• Snek! I meant to post this on Caturday, but forgot. This is SO Jake with his stuffed lion toy, Mufasa. He took that thing everywhere for years. I would find Mufasa in his food dish, the water dish, and even the litter box...

Gotta make sure your best friend is getting enough to eat when they're looking a little thin.

   
• Oh Deer! I don't have a snek friend, I've got a deer friend now...

Such a pretty girl.

   
• U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! So proud...

In an age that science is attacked, education is ridiculed, and intelligence is mocked, this is where we are now. How sad.

   
• BUSINESS! Exaggerated. But still conceptually true...

Business is war, after all.

   
• Middlemen! It's insane. It's just insane...

The near-constant mantra from politicians continues to be that the USA has the best health care in the world. But every conceivable metric has shown that's not true. The truth is that it's the best if you can afford it! Studies show that Medicare for All would save ONE TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND SAVE 114,000 LIVES ANNUALLY! But we continue to pay "health" insurance companies to provide worse care for more dollars. Disgusting.

   
• UnJournalistic! Getting facts completely wrong on your news story is one thing... but editing it so that the original wording is preserved so as to obscure the fact that you got it wrong? Shitty...

The edit should have eliminated the word "released" completely, as NOBODY TALKS THAT WAY. "Bail has been set at $1 million" is the only edit which takes responsibility for your misinformation. But because they went the dipshit route, now we've got a bunch of "READ IT AGAIN!" assholes in the comments chiding people who commented on the original headline. I am so sick of this shit I could vomit. If you don't have journalistic integrity, don't be a journalist.

   
And now back to preparing my home for Fall.

Every day I have to remind myself we're not living in a nightmare. Then I look at the news...

   
• Dolly Redux! I have spent a lot of time thinking about the legacy that Dolly Parton left behind. What's most amazing is that she seems to have somehow transcended politics, despite the fact that she was fairly apolitical. Of all the interviews and videos I've watched over the past several days, I think this one is where Dolly's legacy should lay...

And you know what? I don't think Dolly would mind one bit.

   
• Slop! Something I think Dolly would mind very much? The death of shitty fucking AI songs eulogizing her. It started when I happened across a song by Enya on YouTube which was a tribute to Dolly Parton. I started listening to it and realized it didn't sound like Enya. Then I saw a shit-ton of other AI-generated shit and realized that everybody and their dog were "creating" AI slop tributes by real people who never made them. It's so fucking disgusting. And it pisses me the fuck off that YouTube isn't cracking down on this crap. Because I don't want to hear it. Ever.

   
• Skylines! This looks like it's a glorious LEGO mashup of SimCity and Animal Crossing...

Yeah, can't wait for that. Any time I can spend in a fake world is bound to be better than what we've got going on in this world we've got for reality.

   
• Lanterns! Nothing has me laughing my ass off harder than people claiming that HBO's Lanterns has ruined the character by going "woke." Race was a huge... massively huge... part of the comic book series. This small exchange is but a drop in the bucket...

The introduction of John Stewart was specifically made to add perspective to Black persons in the situations which were normally occupied by white people...

I wasn't reading comics in 1971, as I was five years old, but I very much remember reading the stories as back issues later in life. I was a massive fan of Green Lantern (his comic, along with The Flash, were the first I had ever bought) and I read through many back-issues where these foundations were made. The fact that the characters are being dusted off and revised for modern audiences is not an accident. It's what the foundation of the book has always been. I think Lanterns is honoring the source material very well. I just wish there was more action going on. I'm trying to be patient, but we're running through the series quickly without it.

   
• Dantzig! I never tire of hearing this story, which popped up today. I've copied it from his Wikipedia article...

During his study in 1939, Dantzig solved two unsolved problems in statistics due to a misunderstanding. Near the beginning of a class, Professor Neyman wrote two problems on the blackboard. Dantzig arrived late and assumed that they were a homework assignment. According to Dantzig, they "seemed to be a little harder than usual", but a few days later he handed in completed solutions for both problems, still believing that they were an assignment that was overdue. Six weeks later, an excited Neyman eagerly told him that the problems he had solved were two of the most famous unsolved problems in statistics. He had prepared one of Dantzig's solutions for publication in a mathematical journal. This story spread and was used as a motivational lesson demonstrating the power of positive thinking. Over time, some facts were altered, but the basic story persisted in the form of an urban legend and as an introductory scene in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting.

   
• Recall! Recall! Recall! Can anybody keep up with all the foods being recalled? I sure can't. Which means I'm probably going to die any day now. Which is strange given that everybody said I was going to die from all the COVID vaccines I've had (11 and counting!). If only there was some kind of government agency responsible for keeping our food safe. That wasn't dismantled. By assholes who keep cutting necessary government agencies so their billionaire owners can get even more tax cuts.

   
And now back to my post-vacation nonsense, already in progress.

First Dolly, then Tim Curry? Truly we are living in a doomed timeline. Reality is collapsing around us.

Of course I was introduced to Mr. Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The movie was released in 1975, but I didn't see it until over a decade later in 1986 when it was already established as a cult classic. I did one of the famous midnight showings at the Neptune Theater in the U-District of Seattle. It was a fantastic experience, largely due to Tim's performance as the sweet transvestite from transexual Transylvania, Dr. Frank-N-Furter...

Then came Legend, destined to be yet another cult classic. He played Darkness, but I had no idea until years after I saw the movie in theater on VHS. He completely disappeared in the role, and to this day I have no idea how he was considered for it. Something I really do need to research one of these days...

The same year as Legend came Clue, giving Tim the ultimate cult classic trifecta...

After a strange detour in The Hunt for Red October Mr. Curry landed his most iconic role, the deadly clown Pennywise in It...

After loads of voice work, we were treated to his take on Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island, a role which proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that Tim Curry was a singular acting talent... because who else could hold their own against The Muppets?!?

The amount of voice work in his oeuvre is really impressive...

As always, the best person to discuss his career is Time Curry...

Rest in Peace, sir. Your work brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people.

I was gutted to learn that Dolly Parton has died.

In many ways, she was the epitome of the good that can come out of this country... which is an important thing to cling to given how utterly depressing it is to see the bad stuff come out of this country. She came from humble beginnings, became one of the most famous musicians in the world, but remained down-to-earth and humble to the end.

She donated so much to so many. And her Imagination Library provided millions of books to kids, enriching their lives.

But it was her stellar personality which made her such a treat...

The best person to break down her career is Dolly herself...

Sadly, she doesn't bring up her surprising appearance on The Orville, which was such a great use of her status as a legend...

I thought of Dolly all day today, but mostly tonight while I was at Trader Sam's tiki bar. She was a longtime supporter of the LGBTQ community, and incredibly inclusive of everybody in everything she did. And when I went to use the restroom at Trader Sam's...

I saw this...

And remembered seeing this stupid-ass MAGA politician displaying his ignorance for the entire world to see...

Because anybody can use it, the piece of shit thinks it's a "trans bathroom." Which means he likely has a "trans bathroom" at his home and uses a "trans bathroom" on a plane or whatever. Stop the fucking insanity indeed.

By seeing people as people and treating everybody with respect and kindness, Dolly was a better example for society than most of us could ever think of being. Especially these garbage assholes who mock trans persons that are just playing the cards they were dealt the best they can... like all of us are.

Rest in Peace, Dolly. You most definitely left this world better than you found it.

   
Welp.

I've stated repeatedly that mRNA vaccines are a gift from God via science.

It's a stunning technology which gives your body instructions on how to do something... like fight off COVID more efficiently.

And now, apparently, fight off cancer.

Moderna and Merck created a personalized mRNA treatment which can prevent skin cancer from recurring or spreading, as proven by a late-stage clinical trial.

The current method of fighting off cancer involves trying to kill off all the cancer cells without killing too many other cells... or the patient. Whether by radiation or chemotherapy, it's a seriously invasive and destructive way to cure somebody. But now, thanks to mRNA technology, they are able to create a specific instruction set to teach your body how to attack the mutated cancer cells directly and specifically.

They're working on all kinds of mRNA cancer treatments, but this one happens to be skin cancer. Treating melanomas which kill between 8,000 and 9,000 people a year is a small start, but a good one. And means the world to the people it helps.

I'm hoping that soon they can design mRNA to help fight heinous diseases like Ebola, which is exploding again.

It may be the only thing that can.

At least it sure seems that way given the miracles that mRNA are performing.

Sorry I've been absent for... ummm... two weeks?

In case you haven't been keeping up with the news, the fires here in Eastern Washington State have been seriously scary. Spokane, in particular, has been catching fire. The city had evacuations of around 65,000 people at one point. 900 structures burned down.

Spokane is three hours to the East of me. But there are fires to the North as well. The combination of which has filled the skies in my region with smoke...

And, as you may know, I have severe smoke allergies.

In order for my lungs to endure it, I am taking medication which tears up my stomach. So I try not to take it except when needed to be able to work. The rest of the time my eyes water, my nose runs, and my lungs... itch. And that's the worst part. Itching from the inside and not being able to do anything about it.

And so...

I hunker down at home with my air purifiers and try to do nothing so I don't have to be medicated.

Including blogging.

But then today things were a little better. No idea if it's going to stay that way for a while.

I plan on enjoying it while it lasts.

I wrote this entry which I have written twice previously then deleted. Then I decided to sit on it over the weekend.

At which point I just said "fuck it" so I can move on.

I apologize in advance. After this, I will have my regular post about cats tomorrow, happy things I found on the internet on Sunday, and a week all about games! But in the meanwhile... sorry.

Monday morning I woke up and couldn't see the surrounding hillsides. It's wildfire season and the smoke was terrible. I walked outside to empty the trash and the haze immediately caused my eyes to water, my nose to run, and my lungs to itch. I have bad smoke allergies, which meant I had miserable times ahead of me.

But my misery wasn't what caused me to have a total fucking meltdown.

Last week Thursday, U.S. Representative John James of the great state of Michigan posted this...

I thought this was the height of ignorance, and was compelled to comment...

"When my state of Washington catches fire and smoke is blowing into Canada, they send help... not cruel and nonsensical threats. What a terrible neighbor you are."

I didn't unload on the asshole, I just chastised him for having such a bad take on the tragic situation happening to our neighbors to the north. He doesn't represent me or my state, so that's all I had to say on the matter.

But then...

THEN...

The next day the president of the United States of America decided to chime in...

"We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable! I will call the Prime Minister during the day to find out what they are going to do about it. The cost is incalculable! Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result. This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP"

And I lost it.

This fucking piece of shit does represent me. He represents all Americans.

I then spent the weekend fuming over the fact that people are dying. Animals are dying. Homes are being lost. Livelihoods are being destroyed. And our Idiot in Chief decided the best course of action was to publicly post a predictably stupid, needlessly cruel, and sublimely ignorant statement like this. As if Canada is having a great time at our expense or something.

So I hammered out a rant to post in the morning, then set it aside to review it and post that night. Except I couldn't. I then spent the rest of the week biting my tongue thinking that eventually my anger would subside. Except it didn't.

And here we are.

Last Summer the fires in my area were particularly bad. The company I work for decided to donate some foodstuffs to help out the firefighters risking their lives. Myself and a colleague drove to one of the firefighter camps to unload a truck, at which time I noticed that there was a Canadian flag off in the distance. Turns out that our neighbors to the North saw how bad things were and wanted to help. Their politicians and Prime Minister didn't start unloading tweets threatening tariffs or accusing us of mismanaging our forests or whatever stupid shit our politicians and our president dropped out of their festering asses.

But it gets so much worse.

Five days before the orange piece of shit vomited up his bullshit, Canadian helicopter pilot Nicholas Dale died fighting a fire. IN COLORADO. Which is part of the United States, if you were unaware.

A Canadian lost their life helping us fight our fires less than a week before Trump unloads on his country.

Disgusting.

There's not a day that goes by that I'm not wishing for the repugnant ass in The White House to take a fucking seat and shut the fuck up.

But this past week I wished for it more than usual.

   
Day four of not being able to stop looking back in anger. I need a drink.