Post-Christmas Greetings

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and, if you're still on vacation, I hope you're enjoying the additional time off. I, unfortunately, am back to the grind, but I did have a few days off to enjoy the strangely warm weather we've been having around Chicago. Winter took a break this week and it's been quite nice, but we all know it's coming back.

I've been reading a lot lately about how bad the Cats movie is. I don't even understand who thought a movie version of Cats would be a good idea. The play is one thing, but a movie version just seems odd. Who is the audience for this? No one, apparently, given the lousy box office receipts and bad reviews. Speaking of movies, I saw Uncut Gems yesterday. Oy vey! I don't know what to make of it. Adam Sandler was good, but the movie was kind of a mess. A lot yelling, cursing, and thuggery. It wasn't my kind of movie, but it's been getting good reviews and the theater was packed when I saw it yesterday, so there is an audience out there for it.

And, speaking of audiences, there's been a lot of chatter on the internet about the Hallmark channel and their holiday movies and their censorship of commercials with gay characters (yet they claim they're open to having movies on their channel with gay characters--yeah, right). Although I don't watch the Hallmark channel, my stepmother and one of my cousins are huge fans. Why, I don't know. I guess they like the romance and escapism of their made-for-TV movies. There's something for everyone, I guess. I'd love to see them try to do a gay romance. That I would watch (hate watch) so I could complain about it later.

Kensington on the Come Up!

My old Brooklyn neighborhood and my old apartment building were featured in the real estate section of the NY Times this week. The broker I used is also featured. I couldn't believe how much the rent has increased in my old building since I left six years ago. (The couple hunting for a place didn't end up in my old building, unfortunately, because it really was a great building.) I always tell people that I couldn't afford to go back to Kensington if I wanted to and, clearly, I was right! The place is out of my price range now.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/19/realestate/19hunt-hively.html

Distractions!

I have to find things to distract myself from Donny T's White House shenanigans so I turn to Netflix, books, writing, whatever! You can find ways to work block out our government mess. This week, I've been reading a lot about The Mandalorian, particularly the adorable Baby Yoda. I don't even have the Disney + streaming service so I haven't seen the show and I'm also not a Star Wars fan, but I have seen clips of the show online and read about it. It sounds interesting. The Baby Yoda character (who is not called Baby Yoda in the show), seems intent on protecting the Mandalorian and vice versa. With all of the recaps available online, I can find out what happened each week and, more importantly, find out what Baby Yoda did.

Another distraction this week was finishing Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. (You can read my review on Goodreads.) I wanted to like this book more than I did. At first, I was totally into it, and then it just went on and I found the characters to be really juvenile. But, in fairness to the author, I realize I'm not the demographic for this. It really was written for a younger audience who would probably appreciate a lot of the things that annoyed me (the pop culture references, the texting, the emails). One thing that the main character Alex kept saying was that he was "bisexual." As Datalounge posters would say, "Sure, Jan." Bisexual means you're with/attracted to men and women, yet you never saw Alex with any women or read about his experiences with women. So, where's the "bi" in that "bisexual"? Dude, come on.

My other distraction was to overhaul the story I've been working on, thinking about, and failing to write by changing the plot slightly and making the narration third-person rather than my usual first-person. I haven't written anything with third-person narration in quite some time so it's time to give it a whirl again. I think it's necessary for what I'm working on now since I'll have two points of view and I didn't want to have to keep switching between chapters from each character. I really hope to get a lot of work done over the holidays since I'll have some time off from my day job.

WTF?

Two things made me go WTF this past weekend. One was a book and the other was a movie. Let's explore!

The WTF book I read was Find Me by Andre Aciman, the supposed sequel to Call Me By Your Name (CMBYN) except that it wasn't. (NOTE: Spoilers ahead so don't keep reading if you don't want to know!) I had to read more than 100 pages of some old guy (Elio's father) having a fling with a much younger woman he meets on a train. What does this have to do with Elio and Oliver? Nothing. And when we do finally get to Part 2 when Elio's point of view is presented, he's being wooed by a guy twice his age and he's in his early 30's. So he's doing a sixty-something-year-old? Really? Okay. Then Part 3 brings us to Oliver who's in his 40's now and depressed as he thinks about people he'd like to sleep with who are attending a dinner party with him. Then, finally, in Part 4 we get Elio and Oliver back together. I can't figure out what Aciman was thinking when he wrote this. Did he really think the audience for CMBYN wanted to read about the kid's father for more than 100 pages?? WTF was that? What a way to lose an audience. I didn't love CMBYN (the book) because Elio annoyed me, but I did like the movie mainly because Timothee Chalamet made Elio so sympathetic and he and Armie worked well together. I really wish the sequel had been better and I hope they don't make a movie version of it. I think this franchise is done. (Thanks, Skokie Library!)

My second WTF came after viewing the movie Midsommar (aka The Wicker Man, Take Three). What a hot mess this was. Swedish cults, weird sex, animal slaughters, and the ritual burning. (Hi, Wicker Man!) I couldn't figure out why the lone black guy was there. Wouldn't his Spidey sense tell him not to get involved in this kind of scene or, after he'd become involved, wouldn't it advise him to GTFO of there? Come on, man! When this movie came out at the theater, I avoided it because I found it was from the same guy who'd given us the awful horror movie Hereditary, that I did see at the theater. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me and that shame wasn't happening the second time around. Not with this guy. Alas, I watched the film via Netflix. Two hours wasted. It was beautifully shot apparently in Hungary, not Sweden.

Problems and More Problems

When it rains, it really does pour! I've had nothing but problems for the past month. My right leg had been giving me problems and now it's a full-blown issue. I can barely climb or descend a flight of stairs. Is it arthritis? A muscle issue? Bursitis? The verdict is still out and more testing to come. I love to walk and now my gait has been hobbled. I've been walking like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz and that's not good. Oy! Then, on top of that, my temporary crown came out. Personally, I think my dental appointments were spaced far too long apart and I'm surprised the temporary crown lasted as long as it did. If you get a temporary crown, it really should be replaced in a week or two at the most not three to four weeks. And of course the crown came out when the dental office is closed. (Why couldn't this have happened at noon when I could get dental help???) I complain, but I am grateful to have medical and dental insurance so I can get these problems (hopefully) taken care of. So many people don't have the luxury of getting the health or dental care they need when they need it. Still, getting older is no joke. The hits just keep coming.

Post-Thanksgiving Greetings

I hope everyone has had a restful, enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday (those who celebrate). I've been off from my day job since last Wednesday and took a quick road trip to the D (that's Detroit) for the weekend. I'm back now, but had a great time. It's always nice to see family and have some good food. I miss Michigan and whenever I go back to visit lately, I feel that more and more. However, I'm not looking to move back there. Sorry, not sorry! I love Michigan, but I think I'm done living in the mitten state. Once I left the last time (more than 15 years ago), I kind of knew I wasn't going back there to live. Too much family drama and too much familiarity. Also, I just needed a change of scenery. I don't love Illinois, but it's my home for now. I don't want to die here, but I'm here for the foreseeable future.

Weekend News

So Bloomie is officially in the race for POTUS. Interesting. I'm curious to see how this plays out but I think we need less candidates on the Democratic side rather than more right now. I'd like to see some folks drop out (and they know who they are). I'm tired of these 10+ person debates. The field needs to be narrowed significantly so we can channel our efforts into a few candidates. I really hate that states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina are first states to push their presidential choices forward. Iowa and New Hampshire are not representative of the country which is why you see Buttigieg leading the pack in those states. And South Carolina? Ugh. I have my own issues with that state and don't want those folks deciding anything based on my personal prejudices against the state and its citizens.

In other weekend news, I saw two movies over the weekend: The Good Liar and Knives Out. The Good Liar was...good! Helen Mirren is great in pretty much anything. The plot was interesting and I kind of want to read the book version now to see how it matched up with the movie version. Knives Out was good also, but a wee bit too long. There were a few too many scenes of people being interrogated that made the film drag in parts. And Daniel Craig's awful Southern accent was no bueno, but I did enjoy seeing Chris Evans in his battered sweaters. (It took far too long for him to appear on screen also.) The early preview for Knives Out that I went to last night was packed. Clearly, people are interested in seeing the movie and I'm sure it'll make a ton of money over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Recommendations

My doctor asked me today to recommend a book for her to read. I first had to ask her what kind of books she liked and she gave me a wide range. It's always hard for me to recommend books or movies to people particularly people I don't know very well. I know what I like and I have no problem telling others about books that I liked, but I  also know what I like isn't necessarily what someone else would like. For example, I talked about how much I liked the series House of Flowers at work and one of my co-workers later told me she couldn't get through the first episode. Now I never would have recommended this show to her because she's extremely conservative. (She tries to hide it, but she doesn't try too hard.) Hence, House of Flowers with its gay sibling, transgender ex, and drag queens would not have been up this lady's alley. (No pun intended.) What I would recommend to her would be the series Grantchester that I've been watching lately about a British vicar who likes jazz, cigarettes, women, and booze. My co-worker may still have a problem with this, but I think she'd be more open to it since it takes place in the 1950's and, despite the jazz, booze, ciggies, and women, is still straight-laced enough for her to probably handle.

But back to the doctor. Based on what she told me about the kind of books she likes to read and based on my limited encounters with her, I recommended A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne, one of the best books I read this year. I enjoyed it. The main character was thoroughly evil, but that made for a great narrator, in my opinion. It's not a perfect book, but it's a good one. I did warn the doctor about the main character's evil tendencies because I realize the character could turn a lot of people off.

Bloomie?

So former NY mayor Michael Bloomberg is considering getting into the presidential race? I'm not surprised. I lived in NY during Bloomberg's illegal third term, so I'm familiar with his thirst for power. When I lived in Brooklyn under Bloomberg, I didn't think he was the worst mayor, but wasn't the greatest either. I remember when he was trying to ban big soda drinks. Really, Mike? I think the city had more pressing issues to deal with, yet he spent so much energy on trying to ban Big Gulps. Ridiculous. I also remember the snow storm that shut down the city subways and how Bloomie was at his home in Bermuda at the time. City officials tried to cover it up, but everyone knew where the mayor was. When he finally got back to town, he tells people to go out and see a Broadway show because the city was open for business. How are we supposed to get to the theater if the subways are shut down, Mike? I guess he assumed everyone (including the Broadway performers and theater crew) could either walk to the theater or get a hired car to take them to work so the show could go on. The guy was just tone-deaf on a lot of things. Stop and frisk? The people who usually advocate the loudest for stop and frisk aren't the people who'd actually BE stopped and frisked. Still, Bloomberg did help New York to thrive and it's expensive as hell now, but there's a lot of money there and he helped to bring a lot of that money into the city. And, if he ends up being the Democratic nominee, I'd vote for him. Dealing with him in office would be a million times better than the current POTUS.

Post-Halloween Greetings

Happy Post-Halloween greetings. My day job sent me to New York again this week for a quick visit and I was there Halloween. The weather was amazing. I was out walking around with no coat, no jacket, and only an umbrella Halloween night because it was so warm (unlike back here in Chicago where it snowed on Halloween).  I didn't make it to the parade (because I don't do crowds), but I saw a lot of people in costume during my evening walk around Union Square. 

During my flight back, I had an aisle seat and when I boarded, there was a guy in the middle seat and his girlfriend had the window seat. He told me, "We already went to the bathroom so we won't have to bother you to get up during the flight so we can go." Okay. I thanked him for letting me know. 😄

TMI, kids.

I've Seen This Movie Before

I saw Joker this weekend and while it was droning on for two hours, all I could think was that I've seen this movie before and it was called The King of Comedy. Until the Joker embraced his joker-ness in the last half hour of the film, all I got was a lot of maniacal laughing, smoking, and witnessing someone mentally break down. Now if that's entertaining for you, Joker is your movie. It wasn't for me. I do think the outrage over the violence in the film was uncalled for. I've seen more people killed on TV cop shows. In fact, I saw more people killed in a trailer for the next Terminator movie than I saw killed in Joker. Let me also say that I haven't seen a Batman movie since Michael Keaton was the caped crusader so I'm not exactly the demographic for this kind of movie, but when I saw the trailer, I wanted to see the film. I just wish it had been better. (Nice shots of the Bronx though and I did enjoy Joaquin's dance sequences.)

Helping or Hurting?

I watched a man take a picture of a guy who was sleeping on the purple line of the L this morning. I assumed (as I'm sure the picture taker did) that the sleeping guy was homeless. He had his backpack and was stretched out across two seats. The guy who took the sleeping guy's picture on his phone then proceeded to text it to someone. The guy was sitting next to me so I witnessed the whole thing. I didn't see what he texted (I didn't want to be too obvious) but I assume he was making some derogatory comment about the sleeping guy. Then again, maybe he was texting a friend to say, "No one should have to sleep on the train like this! It's an outrage that there are so many homeless people on the streets!" But the cynic in me doubts this guy had any sympathy for the homeless guy.

Now I have my own issues with the homeless panhandling and stinking up the train cars and sleeping across multiple seats on the L. However, I would never take a picture of a homeless person to make fun of him/her. That's just mean and cruel. The thing that killed me about the guy taking the picture this morning was that he smelled like he'd crawled out of a bottle. Yeah, at 7:00 AM that dude smelled like he'd been drinking all night. He looked clean, ready for work, etc., but your pores don't lie! If you drink like a fish, that alcohol seeps out of you even after you've showered. I've smelled it before and I smelled it again today. Maybe the photographer had a drinking problem. Who was he to judge someone else who fell on hard times? He should try getting some help for himself and stop taking pictures of strangers on the train.

More Ridiculousness

In this week's tale of ridiculousness, California's power company PG&E decided to cut power for a huge amount of people to avoid forest fires. And what are people supposed to do instead? Light candles? Yeah, that will help to avoid fires. What a terrible business decision and this is something you know wouldn't happen in a place like New York or Los Angeles. Can you imagine power being cut in New York because Con Ed ordered it? No subways. No lights. No nothing. Yeah, I can't see it either. The powers that be wouldn't allow it to happen.

In more ridiculousness, I keep reading about people lamenting Shepard Smith's departure from Fox News. Cry me a river. This guy stayed with that network for many years and made a lot of money from Fox and its foolishness, lies, and sheer ridiculousness, yet I'm supposed to be upset that he left (or was pushed out) of his job? Please. The same goes for those blondes (Kelly and Carlson) who filed lawsuits against the company. How long did they suckle on the Fox teat before finally growing a spine? Too long. The same goes for the folks at NBC who covered up for Matt Lauer and Lauer himself. F all these folks. Don't tell me no one knew what was going on there. I'd have more respect for people who were honest and said they didn't speak up because they needed their own jobs and feared retaliation.

The Politician

I watched the first episode of Ryan Murphy's Netflix series "The Politician" over the weekend and now I'm hooked! Six more episodes to go! The main thing I'm enjoying is the relationship between Payton and River. There's so much going on there. I wish the show focused primarily on that, but I'm sure they wouldn't be able to squeeze eight episodes out of their relationship alone. (I'm not that enthusiastic about the other plot involving Infinity's illness and her crazy "Nana.") The actor playing River (David Corenswet) looks like a young Rupert Everett (way before he went crazy with the plastic surgery). He's adorable and very good with Ben Platt. Even though I can't stand watching Goop, I have enjoyed the scenes involving her and her awful twin sons on the show. Those guys are great. You get a double dose of douche!

I don't always gel with Murphy's stuff. I only made it through two seasons of American Horror Story (the first one, that I thought was the best, and the one involving the 2016 election that started good, but fizzled out). I couldn't get through the first season of "Pose" either. It just wasn't working for me. (Sorry, Billy Porter!)

Big Mouth Strikes Again

In the latest hot mess orchestrated by Donny T. and the Funky Bunch, Donny shoots off his big mouth (again) and says something he shouldn't have and wants to blame others for exposing the stupid stuff he said. The words came out of his big mouth, yet he's angry because someone told on him. This guy is such a disaster. He wants to be the Godfather of politics, I guess. It's amazing that we have a POTUS who truly doesn't understand (or care to understand) how our government works. This isn't a dictatorship. This is a democracy. Do you know what that means, Donny? Can you even spell democracy? (Probably not.) 

I saw the documentary Where's My Roy Cohn last weekend and found it very interesting. Cohn really did lay the groundwork for the behavior that we see exhibited by Donny. Deny everything. Never admit guilt. Blame someone else. Wash, rinse, repeat. Cohn was a person who hated himself and, therefore, was hateful towards others. And, when he was near death, the people he defended (including Donny) weren't there for him. They abandoned him. But you reap what you sow. 

A/An

What is going on with people no longer using "an" before a vowel (or a word that starts with a vowel sound)? I just heard a news caster say something was "a unprecedented" whatever. Shouldn't that be "an unprecedented" whatever? I hear "a" being used when "an" should be used more and more. This former English major finds the trend annoying. It's bad enough that people can't write or spell very well anymore, but spoken language is also biting the dust, apparently. Oy!

In other news, I went to NY earlier this week for my day job. (No pictures this time!) The trip was short and not sweet. The last few times I've been to NY, I've been disturbed by the homeless situation. It seems to get worse each time I visit. During this week's visit, I walked past the huge post office on 8th Avenue near Penn Station about dusk one night and noticed many homeless folks getting ready to bunk down for the night on the stairs. I noticed a lot of young people on the streets during this visit also and more than a few of them looked like they were on drugs (and they probably were). It's a sad situation and I hope something is done to help these folks and get them off the street.

RIP, Eddie Money

I was sad to hear about Eddie Money's passing this weekend. I knew he had been ill, but the news still surprised me. I figured he had a little longer to hang around. It's time to break out my greatest hits CD The Sound of Money in tribute. I did a blog post some time ago where I said "Baby, Hold On to Me" is a great song and would make a great book title. If I ever write something where this title would actually work, I'd use it in a heartbeat. RIP, Eddie.

Prada? Nada!

I've been wearing glasses since the third grade. My parents both wore glasses so it was inevitable that their children would be visually challenged also. I'm comfortable wearing glasses. What I'm not comfortable is paying so much for them. It's not the actual frames that are all that expensive, it's the lenses. Because I'm now wearing progressive bifocals, I pay an arm and a leg for them. No lines, thin sized, scratch-coating...these things are expensive! I went to have my eyes examined this past weekend and was told I might end up with cataracts. (Great.) But when I went to pick out a new pair of frames for myself after the eye exam, the employee helping me unlocked a display case that held Prada frames. I told her she could lock that case back up because I can't afford Prada glasses. Prada glasses are for people who don't need progressive, no line, thin sized, scratch-coated lenses. Prada glasses are for people who don't need lenses that cost more than your frames. Prada glasses are not for those seriously visually challenged like myself. Prada? Nada!

Labor Day Greetings

The unofficial end of summer is here with the arrival of Labor Day. Fall is coming and winter will follow. But, for now, I hope you're able to enjoy a day off if you get one and relax. I went to see Steely Dan at Ravinia Park last night. The show was good, but not great. Donald Fagen and the band sounded great, but he didn't do a lot of songs I wanted to hear, so that's why I was a little disappointed. He did do "I Got the News" and that was unexpected. Of course he did the hits "Peg" and "Reelin' in the Years" and "My Old School" in addition to "Sign in Stranger" and "Third World Man" and "The Goodbye Look" from his solo album The Nightfly. (I would have liked to have heard "IGY" or "Green Flower Street" myself.) But we can't always get what we want, can we?

Ravinia Park is a great place to see a show, but you have to deal with people drinking for 5+ hours on the lawn. People can bring their own alcohol (and they do) so there's no one to regulate how much they drink. Riding home on the train last night with man of these multi-hour drinkers was a challenge. If you enjoy seeing middle-aged people sloppy drunk, then the Metra train from Ravinia after a Steely Dan show is the train for you!

Happy Labor Day!

Yikes!

As Labor Day weekend approaches and the kids are headed back to school, I realize summer is almost over. Unfortunately, here in the Chicago area, we got summer about a month late since May and June were washouts due to rain and cool weather. We did rebound in July and August, so no complaints there. I can already see the days are getting shorter and, before we know it, we'll be digging our heavy jackets, coats, and sweaters out of the closet. Yikes! I keep seeing Christmas stuff advertised on various shopping channels and Halloween candy was out in stores last month (seriously). I'm surprised I haven't seen any Thanksgiving stuff out yet. I'm not ready for fall and winter yet, but they're coming whether I'm ready or not.

In other news, I saw Sting perform over the weekend at Ravinia and he did a great show. He performed a number of fan favorites like "Everything She Does Is Magic" and "Roxanne" and "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You." I was surprised he did "King of Pain." I wanted to hear it, but I didn't think he'd do it. If he would've done "Can't Stand Losing You" I would have been really bowled over (but he didn't). He can't sing all the songs we each want to hear! I'll be seeing Steely Dan this coming weekend minus the late, great Walter Becker. I did have the chance to see The Dan with Fagen and Becker many moons ago, so I'm okay with seeing just Donald Fagen hold it down solo this weekend. I'll report on what songs he performed during the show. I doubt I'll hear obscure songs like "Through with Buzz" (a classic!) but I'm hoping for "Black Cow" and "Bad Sneakers" and "Everyone's Gone to the Movies" and "Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More" (a personal favorite).

Drivin' like a fool out to Hackensack
Drinkin' his dinner from a paper sack
He said, "I've got to see a joker and I'll be right back."

Positive Reinforcement

I overheard a guy on the L tell his friend that he needed "positive reinforcement" each day on the job. Yeah, don't we all, kid. Good luck finding a job where you can actually get that on a daily basis. I'd be glad for positive reinforcement bi-weekly or even monthly!

In other news, thank God for You Tube. What did we do before You Tube when we had minor home repairs and needed someone to show us how to do things? We (A) tried to do the work ourselves with no instruction, (B) called and tried to find someone handy to do the work, (C) went to the library and tried to find a book that showed how to do the work, or (D) never fixed the problem and let things fall into disrepair. Thankfully now we have You Tube videos to show us how to do pretty much anything. Case in point: I had a mishap in my bathroom this weekend and needed to re-caulk the soap holder in my shower. Did I know how to do this myself? Uh, no, but I was able to find a handy You Tube video that showed me how to do it. Thanks, You Tube! For those, like myself, who aren't handy around the house or have family or friends who are handy and available, You Tube is extremely helpful.

Walk With Your Wallet

Last week, I read a number of articles about people canceling their Equinox memberships and Soul Cycle classes due to one of the investors' political ties with Donny T. I was also told by someone not to wear New Balance gym shoes or shop at Home Depot because the ownership of those companies are right-wingers who support Donny. I firmly believe in walking with your wallet meaning making a political statement with the way you spend your money. If I don't like the way a company is handling its business, then they will lose my business. I also understand that you have to be realistic about boycotting. Most of us will probably never stop using products or services from a company whose leadership gives to political parties and causes we disagree with, but we can do our small part to try and spend our money with businesses and organizations whose views we do support. There's a Jewel grocery store in the city where I live that seems to overrun lately with panhandlers. You have to walk through a gauntlet of panhandlers just to get in and out of the store these days and I'm tired of it. I'm about ready to walk with my wallet and take by business elsewhere because I'm tired of being asked for money every time I visit the store. I understand there's a homeless problem in and around Chicago, but does that mean I should get asked for money by 3-5 people when I'm just trying to buy some frozen waffles? It's annoying. I don't give money to panhandlers. I give to the Chicago Food Depository instead or support Chicago Cares. Give to the churches and synagogues that provide free meals to those in need rather than some dude hitting you up for change outside of the grocery store.

RIP Toni Morrison

I was shocked and saddened to hear about Toni's Morrison's death this week. She was such a great writer and a literary tour de force. She will be missed. I hate that I never had the opportunity to see her in person, but I did enjoy many of her books. I recently re-read her novel Paradise to try and gain a better understanding of it because I felt I didn't get a lot of it when I read it the first time many years ago. RIP, Ms. Morrison.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Between the El Paso and Dayton shootings, you'd think the only thing going on in the US right now is one mass shooting after another. I didn't even know about the Dayton incident until I was at the Y later this morning. I hadn't seen the news or read any news on my phone until then. Sad. I find it interesting that when some white nationalist shoots up a bunch of folks, he's considered "sick" but when a minority does it, he's called an "animal." But that's what happens when you have a POTUS such as Donny T. (who spent most of his day on the links) who publicly states that there are good people "on both sides" when referring to people who are human garbage. Scratch that. These aren't people. They're animals! Lock THEM up!

Worth the Money?

I have Netflix streaming and a Netflix DVD subscription (that I've had for years when there was no streaming available). When I signed up for the streaming service, I rarely even used it until maybe about a year ago. But, for me, the shows and movies available with the streaming service don't seem worth the money.  I understand Netflix is trying to build its base by creating its own shows and not having to rely on purchasing the rights for network shows. However, the majority of the shows and movies offered just don't seem worth it to me. I'll start watching something and then abandon it because it wasn't holding my interest. Plus, there's not enough international content. I still have to rely on the DVD service to see a lot of things that aren't available through streaming (and the DVD content isn't great either). When I read recently that Netflix lost subscribers, I can't say I was surprised. I'm thinking about cutting the cord myself on at least one of their services (and it would probably be the streaming).

I also bailed on several shows I tried to watch when I had HBO for free (because I refuse to pay for HBO). I bailed on Game of Thrones (not my cup of tea), Euphoria (drug-addicted teens? Hard pass on that one), Chernobyl (I fell asleep during episode one and woke up to episode two), Big Little Lies (suburban moms? Hard pass again), Insecure (couldn't get into it), and Succession (didn't care for it). I watched (or tried to watch) the first episode of each of these shows and had no desire to watch any additional episodes. I did fast forward through a few episodes of Girls, but only ones with Andrew Rannells in them because Lena Dunham and that crew make my neck hurt. But it's not all gloom and doom from me for HBO. I love Curb Your Enthusiasm and I've seen every episode of that show, but only via DVD or during a free HBO weekend. Larry David is a genius!

One thing I do like about streaming services and On Demand is that you're allowed to pick what you want to see and that's great. Eventually, cable in its current form will go extinct and an a la carte service will be the norm. I just hope by then that the offerings are better than what we have now.

The Playlist

My new short story, “The Playlist,” will be published July 27. “The Playlist” is the story of Chicago ophthalmologist Patrick Holt and his partner, marketing manager, Clayton Teal. Patrick wants to move to the suburbs, but Clay doesn’t. The two men, who share a condo together in the city, are having a hard time coming to an agreement about their future living arrangements. An argument ensues and Clay storms out of their home and heads to the gym to burn off steam. While he’s running on the treadmill, he listens to a playlist Patrick recently made for him. The playlist contains nine songs and each one reminds Clay of times, both happy and sad, that he and Patrick shared over the years.

The characters in “The Playlist” also appear in the author’s novel, Baggage, and the short stories “Three Cakes” and “Blue Velvet,” all available from JMS Books.

Dumb Donny Strikes Again!

After spending a rather laid-back week in California (shout out to the great folks of La Jolla!), I had to come back to reality and back to more foolishness from dumb Donny T. Go back to where you came from? Uh....Michigan? Detroit?  Pressley really should have come back on him hard. If it had been me, I would've gone with, "My parents, my grandparents, their parents are all from the United States. You can't say that. I'm more American than you are!" I'm so tired of him and his bullshit and I wish someone would call him out as the human garbage that he is. And I'm tired of people claiming he's not racist. Do some research and read about how he and his father were sued by the government for discriminating against blacks who tired to reside in their buildings in New York in the 1970's. This has been going on for a long time, folks.

Anyway, I'll try to focus on something more zen like California...

The Barf Boat

During my remaining time in California, I went on a whale watching boat ride this afternoon and actually saw a whale and some dolphins. Great! What wasn’t great was how several people on the ride got sea sick and spent the last half of the three-hour cruise barfing into plastic bags and garbage cans. Gross. I’m not one to get motion sickness so I was fine, but I felt sorry for the sick folks. I’m sure they were glad to get back to the dock and off of that boat.

California Dreaming

I’m spending some time in La Jolla, California for my day job. It’s not all work though and I’m enjoying the weather and the change of pace.

I don’t know how people can afford to live out here. Everything seems so expensive! But it’s lovely and if I had the means I’d go for it too!

Annabelle Comes Home...Sort Of

I saw Annabelle Comes Home yesterday because I've seen all of the other Annabelle/Conjuring movies, so I wanted to see this one too. What a disappointment! First, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga were barely in the movie! It largely takes place while they're out of town. (I guess they had other projects going on.) You know who else was missing from the movie? Freaking Annabelle! That creepy doll was in the movie about as much as Patrick and Vera which is sad since the movie IS called Annabelle Comes Home. I expected creepy Annabelle to be in this movie much more than she was. Instead, we get Patrick and Vera's daughter, the babysitter, and assorted friends of the babysitter being terrorized by other random evil spirits. (Annabelle, apparently, was controlling things behind the scenes.) One thing I thought was funny in the movie was a scene from a TV show (the Dating Game or something) where you see a kid holding a large Raggedy Ann doll. The real Annabelle is a big Raggedy Ann doll and not the doll you see in the Annabelle/Conjuring movies. That was sort of an inside joke, I guess. At least I saw this one at the matinee and didn't pay much. I probably should have gone to see Toy Story 4 again.

During the many previews I saw, there was one movie that looked interesting called Them That Follow about religious snake handlers. I didn't realize religious snake handlers were a real thing until I went to South Carolina for two disastrous semesters of grad school and there was a discussion in one of my classes about them. I remembered seeing a movie in the 1970's about them, but I figured that was just Hollywood fiction. Not so! I also saw previews for the next installment of Stephen King's It and Doctor Sleep, neither of which intrigued me. (Stephen King must be making money hand over fist with all of these movie deals. Good for him.) I remember reading a quote from him talking about being raised by a single mother and he said something like, "She did the best she could with what she had." I feel the same way about my own late mother. What a great statement. It's really all any of us can do.

Post-Independence Day Greetings

Hopefully you are able to continue the holiday weekend as I am by having an additional day off from your day job. What a relief to have a four-day weekend! As I look back on this year's Independence Day, I wonder why we can't have a POTUS who has even a basic, school-level understanding of our government? Is it too much to ask to have a POTUS who has read a book and can speak in whole sentences? Apparently it is. Ugh. Also, I'm tired of draft-dodgers praising the military. (And this doesn't just apply to Donny T.) This national nightmare can't be over soon enough. God help us all if we have to suffer through four more years of this ridiculousness.

Toy Story 4 and the Hudson Yards

I went to see Toy Story 4 yesterday and really enjoyed it. I'd seen the three previous Toy Story movies and enjoyed them also. Toy Story 4 really resonated with me because I saw it as a story about change and needing to adapting to change in one's life. (That sounds deep for a children's movie and it is!) Woody had to come to terms with the fact that his role in life had changed. When he's no longer useful as a child's toy, he has to adapt and create a new role for himself. I get that. Change also came to Forky who thought initially he was just trash, but came to realize that his role in life was larger. Yes, he was made from garbage, but he changed into a toy and had to learn how to navigate that role in life. A great message in a great movie. See it yourself and take the kids (if you have them).

In other news, while I was in New York last week, I had a chance to visit the Hudson Yards. I had no idea a fancy shopping mall had been built down near the waterfront. It was fascinating to see this area. I remember when I used to walk down 10th Avenue during my lunch break. There was nothing worth seeing in that area around 34th and 33rd Streets. Times certainly have changed. Now you can buy a Piaget watch and a high-end Coach bag at the fancy new shopping mall there. Yet, a couple of avenues away, you're still smack-dab in the middle of public housing. New York is schizophrenic, yet it somehow manages its schizophrenia. Go figure.

Goatless Goatham

I just got back from a short trip to New York that was mainly for my day job, but I also had the weekend to do some other things and one of those things was to see the hired goats in Riverside Park who'd been contracted to eat through the overgrown vegetation there. I hiked uptown to Riverside Park Saturday afternoon, taking the 1 train to 96th and then a shuttle bus up to 116th Street (because the MTA was doing track work).  I went all that way only to find out the goats had been rounded up and taken by the farmer that morning because, apparently, there wasn't enough for them to eat at the park. Sad! Goatham with no goats! What a disappointment. Still, I had a great time in New York and got to see friends and coworkers I hadn't seen in a while. I also went back to my old neighborhood in Brooklyn to see how it looked. Not much had changed (at least that I could see) but I did notice a more diverse crowd of folks at the Church Avenue F stop on Sunday. I saw more young white couples with kids and even a gay couple so the neighborhood is certainly becoming more diverse. I miss my old Kensington neighborhood, but New York is too expensive for me now.

Not Worthy!

Every time I hear Gary Numan's song "Cars" in a commercial for Walmart or Jackie Wilson's song "To Be Loved" used in a milk commercial, I think that these songs are too good to be used in advertisements. Walmart isn't worthy of Gary Numan and Jackie Wilson's great voice shouldn't be used to hock milk. Some would argue that using these songs in commercials exposes them to an entirely new audience of people and that's probably true. But I still hate to see great songs used to sell stuff on television. All I can hope is that Gary Numan owns the rights to "Cars" and is making some money from the Walmart deal and that Jackie Wilson's estate also get some cash from the milk lobby (provided he owned the rights to "To Be Loved" and, sadly, he probably didn't).

The Last Black Man in San Fran

I went to see The Last Black Man in San Francisco today and throughout the movie I kept thinking, I should have gone to see Godzilla...

I am a fan of independent movies and I try to see ones made by people of color because I know they need support. But, regardless of who is behind the screen and on the screen, I calls 'em how I see 'em. The main message I got from this film was that this is what happens when mental health services are removed from communities that sorely need them. Both of the main characters, in my opinion, were sorely in need of mental health services. Also, the main character, Jimmie, was far too attached to his family home. I know how that feels. When you've lived in the same house for a long time and you grew up there, you obviously gain an attachment to it. Unfortunately, Jimmie's family lost their ancestral home and he never got over it. He basically squatted at the property and I can't cosign to anyone just moving themselves into someone else's home like that no matter how attached they are to the property. The film just was all over the place. Although the main story was about Jimmie and his family's former home in San Francisco, it was also about gentrification, family dynamics, and black male relationships. There was just too much going on here and the film suffered under the weight of all of these issues. Plus, I just never believed two black dudes could squat in a huge Victorian home in San Francisco without someone in that neighborhood calling the cops on them. Let's just be real, folks.

Affordable Housing

I went to a meeting at my local Y tonight about affordable housing and it was interesting. There isn't much "affordable" (depending on your definition of affordability) where I live. At the meeting tonight, one of the panelists said a studio apartment here averages about $1,200 per month and, in order to only have to spend 30% of your income to pay your monthly rent, you'd need to make about $50K per year to do that. And I don't live in Brooklyn anymore!!! It's getting harder and harder to find decent housing in a lot of places. But what kills me about Evanston, where I live, is that the so-called "affordable" housing (what little there is) is often placed in the black and brown communities, not in the northern part of town or near the Lake where the higher-priced homes are located. There's an affordable housing building going up in a mostly black part of the city and many people in that area complained. The powers that be around here claimed the building was placed in this particular neighborhood because it was close to pubic transit and shopping. It is, but there are other parts of the city that also have close public transit and shopping (i.e. largely wealthier, whiter neighborhoods) yet no affordable housing units were placed there. When you look at environmental issues also, like the water crisis in Flint, you know this kind of thing wouldn't have happened in a more affluent city. Grosse Pointe would never have this kind of problem nor would Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, or a host of other wealthy Michigan cities. The struggle is real, folks.

Happy Pride Month...See Rocketman

Delayed greetings, but Happy Pride Month! Despite our government's attempts to silence people during this month by refusing to allow embassies in Washington, DC to fly rainbow flags alongside the flags of their home countries, I do hope people are allowed to ignore this foolishness orchestrated by our idiot in chief, Donny T., and celebrate the LGBTQ community. I read the NYPD apologized for their treatment of Stonewall patrons. (Yes, it's too little too late, but it's better than nothing, I guess.) Even though it sometimes seems like we take one step forward and two steps back, I like to think society has moved forward in changing negative perceptions about LGBTQ people. There's still work to be done, of course, but I'm optimistic that things are changing for the better.

Since we are about a week into Pride Month, it was fitting that I saw Rocketman this weekend. I thought the movie was really good and I enjoyed many of the musical sequences. I didn't realize the movie would have dance and singing numbers throughout. It was Cabaret-gay! I was especially pleased to see one of my favorite Elton John songs, "Honky Cat," featured in one of the musical numbers. I also loved the "Benny and the Jets" number although it was far too brief. Rocketman reminded me of the Amy Winehouse documentary where you have people pushing someone to perform despite that fact that the performer is crumbling mentally and physically. It's sad. Elton's story, obviously, has a happier ending than Amy's did.

Back from Bama

While Donny T was in the UK with his family of grifters trying (and failing) not to embarrass himself, I was in Alabama for a few days to visit family members but I'm back from that trip. I hadn't been there to visit in probably about four years, so it was due time to return. I had a great time as I usually do but, as I've said before, I have a love/hate relationship with Alabama and I don't think I could see myself living there anytime soon. I hope my dad doesn't go senile or have serious health problems that force me there to care for him. (Stay strong, Daddy!) But, if I had to go, I guess I'd have to suck it up and go. I'm always surprised (although I shouldn't be) to see Fox News playing at fast food restaurants in Alabama. Oy! I feel for the workers who have to listen to that propaganda during their shifts. Hopefully those who disagree with the views of that station are able to block it out as they work.

Holland, MI

I'm enjoying part of this holiday weekend in Holland and Saugatuck, Michigan. Thankfully, the weather hasn't been a total washout so I've been able to get out and see some of the sights around both cities. Even though I'm from Michigan, I hate to say I haven't seen much of my home state. I really need to get out more!

How Did This Happen?

I was talking with a friend today who I used to work with in Michigan many years ago and we discussed our former supervisor. This woman was a nice lady, but she was clearly over her head in terms of the job and her ability to do the job. She wasn't college educated despite having several college graduates working under her, her writing and speaking skills were challenged, and she just wasn't very bright. Yet, despite all of this, she was a manager. Eventually, she was let go from the company under mysterious circumstances. Maybe someone finally realized she couldn't hack it. In any case, I've often wondered why she and so many others even managed to get into management positions they clearly were not/are not qualified for. Yes, some people are smooth talkers who can talk themselves into jobs they aren't qualified for. They're able to fake it till they make it. But my former supervisor wasn't a smooth-talker or some hot young thing who could bullshit or flirt her way into a management position. So how did this happen? How was she able to get a management job she so clearly wasn't qualified for? I think she just had a friend in higher management who helped her out. But in helping her, her friend did my supervisor, our department, and the company as a whole a huge disservice. Because this woman lacked even the basic skills that should have been required for a manager, she constantly underperformed in the role and frequently embarrassed herself with her poor writing and awful communication skills. Her staff often had to correct her spelling and that's just embarrassing. I wonder what happened to her. Did she go back to school, get a degree, and find a management position she could handle? I certainly hope so. She wasn't a terrible person, just an unqualified manager.

Alabama? Not Surprised.

With Alabama's latest move to restrict most abortions, I have to say I wasn't surprised by the move. As someone who has a parent from Alabama and someone who has been going there for as long as I've been born (and I'll be there later this month), I am quite familiar with the ways of this state. Alabama does a good job of voting against its own self-interests in the name of some phony moral grounds. This is a state that loses tons of money because they refuse to allow the state to have a lottery system because, I guess, they're against gambling. And what do Alabamians do when they can't play the Lotto in their home state? They drive over to neighboring states, like Georgia, and play their numbers, thus giving Georgia's economy a huge boost while their own state gets nothing. I have such a love/hate relationship with Alabama. It's complicated. When I consider packing up and moving there if I have to in order to care for my father if his health goes into decline, I just can't see myself actually making that move, at least not anytime soon given the attitudes of the people and the laws of the land. Still, I've always enjoyed visiting the state and I've never had a bad experience there. (Perhaps I've just been lucky!) But being a visitor and a resident are two very different things.

Post-Mother's Day Blues

It's always difficult for me to deal with Mother's Day because my own mother died more than twenty years ago. (I can't believe it's been that long, but it has!) I recall one year a guy wished me a happy Mother's Day and I told him thanks but (A) I don't have any kids and (B) my mother's dead. He looked horrified and scurried away. In hindsight, I should have just left it at "thanks." If you're one of the motherless on Mother's Day, I feel your pain. I have a stepmother and she's great, but it's not the same as having your real mother around. My father remarried when I was an adult, so I didn't grow up with my stepmother as a parent. I don't even really view my step-siblings as siblings. They're acquaintances. I've expressed this view before, but I'll do it again. My feeling is that my father married into my stepmother's family...I didn't. And, in doing so, he's responsible for maintaining relationships with her kids, etc. I have no obligation towards these folks. And after taking one vacation with them a few years ago, I decided I wouldn't go down that road again and I haven't.

I do hope those of you out there who still have your mom in your life and/or if you're a mom yourself had a great Mother's Day. Even if my own day wasn't great, I certainly hope yours was!

Dad Rock and Other Things

As someone who enjoys the music of Pearl Jam, I was surprised to read someone refer to their music as "Dad Rock." I never would have thought of Pearl Jam as "Dad Rock" but I guess it is now. Eddie Vedder is a dad and I'm sure other members of Pearl Jam are dads also. And many of the male fans of Pearl Jam from the 90s are probably dads also now. If Pearl Jam is considered Dad Rock, then what's the music of Steely Dan? Grandpa Rock? Can't we all just get along?

In other music-related news, I've been listening to and thinking about Carly Simon's song "Nobody Does It Better." I recently wrote a short story that's scheduled to come out sometime this year (I think) in a JMS Books series that focuses on the number nine to celebrate the publisher's nine years in business and in that story, I explain nine songs on a character's playlist and what those songs mean to the character and his partner. One of the songs featured in the story is "Nobody Does It Better." I'm not a Carly Simon fan, but I do love that song. I love the lyrics, the way she sings it, and pretty much everything about it. I think it's a great karaoke song for people like myself who can't sing that well. There aren't a lot of high notes to hit, the lyrics aren't complicated, and most people (I assume) are familiar with the song. I don't even think about the song in the context of the James Bond movie it's famous for. I'm sure I saw "The Spy Who Loved Me" but when I hear "Nobody Does It Better" I don't think of Roger Moore. I think about...other things. For me, the song is very sensual and if you see it pop up in anything I write, just assume some sexy time is soon to follow.

Freedom Isn't Free (of Problems)

With all of the news lately about measles outbreaks and people who refuse to vaccinate their kids, I can't help thinking that freedom isn't free. When you live in a free society and people are given the choice to vaccinate their kids or legally smoke weed, then you have to live with the consequences of those decisions. If the government isn't forcing people to get shots for their kids (or is giving them loopholes to opt out of vaccinating their kids), then you get what you get: measles outbreaks.

The same goes for marijuana legalization. If the certain states allow people to smoke weed legally, then they will have to deal with an increase in the amount of drug users in those states. Marijuana is a gateway drug. First you start smoking weed and then you move on to heavier drugs. Not all people, I know, but enough to create a problem. I've seen it happen and the results are tragic. So if weed is legalized in a state, then what happens to jobs that require a drug test as an employment contingency? Do drug tests just go the way of the dinosaur? I assume some jobs will always require drug testing. No one wants their bus or subway driver coming to work high on weed, so I'm assuming those jobs would require that you are drug-free. But maybe not. What if someone decides to sue because marijuana is legal in their state and, if it's legal and the bus driver wants to smoke, can't he challenge his employer who fired him for testing positive for drugs? Can the rules of the employer trump the rules of the state? Can the employer be exempt from prosecution? I don't know.

Such are the perils of living in a free society rather than in a dictatorship where the government controls pretty much every aspect of your life. Not that I'm advocating for that, but people really need to understand that freedom isn't free. There are consequences and repercussions. If you want freedom to make your own choices about what drugs you put into your body, then you have to live with the consequences and repercussions of that decision.

So Expensive!

I went to the grocery store this morning and three bags of groceries cost me nearly $100. I didn't even buy any meat!!! I bought stuff like bread, coffee cream, spaghetti sauce, Tide (well, Tide can be pricey). I can't believe how expensive everything is these days. I can only imagine what a family spends on groceries each month. I live alone and I'm complaining. Imagine if I had other mouths to feed. Oy! It would be one thing if I was spending money on steaks, lobster, and pricey cheese, but I'm not! Basic stuff just seems to be really expensive. At least they gave me a few cents off because I brought my own bags and I had one coupon I could use. (Every little bit helps, folks.) I'm glad I don't have to dress up for my day job because if I had to wear business attire to work each day, I'd have to go out and get new clothes (or keep rotating the same black pants and skirts each week with different tops). I remember when I used to have to dress up for work. I had nice dress pants, blouses, and dresses. I'm glad those days are over. Now I need the cash I would have spent on clothes to buy groceries.

Also, it's snowing today in Chicago. (It also snowed two weeks ago on the Sunday before Easter.) It's nearly May, and it's snowing. The trees are budding and some of the flowers are out and it's snowing. Will Spring ever arrive here and stick around for real instead of coming and going?

NU Jazz

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending a concert given by the Northwestern University Jazz Students. Saturday's performance was called "Sherman Irby's Journey Through Swing" and featured saxophonist Sherman Irby and also violinist Eli Bishop. The concert was really great. The band performed jazz standards like "Poinciana" and "Black Bottom Stomp." This is the second time I've seen the NU Jazz Band perform. I also attended their Christmas concert last year. These kids are so talented and I enjoy seeing and hearing them perform. I highly recommend checking them out if you're in this area and want to hear some great music. They have a concert May 9 and I hope to attend that performance also.

ABD 2020

It's hard not to get wrapped up on coverage of the latest news about the Mueller report. The most interesting information I learned this week was that there were/are people around Donnie who ignore his crazy orders and try to do the right thing. Still, I have no sympathy for anyone who hitches his wagon to that horse. Why would anyone work for or even defend such a person? This guy would throw anyone under the bus to save his own ass so it's amazing to me that anyone would help this guy in any way. We see time and time again how he uses people and just disposes of them after he decides their usefulness has run its course. Loyalty only runs one way in the current administration. But that's the government we (not me personally) elected, so we have to deal with it. As I've said before, we get the government we deserve. That brings me to ABD 2020 which stands for Anyone But Donnie in 2020. If we want change in Washington, we have to vote and that starts with making sure that Anyone But Donnie is POTUS in 2020. At this point, I feel like a potted plant would be better as POTUS than Donnie. Hell, I'd take Mittens Romney at this point. I'm not crazy about anyone in the Democratic field right now. There are too many people and I don't see anyone breaking out of the pack at this time, but I'll support the nominee because Anyone But Donnie needs to step in and right the ship. I long for a presidency that isn't scandal-plagued and whose administration's shenanigans isn't presented as "breaking news" every day. No wonder nothing gets done in Washington.

I was in DC a couple of weeks ago for my day job and I always enjoy going there (no matter who's in the White House). One thing I like about Washington is that you see people working and you see people who still dress for work. Many of the offices there don't go for a very casual workplace and I like seeing men in suits and ties and women in dresses or dress pants rather than men and women in gym shoes and jeans like I see in the West Loop where I work in Chicago. I'm all for casual dress at the office, but some people take it too far. Holes in their jeans, athletic pants, dirty Chuck Taylors. But I digress. There are a lot of people working in Washington and there's a lot of money there. It's unfortunate that not much seems to get done on by our government lately. There's no spirit of cooperation between parties and elected officials seem to have forgotten why they were elected in the first place. Hopefully a new administration will help to bridge the partisan divide although I doubt that will happen with just one administration. The divisions are so deep and awful now that it'll take more than one presidential term to make a difference.

Unauthorized Person on the Tracks

I don't know if it's a full moon this week or what, but twice this week (and it's only Wednesday) I've had to deal with an "unauthorized person on the tracks" while riding the L. First on Monday morning and then again today during my ride home. During Monday's incident, we were (luckily) at a station close to my day job, so I just walked the rest of the way to work. But coming home today, we had almost reached a stop (that's one before I get off) and the train's power was cut. At first I thought just our train car lost power and then the whole train slowed down and came to a stop and the conductor told us the power had been cut due to "unauthorized person on the tracks." I don't know if these unauthorized individuals have a death wish or are just crazy, but they need to find another way to deal with whatever they're going through that doesn't involve jamming everyone up on the L. I'm all about public transit, but it's days like today when I miss driving my own car and controlling my own transportation.

Lyin' Ryan

My new book Lyin' Ryan will be out April 13.

When forty-year-old Chicago podiatrist Matthew Pepper is approached in a bar by college student Ryan Meade, he figures hooking up with the handsome twenty-one-year-old might be just what he needs to help him get over his recent breakup. But the hookup doesn’t go as planned and Matthew writes the evening off as a failed one-night-stand. Ryan, however, views things differently. To him, a failed hookup is nothing more than an opportunity to try again. Ryan pursues Matthew, not just because he wants to be with him, but because he wants something from him...and he’s determined to get it. Matthew eventually realizes that Ryan isn’t as transparent as he claims to be and he finds out why Lyin’ Ryan lives up to his moniker.

Locked Out

I locked myself out of my apartment today. It was bound to happen. I'm actually surprised it didn't happen sooner. I gathered my stuff to head to the Y and thought I had my house keys in my hand, but I had my car keys instead and when I closed the back door behind me, I'd locked the bottom lock from the inside and realized after the fact that I'd left my house keys on the table inside. Curses! My sister has an extra set of keys to my place, but she was out of town for the weekend (but on her way back this morning when the lockout happened). Now that I'm not renting anymore and own my place, I can't just call a management company to let me in. If I needed help, I'd have to call a locksmith. Thankfully it didn't come to that and the worst that happened to me was that I had to spend a few hours doing things outside of home. Because I had my car keys, wallet, and cell phone, I wasn't in a totally terrible position. I went to the Y as planned, worked out, went out for breakfast, then to the movies to see Pet Sematary (Cemetery) (that was better than the first one). After that, I went to kill more time at the local library and, by then, my sister had returned and I was able to get back into my place. Being locked out today told me that I really need to stop locking the door from the inside and just do it with the key so then I'll know if I don't have my keys, I can't lock the door! It seems simple enough, right??? It is a good idea to leave a set of keys with a friend of family member in the area just in case of emergencies like this. Oy!

Random Thoughts

I know where my father was born and I'm sure most people who know their fathers and grew up with them know where their fathers were born. How come POTUS Donny T. doesn't know where his father was born? Why does he keep telling people his father was born in Germany when the dude was born in New York? Just when I think things can't get any worse with him or he can't get any dumber, my expectations are surpassed.

I know who Nipsey Russell was. I have no idea who Nipsey Hussle was.

I can't believe Chicago is about to elect a black female mayor. Wow. Whoever wins, she's got her work cut out for her here.

I bought a burner phone (because I wanted a phone with a local number and I didn't want to pay a lot for it) and I find it harder to work with than my iPhone. I had to download a user's guide from the internet just to understand how to use the thing. It's a lot more complicated than I thought it would be!

Hands Across America

I just saw the movie Us today and now I can't get that "Hands Across America" song out of my mind. The song isn't actually played in the movie, but I looked it up on You Tube and watched the video. Clearly, that was a mistake. If you've seen the movie, you know that whole Hands Across America thing from 1986 is a big part of the film. For you kids who weren't alive in 1986 or don't remember it, some guy put together a charity thing and wanted people across America to hold hands in unity and, lo and behold, people did it. This is the kind of thing that would never work today, but back in the 1980s, people were big on things like this. We had Live Aid and We Are the World. People actually came together to raise money for various causes like feeding starving people in Africa. There's too much cynicism and division in the country today for something like this to work now, but back then, this kind of thing was huge. And there was no Internet or anything, so people organized things the old fashioned way, through advertising on television, radio, and print media.

Weird Gait

I'm on a shoe/foot theme right now, so just bear with me. As I walk the streets of the Chicago loop to and from my day job, I often notice the people walking around me and, lately, I've noticed that a lot of those people seem to have a weird gait. I see a lot of people around town who are either pigeon-toed, bowlegged, or just have some kind of odd gait. Most of the people I see with these issues are younger people. I assume this is because pediatricians now don't recommend that kids with gait problems use measures to correct their gait. Back in the old days, kids would wear those metal braces on their legs and feet to straighten things up, but I guess that's not happening now. Some people have such gait issues that I wonder how they manage to walk from one block to the next. I keep waiting for their feet to collide and send them falling to the ground. The next time I'm in the company of a doctor, I'm going to ask about these gait issues because I'm concerned and I'd like to know if it's true that kids aren't receiving the help they need to correct gait problems because the correction is frowned upon now.

I remember years ago when I was working my way through college as a secretary and a woman in our office had a daughter who was born with a twisted foot (or something). The woman's husband blamed HER for the kid's problems, like she sabotaged her baby in the womb or something. He was an idiot and a suspected wife-beater, so I wasn't surprised by his attempts to blame his wife for their child's foot problems. What an idiot. In any case, back then, the daughter was receiving some kind of medical procedures to correct her foot problem. I don't think she had to wear braces, but I think she had surgery or something. In any case, the problem was fixed. The kid wasn't left to limp around with a bum foot or left to have a weird gait.

Comfort Shoes

In my last blog post, I wrote about having to buy shoes last week in NY because the ones I'd worn weren't cutting it. (And the ones I'd worn were okay for walking, but not NYC walking.) As I get older, my feet seem to be aging at an even faster rate. I never used to have foot problems and now I seem to have them all the time. From plantar fasciitis to plain old (I suspect) arthritis, my feet are in pain much more than they used to be. I no longer wear heels or any other shoes that aren't comfortable. My feet can't take it! I need shoes that I can walk in without feeling like I need to sit down after half an hour. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I go full orthopedic in the shoe department. Oy! I'm not a senior, but my feet feel like they're ready to apply for Medicare.

Tough Trip

I went to New York briefly this week for my day job and had an awful time. No time to do anything fun, no shows, no nothing. Just work and a lot of walking that caused me to have to buy new shoes while I was there because the footwear I'd worn wasn't adequate. I normally enjoy going back to New York, but not this time. My issues had nothing to do with the city itself; I was just too stressed about other things to truly have a good time. Then the bad weather in Chicago yesterday delayed my flight home. Oy! It was a tough trip and I'm glad to be back home.

In other news, are people really surprised about the college cheating scandal? I heard about this while I was in NY earlier this week. Do people really not understand how the world works??? Rich kids have been getting a leg up to go to the best colleges since...forever??? (Yet people, including some who worked the system for their own kids, complain about affirmative action. Give me a break!) For anyone who really thought only the best and the brightest were going to the best colleges my advice is this: you need to get out more.

Put Your Hands Together for Sally

I go through these music phases from time to time and right now I'm in a Sade phase. I realized this weekend that I don't have Sade's debut album Diamond Life in my CD collection. I used to have the album back in the day, but I never upgraded to CD for that one. My mistake! Thankfully, I was able to get a copy from one of the local libraries. I'd been listening to Sade songs via You Tube and came across a song from Diamond Life called "Sally" that I'd totally forgotten about. That led me to revisit the New York Magazine article where a writer listed Sade's songs in order of greatness and, lo and behold, poor "Sally" is listed at the bottom along with "Cherry Pie" and "Maureen." Say what now?? The writer clearly has an issue with the songs on Diamond Life that weren't big hits like "Hang On to Your Love." (I've complained about this list before but I felt the need to complain about it again because it annoys me.) I understand musical taste is subjective, but to rank great Sade songs like "Sally" and "Cherry Pie" at the bottom of the barrel while putting overplayed songs like "The Sweetest Taboo" and "Paradise" in the top ten just shows that the writer doesn't truly get Sade. The writer isn't a true fan but merely a poseur. (Sorry, but it had to be said.)

But back to "Sally." Yes, it's a little preachy, but it's also largely great. The chorus alone (complete with the accompanying saxophone part) is amazing. Sade doesn't have to tell me to put my hands together for Sally. I'm already doing it!

Hobo Shenanigans

I ride the L to and from work now and, when the weather gets really cold like it is now, the train seems to be overrun with hobos. During my commute home today, one hobo went crazy and started cursing everyone and causing a ruckus. Finally, one woman was fed up with his shenanigans and got on the intercom to alert the conductor about the problems in Car 2. That just made the hobo even more incensed. (Sadly, this was all happening between stations so we couldn't even stop and put the bum out.) The conductor got on the loud speaker and announced that the police would meet the train at the next station and get the crazy guy. When we got to the station, the crazy guy grabbed his milk crate full of stuff and ran off the train to hop on yet another train across the platform. By the time the CTA people arrived, he was gone.

I have no issue with the homeless riding the rails when the weather is cold outside, like it is now, as long as those folks don't bother anyone else, take up multiple seats, and/or stink up the car. I understand it's cold outside and the homeless can find refuge on the L when we have frigid temperatures. However, they need to understand that public transit isn't just for them. If they can't sit quietly and mind their own business and become disruptive or threatening to others, then they need to be removed from the train. I know many of these folks are mentally ill and that adds yet another dimension to their many problems. In a perfect world, these folks would receive help for their mental problems, but our world isn't perfect. Too many people fall through the cracks of society and we're left with the ones who go cray-cray on the train.

Lighter

This week has been filled with one bad news story after another for me. On top of the usual bad news revolving around our so-called government the on-going shenanigans of Donny T. and the Funky Bunch, there's been bad news on my day job with friends being told they're about to be out of work. Being let go from a job is rarely ever easy. I've been there myself and it's hard to try and pick up and get moving again after such a blow. It's even harder when you're older and have less employment opportunities. I've told colleagues I'd probably end up working in a totally different field if I had to change jobs now because I'd have a better chance of getting hired. Some fields are just more open to hiring someone who isn't 20 or 30 years old.

But, in spite of the bad news this week, I can say there was some good news too. At least now, as we inch towards spring and summer, I've noticed that the days are getting longer. I no longer have to leave for work and come home from work in the dark. It's lighter outside and, for me, that's a huge improvement.

Shinola Is Not Saving Detroit

Despite what you may have heard during last night's Oscars, Shinola is not saving Detroit. I happened to be watching the Academy Awards last night when one of the Green Book writers made that declaration and I thought, WTF is he talking about??? I'm tired of people who aren't from Detroit and/or don't understand Detroit coming in and trying to dissect Detroit's problems. Detroit certainly needs help in getting back on its feet and Shinola is helping, but it isn't saving the city. The city does need companies like Shinola and Quicken to come in and provide jobs for people who live in the city, but no one company can or should take credit for turning things around in the city.

Nothing against Shinola. I have a Shinola watch myself that I love and I was glad to support a company that puts Detroit forward, but to think that one watchmaker is "saving" the city is ridiculous. I shouldn't have been surprised by the Green Book writer making such a statement last night. He helped write a script that pushed the narrative of a white savior to a black man, so it's fully understandable that he'd push the theory of a white company saving a black city also.

Overkill

Here in the Chicago area, the news has been focused for weeks on the Jussie Smollett case. When I first heard about this, I figured it was a hookup gone wrong. Smollett had a guy over and the dude beat him up and robbed him. The whole story about being attacked at 2:30 in the morning on a Streeterville street in the dead of winter sounded ridiculous to me. Not that people aren't beaten and robbed on the streets of Chicago every day, but the time, place, and location just didn't ring true to me. Plus you throw in the homophobic and racial slurs, the bleach, and the rope, and the story became even more ridiculous. I would have had to believe someone from Donny T.'s crowd stalked this guy from a black show that Donny's followers probably don't watch let alone have heard of and just went crazy on this dude at 2:30 in the morning in the dead of a Chicago winter. Yeah, okay. Hookup gone wrong it is. But it looks like I was wrong along. It appears it wasn't a hookup gone wrong at all, but a hoax from the jump. Sad. What a waste of police manpower and time. While other cases involving black folks in Chicago go unsolved, how much time has been spent chasing Smollett's fake attackers? I'm tired of the news media going into overdrive with stories like this also. This should have been a one-day story on the news, yet it's dragged on for weeks. If Smollett wanted publicity, he's got it now!

Finished (Almost)

I'm putting the final touches on a new longer work that should be published in April called Lyin' Ryan. It's been a long haul with this one and it's gone through many, many changes, but the end is finally here. I'll share more about it later once it's completely done and I have a cover, etc. I'm glad to have Presidents' Day off from my day job so I can work on my stuff. It would be nice to say I can always make the time to write, but that's not true. I can't always make the time, but I really need to do a better job of forcing myself to make the time. Easier said than done, folks.

Just Say No

The sudden hysteria over Virginia Governor Northam's blackface/Klan medical school yearbook photo (as well as his admission that he'd darkened his skin to do a Michael Jackson routine in the 1980's) has made me think more about blackface than I ever wanted to. But let's go back to the yearbook photo for a moment. At first Northam apologized for the picture appearing on his page and acknowledged (I thought) being one of the two people shown in the photo although he didn't identify which one he was (the dude in blackface or the dude in the Klan outfit). Then, a day later, he denied he was either of the men in the photo which led me to wonder, what's worse? Appearing in blackface or appearing in a Klan getup? Also, what I think has been lost in this conversation is the responsibility of the medical school. Who puts out a medical school yearbook with pictures of students in Klan robes and hoods and blackface? What the hell kind of school is this??? And this wasn't in the 1950's or 60's. This was freaking 1984! Come on! No one looked at this tomfoolery and thought that maybe these photos were inappropriate? Ridiculous.

As for blackface in general, just say no. Don't do it. I don't care if you want to look like Shaq or Diana Ross for Halloween or whatever, go with the clothing, but skip the makeup.

Back From the D

I'm back after a trip to Detroit for a family funeral. As tired as I am of going to Detroit for funerals, I do enjoy seeing family members I don't normally have a chance to see when we have these sad gatherings. My extended family is quite large and many of them live far away from where I live so, unless there's a family reunion, a wedding, or a funeral, we can go years without seeing each other. During the funeral service, one of my uncles read a poem that touched on this issue. The poem was about a man who put off seeing his friend and then when he finally got around to seeing him, the guy was dead. The moral of the poem was that we shouldn't keep putting off getting together with friends or (in our case) family members because none of us know how much time we have left on this earth.

During my weekend visit to Michigan, I was happy to stop at the Detroit Shoppe and pick up a plush version of Clownie from the Detroit Parade Company. If I ever win the lottery, I'm donating money to the Detroit Parade Company to get Clownie a much-needed new getup.

Greetings from the Polar Vortex

As we're halfway through day 2 of the Polar Vortex here in Chicagoland, I admit I've started to feel a little stir crazy. It's one thing to be indoors because you choose to be, but it's another to be indoors because you have to be. I did venture out today to pick up a package from the post office and, thankfully, my car started. I felt sorry for the folks I saw waiting for the bus although I was stuck behind the bus, so I was able to see the people actually get on the bus and, hopefully, get warm. If there's a silver lining in this cycle of coldness it's that the sun has been shining for the past few days and I'm glad to see it. It may not be bringing much warmth to the area, but it is nice to see. We get so much cloudy weather during the winter that it's nice to see the sunshine for a change.

The Good, The Bad, and Sit Down, Grandpa!

The Good: The government shutdown is over (at least for three weeks) and, hopefully, Donny and his minions will get paychecks out to those who have gone with two payless paydays tout suite. When you're forced to work and don't get paid, you're not a volunteer, you're a slave and slavery was outlawed many moons ago in this country.

The Bad: The Davises have suffered another loss of life and it's sad to report. I'm just waiting to find out the funeral arrangements to make yet another sad pilgrimage to Detroit. It seems like I see my extended family only for funerals these days and that's terrible.

Sit Down, Grandpa: When I saw the clip of millionaire Wilbur Ross expressing confusion over why federal workers were going to food banks to feed their families and suggesting that these folks take out loans (so they can go even further in the hole), I just thought, Sit down, Grandpa! You don't know what you're talking about! Seriously, when you hire people for government jobs who don't truly understand how the majority of Americans live, you're asking for trouble. If you've never lived hand to mouth or had to live paycheck to paycheck or work multiple jobs to try and make ends meet, then you don't need to be doling out advice to those who do.

Stay Strong, Wetumpka!

My ancestral hometown of Wetumpka, Alabama was hit by a series of tornadoes over the weekend and major damage was caused just across the bridge leading from the downtown area. I was watching the national news Saturday night when I heard about the storm. I don't hear Wetumpka mentioned much on the news, so I knew things were bad. Thankfully, no one was killed in the storm. I certainly hope the city is able to rebuild, get the bridge over the Coosa River back in operation, and get back to normal soon. Stay strong, Wetumpka!

Now More Than Ever

Now more than ever do we need the inspiring words and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As we look around and see what's going on in our country and in our world, it's hard sometimes to see a light at the end of the tunnel, but we must keep hope alive. If you're fortunate enough to have today off from work (with pay, I might add), take a moment to reflect on how fortunate you are. As I think about the thousands of government employees who are being forced to work without pay (that, for me, is worse than being furloughed), I hope our government leaders can come to some kind of agreement to get people back to work and end this ridiculous shutdown.

I Don't Get It

In my old(er) age, I have to admit I find myself wondering what's going on when I see certain things like the ones mentioned below:

1. Buying and wearing clothes with holes in them. I don't get this. Why would you buy pants with holes cut out in the knees? I keep seeing young women mainly wearing jeans with pre-ripped holes in the knees and on other parts of the leg. I don't understand why these women want to look like hobos. If you've got holes in your clothes, it's time for some new clothes and NOT new clothes that come with holes already in them.

2. Rodents of unusual size. I was watching a series on PBS the other night called "Rodents of Unusual Size" about the influx of nutria (huge rats) that have eaten up large parts of the Louisiana swamp lands. As someone who both hates and is fascinated with rodents, I found the series interesting. Apparently nutria were initially brought to Louisiana long ago from South America to help create a thriving fur trade, but that didn't really work out and now parts of the state are overrun with these huge rats. Sadly, I fell asleep before the show ended (because I'm old and tired), but I couldn't figure out why the state just can't poison these things and kill them off. There are people killing them with guns, but I didn't see an organized government effort to get rid of the rodents which I think is what's needed.

3. Is anyone really surprised that Donny T. served fast food at the White House to the Clemson football players? Just when you think he can't sink any lower, he does! I'm sure these guys eat fast food all the time. Why not give them a nice dinner that they maybe don't get all the time? I'm not talking about something weird and/or exotic, but why not some steak and chicken? Some seafood options? Food that you'd find at a nice restaurant? No, Donny had to go with burgers and nuggets. POTUS is a 70-something-year-old man baby who really needs to grow up.

Consequences and Repercussions

As I watch the on-going debate about reopening the government and the "wall" Donny wants, I feel like no one is really dealing with the consequences and repercussions suffered by this shutdown. There's been some news about TSA agents calling in sick so they can try to find paying employment elsewhere, but I don't think the media is as focused as it should be on the issue of people being forced to work without pay. Also, what about the air traffic controllers? What happens if they start calling in sick? Do flights get canceled? Do airports have to shut down? And, although the government spokespeople say tax returns will be processed as normal, how can this be done when the IRS workforce is largely furloughed? How can the government pay out refunds when money is frozen? If people don't get their tax refunds, you can bet heads will roll. I don't feel we're being given the whole story here and it's just a matter of time before this thing really implodes if the shutdown continues.

Silkwood Shower Needed!

I watched all six episodes of that R. Kelly documentary on Lifetime over the weekend (that was executive produced by a former high school classmate of mine) and felt like I needed a Silkwood shower afterward. (If you don't know what a Silkwood shower is, Google it, kids!) Oy! Of course I new about Kelly's pedo behavior, his "marriage" to 15-year-old singer Aaliyah, and his pee tape, but I had no idea that he was also brainwashing girls and women and I really had no idea his fan base (at one time anyway) was so large. I totally underestimated his appeal. Not that I don't listen to R&B (because I do), but I didn't know Kelly had so many defenders. That's frightening. Even after the Aaliyah thing, it amazed me how many people just turned a blind eye to his continued abusive behavior towards young black women. It also amazed me that so many young black women wanted to be with him or thought he could help them establish a career in the music business. This guy didn't help anyone but himself. Also, how does a guy who can barely read and write become such a Svengali? With a lot of help, I guess. The documentary episodes just went from bad to worse. Ugh. If Kelly had been doing these things to white girls, he would have been locked up. But his abuse of black girls and women was just ignored. It's a shame Kelly's still walking the streets. He should be in jail.

Belated New Year's Greetings

Happy (belated) New Year to everyone. It's been hard for me to get back into the swing of my day job since having some time off over the holidays, but I managed to pull through and work three days this week. Oy! I really hope 2019 brings some optimism my way because I felt like I lacked that in 2018. Even though 2018 for me personally wasn't a bad year, mainly because I finally bought my own place and no longer have to be a slave to a landlord, the process was stressful.

 As some of us make resolutions in this new year to lose weight or read more books, I'm going to try and maintain a more positive outlook in general and stop being so pessimistic. That's hard for me to do, but I am going to try and make an effort to stop being so critical of so many people and things. It's my own personal cross to bear.