The Brief Exchange
Floofvitate
Floofvitate (floofinition) – 1. To move under an animal’s influence.
In use: “Coerced by a three-cat weave around her cats and ankles, Beckie ended up floofvitating to the feeding station to refill their kibble bowl for what seemed like the third time that day.”
2. Animals’ predilection to move toward items.
In use: “As surely as animals floofvitate to sunshine for naps, cats often floofvitate to objects on shelves that they can knock off.”
Floof Test Dummies
Floof Test Dummies (floofinition) – Canfloofidan floof rock (flock) band with blues influences, formed in the mid 1980s.
In use: “The Floof Test Dummies 1993 song, “Rfff Rfff Rfff Rfff” achieved initial international success but has since been identified by some as one of the ‘worst songs ever’.”
Sunday’s Theme Music
Today’s music comes from 1994 and REM. “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” was a phrase repeated when two men attacked newsman Dan Rather in New York. It was a person’s refrain who wasn’t connected to reality.
So it’s a perfect song for now. We had an election in the US. Joe Biden won 80,000,000 votes, which translated to 306 electoral college votes. Trump won 74,000,000 votes and 232 electoral college votes. The U.S. government declared these the most secure elections ever. Yet, Trump keeps making declarations about fraud and cheating. His legal team took that to court in several dozen cases. Unable to provide any evidence of fraud, the cases were tossed again, again, again. Appeals were made, and the cases were again rejected.
Despite all this, Trump’s administration refused to participate with transitioning the government, trying to weasel out of the facts. They questioned the meaning of traditional phrases, like, ‘president-elect’. The madness and insanity was broad; the connection with reality and facts were nebulous.
Trump lost; of course, he lost. There was and is no fraud. But, as always, that man, that low-class, clueless ‘grab-them-by-the-pussy’ fraud, liar, and con man, has his supporters echoing, “What’d the frequency, Kenneth?”
Stay positive, test negative, and wear a mask. Cheers
R.E.M. – What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? (Official Music Video) – YouTube
Such Screwy Dreams
My dreams left me laughing and shaking my head. One involved food and family; the second was about military and ID (again) (but with changes).
In the first, my stepfather was there. ‘He and I didn’t get along’ is a loaded understatement. He was a large part of the unhappiest part of my life.
I knew that history in my dream, and even wondered, what’s he doing here. But I tried making nice, and he was being nice. My wife was there (she’d never met him), along with a couple of my sisters, and my mother.
First, weirdly, we — my wife and I — set up a television connection with the net to watch porn. Really. The plan wasn’t mine in the dream, and left me scratching my head, but I did as told. Then, lo, my stepfather and family sat down and turned on that porn. They were all laughing, asking, what’s that?
It was a flat screen TV. Distracting them, I spun it around so they couldn’t see the screw. Then I ran to the bedroom. Lifting the bedskirt, I located switches to change what they could see on the television. Then I dashed back, and turned the television back to them.
As they watched television, my wife and I prepared food for ourselves in the other room. I was having a Philly cheese steak sandwich; she was having a veggie version.
We went outside to eat. The food was on a plate. The house was on a busy corner. Some people passing asked if they could have a sandwich, offering to pay for it. My wife said, “Yes,” while I was like, “What? Don’t we need permits?” She was certain that we didn’t. Well, my wife and I started making and selling the sandwiches. Sales were great. We were happy, and sold them until we ran out of supplies.
The dream ended as my wife laughed, counted cash, and joked about doing it again.
The next dream took on a military spin. We wife and I were in temporary quarters, leaving a base. I think we may have been leaving the military. Well, we’re in bed when the door bangs open. Two guys walk in. I leap out of bed and rush across the room to confront them. I’m not big; they’re a good six inches taller and thirty pounds heavier. But this is the military and I’m a senior NCO, and that’s the power I’m using. I brace them, telling them that this is my room and they have no business being there. They’re disagreeing, saying the rules changed. I haven’t heard about changes, so I don’t give a shit, you know?
But I tell my wife what they told me, that there’s been unspecified changes that shifts our roles. Then I go out to learn more. After a few minutes, I return and tell her, I’ve confirmed what I was told, that it’s changed. Sitting down, we discuss the changes and agree that they were overdue, but that they don’t really matter, because we were done, suggesting we were giving up our military ID cards.
Then we leave with our baggage, and the dream ends.
In both dreams, I notice that it’s about changes. In the first, my relationship with my stepfather changed. Then my wife and I were making food for ourselves, but changed and started making and selling food. In the military dream, of course, there were changes that seem to reference the structure and our roles.
Then again, my dreams are often about change these days.
Floofsmanship
Floofsmanship (floofinition) – Conduct, such as fairness, respect for one’s opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing, becoming to one animal playing or socializing with another.
In use: “Older humans (and humans) often learn that young animals like kittens and puppies don’t follow the rules of floofsmanship.”
Steve Miller Floofs
Steve Miller Floofs (floofinition) – Floofmerican floof rock (flock) band formed in SF in the late 1960s.
In use: “A number of Steve Miller Floofs songs, such as “The Floofer” and “Jungle Floof”, became major hits for the group, and are known by multiple generations of pop fans.”
Saturday’s Theme Music
The holiday season is striking the U.S. once again. Technically, we’re celebrating several religious holidays, with secular, commercial spins. Christmas is the biggie, as wish lists and black Friday sales begin in October and run through New Year’s Day. Buy, buy, buy, you know. I have friends and family who had their Christmas decorations up in November this year. SMH, you know?
I always become introspective in holiday periods. This morning’s introspection after Thanksgiving brought up the 2019 Maroon 5 song, “Memories”. My stream was hooked on this verse:
There’s a time that I remember, when I did not know no pain
When I believed in forever, and everything would stay the same
Now my heart feel like December when somebody say your name
‘Cause I can’t reach out to call you, but I know I will one day, yeah
Everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody hurts someday, ayy-ayy
But everything gon’ be alright
Go and raise a glass and say, ayy
h/t to Lyricsvyrics.com
Stay positive, test negative, and wear a mask. Cheers
Friday Fraternization
- My wife was on her coffee clatch Zoom call in the other room. That’s what they call it; I adhere to their will. I could close the door, but I eavesdrop. They mostly talk about books and politics. Those are subjects that I enjoy. So I’m writing, but I’m distracted. Eventually, I put in my ear buds and listen to coffee shop noises.
- Bob Hoesch recommended that I try the coffee shop noises recorded on youtube. It’s an uneven experience. While the recording fulfills the coffee shop sounds, I’m lacking visual stimulation, and the smells. My mind likes all of these when I write. They’re not distractions but aids, as long as I’m not personally involved. Odd how the mind works, innit?
- My wife raved about the books The Stanger Diaries, Don’t Leave Me, and Squeezed on the call.
- The Baltimore Ravens were due to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thanksgiving. That game was delayed until Sunday due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among the Ravens. They traced the source to a trainer. He’d tested positive but didn’t tell the organization, and didn’t always mask as required. Lackadaisical practices within the organization caused problems with contact tracing as players and staff didn’t wear the tracking devices as required. The episode demonstrates the fragility of the safeguards, and how utterly dependent they are on everyone following the protocols, and the impact when they’re not followed. The Ravens’ season isn’t going as well as they’d hoped (and many expected), and these additional challenges just add to their mounting issues. It all does have a sort of ‘my kingdom for a nail’ ring to it.
- This just in: The Ravens-Steelers game has been moved to Tuesday.
- We were on a Friendsgiving Zoom with the people we usually do T-day with last night, a two-hour cocktail visit. They’re all intelligent and fun people, and the visit was a welcome interlude from the normal processes and routines.
- Tucker enjoys the Zoom calls. Exercise, coffee, whatever, he’s right there, a black and white long-haired feline who pays no attention to the people on the call admiring him. He seems to like the voices.
- Opposite of Tucker is Boo, the bedroom pantera, who hides from the voices. He wants no part of all those voices. As it was in the upper twenties and the sun was hiding, I didn’t want him out. I put him in the master suite with all the usual accoutrements. He hid in the corner of the closet, as expected, and stayed there until silence reigned.
- Papi (aka Meep, Youngblood, and the Ginger Blade) is the oddest of our cats when it comes to Zoom. He doesn’t like Mary B’s voice. It’s like he owes her money. “Oh, no, there’s Mary! I’m out of here.” As soon as Mary is off the call, he settles down in a comfy place and goes to sleep, even if others are talking.
- I’m struggling to keep up with my reading. See, priority-wise, outside of biological needs and relationship obligations with my wife, and cat stuff, writing is my highest priority. It’s a reward for putting in twenty years in the military and then almost another twenty in civilian employment, delaying my writing dream. I figure I owe myself. Outside of writing and the other matters, exercise is a high priority. I like getting twelve miles a day via walking/running.
- That keeps me from reading as much as I can. I attempt to read while running in place. That does work but proficiency in both decline and its dissatisfying. Don’t know what I’m going to do to resolve this. I like my reading.
- Now, lunch is done. That is, I’ve made it and eaten it. Time to get some coffee and return to writing like crazy, at least one more time. To quote an NFL player, “Stay positive, test negative.” Yeah, and wear masks, okay?
