Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!  

I am a homo blogger, so I am contractually obligated to review Madonna's latest album: Confessions II. 

Such creativity in the titling. 

I do want to establish some things about this disk. On iTunes, there are no less than four versions of the record on their charts. I don't know the difference between them save one, which is called Instrumentals. I suppose that one is for the Madonna stan who wants to sing all the lead vocals without having Madge getting in the way. 

It should also be noted that, at the time of this drafting (which is only a week after the disk release), no individual song is higher than #106. Evenesene's "Bring Me to Life" is higher than anything on Confession 2, and that was released in 2003!

After two weeks, there were zero songs from this release in Apple's top 200. 

Granted, she's got a good marketing team with the gays, but I'm thinking that is about where it ends. 

Oh - and no version of the disk is more than $4.99 (scratch that - the above disk has now moved up to $11.99). A steal for sure. I'm assuming at some point prices will vary. 

The rest of this drafting is weeks later than the above text. When I wrote the above, I had only heard one song and I reviewed that a month or two ago. 

Full Disclosure: I did not purchase this disk. I listened to it on YouTube, which admittedly probably misses something if you don't hear it together and in order. 

While Confessions on a Dance Floor came out 21 years ago - and was one of her better disks, it should be mentioned that IMHO only half that disk was good. The rest?  Not so much. So it's a little ballsy to have a sequel to a partially good disk. 

Being better than Rebel Heart, American Life, Madame X, MDNA and Hard Candy is hardly the coup one might think. Albums of sound effects were better than those. So the bar isn't that high for Confessions II. 

Like the original Confessions, each song segues into the next for a continual play. - as would be in a dance club. Like the original, the opening number, "I Feel So Free", has a speaking part to introduce you to the art or the concept at least. 

I don't really know much about Sabrina Carpenter's music, but she doesn't add squat to "Bring Your Love". There are times I don't know which one is actually singing the lead - which kind of says something. Madonna talks as much as she sings. 

Actually this is an issue on many songs. 

Do I need to hear her name drop on "Danceteria"?  ...and the first one is Debi Mazar?  It doesn't quite hold the weight of Greta Garbo, or even Nicolette Sheridan. 

The best part of this disk is Stuart Price's production. Music production. The beat, the intricacies of the sounds. The vocals?  Not nearly as auto tuned as Madame X, but hardly untouched by technology. Still a bit heavy handed. Much of them are muddied too. Then there is the talking. 

Endless talking. Where in the original Confessions, it is used minimally. Not so much here. It's like a 1984 overlay narrative. 

There are moments of good. "Read My Lips" - the energy of chorus is pretty. The verses are meh. Kind of the same with "Danceteria". ...and "Love Sensation". 

All would be better if I still did X. Oh, and I was in a gay bar with a drink or eight in my hand. 

The disk has a groove from which it rarely deviates, if ever. Nothing truly stands out. It flows. It goes. But nothing makes you want to purchase it, or play it multiple times. 

Once or twice to review was enough. 

Mad Dog

It seems Blobby isn't going to jail. 

I suppose I should back up a bit. 

While I have mentioned my anxiety levels lately, while not fully due to this event, it is certainly partially the cause. 

Back in June, Shep and I were chilling out back. Unfortunately, an amazon delivery person opted to bring a package to the back of the house. 

Until today, other than 710, one other person and a lawyer, I've said nothing to anyone about this. 

She came through a closed gate with no verbal announcement. And also instructions for delivery are to the front door only. 

I do not have canine hearing, but Mr. Shep does. He heard her. He got up from his nap and charged her, barking his scary bark the entire way. 

Blobby will plead willful ignorance here, and slightly assumed Shep nipped her. However, she said nothing and showed me nothing. Mind you, at the same time - due to tension and being a bit off guard myself - my reaction was to tell her she was not to be back here at all. 

Mind you, I called Shep off in seconds and he returned immediately. 

I thought that was that until the po-po showed up a half hour later. 

Seems the woman went back to her van and called 9-1-1.  ....that seemed a bit extreme to me, but that's my take. She called for police, but said no EMS needed.  After the cops did the she said - he said thing, I thought everything was done. One half hour later they came back to give me a citation and court date, as the woman decided to prosecute. 

Great. Just great. 

This set off a lot of things, including the county needing confirmation that Shep didn't have rabies. Vet records and a FaceTime were required. 

The other is court appearances for a third degree misdemeanor - culminating in a $750 fine and / or 90 days in jail !!!!

Just let me tell you, seeing 34,092 hours of Law & Order where I thought I could easily represent myself, 710 fought me on that. Also let me tell you, finding a lawyer who represents the homeowner and not the victim is très difficult.  They're called 'ambulance chasers' for a reason. 

Me, being me, had all the documentation ready to go for the lawyer:  screen shots of my delivery preferences on the amazon site. screen shots of the last two years of deliveries from the emails they send when they deliver along with a picture (all at front door). And I had Ring doorbell videos in the back entrance of Shep leaving the porch barking and another coming back like 17 seconds later. There is no view of her with the dog, just of the porch....to which she never made it for delivery. 

Part of one lawyer visit was viewing all the discovery - which meant all the bodycam footage from the police officers. Oh yes. Multiple officers. And it is numbing. The process. For whatever reason there was no speed through, so you had to watch them walk from car to door, and door to victim, back to car, back to house.....and so on. 

And me stopping myself from standing up and screaming at the screen when the driver talked and said, how I didn't react at all and let the dog attack her for minutes.  

17 seconds. 17 seconds including the 4-5 seconds it took him to come back and 4-5 it took him to get to her. So....8-10 seconds total. And I was up out of my seat in 2 seconds. 

She continually refused medical care. And she sat there for 90 minutes, which tells me she wasn't truly injured. She even said - on body cam- she wasn't, but the police kept saying she should get checked out. 

And not to demean her (kind of), but it took almost 20 minutes to write her statement. Me, it took like 7. So I expected a three page thingy from her.  It was less than 25 words.   .......in 20 minutes.  And 38% of them spelled incorrectly.  I get it - the education system sucks. But somewhere between the cops 2nd and 4th visit to her, she went from not wanting to prosecute, to wanting.  I'm sure she talked to someone in between, but who can know for sure. 

It should be noted that I was being charged with failing to control a dog in a public area.....which was on my own secured and gated property. But they considered our yard to be "the city".    

Fuck.  That. 

Oh, the amazon lady also stated she "ran" from the house. She did not. She stopped, took the pic of the package delivery (in my hand), sent it and walked out. 

But the video told me one thing:  she was upset because I didn't apologize. She must have mentioned it at least a dozen times. I honestly think that's why she prosecuted. Her nose was bent out of joint. I'm not letting Shep off the hook here, but there wasn't even a puncture wound as far as I could tell. 

And she's right, I didn't. I'm also trained if someone hits my car not to immediately say "it's ok" or "I'm alright".  I mean, not like Buster Bluth. 

I don't need "I'm sorry" to be construed or spun to be a perceived admission of guilt. Again, she said nothing of being bitten to me. And at first she said the same to the cops. 

Anyhooo.......the other day was the 'pre-trail' which was via phone and for which I didn't need to be present. My lawyer called me a few minutes after it was done with good news. 

I will have to pay her $108.15 urgent care bill and my case will be dismissed with no record. 

It is somewhat of a relief, obvi. But if I'm 100% truthful, I hold a little resentment against Shep. He was protecting his property, but I trust him less and less around people. I am 100% on my guard on every walk - and we've decided maybe no more Bow Wow Beach or visitors to the house. We just can't take the risk. 

While no one really thought I'd do time, I did fret for a long time that they'd force us to put Shep down. They aren't, but he has a strike on his record with the county. Another one could be a different outcome for him. 

We will see if this will do anything for my anxiety. I hope so, but I suspect I'll just replace it with another woe. 

Song by: America

Timothy

If I had any creativity or sense of what might go viral, I could create the next "Charlie Bit My Finger" or is the dress blue or gold thing. 

Honestly, I'm not sure anyone knows what will hold a person's interest let alone take off and take the internet by the shorthairs. 

This week, it seems it is Jimothy* - the wild raccoon from the Pacific Northwest who seemingly has a spinal deformity. 

Animals get rejected so easily by mothers for any host of reasons. That Jimothy was not - and actually nurtured by his mother - is kind of exemplary. 

It's made him an internet darling.

710 sent me a story about Jimothy and now my feed is heavily peppered by stories, drawings, music, clothing lines, baked goods (seriously) and whatnot.   .......about a raccoon. 

The only problem is not one dime goes to Jimothy. 

Once again, Americans are making bank off the backs of others with no trickle down. I'm kind of surprised there isn't a gofundme to operate on Jimothy to make him "normal". 

But you know - it beats reading about you know who. 

Be careful Jimothy. The internet loves to tear down what it builds up. 

*I had no song with the word "Jimothy"  - though there are songs, by name, about him on iTunes. Seriously. Americana, Rap, Irish jigs, hard rock and hardcore punk.

Song by: the Buoys

Up All Night

I should be more tired than I actually am. 

As you can see from my image, Blobby has been up for a long long time.......and counting. 

Even in that hour of inactivity around 11:00 I was awake, I just didn't get off my hairy ass and physically move around. 

In reality, at the time of this drafting I've been up for 21 hours. No naps. 

Blobby can't explain last night's restlessness. It wasn't insomnia. It wasn't me being ill. It wasn't any hallucination activity going on. 

Je am blaming it on the humidity. 

In theory it was cool enough to sleep with the windows open, which given the chance we'd rather do than run the a/c all night long. But I couldn't get comfortable. I tried. But all that did was create a lot of tossing and turning. Temps may have come down a bit, but the humidity did not. 

Instead I went downstairs thinking / hoping it would be cooler even if by a tad. Alas, it was not. Not really. I think I finally fell asleep about an hour before I had to get up. So for a few I just lay there and got to 'genius' at Spelling Bee, then got up to east breakfast before heading out. 

My bigger beef is that Shep did not join me downstairs.  .....and after all the time I sleep downstairs with. him when he isn't well.  The nerve!

Song by: Boomtown Rats

My Music Monday

I am playing iTunes roulette. 

It's what I do when I don't have a song queued up for a My Music Monday post.  Nothing new has stood out for me just yet - good or bad. 

There has been a handful of mediocre songs but what fun are those? 

So - as you may or may not know - I shuffle to song #10 in my iTunes liberry and choose that one, as long as I have not used it before. If I have, I go to #11. Just like Spinal Tap. 

But I was able to stop on 10 today.  

What you get is a song from the Chicks last album Gaslighter. 

It is hard to believe that it's been six years since the Chicks has put out new music. I mean, before Gaslighter it had been 14 years. However, the height of Covid seems less than six years - same with the album. 

Anyway, they're touring this summer, so maybe that is a harbinger for new music. Or it's a cash grab. They deserve it. 

This week the song is a ballad, "Everybody Loves You".  It is well put together and well executed. And it is about post-divorce with Natalie Maines' ex-husband. It sounds pretty, but if you listen, it's fairly brutal...if you were him. ....and he was on the show Heroes so......he knows from being bad. 

Keep Going

You'd think I'd have something about which to write. 

No one wants to hear about my running attempts with an upper respiratory infection. Short synopsis: it hurts - head and lungs. 

But being under the weather - sometimes that's about all there is. I feel better than I did on Friday, so hopefully I'm on the upswing. 

On the plus side - that septoplasty I had a few years back has been so helpful on recovering sooner. At least that is my theory. 

That's it. That's all I got. 

Go about your day. 

Song by: the Revivalists

the City in the Clouds

Yes - all dogs again. No cats want to be my friends. It's a shame. 

And today is very Lando heavy. I kept seeing him at daycare and I love him so - and seemingly he loves me.  ......at least that's what I tell myself. And he is such a handsome boy at that. 

So Lando was very photographed this week. And I'd do it all again. 

Honestly, if he didn't belong to someone, I'd snatch hin up in an instant. 

When Shep met Annie.  

He could barely be bothered. Annie is a cute Wired Haired Fox Terrioer / Beagle mix. 

Those two poor dogs behind Lando getting no love. But Lando's eyes!!

Lord - she can still yap even with a mouthful of toy. 

You guys met Daisy a month ago. She's back. 

I hadn't seen her since, so it was nice. 

You know who for pick-up.

Since I've been sick, I sleep downstair some evenings - since I cough a lot. 

Shep decided he liked my pillow. But honestly, the contortionist in him is amazing. 

HAPPY DOG. 

Happy Blobby. 

One last parting Lando shot. 

Song by: John Williams

Bullshit

For the 10,839th time, I will say I really try to stay away from hard news. 

What is difficult is staying away from headlines. They are the ultimate clickbait should one be susceptible. ....and they show up everywhere, not just news sites. 

Me? I'm pretty good at not clicking, but I tend to get a fraction of the story a headline might portray. And I get a skewed one as well, as often the headlines can be misleading. 

As I was reading a sports story in the NYT (I know, right?) interspersed in any NYT article are links to other 'top stories' for which they want you to click. 

You can see by my title image which bullet point caught my eye. 

W. T. A. F. 

This administration kills me - maybe quite literally one day. 

Going after voting records and Jews.  .....not necessarily in that order. 

When it comes to government agencies, I find the EEOC to be one of the good guys. For a long time they were my client and I had respect for them. Had. Past tense.

For more than a year, the EEOC had been pressing Penn to surrender records about antisemitism complaints and a list of “all clubs, groups, organizations and recreation groups” that were “related to the Jewish religion, faith, ancestry/national origin.” The government also demanded membership rosters of those groups, as well as a list of people who had worked in Penn’s Jewish Studies Program.

Again: W.T.A.F. 

On the surface, the EEOC looking into claims of antisemitism seems laudable. Perhaps going after Penn to do something about that behaviour. The demands for the rosters of Jewish organizations as opposed to, oh, right winged groups on campus, seem like they don't really want to solve the problem. They're saying the problems are: Jews. 

It is so thinly veiled the veil doesn't even exist. The threat. The meaning. The antisemitism. 

I know there is a doomsday clock that symbolizes the hypothetical destruction of humanity, and the clock measures our proximity to disaster based on human-made existential threats  These include Climate Change, Nuclear Escalation and Disruptive Technologies. 

Right now, the clock is at one minute and 25 seconds to midnight - meaning extinction at 00:00. 

That is without shit like this - though maybe another holocaust-like event is under 'nuclear escalation'. 

It's been a while since I've said it, but we are still on that road - a holocaust. Everything this administration does and says reeks of it. Again, they don't disguise it, but everyone is ok looking the other way - though to be the tiniest bit fair they get thrown a lot of distractions by this administration. 

What I do (and don't) get is BLOTUS' daughter and son-in-law. Clearly, they will continue to look the other way with his and his administration's antisemitism as long as they can make a buck from it. Or a billion. 

I also won't being to pretend to understand BLOTUS' infatuation with Israel and Netanyahu. The support. The money. The tripping over himself to kiss Ben's balls. ....when he so clearly hates Jews. 

....I guess umless there is something in it for him. He's only transactional - and usually only one way. He'll gladly stiff someone when it comes turn for the quid pro quo. 

What also has me stymied is the dropping of the subpoena. For all their faults, this administration doubles down on just about everything. I only fear is that they either already now have the info, or they have something else up their sleeve. 

Have I mentioned how much I hate this place and this administration? 

Now for the 10,480th time, you remember why I try to stay away from news. 

Song by: Grace Jones

Misery Loves Company

Is there anything worse than a summer cold?

Obvi. 

Iran. Genocide. Andrew Tate. BLOTUS - again, obvi. The possibility of another Fast and Furious movie!

It is just when you have one, nothing seems worse. But that is a male patient talking - and we make everything worse. Or seem worse. We are horrible patients. 

Blobby was hoping the other day it was just allergies. Then maybe it was remnants of the smoke that was in the air. Yesterday, it was harder and harder to deny that it's just a frickin' summer cold. 

So far, it is not different than the cold I had immediately after the Marine Corps Marathon last November. The drainage. Then the sore throat. Now the coughing - as it moves down from head to eventually chest. I'm assuming that will be in play before most of you wake up to read this. 

I was telling 710 yesterday that right to death ethics panels would sign off on letting me take an early out due said cold. They'd figure it would be in nation's. - nay, world's - best interest to put me out of my misery since I was going to cause so much misery for so many people. 

As I draft this, I'm already planning my tomorrow (which is today).  I'm sleeping in - you know, until 06:00!!!  

No early morning run - though I'm not so sure I can bounce up and down without sinuses exploding. And lungs. I will sleep in. No gym either. Friday is usually my 'rest' day, so at this moment I'm just swapping days - but we will see. I might have two rest days. 

Today will be day four (I believe), which means I have 4-5 more days of this. 

It is now 19:00 and I haven't had dinner and all I wanna do is go to bed. 

Song by: the Michael Stanley Band

I Can Make You a Man

I guess we can stay on faux alpha males today. 

Fucking Pete Hegseth is such a fucking insecure - wow I'm stumped at how to label him. 

His not so hidden latent homosexuality is showing through - along with his transphobia and misogyny. 

I'd say it is rare to see someone so uncomfortable in their own sexuality that they have to pick on others to deflect. 

I guess that's why he's fucked multiple women and had multiple kids - even while married to those other women - so he can say he's "a man!". 

His canning of women and transgenders and people of colour - for those and those reasons only - says a lot about him, and as much, if not more, about this administration. I could go on forever about women who voted against their own interests, but it's been done, and better, than I could put down to paper. Or laptop, as the case may be. 

Now it's testosterone levels. 

It'd be laughable if it weren't so fucking sad. 

Though again - the internet did it's job.

The title image is hilarious. Not as much for his far away thoughts of Rock Hudson and Montgomery Clift, but the head shots and make-up brushes. I figuratively LOL'd. 

I certainly hope that and others memes have gotten back to him on his perceived masculinity. I have a feeling he doesn't have any type of sense of humour - at least unless it's at someone else's expense:  physically, mentally, emotionally.......    I'm sure he laughs at those people he has put into despair. 

There has to be lawsuits waiting to happen. Targeting men for T-levels. Though I'm sure he'll do women too so he can make sure none of them are males in disguise! 

Nor will they take in age related factors that testosterone levels drop as one ages, but again, I'll assume that if the number isn't at x - regardless of the rationale - will be kicked out of the military. Probably dishonorably. 

Fine. Let's go to war with fewer and fewer and fewer people. I'm sure others will be blamed as our dept of war falters. I'm not really for that dept, so I really don't care if it implodes. It's time to rebuild it from the ground up anyways. 

In the meantime.......here are two other Pete memes. 

.....and you know he wanted to swallow. 

Song by: Tim Curry

Hey Pretty

What I don't know about alpha males could fill more space on pages than anything George R.R. Martin could write in a lifetime. 

To be honest, I don't know that self-proclaimed alpha males know anymore about alpha males than I do. 

I know Andrew Tate keeps getting arrested and somehow keeps getting out of jail - despite multiple charges and accusations of rape and sex trafficking. 

And for other boys / men to worship him says more about their beta-ness than it does about anyone's alpha behaviour. 

Since I know next to nothing on this guy, I am unsure of his rise to prominence and how all these incel and incel-wannabees found him in the first place. 

Oh - one of those would be BLOTUS. Talk about the living embodiment of a beta cuck. He's helped Tate out at least once.  But you know - he knows all the ins and outs in pedophilia world. 

How a guy let out of a Romanian prison (right??) is beyond me, though it had BLOTUS' fingers in it - and lord knows we know where those have been. But for a "president" saying rapists will not be allowed into this country (HA HA HA HA HA HA HA), Tate and his brother were given the red carpet treatment by teh same man. 

It was here in the U.S. that the Tate brahs were arrested for dozens of charges in the UK. 

Here is where my failing of 'alpha' falls short:

Do all alpha males dress like flaming homos?  

I'm assuming that a big part of their code is to hate homos in the first place. So......colour me confused. 

BTW, I'm not shaming flamers. I'm pointing out hypocrisy of it all. I've seen drag queens in full regalia who aren't as dress as feminine as Tate did the other day. And I love love love that it took a brah a good 10 minutes to get his flashy necklaces off him before authorities put him in a car. They could not even unclasp them and ended up pulling some off over his egghead. 

Of course, the internet did its job and roasted him. They did not disappoint.

Loved this one. 

It took someone all of like 88 seconds to find it, create a text box and hit 'post'. 

I'm assuming rape and sex trafficking are the only ways this guy can get laid. I mean, who would want to be with that, except maybe  to share a wardrobe?   And no offense to most women, but they're not fitting into his skinny jeans / capris. 

Blobby would like to think he understands women a little more than alpha males, though I have no data with which back that up - not even anecdotally.  Yet the Ted Cruz's and Stephen Miller's  of the world can get women to at least pretend - so I guess I don't know women at all. 

Here again is why gay men are just better: they know enough not to be around a Tate-like person. Even if we don't see through them immediately, mocking is our cardio. And what a fucking workout we'd get with that. And we'd do it with a drink in our hand without ever breaking a sweat. 

I'm hoping the Tate boys sweat it in prison. I'm sure they're being segregated, because I'd like to see them get treated the way they have treated women by their fellow inmates. 

Song by: Poe

My Music Monday

There is a new song. and album out by the band Goose. 

Now, don't confuse them with them with the band Geese. Their last album was released about 10 months ago. 

If there is a band named "Gander", I honestly have no idea - but you just know there is one out there. 

I know of Goose, but I'm not very familiar with their oeuvre. But XM is all about their new song "Good2B".  ....and no, it's not a Prince song, just a Prince like spelling.  I can kind of see why. 

"Good2B" has a lot of influences and it is killing me I can't think of a main one. It's like right on the tip of my musical knowledge base. 

A lot of the music has heavy Steely Dan vibes. Some of the vocals remind me of the band Guster. But it's when the lead singer sings "Will you stay with me..........will you stayyyyyyyyy with me?" that evokes another song and another band that seems so familiar but I'm a bit frustrated in not figuring out who that might be. 

I'm happy to hear thoughts. Morty can probs identify it in a heartbeat (it's a love beat). But you all might have good ideas as well. 

But "Good2B" has a good groove. 

History Never Repeats

I find Larry David to be somewhat antithetical. 

He's funny when it comes to stories. He's cringeworthy to watch act out those stories or just discuss things in general. 

There came a point in Seinfeld where I could just no longer watch. George - who clearly is modeled after David to a degree - just became so painful to watch on so many levels, my unease was not outweighed by the humour. 

Now and then, my brother-in-law will try to get me to watch Curb Your Enthusiasm. I think I tried once. If I wanted that type of nagging and talking over everyone, I'd go back to my parent's house for Sunday dinners. 

I think on paper the sketches are probably funny, but the execution isn't probably much of a stretch from who Larry David really is. 

Bud David has a new HBO show out called Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.  Now that is a title that is dead-on accurate. David makes Lewis Black look like the world's biggest optimist. 

This show is historically based. Not reality based, but you get it. I've only seen two segments and I gotta say they're not bad. It kind of suits him. Not all are politically based. 

You may, or may not, have seen the below clip. All I can say is BLOTUS must be pissed. 

....and it is the last thing that Rob Reiner ever filmed. The piece was edited two days prior to his death. 

This might actually be the vehicle for Larry David. I could be wrong - I have been before. 

Song by: Split Enz

Shark Attack

We have Shep and Bailey this week. And a few daycare dogs. Well, Lucy mostly. 

I really don't know what to do with this.  ....and my sister offered zero explanation. 

Still, it's adorable. 

I really don't understand how hounds are comfortable. 

Lucy - large (in her mind) and in charge. 

Smart enough to sleep under the Japanese maple when it's hot. 

Star of her daycare social media feed. 

My sandwich had bacon on it. I'm not a big fan of it (yes, I know - you don't have to say it). 

Shep? He's a big fan. 

I love that Lucy's collar tag is half her size. 

But she really knows how to get attention - at least mine. 

Song by: Split Enz

Smoke It

Remember the other day when I identified as a "moron"?   Yeah - hold onto that thought. 

As Canada seems like a stand-up country, it's difficult to be upset with them and all their wildfires. 

You can see that the air quality in the Great Lakes region is less than subpar. It's actually dangerous. 

The powers that be are telling people to stay inside and keep the doors and windows shut - and even with that "efforts to minimize effect, even indoors, may be difficult to impossible." 

Well, that's not good. 

It was not as bad the day prior but I was 'warned' about running outdoors and maybe keeping it to less than 3 miles. I thought.........eh.....I can do 4.  But Cleveland is built around a major river with bridges that go up and down so freighters can pass. As luck (?) would have it, I ran into three of those, so I changed direction multiple times. I ended up running 6. 

Yesterday, I went out before sunrise, though seeing sun wasn't on the docket for yesterday. 

As we have to have the central air running constantly, it ended up giving me a splitting headache, but I thought I better get out there now - or never. 

Both temp and humidity were at 87 - degrees and percent respectively - but the air. The smoke. The heaviness of it all. 

Still - I went. I figured I'd cut five miles to four. And the first mile was very very rough. It was there that I realized I neglected to bring water. 

You can refer back to that 'moron' reference earlier. 

I could have - and maybe should have - turned back then, but ehhhhhhh........I'm already out here. 

There would be no other walkers, runners or dog walkers on my time out. I did eke out five, but it wasn't pretty. I'm considering it "heat training".  I mean you just don't know what conditions a race will be like.

710 would tell me I shouldn't be out there running. 

Ummmmm.........too late. 

It's supposed to rain for the next 5-6 days. Hopefully it will help dissipate some of this - the heat. the humidity. the smoke. 

Song by: Dandy Warhols 

Payday

This had to hurt. 

BLOTUS was forced to pay E. Jean Carroll the $5.6 million that was jury-awarded her back in 2023. 

An NYC jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her.  

Luckily, Carroll gets interest on top of the awarded damages due to BLOTUS dragging his feet through appeal after appeal. Even his mostly hand-picked SCOTUS wouldn't take up the final appeal. 

The fat, cognitively impaired, fecally incontinent, pedophile "president" finally had to look between his seat cushions and pay up. 

Now, $5.6 million is pocket change to a grifter who has {allegedly} made $2 BILLION, so far, off this term in office alone. But you know he fucking did it begrudgingly. 

And all appeals are done. He is a officially a guilty sexual abuser. 

You know this guy just hated paying this woman. Well.......any woman. I mean, yeah, he had to pay Ivana and Marla. Well........and Melanoma and Stormy. And Ghislaine. 

Hmmm. On the other hand, maybe it's a pattern. 

I hope Carroll does something with the money - something that humiliates BLOTUS. You know he already probably has a DOJ investigation into her. Retribution is kind of his thing. 

Let that asshole seethe for a while knowing he can be beaten. You know that has to get his goat. 

He'd probably pay to fuck that too. 

Song by: Boz Scaggs

Not Sorry

Yes, I should stop looking at social media. I really really wish I were better at not. 

I keep seeing these "responses" that say something to the effect that we will give the same respect about Lindsey Graham's death that BLOTSU gave Robert Mueller. 

I don't disagree. I just don't see where any GOP person is asking anyone to be respectful in the first place. 

Granted, I haven't gone digging for any evidence of that either. I'm a moron. Not a fucking moron. 

Am I glad Graham is dead?  Yes.

Do I feel bad about "celebrating" someone's death?  No. Not in the slightest. At least his. I mean, there area. number of others: BLOTUS. Steven Miller. the Pillsbury ProudBoy (JD's new nickname). Bondi. Gnome.  The list goes on and on.  

.....and I won't feel bad about any single one of them. I might raise my hand. I might clap. I might laugh. 

While I love cake, the chances of me getting one to celebrate are slim - though there seems to be semi-sustainable short term business idea in that type of bakery. I'll have to see about drawing up a prospectus. 

Je do love former Capitol policeman Michael Fanon - everything about him. But his sign off on Graham was meh.  "Rest in Piss".  I get it, but I can also assume that Graham might actually like that. So it might not be the insult that was intended. 

At least two sex workers have expanded and expounded on earlier claims they've made since his death. They say the NDA they had signed is no longer enforceable. There doesn't seem to be much in their tales that haven't been told before, but my recall on the before isn't crystal clear - and save 'reg lingerie' and massages, I have yet to hear of any sex - not that I really want to. 

No one does. Not really. That is not a picture we want in our mind. 

Sounds like he died quickly and not nearly painfully enough. That is a shame. So here hopes he just fucking burns in hell. It's a shame I don't really believe in it, but should it exist............welcome Lindsey. 

Song by: the Cranberries

Big Boy

A little over a month back, I wrote about seeing the Big Boy heading east from Cheyenne to Philly. It was the destination for the 250th sad sack anniversary of our "independence". 

With that celebration now thankfully over, the train had to get back home, so it traveled through Cleveburgh again. And again, I jiggered my schedule to see it. Unfortunately, 710 could not. 

Last time we viewed from a parking garage 1/10th of a mile away. The iPhone 17 just has a decent zoom feature. 

This time, I more carefully scouted a site and went to decent lengths to get down onto, then next to, the tracks. Driving to the area I wanted, I saw dozens and dozens of people a half mile upstream crowding a bridge so they'd see the locomotive from a higher vantage point. 

Me? I was down there. Right there. 

I checked the schedule and got to my general location about 20 minutes before the train arrived. I spent another 5-7 minutes finding just the right spot - and I think I nailed it. 

It has a curve to the track. It had a trestle. It had a view of downtown behind where the 4014 would be. 

What I wasn't expecting was it would have a Goodyear airship flying overhead. That, in theory, was going to make for a good photo. 

There were too many elements for that to actually happen. 

The blimp was too high and out of frame. It was moving faster than the train, even though it kept trying to double back. No offense to Goodyear, as they were a former client of mine, but the airship wasn't the star of the day. 

A few others wandered down to where I was, but honestly you could count them on two hands. No one was anyone else's way. 

The engine is impressive. And loud - whistle or not. And. it. is. hot. 

Heat exuding from the engine and the cars was stifling. It was already 86°F without the train - so I can't say it was a pleasant experience. On the other hand, it's not like was a photojournalist out in the fields covering the horror of the Viet Nam War. 

Again, not a train guy, but I got caught up in the excitement and I figured I'd never see this engine again. I mean, I am looking at "middle age" in the rear view mirror. Actually, it's out of sight. 

Still it was fun to share pictures and video with 710. 

And I got a decent shot or two. 

Song by: Nazareth

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 195th 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

05:56.  YAY!!!!

Personally, I think the GOP killed him to throw people off the scent of McConnell. Or his "ladybugs" finally ganged up on him. Or one os his escorts killed him. Either way, I'm good. 

This is the most news I've "read". I'm sure there is a better way of getting to the NYT Games page, but I can't seem to be bothered. 

06:14. Oatmeal x 2. 

Bowl for right now. Container I'm just prepping to take into work tomorrow. 

07:39. Iced Tea fill-up. 

09:18. The post morning run cooldown. 

There was a race yesterday and most of our Sunday crew ran it. The four of us did not. 

09:40. Post run bagel. 

Asiago. Toasted twice. Plain cream cheese on the side. 

10:13. Fruits and Veggies. 

Big grocery run is tomorrow after work. But I needed some things before that run. 

12:31. Washing blueberries. 

With the 22 state 'explosive dirrahea' thing going on, I have been super super super vigilant about washing my fruits and veggies. Used to be a great rinse was what I thought they needed. Now it's a long long soak and then a rinse. 

I know some will say to wash them in vinegar, but health officials say a good water bath is just as effective. 

13:11. Hike with Shep - and husband. 

13:35.  Lunch. Blobby only needs half a sammy. 

15:39. Time for a shower. 

The bath in the lake yesterday did not cut it. 

17:31. SHOWTIME. 

Our weekly peeps Zoom call. 

19:53. Choices. 

Penis Song

I'm a moron. 

That statement really isn't up for debate. I think it is just a fact. 

This past week or so has just been awful for outdoor runs. The heat and humidity have been no joke. 

On days when I can, I try to run before the sun comes up. And I'm not sure it makes a difference - or that much of one. Heat is heat. And humidity is just heavy and wet. 

Yesterday was no different. My run clubs training plan was for eight miles, but I knew I needed more, as my fall race is about four weeks before 90% of everyone else's. 

In my head, I wanted 16. In reality I was figuring 12. 

Normally we don't run from a park along the lake, but yesterday we did. I went out for nine miles before the group met up and I did an additional five with them. 

My moron comment comes from me always checking the temp - but never the humidity. 

87%. That what is was. At 06:30.  87 fucking percent. 

Sweat wicking gear was a joke. It was like wearing neoprene. Dare to stretch from your body and it snapped back like a taut rubber band. 

I ran out of water at mile 11. At mile 12 I was back to "what makes you think you could or should run a marathon?" playing in my head. 

I am racked with self-doubt on many things, but this is the one that truly bothers me. 

As I approached the end, I did a semi-shortcut to my car. I kicked off my shoes, I peeled off my shirt and hat. Then I walked right into Lake Erie and dove in. 

Water temps were 73°F.  

It was refreshing but I was still sweating even after 10 minutes in the water. This is the third time that I've ever been in the Lake. With so many states (22 to be accurate) reporting an epidemic of explosive diarrhea I figure any bacteria in the water would do that to me.  

So now........it's a waiting game. 

I did take a very very cold outdoor shower at the shelter house afterwards, but it did little to stop the sweating. But it felt great. 

On a side note:  as I was walking across the sand to the water, I saw some good looking man walking, scuffing his feet a bit. As I got closer, I saw he had traced a large penis in the sand, along with spurting liquid markings coming form the head. 

I couldn't help but laugh and told him, "great, the one time I don't have my phone and camera". 

He goes, "I've been waiting for my wife to notice what I've been doing and tell me to grow up. But at least it's anatomically accurate - and true to size."   We laugh and laugh. 

His wife finally looks up to see what's he's done and just shakes her head and without a word goes back to her phone. We laugh again. I go in the water. 

It's a good day. 

Song by: Macklemore

Heaven

Dogs abound. I saw no cats this week - at least in person. Many walk across our porch at night and are caught by the Ring doorbell. 

I really don't know why they don't stop. 

It was hot hot hot. So Shep went into the water. 

Not Tony. 

I thought it was - as I love(d) him. I found out he passed, but this is Ollie. 

He is just as sweet. 

I. Am. In. Heaven .

Shep and a heron. 

This is about as close as we can get before s/he takes off. 

Don't know the Westie, but they wanted to be noticed.  So I did. 

Unknown corgi celebrating the 4th. 

I guess my sister isn't the only one dressing up her dog. 

Lucy. 

Small but mighty. She RULES daycare. She will push dogs 20x her size out of the way. 

Treat time. 

Someone got all his shots Thursday, so he got rewarded. 

Song by: the Psychedelic Furs