Times Have Changed

June 4 1940: We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

Winston Churchill June 4 2017: Run, hide, tell. (the new UK anti-terror slogan) 

Farewell Great Britain. T'was nice to know you.

Happy Birthday!

Happy 14th birthday to my OJ/Livvie Lu/LuLu/Centerpiece! I love you more than lips can tell. Xo 🎂

Wonder Woman

For her birthday today I took LU to see Wonder Woman at the Avalon. The verdict? It was great, excellent even. It is easily the best DCEU movie and on par with the top Marvel films. I don't understand why Steve worked for the Brits - he should have reported to Pershing, who might have done something about the problem - but otherwise, all good. Go see it already!

Time and the Rani

At one point the actress playing the Rani, a renegade female Time Lord, says "This is idiotic," and I'm not sure if she was reading dialogue or just telling the truth. A stupid plot, less than B movie action sequences, a four dollar budget . . .sigh. But it holds a special place in my heart, as long ago it was the first (then) new Who I'd ever seen, broadcast out of a Madison PBS station only a year after it played on the BBC.

No One is Ever Fogotten

Very moving. The Archdiocese will assume the costs of burying the indigent of Milwaukee County, regardless of faith, a task that previously cost taxpayers $1000 per burial.

Paradise Towers

A great episode of Doctor Who, based on the novel High Rise, that was fun to watch and stands the test of time.

This seems . . .pretty clear

Why is this not obvious: if, as many Democratic politicians say, we'll meet the goals of the Paris Accords to spite Trump -- then you're admitting the Accord was superfluous and mere virtue signalling.

The Twin Dilemma

Unbelievably, despite being a fan for ~35 years, this is the first time I've ever seen a 6th Doctor episode. It was not available to me at the time, and I've ignored the brief era on DVD. I regret it. Despite the bad press about this Doctor I really liked Baker's performance, and the script was exceptionally strong.

A Face Paint Review

Today was the school festival, and both Junie and Smiley returned home disgusted and angry with the face painter. Not only did she use standard paint, the quality of work was poor. Both loudly identified their Mom as the only face painter of any value, and demanded she work the festival next year.

The Consistent, Neutral Media

My Thoughts

What's the meaning of life? Simple: Eat. Survive. Reproduce. Repeat.

No sleep

I have yet to sleep, due in large part to the hip. It's not at its worst, it's just . . .ever present today.

What?

WTF - Huma, Clinton's aide, has allegedly called off her divorce to admitted pervert and pedo Anthony Weiner, and pulled their house off the market. I hope this is fake news, but if true I'm glad she's nowhere near the White House.

I ran errands on our bikes with the kids. If the destination is less than a half mile away, bike or walk. That's how you "save" a planet and get in shape(ish). Helpful hint: if you have a bum hip, get on/off the bike by swinging the *healthy* one. That minimizes the tears later.

The Paris Accords

I've yet to see anyone who voted for Trump complain about the US pulling out of the Paris Accords. So it fulfills a campaign promise, bolstering his base, angers a bunch of people who would never vote for him anyway, and negates yet another leftover from the Obama regime. Hard to see where this is politically a bad move.

Kudos to Amazon

Kudos to Amazon. At noon, a mere five hours after being informed that my package was delayed and wouldn't arrive until 8pm Friday, it showed up at my door.

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

A Seventh Doctor episode, TGSITG is a mixed bag. It's fun, there's a decent script, and the Doctor and Ace are at the top of their game. But it's a little heavy on the Who related symbolism - the fanboy, the crotchety explorer and his young companion, etc - and the location budget seems to have been nil. Still, it's a thumbs up from me.

My hip hurts and I am in a foul mood because of it. Discuss at your peril.

A Fire somewhere near I-94

The scene going east on 94 a half hour ago. This is NOT the semi fire near the zoo interchange but a separate fire somewhere near the valley.

Hatchet by Gary Paulson

Smiley reading "Hatchet" to his little sister.

Just my Luck

Oh no! I bought a Jesus statue on EBay and they sent the John The Baptist version instead! Seriously tho, I am very distraught. Lisa I'll need your talent to mend this.

A bike Ride with Junie

A bike ride with LK and a stop at the park was interrupted by a cold snap and rain. But we managed to drop off a framed photo of Lauren and her friend before the weather changed.

We went back to Kmart, bought some flowers, and Lisa, PD, and I spent the afternoon busting our butts in the backyard. Then we had dinner with JJ, I went for a bike ride with Junie, and (by necessity) I had to repair the basement door. So it's been a long but productive day for Team Slap.

JFK would be 100 today

John Fitzgerald Francis Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, was born 100 years ago today.

Art by Smiley