April 10, 2019

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 10, 2018, a high mix of women.
Five years ago today: April 10, 2014, rearranging the chapters.
Nine years ago today: April 10, 2010, 37,500 rejects.
Random years ago today: April 10, 2007, Doctor of Sportsology.

           It was my turn to chose what to do today. That explains the picture. I like movies, which was fine until I discovered Regal Cinemas has a stranglehold on Nashville. I ran down the list anyway only to find there is not one offering that would appeal to the educated, non-political, adult viewer who is aware all horror film plots since Alien are boring rehash. There, that should set the tone for this outing. I had considered the Texas Troubadour, but their website sucks. I want to know what is playing there tonight and how much it costs. Oh, the information is there, if you are prepared to spend enough mouse-clicks to find it.

           My favorite has got to be when you ask for the price. Their standard non-answer is the millennial, “It depends.” We all love that. So, what does it depend on? Well, sir, if you give me your name, address, phone, DOB, picture ID, SSN, three personal references, and the names of all relatives out to second cousins, and agree to the following pre-checked list of conditions with optional DNA testing, we can get you started. My answer to that is one more mouse-click. Texas Troubador, your web site sucks.

           As does the selection of movies on this date. I had considered the Belcourt for foreign films but they have one possible, the time-worn tale of a convict set to work with animals theme. Here are some Regal films I rejected:

           Unplanned – anti-abortion platform, no thanks
           Shazam! – yet another Marvel comics 1939 movie character
           The Public – docutainment of homeless people occupying a library
           Wonder Park – basically cartoon advertisements
           Five Feet Apart – two gimps get movie roles, double no-thanks.
           Madea Family Funeral – black comedy
           Dumbo – the title says most of it.

           TMOR, trust me, this list represents entertainment for only weakest, lowest, bottom-rungs of American society. The movie industry here keeps finding new lows and immediately sinks there. Really, a movie that glorifies the homeless? You want us to pay $11.75 each for that? We don’t get enough propaganda already? Listen to me, the homeless are not a result of the capitalist system. It’s a sad but funny situation to hear some jobless, homeless group that supports letting in even more unskilled illegals.
           Reminds me of Independent Mike, a character I once knew who had been on welfare his entire life. He had no idea whatsoever that his welfare money came from the taxpayer. Even when shown how it works, he could not mentally accept that the government had no money and took it from people who, in the majority, strongly disagree with welfare. He remains convinced that people who care vote for welfare and the government therefore just hands out the money. This disconnect is extremely common in the third and higher generation welfare classes.

Picture of the day.
Copper sulfate.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           In the end, we didn’t go anywhere with unmarked prices. The places that got our business were up front about things. At an old suggestion of mine we opted to tour the Opryland Mall. In the end, it was probably a better time. We shopped, talked, walked, and rode the merry-go-round. (Merry-go-rounds are properly called carousels, and no, they are not just for kids.) It’s the best deal in the mall, tickets only $3 each. We hit around eight stores, the mall has lost a lot of its character after a flash flood wiped out most of the unique small shops some years back. Today, it was mostly clothing outlets, mostly stuff I would not be caught dead wearing.
           On that theme, did you hear about the clever operator who unloaded a crate of shoes on the Ukraine? The buys complained that after a few days the laces fell out, the leather came apart, and the colors bled. Turns out they were shoes intended to be used on corpses at Syrian funeral homes. We did only minor shopping and might have done the wax museum had we not arrived too late in the day. I’m also leery of these museums since I’ve been in more than one where they are no longer the true-to-life figurines, but instead you get mannequins. Not at all the same experience. I did get some “characteristic” shots of my stunt double serenading the Taylor Swift statue. I’d have taken a crack at it myself, but the statue wasn’t nearly as tall as Tay in real life.
(Tay? Why yes, she always insisted I call her Tay. Or at least, she would have if we’d ever met.)

           This rather economical good time found us out for a late night snack at the Hacienda. Despite not a fan of Mexican cuisine, I must say it was quite good. My distaste could be how it looks like mush, in this photo. I am going to miss hanging out like this when my date moves back west. While Nashville is a one day commute, any place west of Texas is out of my precinct. It is just that much more fun to do things with someone who isn’t a money person, because that is so hard to find in America these days. So hard. Like today, we had a wonderful time working the crossword puzzle together, driving in the car, and walking the dogs. By now, the neighborhood is used to me being around and will stop to chat.
           But listen, I have a life of my own, and I need to be getting back to it. If I return to Tennessee on my own ever again, it has to be any season except winter. It was fun enough but I’m past any stage of finding cold weather rejuvenating. It never did get warm enough to ride my bicycle here. Plus, you take a day like today, between the dogs and the mall, I walked an extra six miles and I felt it by the time we got in.

Last Laugh