I love every bit of this.

Some chapters are hard. Some characters are difficult to swallow, but some are worth reading until the end. Some chapters make you think and some chapters you’ll love every word. Some chapters are page-turners and some aren’t as interesting. But as a whole, your book is worth reading.

I’ve been binge-watching Scandal and the music is phenomenal. It’s a Shonda Rhimes series, but unlike Grey’s Anatomy, the music is well-known R&B, not indie rock. I think it was season three when Aretha’s version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” played in an episode the day after her funeral. It is amazing and I ugly cried. Please make it known that I want that song played on a record player at my funeral.

Then there’s “Ain’t No Way.” Sing it.

If you watched Senator John McCain’s funeral today, you might have seen this exchange of Dubya giving Michelle a piece of candy while their spouses glance at them.

I love this. I need all of the former presidents to move into a loft — Real World style:

This is the true story, of three former presidents and their wives, picked to live in a house and have their lives taped. Find out what happens, when people stop being polite, and start getting real.

My favorite non-musical part of Aretha Franklin’s funeral today was obviously from former President Bill Clinton.

I came across an ad — maybe on Facebook, maybe elsewhere, for a product called “Fat Girl Slim” by a company called Bliss, so of course I clicked on it.

It’s a skin “firming” cream that diminishes “dimples,” which we all know is code for cellulite. Cellulite isn’t a bad word, come on. Every woman on earth eventually gets cellulite somewhere on her body. This is not unique to fat women. We only have more of it. It has caffeine in it, which must the the cellulite-busting ingredient. Now, I drink an awful lot of coffee — I didn’t know I was supposed to put it on the outside! My insides must be anorexic by now.

Then I saw this:

The Fat Girl Scrub. Lord knows fat girls can’t use the same scrubs as thin girls. If you can’t see the line underneath, it says “exfoliator for the not-so-perfect-parts.” I’m assuming it means the square-shaped birthmark on my knee, because that’s the only not-so-perfect-part I have. Oh, and it has pink Himalayan sea salt, which is way different than Kosher salt. I’m sure it tastes great, but what would I know — this goes on the outside of your body.

But wait — this one is my favorite. I didn’t include the product photo, just the description because it’s the NIGHTTIME Fat Girl Slim Firming Cream. I guess it’s caffeine-free because OMG what if the caffeine keeps my cellulite awake?

I highlighted the most ridiculous part in the photo.

THIS IS NOT WEIGHT OR FAT LOSS PRODUCT.

Then why are they selling it to fat girls, with FAT GIRL in the product title. There are all kinds of Fat Girl line products — one for abs, one that is actually called Lovehandler Waist Targeted Cooling Gel. LOVEHANDLER, y’all! Lovehandler, brother of the Hamburglar. Lovehandler, the chubby-chasing villain in the next Bond film.

It probably didn’t fly to well because when I went to the parent company’s website, Bliss, the Fat Girl products are now titled “Fab Girl.”

Which is what it should have been called all along.

Of course it works best in combination with healthy eating and exercise because a cream or scrub can’t make numbers move on a scale.

Ok, I somehow really screwed up the day of the year count, but as of right now today is correct. I’ll go back and fix the others, but this is what I have for you today.

I’ve written about one of my favorites, Natalie Merchant, before, but I’m including different songs today. Merchant is amazing. She writes and sings like no one I’ve heard. I guarantee you’ve never heard vocalizations like hers and you’re not likely to again. With her band old band 10,000 Maniacs and as a solo artist, she’s put out an impressive number of beautiful, smart songs. Not #1s, but that was never her goal.

This is her haunting cover of “Sally Ann.”

“Life is Sweet” is more than sweet.

One of my favorite songs to sing along to is “Jealousy.”

And “Tell Yourself” is powerful anthem for women, written for adolescent girls. That’s where I’ll leave it today. An anthem for girls.

I’ve posted several songs by The Head and The Heart, but not this one. Yet. “Rivers and Roads” is hard stuff. It’s about people moving away and missing people. It’s about life stuff.

My new favorite song. By Bruno Major.

This is my Eleanor Rigby the day we brought her home in June last year.

And this is tonight, begging for a graham cracker.