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.