Happy Solstice, hippies.  It’s the first day of winter, the shortest day and the longest night of the year, which makes it one of the finest days on the Gallaway Calendar.
Speaking of the calendar, I’m considering stepping things up schedule-wise with the books, given the recent brush with mortality.

N.P.: “Flieger Gruss Mir Die Sonne” – Eisbrecher

I was promised fog the last two nights, but no fog was delivered.  That feeble meteorologist is again promising fog tonight, but he has about as much credibility as the governor these days, so I’m sure tomorrow morning will be clear as a fucking crystal.  Why, Lord…why must you keep your humble servant in this, the most meteorologically banal place on the planet?  What the fuck, Lord?  Don’t just hang there…do something!  Make it rain!  How hard can it be?  You created weather…deploy that shit.

N.P.: “Night Flower” – cEvin Key, Edward Ka-Spel

The edicts of hypocrites inspire defiance.

N.P.: “Prime” – Faderhead

All apologies, dear reader…you know only the most extreme forces of nature could keep me from our nightly get-togethers.  I had to deal with Death.  He showed up rather early for our meeting…about a decade early by my reckoning.  Anyway, I (with the help of a few friends) politely invited Death to kiss my ass, for this week, at least.  I felt a little bit bad for Death (I think he got written up over it), but just as he has his schedule, so do I have mine.  And my work is, in my humble opinion, far more important than his.  I mean, come on:  any idiot can go kill a list a people…only I can write these books.
Dude doesn’t talk, much, Death.  He actually doesn’t talk at all.  I suppose he doesn’t have to.  But it dragged our little kerfuffle this week out about twice as long as it needed to be.

N.P.: “One of the Living – Extended Version” – Tina Turner

So three amateurs solved the Zodiac cipher.  The FBI’s been trying for 51 years, but they couldn’t do it.  Most impressive.

N.P.: “96 Tears” – Garland Jeffreys

Welp, it’s raining, so the strike’s over.  That was a most effective work stoppage.
I don’t know how you feel about Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” dear reader, but the best movie version I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot of versions) is hands down FX’s 2019 version starring Guy Pearce and Andy Serkis.  Guy Pearce does for Ebeneezer Scrooge what Heath Ledger did for the Joker, which is to make him realistic and believable instead of previous incarnations which were all cartoonish and campy.  I’m also a big fan of the way they explain ghosts and purgatory and hauntings and the mechanics of how all that works.  Brilliant acting, a great script, great production…I highly recommend.  Streaming on Hulu at the moment.

N.P.: “Doctorin’ The Tardis – Radio Version” – The Flag

Morocco-Israel peace deal.  The first such arrangement between the countries in decades.  The fourth mideast peace deal in as many months. Happy Hanukkah.

Congressman Swalwell should be found guilty of treason and shot on the White House lawn.

Still no rain, still on strike.

N.P.: “I’m A Wreck – Live from 2020” – AWOLNATION

I’m on strike until it rains.

N.P.: “Take My Breath Away – Orchestral Version” – Berlin

Five legislators from mostly Southern California (fuck it…it was Tasha Boerner Horvath from Encinitas, Chris Ward from San Diego, Adrin Nazarian from West Toluca Lake, Chad Mayes from Rancho Mirage, and Mark Levine from Marin County) came to Sacramento (after instituting a travel ban) to have lunch at a downtown restaurant (violating last week’s health order prohibiting gatherings of members of more than three households).
What isn’t really being reported is when the reporter who spotted them approached them with questions, one covered her face with a scarf, another asked, “Can’t we just eat?” which is pretty much exactly what most Californians want to ask of their power-drunk politicians who just attempted to cancel Thanksgiving dinner.  None of the respective offices responded when asked for comment.  Because what the fuck is there to say at this point, really?  Hypocritical idiots should be removed from office at once deported.  I don’t care…just send them to another state.  Send them to one of the Dakotas.
Americans continue to disappoint with the astounding amount of shit they are apparently willing to eat.  Don’t worry, dear reader…when they’ve finally had enough, I’ll be here.

N.P.: “No Heaven” – Champion

It was 73°F today.  It’s fucking December.  I am finding it rather difficult to express myself whilst stuck for such a prolonged period in the midst of this atmospheric perversion.  The weather is grotesque.  I’m too upset to write, dear reader.

N.P.: “Sad But True” – The HU