Morning Update: 04/20/24

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / Personal / pop culture / Social Commentary / Status

Morning Update: 04/20/24

April 20, 2024

High Fashion Era [2009 original with AI background]

If you’re not celebrating today, or at least thinking about celebrating if you’re not physically able, then can you really be my friend? Of course, I can’t partake, either. Not only is it not legal in Indiana [insert stifled guffaw here] it can interfere with my meds. There are some edibles that I can tolerate, but since Kat’s not here for the weekend I’ll have to make do with coffee. 😪 We have to give up some of the best things because of cancer. I’m not liking that part at all. I guess if I wanted to give up something this would be the time to do it. But I’m too old goddammit. Now’s the time to be indulging in all the pleasures we’ve put off earlier in our lives. No one over 60 should have to say no to any form of pleasure. If it kills us, at least we went out doing something fun instead of lying in a hospital strapped to tubes.

I tried to get a lot done yesterday, but it didn’t happen at the rate I wanted. Part of that was because I couldn’t get the pictures to do what I wanted. There are times when even the best technology available isn’t sufficient to read my mind and deliver the image my brain is seeing. After a couple of hours of arguing with Adobe over what is and isn’t a violation of the terms of service, I just gave up. So help me, their censors are apparently offended by people having a chest at all.

Just in case you missed them, though, we posted the following articles yesterday:

I mean, we try to be entertaining even when we’re feeling like whatever that was the cat just threw up on the floor. We want to give you something to do besides playing with that tear in your underwear; you’re only going to make it worse.

We investigated more apartments yesterday but came up empty. Too many listings don’t tell you if all utilities are paid. I’m assuming if they don’t mention it, they’re not. There are also far too many listings for studio apartments that are two or three times what I make in a month! WHAT THE LIVING FUCK! That doesn’t make sense for any apartment, I don’t care where it’s located or what amenities are included. And at that price, someone had better be bringing me breakfast each morning. Ya’ll are kinda stupid if you’re paying that much. Seriously! What a fucking waste of income!

One of the issues that I can’t seem to get past is the fact that once I take the chemo meds, I have a little less than two hours before I’m dead asleep. This does not make me happy. I have to take the meds with breakfast. I can only put off breakfast for so long before my body starts to complain. The hungrier I am when I eat, the shorter period I have after taking the meds before I’m completely knocked out. This drives me nuts because midmorning is one of the best times of day to get things done and where am I? In bed, surrounded by these two dogs, as sound asleep as if it were the middle of the night. Trying to juggle the timing so that I can get things done is unnerving.

Oh, here’s the ridiculously stupid headline of the day: Woman Who Didn’t Get Raptured Demands a Refund on Her Generous Tips. There’s stupid, and then there’s “Oh my god, do you even have a brain.” This certainly falls into the latter category. I can’t imagine ever going back and asking a server to return all or a portion of a tip you’d left. Just how fucking brain-dead does a person have to be to do something like that?

If I had limitless income, which I don’t, I would buy every woman on the planet a copy of Wonder Woman #8, the issue where Wonder Woman is under the influence of a religious (Christian) nut job. It’s only 30 pages, extremely well illustrated, and easy to read. My hope would be that women with religious assholes for husbands would find themselves in this story and find their own path to escaping the mind games men and churches use to keep them bound in marital slavery where they’re not respected or valued as anything more than property. If you know someone who is in this trap, maybe buy them a copy and slip it to them in between the pages of the Bible they’re forced to read. Consider it a mission of mercy.

Okay. I really need to eat now. Ugh. Check back with me after I wake up this afternoon.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Original Style / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 04/19/24

April 19, 2024

Safety First [2010 original with AI background]

Everything I’d hoped to do, needed to do yesterday was done. The results, however, were not necessarily what we had hoped. After calling Social Security multiple times, I finally got an answering machine instructing me to leave my contact information. Sigh. Will they call back today? I’ll give them a chance. They’re on central time, which drives me a bit nuts, but I need to know what to expect and/or how to plan before relocating myself. I also contacted some apartments that are supposed to be for people who are over 55. What frustrates me there is that their ads on Facebook, which I’m getting in droves, hide the financial information until you give them your contact info. THEN, you find out their prices are well outside your budget. This isn’t going to be easy but we simply must find a solution somewhere.

A thunderstorm hit early this morning. The result was that I went from having two large dogs and five cats scattered around my bed to two large dogs and five cats all trying to snuggle as close to me as they possibly could. What the hell are they going to do for comfort when I’m gone? I think Hamilton would lie in my lap while I’m typing if he wasn’t so freaking big.

Tipper went to the pediatrician yesterday. She saw a new doctor because her usual pede is out for the month. I was a little concerned about how that would go, but it was fine. Tipper reported that the doctor told her to either get more sunshine or she’d have to take more pills. Tipper said she’d rather take the pills. Is anyone surprised by that surprise? No, not at all.

G got his PSAT scores back. I was impressed that his score puts him in the top 2%. He was disappointed that he didn’t make the top 1%. He said he was tired and hungry while taking the test, problems he’ll be sure to eliminate the next time he takes it. Let’s hope the child doesn’t choose the dark side at any point. Something tells me he’d have the Death Star up and operational in a matter of months.

Perhaps he can devise a way to keep stupid people from doing catastrophically stupid things. When we woke yesterday, we discovered that parts of six states had lost their 911 service just hours after Homeland Security warned that our 911 network is at risk of cyber attacks. Naturally, everyone immediately assumed that the report had been a self-fulfilling prophecy, possibly in an effort to increase funding. Nope. Turns out it was just stupid people doing stupid things. Late yesterday, we were told that workers installing a light pole in Missouri cut into a fiber line, causing the outage. You know all those signs you see everywhere about calling 811 before you did? One might think that doing so would be a natural part of the process for a utility contractor, something completed days before they started installing the new pole. Nope. Stupid people do stupid things that have dangerous consequences. If anything what we’ve learned from this experience is that yes, the nation’s 911 system needs to be protected. From ourselves.

Kat sent me a screenshot last night showing me the insane number of steps she had yesterday. She’d obviously had a full day and she’s feeling the results of that exertion this morning. It was only two years ago that I was putting in a similar number of steps on a daily basis. Now, I’m afraid to walk around the block alone. I almost fell over unfastening the gate this morning. Still, I want to try and stretch my stamina somehow. So, I think I’m going to see how many posts and images I can put in front of your eyes today. I have to try and stay awake to hear from Social Security anyway, so I might as well try to achieve some form of productivity even if it doesn’t really matter to anyone at all.

I find it interesting that since I started posting again, the highest amount of traffic still goes to a three-year-old post that is perhaps the most explicit I’ve ever published. I also find it interesting that a high number of those hits come from outside the country, often from Islamic countries where I’m pretty sure such content is illegal. I’m questioning whether I should try and top that one with something new. I’m pretty sure I still have some images I’ve never processed.

Breakfast time. Ya’ll try to stay out of trouble, okay? 🤣

Current Issues / News & Comment / science / Social Commentary

The Sky Is Falling. On Florida. Again.

April 16, 2024

The Sky Is Falling, Again [2011 original with AI background]

My personal disdain for almost everything Florida knows no limits. From its insane antics to its morally deprived and equally insane politics to its over-rated beaches and redneck behavior, There isn’t much about Florida that justifies people going there. Ever. There’s an equally good Disney attraction in Anaheim and dozens upon dozens of better beaches around the world. I mean, have you seen Hawai’i? So, I’m never surprised when the universe seems to take a shit on the god-forsaken state.

Well, it’s happened again, this time in the form of space trash that refused to burn up during re-entry. A piece of space junk used batteries from the space station that were supposed to burn up when they hit the earth’s atmosphere. This isn’t a fast process and normally it takes everything anywhere from two weeks to two months to make the trip. But not everything burned up this time. Instead, a piece about the size of a cell phone, if cell phones looked like a chunk of mastodon tusk, fell into a home in Naples, FL. When I say into I mean through the roof, the ceiling, and the floor. All the way through.

Alejandro Otero, the homeowner, said his son was at home when the event happened. There was a “tremendous” noise and then, boom, the sky fell onto the Otero’s home. No one was hurt, fortunately, but NASA says they’re going to have to “recalculate” how space trash re-enters the atmosphere.

Gee, ya’ think?

This isn’t the first time the sky has fallen on Florida or other places around the globe. Every time a new satellite goes up there has to be a projection for when/where it is expected to return when it leaves orbit. Most pieces are expected to burn up. The big pieces they hope will fall into an ocean. Those calculations are wrong to a somewhat frightening degree.

Granted, one is still more likely to get hit by a bus driven by a drunk Republican in Florida, or smashed by a raging bull elephant anywhere else. “Large uncertainties, primarily driven by fluctuating levels of atmospheric drag, prevent more precise predictions at this time,” according to the ESA (European Space Agency), which is one of NASA’s partners in the orbiting laboratory. That means, “We don’t know what the universe is going to throw at us, so maybe go ahead and duck.”

Since so much of what is in space leaves here from Florida, I guess we shouldn’t be too terribly surprised when the universe tries to send it back from whence it came. I’ll just add this to the already long list of reasons to stay the fuck out of Florida.

Current Issues / News & Comment / Photography / pop culture / Social Commentary

Reasons The US Isn’t The Best

April 16, 2024

Lounging In The Tree [2008 with AI enhancement]

I think most of us, at least those over the age of 40, grew up being told, with great confidence, that the United States was the best country in the world, and there was little to refute that statement. All that has changed now. It doesn’t take a social scientist with a Harvard degree to realize that the US is far from being the best. We certainly have punted on being the best at democracy, as the multiple criminal indictments of a past president indicate. We’re far from being the best at healthcare. We’re not even close on human rights. Those are just some of the major points where the United States is failing badly.

As I was doom scrolling through one bad news story after the other, I came across a BuzzFeed headline that caught my curiosity. BuzzFeed isn’t exactly known for being any bastion of journalism. They don’t even try. But they claimed to have a list of 43 “cool” things that prove the US is lagging behind on the social front. 43? Really? That seems an odd number, don’t you think? Certainly, this mandated some level of inspection.

Mind you, these are strictly social elements, things that the US could do but hasn’t. None of these things would require an act of Congress. Well, maybe one or two when it comes to infrastructure funding. Most, however, are simply a matter of having entrepreneurs step and and give the concept a try. Are Americans ready for this kind of advances or are we too busy arguing with each other over who is American enough?

I don’t find all 43 items on the list that amusing, either. So, I narrowed it down to ten, starting with:

Bikes with airless tires you can rent, so you don’t have to worry about tires deflating.

The list refers to Singapore’s bike rental industry, which is kinda cool but something several US cities have. What we don’t have are airless tires. There’s nothing quite as lame as renting a bike and having a tire go flat. Whose responsibility is it to change the tire? How do you even report a flat tire to the rental company? Do you get your money back? The problem of flat tires is not an issue that needs to happen. Airless tires have been around for a long time. The technology isn’t even that difficult. It is well past time that we stepped up to the plate on this issue.

Traveling movie theaters so remote areas far away from movie theaters can still catch the latest releases.

Having been raised in rural Oklahoma, I feel this one to my core. Going to the movies was never easy, and if you were including a meal, it was even more difficult. Chances are you had to go to the late showing and wouldn’t be getting home until the wee hours of the morning, and that’s not including any time of hanky-panky. Traveling movie theatres in Scotland are essentially tractor-trailers whose sides expand out once parked. They can set up in a parking lot at a park or store, seat up to 100 people at a time, and give everyone the chance to see current movies not yet streaming. This could be especially important for the thousands of people in the US who don’t have reliable Internet service, either. Someone needs to take advantage of this quickly!

Solar-powered buses

With all the arguments (it’s not really a debate because it’s mostly yelling and short on facts) about the fuel impact of public transportation, Hong Kong seems to have found a reasonable solution. The fact that it’s working in a demonstrably dense urban area is all we need to know. Say goodbye to exhaust fumes and charging stations. The only place where I see this possibly not working is in the Seattle, WA area, where the sun has an obvious dislike for joining whatever party they’ve got going on up there. For everyone else, this solves not only the question of fuel but also the question of costs since, ta-da, sunshine is free! There’s a pretty decent chance that high-speed rail could be operated similarly.

Make the whole traffic light rod light up, so there’s no mistaking when the light changes.

Was that light red or not? Americans may not be the worst drivers in the world (have you been to India?), but we certainly qualify among the worst. We have this bad habit of insisting that we’re right 100% of the time. Any time there’s an accident at an intersection, someone is screaming, “But I swear that light was green!” Let’s put that to an end, or perhaps a reduction, by lighting up the whole lighting structure. Yes, this is an infrastructure cost and no one wants to spend money on things we need, like infrastructure. This is also a safety issue, though, and the number of pedestrians being hit in crosswalks hasn’t gone down anywhere. Light things up, maybe even make crosswalks more visible while we’re at it, and let’s see how many fewer dead bodies we have to scrape from the pavement.

Mixing Drinks [2008 original with AI background]

“Confectionery-free checkouts” with no small candies or snacks, so you aren’t tempted to buy anything. These would also be a lifesaver for parents of kids with grabby hands.

This is apparently a popular idea in Australia. Apparently, folks down under actually care about giving their customers a pleasant shopping experience. I can’t imagine how grocery stores in the US would operate without indulging that last-minute “I deserve a candy bar” craving or giving in to the persistent screaming of the two-year-old sitting in a basket. Think of the revenue that would be lost! Why, this sounds absolutely un-American, and it is. We’re too fucking greedy to ever give this idea a decent shot, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile concept.

Lights showing which bathroom stalls are occupied.

Imagine walking into a public restroom, especially in a crowded club or restaurant, and not having to peek through the cracks to see whether a stall is occupied! This is the reality in Taiwan and there’s absolutely no reason it shouldn’t exist everywhere. Not many people like being spied on while they’re in the bathroom, especially if that shrimp you had for dinner wasn’t the freshest. A light panel just inside the doorway saves all the questioning and allows one to go straight to the nearest empty stall which is what you wanted to do in the first place. Now, if they’d just add better ventilation to that…

Vending machines for things other than snacks or drinks.

The vending machine concept is far from new, so why is it that the US hasn’t started using them for things more than snacks or drinks? Looking around the world, there are vending machines for used books, wine, flowers, cakes, and many other things that one might want to grab on the go. The technology is easy and could be set up at places such as bus stops so that one could get what they need without having to wander all over town. This could be especially advantageous in places that are currently food/resource deserts. Think about entire individual meals, health products, and even resource guides at the ready! Bonus points if they’re paired with Foodstamp cards for those in need.

In-store signs that warn you about shrinkflation.

Again, I don’t see this happening in America because we’re too bent on allowing ourselves to be fooled so that we spend more than we should. France finds such signs a part of doing an honest business. American companies would find such signs an attack on their revenue. What that says about American business and shoppers alike isn’t flattering. But then, it’s been a long time since Americans gave a shit about honesty. We’re much too greedy for that.

Playing in the Dirt [2006 original with AI enhancement]

Braille notices on canned goods and drinks

How do blind people shop? For the most part, they need someone else to do it for them. Telling the difference between a bag of potatoes and a bag of oranges is almost impossible. But what about when they get home? They may know what was bought, but if you’re feeling around the refrigerator, how do you tell the difference between soda and beer? In Japan, there’s braille on the top of cans that tell you! This simple kind of stamping would be extremely easy to implement, but less than .01% of consumer-oriented goods make any kind of allowance for blind or vision-empaired customers. This is an idea that is long overdue and one we need to get behind.

Garden Music [2006 original with AI background]

Public points to get help for people with dementia or autism issues.

Anyone with autism issues knows what it’s like to be out in public and suddenly become overwhelmed by any number of sensory issues. Maybe it’s sound. Maybe it’s too many people, Maybe it’s too many lights. I have family members who experience such moments and their bodies simply shut down, right there, unable to do anything to help them get to safety. Now, take those same feelings and apply them to people with dementia. They might have been just fine for days and in a place they know well, but all of a sudden they’re lost. Americans talk about caring for these people, but we do a lousy job of actually doing anything about it. Multiple Asian countries, however, have established copious help points, quiet rooms, and emergency assistance staffed around the clock just for these situations. They provide paid professionals who can make a quick assessment of the problem and find the appropriate help so that no one gets hurt. These are countries that actually care about their citizens, including those with neurological disabilities. The US does little more than talk, and there’s a severe lack of sincerity in our conversation. We have yet to put any real effort into addressing the many issues.

These ten things are just the edge of all that is happening around the world to make people’s lives better. We are so behind these trends that I’m a little surprised anyone at BuzzFeed thought to take a look at them. I’m guessing it’s someone who travels a lot internationally and was starting to feel a little jealous. Americans have let our international dominance slip so far that we’re afraid to take the steps necessary to start moving back up the ladder. We don’t want to spend the money. We don’t want to be bothered with someone else’s problem. We don’t have the spine to stand up and do what’s right.

I hope you’re feeling ashamed. I do.

Cancer Update / Morning Update / Personal / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 04/16/24

April 16, 2024

Bound By Illogical Idealism [2020 original, AI background]

What I want to do and what I actually do are two different things, almost daily. I thought I’d get more written yesterday. You don’t see any other posts than the morning update, do you? That’s because I’d start working on something and within minutes I’d start falling asleep at the desk. No amount of caffeine was able to stop it. This is the power that the chemo has over me and is the side effect I’m most concerned about not losing when the chemo is over. I fear my body has become too accustomed to my brain checking out and taking long naps during the afternoon.

Yesterday was a rough day for the kids as well. They came home, did their chores, and promptly fell fast asleep. Neither one ate anything for dinner. G woke up somewhere after 8:30 and Tipper didn’t wake up until 10. To no one’s surprise, I was out for the night by that time. I’m not sure anyone was awake at whatever time Kat got home. Her Mondays are almost always long days, and yesterday started earlier than normal. If it wasn’t for having to take care of the pets, I think we all could sleep around the clock.

The warm weather was nice when I was awake. The dogs loved being outside again. They’re being a lot more chill this spring, not barking as much at people who are passing by, not causing any problems. They’re even being nicer to the mail carrier. She still keeps a wide berth as she passes, but she doesn’t feel the need to walk out in the middle of the street any longer. I’d be tempted to take one of the dogs for a walk, but out of safety, I think I’d need someone to walk with us.

I need someone to take me to see the new movie Civil War. Having watched all the trailers and probably too much news, I can see the movie being prophetic in disturbing ways. I’ve told others that I’ll be surprised if we make it through this election season without any violence. This movie seems to take that thought to the extreme. The fact is, we’re in as much danger from domestic extremism as any Islamic country. We’re wrestling with many of the same issues with too many parallels among the factions. There are too many so-called “patriots” who think that anyone who disagrees with them needs to die. There are too many Supreme Court decisions encouraging the chaos. If I’m going to die before I’m 85, I want it to be because I ate too many coconut creme pies, not because I ran afoul of some idiot with a grenade launcher. Here’s the trailer. Let me know in the comments what you think.

Given all this stress and such, I’m kind of in the mood to take some risks. It’s about a mile and a half, give or take a few steps, over to Nick’s Chili Parlor and some incredible foot-long hot dogs. I’m pretty sure I could make it over there safely. The question is, could I make it back? And who would I call for help if I couldn’t?

Maybe I just need to eat breakfast so I can get the idea of food out of my head.

Art / Fashion / Social Commentary

Thoughts on the Passing of Roberto Cavalli

April 12, 2024

Fashion Thoughts [original 2015 photo with AI background] The unique and wonderful designs of Tiffiany Gilstrap-Scott

Roberto Cavalli died today at the age of 83. I wish you could have known him. Or maybe not. He was a unique character in the fashion world, his own life shaped by the loss of his father, shot by nazis when he was three years old. That event did two things that lasted: it gave him a stutter that could make his words difficult to understand whether in Italian or English. It also sent his now-single mother to make dresses, from which he would learn great skill.

Cavalli loved three things: art, women, and wine. Art was almost always behind the purpose of his fashion, but bringing out the sexiness of the female body was behind the silhouettes that graced his runways. And wine? Cavalli never shied away from throwing a party. In fact, the party atmosphere of his fashion shows was pretty much a staple.

Cavalli could be fiercely competitive and one of the fastest ways to get on his bad side was to be wearing Armani in his presence. So fierce was his competitive nature that he would threaten to file suit if his Milan show was within two hours of Armani. He wanted to be the biggest show of the day and throw the biggest party afterward.

While the designer loved seeing a woman in a dress, it was the stretch denim fabric and the resulting jeans that made him stand out. The jeans hugged a woman’s curves in the sexiest way possible, often leaving very little to the imagination. He’d pair the jeans with a daring low-cut top covered in sequins and rhinestones and five-inch tall stiletto heels, They were looks that were impossible to miss and anyone in the know recognized the look at Cavalli’s.

Roberto hasn’t been directly involved with the brand for some time now. With age came the loss of motor functions, making it difficult to sketch, and exaggerating his stutter, making it difficult to communicate. Finding someone to replace him was difficult, though. Designer Peter Dundas failed miserably at the house, failing to understand the basic look of the brand (despite his kind words in Vogue). Eventually, Fausto Puglisi took the creative director’s post and has continued with designs that match Cavalli’s concept of making beautiful women impossible to miss.

Yes, there were some issues with Cavalli as the world changed. The designer loved being around models and that gave rise to accusations that were less than flattering. While I never witnessed anything inappropriate, his personality certainly made it difficult to dismiss the charges, especially those made regarding the ’80s and early ’90s. He kept such matters private, though, and as he aged was much more careful about his interactions with the women who walked his runways.

Cavalli could be gruff and fun at the same time. He might complain about a sample not falling the way he wanted, demanding to know who had done the sewing or why the wrong stitch was used, but in the same instant, say, “Oh yeah, I did this, didn’t I? Maybe I should fire myself.” Everyone would laugh, and then he would remove the piece and either fix the problem on the spot or remove it from the show.

Cavalli was part of fashion’s Old Guard, a group that really only has two or three members left. Younger designers are coming along with new fabrics and ideas that are better suited for today’s women. He’ll be haunting someone, though, if his legend is ever lost behind Armani’s. Be sure of that.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 04/10/24

April 10, 2024

River Dance [ 2007 original with AI-enhanced background ]

Happy birthday to my second-born son, Benjamin Lafayette! I still think of him as some little wild-haired, mac & cheese-eating dude who hated wearing clothes. Now, he’s turning 29. TWENTY-NINE! How the hell is that possible? Can I really be old enough for him to be 29? Here he is being an incredible young man, running around being all responsible and stuff instead of lining up his trains and Matchbox cars all over the den floor. Time flies much too quickly when it comes to our children. Thinking of them as adults is almost impossible, but here they are, doing all the good stuff and doing it better than their parents did.

Speaking of kids, if your kids are in that age group where Lunchables are part of your daily routine, you need to find another routine. According to news released yesterday, Lunchables contain a scary level of lead and sodium. I know, it’s easy and the kids like it and they’re not eating it for every meal. Can it really be that bad? Yes. Please remember, omitting all the sciency stuff, lead makes people stupid. Those of us from my generation should be a sufficient case study to prove that point. You’re probably not going to like this suggestion, but making them a sandwich or “lunchable” type of meal on your own, as time-consuming as it is, would be much better for them. We’re guilty of hooking our kids on processed food much too early in their lives because it’s easier. I’m just as guilty of this as anyone else. I’m glad that my kids are old enough to get up and cook their own lunches to take with them. In fact, that’s exactly what Tipper is doing as I type. Please, don’t follow my example on this one. Stop feeding your kids Lunchables.

Yesterday kinda sucked. I’m not sure why this happened, but about 10:30 yesterday morning my digestive system rebelled and made me more ill than I’ve been in several months. I was running back and forth across the hallway to the bathroom most of the day with far too much intestinal pain. I don’t know if this was a side effect of the chemo or if I ate something stupid. It seems to be gone for now, but I’m still tentative about eating anything substantial.

The good news is that my SS check hit my bank account this morning! While it’s not a lot, it means I can actually pay some bills and take care of some much-needed food items. Of course, I’ll be budgeting carefully to make sure it lasts all month, but the relief I’m feeling at this moment is substantial. And the odds are pretty high I’ll be having fried chicken for lunch.

One other strange thing that happened yesterday is that one of the buses at Tipper’s school ran into a police squad car as they were leaving the school. Apparently, the squad car took the brunt of the force, neither the bus nor the kids on it were hurt. Still, it caused all the buses to be about 30 minutes late. It wouldn’t be worth mentioning if this was the first time this same bus/driver has had an accident while leaving the school. Last spring, just about this same time of year, it was a car they collided with, and again, it caused all the buses to be late. I’m not going to blame the driver right off, but there’s a stop light at that intersection. There’s no sensible reason for anyone to be having a collision there. Someone’s not paying attention.

Okay, there’s a lot to try and do today. I may do a photo dump later? Maybe. You just have to stay tuned!

Current Issues / Nature / News & Comment / Social Commentary

Time To Eliminate The Hoarders

April 9, 2024

Waiting For His Time [2004 original with AI background] Yes, we were that close.

Dreams are odd and unusual things that sometimes have a meaningful message and other times are nothing more than a series of bizarre images that have no noticeable relationship to real life. Sometimes, dreams are replaying events of the past, especially those one wishes they could change. Other times, dreams indulge in fantasies, things we might like to do if we didn’t have to suffer the consequences of doing them. Dreams are not trustworthy. Dreams are not predictable. They are glimpses into a part of our mind that science has yet to understand. So, when I dreamed of a movement to eliminate billionaires the hard way, I woke up trying to tell myself that it absolutely does not mean that I’m bloodthirsty.

In my dream, we (those faceless individuals with me) commandeered a submarine and torpedoed Jeff Bezos’ yacht. We (presumably the same group) then used a surface-to-air missile to take Elon Musk’s plane out of the sky at 30,000 feet (Is that even possible?). Immediately, the world started being a better place as the billions of dollars they hoarded were distributed more equitably through charities named in their wills. While their deaths were news for a moment, people quickly forgot all about them and went on about their business.

Reality would be much different, however. For all the calls to “eat the rich,” killing rich people isn’t sufficient to redistribute billions of dollars of wealth equitably. Billionaires have wills, trusts, and succession plans already in place to make sure that whoever comes behind them continues to build on the wealth they already have. Like fighting the legendary Hydra, cutting off one head only causes two more to pop up in its place. If we’re really going to put an end to billionaires, all of them, then we are going to need a much better plan, one that ensures money is getting to where it’s most needed.

First, let’s take a look at who, exactly, we’re talking about when we use the term billionaire. Forbes just updated their list last week. Consider who’s hoarding the most wealth.

Bernard Arnault & family, the head of LVMH fashion and beauty powerhouse. They are sitting on $233 Billion in assets. While headquartered in France, their holdings are global.
Elon Musk is riding high on $195 Billion despite having made a mess of the X platform and continually having recalls and missing deadlines with Tesla.
Jeff Bezos is right behind Musk with $194 Billion and on any given day, depending on how the market fluctuates, they may trade places on the list.
Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg comes in with $177 Billion but he may also be one of the more vulnerable billionaires on the list as his stock value depends highly on mass public appeal that could turn on a dime at any moment. Stop using social media and he’s broke within a few months.
Larry Ellison, the insane (literally) head of Oracle rounds out the top five with $141 Billion. Only because Oracle is a solid and proven product does the stock price withstand Ellison’s foot-in-mouth comments that are so bizarre he makes the 45th president sound sane by comparison. Fortunately, he’s not really in charge of the day-to-day operations.

The number of billionaires has increased by 141 over last year, up to 2,781 with an aggregate value of $14.2 trillion. The US has the most, by far. China comes in second and India third (up significantly from last year). It is almost impossible to wrap one’s head around how much money these people have. Let’s examine the obligatory comparisons.

It would only take $1.6 trillion to eradicate hunger on the entire planet by 2030 completely.
The UN doesn’t put a budget number on housing, but it would take only $20 billion to house everyone in the US. Extrapolating that out, housing everyone on the planet would only cost around $800 billion.
Educating everyone in the world through secondary school (12th grade) would only cost a little over $2 trillion. That’s every country, which would eliminate a great deal of the ignorance causing problems today.
Providing healthcare for everyone in the world would only be $2.2 trillion.

Excluding war, these are the four biggest problems addressing the world at the moment and they could all be completely eradicated by 2030 and our group of billionaires would still have more money than they can possibly spend. Think about that for a moment. All the world’s most critical needs can be met if the world’s billionaires would kindly get their heads out of their collective asses.

Apparently, all those billionaires need some incentive. The go-to response is that they need to be taxed. That sounds like it should be an easy solution. However, the US government wastes approximately .51 cents of every dollar on bureaucracy. Even at the most streamlined methods, it would still double the cost of any endeavor. Other countries are worse. Then, once the government has the money, there’s the fight over who gets how much. Inevitably, the military, which doesn’t need any more fucking money than it’s already getting, would be yelling and screaming for more and there are far too many politicians willing to give it them because of the pull the military-industrial complex has. Several billion would be lost to pork projects in individual states under the guise of “creating jobs.” The inefficiencies of government cause very little actual help to reach the people who need it.

A much more efficient way would be for the billionaires to get together and handle these matters themselves. They already have the people and the structure and, unlike governments, have reason to operate in the most efficient way possible. Think of all the good Chef Jose’ Andres is doing with World Central Kitchen and he isn’t a billionaire! These problems are fixable without involving governments and the solutions would almost certainly last longer and be more effective than any government-funded project would be.

The problem is, that billionaires don’t want to work together and don’t want to let go of the money they’ll never spend. The motivation has to come from people like us. We have a couple of choices: either we stop buying their products and dump their stocks (which puts more money in our own pockets), or… we start buying rocket launches and putting them to good use. How many billionaires do you think we’d have to blow out of the sky before they got the hint?

Before you get all self-righteous about murder being wrong, stop and think about the degree to which billionaires who could help world problems and don’t, are accessories in the deaths of millions of people who die because they didn’t have enough food, protection from the elements, enough education to survive, or sufficient access to healthcare. MILLIONS of people that they could and should be helping.

There is a moral responsibility we all have to help those in need. Hoarding wealth in extreme amounts does not excuse anyone from that responsibility. Knowing that you could completely eradicate an inhuman condition and doing nothing more than throwing pennies at it (donations less than $100,000,000) makes you just as inhumane. Billionaires are the real animals in our society, and yes, that includes the ones you like.

This all brings to mind the French Revolution and the solution they found for the inhumanity of the rich: cut off their heads. The advantage of using rocket launchers is that you don’t have to get as close to the filth.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / Personal / science / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 04/08/24

April 8, 2024

Create Your Own Reality [recovered and modified from 2004 original]

ECLIPSE DAY!

This is it! The most anticipated/dreaded day of the year (so far)! The sun was reflecting brightly off the back of the turn three grandstands at IMS as I took the dogs out this morning. There are signs of some high clouds back to the southwest, but meteorologists are promising that it won’t dramatically reduce viewing abilities. We have our glasses ready. The only issue now is staying awake. Full totality hits right smack in the middle of what is normally my nap time. I’ll have to take an earlier nap if I’m going to see anything. In fact, I’m not sure anyone slept all that well last night, so it may mean mid-morning naps for everyone!

IMS is having a big eclipse viewing party. Honestly, I don’t see much difference between viewing the eclipse from the infield versus our backyard other than I’m not going to charge anyone to stand out here and look at the sky. I really don’t see the point. The sun is going to look exactly the same here as it does 300 yards from here. What remains to be seen is the degree to which the event messes up local traffic. People around here don’t typically drive with a lot of common sense anyway, so there’s a reasonable chance of vehicular disaster.

On the upside, today’s high temperature is supposed to be 74 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yesterday was significantly less exciting. The sun shone for a while, then it rained, then the sun was back out. I napped while it rained so that the accompanying pain could be ignored. The kids did kid stuff. G tends to be particularly loud when playing on the VR headset, but that may be part of its “charm” for now.

One particularly frustrating moment came when a friend tried to help out financially. They sent a bit of $ via Zelle, which goes directly into our bank account. Since the account is overdrawn (because of automatic deductions), their gift reduced the deficit, which is greatly appreciated, but did not fulfill their desire to help us with food. We’re still negative by a little over $40. Until that is paid, we’re just stuck.

Who all is trying to “like” posts but can’t? I understand that’s being a problem for some people. I’ll look into it and see if that’s something I can address.

Also, is anyone here genuinely offended by nudity? There’s going to be some in my next post as I’m about to go off on Internet trolls and those who make headlines of their actions. Keep watch as I won’t be able to post a direct link to that on FB. 🙄

Be careful out there this afternoon! Don’t be as stupid as a certain former president and try looking at the eclipse without protection.

Current Issues / News & Comment / Photography / Politics / Social Commentary

Taking Pictures That Offend

April 7, 2024

Being Silly [recovered from 2004 original]

Almost everyone has taken a photo they wished later hadn’t happened. Maybe it was on a drunken spree with friends, or a vacation where it didn’t seem to matter. Perhaps you were caught making a funny face as you sneezed. There are a lot of embarrassing pictures floating around all over the Internet. We tend to laugh at them and move on.

Other pictures might have seemed okay when they were taken but didn’t age well. For example, those intimate pictures of you and your spouse felt loving and romantic when you took them. The day after the divorce is finalized, though, the pictures feel offensive. I’ve gotten take-down requests for such pictures multiple times over the years and, most of the time, I reluctantly oblige.

Life isn’t so simple for a photojournalist, however. They don’t have time to “set up” a shot. They don’t get to choose better-looking “models.” They don’t get to wait until the light is better, and they never have a full crew hanging around to make sure everyone looks their best. Photojournalists take the shot that’s in front of them. That’s all. They don’t run the subject past an editor first. They don’t have time to get permission from everyone involved. The moment happens, you take the shot. That’s the job.

Such appears to have been the case on October 7 last year when amateur photojournalist Ali Mahmud took a picture that won the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism‘s Photo of the Year. Nikon and the Associated Press jointly sponsor the award. In the midst of Hamas’ attack on a music festival being held in Israel, Mahmud snapped a photo that includes an image of the corpse of a German-Israeli citizen killed by Hamas terrorists. The image’s content is horrible, frightening, and offensive. However, the photographic quality is on point. The image provokes emotions and captures the reality of war. War is not pretty.

Plenty of people are upset that Mahmud won the award. They claim the photo dishonors the memory of the young woman killed. Some are protesting both the school and the sponsors of the award. Their opinion is that he is taking advantage of a person who was killed in this act of war.

Director of Photojournalism at the Missouri School of Journalism’s Reynolds Journalism Institute, Lynden Steele defends the decision: “The Reynolds Journalism Institute and Pictures of the Year strongly condemn the Hamas attack on October 7, and we continue to mourn the loss of innocent lives and human suffering that is occurring in the ongoing conflict. Reactions to the team Picture Story of the Year express the greater emotions related to that conflict. This year and every year, the photos in the competition are selected by a panel of professional journalists tasked with identifying compelling representations of the significant news events of the year. While we understand the reactions to the pictures, we also believe that photojournalism plays an important role in bringing attention to the harsh realities of war.”

Now, to be fair, there is some reasonable concern that Mahmud and those he was with (including a videographer) may have only been in the position to capture the photo because they had advance knowledge of the attacks. If they did have advance knowledge of the attacks, they had a responsibility to report those attacks. There’s not a lot of question on that matter. However, Mahmud denies having any such knowledge. He was just there, part of the crowd, as these horrible things happened in front of him.

Here’s the thing: war is offensive. From its start until its final cease-fire, there is nothing about war that is acceptable. To illustrate war with benign images of explosions from high above, pictures of warplanes flying in the sky, or even soldiers hiding safely behind a wall, is immoral because it removes the danger, the disregard for life, the utter destruction, and the gut-wrenching reality of war’s horrors. There is no way to adequately, honestly, sufficiently capture war without showing crushed, broken, bombed, shot, hung, and dishonored naked bodies of innocent people who didn’t ask to be involved in the conflict.

We don’t want photos of war that are so watered down that we can’t see the war. We need to be offended by war lest we accept it as a normal part of life. We need to be angry about those who initiate and those who perpetuate war. We need to be disturbed that there are people among us who find these detestable conditions acceptable. Anything less is immoral and makes us accessories after the fact to the murder and destruction taking place.

Yes, the photo makes my stomach turn. No, the young woman didn’t deserve what happened to her. Yes, this is a photo we need. We need to see what really happened. Words are not enough. We need the photo and it deserves the award.

No, I’m not going to show it to you.

Art / Current Issues / science / Social Commentary

Have Sex, Avoid Alzheimer’s? Well, Maybe

April 5, 2024

My paternal Grandfather died of Alzheimer’s disease before it had that name. He was 82 and the last five years of his life were among the most horrible I’ve witnessed. Last year, my Uncle Joe also died of complications from Alzheimer’s. He was 89 and had been much healthier than Granddaddy, but the last few years of his life weren’t any walk in the park, either. Poppa was 72 when cancer took him, so we don’t know if there were signs of Alzheimer’s in his future or not; there were other medical priorities. Still, it seems obvious that Alzheimer’s runs in the family. Therefore, it makes sense to take reasonable precautions against it.

A Washington Post article from February of this year came across my feed this week with an interesting premise: Viagra may reduce the frequency of Alzheimer’s disease in men over the age of 50. Researchers at University College London studied 270,000 men over the age of 40 between 2000 and 2017. All had been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction. During the study, 1,119 of the men were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. A pattern was noticed: The men who were prescribed Viagra or a similar drug had an 18 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, compared with men who weren’t given the medication.

But wait, there’s more: “The researchers also found an even larger difference in men who appeared to use Viagra more often. Among the highest users, based on total prescriptions, the risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s was 44 percent lower.”

So, to be perfectly clear, the study appears to indicate that, if you have erectile dysfunction and take Viagra, and have sex regularly, you may reduce the chance of getting Alzheimer’s by as much as 44 percent.

Maybe. The study shows an association between Alzheimer’s and Viagra use; it does not show cause and effect. Men who have erectile dysfunction and are prescribed Viagra are told that a) if you take the pill, you need to have sex, and b) don’t take more than one pill a day. To have sex with the level of frequency that might result in a significantly lower risk factor for Alzheimer’s requires a pretty decent amount of physical activity. Physical activity has a higher association with lowering the risks for Alzheimer’s. Therefore, it may be that running around the block each morning helps just as much as having sex, though, I would argue, that one is definitely more fun than the other.

How is this possible? Not surprisingly, this was never the anticipated outcome. Sildenafil, the generic name for Viagra, was developed by Pfizer as a heart medication. During clinical trials for the drug, some men reported that taking the pill resulted in getting an erection. There was no way in hell that Pfizer was going to pass up that marketing opportunity.

For both heart and ED issues, Sildenafil works by increasing blood flow throughout the body. It is also used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension in both men and women. We’ve known for a long time that there’s a link between erectile dysfunction and coronary artery disease. We also know for certain that there is a link between increased blood flow and certain kinds of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. This study shows a significant association as to warrant additional, focused study as to whether there is a direct cause and effect of the medication.

However, the study also raises a lot of questions. The one bugging me most relates to men as they age. For a 40- or even 50-year-old man to have sex on a regular basis doesn’t seem like that much of a stretch. Men of that age are more likely to be in a relationship (for the third or fourth time) and it makes sense that they would be sexually active.

Once we get over 60, though, the entire environment begins to break down. Other diseases, like cancer, interfere with one’s ability to be active. Partners die and finding new ones becomes increasingly difficult. Body parts, such as knees and hips, begin to give out, and replacing them seldom results in a full range of motion.

There are also questions on the sex side of the equation. Is jerking off enough, or do you need to involve your body in the act fully? Does it matter who’s on top or how many positions are used? Who wakes up for the 3:00 AM feeding of one of those little swimmers gets through?

If a direct correlation between Viagra and treating Alzheimer’s disease can be established, can a sex worker then be prescribed as a medical necessity? Would Medicare/Medicaid pay for it?

I agree that a great deal of study needs to happen, and I would hope that it began a couple of weeks ago. In the meantime, I would like to volunteer myself for additional personalized study. Who wants to help?

Current Issues / News & Comment / Politics / Social Commentary

No Mistake: They Were Targeted

April 4, 2024

Benjamin Netanyahu is lying through his ugly mug. After Israeli drones murdered seven aid workers yesterday, the Prime Minister did exactly what I predicted: He said it was an accident and that these things happen in war.

If these things happen in war, it is because someone made them happen.

Late yesterday, US time, World Central Kitchen’s founder, Chef Jose Andres’, told Reuters in an exclusive interview that it was, in fact, no accident at all. He said that the vehicles in the convoy were targeted, “systematically, car by car.” Furthermore, he said that this was not the first time! This was the THIRD time that the drones had targeted the convoy! This repeated targeting makes it exceedingly clear that Tuesday’s event was not an “accident.”

“This was not just a bad luck situation where ‘oops’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,” Andres said.

“This was over a 1.5, 1.8 kilometers, with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colorful logo that we are obviously very proud of,” he said. It’s “very clear who we are and what we do.”

“They were targeting us in a deconflicting zone, in an area controlled by IDF. They knowing that it was our teams moving on that road … with three cars,” he said.

“Even if we were not in coordination with the (Israel Defense Forces), no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians,” he added.

What’s worse than being inexcusable? The attack was inexcusable two days ago. Now that we find that the attack is part of a repetitive chain, of deliberate and unprovoked attacks on unarmed international aid workers, the only designation left is to recognize this as a WAR CRIME.

I’m furious that the US is believing Netanyahu’s bullshit about it being an accident. The time has come for the UN, led by the US, to stand up to the litany of lies that Netanyahu is telling and DEMAND that this war be brought to an end NOW. There is no room for any level of tolerance at all. The war must stop and the US must take the lead in making it happen because Netanyahu is a ridiculous buffoon making a dangerous and deadly power grab.

Current Issues / News & Comment / Social Commentary

Don’t Trust The Messenger

April 3, 2024

Stairway To Hell [original photo 2006 with AI inset]

For much of the past month, I’ve been getting ads between YouTube videos for a set of speakers, all of international origin, trying to get me to invite them to my church to talk about sexual trafficking. They claim that if they can come to my church, together we can help eliminate the horrible global problem of sexual trafficking. The ad shows photos of them speaking against a black background, laid over some random crowd shot that could have just as easily been a basketball game.

There are many problems with this ad. First, I don’t have a church and I did its regular attendance number would be around three, on a good day. Second, none of the names were recognizable and there was no way to check their credentials. Third, the photo felt fake. The solid black backgrounds matched too perfectly. Nothing was defining about the “crowd” to legitimize a specific location. Fourth, there were no endorsements from well-known third parties, such as UNICEF. I don’t know if you’ve worked around legit NGOs, but I assure you this is not how any of them work.

Then, one of the first things I read this morning was this headline:

Philippine court orders arrest of religious leader with ties to Duterte

The article centers around a megachurch pastor, Apollo Quiboloy, who calls himself “owner of the universe” and “appointed son of god.” He is charged with sex trafficking and sexual abuse of a Philippine woman. The Philippine court reversed a 2020 decision dropping the charges because the victim in this case continued to press the matter, making it impossible for the court to deny her charges.

Quiboloy also faces charges in the United States of sex trafficking based on accusations of coercing girls and young women to have sex with him. He is on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list.

And this is why the church cannot be trusted to actually do anything to end sex trafficking. Sure, they make a lot of noise about it, and it’s become an election-year rallying cry for right-wing congregations who are sure that governments as responsible for the problem because, are you ready… Epstein. However, churches are not in the policing business, are they? Consider a few highlights:

In the US alone, 4,392 priests have been accused of sexual abuse.
In 2019, a Houston Chronicle report found roughly 380 clergy, lay leaders, and volunteers had faced allegations of sexual misconduct, leaving behind over 700 victims since 1998.
The Church has a long history of either ignoring or punishing women who bring allegations against men in the church.
“Mission work” has been a frequent cover for funneling young women into sex work, telling the young women that this is a way of “repenting” for their sins.

And yet they want to be the ones who put an end to the very activity that has been one of their core interests for centuries? Let’s not forget that these same organizations supported slavery for over 400 years. They were adamant that by taking black people out of godless Africa they were helping to save their souls. Are we really going to fall for this trick again?

There’s no question that sex trafficking is a problem, but religion is absolutely not the way to solve it. First of all, churches have no legal authority outside the confines of their own addled minds. They can’t go running around internationally taking on the bad guys and putting them in jail. One doesn’t just walk into a sex trafficking operation and shut them down without a lot of authority, and usually a lot of firepower. This is dangerous work that needs to be carried out by professionals, not a group of folks with questionable divinity degrees.

Another huge issue is that the church’s mission of forgiveness lies in opposition to the legal need for punishment and restitution. We don’t need anyone cornering a bad guy and letting them off with a warning that “if you say 34 Hail Marys and promise to never do it again, we’ll let you go. Solving the problem of sexual abuse and sex trafficking first requires that people listen to the women and children who tell them what is going on, and believe what they’re being told. The church cannot be trusted to do that. They’ve never done it before, so why would anyone in their right mind trust them now?

Sex trafficking is rampant around the world for a number of reasons. Not only is there this long-standing problem of not listening to women, but it is far too easy to escape capture simply by moving from one country to another. There’s little cooperation between law enforcement authorities around the world, even in places where they share borders. Even if people are kidnapped in China, for example, getting sex trafficking charges in the US to stick is difficult because a) some of the people wanted to come to the US in the first place, and b) the Chinese government isn’t terribly cooperative in taking victims back or filing charges on their end.

Without a universal law enforcement agency that has the ability to make arrests regardless of a person’s country of citizenship and a court that can actually enforce international law promptly, all manner of international crime falls between the legal cracks. The bad guys succeed because international law is broken and toothless. These are the same empty laws that allow smugglers, drug dealers, and spies to get away with their horrible acts. Until there’s some stronger enforcement around the globe, there’s not a lot to stop the bad guys.

One thing that could work is responsibly legalizing sex work. I know a lot of conservatives, and especially religious conservatives don’t like having this conversation because they don’t want to understand human sexuality, but there are at least four benefits to legalizing sex work.

Enpowerment. Legalization can empower sex workers to report abuse or exploitation without fear of legal repercussions. This helps break the cycle of silence and prosecute traffickers.
Regulation. When sex work is legalized, it can be regulated safely, away from the cartels and other ill-minded power brokers. This means enforcing standards, such as health and safety regulations, and ensuring that sex workers are treated fairly. Regulation can also help in monitoring and preventing exploitation by traffickers.
Destigmatization. Legalizing sex work helps reduce the stigma associated with the industry. When sex work is viewed as a legitimate profession, sex workers are more likely to see help and support, including from law enforcement, without fear of judgment or discrimination.
Reduction of Demand. Legal sex work can potentially reduce the demand for trafficked individuals, as those seeking sexual services can access them through legal channels. This can lessen the profit for which traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals.

Other things we can do include addressing poverty, the lack of opportunities (especially being able to move between countries freely), and inequality. These are all critical to effectively combating sex trafficking and abuse.

Several states now require that signs be posted in businesses that say something to the effect: “If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in an activity and cannot leave, whether it is prostitution, housework, farm work, factory work, retail work, restaurant work or any other activity, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline.”

Human trafficking isn’t only about sex work. The high demand for farm work and low-wage warehouse work are perfect conditions for human trafficking because there’s little public interface or knowledge of the situation. I am aware of one instance from two years ago where traffickers attempted to push warehouse work that required a lot of walking and lifting onto a 74-year-old Senegalese woman who could barely walk without assistance, couldn’t lift, and had severe breathing problems. The argument for human trafficking was, in my opinion, one of the most obvious I’d ever seen. Yet, the management at the warehouse didn’t want to report the incident because of the high number of “good” workers the “agency” provided.

We don’t need the church involved in solving human trafficking. We need real laws that stick and the international clout to enforce them. Until we have that, poor and desperate people around the world remain in danger.

Current Issues / News & Comment / Social Commentary

Cancel The Outrage

April 3, 2024

Spring Fields [2009 original photo with AI background]

People love to bitch. If there’s one thing the Internet has done, it’s brought out the false outrage factor in a lot of people over things that are often insignificant. We get upset over the tiniest little things that, in the grand scheme of things, make absolutely no difference… until they do. False outrage can result in the passage of ridiculous laws attempting to fix a problem that never actually existed. We’ve seen several states do just this in regard to a non-existent problem regarding immigrant violence. Now, Louisiana’s governor seems ready to do the same thing over a fucking basketball game.

Here’s what happened: Monday night, prior to the LSU/Iowa game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, LSU coach Kate Mulkey guided her team back to the locker room following their warm-up period, per normal. While they were there, the national anthem was played in the arena. They weren’t there. They didn’t even hear it playing. This is normal.

However, the bitch force that already didn’t like LSU, primarily for extremely racist reasons, decided to get upset about the Louisiana team not being on the court and standing up. They complained. Loudly. So much so that Louisiana’s sorry excuse for a governor, Jeff Landry, decided that the state needs a law that would cause any athlete in the state to lose their scholarship if they missed the playing of the national anthem. Is it just me or is that extremely stupid? Talk about a knee-jerk reaction!

Coach Mulkey said later, “Honestly, I don’t even know when the anthem was played. We kind of have a routine [for leaving the court at a certain time].”

Cody Worsham, the school’s associate athletic director, added, “Our basketball programs have not been on the court for the anthem for the last several seasons. Usually, the anthem is played 12 minutes before the game when the team is in the locker room doing final preparations.”

Furthermore, in the other women’s game that night, neither UConn nor USC were on the floor for the national anthem. BEING PRESENT FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IS NOT A REQUIREMENT ANYWHERE! Teams warm up and then return to the locker room until it’s time to start the game. They need the time to concentrate and make sure they’re all on the same page.

CAN THE FUCKING OUTRAGE

This is not an issue of nationalistic pride. This is not a matter of protest, though they have every right to do so. This is a matter of doing what is best for the outcome of the game. It’s been going on for years and to get upset about it now is fucking delusional.

But while we’re on the topic, let’s remind ourselves why, if they wanted to, the players (or anyone else) might want to protest the US national anthem.

The third verse of the anthem includes references to slaves who fought for the British during the War of 1812. This has led to criticism for glorifying the oppression of African Americans.
The anthem does not even come close to fully representing the diversity of the American population, a diversity that the GOP would love to completely ignore if given the chance.
The language and complexity of the anthem create a barrier for anyone for whom English, particularly 18th-century English, isn’t their first language.
Performances of the anthem vary so widely as to make its performance irrelevant and without a shade of meaning.
The whole damn thing needs to be replaced.

There are plenty of legitimate issues to be upset about around the world. Whether or not a basketball team is on the floor for the national anthem is not one of those issues.

Take your false outrage and shove it up your ass.

Current Issues / News & Comment / Politics / Social Commentary

Morning Outrage

April 2, 2024

ISRAEL HAS COMMITTED A WAR CRIME

Early this morning, EDT, while those of us in the Midwest were sheltering from the storms, seven members of chef Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen were murdered by an Israeli air strike. DESPITE HAVING COMMUNICATED APPROPRIATELY WITH ISRAELI AUTHORITIES, the caravan was leaving a warehouse where they had just delivered more than 100 tons of food via maritime routes. The workers killed include a Palestinian and citizens from Australia, Poland, United Kingdom, and a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada.

The organization’s CEO, Erin Gore, put it this way: “This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,”

Enough with US tolerance of Israel’s fucking war crimes. World Central Kitchen has found ways to peacefully deliver food all over the world, including war-torn Ukraine, without any issue. They are a highly effective and respected organization that takes to heart the need to address the tragedy of hunger and famine in hard-to-reach places around the world. And who the fuck ends up bombing them? Israel, whom the US refuses to recognize as a serial war criminal.

Israel issued a statement saying they would investigate the matter, but good money is on getting back a statement saying something to the effect that “This was a horrible tragedy as sometimes happens during war. Oops, we’re sorry, but we’re not going to stop.”

Please understand, I’m not antisemitic. I’m anti-Zionist. There’s a difference. I believe Jewish people, as well as everyone else, have the right to live wherever the fuck they want to live.

What is Zionism? According to the Anti-Defamation League, “Zionism is the movement for the self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, the land of Israel.” In short, skipping over several thousand years of history, it is a group dedicated to the formation and protection of the Jewish homeland as defined before an ancient Babylonian captivity.

Why is Zionism wrong? Because nationalism is wrong. Let me be very clear, for those in the back:

Everyone has the right to live peacefully wherever the fuck they want to live regardless of pretend borders, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

If you disagree, please kindly step the fuck off the planet. Humanity would not exist today were it not for multiple, free-roaming migrations of our ancestors, all of them, looking for hospitable and reasonable places to live without fear of the danger posed by natural resources or greedy idiots. The freedom to exist and the freedom of movement is an inherent right that no country has grounds for limiting. Telling a people, “You cannot live here and we’ll kill you if you try,” is anti-human and in violation of international law. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO EXIST.

What no one has is a right to govern where that government is not wanted. “The consent of the governed” is an extremely powerful clause. No one is obligated to recognize the authority of a government that actively denies the individual right to exist.

Yet, here we are, not only telling Palestinians to get out of Gaza and then killing them when they try, but now we’re killing the people who are simply trying to make sure no one starves to death in the process. Please, someone, reset that courtroom in Nuremberg. We have some crimes that need to be addressed.

The support of these activities by the US government is critical as well. While Israel is doing its best to exterminate all of Gaza, US states such as Florida and Texas are putting limits on who can travel in/out of their states in search of medical care such as abortions. We’re just as bad, if not potentially worse, than Israel so no wonder we’re supportive of the crimes they’re committing.

Wait, don’t we inherently have the right to travel between states? Sort of, but not really. The right to travel is generally covered under the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the Fifth Amendment. The specific portions reads: “The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.” Since 1823, that has generally been taken to include freedom of movement. However, since then, throughout the 19th century, the Court continued to let the states have the authority to decide who could move back and forth across state lines. So, if a state decides it doesn’t want people traveling to a “safe” state for medical care, precedent would indicate that they have the right to limit that travel and impose penalties.

In case you’ve not been keeping up, Texas is willing to impose the death penalty.

All of these actions are anti-freedom, anti-human, and grossly immoral by any standard. We’ve put up with far too many of these crimes and we’re past the time when people like you and me need to object and flood both the Internet and the halls of Congress with the noise of our opposition.

Consider this my first volley. ENFORCE A CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA NOW! Let’s make humanity more important than anyone’s nationalism.

Current Issues / Holidays / News & Comment / Social Commentary

Stupid Things Xians Say

March 31, 2024

Don’t Wander [AI creation based on original 2010 photo]

Christianity is getting a lot of attention today (and all this past week) because of it being Holy Week. However, as they so often do, some pseudo-Xians just don’t seem to understand the whole concept of peace, love, and inclusion. They prove this by opening their mouths and saying some really inappropriate and ignorant things.

Take for instance, please, that time this week when the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said, “If you don’t like our religion [xianity], then we don’t want you in our country.” What this part-time Bible salesman is saying is that he’s more than willing to implement a religion litmus test for anyone wanting to come into the country. Now, where that gets interesting is trying to narrow down what he means by “our religion.” Obviously, he doesn’t like Muslims, Hindus, atheists, or Buddhists. However, he links religion to politics when he says that a Jewish person who votes Democratic (and most do), “hates their religion” and “everything about Israel.” So… are Jews getting in or not? Now, any reasonably-minded person knows that such a litmus test is a violation of the First Amendment. However, let’s just go crazy for a moment and assume he could get away with it. How long would it be before he tries to deport, round up, or terrorize anyone who doesn’t fit without his narrow (and farcical) religious expectations?

Then, there was all that hullabaloo today over the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. Somehow, pseudo-Xians just noticed this year that religious themes are not allowed on the decorated eggs used for the roll. Cue right-wing outrage because they’re an ignorant bunch of people who don’t seem to realize that the ban has existed since 1978. Take another look at that. 1978. Over 40 years ago. And they’re just now realizing it. And all this over a fictional rabbit that allegedly places eggs all over the yard. Apparently, these pseudo-Xians are also ignorant of the fact that Easter Eggs are a pagan tradition that predates xianity. Seriously, do these people ever pull their heads out of their asses and take a look at the world around them?

Taking the ugly lamb-shaped Easter cake is SBC megachurch pastor Josh Howerton who told his Dallas-based Lakepointe Church congregation that, on their wedding night (actually, he specifically emphasized “his” wedding night), the women should: “Stand where he tells you to stand, wear what he tells you to wear, and do what he tells you to do.” Incredulous, isn’t it? You would think, especially after all the abuse and marital cheating scandals the SBC has endured, that such misogyny would, at the very least, be kept on the down-low. Nope. Here it is, right out in the open. We even have it on video.

Dismantling this statement a bit, first, let’s realize that, by most accounts, fewer than 30% of people, male or female, are virgins on their wedding night. Most sane people realize that sexual experience is a good thing; find out what you like and what you don’t, take away the mythology of losing virginity, and hopefully avoid the pain and mess of your first sexual experience. If 70% of men are not virgins (and the real number is likely higher), then they have not necessarily been planning for their wedding night their entire lives.

Second, this is putting wayyyyyy too much pressure on the wedding night for it to be pleasurable. Weddings are a big deal and by the time the happy couple gets away from the reception and all the people and checked into the hotel for the night, they’re fucking exhausted! Why put all that pressure on the wedding night? It’s insane to create those kinds of expectations that are almost certainly going to lead to disappointment.

Third, and perhaps most important, if your spouse is telling you where to stand, what to wear, and what to do and this isn’t a sex game to which you’ve both agreed, then you’ve married a misogynist and need to get out of this marriage as soon as possible! Abuse, emotional and physical, is right around the corner. Nothing good comes from being in a relationship with a misogynistic person. Nothing. Get the fuck out while you can. PLEASE. A chocolate bunny would make a better partner.

If it seems like I’m picking on pseudo-Xians it’s only because they’re making so much noise as they show us how incredibly ignorant, thoughtless, and cruel they actually are. There’s no true spirit of love here. There’s no intention to bring peace. There’s no desire for inclusion. Everything they’re doing is fake and they’re loud enough with their actions to make sure we don’t miss them. As long as they keep doing and saying stupid things, I’ll keep calling them out for it.

Art / Current Issues / News & Comment / Politics / Social Commentary

Can They See This In Texas?

March 24, 2024

In June of last year (2023), the Texas State Legislature, one of the most brain-dead in the union, passed a law requiring adult-oriented websites to use “reasonable” age verification to make sure that only people 18+ are accessing their websites. You know, they’re so obsessed with “protecting the children.” Lawsuits were immediately filed and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals applied a temporary stay, but at the same time required adult websites to comply with the law. As a result, Aylo, who owns sites such as PornHub, had a choice to make. Aylo said no, thank you, and pulled its websites from Texas. The revenue they receive from Texas isn’t worth the trouble it would take to add the necessary age verification. Insert giant middle finger here.

Some people in Texas took Aylo’s departure as good news. They got rid of the big porn monster, right? Hardly. In fact, what it did was create a fun challenge for teenagers to get around the law. I’m guessing none of the people involved in creating the law know a damn thing about VPNs, IP masking, or anything of the other dozen or so technologies that can be used to hide the location of someone attempting to access a website. People who want access to the material have plenty of options. And should the courts finally decide, incorrectly, that the law is constitutional (let’s face it, no one has actually read the Constitution in 50 years), it’s unenforceable.

For now, though, we decided to check and see if anyone in Texas can see what we post here. We grabbed a handful of images from 2009-10 and we’ll see if anyone can see them. Let us know in the comments if you can, and we’re guessing you can.

Hidden on the Beach [2010 with AI background]

Morning Coffee [2010 with AI background]

Taco Seasoning [2010 with AI background]

As The Day Dies [2010 with AI background]

Morning Update / Personal / pop culture / Social Commentary

Morning Update 03/20/24

March 20, 2024

Spring Break Dreams [2015 original photo with AI background]

Why do people try to be as loud as possible at the most inconvenient times of the day? Last night, the guy in the souped-up Dodge was doing donuts in the intersection next to the house. This morning, a guy in a modified pickup truck with a rusted-out bed made as much noise as he could as he raced toward the stop sign. At least he stopped but then resumed making more noise on up the street. I’ve never understood the fascination with noise. Show me stealth, make it down the street without waking the dogs, and I’ll be impressed.

Tipper is excited this morning because the feet to her furry shoes are coming today. We’re less than a month from her 14th birthday so she’s okay with these being a birthday present. Given the price, there wasn’t much other choice! She’s made as much of her furry costume as she can. The parts she can’t make are expensive!

G made jello before going to bed last night. We’re just now on day three of his two-week spring break and already he’s bored. I’m not sure how we’re going to keep him from turning the house upside down by next week. I love his energy, though, and wish I could borrow some. I’m having trouble staying under 16 hours of sleep per day.

I’m going to miss the kids coming in and chatting before and after school.

A new issue has popped up over the past two days and reoccurred again this morning: my eyes have been watering when I go outside. At first, I thought it was just the wind and the cold. That would make sense. But it happened again this morning with only a slight breeze and a comparatively balmy 42 degrees Fahrenheit. Is this a late-arriving chemo side effect or is something else going on? Trying to tell the difference is almost impossible. It feels like there’s something new every couple of days.

A friend mentioned that she was having a BLT for dinner last night and as I’m sitting here this morning, I think that would make a great breakfast. Unfortunately, we have none of the ingredients for making one. Not even the bread. Getting through the next month before my social security comes through is going to be difficult.

I have some questions for you this morning. Feel free to use the comment section to answer them.

Why does anyone care if another person has an OnlyFans page at this point? The site has been around long enough that no one should be shocked when someone uses the platform to generate some extra cash. If anything, when an employer finds out someone is making more money on OnlyFans than they are at their “normal” job, they should be embarrassed. There are too many people, especially teachers, who have to resort to second jobs to pay their bills and OnlyFans tends to be a good choice. Either let them be or pay them more money, asshole.

Do you know what “phubbing” is? It’s the “practice of ignoring one’s spouse or romantic partner to pay attention to one’s phone or other mobile device.” And apparently, according to some, it’s grounds for divorce. I’ll be honest, if you’re paying more attention to your phone than you are to the people you care most about, you have problems and I’m not sure it’s just the phone. I understand this especially applies to younger generations who can’t imagine life without a phone in their hand. Can we say “emotionally insecure?”

File under Bad Headlines: “2 ex-college Hockey Players ID’d as Victims of Murder-Suicide, Killer Was Dating One Of The Victims.” Go ahead, read that again. Mind-boggling, isn’t it? This comes from People magazine online. I almost want to ask the writer which victim the killer was dating. There are no copy editors anymore, so shit like this slips through all the time.

According to one questionable source, Hooter’s is now supposedly gay because Kristen Stewart was photographed visiting one. Uhm, hello? Lesbians are as much about boobs as teenage boys. Gay people of any gender have loved places that flaunt boobs. That doesn’t make Hooter’s or Twin Peaks or anywhere else gay. Gay people exist. Gay people love food. Gay people love boobs. How is that different from anyone else?

I have other questions as well but perhaps it’s best I save those for another time.

SUBSCRIBE so you won’t miss whatever random thing floats through my head next.

Cancer Update / Morning Update / Personal / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 03/18/24

March 18, 2024

One could almost see the temperature falling yesterday. From 56 degrees when I woke up yesterday, to 32 when I went to bed last night, to 28 so far this morning, the chill has hit everyone’s bones to varying effects. When it gets cold all of a sudden, the dogs want to snuggle as close together as possible. They’ll have their bodies right up against mine to the point I almost don’t need any kind of cover. The cats, on the other hand, alternate between being curled up in a puddle and racing around the house making as much noise as possible. Unfortunately, they tend to choose the middle of the night to make the most noise.

There was one amusing moment yesterday when a poor little red squirrel happened to be in our tree when the dogs went out. The squirrel didn’t have a home in our tree. He didn’t want to stay there. He kept trying to come back down the trunk. But once the dogs saw him, Belvedere took point and Hamilton tried his best to climb the tree. The poor squirrel was stuck until I finally convinced the dogs to come back inside. I am constantly amazed at how the dogs’ hunting instincts come to the fore when faced with other animals. Domestication only goes so far.

I wanted to do a fair bit of writing yesterday but that was not to be. I got the first couple of pages done but then my brain gave out and I couldn’t get any serious cognition to return. I’m not sure I’ll have what it takes to get much done today, either. I woke up with my neck hurting and no small amount of nausea. I have meds for the nausea but the neck pain has to work itself out. Between that and the cold weather, keeping me out of bed doesn’t seem likely.

G is on spring break for the next two weeks. This could get interesting because when G gets bored he gets creative. A little bit of OCD kicks in and he starts cleaning and rearranging stuff. Fortunately, he has a talent for organizing things and does a great job of making things fit where you didn’t think they could go. So, what will he do in the next two weeks? I’m thinking that re-working the living room might be a prime target. Of course, there’s not much I can do but get in the way. I’ll retreat to the recovery room and let him do his thing.

Tipper grows all the more excited about Comic Con this weekend. Kat’s given her early birthday presents so that she has furry paws and furry feet to go with her costume. I’m still feeling a little nervous about the whole thing and am not above scoping out nearby coffee shops where I can hang out, “just in case.” While it’s easy to think of her as mature when it comes to her art and creativity, she’s still just a soon-to-be 14-year-old and I have an inherent distrust of people in any kind of crowd.

I’m not encouraged by the fact that the number of shootings went up across the nation this weekend. Eight were shot in DC, six in Jacksonville Beach, FL, and another seven here in Indy. This is a significant part of what fuels my distrust of crowds. Sure, most people are there having a good time but all it takes is one overly emotional idiot who gets their feelings hurt, and the next thing you know bodies are lying on the ground. One person who thinks that another has insulted them or done them wrong can inflict a large amount of damage in a short time in crowded atmospheres and they don’t care that the people being hurt are innocent. Making it worse, there seems to be no way to stop these types of events because everyone has a right to carry a gun and will do their best to find a way of doing so. I want Tipper and her friends to go and have fun, but it’s impossible to not worry.

I’m going to try to find a way to remove that big subscribe box that pops up as you scroll down the page. I know it’s a pain if you’re trying to read on your phone. Still, I would be so very pleased if you would subscribe. This helps me know that you’re at least aware of new posts without having to say anything on social media. Thank you.

Cancer Update / Current Issues / Morning Update / News & Comment / Social Commentary

Morning Update: 03/16/24

March 16, 2024

Everyone slept. Both kids came in from school, went straight to bed, and didn’t wake up until late. No one had dinner. No one did chores. They just slept. I’m not complaining. I had a 16+ hour sleeping day myself. I can’t explain why yesterday was more tiresome than others, but we were all caught by the plague and I’m not hearing anyone complain about it this morning. Will that translate to increased activity today? That’s doubtful, but we’ll see. Tipper is motivated to finish up her costume for ComicCon next weekend, so that may keep her awake for a while. G, though, is still dragging a bit this morning.

I’m still kinda bummed that we don’t have corned beef to cook for tomorrow. The prices are too high. We can’t get a small amount, either. The kids plow through a three-pound slab without raising their heads. Meat, in general, has gotten too expensive for modest budgets. We have plenty of beans if I remember to put them on to soak the night before, but again, there’s that problem of falling asleep and not waking up in time.

One of my former babysitters (understand, she babysat me and my brother) posted last night that she was making cinnamon rolls from scratch and I swear I can smell them coming out of the oven. Of course, 500 miles is too great a distance to even think about having her send me a pan. Plenty of bakeries make cinnamon rolls, but there’s nothing like the texture, flavor, and smell of those fresh out of someone’s home oven. Do I need them? No, of course not. They sure would make me feel good while I was eating them, though.

Food is a critical element for anyone, but the combination of chemo and diabetes makes it a critical matter. Not eating isn’t an option and could potentially have deadly results. Eating comfort food, like cinnamon rolls, doesn’t help my sugar intake. I have to eat something when taking the chemo, but if it’s too heavy I get indigestion. In fact, eating too much blocks the effects of the chemo, so that’s not a helpful path. Trying to keep everything in balance is a daily challenge. We know lean meats and veggies are best, but for breakfast? Who wants green beans for breakfast?

The State of Indiana is getting its Happy Hour back. 40 years ago, the state banned the practice of Happy Hour at bars and restaurants out of concern that it encouraged people to over-consume alcohol within a short period of time, leading to more drunk driving. As of July 1, it’s back. The state legislature passed the bill earlier this year and Gov. Holcomb signed it yesterday at one of the city’s oldest bars.

Here’s the catch: Happy Hour cannot extend beyond 9:00 PM. That sets the stage for a number of hypothetical situations. One would be that people might be encouraged to get their drunk on earlier, releasing them into the wild during rush hour. Another might be that bars that offer Happy Hour could see a significant downturn in business after 9:00 PM. A third possibility is that it could bring back the after-hours office drinking that was once a regular part of any business.

Are those concerns still applicable, though? With so much work being done remotely, there aren’t as many people in offices who want to get together after work. They have children and pets to get home to. They have errands to try and run. And younger employees simply aren’t interested.

Bars and restaurants are still not the late-night draw that they were before COVID. Kat came out of a performance venue last night to nearly empty streets in one of the most fashionable areas of town. Bars struggle to pull people in late because young people especially are interested in things other than drinking until they puke. That doesn’t mean you won’t find a party here or there, but ask almost any bar owner and they’ll tell you that they’re struggling to attract and keep people very late, especially during the week.

As for the drunk driving concerns, rates of drunk driving fatalities have been steadily on the downturn since 1985. Sure, even one death is devastating, but once again, that 21-35-year-old demographic that was previously responsible for so many tragedies is more responsible for their drinking than their parents’ generation.

The proof is in the pudding and it seems natural that there could be an uptick in public drunkenness and drunk driving during the latter part of the summer. But overall, I don’t think there’s much danger of returning to the levels that existed all the way back when I was in college. We were the generation that defined rowdy drunken parties. I’m hopeful our children learned to not make the same mistakes.

Don’t forget to subscribe and/or leave a comment! There are a lot of good things coming!

Current Issues / pop culture / Social Commentary

Burgers Aren’t Cheap

March 14, 2024

One doesn’t have to be as old as I am to remember a day when fast food burgers were the most inexpensive way to feed yourself or a family. Burgers were under a dollar. Fries might cost 85 cents. Drinks were maybe 50 cents if you got the large size. Those days have been gone for quite a while, but an article I was reading this week brought home just how much the cost of those fast food meals has increased. So much so, that in some cases, it can be cheaper to dine indoors with seated service, even with tip included.

Case in point, Chili’s has a deal called 3-for-Me, an entree, side, and drink, for a relatively low price. There are three burger combinations included with the deal that are listed as only $10.99. Understand, this is a decent-sized, well-complimented burger (equal to a double-meat burger in most fast food places), a healthy serving of fries, and a soda, with seated service and refills on the drinks. Even with tip and tax, you’re getting out for under $15 and don’t have the stress of trying to eat in the car, or waiting until you get home and having to warm up your food in the microwave.

How does this compare to fast food? I thought the best way to compare this is to make a table. We’re using a burger, fries, and drink or something equivalent for comparison. Take a look:

McDonald‘s Big Mac meal with large fries and soda	$9.89
Burger King Double Whopper meal with large fries and soda	$12.19
Hardee’s Super Star Combo	$11.78
Sonic Double Cheeseburger combo with large fries and soda	$10.89
Five Guys Cheeseburger, large fries and soda	$18.77
Arby’s Double Beef ‘N Cheddar meal	$10.99
KFC Three-piece chicken combo with side and drink	$9.19
Applebee’s Neighborhood burger with fries and soda	$14.98

Caveat: These prices are accurate as of March 14, 2024, in certain Midwest markets. Prices vary by location.

Sure, all of these places have cheaper options. However, we’re comparing burgers to burgers and it’s clear that fast food isn’t always your most economical choice. Fast food is really only advantageous if you have a legitimate time crunch. Otherwise, consider going inside and letting someone bring the food to you. Doing so is going to be less stressful, the food is going to be hotter and fresher, and you’re more likely to get the burger cooked the way you want it. Not to mention the fact that the burger may be healthier than what you’re picking up through the drive-thru. Who knows how long that Big Mac has been sitting there?

I’m not making any endorsements but be sure the next time I don’t feel like cooking, we’re going to consider our options a bit more carefully.

pop culture / Social Commentary

Good Hair and Comic Con

March 13, 2024

It was a good hair day. [2024. Galaxy S22 Ultra with AI background]

With the weather sitting at sunny and 75 degrees, it would have been a waste of an afternoon to not take the dogs out for a bit of a romp. I might have put my hat on, but my hair was looking good, in my opinion, so I left it off. Unfortunately, I think this is the last day we’re going to have such a pleasant environment. Rain is supposed to move in overnight and then the temps cool down a bit. By Monday, the forecasted high is only 38 degrees. I’m pretty sure the dogs are more than ready for Spring.

There are a lot of conversations around our house about Comic Con next weekend. Tipper couldn’t be more excited. When I ask her what she’s looking forward to seeing, though, she doesn’t have a clue. She’s going for the experience and to spend time with friends. Celebrities? She’s not as interested in that.

Perhaps it’s a good thing she’s not. They’re pulling a large number from the geriatric section of the Screen Actors Guild. You would have to be over 40 (or near it) to recognize a number of these. Here are a few samples of who’s scheduled to attend.

A couple of these I’m surprised to find they’re still alive. Of course, the danger in booking older celebs is that you never know when one of them is going to croak. You just hope they don’t do it at the event!

Oh, and if you want a picture with one of these folks, be prepared to shell out an additional $60-$100 for the privilege. I guess this is pretty much the only income some of these old-timers have because older TV shows before 2010 didn’t offer anything in the way of streaming royalties. This puts them in the position of having to soak everything they can out of events such as these.

Still, if most of the attendees are younger, are they really going to make that much money?

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