Roger O Green

July rambling: Sp Bad at Typign

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

no_the_other_one — NO, the OTHER one From https://xkcd.com/2480/

Inside Exxon’s playbook: How America’s biggest oil company continues to oppose action on climate change and climate change is here and This is
Why We Should Stop Calling it Climate Change

#Film4Climate 1st Prize Short Film Winner – Three Seconds

A New American Manifesto

Erik Prince, the failson face of privatized war

“Good Guy with a Gun” killed by the cops he was trying to save

Lincoln was the best. Buchanan was the worst. What about the others?
C-SPAN rounds up historians to rank the Presidents. Trump is 41st

How Woodrow Wilson betrayed China and helped give rise to the Chinese Communist Party

Oops: The Trump Organization Kept Literal Spreadsheets of Its Crimes

Inside William Barr’s Breakup With Trump

“I’d rather die living”

COVID Data Tracker

Boston Globe: The United States has yet to fully abolish slavery

The IRS is holding millions of tax returns, delaying refunds, including, it appears, ours

Over 42,000 Americans died in motor vehicle accidents in 2020, up 8% from 2019.

Upstate New York faces a plague of caterpillars

Words and things

From Wordsmith: The shorter the word, the more meanings it has. The Oxford English Dictionary lists more than 500 senses of the 3-letter word set. The 45-letter long pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, on the other hand, has one meaning and will forever have that one meaning.

Zaila Avant-garde breezes to National Spelling Bee win

A horse race

Mapping global happiness levels.

I just found out the guy who invented auto-correct died. His funnel is tomato…

The Internet Is Rotting. Too much has been lost already. The glue that holds humanity’s knowledge together is coming undone.

Geography: Seasons of a Finger Lakes Winery

‘They said I don’t exist. But I am here’ – one woman’s battle to prove she
isn’t dead

Richard Donner, 1930-2021

This Year’s Bill Finger Awards for comic book writing, posthumous

Midnight on Olin chair — Midnight, sitting in the antique Olin chair almost as soon as it entered the premises

Pine Hills Review: F*ck 2020

Why Am I Sp Bad At Typign?

‘Give Black people credit’: Black TikTok stars strike, demand credit for their work

2021 fireworks

Now I Know: The Balloon Shields and The Problem With Jam and The Secret of the Swiss Cheese and Getting the Horse’s Goat and Pigging Out on Video Games and The Pink Gun Surprise

This Wedding RSVP Card Is Going Viral

My Life as a Meme: ‘I Can’t Believe You’ve Done This’ Revisited

A tortoise eating a strawberry

MUSIC

Kaintuck by William Grant Still

Min Kwon: America/Beautiful

Central Park in the Dark by Charles Ives

Coverville 1362: The Killers Cover Story and
1363: Summer Covers and 1364: Mini-Album Covers for Escape, Heavy Metal and 4

VOCES8

Home from The Wiz, vocalist is Landi Oshinowo

Beautiful Girl Montage from Singin’ in the Rain.

The Most COMPLEX Pop Song of All Time

Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It

West Side Story, The Electric Company, The Ritz, The Muppet Show

Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It is the documentary my wife and I saw at the Spectrum Theatre in Albany recently. The IMBD summary reads, “A look at the life and work of Rita Moreno from her humble beginnings in Puerto Rico to her success on Broadway and in Hollywood.” It’s a bit more complicated than that.

For she loved growing up in her homeland. Hollywood, conversely was quite a bit more treacherous. It was stressful often being the primary breadwinner when you’re a teenager. She endured some abusive treatment during her career, from her bizarre pairing with Marlon Brando to assault from studio executives and a business manager of hers.

While she loved her small role in Singin’ In the Rain, she was often given the generically ethnic roles of Asian/Native American/whatever. At least she could use the same accent because the directors apparently couldn’t tell the difference, or care. Even her signature role as Anita in West Side Story she was unsure she should take.

When she won the Oscar, she gave a far too short acceptance. “I can’t believe it! Good Lord! I’ll leave you with that.” In the film, the older and wiser Rita mocks her younger self. For a time afterward, she largely stayed away from movies, choosing to focus on TV guest spots and stage appearances.

EGOT

The ’70s were good to Rita. In 1972 she received a Grammy Award for Best Children’s Album for The Electric Company. “Hey, you guys!” “In 1975 she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for The Ritz. She won her Primetime Emmy Awards in 1977, and 1978 for her performances in The Muppet Show and The Rockford Files, respectively.”

The movie featured, as these things do, other performers speaking about her. A number of them Latinas such as Eva Longoria and Gloria Estefan, plus co-stars such as George Chakiris (WSS) and Morgan Freeman (Electric Company), and were fine. She was an inspiration to them all.

But the highlights of the film were Rita talking about Rita, warts and all. One of the few negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes says the movie “reiterates many… anecdotes, but it doesn’t tell us much that Moreno hasn’t divulged already in her 2013 memoir or in countless interviews over the years.”

For one thing, I didn’t read her book. For another, she seems to become more self-aware as she gets older. She looks great, but she’s fine letting the viewer know it takes wigs, makeup, and help to look that good. (She was 87 at a point in the film; she’s 90 now.)

She was involved in the remake of One Day at a Time, which ended in 2020. She’s going to appear in the reimagined West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg. It took her a good long while to get comfortable in her own skin, but surely she’s a wonderful raconteur of her own life.

Ayikho ilayisense lokushayela

going to a professional

Here’s the final installment about having no driver’s license. According to the translator, Ayikho ilayisense lokushayela means no driver’s license in Zulu.

In 1987, I did decide to seriously try to get my license. A friend of mine told me of a job in the music industry, one for which I was definitely qualified. But I needed a car, which meant I needed a license.

Forget getting friends and family to teach me! I’m going to one of those certified driving instructors. We were out and I thought it was going OK. We were on Watervliet Avenue in Albany and he told me to make a left turn. At this intersection, there were two possibilities; the one at 9 o’clock was Livingston and the one at 10 o’clock was 3rd Street.

I turned onto Livingston and he starts SCREAMING at me! “I said LEFT!” “I TURNED left!” I don’t remember much more than that. We returned to the original site. And that was the last time I’ve been behind the wheel. Too much negative reinforcement.

Isolation

In the early 1990s, Z, who didn’t drive, and I, moved from an apartment off Lark Street, with decent access to the bus routes, to an apartment complex on Hackett Blvd. This became problematic because the Sunday service on CDTA made it difficult to get to church. I got a ride from a couple in the choir. But she, who went to a different church, didn’t have that support system.

In hindsight, I could have suggested that the couple pick up both of us and take us to my church. Then she could have walked to her church, which wasn’t that far away. It was one source of stress between us.

My bride has a car. This has meant I can get to remote or distant places when necessary. Still, I’ve always gone to work by bus or bike.

When we first had a child, I thought again about getting a license. But I just knew by then I was too old for this dog to learn that new trick. Having no license did force me to get our doula to take us to the ob/gyn’s office, which turned out to be fortuitous since it was the day our daughter was born.

When she was going to daycare, I took the girl there on the bus. I used to take her to the doctor’s before his offices moved to a place with infrequent bus runs. Her elementary school was right across the street.

My daughter HATED taking the designated bus to middle school because the kids were too rowdy. I escorted her a few days to the two buses she could take in the alternative before she rode them on her own. Her mother could not take her by car because she had to be at work too early and in the opposite direction.

RTM

Because I’ve read the manual so often to pass seven driver’s permit tests, I know a lot about driving. My wife often says that I’m really good at anticipating what other drivers will do – turning without signaling. That may be a function of being a damn good pedestrian and following the rules for bicycling.

Not incidentally, more than once, I’ve gotten into arguments with both bicyclists and auto drivers about the correct behavior of bike riders. The drivers SHOULD know better, at least in New York, because the rules are in the manual.

“Bicyclists and in-line skaters have the right to share the road and travel in the same direction as motor vehicles.” Yet, people have insisted I should be riding against traffic.

Here’s a bit of dialogue I was dragged into. A guy insists I should ride my bike on the sidewalk, though the driver’s manual says otherwise.

One last thing: an old friend asked if the risk of Driving While Black played into my non-driving. Not consciously, but I do recognize that not driving has made me less of a target.

So this is a very long answer about why I don’t drive. It’s occasionally inconvenient, but it has honed my great skills about bus routes, made me more patient, and allowed me time to read and think.

Subway: Eat Fresh Refresh program

You may have heard that the Subway restaurants will be closing early on Monday, July 12 to implement their Eat Fresh Refresh program. It will open the next day with a menu that “features updated ingredients, as well as new sandwiches and revamps of existing options. Added ingredients include new breads, smashed avocado, and marinated steak, among others.”

The changes, not all of them clarified, reportedly will include:
Italian bread
Multigrain bread
Smashed avocado
Fresh mozzarella
Parmesan vinaigrette
Bacon (it will now be hickory-smoked)
Black forest ham (it will be sliced thin)
Oven-roasted turkey (it will be sliced thin)
Steak (new seasoning)
Rotisserie-style chicken (seasoned with new Subway secret rub)
Roast beef (a new type of Angus beef will debut)

Freebie

CNN notes: “To encourage customers to try the new ingredients, thousands of restaurants plan to give away up to one million free sandwiches” – a six-inch Turkey Cali Fresh – “between 10 AM and 12 PM on July 13. The chain is also updating the look of its app and partnering with DoorDash to let customers order delivery directly from the Subway app.”

When I was a business librarian, not so long ago, Subway usually ranked very high in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 calculation. The publication looked at hundreds of franchises’ Costs and Fees; Support; Size and Growth; Brand Strength; and Financial Strength and Stability.

In 2011, Subway was #9 on the list. Then it was #2 in 2012 and 2013, #3 in 2014 and 2015, and #5 in 2016. But it dropped to #35 in 2017, then plummeted to #105 (2018), and #125 (2019), before an uptick to #107 in 2020.

Is it real?

In October 2020, the Irish Supreme Court ruled that Subway’s rolls used for hot sandwiches should not be considered as actual bread items, BBC News reports. The court said Subway’s bread has a high amount of sugar, which disqualifies the bread from being actual bread.

More recently, The New York Times and a lab collaborated on analysis to review the meat. The lab found that the meat had no real origin. “No amplifiable tuna DNA was present in the sample and so we obtained no amplification products from the DNA. Therefore, we cannot identify the species,” the results read.

Subway has doubled down on their tuna. “While many of Subway’s core protein choices were improved as part of the Eat Fresh Refresh, one ingredient that doesn’t need an upgrade is the Subway high-quality, premium tuna. Subway sources tuna from leading global food suppliers that have a reputation for working diligently with food safety and quality experts to ensure consistent, high-quality products at every stage of the supply chain.”

Independence Day

There is a Subway two blocks from my house. I’ve discovered that ordering online is generally quicker. On the 4th of July, my wife was away helping her mother. After my daughter and her beau spent time washing the porch and trimming the tree branches, among other tasks, I ordered sandwiches for the three of us, then went a few minutes later to pick them up.

There was one guy behind the counter. At my designated pickup time – set by the Subway app, not me – he was still working on the previous customer’s meal. Soon, there were three people behind me as he prepared my order, though one eventually left, audibly disgruntled.

The preparer was very apologetic to the guy in front of me, and then to me. No problem; I’ve been there. So if Subway’s going to Eat Fresh Refresh its menu, I hope this franchise also does something about its staffing.

Artificial title songs #4: Electric Six

Dylan, Devo, Depeche Mode

Here is the fourth attempt to identify artificial title songs. The album name appears as a lyric, but it’s not the title song. There is no actual title song, but these can be artificial title songs.

Right Next Door (Because of Me) – Robert Cray. Album: Strong Persuader. Lyrics: ” Oh, she was right next door and I’m such a strong persuader”

Down On The Corner – Creedence Clearwater Revival. Album: Willy and the Poor Boys. Lyrics: Down on the corner Out in the street.” I have this LP.

The Last Waltz – Rodney Crowell. Album: Diamonds and Dirt. Lyrics: “Sometimes it’s diamonds and sometimes it’s dirt”
Don’t Let Your Feet Slow You Down – Rodney Crowell. Album: Keys To The Highway. Lyrics: “‘the keys to the highway hang right on the wall.”

Close To Me – The Cure. Album: The Head on the Door. Lyrics: “Oh, if only I was sure That my head on the door was a dream.”

Dee

Rock Of Ages – Def Leppard. Album: Pyromania. Lyrics: “Drive me crazier, no serenade. No fire brigade, just pyromania.”

Pipeline – Depeche Mode. Album: Construction Time Again. Lyrics: “Get out the crane Construction time again.”
Lie To Me – Depeche Mode. Album: Some Great Reward. Lyrics: “Some great reward Will be coming my way.”
The Darkest Star – Depeche Mode. Album: Playing The Angel. Lyrics: “Playing the Angel Isn’t so easy where you’re from.”

Jocko Homo – Devo. Album: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Lyrics: “Are we not men? We are Devo.” I own this on vinyl.
Devo Has Feelings Too – Devo. Album: Smooth Noodle Maps. Lyrics: “Snake through the chaos with a smooth noodle map.”
Sumthin’ – Devo. Album: Something For Everybody. Lyrics: “I got sumthin’ for everybody.”

Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Album: Too-Rye-Ay. Lyrics: “Too-ra-loo-ra Too-ra-loo-rye-ay.” I have this in some vinyl form.

Black Wall – Dennis DeYoung. Album: Back To The World. Lyrics: “Let Johnny come back to the world.”

Knocked Around – Dinosaur Jr. “Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not”. Lyrics: “And it hurt me to love. Give a glimpse of what yer not.”

Skateaway – Dire Straits. Album: Making Movies. Lyrics: “She’s making movies on location.”

Too Many Broken Hearts – Jason Donovan. Album: Ten Good Reasons. Lyrics: “I’ll give you ten good reasons to stay.”

The End – the Doors. Album: Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine (compilation). Lyrics: “Weird scenes inside the gold mine. Ride the highway west, baby.”

Forest Fire – The Dream Academy. Album: A Different Kind of Weather. Lyrics: ” It’s bringing down a different kind of weather.”

Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk – Dr. Hook. Album: Players In The Dark. Lyrics: “The queen of all the night birds, a player in the dark.” Oy. I’d never heard this song before.

Robert Zimmerman

Idiot Wind – Bob Dylan. Album: Blood on the Tracks. Lyrics: “Blood on your saddle”…” down the tracks.” Possibly my favorite Dylan album.
You’re Gonna Quit Me – Bob Dylan. Album: Good As I Been to You. Lyrics: Baby, good as I been to you, Lord, Lord.” I couldn’t find that iteration on YouTube; this is a live version.
Under Your Spell – Bob Dylan. Album: Knocked Out Loaded. Lyrics: I was knocked out and loaded in the naked night.” Can’t find this either, so you have a live version with the Grateful Dead.

Magnet and Steel – Walter Egan. Album: Not Shy. Lyrics: With you, I’m not shy To show the way I feel.” I actually own this album on vinyl.

Electric Six: Album: Fire, named for the fact the word appears in half the songs.
Electric Demons In Love. Lyrics: “We’re starting a fire, electric demons in love.”
Danger! High Voltage. Lyrics: “Fire in the disco, Fire in the taco bell, Fire in the disco, Fire in the gates of hell, Don’t you want to know how we keep starting fires? It’s my desire.”
She’s White. Lyrics: “She returned my fire and shot me in the heart.”
I Invented The Night. Lyrics: “And should your invention be destroyed in a fire.”
Improper Dancing. Lyrics: “And I want to reach into the fire of your heart.”
Vengeance and Fashion. Lyrics: “I saw fire when I looked in my lover’s eyes.”

Mirror In The Bathroom – The English Beat. Album: I Just Can’t Stop It. Lyrics: “Mirror in the bathroom, I just can’t stop it.” I have this on a compilation CD.

My Size – John Entwistle. Album: Smash Your Head Against The Wall. Lyrics: “I’m gonna bring you down to my size, Smash your head against the wall.”

Your Time Will Come – Eurythmics. Album: In The Garden. Lyrics: “In the garden, In the stillness of morning.”