Category: News

  • ODDS and ENDS: God Bless The Onion, Sports, Wildfires, and Christmas Gifts

    (Would it be too much to ask of you…)

    It has been a pretty dismal news cycle for like the past two weeks. And then God smiled on all of us! The Onion bought the InfoWars website. Sweet Lord in Heaven, please let this happen! There are so many reasons it should. Sadly, the judge put the sale on hold to review if the correct process was followed. So you know, the CEO of The Onion put out a statement on why they bought the InfoWars site. On one level, it’s just good to stick it to Alex Jones, as he has brought so much hate and anguish into this world for no reason other to make money. And also, if the sale goes through, I find it wonderful poetic justice that this site of so much evil will end up being a place of laughter.

    Honestly, Tottenham is driving me up the wall with all in the inconsistent play. They go and beat Man City, then turn around and drop one to Ipswich. Is this because Madison and van de Ven are hurt? Are those two guys the lynchpin of the team. I know the International Break is underway, and couldn’t have come at a better time. Let’s figure out what the problem is. It’s not like I was expecting Spurs to win the League, but it was reasonable to believe that they would qualify for the Champions League. Now, I’m not so sure.

    There are wildfires in New York City. Not around the City, as we do have that as well, but actually in the City. Anywhere there is a park, there is a chance that it could go up in flames. Last night, Inwood Park had a fire, and this morning, when I walked out the door, it smelled like a camp fire. It’s an experience that I would have never thought I would have here. Upstate, or in New England, sure I could believe it. But NYC?

    If you are looking for a fun Christmas Gift, may I suggest some Merch from My Store. These are fun, nostalgic, and quirky gifts that everyone on your list will love. Also, all proceeds go to me.

  • Still Cleaning

    I’m feeling better than I did yesterday. Still not great. Disappointment and a feeling of being lost is what I seem to be swimming in.

    And nothing is exciting me, nor am I feeling inspired, which is rather annoying. Like, when my life gets stressful or chaotic, or dramatic events unfold, creativity is a well spring outta me. I am finding the opposite right now. I can’t get myself to write, or work on some old ideas, or submit to publications that I know will never accept me. Even posting this blog feels like a bit of a chore.

    So I am sticking to what helped me yesterday; cleaning. I got half of my kitchen taken care of – cabinets and the pantry. Today will be the shelves, refrigerator. Not too much, as I am pacing myself, as I feel that I will need some cleaning on Friday as well.

    I thought about going to the gym, but the idea of being around other people I find discomforting right now.

    No, what feels good right now is cleaning my home. Making this apartment feel taken care of and safe.

    I am also listening to every Beatles album in order, including all of their singles, while I clean. That makes me feel better.

  • Gone Voting

    There will not be a normal blog today, as I’m out early voting, and enjoying my civic pride.

    Which reminds me; make sure you get out and vote. Have a plan. Go early, or on Election Day.

    And say “thank you” to the poll workers.

    But go vote.

  • Short Story Review: “My Camp” by Joshua Cohen

    (The short story “My Camp” by Joshua Cohen appeared in the October 21st, 2024 issue of The New Yorker.)

    Photograph by Naila Ruechel for The New Yorker

    So… What to make of “My Camp?” I guess I could say that Joshua Cohen wrote a story that I had no idea where it was going. That was refreshing. After that, I’m not sure what to think. I know I didn’t hate this story. It was a bit long; it did go on, and could have used some trimming. But, I’m just not sure…

    It started out well; lulled me into thinking this was going to be a comedic take on upstate home ownership. Then, Cohen threw a curveball, which had the story move in an altogether different direction, only to come back to the camp at the end. I’m not even sure the narrator learned or changed an any way, which normally would cause me to pan the story, but in this piece, that might have been the point?

    What I identified with was the narrator’s frustration with there not being a middle ground when it comes to October 7th, and the Gaza war. How people want the narrator to take a side, and the more pressure that is put on him, the more he digs in to not take a side. How if everyone is blindly going in one direction, you should go the opposite way. That resonated, especially in light of current events in the Mid-East.

    But I still couldn’t tell if this piece was satire, a pointed take on conviction in light of what is happening, or was this just supposed to be a joke? I would hate to think that I am clutching my pearls here, thinking it’s too soon to even remotely make any artistic comment on Gaza, as I believe one of the main reason to have art is to comment on difficult issues. Yet, wasn’t this just a story about a guy that got comfortable with scamming people so he could own a home?

    There isn’t a clear easy answer to this story, which I feel was Cohen’s point. Were people really trying to help? Does throwing money at a problem fix anything? Is greed inevitable? Is there no safety in the world and you have to take it when you get it? I could go on and on with all the questions this story brought up in me, and perhaps I should read it again. Though I don’t think that will help me find any answers. Anyway, maybe that’s just human nature – looking for answers.

    I’m open to hearing what other people think on this one. Drop a comment, let me know what you think about this story.

  • ODDS and ENDS: Doomscrolling is Back, My Picked Apple Goal, and Letting Go

    (I didn’t say no, but that’s not a yes…)

    I am back to my old doomscrolling ways, like it was October 2020. Oh, and this has 100% to do with the 2024 Election. The nerves have started kicking up again, and I keep scrolling on all the platforms looking for something to make me feel better, help me relax, and tell me that everything is going to be okay because the rest of America would never do what I think the polls are hinting that they might do and plunge us into another four years of orange chaos!!! If I learned anything about the internet, if you search long and hard enough, you will find what you are looking for.

    We went apple picking last weekend, and I even wrote blog about it, AND I even got a weird comment about it, which I think was snarky and sarcastic. As what happens with apple picking, you bring a shit ton of apples home. The wife does a good job of making a couple of deserts from the apples, and we put apples in the kid’s lunch, which she claims that she eats, or someone eats. Yet, year after year, we have to throw away some of our apples because they have sat on the counter too long, and are starting to rot. This year, we made a pact in our home to collect fewer apples, in the hopes that we will be less wasteful. And damn it, I’m holding to that; I will eat an apple a day, maybe two even, not just to avoid going to the doctor, but to do my part in ensuring that we eat every stinking apple that we selected from a farm in upstate New York!

    So what is the difference in giving up, and letting something go? If you give up you’re a quitter, if you let it go, then you are practicing self-care? There is a fine line there. But when this question pops into my head, this is the scene that plays out…