Viral Vicissitudes

  It's an Odyssey, all right. Certainly not an Oddity - being forced to go out of your way, stay out longer than you intended, just to see some actors…acting out scenes, in faraway Hollywood lands…if I wanted to take the long way home all I needed was to listen…who needs Athena when we have the likes of Alexa? We know her as the goddess of the wrong way Homers. And as far as the sounds of the Sirens go, who hasn't crashed and burned chasing a sweet tweet? Myths and legends, for sure. 

  Makers Mark..."it's a start" Wise counsel, Indeed An Iconic tonic:  “In my world we call it prophylactic which, when liberally applied, allows for a measure of self-protection…I’ll invoke my rites and take another...5th, what else?” "OK, let me put it to you this way, Dr. Fauci" : I’m calling upon you this time around as an expert witness…” " Now  you're speaking my language:  who needs counsel when you're the wisest in the room…but first things first - check please”  The tepid response:  “If you’ll just make your Mark, Antony…” Upon self-reflection: In getting a narcissist to spill their guts, self-aggrandizement wins over recrimination every time.

Spitting Images and Slippery Slides  Close up inspection, of infection...  which includes a captive audience, viewed from above. Germ warfare... getting down to where probiotics and antivirals battle it out. "Let this be your guide, Clyde" which, while not part of the lyrics, sure should have...it's the one time that the brilliant song writer, Paul Simon, may have missed the mark. Could have been the leading line of either "Slip Sliding..." or "50 Ways..." In any case. as good a caption for what takes place on a regular basis, as part of what in the biz, is called a "saliva...pee...blood test" The bodily fluids that get analyzed, depending on what the conditions call for. The latter being the driving force, of what's viewed under glass. Whether under a microscope or slide, the staining of slides as well as eye strain…even the ruination of reputations, is all part of a day's work, in the life and times of a practicing Pathologist. Inte...

"The answer, my friends..."   To the age old "when will we ever learn...?"  The winds of change... along with the ever-changing winds. Once the smoke finally clears, we can finally take a deep breath and long look back, and more clearly see, the reasons for all this haze these daze. As in going behind the scenes of the more obvious smokestack industries (many stacks of which have been blown sky high) and the big decisions made in smoke filled rooms (now more liked draped in vape) - - the less identified incudes "smoke 'em if you got 'em..." "Burn your bras, flags..." (not necessarily in this order, but just cuz we can, it's our right, right?...) "Up in Smoke" and the most benign, that finally caught us from behind...the group that the old “where there’s smoke, there’s Campfire Girls: "sing around the campfire𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯" (around since 1912, so we're talking thick smoke by now). We’ve also learned from a long tradition...

Namely... "What's in a name, anyways..." Well, to loosely quote Shakespeare..."A bridge by any other name, wouldn't be the same..." Or at least not the same effect. Affectionally known around here ("Hockey Town") as "Mr. Hockey.", he came fully prepared to play, every day, sans helmet and frequently throwing down perfectly good gloves, in favor of bare fists. Here he enjoyed a career that spanned several gens (long enough for him to usher the "grandfather" clause into the NHL, a moniker that could earn you a black eye if you used it in his presence). One that also spanned the so-called cultural divide "eh?" and connected two continents. Also known for his straight shooting, given that the rarity of his straight blade, on his stick - - allowing him to shoot from both directions (given his ambidextrous nature), an Ambassador in his own right. But the most compelling argument for naming this connector in his honor is that...

No more pooling around! What used to be... as in "times past" a simple hole in the ground, that nature filled up, has been filled with a whole lot of updated amenities, including side-by-side slides. We're now talking about thrills and spills, and lots of frills... Out of sync... so you think, unless you recognize that, for these guards, a few of which doubled as coaches of their pool's league champ swim team (!) from a few nights ago...who spent most of their summer sitting in a chair, are now making the biggest splash, based on the applause meter. Whereas the rest of the synchronized swim team, drew most of our well-timed applause while keeping their heads above the water line. We casual swimmers call it treading water, a pre-req for lifeguards, while they, these dancers in water, made it an art form. In sync, indeed!  

"Your proctor will see you now..." It's a given... the inevitable outcome, of the current evolution in health care. Given the tradition, at least the cynical view, that all PCP's do is, when "all is said and done"...order more tests. Here's where the proctor comes in (literally) - "Hi, I'm the Ai assist, that now no longer requires a doc in the room, with you...since all we're going to do is tests and more thorough exams...so, if you'll just climb up on the examination table, and strip down so we can make sure there's no cheating going on...the exam can now begin..."😢

A French kiss, with a twist... "Merci beaucoup..."   We, in the U.S. as a whole have to dig deep, to express appreciation to the French. Even making apologies when we do..."Excuse my French". But here, in the city that has been nicknamed "Motown...the Motor City..." among others, and even more localized on "Lafayette" where you find at least two Coney islands, in peaceful co-existence, side-by-side, as in one operating under the name of "America" and the other more eponymously "Lafayette". While America as a whole has been celebrating its 250th we around here, the city founded by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, in 1701, will be handing out free ice cream on Campus Martius, sponsored by Hudsonville, in celebrating our 325th! This is where the melting pot begins. And so, when you hear "Merci Antoine de la..." (or however you translate “excuse my reach”) please excuse my French, as it's a bit rustic.  Speaking of melt...

“ It's not easy being …” Technicolored … as in technically speaking, “color me blue-green…or other hues of cyanobacteria…in common with the deepest, of bruises…aka color of algae and/or bruised egos. Which are both aligned with… Allow the swelling to go down … before you get out of the pool, or pull up to “dockside”… They mean well, those swell wishers, along with the swell of the waves. and the cause, for the biggest applause…as in the unspoken ("since the last party has finally arrived, we can start the party") Counteractive measures … whatever the color of chastisement might be made of…”mom and dad, when I come in dead last can you just look the other way, pretend you don't notice me"…(in naughty nautical terms, it’s referred to as the “Pickle boat” which, depending on how you approach them, might find them a bit prickly)…

Best in class, my... broken mast (along with shredded sheets)  "And they're off..." course, that is.  Dropouts hit new high... about 40% at last estimates. Along with... Waves of retirees... more like waves, estimated at about seven feet...you think you've seen occasional sickness in your long life, well what about conditions conducive to sea sickness...got to even the saltiest of sailors, even though it was a body, of fresh water.  “You’ve arrived...”  after a brief pause, for celebrating their accomplishment, sent back. In school, it's called repeating a grade, whereas in the longest, continuous freshwater yacht race, it's simply a "return to fleet" maneuver. As in back to whatever port you started from, in this Port Huron to Mackinac boat race, sponsored by Bayview Yacht Club, situated where else, but on "the banks of the Detroit River" 😕 ( knotty nautical nugget ….a well seasoned sailor has learned via trial-and-error, that prior to ca...

What they missed... The Hooray for Hollywood producers, that is... that brought us "The Producers" among other box office hits. And a list of halftime stars, several of which read like a bunch of "has beens" Well, if you're going to engage in such recycling, why not, as in my nominations for the after show of shows, for after the whole World Cup has played out, and fans are lingering like the Canadian air here... A perfect match for such an occasion, let's bring back, one of the most perfectly matched pairs, as Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, crowing about "The reign in Spain...stays..." Followed in kind by the original "Material Girl" who, despite doing double duty, comes back out perfectly poised....as Evita, on behalf of Messi..."When I try to explain how I feel...cry for me Argentina..." It's as if the stage had been pre-set and just needed a casting call...😏

The day the world stood nil… Until…    until , that is...“el gol-l-l-l!” No mistaking the announcer's pronouncement on Tell-a-Mundo! Held captive... all the way into what, in the world of futbol, an additional 30 added, adding to the already huge build-up, people waiting to...'go'. The one goal, could have easily been missed… All eyes on Nessie… Yep, you got it - - the nickname of the mythical figure that inhabits the waters around Scotland …who, just by coincidence and choreographic genius, brought them a stroke of luck, beating Haiti 1-0, and in so doing, broke a string of bad luck that went back 36 years, as far as World Cup play is concerned. Falling back on hard times soon after, losing 3-nil to Brazil at where else, but Hard Rock stadium. While considered an "undercard" in another venue (boxing matches, of course😉), almost going unnoticed by the upper tier teams, it was a cause of lots of tears, of jubilation, for all of us who have family tartans on our ma...

Taking attitude to a hole new level... One that left holes in his day, and evenings... Logging off, when most of the world has either just logged on, or heavily engaged, immersed, pre-occupied with whatever social media suits their fancy... Fancy that... a 27 year-old, along with his partner, who has already been training at 5,250 feet...above sea level, disciplining himself, having a subtle signal, when out socializing.... "Gotta run..." straight home, back to our bedroom, where the conditions are set, the perfect atmosphere...and place where... The line blurs... so said the article..."between excessive and necessary...may come down to whatever appears on the clock when her finishes..." sleeping, would have been the perfect finishing touch, on the paragraph. Which summarized the highly discipled training of 27 year-old Josh Kerr, who just broke a 27-year old 'standing' record in the 1500 meters. Which, for traditional "Track and Field" enthusiasts...

"Is it Safe...well, IS it?!" The question du jour... that, for me, is always a flash back to the scene from a movie that held me captive, while also managing to, through the very actions of Dustin Hoffman, being relentlessly pursued by his dentist, (Sir Laurence Olivier) that was not the one of his choosing (“Marathon Man, 1976)..."You can run, but..."  which, for native Detroiters, conjures up yet another famous scene, from a title defense, where a Conn man named Billy, used evasive techniques, but eventually was felled, by Joe Louis in the 13th round. Flash forward, "Back to the Future" where we find ourselves, just a month and seventy years on...on the verge of being able to go out and get some fresh air... As it turns out... the same old smoke keeps re-circulating..."If you want fresh news, you may want to take a breather..." followed by, the byline..."More blowing smoke, coming your way" And to think I got up, just to tune in to th...

Parenting, for Pete's sake! "I'll give you something to fly about..."   Sure sounds close to how parents traditionally decry, whenever kids cry over spilled milk. Which has now spilled over to how to build morale, in the military. This, according to the man in charge, who's frequently out in front -- as in in front of a mic, before completely thinking things out. After which we find him doubling down but, of course, in his coarse military jingo, simply put as "double time!" From the man who (literally) raised a "Gunner" who has earned the moniker, in fantasy fly school, now answers to the call sign "Duck!" 

"Foreign matters, that's what matters!" Bodies on the loose... or, stated in reverse order but still the same effect - "loose bodies" that are foreign to this area of our bods. As in the ones they had to remove from our star pitcher, to allow for more 'elbow room' 😁 "Sensitive groups"... should move inside. Those that require oxygen to sustain them.  Canadian conspiracy... just as we passed the total, year-round, DST, this so-called friendly neighbor to the north (except for at Point Pelee, due south of Detroit city), due to the recency with which they achieved full independence, decided to eclipse our celebration with the thickest cloud cover...A more practical theory is they installed all those windmills on their side of the river, to blow back all those firework fragments from our freedom fest. In which case, "it's all on US..."  Particle bored? Then the next post is for you: "What's at issue, is live tissue" 😲

  “Holy Haitians!” That’s putting it mildly… as in a minced oath, of what’s actually on your mind…about “mind your own bees wax and go back to where you hailed from…!”  Historiographically speaking...  "Show no mercy to the mercenaries!"  Lessons in lessening... of what can happen if we water down, the disciplines of teaching geography and, in the second case, "methods used by historians in studying history..." Easy enough to mistake Hessians, a highly disciplined regiment of soldiers who came...to make up about 25% of the British land forces** for the word Haitians, but the part about how the colonists tried to coax them, most of which hailed from the German states of Hesse-Kessel and Hesse Hanau, to our side with homemade German chocolate cake, is still a bit of a stretch. What we have come to embrace as home spun history...the evolutions on how our Revolution began and how the oral traditions of handing down history will soon be replaced by...re-writes. All this,...

Concentration of powers...powers of concentration   The straight dope-a-mean... As everyone is talking about being pre-occupied with those who seem to be, by their very actions (behind the scenes, as well as under the table) seeking to sit in seats of power, to gain control of whatever commodity, or symbol  - - as in going from a time where landowners reigned, to the new brand owners, as whoever controls the main name brand of Ai, which starts with unlimited access but gradually, almost just outside your awareness...in psychology of perception it's known as your very own "Just Noticeable Difference" Well, let me tell you, they're noticing you, and yours, all right. What you, yourself, seem to be searching for, as well as what you'll work for, as in "wait, don't turn it off yet, got to level up...!" The now, after they've been newly built, data centers, being already outdated ("going to need a bigger..."), being in turn a symbol of what ...

"Live action, packed, get ready on the set..." Suspended animation...  at least a production slow down.  OpenAI... "more collaborative and creative, generative than ever before...imagined" As the old saying in  goes (in the tech world things age a byte faster) ...when one Window is opened, several doors essentially get closed, as less "essential…characters" are needed😫. As far as creative content goes... How long will Hollywood stay content, on this... could get a bit...contentious. As in animated --"Th-Th-Th-That's all Folks!" 

"Swimming pools and...moving stars (tax man!)" The story of a new, old Torrey. Only in Hollywood,,, would you usually find such life, imitating fiction. And choreography that approaches, what now amounts to CGI. For a true back story, to the party of Torrey, you have to go way back to our previous host country. Which became the eventual host of his parents, who, hailed from Hungary, but revolted...bolted to Britain in 1956. While born in London, then becoming conservative by nature, eventually parted ways, to join the party here, that best approximates, the original Torrey party. Now running for governor, due to being eligible due to becoming a true American in 2021, he finally renounced his citizenship..."if I only have one life..." (or something like that, according to the script writer) from our former sovereign, in 2025. On the eve of our 250 year celebration. Such theatre and choreography that could only been imagined by those so-called "Imagineers" i...

"RU a States Man?"  "Allow me..." Mr. ex-officio, post-interim, past president, to show you to your new quarters. Otherwise known around here as a State room. Just around the corner from your previous residence that your trusty trustees converted into an Airbnb as part of an offset of the raise in tuition, that occurred (they said it was only a coincidence) with the raise they offered you, right before you skedaddled! for what you thought might be friendlier climes, where you might find Trustees you could fully trust, to carry out your agenda. And here you are, saying it was all, in presidential terms, "a big understanding". Well, so that there will be no missing what you may have left behind, what you would have been missing out on...you'll note that this small-ish dorm room, comes equipped, with what interior deco pros call "modest" appointments. As the old saying around here, ever since we became a "land grant" college, if you...

  While Whigs are out, wiggling still in. While wearing one out, was an outward manifestation of social stature…at least back then (we call it "showy" now). Even became a cause célèbres (as in "the bigger the wig...") - or whatever the reverse would be worded - an initial put down (i..e., "radicals questioning royal authority) that became a name of a party ("We are the party of Whigs and will wear one proudly"). Wear as, as in another reason to wear one, was more practical ‘in nature’ - a cover up for baldness as well as other, even less attractive qualities, that might spell “syphilis”. Yeah, when, even back in what we here call the “old country” they weren’t busy figuring out how to put down insurrections offshore, they enjoyed putting each other down (see how history has a way of…?). As even when following what’s still considered the gold standard in parliamentary proceedings, there was always a bit of wiggle room for a polished putdown: “Yeah, so ...

"Do you even know anything about your own constitution?!" What makes you, YOU... A two fold de-meaning  First fold: In order to effectively express, present yourself...in declaring anything to such a person as a king...the first order of the day is to know thyself. As in "We, the People..." spoken from the first-person perspective, on behalf of the all the already thousands unaccounted for, and then millions to follow, they were coming to represent. If you delve just a little int the history books (more likely video archives on Netflix et. al), you'll quickly see why it took so long, for the framers and forefathers to bring forth a united set of colonies...states, I mean). Challenging each other, redrafting (paper was not as plentiful, remember) several times, in order to come up with a working document, that might suffice.  Un-fold: as in how many times have you taken out that pocket sized one, that got handed down, or more likely handed out, at some function, ...

  Hot diggity dog... it's chow time again! Featuring the championship heat, and not-so- neat, eater  Won, but never done  🎶Chestnuts roasting… he’s gotta' be nuts, this Joey guy, putting away 66 hot dogs in ten minutes…all without mustard - talk about a guy without taste! A flawed assumption, about consumption, is that when consumers have had their fill, they will simply chill (one of the common comments from Cup visitors "these Americans can really put it a weigh!") Coney Island... a magical place where   if you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, shove down another dog…no time to paws... Over consumed?  you’re still not doomed, given all the chill pills we now have available in the OTC form, so you can consume all you want without while going off script…we're talking about setting the stage for a major upset... Feeling dismal?  Try Pepto-Bismol (only coincidence a JC sponsor😊)   The great America. paradox - to bring the heat, call for a chi...

"Are you sitting down?" Might even want to belt in.  Tales from the crypt... talk about a ‘chilling effect’- - word just out that the so-called "sitting President" just acquired even another "small fortune" - - as in about a billion in crypto coin, just by being a so-called passive observer (“I only played a bit part”). The chilling part came in yet another swirl of rumors, that he intends to use it, in a re-election campaign...one targeted at the amending the 22nd Amendment, essentially upending a history of limiting any particular person from serving more than two terms. Which, if successful, could end up calling for a sitter, for this fully, "groan" up of a man… Never content, to sit long... "all I did was ask them to take a second look...didn't try to influence them" by playing the "get out of jail free" card. It's all part of being a good sport and all, while we find ourselves in the middle of controversy, as abou...

Where art thou, Uncle Martin? And what would you say...? About this whole shebang! The whole shooting match...  Sure shooting, rooting- tootin’… Shooting from the hip, these hipsters... A virtual firestorm...  Who knows who fired off the first shot... Where there's smoke, there's probably fire... But here the works were followed by blowing smoke... Not only blowing off a few fingers and toes... But a huge hole in the Ozone... So, what are those earthlings doing, down there, you ask?  Who else, but your Favorite Martian, Ray Walston (starring in all 107 episodes), has the answer: "they must be trying to send us smoke signals"  Mars to earthlings:  "There's got to be a better way...to say Happy Fourth, fifth, sixth... as it's keeping us Martians up all night" 

"Says who?!"   "Who goes there?!" "Who knew...?"  It would be this hard... getting to the 250 mark. Hard enough saying without spraying it ('Sesquicentennial" that is😳), let alone displaying it...better yet, given the great choreographer ('just call me Serendipity") that placed us "smack dab..." in the middle of the three world stages, which offers U.S. the opportunity to not only display our athleticism but our con-geniality. An attribute that, in the context of global supply chains, has been a trade deficit. We, being our own worst critics, take nothing away from all those visiting who collectively ask "Why do these people put themselves down...they have lots of cereal choices and most enjoy AC" As well as comments about how most have felt welcome, no matter the venue. Translated more globally, via the world data bank, the United States of America, while finding itself polarized on so many other issues (including wh...

Flag wavering or phlegmatic? A matter of personal preference  Which is kind the point of all this - Independence Day, 250.0 A flare for the dramatic… forget about running it up, how about sitting atop the flap pole?! (AKA "Look at me!") A preference for pensive, pedestrian patriotism... quietly going about presenting the colors each and every morning  (a close approximation of "phlegmatic" in flag flying formulaic)   Personally... whenever, wherever, under any political climate conditions, when the call goes out to "rise, remove your cap, place your right hand..." and participate in the singing of our National Anthem, I try to simply stand and stare at Old Glory, and let it tell me yet another story, about how "We the people..." came to be who we are today, in preparation for whatever events are about to unfold today and on into tomorrow... 

Tripped up, by the World cup? A road map, for those first-timers... A wordly wise, for the worldly visitors, about where you've landed, in the thick of a highly sexualized and hypertensive social medium... "Here are the keys", for playing the whole field… in order to be a good striker, don't be too forward, as in being caught offsides… The ever-changing landscape ... of the dating game here - starting with "playing out on the pitch can be a real…” (no longer allowed) Trying not...  to become a perennial "Loser!" As in standing on the sidelines solo. No date in sight. Freedom from expression … as in things to avoid saying out loud, if you want to stick around, in so-called polite company... Avoid, at all costs:  referring to your potential date, despite the ambient temperatures, as “hot” (a bit too hot to trot anywhere anyways). Be careful when ordering Chick-fil-A, to not put the accent on…And, as tough as it might sound, try not to refer to her as a re...

Firsting with Pride! It's the start of July.  Is anyone out there...  Painfully employed...?!  is the new term, I came up with while being kept up by those high flying, explosives...told you I'd be back with fireworks report. Just didn't think it would start this early. That those who have reportedly helped the purchase of fireworks to be sky high, adding to the already record-breaking heat and haze...I get why, in July, we tend to fire off, even shoot the works. But can’t there at least be an ordinance, to prevent unexploded ordnance? The oldest device in cartoons, the “ticking time bomb…” Another brilliant idea of mine that won’t survive the light of day…Tick, tick, tick… A divided nation... according to my overnight poll, while the explosives were taking their toll, on me. As to whether you are in the category of "they are such nice sky brighteners" or, in another sense, "there's always room, for more kaboom!" The combination of which could result...

  "Sound the Retreat!"  A Chilling History - as in the history of warfare, calling for a retreat, especially after charging them to "Charge!" can have a chilling effect, leaders in war colleges and on the war torn battlefield, learn to recognize when, where, and why it's strategically indicated...whether to preserve whatever precious resources you have left, in order to spare the lives of the remaining few...only to re-assemble the troops..."to live and fight another day". A student of our own history will show how it's been done sparingly, such as in order to famously cross the Delaware, led by General Washington. Where the Brits, according to lore, "It's like they came out of nowhere!"  A perennial pull - which is part of why we study history, right?" In order to not repeat the same mistakes. Which is partly, now, for what are called prophylactic purposes (e.g., "to prevent decay"😉), we find so many retreats schedule...