June 2022

Throwback.

This photo was taken in early 1993 in Lexington, Mass. I was staying with a friend I had worked with at Digital back in 1990 and I had gone back to visit friends from the BGLAD (Being Gay or Lesbian at Digital) Employee Resource Group.  Groups of this nature in the workplace are fairly common these days; back in the late 1980s and early 1990s it was quite progressive. Digital (or DEC, as it’s commonly called today) was a great corporation to work for. Once in a while I’ll have a dream where I’m working at Digital, trying to do the work I do today on my old VT330 terminal hooked up to a MicroVAX II. I have no regrets, but I wonder where I would be today if I hadn’t left the company in late 1990. My husband says, and I agree with him, “everything happens for a reason, and it was so you could find your way to me”.

 

It’s Not Friday.

Work maintains its insane pace and the hours are long. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s not Friday.

Dr. Strange.

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness poster

Photo from wikipedia

We watched “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” the other night. I enjoy spending time like this with the family and as I’ve enjoyed the majority of movies and other media in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I was looking forward to this. I had liked the first Dr. Strange movie quite a bit.

This one didn’t do a lot for me.

Director Sam Raimi is known for his work in the horror genre, and there were some elements from that present in this movie. I know plenty of folks that enjoy horror, but it’s not my thing at all, so that probably tainted my experience a little bit. I also wondered if I was just getting sick of The Scarlet Witch. Her storyline seemed a little one-dimensional to me. The experience felt a little flat. Many of the special effects were cool but I did see a few leaks of green screen halo around characters. I found that odd.

Maybe I’m just getting old.  I prefer my superhero movies to be a little more lighthearted. And I would think the MCU would be consistent on their “multiverse” rules from movie to movie, for example, why was there a completely different Spiderman in each multiverse, but Dr. Strange looked the same across the multiverses?

I should probably stop thinking too hard about these movies and just enjoy the popcorn.

It Just Keeps Getting Better.

Now that SCOTUS has ruled that teachers can lead classrooms in prayer, does that include Islamic practices? Wiccan practices? Jewish practices? Will those students of non-Christian faith be allowed the same amount of time and attention so they can pray in front of the school? Classes are going to get very long if teachers start a prayer and then need to address the diversity in their classroom. I can barely sit through anything Canadian being done in both English and French. I guess the students will need to skip study hall or something. For the record, I have absolutely no problem with your relationship with your beliefs or your faith. I have my own relationship with my faith and quite frankly it’s none of your business. If you find comfort in prayer, yes, absolutely pray. I never learned that it had to be done in front of everyone to get the message through.

Mmmmm.

Grandma and Grandpa City had cable TV in the late 1970s. The channel was changed by a box on a long cord with a button for each channel. I think there were 36 channels available but many of the higher numbered channels weren’t used yet.

I remember seeing this music video on a cable fed show; I think it was before MTV came about, and thinking that the lead singer was “cute”.  I hadn’t reached my teen years yet, but I knew I was different in who I was attracted to, and Robin Scott of “M” in his mirrored aviators was quite hot to me.

The music video has 1980 written all over it and I find that quite a delight. I still find Robin Scott of “M” in his mirrored aviators quite hot.

Obscure.

I occasionally have flashes of TV shows from the late 1970s and early 1980s that no one has probably thought about in years. Once such show is a promo for a pilot that I can’t remember the name of, but aired after the cancellation of “Rhoda” and had either Julie Kavner and a dark haired man (who was shirtless in the scene) or it was David Groh (Joe on “Rhoda”) and a dark haired woman of Julie Kavner’s build. I remember when seeing that promo connecting it to “Rhoda” because that show had been cancelled. To this day I can’t figure out what the name of the show was.

But this got me scouting around for obscure shows from that era and I came upon “On Our Own”. A show that seemed destined to fill a “Laverne and Shirley” gap for CBS, this show was about two best friends that worked for the same advertising agency in New York. In fact, the series was filmed in New York. It lasted only one season, had a funky opening theme song, and was recorded on video tape instead of film.

The two leads were played by Bess Armstrong and Lynnie Greene, the latter having played “Young Dorothy” throughout “The Golden Girls” in the 1980s.

While poking around on Amazon Prime Video, I found “On Our Own” and a whole bunch of obscure TV series, available for ad-supported free viewing.  The complete series isn’t there, there’s a few episodes missing, but nevertheless I was very surprised to find such a short-lived show available on digital streaming services 45 years later.

I took a gander at a couple of episodes. It’s basically your typical, late 1970s sitcom. What I absolutely did not remember about the series was the supporting character April played by Dixie Carter. She’s more Suzanne than Julia in this series, but still a hoot with her Southern accent.

It’s worth a watch if you have a few moments. Here’s the link: “On Our Own” on Amazon Prime Video.

Caturday.

Truman the cat glares at me in my office

Truman looking over my work progress

With all the all-day meetings I had this week, Truman was displaying a bit of impatience when it came to pets and treats at the appropriate time. I tried to explain to him that sometimes the one that provides the treats has to talk to people elsewhere in the world. He didn’t care, he said they were probably dog people, and then he gave me a little bite on the leg to reinforce the point. That’s one of the things he likes to do, a little bite to get the point across. It’s only one bite at a time, there’s no other aggression and if I present my arm again he turns away. He just likes his kisses to count, I guess.

Calmer Now.

So, now that I took a short nap and I feel a bit calmer about the day’s events, I say this without a trace of hysteria in my voice.

This country is a ShitShow.

Anyone with an IQ higher than the speed limit knew that conservatives were stacking the Supreme Court expressly for the decision to overturn Roe v Wade. Anyone that claims the belief of what the latest round of judges said during their confirmation hearings is lying. There is no rule of law. It no longer matters if you lie under oath. We’ve lived through a Presidential Administration where hundreds of laws were ignored, subpoenas were tossed aside, and few questions were answered. Take off your seat belt, use lead paint, throw some asbestos confetti, the law no longer matters. There is no established law. Precedent is gone and it can be overturned by moody judges with an agenda.

Women are second class citizens. Full stop. I expect that by the end of next year, perhaps sooner, they will be relegated to cooking, cleaning, and carrying children until they are barren. Then they will take care of the whims of their husband, divorce will probably be outlawed, and they better have the pipe and slippers ready.

The gay stuff? I ain’t going back in the closet and I’ll probably be shot for it but at least I’m true to who and what I am. I don’t care. There’s no law, there’s no civil discussion, there’s no civility.

Foreseeable elections will be so compromised because of phony election laws and gerrymandered districts and over-regulated voting regulations to the point of no return. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m happy I’m on the back happy of my life. Grateful. Thankful. I remember what was.

The question is, who will collapse first, me or the country?

This Is How I Feel.

What is wrong with you people voting for those that put these idiots on the Supreme Court? Who could be so pathetic that they need the Supreme Court to tell them what they can and can’t do with their bodies?

This is just the beginning. And I again I will state, if they come for my marriage I will disavow, disassociate, and dissolve any relationship I have with anyone that supports this idiocy.

This is not the United States. This is a travesty. At best.

Bridgerton.

BRIDGERTON ADJOA ANDOH as LADY DANBURY in episode 101 of BRIDGERTON Cr. LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX © 2020

We are continuing our viewing of season two of “Bridgerton”. It’s not my favorite of the historical dramas; this season in particular was slow to grab my attention. However, the latter half of the season has picked up for me a bit and I am enjoying it.

I am particularly impressed by a few of the characters, including Lady Danbury portrayed by Adjoa Andoh and Queen Charlotte, portrayed by Golda Rosheuvel. Both are fine in their roles and I find them both enchanting.

I don’t want to give away spoilers, but compared to season one, this season of Bridgerton seems a little less “steamy”. It is quite enjoyable nonetheless. Perhaps it’s trying to align itself with the likes of “Downton Abbey” a bit more. Earl doesn’t like when I ask about the fountains and the revolving stages in the early 1820s. He says I should just sit down and watch the show.

And that I shall.