Last Day Seattle Day 6/7!!

 Driving from Olympia back to Seattle is a drive thru "Real America". You know, rural America. Thus, the above Leave Trump Alone sign. Hilarious. Reminds me of Nebraska. And not in a good way. 

Back into Seattle to use up the City Pass. Parking? $36. Total so far now $372 just to park. Christ.

The Argosy Cruise was a "racetrack tour" of the Puget Sound. Mostly you see the Seattle skyline, the Coast Guard stations, the Edgemont Hotel, Bainbridge Island, the stadiums, and back to the dock. Nice and relaxing. Back to the waterfront for more lunches of clam chowder and fish and chips.

Chihuly Gardens and Glass was the final Seattle City Pass activity. Parking? $25. 

The glass blowing and the gardens are really cool to see. The glass sculptures are incredible, and an actual demonstration of glass blowing is done every 15 minutes. The place was small, but the sights were worth it.

Killing time in a strange city because you have a red eye not leaving till 11pm isn't easy. Getting to the airport area to turn in the rental also not easy. But once we figured it out it was a quick meal at Jack in the Box and a fill up of gas ($5.59) before turning the car back in, scrapes and all. Nobody noticed the scratches (pfew).

Then comes a 4 hour wait at SeaTac Airport. A redeye flight to Chicago overnight and no sleep. Arrival at 5am and now killing 3 1/2 hours before the Omaha flight takes place. 

Total Parking carnage....$397. Jesus. Add in the Omaha airport parking and it becomes $425. Just to park?

Yep! It is what it is. They didn't seem to want my Monopoly free parking card.

Bastards.

Multnomah Falls Day 5!

 Sunday morning in Eugene and this old hippie goes full new hippie. Avocado Toast and a hot cocoa at a little local diner. Then we notice that somebody had scraped the rental car on the back panel. Great, hit and runs happen up here too. Bummer man.

Off we go to Multnomah Falls, a short 30-minute drive from Portland. The falls are free to see. The parking is free. The beauty is free.

The falls are right there. You walk up and there it is. It wasn't too crowded so moving around was easy. A wedding party too photos in front of it, A quinceanera celebration took place there. Walking up to the bridge was about a quarter of a mile uphill. Max did the trek. Then I did the trek. The A Fib be damned. The falls from the bridge are even more stunning. Now why people ignore signs and carry on down a dirt hill to get wet and muddy is beyond me but they did. The hour or two was well worth it. Even the Willamette River is stunningly pretty. I haven't seen this much nature being so beautiful maybe ever. Trees and rivers and falls and mountains and Puget Sound. Wow.

Olympia/Lacey, Washington was as far as we could get to Seattle. A Comfort Inn or something similar. No parking fees.  The hotel was fine, but what happened there was not. Waiting for the elevator we heard a thump. The elevator door opened and a young man was sitting on the ground with a knee brace and crutches. He had fallen. Max and Max's Mom helped the kid up and off he waddled on the crutches to his room. Never fails with us.

The Falls and picking a kid up made the day.

Plus, free parking. Total damage in parking fees still $336.

Eugene Day 4! Huskers True To Form!

Thius will more of a football post. I have been to well over a hundred of Husker games over the years. They won 5 national titles, won 9 games a year at least and then came 2003. An egomaniac named Steve Pederson became AD and wanted his own stamp on the program. So he fired a coach with a 58-17 record over 6 years and hired a fired NFL coach. Look, the rest is the last 23 years. Disappointment, crushing defeats and my eventual descent into indifference. Yeah, I go but when they lose I move on. It's pure entertainment now. 

Road trips are what I actually enjoy. Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Illinois, Oregon. Getting out of Nebraska. The games are irrelevant anymore.

Eugene, Oregon is a quintessential college town. Animal House showed Eugene in its glory. It hasnt changed much. It is a beautiful town scenery wise and racked up zero parking fees. However, due to capitalism, and the fact Husker fans travel like lemmings, a $295 hotel, no a motel, a drive up to the door motel. Yeah, $295 cuz the damn game started at 8pm local time, 10pm my time, and didn't end till 11:30 or so traveling back to Portland was out of the question.

Nebraska football is a joke. They can beat the shit out of bad teams, but when they face adversity, they fold up in a fetal position and hold on for dear life and lose. This has happened for years. Nebraska has blown 18 games in the last 7 years while leading in the 4th quarter. This is unprecedented. It's a streak of choking that puts Nebraska #1 by far in losing like that. In fact, Nebraska has not beaten a ranked team in 10 years. That also is tops for mediocrity.

Oregon was ranked 25th in one poll so the opportunity to break this streak was right there. Oregon was playing a walk on quarterback who was as incompetent as they come. Former Husker Dylan Raiola had stunk the place up the week before and was benched.

Yeah, we've all seen enough Disney flicks to know what was coming. Nebraska led 14-9 with about 6 minutes to go. Oregon had the ball and had done nothing offensively the entire game. In comes Dylan Raiola, ex Husker quarterback. Max exclaims to Ducks fans, Dylan Raiola game winning drive coming up. Not sure if he bought it but I did. We all knew what was going to happen. At least us Husker fans did. 

Game winning drive by ex-Husker Dylan Raiola. Less than a minute to go? Oregon TD. 17-14 Ducks. Max storms off down the steps as we say bye to our very cool Oregon fan neighbors. What's the point? It's entertainment, right? Right?

Another choke job, two weeks in a row. Blowing a two-score lead against Indiana the week before. I saw it live. Now blowing another lead in Eugene in the fourth was under our belts. Leaving the stadium back to the shuttle bus was a sobering affair. Like I said, we are so used to this it's expected. 

The Oregon stadium is unique. Weirdly shaped, holds 54,000 and really not a bad seat in the house. It's also modernized a bit with handrails for us olds to climb steps. It was a pleasant experience as Oregon fans are so cool. The loss of the game? Yeah, who cares. The way it was lost? Right out of a feel-good movie about redemption. All that was needed was a PA announcer calling play by play (Oregon has a guy who's been there since 1967 and won't retire per Ducks fans. He has the energy of a sloth). 

The game was a great story. I don't care who won, this was a tremendous story of a kid who stunk up the place the week before who came off bench to beat his former team. Cmon man, win or lose, this was legendary.

Again, no parking fees. Parking carnage holding steady at $336. 

Go Big Red always!

Portland Day 3!

 Off to the mean streets of Portland. Ya know, the city MAGA can't stop saying is burning down because ANTIFA HQ is there. I still couldn't find the actual HQ to pay my dues after dodging all the "fires" and "looting" going on 24/7. For real, it was peaceful AF because of course it is.

Portland is a nice calm city. People walk around at night, they sit in parks, they go to bars and convenience stores. No problems. Conservatives are such scaredy cats.

The Oregon Historical Society is a museum in which you will find out EVERYTHING you ever needed to know about the state of Oregon. Its sordid past is highlighted. Oregon after it was admitted to the Union, passed a law outlawing blacks from living there. Yep. And if they catch you, you get 39 lashes as an "incentive" to leave Oregon. The Asians weren't liked much either. So yeah, Oregon is kind of like every other state but at least they "woke" up and learned a lesson. Unlike some other states that have never learned much of anything. I'm lookin at you Nebraska. Some would say the place was "woke". I say it was truthful.

Saturday was No Kings Day. We saw very nice protesters and joined them for a bit. Lots of honks, lots of support, and lots of activists trying to save the country. Then we went and ate and then they were gone. No Kings!

Off to Eugene for the Husker Duck game. Parking at hotel was $45. Total so far, $336 to park.

Seattle Day Two!

Day Two was going to be epic. Whale watching. After visiting a sculpture garden near the docks, we made our way to Pier 69 for boarding a whale watching boat for a 4 hour tour. Goddam it was freaking freezing when we left the dock. I don't really get cold, but this excursion was COLD. I had to flee the outside for the inside and listened to the naturalist tell me all about whales we may or may not see. She was THE most informed person on sea life maybe ever. I couldn't wait to get out there into the open seas. The Salis Sea to be exact. We sailed around and then our naturalist said look to the left and a collective gasp was audible from the tourists. A family of orcas, killer whales, were swimming around, surfacing with blowholes going full blast. It was breathtaking to see a whale in the wild. 

The 4 hour tour included seeing eagles, sea lions resting on buoys, islands, birds diving underwater to catch fish, killer whales and then, voila, Little Patch, a grey whale who should have been south by now but decided to hang around the Salis Sea. The grey whale, Little Patch (yeah he had a name) was covered in barnacles and looked kind of rough. But it was epic to see two different types of whales. It was kind of pricey but hell YOLO right? Ive seen whales in the wild where they belong. Cool.

The trip ended unfortunately and we were released from sea to wander the waterfront. The Pike Place Fish Market is overwhelming. There are 5 levels of shops and restaurants and fresh fish. We did not see them tossing the tuna around, but it was still a sight to see. Parking $36.  Total so far $256. To park.

Dicks Drive In. A simple non nonsense burger joint. You can get burgers, fries, shakes and drinks. That's it. Not to mention it wasn't that expensive. Parking free.

The City Pass sent us to the Space Needle. Parking $35. There was a Doja Cat concert going on nearby, so the fans were dressed to fit the Doja Cat crowd. Short dresses, pink hair, 80% females and they were having the time of their lives. Good for them.

The Space Needle. You go up on an outside elevator. You get off on the top and walk around with all the others. It was crowded at sunset because why wouldn't it be? It's Seattle's claim to fame. And again, the City Pass is worth it all. Beautiful views from atop the Needle.

Finally, back to the hotel.

Parking damage so far, $291.

Seattle Day One!

Never been. The Pacific Northwest. Well, I was there when I was a kid since my grandma lived in The Dalles, Oregon but I was 10. I don't remember a whole lot of it except maybe being on the Columbia River dam with my brother and Dad and him driving across the border into Washington so I could say I was there. Hell, it's been 60 years.

We flew into Seattle on Tuesday night. We found a fleabag near the airport to crash for the night. Damn, who pays for parking at a Red Roof Inn? We did. $14? Seriously? Hey man by the time this trip ended, $14 was cheap to park.

Downtown Seattle is compact. Everything is right there within a few blocks. Stayed at a Courtyard by Marriott. $81 a night to park. Spit take. See what I mean? $14 was cheap.

MOPOP. The museum of pop culture. Close to the Space Needle, the Climate Arena, and a convenient parking lot right across the street. It was fairly empty. WARNING!!! Max paid the parking fee, $70??? $70 bucks to park? The rubes from Nebraska have arrived ready to be fleeced.

The museum itself is very interesting. they have Hendrix's guitar. Costumes from Wicked and the Wizard of Oz. Interactive exhibits, More guitars. Huge pile of guitars. Buy a Seattle City Pass and save a bunch of cash on admittance fees. Too bad they don't have a Seattle Parking Pass.

Then it was off to Easy Street record shop. Tons of used vinyl, CD's and clothing. The place was everything Seattle is. They gave out whistles to use if ICE showed up. There were NO ICE signs in many businesses. It was epic to see. Recommended. Hey and the parking was $12 or so. Parking fees so far? $256 and it's only Day One.

We checked out the Seattle waterfront, the stadiums, and Buddha pigeon, a fat happy pigeon sitting on a ledge outside our hotel room. Yes, I am easily entertained. Buddha Pigeon was a hoot.

It was Day One in the books. A little Detroit style pizza at Moto Pizza in downtown and get ready for another day of touristy stuff and avoiding the mental cases wandering the streets ranting about something or other. Yeah, we have those back home too. Mental health is a crisis in this nation but that's another story.

Wynton Marsalis!

 My Uncle Dick was hardly a hip dude. In fact, he may be the squarest person I've ever known. But one time, even though being mean to rock music (the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to be specific) he exclaimed that jazz was "better than that rock n roll". And to be honest I do not disagree with his opinion though I'd be more like jazz and rock are the best equally. Jazz has always been my go-to. When I'm hearing Miles or Coltrane or Basie or Roach or Dizzy I go into a different world without the artificial means. Jazz is something totally surprising and even the musicians can't tell you what's going to happen.

Now most music freaks will tell you they saw the Dead 66 times (me never) or Springsteen 46 times (me 5 times) or Phish 33 times (me once) or Pearl Jam 25 times (me 4 times) but my most seen act is Wynton Marsalis and a quartet or his Lincoln Center Orchestra at 9 times. His demeanor is humble, yet you can see he is THE leader of this orchestra consisting of a stable lineup of the best jazz musicians out there.

Wynton is retiring next year so his appearance at the Lied Center in Lincoln was his last. I do not know if the orchestra goes on but if it does, trombonist Chris Crenshaw, or saxophonist Sherman Isby, or trumpet player, Marcus Pointer, seem like successors to the best leader you can have, Wynton Marsalis.

Marsalis' band played two sets of about 45 minutes each, playing standards and originals and every second was every bit of jubilance that the packed house made it.  Constant applause for the solos, the cohesion and the atmosphere. 

Among the local references was a Chris Crenshaw original dedicated to ex Husker quarterback Tommie Frazier (complete with a Go Big Red chant) and the presentation to Marsalis of a distinguished fellow of the Lied and a Husker jersey with his name on it. He seemed genuinely moved by it.

Shout outs to sax player Alexa Tarantino who plowed through solos though visibly pregnant. To pianist Dan Nimmer for keeping the groove. To bassist Carlos Henriquez and drummer Oben Calviere for keeping the train moving. This is great stuff and you either get it or you don't. 

So Long Wynton Marsalis. Thanks for the memories.

Jefferson Starship!

 After last night's excursion on the SS Yacht Rock, the current night brought back the memories with a concert from 70's icons, Jefferson Starship at the Astro Theater in LaVista. The front end of the concert featured 3 other 70's hit machines, Firefall, Atlanta Rhythm Section and Pure Prairie League. Great, more yacht rock.

Firefall is/was a kind of country rock band, borne from the ruins of the Flying Burrito Brothers, that had big ass hits like You are the Woman, Just Remember I Love You and a sort of hit in what is one of my favorite songs from that era, Cinderella. The 30-minute set was energetic and well received by the crowd. There's only one original member of Firefall, guitarist Jock Bartley, left in the band, but the veterans onstage were of age to be originals so good for Firefall. They were great.

Atlanta Rhythm Section was next. That band also had hits in the 1970's and none were really my jam. The only original left is singer Rodney Justo, and from what I hear pretty much the rest of the originals are no longer with us due to being shot by cops, falling over tree limbs and drugs. ARS had two huge hits with So Into You and Imaginary Lovers and they did them in their 30-minute set. It was fine but like I said, not my jam.

The last band out was Pure Prairie League, another kind of country rock act with a couple of 70's hits including Two Lane Highway and of course, the monster hit Amie. There are no originals in this band, Vince Gill, the original lead singer on Amie seems to have moved on to better things. But the members of the current band are certainly capable of continuing keeping the music alive, including what seemed to be the world's tallest bassist, Jared Camic. He towered over everyone onstage. Maybe the rest of them are short but wow, that dude is tall. Their 30-minute set contained all two hits including the showstopper, Amie, worthy of a handshake from Paul Hollywood (IYKYK). 

Now look, there are two Jefferson Starships out there. There's Starship, which is fronted by Mickey Thomas and there's Jefferson Starship, fronted by singer Cathy Richardson and original member, 88-year-old David Freiberg. So as far as I'm concerned there's only one. The one we saw tonite.

Jefferson Starship, borne out of the ruins of the Jefferson Airplane, was formed in 1974 by Marty Balin, Paul Kantner, Grace Slick and David Freiberg. The hits followed. It was acceptable rock to the masses as opposed to the long jams and weird songs from the Airplane. The hits were many. With Richardson playing the Grace Slick role and of all people, Freiberg played the Mickey Thomas role. Did I mention he's 88? He has to be the greatest 88-year-old singer on earth. His voice is spot on, hitting the high notes of Balin and Thomas. He is amazing. Richardson has the chops and the power of Slick's voice. If you were blind, you'd never know the difference.

All the hits were there. Find Your Way Back, Miracles, White Rabbit, We Built This City (no it's NOT the worst song ever written, hipsters) Jane, Count on Me and of course, Somebody To Love. The crowd couldn't stop cheering after going oh yeah, I know that one. The current band is also perfectly capable of keeping this music alive. Marty Balin is dead, Paul Kantner is dead and Grace Slick may as well be dead considering she's 87 and painting and "retired" from performing in the 80's because as she said then, " all rock n rollers over 50 look stupid and should retire". Ehhhh, maybe 70. 

It was another trip to the past for Max's Mom and me. Hearing the music of a group I last saw in 1978 with Kantner, Balin, Slick and Freiberg was gratifying. Let's hope they keep on going, Christ, Freiberg looks like he'll live to be 100, and Richardson has the sober vibe of Slick. The story she told of Freiberg going to Egypt with the Grateful Dead in 1974 for "some reason" (complete with a shrug from Freiberg) and declining to join the Dead because "I have a Starship to form" was THE most 70's story ever.

Nostalgia is wonderful if you are of a certain age. This foursome concert fit that bill. Wonderful.

Yacht Rock Revue!

 Let's put this out front. I was in radio for years and played what is called "Yacht Rock" constantly to the point I hated every second of Cool Change or Still The One or Afternoon Delight or The Pina Colada song. I still hate them if they come on the radio (who listens to radio anymore?) but as done by the traveling band called Yacht Rock Revue it's even tolerable at worst (Brandy or Danger Zone) and downright enjoyable at best (Africa or Takin It To The Streets).

The two hours that this cover band is onstage passes like that. Led by lead singer and shameless 70's lookin guy, Nick Niespodziani, this band is tight. Nick sings like whoever he's covering. For instance, He sounded exactly like Michael McDonald on Takin it to the Streets and then hit the high notes during Africa. What a voice (tho his voice did get a bit tired at the end). He runs the show like a true conductor. Leaving some songs to people with more appropriate voices as he plays guitar or keyboards. Kourtney Jackson sings the Olivia Newton John song Magic and the Fleetwood Mac song Everywhere while when not singing lead is a great backup singer (as are all of them). Keyboard player Mark Bencuya handled the Steely Dan covers sounding just like Donald Fagen. Peter Olsen handled the vocals on other songs like Lido Shuffle and Baker Street. Now let's talk about sax player David Freeman. Man, he's a pro. He handles the sax solo in Baker Street, Ride with The Wind and other songs. He captivates while onstage. A truly great saxophonist.

The crowd of nerds and dorks dressed in Captains hats, sailor outfits and one guy in a shark costume was sparse. Not exactly a full house at the Steelhouse which may be because the similar Yachtly Crew was in Lincoln last weekend but the crowd that was there was very into it. Max's Mom was really into it and Max's Dad, the aforementioned deejay in the 70's and 80's, tried very hard to hate it and failed. It was good stuff.

This is truly the music old rockers like me love to hate. It's wimpy, soft rock that appealed to haters of disco and haters of hard rock. It served a purpose at the time.

Hey, and it serves a purpose now. It's fun. Though Afternoon Delight still sucks and is unlistenable even by them. Go get a beer during it.

Come From Away!

 

Some of my favorite moments were spent with my parents convincing me to go see theater. On the occasions I did go with them I eventually fell in love with live theater. And the Omaha Community Playhouse was the spark. Hell once, I was in the front row of the balcony watching a weird modern version of Julius Caesar when a guy with a rifle came down the stairs, crouched down beside me as I wondered what the fuck was happening, and shot Julius Caesar dead. Then he ran away. I was mortified yet realized the genius that even community theater actors and directors have in them, Yeah it's like watching AA baseball but ya know what, it's still baseball and it's great.

Come From Away is playing at the Omaha Playhouse thru October 11th. Not familiar with Come From Away? Well, you should be.

Come From Away is a musical about when airplanes from all over the world were rerouted to Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11. 38 planes full of 7000 passengers overtook this small town in Canada and the residents jumped into action to make them as comfortable as possible. The story is of the heavily accented Canadians being saints and the passengers being pissed, until they aren't. We have the two gay dudes named Kevin, the female pilot who overcame the sexism of the industry, the woman whose son is a firefighter in NYC, the Englishman and the divorcee, the Mayor, the townsfolk, the Muslim man singled out as a threat, Beulah the sweet lady who makes everyone feel better, the Africans and a cast of real characters. The story is fascinating, the songs are catchy and the local actors are fantastic singers and thespians.

The set is a bunch of chairs that get rearranged by the actors as the story goes on. A plane, a bar, a bus, customs, libraries. That's about it. And it's handled expertly. It is probably 50% dialogue and 50% songs. This is a one act play that is nothing but fun, until the end when we find things out about the people. Spoiler alert, the woman loses her son in the Towers. That's kind of depressing but man the rest of it is pure joy.

Go see it. You'll laugh a lot. You may even cry. But you will leave the theater saying man those Canadians are fine people. When asked why they were so accommodating, the Canadians say well you'd have done the same for us, to which many Americans on the stage say, would we?

We love you Canada!

Old Age Isn't War, It's A Massacre! Phillip Roth

 

Being old isn't what it used to be. It used to be you got sick, doctors did their best with what they had at the time, and then you died of things that are curable today. It was not ideal and I realize 50 years or less from now the same story will be true. Cancer will be curable, heart problems will be fixable earlier, and once this regime is gone, diseases will once again be eradicated. Everyone is fortunate to be living today with all the fancy equipment. That is if you are on Medicare. If not good luck. Even though this country, thanks to LBJ, looks after its old (think that would pass now?) with Medicare and ignores the rest of the nation claiming Medicare for all is too expensive. Yeah, tell that to 31 of 32 so called civilized nations that have national health care. But then again, we need a trillion-and-a-half-dollar military to protect us like its fucking 1945 (shhhh but it's because congress critters have defense industries in their district building shit the military doesn't even want it)..

Being old catches up with you. If you've avoided doctors forever and then you finally have some sort of emergency and have to go to the ER or the clinic, you realized that probably wasn't smart. I spent a great deal of my life without health insurance and only because of a broken hand did I go and get hit with a bill I couldn't pay without financing. Then I got health insurance but was so used to going oh well, that'll go away, I never used it. Not smart.

When the heat began to become unbearable, and my daily walks with Malibu became a bit harder, and I had to mow the lawn in shifts because my energy was like a video game and ran out quickly, I knew something wasn't kosher. But after fainting at a football game in the heat, throwing up at a baseball game in the heat, and then being unable to walk 3/4of a mile in the 115-degree heat in Vegas, I was taken to the ER where I was diagnosed with Atrial fibrillation. Simply put that means when you take your pulse, it goes beat beat beat......................beat.....beat beat beat. That long pause between beats gets to the point where you say ok, please beat again. Yeah, people live with it as will I.

But this time I needed my heart shocked back into rhythm. They electrocute you basically and your heart beats normally.  Well in my case, it was about 3 days until a fib kicked back in. Then it was a stress test. Somehow, my resting heartbeat was higher than when stressed so that's abnormal. So the next step was a left heart catheterization. Oh great. I spent a lot of years in the insurance industry and read LOT of operative reports of heart caths. They never seemed normal. They usually led to open heart surgery or stents or bypasses and even some heart transplants. Not good.

All of this tortured me for 3 weeks between the stress test and this. I wanted it over. I just knew this wasn't going to be good. What the hell is wrong with me? I'm indestructible, right? RIGHT? Not at all. I knew I was doomed. Sticking a wire into your heart and checking to see for blockages or worse didn't seem normal.

As Tom Petty said, the Waiting is the Hardest Part, and dammit he was right. I stressed for weeks because I'm not used to being sick. I just knew it was gonna be bad, I knew it. 

Let me describe the procedure. They EKG you, they shave you, they put X's in ink on your feet (???), they make you wait. The nurses are saints reassuring you. You do not know if they will put the wire thru your wrist or your groin. Please be the wrist. The doctor came in and said 90% of the time the wrist works. Ok let's see if my bad luck holds.

In the OR, they put you on a table about the same width as your body so don't move. The nurses joked for me to not look down. Oh did I tell you, you are naked except for one of those damn gowns? The doctor came in, made a joke that he'd done at least a dozen of these, some even successfully before he said I am kidding and went in thru my wrist. Could I feel it under twilight sedation? No. And THEN, the dye came out of the wire and honestly, it felt like it set my heart on fire for about 5 seconds. Even under sedation, that was scary. 

After about 10 minutes of this hour-long procedure, the doc said everything looks good, no blockages and the leaky valve wasn't serious. They will just try and shock my heart back into rhythm in a couple of weeks. Good news? Well hell to the yeah, it was. The shocking I've been through so it's all cake now.

Anyway, this whole rant is about getting old isn't fun. Your lifestyle will eventually catch up with you. Even if you have not abused yourself for decades, it will catch up. Nobody is indestructible.

Go to the doctor.

Dolly Parton!

 The first time I saw Dolly Parton I was a small child of maybe 8 or 9. She was in a commercial with her mentor, Porter Wagoner, for a detergent of some sort. Ya know the times, the mid 60's, when if you bought detergent or gas, you got free glasses or in this case you got dish towels. Why do I remember this particular television ad? Well duh, I was just discovering my heterosexuality and Dolly was unforgettable. Up there with Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbara Eden, Diane Carroll and Grace Slick, Dolly got something moving.

I am not going to pretend Dolly's music was my cup of tea, nor am I going to pretend I knew everything about her, but she never left my mind. And she never left America's mind. She never faded away. I mean female icons like Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Helen Reddy all dominated the charts in the 70's but inevitably faded away. But Dolly never did. She made music, movies, TV appearances (never forget her telling Johnny Carson she was on the Tonight Show as often as he was), and philanthropy. She never ever lost the limelight. The only comparable female icon I can think of is Cher who also has never left the spotlight. But Dolly didn't piss people off like Cher may have with her political statements. Dolly was nice and had the impact of a velvet hammer. Cher belted you over the head with a ball bat. But Dolly was smart, a marketing genius, or perhaps she was just what she projected, a freakin saint. Dolly was a blonde, had a huge chest and freely admitted to fixing body parts that had begun to age but she was no dummy. She was smart as a whip and she knew it. She could carve you up like a Thanksgiving turkey and you would still walk away going wow what a nice person. Genius.

Dolly passed away today at the age of 80 from a recently discovered cancer (fuck cancer). The world is shocked. Even right wingers are 75% onboard mourning her passing, proof of the velvet hammer. This passing is a big one. I was shocked. I knew that she'd had some health problems and had cancelled a Vegas residency, but her videos of her announcing that kind of stuff made one convinced she would survive anything. But like all of us, she did not.

Christ, Dolly funded the Covid vaccine, she funded libraries and free books for kids, she supported Black Lives Matter (you think our little white asses are the only lives that matter she said), she supported victims of Tennessee fires who had lost everything, she supported schools that were underfunded and mostly black, she told Missouri to fuck off when they defunded her books in school libraries project and funded it herself and she refused to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom when Trump was in office.

When Dolly was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she initially refused because she didn't feel worthy cuz she wasn't a rocker. But she eventually accepted the honor and did a rock record with duets with Sting, Ann Wilson, Steve Perry, Rob Halford, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks etc... A lot of it was pretty good. Admittedly I listened to the album for the Joan Jetts, the Sheryl Crows, the Paul McCartneys and the Lynryd Skynyrds. But she was great also.

Dolly was a plus for the human race unlike a certain other 80-year-old. I will miss her light in this dark ass world.

Democratic Socialism!

 Democratic Socialism!! It scares the shit out of old white men, currently in power, because it threatens their very relevance. The GOP pisses their pants at its mention. The Democrats, instead of embracing the concept and accepting the new guard, start blathering about leaving the party because it means they are finished. You're old boomers. Your time is over. Accept it. I am to the point where anybody over 70 will never get my vote again. Go away. And truth be told, I'm dangerously closer to 70 than 60 and realize my generation of boomers have become their parents. We used to protest, smoke weed, stand up to the man, march for civil rights, end wars and drive crooked presidents out of office. Now? We want to run over protesters legally, oppose legalizing weed, are the man, suppress civil rights to keep white men in power, supports wars and shrug when a crooked president does something crooked. We are pathetic. We are the Progressive insurance commercial. We've become our parents and not in a good way.

Now some of us had cool parents. Greatest Generation people who may not have understood the hippies and the antiwar movement but accepted it without hollering about it too much. Archie Bunker was real then and unfortunately is even more real today. Archie was a clown to be laughed at. The ignorance was funny. Mike Stivic was also a clown in his own way. A condescending lib. They were all to be made fun of. Haha.

But alas, though the ignorance of the masses remains, the ignorance of the politicians is dangerous. The United States Senate was once considered the "world's greatest deliberative body" full of intellects and the smart people. The House has always been a carnival side show, full of some of the dumbest people on Earth, but the Senate? Even the red states sent smart people, though they be Republicans, and with few exceptions, you could be proud of your Senators. Well then came 1980, and the whole thing changed. A wave of morons swept into office on the coattails of the guy who started this all, Saint Ronald Reagan the First. Christ, Chuck Grassley was elected in 1980, and the old bastard is still there because Iowa refuses to vote anybody out of office. And its only gotten worse/

Dopes permeate the Senate. Evil permeates the Senate. When you have the likes of Tommy Tuberville, Marsha Blackburn, Eric Schmitt, Mike Lee, Tim Scott, Katie Britt, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, Pete Ricketts, Cindy Loomis, and whatever that twosome from Idaho is, the body is the same as the House. Hissing possums.

Oh the Democrats don't get off here. When you have the likes of Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Angus King, and even Bernie Sanders all OVER 80 still hanging on, no wonder younger people like Mamdani and Abdul El Sayed win primaries. Democratic socialism! Shhhhh but go real dumb like Trump, over 80, and say "communism" just lke the GOP has done since 1946. When you got nothing, go straight for the C word. And the GOP got nuthin.

What is Democratic Socialism? It's Finland, or Denmark, or Holland, or Norway or Sweden. Hardly bastions of commies, these countries provide its citizens with basic needs. Health care, income, holidays, a balanced work/life. low crime rates and democracy. Even for the hypocrites who constantly rant about nonwhites yet accept all the benefits of democratic socialism. The white supremacists are all over these countries, but they seldom elect them, unlike here where we elect the old bitter white supremacists to office and then shrug when they act like the racist bigots they are.

It's time for the old white men to get the fuck out of the way. As much as they kick and scream, or threaten to bolt the Democratic Party, they must be ignored. Leave! Go ahead and leave! OR....get onboard and work together to eliminate the threat of another 2 years of Trump ass kissers kissing his ass.

If that happens, because of Democratic infighting over a word, or more likely their refusal to cede power, we are doomed. 

This is the year my friends. We either cut this regime's nuts off, or we let their cowardice win again.

Democratic Socialism? It's simply a word.

No use throwing away 250 years of democracy out the window over a fucking word.

Magic of Motown!

 Who doesn't love the Motown hits? Oh, I'm sure there's some cranks out there who do not but they are wrong. Period.

The Magic of Motown traveling show came thru Omaha last night and though it wasn't exactly a packed house, it was a show full of energy both from the singers AND the crowd. The rotating cast included four male singers handling the Four Tops, Smokey, Sam and Dave, and the Temptations while the three female singers knocked it out of the park with Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, a killer version of R E S P E C T and another killer version of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You performed by a young lady stating how she hoped she did justice to the song, much to screams of "You got this Girl" and other encouraging shout outs. She, of course, like she does every night, killed. It was phenomenal.

The show is a sort of Vegas type tribute show and there is nothing wrong with that because it's all about the music. People of a certain age made up the vast majority of the crowd. Black folk, white folk all singing along and the black folk proving that they got the moves and the white folk do not but nonetheless, they have fun. Watching old white people dance never fails to amuse me and it didn't disappoint yet again.

So much talent on that stage and it's a shame that I don't know any of their names because the Orpheum Theater in Omaha has one of the worst sound systems in existence. If you didn't know the lyrics to the classics, you were left out. The introduction of the cast of singers was garbled and indecipherable. Oh well, all I can say is that one guy doing Smokey and MJ was fantastic. That one woman doing Aretha was kick ass and that other woman doing Whitney was marvelous. Sorry I don't know your names.

Notes:

They used local musicians in this show. Sax players and guitarist were local. Keyboard player and drummer are with the show. All of it was smooth as hell.

Late Arrivals--I mean Ive been there getting there late. But 99% of the time I am in my seat on time. This crowd walked in 15 minutes late, a half hour late and it's a pain in the ass distraction. In this case CPT doesn't mean what it usually does. This time it stood for Creamy People Time or Cracker People Time. Be on time people.

The sound system---It sucks. Sometimes a show will bring in their own sound systems and sometimes they just use whatever atrocity passes for a house sound system. This show relied on the in-house sound people. I'm not blaming them; they only have to work with what they got, but cmon man. FIX IT!

The Magic of Motown-- worth it? Absolutely. The music is timeless. The performers are great. There's a joy in the air listening to these classic hits. What more can you ask for?

If it comes back, I'll Be There and there Aint No Mountain High Enough to stop me.

Anthony Fauci Vs Rand Paul!

 The calling of American hero Anthony Fauci before a Senate hearing led by his arch enemy, a moss haired "libertarian" named Rand Paul (Neighbor-Ky) was bad enough, but when Paul and his fellow blowhards decided to simply use it as an opportunity to appeal to the anti vax, Covid was a hoax, anti-mask morons who make up the GOP base it was a shitshow.

Fauci gave a statement, calling Paul unhinged, and then clammed up, invoking the 5th for the rest of the hearing because he understood it was nothing but a trap to satisfy Paul's weird ass obsession with the good Doctor. Now Paul, a so-called libertarian who hates the feds overreach, did what most "libertarians" do when pushed, they turn into pro federal government thumb breakers ready to throw everyone in prison. Paul warned Fauci of "repercussions" for zipping his lip. I guess that means Paul will go home, dress in his Prussian military threads and think of ways to define "repercussions".

Meanwhile the screeching monkeys of the Senate committee got all their sound bites in. Senator Pussy, aka Senator Hawley, asked Fauci what day it was. Hawley, a fist pumping anarchist, then proceeded to get in his campaign shorts before yielding. Typical Hawley performance. A laughable high school theater production of All The Presidents Men. But in this case, the pussy from Missouri is on the crook's side.

Senator Bernie Moreno, a used car dealer and crypto prick. dropped the F bomb to get the attention he craves. Who the fuck do you think you were? Migawd, these assholes could ask the same questions of their cult master. The irony is out of sight.

But the worst moment was when the "Libertarian" Rand Paul, had Fauci's lawyer, David Schertler, removed from the proceedings for having the gall to bring up the Bill of Rights. Schertler left and Paul lost all libertarian cred. Again.

Look, Fauci is a national hero. He aint perfect, but he saves lives. Which is more than I can say about the libertarian, the pussy and the used car salesman. 

A contempt of Congress vote will come next week which I'm sure that Senate idiots like Tommy Tuberville and the bag of hair Marsha Blackburn will vote yes. Then Fauci can join the list of contempt of Congress folks still to be dealt with. Ya know like Jim Jordan (Greasy-Oh). Christ Ohio, what the fuck is wrong with you electing sex crime cover up artists, couch fuckers, used car salesmen and that wife beater Max Miller (DV-OH). Stop trying to become Alabama, that's Nebraska's job.

Paul released portions, very carefully, of Dr Fauci's diary (Gawd they love diaries over there on the fascist side of the aisle) that would intend to make Fauci look start struck. What Paul left out, I'm sure it was just an oversight, was Fauci's views on what a dangerous idiot Donald Trump was. Fauci was baffled by the President and his obsession with ratings and covering up Covid, which of course Trump thought would make him look bad. You know like the Covid will be over by Easter and the churches will be filled. 

Dr Fauci is 85 years old. He is retired. He has Fuck You money. And he's using it.

Rand Paul is 63 years old going on 126. Unfortunately, he still has a job. And he will use it to grandstand and roll his eyes and blather on. Fascinating!

Oh, and come on Kentucky. Your senators are this dweeb Rand Paul, and some guy who may not even be alive. You can do better than reelecting a "libertarian" fascist or a turtle on life support. Don't try and become Louisiana, that's Nebraska's job.

Yukking It Up With Fascists!!

 There she is, Meet the Press' Kristen Welker, yukking it up with Joseph Goebbels Stephen Miller at the White House Correspondents Dinner last week. This is proof that journalism is deader than Lindsey Graham. When the so called "free press" laughs it up with the very fascists who would jail them for saying bad stuff about the Fascist in Chief, it is deader than Tommy Tubervilles brain. The usual nonsense that is the WHCD usually consisted of a gathering of the Washington "journalists", they jerked each other off, and then the current President would get up and give a funny speech. Clinton was funny, W was funny, Obama was funny and then came the least funny man in the world, no not Greg Gutfeld, but Donald Trump. Trump refused to show up, keeping up his image as a press hater with his foolish followers. until last week. 

Well of course he was supposed to be there in June, and was, but some guy busted in with a weapon, and attempted to "assassinate" uhhhh hell I don't know. So the event failed to launch. RFK abandoned Cheryl Hines, Vance rushed out without Usha, Miller ran out feeling up Katie and Trump peered out from behind a curtain like "wow my fake assassination attempt seems to be going well". Thus, the event was cancelled and rescheduled because the WHC never misses an opportunity to praise themselves.

It was last Friday night. Trump sat there looking glum and playing with his mouth thing, whatever that was. The journalists getting awards, much to the anger of Trump, walked up to him and shook his hand with a fuck you smile. Kaitlan Collins did that, but had no idea what was coming.

Trump's speech was misogynistic, xenophobic, racist, homophobic and included his obsession with transgenders (whats with these weirdos?). He compared Collins to Dylan Mulvaney, called other politicians clowns, stated his hate for Adam Schiff (very Christian of you), went after late night talk show hosts, and even tried to joke about RFK's penchant for eating roadkill. Silence except from Trumps clapping monkeys in the cabinet. The problem, Donnie, is that your lame ass shit doesn't play with an audience not wearing red hats and being easily amused.

But back to the beginning. Laughing it up by "journalists" with the very people who would put you in a camp as soon as they get Supreme Court permission is a bad image. Independent press? Oh, I know it's ALWAYS been a reach around jerkfest with the politicians and the press, but the threat of Reagan or Bush or W was nothing comparable to this guy, Trump. Those presidents had a sense of humor, gently chided the Fourth Estate and even were self-deprecating. This guy is incapable of anything but lame jokes and jabs at others while comparing himself to Jesus, Lincoln and Einstein. 

I don't know what's going to happen. Journalism may not survive as heads of networks and news organizations cower in fear that Trump could cost them money. So, they kiss his ass, back off on reporting on the crimes he's committed, settle lawsuits, appoint Bari Weiss like sycophants who fire anybody who gets too close to the truth. It is disgraceful what this maniac has done to the cowards of the "free press". And it's disgraceful that the Fourth Estate turns out to be such chickenshits. It is a perfect storm for fascism. November will tell the tale.

Meanwhile the only saving grace is the reaction of the crowd to Trump's attempt to be Bob Fucking Hope. Including his cabinet members after he brings up their weirdness of eating dead whales.

Yuck Yuck!

Trump Regime Math!

 They are from the top left

1) Lt Tyler Feehan of Hawaii' 25 years old

2) Sgt Michael Swinton of North Carolina 30 years old

3) Pvt Isabella Gonzales of Texas 19 years old

4) Sgt Angel Rampersad of New York 28 years old

These four soldiers died due to Iranian missiles and drones hitting them in Jordan and Iraq, respectively.  

This last week, the Pentagon, led by Low T Pete Hegseth, removed them from the casualty list because, ta daaaaa, Trump had declared a ceasefire in April so therefore, they aren't really dead or whatever. Translation....18 dead looks worse than 14 dead so if we just ignore those last 4, everything is kosher ad lets Trump brag that we "only" lost 14 souls in the Iran War as opposed to the "200,000" we lost in Vietnam. Too bad Prez bone spurs wasn't one of them.

These four young people died for the ego of an 80-year-old maniac from the USA, a 76-year-old monster from Israel and a 77-year-old Thumbreaker from Iran. These 3 old men have caused such suffering in the world to satisfy their own ego, insanity and political madness, that they are the Putin, Xi and Kim of the so-called free world and a religious theocracy.

But when it all comes down to it, I don't give a rat's ass about any of the aforementioned creeps. The sooner they are gone, the better. What will the warmongers and whackos whose solution to everything is to bomb the shit out of anybody, do when those 3 are just a footnote in history. Probably try and find a new war criminal to kill more people. But whatever, all political leaders who act like those 6 are pieces of shit and deserve whatever happens to them. Think Khadaffi.

What I do care about are those 4 dead kids, along with the 14 others who died in the Trump/Netanyahu Folly. All should still be alive and those 6 should be in prison.

But they aren't, the 18 are still dead and those last 4 are erased by Whiskey Pete Hegseth from the killed in action list. Hegseth is a despicable human being who prances around a Navy boat like he's auditioning for the Joffrey Ballet. He claims Low T is a problem for troops. No, getting fucking blown up is the problem. The only thing Hegseth ever blew up was the Fox News bathroom. 

Hegseth had to make "sacrifices" to satisfy his evil master. And I guess two women, a black guy and a white guy were cool to bump.

Fuck Pete Hegseth. Fuck Trump. Fuck Netanyahu. Fuck the Ayatollah.

Those heroes deserved more gratefulness from their leaders.

I for one thank them for their service.

Mat Franco!

 Magician Mat Franco won America's Got Talent 12 or so years ago and has a residency at the Linq in Las Vegas. Now years ago, I gave up trying to figure out magic because I don't really want to know. Years ago, Dirk Arthur gave a box. It was a box. The box was empty. Then Abra Cadabra the box got heavy and he pulled a duck out. Where the hell did the duck come from? I was holding the damn box the whole time. It freaked me out and from then on, I don't even try.

Franco is personable, charming, self-deprecating and can zing you with a gentleness that you don't even know you've been zinged. Trust me, he saw me sitting there with folded arms and I regretted it as soon as he commented on my apparent cynical view of his magic. Tip-don't sit in front row unless you are aware he can see you. Oh yeah, I ended up with 3 bags of ramen noodles. 

His magic is absolutely baffling. Now we've seen Dirk Arthur, Penn & Teller numerous times and they were all great. But this guy? Wow. He does card tricks, makes things disappear, finds phones inside of tables, banters with volunteers and much like Penn & Teller calls you out if you screw up his instructions (for instance he asked a volunteer to roll imaginary dice and the guy said he rolled a 14 much to Mat's and the audience's amusement). He calls up a lot of people, kids (a young boy was called up and was funny and quick), adults, men, women, everyone. They say its "Magic Reinvented Nightly" and I imagine it is as volunteers are very unpredictable. This guy is a pro.

I cannot recommend this show enough. It's reasonably priced and if you buy the cheap seats in the back and the front is not sold out you just may get upgraded to the front row. This happened to us. But just don't fold your arms or else.

The Wizard Of Oz At The Sphere....Finally!

I am a cynic. Nothing really impresses me. The hype is always too much and I end up disappointed. Then came this.

After my hospital stay was over, and I was placed on meds, Max's Mom contacted the Sphere to see if the unused tickets could be transferred to Thursday. They graciously said yes.

Off we went to the Sphere to see this classic event. The staff there was helpful in not making us walk up steps but instead let us in the VIP entrance and take the escalator up to the nosebleeds.

The place is phenomenal. Full of distractions, entertainment and things to pose for selfies in front of. The escalator seems to go on forever as you head for steerage. The steps are steep and getting to row 13 was not fun for these old fogies. But we made it and sat, hoping to never get up again. WRONG! Being on the aisle meant constant standing and stepping out onto the steep staircase. Ok great.

The movie begins right on time which is good but also means the late arrivers will bug the shit out of you for a good half hour. What is so hard about being on time? Pet Peeve #1! The place is full of every type of person, the most diverse crowd Ive ever seen. The people in back of us spoke no English. There was a healthy pot full of blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, men, women, children, old people, young people, people dressed as characters. It is great to see. However, why is a small percentage of any crowd such narcissistic assholes? They get up to leave during the film, they come back climbing over everyone to get back, they show up late and climb over everybody. Christ its annoying.

The film experience itself is stunning. This cynic was in from the get-go. The huge screen, the special effects, the tornado scene where the leaves fall, your seat shakes, and the wind blows. It's unlike anything I've been to. And I loved it. The apples fall from the ceiling when the trees pelt the 4 characters. Yes, Max's Mom got one dropped right in her lap. Finally, the poppy scene where it starts snowing drops dishwashing liquid on you. Too bad it almost immediately melts or I'd have preserved it and taken it home. And Margaret Hamilton is the greatest screen villain of all time and I'm not going to argue about it. She just is.

Despite the fact the movie has maybe a half hour cut from it (Its very obvious) it is still as great as ever and the Sphere screen makes it like seeing a concert.

It ended and I wanted to see it again. We sat there to allow the crowd to disperse. I relived my old drunken bar days as workers started yelling you gotta leave. However, it was worth every penny when I saw Max's Mom crying happy tears during Somewhere Over The Rainbow. That made my irregular heart soar like a hawk.

One tip. Do not walk outside. It'll send you into A Fib. Walk thru the Venetian. It's all inside. Had we known that, the hospital stay may have been avoided, however, I'd have never known of my problem.

Would I go again? Of course.

But quite frankly, I would kill to see Metallica st the Sphere. I would only wound to see the Wizard of Oz again.

Go if you can. You will be happy AF.

The Veg!

 Little did I know as the ambulance pulled up to the ER bay at Sunrise Medical Center what I was in for. Rolled in on a stretcher, a staff of people began to immediately take vitals, told me I was still in A Fib and looked for a room. Wheeled into trauma room 12 to be dealt with I was thinking well this will go away and I'll be back at the hotel in no time. Across the hall was a lady who was not happy she was there and let the nurse know in no uncertain terms. The nurse, Aurora, with the patience of a saint took my blood and a chest x-ray and all the time dealing with the lady who was demanding Tylenol every 5 minutes. I was not really scared, tho Max's Mom was, cuz ya know I am indestructible (haha). Hours went by and it became apparent I was going to be stuck there for a long time. This place was a madhouse. Then it got madder and madder until it appeared to be Arkham. 

The lady across the hall was wheeled out of the room as they had a patient coming in with life threatening problems. A nurse came in and closed the curtain so I couldnt see out into the hallway. The insanity began as a man on a stretcher was wheeled into the room with a paramedic on top of him doing emergency CPR. I heard a conversation right out of the Pitt. Adrenaline, Epi, CPR, blood pressure of 47 over 21 and the inevitable time of death call. The man was found on the toilet and was there for 20 minutes I guess. He was obviously dead from the get-go. It was very freaky to listen to. 

Ya think that was all? Nope. I was wheeled out of my room into a hallway. A friggin hallway with about 50 people also laying there. I had a view of the ambulance bay for hours. I saw what was coming in. It WAS the Pitt. It was ER. Migawd those shows are realistic. The place was so full, the ambulance crews had to wait their turn, turning the ER into a traffic jam. The ambo folks brought people in so often we saw the same ambo crews numerous times. Yes we there that long.

A man was brought in by a male and female paramedic. He began to hit on the female.

"Hey baby you got a boyfriend?"

"No I have 3 girlfriends"

" Wow now that's a party, I wish I had 3 girlfriends, Imagine all that pussy"

"Hey now no P words"

He eventually was wheeled in to sober up I assume. 

A man was brought in puking very loudly into a trash bag. It never seemed to end until he was wheeled into the ER to sober up, I assume.

A female in a party dress was wheeled in counting from 1 to 4 constantly. She was flirting with the very same female paramedic who the drunk man was hitting on. Eventually when was wheeled in to sober up I assume. 1 2 3 4 she eventually got all the way to 10. The male paramedic asked her what lesson she learned this night and she blurted out " not to drink after 7". I had no idea if she meant the time of day or the number of drinks.

A man was wheeled in hitting himself in the face. The cops were with this guy. Eventually he was wheeled in to go to jail.

A woman was wheeled in with a bloody face. She had been beaten up by I assume her significant other. She was eventually wheeled in to probably go back to the son of a bitch.

Remember the woman across the hall who was taken out to make room for a dead guy? She was laying in the hallway right within my eyesight. The nurse, who was also my nurse, who said her name was I don't know it sounded like RageAgainstTheMachine gave the Tylenol lady a shot of Ativan. Within a few minutes suddenly the Tylenol Ativan woman fell out of her bed and face planted as she seized. Allergic to Ativan, I guess. I reacted with an "oh shit".

There were so many people wheeled in it was just like seeing a Vegas show, but the cover charge is way too expensive.

Ok back to me. I laid in the hallway, with Max's Mom all night long. In the hallway of a Vegas ER. Drunks, homeless, heat strokes, domestic violence victims and the mentally ill seemed to be the norm. AND THIS WAS A TUESDAY NIGHT! What must it be like on Fridays or Saturdays? I was laying there in front of the nurse's station where I heard the graveyard shift complaining about other departments, doctors, nurses, and patients. They love their job as much as most people. They don't. The swearing was intense. Fuck you.. I'm pissed...he's a motherfucker ...all came out of these nurses' mouths. It amused me.

Meanwhile a young man laid on a bed in front of us in a hospital gown. He was very polite to everyone. But when he got up to go to the bathroom it was ass crack city. He tried to hold it shut behind him but failed. He apologized constantly. My suggestion was he should pull his black boxers UP so his crack would be gone. He did not.

I am not kidding when I say the Pitt is not preposterous. It's truth. I didn't have a hospital gown; I was still in my sweaty clothes. I hope my ass crack didn't show up but I cannot guarantee it.

My room eventually came thru at about 7 in the morning, so I'd spent 15 hours laying in the hallway of the Sunrise Hospital ER. Hey, I aint any better than anybody else so I didn't get too frustrated. I saw how busy these people were treating the sick people no doubt worse off than me. But man, if this health care system is the best we have, we have failed miserably. It sucks. I do not know the answer, but basic health care should be at least a goddamn right. In this nation it's a privilege and luck of the draw for the rest of people. That's wrong. We can do better.

My inpatient stay was uneventful. Private room in the heart unit. Bland food. Constant attention from nurses named Nikki and Briana who were great and constant doctors explaining my problem to me. But I was there way too long mostly due to the fact I am not special, nor should I be. They finally let us go around 7 pm or so. So, 15 hours in the ER hallway, and 12 hours in a private room. As frustrating as it was, I appreciated the care and dedication of these damn saints. They do the work, they put up with me, and they do it with a smile and jokes. THEY are the greatest. The system sucks.

Anyway, after a silent UBER ride back to the hotel, we crashed. Vending machine pizza, subs and a piece of cake (Yes, the machine made the pizza, and it was good as was the sub) we bought some water and caffeine and zoned out. 

One more day in Vegas to redeem itself.

By the way, this is a picture of the Sunrise ambulance bay on a Wednesday night at 6pm,

We're Off To See The Wizard....Oh Yeah???

 We came to the city I really cannot stand, Las Vegas, Sin City, The City Where What Happens There Stays There, to fulfill Max's Mom's fantasy of seeing the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere. It's a fucking 110 degrees here AND the goddamned humidity on Tuesday was Omaha-like. So as much as I despise the Midwest and it's 77 dew points well guess what? Yep, the luck continues and the "dry heat" became Omaha plus 20 degrees. So of course, a 25-minute walk to the Sphere was a minor inconvenience. Yeah, until it wasn't. About 75% of the way I began to feel sick. I had to sit. I walked a bit farther and had to sit. I felt like I was gonna either pass out, puke or drop dead. Or all three. We got to the Sphere and sat on the steps. The security staff, who had initially refused to provide us with any water, suddenly decided that was a bad idea. The cold water that Max's Mom poured over my head woke me up fast and I felt rejuvenated. Ready to go. Right? RIGHT? Here come the paramedics and they insist I get checked out. So this old man, me, gets wheeled on a stretcher into the Sphere and into the first aid room. This is where it all got complicated. They did all the vitals and I was ok. Right? RIGHT? Uh no. The fine paramedics, Michael and Perry hooked me up to the EKG or whatever it is and Michael said "Ive got good news and some really bad news. Oh, for chrissakes, what now? You are NOT having a heart attack, cool, BUT you are in atrial fibrillation and we suggest you go to the nearest ER because you could have a blood clot AND have a stroke and die! What? No, I'm here to take the trip up the Yellow Brick Road and no flyin monkeys gonna stop me. The Sphere medical staff, saints named Michael, Perry and Breann, pounded away at the seriousness of A Fib. 

A Fib. Where your heart valve looks like a used car dealer with the dancing things and the blood aint flowing right. Ok guys, you convinced me and they called the ambulance. Christ, here we go again. Nebraska Wesleyan football game (2022 pass out and trip in ambulance to hospital). Omar and Denise showed up to transport the old geezer, me, to Sunrise Hospital. Pizza boxes between the seats (good for you guys) the ride was smoother than the Lincoln ambo which felt like an old VW bus on a gravel road. They were great. Off I went to the Emergency Room. On a stretcher. Jesus H Christ I hate being old. The doctors checked my vitals and a security guard (looked like Michael Fanone from J6) was suddenly patting me down for weapons. I told him I left them at the hotel and he laughed and offered me  brass knuckles if I needed them. Huh? I soon found out what he meant.

Wheeled thru a Vegas ER is quite the experience. More about that next time.

Little did I know the dead witch under the Sphere was ME.

Lindsey Graham!

 Lindsey Graham, ya know, the guy who said nominating Trump would destroy the Republican Party in 2016, passed on to the great closet in the sky from cardiac arrest (?) last evening. I don't want anyone to die (wink) because of how it affects the people who might actually love the person. That's not fun at all. So, Rest in Peace to Lindsey Graham the man. 

Now the rest of the story. Lindsey Graham was a moderate voice in the Senate until about 2021. remember Jan 6? Graham stood in the Senate and said "I am done" with Trump. Ok. A definite plus. The influence of John McCain was still intact. McCain was Graham's mentor. A great patriot and a great man. But McCain passed in 2018. Graham was still in the McCain camp in 2021 after J6. But then, like Kevin "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to" McCarthy. Graham was met with gawd knows what. Blackmail? Extortion? Death threats? Yeah, probably all 3. That's Trumps M.O. Diss the Prez and he unleashes his goons on you. Goons who work for him or goons who worship him. Doesn't matter. The thugs come out and send their message of violence. Now most are losers who live in storage facilities and don't have the gumption to get a job much less actually do anything, but it only takes one dedicated cult member with a gun. And Graham had secrets. We all know what it was. The closeted Graham didn't have the courage to come out for some reason. Many 71-year-old gay men tend to be less than honest with themselves and everyone else. But that secret isn't anything any longer. Who gives a shit if Lindsey Graham had a Grindr account? Now South Carolina isn't exactly a friendly Gayborhood but there are certainly enough South Carolinian conservatives who have pulled their heads out of their ass and don't care. Right? RIGHT?

Graham went nuts in the last few years of his life. He wanted to bomb everybody. Warmongering became his go to speech. He was a lapdog to Trump, who uses everyone until he doesn't. No prediction on when Trump would have dumped Graham but his death puts an end to that. Right? RIGHT? Trump made Graham's demise all about Trump. "It hurts the SAVE act". One less bootlicker to try and save Trump from impeachment, jail, and justice. That's Trumps take. Me hurt. 

I'd say for Graham to be welcomed to the great beyond by his friend John McCain, who would probably slap him for what he became. But as far that goes, they are probably in two different fictional places.

Soccer and Graham Cracker!!

 While Trump was desecrating the United States on its 250th birthday by speaking in front of Mount Rushmore calling people commies and sticking to the same old garbage speech, I was getting heat stroke at a Kansas City Royals game. Not fun. Neither for that matter was fun. Trump made the heads on Mount Rushmore sick, and the heat made me sick. Happy 250th America. It was fun.

The World Cup has been, as usual, a thrilling event. I love the World Cup. It's the once every two-year World War 3 in which nobody dies, Americans suddenly become soccer "experts" and the corruption of FIFA is front and center. This year's Cup is in North America, of course, and the invasion of black and brown people must drive the Racist in Chief crazy. The Cup has had some upsets, and the Americans moved to the round of 16 which of course made the casual soccer fan all excited because oh I don't know, because we never make it that far cuz quite frankly, we are fair to middlin at the worlds sport. And the team proved it once again by getting blown out by Belgium, ending the fever dream. It's fine, but the Soccer Expert in Chief decided to get into the middle of a red card controversy by calling FIFAs Thief in Chief and demanding the red card be revoked so American citizen and anchor baby Falorin Balogun (born in Brooklyn to non-citizens). FIFA, the corrupt clan that gave Trump the FIFA peace prize (LOL), did what he wanted. The precedent was dangerous that a politician got into the middle of a sports decision. But as stated, the Belgians waffled the USA by destroying them. And as predicted by anyone with a working mind, the MAGATS immediately began to call for the denaturalization of Balogun soon after the game because he didn't score 5 goals by himself or perhaps because MAGATS are racists. Oh well, America, it's not our sport. Our team is Nebraska football. Beats up inferior competition, then when faced with a rated team loses 62-3 (the soccer equivalent of 4-1). We dont suck, we're just fair to middlin.

Graham Platner. This guy is a piece of work. Nominated by Maine Democrats to run against the feckless Susan Collins, Platner was always sketchy on a personal basis. The oyster farmer has a checkered past. There were allegations of domestic violence, alleged sexual assaults, a Nazi tattoo he got in the military, and a stint working for Blackwater in Iraq where some of his Reddit posts were sus. He bragged about killing civilians, used slurs, and whether true or not is certainly troubling. So, at best he's a progressive who likes to brag about shit he didn't do and is an abuser and at worst he's a fucking rapist and war criminal. Neither is acceptable by the way. He needs to go NOW.

That being said the Republican reaction is laughable. As they clutch their pearls and faint onto JD Vance's couch (ewww) expressing their outrage they really are clueless cowards. The fact they support a guy who also may be a rapist and is certainly a war criminal (200 dead Iranian children say so). Yet we have the typical Republican blowhards, Brandion Gill the gay Superman , Peter Ricketts the trust fund baby, Foghorn Kennedy the blowhard, expressing shock and faux outrage that Maine Democrats would nominate this guy. Oh fuck off. He will be gotten rid of by Maine Democrats soon enough and a new candidate can fuck everything up for the clueless Democrats. Gotten rid of by Democrats.

Good thing Platner is a Democrat cuz he will be dealt with and never see the inside of political office. 

If he was a Republican woman beater, alleged rapist and war criminal they'd nominate him for President.