Elevator Cam

Intentions

Walking around with Bella late at night, it can be hard to discern the intentions of people. I got paranoid the other night, imagining two people were following us, but our paths eventually diverged. Later, two young men sitting in a pickup truck shouted out in relief as we passed by: "Oh, you're carrying a pooper scooper! We thought it was a machine gun!"

Last night, Bella and I arrived at a street corner just as two men in conversation approached. We froze, fearful of alarming them by our unexpected close proximity. "Complacency and apathy, complacency and apathy" one man said. Seeing us standing in the shadows, the man turned towards me and said, "What do YOU think? Complacency or apathy?" I replied, "Complacency is the worst."

Bernie Sanders, Rabbi

Nicknames

Various nicknames I call Bella, the Black Labrador Retriever:

Bella Wella, Miss Argle Bargle, Goofball, Miss McNerfball, Malolo, Miss McBurble, Schnubble, Gubby, McNurble, Pretty.

Furies 2.0

History Of Japan

Trump Of The Tundra, Indeed!

An Average Winter, So Far

The long-range weather forecasts are showing the first half of February will be dry, and the second half of the month will be wet.

At Sacramento Executive Airport, rainfall totals are 90% of average. (For the months of October through January, rainfall totals are: 0.12 + 1.57 + 1.75 + 5.44 = 8.88 inches, when 0.95 + 2.05 + 3.25 + 3.64 = 9.92 inches is normal.) In this 2-week dry spell, we will slip away a bit from the 90% mark, with some catching up later.

This winter, so far, has shaped up as surprisingly normal. Not enough to conclusively break the drought, for sure, but a better experience than in our immediate past. Things are still unusually dry near Los Angeles and in the Imperial Valley.

People expected El Niño to rule the California winter - some people still do - but it's important to remember that California is pretty far from the Equator. What happens near the Equator influences our weather, but doesn't determine it.

Not Buying This Argument

I also don't buy this argument, amusing as it is. What I recall is how Bill Clinton (and presumably Hillary) went to extraordinary lengths to avoid use of the word 'genocide' in 1994 when referring to Rwanda, because otherwise they might face pressure to do something about it. Sometimes you have to say unpopular things, because it is right, and the Clintons rarely do. Bernie will go that extra distance.

YOU DON'T LIKE THAT SHE PLAYS THE GAME? THAT SHE HAS TIES TO THE ESTABLISHMENT? FOR ONE THING, THAT'S HOW SHIT FUCKING GETS DONE. FOR THE OTHER THING, THE BIGGEST THING, A WOMAN DOESN'T GET THE FUCKING OPTION *NOT* TO PLAY THE GAME. NOT NOW. NOT YET. WE ALL WISH THINGS WERE DIFFERENT BUT THEY DON'T BECOME DIFFERENT WHILE WE'RE ATTACKING THE FUCKING PERSON WHO CAN MAKE THAT POSSIBLE.

AND THESE NEW BERNIE VS. HILLARY MEMES. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU EVEN DOING?

What Comes After?

Gangsta

Last night, I had my first extended Facebook discussion with enthusiastic supporters of Donald Trump. I can't say it went well.

We are just starting the formal 2016 election season. We need to have a brief discussion about appropriate language in a political discussion. These Trump enthusiasts were fond of using the word "gangsta" when referring to Obama and the Democratic Party. Lately, I've noticed the word bouncing around in conservative circles when referring to Obama.

"Gangsta" has a number of connotations, in culture, in music, and in the politics of music, but when it's used in politics proper, and particularly when it's applied to Obama, it's a racist dogwhistle. If you use gangsta, you may as well use the "N" word. You aren't fooling anyone. (And outspoken conservatives supposedly don't buy into 'political correctness' anyway, so why the euphemism?)

I don't put up with racist dogwhistles. If you want to use gangsta in a political sense, then we can't be Facebook friends. I don't care if we've known each other since elementary school. You are my enemy. I will Unfriend you without notice.

As I cheerily bade farewell to the Trump enthusiasts: "Looking forward to peeling the skulls of people just like you!" (And hopefully just in an electoral sense, because, despite my Hispanic heritage, my switchblade skills are rusty, my carving knives are blunt, and I'd botch the job for sure.)

Folsom Lake Jumped To "Average" Overnight

The last storm that rolled through California had very unequal impacts throughout the state. In some ways, it was like a fire hose directed at the Sierra Nevada. Since the ground was already wet there, the rain rolled off very quickly into the streams. So, today, Folsom Lake reached historic average for the date. In a very un-average way, of course.

Claustrophobic Night

Awoke from a dream where I was walking through long, windowless neon-white hallways, up and down hidden stairwells, seeking an exit, and slowly realizing I never would.

Playing Defense

From The Onion:

HUMBOLDT, IA—After making sure to douse every home, farm, and business located in the municipality with gasoline, retreating Clinton campaign staffers reportedly set the central Iowa town of Humboldt ablaze Friday to stem the advance of Bernie Sanders volunteers. “Once we received word the Sanders campaign had begun canvassing in nearby Fort Dodge, we only had a matter of hours to burn everything to the ground,” said communications director Jennifer Palmieri, who tossed a lit torch through the window of the town’s hardware store before rushing over to help a group of Hillary for America workers erect a roadblock made of dead livestock to prevent all entrance to and exit from the city. “With so little time left before voting day, we simply can’t allow them to establish a foothold in this part of the state.

Border Dispute

You Are Doing Just Fine

Welcome To An Incovenient Location

"Anomalisa"

Saw this stop-action Friday night. Peculiar. Basically, the story a Mid-Life Crisis. I can empathize.

According to excerpt of a review by David Ferguson on imdb:

We soon notice that Michael appears beaten down, even exasperated with life. He is an author in town to give a presentation on his specialty … Customer Service. The story continues along familiar lines of a business traveler in the midst of a mid-life crisis, until things change for him when he stumbles on a couple of his fans who are in town for his presentation. One of them is Lisa, whom Michael is attracted to thanks to her innocent energy and wonderful voice. What makes her voice so wonderful? Well, it turns out that Michael is voiced by British actor David Thewlis, Lisa is voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh, and EVERY other character in the film (male or female) is voiced by Tom Noonan. Lisa and her voice are the anomaly that makes up the film's title … Michael is smitten with her because her voice is not like all the others - providing a spark of hope.

Mr. Kaufman seems intent on making us realize how easily we can slip into a rut and simply go through the motions in life … every day and every person being pretty much like the rest. Michael has learned to wear his Customer Service mask – one who pretends to care about the issues of others. It's a terrific metaphor for someone refusing to face the responsibility for their own happiness. His awakening occurs at the hands (and in bed) with Lisa. Yes, you should be prepared for the uncommon and slightly unsettling site of Puppet Private Parts. The clumsy passion of the first encounter between Michael and Lisa does wonders for each of them … restoring her self-esteem and awakening him from his daily slumber of hopelessness.

Natalia Osipova Fascination

I'm impressed by these YouTube algorithms! Seven years ago, I became fascinated by Natalia Osipova. She had since slipped my mind, but YouTube remembered:

Friday Night Zumba With Camila Was Fun!

Some Dancehall Inspired Music

And THIS Is Why Thursday Nights Are The Best!

Jamaican Dancehall with LaToya Bufford at Sierra 2 in Sacramento!

Here's the video from tonight's DHPU class with CHOREO inspired by the one and only CRAZYHYPE! Easy to follow but crazy MADD energy involved! Thank you dance lovers & friends. Can't wait until the next one!

Posted by Toya on Friday, January 29, 2016

Auburn Road Gets Local Press

Nice article about Auburn Road!:

Auburn Road takes its name from a stretch of Auburn-Folsom Road in Granite Bay, the area in which the ladies routinely rehearsed for over two years after officially becoming a band. But their history goes back farther.

“We have been singing together since we were about 9 years old,” Paulson explained, adding the group met at Sing, Inc. in Roseville. “We went there since we were 7 or 8 years old, and so we just kind of bonded over the years. We performed in bigger singing groups, and went to Disneyland … We grew up together and just kind of found a bond that worked out.”

Indonesian Rock-And-Roll From Back In The Day

Trump With A Cockney Accent

The Truth No One Wants To Talk About

(Photo source)