The unreal but very real tale of Sweet Bobby

I apologize for last week's spotty postings of R17. I was lodged in the Sierras at 7000 feet above sea level and in apparent dead zone for the vaunted AT&T coverage. 

Actually, lodged is a misnomer and an obscenely generous way of describing sleeping on rocks, peeing in the bushes and rigging up make shift coffee maker because I failed to bring all the right camping equipment.

So gone are my days in a tent that on the way out of the Upper Gray's Meadow campground, near the Onion Valley Trail, we tossed our old and failing Coleman Evanston 8 Man (pfffft) Tent in the fucking dumpster. If I ever venture into the woods again it will be in a top of the line motorized camper van. 

One with a damn Bidet.

But you don't come to these pages to hear me gripe. Ooops, there's a moment of sad introspection. OK, well today is different.

On the 4 & 1/2 hour drive up to the Trumpian hinterlands of Inyokern County, gateway to Mammoth Mountain as well as Yosemite, my daughter suggested we listen to a podcast. I've never been a podcast person, until Ms. Muse started me on a regular diet of the ReWatchables (an infinitely listenable chat with three cinephiles including the brilliant Bill Simmons.) And an 8 part series called the Wedding Scammers, which I reviewed here several weeks ago.

Apparently the Freudian crabapple has not fallen far from the tree, because my youngest daughter is equally fascinated by the scamming world. And the mysterious manner with which one person can influence and manipulate another seemingly intelligent person. 

In this case, to utter psychological Hell. 

I wont give too much away, but the story concerns a bright successful woman in her early thirties who is employed as a DJ at one of London's hipper radio stations. In the beginning episodes you can feel her youthful energy and feel the potential of a life, as yet fully unlived.

By the end, a full 11 years later, you can also hear how all that vibrancy has been drained out of her, by a catfishing love story where there was no love.

It is heartbreaking. And jaw dropping.

If you get a chance, listen to Sweet Bobby by Tortoise Media. It is relevant in so many ways. Particularly with an upcoming election that can literally determine the fate of mankind. But also as a cautionary tale on the ills of social media. 

As much I didn't like drinking chunky style black coffee and waking up with the imprint of a billion year old sedimentary rock permanently embossed on my back, it was great to take a 4 day respite from the news and the infinite doomscrolling.  

Enjoy.