Category: politics

Monday’s Theme Music

I can only imagine the shit so many people face daily. I’m sorely aware of my privilege. I have it pretty fucking good. Don’t need to work, having put my time and life into two moderately successful careers while experiencing good luck and little tragedy.

Others aren’t having it so well. They’re struggling to pay for food and shelter. Many times, they work several jobs; work defines their lives and aspirations. They’re being forced to work for little pay under conditions that the rest of us shun. Yet, we depend on them while looking the other way and pretending all is good.

As data about COVID-19 is gathered and analyzed, and corporations, governments, and faux patriots demand that businesses re-open, that we ‘return to normal’, people must decide, should I stay or should I go? That makes the Clash’s 1981 classic the official theme music for this May Monday during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

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Saturday’s Theme Music

I haven’t read about many streakers recently. I am surprised.

As lockdowns and business shutdowns are argued and protested, I’d think that stripping off your clothes and running outside would be a natural mechanism to make your voice heard. Nothing makes people hear you more than running around with all your bits flapping. Makes more sense than shouting in police officers’ faces, or threatening others with guns.

Maybe I’m just too early on the curve, and the streaking is about to commence. Perhaps my idea will inspire someone to do it. Yeah, don’t look at me to be the spark plug. I’m a hairy fellow. Last time that I went streaking, people thought a mini Bigfoot was running around. Ended up with that nickname for years. Strangers would see me and shout, “Hey, Bigfoot, how’s it going?” Mom and my sisters started calling me that, too. I thought that showed poor taste on their part.

In honor of the idea, the song, “The Streak” by Ray Stevens (1974) is today’s theme music. Ray had the idea for the song but didn’t execute it until streakers were suddenly everywhere in the news. It’s a story-telling song that utilizes puns and double meanings to express what was going on from a reporter interviewing a witness. The witness is married to Ethel, and he’s always warning her, “Don’t look, Ethel,” and it’s always too late. The song culminates with the witness shouting, “Is that you, Ethel? You get your clothes on.”

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Thursday’s Theme Music

Out in the backyard last night, breathing in the quiet and cool air, looking for stars through the clouds. A cat twined around my legs and then did a tuck and roll, stretching out for a belly rub.

Lyrics from a Smashing Pumpkin song, “Tonight, Tonight” (1996) came to mind. I’d just retired from the military the year before and was in my first civilian position ever as an adult. It was a bit different, and I was questioning myself and my plans back in that era.

And you know you’re never sure
But you’re sure you could be right
If you held yourself up to the light
And the embers never fade

h/t Genius.com

Funny, but I’m still questioning myself and my plans, in this era. ‘Nuff said.

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Vote By Mail

A vote-by-mail storm has been waxing and waning. I’m a proponent of voting by mail, myself. I served twenty years plus in the military. Stationed all over the world, I voted by mail throughout my career, no problem.

Retired, I settled in California for a decade. As a citizen of that state, I voted in person. Compared to how it was done by mail in the military, it was a pain in the ass.

In 2005, I moved to Oregon. All of Oregon’s voting is done through mail-in ballots. Here’s (roughly) how it goes.

  1. When you get your driver licence, you’re registered to vote.
  2. A few weeks before an election, you get a voter’s guide summarizing measures, proposals and candidates.
  3. Closer to the election date, you receive your ballot. You fill it in at home following the instructions provided, seal it in the envelope, sign the envelope, and return it by midnight on election day. There are specific dates circled around this. We usually have the ballot in hand for ten days, plenty of time to review things and make decisions.
  4. Vote by mail is only part of the equation. Towns have drop boxes for ballots established. Our town’s drop box is by the library’s returned books drop boxes in the downtown area. Drive through or walk up, and put it into the box. Done. The boxes are only opened for the two week period before the election.

That’s the essence. It’s beautifully simple. I recommend it for everyone and anyone.

That is all.

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Wednesday Theme Music

I’ve done this song before, but it just fits so well to these times, when people are social-distancing and can’t go anywhere.

‘Cause I’m stuck in the middle with you
And I’m wondering what it is I should do.
It’s so hard to keep this smile from my face.
Losing control and running all over the place.

Clowns to the left of me!
Jokers to the right!
Here I am stuck in the middle with you.

h/t to Metrolyrics.com

It can apply to being at home with your, ahem, loved ones (or their reaction to you), or the cat’s reaction to your continual presence. Or there you are in a store, trying to maintain safe distance while you re-supply, all masked, while an idiot behind you ignores it all.

It can even be political, if you think that these are special times which require special leadership, that sadly, you perceive we might be lacking…

Here’s Stealer Wheels with “Stuck in the Middle with You”, from 1973.

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

After reading about South Dakota’s disparaging remarks about herd mentality and the subsequent spike in COVID-19 cases in that states, I thought of the phrase, against all odds.

Against all odds, Alabama held back until it was conclusively demonstrated that despite not being like California, Alabama was going to experience the coronavirus. Checking the news today, I see two thought-provoking headlines to use to compare and contrast:

Alabama Tourism Among States Least Affected By Coronavirus

Mobile sees surge, added the most coronavirus cases in Alabama last week

The first article tells that Alabama’s tourism industry has been one of the least hard-hit in the nation. In the second article, ADPH reports that Mobile surged from 158 cases last week to 468 this week.

Anyway, I can hammer the point that social distancing works, but against all odds, churches, some Republican governors, and Liberty University disbelieve the facts and refuse to take the recommended actions.

And anyway, now that I’ve made this a stupidly long post for a theme music entry, today’s theme music is Phil Collins with “Against All Odds (Take A Look at Me Now)”, a 1984 song written for the movies, “Against All Odds”. Kind of a slow song, bit of sappy movie montage behind it, and it doesn’t even mention odds (what are the odds of that?). Not much of a theme song. Don’t Rachel Ward and Jeff Bridges look pretty, though?

Oh, well.

Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music

“Geez, look at the friggin’ numbers, rising and rising, when will it end?”

“My god, did you read the news?”

“Look at those people! None of them wearing a mask, or gloves, and they’re not six feet apart!”

Such responses to things led to today’s song. Blasting out of 1978 right into today, it’s Chic with “Le Freak”. You can sing along with the refrain, “Ahhh, freak out!”

 

Yeah, read, think, talk, wonder, watch, and freak out. Perfect for today. Music, with a slice of humor and nostalgia.

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Floofceuticals

Floofceuticals (floofinition) – Drugs and medicines meant for use on animals.

In use: “As with big pharma and human healthcare, the importance and cost of floofceuticals are rising for pet owners as animals live longer and require treatment for treat arthritis, cancer, leukemia, and other diseases and conditions.”

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Saturday’s Theme Music

Reading the news today, Sonny and Cher’s big 1967 hit, “The Beat Goes On”, sprang into the mental music stream. I’m sure we all know why that song deserves to be today’s theme music.

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More

More cases, more deaths, more jokes about drinking wine.

More demands about re-opening businesses, and then everything will be fine.

More stories about valor and the sacrifices made.

More stories about lying, misinformation, and the debts to be paid.

Some things will not change, don’t seem they ever will,

But every time we go through something like, someone pays the bill.

It’s not usually the rich, nor the pols running the gov,

It’s the workers and the nurses and the people that we love.

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