Stood In Line Twice Tonight

We went out to eat, but it required two separate places and two separating standings in line.

I hate that. There was one road, though, where we turn. And usually (always) there's cars coming from both sides and we get to wait, wait, wait. But tonight for some unknown reason there wasn't anyone coming! I said it was so nice we should drive around the block and see if it happens again. But we didn't.

So we went to the one restaurant (Mexican). And they were just making fresh (chicken), so would I mind waiting an extra six minutes? No, OK...Then some guy who came in three minutes after I did was out the door ahead of me. No kidding.

Then we went to the other restaurant. And they seemed busy. A few orders were up. A guy ahead of me didn't realize he could press on ahead. He was looking at the menu. It was all the same, though. We weren't going to be waited on any sooner if he pressed ahead.

Finally, all the restaurant waiting out of the way, we went home with the takeout and were able to eat. How delicious!

Harry Potter On Blu-Ray

We got the first five Harry Potter films on Blu-Ray.

I'm not a big fan. I've seen each movie one time, at the theater. But I was watching part of the first one on Blu-Ray and it looked really good. It looked better than it did at the theater, in fact. Which might be because I normally sit way too close -- the first row back then -- and have a hard time focusing on anything.

With the big TV and the crystal clear picture, it's quite enjoyable. So I saw part of the beginning, way up in fact to the time they're being sorted by the sorting hat and then going to their rooms. Then I stopped. And the next part I saw was toward the end, facing Professor somebody who is a host for the parasitic Voldemort, and Harry has to face him, blah blah blah.

Like I said, I only saw it one time. And I didn't remember any of this last part.

So it might be worth my while, assuming I have enough free time, to watch all these on Blu-Ray. I could do it. I don't know how but I think I could. I'm not good at sitting watching TV for prolonged periods of time.

Hermione is sure cute.

Kickbacks Miscellaneous

Don't kick against the pricks, they kick back. Some take kickbacks. No getyabacksies. No kickyasbacksies.

I've had the song "In The Navy" in my head today, with various lyrics. One was to sing about a local doctor, whose name I will replace with some generic name with the right number of syllables:

Doctor Robertson,
You can tell him how you feel.
Doctor Robertson,
You will get a better deal.
Doctor Robertson,
There's no charge if you don't heal.
Doctor Robertson, Doctor Robertson.

You Might Be A Bad Pastor If...

The Secret Service interviewed that idiotic pastor who gave a sermon in his church (!) on "Why I Hate Barack Obama" and prayed that Mr. Obama would die and go to hell.

It also turns out that the guy who showed up at the president's event in Arizona the other day with a gun goes to this pastor's church. So I'd say, if you're looking for a church, it pays to check around!

Apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, but here goes:

You might be a bad pastor if the Secret Service has to interview you for seeking the death of the President of the United States.

This guy is a couple testaments short of a full Bible.

Republicans' Current and Future Idiocracy

This is too weird. We have terrible climate change forecasts for the breadbasket states, and we have senators in those areas who will not vote to do anything about it.

Let's say it gets extremely hot. And the plants all start dying. We can always give them Brawndo, with electrolytes, which plants crave. Like in the movie, we also have idiots leading us.

This article says Kansas will be most ravaged by climate change. But the two Republican senators there are unlikely to support legislation concerning it. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts. You think you have a Brownback now, just wait till the average temperature is 110!

So obviously they're morons.

In Nebraska we have Democrat-in-name-only Ben Nelson. Nelson earlier signed a letter calling for climate legislation to be put off. (Have we ever mentioned that Ben Nelson is worthless?) And the other senator is Mike Johanns, who apparently is also behind on the issue.

These are the places that are going to be most affected, mind you.

Then Iowa stands to face the third worst catastrophe. Republican Charles Grassley represents Iowa, and his vote is always right down the line with Rush Limbaugh and the other radicals. These people don't care about the country, just how they can stick it to President Obama in the heat of the moment. And with their "leadership," the country will have plenty of heat.

It's kind of like in the first episode of Superman, where Krypton is erupting all over the place. Superman's dad is the only scientist to say, "Hey, Krypton is erupting all over the place. Maybe we ought to do something about it." To which the other scientists scoff, saying, "Jor-el, you're mad! Krypton erupting all over the place? Don't be silly. That's just the people upstairs with their loud parties."

When you're watching it you think, no one could be as crazy as these guys! But bring it down to real life and the Republicans: Yes, you can be that crazy!

Not One Second Of TV Today

I didn't see even one second of the Kennedy coverage today, which I know was probably wall to wall.

I don't usually watch much TV news -- since I think the commentators for the most part are a bunch of ignorant losers -- but I make a special point of avoiding it when there's a high level death. That I really hate.

So I wonder what I missed. My guess, nothing.

Live Tweeting: "Nancy Wilson -- Gentle Is My Love"

NANCY WILSON - I will be Live Tweeting the LP "Gentle Is My Love" by Nancy Wilson. It's Capitol Stereo (ST 2351), two sides of course...

I just got this record today at Goodwill. I looked at it last night and didn't get it. I didn't have any money but I could've borrowed some.

It seemed like it looked a little scratchy but nothing terrible. Anyway I put it back, then went back today expecting it to still be there.

I got it. 50 big cents. The cover is extremely nice and the record isn't bad at all. I cleaned it and recorded it to MP3. It's on my iPod.

I like Nancy Wilson but I don't see her records around like I used to. I probably have 6 or 7 different ones.

One other proviso: I don't know much about music, like I can't use a bunch of musical terms, ballad, notes, falsetto runs, all that...

So it will be short & sweet, the general theme & sense of a song as we progress through it. I barely have any followers so it's no big deal.

I don't what would happen to a guy with 12,000 followers if he Live Tweeted an entire album. They'd probably run screaming.

OK, enough prologue. On with the album. 6 songs on side 1, 5 songs on side 2.

The album is full of romantic melodies, an entire album of romantic tempos. It's a fairly blue sounding record, crystal clear, but moody.

I heard it from the other room while it was recording. It sounded like late night listening, the lights low, a nice bachelor's lounge.

1) Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) - The liner notes say this is a masterful study in desolation. I love the description.

Soft, moody, wondering, going where destiny leads. No star to guide me, no one beside me, I'll go on my way, darkness will hide me.

But maybe tomorrow I'll find what I'm after, throw off sorrow. With you. But who can I turn to if you turn away.

That's a very pretty song. I'm almost sorry she has the hope of happiness, because I want desolation to be desolate, no bright side.

That might be a little heavy though for a song. She's going for her share of laughter, yet it's there, What if YOU turn away? (He won't.)

2) There Will Never Be Another You. Lighter, breezier right off the bat. (So beautiful fidelity to the recording.)

There'll be other nights like this, other experiences she'll know as the seasons pass, but there'll never be another you. Nice theme.

Very lavish orchestration in the middle. It's like listening to a super CD. Nancy's voice comes back to dream a million dreams. Lovely.

[Live Tweeting the Nancy Wilson LP from 1965 "Gentle Is My Love" - Song 3 coming, "If Love Is Good To Me"

Spring will come, grass will grow, brooks will hum with melted snow, if love is good to me.

Good things will happen, always with skies of blue. "As long as Mother Nature makes you love me." Kind of a stair-step, building song.

Everything depends on you, my dear. It will ALL be if love is good to me. I don't know this song but it's lovely.

The arrangements have strings, a touch of brass and reeds, and an easy but ever-present rhythm. -- from the liner notes.

Next is song 4, side 1: "My One and Only Love." Notes: She warmly spreads her mystic vocal charms over the haunting melody.

The touch of your hand is like heaven, a heaven I've never known. Everything about the lover is transformative, making her heart sing.

You appear in all your splendor, my one and only love. "Mystic charms" is actually part of the lyric, "your lips so warm and tender."

Every song on this album so far is beautifully lush. Listening to Nancy Wilson would make even Jethro Bodine seem classy.

Next, the 5th song: "Funnier Than Funny". I heard this one a while ago. It's more playful.

Notes say "On the sunny side, you'll find yourself delighting in the subtlety of FUNNIER THAN FUNNY..."

Everything is "funnier than funny." Memories can bring happiness by pleasures they impart. It's funny how they captivate your heart.

How you and I can share a kiss, then talk of funny things like this is very funny, funnier than funny. Excellent romantic, playful song.

Really concerns the wonders of love.

Next, the 6th song on the LP, the last song of side 1, "More."

Starts with an evocative strings section and single horn.

Oh, this is the "More than the greatest love the world has ever known" song. If it's the one I'm thinking of. It sounds a little familiar.

More than you'll ever know, my arms long to hold you so. A pretty romantic song of yearning, wow.

Waking, sleeping, laughing, weeping. -- "Far beyond forever you'll be mine." -- "I know I've never lived before..."

Stunning with the horn coming back in. "No one else could love you more."

Time to flip the album. Side 2, Song 1, "Gentle Is My Love." The title song to the album.

He's sweet and tender, not at all like you. So there's some comparison of lovers. "So gentle is my love," meaning HE, her love, is gentle.

He's not demanding. (So her ex must've been a monster to get a song like this."

You made me feel I was owned by you, while you could do what you wanted to. Now I have someone who belongs to me, etc.

This isn't what I expected. Kind of a tough sentiment: You suck, but he's great.

He's not like you. We don't need orchestration for a song like this, but maybe a honky tonk combo and a sputtering Nancy Wilson!

Definitely "Gentle Is My Love" is the worst song on the record so far. Hard to believe it is the title song. The title evokes better!

OK, continuing with Side 2. That was definitely a downer. I'll try to press on but I'm disappointed. Let me collect my thoughts here...whoa.

Song 8 is "At Long Last Love." The notes say "She ushers in dream time with two very familiar love songs done more slowly and...

meaningfully than ever before..." MORE was the 1st one, and AT LONG LAST LOVE the 2nd. --- So we're ushering in dream time again...

At Long Last Love - Is it an earthquake or simply a shock? Is it the good turtle soup or merely the mock? Is it a cocktail, this feeling?

OR....is it the REAL McCOY, meaning is it "At Long Last Love"? Very exploratory song, expansive thoughts, wondering, examining love...

Definitely we're back in the realm of the great romantic sound here. Enough strings in the orchestra to fly a million kites. Beautiful...

Next is the 9th song, "Time After Time." I wonder how many songs have this title. This is NOT the Cyndi Lauper song, of course...

Time after time, I tell myself that I'm so lucky to be loving you. So lucky to be the one you run to see in the evening ...

This is a reflective song, reminiscing on the benefits of the love we've shared. With "Time after time" you've heard me say I was lucky.

This is a great romantic song to celebrate an anniversary. It would make him or her cry. Or at least give you a special kiss afterwards.

I like it.

Next, the 10th song (out of 11), "If Ever I Would Leave You."

Starts with the title. "It wouldn't be in summer, seeing you in summer I never would go..." I've heard this song before somewhere.

I think it'll be I'll never leave you now, then, anytime.

If I'd ever leave you it couldn't be in autumn, how I'd leave in autumn I'd never know...

This song gives the idea of leaving you but then knows it can't be done. Like saying "I don't like you ... I LOVE YOU."

So it's a good romantic track, for all seasons. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring ... then it's all recapitulated at the end.

Never could I leave you AT ALL. Good sentiment. I don't know about that though. Why are you even contemplating leaving me?

NOW, our last song, Number 11. Guess they couldn't come up with a 12th song to round out the album. 6 one side, 5 the other. Chintzy.

You want better balance than that, 6 and 6, an even number, not 11. Why'd they do that? Just to save on royalties? C'mon.

But it's been a long time back, 1965 thereabouts, and chances are it's too late to make it right, so we'll accept it, have to, there's 11.

Number 11: "When He Makes Music." From notes: "To close this superb album...the very dramatic WHEN HE MAKES MUSIC....

A fitting choice, for the tune's lyric captures the feeling Nancy's incomparable performances bestir in songwriter and listener alike...

Love the horn, swelling orchestra. It is more dramatic. "All he has to do is say hello, and that's the sweetest melody I know..."

The sound of angels singing soft and low...when he makes music. The vocals are more searching, hesitant, reaching, lots of feeling.

The lyric speaks of a symphony beginning, and the orchestra swells there. Then a million violins, enunciated by swelling violins. Beautiful.

He makes music only I can hear. -- Very nice, the sense that her beloved is hers alone and that's the way it should be..."

You wonder sometime how people fall in love, what they see in the other person. But it's music only they can hear.

I'm definitely tone deaf about some of the people I see, like walking through Wal-Mart, like How'd THOSE two ever get together?

But that's Mother Nature, composing her symphonies in the many bodies produced, attracted and attracting with "music only he/she can hear."

This is a very nice album. The overall tone is reflective, often prolonging whatever sentiment is being expressed, making it expressive.

Each song is excellent, except for the sub-par "Gentle Is My Love." That song was a downer and shall forever remain one, no redeeming it.

This has been a Live Tweeting of the NANCY WILSON LP, "Gentle Is My Love." Nancy's beautiful and a beautiful singer. Sing on, Nancy!

36 Advertisers Drop Beck

I'm amazed at all the advertisers who've dropped out of Glenn Beck's show.

36! That's a lot!

I never saw his show. With so many advertisements when did he have the time to say all this crazy stuff?

As much as I'd love to see him kicked to the curb, I have a feeling he'll make it through this somehow. As we know from the bug world, cockroaches have a way of surviving.

My Dog's Trapped

My dog was just trapped by the sound of a woman's pleasant voice downstairs calling her.

She went running, but by now must regret it, since she's getting her hair/fur brushed. She doesn't like that, because there's usually snarls that need to be worked out. And it means laying on a hassock thing with some combing and picking.

But the voice, the call, it all usually indicates something desirable, like a walk.

Poor thing. But how much more kissably soft she'll be when she brushed. It's just I know she hates it so much.

A Rising Star That Crashed And Burned

Here's an entry from a parallel universe, one in which Gov. Mark Sanford, REPUBLICAN, is a rising star in his party, all set to tell us all the terrible things of the Obama Administration and lead us back to the fine Republican principles of the Bush years, er-- check that, back to some golden time of Republican ideals, perhaps 10 minutes during Reagan's time in office.

TPM has part of a book catalog for a book that Sanford had written and would've been published now. In those long ago days, before the Appalachian trail, before the lover in South America, before all the weird overcharges on his expense reports, before he gave a semi-psychotic news conference, he was writing "a conservative manifesto."

Then he unzipped his pants and all bets were off.

His "down-to-earth voice and common sense principles will give conservative readers a much-needed sense of hope," says the publicity. Are so-called conservative readers even looking for a down-to-earth voice and common sense principles these days? They seem a lot less hinged than that!

Michelle Bachmann Now Pro-Choice

Arch conservative crazy person, Michelle Bachmann, Republican Congresswoman from Peabrain, Minnesota, had this to say about health care:

"That's why people need to continue to go to the town halls, continue to melt the phone lines of their liberal members of Congress, and let them know, under no certain circumstances will I give the government control over my body and my health care decisions."

Oh boy, where to start! Such stunning stupidity.

Tom DeLay On Dancing With The Stars?

This is another of the thousands of shows I don't watch.

But like everyone, I somehow hear the names of people who are dancing on it. Not all the names because a lot of celebrities' names I don't recognize. Like soap opera actors, except for "All My Children." Or the various B-listers from reality shows.

I saw one ad for "Dancing With The Stars" today and I distinctly saw that Tom DeLay(!) is going to be a contestant on it.

Tom DeLay? Can he dance? He's a Republican, right? What dance does he do, the Larry Craig Two-Step?

And he's "A Star?" The way I remember his ethics he ought to be starring in whatever stage shows they put on in prison somewhere.

Bob Novak Died

Oh, I was just wondering the other day why we haven't heard anything more about Bob Novak. He had that problem with his car a few months ago and that's the last I heard.

Now today we learn he died. All the best to his family and loved ones.

Lynn Sweet says Bob relished his “Prince of Darkness” public persona. I believe we saw that, over and over, on CNN's "Crossfire" and "Capital Gang" shows.

I used to watch "Capital Gang" very faithfully, and Bob was a good foil for the more level headed (from my point of view) Mark Shields and Al Hunt. Then there was Margaret Carlson and my arch nemesis Kate O'Beirne. I quit watching it toward the end, the last year or so, because I couldn't stand the terrible opinions of Kate. Blech!

But the terrible opinions of Bob Novak I could stomach a lot more for some reason, which is weird, since they were pretty terrible. I don't know. Maybe he looked like he half didn't really believe it. And was playing a part. He definitely seemed to smile a lot more when he said something incendiary and was rebutted.

I also remember seeing him on "Evans and Novak," and he seemed less like a guy playing a part there.

Somewhere I have a book that Evans and Novak wrote on Nixon, which I recall reading some of several years ago. There's some interesting anecdotes in there about Nixon. One I recall is the story of Nixon going out late one night and talking to some antiwar guys at one of the memorials. Seemed like a good book.

When I saw Bob Novak on TV I usually had that book in the back of my mind, so maybe that's another reason I didn't dislike him very much.

I Am Joe's Bankruptcy Attorney

The Reader's Digest has filed for bankruptcy!

Good grief, it's gotta be hard times when the magazine with the largest circulation goes bankrupt. While I don't know all the laws (ins and outs) pertaining to such things, my own personal opinion has always been that bankruptcy means all is not going well.

I think it's their screwy modern covers. Put the table of contents on the front again and maybe I'll be back.

I'm a traditionalist. I go for the old ways only.

Batman A Local Guy?

For years I've been driving by a house in a middle class neighborhood that has a car out in the driveway with a complete covering, ties and everything. I don't know what kind of car is under there because you can't see anything.

It just suddenly occurred to me that it might be the Batmobile. And that Batman might be living there, possibly having fallen on hard times, or wanting to be closer to the scene of the action, in a town. Maybe he read one of those 'Simplify your life' books and gave up on Wayne Manor.

Whatever it is, it'd be the perfect disguise, because, like I say, I've been driving by there all these years and never suspected ... till today. (A little more on my thoughts coming true in a minute.)

But simplifying his life would mean giving up the Batcave and maybe using the root cellar at this house, or just fixing up the basement, putting some black plastic on the windows. He's all set.

We have a community college, and maybe Robin goes there, having never grown up.

[OK, now the thing about my thoughts coming true.]:

We went to a local fast food restaurant. We're standing there. Our total comes up to a tiny bit over $9.00. I put down a $20 and a dime. So I'm supposed to get back $11.00 and a few pennies. I suddenly start thinking, what if I don't get back the $10? What if the guy has a scam where he occasionally keeps $10 and figures a certain percentage of people won't notice?

On my word -- believe me -- whether it was a scam or not or just a mistake, he literally gives me back $1 and a few pennies. Since I'm thinking of it already, I just said, "Wrong." He looks down, then looks at the cash register, covering his eyes because the sun's streaming in on him from the west window. He recognizes instantly the mistake and comes across with the extra $10.

So that's freaky. I'm normally fairly paranoid. But I'm not normally thinking of this kind of thing.

Here's the tie-in: That really could be Batman's house and car. Why else would I be thinking of it?

The Shaggy Dog

I said the other day that I got a VHS tape of "The Shaggy Dog," the old Disney movie from around 1958.

I actually watched it, piecemeal like I do while I'm exercising morning and night. Then today I knew I was close to the end so I just sat and let it play out.

It was OK. Very lightweight, easy stuff to handle. And in "glorious black and white" as the box says. It didn't look all that glorious, but it's VHS ... you're not getting digital sharpness. That's OK though, because I won't ever be buying it on DVD. It's not something I want to see over and over.

As for the story, the kid keeps turning into a shaggy dog, then back to a kid, and he has some adventures. It becomes a spy story, and the real story is how do they break up the spies or get the government to believe their information, since it's hard for the authorities to believe the guy's kid is a dog.

It's amazing though how accepting others are of this weird fact. The old professor at the beginning, he has no problem with it. He's the one who's able to explain how this could've happened to Wilby. (He read the inscription off a magical ring that the Borgias owned.) The brother Montgomery "Moochie" Daniels has no trouble accepting it. In fact he prefers his brother as a dog. And the Dad, played by Fred MacMurray, even though he hates dogs, is able to accept it that his son is in fact a dog without many questions. You'd think he'd think they were pulling a prank on him.

I don't think Mom ever finds out about Wilby. And his best friend doesn't find out exactly. Except they're both enmeshed in a net fighting, with the fight starting out with a dog and ending up somehow with Wilby. And speaking of being enmeshed in a net, Annette Funicello is in the movie as their sometimes love interest. Annette's role is surprising minor. She comes and goes a few times and is at the big dance. The main female role is the French girl who moves in next door, who owns the shaggy dog who keeps being absorbed into Wilby. In the movie, Annette doesn't have an interesting role in the least.

The police are used for some of the comic relief, as one officer in particular keeps hearing Wilby as the dog talking, other various things. It's almost too much though. And I'm thinking of one scene close to the end, where they're radioing headquarters, and the captain has them repeat the whole description of the dog. I thought this could've been trimmed down.

It's a harmless, lightweight, nothing major film, entertaining in its way. I'm glad to have seen it. And now that I have, I'm also glad to move on.

Holy Card: Portrait Of Jesus

This has a Copyright date of 1934. Jesus in portrait, beautiful artwork, a picture I haven't seen. Unfortunately, some stains on it from handling. Still, very nice.

Holy Card: Therese of Lisieux

This beautiful one is my favorite saint of all time, St. Therese, the Little Flower. Card from Italy, classic cross and roses pose.

Someone had this one on a bulletin board, because there's two pin holes in it, top and bottom. Reprinted from Leaves magazine of Dearborn, Michigan.

The back has a prayer:

St. Therese, the Little Flower, please pick me a rose from the heavenly garden and send it to me with a message of love. Ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore and tell Him I will love Him each day more and more.

(The above prayer, plus 5 Our Father's, 5 Hail Mary's, 5 Glory Be's, must be said on 5 successive days, before 11 A.M. On the 5th day, the 5th set of prayers having been completed, offer one more set -- 5 Our Father's, 5 Hail Mary's, 5 Glory Be's.)

Therese of Lisieux, sometimes called Theresa with an A. The Little Flower, "No matter where, her prayer is guiding me," from an old song.

Holy Card: Come Sanctifier

A lovely card with a dove hovering over the Jesus chalice, with the host, drops of fire. "Come Sanctifier, bless these sacrificial gifts."

Holy Card: Ecce Ancilla Domini

Mary's praying and a dove is above her head, "Ecce ancilla Domini," Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

Holy Card: Salvator Mundi

There's some great heavenly power being radiated downward, then the Savior's great sacrifice for the world.

Holy Card: Crucified Christ

A black and white close up of the crucified Christ, thorns on His head. Maybe the most stunning artwork I've ever seen of this scene.

His mouth is open but relaxed, his eyes are closed, there's a beatific expression on his face, the body is soft fuzzed, melts into black.

Behind Christ you can see just part of the cross, and there's a halo that arcs way out. If you continued the circle it'd cross His neck.

The only marking is D-57.

In Jail For Yawning

When will the next Supreme Court vacancy be? I have the perfect guy to be our next justice. Since the Republicans hate empathy, Judge Daniel Rozak ought to suit them perfectly.

Who could have less empathy than Judge Rozak, who threw the book at an Illinois man, Clifton Williams, for yawning in his courtroom. That's right, yawning. Or maybe he blinked too many times, or scratched his ear, or sneezed. Whatever it was, he got jail time.

What if he did all four at the same time -- yawned, blinked, scratched, and sneezed? I know a sneeze and a yawn at the same time would be very offensive to me. I'd probably put him in solitary confinement.

Later, reviewing his sentence, Judge Rozak asked Williams if he had anything to say. Deciding that mere words couldn't express his contempt for Rozak's court, and having feasted on a plate of boiled cabbage earlier that morning, he farted.

Judge Rozak immediately had Williams lynched.

Senior Discount

I heard a waitress tonight explaining the reason their restaurant doesn't have a senior discount, because most of their customers are seniors.

Our Lips Must Never Meet

If you see my cute lips coming down the street, please take your sweet lips and cross over to the other side. Because, my darling, our lips must never meet.

The Moss Of Imagination

I wish I could get the moss I had when I first got up today. My mind was running fast, flying over fields of thought. Very manic and fun.

The thing about thought. It has to do with your rest, your dreams, and whatever other place moods come from. At those times, bottle it!

By the time of lunch, then certainly after you have the food and that languor of digestion going on, you feel like everything's slowed down.

This is one reason I should be eating a light salad for lunch. Get that discipline.

I love a good crouton.

Liquid Vacuum Cleanr

I think Liquid Plumbr is spelled without an E in Plumber. So despite the spell check I believe that's right.

I need a Liquid Vacuum Cleanr, without the E if it's cool, to eat the hair, fur, dust bunnies, and general debris from my sweeper.

It was reported today that the vacuum cleaner wasn't working again. Which means hinting around that we go get a new one. It seems like this comes around every couple years. Then another dead vacuum goes to the cemetery in the basement or garage, wherever they are now.

But we were digging around in it. There are some inaccessible places, since I couldn't figure out how to dismantle it entirely. So I was sticking a wire down the hole, with a hook. Then a brush thing with a wire. And I was getting out wads of hair, fur, etc., but I don't think I got everything.

What we need is something to pour in it, without destroying the motor of course, which would be the problem every time.

The Shaggy Dog and Marilyn Monroe

I got a VHS tape today of "The Shaggy Dog," at Goodwill.

I don't know. I'm not a Disney fan in the least. But I thought, it's an old, cute movie. One I don't believe I've seen. I'm not going to buy it on DVD but here it is for a buck, it might be fun to see while I'm exercising, killing time, or whatever.

So one of these days I'll be watching that.

This week (I watch movies in about 10 minute chunks) I've been watching "Some Like It Hot," with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon. I'm loving it, but I'm ready for it to end. It's very cute. I think it might be building to a head, because the gangsters the two men were fleeing are back in the scene.

I really haven't seen Marilyn Monroe that much in movies. I'm not really a movie guy. And somehow I missed hers. She's cute but plays sort of a dumb blonde in it.

The men are dressed as women, employed in an all girl band. Anyone who wouldn't be able to recognize their maleness, of course, would need to be examined. But that's the way the movie needs it to be. The dialogue is very snappy and well written. It's an excellent, delightful film.

Head Pun

Don't lose your head. Keep your pate in place.

Another Interesting Rib

This rib definitely has some meat on it.

Rachael Ray's Ribs

That's a very proud rib right there in the center.

Billy Mays A Drug Guy?

Billy Mays' autopsy results were released. And according to the findings, he was a cocaine user, which contributed to his death.

The TV pitchman had last used cocaine days prior to his death, the report states.

Well, I wasn't expecting that.

Dead Tchaikovsky

Decomposing is what Tchaikovsky did when he wadded up a manuscript.

Then he died and has been decomposing ever since.

That's why we need to listen to his music feverishly, before it all disappears.

Very Tasty

The church started their ice cream social with a singing of "O For A Thousand Tongues."

Rachel Maddow

Rachel gave a devastating report tonight on the corporations and Republican fat cat interests behind the supposed "average middle class Americans" protesting the idea of health care reform.

This has to be very funny to the fat cat interests, because they're making millions and stand to make millions more if the rest of us suffer with a crappy health care system. And how funny must it be to them that with a few "patriotic" manipulations of these people, they'll go shout down their congressman or congresswoman over something that would probably do them good, reform.

Even if you're a Republican, an average middle class American, you're suffering the same crappy health care system the rest of us are. The insurance companies aren't going to come around and give you a discount because you torpedoed your own interests. You're being used.

You're going to get old and sick, or have preexisting conditions, or lose your health care because you're out of work, or you suddenly find yourself too poor to pay for it. It's stupid to work against your own interests on behalf of these manipulative fat cats.

Birther Mantra -- "Yes We Can!"

I want to try something with a slogan we all remember from the '08 campaign.

"Yes we can." Let's say it over and over, "Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!"

Whenever you say something over and over very soon it starts to run together and by now you're not pronouncing the words clearly. You can see how this could work with "Yes we can!" We used to do it when trying to say "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" or "Rubber baby buggy bumpers," definite tongue twisters.

With "Yes we can," when slurred together and then separated out, you can see numerous permutations. "Yes we can! Yeah we can! Ya we kin!" And then to take it a step further, if you were saying it for 20 minutes straight, let's say, the rhythm could fluctuate and you wouldn't even necessarily be saying the "Ya" word first, but it'd be out of its normal order.

This could happen so much, with such mispronouncing, that eventually you could be saying, "Can Ya We! Kin Ya We!" To the point that it spells out "Ken-ya-we!" At first it reminds you of Kanye West, but look at that again!

It says, "Kenya We."

Now, I remember years ago when I was in grade school studying some of the various Kenyan languages, going for extra credit. The other kids were out exploding 2-liter Coke bottles with Mentos (This was the mid-'60s. Check it out, there's no anachronisms here), but I was inside studiously poring over African language websites.

And as I recall, and I confess I'm a little rusty, having not spoken Kenyan since winning the Kenyan version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" in 1981, the first person plural can always be translated as a first person singular when expressing someone's occupation, birthplace, town, or country of residence. (Instead of individualism, which we consider normal, in Kenya they relate more in a dyadic way*.) So we in English would say, "I am from America." But Kenyan grammar leaves out the "to be" verb form, with the words "Kenya We" then usually translating, "I am from Kenya."

Was Barack Obama trying to tell us something during the campaign?

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* "A dyadic personality is one who simply needs another continually in order to know who he or she really is," Bruce J. Malina writes in "The New Testament World -- Insights from Cultural Anthropology," John Knox Press, 1981, p. 55.

As an aside, ask yourself, when is the last time you saw a Kenyan by himself? Then ask yourself, Isn't Barack Obama always surrounded by other people?

Vague Tweets

Someone at Twitter cited one of my tweets as a "vague tweet." I've only been on there three or four days, so I guess it's an honor -- being virtually followerless as I am -- for this Vague Tweets guy to cite one of mine as vague.

It was:

You might call me a group dynamologist and a grange dancologist. With an interest in sexual tension. And farmers' daughters.

I'd love to explain about this. I'm doing Twitter with my Grandma Slump persona. As vaguely defined as that persona is. I go through days wondering about it occasionally. The fact that no one else is wondering makes it my own concern.

Recently, from April to the end of July, I was "on hiatus," during which I went on and on about that. Now I'm casting about for another theme that will be easy enough to write about on a daily basis while bringing in some weird bits of humor. I try to take how I normally think and give it about five twists. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes not. But I keep tweaking it, since my funnier ideas come after I've hit the post button.

My big idea for the foreseeable future is a toughie. But I'm going to make it easier by not being entirely consistent. I don't really know how to do fiction in any kind of orderly way. So it's going to be a mixture of teaching about group dynamics and a secret, nefarious society that has their roots in the local grange. I'm picturing these characters as the ordinary folks who go to the grange, but they're very far gone as far as looking down their noses at other people and wanting to maintain strict group coherence.

Why and how all this is meant to exist in an actual human setting is probably going to be my downfall. But maybe it's a magical place like Brigadoon, only the very moral characters of this society are also rotten and evil to the core. I'd love to have easily-accessible farmers' daughters, but I've also defined most of them as informants and not really that interested in relations with outside entities. But there may be one or two. This is probably what will happen. I will find one or two who have moral issues with immorality and decide to be immoral in other ways. But how am I going to discern their intentions? That's a direction to go for sure.

On the other hand, I'm over 50 and the typical farmer's daughter who wears those hot farmer's daughter shorts we all love is going to be looking for someone younger. It could be, though, that with the high rate of informants among their possible beaus that they don't know where to turn. (I need to keep it clean, though, because I don't do blue material.)

Now, the grange people are very moral. But they also use obviously immoral means to root out those who have come among them who are not sincere and concerned with group coherence as they demand it should be. These means include orgies and all kinds of other apparent looseness. It's all done for their own moral ends, which would be immoral to the rest of us.

Where's the group dynamics angle come from? I'm interested in group dynamics even though I don't have any formal training in the subject. But still, I figure my theories and conclusions are just as good as anyone's. Just because I'm not parroting the normal academic line doesn't mean my conclusions are inferior. I feel like I need to take academic inbreeding to task anyway. They're always looking down their nose at us laymen, who could probably kick their flabby butts if it came to fisticuffs. In this case, I would aver, might makes right.

We were out to lunch the other day and I wrote the "Vague Tweet" while sitting at the table in a fancy restaurant. It gave me a thrill, like a bolt of electricity that started in one heel and went up to my knee, then from my knee to my [that area]. Then from [that area] up to the chest and so forth. Then it was repeated in the other leg. To make a long story short, I ended up with my shirt unbuttoned and was daubing my sweaty chest with the fancy cloth napkin soaked in my iced tea. [I'm doing my persona again, fell into it.]

But I want to give credit where credit is due. I couldn't think of the word that would become "dynamologist." I was asking, "What would be the word, a fake word, for someone who studies group dynamics?" Because I was thinking "dynamicist," which didn't look right. [I love all this self-referential BS, of which every word is true.] The woman I was with -- yes, I was with a woman -- suggested "dynamologist" and I said "That's perfect." Sending off my tweet, we both soaked our sweaty chests and sent for refills.

Now, of course I know that when the "Vague Tweets" guy or gal (but waiters call both men and women "guys," so I guess I can too) saw my tweet, he or she no doubt thought it was just some random crap that meant nothing. But it's not that vague if you know the back story! One thing about it, though, I don't believe I had the evil grangers in mind quite yet. Just the farmers' daughters.

Veritgo

I rewatched Veritgo. It's been a few years and I was surprised how much of it I forgot. I forgot a lot.

I couldn't remember how it ended and a lot of the various twists and turns. I need to watch it again now with everything fresh in my mind. Maybe I will.

This is only the second time I've seen it. But I happened to find a cheap VHS of it at a thrift store so I picked it up.

It would be nice to have it on DVD or Blu-Ray, but a Blu-Ray disc doesn't seem to be available yet.

Of course I remembered the bell tower sequences (the first two) and the scene at the Golden Gate bridge. I remembered certain things about the bell tower sequences that meant I was expecting certain twists.

I like all the slow meandering the film makes around San Francisco and a lot of the scenes where James Stewart is just thinking and wondering, trying to make sense of what he's doing.

Nice movie. It's "all the thumbs I have up."

And Bringing Up The Rear

...I'm walking in your wake, bringing up the rear, passing through the same patch of air that you were in. We'll always be two ships passing through the same patch of air seconds apart.