My Music Monday

I knew at some point this theme - artists guesting on other artists recordings, and then use that guest artist as the main artist (and so on) - would come to a screeching halt. 

I knew it would last week, at T Bone Burnett. While he has had solo disks, I don't really know them. While he has other artists on said disks, most are musicians of note and here and there a few vocalists, one being Ruben Blades and one being his ex-wife (though probably current then), Sam Phillips. 

Since I know her music more than Blades', I'm picking a song from Burnett's album Tooth of Crime - which yes, was adapted from a Sam Shepard play. 

Oddly (or not), I know and have seen the play. Twice !  I don't know from the album. I don't know from the song. But here it is, "Dope Island" from T Bone Burnett featuring Sam Phillips. 

This is one we get to experience together. 

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!

These may or may not be newly released disks. They might not even be a good disk - just what is been in heavy rotation in my car (as usually the iPod is playing anywhere else). 

I so love Neil Young. 

It could be said just for his music, and honestly, that would be enough, but he's so much more. As a Canadian, he seems to care more about American than U.S. born people. Actually, I think he just cares about humanity. 

I had planned to purchase his new disk, Barn, when it arrived in mid-December 2021, but you know....life got in the way. 

But with his decision to remove his music from Spotify, damned if I wasn't going to give $1.24 to him and $8.75 to his record label.  I'm assuming that is probably the split he gets. 

For those not following, he gave Spotify an ultimatum:  remove Joe Rogan for his mis/dis-information of Covid vaccines, or pull he'd pull his music.  

Now.......any business person could have told you the outcome: a guy who is in the headlines most daily and has a fucked up, but massive, following;  or the aging rock musician ?   $$$$ are going to be one the wrongly relevant douche. 

....and that's what Spotify did.  But so did Neil. He pulled his music. And honestly, for what Spoltify pays artists per play ($0.00437 !!!! ), I'm not sure Mr. Young is taking a financial hit. But hopefully, the listening public will notice. 

BTW - as of yesterday, Joni Mitchell is also pulling her music as well. Let's hope some bigger artists make the same demand. As much as I don't care for their music, where are you Taylor Swift, and......well.....let's be honest, I don't know many contemporary "artists". 

Young had polio as a child and Mitchell has MS. I dare say they know more about medical treatments than Joe Rogen. 

So, Barn is Young's newest disk with Crazy Horse - a band that he formed that occasionally records with him (14 times out of Young's 41 albums, over almost a 50 years period. The barn mentioned is one in Colorado that Young built and the band recorded this disk. 

Crazy Horse rarely strays from almost Americana, acoustic, harmonica and accordion and then to their heavy electric guitars with distorted sound. No easing into it - just changes song to song. Young isn't known for his vocals, but that is his charm - at least to me. But I've always liked the way the guys in the band harmonize with him and make it sound warm and just great. 

Barn isn't perfectly thought out. Actually far from it. While not written and recorded in real time (though some songs were), all are extremely recent songs, with the band getting together (safely) and recording quickly, often with no rehearsal. Most tracks are first or second takes. 

"Canerican", which could be off Rust Never Sleeps, covers his Canadian to Amercian roots. I'm assuming that "Shape of You" is about his now wife - Daryl Hannah (who directed a documentary of this, also called Barn. Riveting!).  Yes, you read that correctly. And without a doubt it is the weakest track on the record. 

The album opens and closes with the longest tracks (6+ and 8+ minutes), but both songs really encapsulate Crazy Horse. Both "Song of the Seasons" and "Welcome Back" might be the strongest tracks. 

I like the familiarity of a Crazy Horse infused Neil Young record. Have they done better?  Sure, but they're still out there plugging away every few years. The playing isn't tight, but it's not meant to be. They play on instinct and the knowledge of each other. 

I can work with nostalgia. 

No Complaints

We are Sophie heavy today.  I don't think too many will mind. 

Most attractive worker in the office. 

She makes one's productivity plummet though. 

Continual snow, but he likes it. 

Voicing a formal complaint to management., because.........

It seems Shep had stolen "her place" on the downstairs sofa. 

Sophie was none too pleased. 

Song by: Beck

Cooking with Blobby

I'm glad 710 is on board when I go on cooking adventures. There are times I return from the grocery and he just knows I'm gonna make something we haven't had. 

As is my wont lately, I've been getting my "inspiration" from the NYT Cooking / Food section(s). 

While not all new try-outs are spicy, I do tend to lean that way lately. So, this go-round, I went with Spicy Sesame Noodles With Chicken and Peanuts. 

C'mon! It's got spice. It's got peanuts. It's got sesame. What's not to like - unless, you know, vegan........

Let's just say, things didn't quite go as planned, but that's what happens when you try to shop on the fly and recreating the ingredient list in your head as you push the cart around the store. Things get missed. Substitutions get made

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 ½ tablespoons red-pepper flakes (yes! you read that correctly!!!)
• 1 ½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 
• 1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus more as needed 
• Kosher salt and black pepper 
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like grapeseed or vegetable 
• 6 tablespoons roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped 
• Rind of 1/2 orange, peeled into 2- to 3-inch strips 
• 1 pound ground chicken 
• 10 to 12 ounces ramen or udon noodles, preferably fresh 
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives 

Let's start with the omissions and substitutions, shall we? Just get them out of the way, 'kay? 

I had clementines, no oranges. I don't think it mattered tons, though I never did get any citrus anything in the final products.  I forgot chives completely - I think they would have been a nice touch. And this is Ohio. Short of going to Asia town, I'm not getting fresh udon noodles. As it turns out, I didn't get the kind that boil at all. You nuke them. Not a deal breaker, but I should have paid more attention to THE ONE PACK IN THE GROCERY STORE!

PREPARATION 

In a medium heatproof bowl, stir together the red-pepper flakes, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set next to the stovetop. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Not if you buy nukeable noodles. 

Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, cook the 1/2 cup oil, peanuts and orange rind, shaking the pan occasionally, until the peanuts are golden and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. 

Immediately pour the contents of the skillet over the red-pepper mixture (be careful of splattering!) and set aside. 

Meanwhile, in the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and press it down with a wooden spoon into a thin layer. Season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper and cook, without stirring, occasionally pressing the layer of chicken down, until the bottom is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Break the chicken up into small pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. 

While the chicken cooks, cook the noodles according to package directions, until chewy but not soft.

Drain and toss with a bit of sesame oil.   As we microwaved, we somehow missed the step of tossing them in sesame oil. This would have been a great addition - had I read this correctly and not improvised. 

Remove and discard the orange rind from the chili oil. Off the heat, add enough chili oil to coat the chicken and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the noodles and toss, adding more chili oil to fully coat the noodles and chicken. (If you don't use all of the chili oil, you can store it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks in an airtight container.) Top with chives and serve at once.

So - outcome:

We both hesitated digging in, as the amount of red pepper flakes. And while it did creep to a slow burn, it wasn't overly spicy or unbearably hot. I think what retained the spice more than anything were the peanuts. 

I do believe missing the sesame tossed into the noodles would have helped the flavour for sure, but it was good nonetheless. 

I also think using regular spaghetti would have been just fine. 

We did have chili oil left over - and leftover noodles / chicken. So we will add some of the unused oil when we heat this up for lunch. 

This is something we'd definitely do again. 

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.

You know, often, this entry is more humourous than it is of help. Sure, now and again, there is actually something to show or recommend (like today), but more often than not I just like poking the bear.......so to speak. 

Yesterday, I mentioned the coldness of the 216. It's not getting better. Quite the opposite. 

As I write this, we have a warning of windchills of 15 below (or more), so............yay. Oddly enough, I have touched on what a freeze baby I am - and I'm finding out that is kind of a lie. 

Kind of !

I actually do pretty well - for the most part - outdoors. With the right jacket, hat and mittens (yes, I have never found a pair of gloves have never kept me warm), I'm actually ok. I have flannel lined jeans, but rarely wear them. 710 wears the ones I got him 10x more than I do. 

It is inside cold that bothers me. When I can't warm up inside (no, not like where my heart is supposed to be!). I feel betrayed when I am inside and still have to sit on my hands to warm them up. We have four walls, a door, a window - and heat. I shouldn't still have to be cold inside. 

The "new" house is better than the old, so that's part of it. 

But 12 degrees (feels like 2) is still 12......or 2. And even in this weather, my hands can get chilled. Now, me, being me, would usually just power through it. Oh sure, I'd moan, but I'd do without and just get that dog walked or whatever I'm doing.  (pssssst........it's a dog walk!  It's always a dog walk!)

My sister-in-law bought these things. 

They are a nice idea, but nothing I would have plunked down money for. Mostly because I'm cheap. 

But, they're shareable. Once taken out of the packet and massaged / rubbed, they start to give off heat - and then do so for (allegedly) 7-8 hours. So, she can use them for her walks, and 710 or I can use them for ours. 

They are toasty, but not overly so........but then again, it was 12 degrees out. Maybe at 25 they feel hotter. 

You just take one per mitten and slip it in (that's what she said!)

They can go in boots, but that seems like discomfort waiting to happen. Not the heat, but the bulk that will invariably slide into the wrong place while taking stride. 

In theory, these are probably good to have in your car in case of being stuck, or if you're out on longer hikes - or if you want to take longer hikes and it's colder. 

Reading reviews makes it sound like each opened pair (2 per pack) can last weeks. You have to put them in an airtight container and you can take them back and and re-massage them back to life. We haven't tried that yet, but hey, why not give it a shot? 

As the upcoming weekend still looks brutal, but Shep still wants to go out for longer hikes, why not use them there and there. For me, they wouldn't be an every day thing, but for snow blowing and shoveling and such - why not try them? 

Oh - and again with the 'allegedly' - if you buy them off-season (read: summer) they're a lot cheaper. Now that IS up my alley. 

Turn Me On

'Tis cold.  Still. 

Our once 16" of snow is now up around the 22" mark, with not only continual snow fall, but decreasing temperatures that do not, and will not, allow for melting. 

UV rays aren't doing much for melting per se, but the slush on the roads are turning back to cement or asphalt. 

17 it was yesterday. WeatherBug (or was it Dark Sky?) says it is to be 8 degrees colder today than the day before. So...........well.........fuck. 

It's hard to complain too too much about it. It is January on the shores of a Great Lake. I mean, we didn't even get snow until the middle of January. Before Climate Change, that used to happen before Halloween. 

Even in our well-insulated house (lord, that older house would be SO cold now!) the kitchen was a tad chilly last evening. 

This would be the weak the seat heater in my car doesn't work. 

I totally get this is a First World Problem. I do. 

Still.................I'm irk'd that the passenger seat one does work, and that I now don't live in the U.K. 

If the seats were cloth, you know, I could muddle through, but when this hairy tush hits freezing cold leather, but it turns out my ass isn't hirsute enough and there aren't pants thick enough to keep my skin from cracking on contact. 

Supply chain, being what it is, means no part for a week, maybe two. Honestly, the service guy, Rick {sigh} laughed when I said, "I assumed you were going to tell me late April". The sad thing was, I wasn't joking. 

I'm sure by the time it's all fixed, I won't need to turn it on. 

Song by: the Tubes

Whip-Smart

We just made our way - finally ! - through HBO's Hacks.  

Yes, it came out in Summer (?) 2021, but we were semi-engrossed other stuff. It had always been on our list, and I'd like to say Jean Smart's win at the Emmys move it up said list, but it didn't. 

I made an incorrect assumption that Smart's character was a down-on-her-luck comedienne. Nothing could be farther from the truth. 

Sure, she's a Vegas act, so it's one of those acts that caters to thousands with no fear of edgy humour or anything that doesn't appeal the masses. 

Think Joan Rivers, but Gentile. 

While Smart's character, Deborah Vance, is a staple on the Strip, she's also a hustler. She sells a line of goods on QVC (like Rivers) and would shill for about any business just to keep appearances, exposure and make a buck. 

She gets a Hollywood reject, Gen Z'er, Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to help bring in a new audience, only Vance has never wanted or asked for that assistance.  Oil and Vinegar. 

While I won't spoil plots, it is all very well done. Smart, as usual, is stellar. I never cared for her that much on Designing Women, but she's shone in so many other things since. 

Einbinder is great. She is Laraine Newman's daughter. She expertly plays someone from her cohort. Overly cocky with actual little to back it up, but egotistical enough not to notice and / or care. 

Each episode is well written, acted and directed. They are stand alones, of course, but each fits greatly into the narrative. 

I never found tons of out and out laughs, but I don't think that's the point either. 

I say, give it a try. It's only 10 episodes..........so far. 

Song by: Liz Phair

My Music Monday

Artists backing artists - and then using the backing as the main draw the following week. Yes, in print, it's confusing, but you'll survive. 

Last week you had Gillian Welch (and her partner, David Rawlings) backing up the Decemberists.  Now they have top billing. s

This is where this theme can easily break down. Welch and Rawlings usually work together and alone. They usually play all their own instruments and do all vocals by themselves. 

The closest I'm getting to a collaborator here is T-Bone Burnett who produced their first two disks and plays on them. 

So coming from Welch's debut disk back in 1996, Revival, here is "Paper Wings". 

Everything Louder Than Everything Else

Death certainly becomes recording artists, don't it? Or at least their estates. 

Meat Loaf died two days ago and because of that, and only because of that, 13% of all the albums on iTunes top 100 are either Mr. Loaf's or two Rocky Horror soundtrack on which he appears. 

Meat - and honestly, that is what he liked to be called - had like 16 albums in the span of his career. Who knew? 

And while he would say that Jim Steinman didn't define him, I'd challenge you all to name one song - any song - he did that was not penned by Steinman. His one song in Rocky Horror, before he got chopped up (ooops, spoiler alert) does not count. 

I wrote almost a decade ago that friends Morty, Jon and I were debating whether Mr. Loaf's debut disk, Bat Out of Hell was a good one. At that time, and even to this day, I'd still argue that it is......or isn't. Depending on the day. And my mood. 

There are times I think it is brilliant. There are times I cannot stand to listen to a note. I think it's over the top, and yet some of it is very clever. And to Meat's point, I'm not sure Steinman's music would have worked in the hands of any other artist..............though Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply and Celine Dion all made him coins later on. At least I semi-enjoy Tyler's two (?) songs she does of his. 

Morty claims he lost his virginity to his album.  I mean - it can't be the entire album. That lasts about 47 minutes for only seven songs. No newbie to sex is lasting 47 minutes. He clarified this to specifically "Heaven Can Wait" - which is less than 5 minutes.  That tracks. 

I'm 100% sure I didn't have a song with which I lost my virginity. I can't even think of a humorous alternative to which it might be.

Was I sad that Meat Loaf passed?  Not really. I didn't feel one way or the other. I felt less so with his "if I die, I die" quote, in terms of Covid. He claimed it was politics; not medicine / science that took away our liberties. So, if he didn't mask and wasn't vaxx'd and didn't wash his hands, then  Three Out Three is Bad. 

I have no sympathy for him or his loved ones. 

....and if one must have a pic of Meat Loaf in your feed, it should at least be with Debbie Harry. I'm assuming it was around 1979 when they made the shitious picture Roadie.  Even Blondie did not do justice to Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire".

Song by: Meat Loaf

Comfort

We are back at it:  Pets. Dog. Cats

King of the Kar. 

Queen of the home office. 

It didn't matter we had like 16" of show, he was not about to let a squirrel into the yard. 

He'd stay in that position for an hour. 

Bailey - post "spa" visit. 

This is Kobe and his big ass paws. 

He is adorable. And so sweet!!!

....but so is she.  minus the big ass paws. 

Man of comfort. It takes a lot of work. 

Song by: Michael Penn

37

Today marks 37 years with the man I married a little over 11 years ago.  

Scratch your noggins while you attempt to figure that one out. 

But this date, in 1985, is the one that is inscribed on the inside of our rings. 

When I stop to think about it:  it is a fuck of a long time. When I really stop to think about it, I just feel old. I don't normally think I look old, but I did catch myself in the mirror the other day and went: "well. fuck!".  ....but not in a good way. 

Of course, my body feels old most days. 

Here is a weird truth of this being together this long: I feel weird / guilty about saying it. 

Yeah yeah - I get it should be a proud moment, and it is, but I see people mentally calculating in their heads any number of scenarios and starting to carry the 1, while also trying to do Chisanbop to figure out current age, then subtracting to find out what ages we were........and the invariable: "wow. that's a long time", to which I think I internally process a "fuck you" to them, while keeping a smile. 

Yes, gay men aren't always known for their longevity. Allegedly! And even we have struggled. Well not "even we", like we are some sort of super-beings. We are not. 

I do say we've been together 37 years - and we have and we haven't. We "dated" and then we dated, then we lived together, then we didn't. But we were young-ish and had a lot of growing up to do. It could be argued, I still do.

Still, even in that "break" we saw each other almost every single day. Every night on his way home from work, 710 would key into my place and we'd recap our days before I went to bed (or out!) and he went home. We'd still go out to dinner. We'd still go on vacations. And then we moved back in together........for the next 117 years. 

It is possible to be together apart. We made it work and even after that, it was still a lot of work to where I actually did mature. Well........kind of. 

There were times when it seemed like the relationship was all work. "New" city. New house. New jobs. New responsibilities for which one can't always be prepared. I wish I had realized when all that working on the relationship finally found it's forever groove. It's been good for a long long time. Not carefree, but still...we are older and wiser. Mostly older. 

But with all that above is why we cried at our own wedding. The 'for better or worse, sickness / health, richer / poorer' thing really of meant something - because we did live all of that before tying the knot. For those marrying in their 20's it is a 'sure..........we'll do that, should it ever happen' pseudo-promise.  

January is a sucky time for an anniversary. Even without Covid, the chance of going out were slim. Now they are nil. That it's scheduled to be single digits outside wouldn't have helped matters either.  I don't know what we'll do tonight, but hopefully something meaningful - not that 37 is some magical number. It's just a big one. 

....and yes, that's what she said. 

Song by: Devo

I'll Stick Around

It can be fun when art imitates life. 

At work, as it is a hospital, patients and visitors get screened for Covid at the entrances. Well, the entrances that are now open. Due to the pandemic there are only limited ways in and out of the hospital. This lessens the likelihood that someone gets in without getting their temp taken and the pertinent questions asked. 

They also must take, and wear, a sticker like the one to your left. It has the date of the month on it. It lets folks know they were screened that vey day. 

Employees uses to have to go through that screening process too. Then we went to an app that screens us. Then they just decided we should just go on good faith we'd self-police. As if.  They encouraged employees to pick up a sticker and wear them too. I did for a while, but they aren't great on clothes when you pull them off and even worse on your ID badge. So I don't. 

Or didn't. 

Last year, I showed and out door light pole covered in the discarded stickers of visitors and staff. 

Part of me was amazed the organization didn't clear them off. Part of me was glad they didn't. I think it symbolized commitment, resilience, perseverance, continuity and the passing of time. 

The organization also has an art department, that acquires, and sometimes sells,  works of art - all of them local. This go-round a few people did art projects with these dots. 

It looks as much like Jeff Sessions as is does Anthony Fauci. The tag claims it is the latter. 

At least RBG is better. 

However, they also opted for an interactive piece of art too. And daily I've been participating. 

I now pick up a date sticker and place it here.   ....or there. 

Yes, we are paying homage to the lamp post.  Now, do I think they could have made it more actual sized? Yes, I do. But that said, I don't know where one can send this out to be printed. Probably not Fed-Ex / Kinkos. 

I'm more surprised how many people are NOT doing this. But then, I don't know how long it will be up, but usually the art is there six weeks, and we're only a week in. So.......here's hoping. 

Song by: Foo Fighters

Snowed In at Wheeler Street

Walloped. 

That's what we were, I tellz ya. 

The weather service(s) were calling for the big storm to come from the South. Depending to which on you listened, we were getting 2-5", or 5-12".  It's a big difference, of course, and while we live in 'the snow belt', we straddle the line of the hard hit area, and the disaster area. 

You see, if Lake Erie doesn't freeze over, the wind coming off it adds moisture, which produces a lot more snow. So while the west side of Cleveburgh can get a dusting, by the time that same wind / storm comes over the lake, well........we aren't that lucky. 

As usual, the meteorologists were wrong............because we got somewhere between 15-18" of snow. The area to get 12" got 27". 

Honest to Yahweh, I honestly could not tell how much snow we got when looking out the window Monday morning. 710 had already decided to work from home. I shower, shaved, shinola'd and dressed. I took one step off the back porch and went mid-shin deep in the white stuff. 

I knew then and there, I was going nowhere. Still I trekked to the garage to secure a snow shovel, knowing we'd need to make a path back to said garage for the snowblower, and another path for one Mr. Shep - or as I call him, Mr. Poopers. 

Those strong, but short ,legs can certainly bound through drifts et al, but when you gotta squat to do your bidness...well, one needs solid ground of some sorts. 

710 took an hour or so to clear the driveway and walk with the blower. This house isn't like the last. We had a massive yard on to which we could direct the snow. Now, we can only go straight down the driveway until we get to the front, and even then can only toss left, as it would be rude to direct it to our neighbor's front lawn. 

Almost no one made it into work. I was worried, of course, but as it turns out, few patients showed as well. But due to Covid, we are adapt to flipping our appointments to virtual as needed - and if the patient has that capacity. I am pretty shocked how many do not have smart phones - which I just assume anymore is like the standard. 

MLK Day helped and hindered everything. Less traffic on the roads, schools weren't disrupted because they were closed anyways, etc.  But a lot of city workers are off on MLK too........including.....and wait for it...........snow plow drivers. 

Oh, and there is a massive shortage of things like school bus drivers and......wait for it.......snow plow drivers.  I guess they're not 'things', but people. 

This is our first real big snow of the season. Everyone said it would happen, but the services weren't there, for whatever reason. 

I still had to work, I just did it from home.  But I made it to the office the next day. Life goes back to semi-normal.  The snow had to go somewhere, and unfortunately for anyone elderly or disabled, if you needed those slight ramps from the street to the sidewalk you were fucked. I was climbing over 3' mounds to get to the street or sidewalk. 

So, while we are technically a month in, Winter has actually begun. 

Song by: Kate Bush

For You to Notice

Just because you can make something, doesn't mean you should. 

Case in point:  Red Notice, a movie not just made for Netflix, but is also its #1 watched film of all time. 

I mean, it was alright and all, but that's about the highest praise it's gonna get from me. 

No one - and I mean no. one. - is winning awards for acting, direction, writing or originality.  No. One. 

I think I was exhausted by it all from the opening action scene. This is not Indiana Jones or James Bond (Daniel Craig years). Those can be exhausting in, 'wow, need to catch my breath' kind ways in terms in action and ingenuity. This was just exhausting. Period. 

I honestly considered hanging it up then and there, but, like the survivor I am, powered through the two hours (it seems longer) flick. 

All of this is brought to you by, and starring, the Rock. 

Sometimes he can be light-hearted and fun. This is all phoned in, wooden and lifeless. And I'm being kind. 

Ryan Reynolds is by far the star here, but considering his co-stars, he didn't have to try too hard - and didn't. Yes, his character has "witty" repartee, but it's not on the Deadpool level. Far from it. The guy who wrote and directed this thing did it by the Film By Numbers for Dummies manual. To. The. Letter. 

Gil Gadot seemed ok? Save an SNL, I've never seen her in a thing. Wonder Women is not my thing and if word of mouth is to be believed, Wonder Woman 1984 was no one's thing. 

There are scenes close enough to National Treasure and Raiders of the Lost Ark where homage comes a little too close to plagiarism. I'm guessing they get off the legal hook when Reynolds starts humming the score to Raiders.  Parody. Satire. Whatever you wanna call it - but you've seen it all before. 

Oh - and some of the CGI was SO bad. This is 2021 (well when it was made). I'd says Netflix spared no expense, but then there is that CGI, and clearly they did. 

Oh - and everyone is a Storm Trooper. 

Not one life lost in this movie, no matter how many machine guns, shoulder launched missiles or explosives are used. No one can hit a thing. There might be one or two TBIs but going by the aftermath, people pretty much get up and shake their head in a 'what just happened' kind of thing. 

It seems no coincidence to me that this is a Netflix movie and it happens to be their most viewed movie of all time. I guess that's easy to say so people might watch to see what all the hoopla is about (Guilty!). But like a good accountant might ask you:  'what do you want the number to be'?'

Netflix has been around for over a decade, but a movie released around Thanksgiving surpasses all else that has been seen for 10 years?  Or is it just the most viewed filmed 'made by' Netflix?  That number is a lot lot smaller. 

I think the shittiest thing of this is all is: they wrote, directed and played it so it could (and will?) be a bunch of sequels. 

Well, I learned my lesson. 

2022 Movie Count / Goal: 02 of 15

Song by: Dasbboard Confessional

My Music Monday

Artists backing artists - and then using the backing as the main draw the following week. Yes, in print, it's confusing, but you'll survive. 

Up this week, the Decemberists. While more popular at some points in their career, they are still an indie band with a pretty much limited following - though I own about half of their output. 

I'm not sure they made a more commercial (and that's relatively speaking) disk than 2011's the King is Dead. It is probably their most accessible disk - and the irony here is they utilize Gillian Welch on 7 of the 10 songs. Welch is more indie than the band themselves - though I love her. 

As there are seven songs from which to choose, I could go for the one that is the most recognizable, but that's not usually who I am.  So instead of "Down By the Water", you're getting "Dear Avery". 

Going Up

I don't even know what to do about this number. 

The day - and days - before have been in the 19k-21k range. And by days, I mean weeks. And those had all been record highs. 

So a one day jump that doubles that highest (or previous highest) number just boggles my mind. 

I suppose BLOTUS was right. If people stop getting tested, the number would stop rising and Covid cases would drop. 

We keep hearing that "we've" peaked in numbers. This tells me we might be near there, but no, "we" are not there. 

Our hospitals are still overcrowded. Non essential surgeries are still on pause. We even have the Ohio National Guard helping with staffing. As you know, Ohio and the National Guard haven't had the best results in the past. Ask Kent State. 

Song by: Echo & the Bunnymen

Dog's a Best Friend's Dog

Yes,  you have the usual suspects, but I threw some doggie day care guys and gals your way too. 

I love this guy. He was very shy months ago, and now greets me. Though it could be one of his brothers. There are three of this breed at daycare.  He. Is. A. Dorable. 

Queen Snooty. 

Mocha - yes, his name - greets me too. He gets pets. Maybe 'she'? 

Hike in a reservation with my reason for daily walks. 

This is how I get to use "my" ottoman. 

....and this is the best case scenario. 

More daycare doggies. All perfect. 

She doesn't ask for a lot, but she does like muffin crumbs. So I make sure she has some. 

Gandalf the Grey:  YOU SHALL NOT PASS!

....and I didn't. 

Song by: Tears for Fears

Older

Like it or not (and I don't), I am an aging gay male.  All three of those things are true.

In a quasi-on-going quest to satisfy educators on how gay men are - or want to be - I've opted to participate in another study:  Study on Aging and Sexual Satisfaction Among Gay Men. 

A doctoral candidate at Michigan State University is doing this for this thesis. At first I didn't qualify, because - thankfully - I'm not from Michigan. But he's opened up the study to other mid-western states, including Ohio. So he reached back out to me. 

And I said 'yes'. 

Granted, I suppose his dissertation could be on the actual title of the survey, but I'd like to think it is more. As you can surmise, many of the questions are on sex in your 50s (or older). Nothing totally salacious. 

There are questions on if you like your body, are you proud of it, do you feel that the gay community values that too much. You kind of expect those. 

There are a number of questions on depression - and if you are, and if so, how much so. 

I was taken aback by my answers on my inclusion - or lack of - in the LGBTQI community.  While I answered in the affirmative if I'm proud to be a member of the community, I hit 'disagree' when asked if I felt part of it.   And I don't. 

Part of that is age related. And laziness. And the 2020s. I mean, I don't go out anymore - covid or not. Gay life / bar life starts a good hour after I'm IN bed.........not looking to go to bed with others. But as we aged, we kind of withdrew from that life. Granted, work and family responsibilities increased taking us away from that world. 

I don't know if I'd feel a part of the community more if I participated in it more. I don't know that men of a certain age aren't just looked over - especially by what is a very judgey cohort. You can say otherwise, but think back when you're 25 and encountered a 60 year old gay man.  I mean, I suppose it's true for straight folks too, but I'm not one of those, so that's not my experience. 

So the final part was about questions not asked - and I included some of that in there. Again, those might have nothing to do with his focus of study. 

Listen, if this somewhat helps the gay community, so be it. If it just helps him get that PhD, I'm ok with that too. 

And if you want to participate in the study - and live in the mid-west, you can contact Lucas here. 

Song by: George Michael

12 of 12

 So I'm doing my 141st 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. 

05:14.  Running daily revenue report. In the dark. 

06:17.  Shaving in the shower. 

08:09.  Doggie Daycare Drop-off

08:18.  Heading West. I worked off-site yesterday. 

09:07.  Panera.  

I got a bagel and at it there. And a dozen cookies for the staff. Well....one was for me. 

12:15.  Lunch. 

It was a chicken and cheese burrito. Honestly, if you have enough salsa and sour cream, you're golden. 

15:45. Gotta search for my car. 

16:28.  Haircutteryfor the discerning gentile.

16:32.  Doggie Daycare Pick-up. 

Petted that dude and Sydney, the white done near the pole. Wally, the Shep wannabe, didn't want pets today - at least from me. 

16:54.  Walk. 

I'm willing to bet most dog after an active day at 'school' don't demand a 1.5 mile walk once they get home. 

19:16.  ....at watched pot.......blah blah blah

20:01.  Can't load the dishwasher until I unload it. Bother. 

That's it.  That's my day.