1) A mosquito bit me today and instead of killing it I let it enjoy the buzz

2) Politics has seeped like sewage into facets of our lives where it does not belong. and I do NOT wish to hear "celebrities" lecturing me on ANY subject. I am sick of everything being labeled as racist. I am sick of corporate virtue signaling. The "big four" (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) have an overriding narrative that they push, and all the "news" they "report" is tailored to buttress their narrative. Most of the time their "news" is barely disguised opinion. The big four, like the politicians they promote or pillory, use language the way a squid uses ink; To hide, obscure, and confuse.

3) Iced coffee is an abomination.

4) I am a life-long music FANATIC. Many long years ago, when my dad got his first Hi-Fi I got possession of all his old 78 RPM records, along with a washing machine sized record player. I took over a corner of the basement and made may own  "man cave", and spent many long hours listening to those old scratchy records. The "Stylus" on that player was basically the pointy end of a nail and it wore the records down pretty quickly. But I was hooked. My collection of music grew as various relatives updated their music systems and I was given their old 78's.  And all of this was transpiring in the late fifties. By the sixties I was spending money to buy my own records. And then the Beatles invaded America and my two older sisters swooned like so much of the rest of the world. I was not impressed. By that time, I was digging Rhythm and Blues, thanks to some 78's given to me by an uncle. So I was listening to "real" music, not some fey sounding dudes from England. But then I heard the Beatle's version of "Twist and Shout" and the raw visceral sound dragged me into it, and I started to reassess my opinion of the Fab Four and true to my personality, I became obsessed with them. My sisters soon lost interest in the Beatles and I "inherited" "Introducing The Beatles", "Meet The Beatles", and "Something New" along with all the early singles. I don't know why they didn't get "Beatles Second", but I was in heaven. And soon I was collecting Beatle albums and singles upon release. When I realized that the Beatle didn't write ALL the songs they sang, it ignited an interest in me. I was quickly branching out into all kinds of music. So here I am today with thousands of albums and even more cd's. I have digitized most of them, (Three 4 terabyte external hard-drives so far) and music is playing constantly here in the Crypt. I believe that MOST genres, as well as ALL eras of music have something to offer. But its a new world today. Today's young music fans can see no point in "owning" music as there are streaming services that can play any song they may think of. Keep in mind that most of the songs they seek had been played ad nauseum on all the popular radio stations.

5) Staying with music; Joni Mitchel once sang of "the star-making machinery behind the popular song", and I think we all (we music fanatics) know what she meant. There is a vast industry that exists to "create" "stars". How many "awards shows" feature a "star" or two, maybe a couple of fading "stars" and a bunch of "wanna be" "Stars". But the dreaded internet has opened whole new possibilities for artists to create and and get exposure. Reina And Toni (When I Paint My Masterpiece - Bob Dylan / The Band cover - YouTube) have created a fan base, a large fan base, without any help from any record label.  They pay to manufacture their own cd's and sell them directly to their fans. And there are myriad others trying to be heard in this whirlwind blizzard of noise that is today's society. They deserve our support.

6) Flavored coffee is a god-awful abomination 

7) I live in a small town, and although I live near the center of town, I also live on the edge of town. and there are about 8 acres of woodlands right outside my door. The land is all granite ledges, vernal pools, and small swamps, so it was never developed. I enjoy walking through those acres with my dogs. I can let them off leash and they can run freely and explore and sniff to their heart's content. We have encountered skunks, racoons, a porcupine and the occasional fawn. These daily walks, whether through the woods or around town, are good exercise for them and for me. We walk -3 to 5 miles several times a week. Its a good life. But for quite a while I had a nagging feeling that something was.....diferent. Maybe not "wrong", but to my mind disturbing and sad. Where were the children? Why aren't they out here? Why are the swimming holes unoccupied? Why aren't they racing their bicycles? Where are the pick-up baseball games?
When I was a child and into my early teens, it took an act of Congress to keep me inside the house. As I said, its a small town, everyone knew everyone else and all the mothers and fathers were around, knowing, in a general sense, what we kids were up to. Sure, there was mischief occasionally. (stealing Halloween pumpkins, etc etc)   But now? One celebrates the sight of a child riding a bike, or walking a dog......

Now they ride the smartphones to never never land.
And its a common sight to see a family in a restaurant with Mom, Dad, and the dependents all on their phones, oblivious to the moment. So sad.

Until next time....Be good to each other.