just about anything.  They may as well all been Akira Kurosawa films..........or worse, Michael Bay.  .....and all starring Drew Berrymore and Billy Bob Thornton.........or worse, Adam Sandler. 

I did not win.  

I am just putting it out there. Once again, it was the "Year of Mike".  It's all very tiresome. 

Mike won by one. 

It's possible I could have tied - or he could have won by two, save for the fact that I forgot to include 'sound editing' in the ballot.  Ooops.  Still he won. 

I will pay up and a bit more timely this year. Possibly. 

As for the title image, oddly, I stole the original from Mike's husband, Peter, a few weeks back. I was going to make two versions, one with me being #1 and one with him in that same ranking. The original has the winner looking sullen and over at the joyous loser. 

For the life of me, I could not find a picture of him facing that direction. So, I asked for Peter's assistance. I swear to g-d, this was the (hilarious) reply


Maybe he's a-scared of that whole Alfred Hitchcock silhouette thing he's got going on.  

I kid of course. He doesn't know who Hitchcock is. 


I watched a little bit of the show. It was different and yet not horrible. There was no one to play people off from their on-and-on-and-on-and-on speeches. I mean, there was a DJ, but everyone talked. And talked. 

We watched maybe less than half, then 710 couldn't stand it anymore. Then I went to bed. 


Anyhooo............

Results tabulation was completed by Dominion Voting Systems (providing fraud-free elections since November 2020!!!). Auditing, as always, done by the firm of Dewey, Cheatem & Howe. 

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Blobby won
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: both won
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: both won
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: both won
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: both won
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Blobby wins
COSTUME DESIGN: both won
DIRECTING: both won
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE): Mike wins
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT): Blobby wins
FILM EDITING: both lost
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM: both lost
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: Mike wins
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE): both won
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG): both lost
BEST PICTURE: both won
PRODUCTION DESIGN: both won
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED): Mike wins
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION): both won
SOUND: both won
VISUAL EFFECTS: Mike wins
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY): both won
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY): both won


Mike axed me if we needed a real accountant......as if we could afford that. 

But congrats to Mike......................again.



Song by: Linda Ronstadt

Monday, April 26, 2021

My Music Monday

I am in a Kirsty MacColl mood. Lately, I haven't been able to get her first hit, "A New England" out of my head. 

The song was originally written by Billy Bragg (who is great in his own right), whom MacColl allegedly "discovered". 

Bragg's version is almost half as short as Kirsty's. He added two verses for her. 

It's hard to believe that she has been gone for a little over 20 years. I always wonder what else she would have done. She was a great talent. 


Sunday, April 25, 2021

Up for Grabs

It's that time of year. The 10th Annual Academy Award Guessing Game®

Actually, it's well past that time of year.............but you know, Covid. 

It's Academy Award season. Which means, it's Mike vs Blobby in our now DECADE-long contest to see who is the best Oscar guesser who resides in Eastern Daylight Time, owns a dog, is gay and is losing their hair.  

It's a very very very specific group.  If Mike's blood type is A-, and if he's left handed, then it's a very very very very very c\very very specific group. 

Over the years, you've all been invited. No one else has participated, so........it's  it's really just mano e mano.  Or......mano e Mike. 

Honestly, I'm not sure either of us knew there'd be an awards this year. While my movie viewing habits have changed and Mike's lack there of have not, the crap (yes, I said it) that made it into this year's offerings is worthy of the Nickelodeon's Kid's Choice Awards.  I mean, I'm assuming. I'll wait for Mike to confirm that. 

"Guessing" has been the part of the title for the past 10 years, and never more appropriate than 2021 (from 2020 releases......allegedly).  At least before I could go in with a little knowledge of what was out there, because usually I'd have seen half of the best picture nods. This does not hold true this year. 

If anything, Mike and I are truly starting on an even playing field this year: we have each seen one 'movie' and it was the same one - Mank.  

Mike and his husband were bored with it. My husband too. My friend Jon, the same. It held me a little longer than they, but I loved Citizen Kane (eventually).  And it was better than the Melissa McCarthy claptrap we saw, or the Prom, so............

Guesses abound. 

Winner - should it be me, gets a red-hot photo shoot with one Mr. Ollie.........Mike and Peter's dog.  Winner - should it be Mike (ha!), gets a bottle of vodka and a red-hot photo shoot for Ollie and myself. Either way, I win.  And technically, either way, Mike's drunk. 

Look at him there with his 1986 People's Choice Award and his "Worlds' Best Boss" mug (psssst.....he works from home!). It's sad. He has no Oscar. IF he acted nice to me, he'd be a shoe in for a golden statue. But.........that would be a stretch that even Streep couldn't pull off. 

So welcome to the 10th Annual Academy Award Guessing Game®.   I am not sure I have witty comments to add to the nominations (Mike will question whether I ever did!).  I literally have almost nothing to go on. 


ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: RIZ AHMED Sound of Metal CHADWICK BOSEMAN Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ANTHONY HOPKINS The Father GARY OLDMAN Mank STEVEN YEUN Minari 

A previous Oscar winner portraying a man with Alzheimer's. It seems like a shoe-in. But Boseman is dead, so if they're running long on the broadcast he might get the win. It's not like he'll be doing an acceptance speech. 

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: SACHA BARON COHEN The Trial of the Chicago 7 DANIEL KALUUYA Judas and the Black Messiah LESLIE ODOM, JR. One Night in Miami... PAUL RACI Sound of Metal LAKEITH STANFIELD Judas and the Black Messiah 

I dunno. He was on SNL a few weeks back. And he' isn't Cohen, so........that's a plus. 

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: VIOLA DAVIS Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ANDRA DAY The United States vs. Billie Holiday VANESSA KIRBY Pieces of a Woman FRANCES MCDORMAND Nomadland CAREY MULLIGAN Promising Young Woman 

I LOVE Kirby but.......  All signs point to McDormand. And she should get an Oscar each and every time she is up for one. And I hears she poops in a coffee can or something. I dunno, we don't have Hulu. 

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: MARIA BAKALOVA Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan GLENN CLOSE Hillbilly Elegy OLIVIA COLMAN The Father AMANDA SEYFRIED Mank YUH-JUNG YOUN Minari 

I suppose it could be Close's year, as she is the Lucci of the Oscars. But I think she'll remain a loser perpetual nominee. That anyone in a Borat movie is being recognized - and only because Rudy frottaged himself in front of her - shows how bad the year and the awards are.  It's going to a 74 year old woman. I just want to see which presenter is going to fuck up the pronunciation. 

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:  ONWARD Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae OVER THE MOON Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE: FARMAGEDDON Richard Phelan, Will Becher and Paul Kewley SOUL Pete Docter and Dana Murray WOLFWALKERS Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young and Stéphan Roelants 

It's Pixar, whom I used to love. Now it's just an awards studio. 

CINEMATOGRAPHY NOMINEES JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH Sean Bobbitt MANK Erik Messerschmidt NEWS OF THE WORLD Dariusz Wolski NOMADLAND Joshua James Richards THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Phedon Papamichael 

Mank has the Kane-esque film qualities about it. Voters love that shit. 

COSTUME DESIGN: EMMA Alexandra Byrne MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM Ann Roth MANK Trish Summerville MULAN Bina Daigeler PINOCCHIO Massimo Cantini Parrini 

DIRECTING:  ANOTHER ROUND Thomas Vinterberg MANK David Fincher MINARI Lee Isaac Chung NOMADLAND Chloé Zhao PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Emerald Fennell 

Two women nominees. Does the Academy know they overused their quota? Do they know she'll be the only Asian female winner?

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE):  COLLECTIVE Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana CRIP CAMP Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder THE MOLE AGENT Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez MY OCTOPUS TEACHER Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster TIME Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn 

I'm going on name only. 

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT): COLETTE Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard A CONCERTO IS A CONVERSATION Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers DO NOT SPLIT Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook HUNGER WARD Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman A LOVE SONG FOR LATASHA Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan 

I mean, it could happen. And I've seen her grave, so I feel a personal connection. 

FILM EDITING: THE FATHER Yorgos Lamprinos NOMADLAND Chloé Zhao PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Frédéric Thoraval SOUND OF METAL Mikkel E. G. Nielsen THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Alan Baumgarten 

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM: ANOTHER ROUND Denmark BETTER DAYS Hong Kong COLLECTIVE Romania THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN Tunisia QUO VADIS, AIDA? Bosnia and Herzegovina 

From the filmmaking giants of Bosnia

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:  EMMA Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze HILLBILLY ELEGY Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson MANK Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff PINOCCHIO Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti 

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE): DA 5 BLOODS Terence Blanchard MANK Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross MINARI Emile Mosseri NEWS OF THE WORLD James Newton Howard SOUL Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste 

One way or the other, Treznor is going home with his second Oscar, though he'll probably be at home, dialing into his Zoom award show. 

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG): FIGHT FOR YOU from Judas and the Black Messiah; Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas HEAR MY VOICE from The Trial of the Chicago 7; Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite HUSAVIK from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga; Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson IO SÌ (SEEN) from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se); Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini SPEAK NOW from One Night in Miami...; Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth 

I dunno. Give it to Odom, he only has a Tony.  And to tell you how shitty this year's awards are: a song from Eurovision - not the competition, but the Will Ferrell POS Netflix movie. 

BEST PICTURE:  THE FATHER David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi and Philippe Carcassonne, Producers JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler, Producers MANK Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski, Producers MINARI Christina Oh, Producer NOMADLAND Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloé Zhao, Producers PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell and Josey McNamara, Producers SOUND OF METAL Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche, Producers THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Marc Platt and Stuart Besser, Producers 

One way or another, McDormand is going home with another Oscar. 

PRODUCTION DESIGN: THE FATHER Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara and Diana Stoughton MANK Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale NEWS OF THE WORLD Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan TENET Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas 

A period piece?  And in black and white?  Win!   Tenet director Christopher Nolan ranted against how movies are released in a world where the industry was trying to find a way to survive. His team might be great, but they're going down because of him. 

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED): BURROW Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat GENIUS LOCI Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU Will McCormack and Michael Govier OPERA Erick Oh YES-PEOPLE Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson 

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION): FEELING THROUGH Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski THE LETTER ROOM Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan THE PRESENT Farah Nabulsi and Ossama Bawardi TWO DISTANT STRANGERS Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe WHITE EYE Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman 

SOUND NOMINEES GREYHOUND Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman MANK Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin NEWS OF THE WORLD Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett SOUL Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker SOUND OF METAL Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michellee Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh 

It has the category right in the name!

VISUAL EFFECTS: LOVE AND MONSTERS Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox THE MIDNIGHT SKY Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins MULAN Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez TENET Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher 

A lot of Crouching Tiger / Leaping Lizards going on here. Probably should have been Tenet, but won't be. 

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY): BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM: DELIVERY OF PRODIGIOUS BRIBE TO AMERICAN REGIME FOR MAKE BENEFIT ONCE GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad THE FATHER Screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller NOMADLAND Written for the screen by Chloé Zhao ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI... Screenplay by Kemp Powers THE WHITE TIGER Written for the screen by Ramin Bahrani 

Can I just go on record that it took EIGHT people to 'write' Borat?  EIGHT. A tale of dementia seems to be in order here for a win. 

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY) NOMINEES JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King; Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas MINARI Written by Lee Isaac Chung PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Written by Emerald Fennell SOUND OF METAL Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Written by Aaron Sorkin 

Sorkin always seems like the safe choice. But women..............am I right?  Written by a woman for a woman and for women.  

There you have it. Possibly the crapshoot to end all crapshoots. Mike has already begged off watching this with me. And even if he did, he'd razz me for not staying up for it all. And it's gonna be one of those weird Covid, low energy, socially distanced, empty stage things...........so, snore.  (as if they are any better live and in person!)

May the best Cis Man win.   ..........or Mike. 




Song by: the Style Council

Saturday, April 24, 2021

I'm Just Wild About Harry

I don't know about all of you, but a rough rough week for me.  Next week might (?) be better. 

Pretty Kitty

                                         It started off like Romeo & Juliet, but it ended in tragedy.......

Shep and his would be girlfriend, Penny. 
She cries when she sees him. 


Now and again, Shep gets out one of balls Aunt Meredity got him a while back. He doesn't quite know what do with a ball, sad to say........

.....which is how he got it stuck here.  And then gave me a look like, "help me!"
.....so I helped him. 

Both the kids love the new kitchen area rug. ....and each other? 

Sophie is on meds that spur her appetite.....for any and everything. 
She is not above trying to whap me for anything I might have to give her.  And I do. 

Morty is currently dog-sitting this handsome fellow, Harry. 
OMG, his markings.  His face.  I love him!!!

....and one more, just for good measure. 



Song by: Miss Peggy Lee

Friday, April 23, 2021

Tired

Ever have a leg cramp a night? 

Sure you have. The night before last, I had a doozy. Honestly, while I didn't cry aloud, I'm amazed 710 didn't wake up from my squirming and trying to stifle a slight sob. 

It was one of those cramps that had three waves. You think you're through the worst of it, and find out your dead wong. 

Anyhoo......it happened at 01:18, I swear it lasted two hours, but it was like eight minutes. Still - a LONG eight (that's what she said!).  I had to get up to stretch afterwards - and pee. Not necessarily in that order. 

As cramps go, it was one of the more painful ones. But I finally got back to bed and Soph came up to comfort me.  

Eventually I got to sleep, but it was now way late and I was up way early. 

So I'm tired. Beat. 

It's not much of a post, but it's all I got.  Off to bed. 




Song by: LCD Soundsystems 

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Song for a Good Son

Even I, Blobby the socially inept, know that one is not supposed to play favourites with your kids. But I suspect everyone does it. 

I have adored every single pet I've ever had, or had the pleasure of knowing - except for one of Meredity's cats. Horrid creature, she. The cat, not Dith. 

Today would have been Petey's 19th birthday. 



I fell in love with Petey when he was eight weeks old and belonged to my sister.  I loved all the dog she had, but Petey had a special place in my heart. I can't tell you why exactly - he just did.  

9+ years later, we would take him in. Love him. Care for him. Nurse him. And love him some more. 

710 says he was the perfect starter dog. And he was. Especially for 710 who never had one before. Don't get me wrong, for years, it was a lot of work tending to his conditions, but we wouldn't have had it any other way, as we knew no one would have cared for him more. I dare say, even my sister and her family. 

Sure, I could have put 3-4 kids through college on what we spent on him, and it was still worth it. 

Pete was as low key as could be, but ever adorable. He made us hound folks. I do love most dogs, but it is doubtful we'd own anything but a hound. 

I believe Petey made us better people. While I don't really care for children all that much, I get that you put your kids first and make them the priority. We did that with Petey............and now Shep. 

Yeah yeah - we love and loved the cats, and treat them with the same reverence, but........it's different and you know it. 

So, I've been thinking about him lately, as we lost him around this time five years ago, followed closely by his birthday. 

A few more parting shots. 


Cuteness abounds on his stacked beds. 


Partners in crime. 


Sophie would loathe to admit it, but she loved Petey. If it weren't for his constant / violent sneezing and such, I think she would have slept next to him more than she did. But he was an old man, with old man attributes......and she has her limits of what she'll put up with. 

Anyway, happy birthday to my boy. 




Song by: the Bangles

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Rough Justice

I won't lie - this is a photo array I've been waiting to see.....and make. 



I got a text from CB, who lives in Minneapolis - home of the George Floyd murder - who told me the verdict was in.  Luckily, it was a crapfest work day, and close to the end of it, at that, so I couldn't fret too much that the jury wouldn't "do the right thing".  And I didn't hear when the verdict would be read. So I went about my day. 

Morty is the one who texted me / us:




I am not excusing Chauvin for what he did - not just to Floyd, but to a nation. I have several thoughts on that last statement: 

For not excusing him: at some point this bullshit of police literally getting away with every murder of every black person they've killed was going to have to come to an end at some point. One cop was not just not going to get away with it - they were also going to get it for every other cop who did. 

This happened to be Chauvin. 

Hopefully he was convicted on his own (de)merits and not those of the dozens of other cops who've killed hundreds of other black people who MIGHT have been guilty of nothing. I mean, he did kneel on a man's neck for 9+  minutes......on video. He easily got convicted on his own actions. 

But it's important to remember, cops are not judge and jury - just executioner it seems.  Their job isn't to kill people being arrested. It's not. They're not even supposed to kill people guilty of crimes. 

As for the nation comment:  It was a horrible, and yet enlightening, few months in 2020 - the murder and the protests. 

It truly truly truly lets us expose this country's racism. I mean, it was somewhat well cloaked before BLOTUS, but the blinder came off when he took office.  But the degree to which it surfaced - meaning, it was always there - was just astounding. 

No one wants to pick up the rock to see what's under it, but in a way, thank g-d someone did. It's ugly and needs to be dealt with. How is another question - to which I have no answer. 

So, Derek Chauvin is going to prison. Possibly up to 40 years.  I'd be surprised if he makes it 40 days* before someone kneels on his neck for 9+ minutes. 



*doubtful he'll be in the general population anytime soon, if ever, but...........tick tick tick.........



Song by: Bananarama

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Lift Off

As I try to avoid most anything about the George Floyd trial, and now the deliberations (and whatever Maxine Waters said that clearly couldn't wait a day or two, but which the judge now says could be grounds for appeal...............THANKS Maxine!). 

So, we'll go with helicopter on Mars. 

You know, in theory I was up early enough to watch this happen live - but I have a rule about no television before 07:30, and honestly, by then I'd have been at work for an hour. And I think this all happened earlier than me being at work. 

Ingenuity, which is the the helicopter name, landed on Mars attached to Perseverance a few months back. With some finagling, the 12 year olds in their STEM class got the thing working after a few failed tries. 

Yes, I'm making fun of their age, as when you see them, they are SO young. 

I'm the guy who'd never get a drone because, A. it would crash in the first 38 seconds of me attempting to get it to fly, or B. it would just keep going, never to be seen again. 

I'm going with A., because I'm the guy who'd never be a gamer due to the fact my hand-eye coordination is never gonna let me steal cars and beat up hookers for imaginary coins. And I can't do that on this planet, let alone from 180 million miles away. 

Granted, it's not a spectacular journey, but you're talking to a guy who can't fly a kite. 




Song by: Mike Shinoda

Monday, April 19, 2021

My Music Monday

I'm in a Rickie Lee Jones mood today. 

While she doesn't seemingly have a website, she has decent body of work - about 16 disks over a 42 year career. The last coming out about two years ago. 

Maybe she has enough dough to make a record, but not the extra $50 to buy her own domain name. 

Her second disk, Pirates, still possibly ranks in my top 50 records of all times. It was a great, if slightly unexpected follow-up to her eponymous debut - which yes, did come out 42 years ago. 

Dollars to donuts most of you only know "Chuck E's in Love". Yes, it is not called "Chuckie's in Love". Believe it or don't. But the album is so much more than that. She had and still does have a good mix of Blues, Jazz, Soul and Rock. Each one of those explored on at least her first two disks. 

While I'm not going with her big hit, I am going with "Coolsville" - which actually kind of incorporates all of those previously mentioned styles into one song. I almost went with "Danny All-Star Joint" which ranks in the top of her songs, but I do love "Coolsville". 


Sunday, April 18, 2021

Welcome 2 America

"Recent" 

It's all relative, right? 

I'm guessing survivors, or folks whose family members have been mowed down by semi-automatic anythings a decade ago, would say that was "recent". I'm sure it feels that way. 

Both the New York Times and one of my former Sites of the Month (from years ago now), Days Since the Last Mass Shooting, use similar methodology: one instance where at least four people are killed. 

I don't know how they get that is 'mass' as I'm sure if it were a trio killed, it seems like a mass. Neither here nor there, that's what it is. Now, that also means who have 'died' not just been shot. You know - let's go with that Las Vegas shooting at an outdoor concert.  Dozens shot. Many dead, but many more shot. 

So, to me, a 'mass shooting' doesn't even have to end in death. I'm almost certain that was the intended outcome and it doesn't change a mass 'shooting'.  But then call it what it is:  'mass killing'. 

So far - according to DSTLMS, 2021 has had seven mass shootings, with 42 deaths.  Longest time between mass shootings was 41 days. 

In 2019 there were 28 mass shootings, 159 dead and 71 days was the longest period of time between shootings. 

Guess how many in 2020.  Anyone?


ZERO. 


Say what you will about Covid, those pussies with guns were more afraid of a virus than they were ashamed of their tiny penis that inflamed with their probable fake rage and went out and killed no one.   ........well, in groups of four or more. 

Oh sure, Covid killed about 500,000 in the U.S. in 2020 but never used an AR-15 to do it.  It just weaponized an imbecile president and his team to do that. No waiting period. No license. 

Honestly, with distance learning, there were zero school shootings. 

And while I have absolutely nothing to back this up, these mass shootings that make the news have a few things in common - yes, all the gunmen were white folks. And men. But let's take that a step further amd say it out loud:  NO WOMEN. 

We who would like to see gun control (read: not elimination) focus on ease of getting weapons (yep), background checks (yep) and mental health issues (partial yep).  We're not focusing on: this is a guy thing. 

Women have as many mental health issues as men (presumably) and could have the same access to gun as any guy with an extra dangling Y chromosome............so...........why not women? 

Perhaps researchers and law makers need to narrow their focus when looking at this probable aspect of their definite problem.  

It seems so obvious, except that white males aren't about to pin the blame on white males. Simple as that. 



Song by: Prince

Saturday, April 17, 2021

Me and Julio Down By the School Yard

That day of the week in Blogland that you endure the other six days of my prattling on and on.....

When he kisses, he's all in. 

Saying good-bye on my way down the stairs. 

Short dogs need to be high up. 

Sophie doesn't know she's not supposed to be a pack-animal. 

....and she loves her morning cereal milk.

Well, it looks as if I have to find another place to sleep. 

Daycare Doggie Side-Eye

710's coworker's cat I've heard so much about. 

I thought Julio made an appearance on a Zoom call, but it turns out that's his owner's Zoom participant picture.  Julio looks wise. 





Song by: Paul Simon

Friday, April 16, 2021

In My Defense

I dunno - the Derek Chauvin trial seemed to go a little too quickly for my liking. 

I think the prosecution put on a decent show. The defense went awfully quick. And I think their witnesses were more than biased and lame. 

Honestly, if I were the prosecution, I might have asked one question of every single one of their witnesses:  "do you think George Floyd deserved to have his neck kneeled on for over nine minutes by the defendant, and die?"

Honestly, do we think any of them are going to say "yes"?  But it would keep bringing up the defendant killed a man no one thinks deserved to die. 

So, now I'm assuming closing arguments, deliberation, the verdict and then......................

I guess the 'then' depends on the verdict. 

If you didn't see last week's SNL cold-open - you should.  Here it is. It's amusing and not untrue. But it's a comedy show, so it doesn't really deal with the cold hard reality of what might be coming. 

Last May and June were horrific in reaction to Floyd's murder - and I am talking the police response to the protests. That is barely the scraping of the skin if Chauvin is acquitted. 

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. 

I'd like for the people of Minnesota to do the right thing this time around, but..............I'm also not counting on it. 



Song by: Freddie Mercury

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Punch Bowl

Honestly, I have nothing. 

Well, little.  I've been holding on to a screen shot I took a month ago. It made me laugh. Not out loud or anything, but you get the idea. 

I think I'm most stumped at the "in Texas" part. 




Song by:  Punch Brothers

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

I Am Woman

I'm not trying to see how many people can hate me with this post, but I'm not not trying to either.  And it's a little - or lottle - tongue in cheek. 

....so it seems that women can do anything a man can - including gunning down an unarmed black man....in Minnesota. 

Honestly, when I heard the news that a black man had been shot to death by the police, it never ever ever ever ever ever crossed my mind that it was a Charlie's Angels wanna be.  I was guilty of sexism on this count. 

But really, why not a woman?  Hate. Fear. Racism.  If the BLOTUS years has taught us anything - and I'm not sure it has - it's that isms and phobias are not gender specific. It's almost like they instill these things in every police training program everywhere. But clearly the graduate level classes are held in Minnesota.

And of course a woman can shoot black men!!  You know, it was probably that time of the month with hormones running high. I think we can all be thankful she wasn't the president with the nuclear codes or access to 'the button'. 

Still - gun vs taser. 

Oh, those silly broads, they don't know the difference between a Phlillips head or a flat head screwdriver. They certainly can't be expected to remember a mild shocking device compared to a deadly bullet machine shooter thingy. 

I suppose this is why they only get paid 73% of what male cops make. 

That said, Kim Potter made great strides for female cops everywhere. She taught the entire Fraternal (sexist much, police guys?) Order of Police that women cops can do anything a man cop can do. 

She's like the Elizabeth Cady Stanton of law enforcement........or something.  Yay Kim!?!



Song by: Helen Reddy

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 132nd 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. Erik is back and I think he's picking up 12 of 12 again.

04:21.  Running first report. 

I have a 07:30 meeting with my Chair every Monday - so it's always an early start

05:19.  Packed lunch.

05:57.  Shower time. 

06:49.  Arriving at my office. 

07:39.  Said meeting. 

09:12.  Mailing something for 710. 

12:23.  Lunchtime walk.  Public art. 

Spo knows this piece from his visit from October 2018. 

12:40.  Said lunch. 

Homemade tuna salad on water table crackers and grapes.

13:37.  On way to a meeting. 

14:33.  Rehydrating. 

16:53.  Unintended public art? 

Stickers that go on our employee badge with the date that you've been cleared of any Covid symptoms. 
People have been peeling them off and placing them on this light pole. As seen on my way to the parking garage. 

17:26.   Scaling Mt. Dad #2. 

Someone wanted to make a point that I wasn't moving fast enough to take him on his evening walk. 

Monday, April 12, 2021

My Music Monday

It's kind of a two-fer today. 

Same song. Two mixes. 

Crowded House has a new disk coming out late Spring or early Summer. The first two released songs are ok, but nothing completely out of the park. Still, there will be a purchase by me. 

The second song, "To the Island" is today's selection:  the original and the Tame Impala remix. 



The original song is decent. 


The remix is much more Tame Impala than it is Crowded House. It's not a bad thing, but it leaves less and less of the original song and makes it about another band. 

Sunday, April 11, 2021

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 


So to lead up this - a little backstory. 

About 20 years ago now, I gave up soda. Cold turkey. Every morning I used to drink a 20 oz Dr. Pepper after I arrived at work. But after seeing how much sugar was in a 12 oz can, I stopped right then and there.  Kind of. 

That same morning I got a Diet Dr. Pepper, took one swig, found it 10x sweeter than regular, tossed it in the trash and started drinking only water at work. 

But I ditched soda at home, but went for lemonade. It probably had as much sugar too. And about five years ago, I just went with water - tap or La Croix or now some of the Bubly flavours.  

And when we bought this "new" house, the previous owners started to put in a fizzy water contraption. 

It would have been easy if they used just a soda stream thingy, but no........pullers, levies, canisters, compressors, tubes etc.  Except that they never quite finished the job before divorcing, moving out and selling to us. 

It took 710 months (on and off, of course) to order parts, get parts and figure out how to make it work. And it does make carbonated water, but getting the flavour part isn't quiet there yet - though right now we're at an N of 2. 

We tried the above Bubly drops. First off,  it's tough to get a single flavour - so we went with the multi-pack. The lime in the can is DE-scusting. I'm not about to try it here. 

While the instructions say 3/4 of a teaspoon for a liter of water, I wasn't about to drink a liter. So we tried an eyedropper to measure things out. No matter how much we played around, the flavour never came. Forget a wrong mix, just almost zero flavour. Period.  

The amazon reviews made it seem like we were doing something wrong - save one. The person said, "it tasted like something, but it wasn't grapefruit".  True that. 

So, we're off to another source to see what is what. 

I figure if I can find that, I'll be saving the earth a little bit by getting rid of buying cans of water. 

We shall see. 

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Penny Lane

I think eight - count 'em, eight! - cat and dog pics will more than make up for my laziness yesterday.  thankyouverymuch!

Shep loves a wall. He feels so tall!

Sophie is digging our new kitchen area rug. 
It's her new favourite hang-out spot. 

....and he's still on his stick phase, which is still new. 
He doesn't know how to carry them around them. Just lays down and chews. 

Lounge Lizard-ess. 

Unicorn Bailey. 

You'd think it was my sister who dressed her up. Nope. My brother-in-law. Go figure. 
I'm 99% sure my sister put her on the island though. 

Closest I got to a pair shot. 
Shep could not be torn away from licking his paw. 

Shep's new would-be girlfriend, Penny. 
Penny Lane, actually. She. Is. Adorable. 

She lives three streets over and we see her most days.  I'm wondering how to ask for a play date. 

I LOVE this guy. 

His name is Blue. I thought he was mutt-ish, but apparently he's a breed, the name of which I didn't catch. He looks part wolf. 

He's very nice, but timid. He wants to be petted until you reach for him, then he backs away. Poor Blue. 
I will love him. 




Song by: the Beatles