Bustin' Loose (the song, not the movie)

I heard "Bustin' Loose" on my way home from my day job today and, had I not been behind the wheel, I would have busted loose myself. What a great song. I'd forgotten how good it is. The sad thing is now it's stuck in my head. "Gimme the bridge, ya'll!" If you're not familiar with this 70's song by Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers, Google it or check it out on You Tube. You know a song is good when it makes you want to dance no matter where you are (the car, at work, in the grocery store line, at the dentist, etc.). Unfortunately, even though I've enjoyed singing that I feel like bustin' loose, I actually feel like I'm getting sick. Yeah, just what I need for my last holiday weekend. 

Merry Christmas (or Enjoy Your Day Off)

We actually got a white Christmas here in the Chicago area. It's funny because the librarian who checked out some books for me about a week ago commented that she hoped we'd have a white Christmas and I dismissed the possibility. Well, she got what she hoped for. Merry Christmas!

Holiday Train

To get myself in the holiday spirit, I rode the CTA's Holiday Train on the Purple line of the L this afternoon. I enjoying riding with Santa while listening to Christmas music. I've got a few days off from my day job, so it was nice to do something festive on my day off today. It was also nice to see the kids and adults on the station platforms become so excited when the train pulled into each station. I was excited myself!

Don't Engage!

I stopped by a local gas station on the way home to play the Powerball and Mega Millions games (you've got to be in it to win it, folks) and some woman who was checking her scratch off tickets inside the station tried to work my nerves. First she shoves herself in between me and the man ahead of me in line so she could check her used scratch offs using the machine that tells you if you're a winner or not. (She wasn't.) Then she gets an attitude with me when she was trying to get around me to leave the store. I thought she was trying to get ahead of me in line and she claimed she was just trying to get by. She got loud and crazy and I could tell just from looking at her not to engage in that foolishness. Some people you can just look at and tell they've either got mental problems and/or are on drugs. I took this lady to be all of the above. You can't engage with folks like that because they're just itching for a fight. Yeah, this was just what I needed after a day at the office and a long drive home. As tempted as I was to tell this crazy bitch off, I didn't. She went on her crazy way once she saw there wasn't going to be a fight. What annoyed me more than this nut job trying to pick a fight with me was how everyone in the gas station turned to watch this woman and me snap at each other. I'm sure they were wondering whether to stay and watch the fight or flee the premises. Thankfully, they didn't have to do either. Happy holidays, folks.

Music and More Music

I've been listening to a lot of older music lately since I got a free two-month satellite radio subscription. Even though the satellite stations play a lot of the same songs over and over, they're still a hundred times better than the local radio stations in Chicago. I've heard songs I had forgotten about like "Tour de France" by Kraftwerk and "Wait for Me" by Slave. Yesterday while I was out and about, taking some vacation time from my day job, I heard "A Warm December" by the Counting Crows. I used to really like the Counting Crows. I had their first album on cassette. Normally, the songs I liked twenty or thirty years ago, I still like today, but that's not the case for the Counting Crows. I find their music no bueno now. "Mr. Jones"? Are you kidding me? If I never hear that song again in my lifetime, that would be fine with me. Lead singer Adam Duritz with his oh-so-wrong dreads and wobbly voice just don't translate for me now. What was I thinking in the early 1990s???

Yeah, Alabama!

When I went to bed last night, pedo Roy Moore was up a few points in the Alabama senate race and I just assumed the home state of my father and Davis grandparents would do me wrong and make this guy a winner. I mentally prepared myself to do a blog post today titled "Ugh, Alabama." So color me surprised when I found out this morning that Moore lost and Doug Jones won. Instead of "Ugh, Alabama" I'm saying "Yeah, Alabama!" The people actually did the right thing and voted to call Moore a loser rather than a senator. I'm still annoyed that the results were so close, but I'll get over that. Pedo Moore has been off the rails since way before the sexual allegations about him came to light and he never should have even been considered worthy to represent the state as a senator. In a perfect world, he'd disappear forever from the political landscape now, but the world, as we know, isn't perfect. He'll probably drag out his concession (if he concedes at all) and try to keep his name in the news for as long as possible. Hell, he'll probably run again when the senate seat comes up for reelection in three (I think it's three) years.

Call Me by Your Name

While I was in New York for a few days last week, I saw Call Me by Your Name and I enjoyed the movie far more than I did the book. What really made the film for me was Timothee Chalamet's performance as Elio. That young man (I want to call him a kid but he isn't a kid) is great. In the book, Elio annoyed me because I felt he was pretentious and whiny. But in the movie, Chalamet brought some humanity to the role. Every emotion he felt for Oliver showed on his face and that's a true sign of a great actor. if not for him, the movie would have been just okay. As for Baking Soda (aka Armie Hammer), he did what he was there to do: look good. He and Chalamet had great chemistry, but Chalamet acted circles around him. I like Hammer, but he's just not that great of an actor. With him, I always feel like he's acting. Still, I really liked the film even though I had to pay $17.40 (yes, $17.40) to see it last Wednesday night. I also paid almost $6 for a small Coke at the theater. These prices are ridiculous!!!! But enough of my complaining. If/When Call Me by Your Name goes into wide release later this month and it comes to your town, check it out.

Escape From New York

I went to New York for my day job on Wednesday and just made it back home tonight. I feared the snow storm blanketing the East Coast would leave me stranded out there, but my flight was able to get out (albeit with nearly a two-hour delay). What a mess! I had a nice visit. It was short, but nice. I always say I need to spend a week in New York without having to work in order to really see and do what I want to. These quick two or three day trips just don't give me time to do much of anything. I did have a chance to see Call Me By Your Name while I was there and I enjoyed it. I'll write a separate blog post on that.

I thought for sure foreign tourism would drop with Donny T. as POTUS but after being in New York for the past few days, I don't think that's the case. There seemed to be as many Europeans and other assorted non-Americans flooding the streets of Manhattan just like any other year. Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center were as crowded as ever. Now not every person there was from out of the country or even out of state, but I'm sure many of them were. Tourism seems to be alive and well in New York. I enjoyed walking around the little holiday markets that were set up throughout the city. I went to the one in Union Square and the one at Columbus Circle. I don't recall seeing those in the years I lived in New York, but I think they're great. They reminded me of the Christkindl market here in Chicago.

Here's a shot of Central Park from Friday before the snow came.

Public Transit

I'm a fan of public transit. Growing in Detroit, public transit barely existed due, I believe, to a conspiracy by the Big 3 automakers (Ford, Chrysler, and GM) to suppress it so that people would buy cars. I didn't realize there was actually good, functioning public transit until I get out of Detroit. In most of the places I've lived (Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and now Chicago), I can say wholeheartedly that the public transit is good. It's not perfect, but it works (for the most part). Public transit is a great equalizer that joins people of all races, faiths, incomes, and backgrounds and I enjoy living in a place where I'm not totally dependent on having a car. When I lived in New York, I rarely took cabs because it was easier (and cheaper) to just hop on the subway or walk where I wanted to go. I also enjoy taking public transit in cities I haven't lived in, like during my recent visit to Washington, DC this summer. DC's public transit was quick and easy to navigate. Some people are afraid of public transit. I admit I used to be one of those people. I was accustomed to getting into my own car and driving where I wanted to go. But, the more I used subways, trains, and buses in the different cities where I lived, the more comfortable I became with turning the wheel over to someone else.

Sorry I Got Caught

I'm tired of these half-assed apologies for wrongdoing. Let's take the latest perv, Matt Lauer, who's suddenly embarrassed by his pervy actions. Apparently he wasn't embarrassed until he got caught. Until this week, he was fine with using his power at NBC to harass women. And I don't believe for a minute that NBC management or the other big-named on-air staff weren't aware of Lauer's shenanigans. If you parse these corporate statements that media companies like Fox and NBC put out, you'll see that they claim they didn't know what was going on because no one complained to HR. Why would anyone in his or her right mind complain to HR over the behavior of someone like Lauer? He was a rainmaker at NBC and even if some lowly intern or production assistant complained to HR, it's doubtful any action would be taken against Lauer. Instead, I suspect, the complaining employee would be terminated instead. HR is around to protect the company's interests, not the interests of the employee. You learn that the hard way sometimes if you've ever had the pleasure of dealing with HR in the workplace. I'm not staying HR is totally useless, but you have to go in knowing where their interests lie and, if you're going to make a complaint against someone who's a company big shot, then you'd better come prepared with your own legal counsel.

Baking Soda Blues

I hate to say I've been reading a lot (more than I should) about actor Armie Hammer and his supposed meltdown (and Twitter account deletion) over a scathing Buzzfeed article about him and his career. The crux of the article was that Hammer, despite having a string of flops behind him, keeps getting roles because he's a good looking white man. Yeah. He's in good company there. There are many white male actors out there who keep getting one chance after another to fail upwards while non-white men and women of all stripes are not given the same opportunities. I'll name just a few: Jake Gyllenhaal (give it up already), Tom Hiddleston (what's the appeal?), George Clooney (at least he had a successful run on TV). And the list isn't limited to actors. Look at Jeff Zucker. He was a disaster at NBC and is currently running CNN into the ground. Go figure. But back to Armie "Baking Soda" Hammer. I like Hammer and I think he's a decent actor. However, I agree with the Buzzfeed author's assessment that he blames everyone else for his career failures and he seems oblivious to the fact that he's received the opportunities he has because he's tall, white, young, and handsome. I wish he'd own this rather than run from it and act like the way he looks doesn't factor into the jobs he gets. Dude, you work in Hollywood. Of course your career is based on your looks. Duh. Rather than commenting that the Buzzfeed writer was bitter and shutting down his Twitter account, he should have acknowledged the parts of her article that were accurate and been honest about the breaks he's received in life. Or he could have just ignored the article all together. If I knew him, I'd tell him, "Buck up, Baking Soda, and learn to roll with the punches!"

Movies

I saw two interesting yet odd movies on cable this weekend. The first was Chuck & Buck, a movie about two guys who were friends as kids, but lost touch as adults. When Buck's mother dies, he contacts his old friend Chuck who comes to the funeral. Buck hits on Chuck after the funeral and after Chuck spurns his advances, Buck starts stalking Chuck. Buck couldn't seem to accept the fact that he and Chuck were adults. He still wanted to have the kind of close relationship he and Chuck had had as children. The movie was creepy and compelling and went to a place I didn't expect it to go.

The second movie was a documentary called The Dog about John Wojtowicz, the guy who the movie Dog Day Afternoon was based on. I'd seen Dog Day Afternoon, but I didn't know anything about the real case. The documentary was interesting because it showed what a hot mess Wojtowicz was. He lived for several years after the 1972 robbery and jail and didn't die until 2006. While watching him in the documentary, it was hard to tell if he was being truthful or just bullshitting. I thought it was interesting that of all of the people featured in the documentary (John's ex-wife, his mother, his lovers, his mentally disabled brother, etc.) you never saw his children. I guess they decided they didn't want any part of the documentary and, honestly, who could blame them for staying away from that Dumpster fire.

In other movie news, I have to say I'm looking forward to seeing Call Me By Your Name. Since it's not coming out here until the end of December, I'm going to try and catch it when I'm in NY for work in a few weeks. I didn't care much for the book. I thought it was pretentious and overwritten. In fact, I reread the book earlier this year (and I'm sure I blogged about it) when I kept reading about the movie buzz because I didn't remember much about the book from the first time I'd read it probably seven or eight years ago. I kept reading about that infamous scene with the peach and people speculating whether or not it would be in the movie and I thought, What scene with the peach? Ergo, I reread the book. (I also read how the peach scene is dealt with in the film although I wish I wouldn't have so I could have been surprised.) I read a lot of books (less now than when I used to take public transit on a daily basis and had time to sit and read) and I'm also middle aged, so my old brain can only hold so much information. I can't remember every detail about every book I've read in my lifetime.

JMS Book Sale

JMS Books is having a Black Friday sale today and tomorrow from midnight EST on Friday, November 24, and will run through 11:59 PM EST on Saturday, November 25. There are many titles to choose from (including some of my own). Click on any of my JMS titles in the side bar or use this link: http://www.jms-books.com/

Pre-Turkey Day

I've hoping to spend my pre-Thanksgiving day relaxing and running a few errands since I have the day off. I'm also not making my usual trek to Detroit for Thanksgiving this year, so I'll be able to relax at home for a change. As much as I enjoy going back to Michigan to see my relatives over the Thanksgiving weekend, I'm glad to get a break from that this year. I was just in Detroit over the summer, sadly, for a funeral, but I did get to see many family members during that time.

In other news, every day it seems like someone else is exposed for being a perv. This week it's Glenn Thursh from the NY Times and Charlie Rose. The Charlie Rose thing really surprised me. I never would have pegged him as a pervert. I remember seeing Rose in NY years ago. I'd gone to the 92nd Street Y to see him interview Anderson Cooper and after the event, as the audience was filing out, I saw Rose get into a limo with a blonde. Huh.

More Moore?

As I've been watching the deluge of news on Roy Moore over the past few weeks, I can't help but think that the majority of outraged commentators and politicians clearly don't understand people from Alabama. Now I'm not from Alabama, but my father is and I've spent a great deal of time in the state over my lifetime so I feel like I can shed some light on how things work in that state. Back before the primary when Moore was running against Luther Strange, I had a conversation with my father about the race and my father told me he'd rather see Moore win that race because he wasn't the establishment candidate. Crazy Moore who was kicked out of his previous jobs twice, I believe, for failing to adhere to the law with his ten commandments nonsense was still, in my father's opinion, a better choice than Strange. Again, keep in mind that my father was born and raised in Alabama. His thinking about Moore is not different from many people from Alabama. They circle the wagons around people like Moore. Common sense be damned. When I talk to my father tomorrow, I'll ask him about Moore's latest allegations and see if he still feels the same way.

I'm not surprised that Moore is refusing to drop out of the senate race nor would I be surprised if he actually won. I'm not from Alabama, but I know Alabama and when those folks get in their minds that they're right and everyone else is wrong (as they so often do), they'll hunker down and stick to their guns (literally and figuratively). Don't forget George Wallace, folks.

Police Academy

Over the past 12 weeks, I've been attending classes for Evanston's Citizen Police Academy and yesterday was finally graduation day. I largely enjoyed the classes and found them interesting. I learned a lot about the police force and how things operate around the city. I got to do a ride-along with an officer although not much happened other than a car accident. No one was hurt, thankfully. Evanston, IL isn't exactly a hotbed of criminal activity. I'm all about law and order. If you do the crime, do the time. One of the stories in the news right now is about the college basketball players who tried to shoplift some expensive sunglasses from a shop during a trip to China and, lo and behold, Donny T. rushed to their rescue to get them out of the charges and sent back to the US. He asked them for a thank you and he got it. I don't often agree with Donny, but he was right here. He did those bad-assed kids a favor and he deserved to be thanked for that. Why people feel the need to commit crimes and, even worse, commit them while abroad (does no one watch Locked Up Abroad???) is beyond me. The criminal justice system in other countries isn't like our own. If you break the law in another country, you're subject to that country's laws. They could string you up by your thumbs or flog you in the public square and there wouldn't be anything the US could do about it except contact your family and tell them what's going on.

Murder on the Orient Express

I saw the newest version of Murder on the Orient Express over the weekend complete with Kenneth Branagh and his incredible cookie duster. I remember seeing the original 1970s version at Fairlane movie theater in Dearborn, Michigan. One of my cousins took me, my sister, and some other cousins to see it. I also saw that version on television again as an adult, so I was quite aware of who killed the guy. Maybe knowing the killer created a bit of a letdown for me when seeing the movie with my sister this weekend. While she was concerned about Branagh's moustache distracting her from concentrating on the movie, I found myself distracted by Leslie Odom, Jr. My sister had told me he'd be in the film but as I watched it, I kept waiting for him to show up before finally deciding that my sister had been mistaken about him being in the movie. It wasn't until the movie was over and the credits rolled that I realized Odom WAS in the movie. He looked nothing like himself, in my opinion, and that's why I failed to realize that he was the lone black actor on the train. He looked so different than he does in the Nationwide commercials or on the cover of his latest album that I didn't even recognize him. His body shape (clearly, he'd put on weight), his face, and even his skin color all made him unrecognizable to me.

Incense Aversion

I hate the smell of incense. It will drive me from a room as it did last night when I was in a room with little ventilation and the smell of incense was overwhelming. I had to vacate the premises. I remember back in the 90s, I was having a conversation with a co-worker in Philadelphia about incense. This co-worker said she and her husband burned incense regularly in their home and I joked and said incense burners often used it to cover up the smell of weed (or something to that effect). My co-worker was, rightly, offended by my statement. I wasn't saying she and her husband were potheads, but that's the way she took my comment. I felt bad about it, but there wasn't much I could do after the fact except apologize. (For the record, I still associate incense with weed, but if someone else confesses to burning incense in his/her home, I'm keeping my mouth shut about that association.)

The Belko Experiment

After yet another weekend of carnage caused by a psycho shooter, I hate to even admit that I watched the movie The Belko Experiment, a movie with a lot of shooting and violence, over the weekend. The plot of the movie is a bunch of office workers are trapped in their office building and, in order to get out, they have to kill each other. Kill or be killed is the premise. How many of us would really be willing to do this? It's easy to say if it's you or me, I'm choosing me, but if the choice really presented itself, I wonder how many of us would balk.

What I thought was interesting about  The Belko Experiment was how many people turned on their fellow co-workers in an effort to save their own lives. A lot of empathy and kindness turned to rage and violence. It's a crazy movie, but it was entertaining. I need to start watching more stuff like the Lego Batman movie (also entertaining and without the killing). There's enough horror on the local news already. Maybe I'm just becoming desensitized to it.

RIP Gothamist

I just found out this afternoon that the website Gothamist.com is no more. The owner shut it (and other -sit sites like Chicagoist and LAist) down after the employees voted to unionize. Gothamist was one of my daily web reads. Even though I no longer live in New York, I kept up with the news there, mainly from reading Gothamist. It's a shame the owner shut the site down, but that's what happens sometimes when you work for a corporate overlord. You never know when the hammer is going to fall. Trust me, I know. I worked for a publisher in Philadelphia years ago that was bought by a corporate overlord and the office was shut down and most of the employees lost their jobs. (I left before the shutdown, but in hindsight I should have stayed and gotten the severance offered.) Layoffs often seem to happen around the holidays too, another kick in the gut. Happy Thanksgiving. You're laid off. Merry Christmas. Welcome to the unemployment line. And when you lose your job right before the holidays, good luck getting another one anytime soon.  A lot of employers shut down any kind of hiring until the new year. I read that the Gothamist employees (former employees) would be paid through February of 2018. I don't know if that's true but if it is, that's great. (That doesn't mean they'll have benefits like health insurance during that time, but something is better than nothing, right?) RIP, Gothamist, a great source of NY news.

We Need to Talk About Kevin

I can't believe I had a back and forth email argument with a coworker over Kevin Spacey this morning. My coworker actually said he felt sorry for Spacey after Anthony Rapp revealed that Spacey had come on to him when he was 14 years old. And why, exactly, was my coworker feeling sorry for Spacey? Because he dislikes Rapp. Seriously. He also complained about the "closeted" gay community slamming Spacey unfairly. Huh??? I told my coworker that his feelings about Rapp were irrelevant. The fact that a grown man came onto a 14-year-old is the issue here. Two other coworkers said that they were surprised to hear that Spacey's gay. Seriously. Where have these people been living? Under a rock??? But back to the matter at hand. Spacey's statement about Rapp was ridiculous. He basically said if I was inappropriate with Rapp, it was because I was drunk and my behavior was wrong, but I'm gay, so there's that. Say what now?? The fact that he put his "coming out" statement in with his apology is pathetic. It feeds into the stereotype that gay men are all perverts chasing after young boys. He did the gay community a terrible disservice and, as a gay man, you'd think he would know this. Is he that self-loathing?? Maybe he is. Ugh, just ugh.

Shar-day

I read an article on the NY Magazine site this week that ranked all of Sade's songs in order from best to worst. What surprised me was that they included a song she did in the film Absolute Beginners called "Killer Blow." I love that song and kudos to the author for including that one (even if it was near the bottom of the list)! I used to have the soundtrack to Absolute Beginners on vinyl. The movie isn't great, but there's some great music in it. But back to the Sade list. I disagreed a lot with the writer's rankings. For example, this guy put great songs like "Maureen" and "War of the Hearts" and "Mr. Wrong" at the bottom while putting popular songs like "The Sweetest Taboo" and "No Ordinary Love" in the top ten. This tells me that the writer, Frank Guan, is not a true Sade fan. He fails to recognize the brilliance of lesser-known Sade tracks like "Jezebel" or even "Punch Drunk" a song she doesn't even sing on! I've been a Sade fan from way back when. I had Diamond Life on vinyl when the record company stuck a sticker on the front that told Americans to pronounce her name as Shar-day. I remember this. So I take my Sade music very seriously. I don't just fawn over the radio hits. I dig deeper. I will agree with Guan that "Keep Looking" is worthy of being in the top ten. I probably would have put in the number one spot. It's a great song. The beat, the lyrics, the voice, the vibe: they're all working on that track. People who don't like Sade ain't my kind of people!

Don't Take My Straws!

I read an article today on the Gothamist website that linked to a story in the Washington Post about a movement to stop people from using plastic straws because they're not recyclable and sea creatures get injured from them when they're trashed. Now, I am a fan and supporter of sea turtles and I don't want to see them injured by having a straw up their nose, but I also don't want my straws to be taken away. How about making straws out of paper or some other recyclable material instead. As someone who uses straws religiously (like in my own home), I'm not on board with removing them from my life. Hell, I've already been forced to bring my own bag to the local stores because they either charge you for a bag (hello, Chicago) or berate you for not bringing your own bag (hello, Evanston). Now I can't even sip my beverage through a straw if I choose? Oy! Stop the madness. As someone who often spills her drink on herself (I'm clumsy), I need a straw to move cold beverages safely from my cup to my mouth. (No, I don't use a straw for hot drinks.) I also feel like it's more sanitary when you're in a restaurant with cups that require washing. (Yes, I know washable coffee cups don't usually come with a straw, but I'm willing to put up with that.)

RIP, Robert Guillaume.

Arctic Monkeys

While digging through my CD collection last week, I found one from the Arctic Monkeys called Favourite Worst Nightmare. I'd totally forgotten I had this CD, so I listened to it in my car and rediscovered how great it is. If I had to describe their music, I'd say it's a cross between Oasis and Green Day. The CD I have was probably purchased 10 years ago (or close to that). (Strangely, it's not offered on iTunes either.) I think I bought it initially because I liked the songs "Brianstorm" and "Teddy Picker" but there are other good songs on the CD also such as "D Is for Dangerous" and "Fluorescent Adolescent" (my current favorite, or should I say favourite). I'm not familiar with any of their other work, but I plan to look into it.

RIP, Gord

I read yesterday that Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip died. RIP, Gord. Growing up in Detroit, I became acquainted with the Canadian band via Canadian radio. (Thanks, CBC!) Their live album "Live Between Us" that was, I believe, recorded in Detroit, is one of the best live albums I've heard. I hate I never had the opportunity to see the band live myself, but I've enjoyed their music for a long time.

Uncomfortable Reading

I've been reading about some schools in Mississippi moving to ban eighth graders from reading To Kill a Mockingbird because the language in the books makes some students (and staff, I assume) "uncomfortable." Really? Reading books like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye are just part of the drill when you're in public school, right? I certainly had to suffer through books I didn't care to read like Huckleberry Finn when I was in school. Why should the kids today get a break? I'm against banning books even if the language in some might be "uncomfortable." No, I'm not crazy about reading books where people are denigrated like in Huck Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird, but these books reflect a time in American society that shouldn't be brushed under the rug. Kids today need to understand how literature has evolved from stuff like Huck Finn to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, etc. They shouldn't be sheltered from "uncomfortable" language. They need to learn from that language and have a dialogue about it.

Biblioracle

The Chicago Tribune printed my reading list in today's Biblioracle:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-books-biblioracle-1015-story.html

The books listed aren't the last five books I've read, but they are five books I've read this year that I largely enjoyed beginning with The Underground Railroad (that I finished in January) and ending with Idyll Fears (that I finished a few weeks ago). I wasn't crazy about the recommendation to read Lorrie Moore's A Gate at the Stairs. I've never read Moore's work although I've heard good things. This is the second time someone has recommended that I read Moore's writing. My boss back in the early 1990s recommended that I read Moore's book Who Will Run the Frog Hospital and I never read that. Maybe I should. When I read the description of A Gate at the Stairs, it didn't sound like something I wanted to read. The same goes for the Frog Hospital book when my old boss recommended it. Still, I'm surprised that two people have recommended the same author to me in my lifetime. Maybe I should check out some of Moore's work.

Already?

I saw my first Christmas-themed commercial this week for Denny's. They're offering holiday pancakes filled with stuff like cranberries and covered in creamy sauces. Each "holiday" pancake platter that was shown looked like a sweet, gooey mess. But behind the display of pancakes were Nutcracker dolls and you know what that means: Christmas is coming! It doesn't matter that it's the second week of October and we have yet to get through Halloween and Thanksgiving, Christmas is coming! Every year I feel like the Christmas season gets earlier and earlier. I've seen Christmas stuff out in the stores since September. Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas, but I hate the commercialism of it.

Disgusting!

As I read through the many reactions from Hollywood actors and politicians alike who cavorted with Harvey Weinstein, I have to laugh at some of them: Disgusted! Appalled! Shocked! Really? I have to believe the majority of the people in and out of the industry knew this guy was a dirt bag, yet they looked the other way and kept quiet about his awful behavior because they wanted money and/or fame from him. I read tonight that his wife is leaving him. So, what, she didn't know what her husband was up to? She had no clue her husband was such a perv? I find that hard to believe. And the Obamas let Malia intern for this guy? Crazy (although I highly doubt he tried any stuff with her). Men like Weinstein and Roger Ailes and, hell, even the current POTUS Donny T. (ugh) are cut from the same bad cloth. Fat, ugly, obnoxious guys with a lot of power and a lot of money who treat women like objects and shit on people because they're garbage themselves. I'm just so tired of people making excuses for bad behavior. If you see something, say something. As a woman, I understand how hard it can be for women to come forward and bring harassment allegations to light, but the behavior will continue unless it's called out and dealt with. If someone harassed me, I'd want to stop that harasser not just from harassing me, but from going after someone else.

In other news, I blogged a while back when only one football player was "taking a knee" on the field and I disagreed with it then. My feeling then was that the player should put his money where his mouth is and do something to help resolve the racial injustice in this country like donate some cash to the ACLU or the Southern Poverty Law Center or any number of organizations that fight for social justice. Taking a knee on the field isn't going to help pay anyone's legal fees when that person is arrested on a bogus charge and can't bail out. Now that more NFL players are kneeling on the field, my feelings haven't changed. I'd rather see the players out in the community making a difference and using their vast wealth to help those less fortunate than themselves. But, in the end, I really don't care what they do. I won't work myself into a froth over athletes kneeling at sports events and I don't intend to lose any sleep over it. It's a free country (for now anyway). If you choose not to stand during the national anthem, that's your right.

Movies

I just watched an indie movie called They Look Like People and now I'm wondering WTF was that? The movie revolves around two hipster friends, Christian and Wyatt, in New York who, apparently, haven't seen in each other in some time but are reunited when one shows up on the other's doorstep. The visiting friend, Wyatt, is convinced that some people aren't really people but monsters. It kind of reminded me of the film They Live only without any real action, believable dialogue, or a decent plot. I don't know why I sat through this movie, but I did. What amazed me was that I don't believe I saw one black or Latino person in the movie even though it took place in New York and, at one point, the two main characters were riding the A train to Brooklyn (toward the Rockaways). The A train...with no black folks. Okay. But I digress. The movie goes on and on with rambling, hipster-like conversations between the two bros and the audience is left to wonder if Wyatt, the bearded hipster, is crazy or not. And, by the end, I wondered if I was crazy for sitting through an hour and a half of this nonsense. Moving on.

Apparently a third Sex and the City movie isn't happening because Kim Cattrall isn't interested in doing it. More power to her. As someone who was a fan of the show, I saw the first movie and hated it. I didn't even bother seeing the second. This franchise needs to die already. How many decades are they going to try and stretch this series out?? It was a really good show, but it's time to put it to bed. Enough already.

And finally the new Blade Runner movie isn't doing well at the box office. Apparently, it's not drawing the young audience the backers expected. The original Blade Runner came out in the 1980s and they're just now doing a sequel in 2017? Okay. The kids of today aren't familiar with the original film. Hell, I saw it in the 1980s and I'd have to go back and watch it again because I don't remember what happened. Also I wish these Hollywood power players would stop putting Ryan Gosling in a movie and expecting young people to show up. When is the last time Gosling was a real box office draw? I like Gosling, but I don't think he's a great actor nor do I think he's a box office draw. He hasn't reached Jake Gyllenhaal status yet (that guy is box office poison), but he's getting close. How many chances are guys like Gosling going to get at being a box office success? It's time for Hollywood to throw the towel in for both of these guys. They just can't bring it.

Sure, Donny

So Donny T. wants a senate investigation into the media because one outlet claimed someone on his staff called him a moron. Okay. Sure. Let's get right on that. The senators can call the investigation "Operation: Moron" headed by Mitch "The Turtle" McConnell. Yeah. I'm sure Mitch and the gang will make that a priority. Hell, they're not doing much else at the moment, so why not put them to work doing something for Donny T. The Republican majority failed to deliver on their promise to overturn Obamacare, so Donny probably feels like they owe him a senate investigation to prove he's not a moron. (Is it even possible to prove something lie that? I don't think so. The moronic traits are shown by Donny pretty much on a weekly basis. Sometimes daily!) But I'll throw Donny a bone. A lot of the media is ridiculous right now. During the election, coverage was downright unwatchable on many outlets. If anyone thinks for one minute that these media conglomerates are actually concerned about the well-being of the country and its citizens, then you need to schedule a check-up with your local doctor because you may be delusional and/or have some kind of brain damage. These media corporations care more about ratings (how many people watch their network) and advertising money (how much they can squeeze out of companies that run ads during their shows). Actually providing helpful news to the public isn't a priority to many of these companies. They're more interested in generating buzz and getting money. It's sad how far the media has fallen. There's still good news on TV out there, but you have to search through the crap to get to it. Now the majority of these "news" shows rely on panels of so-called experts to argue and dissect every stupid Tweet Donny T. puts out or every moronic thing he says. There are no winners here. Donny's awful, but so are a lot of the folks covering him. Ugh to everyone!

I Don't Get It

Sometimes, I'm baffled by people's love for stuff I dislike such as pickles (ugh), Game of Thrones (watched the first episode and never went back), singer Kurt Elling (his voice is no bueno for me--sorry, Kurt), the TV show Friends (saw one episode--the one with Brad Pitt--and never wanted to see it again), Downton Abbey (watched the first season and didn't go back for more). We're all different people, I know, but I'm still amazed when large swaths of people love something or someone that I don't. Are my tastes that out of sync with the rest of society? Possibly. I fully realize I have weird eating habits. I hate condiments. Yes, I said it. I hate condiments. No mustard, mayo, ketchup, Miracle Whip, special sauce, relish, whatever. Ugh. I have to get a plain cheeseburger from McDonald's or some Chicken McNuggets like a child. (I do like BBQ sauce so there's that.) I have always disliked condiments. My family ate (and still eats) these things that I found (and still find) gross.

Sadly, We've Heard This Story Before

Once again, multiple people have been killed and injured at the hands of a gunman. I don't even know what to say anymore. I don't understand what could compel a person to just gun down a group of people in cold blood. What is wrong with people? I don't believe all of these killers are mentally ill. Some are just straight-up evil. I used to be the kind of person who believed everyone could be redeemed, but lately I've found myself wavering about redemption. Maybe everyone can't be redeemed. Maybe everyone can't be saved. Maybe it's time to throw in the towel for some folks and just let them drown. RIP to the Vegas victims and RIP to Tom Petty.

Stephen King's It

I saw the new version of Stephen King's It recently and largely enjoyed it although, as a fan of clowns, I thought the film could have used more scenes with Pennywise. However, I realize the story isn't really about Pennywise, but about the children so it's understandable that the clown wouldn't dominate the film. A lot of the special effects in the film were quite good.

Watching the bullies in the film reminded me of the awful bullies from my own middle school years. One in particular, a girl, was so awful that she bullied another girl in school to the point that the girl lashed out and slashed her across the forehead with a knife. You would think this would stop the bully from exhibiting bullying behavior in the future, but it didn't. She was the same awful person she was before she got cut only with a huge scar across her forehead. She still walked around threatening other kids and telling them she and her gang of thug brothers and sisters would give anyone a beat down. I heard many years later that this bully ended up losing her son and some other family members in a terrible car accident. Now I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but I can't say I was surprised to hear the news given that this person was so terrible to others during her younger years. Clearly, some of that terribleness came back on her as an adult. I'd like to think that the bully reformed herself as an adult, but I'm doubtful.

Graffiti

Like most sane people, I am not a fan of graffiti. Graffiti looks bad and, unless it's not dealt with swiftly, it can grow like a fungus. Thankfully, graffiti doesn't seem to be a huge problem like it was back in the 70s and 80s (at least not in any place where I've lived over the years). However, it still rears its ugly head from time to time. I'm taking weekly classes as part of my local citizens' police group and each week we have law enforcement speakers and representatives come and talk to the group about topics such as domestic violence, financial crimes, etc. During our class this week, a youth advocate rep talked to us about "restorative justice" programs that help wayward youth get back on the right track after they've gotten into trouble. Rather than throw these kids in a juvenile facility for misdemeanor crimes, they're given the chance to redeem themselves through group and family counseling. The youth services woman who spoke to our class talked about two 14-year-old boys who'd spray painted some graffiti on the wall of a condo building in town. Both went through this restorative justice program and, rather than having them do something constructive in reparation for their crime (like clean up the graffiti they caused), the youth services people decided it was better to let them attend art classes so they could use their "creativity" in a positive way. I sat there stunned by this. I don't care if one or both of these kids end up being the next Picasso, rewarding them with art classes after they've committed a crime is simply ridiculous. When kids or adults graffiti someone's property, they need to be held accountable and punished for that. This goes for famous graffiti artists like Banksy also. If you want to spray paint all over your own property, go right ahead. But when you do that to someone else's property, you need to be arrested. I really couldn't believe the 14-year-old "artists" didn't have the book thrown at them. I'm not saying the kids should have been locked up, but they should have been made to do some community service picking up trash or, as I said, cleaning the wall they covered in graffiti. No wonder so many kids are coddled and irresponsible. Ugh. (By the way, the picture below is NOT graffiti. The business owner approved this artwork on the building.)

Anne Murray Day

I listen to a lot of easy-listening music and I'm not ashamed of that. I find it soothing especially during stressful times like these when our Commander in Chief is going off the deep end yet again and stirring up trouble rather than doing his job (the one he was elected to do, but constantly fails to do because he's too busy Tweeting and talking smack). So, in an effort to block out the noise of Donny T. today, I put on some Anne Murray. I've been listening to Anne Murray since I was a child. When you grow up in Detroit and watch the CBC channel, you hear a lot of Canadian music (i.e. Anne Murray). When I lived and worked in Philadelphia, I remember I used to have Neil Diamond Days, days when I'd listen to Neil Diamond because I needed a break from the world. I recall one time a co-worker was just bugging the hell out of me about something and I told my cubicle neighbor that I was going to put my headphones on and listen to Neil Diamond in an effort to block out the noise of my annoying co-worker. So today was an Anne Murray Day. Tomorrow might be a James Taylor Day and the day after that might be a Bee Gees day.

Fly Commercial (Like the Rest of Us)

Since the news broke this week about Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price spending thousands on the government's dime to fly on private jets, I've been annoyed and outraged at yet another member of Donny T.'s administration living up to the mantra "do as I say, not as I do." Price himself has spoken about cutting costs in HHS yet he chooses to fly on private jets rather than commercial airlines. Donny T.'s wife speaks out against cyber-bullying, yet her own husband cyber bullies others on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis and she ignores it. Clean up your own house first before telling me how to clean mine, lady! Nothing grinds my gears like a hypocrite. If you're advocating for your department to cut costs, Mr. Price, then it's not wise for you to have that department pay thousands of dollars for you to take private jets around the country. If you want to fly in a private jet and you work for the government, then pay for it yourself. My tax dollars (and the tax dollars of my fellow citizens) shouldn't be used to pay for a government employee to take a private jet when perfectly fine commercial airlines are available for a fraction of the cost. The sheer arrogance of the current administration is really unbelievable at times.

Wrap It Up, Suits!

I came on board late as a fan of the USA show Suits meaning I didn't start watching the show when its first season aired. I had to go back and watch the first and (I believe) second seasons on DVD. But I've seen them all and now I certainly hope this current season is the show's last. It's just gotten ridiculous. It's been ridiculous for some time, but now the cracks are really showing. Aside from the main issue of Patrick Adams's character practicing law without a law degree and going to jail for doing so, you've got a high-profile NY law firm who not only allowed this fraud to go on, but brought the guy back to the firm after he got out of jail. Who, in their right mind, would hire such a firm? Then you've got a former legal secretary (someone who also has no law degree) acting as the firm's COO and another attorney who can't keep his shit together because he's angry that no woman wants to build a life with him or raise a child with him. These elements combine to make one terrible show. I remember when Suits used to be great television. The interesting cases, the sharp dialogue, the drama. Now it's just pathetic. I can't believe it's still on the air. USA didn't lose any time cutting White Collar and Burn Notice loose, so why are they hanging on to Suits? Wrap it up already and bring back Mr. Robot! I suspect when/if Meghan Markle marries Prince Harry, she'll hit the bricks and put Suits in her rear view (and I wouldn't blame her for doing so). Maybe her departure will be the push the show needs to pack it in. One of the things I've always liked about Suits is that the show has a diverse cast and this current season is no exception. However, that's not enough to keep things afloat.

I Remember When

I remember the days when people couldn't be reached. There were no cell phones, there was no email, there was no internet. If someone called you at home and you were out, that person just had to either wait for you to come home and answer the phone or leave a message for you to return the call. "Where's Tim? I don't know. I tried to call him and no one answered. I'll try him again later." Yes, people do still call a person and is unable to reach him or her, but now there are other ways to track that person down. You can text, email, check their Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/whatever and monitor their activity. It's nearly impossible to get off of the grid now. Someone somewhere is tracking you.

I also remember the days when your television programming stopped at night. There were no all-night infomercials or reruns of the news overnight. The television stations played the Star Spangled Banner and then all you got was white noise. Yeah, it used to happen, folks. If you had insomnia, you'd better take out a book to read or turn the radio on because there was no all-night television programming to watch back then. I also remember having only black and white TVs.

I remember when cars has ashtrays in them. Now people just throw their cigarette butts out of the window.

I remember when people could smoke indoors in the workplace. I don't actually remember working in a place where people actually lit up, but I do remember inside smoking lounges. It's hard to imagine such a thing now.

When you get old(er), you start to think about things like this. It's amazing to think about how much things have changed since you were younger, especially when you get past the age of forty.

Bloomie's Hands

While I was at the Y this afternoon trying to watch The People's Court during my workouts on the treadmill and elliptical machine, I was inundated with the same commercial about kids (minority kids, in particular) being targeted by big soda pop and how soda pop will give you diabetes. The ad was paid for by former NY mayor Michael Bloomberg and sponsored by the American Heart Association. I left New York almost four years ago when Bloomie was all riled up there about people drinking too much soda and now he's haunting me in Illinois. The guy is determined to stick his hands (and put his money) into any fight against big soda. Now I know drinking soda pop is not good for you. Take it from someone who used to get up in the morning and have a Coke with breakfast (before kidney stones came into my life), drinking a lot of pop can cause a lot of damage to your body. But so can eating a lot of crappy food, smoking, drinking, and a whole host of other things. What annoys me with the Bloomberg ads is that they only started appearing when Cook County started up this soda pop tax that they claim will help curb childhood obesity when everyone knows it's just a money grab to try and drum up some cash to pay their bills. No one cared about kids drinking pop last year or the year before that. Where were the ads in Illinois then? Oh, right. There weren't any! Given the huge host of problems faced by minority kids in Cook County (and Chicago specifically), I doubt drinking too much pop would be anywhere near the top of the list. Many kids are just fighting to stay alive here and trying to go to school and come home without getting shot.

Again with the Creepy Clowns

I watched the first episode of the new season of American Horror Story  series "Cult" last night and my first thought was "here we go again with the creepy clowns." Add this to the new film version of Stephen King's It that came out this weekend (again, complete with the requisite creepy clown, Pennywise) and we're right back into creepy clown country. As I've said before, clowns have gotten a bad wrap for a long time. John Wayne Gacy pretty much killed the image of the clown as a funny childhood friend. Then you've got Krusty from The Simpsons as the cynical, washed-up clown who has one persona for the cameras and another, less-flattering one, when the cameras aren't rolling. I don't think clowns will ever go back to their Bozo days. Kids now just aren't into clowns and the media sure isn't helping. Probably in another twenty or thirty years, clowns will just be relegated to the dust-bin of has-been performers like ventriloquists and mimes.

Yes, Daddy

I've been reading a lot lately about Donny T.'s daughter calling him "Daddy" and many people seem to feel this isn't appropriate for a woman of her age. Now I disagree with Donny T. and the Funky Bunch (family members included) on most things, but I have to say here that I don't understand the outrage. I call my own father "Daddy" and I'm many years older than Donny's daughter. But, in my defense, my father also called his own father "Daddy" until he died and he's Southern. Calling one's father "Daddy" is just the way it is in my family and in many others, I suspect. Maybe it's a regional thing or a racial thing (in Donny's case it's probably neither). But whether you refer to your father as Dad, Pops, Daddy, That Guy, Insert First Name Here, or whatever, that's your personal preference. I'm not going to stop calling my father "Daddy" just because someone out there in the world thinks it's juvenile or unprofessional. Some people really have too much time on their hands if they're worrying about how someone else refers to his or her father. There are far worse things to worry about these days. And, speaking of which, what's up with these natural disasters? Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, California wildfires. Are the end times upon us??? I certainly hope not. Is Donny T. somehow to blame? Probably. Whatever the reason, I'm certainly hoping and praying for an end to these events.  The picture below has nothing to do with my blog post. I took it in a park in DC near Chinatown when I was there last week and I thought it was cute.

What Happened Today?

Well, Donny T. is ending the DACA program. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Did people really think he'd keep this program going? I sure didn't. My issue with the immigration system in the US is that it isn't fair. If you're going to crack down on people in the country illegally whether they crossed a border or overstayed a visa, then do it across the board. Everyone goes. Europeans, Australians, Africans, Mexicans, South Americans, Icelanders, whatever. But we all know the system doesn't work that way. I guarantee if the majority of immigrants in the country illegally were from Sweden or Norway or England (and white, of course), there would be no outcry about them being in the country. Many moons ago, I did immigration work for a university and it was interesting to see the limits set on the number of student visas from China and Africa. The same limits weren't set for students coming from many European countries. Yes, I understand there are more students looking to come to the US from continents like Asia and Africa, but why not put everyone on an equal playing field?

In other news, I read that Hillary is blaming Bernie (at least partially) for her campaign loss in her new book. Give it up, Hill! Accept responsibility that you f'd up. Bernie didn't cause you to lose. You ran a bad campaign, you had no message to motivate people, and the DNC strong-armed everyone who ran against you to give you an unfair advantage, a move that alienated many people (and not just Bernie supporters). I really hope in the next presidential election, the Democrats will nominate someone who can truly win and not someone who feels it's his or her time to try and grab the brass ring.

The Struggle Is Real (and It Continues)

During my trip to Washington, DC last week, I paid a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and really got a thorough retrospective of the African American experience. The museum's curators did an excellent job of infusing the pain, joy, and hope of black Americans since we came to this country. I highly recommend a visit if you're in the Washington, DC area. There's a lot to see and a lot to learn at the museum.

Also, in an unrelated note, RIP Walter Becker. Half of The Dan has died and it's a sad day.

Vacation's Over!

I'm back from my visits to Washington, DC and Philadelphia and I had a great time in each city. Returning to my former hometown (well, one of my former hometowns) of Philadelphia was really great. I miss Philly and I think about going back there often. (Now, more than ever since I'm not really a fan of my current home state, Illinois.) I had the chance to see a lot of old friends in Philly and tour the US Mint there (that I never visited when I actually lived there and worked just a few blocks away from the place). I am glad to be home though. After being away for a week, it'll be good to sleep in my own bed again.

Summer's Last Hurrah

I'm taking  a little time off from my day job for one last vacation this summer. I'm in Washington, DC most of this week and since today was a rainy one, I enjoyed some indoor activities including a visit to the DEA Museum in Arlington, Virginia. I found the museum's offerings small, but interesting. You can view a lot of drug paraphernalia and read about the government's efforts to stop the flow of drugs into the United States over the years. The picture below shows the La Santa Muerte Skull Statue that was seized by the DEA during a drug bust. I thought it looked both creepy and fascinating.

Blue Velvet

My latest short story "Blue Velvet" is available for sale now:

When Patrick Holt’s ex-boyfriend Clay Teal asks him to serve as the best man in his wedding to the man he left Patrick for, Patrick initially balks at the request. Even though he and Clay have been on fairly good terms since their breakup, Patrick is still bitter about the way Clay dumped him. But after Patrick’s new boyfriend convinces him that being a part of Clay’s wedding would help to resolve the years of “issues” between the two men, Patrick reluctantly agrees. In the weeks leading up to the big day, Patrick discovers he’s having a very hard time dealing with Clay’s upcoming nuptials. He also finds himself thinking more about his failed relationship with Clay and the events that led to their breakup. And, at the center of it all, is one lovely blue velvet jacket.

Post-Eclipse Disappointment

Well, after seeing people unified around yesterday's eclipse, we're back to back to being angry, divided, annoyed, disappointed, whatever. The skies where I work and live didn't go totally black because I don't live in an area where the eclipse could be seen clearly, but I did still get to see a crescent shape of the moon during my lunch break and that was cool. I didn't have any eclipse glasses, so I just peeked at the sun through the blinds in my office. (I hope my retinas aren't damaged for the rest of my years.) It was nice to see the news diverted from Donny T. for a while (although that didn't last for long). I remember being in school during the last full eclipse back in 1979. Well, I don't actually remember the 1979 eclipse, but I remember making an eclipse-viewer in school with a box. As I watched news reports about this year's eclipse, I saw many reports that showed kids in school doing the same thing. It's hard to believe that 38 years later, kids are still making eclipse viewers with shoe boxes.

I took this picture while I was downtown over the weekend. It has nothing to do with the eclipse, but I figured I'd throw it in anyway because the giant deer looks creepy.

Riverwalk

I paid a visit to downtown Chicago this weekend and took a stroll along the Riverwalk. It's changed a lot since the last time I was in the area. It's a great way to see the river and get some exercise at the same time. The floating art display in the picture below was interesting. It was on a barge in the Chicago River as part of an on-going series. I have no idea who the artist is or what the sculpture is called. I prefer to call it "Two Melting Faces."

Weekly Wrap-Up

Well, one less clown for the car. Donny T's Funky Bunch loses a member. I highly doubt the latest dismissal will change much because the problems start and end with the grifter in charge. As I've watched the on-going outrage following Charlottesville, I have to shake my head at people like Murdoch's son who gets on the bandwagon to condemn white supremacists and the Klan while the company he owns and supports spouts racist and bigoted content every freaking day on Fox News. Give me a break. How about stopping the hate that comes from your own organization and donating some of that blood money to a group that helps racial minorities or LGBT groups, James?

I've heard and read that a huge free speech rally is scheduled to happen tomorrow in Boston. The hate groups should feel right at home there. As someone who was called a nigger during a visit to Boston in the 1990's, there is no love lost between me and that city. While I certainly hope no one is injured or killed at tomorrow's rally, I'm not going to waste my mental energy on worrying about that city and its woes. I've got enough problems to worry about already.

Do I sound angry? I am. It's hard not to be annoyed, angry, disgusted, whatever with the state of the world right now, but I'm trying (really, I am) to read some good news and appreciate when good things happen to good people these days. At least the coming eclipse gives people something else to think and talk about that isn't related to Donny T. or terrorism or hate groups or anything else that's terrible. Yea, eclipse!

Finally, Some Good News

It's hard to find some good news these days, but I read an article on the Huffington Post today that women in federal prisons are now guaranteed feminine hygiene products. You'd think in the United States, it would be a given that incarcerated women would receive the products needed for their menstrual cycles. After all, this isn't some third-world country where women are banished to menstruation huts when that time of the month comes. Unfortunately, women in federal prisons were forced to pay, beg, or whatever to get needed hygiene items each month. But now the Federal Bureau of Prisons has stated that incarcerated women are required to receive free pads and tampons. Hopefully this rule will be enforced in federal prisons around the country. I'm no criminal sympathizer. If you do the crime, you should do the time. However, I do believe in people being treated with dignity. Incarcerated women shouldn't be forced to bleed through their clothing or create DIY maxi pads and tampons. Just as prisoners are given three hots and cot, they should also receive pads and tampons as needed and at no cost.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/federal-prisons-pads-tampons_us_59930a82e4b09096429a16e0?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

Leslie Odom, Jr. at Ravinia

I went to see Leslie Odom, Jr. at Ravinia Park on Sunday, but I didn't actually SEE him. I did HEAR him and he sounded great. Let me explain. I had lawn seats for the event and he performed in a concert hall on the grounds. I thought for sure Ravinia would broadcast the show on the jumbo screens used in the outdoor pavilion, but they didn't. The folks on the lawn had audio only, so we weren't able to see Leslie. What a disappointment! I guess I should have ponied up $90+ to see him in the indoor venue. He did sound great and if he comes to town again, I'll cough up the cash to see him live and in person rather than just hear him live.

In non-Leslie-related news, are people really surprised by Donny T.'s latest bout of diarrhea of the mouth? I'm not. Have people forgotten that this is a man who (with his father) discriminated against blacks in their real estate properties in the 70s and got sued for that? (But since he settled with the government he feels he did nothing wrong. Just because you don't admit guilt doesn't mean you aren't guilty, Donny!) Oh gee, a racist guy defends other racists. Color me shocked!

Welcome to Donny T.'s America!

If you didn't already know how things go down in Donnyland, you sure know it now (courtesy of Charlottesville), don't you? And while Donny complains about Mitch "the Turtle" getting back to work, when is HE going to get to work and do something about this situation? Probably never considering he has white nationalists on his staff and these folks helped to put him in the White House. What a waste of space these people are.

Two Wild and Crazy Guys!

If Donny T. and his Korean counterpart, Coo-Coo Kim, don't get us all nuked, I'm hoping for a relatively quiet weekend. (Two wild and crazy guys indeed!) I'm currently reading Less by Andrew Sean Greer and it's so great, I hate to put it down to actually do, you know, work. Once I finish it, I'll do a blog post about it. I also need to get back to some writing myself. I'm not working on anything right now and I really should be. I get a little antsy when I'm not working on something. Maybe I'll go back to the manuscript I put down last year before I turned my attention to Fluidity. I don't know yet if the manuscript is salvageable, but if I can't save all of it, I'm sure I can save some of it. I think it just needs a different story line.

Later this month, I'm taking a trip to Washington, DC. (No, I will NOT be stopping by the White House to see Donny T. and the Funky Bunch and I wish people would stop asking me if I'm going there when I tell them I'm going to our nation's capital.) I am looking forward to visiting the African American Museum and the Lincoln Monument. I haven't been to DC in many years and every time I go, I see something new. The last time I was there, I was impressed that so many people there seemed to actually dress for work. No business casual stuff for these folks. I guess when you work for the government (or a government-related entity), you can't slouch with khakis and dark jeans. Back in the olden days when I was a secretary, I had to wear business attire. Before my current day job changed their clothing policy (and while I worked in New York), I also paid more attention to (and spent more money on) my work attire. Those days are over now.

Think for Yourself

I read an article on New York Magazine's website today about a blogger who trashed a YA book over perceived racism and bigotry in the book and, as a result, many others have trashed the book also. The book hasn't even come out yet, I should add. I'm all for people giving their two cents on a book. You like what you like, you don't like what you don't like. However, I have a problem with people writing off a book they haven't even read yet. I'm not sure if the blogger in question got an advance copy or what, but I don't understand how the kids (I assume most are kids) who read the blogger's review decided to trash the book based on the views of one person alone. Think for yourself, kids! Don't let some blogger tell you what to read or not to read. Read what you want and form your own opinions! It's so unfortunate that these kids would rather read a blogger's views and take those to heart rather than reading the material in question and deciding for themselves whether they like the work.

Mario, Maria, and Margaritas

As this week draws to a close, I must give praise to three M's that made life bearable for me over the past few days.

1. Mario Cantone. His impression of Anthony Scaramucci in skits on Comedy Central's The President Show has been so wonderful and funny. I hate that the Mooch got canned just because it means no more Mario impersonations. I guess I'll have to placate myself by reading his Twitter feed (that's also very entertaining).

2. Maria Rita. If you love Brazilian music (and if you read my blog, you know I do), do yourself a favor and download, buy, and listen to Maria Rita. Her voice is so beautiful. My current favorite song of hers is "Coração a Batucar." It's just great. I'd love to see her perform live. Come to Chicago, Maria, or be in New York during a time when I'm in town!

3. Margaritas. No explanation necessary.

Cook County Crooks

When I lived in New York and Bloomberg was the mayor, he tried to push a policy that would restrict the size of soft drinks. His policy almost passed, but was, thankfully, stopped at the last minute. Now, here in Cook County, Illinois, a law took effect August 2 that adds a one penny per ounce tax on all sugary beverages (pop, iced tea, etc). Because Cook County is in the fiscal hole yet again (are they ever NOT in the hole?), they had to find a way to scrape up some cash and putting a tax on soda pop is the way they plan to do that. It's bad enough that basic sales tax rates here are sky high (like 10%), but now there's yet another tax placed on the backs of people who can least afford them. After already being forced to pay seven cents per bag at the grocery store if you don't bring your own, now your bottle of Coke will be taxed too. Great. And Illinois politicians wonder why people are leaving the state. You get taxed like crazy here and yet the state remains in a perpetual state of debt. The bills never seem to get paid and you don't seem to get much for your money.

Dog-Napped

I don't often think about committing crimes but, when I do, the one at the top of my list is dog-napping. If I see a cute dog on the street with its owner, I think about grabbing that pooch and making a run for it. (I doubt I'd get far, but still.) When I first moved to Evanston, I used to see a guy walking his beagle and another little white dog. I wanted that beagle but figured if I grabbed him, I'd have to take his fluffy white "brother" also. No, I would never actually steal someone's pet. I'm not a thief and I certainly don't want to go to jail. What are you in for? Stealing a dog. Seriously? I'd just be asking to get shanked in prison with that story. In any case, I can and will wait until I get my own dog, hopefully when I retire or hit the lottery (whichever comes first).

Get Yer Shinebox, Mooch

The ongoing freak show that is Donny T.'s administration has one less freak today. The Mooch is out before he really even got in. (He wasn't scheduled to even officially start his job until next month and today he's out of that job.) Out of all of the clowns in this circus, I have to say I found the Mooch the most amusing. Watching this guy flex and bullshit on a daily basis during his short tenure was hilarious. I also enjoyed watching the wonderfully talented Mario Cantone do his Mooch imitation on Comedy Central's "The President Show." Comedy gold! I was really hoping to see more of Cantone's shtick but, alas, it wasn't meant to be. And where will this dismissal leave our beloved Anthony? Better get your shinebox ready, Mooch.

Tennessee

I'm back from a long weekend in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I have to say, the trip turned out a lot better than I thought it would.  There was a little family drama, but the trip overall was a good one. The Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg areas of Tennessee are lovely. We didn't make it to Dollywood due to bad weather the day we were scheduled to go, but I wasn't exactly crying any tears over that loss. (No offense, Dolly! I love your music!) I did get a chance to see the Smoky Mountains and the Smoky Mountains National Park. I also got to do some go-cart racing while I was there. Great fun and a good time, but I'm glad to be back home. As nice as everyone was in that area, it's not a place I could ever see myself living in. There's a weird vibe there that I can't exactly put into words.

Service Denied

So Donny "Bone Spurs" T. doesn't want "T" people in the armed services. The guy who managed to defer himself out of the armed services now wants to deny others who voluntarily serve their country the right to serve. Unbelievable. Every day it's just more shenanigans with this guy. Do as I say and not as I do is this guy's motto. When will the national joke/nightmare be over? Not soon enough, unfortunately. I dream of the day he and his band of grifters (family members included) are hauled out of the White House in handcuffs. (That day may never come, but I still dream about it.)

The Wasp, My Sister, and My Coleus

I'm currently sharing a place with my sister and, after living alone for many years, it's been a struggle living with someone else. (I really have to evaluate this situation in the next year.) Anyway, this morning, a wasp got into our apartment and my sister went crazy. After breaking out a can of Raid in an effort to disable the insect, some of the spray got on my coleus plant that's placed on the ledge of the kitchen window. (Why she didn't just grab a catalog or magazine from our bag of newspapers, etc. for recycling, I don't know.) Now my coleus plant is in trouble. I've already clipped some of the leaves that had wilted, no doubt, from having Raid sprayed on them. I suspect more leaves will fail also as the days pass. I don't know exactly how much of the plant was sprayed during my sister's freak out (I didn't witness the actual wasp incident) and my sister did try to wash the plant. While I appreciate her attempts to save the plant (and I hope it can be saved), I'm angry over the whole thing and I just would have handled the situation differently. The sad thing is my sister is the one who picked the coleus out for me a few weeks ago and now she'll probably be the person who killed it. Sad. Accidents happen, but when things like this happen, I'm just convinced more and more that I need to live alone again. That way, if I destroy one of my plants (or anything else in my place), then I'll be the only one to blame for it.

Babs

I realized this weekend that I didn't have some of my favorite Barbra Streisand songs on CD so I had to rectify that situation. I could've sworn I had the CD with "Guilty" and "What Kind of Fool" but I didn't so I had to download them. Streisand, in my opinion, is really in peak form on "Guilty." There's so much to love in her voice on that song. I'm preparing for a short trip (one that I'm not at all enthusiastic about taking, by the way) later this week and I'm trying to get my music together for it. I decided to download some soothing Barbra Streisand tunes to get me through four days of what can only be described as a forced family vacation. I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

One More for the Clown Car!

So, Spicey is out of Donny T.'s funky bunch and now we've got the Mooch. (Didn't I see him in Jersey Boys years ago? Great show!) Whatever. One clown out, one clown in. So does this mean no more Melissa McCarthy Spicey skits on SNL? That has me more bummed than anything. I don't feel sorry for Spicey at all. He can go pound sand with the other followers of Don the Con. As I've said before, when you dance with the devil, expect to have your feet stepped on.

$12 a Year? What a Bargain!

So Donny T. told the "failing" NY Times that health insurance can be purchased for as low as $12 per year for a healthy 20-something-year-old. In what country can this fabulous rate be had, Donny, because it sure isn't available the US of A. I'm sure many 20-somethings would love to have a healthcare plan that cost $1 a month. Clearly, Donny's been watching too many life insurance commercials that tout plans that cost less than $1 a day. (That's what happens when you watch too much TV and you don't know what the hell you're talking about.) A basic understanding of health insurance doesn't seem like something that's complicated to understand but clearly it's beyond Donny's comprehension. Does he ever read up on anything? And, if he doesn't, isn't there someone at the White House who can explain these things to him?

As anyone with half a brain knows, health insurance in this country is not cheap. I'm grateful to have a plan through my employer, but I've been without insurance also and trying to get medical care when you don't have insurance is difficult and expensive. And, as I get older, I worry more and more about being uninsured. Maybe you can skate by with no plan when you're young and healthy, but even the young and healthy could have an accident and end up owing thousands in medical bills without a decent healthcare plan. Hell, I have health insurance and still ended up paying thousands of dollars for an outpatient procedure earlier this year. But that amount would have been substantially worse if I hadn't had insurance.

Mars Cheese Castle

During our drive back from Wisconsin over the weekend, my sister suggested that we stop at the Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha and we did. What a great place! Aside from the wide assortment of cheeses there, you can also buy beer and wine, snacks, and other assorted goods. I spent nearly $50 there and was amazed at how the low the taxes were on my purchases. No crazy liquor taxes and taxes for nearly every freaking thing like we have here in Illinois. I'll definitely stop by the Cheese Castle the next time I go to Wisconsin.

Dollar Deal - July 17

My book Fluidity will be on sale for $1 on July 17 via the JMS website for their Dollar Deal promotion. Click on the book link in the sidebar on July 17 to take advantage of this deal!

Kenny Loggins/Michael McDonald

I went to see Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald in concert in Wisconsin last night. I had just seen Michael McDonald a few weeks ago here in Illinois, but I'd never seen Kenny Loggins before so I was glad to have the opportunity to see them both. The shows were good, but the crowd got more and more inebriated as the evening went on, so my sister and I bailed early ended to avoid having to drive out of the venue with a bunch of drunkards. Seriously, some folks just can't handle their liquor.

Hotel for the Win!

I read a story recently about a woman who was staying at an Airbnb location in Amsterdam and she ended up getting tossed down a flight of stairs because she didn't get out at the agreed upon time. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'd never stay at an Airbnb. I don't want to stay in some stranger's house. I'd rather pay more money and stay in a hotel that actually caters to guests. If you overstay your checkout time at a hotel, they'll just charge you for that. No assault necessary! I don't understand how people can go and stay in a stranger's house, sleep in that stranger's bed, and live with that stranger's things. You could be staying in a serial killer's home and end up drugged and in the basement of that home being told to put lotion on your skin (or you'll get the hose again). At least at a hotel, you expect some levels of cleanliness. Hotels have standards. Sometimes they fail at these standards, but they generally want guests to be happy so they'll come back and stay again. I have never understood the appeal of Airbnb. I also don't understand the appeal of youth hostels. (Shared bathrooms? Bunk beds? No thank you.)

Hire a Clown, Expect a Circus

More fallout from Donny T. and the Funky Bunch, this time courtesy of Little Donny. What amazes me is that Donny T et al. feel they're above the law. They can do what they want and explain their way out of it. They've done nothing wrong and the rules don't apply to them. Rules are for other people. Yeah, right. When you hire a clown, expect a circus!

In other non-Donny-related news, I listened to an interesting podcast with Bret Easton Ellis and Andrew McCarthy last night. (It wasn't new, but it was new to me!) Hearing the backstory behind the film version of Ellis's book Less Than Zero was fascinating to me. I read the book and saw the movie way back when. It was also interesting to hear Ellis talk about meeting McCarthy for the first time at a reading at the Barnes and Noble store in Union Square back in 2010. I was actually in the audience during that meeting. I had no idea Andrew McCarthy had been an alcoholic. Ellis is a very good interviewer and I appreciated that he actually let his guest talk without interrupting him every few minutes. Ellis also talked quite a bit himself, but it's his podcast, so that's to be expected. Besides, he had some interesting things to say about book publishing in the 1980s and the movie industry. I'll have to check out his podcasts more often.

No Wonder

I was out and about yesterday doing the boring things I tend to do on the weekend (buying groceries and other stuff), I realized why so many people prefer to shop online. Shopping at stores is a hassle. First, during a stop for groceries, the kid who was bagging my items couldn't do the job right and I ended up with a bag full of baked chicken grease because the container had come off partially. The bagger, for some reason, either hadn't noticed this or didn't care and just stuffed the half-open container into my bag (because in Evanston, BYOB [bring your own bag] is encouraged). So then I spent about ten minutes cleaning chicken grease off of everything in my reusable bag (that had to be washed after this) and repacking my groceries. People don't know how to bag groceries anymore. They just throw everything in. There's an art to grocery packing. I used to be a cashier at A&P when I was in college. I know how to pack groceries. I need to just insist on packing my own stuff from now on. Thanks for nothing, Jewel-Osco bag boy.

After the grocery store/chicken mishap, I went to a store to buy shorts and ended up stuck in line behind a guy who wrote a check for $1.09. Who writes a check for anything other than bills anymore??? Uh, no one...but this guy. If you don't have $1.09 in your pocket in cash, you shouldn't be leaving the house. No wonder so many retail stores (including the one I was in yesterday) are failing and people are shopping online. At least when you're at home buying stuff, you don't have to wait in line behind some jackal writing a check for $1.09. Before the guy wrote his check, he argued with the cashier about some "points" he had and how he thought he had enough to cover the cost of his purchase ($1.09) but the cashier told him he didn't and, after that, the check came out. Frustrating! I should have just offered to pay the $1.09 myself since I actually had cash on me. Cash is still accepted in exchanged for goods and services, folks.

Did Someone Phone the Guv'nor?

So it seems that finally, after three years, the State of Illinois will have a budget again. The governor, who vetoed the budget, has been overruled so now I think it's full speed ahead. Hopefully the social service agencies in dire need of funding will receive those funds. Also, I'm looking forward to the return of the Mega Millions and Powerball lottery games. If I won either, my first course of action after getting my loot would be to buy some property anywhere BUT Illinois.

While I'm glad to see a deal is being put in place, that doesn't negate the fact that it's a shitty deal that doesn't solve the lack of funds needed to cover the pension deficit. Illinois will never get true reform until the cronies from both parties who run things around here are tossed out and some new people who don't live and die by the political machine are allowed to make some substantial changes. I'm sure that won't happen in my lifetime.

Independence Day

I certainly hope everyone who has the day off this 4th of July is enjoying that time off. I certainly am. My day job also gave us the third of July off, so it's been nice having a four-day weekend. The weather has also been decent here in the Chicago area, so I've been able to get outside. Unfortunately, tomorrow I'll be back on the grind, but I'm trying not to dwell on that right now.

This Independence Day has me thinking a lot about what the holiday means, especially when I think about the current local and federal governments. Oy! I love my country even though sometimes it doesn't love me back. Still, I'd rather live here, faults and all, than somewhere else where the freedoms and liberties we often take for granted aren't available to most or some people.

Ill-inois

So, for the third year running, Illinois legislators have failed to pass a budget and, as a result, the state has lost both the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery games. (You have to be in it to win it and since we can't pay our bills due to the lack of a budget, we're out of it!) More important than the loss of two popular lottery games are the lack of funds needed for construction projects, social services, and educational programs. The government legislators across both parties and the governor are both pathetic and ridiculous. They'd rather jeopardize the financial status of the state and its citizens rather than work together to find a way to deal with the mess before them. Now I know decades of corruption and foolishness have led to the current problems, but the only path moving forward is to make some hard decisions and try to get this state back on track. I believe the state is headed for "junk" status per the financial ratings systems. That's sad, but the truth hurts. Perhaps Illinois needs to hit rock bottom before it can start to climb out of the hole.

In other news, I visited Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood and the campus of the University of Chicago yesterday. Great architecture.

No Winners Here Yet Again

As much as I hate to admit it, I've been watching and reading about Donny T.'s latest Twitter feud, this time with Morning Joe hosts Joe and Mika. While the whole thing is pathetic and Donny really needs to man up and stop acting like a crying baby every time someone says something about him that he doesn't like, Joe and Mika are full of it also. They, along with many others in the media, helped to create the monster that is Donny T. They liked him until they didn't, so I have little sympathy for either of them. I catch some of Morning Joe before I go to work and I remember watching the hosts kiss Donny's behind and practically crawl up his snatch (yes, I'm saying he has a snatch) on a weekly basis. And now that they've had an apparent change of heart about the man they propped up during the election, I can't totally get on board with their outrage. When you dance with the devil, expect to have your feet stepped on. Again, there are no winners here. (By the way, are we winning yet? No? I didn't think so.)

Boz Scaggs/Michael McDonald

I went to see Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald in concert last night at Ravinia Park in Highland Park, IL last night and the show was good. I thought Boz did a better job than MM, but both guys put on a good show. Boz performed many of his hits (Jojo, Look What You've Done to Me, Lowdown) and some tunes I wasn't familiar with. (My only complaint was that he didn't perform Miss Sun, one of my favorite Boz Scaggs songs, but that's okay.) Michael McDonald did a lot of new stuff, some good, some just okay, and a few oldies also (Sweet Freedom, Minute by Minute, What a Fool Believes). His voice was not great on all of the tunes, particularly some of the oldies, but I commend him and Boz for getting out and touring at their age.

Ravinia is a great place to see an outside show (weather permitting) and the weather was great last night for the concert. Of the few shows I've seen there, I've been fortunate to have good weather while I sat on the lawn. My pictures from the show came out poorly, so I'm not posting any. I've posted a nice photo of the trees from the lawn instead.