a twice-weekly news round-up, usually on Tuesdays and Saturdays He’s a god. There are no literal gods, of course, but Donald Trump is effectively God Almighty. He’s obeyed and worshipped, and his orders followed without question. Congress doesn’t constrain him, the Supreme Court is irrelevant, and Trump has always lived above human law, conscience, and…

A once-weekly roundup, usually on Mondays More than 80% of the world’s reefs hit by bleaching after worst global event on record Flips between warm temperatures to cold and vice versa have become quicker, more frequent and more intense in recent decades, a new study shows Ice all but disappeared from this Alaskan island. It…

From Pathetic Life #11 Friday, April 28, 1995 On the sidewalk in front of the shop where I work, nothing interesting had happened for a bit, so instead of shooing him away I let some passing man lecture me about astrology. He was wearing a nice suit, looked sane but clearly wasn’t, and he told…

The first Seattle International Film Festival was in 1976, at the marvelous Moore Theater. It was a radical idea — film festivals were for Cannes and New York and Chicago; could it work in a smallish city like Seattle? It worked splendidly. I was there, though one screening was all I could afford, that first…

A once-weekly roundup, usually on Sundays Being old, death gets my attention, so I read the obituaries. This is a collection of recent obits for people whose work touched my life, because I want to say thanks, or maybe give ’em a final fuck you. There’ll be a roundup like this occasionally, until I’m on…

From Pathetic Life #11 Thursday, April 27, 1995 Here’s an odd message on my voice mail from J Peter Zane, who identifies himself as a reporter for the New York Times. Says he’s doing an article on zines, he’s read a copy of Pathetic Life and thinks it’s “brilliant,” wants me so send him more…

BREAKFAST AT THE DINER — #15 Four customers were in the diner, when I walked in to make it five The Fixture was absent again, but Phil was telling a joke to Q-Man, who laughed before the punchline. Bald-Walker was seated at the same table where he’d nearly toppled a few weeks ago. I nodded…

Let’s see what happens when your host (me) has nothing to say, and instead it’s open mike night. Step right up, speak your mind, tell a story, sing a song, whatever. 4/28/2025 Anything goes itsdougholland.com ← PREVIOUS          NEXT →

a twice-weekly news round-up, usually on Tuesdays and Saturdays In 2016, Donald Trump famously said, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK? It’s, like, incredible.” He thought he was untouchable, invulnerable, invincible to justice. Maybe someone will do something, all sane Americans have…

When I got to the shop, Stevi smiled big and held up a sea-sickly green skirt with yellow pinstripes, and then a blouse that was almost its opposite, yellow with light-green wavy lines. She made a question mark with her face and eyes, and I answered with an exclamation point. From Pathetic Life #11 Wednesday,…

Ever since a grade-school teacher summarized me with one word — INTROVERTED — in a parent-teacher conference, that’s been my self-description. I don’t like talking with strangers, or being in a crowd, or being in a crowd of strangers who expect me to talk. That’s introverted, right? Yeah, but many years after that meeting with…

From a few years ago,my move back to Seattle…← PREVIOUS          NEXT → Craigslist won’t let me sell it, eBay won’t let me sell it, and Reddit won’t let me sell it, so I’ll try selling it right here. For sale: My wife’s prosthetic leg. Left. Includes shoe. It’s a brand new leg — has maybe…

a once-weekly roundup, usually on Fridays Cardinal who covered up child sex abuse will close Pope’s coffin “God has an order”: Head of Trump’s faith office says women must ‘submit’ to men Arkansas kiddie-porn pastor gets 110 years in prison Ohio murderer says God told him to do it Former Michigan pastor pleads guilty to…

Spent my morning at a few book stores, and then at the library, looking for I’m not sure what. Sometimes I find it, but not today. I’ll keep looking. From Pathetic Life #11 Tuesday, April 25, 1995 I knew I wasn’t the shop’s only flyer-boy, but I’d never met the guy who wears the cape…

Pike and I loan stuff to each other — tapes and newspapers and tools and money (he’s paid me back on the rent) — so when he asked to borrow my typewriter for a few minutes, why not? From Pathetic Life #11 Monday, April 24, 1995 I thought it would be Pike typing, but no,…

Killer of Sheep (1977) is one of those movies all the film nerds say is terrific, and I’m sort of a film nerd but I’d never seen it. It’s playing all week at the Uptown here in Seattle, so I went to the Monday discount show — all seats, all shows, $6. Any other day…

Today’s amusing moment on the sidewalk: He didn’t accept a flyer, but one guy hesitated, looking me up and down. Sometimes people notice the cape or the insect head, but this guy was looking lower. “Nice bulge,” he said, and I followed his eyes downward to my pants.  From Pathetic Life #11 Sunday, April 23, 1995…

Pike is screaming, Terry is sneezing, Doug is typing. It’s a typical morning in this pathetic household. From Pathetic Life #11 Saturday, April 22, 1995 Al Tennyson said, “In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love,” but it’s not like I’ve gone all winter without having a boner. My fancy…

From Pathetic Life #11 Friday, April 21, 1995 I slept with the space heater inches from my body, the hot air aimed directly at my chest all night long, and still couldn’t overcome the chill from working in the wind yesterday. Chilled to whatever’s left of my soul… ♦ ♦ ♦ I’ve been a good…

a twice-weekly news round-up ICE-arrested Venezuelan man “has disappeared into the US immigration system” Feds say disappeared Michigan man was shipped to El Salvadoran gulag, though there are no records of it Trump says undocumented immigrants shouldn’t get trials before deportation US citizen wrongfully arrested by border patrol in Arizona held for nearly 10 days…

A once-weekly roundup, usually on Wednesdays Black man dies after beating by Alabama police Border Patrol agent is arrested by Arizona cops for alleged child sex crimes His lawyers said he was framed. After 3 decades in prison, California man is declared innocent by a judge. California cops chase street racer into wreck, killing innocent…

A once-weekly roundup, usually on Mondays Climate crisis has tripled length of deadly ocean heatwaves, study finds Earth’s ecosystems breaking down under extreme temperatures could be why carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hit “next-level” highs, scientists say Trump exempts nearly 70 coal plants from Biden-era rule on mercury and other toxic air pollution Climate change…

From Pathetic Life #11 Thursday, April 20, 1995 Today on my torso, I wore a t-shirt and a shirt shirt and a sweatshirt and a jacket, but it was still chilly, cloudy, shivery handing out flyers in front of the shop. Whatever direction I faced, the wind came from that direction to hit me in…

Let’s see what happens when your host (me) has nothing to say, and instead it’s open mike night. Step right up, speak your mind, tell a story, sing a song, whatever. 4/20/2025 Anything goes itsdougholland.com ← PREVIOUS          NEXT →

From Pathetic Life #11 Wednesday, April 19, 1995 Mom doesn’t have my phone number at this apartment. If she had it, she’d call all the time — a lesson learned long ago. But I’d like her to have my voice-mail number, which changed a few days ago, so I’ve been trying to call her since…