Bite Me, Tony

The Spooky Finale (1 of 2) Just a few more days to go until Halloween! We have our two Pottery Barn jack-o-lanterns perched on the ledge above the stairs but that's about as far as we've taken the decorating this year. We keep the holiday accessories to a minimum since our condo is already maximally overcrowded with bookshelves, bureaus, stands and pictures. The minimalists we know may not be fans of our place, but it is warm, comfortable and clean, and that's what matters most to us. Personally, I need to be surrounded by books, movies and art, and there's a plethora of all that in our house (although I use the term "art" loosely for some of our paintings). Before I get started on these final few films of my 2024 Halloween film festival, I think it bears saying that the scary movies I've mentioned on this blog do not constitute a comprehensive list of everything I've watched since October 1; I just don't have time to go into   the details of  eve...

Spooky, Part Trois As we, ever-so-slowly, make our way towards October's finale, I find myself wondering what the hell is taking so long. I can't recall a month ever dragging on like this. As I've stated many times before, I love October and the Halloween season, it's my favorite time of year. Except this year it's different. The build-up to the 2024 election has been a constant source of concern. While DJT is flipping fries (and his lid) at McDonald's, Kamala's people are trying to guilt me into donating more money to their campaign. Seriously, who do they think they're dealing with here? I am  retired . I wasn't planning on spending my entire savings on a single election, although they wouldn't hesitate to take it if given the opportunity. Look, I get it. Losing this election is not an option. There is democracy and there is Donald Trump. That's it. In no known universe are those two things compatible. Think about it: Democracy or Donald Tr...

 Still the Spooky Season It's the middle of October and we're continuing our Halloween Film Festival as the weather turns cooler and--yes--spookier. We've finally been able to open the doors and windows and air out the house for the first time since last April. With occasional gusts flowing through the house at a brisk 20-25 mph (according to the local weather lady), we've had to batten down anything likely to become airborne. C has already wrapped himself up in a light blanket because that's what happens when the temperature drops below 75. The overcast sky only adds to the delicious feel that my favorite season is here! I am loving this! Not so much am I loving being besieged by incessant political ads that make turning on the TV a terrifying ordeal in itself. Ditto for the bombardment of texts and emails from desperate politicians begging for money, money, money. We've already donated, we've already voted (by mail), and we're already done with this wh...

The Spooky Season Tis the spooky season again, and this October has been more fraught with genuine terrors than any in recent memory. We're still three days away from the middle of the month but, so far, the southeastern U.S. has been hit with two devastating hurricanes that have claimed hundreds of lives, left hundreds of others homeless and destroyed billions of dollars worth of property. Meanwhile, the savagery and misery of the war(s) in Gaza and the rest of the Middle East seems unending; it is at the top of every newsfeed and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems disinclined to consider a ceasefire, much less a peaceful resolution. Add to this, the horrific, ongoing spectacle of a glaringly mad DJT ramping up his lies and misinformation in the runup to the 2024 election, and the spooky season takes on a whole new meaning. I am even more worried about the future than I was during the 2020 election--at least there were brave Americans who set up roadblocks to thw...