FIVE SECOND STORIES

In The Neighborhood:

9/6: the hydrangeas are glowy:

Mr. Redbird (along with many other avians) has been a daily visitor at the Diner. The chill in the air has spurred them to fuel up. The forecast claims it may get down to 39° Sunday night. Hell, on 9/4, we turned the heat on! Sheesh! 

This RB looks to be coming out of molt-you can still see remnants of his old suit.

 

The Turkey Bros were out and about, visiting Benny's Diner:

Their leader sported a bright red neck-always good to know who's in charge:

For some reason, they bypassed our Diner, walking instead on the berm over to Johnny's:

Then, out onto the street to visit John's Diner across the street. It was quite amusing, John was in the front yard mowing and although the boss kept his eye on him, John's presence did not deter them from having a snack. Perhaps his quiet E-mower didn't freak them out:

Many thanks to John for turning me onto the E-mowers. I love mine because it is quieter than gas-powered versions and I no longer have to deal with gasoline, oil changes, spark plugs and wonky carburetors. The trade-off is the batteries, which you need 2 as their charge doesn't last very long and they are pricey. And who knows what the Roach's tariffs will do to their price.

~ 

Uncle Jeff vs the critters-as you know, it's been a tough year with critters wreaking havoc on our plants and tomatoes. I was shocked to witness one of the squirrels climb the tomato fencing and grab a green one, running off to enjoy it. Yikes! Who knew they liked green tomatoes? I thought MamaC was the only culprit. I also suspect the young Chipper of eating the cherry toms. Now, C asked where is DHS? Well, he seems to be on good relations with the squirrelies, being quite tolerant of their presence; MamaC outweighs him by probably 10-15 pounds; now the Chipper-this one ought to be careful. Buddy has brought inside a couple that he has killed this season. More than likely, one of the Chip's parents who Bud thought was delicious.

Update: squirrel took another tom.

Evidently, he didn't like the taste as he just abandoned it. So pal, how many is it gonna take for you to decide that tomatoes are not to your liking and you'll leave the rest alone?

MamaC 

9/7-Full Corn Moon:

 

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Fun Vids:

The Oldest Photographs in the World-actually a history of photographic firsts:

Recently, I've been making sun prints or cyanotypes (blueprint paper) and something new I ran into on YT via those eager algorithms: anthotypes using turmeric and alcohol as an emulsion. They require very long exposures, a good couple of hours on a sunny day, more with partly cloudy conditions. Rinsing with water will give a yellow tone; borax will go brownish; baking soda will tone the piece a reddish brown. In contrast, cyanotypes exposures are usually measured in minutes, depending on conditions.

One example was a joint effort with C-she had written a poem about the Birch leaf skeletonizers and I added some of the leaves as a backdrop for the image:
 

Here is a piece rinsed with borax:

 

Kelly Boesch: Odd AI Town 

Animated short: Penguins making donuts-this animation style reminds me of Studio Ghibli's work:

Part of a series termed retrofuturism-Paradise Beyond The Stars:

In HDR 8K Ultra HD Dolby Vision™-World of Insects:

The Krill pondering free will:

 

Elaborate set up for a music video. At the end, you will see an old school cassette tape placed in a player. In the full-length version, the rest of the vid is the music video-Where's The Money George:

Burt Lancaster explaining the difference between acting on stage vs. the movies:

Insane marketing for adult toilet wipes featuring Project Uranus:
 

Forgotten automotive curiosity-the Sir Vival. From Wiki: The Sir Vival was a concept car created by Walter C. Jerome of Worcester, MA in 1958. Jerome created what he termed a "revolutionary vehicle" due to concern about what he saw as 1950s Detroit's lack of concern for safety and focus on planned obsolescence. Unable to obtain funding, production never proceeded past the prototype.

1000 year old windmills in Iran: 

Man walking around the world-Year 27:

Music: 

From the soundtrack to the 1969 Italian film-The Laughing Woman-composed by Stelvio Cipriani, who began working in the Spaghetti Westerns and later a number of Italian films. Mary's Theme, whose cover art is quite reminiscent of that era's graphic design. The lush strings reminds me of Bacharach-let's break out the Harvey's Bristol Cream sherry!

Cat photobombs 17 year old girl's short vid of her singing-There, Mom-that's how you do it!

 

From 1971 Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore by John Prine:

While digesting Reader's Digest
In the back of a dirty book store,
A plastic flag, with gum on the back,
Fell out on the floor.
Well, I picked it up and I ran outside
Slapped it on my window shield,
And if I could see old Betsy Ross
I'd tell her how good I feel.

Chorus:
But your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more.
They're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for,
And your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more. 

Well, I went to the bank this morning
And the cashier he said to me,
"If you join the Christmas club
We'll give you ten of them flags for free."
Well, I didn't mess around a bit
I took him up on what he said.
And I stuck them stickers all over my car
And one on my wife's forehead.

Repeat Chorus:

Well, I got my window shield so filled
With flags I couldn't see.
So, I ran the car upside a curb
And right into a tree.
By the time they got a doctor down
I was already dead.
And I'll never understand why the man
Standing in the Pearly Gates said...

"But your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more.
We're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for,
And your flag decal won't get you
Into Heaven any more."

FUBARland: 

The Roach's post on Truth Social concerning his threatened invasion of Chicago:

Traditionally, the Department of War addressed threats from external enemies. In true Roach fashion, he turns this on its head (like so many, many other things in what's left of the government). He really wants a war, whether it's bombing Iran, Yemen or Venezuela. So, why not apply it to internal "threats" as well?  WTF.

George Orwell's final warning from 1984-this vid was part of a press release by his publisher shortly after the book was published. Orwell died from TB six months later.

 

 

  

FIVE SECOND STORIES

9/4-we finally got a bit of rain yesterday afternoon, another one of those events where the rain went north of us until later. It was a series of showers, a bit of lightning and everything got nice and wet. The readings at the airport was 1.05"-my rain gauge showed a trace.

Today is my brother Mike's 80th birthday! Congrats, bro on achieving that many orbits around the sun and we wish you many more! Here's a pic of Mike and his wife of 55 years, Martha.

 ~

Our people are from the Elsie, MI area which is about 35 miles NE of Lansing. My Mom's sister Louise married into the Tillotson clan whose ancestor Elsie, was the first white child born in Duplain, MI in 1853. The village of Elsie is located six miles to the NE, founded in 1857 and named in her honor. Our paternal grandfather had a farm about 6 miles to the NE of Elsie. About 5 miles to the NW is the village of Bannister. 

Bannister is an unincorporated community, meaning it's not a formally incorporated city or village. About 700-800 people live there. It was established in 1885, following a post office being built in 1883, with the railroad coming through the next year. My Dad's sister-in-law Joanne, served as postmistress 1968-1993. Mom's sister Aggie lived there and grandfather Kristin helped fund the building of St. Cyril Catholic Church located on the outskirts of town. From the Church's website, an anecdote from its history which I had never heard before: During the 1920's, the Ku Klux Klan members confronted farmers while working in the fields. The Klan informed then that Catholics were not welcome in the community and advised them against attending mass. The men, leaping to their own defense, used their pitchforks to drive the Klan from their land. Such was the push back by Protestant residents against immigrants from Eastern Europe like my Catholic Slovak grandfather. I remember my parents making a statement that when they were growing up, Catholics and Protestants would not walk on the same side of the street. 

When I was young, wedding receptions were often held at the Slovak Hall in Bannister. The hall was 2 large rooms with a ballroom for a band and dancing (polka!) and the other containing tables and chairs where guests ate and drank. I remember the place smelled of tobacco smoke and beer. Across the street was a bar and there was a curious habit during such events where folks would go there, have a drink, then return. We thought this was odd although upon reflection, the best explanation was that those going to the bar wanted to imbibe alcohol stronger than the beer served at the reception. I remember hearing that the hall burned down but cannot find any mention in research. Events are now held at the ZCBJ Hall just up the street.

~ 

September appetizer: homemade whole wheat bread with cardamom, homegrown cherry toms and basil, evol, sea salt.

 September begins,

tomatoes bread salt,

olive oil fingers 

~

 DHS on guard!

Keeping an eye on LG who had run onto the deck begging for peanuts. 

When you live with cats...it doesn't matter if the table is set for supper. DHS has a job to do!

~ 

Autumn has arrived early! We see bits of trees already turning and the skies have been blue, partly cloudy with bright white clouds. Temps have barely gotten into the mid-60s.

SIL Martha's marigolds, from seeds she had sent from Tucson, are finally beginning to bloom. 
 

LG is a screen climber! As I have noted, he is very friendly and will run up to us when we toss out peanuts. This has escalated to him coming right to the slider to make a request and now, he is climbing the screen. Oy. This behavior mirrors that of another one of our squirrel friends, Stubbs, who did the same thing back in 2023. You gotta wonder if LG is one of his progeny.

Fun vids:

AI from Kelly Boesch Underwater Spaces:

The song lyrics could be for a space voyager who hit a black hole and miraculously returned back to Earth only in the year 3000-some things have changed, some have not.

~ 

A couple of funny vintage BBC vids, both of which at times could be prime inspirations for the Python's satire.

From 1973-Old Boy Robbie searches for the perfect pint of beer:

One interesting take away from this doc was the Great Beer Divide between England and Continental Europe: it's all in the choice of hops that dictates the flavor: the EU uses male hop plants and England uses female hops. Who knew? And why?

From 1976-Scot Big Jim makes a 20+mile alcohol-fueled journey on his bike to see a woman:

 

Charming animated short, made by 3 grad students from Taiwan in 2010-Out of Sight:

Surfing kitty! 

American Woodcock bird:

 

Man, they have the rhythm!... and take 5 minutes to walk across a road.

A Harvard professor pontificates to the Iphone addicted young-from the Harvard Business Review:

~ 

C said this turned up in her feed:

 

The "Nowhere to Run" video by Martha and the Vandellas was filmed at the Ford Dearborn Assembly Plant, part of the Rouge complex, in Dearborn, MI, in 1965. The footage shows the band members performing on the moving Mustang assembly line as the vehicles were being built, for the CBS television special It's What's Happening Baby. Man, if that Mustang the girls were sitting on could be ID'd and still exists, I bet it could go for a small fortune at auction!

When C lived in Paris, France, for a number of years during the summer, she taught at the Key Institute, located in Sligo, Ireland. Teens from all over Europe came to learn and use English as a second language. While primarily an equestrian center, other activities were offered such as canoeing, hiking, sports, arts, theater, and music. C taught dance and often used 60's music like the one above as the basis for routines. The Key Institute is still in operation. 

~ 

I came across an article posing this question: why didn't the Irish eat fish to save themselves during the Great Famine of the 19th century? After all, they're on an island! 

Answer: they knew how to fish but to transport their catch around the island, the fish had to be processed. Why didn't they have an industry established to do this?

Answer: they used to have such an industry but their English overlords over the decades, let it decay. Why? To protect their own native markets. The Irish had no power, no organization, few rights and terribly poor living in one room huts: 

It is estimated that 40% of the population lived in such dwellings, that to my eye, look similar to American Sodbusters homes. The English didn't care how they suffered so as the death toll mounted, the Irish had a choice: stay and starve or try and get to America for a chance to survive. Roughly one million Irish died from starvation or disease and another one million are said to have emigrated.

~ 

Earlier this year, I wrote a post expressing my dislike of workplace motivational posters such as this: 

Perhaps this is the origin: Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, a painting by German Romanticist artist Casper David Friedrich from 1818.

~

FUBARland: the Roach is visibly rotting away physically and is a demented mess during pressers. He was batshit nutty during another of his gilded Oval Office reality show meetings with world leaders. At the latest one with the president of Poland, he went seriously off-topic to rant about the Epstein mess. Along with all the rest that he has destroyed, it's time for this to stop. It's time to invoke the 25th. 

 

  

FIVE SECOND STORIES

8/30: this afternoon at the Buffet: 

Bread slices which MamaC loves:

Some aged, steamed zucchini which MamaC is also enjoying:

While LG is loving some Squirrel fun! A near-empty jar of peanut butter at its yummy, creamy best!

~ 

The hydrangeas are turning pink. A mandala:

 

~ 

You live with someone for over 15 years and there are still surprises: C is a wrapper-licker, which revealed itself as she went after an ice cream bar wrapper. Good potential for a song from the campy alt-country group Southern Culture on the Skids in the 90's. (see June 12, 2025 post)

~ 

9/1: Man! it's September all ready! Summer flew by as it always seems to do. 

Rainfall: only .68" for August, only 1.41" at the airport. Average is 3.48". For the year at my house, we are 7.57" below average. 

Meanwhile with these cooler temps, the toms aren't ripening. Sigh. 

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Fun Vids:

"Scarborough Fair" played on a 21 string harp guitar, never seen this instrument before:

 Nice AI rendering:

 

 ~

Our dear algorithms: 

C suggested we try Darren Aronofsky's Noah film so I rented it on YT. Immediately, those eager scamps trotted out all sorts of suggestions:

A nice piece of Christian marketing: John 4-Jesus at the Well meeting the Samaritan woman:

For those who are more into the mystical-Edgar Cayce's prophesy about humankind getting rescued and healed by cats, which sounds a lot like the ideas of the late Bindiwankatterpi:

Edgar Cayce also had some revelations (via his trances) about Jesus that radically differ from standard Church teachings. For one, he says Jesus traveled as a young man including India, Tibet and Egypt where he studied with religious masters. Cayce's interpretations of what Jesus was trying to teach sound to me very similar to Transcendental Meditation.
 

If you're more science-leaning and dig Carl Jung:

Somewhat related animated short that I found hilarious: 

 

This is not a recommendation for toad licking.

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2013 photo of Earth and Moon from the Cassini probe in orbit around Saturn:

 

FIVE SECOND STORIES

Around the neighborhood: 

The other morning I received a text and pix from our friends across the street: there were a pair of Sandhill Cranes in their front yard who eventually walked over between our place and Johnny's. 

Research says that the reddish tinge indicates that these are juveniles who turn grey as Fall approaches.

~ 

Due to the vicious attacks by the Pruners on their homes, the gnome brothers Cyril and Michal have moved. They are now hanging out around the bird bath.

MamaC looks to be bulking up for her Winter weight: 

Mr. Redbird joined her and had a bite at the buffet while she was foraging-look how big she is compared to RB!

Later, one of the young nutkins stopped by:

#cuteBuddypix:

Sometimes, he just loves to sprawl out of his basket located in my closet.

~

8/22-finally, we had our ritual first ripe big tomato BLTs. Yum!

Sadly, the new fruit is not ripening. Johnny stopped by with a couple of giant zucchini (made bread out of one) and he said he was having the same problem. Now, the cherry toms are doing ok so at least we are getting some tomato goodness this year.

8/28-This odd early cold outbreak has brought late-September weather. The Diner has been busy as Avians and Mammals alike, triggered by the cooler weather, have begun their pre-Winter bulk up. Little Guy has been quite persistent in his quest for peanuts-he recognizes both of us and will run up onto the deck when we step out. His tail is a bit weird-it has a segment that looks like he got an extension. His tail and behavior reminds me of earlier squirrels and we wonder if he is an offspring. Are memories of finding food passed on? He seems to be part of that group from Rolla to Stubbs.

 

The morning had started out rainy although it just got stuff wet with little accumulation at our house. It cleared in the late afternoon with brilliant blue skies with bright white cumulus piles sliding by in the distance: 

8/30-good grief, temps up in the UP Copper country dropped down to 29° this morning! Our readings were 46°.

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Damn deer

One of the bastards yanked one of the transplanted coneflowers practically out of the ground with it hanging on by its roots. Bad enough they are barely getting used to their new place after I yanked them out of their homeland where I planted them. So, I put most under cloches, others with fencing. While I was at it, I put fencing around the smaller Sharons who both Pruners and bunnies have been nibbling on. It appears that the Pruners attacked the undisturbed hostas around the shed and one by the picture window. I don't think it was MamaC, who has a voracious appetite. She would have mowed those down long ago. Tis odd that they should have attacked now after leaving them alone for months. They mowed Johnny's hostas some time ago, so what gives? Well, my theory is the attack was done by teenagers. Here's my tale of scenes we'd like to see:

 ~

One August evening, two male teenaged deer were out wandering around their neighborhood. The intense heat and humidity had gone so it was a pleasant night. They were just messing around as yearlings often do. Both had developed their antler spikes, were full of energy and horny looking forward to their first rut in about 3 months.  Moseying through one backyard, they spotted a delicacy: hostas. In August! They picked up their pace while keenly looking around. No dogs, no apes. Oh, they couldn't believe their luck! As they strode over, the smarter of the two stopped and expressed some concern: odd they these had not been eaten and it's August. There's got to be a reason. Plus, weren't we warned about these? Perhaps we should restrain ourselves and just take a few leaves. Make it look random leaf loss, after all, there's a drought going on. His buddy stared at him like a coke head confronting 10 lines on a table in front of him. Ahhh, screw the adults, he replied. They're just saving these for themselves. Look, you do what you wish on the hosta you choose and the same goes for me on mine he said. Fair enough answered the smart one and they got down to some premium feasting. 

 

The lads got home before first light and settled down in the vicinity of their herd, which these days was just them and their Moms and a couple of aunts, who they generally saw only when they got up around midday. Both were rudely awakened by their Moms early in the morning, not with a nuzzle but with a hoof. Blinking, the two lads struggled to their feet, shocked at their Mother's behavior. Lurking in the undergrowth about 20 yards away were the aunts. The smart boy's Mom began: do you want to get us all killed? Again shocked, the lad's jaw dropped as his mother glared at him. The other mother followed: we have a bad situation here because of you two idiots. The herds in this neighborhood have an understanding with the apes concerning some properties. The one you attacked last night is off limits. We told you it was off limits. It is off limits because that homeowner is pretty tolerant of most species. In fact, he helps feed the community, even the crazy groundhogs. In return, the herds have agreed amongst ourselves to not eat certain plants of his. You two have violated our understanding and it puts all of us at risk. Why do you think we're able to live here in this safe area? Because there is no hunting. Too many violations of the understanding and the apes who live here will get pissed and go talk to the Big Apes. And then the Big Apes will go to the apes with guns and we will all die. The first mother spits out: do you understand? WE ALL DIE! Just go away from us. We don't want to see you for awhile and the mothers turned away and joined their doe sisters who were waiting nearby. 

 

The two lads grew up that day, learning the shocking reality of their lives which up to this point, had been fairly idyllic. Sure, there were things to learn and watch for: dogs and those big shiny things with apes inside that moved very fast. But this, was astonishing. They walked together along a creek, both just staring ahead, silent and ashamed. They came to the edge of the woods where the creek turned into a stretch of flat swampland. This marked the edge of their herd's territory and they had been warned not to go beyond. But of course, boys will be boys and often, upon a dare from others, they would venture out into the swamp for a quick nibble on some exotic plants. But not now. The fear had sunk in and they remained in the safety of the shadows. Life was forever different now and those idyllic days are now a wistful memory.

 

Josh Honeycutt

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Old Boy Shtick:

Don't you just hate security seal fails? Like when the flap that is supposed to give you leverage to pry off the seal rips off? Now you have to take a short knife, poke a hole in the seal and either use the knife or sometimes a small pair of pliers to peel the MFer back. Oy! 

 

And don't get me started about (air quotes) "self-seal" plastic bags for cheese, meat, whatever. First, finding the right area to clip off. You have to leave enough plastic ABOVE the sealing clips to be able to open the damn things. It just never seems to work. I often just cut the product out and wrap it in something else that is easier to handle.

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Wild Weather scenes: 

2024 Tornado near Carbon Iowa:

 

Aaron Rigsby

Drone footage from inside a tornado in Spiritwood, ND:

 

 

8/25/25-A Haboob roars into Phoenix, AZ-excellent vid of the storm approaching the suburbs:

A Haboob also hit Phoenix in 2011 producing very apocalyptic scenes as it blew through downtown at night:  

 

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Fun Vids: 

 

Some intricate crop circles:

Even if all crop circles have been made by human hands, they are beautiful examples of landart. 

  

The Old Wolf Under The Tree: 

Dip into the first minute-nice combination of image, prose, music and tales. After this, it's all music. I think this would make a nice series of animated shorts with the tale presented on the chyron. That is how I originally thought this vid would be.

 

Strange ad for product to treat Demodex Eyelash Mites:

Yet another example of weird shit that can afflict our species. I had never heard of the Demodex mites nor have I encountered anyone with this issue. While remotely entertaining and a bit trippy, I can imagine the horror for some deeply neurotic folk who worry about everything. This points back to an old saying I am fond of-probably from MAD magazine: if you are afraid of everything in the world, stay in bed. But then, you have the dust mites in the covers to contend with.

  

AI from Kelly Boesch-Transforming scenes: 

  

 

I stumbled across this wild short: 

  

Blahaj is a plush toy made by IKEA and according to the blurb "The product details on IKEA's website highlight the toy's gentle nature, reassuring customers that this blue shark is not dangerous at all, just soft to hug and safe to have by their side.The idea of the shark being a "reformed predator" is an element of the fan lore created by its online community.  Note towards the end as the camera pans across Blahaj's desk, there are workbooks on "de-escalation strategies" and confidence building. Not sure why the sharks have such love for waffles. Perhaps it's something they can really sink their teeth into vs pancakes which are soft and meh. 

 

One squirrel's solution for beating the heat:

 

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FUBARland: Flashback to the 60's-you know things will be really bad when folks like Bernie Sanders and Gavin Newsom are assassinated.