Nothing to Say
I’m a jack of all trades, master of none. It’s my epitaph, along with “Yet Another Patron Saint of Mediocrity.”
Reciprocal Affection
Civil War Education Grief History Hope for the Future Iowa Loss Meaningful Labor Professionalism Quotable The Presidency Touchy Feely United States World War III
What They Fought For is Not What’s Coming to us
If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon’s but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.
Around the World France Germany Great Britain Grief History Hope for the Future Loss Meaningful Labor Quotable Reciprocal Affection Touchy Feely United States World War II World War III
An 80-year-old Letter
Around the World Canada Falls City France Germany Great Britain Grief History Hope for the Future Hubris India Japan Loss Meaningful Labor Memories Nebraska Politics Racism Rants Society The Nation Torture Touchy Feely United States White Supremacy
Beginning of the End Day—Year 80
“Instead of “Thank you for your service,” try, “We’re sorry you had to expend your blood, sweat, tears and toil to clean up our monumental failings.” Every time you meet one of the dwindling numbers of WWII veterans (and those of all the other magnificent little American wars we’ve fallen into), keep your mouth shut and your brain focused on peace. These “Greatest Generation” folks answered the bell and won the fight. We might not be as blessed next time.”
Faces of War II
A member of the Honour Guard stands next to a coffin with the body of Ukrainian Armed Forces member Valerii, who was killed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, during a funeral ceremony in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 8, 2022.
Faces of War I
Christmas Day 2021
Three drone videos from some Christmas Day flying over Music City, 2021. Enjoy.
Whatta Rush
It’s always fun to get a phone call during morning meeting from your oncologist, who you just met yesterday, and who says, “You know last night when we thought a few zaps of radiation of your cancerous lesion would be the way to go? “Well, after more consultations with other oncologists, it’s now the consensus…
My Cancer Journey Begins
I called Monday morning and the news was what I thought—but with an unexpected twist
I have a malignant carcinoma on my toe…type is Kaposi’s Sarcoma.
Duncan Family Gothardism History Hubris LGBT Meaningful Labor Memories Oklahoma Rants Religion Society Steve Teenage Angst Teenage Snottiness Touchy Feely
#EmptyThePews
“FRICKIN’ HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD! JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH! POPE PAUL VI AND ALL THE SAINTS! AND DEAR GOD WHY ARE ALL THESE WOMEN IN EXPENSIVE ULTRASUEDE DRESSES RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE AISLES SCREAMING THEIR FOOL HEADS OFF???!!!!!”
Ann Arbor Around the World Bill Schock Birthdays Brentwood California Canada Donelson Dreams Duncan Falls City Family France Germany Gothardism Great Britain Grief Hermitage History Hope for the Future Hounds Hubris Italy Jeeps We Have Known LGBT Loss Meaningful Labor Medical Corner Memories Michigan Minnesota Movies Nashville Nebraska New Mexico Oklahoma Poland Politics and Elections Random Shots Rants Reciprocal Affection Religion Rochester Roswell Rulo San Francisco School Scribblings Sexual Assault Society Steve Stories I Tell Myself (SITM) Teenage Angst Teenage Snottiness Tennessee The Nation Touchy Feely United States Work
It was a Cold and Boring Night
“To me, as a gay boy, hugging another boy was perfectly natural. It always has been, it always will be. I always felt instinctively somehow that people would disapprove and say I was naughty. And I always felt instinctively that I knew what I wanted and I was going to have it and all those disapproving people could just go suck eggs and pound sand. Even at the height of the worst spiritual and sexual repression that Oklahoma and its churches could dole out, my inner belief has always been the same. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’ve known who I am and what I wanted since I was at least five. And everyone else who is not onboard with that can go over Niagra Falls without a barrel.”
Around the World Great Britain Hubris Impeachment Politics Quotable Random Shots Society The Nation The Presidency United States
(Re)Birth of Venus
Shit overflowing.
Actors Around the World Cinemagic Clark Gable Classic Cinema Entertain Me Gene Raymond Jean Harlow LGBT Mary Astor Movie Night Movies Quotable Society TCM United States Vietnam
Movie Night: Red Dust
“The attraction here isn’t really the cultural relic/curiousity value, it’s the variation of the old man meets woman, they hate each other, they clash with sparkling dialogue and then end up together ’til death they do part. This bit has been done to death in Hollywood’s 100+ year run, but it can be freshened and redeemed if the scriptwriter is up to the job.”
Civil War Georgia Grief History Imagery Mississippi People of Color Polls Racism Random Shots Rants Society Texas The Nation United States Virginia White Supremacy
American Civil War Casus Belli: African Negro Slavery.
Let’s be clear: The war was about slavery, from first to last. And after the gun stopped firing, the war continued in multiple ways that all-too-often includes violence and murder.
Around the World Cinemagic Classic Cinema Entertain Me Hubris Movie Night Movies News Media Quotable Society TCM United States Washington, DC
Movie Night: Born Yesterday
“Born Yesterday is pretty fabulous. At least until it sinks in that it’s just as applicable today (especially today!) as it was in 1950. In that year, it could have been warning against the House Un-American Activities Committee, which ultimately wrecked lives, but failed. But today, the movie is depressing when you realize that Broderick Crawford’s Harry Brock is in charge of the country, the Senate and the judiciary and is sitting in the White House tweeting.”
Architecture Donelson Hope for the Future Housing Meaningful Labor Nashville Random Shots Society Tennessee United States
Donelson Renovates
Not much can be done about the traffic volume as long as Metro and the State are devoid of ideas or even the hint of wanting to think about possible solutions. Nashville is drowning in traffic, but no one has the will or money to do anything about it.
Around the World Greed History Hope for the Future Hubris Impeachment Meaningful Labor Politics Politics and Elections Quotable Rants Society The Nation The Presidency United States
The Indictment
“Senate Republicans are setting a dangerous precedent that threatens the republic itself. I’m not naive enough to think they would hold Democratic presidents to the low standard they’ve applied to Trump, but all future presidents will be able to point to Trump to justify …”
Around the World Great Britain Grief Hubris Imagery Kurdistan News Media Politics Random Shots Rants Torture United States
What We Hath Wrought
RIP Amara Renas and all the other unknown women and men and children. May you haunt our collective memory forever.
Around the World Germany Great Britain Grief History Hubris Politics Quotable Random Shots Society The Nation United States White Supremacy
Normandy 2019
Tragically brilliant.
Around the World Cinemagic Entertain Me Film Noir Hubris Movie Night Movies New York New York City News Media Quotable Society TCM United States West Virginia
Movie Night: The Big Clock
“Regardless of whether you saw it then as scandalous that such perversions were being exhibited in public theaters or whether you see it now as being stereotypical, offensive and overly focused on white, male, straight actors and queer panics and Italian stereotypes, to wit … offensive!! … there is much to actually be loved here.”
Around the World Cinemagic Entertain Me Great Britain History Italy Movie Night Movies Quotable Society TCM World War II Yugoslavia
Movie Night: The Yellow Rolls Royce
“… this is probably the granddaddy of all product placement movies, far more egregious than even Joan Crawford’s conspicuous scattering of Pepsi bottles in Strait Jacket …”
Around the World Cinemagic Entertain Me Movie Night Movies New York New York City Quotable Society TCM United States
Movie Night: Sweet Charity
“The songs and dances, Shirley MacLaine and Cita Rivera, et al, were great; it’s just the stuff in between that is less than satisfying.”
Actors Around the World California Cinemagic Classic Cinema Entertain Me Joan Crawford Movie Night Movies Quotable Society United States
Movie Night: Strait Jacket
“The bonuses here are George Kennedy as a farmhand foreshadowing by 22 years Billy Bob Thornton in 1996’s Swing Blade (“I like them French fried potaters.”), all the Pepsi placement, and Lee Majors in pre-Six Million Dollar Man mode, along with his very hairy chest, fluffily rising and falling just before the axe falls.”
Movie Night: A Cry in the Night
“Whatever the novelty of seeing goodie two-shoes Perry Mason as a Peeping Tom/Kidnapper, it’s Carol Veazie who is the standout.”
Around the World Cinemagic Entertain Me LGBT Movie Night Movies New York New York City Quotable Society TCM United States
Movie Night: The Ritz
“Regardless of whether you saw it then as scandalous that such perversions were being exhibited in public theaters or whether you see it now as being stereotypical, offensive and overly focused on white, male, straight actors and queer panics and Italian stereotypes, to wit … offensive!! … there is much to actually be loved here.”
Around the World Books Canada Cinemagic Classic Cinema Crime Entertain Me Greed Hubris Movie Night Movies New York Society TCM Up in the Air World War II
Movie Night: An American Tragedy
“Basically, amoral social climber from poor background seduces poor factory girl, gets her pregnant, wants to marry a rich socialite and so kills poor factory girl by smashing her in the head with his tennis racket and dumping her body in a lake, fakes a canoe accident, trips self up by being basically an idiot, dies in electric chair after mercy is refused by Governor Charles Evans Hughes.”
California Capitalism Cinemagic Classic Cinema Entertain Me Greed Hubris LGBT Movie Night Movies San Francisco Society TCM United States Work
Movie Night: Thieves’ Highway
“Thieves’ Highway is a classic Noir tale of truckers and apples and greed and sex and San Francisco and California and highways and death.”
Cinemagic Entertain Me Exploration History Milky Way Movie Night Movies The Moon United States Universe
Movie Night: Apollo 11
“It’s a magnificent bit of cinema and well-worth watching, especially on this day. It freshly reminds you of just exactly how incredible the achievement of half-a-billion people, represented by three men, was, in an incredibly difficult decade.”
Books Cinemagic Classic Cinema Entertain Me Meaningful Labor Movies New York New York City News Media Professionalism Quotable Society TCM Touchy Feely Work
Movie Night: Desk Set
“Not only is it hilarious, it has fabulous midcentury (ugh, that word) interiors, jokes only librarian/book/research nerds understand, an awesome supporting cast including EMERAC and Kate gets to get blotto and talk about the “Mexican Avenue Bus” (the Lexington Avenue Bus, that is).”
Capitalism Cinemagic Classic Cinema Entertain Me Great Britain Greed Hubris Movie Night Movies San Francisco Society TCM Work
Movie Night: Hot Millions
“There’s a lot more than just smiles to recommend this one–ts droll English humor, its glimpse at fashions and designs and trends of 1968, the fantastic acting of everyone, including the performance of Bob Newhart, whose movie outings are often forgotten, the sarcastic wit and the satire–it’s a long list and will need a second viewing to get it all.”
Around the World Books Capitalism Crime France Great Britain Greed History Hope for the Future Hubris Italy Meaningful Labor Politics Politics and Elections Quotable Religion Society The Nation Torture United States
On Crime and Punishment This Fourth of July
“It’s well worth a challenging read-and-think on everyone’s part at this particular moment in the country and society.”
Around the World Books France Germany Great Britain History Hope for the Future Meaningful Labor Memories Quotable Random Shots Society The Nation United States
Pocket Guide to France, or, Onward to Parisian Mademoiselles
“You are a member of the best dressed, best fed, best equipped liberating Army now on earth. You are going in among the people of a former Ally of your country. They are still your kind of people who happen to speak democracy in a different language.”
Around the World Canada Falls City France Germany Great Britain Grief History Hope for the Future Hubris India Japan Loss Meaningful Labor Memories Nebraska Politics Racism Rants Society The Nation Torture Touchy Feely United States White Supremacy
Beginning of the End Day
“Instead of “Thank you for your service,” try, “We’re sorry you had to expend your blood, sweat, tears and toil to clean up our monumental failings.” Every time you meet one of the dwindling numbers of WWII veterans (and those of all the other magnificent little American wars we’ve fallen into), keep your mouth shut and your brain focused on peace. These “Greatest Generation” folks answered the bell and won the fight. We might not be as blessed next time.”
Capitalism Greed History Hope for the Future Hubris Meaningful Labor Politics Politics and Elections Quotable Quote Racism Random Shots Rants Reciprocal Affection Religion Society United States White Supremacy
Paranoia, Fear, Terror and Facebook, et al.
“Insane levels of fear and control and succumbing to terror. We are a nation which is perhaps the most fearful of all countries.”
Around the World Capitalism Crime Deutsche Welle Germany Greed Grief History Hubris Meaningful Labor News Media Politics Public Domain Quotable Random Shots Reciprocal Affection Society The Nation Torture Touchy Feely United States
Corporate Power
“Many states whose sovereignty is threatened are now finally waking up to the danger. But is it perhaps already too late to do anything about the seemingly over-mighty corporations?”
Around the World Entertain Me Exploration Grief Hope for the Future Hubris Imagery India Loss Maps Mount Everest Nanda Devi Nepal Random Shots Rants Science Society Touchy Feely
Capital Destroys All It Touches
“What’s our death toll up to in this week’s boutique pay lots of money and die fashionably sweepstakes? 19?”
Arizona California Crime Grief History Hubris Imagery Loss Maps Meaningful Labor New Mexico People of Color Politics Racism Random Shots Rants Society Texas Torture Touchy Feely White Supremacy
Where Are the Bodies? We Have an App for That.
“The information presented is stark and perhaps unsettling.”
Around the World Crime El Paso Germany Grief History Hubris People of Color Photography Politics Racism Random Shots Rants Society Texas The Nation Torture United States View White Supremacy
No Slope, No False Equivalency. Just the Same. Damn. Thing.
Immoral, indecent, inhumane. … We are running concentration camps and human beings are dying.
Books Crime Education Germany Great Britain History Hubris Meaningful Labor Memories Politics Professionalism Quotable Quote Racism Random Shots Rants Society The Nation Torture United States White Supremacy
The Wages of Sin, America, is …
“It is impossible to engage in intellectual discourse with National Socialist Philosophy. For if there were such an entity, one would have to try by means of analysis and discussion either to prove its validity or to combat it. …”
Books Great Britain History Hubris Meaningful Labor Politics Quotable Quote Racism Random Shots Society The Nation White Supremacy
Random American Notes
“An American gentleman . . . likewise stuck his hands deep into his pockets, and walked the deck with his nostrils dilated, as already inhaling the air of Freedom which carries death to all tyrants, and can never (under any circumstances worth mentioning) be breathed by slaves.”
Around the World Cinemagic Classic Cinema Entertain Me France Greed History Hubris Movie Night Movies Poland Politics Society TCM Touchy Feely
Movie Night: Conquest
“The film itself is fairly representative of the period and shows how far ahead of her time Garbo was … that she could shine in spite of rather stilted dialogue, in a non-native language shows just how great an actor she was at the height of her career. It wasn’t bad, and I might have another look under certain conditions, but I probably wouldn’t buy it for the DVD collection, unless Criterion gets hold of it.”
Great Britain History LGBT Meaningful Labor Public Domain Quotable Quote Random Shots Religion Society
Kit Marlowe is a Naughty Nellie and Probably a Witch
I just caught this from two years ago on The Guardian‘s website. Two years behind, that’s about my speed. But it is a fascinating document of Elizabethan paranoia and skulduggery. “A controversial document in which the playwright Christopher Marlowe reportedly declared that Christ was gay, that the only purpose of religion was to intimidate people, and…
Another Anniversary
It’s been TWELVE (12)!!! years??! Holy cow. In spite of all the special dogs (Feargal, Fergus, Fred, Roux, Sascha, Bosco, Goose, Tessa and now Charlie) we’ve had since Bayley crossed the Rainbow Bridge, the first dog who enters your life always leaves the most special imprint on your heart. And Bayley was indeed a special…
History Hubris Politics Quotable Quote Random Shots Rants Society The Nation United States White Supremacy
Sieg …
“DEEPLY OFFENDED that a child refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance bc freedom is all about mandatory loyalty oaths.”
His Majesty Objects
“After some interminably loud defending the walls of the castle, HIM the Roux comes inside and complains for 15 minutes to us churls about Townes very existence in the Royal Orbit. Part of the Complaint revolves around the undisputed Treasonous Conduct of us churls in Divers Huggings and Walkings and Flauntings of the Dangerous Interloper …” | Read more after the jump …
Graphics History Imagery Meaningful Labor Memes New York New York City New York Times News Media Professionalism Random Shots Society View
118 Years of NYTimes Focus Countries
Whew. Long title, fabulously fascinating graphic.
France Germany Great Britain Grief History Hope for the Future Hubris Meaningful Labor Memories Society United States
11:00 | 11-November-1918
100 years ago today, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the guns along the 440-mile line stretching from Switzerland to the North Sea fell silent. The war started 1 August 1914 just as German Chancellor Otto von Bismark once famously predicted around 1884, by “some damned fool thing in the Balkans;” in this case, the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, a city of agony in the 20th century). But on 11 November 1918, it was finally “all quiet on the Western Front.”
Around the World Germany Grief History Hope for the Future Hubris Politics Politics and Elections Racism Society White Supremacy
9 November: Schicksalstag
In the next few days, there will be much remembrance of the events of 100 years ago—the end of World War I. Not as much in the U.S., where World War I is like the Korean War, a largely forgotten conflict, even though 115,516 Americans died between 1917-1918, along with over 320,000 sickened, most in the influenza epidemic of 1918.
Tragically Brilliant
Steve Bell’s ‘toons for The Guardian are always brilliant. But «in this one», he’s surpassed himself.
Entertain Me Meaningful Labor New York New York Times Random Shots Society The Nation United States Up in the Air
Every Building
“On this page you will find maps showing almost every building in the United States. Why did we make such a thing? We did it as an opportunity for you to connect with the country’s cities and explore them in detail.”