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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.

DAVID WITH THE HEAD OF GOLIATH BY CARAVAGGIO, CIRCA 1607

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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)

Me, again!!

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I just wanted to jump on here and thank everyone who’s downloading the FREE ebook edition of my novel “Twilight of the Immortal”!!

Even though my Internet has been out all day, so I couldn’t post a reminder anywhere today, it is currently ranking #343 in gay fiction!!! And the novel was published 15 years ago!!!

So, thanks everyone!💖

Hopefully, I will be able to make a regular post sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Art !!

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My friends who have the art gallery at the Historic Arcade over in town sponsored another art exhibition today and, wow, was it great.

It was literally about 5 times bigger than the one they had in the Spring.

Such wonderful art and artists. All of it handmade — no computer stuff or AI stuff allowed. It kind of takes your breath away, to see so many local artists and the art they’ve created.

I bought these 2 small originals. The one on the right is stained glass. You can’t really tell in the photo because it’s not held up to the light.

The one on the left is a small watercolor of a local barn.

Ready or not, it’s Saturday!

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My Internet was down for many hours, but now it’s back and that right there makes everything splendid.

If you saw my quick post from yesterday — wow, gang. What great timing that was!

I discovered that I had $150 in rewards from my Medicare Supplemental Insurance. (And it was great timing because I had just paid the car payment, the car insurance, and the mortgage — so this was like “found money”.)

I had no clue how to use it, but soon discovered that one of the Dollar Stores about 7 minutes away, would honor those rewards. So I stopped in there before work, loaded up on about 3 weeks’ worth of cat food and cat litter, and it was totally FREE!!! (Yes, enough for 14 cats!!)

Yay!

(And I still have $100 left over!! Enough to go back and buy some new Christmas coffee mugs!! We shall see! God knows I need plenty more, I only have about 15 Christmas coffee mugs already!!)

And luckily for the cats, that particular Dollar Store sells all the types of cat food my cats love. (Yay!) (The Dollar Store here in the village only carries 2 brands….)

And then after work, I stopped in at Aldi’s and got about a month’s worth of non-perishables for me, along with my usual groceries — that was not free. But at least I’m prepared in case anything gets seriously wonky down there in DC… I guess we will find out.

DC right now, if there were, like, trees and grass everywhere…

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Before I forget!!!!

The eBook edition of my 2011 novel, Twilight of the Immortal, will be FREE to download, starting tomorrow and running through Thursday, Nov. 12th!!

This book has generally gotten 5-star reviews (a couple of readers did not like the fact that I portray Rudolph Valentino as bisexual, but I’m telling you, gang, I researched that novel for 10 years before writing it, and I include a complete bibliography. I did not make that stuff up.)

Anyway– here’s one of the reviews from way back when my novel first came out:

“Unlike her previous books, this is NOT erotica! This is a serious novel that should be enjoyed by the general public. The story is captivating. The characters are very strong and the book is hard to put down.”

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Okay, gang.

I gotta plug another great all-natural product!!

This is another product from Keys — a really great company for all-natural health & beauty products. I use a lot of their products, but I only started using this Wednesday night and I am stunned by how great it is!

I was having some non-stop itching around my ankles, from back when the cats had gotten fleas. The cats were no longer scratching at all, the fleas were gone, but I couldn’t get the flea bites to stop itching.

This stuff took care of it instantly, and by last night, the bites and the scars were already gone. It healed everything that quickly.

You cannot buy this on Amazon. You can buy it at health & wellness stores, or directly from Keys.

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Okay.

By mid-afternoon yesterday, Nick Cave finally made his announcement and I was totally heartbroken, gang.

He’s doing another “In Conversation” Tour, here in the US, in Spring 2027, but he’s not coming anywhere near Ohio.

I cannot believe that I will miss the tour, gang. It was so incredible the last time he did one like this. (That time I saw him, twice, in NYC. But without some sort of weird windfall, I can’t afford to travel like that anymore — planes, hotels, meals, tickets to the show, etc.)

Visit HERE to see which cities he’ll be in that are nowhere near Ohio, and to register for pre-sale tickets.

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But here’s this!

I used to have this photo taped to my wall in my bedroom on E.12th Street in NYC. I loved it! (And still do.)

Keith! 1988, NYC. (Photo by Albert Watson)

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I thought this was just beautiful.

From former Bad Seed/Boys Next Door/The Birthday Party, Mick Harvey, yesterday.

Mick Harvey, Nick Cave, Tracy Pew, Rowland S. Howard, 1983

And here’s this, while we’re at it. “Wildworld” by The Birthday Party.

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And as time marches inexorably onward–

Here’s Bad Seed Warren Ellis with his other band, The Dirty Three, in Berlin the other night!

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And a new book is coming from Esther (and Jerry) Hicks! It’s been a long time since they had a new book out.

The Art of Allowing: You Get What You Think About Whether You Want it Or Not (Book Trailer– 8 mins):

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And this was interesting. Good history lesson, if this is new to you.

I listened to it while doing yoga the other day.

From Bart Ehrman’s “Misquoting Jesus” podcast — Early Christians Were Jews. Then 70 CE Changed Everything (46 mins):

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And that is it for today.

Today starts my new 3-days off-in-a-row schedule at work. (I will have Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays off, three times a month.)

I’m hoping to get the flash fiction piece edited and turned in to Alex S. Johnson today, hopefully for inclusion in the Bill Burroughs tribute anthology.

And then I will begin a new short piece for another anthology that Alex S. Johnson sent out a Call for Submissions for this morning: RIOT PINK: An Alphabet Rights Anthology. (That one will be a more personal, nonfiction piece.)

Meanwhile–

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world, gang. Stay safe.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this.

For some reason, this broke my heart a little bit.

I had gone back to bed with my cup o’ joe this morning, waiting for the Internet to be restored. And then I switched on the Oldies FM radio station on the retro boombox next to my bed–

And this song from yesteryear came on! Wow, did it take me back to my wee bonny girlhood. (If God came to me on my deathbed and asked if I’d like to live my life all over again, I would definitely, without hesitating, say, “No, not even for a minute, but the music was really good.”)

Elton John, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” 1973. Enjoy, gang.

Hmmm… It’s November 6th

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No announcement from Nick Cave yet — and we all keep checking!!

Could this maybe explain the delay??? (From Facebook!)

But it gives me something happy to anticipate today, and not just “am I going to be able to afford to buy enough food for me and the cats to last 2 weeks?” etc., etc.

We shall see, gang. I’ll be heading to the Rural King and to Aldi’s after work today, to see what I can manage to do about stocking up. (See last night’s post.)

Meanwhile!

Yes! I did finish the flash fiction piece yesterday afternoon. But I know I will want to take another look at it over the weekend before turning it in.

It is a really strange story, but I guess that stands to reason since it’s inspired by William S. Burroughs: “…Much of Burroughs’s work is experimental and features unreliable narrators….”

So we shall see! But it was a very interesting process, writing it, I mean.

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Okay!

I cannot believe I forgot about this yesterday!

Now it is belated, but happy heavenly birthday, Gram Parsons! Yesterday marked his 80th birthday.

There were tributes to him all over Instagram yesterday, but I really liked this one! (It’s connected to Gram Parsons’ legendary death, wherein his friends stole his casket from the airport, took it to the Joshua Tree desert and set it on fire to free his spirit.)

Keith posted a video yesterday, wherein he was singing Gram’s song, “Hickory Wind” in concert somewhere, as a tribute to Gram’s 80th. It was really great, but I can’t post Instagram videos on the blog.

But meanwhile, here’s this! Gram with The Byrds, singing “Hickory Wind”, 1968:

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And speaking of Keith!!

Here’s this!!

And in case you don’t recognize the guys behind the shades!!

Here’s Keith with Mick (and an old pal, Jack D.!!):

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And Ronnie Wood announced yesterday that you can now order his Stones Folio art editions in time for Christmas!!

Each folio comes with a matching free Portrait T-shirt! — $985, each folio. Or you can order just the Portrait T-shirt by itself — $95 each.

They are really great. You can view them and pre-order them HERE.

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And here’s this!

I’m guessing this is around April 21st — but I don’t know which year!

But David Bowie and Iggy Pop appear to be celebrating Iggy’s birthday (April 21st)!!

Meanwhile!! Here’s this classic!! “Lust For Life” by Iggy Pop — song written by Iggy and David Bowie (1977):

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Well, that’s all I have for today.

I thought I was going to spend a portion of the blog posting about Nick Cave’s announcement, but it still hasn’t come out.

So, we’ll dip into the desktop stash while we’re waiting, and re-post this instead!!

Meanwhile, please stay safe out there, wherever you are in the world.

And here in the US, please stock up on food and water for you, your families, and your pets!! DC is intense right now — and they’re talking about “The Insurrection Act” going down because of massive voting irregularities, but we will see, gang.

Still, it’s better to be on the side of safe rather than sorry!!

Okay!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this gem!!

Maybe this is where Nick Cave is right now?? Down in the lime tree arbor and time got away from him??

We do not know!!

But here’s “Lime Tree Arbor” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, 1997. So beautiful. Enjoy, gang.