Monday, February 17, 2025

My Music Monday

I'm still on new music. Sam Fender has a new disk coming out this Friday. The initial single is today's selection, "People Watching".

Fender had a song out with Noah Kahan, but anymore, who hasn't?  And from his last disk, he had a minor-ish radio hit with "Seventeen Going Under".

Oddly, or not, "People Watching" has a similar sound and vibe as "Seventeen".  Actually, more than a vibe - they are eerily similar. But you know, if it works, there are some artists who'll run that sound into the ground. Or perhaps, it's all they got. 

I have zero idea here, as I have not sought out Fender's music, just hear what comes across XM. 

I'm likening it to that 90s vibe when matchbox 20, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Big Head Todd and the Monster, etc all just sounded so much alike sometimes. I think Fender is the 2020's version of that. More than decent, but nothing horribly original or groundbreaking. Still......I leave it on. 


...oh, and the video doesn't even have Fender in it (I don't think), but stars Andrew Scott. Let's face it, that's enough to keep it on for five minutes. 

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Instant Karma

It's been a while since I've done one of these, but it's finally time to clear out screen captures from my phone liberry. 

I like to fuck around with "people" who text me out of the blue, but really have zero connection with me. They are either bots or possibly people who actually type in the wrong phone number to message their "friends". 

The oddest parts are: almost no one ever responds back. I get that with the bots, but.......maybe it's not that odd. 

Anyway here we go. Clear out some time on your calendar, as it's a lot of messages. 


























 

Song by: John Lennon

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Freedom

We are extremely Shep heavy this week. 

With all his vet stuff, he needed constant supervision, so I was "stuck" as his caregiver. As much as I love him, being truly housebound for a week plus was driving me nuts. 

And perhaps it was the cone, but Simon kept away most of the time, hence his almost lack of appearance this week. I'll do better.

Shep had a tough time with toys and the cone. For a long time he didn't even try. When he did, I still had to hand them to him. 

At the vet. Waiting (and shaking) until the staples came out. 

FREEDOM!

Look at that smile!

And then the celebratory pup cup. 

Sneaking into the tv room. 
It was one of the few times I saw him all week. 

Shep has been unable to roll with the cone. He LOVES to roll. 
He has taken just about every opportunity to do so since he's been healed. 

.....and a Bailey sighting.....courtesy of my sister. 




Song by: Wham!

Friday, February 14, 2025

Two of Hearts

Well, Happy Valentine's Day, for those who observe. 

This post is probably just for the purpose to use the attached photo. It's nice and all, but why no chest hair?  

Valentine's Day on a weekend.  UGH. I feel bad for every server and kitchen staff in the land. 

Our plan is to do next to nothing. We had more ice yesterday, so, even while wearing YakTracks to walk Shep is precarious. I'm curious as to how I will ru 6-7 miles on Saturday. Or if. 

Still, while I wouldn't call it celebrating Valentine's, no doubt we'll bring in food - most likely some really good pizza. Oddly enough, not from Valentinos. I eat there only in a pinch. 

I have zero desire to go out on VD, let alone on a weekend. Not without have made plans months ago. I'd much rather just chill at home with my guys. 

Shep is unconed and better, but I feel like we are still carefully watching over him. At this point, I think we'd all get separation anxiety. 



Song by: Stacey Q

Thursday, February 13, 2025

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 178th 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.

04:52. Prophylactic measures. About to head to the gym where I know I'll incur soreness. 

05:15. 3.12 to be run. My second run in 11 hours. Then on to weights and core work. 

06:36. A quick shvitz before the shower. 
Until I looked at the picture I didn't realize anyone wrote "Seek Jesus" on the inside of the door. 

07:12. Took out the trash. 


07:26. Gruel. Colorful gruel, but gruel nonetheless. 

08:28. Vet visit. Waiting for someone to get his staples out and cone off. 

09:15. .....and then Blobby panicked when on a walk 4 minutes later and took him back. 
He's fine. It will have to air dry and scab. And he's not supposed to lick it, so probably a soft cone at night. 

10:09.  Taking 710's car through the car wash. 
I had his car because Shep can't get into mine with his cone. 


10:28. ....and then he got a pup cup because he was a brave little man. He was so excited. 

12:57. Successfully registered for the 2025 New York Marathon lottery.
I'll find out in three weeks if I have been selected. 


14:28. My certain driveway death. And it will be due to the need of throwing away dog poop. 

We have had multiple ice storms in the last few weeks. We just can't get rid of the prior slick stuff and then another batch coats the ground.  My YakTracks are getting a workout. 


18:43. Beer. 
My second one of 2025. Both 710 and I were a little stressed, so, you know....alcohol. 



There you go. All done. 

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Ad of the Month

....and guess what?  It's a Super Bowl ad. 

...and guess what?  It's not a funny one, clever one, or even one starring Cher. 

...and guess what?  Unless you live in Los Angeles, you didn't see it. 


Kanye West - that fucked up motherfucker - paid for an ad that, well, is just weird as fuck. Just as you'd expect. His ad buy was only enough to make it an ad for the Los Angeles market. 

I'm not sure how long it will be up and thus link to my blog (or vice versa, I guess).

I would have combined this as Ad and Site of the Month, as the ad part directs you to the website. Directed. Past Tense. 

Why?  The website is shut down by Shopify (is that a thing?).  Mind you, it took two days to shut it down. 

Here is the merch Ye was selling from said website.





Here's the ad.  If it matters........




Shot on an iPhone in a dentists office............all allegedly. 

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Poetic Justice

The Super Bowl game aside, I was kind of captivated by the half-time show. 

I know OF Kendrick Lamar, but other than a song here and there, and me having to SoundHound it because I didn't know the artist, I really don't know his work. 

I know he has a beef with Drake (whom I really don't know either) and vice versa - though that was probably a huge publicity stunt to drive sales for both of them.  (I have nothing to back that up.)

Visually, I thought Lamar's performance was amazing. A minimal stage, good choreography and colours. 

Musically, I liked the rhythms. I thought they worked nicely. 

In theory, I thought I knew what was going on, but lyrically I was in the dark. As I don't know Lamar's music and wasn't even sure if it was all new (or not) for this performance, I not only didn't know the words, I couldn't understand most of them during the telecast. 

I am painfully aware that a 61 year old white gay male is not his target demographic.   .....except for maybe his message. 

Or messages. 

Yes, as I didn't get the actual words of the performance, I looked them up. 

Allegedly, Samuel L. Jackson was not dressed up to be Uncle Sam, but Uncle Tom. 

Lamar's initial part of the performance had "The revolution is about to be televised; You picked the right time but the wrong guy." This was originally written by Gil Scott Heron in the '70s. 

The minimal stage set of which I mentioned was to have resembled a prison yard, and as all the performers out there with him were Black, it certainly sends a message on how incarcerations and sentencing guidelines are more prejudicial against minorities. 

Of course, the title image: there was more than a little play when it came to the American flag being represented. Again, all Black performers. It is speculated that it was an artistic telling on how this country was built on the backs of people of colour. 

And elsewhere in the performance he raps about “40 acres and mule, this is bigger than the music.”  

Now, I'm not sure if BLOTUS was still in attendance (as someone told me he left well before half-time), and if so, if he were listening and understanding. I'm sure his hip-as-hell family members who are down with hip hop are quoting back the lyrics to him.   (yes. that was sarcasm.)

To reference my last Sunday post: I'm 100% sure Kendrick Lamar will not be invited to the Kennedy Center to perform. 

Whether you like Kendrick Lamar or not (or don't know who he is), I have a vast amount of respect for his performance. Unlike Prince, Madonna, Beyonce etc, this wasn't a 'me me me!' half-time show. It was not a rehash of hits. It was a message. He used his time wisely. 


I'm 98.9% sure other 61 year old white males (probs not gay) are complaining about the performance. Not due to the message, as I'm 100% sure they didn't look anything up. But that it wasn't good American fun!



The video of the performance has been watched 24 million times in less than 24 hours. Plus all the people who watched it live. 



Song by: Kendrick Lamar

Monday, February 10, 2025

My Music Monday

It has bee 14 years since Alison Kruass + Union Station have had a new disk. 

That's a long time. 

Krauss has put out a solo record and one with Robert Plant in that time, but as far as I know the band has only put out one song on a Johnny Cash tribute disk. 

Technically, the album, Arcadia, isn't out until the end of March, but we have the first song, "Looks Like the End of the Road".

Save losing the extremely talented Dan Tyminski (I mean, I'm guessing he didn't want to wait a decade and a half to work again), AKUS doesn't really change things up too too much with this song. 

Krauss' voice is still amazing and Jerry Douglas still shines on Dobro, as he always does. The mandolin is great. The writing is nice, but the execution is near flawless. A criticism of their last disk in 2011 was there was almost none of Krauss' (or anyone else's) fiddle on this album, and I don't hear it on this song. 

I'm just saying, fiddle is fairly important to bluegrass music, and her playing is so strong. 

Still, "Looks Like the End of the Road" is a strong opener for their new disk. 


Sunday, February 09, 2025

Massa Is a Stingy Man

Honestly, I saw Jimbo post one BLOTUS tweet and my weekend was ruined. 

Totally ruined. 

Enough so, that I'm making this a very brief post. 


First off, the chair. FUCK.  And don't tell me it doesn't reek of Kim Jong Il shit. 

Secondly: Golden Age. 


....hence my blog title* and image. I feel / fear we will be getting minstrel shows, Lawrence Welk and Up With People. 


....and probably Kanye.

This is too depressing to keep processing. 


*an actual minstrel song from 1840. 


Song by: unknown