Exit Party - A Novel

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel, 2026. Today I just finished this fascinating science fiction novel about a near future dystopian America across two parallel universes that have somehow opened up to each other. The author is very good at bringing characters and worlds to life in creative and complex ways. 

I've read and enjoyed a couple of her earlier novels... Station Eleven and Sea of Tranquility. 

Big Ditch Tonight

Becky and I went to the Big Ditch Brewpub with Dave and Donna after attending the memorial service for Bob Collignon at the Book Arts Center. We walked down the block of Washington from Mohawk to Huron. We checked out Streetlights restaurant but there was a private event there. Too bad, it's one of our favorite nearby places to eat. So we continued over Huron to the corner of Ellicott and Big Ditch Brewpup. It was 6:30 on a Friday night and crowded. There was only one table for four, a high top, but available and nice. 

We enjoyed a wonderful meal. I had their chicken quesadilla. Becky, Dave and Donna all had various sandwiches on a burger roll. I also had a couple of their in house brewed Oktoberfest beers. I enjoyed the quesadillas very much.

After we finished dinner we walked back to the car which was parked about three blocks away. We took D&D in our car to the memorial service and dinner.

Bob's Memorial Service

This evening Becky and I picked up Dave and Donna at their house and drove downtown to Bob Collignon's memorial service at the Book Arts Center. The service went from 4 pm to 8 pm and we were there from about 5:20 to 6:30. We saw and talked with a lot of people. There was also an exhibit of some of Bob's works on the walls. It was a nice place to have a service for an artists. He was also associated with the Center.

Bob's obituary...  https://www.brunnerfuneralhome.com/obituaries/robert-collignon

An interesting article about him written by Ed Cardoni...  

https://thebuffalohive.com/passages-bob-collignon-photographer-artist-teacher/

Under Oath @ BBC

A federal judge has ordered Trump to sit for a deposition he's desperately been trying to avoid in the $10 billion lawsuit he brought against the BBC. Now he has to testify under oath and his lawsuit is blowing up in his face. 

Neil Young - Kitchen Listening

Today I played the old Neil Young compilation album Decade from 1977. I loved this album and bought the 3 LP set when it came out that year. I still have those records upstairs and it's nice to spin the vinyl but this time I was playing it from the downloaded CD set. Then I followed it with the Live Rust album from 1979. I bought that double LP back at the time it was released too. 

I loved seeing Neil Young back in the day and I did get to see him perform five times between the late 1960's and the mid 1970's. The first time was in early 1968 when he was with Buffalo Springfield. I saw him in 1969 with Crazy Horse on the Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere Tour. I saw Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at the Chicago Auditorium in 1970. Then CSN&Y again in 1974 at the Vet in Philadelphia. Then solo again a year or so later in Philly.

Friday Night Dinner @ JT's

Becky and I had a wonderful dinner tonight at JT's on Elmwood Ave. This place has become one of our favorite restaurants in town. We had originally planned to go there with a couple of neighbors who had never been there before but one of them got sick so they couldn't go. We get together with them next month and try again after we get back from Philly.

So Becky and I had a great time there and we split a Pepperoni Pizza with green olives and an order of their wonderful Rigatoni Bolognese which is one of my favorite menu items. And of course I started off with their large glass of Tuscan Blend red wine and then followed that with a Peroni on tap. Becky had a nice Heineken NA.

Then we had dessert which we don't usually get but this time we split an amazingly large portion of Spumoni which was great.

The service was great as usual. We did not make reservations but got there around 5 pm on a Friday evening. It was not very crowded at the time except the bar was full and we got a table for two in the real of the room. However, by 6pm the place was jammed. Next time we will make reservations for a weekend visit and go a little later to experience the scene. We have been there quite a few times now but usually during the week.

 

Disclosure Day - A Film

I watched this Stephen Spielberg film this past week streaming on Peacock. I broke it up into three parts over three days and watched it on my laptop sitting at the kitchen table. That seems to be my usual way of watching movies these days.

I did enjoy this science fiction UFO film although it certainly wasn't Spielberg's best or even close but it was entertaining. However, I thought the ending was a little disappointing. I guess I thought something was going to happen besides the announcement that UFOs and aliens were real. I think I will watch it again sometime. Maybe I missed something.

UB Neurosurgery Visit

I had my regular follow up visit with the UB Neurosurgery department a couple of weeks after getting having my 24 brain scan. I sat there in the examination room for about 10 minutes looking at the scull on the table while waiting for someone to come in.

I met with the PA and she went over the scan with me. I'm getting older and as I approach being 75 my doctors are all getting more concerned. The PA will discuss my scans with Dr. Siddiqui and she thinks he will want to have me get an angiogram which I have not had in many years. Probably 20 or more. I had been fine with the CTAs from Roswell Park but the angiogram is much more detailed and because I'm older and there have been indications of a couple of small aneurysms they would want to check them out and keep a closer look at my brain.

So some time over the next couple of months I will meet with Dr. Siddiqui and probably in the Spring I will have an angiogram done at Great Lakes Imaging. 

Back in the late 80's and 90's I had several angiograms done and they were procedures that I needed to spend an overnight in the hospital. I asked about that and I was assured that these days that scan is an one day in house procedure. I'd get it done in the morning and I would be home two or three hours later. Of course they have to consider my MH issue so I'd probably be the first person of the day having any kind of procedure... very early in the morning.

U2 - Kitchen Listening Pt. 2

Another set of U2 albums taking me through the 80's but I need to take a break from reading Bono's memoir for awhile... too much pontificating. But this set of albums was great and I especially loved Rattle and Hum.








This set...
* The Unforgettable Fire, 1984
* The Joshua Tree, 1987
* Rattle and Hum, 1988
* Wide Awake In America, 1985

Voting By Mail

Becky and I voted by mail this week. We filled out the ballets and Becky took them over to the post office and dropped them off. We considered taking them to a ballot drop-off stations at one of the community centers but decided on using the post office.

We are not going to be home to vote on election day because of the family wedding in Philadelphia that week and we had also considered going to an early voting place. Then we decided to just get it over with and vote by mail.

Suddenly now the orange turd thinks it is ok to vote by mail. He has been railing against it for years now despite his own voting by mail. By the way, isn't it against the law for felons to vote? But now he is all for voting by mail because he thinks his magat base doesn't want to vote on election day because he is not on the ballot. Dumb as... with a B.

I'm also reminded that the first time I voted by in 1972 was by mail from a Navy ship overseas.

Multiverses: An Anthology of Alternate Realities

Multiverses: An Anthology of Alternate Realities by Preston Grassmann, editor, 2023. I enjoyed this collection of science fiction stories about alternate universes. Some were great while others were all over the place. 

U2 - Kitchen Listening

I've been reading Bono's memoir over the past few days so it is fitting to listen to some U2 and today I started out with some early albums. It's fun hearing these again. I haven't listened to them in quite some time. I hear individual songs scattered on mixes but not these entire albums one after the other.

It's also interesting hearing this music at the time I'm reading about it's creation which includes the process and the inspiration.

This set:

• Boy, 1980
• October, 1981
• War, 1983
• Under A Blood Red Sky, 1983

Herbie Hancock - Kitchen Listening

Today I played some Herbie Hancock albums  starting off from his jazz fusion days with the 1973 Headhunters album and then Man-Child from 1975. I followed that with his Maiden Voyage album from 1965 and then closed with a live album from 1977.

I enjoyed this set of music very much and I've always had a fondness for Herbie Hancock and all of his permeations throughout his career as a solo artist and sideman for various other jazz musicians.

This set:

• Headhunters, 1973
• Man-Child, 1975
• Maiden Voyage, 1965
• V.S.O.P., 1977

Dinner @ Coles... Oktoberfest and a Walk

We went down to Coles for dinner tonight and they had their special Oktoberfest Menu. It was a treat. I had their Pork Schnitzel which included spatzle egg noodles, the special mushroom gravy, braised red cabbage. It was delicious. I also had a couple of hefeweizen beers on tap.

We sat and enjoyed our dinner.

Becky had a chicken caesar salad wrap.

We got there about 5:15 and stayed for a little over an hour. The place was jumping but it was a Friday evening.

We left our house a little early because we wanted to go for a walk down in that neighborhood before dinner. We parked in our usual spot on Bird Ave and instead of walking over to Elmwood Ave we went the opposite way down Bidwell Parkway and crossed Elmwood near Potomac. We walked over to Claremont Ave and followed it all the way up to Forrest Ave. It was a beautiful walk. Then Forrest over to Elmwood and then on to Cole's. 

House of Sand and Fog - A Novel

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III, 1999. Picked this book off a shelf in the house and started reading. Took a couple of weeks and finished it today. I enjoyed it. An interesting story with some incredible characters. This was the second book I've read from this author.

There's a film of this novel and I should probably check it out but couldn't find it streaming anywhere for free at this time.

Tom's Night Chill

This is Tom's Night Chill mix. I've started off this mix with some women jazz singers following the lead song from Dido. These are remixes of classic numbers and Tom really liked these tunes when I played them for him. They were part of the Verve Remixed series of albums.

Then this mix follows my usual assortment of late night chill groove remixes that includes lots of familiar tunes but the remix versions.

This is a lot of stuff that he would not be allowed to play on his stereo at home but he loved. His wife complained that the jazz mix I made for his visitation wake did not have Ella Fitzgerald and other female jazz singers but I specifically put together an instrumental mix of background music to be played while people gathered around talking. I specifically did not put any vocal songs on that mix. I wonder what she would think of this mix. Probably hate it like most everything else Tom loved.

Tom's Night Chill

1. Dido - Here With Me (Chillin' With The Family Mix)
2. Ella Fitzgerald - Angel Eyes (Layo & Bushwacka Mix) 
3. Nina Simone - Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair (Jaffa Remix)
4. Billie Holiday - Don't Explain (Dzihan & Kamien Remix)
5. Sarah Vaughan - Summertime (UFO Remix)
6. Astrud Gilberto - Who Needs Forever? (Thievery Corporation Remix)
7. Royksoop - So Easy
8. Massive Attack - Teardrop
9. Groove Armada - Remember
10. Zero 7 - In The Waiting Line
11. Air - Kelly Watch The Stars
12. Alphawezen - Into The Stars
13. Easy Star All-Stars - The Great Gig In The Sky (Dubphonic Remix)
14. Bob Marley & The Wailers - No Woman No Cry (Ambient Dub Mix)
15. Carlos Santana & John McLaughan - A Love Supreme (Bill Laswell Remix)
16. Miles Davis - In A Silent Way (DJ Cam Remix)
17. Archie Shepp - Blues From Brother George Jackson (Mondo Grosso Next Wave Mix)
18. Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Mission Impossible (Charlus De La Salle Mix)
19. Curtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead (Blaze Roots DJ Mix)
20. Laurie Anderson - O Superman (M.A.N.D.Y. Vs. Booka Shade Remix)
21. Anita O'Day - Sing, Sing, Sing (RSL Remix)
22. Carman McCrae - How Long Has This Been Going On (MJ Cole Remix)
23. Gotan Project - Last Tango In Paris
24. Meredith Monk - Dawn (DJ Spooky Remix)
25. Science Dept. and Erire - Breathe
26. Thievery Corporation - Lebanese Blonde
27. Feist - Mushaboom (Mocky Remix)
28. Terry Riley - In A Sea of C (DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid Remix)
29. Courtney Pine - Everyday Is Everyday (Malak-I Remix
30. Juan Carlos Formell - Agua Bendita (Thievery Corporation Remix)
31. Goldfrapp - Lovely Head
32. Tosca - Honey (Supatone 1 Dub)
33. Nina Simone - Feelin' Good (Joe Claussell Remix)
34. Billie Holiday - Billie's Blues (Daniel Y Remix)
35. Sarah Vaughan - Fever (Adam Freeland Remix)
36. Massive Attack - Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix)
37. Britney Spears & Giorgio Moroder - Tom's Diner
38. Sia - Chandelier (Plastic Plates Remix)
39. Amiel - One Step Ahead
40. Easy Star All-Stars - Time (Groove Corporation Remix)
41. The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize? (Scott Hardkiss Floating In Space Remix)
42. Radiohead - Climbing Up The Walls (Zero 7 Remix)
43. Epic - Delorian
44. Boards of Canada - Roygbiv
45. Saint Etienne - Summerisle
46. Luna - Bonnie and Clyde (Clyde Barrow Version)
47. Susanne Sundfor - Fade Away (Maps Remix)
48. Kings of Convenience - The Weight Of My Words (Four Tet Remix)
49. Moby - God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters
50. Sigur Ros - Staralfur 

Hot Tuna - Kitchen Listening

Played some Hot Tuna today. Four of their early albums and the first two were live recordings. I didn't realize I had 15 of their albums in my collection. We both enjoyed having these albums playing on the stereo throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

Becky and I saw them perform at Asbury Hall about ten years ago. It was a wonderful concert. I also saw them in the early 1970's.

This set:

• Hot Tuna (Live), 1970
• First Pull Up, Then Pull Down (Live), 1971
• Burgers, 1972
• The Phosphorescent Rat, 1974

Chicken Soup

Earlier this week Becky made a dinner with chicken cutlets. Now the leftover cooked chicken is the basis for this wonderful chicken soup. A Fall special meal and a great way to use the leftovers. She made a great chicken stock too when she cooked the chicken earlier. She had this chicken soup in mind.

It was also great with that French peasant bread too.

Then we took a nice walk through the neighborhood.

Jupiter String Quartet

Last night was the first concert of the new Buffalo Chamber Music Society series. We enjoyed this concert very much. The Jupiter String Quartet performed tonight. We had seen them before in previous seasons. They started off with a Haydn piece that was spectacular and then an interesting early 20th century from Alan Berg which was very good. The final piece was from Schubert and a real crowd pleaser.

This string quartet is mostly a family affair. Two sisters, a husband and one other person.

After the concert there was a reception that included wine and very nice finger food catered by Olivers. We got home from the concert a lot later than we usually do throughout the season.

There were quite a few people we knew at the concert. We will miss the concert next month as we will be in Philly following Marisa's wedding. We're giving our tickets to Dave and Donna. 

Tom's Last Goodbye Mix

Tom's Last Goodbye Mix. This is another grieving mix I made that followed the previous Tom's Only Life mix I made last week based on an earlier mix I made following the death of my brother Tom in 2014. It is another four hours of song that make me think of my friend Tom and the many many hours we spent together listening to music.

Tom's Last Goodbye Mix

1. Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley
2. Drowning In Your Tears - The Rembrandts
3. Sweet Surrender - Sarah McLachlan
4. Goodbye - Emmylou Harris
5. Speed of the Sound of Loneliness - Nanci Griffith
6. Volcano - Damien Rice
7. I Don't Know Why - Shawn Colvin
8. Into Temptation - Crowded House
9. Try - Blue Rodeo
10. Everytime You Go Away - Paul Young
11. Moments In Love - Art of Noise
12. The Hurting - Tears For Fears
13. Walking On A Wire - Richard & Linda Thompson
14. Levi Stubb's Tears - Billy Bragg
15. Quiet Heart - The Go-Betweens
16. Lorelei - The Pogues
17. Book of Days - Enya
18. Winter - Tori Amos
19. I'll Stand By You - Pretenders
20. Only A Broken Heart - Tom Petty
21. Ballad of Big Nothing - Elliot Smith
22. Here With Me - Dido
23. Lullaby - Shawn Mullins
24. Stars All Seem To Weep - Beth Orton
25. Tears Are In Your Eyes - Yo La Tengo
26. Blue - The Thorns
27. The Scientist - Coldplay
28. Bring It On - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
29. Days - David Bowie
30. I Want To Die - Rick Bain & The Genius Position
31. Something To Talk About - Badly Drawn Boy
32. Rapture (Sweet Rapture) - A. A. Bondy
33. Holocaust - Son Volt
34. Lived In Bars - Cat Power
35. If You Want Me - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
36. In Vain or True - Fistful of Mercy
37. Poison & Wine - The Civil Wars
38. In The Hearts of Men - First Aid Kit
39. All Night - Tyler Ramsey
40. Song For Zula - Phosphorescent
41. Myth - Beach House
42. Dear Friend - Jonathan Wilson
43. One Day - Sharon Van Etten
44. (I'm Gonna) Fly Away - The Acorn
45. Tomorrow - Espers
46. Wordless Chorus - My Morning Jacket
47. Venus - Air
48. Sweethearts on Parade - M. Ward
49. The Last High - The Dandy Warhols
50. Destiny - Zero 7
51. Everything In Its Right Place - Radiohead
52. Autumn Shade - The Vines
53. NYC - Interpol
54. Crazy - Afghan Whigs
55. Mellow Doubt - Teenage Fanclub
56. Is It Like Today? - World Party
57. If I Should Fall Behind - Bruce Sringsteen
58. Losing My Religion - R.E.M.

Squeaky Wheel 40th Anniversary Party

Tonight after our dinner at Kostas we went over to the Squeaky Wheel 40th Anniversary Party at the Tri-Main Center. There was a nice crowd although it was early in the evening. We saw a lot of old friends and colleagues from when I was on the board of directors of Squeaky Wheel in the 1990's. I was involved in getting them on the internet in the early days and conducted internet/website workshops for them at the time.

There was a lot going on at this anniversary party including a DJ and dance room, walls of posters, flyers and photos from over the years, a popcorn snack room, and lots of other activities. 

We hung around for about an hour and a half before heading home which of course was just a few minutes away.

Dinner @ Kostas

We had a nice dinner tonight at Kostas. This was the first time just the two of us we went there in many years. Lately we have gone with Katie and the kids when they come to town because they always want to go there for a meal. We had just been there in June for lunch with the kids.

This has always been one of our favorite places to eat and especially as a Greek restaurant. We loved taking our kids there when they were little. Long before we had kids we were also regulars at Kostas. It was located down the street on the same block of Hertel as Becky's family owned art store where we both worked in the 80's. We had lunch there often and also stopped in after work a lot for dinner. Katie and Todd spent a lot of time at Kostas during their teenage years in the area.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner tonight and I had one of my usual Kostas dinners that included chicken souvlaki salad. I probably would have had a side order of Greek potatoes too but Becky had ordered a BLT sandwich which included fries which we shared. Next time I'll get those Greek potatoes and some of their great rice pudding too. We didn't want to eat deserts too because we were heading over to the Squeaky Wheel anniversary party afterwards and their would be snacks there too.