Okay, last one
Bette Davis. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. She was 54.
By way of context, for those not keeping track: me, I’ll be 59 in May. I’m not sure whether I’m pleased that I think I’m better preserved than famous movie stars of my age or horrified that I’m substantially older than the iconic old hags of the silver screen.
Also, this week I feel about how she looks. We suspect a virus going around Casa del Badger.
February 27, 2019 — 8:56 pm
Comments: 12
Warming to my theme…
Gloria Swanson was 51 when she played Norma Desmond.
My teenage impression of Norma Desmond, she was a thousand years old. But, thinking about it, it the story works better if she is way too old for a comeback, but not clownishly, ridiculously too old.
God, the makeup didn’t do them any favors, though, did it? Like the way your mom’s high school graduation picture made her look about 42.
Oh, speaking of clownish and ridiculous, I’ll close with Carol Burnett’s Norma Desmond. I don’t recommend looking up any of the skits — too broad, too long and totally belabor the joke — but holy shit the stills of her crack me up every time.
February 26, 2019 — 9:17 pm
Comments: 9
God, that’s so depressing
I am older than Madam Arcati.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Margaret Rutherford, a character actress famous for playing old ladies on account of she was one before she became an actress (she was originally a piano teacher).
Somehow, though, I’d managed to miss the film adaptation of Blithe Spirit. Madam Arcati wasn’t her first film role, but it was her first really successful one (reprising a character she played on stage).
Watched it this weekend and found myself deeply suspicious that the old lady I remembered just didn’t seem that much of an old lady.
She wasn’t yet. She was 53.
Happy Monday, everyone!
February 25, 2019 — 9:04 pm
Comments: 8
I moved the couch tonight
Its last night on earth. Couch is 20+ years old. Uncle B, who works from home, has been sitting at one end of it for that long. The cat threw up on my end a few years ago. That wasn’t the problem; the problem was when I panicked and grabbed a bottle of bleach thinking it was a mild detergent.
Under the couch, under the cushions…just what you might expect. My hands still feel grubby. My left eye will not stop itching.
On the upside, I made 73 pence and didn’t find any dead animals.
So the new sofa comes tomorrow lunch time. It is large and red. I brace myself for the howling when the first cat sharpens the first claw upon it.
February 21, 2019 — 8:46 pm
Comments: 13
Was there supposed to be a super wolf blood moon?
Because there was totally a super wolf blood moon. Or something.
I went to put the recycling out, and the moon was huge and close and a dark, dark red. Never seen anything like it. I ran in for Uncle B, but by the time he got there it was merely orange. Still cool, but not what it was.
The photo is a fake. I stole it and faked it up. Poor old B goes flying out with the camera every time the moon does something cool, but it’s hopeless without a tripod and astronomy rig and all that. It’s not like it would work in black and white anyway.
I tried to find if this thing was predicted. Apparently not, so it was just probably a local ‘particulates in the air’ kind of thing. I did discover that last series of blood moons was tied to a Biblical apocalyptic prophecy.
I guess four years since the last one is long enough to assume it ain’t going to happen after all. Pity. Now the only apocalypse I have to look forward to is Brexit.
February 20, 2019 — 8:46 pm
Comments: 7
This hamster broken
I was out late at a Parish meeting tonight. Not the official Parish Meeting — that’s in May — just a little one where we divvy up chores and gossip.
I suggested a chicken theme for the flower festival. I don’t think it’s going to happen. Just a guess.
So hurrah for the tiny hamster with his widdle weg in a cast, courtesy of a veterinary clinic in Petrozavodsk, Russia. And you guys said Twitter wasn’t good for anything.
February 12, 2019 — 10:23 pm
Comments: 7
DINGELL-NORWOOD, muthafucka!
Xul’s fedora has won the dick with John Dingell. I’ll be honest witcha – I thought about disallowing this pick. Dingell is not exactly a household name. Not anymore, anyway.
And then I recollected that he gave me, albeit indirectly, one of my favorite ever moments in politics: the moment Al Gore tried to intimidate George Bush in the 2000 presidential debates.
Remember? Somebody must have told him to get in George’s space, so he goes clickity-clacking over in the middle of an answer and blares, “WHAT ABOUT THE DINGELL-NORWOOD BILL?”
George gave him a little nod, got a little laugh and Al looked like a Boston Dynamics prototype reject.
So congrats, Xul. It’s too late to queue up a Dead Pool for today, obviously, so everyone keep your powder dry and come back next Friday for DEAD POOL ROUND 119.
p.s. you owe me one. The header graphic I originally did was animated, but I decided to be merciful. Do go watch the clip at the link above, though. And have a good weekend!
p.p.s. If you haven’t seen the video making the rounds of the Boston Dynamics door-opening robot dog, here you go. It’s creepy as hell. Though I have to admit, I feel an awful pang when the demonstrator hits it and kicks it and pulls its tail.
February 8, 2019 — 6:30 pm
Comments: 13
There I was, shopping for antiques…
When all of a sudden…GIANT FRENCH STONE LAWN SNAILS! And only £650 each.
I don’t think Uncle B would appreciate the joke. Snails are a scourge upon his horticulture.
If you’d like to see the sort of antiques you can get over here, it’s pretty cool. Even here, there’s a general movement of antiques from East to West. Quite a lot of the stuff we see in Britain comes from France at the moment.
Not my favorite stuff. I like local rustic furniture, appropriate to our local rustic house.
February 7, 2019 — 9:28 pm
Comments: 10
Fizzle
Not really. Maybe an inch. And it was raining hard this morning, washing it all away.
So I didn’t pay it much mind, went dashing out to feed the chickens first thing, put one foot onto the wet snow and went ass over teakettle. I slid across the wet grass and got soaked, but my head came to rest with the gentlest kiss of the cement walkway, so I’m counting it a win. I MAHT HAVE DAHD.
After I changed clothes, Uncle B gave me a ride into work. The end.
Have a good weekend, everyone. Stay warm. Be dry. Somebody at work saw a baby lamb yesterday (poor little thing, in this weather) so hold on just a bit longer.
Image courtesy one of the nice old ladies on my FaceBook feed. It’s like having Grandma back!
February 1, 2019 — 8:25 pm
Comments: 7
Big scary message
It may have dropped some things. Comments maybe. Maybe even posts.
In the end, there were some unrecoverable errors, but everything seems to be working. A little slow, maybe? Hard to tell. Our internet isn’t the best.
The Dead Pool should drop in a couple of hours and I’ll keep an eye
on the stability. Just a reminder, though — I have no idea
what I’m doing.
Cheers!
January 25, 2019 — 4:12 pm
Comments: 4