12 of 12

So I'm doing my 121st 12 of 12.

Normally it is 12 pictures taken on the 12th of the month. Since I only post once per day, you get my images the following day. All pictures taken with my iPhone. Click images to enlarge, if you choose.

Created by Chad Darnell and picked up from, what I can tell, any number of random bloggers who then link back to him and vice versa. Chad is no longer doing this, nor is successor coordinating the linking of other 12 of 12'ers anymore. Now it's just myself - of which I know.

05:50.  Dog walk intersection. 

No one around - so it was alway 'go'. 

06:09.  End of the box. 

No worries - I had another. 

06:31.  Package Delivery. 

Yesterday. I never check the front door for packages. Saw it while doing the a.m. dog walk. 

07:23.  Log-in error. 

So this is how it's going to be today!

09:27.  Tea time. 

11:41.  Huddle call.  

Usually only weekly. Now multiple during Covid

12:24.  Lunch leftovers. 

14:39.  Development. 

Helping a school system create education pieces to students who are exposed to opioids. 

14:59.  Clementines. 

I keep waiting for the season to be over, but the stores are full of them. 

17:16.  After work dog walk. 

Dog v Squirrel - Score:  0 - 4,671

18:13.  Grocery store. 

Braving the store - avec mask, clorox wipes. 

19:25.  Grilling chicken patties. 

Usually brown these on the stove then into the oven. This is much nicer - and less messy. 

Another month down.

I Wonder What's Inside Your Butthole ?

I have nothing good to put into blog form.

I am kind of grumpy with the White House, and Pence not contracting Corona and dying. I boy can wish, you know.  BTW, do you notice how in WEEKS (longer?) that we haven't truly seen what shell of a woman Ivanka and barely a sign of her child of the corn husband of hers?

I certainly hope they're not home, masked and self-isolating to protect their children! I mean, shouldn't they fall in line with every other dolt in the White House?  If not, are they actually proving that they don't follow the BLOTUS method of infection control?

It's all very depressing. Like why is the Supreme Court even addressing, let alone an emergency ruling on, some wench opening her salon?

_____________________________________________

That all aside, I know yesterday was My Music Monday, but you get a second music post this week.

Hands down, this song - the original / remix - is the top song from 2020 !!!!

I can fathom no future release ever moving it out of this position. This year, or possibly ever.

I love that one of her parents (probably) filmed her probably 13 seconds of song, looped it, put a rhythm section and backing vocals on this.

You can thank Morty for this find. I have.




BTW, there are already covers of the song - ukulele, punk, ballad, country.....you name it. This kid is a STAR!

Trust me: you have 1:17 to listen to this song. If not, MAKE 1:17 to listen to this song.




Song by: Jolee Dunn

My Music Monday

Michael Stipe has a new song out - kind of.

In 2019 he released his first solo song, which kind of came and went. But he is preparing for a debut solo release, hopefully in 2020.

"No Time For Love Like Now" is probably not specifically Covid related, but you can shoehorn just about anything in to anywhere if you try hard enough.

The song was written by Stipe and the National's guitarist, Aaron Dessner. Technically what is posted below is a demo that Stipe put out for people in quarantine.

My assertion is: this IS the song. Demo or not, the understated performance is the song There is no need to gussy it up with additional instruments or backing vocals. It might be a rough version, but it's a perfect take.

I hope should it make his alleged solo album, he won't change a thing about this song.

Mom

I haven't actively, or consciously, been avoiding Mother's Day, however semi-subconsciously I may have. I've seen some ads turning them almost immediately, as I assumed it was a week from now.  710 told me otherwise.

This is almost the lasts of the firsts. In a month or so, we'll have the last; a year since my mother died.

Like with my dad, I think of her daily. Something reminds me of her. We have enough of their house items that it would be hard not to have some daily reminder. I'll never think of their table and chairs as "ours".

It doesn't happen often, but now and then I think of something, or see something and go, "I should call her and tell her....", and then, obvi, don't. I can count on three fingers how many times she's made it to my dream cycle.

In the last week, two of her former work colleagues and her maid of honour check in to see how 710 and I are doing. All included memories of her in their correspondences. I'll be honest, I wasn't quite sure if they were doing it for me, or for themselves. Or both. None of it wrong, of course.

We are preparing for her stone-setting. The headstone was to be completed two months ago, but you know - Covid. While the company was shut down, the stone workers, must have kept going. The day they opened back up, the stone was delivered to the cemetery. They still need a few weeks to do the foundation for it - as the stone is substantial.

While it sounds harsh, I'm glad she is not here for this Covid shit. I do believe the isolation would have killed her faster than the disease itself. The inability to see family or friends would have been monumental for her.

So, of course I am sad she isn't here, but glad we are close to closing out our year of mourming.



Song by: Berlin

Friends

It's Saturday - so you know the deal.

I don't need a mask when I drive, but use one when I go into daycare to retrieve Shep.

I'm glad he's not freaked out by the masks. 

Loungey Cat.

Bailey ripping around a neighbor's house with a new friend. 

Sydney and a few others. 

Pretty Kitty. 

Our new neighbors have two Jack Russell terriers - who I have yet to meet. 

Portrait moment. 

One of the best pics I've ever taken of Shep - if I say so myself.

Song by: Led Zeppelin

Talk Talk

It's not that I don't have anything to say - I actually fear I have too much.  ....and it's all a bummer.

__________________________________________________

Michael Flynn - pleads guilty (twice!), and the DOJ (William Fucking Barr) drops the criminal charges.  W.T.A.F.

I shouldn't be surprised. I am disgusted. I suppose it let's BLOTUS off for giving Flynn the eventual pardon?  It's all so fucking disappointing.

__________________________________________________

Again, disappointed, disgusted and not surprised.

A black man, Ahmaud Arbery, is murdered - hunted down, even - in Georgia. All caught on video. We know what happened. We know who did it. No charges. Oh, and one of the murders has his is photo with the governor of Georgia.

Nothing has changed. Nothing.

__________________________________________________

A woman was asked to put on a face mask at a Dollar General. Miffed - to say the least - she went home, brought back her son and husband......and the son (?) shot and killed the person who told him mom-wife to put on a mask.

Ok, I get that you're a bitch and dick at this point. But let's see how big of a dick you can be:

A. You actually shoot someone over a fucking face mask.
B. No courage of your convictions about your 'constitutional rights' (oh yes, quotes!), as, like the pussy you are, you flee.....so you kind of know you've done something really wrong.
C. You leave your mom-wife behind, so so far, she's the only one in custody.

You suck on every level. Something you might be doing in prison the rest of your days. So see, not wearing a mask can kill you - as hopefully you'll die in prison for it.

The way I think I see it (I've seen most episodes of most Law & Order franchises), this is at least 2nd degree murder. That's gotta be worth 25 to life.......unless the judge is white......when apparently, you'll be free to go.

__________________________________________________

Two friends of mine this week had three family members die over a three day time span. Nothing Covid related, just some really bad timing.

There seems to be a limit in what can come out of my mouth that doesn't sound like I'm totally repeating myself.

__________________________________________________

Every state / Every legislature regarding re-opening of shit.

I'm sorry - I hope all your customers die. All your constituents who think they are somehow medical experts. Unfortunately, it will be the people they come in contact with who will die instead. That sucks.

__________________________________________________

Bet you truly wish I had nothing to say today.




Song by: Talk Talk

Choices

I don't know what to say about Handsy Pappy Joe.

Well for starters, I'm sure he could do better than Tara Reid. I'm not sure he can do better than Ian Ziering. I'm not sure any of us can.

Ok Ok, I know that Tara Reid and Tara Reade are not the same person. Unfortunate name coincidence though.

One is consumed by a possible STD from a strange man grabbing her and doing unimaginable things to her. The other was in Sharknado.......and has multiple STDs from a bunch of strange men, to whom she did unimaginable things.

Clearly, unlike everyone else on social media, I have no idea what truly went on way back when. Neither Pappy Joe, nor Tara and I are that close. We don't confide in each other. Nor was I there. But when push comes to shove, I generally believe the woman who was assaulted.

I've made no secret here about not being a supporter of Pappy Joe as the nominee - which technically, he still isn't - so I'm not going easy on him here.

"What?" you say - "but he's our best bet at beating BLOTUS!", you say.

True, whatever Pappy Joe did with Reade or some of the other women he got handsy with was not exactly grabbing her by the pussy, like BLOTUS brags about. Yet, that doesn't quite make him passable.

Yet, the Biden lovers are seemingly giving him a pass - even an NYT op ed piece: I Believe Reade, but Still Voting for Biden. 

See.......when it was BLOTUS, or Cavanaugh or the probable pedophile from Alabama (Moore), these same people were (and rightfully so) up in fucking arms.  Now? Not so much - should it serve their purpose.  Oh - but they don't touch on any of that. Ever.

Hypocrisy isn't just for republicans.

If they want to be honest, they'll just have to say, "yes, Joe is kind of scum, but hopefully not more than BLOTUS, and even if he is, he'll hopefully make better political decisions." then fine. But honestly, you'll have to shut up about the sexual behaviour of the others. It can no longer be played.

That all said, one would have to believe that the Obama campaign had to have vetted the shit out of their VP choice. Maybe they did. Maybe they found this shit out and deemed it didn't matter - or maybe it didn't exist at all.

Not to stereotype (though it does save time), but Pappy Joe from an era where touching a woman here and / or there wasn't the standard. I'm not saying it is right; I'm not condoning it. I'm just saying that will be the justification of just about anyone letting this slide.

IF the democrats are 'better' than the republicans, than they have to actually act better - and that might mean ditching Pappy Joe for someone else. If not, then shut the fuck up about BLOTUS and his infidelities. There is plenty of other shit of which he is guilty, but pick Joe and shut your pie hole.




Song by: Leonard Cohen

This Too Shall Pass

People, mostly guys, of a certain age might know what is pictured here.

I can count the number of days I spent playing this. Literally.

It turns out single digits. When I got this, probably back in 1977 (?), it was all the rage.

Who wouldn't love something with the clunkiness of the first nerdy calculator that could only add / subtract / multiple / divide and only to eight digits and pair with with the excitement of football?

Well, my parents were early adopters of that aforementioned calculator (thanks 47th St. Photo!), and I had no affinity for the sport, so.........naturally, I HAD to have this. And oddly, my parents accommodated me. This was unlike them.

As a freshman, I was dying to fit in, which I didn't know at the time was NEVER going to happen. But in the failed attempt, a cool electronic gadget that people wanted, or wanted to be around, was my "in". Except, it wasn't.

Without me ever seemingly realizing it, this piece of gaming history went missing.   ........for maybe 30 + years. I'm sure at the time, I knew it was gone - but not sure if it was at my hand or some five fingered thief.

But somewhere at that 30 + year mark, at a Sunday dinner, I found it at my mother's house. Still looking brand spanking new. One new 9-volt battery later and it was as good as almost new.  ....and I still sucked at it.

And I shit you not, I immediately misplaced the Football I.

I wasn't even sure if it left my mother's house or if it made it to ours. Clearly it wasn't meant to be.


.......or was it ??

In the last week, we've been purging from the house. I don't know exactly where 710 found it, but he did.

So for like the 20th time in 43 years, I put in a new 9-volt and fired her up. 

It still works perfectly.

....and I still suck at it.


On a whim, I thought maybe I found a vintage game in which I could sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, even though it's not in the original packaging. As it turns out, I can sell it on e-bay from somewhere between $3.80  and $30.00.

Maybe I'll just look for it again in a decade and see if the value has gone up.



Song by: OK Go

Circus

We have had to rethink our movie goal and mode.

I have decided to keep the goal to 18, which means, we are behind. The mode part I addressed early on in the year with watching A Marriage Story and the Two Popes on-line. Those could have been two-offs, but I decided then, it would be acceptable.

Now that "at-home / streaming" mode just seems necessary.

I don't know what movie theaters will look like in the future. After the arrival of the virus, but before lock downs, our art theater was limiting the number of folks into their theater. The big chains, which had assigned seating, was closing off every other seat for distancing.

So we have Netflix, they have movies, but save HBO, we don't really have other streaming services. I supposed there is pay per view. IFC has a deal of like $7 / month that has original content movies, some of which look really interesting, so I might be looking into that.

Still, this last weekend, we watched a documentary, Circus of Books. It was recommended by two different friends, both name Jon. No H.

The story - in short - is that a nice straight couple own what is probably the biggest porn bookstore in Los Angeles, which becomes a haven for gay men, the entire time hiding from their family what they do for a living.

The documentary is made by their daughter.

The film could be one of a first-hand family documentary, where the parents were seemingly unaware of their helping to bring the gay community together in a certain aspect; or one of LGBTQ-centric of a time of business, government censorship, AIDS and acceptance.

This is a problem with the film.....it doesn't know what it wants to be, or should be. The filmmaker is too close to some of the subjects to have any objective, or to ask the good, tough questions - or to have a fully formed conversation on film with her brothers. Most any conversation with her mother (who is arguably the lead figure here) is fraught with both parties talking over each other constantly.

The Masons (the family running the bookstore) saw this as business / commerce. Nothing else. Selling lube and dvds was no different than selling washers and dryers.

Larry Flynt makes an appearance, as he was the Mason's biggest distributor and one of his first. Jeff Stryker does too. I told Jon C, that "I've seen everything he's done........and everyone he's been in........a quarter at a time".  It got a chuckle......you know, over text. Stryker is surprisingly somewhat thoughtful and smart about the couple and what they did and during the 80s.

I think more poignant moments were interviews with the folks that worked for the couple in the store. They skimmed on the stories of acceptance after families betrayed them, or how a bookstore became a refuge for so many gay men in a town as big as L.A. .  I would have liked to seen more of that.

Circus of Books is good, but I think with a little work it would have been so much better.



2020 Movie Count / Goal: 06 of 18


Song by: the Jam

My Music Monday

First off, Happy Star Wars Day(™).

I had a Star Wars related funny song to be done here, until I realized it came from Jimmy Fallon's show, and then in good conscience, I could not allow that to happen.

I refuse to promote anything Fallon related.

So I'm going with my semi-Covid, quasi-quarantine, faux shelter in place theme.

This one is brand spanking new from the Rolling Stones - "Living in a Ghost Town".

This song was started last year, but completed a few weeks ago in isolation - the band's isolation, that is. They finished this song remotely. I'll assume the video of the band working together on the song was from the 2019 sessions.

While originally the song was not about anything corona related, Mick Jagger updated / changed some of the lyrics to reflect the pandemic. It works.

It should amaze no one, but I love how a 77 year old Jagger doesn't sound that much different than a 37 (or 27?) year old one.

The song is actually good, and it is their first release of original material since 2012.

Civil Disobedience

I have touched on douches like these folks in the past.  "Very fine people" as BLOTUS called them the other day, as he did with neo-nazis down in Charlottesville a few years back.

You see, BLOTUS needs these folks, and I'm not talking just for the votes.  ....but more on that in a bit.

I've called these folks both 'terrorists' and 'cowards'. Both still hold true.

I'm all for them the right to deny science. But then they should deny science to themselves and their families when they take ill from Covid.

I only think 4% of them are wearing masks because of possible airborne transmission of coronavirus. The coward part is that they don't want to be identified. Pussies on every level, should they also be afraid of contracting a disease.

While it's been covered before, I will mark it here for the record - had they not been white, they'd never have made it this far into the Michigan capitol without being shot to death. THIS, is white privilege.

The sad thing is, black people would be shot asserting their First Amendment right to assemble, even without AR-15s. White folk, with body armor, masks and semi-automatic machine guns?  Go right in, thank you.  (I'm assuming Michigan's open carry includes the state house, where in Ohio, that is not allowed.....which is also hilarious, as you can take guns into daycares, but not where the lawmakers pass said laws.)

The stupid fucks who say, lock down is unconstitutional is hilarious too. I don't know that amendment, because I don't think getting to the Lego store is 'assembly'. But IF they were so worried about the constitution, where were they when #moscowmitch held up a supreme court nominee?  THAT is unconstitutional.

But we know they pick and choose what they think is right (which is another post for another day!).

Back to my why BLOTUS needs these 'very fine people'........

....if this is how people act due a limitation on going outside, what the fuck do you think is going to happen should BLOTUS lose in November ??

This Michigan (and other states) is a minor rehearsal for what is bound to be a total shit show.

Every fiber of my being tells me that BLOTUS will not only legally try to contest the election should he lose, but he will call on his minions with their weapons. I don't believe he'll go out without a literal fight.

If you think the country is divided now............I'm just waiting for it to really break open. Michigan seems to be just the precursor.



Song by: Camper Van Beethoven

Together Again

A number of both these two together.

Last week he was chasing her. This week, not so much. 

I do love when Sophie goes out. 

The boy has some big ass paws. 

We got Shep a new bed. He's never used one before. But he seems to like it. 

Sophie is so bright-eyed. 

Making himself known while I work. His fan club looks on. 

.......and Shep got to the chair first, so he wins - like it or not. 

Song by: Dwight Yoakam

Isolation

Last night, the cast of Parks & Recreation took at stab at a reunion show made during the time of Covid, and as a benefit to provide hunger relief during this time.

State Farm and Subaru were matching any donated funds for this endeavor.

I would like to say it was good, but you know........it just wasn't.

Like SNL's foray into trying to do a show while the cast is in isolation and trying to string a script and / or story together, it's just difficult at best.

I'll give it this, save for Monalisa Saperstein (Jenny Slade, to your left) and her father, Dr. Saperstein (Henry Winkler) and maybe Brandi Maxxx, all the key and secondary players were here. All showed for the cause.

Like SNL, this Parks & Rec was a little forced. It wasn't really funny either. The secondary characters were funnier than the primary ones.  Perd. Joan Calamezzo (though she's had a LOT of work done), Jean Ralphio, Dante Fierro Dennis Feinstein and my fave, Jeremey Jamm, DDS.

I mean, I hope they raised a lot of money, but I thought it would be funnier.

They were timely and while the word 'covid' or 'coronoavirus' never appeared, the entire show was based around it and why they had to use a Zoom-like app to talk to each other.

I certainly hope they raised a lot of money - clearly Monalisa needs some.



Song by: Joy Division

No Scrubs

This might be the last one I do of these.  The previous ones were all funny*, but this one has a few observations that aren't necessarily meant to tickle your funny bone.

Yes!

This is SO spot on, it is frightening. 

Yes. x 8. 

😂😂😂😂

This kind of made me laugh. 

This really made me laugh. 

This is perfect !!!

*it's all relative



Song by: TLC

What You Didn't Say

We can talk about all the ways Michelle Pence was stupid while he was at the Mayo Clinic. I think we should focus on his comment about not wearing a mask so he could look the hospital workers  "right in the eye".


I'm just going to let you all mull that one over on your own.


Actually, that's not the stupid I want to talk about associated with Ms. Pence.  It's about the unavailability of testing.  .....and by the way, it's your fault, not his.

When asked by a reporter why it took so long to get tests out (you know the beautiful ones!). The reported mentioned that Pence said the country would have 4 million tests by mid-March.

It didn't.

We didn't.

Pence's response?  "It represents a misunderstanding on your part and frankly the — a lot of people in the public's part — about the difference between having a test versus the ability to actually process the test."

So, true to this administration, not their fault. It's yours.

YOU misunderstood.  He did not say he wasn't clear.

I dunno about you, but that doesn't seem very Christian of him.



Song by: Mary Chapin Carpenter

On Your Own

No. Fucking. Shit. BLOTUS.

The states have found PPE, test kits, funds, direction, medical advice and everything COVID related on their own.

This dick not stepping up to the plate should come as no surprise to anyone.

He is a nasty and vindictive liar.

I mean, what about those tests for everyone. You know the ones that 'are gonna be beautiful' ?

I guess they''re not. Or perhaps, they're only pretty for Jared.

I totally get this is the way he is, and has been. I am stupefied that any republican governor can legitimately back this knob. Of course, they're the same ones pushing to reopen at any cost to their citizens, so........maybe I do get it.

This is a horrible thing to say out loud, let alone in print, but I hope there is a surge in COVID come in early October. A HUGE one.

It's a risk for sure. Some would no doubt try to postpone the election, but the blowback from the mismanagement of this pandemic would (or should) be in the forefront of any elected official running for office who didn't proceed with caution and caring.

Dr. Oz and the Lt. Governor of Texas thinks a 1-2% rate of death is acceptable to open the economy back up, so it should be ok for an election too, right? I mean, there can't be gradations of what is and isn't acceptable in a surge in deaths. You're either good with it or not.

If it means getting that fuckhead out of the White House, I'm good with it.




Song by: Bananarama