brainsplotch

I'm writing this post on my phone. Between Trump's increasingly bonkers behavior (even more unhinged than usual) and the worsening dystopian hellscape of coronavirus, it's been hard for me to give much of a shit about Christmas. The holiday spirit is eluding me.  I managed to throw some lights on our shrubs outside yesterday, but it was even more haphazard than usual. It was a miracle that I even found the Christmas lights amongst the chaos of our garage. But they were located and I took the improvisational approach to decoration. I somply grabbed whatever strand of lights was next and plugged them together. I suppose it turned out acceptable. Just call me the Jackson Pollack of exterior holiday decoration.

This will not be a political post, I promise. I'm sure all three of my readers might be tired of my rants. (But honestly, the Republican Party has lost its fucking mind?). In mundane personal news, I set a modest goal on Goodreads of reading 15 books this year and I finally reached that goal. And now, I've padded that total one cartoon book (does that count?) to make the total 16. Maybe I can cram in one more book before the end of the year. I must admit that the book that got me to 15 was volume 2 of the One Piece manga. However, I did read a "real" book that I finished reading on Monday. The book is Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell: Here is the review I wrote on Goodreads: A breezy and often humorous diary of Shaun Bythell, a second-hand bookshop owner in bucolic Wigtown, Scotland. Bythell's book shop (and small community) is populated with eccentric employees and customers. Beyond the lowkey humor, this is an illuminating view into the difficulties...

Well, we're into December and it's looking increasingly like Trump will have to be dragged out of the White House by the Secret Service. He's in denial about the election and has convinced his cult that his "victory" was stolen. I will give Trump credit in one area: he is a master of manipulation. His followers will believe anything he says.  Otherwise, Trump is like a shit stain in a pair of underwear. The worst aspect of this whole election denial is what it says about the current state of our country: One reality doesn't exist anymore. People feel free to create their own "realities" based on their own skewed worldviews. I blame a lot of this on social media and the world wide web. "News sources" are created to cater to whatever political view one has. These "news sources" are of varying degrees of legitimacy, with the majority being illegitimate. This extends to social media, where people live in their own bubbles and shout i...

I am breathing sighs of relief every day since Saturday morning. I have felt an enormous weight lifted from my shoulders. I am sleeping better. Music sounds sweeter. Trump has lost and despite all of his whining, law suits, recriminations, and tantrums--will be out of the White House on January 20. If I need to drive down to Washington, D.C. and help remove Trump with a straight jacket and handcuffs, I will gladly do so. So allow me to backtrack. When I last posted on Wednesday, November 4, I was disappointed that the count had Biden up by a fingernail, if that. But honestly, I should have expected that. The count at that point reflected the in-person voters, which were mainly Trump voters. By the time the mail-in ballots were counted, which were overwhelmingly Biden voters because Biden voters believe in science and that the coronavirus pandemic is real, the tide had shifted. By Thursday, I was feeling much more relieved. By Saturday it was official. Joe Biden is the 46th President of...

I'm trying to figure out what this "Day After the Election" most closely resembles: 2000 or 2016. 2000 in that we don't know who won and aren't entirely sure when we will find out who won--and it's possible that if Trump wins he will take the White House ONCE AGAIN without a majority of the popular vote. That would be three times in the last six presidential elections that the winner will not have the majority of the popular vote. Surprise, surprise: all three are Republicans. 2016 in that many of us are thinking: who in their right mind would vote for Trump? It actually feels worse in 2020 than it did in 2016. I could almost understand the impulse four years ago to go with the outsider (even though it should have been clear to anyone with a shred of decency that Trump was/is a charlatan). But four years later, the Trump presidency was as bad or worse than I envisioned it in 2016, yet this election will likely go down to the wire. The bottom line is that whi...

We are exactly one week from the election and I am scared shitless. Yes, I have heard that Biden is ahead, but I have no faith in polls anymore. 2016 traumatized me so much that I don't want to hear about polls. I practically run away in fear when I see or hear mention of any presidential poll. For one thing, are Trump supporters even answering the phone when the pollsters call? And if they do, are they being honest? We have a system in which the electoral college determines who becomes president. Popular vote is practically meaningless. If Biden doesn't get votes where it matters the most (Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois in particular) it may not mean anything. He can win California and New York easily but still lose the election. So I am hoping for the best but bracing myself for the worst. I am not sure how the country can survive another four years of Trump, and I hope that most people are just tired of him. Clearly, his cult will not be swayed. They are ...

(The fourth in my series of Tragically Hip album overviews, in which I investigate the discography of this criminally undervalued Canadian band). Fully Completely was the Tragically Hip's artistic and--at least in Canada--commercial breakthrough. Recorded in England with producer Chris Tsangarides (best known for his work behind the boards for heavy metal bands), Fully Completely  was the slickest recording of the Hip's career to that point. Some, myself included, argue that the album is overly-produced and too slick, but the point of the album was to break the band commercially, and perhaps a conscious effort to break away from spontaneous, live feel of the first few albums and make an obvious "studio" album. Whatever the Hip or Tsangarides were thinking, and I can't pretend to read their minds, the strategy worked brilliantly in Canada, where the album hit #1 on the charts and spawned six singles. Unfortunately, the United States and the rest of the world rem...

This post is about The Natural, a book that--after seeing the movie--it "only" took me 36 years to get around to reading. Do I need to write a synopsis of the plot? Should I assume everyone knows about it by now? If not, here you go: young talented baseball pitcher Roy Hobbs is on a train to Chicago for a tryout with the Cubs. Once he arrives in Chicago, he is seriously injured in a tragic event (no spoilers). Fifteen years later, having bounced around and somewhat rebuilt his life and reclaimed his baseball talent, Roy is called up by the fictional New York Knights. Stuff happens: some great, some bad. (Once again, no spoilers). I had always heard that The Natural (the book) was quite different from movie version, and this is definitely true.   The book is darker—much darker than the movie. Roy Hobbs is, well, kind of a jerk. Not always a jerk, but frequently a jerk. He is far from the heroic version played by Robert Redford in the movie. Hobbs is certainly a bit clue...

  I thought I'd take some time off from political ranting to talk about one of the benefits of this pandemic, which is my older son exposing me to and teaching me the pleasure of anime.   I have already written a little bit about One Piece in here, now I'll talk a bit about Great Teacher Onizuka. It's a show that ran from 1999-2000 and focuses on 22-year-old Eikichi Onizuka. Onizuka is a bleach-blond former gang member who is trying to get on the straight-and-narrow by becoming a middle school teacher at an elite private school. The trouble is Onizuka is preternaturally incapable of being anywhere near the straight-and-narrow. Much of the bizarre humor of the show derives from Onizuka being a 22-year-old horn dog virgin (yes, virgin!) with, shall we say, "unorthodox" methods of dealing with his students.   The humor of the show is often cringe worthy, since Onizuka is attracted to the female students he is supposed to be teaching. (In my recent manga/anime educat...

The world continues to be a crazy place. Here are some musings I have had recently:   If you think that the whole ridiculous politicization of masks is bad, just wait until the day we (I hope) have a vaccine for COVID-19. There will be plenty of people who will not want to get it, and they will largely be the same people who refuse to wear a mask. And think of how crazy the battle has been over opening schools in the fall. How will we deal with vaccinating kids for the virus? Will children not be allowed in public schools unless they are vaccinated. (I limit this to public schools because presumably private schools will be able to do as they wish). Considering how terrible our health insurance is in the United States, what happens with coverage of a vaccine? I hope that children will be able obtain a vaccine either free of charge or for a limited cost.   I feel particularly bad for my older son, who was hoping to attend college in Germany beginning in the 2020-21 sch...

I don't like the Fourth of July under normal circumstances, but this year it was particularly depressing. But hey, at least I didn't have to go to any annoying fireworks display, dealing with mobs of irritating people. I just had to listen to people in my neighborhood blowing stuff up until midnight--though it sounds like I had it better than others in my area, who had amateur fireworks making noise until 1:30 AM. It was a strange Independence Day overall. The only "normal" part of it was grilling burgers and hot dogs. In any event, that is about as close to the typical form of celebration I ever choose to do on the Fourth of July.   If I ever go to a fireworks display, it is out of a sense of obligation. I enjoy the visual display of professional fireworks (though they are pretty much all the same) but the worst part of them is getting there, dealing with mobs of annoying people, and then trying to get the hell out when it's over. At least I didn't have to...

One thing I have been thinking recently: Is Trump really stupid, or is he just very smart in pretending to be stupid. I'd say he is street savvy and not book smart (at all). I doubt he's read a book in his life, and his father bought him his degree from Penn. I could further go off on this piece of shit occupying the White House, but I think you all know how I feel about him and honestly right now I don't feel like wasting any more time writing about this racist, bloated sack of shit.   Covid-19 cases are back up. Did we re-open too soon? Are the people who are "over it" (or were never "with it" to begin with) to blame? Of course, the vacuum in leadership in Washington contributed to this and continues to contribute to this disaster. And as this pandemic has sadly shown, we are largely a nation of spoiled arrogant fools.   And now that Covid-19 is seriously kicking our asses again, we have re-entered a phase in which I am paranoid about everything. I am ...

Bars in Florida opening to soon and people getting sick. Americans are selfish and stupid, reflected in the selfish and stupid president.   Things I miss: stopping by Replay Exchange or Flat, Black & Circular after work. Replay is closed and, though FBC is open, I just don't feel ready to hang out at a record store right now. In fact, there is no place I feel like "hanging out" right now.   ---   I have taken several days between the first part of this post and now. Friends and family are all that are keeping me from losing my mind.   Where to even start. The COVID-19 cases continue unabated in this country, and have I mentioned that our "president" is an utter disgrace? We aren't simply the laughing stock of the world, we are flat-out  pitied by the world. I never thought I'd live to see the day when the United States was pitied by the global community.   Alright, enough ranting for now.   What else is in the news? How about Aunt Jemima...

My 89-day stay-at-home stint is now over. I am back at work in downtown Lansing for the first time since March 13.   My workspace looks hermetically sealed in plastic. We have disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, and must wear masks whenever we are outside our cubicles. Unless I am walking down a corridor or in the break room, people generally appear as ghostly shadows through the plastic sheeting surrounding my cubicle.   This is the first time I have been in Lansing since March 13. Almost three months--and I live only eight miles from the city. This is the longest period of time I have not been in Lansing since--I am guessing--1991.   It would be an understatement to say it feels strange. If you've ever read Nineteen Eighty-Four or seen the movie adaptation, you'll remember Winston Smith's tiny cubicle at the Ministry of Information. That is what this feels like. Okay, not quite as bleak perhaps, but not too far off. Definitely closed off. But better safe than sorry, as ...

Could the world possible get any worse? (That is a rhetorical question. Of course it could, and I sure as hell hope it doesn't). George Floyd is murdered in Minneapolis, captured in perhaps the most chilling video I have ever seen. I honestly don't know how anyone but the most deluded racist can NOT conclude that the cop involved in this (Derek Chauvin) is a racist sociopath/psychopath. He deserves to be convicted of this crime and sent to prison for a long time.  How many more times do we have to talk about a black person killed by police? When will this ever end? When will police ever be held accountable for their actions? The ensuing rebellions around the country, and in particular the tone deaf response from our horrible president, have been depressing. It just compounds the depression I have already had regarding coronavirus and Trump's terrible response to that crisis. I am depressed about the state of our country. It gets worse all the time, and I wonder when we hit ...

Hi folks, thought I'd take some time to check in. I am still at home and doing the "shelter-in-place/stay-at-home" thing, and I have to be honest with you, I am in no hurry to get back to "normal" (whatever that even IS anymore). It's not that I don't want coronavirus to end (of course I do), but with over 100,000 Americans dead--and the rate of infection only slowing slightly--I am still not quite chomping at the bit to return to my physical work space. The news is almost constantly depressing, but even more so lately with yet more black people being murdered by cops, our idiot president acting like, well, an idiot every single day (and offering no leadership during this pandemic). When the news isn't about the ever increasing death toll and unemployment tally, it is racist bullshit occurring and our "president" behaving like a racist asshole. It is exasperating, exhausting, and nerve-wracking, but I at least feel that I am in a somewhat ...

I feel as if I've settled into a routine now. The "new normal" is just "normal." With the pandemic still continuing with no end it sight, this normal will also continue with no definite end in sight. I say no "definite" end in sight because my workplace's tentative plan is to slowly open back up after Governor Whitmer's stay-at-home order expires on May 28. Of course, if she extends it, then that goes out the window. I am in no hurry to go back into the public. As long as there is no effective treatment or vaccine for this horrible Covid-19 disease (and whenever I read about it, Covid-19 sounds like a disease out of a horror movie), I would much rather stay at home and limit my outdoor adventures to the bare essential trips. I will work and stay at home for as long as necessary. I do not want to put myself or my family in any unnecessary risk. I have been spending my time editing and correcting ebook and eaudio records for the library, whic...

I thought it was about time to write an update to my last blog post. It has been one month since my last post and one month since I/we have been in quarantine/shelter-in-place. The day that I wrote that March post was the last day I was actually AT work. I have somewhat settled into life in our current dystopia. Instead of feeling panicky and paranoid, I'm just slightly nervous. Sort of a perpetual sense of unease under the surface. Not panic, not fear, but just a bit on edge. Now, I am trying to find pleasure in the little things, and take life one day at a time. I know "find pleasure in little things" and "one day at a time" are cliches, but how else can we live our lives right now? There's not much to "look forward to," since any semblance of normalcy is likely many months away in a best case scenario. I just try to live in the moment as much as possible and not be bothered by stupid annoyances. I get up in the morning--every day feeling...

I am trying hard not to live in a state of constant anxiety, but Coronavirus is here and it's terrifying. The entire nation is in complete upheaval. There are many horrible and frightening aspects of this pandemic, but the worst might be not knowing how this plays out. How bad will it get? When is the endgame? How many people die? Naturally, I fear for my family and friends (more than myself, truly). But I also don't wish this disease on anyone. The only way I can deal with it right now is by writing about it in this blog. I am already a person prone to depression and morose thoughts, so this is a particularly bad time. Just the last few nights, as COVID-19 has hit reality in a big way (it never should have taken us this long to take it seriously) I have not been able to sleep the last few days. Maybe now that this is our "new reality," we will simply learn to cope with it and the panic will subside to some degree. I also hope that in lieu of a vaccine (whic...

(I posted this on Facebook, and think it would be appropriate to post it in this blog--sorry for the screwy font that doesn't match the rest of the blog): I thought I'd do another "Favorites of 2019" list, this one about podcasts. I listen to many podcasts (maybe TOO MANY) while working, running, walking, washing dishes, etc. So here are my top 20 of 2019 (listed in the order they appear in my Stitcher favorites): WTF WITH MARC MARON: The granddaddy of podcasts and still one of the best. No matter the guest, the conversations are almost always engaging. SLATE CULTURE GABFEST: Dana Stevens, Stephen Metcalf, and Julia Turner discuss the current week's notable films, music, books, etc. Sometimes veers into precious East Coast elitism (perhaps unintentionally) but is always an enjoyable listen and about the smartest podcast out there. BEST PICK: This is a British podcast that each week randomly selects an Academy Award year and discusses in great detail t...