Stopped and got out of the car to snap this one.

New record player. Testing it out with the first record that caught my eye. So far, sounds good. I know Whoopi’s fallen out of favor lately (by “lately” I mean pretty much everything she’s done since Jumping Jack Flash except for Sister Act), but this performance is truly exceptional. 🎵🎭

I’m wearing a zip up sweater. Just bought a bag of Werther’s Original Caramel Hard Candies. Going to the vinyl record store to buy a new record player. #winning #librarianwhodoesntworkinalibrarylife Also just had another hospital stay. May write more on that later.

Today is my friend-anniversary with my pal AJ. I’ll try to find something I’ve written about him to post here soon. Haven’t seen him since before the pandemic. Hoping he gets vaccinated and then we can hang out soon. He’s a good kid, albeit a typical teenager at this point.

“Is this shade? I hope so,” someone said to Dan Rather on Twitter. “Alas, it was not shade,” he confirmed in his newsletter. Alas, it was not shade. I want to write how Dan Rather writes. I mean that should be on a t-shirt like, right now. And that’s no shade. https://steady.substack.com/p/is-it-a-profile-in-courage

Fox News Hosts Entertained Putin-Friendly Talking Points. Then Their Colleagues Were Killed in Ukraine. | Vanity Fair: Jesse Watters used his Tuesday program to question if the invasion of Ukraine was actually “engineered” by Joe Biden as a distraction. Once again proving there is no bottom.

First signs of life from Michael’s 2022 garden. I like the little irises. And the hyacinths are going to smell so good! Can’t wait for full bloom. 🌸

THE INSIDE INSIDE EDITION EDITION

At the hospital for a fairly routine post-transplant procedure for Michael (i.e. nothing to worry about), and “Inside Edition” is on the TV in the waiting room. It’s infuriating to me that people think this is news. It’s sensationalism. News panic porn. About three paces away from being a Girls Gone Wild commercial. (Ominous music playing) NEXT: ARE ALL THOSE CANNED GOODS YOU BOUGHT DURING THE PANDEMIC STILL GOOD?

Another old photo. I took this in the alley next to the high rise building where I work downtown. There’s always construction going on down there, it seems. I was walking to grab some lunch and these love bricks caught my eye. I wish I’d thought to move the lunch specials board out of frame before taking this, but oh well. It really kind of struck me, the way these love bricks were laid out.

Our internet is down at work so I was browsing through some old photos on my phone. This is one that I took at a Columbus Pride parade many moons ago. 🏳️‍🌈

BE GONE! BEFORE SOMEBODY DROPS A HOUSE ON YOU, TOO!

A Kansas teacher is suing school officials for requiring her to address students by their preferred names, saying the policy violates her religious freedom - CNN: “Any policy that requires Ms. Ricard to refer to a student by a gendered, non-binary, or plural pronoun (e.g., he/him, she/her, they/them, zhe/zher, etc.) or salutation (Mr., Miss, Ms.) or other gendered language that is different from the student’s biological sex actively violates Ms.

Ditch AT&T, and don’t shop at WALMART because they donate big money to insurrectionist MAGA supporting politicians (after they had promised they’d stop) AT&T breaks pledge, directly donates to Republican objectors

🎵 Now Playing: Ooh Child by Beth Orton. She sings “someday” like it may never come, and it just rips up my heart. https://music.apple.com/us/album/ooh-child-alternate-version/693523352?i=693523353

CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY

Permitless carry legislation advances despite law enforcement opposition - CNN: The controversial “constitutional carry,” or permitless carry, legislation has gained momentum during this year’s legislative sessions in at least seven states, including Georgia, Wisconsin, Alabama, South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio and Nebraska. Constitutional Carry, my foot. Please. These people wouldn’t know the US Constitution from a roll of toilet paper. This won’t end well, but that doesn’t matter. These things always come back to money, and the money, I’m sure, has already exchanged hands.

just curious why I only seem to have one category available to me to choose when posting, even though I’ve used multiple (perhaps too many) emoji in posts. Screenshot attached. @help

Ok, so I joined Mastodon but I really have no idea what I’m doing other than cross-posting from here to there (where it’s called a “toot” which I totally love). @undamnedone@mastodon.cloud

I haven’t read a single article about working from home that mentions the benefit of being able to break down and ugly cry as often as you need to. And I guess I needed to ugly cry today. So, I did. All without disturbing my boss or team or colleagues. So I guess I’m winning.

This song was really popular during my clubby drunken nights in my early 20s at the gay bars in Columbus. They’d play the video and I’d go nuts wherever I was standing. Using it this morning to get a little energized for a class I have to teach. 🎵 music.apple.com/us/album/…

Here’s one of my favorite ear worms. It’s the only song I know by her, really. I must’ve gotten it on a sampler cd or playlist years ago. It’s called River of Dirt. Give it a listen. https://music.apple.com/us/album/river-of-dirt/1603023422?i=1603023550

Queen Elizabeth Has COVID-19: Latest Updates | Time: The Queen’s positive COVID-19 test result came just a day before Prime Minister Boris Johsnon unveiled the country’s “living with Covid” strategy, which will see an end to all COVID-19 restrictions. And isn’t it ironic? Don’tcha think?

“DON’T SAY GAY” BILL ADVANCING IN FLORIDA

Florida representative proposes requiring schools to out LGBTQ kids to their parents — even if it puts them in danger: The school principal or his or her designee shall develop a plan, using all available governmental resources, to disclose such information within 6 weeks after the decision to withhold such information from the parent. I’m so livid about this I don’t even know where to start. Why are conservatives (ahem, and their donors - - eg Pepsico) so damn in your business all the time?

28 DAYS OF BLACK HISTORY - DAY 18: STRANGE FRUIT

The “28 Days of Black History” series has been fun, challenging, enlightening, and informative. This issue shares the harrowing story and meaning behind the song “Strange Fruit” made popular by Billie Holiday. I maintain to this day that if you can listen to it - if you can move through the pain in her voice and delivery - without weeping, without reflecting on past and present inequities and injustices, then you have some soul searching to do.

Truly one of the loveliest songs I’ve heard in a very long time. 🎵 Brooklyn Bridge by Anaïs Mitchell on Apple Music

MASKS? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' OH WAIT YES WE STILL DO

Omicron BA.2 variant is spreading in U.S. and may soon pick up speed : Shots - Health News : NPR: Omicron is still infecting more than 100,000 people and killing about 2,000 people every day in the U.S. So even though BA.2 doesn’t appear to make people sicker than the original omicron, just slowing down the decline in new cases would translate to more serious illness and death.

I swear wars would end if people were just allowed to wake up every day when their bodies naturally want to.