Distraction Action Part ∞

Ghost Cat in a rare UNchimerical moment.

This could totally be Coco.

Yesterday, between work, obsessive checks for any possible good (or at least not horrific) news, I watched a lot of cute cat and octopi vids, read more of Robbie Robertson’s brill memoir, attempted to elliptical off the news-inspired fear and rage and cosseted our sweet Princess Coco all to hell and back.

The news I had attempted to duck?

• The Liar in Chief continues to…well, lie constantly. On average he spouts 2.6 verifiable whoppers per day and his Republican party still supports him. Sure, Senators Flake and Corker have said a few unflattering things but look at how they vote.

• 69 Republicans have voted against sending more aid to devastated Puerto Rico. Y’all do know that Puerto Ricans ARE American citizens, right? 

• I feel certain those same 69 heartless fuckers, as well as the rest of that heinously head-up-their-donor's-asses crew, are cheering on the Orange Menace’s bizarre, hateful, anything-to-erase-Obama deletion of healthcare. Yeah, this one's got me mega panicked.

• The Nazi/KKK/Tiny Brained and Midget Dicked Tiki Torch Brigade were on the march again in Charlottesville. Thomas Ten Bears over at Homeless on the High Desert notes:

It is by small steps of incremental meanness and viciousness that we lose our humanity. The Nazis, in the end, embodied the ascension of utter demonic inhumanity, but they didn’t get that way overnight. They got that way through, day after day, attacking and demonizing and urging the elimination of those they deemed their enemies.

And this has been going on here for some time.

• Charles P. Pierce who always brings the bad with arch wit, had this to say about von Clownstick's decertification of the Iran deal:

Leave aside the fact that he presented no evidence for his charges. Do you think he could find Iran on a map? Do you think if you gave him three possible answers as to what the capital of Iran is, he’d get it right? If you Photoshopped the face of the Ayatollah Khomeini into a photo of ZZ Top, do you think he’d be able to tell you which of the four bearded guys wasn’t in the band?

Ennis House outside

Ennis House Interior

I feel as though I ought to send Mister Robertson a thank you note. He's surely sent my bean, if only for an hour here and there,  to other, better places.

 In the book, he mentions Frank Lloyd Wright’s wild, creepy Ennis House in LA. He and Dylan, on one of their tours, were staying at a house across the street.

Amongst other movies, Ennis House is featured in Bladerunner – one of my fave flicks of all time. Its exterior also appears as "The Mansion,” Angel (as Angelus), Spike, and Drusilla’s digs in one season of Buffy.

JAYzus, I SO want to visit this joint! It’s just been bought by a dude named Ron Burkle – what this means re: tours is unknown.

I can’t head out to visit Ennis House today but I can jump into Bix for a wee drive. Maybe I’ll engage in a little leaf peeping. Maybe I’ll motor up to the tippy top of Hogback Mountain, purchase some fudge and watch the sun make it’s way across the mountains and valleys below. That ought to keep my nerves calmed for a minute or two.