I Agree!

I read comedian Michael Che's recent comment that Boston is the most racist city in America and I can say from my own experience in Boston years ago that I agree. After I was called a word I won't repeat here that starts with n and ends in r during a visit a potential college in Boston, I vowed never to spend my money in that place again. I've been back to Boston two times since then, but I went for work and I didn't drop my own dime to spend time in that place.

In other "I agree" news, I read about a woman whose children were forced to change their clothing before a United flight because the leggings the kids had on didn't comply with the airline's dress code for individuals flying on the kind of special tickets the family had. Hey, if an airline has comped you tickets or is allowing you to fly at a ridiculously low rate, I think you can comply with their dress code policy by putting on a pair of "real" pants. (And, no, leggings aren't "real" pants.)

Road Trip

I'm back home from a quick road trip to Detroit. One of the few nice things about living in Illinois is that I'm able to get to Michigan quickly if necessary and I'll probably have to return in another week or so due to family issues. The trip this weekend was nice because the weather was great Friday for the drive from Chicago and temps were in the 70s in Michigan when I got there. Of course it rained Saturday and on the way back home Sunday and temps weren't as warm, but at least there was no snow. Once again, a trip to Michigan prompted me to think about seriously going back to the mitten state, but I'm just not ready to make a move like that right now. Frankly, I'm tired of moving. I've moved from Michigan to Pennsylvania, then to New Jersey, then to New York, and then to Illinois within the last fifteen or so years. That's a lot of moving! But who knows what the future will bring.

Hair Net

I went to McDonald's this morning on my way to work and noticed that no one seemed to be wearing a head covering of any kind (hat, hair net, whatever). I was particularly concerned about the guy cooking the food in the back who had long braids. Aren't food service workers, particularly those who do the cooking and prep work, supposed to have their heads covered? I seem to recall having to wear a hair net or a hat when I worked at Burger King when I was in high school many moons ago. Have things changed? I don't think so. I think people are just ignoring the rules and cooking food without head coverings. This seems unsanitary probably because it IS unsanitary. Hair nets or hats are needed for food service workers. I don't want to bite into my Egg McMuffin and get a mouthful of hair (real or synthetic). Gross.

Stacey Kent

I went to see singer Stacey Kent perform last night at Evanston's SPACE and the show was great. I enjoy Kent's music so having the opportunity to see her live was really a treat. Her singing was wonderful and her band was tight. If you like jazz and Brazilian music, I highly recommend checking her out if she comes to your town.

Failing Pile of Garbage

A few months ago, Donny T. referred to Buzzfeed as a "failing pile of garbage." I found this description hilarious mainly because it was raised so many ridiculous questions for me. If a pile of garbage is failing, is there a way for it to be successful also? What causes failure in a pile of garbage? How, exactly, does one determine failure or success in a pile of garbage? I've been waiting for an opportunity to use this description and that time has, thankfully, come. The current administration headed by Donny T. and the Funky Bunch (TM) are our national failing pile of garbage. They're also the tire fire that won't go out, the fungus that won't stop growing, and a whole host of other unpleasant things. I've said it before and I'll say it again. If this governmental administration was popping off like this in another country, I'd find it amusing, but the fact that it's my own government isn't funny at all. It's pathetic. Donny T. behaving like a spoiled child with world leaders, his minions lying and tap dancing to back up his bullshit, the bigots and conspiracy theorists within the administration, the sheer ridiculousness of everything coming out of Washington, DC these days all just make me shake my head and roll my eyes. We get the government we deserve but, damn, do we really deserve this?

She Kidnapped Herself, Man!

When I heard about Donny T.'s 10-year-old tax returns being made public and the controversy surrounding who, exactly, provided this document to the press (Donny T. is the main suspect), all I could think about was The Big Lebowski. When Lebowski's trophy wife, Bunny goes missing and has supposedly been kidnapped, the Dude eventually speculates (rightly so, I might add) that Bunny wasn't missing at all and that she "kidnapped herself." I don't believe that some unknown person or persons provided the media with Donny T.'s 2005 tax returns. I do believe he (via his minions) dumped the tax document on the press to try and deflect from other problems in the administration and, more importantly, to make it look like Donny T. is an upstanding guy who pays a lot of taxes. And, the press took the bait and got hosed in the aftermath. When will these folks get smart and stop being gaslighted? They seem to know they're being gaslighted, yet they still fall for it. The 24-hour news stations are the worst. Hours upon hours of analysis over tweets and other such nonsense. I guess it helps their ratings, but it sure seems like a waste of time.

Classic Rock and Snowzilla

I was listening to one of the many local classic rock stations in Chicago and David Bowie's "Let's Dance" came on. I don't think of "Let's Dance" as a classic rock song. When I think of classic rock, I think of songs like "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin or "Light My Fire" The Doors, not Bowie's "Let's Dance." But, as my sister reminded me, it's been more than 30 years since "Let's Dance" came out, so I guess it does qualify as classic rock now. Wow! I feel old. I AM old.

For my friends on the East Coast, good luck handling tomorrow's Snowzilla. Get your milk and eggs before you head home and hunker down for the night.