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Showing posts from 2020

Childhood reminiscences: The art critic

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  I am hoping this will be an ongoing series, and that The Urban Blabbermouth will contribute some, too. Back in the 1960s, our closest neighbor was Mrs. Sherman. Her house was corner-wise across the street. She was in her 70s and suffered from "arthur-itis," which apparently was held in abeyance by an advanced medical formula known as Carstairs White Seal American Whiskey. My mother, raised to be polite, joined her in the indulgence whenever we visited her to make sure she was OK. There was a Mr. Sherman, but he apparently spent a lot of time on the road, and I assume Mom thought Mrs. Sherman was lonely, so we spent a lot of time around her kitchen table. I got to drink Pepsi; that's the company Mr. Sherman spent all that time on the road working for. Other than listening to my mother and Mrs. Sherman yak, my other favorite things were walking around her spiral living room rug until I got dizzy, and trying to peek into the two end tables. They were "Pembrooks,"

Welp.

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Anyone who has read a blog or a Facebook post has probably seen the word "Welp." There are still a few people who don't know what it means, so let me expound. First things first: The word is not "whelp." Whelp refers to birthing puppies. This generally has nothing to do with puppies, unless your intent is to post the following announcement: "Whelp, the neighbor's unspayed dog just gave birth to another litter of puppies under our porch." In that case, I suppose "whelp" would get a pass. But it's actually "Welp." Great, so what does it mean? Let's start with an example of a conversation with some words nearly everyone is familiar with. You: Are you going back to work today? Me:  No . Contrast that with: You:   Are you going back to work today? Me:    Nope . "No," in the first instance, could possibly be interpreted as "No, I'm sorry, I know you'd like me to but I'd really prefer not to, and I&#

Interview, Yes. Audition, No.

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Dateline: November 6, 2020. This blog post will deliberately ignore the top two headline-grabbers today, because news on those topics is as common as pinecones on the ground. You can fall over 'em anywhere, even if you aren't looking. So instead, I'll rant, rave and whine about job interviews.  A year or so ago, I was laid off from an office job I had held for 13 years. Fortunately, there was some severance pay, and when that ran out, a retirement account to roll over. Then came a couple of months' work for the Census, and early next year, I will become an official old person by collecting Social Security.  Social Security recipients can work to supplement the income. They just can't earn barrels upon barrels of money -- Social Security is designed as a "safety net." I think the annual max is something like $18K. I am quite sure that sooner than later, I will be out looking for a job. The Census made me happy. It got me out of the house; I met new people a

Let's not get emotional.

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    Asperger's Syndrome is part of the autistic spectrum. It usually describes "high-functioning" folks who seem a little "off" in social situations. From time to time, I've suspected that I fall into this category, but there's never been a formal diagnosis.     Yesterday I started thinking about it again. After nearly two months with the Census, canvassing some fairly dodgy areas, I finally came up against an enraged individual. Apparently I woke him up, even though his mom or wife (I never got the relationship straight) was the one who answered the door and spoke with me. He followed me out toward my car, wearing a pair of jeans and no shirt; demanded that I take back the form with the phone number and web address, and hurled an impressive array of "language" at me. I responded neutrally and got back in my car while he went back to his apartment and slammed the door.    

It's official. People are SLOBS.

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I recently have had occasion to visit people in their homes. They don't always invite me in, which is fine. But when they do, I'm seriously shocked. This is not an "upscale" part of town, for the most part. I'm far from the only person in my Zip code to occupy a mobile home. There's an abundance of communities like mine, within a mile or two. The alternative is what used to be called "tract housing" - it sits on a foundation but otherwise is very similar to a manufactured home.  I often agonize over the exterior of my home - our beloved Porch Kitties know little about hygiene or housekeeping, and as a result, we have a few too many flies out there, and some unappetizing smells when the wind and humidity are just so. We fortunately don't get many visitors so there aren't many moments of embarrassment. And a complete overhaul should begin next week to install a nice ramp, remove the crumbling steps and close off access to under the porch once a

Animal Farm

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    Humans and animals have always talked to each other.  Lest you think this untrue, consider if a human were walking by a pig pen and were to say to a pig therein, hello , the pig would wag its piggly wiggly little tail and come running over.  If a pig were to grunt, hello at a human walking by his pen, the human would look over and keep walking by.  What is never clear is did the human not understand the pig or simply ignored the lower status pig. Humans are like that - ignoring lower status animals while courteous to higher status animals.  If a lion were to roar, hello to a passing human, you can be assured that the human would stop, look at the lion, and gently and as sweetly as possible say, nice lion . Humans are animals too.  We talk to each other, all too often, with not much worthwhile to say. If a rich human is passing by, the other humans will not wait at all for

"Cancel Culture" isn't a good thing. It's a GREAT thing.

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Anyone who pays attention to the news is aware that a huge number of famous people are suddenly on some cosmic naughty list, despite whatever they did that primarily made them famous and revered. Just a few examples: George Washington: Brilliant military strategist. Outnumbered by the British, but fought them off regardless and became the first president of the country he helped to found. HOWEVER: He and his wife owned slaves, regarded them as property, and those famous "wooden teeth" of George's were actually stolen from the mouths of the slaves.

RedSkins PigSkins

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There is controversy about the name of the Washington Redskins, an NFL American football team.  American Indians, who are considered to be red in skin color, are opposed to the name of the team.  They feel that it is demeaning.  I cannot speak for American Indians but I do support their right to chose how they are represented in the world. So, the Washington football team will have to change their name. They are dragging their feet about this. They have temporarily chosen The Washington Football Team as a new name. Very unimaginative.   The Washington Football Team should quickly announce a name change as that will force all their fans to buy new sports stuff with the new name. Money, money, and more money for the team. So what should be new name be?  I guess that Washington Tomahawk (an American Indian axe) is out.  Washington Senators has already been used so that is out too.  Washington Congressmen ?  Nope, Congressmen are at the bottom of the Washington pecking o

I just felt like sharing some cute animal photos.

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From cheezburger.com: Photos That Say More Than Just a Thousand Words Get ready for some amazing photos from the animal kingdom.  They are pure, wholesome, beautiful, and touching at the same time.  And they are sure worth your time.   Posted by elinorsalo Share Tweet Stumble Pin It 1  Pin It Via  Klyker ADVERTISING 2  Pin It Via  Klyker 3  Pin It Via  Klyker 4  Pin It Via  Klyker 5  Pin It Via  Klyker 6  Pin It Via  Klyker 7  Pin It Via  Klyker 8  Pin It Via  Klyker 9  Pin It Via  Klyker 10  Pin It Via  Klyker 11  Pin It Via  Klyker 12  Pin It Via  K