Rant #3,712: Shout

Yes, we are finally in June, and the warmer weather is right around the corner.

That is reason itself to cherish the coming of this month, in addition to the fact that today, 32 years ago, my wife and I were married, certainly the best thing I did in my entire life.

And i want to shout that message from the roof tops!

That is the happy part of this Rant.

Now, for the not-so happy part, a part i dont like talking about, but i feel that i must.

Please just hear me out.

The past few years, when June knocks at the door, I kind of cringe, because I know that what has become a major event held during the month is going to be foisted on us, whether we like it or not.

i am talking about the all-encompassing Pride Month, which stretches across the entirety of June while it also stretches any sane person's patience.

The media picks up on this "celebration" of LGBTQ pride like a bee to honey, and we are barraged with over-coverage of this event, with parades and other events highlighting those in this community.

I respectfully have to comment on this.

When you define yourself solely by your sexuality, you are never going to be fully accepted.

And the way the media covers this ... funny, I don't remember the local New York CBS outlet having a float in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Columbus Day Parade, or the Israel Day Parade, yet they annually have one in the Pride Parade. 

Why is that?

If you are gay, that is fine. But don't continually hit us all over the head with your sexuality. Nobody really cares, but you are forcing us to care, and you are forcing people like me to speak our mind about this.

A news organization is never supposed to be the story. Here, they have made themselves the story by wholly participating in this parade. 

Can anyone answer my question about a major media outlet's participation in this parade over the others?

And i am sure CBS is not the only such participant.

All that they have done is helped to make this nothing but a political engagement, and that is wrong. 

We accept too much as being "normal" today, and if you base your existence wholly on your sexuality, I am afraid you are never going to be fully accepted by the greater breadth of society.

And we devote a full month to this ... what about other groups, like our veterans? We have ONE DAY devoted to those who have served in the military ... two days if you count Memorial Day, where we honor those who have given their lives so our society can continue to thrive, and that includes the LGBTQ community, too.

We give two days to our war heroes, and an entire month to the LGBTQ community?

Please.

The month of June has been fully hijacked by an entirely political celebration that many in the general populace do not truly care about, and respectfully, holidays should not be political like this event has turned out to be. 

The cat is out of the bag, this celebration is certainly not going away, but not everyone is enthralled with Pride Month and its existence.

I might be the only one to shout out about it, but so be it.

All that I ask is for you to respect my opinion, and yes, I truly respect yours.

Have a good weekend, and i will speak to you again on Monday, the beginning of perhaps one of the busiest weeks of my adult life.

Rant #3,711: Picking Up the Pieces

Records ...

Records ...

Records ...

Records to the left of me, records to the right of me ...

And here I am ...

Stuck in the middle--

With boxes.

Yes, I am at it again, with the final boxes I have to empty, which contain my wife's records.

Yes, her collection is not as prolific as mine, but she still has a good 300-400 12-inch records--

And it is my job to alphabetize them, just like I did with my own collection.

If my records were a mess, her records are a cataclysm.

So many of the records are mixed up, in no order at all, and I have a sneaking suspicion that these vinyl disks haven't been in order for decades, or even ever.

That, alone, makes it difficult enough to put them in order.

But what makes it even worse is that many of her 12-inch records are 12-inch singles, which were very popular in the 1970s and into the 1980s.

Most of these are dance/disco recordings, and you can't really see who the artist is because the singers usually aren't prominently featured on the sleeves.

Some are, but for every Madonna, there are Stevie B, Flaspoint, Cerrone and dozens of others who I have to look at the record label to try to find out who the performers on the records are.

And since I never heard of most of them--this is a genre of music I never got into and really didn't like to begin with--it makes it all the more difficult to figure out who is who.

I have all today to get these things in order, as we have another piece of furniture that will be up and ready to go by the end of the day.

I have already filled two boxes full of records in alphabetical order, with about a box to go before everything is in the proper order.

Then once the furniture is ready to go, I can put these away, get rid of the boxes, and finally move on.

I honestly did not realize that my wife had so many records, but she does, and the care I put on getting my own records in order is a mandate I have to follow with my wife's records.

And her 45s ...

Don't get me started ... .

Rant #3,710: Nothing's Changed

I tried out the barbecue yesterday.

I did it because I had to get my frustrations out.

Among other things, I had an MRI appointment postponed until today, which fouls up my entire week, preventing me from doing what I wanted to do related to my son's employment possibilities.

And that is just a tip of the iceberg at what is frustrating me right now, but I will leave it at that for now.

Anyway, I vented my frustration on the used grill I recently purchased--

And I have to say, everything came up--

Cooked to perfection.

I tried it by letting it warm up for 20 minutes to a half hour, and doing some work I had to do while it warmed up.

I edited a story, which took about about a half hour, and I discovered thst the grill was ready to go--as I checked here and there, it actually took about 10 to 15 minutes to heat up.

I put on two hot dogs and a knish,  and within about 10 minutes, the food was ready.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and ate my food with glee.

I always enjoyed barbecuing, and I really missed it when we moved from the house.

But now, with the terrace in our new apartment, we are allowed to barbecue, albeit electrically, and not by coal.

Electric barbecuing IS NOT as good as coal barbecuing, but I really don't mind the change.

Now, someone who was really raked over the coals was New York Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau, who was fired yesterday from his post.

I don't get it.

The guy took them to the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, and the players and fans loved him.

After years of dysfunction, he helped make the Knicks credible again--

But the dysfunction is evidently still there, as proven by this idiotic move.

Who will become coach is anyone's guess, as is why Thibs was fired in the first place, as he was the team's most successful coach this century.

He was no Red Holzman, but he was a terrific coach.

With the NBA Finals ready to begin--and the off-season trades and draft right around the corner--it would behoove the Knicks to name a new coach ASAP.

I like my new old electric grill, but Thibideau has got to believe he was charred by this move.

I don't get it--

Do you?

Rant #3,709: What's Going On

That completely despicable incident in Boulder, Colorado--where an idiot Hamas sympathizer threw Molatov cocktails at innocent Jewish marchers, manybif them elderly, and setting them ablaze--was yet another incident demonstrating that the intifada is here, and all of us--Jew and non-Jew alike--must be fully aware of this situation.

The perpetrator came from Egypt, let his visa lapse, and was here illegally for the past three months or so.

He decided to set ablaze Jews marching for the release of the remaing histages--and dead bodies--still in the possession of the terrorist Hamas group.

And while throwing one explosive device after another at this peaceful crowd, he yelled "Free Palestine" as he mercilessly carried out his devious plan--

And told police that he didn't regret anything he did, and, in fact, would do it again.

And most of the world had little or no comment about this horrid incident.

It is easy to say that this has to stop, but how can it be stopped?

I really don't know, to be honest with you.

The media continues to spread horrid lies about Israel, the latest of which is that Isrselis were shooting at Palestnians as they strove to get food.

CNN, among others, picked up on this lie, without any fact checking, which would have shown that Israelis were not doing the shooting, if there was any shooting done at all.

When the media reports total falsehoods, it is difficult to combat what they say, even if it is wrong.

The word gets out, and like the game of telephone, it gets out in one form and grows tentacles as the word moves on.

And we need to fully acknowledge that Hamas are terrorists, not militants as the media would have us believe.

They constantly paint themselves as the victim against Israel, and it is truly amazing how many people buy into this.

Funny how people forget that Hamas started this war by their subhuman actions on October 7, 2023.

The world should have condemned that action right then and there, and they did not. Heck, the United Nations have never officially condemned the actions of Hamas, but they, of course, and the world at large, has plenty to say when Israel takes actions to defend itself 

Back to Hamas ... they have had hostages since they started this war--even dead bodies--they use their own people as human shields, and they steal food intended for supposedly innocent Palestinians.

But back to our own country--

How do we stop the intifada from encroaching on the American way of life?

First, we must admit that Islam is not a peaceful religion.

It has been proven time and time again what an idiotic assessment this is.

What other religion treats others like they do?

We must also strengthen the vetting system for visas, students or otherwise.

There should be a pause on issuing these visas to anyone on a specific list of Arab countries, simply because people coming here from those countries simply cannot be trusted to behave when they come to America.

We cannot undue what was done via the visa process in the past, but we can stop it from festering to a level even worse than it is today.

And the media must change its ways, which might be the most difficult thing of all to do.

I do not know specially what ails the media, but its anti-Jewish and anti-Israel rhetoric is appalling--and it has spread like wildfire. 

We have young people who have no idea what the Holpcaust is. May was Jewish Anerican Heritage Month, and this celebration was completely ignored by the media.

Why?

Jews must not be afraid in their own communities.

I just heard that someone in Manhattan was punched in the face simply because he was Jewish. Again, the perpetrators shouted "Free Palestine. "

Anti-Jewish hate crimes represent 56 percent of all hate crimes registered in New York City.

Those two young Isrseli diplomats were gunned down by another "Free Palestine" Hamas groupie.

These horrid incidents have to stop here in our country, but the fact of the matter is that they are happening not just here, but in just about every supposedly civilized country of the world. 

Yes, the intifada has come to those countries, too.

It has to stop.

And why do some people not understand what "Never Again" means?

It is, after all, not just a slogan.

Things must change. 

Anti-semitism must be rooted out.

Why does it exist to begin with?

Jealously, pure jealously, at what the Jewish people have been able to do in spite of all the hurdles.

Rant #3,708: Something's Cooking

June has finally arrived!

Although the entire month has been hijacked by one "celebration" that I am not going to talk about now--not the time or the place--the coming of the month signifies that summer is right around the corner.

In less than three weeks, we will officially be in the summer season, and that means warm weather and everything that revolves around that.

It has been fairly cool lately in my neck of the woods, but forecasters have assured us that by the end of this week, we will finally be in the 80s, and next week we could actually see 90.

So with our new apartment and our new terrace, it is just about time for barbecuing season, so what did I do this past weekend?

I bought a barbecue.

We are only allowed an electric one in our development, so I looked around, and they are kind of pricey, well over $200 brand new.

So I did something i had never done before ...

I actually bought a used barbecue, and I did it off of Facebook Marketplace 

Look, I knew I wasn't going to get a brand new barbecue off of there, but I figured that I could get something decent there for a fraction of the price, and on Saturday afternoon, my son and I went to a neighboring community to look it over and ultimately, pay for it and pick it up and bring it home.

It is a well-used barbecue, and it needs a thorough cleaning.

My wife cleaned part of it as best she could, and if I have time today, I will do some more cleaning.

My parents had an electric barbecue for decades, and while nothing is as good as a real barbecue using coals, we can't barbecue in our development using coal, so this will have to do.

We tested it before we purchased it, it does heat up, but I know from my parents' electric barbecue thst it can take about 20 minutes to a half hour to really get it going.

I will try it later this week, and I hope it does what it is supposed to do.

Since we moved from the house, one of things I missed most was barbecuing during the summer.

But now, with our move, I can get into it again, and honestly, i can't wait.

My wife doesn't like real barbecuing--she doesnt like the smokey taste--but she prefers barbecuing electrically, so this is all fine with her.

And if for some reason this thing doesn't work, there is still time to get another one as we prepare for the summer and July 4, our country's 249th birthday.

So I will let you know how this all turns out.

I can almost taste it!

Rant #3,707: Fever

Well, I am glad that's over!

I finished the final meeting recap that I had to do for work, and now i get a little breather next week--

Before it all starts up again the following week.

This last one was, to me, was the most difficult, because the speakers pretty much read their presentations, so it was very bland and boring.

It was so obvious with one of the speakers, as, evidently unaware to him, he put up the stapled pages he was reading from in front of his face, and thus, in front of his computer's camera.

At least it was audibly listenable pretty much the entire way through, which always makes the job a bit easier.

But it is done, before I can get a "fever" about it.

And when i use the word "fever," it is the only segue way I could think of to talk about the life of guitarist Rick Derringer, who passed away the other day.

You might not recognize the name, but you have heard his guitar playing and production on dozens of recordings, everyone from Cyndi Lauper to "Weird Al" Yankovic to Barbra Streisand to Edgar Winter.

One of the most prolific session guitarists of all time began his life as Rick Zehringer--later Derringer--and he first rose to prominence with his band The McCoys, which had one of the biggest hits of the 1960s in "Hang On Sloopy."

(He is on the far left in the photo above.)

The McCoys had one other big hit--the "Sloopy" sound alike "Fever"--that is where my reference came from--tried to change into a harder rocking band, but by the late 1960s, they were done.

Derringer then morphed into a popular session and backing musician, played in the bands backing up Lauper and Yankovic, and had an interesting solo career, with his best-known solo tune being "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo."

Derringer had quite an interesting career, and he will certainly be missed--

Unlike those meeting write-ups that I had to do, which I won't miss at all.

Notice how I back segued into that.

Now I will try to hang on ...

Oh, enough of that already!

Have a good weekend, and i will speak to you again on Monday.

Rant #3,706: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Well, here i am again, and I am smack dab in the middle of that story i have to finish.

So today's Rant is going to be another "story" Rant, but i should be back tomorrow in full force.

One week of normalcy, followed up by one week of horror--two major doctor's appointments, and two eight-hour meetings to cover--but let's not put the cart before the horse ... let me take one week at a time.

So here is today's entry. 

Please let me know what you think.

28

The school day ended, and on this day, since his mother was not at work and was at a conference, Abraham Lincoln Panim had to walk home all by his lonesome.

After his class filed out of the room, he got together whatever work he needed to take home, put his scarf around his neck—not around his face--and made his own way down the hall to the exit.

As he did this, he noticed both male and female teachers, school workers and aides, lunch room ladies and whatever students were still in school, almost moving to the sides of the hall, to the left and to the right, parting the hall in half and clearing the way to him to proceed to the exit.

Teachers, students, aides and whoever else was there—both male and female--stared at him as he walked past them, and he had a slight smile on his face as he moved past them, knowing that he was being stared at—and liking the feeling.

Some people whispered, not thinking that he could hear them.

“He is the most handsome man I have ever seen,” said one female teacher to another as “Mr. Abraham” walked past them.

“Rat face? That is the face of an Adonis,” said another.

“Now we have competition,” said a male teacher. “What chance do I have against this guy?”

“My goodness. He is just so handsome,” said one lunch lady to another. “I wish he was my son.”

“I wish I had him as a teacher,” said one of the female students who stood near the exit. “He is so … I mean so—

“Oh dry up,” said a male student standing nearby. “He is way out of your league!”

“Mr. Abraham” opened the door and left the school for the day, walking on the same streets he and his mother regularly passed when they drove by car to and from the school.

And if Abraham Lincoln Panim got a great reaction when he walked down the school hall to the exit, that reaction continued as he walked up and down the streets to his home, from people who did not know him.

“My, what a good-looking young man,” said and elderly lady to her friend, who had just come out of the local supermarket.

“Yes, wouldn’t we all love to have him as our grandchild,” said her friend.

‘No, dear, I want him as my … husband!” the other woman said, and both chuckled but never lost their gaze of him.

Abraham Lincoln Panim could see out of the corner of his eyes that male and female, young and old, were staring at him as he walked home, and staring at him with awe.

He thought to himself, “I like it, I really do,” as he tugged on his scarf. And why shouldn’t I like it … I have been through hell all through my life because of that … that … rat face that I have, err, had, so why shouldn’t I like all the attention I am getting now?”

Abraham Lincoln Panim came to the front door of his home, took out his key, and put it into the keyhole as two young girls stopped in their tracks to look at him. The key was already in the keyhole, but he purposely took extra time to turn the key and let himself in as the young girls giggled when he turned around and winked at him.

“Yes, I can get used to this, I can get used to this every day,” he thought to himself. “I can never tire of this … and I deserve it, anyway.”

Rant #3,705: I Can't Take It

This morning is the calm before the storm, as this afternoon, I have to cover another meeting for work.

That makes it five weeks in a row of this, and for my great performance, I get a week off to breathe--

And then the following week, I get the pleasure of covering two additional meetings, each eight hours apiece.

I am kind of getting slightly burnt out with all of this, but because I am good at what I do, I know that I will get through it all in grand style.

I can complain all that I want, but it is my job to cover these things ...

It's just that it seems I haven't had much of a break.

But whatever, I will get it done.

One of the things I do to relax is that when I can, I watch old Our Gang/Little Rascals short features that are available on YouTube.

And I am talking about "old" shorts from the series--

The silent ones.

The series featured more than 220 episodes, but somewhere around 90 of them were done during the mid to late 1920s, during the silent era, and those who think that the series' most popular characters were Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla and Buckwheat, these shorts are a revelation.

They not only set the foundation for what was to come, but their cast of characters was equally popular during their time, including Joe, Jackie, Mary and Farina.

These shorts--most of which i haven't seen before--are well done and quite inventive, and without them, there would certainly not have been Spanky or the others, and the series would not have lasted 20 years in its original form.

And to watch these short features 100 years or more after they premiered in theaters is something truly incredible.

The shorts are in pretty good condition--some of the shorts have been lost or are in truncated form--but most are in good-to-excellent shape.

And to have them on YouTube makes them readily accessible, and let me tell you, they are quite funny and inventive.

So if you have never seen these before, I wholeheartedly recommend them.

Anything that helps me to relax is a real plus, and even though some of these 15-30 minute episodes were made before my parents were born, seeing them for the first time makes them brand new, at least to me.

Below is a link to one of these shorts. 

Go with it, and you won't be disappointed.

Now, my horror show is lurking, so let me go.

The Blog will be back tomorrow, in one form or another.

But let me laugh first.

https://youtu.be/XuVnmwrVBPQ?si=s91ucfh74ZZPWN4J

Rant #3,704: A Penny For Your Thoughts

My wife and I didn't do very much on Memorial Day.

With our son seeing a friend of his, all that my wife and I did was sit on our terrace for an hour or so.

I also digitized some records, but really, that was about it.

I could kick myself, though.

It is great to have all of my records all together for the first time in many months, but if I had to do it all over again, I would have held off for a while and used that money to purchase a grill.

As the only apartment dwellers with a terrace in this entire development we are living in, we are allowed an electric grill ... no charcoal or gas.

I should have purchased a grill, and we could have used it on Memorial Day.

Now, I have vowed to buy a grill by July 4.

I better save my pennies ....

Let me rephrase that ... I better save the pennies that I already have, because once the current allotment of blanks run out, the federal government announced that it won't be minting any new pennies.

The reason?

It simply costs too much to make a single penny, three or four cents versus what the penny is worth, which is one cent.

I have seen people throw pennies on the ground when they receive the coins in change, and sometimes, people simply leave them at the register or tell the cashier that they don't want them.

Me, when I get a penny in change, I keep it.

I have a sandwich bag in my car, and I put my pennies--and all change--in the bag, and i use the coins to give exact change when I am paying for things or to get rid of when I am at the self-checkout lane in the supermarket.

I like pennies, but evidently, they aren't just costly, but they are becoming increasingly unnecessary.

So many people use their debit and credit cards to pay for things in person or online that using pennies--or any actual money--is becoming something of a thing of the past.

And psychologically, when you pay for something with a ".99" at the end of the dollar cost, you think you are getting a bargain, that it is "less than" the next dollar amount up, but i guess people have wised up on that nonsense.

But I still like to keep pennies so I can pay exact change, but I guess i am in the minority at this point in time.

Pennies won't really ever disappear; these coins will be in circulation for many years to come.

It is just that no new pennies will be made, so all the pennies that are available will be of older vintage.

I guess you cant be "penny-wise and pound foolish" anymore ...

But that won't stop me.

I will still relish my pennies, and if I see one on the ground, I will pick it up--

Hopefully with heads up.

Rant #3,703: Time To Remember

Happy Memorial Day!

I know many of us will be going to barbecues, going to the beach, and pretty much having a nice day off, but while you are having this fun, think about the reason that you are able to enjoy yourselves--

The sacrifices of our service members, and those that made "the ultimate sacrifice" to allow us the freedom to do whatever we want.

My late father served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, as did my late father in law. 

My brother in law served in the Navy.

Happily, they made it home in one piece, but thousands of others didn't.

That is what today really is all about, to honor those in all the wars and conflicts our country has been in who didn't come home.

I think that fact is often forgotten about as we celebrate this day.

Memorial Day has almost become more well known as "the beginning of summer " even though summer doesn't actually begin until slightly less than a month from now.

But whatever the case, today is a day off for many of us--

But not me.

I gave in some things that I had completed to my work, which I am sure is closed today, but I handed it in anyway, just to get it out of the way.

I will see if there is anything else to do, and if there is, I may as well do it, but I think things will be pretty quiet.

Later in the week, I have another conference to cover, so I will take today in stride, and hope things are a little slow.

That is something our service members can't do, as they are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

My father often said that every young person should participate in mandatory military service, because he felt that this type of service could point our younger citizens in the right direction, and prepare them for the future.

I, personally, had no inclination to go into the military, but I did understand his point.

Now that I cover the military--hard to believe that I have been doing this for nearly 30 years--I do see the sacrifices made by our military members, and by their families.

It is not an easy job, a job that maybe 1 percent of the population partakes in.

And God forbid there is a conflict to participate in ...

You have to hand it to those facing such a possibility first hand.

So, when you bite into your hot dog or hamburger today, at least think, for a moment, about those who make such a happy time possible--

And those who have perished to ensure that you can have that happy time.

Rant #3,702: We Belong

Yes, I finished that report I had to write up for work, and the 4,600 words are in the bag.

Two more over the next two weeks and when that is put in the bag, I will be done with this nightmare.

One next Wednesday, and then a double one on the following Tuesday and Wednesday, I do believe.

But at least it all keeps me busy--

Something that that Hamas groupie won't be for probably the rest of his life.

I am talking about the imbecile who gunned down two young Israeli Embassy employees on Wednesday night as they left the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

In what officials are calling a targeted attack, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were gunned down and murdered by a madman--

Simply because they were Jewish. 

The couple were boyfriend and girlfriend, and reports are that the young man was planning to propose to his girlfriend on a trip to Jerusalem next week.

The suspect, 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was detained by museum security and was heard shouting "Free Palestine." 

The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime, as well as one of terrorism.

These Hamas groupies are all nuts to begin with, supporting a vile terrorist group that treats its people like garbage, yet paints itself as a humanitarian organization.

We are a free country here, but protesting and causing havoc is really crossing over the line at what is permissible here.

And this act not only goes over the line, but it obliterated that line.

Whether we realize it or not, the United States is in a war with these cretins.

It is not a war with guns and tanks, but a war of ideologies--

One sensible, the other totally senseless.

And we have U S. citizens and others in this country who have just about made it chic to boast anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and anti-U.S. rhetoric.

We have been fed this nonsense that Islam is a peaceful religion, but time and time again, we see that it is just the opposite.

When is the media going to stop hoisting this idiocy on us?

And did you know that May is Jewish Anerican Heritage Month?

You would never know it, because the media refuses to cover it.

It is this type of attitude that helps to foster anti-Semitism and Jewish hate.

And certainly eggs on those "students" who have been destroying college and university campus life.

And social media certainly doesn't help, with its "Wild West" attitude related to Jews.

And please, don't conflagurate this hate with other hate, in particular Islamophobia.

This is a separate and unique hate, and to pile anti-Semitism in with other repugnant behavior simply dilutes the horrors of anti-Semitism, which has seemingly been going on since the beginning of time.

Many people who get enraged at other acts of hate simply turn their backs when it comes to anti-Semitism, including, I'm upset to say, many Jews themselves.

And, of course, the war that Hamas started on October 7, 2023 has simply fueled the fire of those who think that Jews should be removed from the face of the earth, and that Israel should be obliterated.

Shame on the world which blames Israel and the Jewish people for every nuance of the atrocities in the Middle East.

And I can tell you, as a Jew myself. You can hate us all you want, because we aren't going anywhere.

We will continue to excel, we will continue to defend ourselves, and we will probably continue to be the focal point of every anti-Semite--

Who are jealous as can be, and still can't understand how we continue to prosper, even in the face of such hate.

Have a great weekend, and i will speak to you again on Monday.

Rant #3,701: Dream Weaver

I really and truly wish this nightmare was over, but I have two weeks to go before my weekly coverage of meetings for work is finally over.

And no, I haven't finished the latest installment just yet, so today's Rant is going to be another reading Rant.

Sorry about that, but i just don't have the time right now to deliver something better.

So here is another chapter of my novel, and I hope to give you something better tomorrow.

And did I mention that I have to go to the urologist later today for another checkup?

Yes, these ordeals are, truly, a pain in the butt, both figuratively and literally.

27

When he opened the classroom door, “Mr. Abraham” went to his desk, and saw the students file in, with Melissa once again the first one into the room.

She sat in her usual first seat in the first row, and as her fellow students came into the room, they scowled at her, each and every one of them, and as each student came in and looked at her, she slid further into her seat.

“Melissa, sit up in your seat, or you are going to fall on the floor,” “Mr. Abraham” said to her, as the class laughed. “I was on the floor the other day, and I can tell you from personal experience that it is not a good place to be.”

He continued, “I think Melissa might have, what shall we say, her tail between her legs a little bit right now. Melissa knows what she did, and she has to live with it. Let’s move on to our work.”

The day went well for Abraham Lincoln Panim and his class. The students were attentive, they did the work they were supposed to be doing, and everything went as well as he could have hoped.

Every so often, he would see both teachers and students peering through the small glass in the window that was in the classroom door. He would look over, give whoever was at the door a wink, and those at the door would scamper away.

“Boy, I am so happy to be in this class, because ‘Mr. Abraham’ is, like, the most handsome man I have ever seen,” said one girl in the back of the room to another girl just ahead of her.

“Yes, he is so dreamy,” said the other girl.

“Who is so dreamy?” “Mr. Abraham” asked the two girls as they spoke to each other.

“Umm … umm … well … you are, ‘Mr. Abraham.’ You are!”

“Well, you might find me dreamy, and you might be right, but we still have some work to do, so let’s put the dreams aside and get to what we are supposed to do,” “Mr. Abraham” said, with a definite chuckle in his voice.

He eyed Melissa in the front row, and she sunk further down into her seat as Abraham Lincoln Panim spoke to the other two girls.

He turned to Melissa and said, “And Melissa, sit up in your seat,” he said. “That tail between your legs seems to be pushing you off the chair. It’s better if you sit up.”

And she did just that. Or at least tried to, as all eyes of her fellow students were on her, with that same scowl that they came into the room with after lunch.

Rant #3,700: I Second That Emotion

HURRA!

HURRAH!

HOORAY!

We have reached another milestone at The Ranting and Raving Blog.

After slightly more than 16 years of existence, this blog has reached 3,700 posts.

That's a lot of ranting, and a lot of raving, but it has all been fun--

And I do this for fun, and to keep my writing skills sharp, too, but the fact of the matter is that although the site is monetized, I don't make a dime off of it.

Nothing.

I set it up to be monetized all those years ago, but honestly, I don't know what happened, but it does not generate any dollars for me--

Which is fine, because as i said, I do it for fun.

I have always had a lot to say, and I simply use this forum to say it.

Again, you don't have to agree with a word that I say, but as long as your replies are civil, that is fine with me.

Things have changed so much during the past 16 years, in our world and for me, personally.

Heck, 16 years ago I was 52 years of age, working full time and doing the best I could in a company that was a bit dysfunctional.

Now, I am 68 years of age, supposedly retired but really not, and I am doing the best I can after two major operations on my left leg and a couple of other health problems.

About the only thing that has remained the same is that I still have a bald head--

Not my decision, but nothing I can do about it, either.

I also have another meeting to write about for work, so Rant #3,701 probably won't be one of the best--if it appears at all--but beyond that, I will try to do the best that I can here, as we approach Rant #3,800, which should come in November or so.

But rather than put the cart before the horse, let me get through today and the next two weeks of meetings that I have to cover.

And thank you for reading what I have to say-without you, this Rant wouldn't be as fun as it is.

So onward and upward; are you ready for 3,700 more Rants?

I am, I can tell you that!

Rant #3,699: Can You Dig It?

Finally.

Yesterday, in between working and everything else I do during the day, I finally put all of my record albums on the shelves that we bought from IKEA.

I have thousands of albums in my collection, and two weeks ago, I put all the "A's"--starting with "Abbott and Costello"-- through "Mike and the Mechanics" on the first set of shelves.

It took a few hours, but everything was pretty much in order, so, with a few exceptions, I was able to put everything away relatively quickly.

While waiting for the next unit to cone, I had about 20 boxes of records to sort through, and I alphabetized everything, but by box.

So when the second unit came and was set up, it was time for me to go to work again, and I had to go back and forth between 20 boxes, and I have to tell you, it was much more difficult to do than the first batch was.

It took me around six hours to do it, but I found that I have so many records that the new record unit wasn't large enough to hold them--

So the second unit runs from "Roger Miller" to "Freddy Weller"--

And "Orson Welles" through "Zombies" is in a plastic storage crate.

It really couldn't be helped, but it isn't a bad situation.

Now 20 boxes are out the door and in the trash, but we aren't done yet.

We still have about five boxes or so that haven't been emptied yet, but now that the main boxes are done, we can move onto those last boxes.

They appear to be mainly my wife's stuff--her own records and some other things--so we will take care of those boxes this week.

And one thing leads to another--

The corner of the house where we put all the boxes will soon be bare, and we are going to need some furniture to fill that up.

Wow!

After all of this, I can't even fathom doing anything else now, other than going to sleep.

Yes, a day later, i am still pooped.

I have had it! 

But now, I have every one of my records--45s and LPs--with me and in order, so if I want to go to sleep, I could do it to the strains of The Association ...

The Beatles ...

Cheap Trick ...

The Dave Clark Five ...

Herman's Hermits ...

The Monkees ...

Paul Revere and the Raiders ...

The Rolling Stones ...

Or something more obscure, like Pezband and Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ...

Rant #3,698: Aint No Mountain High Enough

My son had an interview with a major movie chain on Saturday.

It was for a lower-level part-time job, and it was his second interview with them, so maybe something is going in the right direction.

If we waited for the agencies to help him ... don't get me started.

Also this weekend, we all learned disturbing news about former President Joe Biden

It was announced that he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and his prognosis is, at best, hopeful.

But the disease has spread to his bones, and that is not good.

Look, I went through my own prostate scare, I am still feeling the after-effects of the procedure I had, and no, i wouldn't wish this on anyone, Biden or anyone else.

His mental health was in a decline, and he was forced to leave the presidential race because he obviously could not handle it, mentally.

This is a bit of a different thing, and we all should wish him well.

But could you imagine if he stayed in the race--and beat Trump?

He would have had to step down with this latest news, and Kamala Harris would have assumed the presidency--

Which i firmly believe was the plan from the get-go anyway, when Biden won the presidency.

I think he lasted way longer than the Democrats could have predicted, and Harris lost a race that she had every reason to win--

But ran about the worst campaign possible, amd was trounced by Trump.

Based on this travesty, I really don't believe she would have bern a very good president.

I don't like Trump. I don't like Biden. I don't like Harris.

In fact, I didn't vote for any of them.

But once again, things happen for a reason, and Trump won, thank goodness--

Not because I agree with anything and everything that he has done since becoming our commander in chief, but because what was the alternative?

Biden--not healthy in mind and now in body--

Or--

Harris, completely unprepared for the task at hand.

Trump won, and like him or not, the alternative would have been worse--

Much, much worse.

I wish the best for the former president, and we know he will receive the best care possible as he fights this thing tooth and nail.

But things seem to work out, this time in a very bizarre, and horrid, way.

I go to my neurologist in two weeks, and I will find out where I stand with my own prostate situation.

All I can say is that all men should regularly get checked for the disease.

And for former President Joe Biden, we know you are going to fight this, and we wish you the very best.

This goes way beyond party affiliation and policies.

This fight is much more important.

Good luck.

Rant #3,697: Again

Once again, I find myself with so much to do, and so little time to do it.

I am still not done with my meeting story for work--

Not that I thought I would be, since I wasn't home for much of it, as I was, among other things, at a job fair for my son--

Which actually produced one solid interview, but also, a lot of doubletalk, too.

So in order to get this meeting done, today's Rant will be another "Novel" one.

Bear with me; I have a couple of more weeks of this, and then everything will be back to "normal."

So have a great weekend, I will speak to you on Monday--.

And let me get back to work.

This is retirement?

26

As the students hurriedly followed Melissa out of the class for lunch, Abraham Lincoln Panim picked up his scarf, put it around his face as he had been doing, took his lunch out of his bag, and went straight to the teachers’ room.

He opened the door, sat down where he normally did, and kept his scarf on when he began to eat his lunch.

Mr. Sedall was talking to his usual group of teachers in the back of the room, and then seeing “Mr. Abraham” sitting and eating lunch, he winked at the other teachers and came over to where “Mr. Abraham” was eating lunch.

“Hey Abraham, I can’t believe you are still here,” Mr. Sedall said. “You have a lot of guts, coming in here again. But I give you a lot of credit, you must really be a glutton for punishment.”

Abraham Lincoln Panim continued to eat lunch, not acknowledging Mr. Sedall’s presence at all.

“Hey Abraham, I am talking to you,” Mr. Sedall said, raising his voice with each syllable. “I’ve been here 20 years, and when I talk to you, I want you to listen, and to listen good. But then again, you really think you are taking over that class from a real teacher, somebody who has been here even longer than me, so what can I expect?”

Abraham Lincoln Panim continued to eat lunch without acknowledging Mr. Sedall’s presence.

“Hey, if you aren’t going to give me respect, at least eat your lunch without your scarf on,” and with that, Mr. Sedall pulled Abraham Lincoln Panim’s scarf off his face.

“Look at me, Mr. Sedall, where did you get the impression that I had a rat face,” Abraham Lincoln Panim said, as Mr. Sedall blinked and did a double take when he saw the young teacher’s handsome face.

“But … but … you had a rat face … what happened to … ?” said Mr. Sedall, barely getting the words out of his mouth. The other teachers there saw what had happened, and crowded around Abraham Lincoln Panim and Mr. Sedall.

“Where is my rat face, Mr. Sedall?” Abraham Lincoln Panim asked once again. “I am quite handsome, aren’t I? And I am certainly better looking than you!”

“My, he sure is,” said one of the female teachers to a few of the other female teachers who had crowded around Abraham Lincoln Panim and Mr. Sedall when the commotion happened.

“I’ll say,” said another female teacher.

“I want his phone number,” said another.

Mr. Sedall rose from the couch, brushed himself off in a nervous sort of way, and walked to the other side of the room while the female teachers, and the male teachers, began to talk with “Mr. Abraham.”

As the bell rung to end lunch, three of the female teachers walked out of the room together.

“That is the last time I listen to that blowhard Sedall about anything,” one said. “He does this to all the subs, and I really can’t stand it, I don’t care how long he has been here.”

“Yeah, he’s a blowhard,” said another, and Mr. Sedall was right behind them as the left the room.

“He had a rat face,” Mr. Sedall said to them. “My eyes were not playing tricks with me. HE HAD A RAT FACE!”

Abraham Lincoln Panim walked back to class, without his scarf on. As he walked past teachers and other students, all of them pretty much stopped in their tracks to look at “Mr. Abraham,” but he shooed them away.

“Yes, I am so good looking, but let’s get to class before the bell rings, or we are all going to be late,” he said. “We can all admire my handsomeness another day.”

As he said this, Abraham Lincoln Panim had many thoughts running through his mind.

“Did I really say this? … Should I be saying this? … Doesn’t it make me look stuck up and full of myself? … “

“YES, YES, YES … !” he said out loud as he approached the classroom.

Rant #3,696: Too Much Time On My Hands (Not)

No, the meeting I was supposed to cover yesterday, in spite of all indications that it was off, was actually on as scheduled.

So now, not only do I have to finish up writing this one, but I have another meeting to cover today, but today's is a bit worse, because I have so much else to do today--

Driving my son to work and later, picking him up, and then, fitting in attendance at a job fair.

So I won't even be around for much of this second meeting, but i will have to construct some kind of story anyway.

Thus, today will have to be a "novel" day here at the Blog, so here is the latest chapter.

I might have to do something similar tomorrow, but whatever the case, I am going to ask this question again and again until I get a proper answer:

"What is retirement?"

Since what I am going through can't possibly be the proper answer, I am still searching for that--

And the way i am going, I probably will never know.

25

Abraham Lincoln Panim got up from sleep, and walked into the bathroom, taking his day’s clothes with him, pretty much forgetting about his “nightmare” from his sleep time.

He did what he always did each morning, prepare for his shower, step into the bathtub to take the shower, and when it was over, turning off the water and coming out of the tub, wiping himself down.

Abraham Lincoln Panim put on his underclothes and then, finally, looked into the mirror, still not remembering his “nightmare” from that evening’s sleep time.

He peered into the mirror, looked real hard and long, and saw his new features.

“That’s me!” he screamed.

“Anything the matter?” Mrs. Panim chirped from outside the bathroom.

Abraham Lincoln Panim stood there without a sound.

“Abraham Lincoln Panm? Anything wrong in there?” his mother now yelled.

“No … mom … nothing … is wrong,” Abraham Lincoln Panim finally responded. “Everything is right!” as he continued to stare in the mirror with glee at his new countenance.

He got fully dressed in the bathroom, not once taking his eyes off of the mirror.

“I do look so good now, I can’t believe it,” he said to himself. “I look better than I ever dreamed I could look. I am actually handsome … so handsome—“

“Abraham Lincoln Panim, why are you taking so much time in the bathroom today?” his mother asked, this time from outside the door. “You are going to school today, aren’t you?”

Abraham Lincoln Panim, continuing to look at himself in the mirror, took some extra moments to respond.

“Abraham Lincoln Panim—did you hear what I said?” his mother asked again.

“Umm … yes, everything is good.”

“So are you going to school today? Are you going to teach that class?”

“Umm … oh yes, am I going to teach that class!”

“That is what I am asking you.”

Abraham Lincoln Panim continued to stare at himself in the mirror.

“Yes, mom, I mean, yes, I am going to teach that class!” he blurted out.

“Great. Are you coming out of the bathroom now?

Abraham Lincoln Panim was done dressing, but not done admiring himself in the mirror.

“My, I think I am about the most handsome man I have ever seen,” he thought to himself. “No more rat-faced boy for me!”

He picked up his scarf, looked at it a few times, and decided to put it around his face as he normally would do.

“It’s not the right time to tell mom about what happened,” he thought to himself as he finally emerged from the bathroom, all dressed and ready to go for the day at school.

He exited the bathroom, and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. His mother came to the kitchen a few minutes later, and stared at her son as he ate some cereal.

“Why do you have your scarf on now?” she said to him, pointing out that at home, he rarely wore his scarf.

“Just getting ready for the day,” Abraham Lincoln Panim said, as he looked up from his breakfast, and sported a wide grin from under his scarf that only he knew about.

Rant #3,695: I Wonder

October 7, 2023 was a heinous day in world history.

On that day, around 1,200 Israelis, Americans and others were slaughtered by minions of Hamas, perhaps the most vile terrorist group on the face of the planet.

These marauders murdered men, women, young and old, and whoever they didn't murder, they captured and put into a living hell, taking them as hostages.

While much of the world sat on its collective hands as this attack unfolded, Israel struck back, seemingly leaving no stone unturned as it valiantly let the world know that if there was no help coming from the outside, they would handle things themselves.

Since then, the area has been enraptured in a war where Israel has been painted, by many, as the villain, thousands have died, and hostages still remain, both alive and as dead corpses.

Hamas has played the victim here, and much of the world, as ignorant as they are, have bought into this nonsense.

And the situation has divided many Americans, not just on college campuses, but even on your own block where you live.

Hostages have been released in spurts, but the war continues, as many American media outlets give one-sided coverage of what is going on, provoking a rise in snti-Semitism not seen in generations.

Social media, which is already the Wild West when it comes to anti-Jewish and anti-Israel vitriol, has reached a fever pitch in this regard, with seemingly every anti-Semite coming out of the woodwork to vent their hate.

The Trump Administration has taken the stance that it will support Israel in its pursuit of removing Hamas from the face of the earth, and this administration has no patience with those who are upsetting our college campuses, trying to remove those who spew hate while on student visas or on green cards.

It is a completely horrible situation, but the hope is that this war can end sooner than later, and all hostages released, including the dead bodies.

The other day, in a supposed "goodwill" gesture toward President Trump as he planned to visit the Middle East, Hamas released Edan Alexander, a servicemember with IDF who just happens to have dual American/Israeli citizenship.

It is wonderful that this young man was finally freed, and that he was freed in one piece.

But Trump and his team helped negotiate the release through Hamas, again perhaps the most vile terrorist organization on earth, basically jumping over, and excluding, Israel in the process.

I don't know, but am I the only person on the planet who feels the way I do? 

The following is what i posted on Facebook:

"But the president goes over Israel's heads and negotiates with Hamas directly for the release of the American hostage, Edan Alexander. 

It is wonderful that this hostage was finally released, but by negotiating with Hamas, you have legitimized their existence, and made them appear to be the "humanitarian" group that they so wanted to be by announcing his release. 

All this makes Israel look bad in the eyes of the ignorant, meaning much of the world. 

You never legitimize a terrorist organization, and this, unfortunately, did just that."

It gave Hamas reason for its existence, put it in the good graces of a world that wishes Israel would simply go away, and sets a very bad precedent for not only releasing the other hostages, but also ending the war.

Look, I know Trump and his team meant well, but the last thing this volatile area of the world needs is for Hamas to get a shot in the arm to continue, and this action, however well meaning, did just that.

And while I am happy this young man has been released after more than a year of horrors, the way it was handled, it has to make you think.

Rant #3,694: Nothing's Changed

I don't even want to talk too much about my son's supposed job meeting yesterday--

But I will ... because you need to know just how ludicrous the situation has become for him.

We were planning to go to the meeting, but counselors at two other organizations overseeing my son told me that he should not go to this meeting, because this particular organization turned him down for an assessment, seemingly under false pretenses, and without this assessment, it served absolutely no purpose to go to this meeting.

The assessment is needed to determine what my son's capabilities are in the workplace, so without the assessment, he can't be placed in a position, because his ability to do certain job tasks are unknown--

Which is even more bizarre because he has been working at part-time and seasonal jobs since he was 15 years of age, and he is still working, approaching age 30.

In fact, my son was sent some paperwork to fill out through email with another group that might be doing his assessment, and he filled out whatever they sent him.

Late in the afternoon, we received a phone call from the group thst he was supposed to meet with yesterday, and they said they never turned him down, and they were wondering if he wanted future job services from them.

I told them the story I just told you, and the woman i spoke to said she would contact his counselor and get back to me, which, of course, she never did.

I am fit to be tied about this situation.

The problem is that my son's fate is fully in the hands of these inept people and organizations, and there isn't much I can do about it.

One counselor told me, with barely enough air in her lungs, thst she was planning to take a couple of days off to recuperate from the "rigors" of her workload.

Well fancy that ... imagine if I took days off like this when I was working full time.

Years ago, a parent of a special needs child told me that the only way I was going to get anything done related to my son was "to do everything yourself, because no one is really going to help you."

Believe me, I figured that all out myself pretty quickly, but that situation has certainly been heightened by my current experience.

I know that we have to do it all ourselves, and the fact of the matter is that these organizations have never helped him in the past, so why think things will be different now?

Utter stupidity.

We have another job fair to go to on Thursday afternoon, and we will be there, with bells on.

Or at least I thought we would.

The meeting I thought I had to cover for work on Wednesday has been canceled, replaced by another meeting held on Thursday--

Precisely the same time I was going to take my son to the job fair.

I just don't know what to do right now.

I need some guidance--

But I know not to go to any of these organizations to get it, that's for sure.

Rant #3,693: Dang Me

How was your Mother's Day?

Ours was very quiet.

We gave my wife her cards and gifts, I picked up some food, and that was pretty much the end of that.

I did work a bit more in getting my record albums in order, which is a real "mother" of a project for me.

I found those "G" records I had originally been missing, so after finding those records, I was finally able to complete the first unit, from "Abbott and Costello" to "Mike and the Mechanics."

Next comes Roger Miller, who will start off the second unit, which I have already ordered and I should be getting with the next two weeks or so.

With that out of the way, probably some time during the next month or so, I would like to invest in an electric grill so we can do some  barbecuing.

We have a terrace, and since I purchased a chaise lounge for my wife for Mother's Day, the weather is getting warmer, and it is quickly becoming barbecue time, an activity I have severely missed since we left the old house.

We are permitted to barbecue using an electric grill, so since we now have a terrace, why not?

But I first have to get about 20 more boxes of LPs off the floor and their contents onto the record rack, and that is going to be quite a job ... but I will do it, because we can't have these boxes all over the floor.

You don't really know what--and how much--you have until you are faced with a dilemma like this, with nearly two dozen boxes filled with LPs that are pretty much totally out of order.

If I didn't get hurt, this would have never happened, because I would have packed everything away myself.

But that didn't happen ... so about the only thing I can do now is to put each box in alphabetical order, and when the shelving comes, I will just empty one box at a time and put it on the rack in the proper order.

I have made a soft deadline for myself to do all of this. It is June 6, my 32nd wedding anniversary.

Of course, all of this depends when the rack is delivered and put together.

And I have to do this in between everything else I have to do.

For instance, today, I have an early appointment with my dentist to get a permanent crown put into my mouth, then in early afternoon, I have to take my son for another job-oriented meeting, and I hope this time, the people who are supposed to be there actually show up.

We gave some other doctor appointments this week, and on Thursday, my son and I will be going to another job fair.

And then we have my work, and I have to cover another meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

No, I have no time to breathe, but at least I can't say that I am bored.

I am so busy that I forgot to acknowledge the 16th anniversary of The Ranting and Raving Blog on May 4.

And later this week on May 15, I will celebrate the 37th anniversary of me becoming a father for the very first time, as my newly-engaged daughter celebrates her birthday.

I haven't actually seen her, in person, in nearly a year, but I will call her and wish her a good birthday. 

I actually haven't seen her, in person, on her actual birthday, since she was in her late teens.

Don't ask me why, because I don't have an answer for you.

I have no idea why.

But honestly, I simply don't have the time to figure all of that out, as if thinking about it more will actually provide me with a viable answer.

There is no viable answer, and there is no time to figure it out.

I am just too busy, and I am getting too old to get involved in this nonsense.

Let's see ... Roger Miller ... Steve Miller ...

"Dang Me!"

Rant #3,692: Mama

I finished writing up that meeting I had to do for work, and that makes me a happy man.

With that out of the way, this, hopefully, will be a happy weekend, as on Sunday, it is Mother's Day.

My son and I bought my wife some nice gifts, and rather than going out to eat, we will bring some food in.

My wife said that restaurants will be packed, and she is probably right about that, so I will pick something up instead.

The holiday is one of my favorites of the entire year, because it celebrates motherhood, probably the most difficult job in the world.

And just because you are able to have children does not necessarily make you a mother; you have to have the instincts to be a true mom.

My mother certainly had those attributes, and my wife does too, as does my sister.

You will go to the end of the world for your child, and nothing will stop you.

NOTHING.

That is what makes a mother, and come to think of it, my two grandmothers also had that attribute.

I miss my mom, and I miss my grandmothers, but my wife and my sister fit the bill as great mothers to their children.

Sometimes things might not necessarily work out perfectly for them, but they don't stop trying, even when the odds are against them.

It is a great responsibility to be a parent, and to be a mother ... 

That is special.

I have a favorite song for Mother's Day.

It is an oldie from 1966, barely got into the top 30 songs in the country, and is pretty much a forgotten song in the hit-laden canon of B.J  Thomas.

It is a ballad about a son's devotion to his mother, and the singer gives it his all in one of his best vocal performances.

The song is "Mama," and I have posted its YouTube link below.

So while you are listening to the tune, have a great weekend, have a great Mother's Day, and I will speak to you again on Monday.

https://youtu.be/IDBTsuEgqVo?si=_fPH7f-v1246VvT6

Rant #3,691: Gone

I am still super busy with that write-up of a meeting for work, but I figured now would be the perfect time to pick up on my novel, so here it is.

I hope to be back tomorrow with my regular Rant.

24

Abraham Lincoln Panim went home after the incident with Brandon and Ariel, still not sure about what to do at school.

He took out his key, opened the door to the house, and made a bee line directly to his bedroom. He prepared for bed, and crawled into it. With the lights off, he was still able to see a framed picture of a smiling Mrs. Stottle that he had on the desk in his room.

“If Mrs. Stottle was still around, what would she tell me to do?” he thought, as he finally dozed off.

He had a rough night, the worst that he could ever remember. He tossed and turned and had visions of Brandon and Ariel jumping back and forth in his nightmares.

He heard the taunts from Brandon--“rat-faced boy” and “Eddie Munster”--constantly in his nightmares, and he tossed and turned all night.

He also saw bright lights as he slept, going off and on constantly, and loud noises, not lightning and thunder but something bright and very loud, hurting both his closed eyes and ears.

And Abraham Lincoln Panim also saw himself with his rat face and without his rat face, as both images flashed off and on during the intensity of the nightmare.

The intensity of his nightmare was so much that night that he ended up falling out of the bed onto the floor.

He woke up, lying on the floor, and in the pitch black of night, he felt he needed to go to the bathroom and put cold water on his face. He went to the bathroom with the lights out, reached out for the faucet, put on the cold water, and cupped his hands so that he could gather water, which he threw on his face.

Abraham Lincoln Panim felt the cool water on his face, and then decided to take a drink of the cool water to try to further calm himself down. He reached for the cup dispenser on the wall, pulled out a cup from its bottom, and filled up the cup with water.

He took a drink of the cool water, stood there for a moment, and then dropped the cup where he thought the trash can was. He heard the cup hit the floor.

He bent down to pick it up, but could not find it, so he stood up, turned on the light, found the cup and put it in the trash can.

He stood up, intending to put more cold water on his face. He turned on the faucet, cupped some water in his hands, splashed it on his face, and looked in the mirror to see how he looked after another splash of water.

He looked, was ready to walk away, but did a double take, and looked in the mirror again.

He stared into the mirror for a couple of seconds and saw his face. It was rid of any semblance of his former rat face. His nose was smaller, there were no whiskers coming out of the sides of his lip, and his mouth and teeth were straight and normal.

He peeled away the top of his pajamas, and saw that there was on hair at all where it had been before.

Abraham Lincoln Panim continued to stare into the mirror, looking at his new countenance with astonishment.

“This has got to be part of a nightmare,” he thought to himself. “This isn’t me. This can’t be me.”

He continued to stare into the mirror, shook his head a few times, and then went to bed.

“Let me get through this nightmare,” he thought to himself, and then went into a deep sleep.

As opposed to his initial sleep that evening, this one was a calm one, a good one, a restful one.