Man & Dog

z
Are you and the dog sitting by the door, wanting OUT?
Let's take a walk ... 

Wizards don't always wear hats...

Happy talk

Demons are prowling everywhere

Nowadays
I'll send 'em howling I don't care
I've got ways ...

Demons'll charm you with a smile

For a while

But in time
Nothing can harm you
Not while I'm around

   -- Stephen Sondheim, Sweeney Todd

So I read two cats test positive for corona virus.

I know cats don't cause corona19.

It was something that Trump told me.

"People are telling me," Trump said, "that cats--you know, cats?--can you believe what I'm telling you? Cats have covid. Did you see that? Isn't that right, Tony? Deb? Nobody knew, dunf. I always suspected. But that's just me. I'm not a veterinarian. Nobody in the world but me could know this cat fact. Could be true, might not. I'm just saying, you know? I hear that sleepy guy in his basement may have cats. Cats could have already killed that poor loser. Nobody in the world saw this fur thing coming. Nobody! Right? A cat killing a human? A man who runs against me for President? Maybe his cat injected him with bleach. Who knew? Bleach. Could be a good idea. Maybe not. We're checking, right Tony? But I acted early. I told Melania: No cats, darling. Are you listening? Where are you going? Baron? I'm talking to you--but that's not important, dunf. Hear me now, dummy. Cats. Virus. Hydroxychloroquine. Corona. I knew a guy with a cat, dunf. You know what? He's DEAD! Probably corona!
Did you hear about sunlight? Warm. Good. 
What do you have to lose? Think about it. 
People call me. Boris called. Justin too. Did I just say Justin? Maybe. You want to ask Tony? He's not here. Thank you very much."

Next big hit

"The embers of corona ...."
    -- Trump, multiple times April 22

 

Victory at the fire hall

"I have a very good you-know-what...."

Moonlight ... on the embers of corona 

 So right, cause nobody could have seen

nobody knew, nobody saw, who could have known 

and everything I did, the biggest, the best

and still you're mean 

Starlight ... on the embers of corona

Glowing, like my stock market whoop

people tell me, everybody sez that

i've done a job, like nobody's ever seen

Just stay healthy, 

and keep Old Yeller in the loop 

p.s. don't forget my mike.

vice president poodle

 

Pandemic thoughts....

. Got to do
When we wake up, we used to think: I gotta do A, B and C.
Now, we wake up and think: I may do A today.
Maybe.
We'll see.... 

. Good times
A good day doesn't depend on the day.
You think people in any other time woke and thought ...
"Oh god, I lived another night? I have to fight the dino again?"
"Crap! Another 1,000 rocks to pile at Machu Picchu..."
"Goddam. I have to stay home today."
 Nope. 
Their first brain-flickers, in order: 
Morning. 
Alive. 
Life. 

. Daily mantra
Groundhog Day is only a movie.

Another Sunday morning....

                        --Oscar Castro Neves - Rio Dawning

Brazil's celebrated tunesmith plays his gem with the Paul Winter Consort above, BUT ... 
Oscar Castro Neves sings his song at ...
https://youtu.be/sDBLvhmwihM 

It can lift your heart...

Waltzing Matilda...

z

Empty great cities of the world ... Paris, New York, London.

The New Yorker has put up short films capturing this eerie experience we're all going through on youtube.

But watching these stark images, reminds me of nothing so much as the final moments of On the Beach--Nevil Shute's end-of-times novel-turned-movie from 1959.

Those final moments are here ....

Easter morning

Since you cannot come to us, we’re coming to you...

"Since you cannot come to us, we're coming to you...
Now more than ever, we need the hope art brings, a break from the chaos... "
--Cirque du Soleil on YouTube

Canada's most imaginative export comes to the rescue of social isolation on YouTube. It's a perfect pandemic purge.

Cirque puts up an hour each week of highlights from a vault of current and past shows.  All magical, detailed, stunning.

Spectacular stuff, lovingly photographed. Includes O and Ka.

Here's a click-thru link to each hour, and what's in it...

April 10 show
https://youtu.be/VL0TG_nCqzE
. Segments from
.  ALEGRIA in Vegas
.  KOOZA, their touring tent show, and 
.  KA -- the war show now running at the MGM Grand

Highlights: the spinning flame and uplight deck platforms of Alegria
The mind-blowing battle stage prop in Ka.

March 27 show
https://youtu.be/nQ5eUJNXrMw
Segments from
. KURIOS, the curiosity shop and
. O -- 20 minutes of the fabled water show still running at the Bellagio
. LUZIA, all Spanish spice with a magical "big cat" waterhole sequence

Highlights: O's water, invisible lifts and flame stagecraft.
A reviewer: "The most spectacular production ever mounted in Las Vegas."
Playing two shows a night since 1998
And ... The Wheel of Death

April 3
https://youtu.be/allVFq3P-48
Segments from
. AMALUNA
. BAZZAR and  
. VOLTA

Highlights: balletic circus elements 

April 17
https://youtu.be/3zuBpFgxDCI
 ZED -- Hour-long circus show, filmed before a loving audience in Tokyo  

Jack Rabbit

In one eastern Ontario town, Jack delivered candy a week early

Game of Bones

z

BBC sportscaster Andrew Cotter:

"The ongoing lack of actual sports events I comment on can change a man ...."

Writers

Every time I sit at my desk, I look at my dictionary ...
A Webster's Second Unabridged with nine million words in it ...
and think ... All the words I need are in there.
They're just in the wrong order.
  --Fran Lebowitz

Backward Hippo may cause giggles

z
 Youtube wizard zefrank1 offers a new Animal Science profile, as odd as any he's ever put up

          Trump at presser:  "The flu is nothing to sneeze at..."

 

New Yorker cartoon by Brendan Loper

The Queen: "We'll meet again...."

Coronavirus: 'We'll meet again' - Queen recalls WWII song in bid to lift nation in lockdown 

 

Try not to remember the final moments of Dr. Strangelove...

 

Peter Sellers: "I have a plan!"

 

"I'll have what he's having ... "