TODAY

This morning at the Diner: 

Mr. RWBB

Big Mama Coon

Young Nutkin in the birch

Meanwhile, our teenager is sacked out on the couch

 

 

Currently in bloom:

One street over, the "YinYang" trees

 

Mrs. Krabappel

A few blooms on liliac, which has been slow to recover from the heavy pruning 3-4 years ago

Iris beginning to bloom-you know it's close to our wedding anniversary

FIVE SECOND STORIES

Nothing like doing some grooming in the Spring sunshine

We're starting our 5th month together and the three of us have settled into a routine but still learning each other's ways and quirks. Buddy is very much like a human teenager: stays up late and sleeps until noon-1pm. Mr. Crepuscular can be problematic for C, who gets up often during the night. He's delighted to see her and will twine around her ankles (not a good thing for us Elders especially if we're half-awake) until she feeds him a few treats while quickly pivoting to get back to her bedroom. He's a bit miffed at her absence and will gallop up and down the hallway, mewing. We hope this will be resolved once we can teach him to use the portal. "But then I don't get any treats" Buddy complains. "You always have kibble" we reply. "MEOW"! Kids...

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 At the end of her yoga session last night, C was in the Savasana or resting pose. The female presenter in a calm voice said "lie there and if your mind begins to wander, bring it back to the breath"...

at which point an ad broke in with a loud male voice: 

..."with the fastest acting antacid on the market!"

Man, talking about harshing your mellow! 

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cutebuddypix

This Sunday morning, I found C and Buddy out on the couch. She was up early, awakened by T-storms so she wrapped up in a blanket with a cup of joe and a book, with Buddy nestled in between her legs and the couch. He was on his back, getting endless belly rubs (a specialty at Chez Mom). She had to get dressed for commencement so she wrapped Bud up in the blanky.

C, in full commencement regalia, giving Buddy a scritch before leaving. Her robe is quite striking, unfortunately not showing here, but within the 3 yellow "stripe" is a medium navy blue.

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Nice vid on YouTube with critters named and the soundtrack is that of nature, mercifully sparing us the tinkle tinkle piano that so often accompanies such shows. A great vid to sit down with kids/grandkids-educational with excellent high resolution and amped colors for the adults. Highly recommended.

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I was driving past my childhood home a few weeks ago and saw that the daffodils my father planted for my mum nearly 70 years ago were still alive and in bloom for another Spring.

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This afternoon, I saw 2 male cardinals engaged in WWI style dogfights in the airspace over the Back 40. While the two guys duked it out, the female enjoyed several minutes of a quiet, solitary meal at the Diner. Was this Iona waiting for Slick to ward off some unwanted suitor?

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                                                                                                                                                                                                           DenPotisev

A series of investigations by NYT and others have revealed that many well known corporations are using child labor to produce their products including Ben and Jerry's. How does this happen? Well, many companies outsource to employment agencies to provide workers. Such a hassle to keep it internal! I suspect that this also enables companies to turn a blind eye to certain practices and keep production and profits flowing! So when they are investigated and called out for labor violations, they are shocked, shocked I tell you, that such things are going on. "We didn't know. That was the employment agency's job to take care of such things." 

Hmmm. No one knew? Bullshit! You thought you could whistle past the regulatory graveyard with plausible deniability. If caught, you can also pull out the nonsense from Jr. High: everyone else is doing it. 

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An ugly, totally untrue rumor: yet another contributing factor in all the cancers and related diseases in this country: PFAS in Poptarts. Yep-wonder how they manage not to melt or catch fire in the toaster? Heat resistant (up to 500F) polymers, baby!  Since 1964. 

While researching this fake news, I happened across the bonafide official Poptart website (US) and their latest tagline rips off the Christians with WWPTD: 

What Would Pop-Tarts Do? 

 

WTF!!! Now a dose of moral philosophy for the kiddies with their sugar buzz? What does this even mean? According to the website:

What would
Pop-Tarts^® Do?

Wish every day could feel less everyday? Ask yourself, What Would Pop-Tarts® Do?

Awww, my life is so ordinary. So everyday. I'm such a loser. No one watches my Tic Toks. I have 5 followers on Instagram.

Hey, I can fix it with a substance and that's what WWPTD!   And in a few years, I'll graduate to fentanyl.

OR:

The moral WWPTD: you see a homeless woman panhandling in front of your Whole Foods store. Do you:

a) ignore Mrs. Stinky b) call the police (especially if they are darker than a piece of typing paper) c) fling your half-eaten Poptart out of your Mom's car at the woman as you drive by

d) you do nothing. This tagline is a cynical appropriation of some church thing trying to expand marketing into the evangelical demographic. It means nuthin' to you.

I am not joking. WWPTD exists. https://www.poptarts.com/en_US/home.html

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Some folks just are disaster-prone. We all have known someone like this, perhaps it's a hapless uncle or co-worker. Born under a bad sign, the planets align-these poor folks just can't catch a break. They constantly lose their keys, iphones, get their credit cards hacked, inexplicably fall down and break something, get some weird disease no-one has heard of...outside of Gambia, shutoff notices get lost in the mail as well as their IRS filings, gas gauge on the car goes on the fritz and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere with no phone because they had dropped it in the men's room 2 hours ago, they miss the meat recall notice on TV and you guessed it, they ate that meat last night. 

 

On and on for these poor souls. Now, I know it ADD could be a contributing factor in many cases. Some, just aren't the brightest crayon in the box while others (overwhelming male) are their own worst enemy. Usually it's the case of not listening to others who are trying to help. Who needs the instruction manual?

 

Either way, a helluva way to go through life.

 

 

RUSSIAN VERSION OF WINNIE THE POOH

 

From 1969, the first of three Pooh films. Charming. C and I thank our friend Chana for finding this.

KENT STATE

 

John Filo

 

53 years ago today, Ohio State National guardsmen opened fire on students at Kent State University killing 4 and wounding 9. I was 15 and finishing up my sophomore year in high school. The incense-laden flower power days of the mid-60's were over. Things had turned sour as the country was deeply divided over the Vietnam War and Civil Rights. Three major political leaders had been assassinated. Student demonstrations on college campuses had ramped up and had become violent. The '68 Chicago Convention had been a police riot and in the following year, a militant student group called the Weather Underground from Ann Arbor had returned to Chicago for 3 days of rioting later known as "Days of Rage". Young people were vilified especially those who grew their hair long and said "no thanks" to the values, lifestyle and future plans that their parents had projected on them. Meanwhile, the draft was still dragging kids into a fucked up war that was looking like a losing endeavour regardless of the bullshit fed to the public by Tricky Dick and the Pentagon. 

So, against this backdrop came Kent State. My cohort (Class of '72) was for the most part much more cynical than the folks from '68. And this event helped cement these feeling. I clearly remember hearing (perhaps from an interview on the news), adults stating that what they were sorry about with the shootings was that more students weren't killed. 

This really stuck in my craw. We stand up and say "no" to automatically agreeing to put our lives in harm's way, our actions clearly an exercise in Free Speech and you bastards want to kill us for doing so. Oh, so you're selective about which "freedoms" you support. Fuck you. 

It's still being fought, this war, and it has morphed into a huge Left/Right conflict. I'm still hearing "dirty hippies" and "commiepinkofaggot" being hurled in Republican rhetoric. Lots of anger out there and sadly, this will probably get worse, with no respite on the near horizon.

PAWEL KUCZYNSKI ILLUSTRATION

The reality of post-graduation life after university

 

YOUNG SQUIRREL NUTKIN

 

THE FABULOUS MR. GOULDIAN FINCH

 

Native to tropical northern Australia

Curiously, this species' males have either red or black heads. Yellow/orange heads are less common. This feature seems to be evolutionary linked to mating. (well, what isn't when it comes to plumage?)

DAVID HOCKNEY: THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING, NORMANDY, 2020

 

No. 346, 22nd May 2020 iPad drawing

WEAR YOUR LOVE LIKE HEAVEN

 

From 1967. I heard this the other day and it reminded me when I was living with the St. Johns folk in the Omega Hotel in downtown Lansing. This song was considered an early gay anthem by my gay roommates. These lyrics inspired this belief:

"Cannot believe what I see
All I have wished for will be
All our race proud and free"

From what I have read, Donovan, while sympathetic to the gay cause, was not gay himself although at the time, some felt he was.

It was the early 70's, Bowie was the rage as well as disco which was beginning to mainstream. The Three Degrees' "When Will I See You Again" was a huge hit. Gay men (including my roommates) were heading to the baths in Chicago and there was this feeling of liberation and freedom. Sadly, it was short-lived. By the early 80's AIDS was beginning to spread and I remember how it went through the gay population in Lansing like a scythe.

 

WHERE IS GILLIGAN'S ISLAND?

 

The story goes that the 3 hour cruise was chartered out of Honolulu, was caught in a storm and shipwrecked on an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. But where is the island depicted on the show's title card? Enquiring minds wanted to know.

Puerto Rico. Gilligan’s Island, aka Gulligan's Island to the locals (the official name is Cayo Aurora), is a little speck of land about a mile off the coast of Guánica in southwestern Puerto Rico.

SATURDAY NIGHT MUSIC: JOHN LEE HOOKER "I'M IN A MOOD FOR LOVE"

 

 

From 1951, recorded in Detroit featuring double-tracked vocals earlier pioneered by Les Paul that are not quite synched resulting in a eerie effect with Hooker's trademark footstomp timekeeping beats, and stinging guitars from Hooker and second guitarist Eddie Kirkland.The lyrics are minimal and telling, for this just isn't a lustful man-his woman feels the same way too.

"I'm in the mood, in the mood, baby, in the mood for love

I said yes, my mama told me, to leave that girl alone
But my mama didn't know, God know, girl was puttin' down"

Intense, earthy and stark: unmistakably John Lee Hooker.

CRITTERS OUT AND ABOUT

 A new bird has arrived: a Brown Thrasher. They are generally secretive as they hang out under dense vegetation. Their coloring certainly helps them blend in with brown leaf litter. They are in the same family as catbirds (which we have in residence) and mockingbirds and  are exuberant singers, with one of the largest repertoires of any North American songbird.

C had put out some old strawberries which were ignored for an entire day until Stubbs figured out that they were good eatin'.

A young Nutkin (red squirrel) was flying about which is their nature. Being small, their strategy for staying alive is to be fast and nervous. I saw him dash down the birch, across the Diner, upsetting M.M. Redbird who flew off in a huff, up the pool stairs railing, up on the pool railing, down again and barrelled up the feeder pole smack into the baffle.

Nutkin, I am happy to report, was unhurt. He flew back down the feeder pole, up the pool stairs to the pool railing and ran as far as it goes and disappeared.

FAST DRONE FOOTAGE

This reminded me of when my parents took to Cinerama, a widescreen process that originally projected images simul-taneously from three synchronized 35mm projectors onto a huge, deeply curved screen. The nearest screen was at the Detroit Music Hall and the movie playing was "How The West Was Won" that featured an all-star cast with John Ford sharing the directing duties. It was in 1963 and I was nine years old. I clearly remember one shot, done at ground level of a stampede of horses/wagons/buffalo which drew a lot of gasps from the audience. The film, looking back, was pure White Man's Manifest Destiny mythological propaganda-hell, it had John Wayne in it. I'm surprised this hasn't been resurrected by some wacky Texas school board for required viewing in their American History classes.

YO WINTER-ENOUGH ALREADY!

 It snowed for three hours this morning.

Last night was lovely although cool-

Meanwhile, the Buddy/Sky battle continues. They had the usual chase up the pool stairs and around the deck, with Sky getting quite aggressive with his lobbying for peanuts:

This caught us by surprise. DHS soon arrived to drive off this impetuous tree rodent.

FIVE SECOND STORIES

 cutebuddypix

From an afternoon last week-after a long day and night, Buddy was pooped and stretched out next to me for a good 3 hour rest. At one point, I think he was dreaming: one of his front paws, the claws were opening and closing while his chin trembled as if he was meowing.

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Buddy discovered rain a few evenings ago. It began to sprinkle hard while he was on the deck. I watched from the slider as he reacted to this near invisible, wet presence touched him. After a minute, I asked him if he wanted to come in. Without hesitation he came in and set about licking the wetness off his fur while complaining "meow meow meow I'd like to talk to a manager about this". He got over it after 5 minutes and went back to the slider. It was coming down pretty good at that point and I told him he probably would not like to go back out for a bit. I bet the moisture in the air changed how things smelled, perhaps enhancing it. Finally, the shower passed and I let him out, which lasted about 2 minutes. He was back in grumbling about his wet feet but of course in another 2 minutes he wanted out again. (Life is good when you have a doorman). I said to him "look dude, the deck is dry along the wall because of the roof overhang. Just stay there and you'll have the best of both worlds: outside and dry". He got it right away. We continue to say, "he's a bright lad, that one".

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A regular Pavarotti

I was on the couch with a sleeping Bud while C was doing her yoga when I heard a male cardinal let loose a two-tone call that lasted 8-10 repetitions. Wow! Not only a call for the ladies but also a signal to any rivals. "If any of you want to match this, please step up".

Yeah, this guy is gonna be a real dick at the bar tonight. 

 

A human version: 

From 1981

 

You act like you were just born tonight
Face down in a memory but feeling all right
So, who does your past belong to today?
Baby, you don't say nothing when you're feeling this way

 

Girls in the bars thinking who is this guy
But they don't think nothing when they're telling you lies
You look so careless when they're shooting that bull
Don't you know heartaches are heroes when their pockets are full

 

Tell me you're trying to cure a seven-year ache
See what else your old heart can take
Boys say, "When is he gonna give us some room"
The girls say, "God, I hope he comes back soon"

 

And everybody's talking but you don't hear a thing
You're still uptown on your downhill swing
The boulevard's empty, why don't you come around?
Baby, what is so great about sleeping downtown?

 

There's plenty of dives to be someone you're not
Just say you're looking for something you might have forgot
Don't bother calling to say you're leaving alone
'Cause there's a fool on every corner when you're trying to get home

 

Just tell 'em you're trying to cure a seven-year ache
See what else your old heart can take
Boys say, "When is he gonna give us some room"
But the girls say, "God, I hope he comes back soon"

 

Tell me you're trying to cure a seven-year ache
See what else your old heart can take
Boys say, "When is he gonna give us some room"
The girls say, "God, I hope he comes back soon"

 

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You can tell that the end of term is near. I was driving C into work when Dean Martin's "That's Amore" came on the radio. She quickly broke into song:

 

"When an eel bites your toe and nibbles your nose,

that's a moray". 

 

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Seen while out and about: company van for mosquito sprayers had painted on the sides: mosquito and vegitative control. Yessir, git dem veggies under control! 

I was getting into my car in the Kroger parking lot. As I fired the engine up, I glanced over to the car next to me passenger side and saw this:

Not a person mind you, but a decal on the driver's side window. Not Jason Statham as pictured above either-more scruffy, thinner, MMA type of guy. Anyway, I wondered how the cops would react when they encountered this during a traffic stop. Bad enough with these cars with the deeply tinted windows. One wonders about the motivation of the driver-just messing with the cops or a deliberate provocation? I dunno but I would say it substantially raises the odds of getting shot.

 

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More bad subtitles: I was watching on YT a show that featured very large sculptures. This one is in Sri Lanka, a 46 foot tall depiction of the Avunkana Buddha from the 5th Century.

The subtitle described this as the Avocado Buddha. 

 

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Pre-COVID joke from 2012. I was watching a cooking show on YT making pizza sauce. The chef was using his hands to crush the whole San Marzano tomatoes and said:

 

To those who are saying: 

 "ewww, he's touching those with his bare hands. I don't want to eat that pizza." 

You need to relax. Those same hands kneaded and stretched the dough as well. You have an immune system. Use it!"

INTER-SPECIES SQUABBLE

The animosity between Sky and Lord Bertram has escalated. Harsh words were exchanged, outraging Bertram to the point that he attempted to slap that cheeky scoundrel. But Sky always nimbly pivoted away then returned with further provocation and increasingly aggressive movements getting closer and closer to the Lord, taunting him.

"You got something to say, kitty kat?"

"Come back here and take your whupping like a man, you coward!"

"Awwww poor kitty kat, failed again. You make your mama proud. Not!"

This went on and on until finally, Sky got bored and split by jumping over to the birch. Bertram retired to under the deck for a wash-up. 

Geez, it's like a couple of 20 year olds who took an instant dislike to each other when crossing paths in the neighborhood. At least there won't be a girl involved.

 

HAND IN THE DESERT

Created in 1992 by Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrazabal, this piece is 36 feet tall and is located in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Its exaggerated size is said to emphasize human vulnerability and helplessness.

Getty Images

 

Yuri Beletsky

GLOWY MR. BIRCH

 Mr. Birch is showing seed pods at the moment. They reminded us of golden jewelry.

SUNDAY NIGHT MUSIC: MIRIAM MAKEBA "PATA PATA"

South African dance music from 1966. This turned up on Putumayo Radio Sampler which was playing last night. C immediately recognized it and told a sweet tale of how when Tomi was a kitten, she would lay her on the stone tile floor and twirl her side to side. Tomi loved it which is surprising considering how skitty she became as an adult.

 

BUDDY'S BIG NIGHT OUT

Last night we managed (with help of treats) to introduce Buddy to the portal. One problem was apparent: we need a bigger portal and weight loss isn't going to solve it-the Budster is just a big cat. So, a new one is on it's way.

We went about our usual evening business of yoga and making supper. Since Buddy had established his perimeter last night, tonight he began investigating more closely the details of his realm, sniffing and scenting as he walked. He took a break and did some stretches with C as she did deck yoga. During supper, we witnessed Lord Bertram in his first sortie as DHS as he encountered one of the squirrels at the diner. They squared off, eye to eye about 3 feet apart, for a minute before Bertram started to move slowly towards the squirrel. The squirrel immediately retreated up the pool stairs, up onto the railing and ran as far as the railing would take him clear on the other side of the pool. Bertram unhurriedly climbed the stairs and at the top, could see his adversary. He sat for a moment then seeing us at the table, came down the stairs. He approached C, proudly striding and chirruping, and received scritches and a belly rub.

C's take on this: "It was as if I had taken my 4 year old boy for his first visit to a playground. He refused to hold onto my hand as we approached side by side. He stopped at the perimeter for a few beats, assessing the situation: lots of kids, all of them strangers then went on in. His first exchange with a group of boys who were tossing around a ball, went his way. It wasn't a fight, just a few words said pertaining to the game and eventually, the boys included him. He played for a bit then walked back to me, grinning, and allowed me to hug him. He felt he had earned it."

At some point, Lord Bertram returned to the catmint, evidently having instantly taken to the habit, which many young men his age do. He also sampled some long grass that had quickly grown with the rain and heat. He chased off another squirrel, this one from Benny's and sent him up a tree.

Unlike the previous night when we lured him back into the house, we left him outside when we retired. This morning, C reported that she had awakened around 2am, and spotted him on the front porch. He balked at using the portal so she let him into through the front door. She gave him a snack and scritches and he went back out. When she got up at 6 am, she let him in via the slider, fed him and he got some laptime for an hour. He was mewing to be let out and so he was when I got up at 8.

It's 83 degrees and possible T-storms may come our way this evening. I went out on the deck and called for him and he immediately emerged from the cool shadows under the pool deck. Tough to be wearing fur pajamas in this heat. I gave him a snack and we hung out together in the Great Room. After a good belly rub, he stretched out on the table to kept an eye on things. Duty calls.

 

THE BOOK OF HOURS

 

One of my favorite artifacts from Medieval times is the Book of Hours. The New York Times today published a nice article detailing this beautiful piece of art and design created c.1410. 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/04/14/arts/design/tres-riches-heures-calendar.html