Just Sayin'

 I don't know about you, but I've been reading (and by reading, I mean listening because I am all about Audiobooks) a lot more since the COVID-19 pandemic began. I have a lot more down time and a lot more time at home, so reading is a good activity to pass the time.  Anyway, I love a good viking novel. I've been interested in history since I was a kid, and I've always been fascinated by the vikings. There's something about the stories of dragon ships and adventures on the sea that capture the imagination.  And, I'm certainly not the only person who thinks that way because there are  a lot  of books about vikings on the market. Of course, there are plenty of non-fiction books out there, and I've read (or listened to; I love audiobooks) to a couple of them, but novels about vikings seem to be much more popular. That being said, not all novels are equal. Personally, I prefer viking novels that encompass the perfect amount of adventure, drama, and (sometimes) ro...

I'm writing today because I am outraged. OUTRAGED! The good name of pasta, one of the most delicious foods on the planet, has been maligned. It has been shamefully microwaved and slathered in disgraceful cornflakes and sugar and sliced (sliced!!!) cheese. The horror is beyond belief. Like many of you, I mourn the degradation of this once wonderful meal. In case you're really confused about what I'm talking about, let me back up a bit and give you some background before I go in to a full fledged *rant.* One of the silver lining of the coronavirus lockdown is lots and *lots* of weird celebrity news and out and out absurdity overall. Normally, I don't care about that stuff too much, but there comes a point when things become too bizarre to ignore (case in point, Tiger King ), and Robert Pattinson (aka the sparkly vampire that dominated the pop culture of my early high school years) has just broken that absurdity meter. In case you haven't heard, Robert Pattin...

So, yesterday, one of my friends texted me, "Okay, if you want an absolutely DRAMATIC, all-consuming distraction, just watch Tiger King on Netflix. It is WILD." Little did she know, I had just finished watching the new, true-crime documentary series a few hours before. My immediate response was "I know! It was the most insane thing I've ever seen." I don't ordinarily write about TV shows on this blog, so perhaps I should take a minute to describe what  Tiger King  is. As I noted above, it's a new, true-crime documentary series from Netflix. It follows the exploits of a group of people who all own private zoos full of tigers. As you can imagine, all of these people are totally and completely, certifiably crazy.  Murder, mayhem, and madness ensues, spiced with a healthy dose of tigers, expired meat, cults, polygamy, arson, bullets, and explosives. And, guys—let me make this very clear—I am not exaggerating.  Tiger King is the craziest thing I have e...

So, I have a series on this blog called "Serious Thoughts," which I use to write about serious problems that I feel strongly about. I haven't written one of these posts in a while, but there's a topic that's been making me angry recently, so you're going to hear about it. Every time I see an outdoor cat, my blood starts to BOIL. Now, I'm not talking about stray cats or feral cats that have no homes to go to. I'm talking about cats that belong to an individual person or family that are allowed to wander around outside freely. It makes me SO ANGRY. Allowing your cat to roam around freely is a pretty irresponsible thing to do. It's bad for the cat, for other animals, and for the planet in general. Now, I know that in many communities around the world, having pets/animals indoors is a foreign concept. I don't expect them to change over night. However, there are a lot of people living in my neck of the woods (Pennsylvania) who ought to know ...

So, I have a series on this blog where I talk about music that I think is underrated. I listen to music basically all day long, so I really enjoy writing these posts and telling you what I'm listening to. About a year ago, I wrote a post about the Red Hot Chili Peppers , one of my favorite bands of all time. In case you don't know, RHCP is a rock band/alt-rock band (with an emphasis on funk, as you'll see) that was formed in the 1980s in LA. They've been making amazing music for decades. There are very few RHCP songs that I don't like, so it was tough for me to decide what to put in that blog. I ended up leaving out some of my favorite songs (plus, I have discovered some new favorites since I wrote that blog), so I decided to put together a part two! So, without further ado, let's get into the list: 1. Quixoticelixer from Californication  (Bonus Track) - Wow does this song ever have a vibe ! It has a softer sound with a mournful, almost sad air. But, even...

I recently took on a very big and serious responsibility: I bought a banana plant online. Now, if you think that's over the top, it definitely is. But, if you ask me if it was a necessary purchase, I would say it definitely was. Like there's nothing to cheer you up like a banana plant on your coffee table (except maybe a million dollars on your coffee table, but I'm not holding my breath for that one). Now, I know what you're thinking, "you live in Pennsylvania, what on Earth are you doing with a banana plant?" Obviously, I'm not going to grow it outside because, you know, it's COLD here. I bought a dwarf variety of banana that only grows to four feet tall, which means I can keep it inside. Anyway, my banana plant is named Liam and he is the crown jewel of my plant family. Well, he's the crown jewel for now. I just ordered a kumquat tree, and I'm thinking of buying a lemon tree or a bat flower next. I started down this road about a ...