First-World Problems

I read two online articles today that illustrate just how different one's circumstances can be in life based on where one lives.

The first article was about how some parents were complaining online and to the manufacturer that their kid's Hatchimals haven't hatched as expected. One person tweeted that Christmas had been ruined for one of her kids because of the lack of Hatchimal hatching. Really? Christmas was ruined because a toy malfunctioned? People like this need to get a grip. If you let a toy ruin Christmas for you or your kids, then you don't understand what Christmas is about. #firstworldproblems

The second article I read was about how a lack of feminine hygiene products in certain developing countries, like Uganda, forces girls out of school. When you live in the United States where there are a plethora of tampons, pads, whatever at your nearest drug store/grocery store/Walmart to purchase, you sometimes forget that every woman doesn't have access to these kinds of products. People living in some remote part of Africa or India can't just walk or drive to the nearest Walgreens and pick up a pack of pads. These women often don't have access to basic sanitary goods that we are able to purchase freely and plentifully here in the States. 

Not Again

Once again, we mourn the loss of another musical superstar this year. When I heard about George Michael's death yesterday, I was stunned. I knew he'd been ill in the past, but I thought he had recovered. As a teenager in the 1980s, I loved Wham. I had a "Choose Life" sweatshirt and several Wham records. And when George became a solo singer, I still followed him and his music. This year has been terrible for a variety of reasons (celebrity deaths included). I'm sure I'm not alone in being ready to put this year in my rear view and move on from it. Hopefully 2017 will be better, but with the governmental changes coming, I'm not so sure about that. However, I am trying to remain optimistic because, really, what else can you do? Curl up in a ball and refuse the leave the house?

In other non-celebrity-death-related news, I saw the movie Fences yesterday. I was shocked at how crowded the theater was for the movie. Did everyone decide to go to the movies on Christmas? Apparently. The first theater my sister and I went to was sold out so we drove to another theater and were able to get tickets. The movie was great (albeit a little too long) and the performances were powerful. I hadn't read the August Wilson play before seeing the movie, so I had no idea what was going to happen in the film and I'm glad I didn't know ahead of time. I went from having sympathy for Denzel Washington's character to wanting to strangle him for being such a hard-ass. My only real complaint was that the kid who played the younger son in the movie just wasn't up to par with the other actors. He couldn't hold his own against Denzel and Viola Davis and I wish a more seasoned young actor had been cast in his place. Maybe Michael B. Jordan would have done a better job with the role.

RIP, George Michael.

Merry, Merry, Merry

Merry Christmas. If you don't celebrate the holiday, enjoy your day off. Hopefully you're not working. I'm looking forward to a day of eating, drinking, relaxing, writing, and watching Godzilla movies on the El Ray network. However you choose to spend the holiday, have a great one.

Party Poopers

I've been reading (with glee) news stories about performers turning down invitations to perform at Trump's inauguration. I'm surprised that he actually thought he'd get A-list talent to perform. What world has he been living in? When you pick a VP who believes in gay conversion therapy and wants businesses to be able to discriminate against gays and lesbians based on their religious beliefs, you cut out a huge demographic in the performing arts. On top of that, you run on a platform of racism, bigotry, sexism, etc. What performer in his or her right mind would agree to show up and sing for that kind of platform? Put politics aside for a moment and just think of the financial blowback any inauguration performer would receive if they performed at this event. Skipping the inauguration is, for many I'm sure, a business decision. A-listers don't want to lose money because half of their fans decide to boycott them for performing at Trump's inauguration. I'm surprised Trump isn't able to wrangle a few country singers to perform. Is he so toxic that he can't even get Carrie Underwood or Garth Brooks to show up? Apparently. Well, there's always Ted Nugent and Kid Rock. Thanks, Michigan.

Shut It!

Some people, as we all know, really need to shut it and limit expressing their private thoughts publicly. Today's candidates are, repeat offenders, Lena Dunham and Bill O'Reilly. I read that Dunham recently stated during an interview that she wishes she'd had an abortion. Huh? Who wishes something like that? It didn't take long for Dunham to apologize after she was publicly shamed for her statement. It seems like almost every time Dunham opens her mouth, she ends up apologizing for whatever stupid, ill-conceived statement she made. It amazes me that this woman has an entertainment career in front of the camera (and that's not an insult about her looks--that's an insult about her whole person). And recently Bill O'Reilly stated on his show that the "left" wants to take power away from the "white establishment." Say what now? What world does he think we're living in? This isn't the 1950s anymore, Bill. The last time I checked, the citizens of our country and its government is made up of all kinds of people and, guess what, they're not all white! When I hear the kind of diarrhea of the mouth that comes from people like Dunham and O'Reilly who have a public platform, I wonder if these folks are just trying to get some publicity. Clearly, they can't be that clueless, can they?

Anti-Social Media

There was a question in the advice column of today's edition of the Chicago Tribune where a reader who'd been invited to a party via social media and accepted the invitation via social media found out that another party invitee announced that he/she wouldn't attend the party if the reader would be there because the invitee didn't like the reader. The reader was wondering how to respond to such a rude statement. My advice would have been to tell the person who didn't want to attend the party if I'd be there to go f*** themselves. The whole scenario got me thinking about people who come back into your life via social media and how to deal with those you don't like. Because I'm not on Facebook or Twitter, I'm able to avoid a lot of people I no longer want to have anything to do with. I think I shut my Facebook page down in 2010 or 2011 and never looked back. I do miss seeing updates from family members and old friends and coworkers, but I don't miss having to deal with people I really didn't like in the past and have no desire to reconnect with in the future. I was thinking about a woman I used to work with in Philadelphia in the mid-1990s. I never liked this woman. She was stuck up and a bitch, yet many people in the company gravitated towards her. Why, I don't know. Maybe others in the office saw something in her that I didn't. I never told this woman that I didn't care for her. I just avoided her and minded my own business. I certainly didn't kiss her ass like others in the company did. I remember being at a housewarming party for one employee and this woman was there dancing (jerking, really, because she couldn't dance) to Blondie's "Heart of Glass." Ugh. Now if this woman came to me today via some form of social media that I am still connected to, I wouldn't just ignore her request to reconnect. I would tell her, "I didn't like you twenty years ago when we worked together and I doubt I'd like you now, twenty years later." The same goes for one of my old supervisors, a woman who pops up on social media every now and then as someone I might now. Yeah, I know her all right and, given the opportunity to reconnect with her, I'd tell her to go pound sand also, but I suspect she's smart enough to never step into my life again. It's not like I'd ever use her as a reference. Luckily, during my tenure at that particular job, I had four different supervisors, so I don't need to rely on this particular one for anything. Some bridges were meant to be burned, folks.

Owner of a Lonely Heart

I've been going through a nostalgic musical period for the past week (or two) and my latest song crush is "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes. I remember when the video for this song (which is great, by the way) was played in heavy rotation on MTV (back in the days when MTV actually showed music videos). Now when I hear the song, I can't help thinking about that scene from the movie The Break-Up where Jennifer Aniston's brother sings a verse of the song during dinner. Hilarious. Check it out on You Tube if you haven't seen it.

What's so great about "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is the music. The guitar, the bridge, the beat...they're all great. I went on iTunes recently to sample other Yes songs because I wasn't familiar with any of their songs other than "Owner" and now I know why. I didn't find any other songs by the band that I was interested in. Yes is an acquired taste and, clearly, it's not my taste.

No Workout for You!

I was at the Y after work today and a young boy, probably about 10 years old or so, got on the exercise machine next to mine and his mother got on the machine next to his. During this mother/son workout session, the kid kept coughing. At first, the coughing wasn't bad, but as time passed, it became worse. The kid wasn't even covering his mouth every time he hacked either. Gross. Anyway, after one particularly long hacking session, I finally gave the kid and his mom a look and inadvertently ended up shaming them into ending their workout early. Soon after I gave them the both the eye, mother and son got off the machines, she gave him some water from her bottle, they put their coats on, and they left. I didn't mean to shame them into leaving. In fact, I was about to ask the kid if he was okay because his coughing was that bad, but he and his mom packed it in before I had the chance and that was probably for the best. That kid was too sick to be working out and his mom should have known that. Given the way he was hacking, he needed to be at home. What I found interesting was that the kid was a little overweight while the mom was very slim and trim and the writer in me wondered if she had forced him to go to the Y for a workout even though he, clearly, shouldn't have been working out today. I hope that kid is able to get some cough syrup and some rest tonight.

Year of the Cat

While I was reading through the threads on one of the many blogs I read each week, there was one that discussed great forgotten and/or obscure songs and one of the songs that came up frequently was Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat." Now if you read my blog with any regularity, you'll know that I'm a big fan of 1970s mush rock music so it's no surprise that I'm a huge fan of "Year of the Cat." I thought for sure I had a copy of this song somewhere in my arsenal of 1970s CDs but, alas, I do not. So I was forced to buy it through iTunes. What's so great about "Year of the Cat" isn't Al Stewart's singing, but the musical arrangement. The piano parts are great and so is the cello in the middle. This song has everything! Piano, cello, guitar, a sax solo. They just don't make songs like this anymore and it's a shame. Few artists now have a huge arrangement of musicians accompanying them. I read up on "Year of the Cat" over the weekend and found out that Alan Parsons produced the song. I didn't know that.

In other news, it's snowing here but I did venture out for a walk so I could see how beautiful everything looks before it all turns to slush.

The Kennedys...Again?

How many movies, television specials, and documentaries are going to be made about the Kennedys? When I saw the trailer for the latest film about Jackie Kennedy, I wondered, Why was this made? Haven't there been enough movies about the Kennedys? Haven't they been analyzed and autopsied enough? Who do filmmakers think are the target audience for a movie about Jackie? Baby boomers? Surely not young people today. They probably don't care and, really, why should they? As for the rest of us (and even I wasn't born during Kennedy's presidency and assassination and I'm middle-aged!), we've had the Kennedys shoved down our throats for decades and I know more than I ever wanted to know about that family. Is this the best Hollywood can do? Move on already.

Tired Already

Don the Con isn't even officially POTUS yet, and I'm already tired of him. Every day there's some new ridiculous Tweet or some stupid statement for the media to salivate over. And, speaking of the media, they're largely dead to me at this point, particularly the cable news channels. CNN, as I've said before, is a joke now and unwatchable. Zucker took his stink of failure from NBC over to CNN and stank that joint up too. And MSNBC isn't immune either. I've just about had it with Morning Joe. If Joe and Mika aren't kissing Donald's ass they're play-fighting with him. Get a room already! (Fox doesn't even register because I don't listen to that noise. I used to watch O'Reilly for kicks, but I haven't done that in years.) When I want national news now, I'll turn to PBS. (RIP, Gwen Ifill.) I'm convinced that part of the reason for Don's win was due to the news media who covered every bizarro thing he said or Tweeted and just gave him hours and hours of free publicity. These media moguls (the cable ones, in particular) loved covering Trump because he brought them good ratings. They saw a cash cow and they milked it.

Monkey Business

I'm so tired of reading about racists (yes, that's what they are) who refer to black people as monkeys and then say, "But I'm not racist!" The latest case involving a doctor in Denver who posted on Facebook that Michelle Obama has a "monkey face" claimed she didn't know saying a black woman resembled a monkey was racist. As Judge Judy would say, "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" These folks know damn well that referring to black folks as monkeys is racist. I remember when I was a teenager working as a cashier at KMart in Southfield, Michigan, one of my fellow employees, a young white woman, told me that another employee, a young black man, looked like a monkey. She prefaced it with something ridiculous like, "I'm not racist, but..." and then the monkey business started. Now why this woman felt the need to share her racism with me (a black woman) is unknown, but she went there. I just rolled my eyes and walked away. Now, I would have told that chick off. Now, it probably wouldn't have happened and I can only hope that woman grew up, saw the error of her ways, got her shit together, and stopped being racist. (Maybe she didn't, but I hope she did.) I'm just tired of people saying racist things and then claiming they're not racist. Yes, you are, folks. Own it or change your ways and disown it. Be the change, people. Be the change.

Consequences and Repercussions

I read today that Kellogg's is pulling its advertising from a bigoted, racist, sexist, (insert word here)-ist site (that shall remain nameless here because I'm not giving them any more publicity than they already have) and now the site's creators and others who love the site and worship at the feet of its leader are on the rampage, calling for people to boycott the cereal chain. How dare Kellogg's pack up and take their advertising dollars elsewhere? How dare they not advertise on a website that consistently belittles racial minorities, women, gays, and anyone who isn't a straight, white, Christian man? I say, good for Kellogg's! The company has the right to advertise wherever it sees fit and pull its advertising when it sees fit. Apparently the geniuses at the offending website don't understand how free speech works. Everyone always wants to jump up and scream about free speech, but these same folks don't seem to understand that there are consequences and repercussions to free speech. Sure, you can say what you want, but be prepared for blowback to your business, your career, your life, etc. when you choose to use your free speech platform to denigrate others. Hitting bigots where they live (in the pocketbook) is a good way to shut them down. You can't keep a bigoted website going with no advertising cashflow. Well, maybe they can get some wealthy donors from the incoming administration to float them a few bucks to make up for the advertising losses from Kellogg's and other businesses that have chosen to advertise elsewhere. Hearing the news about Kellogg's made me go out and buy a new box of Crispix today. (I was running low anyway.)

The Post Office...Again

I hate going to the post office for anything. The service is usually slow and poor and I frequently leave thinking No wonder this place is getting its ass kicked by companies like Fed Ex and UPS. I went to the post office today to mail a small, postage-paid package. The package couldn't fit in a mail slot designated for letters, so I planned to drop it in one of the larger slots reserved for packages. Unfortunately, all of the larger slots at my local post office were sealed shut. Why, I don't know. Maybe it's a security issue. Finally, a postal employee told me to just leave my package at one of the unmanned windows. I left the package with a stack of others and I hope it makes it to its final destination, but I worried that anyone could have picked any of those packages up and just walked out the door. No one was manning the window where the packages were stacked. I went home and complained about this poor service and a postal employee left a message for me and suggested that I stand in line and see a teller at the window if I want to drop off a package that won't fit in the mail slot. Say what now? Why should I stand in a long-assed post office line to drop off a package that already has a postage sticker affixed to it? What sense does that make? It would make sense if the post office had more than one or two windows open at a given time. (My local post office does not.) Inefficiency, thy name is the United States Postal Service. I have several family members who are either current postal employees or retired postal employees and I know a postal job is a good one that has served my family well. But the service at many locations is just a mess so much of the time. I wish I didn't have to deal with them at all, but I do from time to time.

Movies

Over the holiday weekend, I saw two movies that couldn't have been more different.

I saw Arrival on Thanksgiving and hated it. I nodded off several times during the movie and woke up to find out that not much had happened while I was asleep. Aside from being incredibly boring, I found a lot of the movie's plot points to be just ridiculous and unbelievable. For example, would the US government really allow a linguist to go unaccompanied into an alien craft? Would that linguist be able to get a telephone in order to call the head of the Chinese government (and actually speak with the man)? If anyone went onto an alien craft, wouldn't that person have to go for a full Silkwood decontamination treatment each time the person returned to the military base? Wouldn't that person also have to endure a period of time (and I don't just mean a day or two) of quarantine before being allowed to rejoin the civilian population? The aliens in the movie reminded me of Kang and Kodos, the aliens from The Simpsons (without the huge eye in the middle of their bodies). Aside from the first half hour of the movie that seemed interesting and believable, the majority of this film just didn't work for me. Also, why does Hollywood keep trying to make Jeremy Remmer happen? He's not attractive and his acting is nothing special, yet he keeps getting parts in big movies like this. When he and Amy Adams were in scenes together, you could tell he was way out of his league. Thumbs down all around here.

The second movie I saw via On Demand was better. I'd seen an ad for King Cobra that piqued my interest when I saw a French movie at the IFC Theater last month in New York. King Cobra is based on a book by a guy who was a gay porno star who got mixed up with some other unsavory guys in the business and two of those guys killed the King Cobra character (played by Christian Slater) to try and steal his star money maker for themselves. I largely enjoyed the movie and I thought the acting by Christian Slater, Molly Ringwald, James Franco, and the rest of the cast was pretty good. Now I kind of want to read the book the movie was based on. Yes, a lot of this movie is sleazy and low-down (and how can you not be given the subject matter), but it moves pretty well and it certainly held my interest. Thumbs up!

RIP, Ron Glass.

Turkey Day Travels

I'm back from a brief visit to my hometown of Detroit for the Thanksgiving holiday and I had a great time seeing family in and around the city. Once I left Michigan (presumably for good) back in 2002, I said I wouldn't go back there to live again. However, the last two times I've been there this year, I've started to think that maybe I could go back if the right opportunity presented itself. I hate my current home state of Illinois. I like Evanston, where I live, but I hate the state of Illinois and its janky government members who can't seem to pass a state budget. This is the most dysfunctional state I've ever lived in. Between the corruption, the growing Chicago murder rate, and the general failure of the state legislature and the governor, I'm just about ready to throw in the towel here. Maybe a return to Michigan is the way to go. I'm seriously thinking about it. The housing would certainly be cheaper. On the other hand, I've been there and done that with metro Detroit. Maybe Michigan is better being a place that I enjoy visiting, but can't see myself living in again (like New York). As Lou Rawls said, "You can't go home no more."

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving that's filled with good food, pleasant company, and love. We could all use a little happiness and a break from the seemingly never-ending negativity out there right now.

Yeah!

With all of the gloom and doom following the election, I've been trying to find some good news in the middle of all of the chaos and I have managed to find some. I watched the BET program "Love and Happiness, an Obama Celebration" over the weekend and enjoyed the show. It was nice to see Obama's presidency celebrated rather than criticized, as it so often is. I didn't always agree with everything Obama did while in office, but I do think he did a good job overall. The highlight of the BET show for me was Usher's rendition of "Yeah!" I thought it was great. I like that song anyway, but I thought he did an excellent job with it on the Obama Celebration. I like Usher (in spite of his hand in making Justin Bieber a household name). His song "No Limit" is currently in heavy rotation on my iPhone along with "Walk on By" by Isaac Hayes (the version from the film Dead Presidents). You haven't heard "Walk on By" until you've heard it performed by Isaac Hayes. It puts all other versions to shame.

Weekly Wrap-Up

I read this morning that Sharon Jones died. This year certainly has been terrible for a variety of reasons (cough, Trump, cough), but it's been particularly awful when you look at the number of people who have died too early (Prince, Gwen Ifill, Gene Wilder, just to name a few).

I saw Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings perform in Prospect Park back in the days when I was living in Brooklyn. I walked over from my apartment to see the show and enjoyed it. I was also surprised to see so many white folks in the audience (although I shouldn't have been). Sharon had a huge white following and it's a shame more black folks didn't embrace her because she performed straight-up soul music. Anyway, I knew she'd been ill, but it was still a shock to read this morning that she'd passed away. RIP, Sharon.

In other news, I read that Mike Pence went to see Hamilton on Broadway last night and the audience booed him. Ha! I hope he wasn't expecting to be received with open arms. Pence, a guy who encouraged Indiana businesses to be allowed to openly discriminate against gay folks in Indiana and who favors gay conversion therapy actually had the gall to go to a Broadway show filled with gay folks and people of color and sit his bigoted behind in a seat. Ugh. I'm glad he got booed.

Temps dropped dramatically here in the Chicago area overnight and we went from having temperatures in the 60s and 70s a few days ago to waking up this morning to see snow flurries flying through the air. Winter is coming, my friends. Winter is coming.

Victory Lap

I read today that our new President-elect is planning to do a victory tour to visit states that supported him during the election. Say what now? Does the President of the United States really need to do a victory lap? Apparently this one thinks he does. This guy just can't stay away from the adulation and the roar of the crowd. When I heard him brag about gaining 100,000 new Twitter followers after he won the election, I wondered if he thought he was filming a reality show or something. Who cares about Twitter followers when you're about to be President? Uh, this guy, apparently. Does he realize this is real life and not the freaking Apprentice? I wonder if he's truly detached from reality. And don't get me started on his merry band of brownnosers whose mouths probably taste like ass from kissing so much of it in order to show how loyal they are to their new overlord. So who do we have in this basket of deplorables? An old (seemingly senile) former NY mayor, a racist (who looks like he would benefit from enrollment a 12-step program), a VP who believes in gay conversion, a fawning son-in-law, a spokeswoman who often looks like she's sustaining herself on coffee and coke, and an assortment of other bottom feeders. Sad. I said last week that this is what democracy looks like. It's a shame the view now makes me want to turn away.

Supermoon

I went outside to check out the supermoon last night and it did not disappoint. Thankfully, the skies were clear enough here to see the moon. While I was out of town a few weeks ago on the Gulf, I heard and read a lot about the sea turtles that live along the beaches there. According to what I was told, there are sea turtle volunteers who come out during the hatching season to protect the baby turtles as they make their way from the nest to the water. This sounds like the kind of job I'd enjoy doing as a retiree (if I ever retire). I'd like to be a turtle protector!

RIP, Gwen Ifill. Lord, is 2016 over with yet? What a shitty year overall.

You're Joking, Right?

Dave Chappelle did a great job on last night's Saturday Night Live. His opening monologue was on point. If you didn't catch it live, watch it online. Good stuff. In other news, I read today that Rudy "9/11" Guiliani wants President Obama to quell the anti-Trump protests around the country. You're joking, right, because that's hilarious. Oh, my sides! Given all of the nasty things both Trump and Guiliani have said about Obama, why should he lift a finger to quell any anti-Trump protesters? How long ago was it that Trump was asking for Obama's birth certificate and calling him the worst president ever? Yet now, when he's facing backlash, he wants Obama's help? Don the Con and his minions can go pound sand for all I care. Even though I feel like these protests are useless, they're certainly allowed in a democratic society. People have to right to protest in our country. If you don't like it, move to China or Saudi Arabia or some other country where protests are not allowed.

Is This Week Over Yet?

As this tumultuous week winds down, I'm working to remain optimistic about the incoming president. Yes, it's hard to do, but I'm trying. I'm also going to enjoy the remaining weeks of the current president's term. I certainly hope this holiday season isn't dampened by the current state of national affairs. I think we need a little holiday cheer to boost our morale.

In other news, I'm plugging away trying to finish the book I've been working on. This one has been a struggle for me, but I'm trying to get it done by the end of the year. I had another book that was pretty far along and then I abandoned that one because I just couldn't seem to get it together and moved on to the current one I'm working on. I really have to start making daily writing a priority and that's something I haven't been doing lately.

RIP, Leonard Cohen and Robert Vaughn.

This Is What Democracy Looks Like, Folks

Are you all cried out over the presidential election results? Have you gone through the various stages of grief? Have you reached the acceptance stage yet or do you need more time? Whether we like it or not, this is what democracy looks like, folks. Sometimes your candidate wins, and sometimes your candidate loses. What I can't understand are the huge numbers of people protesting. What, exactly, do they want to happen? Do they expect Trump to step down? Dream on, dreamers! When I was at my swimming lesson (again) Tuesday night, one of the instructors (a young white guy) told me and my instructor that he was scared about the election. Scared? Don the Grabber doesn't scare me (although creepy preacher Pence does). We can't curl into a fetal position and cry ourselves to sleep each night over the election results. We have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back to work fighting the good fight. But, hey, I'm a minority. I'm accustomed to dealing with disappointments in life.

Wednesday Morning Quarterbacking

Before I called it a night last night, I saw that Trump was ahead and I told my sister, "It doesn't look good for Clinton." When I got up this morning and saw that Trump had won the presidential election, I was disappointed but not surprised. I was surprised that Clinton didn't speak to her supporters last night. What was that about?

Now that this nasty race is over, everyone (myself included) will try to figure out what happened here. There are a lot of reasons why Trump came out on top: (1) Clinton was a flawed candidate. Let's face it, Hillary was beatable and she had a lot of baggage. (2) There are a lot of angry people out there who wanted a president (a white male president) who wasn't part of the Washington "establishment" and that person was Trump. (3) The pollsters were full of it. How many polls predicted Clinton as the winner? Many of them, which makes me wonder who, exactly, these folks were polling.

So, what do we do now? We keep on keeping on.

Moonlight and, Hey, I Voted!

I saw the really compelling movie Moonlight over the weekend. It's a hard film to watch mainly because of the sheer suffering the main character, Chiron, goes through, but it does seem to end on a positive note. It's so refreshing to see a film that goes outside of the box on black people. Dealing with homosexuality alone in the black community is something you don't see often on film, particularly a big-studio independent film. It's a quiet movie, but it says a lot with its silences. There's a scene near the end of the film where the song "Hello, Stranger" is played and I felt verklempt while I watched it. Oy! See it if you haven't already.

In other news, I also voted over the weekend. One of the few good things Illinois has going for it is early voting, so I took advantage this year to avoid the long lines tomorrow. I've done my civic duty. Get out and vote, folks! This is democracy in action!

Dance Cuba

I went to see the Litz Alfonso Dance Cuba group at the Auditorium Theatre last night and enjoyed the performance. Some buzzkill seniors across the aisle from me didn't like the show and sat there stone-faced through the first act but, thankfully, they left at intermission. I don't know what they were expecting to see and hear during a Cuban dance performance. Anyway, the music was great, the costumes were colorful, and the band was on point. I highly recommend checking this group out if they come to your town.

The Goat is Gone!

I am not a sports fan, but I do congratulate the Chicago Cubs for their World Series win. Good for them and good for Chicago, a city that could use some good news right now. The World Series served as a great diversion from the on-going presidential election/Dumpster fire. I'd rather watch Cubs coverage here in Chicago than hear that 15+ people were shot over the weekend or Clinton and Trump's latest campaign BS. So now that the Cubs have won, can the whole curse of the billy goat be put to rest for good? (Fun fact: I Googled the whole goat curse thing a few weeks ago because I had no idea what it was about. I'm not from Chicago!)

The Magic Play

I went to see a performance of The Magic Play at the Goodman Theatre this past Sunday and while I largely enjoyed the story of a gay magician who can't seem to get over his last boyfriend (who dumped him) and his father's abandonment during his childhood, I felt that the gay couple didn't have any chemistry. The guy who played the magician's former boyfriend (referred to only as "the diver" because he was supposed to be an Olympic-level diver) was a great actor, but totally wrong from the guy playing the magician. I have no issue with color-blind casting, but I thought having a black guy as an Olympic diver was a stretch here. I just didn't buy it. Not that black folks aren't divers and swimmers, but the role was clearly written for a white guy and probably should have been cast that way. I'm just saying; no disrespect. I did enjoy seeing a gay relationship worked out on stage. Watching the characters meet for the first time, start dating, and eventually break up was great. Many of the magic tricks performed were also good, but the final trick was a bit of a letdown. Oh well. They can't all be winners.

Stank on Ya!

When will people learn that when you collude with powerful forces, sometimes their smell of sulfur rubs off on you. Donna Brazile found out the hard way that being unethical in an effort to help the Clintons will only lead to problems for you in the end. Loretta Lynch has hopefully realized this also and maybe Huma Abedin will see the light once she's been thrown under the bus by Bill and Hill. (And, I believe, that time is coming.) When will people learn that the Clintons are all about the Clintons? I guess people who go to the mat for them figure they'll be rewarded in the end, but if trouble comes on the scene, don't expect these two to come to your rescue. I hate to see women, and women of color in particular, putting themselves on the line for the Clintons. If you're going to go down in flames, at least go down for a family member or a true friend. Don't fall on the sword for a politician.

I cannot wait for this hot mess of an election to come to an end. I'm sick of the political commercials, the never-ending bad news, and just the overall nastiness of both campaigns. One week from today, it'll be over...well at least the election will be over. A new madness will replace the old one, but at least the commercials will stop.

Road Trip: Over!

I'm back home after my recent road trip south. I had a good time and wished I could have stayed an extra day or two at the beach, but it wasn't meant to be. Being on this recent road trip with my sister made me realize that my sister and I do not have the same taste in music. Our musical tastes used to be more closely aligned, but not now. Most of the music she played during her time driving was just not my cup of tea. Van Hunt, Meshell N'Degeocello, the never-ending Hamilton soundtrack. Oy! Jesus, take the wheel! During this trip, I also learned that my father, in his old age, seems to be picking up strange habits and taking care of everyone's business but his own. As our parents age, many of us (myself included) will have to think about how we'll care for them. I just assume I'll have to either pick up and move where my father is or move him where I am if he starts to need a close level of care. Hopefully, he'll still be able to live an independent life for another ten years or more because I'm not ready to deal with either of those options right now.

Glass Makers

During my visit to the Alabama gulf region, I was fortunate enough to watch some glass blowers create some beautiful glass pieces in the studio attached to the Arts Center of Orange Beach. Watching the process of glass making was fascinating. I picked up a glass pumpkin from the shop...yet another knickknack to add to my desk.

Dolphins, Sharks, and Turtles

Since I've been enjoying a little R&R on the Gulf, I've seen dolphins and sharks and I've donated to help the local sea turtle population. Years ago when I lived outside of Philadelphia, I was out walking near my apartment complex and came across a turtle in need. The turtle was on its back and needed to be flipped over so it could continue its journey, but I was too scared to flip it. To this day, I regret not flipping that turtle. All I had to do was flip it onto its back so it could crawl away probably back into the nearby sewer grate but I wimped out. Now I'm doing what I can to help other turtles in need since I failed the one in suburban Philly.

R and R

I'm taking a few days off from my day job to relax, read, and write. Sometimes you just need to take a little time away from the chaos of everyday life so that's what I'm doing. So far, so good. Hopefully I'll have a finished manuscript (or nearly finished) by the time I get back home.

Third Time's the Charm

Well, the third and final presidential debate has come and gone and, I must admit, they've all been quite entertaining. They're so much better than Shark Tank reruns on CNBC (and I enjoy Shark Tank). The third debate was certainly less confrontational than the other two, but the candidates still went at each other. Clinton is a bigger person than I am to stand there and say nothing when Trump called her "such a nasty woman." I doubt I would have been able to restrain myself from taking that debate to the street and going off on Don the Groper. The Detroit in me would have come out and I would have shown that big baby just how nasty I could be. Why do people who are terrible themselves fail to see their own awful qualities? They're always quick to point out what's wrong with someone else, but often fail to see anything wrong with themselves. They must block out their own faults and just focus on the faults of others. How do you go through life with a lack of humility? We all have faults. We all make mistakes. No one is perfect. Why not own your problems and work to try and improve them? I understand it takes someone with a narcissistic personality to run for president. I get it. However, that same person should still be able to admit his or her mistakes and accept responsibility for his or her actions. It's not that hard to do!

(Insert Name Here) Made Me Do It

I'm so tired of people who don't take responsibility for their actions. If you made a mistake and said or did something wrong, then apologize and move on. And not a half-assed apology either that ends with "if anyone was offended..." More and more it seems that people just can't seem to accept responsibility for their wrongdoing. It's always someone else's fault. The devil made me do it. Billy Bush caused the dirty words to come out of my big mouth. My mother spanked me as a child and now I lack self-control. Blah, blah, blah. Why are so many people acting like children? I expect them to deflect responsibility if they messed up and broke a table lamp or something by mistake, but seeing adults exhibit this behavior is not only disturbing but also annoying.

On the Radio

Since I moved to the Chicago area and was forced to start driving on a daily basis again, I've been complaining about the awful radio stations here. Normally I don't even listen to the radio (except for NPR) and I put in a CD or listen to music in the car via my iPhone. But, every once in a while, I do turn on the radio for music and it's such a disappointment. How many classic rock stations does one city need? It's funny to me that now groups like Guns 'n Roses are considered classic rock. I thought classic rock meant rock music from the 1960's and 1970's. Stuff like the Steve Miller Band, the Eagles, and Pink Floyd. Not anymore! Now rock music from the 80's and 90's is considered "classic." That makes me feel old, but I AM old! I like classic rock, but I don't want to listen to it all day every day. I'd like to hear some smooth jazz on the radio or old school R&B. I guess if I want that type of variety, I need to get a Sirius subscription, but paying for radio service seems like a waste to me. I'd rather pay for Pandora and stream it through my phone. At least with Pandora, I can have some choice in the songs that come into rotation. Being able to reject or like a song makes me feel like I have some control over what's being played. With a subscription service, someone else does all of the selection and you don't have any choice. What if I turn to the 80's station and "Tainted Love" is playing over and over? I hate "Tainted Love." I don't want to hear this song ever again, but to these 80's music programmers, "Tainted Love" is a classic 80's tune. Yes, it is, but that doesn't mean I want to hear it over and over again.

Three the Hard Way

I saw the Blaxploitation film Three the Hard Way at a viewing last night. This film had everything! Karate, dirty cops, white supremacists catching a beatdown, a crazy plot to poison black people in Detroit, DC, and LA via each city's water filtration system. There was such a great mix of ass-kicking, explosions, and craziness in this movie to make it highly entertaining. The three main actors, Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly, were great. Fred Williamson was at last night's viewing of the film and he talked a little beforehand about how there was a need at the time the film was made (1974) to show black male role models and that's what the actors wanted to do with this film. No white guy swooped in to save the day. Three black guys were the heroes here, saving the black populations of Detroit, DC, and LA from being poisoned. (The poison the white supremacist doctor created was supposed to only kill black people so if you were biracial and drank the tainted water, maybe you had a fighting chance for survival!)

Uncle Bobby and Gropergate

I used to work with a guy in Detroit who was a huge Bob Dylan fan. We frequently talked about Uncle Bobby and, while I could never share in my co-worker's enthusiasm for Dylan, I tried to be supportive. I'm sure my co-worker is beside himself today after hearing Dylan is a Nobel Literature Prize winner. I didn't realize song lyrics were considered "literature." Okay.

In other "say what now" news, I've avoiding saying much lately about the shit show that is the US presidential race. I watched that mess of a debate Sunday night and all I could think about was how dirty the whole thing is. I called these kind of shenanigans months ago. I said if Trump and Clinton were the nominees, the race would be dirty, dirty, dirty and it is, is, is. (Gropergate 2016!) What's with these dirty old guys (and I'm including Bill Clinton in this group of pussygrabbers)? But, really, is anyone really surprised by Trump's behavior with women? The guy's been a jerk forever. And, while I have no sympathy for the him, I do think it's fair game to bring Clinton's issues with women into the argument also. That's what you do when you're in a street fight. You use what you have to take your opponent down. Throw dirt in his/her face, sucker punch them, whatever. Survival of the fittest. It's a shame our political system is going straight to hell, but maybe it has to hit rock bottom before it try to climb out of the hole and heal itself.

Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do! November 8th can't come soon enough.

Being 17

I'm back from my quick trip to New York, but while I was there, I saw a great French movie called Being 17 about two 17-year-old boys who went to school together and had some "issues" between them. The boys, one biracial and one white, often fought in school and then, through a series of circumstances, one is sent to live with the other and the two realize they have feelings for each other. The movie was beautifully shot and the acting was great. Watching two teen boys deal with their inability to express their feelings and frustration over their sexuality was, at times, frustrating, but the movie was really wonderful. I highly recommend checking it out if it comes to your town or eventually is available on Netflix or something.

Back Again

Once again I'm in New York for work. It's always nice to return for a visit but this is the fourth time I've been back this year. My next visit will have to be a non-work-related one where I can truly hang out and see more of the city. I say that every time I come to NY though.

Sock Full of Coins

My sister and I were discussing old school self-defense items and she mentioned using coins in a tube sock to smack someone with. I did some research (aka Googling) and read that Charles Bronson used this technique in the Death Wish movie. He put some rolls of quarters in a sock and used that sock as a weapon. I told my sister nowadays with everyone using debit cards and smart phones to pay for items, few people seem to have actual coins in their possession, let alone enough to give someone an effective smackdown. Hey, if I've got two rolls of quarters on me, chances are I need them for laundry. The whole sock-quarters thing got me thinking about other self-defense tools that have gone the way of the dinosaur. Remember brass knuckles? I do! Where can you even get brass knuckles now? I searched Amazon and saw a few, but they didn't look like they were built to last. The same goes for the nunchucks I saw. Is there a black market for these kinds of items or are they just gone forever? Part of the reason these old-school self-defense weapons are hard to find is, sadly, because more people today are more apt to pick up a gun and shoot someone rather than fight with their hands.

I've had a canister of pepper spray for many years because I think you need something, particularly when you're a woman, to try and defend yourself if attacked. I've never had to use it, thankfully, but I'm glad it's there. An old boss of mine many years ago told me he had his wife spray him with pepper spray to see if it would debilitate him. Now, he was a big guy, over six feet tall. One hit of pepper spray to the face did disorient him, but he said it didn't take him down. I've always thought about that. Pepper spray, to me, is something to use to weaken your attacker just enough for you to get away. Then again, maybe a good smack to the head with a tube sock full of quarters could do a better job.

Creepy Clowns

Every day it seems I read another story about creepy clowns scaring people. Are these sightings for real or just the latest hoax? If you read my blog with any regularity, you know that I love clowns and feel that they've gotten a bad rap due to evil clowns like John Wayne Gacy and Pennywise. Clowns used to be funny and cheerful and now they're evil and creepy. What a shame. Bozo could never make it in today's world.

Kim Cares

Rather than sitting around every weekend NOT writing (well, I am writing, just not as much as I should be), I decided to get out and do some local volunteer work via Chicago Cares. I had my first gig today serving dinner at a local church. I enjoyed the work, my fellow volunteers, and the people who came out to get a hot meal. There are a lot of people in need out there and those of us who can help should help in some way. Whether it's giving your time, your money, or your skills, there are ways to reach out. When I lived in New York, I did tutoring for non-native English speakers and I figured it was time to get out and help out in the Chicago area now that I live here. One really nice part of my volunteer assignment today was that the volunteers actually served the people who came for a meal. We brought the food to them. They didn't have to stand in line and wait with tray in hand to be served. These community members could sit and enjoy their dinner with dignity and also get a to-go container if they wanted one to take food home for themselves or a loved one.

Get Over It!

We all obsess on things occasionally. The jerk who cut me off three days ago, something someone said to me ten years ago that still annoys me today, etc. But normal people don't let these kinds of things overtake their lives. Normal people can mentally move on. Unfortunately, Trump isn't one of these people. I can't believe this guy is sending Tweets at three in the morning about some beauty queen he dealt with twenty years ago. Dude, get over it! I've never seen someone running for president get so riled up over something so petty. Oy! Again, is this guy for real or is this just part of a long con? I don't know. I can't wait for this election to be over. Can we just vote already? November 8 can't come soon enough, as far as I'm concerned.

Tasty Cake

No, the Tasty Cake I'm referring to is not the brand of snack cakes beloved by Philadelphians, I'm talking about the Perfect Size golden fudge cake by Duncan Hines shown below. Ever since I discovered these little cakes, I've been a fan. They're easy to make, they turn out great, and they're a nice little treat when you want a little cake and not a huge one that you get sick of eating after two or three days. My only complaint is that the icing isn't great. I prefer to just buy some canned icing to use on the cake. Mixing the icing that comes in the box is time-consuming and the end result isn't worth the hassle.

1973

Since I've had a night to sleep on the first presidential debate, let me just say that the line that stuck with me the most was when Clinton brought up the housing discrimination suits (that's suits with an s) brought against Trump beginning in 1973. She took it back to 1973 and his response was to say that other realtors were sued also, he settled the cases, and he never admitted any wrongdoing. Since when does settling and not admitting any wrongdoing mean you didn't do wrong??? Oh and later he went on to say that one of his golf clubs in Florida (Tampa, I believe) was great because it welcomed all kinds of people. Yeah...okay.

RIP Arnold Palmer.

Cole Porter 125

I went to see a performance at the Auditorium Theatre last night night called "Cole Porter 125: A Birthday Celebration." Singers, accompanied by an orchestra, sang Cole Porter songs and the audience was shown a montage of photos documenting Porter's life. I largely enjoy the music of Cole Porter so when this show was announced, I knew I wanted to see it. Unfortunately, some of the performances weren't as great as I'd hoped they would be. Some of the singers sounded like they should have been stomping at the Sheraton rather than on stage at the Auditorium Theatre. They just didn't have the vocal chops for that kind of venue. During one singer's uninspired rendition of "I Concentrate on You" I kept thinking, "Michael Buble would tear this up!" The same goes for "It's All Right with Me" but I thought, "Harry Connick, Jr. tears this up!" But the song that really made me crazy was "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye." It was turned into a Lawrence Welk number! I hated it. There were some bright spots. Joan Curto's versions of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and "Leader of a Big-Time Band" were wonderful and Tammy McCann did an excellent job on "Riding High" and "All of You." The City Lights Orchestra, while overpowering at times, was great also.

My sister and I had to change seats at the intermission because some elderly guy behind us kept shouting the song titles to his wife who had a hearing problem. Annoying. I understand some people are hard of hearing, but there are ways to handle hearing loss that don't involve shouting throughout a performance. Jeez. On top of that, some dude behind me kept trying to open something wrapped in cellophane during the first act. Oy! I had to turn and give him the half turn before he stopped. I hate to sound like a curmudgeon, but I don't know why some folks just can't sit still and be quiet during a performance. And, if they can't, they need to stay home.

Winter is Coming!

Okay, maybe winter's not coming today or tomorrow or even next week, but it'll be here before we know it so I bought myself a new winter coat yesterday. When I went to the register with my purchase, the cashier said, "No! It's too soon for winter coats!" I told her, "No, it's not!" Now is the time to get a coat if you need one BEFORE the weather turns and people start scrambling to get new coats. Now, the selection is good. Once the cold and snow come, you'll be left with slim pickings if you decide you want or need a new coat. Now is the time to get winter boots also. Don't wait until the weather turns before you decide it's time to replace your old winter-wear. Strike while the iron (and the weather) are hot. Is it depressing buying winter coats and snow boots when it's 70 degrees outside? Yes, but when you live outside of Chicago like I do, you know winter IS coming, so you do what you have to do to prepare.

Bubble of Ignorance

Quite often, I read an interview or something online from a person who seems to be clueless about how the world works. Perhaps people like this have led sheltered lives and really believe things like black people aren't discriminated against or if you do everything the police tell you when you're pulled over and you don't have an attitude, you'll be fine during that traffic stop. Yeah, okay. I work with people like this who live in a virtual bubble of ignorance. These folks feel that if something hasn't happened to them personally (or to someone they know), then it's not real. If they weren't hired for a job, it was because they weren't qualified. It had nothing to do with race/ethnicity/religion/sexual orientation. It was just the luck of the draw and people who claim otherwise are just whiners who cry "discrimination" when something doesn't go their way. These folks believe the playing field is level and every person has a chance to succeed. If you can't grab that brass ring, then you're just not trying hard enough. I'm accustomed to dealing with people who have some sense of reality. Sometimes that comes with age, and sometimes it just comes naturally. I find it hard to understand people who walk through life with blinders on. I'm not talking about people who are eternal optimists (because we all need some optimism in our lives). I'm talking about people who purposely ignore the way of the world and the sometimes harsh realities of life. People who just think you can pray every bad situation away or turn away from the ugliness of the world. I look at these folks and wonder how they can even function. Maybe they're all on antidepressants or something.

No Shame

Watching these banking and pharmaceutical CEOs testify before Congress about their shady practices is really depressing. How Wells Fargo executives can sit there and apologize and claim the fuckery they had going wasn't standard practice is mind-boggling. There weren't just a few rogue employees opening fake accounts for people, this tomfoolery was wide-spread in the company. And yet the former CEO walks away with a golden parachute worth millions and she might be eligible for a bonus on top of that? Pathetic. And people wonder why bankers are hated. Many folks are just barely scraping by or living one or two paychecks from poverty while people with the Wells Fargo bunch and the Mylan "EpiPen" CEO are reaping huge financial rewards for their bad behavior. But the Congressional hearings are a joke, too. Watching Congressmen and women publicly berate these CEOs won't change a thing. These folks aren't facing jail time for their bad business practices. They just sit there stone-faced during the hearings and then go back to living their lives. Many of these executives probably have no shame over what they've done either. I read somewhere that a lot of executives have very narcissistic and every psychopathic tendencies. I guess that's how they can mentally separate themselves from the trouble they cause for others.

New York State of Mind

Ever since I heard about the bombs in New York (and New Jersey), I've been reading articles and watching the news for updates. I figured the police would catch the suspect soon. Anyone who's been to New York, particularly Manhattan, knows that there are cameras everywhere. The chances of being off the grid there are nearly impossible. And 23rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues is a very busy area. I used to frequent that area a lot when I lived there. There's a Trader Joe's nearby that I went to frequently and the F train stop was right there at the corner of 23rd and 6th, so I could hop on the train and go home. I was speaking with a coworker who's planning to retire soon and she asked if I was going to move back to New York. I told her I didn't think so. I no longer have a New York state of mind. Plus, living there is just too expensive and being on the grind there was terrible for me. I felt like I was on a hamster wheel pretty much every day I went to and from work. It was exhausting. I think the only way I'd go back to New York now is if I had enough money to get a decent place in Manhattan on the Upper West Side (sorry Brooklyn).

Although I live in Illinois now, I'm not really a fan of this state. It's got too many problems (violence in Chicago, an ineffective state government, etc.) so I don't see myself staying here for an extended period of time. But at least here I feel like I can eek out a living here and relax a little. Plus, I'm tired of moving. I've lived in a number of states (Michigan, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Illinois) and each move was not only expensive, but draining. I'm getting too old to pick up and move to another state. I'd like to say my next move will be my last, but I doubt that will be the case. I'll probably move again before I finally stay put and retire. Unfortunately, I'm running out of places to go.

The Filth and the Fury

During a bout of insomnia last night, I turned on the TV and watched the last 45 minutes or so of The Filth and the Fury, a documentary about the Sex Pistols. (Thankfully, it was rerun this morning so I could see the first half of the movie that I missed.) The film was so bizarre. In between shadowed interviews with the members of the band who were/are still alive (the film was made in 2000), there are cuts from various films (Richard III primarily), British TV shows, and actual footage of the Sex Pistols from the late 1970s. One of the weirdest recurring segments in the documentary featured the band's former manager, Malcolm McLaren, talking via gimp mask. You never saw his face, you just heard him talking about the band through this black leather gimp mask. Apparently, he was into leather and bondage wear for a time and ran a store that carried these items. Okay.

My knowledge of the Sex Pistols is not extensive in any way. When they were in their prime, I wasn't even 10 years old, so I can't say I grew up listening to their music. (I was more familiar with Johnny Lydon's second band, Public Image Ltd. who came on the scene in the 1980s.) I remember seeing the Sid and Nancy movie, but I barely remember that. For some reason, I thought Sid and Nancy had OD'd together but, after watching The Filth and the Fury, I realized Sid was accused of killing Nancy and then died himself from a drug overdose soon after that. The band was just a mess. It's a wonder all of them aren't dead by now given the way they lived their lives in the 1970s. I was surprised to see Siouxie Sioux show up in one of the interview clips in the movie.

I saw a clip not long ago of Johnny Lydon on an episode of Judge Judy from the 1990s (I believe). He was being sued for not paying a musician who was touring with him. It's quite entertaining. You can find it on You Tube. I doubt Judy even knew who he was. She doesn't strike me as a Sex Pistols fan.

Janky Media

I read a story on the internet earlier this week about the current presidential side show and an unnamed media person said he planned to vote for Trump and hoped Trump won because a Trump presidency would be more interesting than a Clinton one. As ridiculous as this guy's opinion sounds, I'm sure he's not alone in his rationale. The cable news channels have been awful in their coverage of the candidates, particularly Trump. They spend hours discussing the latest outlandish Trump Tweet or bizarro statement and have panelists on to deconstruct his words. (CNN, in particular, is unwatchable.) I guess discussing Trump gives these stations a ratings boom because they wouldn't do it if no one was tuning in. I do wonder if some network executives are more interested in keeping their high-paying jobs rather than voting for the candidate they feel is most qualified for the job. Probably. Cable news is big business. Fox must have money to burn given how much they paid Ailes to leave and Carlson after her sexual harassment suit. Forty million for him, twenty million for her. That's a lot of loot! If they've got long money like that, there's no way they want to see their cash cow go on a diet because of the presidential race. I do believe Fox, despite their constant drumbeat that Obama is terrible in all ways, wanted him to win particularly during his second term. Without Obama in office, who would they have to complain about twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week? Obama brought them more money than ever and they ought to be thanking him for two great presidential terms.

Wrong Answer

In my quest to learn how to swim, I've signed up for lessons (yet again) at the Y. This time I figured I'd go back to a group lesson. This was a mistake. During my first class this week, I was the weakest person in the class. Also, I wasn't really feeling my instructor. I had issues with her from the start. As a senior citizen, I worried that she'd be able to save my life in the event I felt like I was drowning and, when I jokingly said, "Just don't let me drown" during class this week, her response was, "The lifeguards are here to save you." Huh? Wrong answer. The lifeguards? What about you, Grandma? I wanted to ask. I guess Granny figured saving my life wasn't her job. Okay. That little exchange told me all I needed to know and I quickly made moves to transfer out of this class and go back to private lessons. I need to feel comfortable with my swimming instructor and this woman didn't make me feel comfortable at all. I'm hoping I'll be able to get my old teacher back so I can move forward. My goals are to swim (without the assistance of the foam belt that keeps you afloat) and learn how to perfect one move. I really would just like to be able to freestyle across the pool and back. Floating would be nice also, but my main goal is to learn one swimming move that I can perfect and use every time I go swimming.

Under the Weather

I've been feeling kind of lousy for the last day. My malaise started yesterday after lunch and continues today. I do feel better than I did yesterday, but not 100%. I just need a day or so to try and get back on track. These things happen when you're middle aged! It's a shame I'm under the weather because the weather's really great here in the Chicago area. Before we know it, it'll be snowing so I hate to miss out on any nice weather days because I'm stuck at home. I am getting some writing done so that's good. My work is slow, but it's coming along. During my down time, I've been reading about Jennifer Weiner's freak out over not being selected as Oprah's next book pick. My response to that is, "Girl, bye." Weiner's books are hugely successful. She's had a movie made of her book In Her Shoes (a good movie, I might add) and yet she's still not satisfied. The book Oprah did pick was written by a woman who doesn't look like Weiner (the other writer is small and blonde and Weiner...isn't) so, of course, Weiner has to bring the other writer's looks into this. Really? This is Oprah we're talking about, not Roger Ailes. Oprah, a woman who clearly isn't small and blonde, picks a book by a woman who is small and blonde. Okay. I have my own issues with Oprah and her book picks, but this time I'm taking O's side. I assume she selects books she likes. (Hell, she picked The Corrections back in the day, Ugh. As I'm sure she now realizes, she shouldn't even have bothered with that one. Franzen is an idiot, but I digress.) So Oprah picked Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton rather than Weiner's book Hungry Heart and Weiner was jealous. Weiner probably has more money and fame as a writer than Melton ever will yet she still wants more. Grow up. Oy! Speaking of other thirsty authors, I read EL James is pumping out yet another Fifty Shades rewrite (from Christian Grey's POV). How long is she going to keep f***ing that chicken? I thought she was supposed to be working on something else. I guess the Grey cash flow is too powerful to turn away from. I need a nap.

The Long Con

As this presidential race drags on (and on), I keep wondering if the whole thing is one long con. Is Trump's candidacy for real or just one long con? I honestly believe he didn't think he'd become the Republican candidate and entered the race as a publicity stunt. And now that he's the nominee, I'm still not totally convinced that he's in it to win it. And what about Clinton? Was her "illness" at today's 9/11 event in New York for real or just a way to divert attention from her "basket of deplorables" comment? With these two candidates, who knows where the truth starts and the lies begin.

What Was I Thinking?

I don't know what I was thinking when I bought these clown shoes (and I like clowns) last week. The shoes felt comfortable, so I bought them. But the buyer's remorse kicked in quickly and, less than a week after I bought these shoes, I had to break down and get a replacement pair of gym shoes (a subtle pair of gray Nikes that are not clown-like at all). I couldn't even return the clown shoes because I'd worn them. I guess I'll donate them to a charity bin so maybe someone else can benefit from my mistake.

What to Do, What to Do

I was reading Gothamist today and there was a question in the "Ask a Native New Yorker" column about how someone should feel when faced with the possibility of having a homeless shelter in your community. I'm conflicted about how to deal with the homeless myself. I don't want to see anyone sleeping on the street but I don't want a shelter on my block either. I remember when I lived in Brooklyn, some guy (briefly) decided to make a home for himself under a cardboard box outside of the Ft. Hamilton Parkway subway station. I hated seeing this guy and, thankfully, he wasn't there for long. I don't know if the cops got him or if he just moved on. Even worse than someone sleeping at your subway station is someone begging at your subway station. Panhandlers drive me crazy. I just can't stand being asked for money while I'm walking down the street or going to the grocery store or just minding my own damn business. Go shake your cup at someone else! I say all of this to say that I understand some folks need help. People end up homeless for a variety of reasons and shelters provide needs housing for some of these people. But living next to a transient hotel isn't ideal either. There's a place in Evanston that houses a lot of people with clear mental problems and when some of the residents are free to leave the facility during the day, they start panhandling. They invade the laundromat down the street and harass every single person in the place, trying to shake them down for cash. That kind of stuff works your nerves. 

Not a Fan

I read today that Amy Schumer's memoir (that she was paid a $9 million advance for) isn't selling well. Okay. I can't figure out why Simon & Schuster thought it was a good idea to pay Schumer a $9 million advance for her memoir. Whoever approved that contract should have been fired. I understand celebrities being paid crazy money to "write" books (how much are the ghostwriters paid?), but I don't understand giving someone like Schumer (who isn't exactly a household name) $9 million. Frankly, I don't think anyone should be paid a $9 million advance. That's just crazy. I'm not a fan of Schumer (as I'm sure you can tell) nor am I a fan of her comedic brethren Lena Dunham, Tina Fey, or Amy Poehler. (Ugh to all of these chicks.) I just don't care for their brand of humor that, while attempting to be self-deprecating, often seems to put other people down. Whenever I watched 30 Rock (and there are some episodes I enjoyed), I often felt like the joke was on me. There was an air of superiority from the writers that I didn't like. I'm not blaming Fey for that because she wasn't the sole writer for the show, but she helps to perpetuate that kind of snotty, "I'm smarter than you are" brand of humor that chicks like Schumer et al promote and run with. This isn't a gender thing either. There are some male comedians I don't care for either (I'm looking at you, Louis CK, Trevor Noah, Marc Maron).

Old School

In an effort to try and curb my profanity (that can sometimes get a little out of control), I've taken to calling people I don't like an assortment of old-school insults: jackal, joker, loser, idiot (an oldie but goodie). No, these insults don't pack the same punch as calling someone an a**hole or a mother***ker, but they still work and, I believe, they can be quite effective. Personally, I would like to see "jackal" make a huge return to the field of insults. There are so many jackals in the world today. Hell, just take a look at the folks running for office and already in office. Many of them are jackals. You know it and I know it.

In other news, my latest favorite thing is watching The Daly Show (that's the You Tube show with actor Tim Daly and his son Sam Daly, not that Trevor Noah mess on Comedy Central). Tim and Sam Daly's short videos are great. Very funny. I'm up to Season 3 now. Tim Daly looks better now than he did when he was younger. Hey, daddy! I wish he'd play gay again. He was so great with Paul Rudd in Object of My Affection (that I've blogged about before). Not a great movie (read the book instead) but Tim and Paul make an adorable gay couple. They should team up again for something else.

Linwood and Buena Vista?

I went to see the movie Don't Breathe yesterday and I was struck by a few things. First, how does a movie that supposedly takes place in Detroit in a house on Linwood and Buena Vista not have any black folks in it? Detroit. Linwood. Buena Vista. All white folks. Huh? This Detroiter isn't buying it. If you know Detroit like I know it, you know there aren't any white folks on Linwood and Buena Vista. That area also isn't as dilapidated as it's shown to be in the movie. The film made it seem like there were no occupied homes in that area besides the one where the robbery takes place. All of the surrounding blocks are just full of weeds and abandoned homes. Now there are many areas of Detroit that look like a war zone, but I'm tired of these Hollywood portrayals of the city as just a barren wasteland a la Escape from New York. Aside from the location issue and the lack of black folks, I also had some other problems with the movie. Was I supposed to be rooting for thieves who break into a guy's house? Uh, sorry. If you've ever been the victim of a home break in (as I was...in Detroit), you surely will find it hard to root for thieves breaking into someone's house. No, the guy whose house was broken into wasn't exactly a fine, upstanding citizen, but does that mean he deserved to have his home robbed? Uh, no. I do think it's interesting that the horror movies out lately (like Don't Breathe and Lights Out) do seem to be trying to have a plot to these films instead of the old slasher and torture movies that seemed to dominate the horror market for so long. At least the filmmakers are trying to move beyond some hockey-masked killer with a chainsaw.

Mosholu Parkway

I had a dream last night that I was trying to get to the Mosholu Parkway to meet up with someone. I don't believe I ever went to the Mosholu Parkway while I lived in New York and I'm pretty sure I wasn't thinking about the Mosholu Parkway before I fell asleep last night. Very strange. When I got up this morning, I had to Google the Parkway to find out where it was exactly. The next time I'm in NY, I'll have to take a ride to the Bronx and check it to satisfy my own curiosity.

In totally non-related news, I watched a clip yesterday of Joe Biden speaking at a campaign event in Ohio and he was so great talking about Trump and how real families who have really dealt with unemployment (not the fake "you're fired" unemployment of Trump's reality show). Watching Biden just made me wish even more that he'd run for president. I'm convinced he could have triumphed over Clinton.

Weekly Wrap-up

I heard today that one of Trump's mouthpieces claimed illegal immigration from Mexico will endanger the US by, brace for it, putting taco trucks on every corner. Taco trucks, people!!! I didn't realize the country was in danger of having too many taco trucks, but apparently it is. This could be a huge crisis! The guy who said this clearly doesn't understand that Americans, no matter their political affiliation, tend to like food and tacos are pretty popular here. So having a taco truck on every corner doesn't sound like a bad thing in the minds of many folks.

In other news, I really think the football player who is refusing to stand during the National Anthem in order to protest discrimination in the country is misguided. I would suggest he put his money where his mouth is and do something to help solve racial problems in the country. Donate to the Southern Poverty Law Center or some other social organization that fights extremist groups. I read that the player is going to donate funds to causes he deems worthy and that sounds great. He can certainly do more to incite change by using his finances rather than personal protest. I'm not against personal protest, but I believe in working for change by donating your time and/or money to help a cause rather than chaining yourself to a tree or something extreme like that. It's just my opinion.

Airbnb? Not for Me!

I read a story about a guy who rented an apartment for a month via Airbnb and hated it because it didn't live up to his standards, so he was fighting to get his money back. Every time I read a story about someone's bad Airbnb experience, I shake my head and wonder how people can go to a stranger's house and stay there. I'm all for independent driving services like Uber, but I draw the line at Airbnb. I'd rather stay at a hotel or a real BNB instead of shaking up in someone's apartment or house. At least at a decent hotel, there are standards of cleanliness that are usually adhered to. When you bunk down in someone's house, how do you know when the place was cleaned? Yes, hotels can be dirty also, but nicer hotels do have a housekeeping staff who clean the rooms daily and they wouldn't stay in business for long if they didn't. Another reason I'm anti-Airbnb is because folks have a license to discriminate against you. At least at a hotel, you have some legal protections. People are finding out the hard way that Airbnb hosts can deny you accommodations because they don't like the way you look or the sound of your name. I think the whiz kids who create services like Airbnb and Uber don't factor human emotions into their business models. Everyone isn't down with anyone coming into their home and everyone doesn't treat everyone else equally.

When I was younger, I probably would have been willing to bunk down in less than stellar accommodations, but not now. I'd gladly pay more to have a nice, clean place to stay when I'm out of town. I don't want to sleep on someone's grungy futon. I'd rather eat McDonald's every day on vacation to save money rather than scrimp on my hotel accommodations.

In totally unrelated news, I really do wonder if Anthony Weiner enjoys humiliating his wife.Maybe he really hates her or something. I don't know. I fail to believe his online proclivities are strictly sexual.

Good Day, Sir!

I was so sad to hear about Gene Wilder's death today. I am a huge fan of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. That film is such a part of my 70s childhood. I love the weirdness of it along with the music and the underlying sarcasm that I can now appreciate as an adult in a way I couldn't as a child. Gene was the only Willy Wonka I knew and he was great! He was also a joy to watch in films like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Good day, sir! We'll miss you.

Phony Baloney

I worked for a company in Philadelphia years ago that strongly encouraged all employees in the office to have their photos taken for marketing purposes. Photographers were hired to come in and take head shots of all participating employees. Some of the photos, we knew, would be used for promotional materials for the company. I didn't think much of it at the time and had my picture taken along with other employees in my department. When the marketing department showed us the marketing brochure some weeks later, I was surprised to see my photo along with the only two other non-white women in my group, right on the cover. The brochure had a number of employee photos featured, but the marketing people seemed to seek out anyone who wasn't white to put those folks up front. This company wasn't exactly the most diverse place either. There were hardly any non-white people in my own office. You could probably count the minority employees on two hands. Really. I felt that the management put the brochure out to try and convince others that the company was more inclusive than it really was. The minority employees were few and far between but, according to the marketing brochure, the place was like the United Nations: black, Latino, Asian...and some white folks. This marketing phony baloney angered me and I vowed never to participate in any kind of shenanigans like this again. At my current day job, employees are encouraged to post photos of themselves on the company's intranet page, but I have refused. All you'll see for Kim Davis is a blank avatar. I'm not letting these corporate overlords use my photo for some fake diversity marketing campaign. (This place isn't exactly a model of diversity either.)

I was reading comment on the Datalounge blog a week or so ago about commercials people hate (and there are many), but one person commented about seeing so many black people in commercials lately. The person basically said seeing black folks hocking everything from laundry detergent to car insurance was great, but it wasn't real and I agree. If I watched television and didn't know any better or came here from another country, I'd think the US was more diverse than it really is. What you see on TV, as we all know, isn't reality. Most of the advertising firms who create these commercials are filled with non-white people (men mainly) who make the final call on how many non-white people (if any) to put in a commercial. Groups of interracial young people are a really hot thing right now. I could see a bunch of guys sitting around a conference room table bouncing ideas off of each other (a la Mad Men). Hey, let's get an attractive multiracial group of kids together to go and get hamburgers and fries. None of the black kids can be too black, you know. Get some biracial ones and a few fair-skinned Hispanics. Or: Hey, let's have a choir of black people singing an 80s song by the Go-Gos while this blonde woman looks at cars. Yeah. Great. This, my friends, is fake diversity.

Weekly Wrap-Up

So, as another week draws to a close, what have I learned?

1. Paul LePage is still a bigot. (What the hell kind of people [other than Stephen King] live in Maine? How did this guy ever get elected?)

2. Ryan Lochte apparently has a new cough drop endorsement and an upcoming spot on Dancing with the Stars. Jeah? Jeah. (By the way, the Brazilian government is delusional if they think this guy will ever return to Brazil to face any charges. Dream on dreamers!)

3. It's time for the USA Network to end Suits after this season. It's so awful right now.

4. I've got to pick up the pace with my writing. I had hoped to be farther along with the book I'm working on, but the process has been really slow going. I'll try to do better.

Not Good Enough

Every day there's a plethora of articles on the internet criticizing what people eat, what they drink, what they like, how they spend their vacation, what they read, etc. I read an article today about how lousy popular ciders are. According to the writer, ciders like Angry Orchard aren't "real" ciders because they're made with Fuji apples and their too sweet and fizzy, blah, blah, blah. As someone who doesn't drink beer, I enjoy having a cider and I'm a big fan of Angry Orchard's green apple flavor. I like the way it tastes, it's affordable, and I can usually find it at my local grocery store. But, according to the snobby d-bag who wrote the article, my cider choice is a poor one and not worthy to be classified as a cider. What I drink is on par with a mere soft drink, not a tasteful alcoholic beverage. Whatever. I like what I like and the haters can go pound sand for all I care. I'm so tired of people whose sole job in life is to tell others what they're doing wrong. You're eating the wrong foods. You shouldn't wear that when you're over forty. You should get this many hours of sleep a night. You shouldn't say this to your child. With so many of us doing the "wrong" things, it's a wonder we can even function or leave the house or go to the freaking bathroom without keeling over. And, speaking of bathrooms, I read an article on Gawker before it shut down where the writer talked about why he chose to pee sitting down rather than standing up. He said sitting rather than standing made him feel a sense of solidarity with women. Really? Okay. Maybe he couldn't come up with anything else to write about that day so he went with the urination story. Also, TMI. But I digress. The point is that there will always be people out there throwing shade your way because they don't like something about you (the way you look, where you live, how you live, etc.), but you have to do you and try to block that noise out. That doesn't mean everyone's advice is not helpful. Sometimes people are truly trying to help when they tell you something like, "You need to change those pants and that shirt." I'm just saying all advice isn't good advice and some people just criticize because they enjoy trying to bring somebody else down. Hey, shade throwers, try some self-reflection! Take a look in the mirror and deal with your own issues before trying to tell me how to deal with mine.

A to Z

Over the weekend, I enjoyed reading entries on a website that gives you an A to Z dictionary of words used in various Steely Dan/Donald Fagen/Walter Becker songs. It's called The Steely Dan Dictionary (http://steelydandictionary.com/) and it's great. Have you ever wondered, as I did, who Little Eva and Dr. Wu are/were? The Steely Dan Dictionary can answer these questions. The site also gives you the song, album, and lyric where the dictionary term is mentioned. Although I love Steely Dan, I often have no idea what their songs are about. Some, like "Hey Nineteen" are obvious, but others are just downright confusing. You need not only a dictionary but some interpretation would help also. I was listening to "Pixeleen" recently (another great Dan song) and I could't figure out half of the lyrics until I went online and Googled the song. 

In other music news (because, for some reason, I'm in a musical mood this week), I was listening to Journey's Greatest Hits this morning and "Only the Young" was on. I love this song, especially when Steve Perry sings, "Only the strong..." I can almost forgive him for that "born and raised in South Detroit" line in "Don't Stop Believin'"...almost. There is no South Detroit, Steve! I read an article in New York Magazine a while back when he was asked about that line and he pretty much said he liked the way it sounded, so he used it. He's aware (at least he is now) that there's no South Detroit. There's a Southwest Detroit, but no South Detroit. Detroiters like myself groan at that line because we know it's ridiculous, but that's okay. We still love you, Steve! We're willing to forgive you for that faux pas. 

Not Ashamed!

When I watched the first season of Mr. Robot recently, the main character hacked his blonde friend's boyfriend, found out what kind of music the guy liked (Josh Groban, Maroon 5), and basically turned his nose up at the guy because of it. That attitude, to me, is so typical of a lot of folks. They judge people based on the kind of music they like or the food they eat or where they went to school. I admit, I've done it also, but in my older age, I'm making an effort not to do that. Also, to write someone off because of his or her musical taste is ridiculous. I like a wide variety of music including Josh Groban and Maroon 5. (Hey, I was listening to Groban's "Awake" CD on my way to work this morning.) I like what I like and I refuse to be ashamed. If some music snob looked at my downloaded music, that person would probably be horrified, but I don't care. You've gotta do you and if you like Josh Groban or freaking Milli Vanilli, then admit it, hold your head up, and be proud. Don't let the haters bring you down when they turn their noses up because you're not into Frank Ocean or Wilco or some other performer who gets a lot of media attention for being the hot new thing. Hey, I like Barry Manilow. Ugh, you say? I don't care. Your Manilow hate won't stop me from listening to "I Write the Songs" or "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again."

Halloween Candy?

I was at the grocery store today and saw bins near the front entrance with bags of Halloween candy on sale (2 bags for $6). Halloween candy...in August. When is the Christmas stuff going on display? In September? Crazy. I don't want to think about Halloween in August and I'm sure the school kids hate seeing "Back to School" stuff in July while they're still on summer vacation. No wonder sales are down. These marketing people need to realize pushing specialized sales (like holiday sales) so far ahead of the actual holiday probably doesn't help. I suspect there's a large contingent of people, like myself, who resent that kind of thing. I've been reading about the problems Macy's stores have been having and that a lot of stores are scheduled to close. I love Macy's. They make a brand of jeans that I like and I've been a steady customer for a while now. However, the stores are often a mess when I go in and sometimes it's hard to find an actual register open when I'm ready to check out. I'll continue to be a customer, but they could do better on the customer service side. But department stores like Macy's have a bigger problem. I think a lot of retail businesses are suffering because a lot of companies don't require their employees to dress for work anymore. This change has removed an entire segment of shoppers and has really hurt department stores like Macy's. My day job dropped its dress code a few years ago so that meant I didn't need to buy "work" clothes anymore. Also, the kids today don't seem to be interested in shopping for clothes and when they do, they're not going to department stores like Macy's for those purchases.

I did a blog post yesterday about the Terracotta Warriors exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago and I wanted to share another picture from the display.

Terracotta Warriors

Today I visited Chicago's Field Museum and checked out the Terracotta Warriors display. Fascinating. I highly recommend seeing the exhibit if you're in the Chicago area. I believe it runs until January 2017. The detail of the statues done by the workers is amazing.

Weekly Wrap Up

So much news this week. Let's dig in!

1. So Gawker is dead. I can't say I'm surprised by its demise. I've blogged about the whole Gawker/Hulk Hogan debacle so I won't rehash that. But I will say I don't understand why Gawker's founder Nick Denton is blaming Peter Thiel for his media site's demise. Thiel only funded Hogan's defense. He didn't find Denton guilty. A Florida jury found him guilty/liable/whatever. Denton's editor who took the stand didn't do him any favors either. If Denton wants to blame anyone he should start with that editor and then do some serious self-reflection. I've said it before and I'll say it again: there are no winners here. Denton, Hogan, Thiel are all no bueno for various reasons. However, does Hogan not deserve to have the best defense Thiel was willing to pay for?

2. LochteGate. Oy! This whole Ryan Lochte thing has been quite entertaining to read about. I'm sure it's been a nightmare for the people involved but for me, it's like a train wreck I can't turn away from. Lochte is such a d-bag for snowballing this thing into an international incident. If he had simply kept his mouth shut instead of crying to his mother that he was robbed or at least waited until he and the other athletes had returned to the US before shooting his mouth off, this whole "incident" wouldn't have made the headlines it did. I can't believe the people who are defending Lochte et al as "kids." Kids? Lochte is a grown-assed man! He's 32 years old! Yes, the other swimmers involved are younger, but they're not teenagers either. People need to show some personal responsibility. I said yesterday I do believe the swimmers were shaken down for cash at that gas station, but I'm sure none of them expected for the Brazilian government to come after them as a result of giving up some money to some fake cops. The guy who was fined more than $10K should go straight to Lochte and say, "Jeah, douche, you owe me $10K." If there were medals for douchebaggery, Lochte would win the gold, hands down.

3. Mr. Robot. What the hell is going on with this show? Are they pulling a Bobby Ewing in the shower thing (Dallas, for those of you too young to remember) where everything that has happened was all a dream? And where's Tyrell? That Swede is one of the few reasons I'm still tuning in to this hot mess of a show right now. He'd better not be dead.