Bah Humbug

Your political overlords would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas Happy Nondenominational Gift Giving Random Day in December! Just don't ask them to do anything about the economy, inflation, gas prices, crime, the fentanyl crisis, national security, etc, peasants. They're doing just fine, and that's what matters.

Farewell Family Curio Cabinet

Sadly, I had to say goodbye to my huge, beautiful curio cabinet earlier this week. It had been part of the family since my Dad bought it for his house in San Dimas in the 80's. It was a gorgeous piece (about six feet high) with glass on the front and sides, glass shelves, a mirrored back, and lights. My Dad never bought cheap or lightweight furniture and this thing was a beast. A big, beautiful beast.

 

When he moved to Hawaii in the 1990's the cabinet went with him. After he passed away in 2011 I brought it back to California when we cleaned out the Kona house, and there was a spot in my previous Marina del Rey apartment where it fit perfectly. Since then, it moved with me to Arcadia and then back to the beach last year. Although huge - it was bought for a large house - I'd always found ideal spots for it in the three apartments I had it in.

 

A couple of days ago I knelt down to polish the base and realized the wood had begun separating at the front corners and along part of the front of the base. Not sure what caused it, but the thing was old and I decided it was time to retire it. Because of its size and how much of it was glass, I was concerned that if the base gave way and the cabinet collapsed, I was looking at a major catastrophe.

Here's where I plug the awesomeness of 1-800-Got-Junk. The Brother and I have used them numerous times (they come in handy when you have to clean out the home of a deceased relative, or if you just have a piece of furniture that has reached the end of the line). I was going to wait until after Christmas to deal with it, but my paranoia about the potential for collapse got the better of me. I was able to get them out the next day and they were in and out of here in about fifteen minutes. It was also cheaper than I was expecting (they charge you by the amount of room your stuff takes up in the truck, and because it was a tall slim piece, it actually had a pretty small footprint, so I made out there. 

 

Still, it was sad to see it go and yes I'm feeling nostalgic about an inanimate object. But there's a big empty space in my heart apartment where it once stood. After the New Year I'll be shopping for a replacement that's a little smaller and more manageable for the space and my needs. 

The damage:

Right corner. This scared the crap out of me when I discovered it.

Right side of front base. Starting to separate.

Left corner. Not as bad as the other side, but starting to separate...

Left side of base (which wasn't yet showing signs of damage) for comparison with the right.

After I got everything out of it...a sad, empty vessel:

 

 

And then...

It's been a couple days and I'm still sad about having to give it up. But you know what they say, nothing lasts forever. 

RIP P-22

Sad breaking news: P-22, the famous Griffith Park mountain lion who was recently captured after some uncharacteristic behavior, has been "compassionately euthanized".

 

P-22 gained local fame when he managed to safely cross two freeways (405 and 101) to relocate himself from the Santa Monica Mountains to Griffith Park in 2012. He became world famous when National Geographic photographer Steve Winter caught this shot of him prowling in the shadow of the Hollywood Sign:

He also got himself some notoriety in 2016 when he made a snack out of a koala at the Los Angeles Zoo. Bad kitty!

 

P-22 had been captured for assessment by local wildlife authorities earlier this week after twice attacking small dogs being walked by their owners (unfortunately killing one of the dogs), behavior that was out of character for him. He was found to have a number of health issues due to his advanced age (12) as well as injuries that are suspected to be the result of him having been recently hit by a car, and it was decided that euthanasia was the most humane option.

 

In addition to being adored by Angelenos, P-22's legacy includes being an inspiration for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. The hope is that the crossing will make it safer for local wildlife to navigate L.A.'s limited wilderness areas, as many of our mountain lions haven't had P-22's luck when it came to crossing freeways.

This is a tough loss for Angelenos. P-22 was a local icon and will be missed big time.

😿

Adding this one to the Christmas collection

 

H/T to USA Baby Boomers 1946-1964 on FB.

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year! My annual reposting of The Digital Story of The Nativity

I swear, not only does this never get old, but considering how fast technology advances and considering it was made in 2010, it's held up really well.

#worshipthebaby

I love this thing.

You're toast

This thing popped up on my Facebook feed and I just had to find out who the hell would need a "smart" toaster with a video screen.

First off, here it is: 

 

And here is an absolutely scathing review of said product.

So, in addition for not being very good at actually, you know, toasting, this baby comes with a mind-boggling $350-$400 price tag. Seriously, who pays that much for a freaking toaster? For God's sake, even a pretty pretty Smeg comes in at $199 at Bed Bath & Beyond, and not only is that still a chunk of change for a toaster, that's also before the 20% off coupon. 

Guess I'll stick with my cheapy $30 faux retro bread heater that works just fine.

Have a Merry Retro Christmas!!!

Hollywood Boulevard in the 1940's.

These lovely images snicked from various places on the internets. Let me know if any are yours so I can give credit where credit is due. And have a Merry Christmas!

The return of Tracy Flick

A sequel to the fantastic 1999 film Election is underway, and while this kind of news would usually not get my hopes up, this one sounds promising. Pretty much everyone involved in the original is on board: the novelist (Tom Perrotta), the director (Alexander Payne), the screenwriters (Payne and Jim Taylor) and of course, Tracy Flick herself (Reese Witherspoon). The only question remaining is whether or not Matthew Broderick will reprise his role of Mr. McAllister, the high school teacher who tangled with the overachieving and hyper-ambitious Tracy and lost.

 

 

Titled Tracy Flick Can't Win, the sequel (like the first, based on a Perrotta novel) "finds the eponymous Tracy in adulthood and still struggling to fight her way to the top". The only thing I'm wondering about is that it doesn't sound as if it will go into theaters - the Deadline article says it's being made for Paramount+. If they do put it on the big screen, I will be there. If not, looks like I'm going to have to re-up with Paramount+ for at least a month, and even though that would be cheaper, I'd love to see this in a theater with an audience.

Pick Flick!

The gift that keeps on taking

The stock market is plummeting, grocery prices are skyrocketing, 401k's are getting murdered and gas prices are still way high. I made two trips to the gas station in November and spent over $140 ($142.46 to be exact). This to put gas in a car that used to be filled from near-empty for around $50. 

Merry Christmas?

Time well spent

I could go for this.

Well played, Iceland.

We have cover art!

Sisters in Crime Los Angeles has revealed the cover for our next anthology, Entertainment to Die For, which will include my short story "As Seen on Television".

I like the red, very eye-catching! Also looking forward to Sara Paretsky's introduction.

I don't know the exact date - in the e-mail it said "early next year". I'm thinking March or April, because SinC/LA usually releases their anthologies around the L.A. Times Festival of Books, which will take place April 22-23 next year.

Blue skies, smiling at me...

At the channel, late Thursday afternoon:

 

You so pretty, Marina del Rey 😍