Is It Me?

I bought a used (but new to me) Jetta last week and while I largely love it, I cannot seem to operate the radio system correctly. I don't know if it's me or the contraption, but the CD player won't automatically flip to the next track and the iPhone USB connection seems temperamental. Sometimes I can play music from my phone, and sometimes the system just keeps recalibrating, like it can't make up its mind what to do. It gets confused when trying to switch from one mode to another. I had to go on Google just to figure out how to put CDs in the player. I don't feel I'm that technologically challenged, but this stereo system is making me feel like I'm a luddite. I'm going back to the dealer so my salesman or someone can help me out. I'm not totally convinced I'm causing the problems here. I want to believe there's some kind of malfunction with the player. Then again, it could be me.

Eliane Elias - My Cherie Amour

My new favorite song of the moment. The arrangement is very nice. I'll always love the Stevie Wonder version, but Eliane Elias puts a smooth, samba-like spin on the song.

Black Velvet

As the Custer Street Fair draws to a close, I wanted to post a picture of the black velvet painting I purchased yesterday. I like clowns and think they get a bad wrap. This one is a little creepy though. He looks like he's giving everyone the side eye.

Creepy and Crunchy

I went to the always crunchy Custer Art Fair in Evanston today and stumbled on this creepy piece of artwork for sale. I didn't take this Night Gallery contender home with me, but I did pick up a black velvet painting that I'll showcase later.

Here You Come Again

"Here You Come Again" by Dolly Parton is such a great song. I was listening to it while driving home from work today and it made the commute much more pleasant.


And speaking of things coming again, GM has recalled even more cars for ignition problems. As the child of an American auto worker (for Ford, not GM), I have always been supportive of Ford, Chrysler, and GM. (I've had cars from each of the Big Three automakers, too.) But this latest ignition thing with GM has certainly turned me off from GM cars at least for the time being. I'm going to have to get a car soon and I'm leaning toward a Volkswagen. Whatever I get when that time comes, I'm fairly certain it won't be a GM car. I am still a fan of American cars, but GM needs to get its house in order, fix these recalled cars, and stop the lies.

Chutes and Ladders

I'm reading a gay erotic short story collection now and the word "chute" keeps coming up. Chute. Okay. Every time I see it, I wonder, Would no other word work here? Apparently not. I do commend the author for stepping out of the box and using a word that isn't commonly used (or at least I don't think it's commonly used) to describe an orifice.

Public Water Fountains

I saw a video today of a woman using a public water fountain in Central Park as a bidet for her dog. Gross. When I lived in Brooklyn, I sometimes saw people allowing their dogs to drink from public water fountains. Again, gross. I'm not a germaphobe. (Really, living in New York or in any large metropolitan area and riding public transit makes you get over a lot of issues with germs.) However, I draw the line with public water fountains. Aside from these examples of people using them for their pets, what about people who abuse the fountains themselves? What about the person who puts his or her mouth all over the spout? Ugh. This is why I don't drink from public water fountains. Yes, I know bottled water bottles are bad for the environment, but at least if I buy a bottle of water, I don't have to worry about someone else's (or some dog's) germs floating in that water. (I do normally use my own bottle that's filled with water I poured at home, so I'm not drinking bottled water all the time.)


As for the woman washing her dog's ass in the public fountain, someone did confront her about it, but the damage had been done. She should be ashamed of herself for doing what she did, but let her bad behavior be a lesson for us all. Avoid the public water fountains, folks, and bring your own beverage.