You can tell this person is looking at their phone, right? It's the default assumption of the default posture. I confess to checking my phone now and then when Birch and I are walking, but only if I'm expecting something. I prefer to enjoy the walk as he sees it. To be present. I know, I know, I'm saying I'm present for a dog. But it seems important. A lot of eye contact and conversation. I say no a lot during the evening walk, because he cannot sniff everything for five minutes. We're moving here. Fast clip, slack leash, alongside, good boy. He does get extended sniffing sessions, of course. It's his joy. A few times, on every walk, he will not proceed. He will stop and sniff some more, or he will go this way. I say no and pull the leash and he plants and stares at me: I don't want to do that. I want to do this. A few times per walk, I give in, but mostly I don't, because he is not the boss of me.

I think he has a good life.

Hah - just had a flashback of being told you've had a pretty good life with anger and contempt, and that was today's dose of penicillin to stave off emotional infection. And I'm allergic to penicillin!

Anyway. I think we reached the apex of non-eventful Bleatage when I'm talking about extended sniffing sessions, but don't think the day wasn't action-packed. Did five webpages this morning. Filed one of my favorite columns of the year - it's the weekend NRO piece - and had to make specific instructions for the art and hed so the joke wasn't ruined before people started reading. Put up the Substack. Lunch, walk on the Spine in mild rain, shopping, another nap so dense and deep I woke with two thoughts:

1. Man do I need coffee

2. Lucky for me I can make coffee right away

Great when it all works out like that. Had a Trader Joe's Kung Pao chicken thing, which approximates cooking, inasmuch as you have to time things. I'm always surprised they manage to put two, and only two hot chilis in the thing. They are hot, too. As the vernacular of today has it, they are not playing

LATER Sorry! Natalie called and we talked for an hour and everything is marvellous.

We all had a pfretty good day.

 

Peculiar clippings from life on the web. I was filling out a maintenance report to fix the screen door, and was stuck on this connundrum.

I ended up entering "if it's optional why is it required?" Mr. Helpful here.

A snort I made when this recommendation popped up, refering to a long-running reality police show:

 

 

In a way, though, they're right, but The First 48 isn't about punishement or justice. That happens later, in a coda. Unlike Judy, the cops are generally polite to the suspects - solicitious, understanding. Judy yells at everyone. I would love to see her sentence the people The First 48 arrests.

Anything else in the Misc folder? Not much. But I do have this:

 

 

Another structure in ArchRecord that caught my eye. "New Milwaukee Apartment," 1939 or so. The most modern thing that went up in town that year, I'll wager.

It still stands! I'm not surprised, really. Old apartment buildings of this size usually survive. The only variable is the quality of tenant.

 

 

The interiors are fit for a fan of Things to Come.

 

 

And if you believe the website, the interiors are still intact. The URL calls it "The Art Deco Building."

 

 

Of course, there's Friday Half-Off.

 

 

FINALLY

FINALLY

But . . . why? I bought a bag of the Reese's, of course, it being my favorite of all the options. My working theory: it was one of the versions that had an alternate recipe.

Look close: the name doesn't mention Peanut Butter.
     
  I'm not opposed to a York Thin, by the way. When I was a kid, the Peppermint Patty was regarded as a high-class rare treat.
     
 

I believe we may conclude that "Chili & Cherries" Chocolate did not hit a bulls-eye on the Edina palate.

The jalapeno onions on the left? Same problem.

     
  The Fourth of July merch is taking forever to work its way out of the inventory system.
     
     

 

Anything else? Just a dog.

 

 

 

 

 

  
   

 

 

As a spy behind enemy lines hiding in a Nazi countryhouse, I had to place three green screws in the ground things to target the location. I didn’t seem as if I’d be able to complete my mission, because they were always people walking around and I seemed conspicuous, but I got two in. At night unfortunately I got drunk and did not place the third one, which would’ve completed the assignment, and I left it out at the bar. I had friends who were also part of the mission who were angry at me the next morning, and took me over to the table to show me where my green screw is still sitting on top of some magazines , but I took the screw and was going to complete my mission when the air aid sirens started. So obviously, I was able to target the place, and obviously I succeeded because I was describing the mission in retrospect in a lecture.

 

 

Another AI engine:

 

 

 

 

One of those bands the smart people were supposed to like. I didn't mind them, but I thought Elfman's self-conscious "creepy" persona was off-putting.

 
 

This was the second of two hits off "Dead Man's Party," (The other one was not, "Dead Man's Party".) The reason it's low on the '86 listings is because it had most of its energy and play in '85.

That will do.