A really, really, really unusual world!

In my room, I mean.

But first — there’s this:

If you live anywhere near Newark, Ohio and want to participate, this candlelight vigil is tonight–

If you are not familiar with this area, be prepared — it is small but loaded with restaurants, theaters, offices and it is really hard to find a place to park, even in the best of circumstances.

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And here’s this!

As soon as I posted to the blog yesterday, naturally Nick Cave’s Official Instagram account released the announcement about July 31, 2026!

And it is this!!

“I am thrilled beyond words to return to my beloved Brighton with The Bad Seeds to play Preston Park. It’s a homecoming! It’s going to be big, bad and beautiful. An epic show!!!” Nick Cave

[I think “big, bad, and beautiful” and “epic” are all euphemisms for pandemonium, but we shall see! — Ed.]

Presale for tickets begins next Thursday, Sept. 25th, 10AM UK time. You can register here for presale access.

Meanwhile, here’s this!

Nick Cave and Rowland S. Howard at school in Melbourne, 1975 — already contemplating the pandemonium in Brighton, 2026…

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And here’s this–

Keith at home at Nellcote, in the South of France, 1971 (he is about 27 years old):

And just in case you have any interest in this whatsoever —

This is the very photo that first made me fall in love with Keith Richards when I was just turning 12!! I first saw it while alone in my room, naturally!

Photo by Norman Seeff, Los Angeles 1972, *Exile on Main St* promo.

My room was in this house (in Columbus, OH) , and as luck would have it, the window to my room is on the upper left and now — lo! these many decades later! — totally hidden by the tree:

And here’s this, just because it sums up my whole entire life — The Beach Boys, from 1963, “In My Room” (!!):

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There is an Iraqi dinar update from yesterday. You can find it on Sara Hopps telegram channel HERE.

“$1 dinar notes are out and articles are being published. Let’s see how the rest of this day plays out…. But things are moving and now IRAQ 🇮🇶 is finally taking major steps! This is an excellent start on a Monday!”

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And now we can go back to the title of this post — “A really, really, really, unusual world”.

And it refers, of course, to my room.

I decided to dust the bookshelves in my room this morning, because they haven’t been dusted since Spring, and — lo! and behold! — what did I find but these 2 textbooks that I totally forgot I had!

They were not my textbooks, but given to me by a friend back in 2020. They had been his textbooks and, since I have that Ministry Degree, he thought I would appreciate them.

And I did! And I appreciate them anew this morning!! Wow.

2 textbooks about the Reformation! The one on the left is HUGE. And that slim volume, The Western World, focuses solely on Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Saint Theresa of Avila.

I’m guessing that at this point in my life, I am simply meant to learn all I can about the Protestant Reformation without even leaving my room. Who knew?

And I have to add, yet again, that this series of lectures I’m currently taking (about the Protestant Reformation) continues to basically blow my mind every single day. And not always in a good way — considering the amount of executions, violence, etc.

And here’s this.

From yesterday.

I posted these 2 photos to my Instagram page. I posted the first one because I thought it was kind of amusing that I am once again really falling behind in my current reading. On my night table:

And then, after I came home from having lunch with my girlfriend, yet another highly anticipated book was waiting for me on my kitchen porch!!

And yesterday morning, before I even left for lunch, I ordered THIS book because a friend in France had recently read it and it sounded really great! So that, too, is on its way! (I ordered it in English translation, though.)

And sort of in a similar vein —

I also ordered one of these yesterday!!

To keep by my bed. Because it has a CASSETTE PLAYER!!!!

And honestly, gang, I have been noticing that it was so much easier for me to study Chinese and French in the old days because I used cassettes. I don’t know — the in-depth quality of the lessons was just so much better than what I have access to on my language-learning phone apps.

And since I still have ALL those various cassettes (and the accompanying textbooks), but no handy cassette player– wow! This little boombox from Jensen was so affordable! (Plus, I will be able to easily play CDs in my room, now, too!)

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So, basically, between studying and now READING all about the Protestant Reformation. And STILL studying French. And re-studying Mandarin, Chinese. And finishing my novel-in-progress, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder. And working on our play, “The Guide to being Fabulous,” readying it for Off-Broadway, along with the NEXT unbelievably awesome project with Sandra that I still can’t post about ….

I am now and forever, as I always have been for decades and decades, going to be in my room.

And with that, I want to get started on the writing for today, since I have the day off!!

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Have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting!

I love you guys. See ya!

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Okay!!

Another song from my “songs I was listening to 6 years ago playlist” and yes, as it turns out, it’s another great song from my wee bonny teenage girlhood!!!!

When this song was a (smash) hit, I was going through probably the nadir of my existence. 1974 was one of the worst years of my life. And this song is so upbeat and so full of kindness and so hopeful. I just loved it. (Apparently, I loved it again when I was 59!!)

Billy Swan, “I Can Help”, 1974! Enjoy, gang!!