He was quick, efficient, and you’ll never guess what the problem was!!!

YES!! That’s correct!!

One of the cats had chewed through a cable…

But the tech guy installed an enclosed box on the wall, so now the cats can’t get at any of the cables…

Unbelievable.

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Okay. Well, since I’ve been collecting “here’s this’s'” for several days now, this post will be a big sort of random collection.

First!

Let me say THANK YOU!! Again!!

The eBook edition of Twilight of the Immortal is now ranked at #176 in Gay Fiction, and #418 in Historical Fiction, on Amazon!! Thank you so much!!

It is FREE to download until Thursday, Nov. 12th!

And just for your reading pleasure, yet again — here’s a mere portion of another review my novel got on Amazon when it first came out in 2011:

“Believe me, this is much more than a historical novel about Rudolph Valentino. Rosemary McKisco is both a well-developed and fascinating character AND a fantastic device to give us access to everyday life in the WWI and Roaring 20s era and a “fly on the wall” kind of passport to the inner workings of Broadway and Hollywood in those years. The book has been researched thoroughly and paints these pictures in infinite detail. One of my favorite scenes involves Rosemary visiting the home of a wealthy bachelor in 1916. Rosemary tells us with awe of the things she saw there, including the up-to-date kitchen with appliances painted with white enamel, so different from the old black stove in her own home. I love this kind of detail! So now I know when kitchen appliances were making the transition from the old cast iron items of the Victorian era to the whiter, brighter stoves and ice boxes we saw on The Waltons. Maybe you don’t care for this kind of historical detail, but I love it. There are countless examples of this kind of accurate detail in Twilight of the Immortal. Another favorite documentation of mine is the description of the railroad cars the characters take cross-country. If you are interested in fashion, you’ll be in heaven as Rosemary describes the many dresses her first fiancée buys for her.”

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And here’s this!

A first look at the cover art for the upcoming William Burroughs tribute anthology!! Burroughs: The Funeral Director’s Cut. Edited by Alex S. Johnson,

And I have to say, gang, since my Internet was down, I managed to WhatsApp Wayne a copy of my flash fiction piece for the Burroughs anthology.

His comment after reading it: “JESUS!! Wow. You may have a future, kid.”

That really made me feel great!!

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Okay.

Sadly, this happened on Saturday:

RIP, Richard Lloyd.

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And yesterday was the 50th Anniversary of the release of the first album by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers–

And in honor of that, a TON of merch has been released from Tom Petty Official. Among them is the CD below, which will be arriving here at my humble abode sometime today!! “No Sleep til L.A.” Contains never-released tracks from 50 years ago!!

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And I believe this anniversary happened yesterday!

And let’s listen to this again!! This song blew my fucking mind when I first heard it on the AM radio in my bedroom — I was 12 years old. “Walk on the Wild Side,” Lou Reed. 1972.

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And speaking of glam rock–

From Phyllis Stein!

I actually had never known that the New York Dolls had a different drummer when they started out — Billy Murcia. He passed away on November 6, 1972. (I didn’t start listening to the New York Dolls until late 1973 — when I was first able to find one of their records in a local department store!! I was thrilled!!)

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And here’s this!

Another Jack Kerouac quote!

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And this is rapidly coming up!!

In honor of Gram Parsons’ recent 80th birthday, he’s being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!! (November 11th).

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And speaking of Gram Parsons’ best friend–

Here’s a couple of Keith!!

Smoking!! In France!! Around 1973!!

And here, he’s offering us a cigarette! On a Lear jet!! In 1979!!

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And, well, a few from Facebook…

First — my expression every day now, since Nick Cave announced his next “In Conversation” US Tour and I realized that I won’t be able to attend:

Meanwhile–

It really still is a great day to be alive…

Nick Cave, smoking!!

And Nick Cave!! Smoking!!

And Nick Cave sent out another Red Hand File this morning. Very interesting, indeed. Especially since I had just been to that fantastic art exhibit yesterday, wherein there was no AI or computer-generated art whatsoever, and it really just took my breath away.

The RHF discusses a couple different aspects about art and artists, including songwriting — and AI. He says, in part:

“…But song generator platforms are, in my view, indicators of this nascent technology’s demonic potential to hollow out human endeavour and sever our connection to the divine. They mock creation itself by rendering humanity unnecessary, taking the fruits of human striving and reducing them to mere products. It is, perhaps, our final, most soul-destroying humiliation….”

You can read it in full HERE.

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And that is it for today, and yesterday, and Saturday evening…!!

I hope you’re having a magnificent Monday, wherever you are in the world!!

Thanks for visiting!!

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!!

It popped up on someone’s Instagram post yesterday. I haven’t heard this song in forever — “I love it when you call me Big Poppa” — and I always just LOVED this song!!

The Notorious B.I.G. – “Big Poppa“, 1994, from the album Ready to Die. Enjoy, gang!!

“Big Poppa”

Uh, uh, check it out (yeah), uh
Junior M.A.F.I.A., uh (he-he)
Uh (I like this) yeah, yeah
Nine-fo’ (keep bangin’)

To all the ladies in the place with style and grace
Allow me to lace these lyrical douches in your bushes (uh)
Who rock grooves and make moves with all the mamis?
The back of the club, sippin’ Moët is where you’ll find me (what?)
The back of the club, mackin’ hoes, my crew’s behind me (uh)
Mad question askin’, blunt passin’
Music blastin’, but I just can’t quit
Because one of these honeys Biggie got to creep with (that’s right)

Sleep with, keep the ep a secret, why not? (Uh)
Why blow up my spot ’cause we both got hot?
Now check it, I got more mack than Craig, and in the bed
Believe me, sweetie, I got enough to feed the needy (come on)
No need to be greedy, I got mad friends with Benzes
C-notes by the layers, true fuckin’ players (uh)
Jump in the Rover and come over, tell your friends jump in the GS3
I got the chronic by the tree, cuz (let’s go)

I love it when you call me Big Poppa
Throw your hands in the air if you’s a true player
I love it when you call me Big Poppa
To the honeys gettin’ money, playin’ niggas like dummies
I love it when you call me Big Poppa
You got a gun up in your waist, please don’t shoot up the place (why?)
‘Cause I see some ladies tonight that should be havin’ my baby (uh), baby (uh)

Straight up, honey, really I’m askin’
Most of these niggas think they be mackin’, but they be actin’
Who they attractin’ with that line (what?), “What’s your name? What’s your sign?”
Soon as he buy that wine, I just creep up from behind (that’s right)
And ask you what your interests are, who you be with?
Things that make you smile, what numbers to dial
You gon’ be here for a while? I’m gon’ go call my crew, you go call your crew
We can rendezvous at the bar around two (come on)

Plans to leave, throw the keys to Little Cease (uh-huh)
Pull the truck up front, and roll up the next blunt
So we can steam on the way to the telly, go fill my belly (G)
A T-bone steak, cheese eggs and Welch’s grape
Conversate for a few, ’cause in a few we gon’ do
What we came to do, ain’t that right, boo? (True)
Forget the telly-, we just go to the crib
And watch a movie in the jacuzzi, smoke Ls while you do me

I love it when you call me Big Poppa
Throw your hands in the air if you’s a true player (come on, yeah)
I love it when you call me Big Poppa
To the honeys gettin’ money, playin’ niggas like dummies (uh)
I love it when you call me Big Poppa
You got a gun up in your waist, please don’t shoot up the place (why?)
‘Cause I see some ladies tonight that should be havin’ my baby, baby (uh)

In mansion and Benzes
Givin’ ends to my friends, and it feels stupendous
Tremendous cream, fuck a dollar and a dream (heh)
Still tote gats, strapped with infrared beams (that’s right) (what?)
Choppin’ Os (uh-huh), smokin’ la in Optimos
Money, hoes and clothes: all a nigga knows (all a nigga knows)
A foolish pleasure? Whatever
I had to find the buried treasure (for what?), so grams I had to measure
However, livin’ better now, Coogi sweater now
Drop top BMs, I’m the man, girlfriend

Yeah, honey, check it
Tell your friends to get with my friends
And we can be friends
Shit, we can do this every weekend (that’s right), alright?
Is that a’ight wit’ you?
Yeah, keep bangin’

I love it when you call me Big Poppa
Throw your hands in the air if you’s a true player
I love it when you call me Big Poppa
To the honeys gettin’ money, playin’ niggas like dummies (uh)
I love it when you call me Big Poppa
You got a gun up in your waist, please don’t shoot up the place (why?)
‘Cause I see some ladies tonight that should be havin’ my baby, baby (uh)

Check it out
Nine-fo’ shit for that ass, uh
Puff Daddy, Biggie Smalls, Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Represent, baby, baby, uh

c -1994 Christopher Wallace / Christopher Jasper (and the Isely Brothers — Rudolph Isley / Ernie Isley / Marvin Isley / O’kelly Isley / Ronald Isley)