It’s been a boring week at Adrastos World HQ. Rest is my watchword right now.

I have bursts of energy followed by a pressing need to lie down. It’s still an improvement over my first week out of the hospital when the watchword was ennui. I’m a man of many watchwords at this point.

I’m still not up to writing as much as usual. Typically, I would have  knocked out my Supremely Corrupt post in 45 minutes or less. It took me 3 hours broken up into 4 segments. I also did something I haven’t done in years: Deleted an entire draft because it was clunky, crappy, and other C words. But the end result was good enough to be linked to by Tengrain at Crooks & Liars. Grazie, amico.

Shorter Adrastos: I’m still weak but writing is good for my recovery. Internal bleeding bites the big one.

I really miss compiling, writing, and presenting the Friday Cocktail Hour. It’s been MIA for 3 weeks now. I’m hoping to revive it next week.

This week’s theme song was written by Pete Townshend for his 1985 album, White City.

We have two versions of Give Blood for your listening pleasure both of which feature Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour on lead guitar.

I’m not going to attempt a full blown Odds & Sods post, but a few third act features are in order.

Separated At Birth Casting Edition: I had a dream the other night in which I was trapped in the 1939 movie Juarez. It’s a campy biopic about the Mexican president who was overthrown by the French and his struggle to depose Maximillian who was imposed by Napoleon III.

The best casting was Claude Rains as Louis Napoleon. Here he is striking de pose on his high horse:

Here’s the man himself:

How did he eat French onion soup with that mustache? He probably had a servant wring it out. It’s good to be president turned emperor.

Your Weekly Oscar: Duke Ellington’s I’ve Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) could be the theme song of my current illness. OP recorded it twice:

Have I told you lately how much I love Oscar Peterson?

Saturday GIF Horse: I’m still hooked on The Traitors. I was rooting for Survivor great Parvati Shallow to triumph, but she was banished. At least she blew us a kiss on her way out:

Thanks, Parv. I have a Bryan Ferry song for you:

Tweet Of The Week: I had a lot of fun at the expense of Russian spy Maria Butina and her many photos with prominent Republicans. I give you the Maria Butina collection.

Here is convicted Russian spy Maria Butina in photos with:

1. Former Sheriff David Clarke
2. Scott Walker
3. Rick Santorum
4. Wayne Lapierre
5. Bobby Jindal
6. Donald Trump Jr. pic.twitter.com/IFdKB0NhXB

— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) February 19, 2024

Let’s close down this virtual honky tonk with some more music.

Saturday Closer: The music of Steely Dan helped me get through the worst of my medical crisis. Here are Donald, Walter, and the gang performing Josie and Cousin Dupree on Letterman in 1995 and 2000.

That’s all for this week. I lasted longer than expected. The last word goes to Traitors host Alan Cumming.