Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Floofy Playground (floofinition) – Indy alternative floof rock (flock) band formed in the mid 1990s in Floof York.
In use: “Floofy Playground’s biggest hit to date is “Sex and Catnip”, which came out in 1997 and reached the top ten in many floof charts.”
This is one of those days when I awoke and for some unknown reason have some song snatch in the stream. Does this happen to others? Am I the only one with a playlist in my head that goes click when I get up and start thinking?
Sure, I’m not. These aren’t the same as earworms, mind you. Sometimes they are earworms, which is a song that’s stuck in your head. There’s a different feel to earworms than just a the mental jukebox flipping something on. These songs aren’t necessarily stuck, just present. I’ll heavily bet that they are related to some auditory cortex wiring, though.
Aside: remembered this WebMD post from a few years ago and dragged it into the light: “Songs Stick in Everyone’s Head”. It mentions reasons related to neurosis and obsessions, and the cognitive itch. As a writer, I become obsessed; that’s a large part of being a writer for me, getting obsessed with ideas, concepts, stories, and characters, and trying to wring them out of my head and into the world in a way that the rest of the world might understand.
Today’s song, “What’s My Age Again?” is from 1999 and a group named Blink-182. I really liked the album name: Enema of the State. Good play on words? With many people and orgs battling ‘the state’ for a variety of reasons, maybe that’s the cognitive itch that supplied my stream with this song.
Or maybe the cognitive itch is the song’s year, 1999. Seems like things really began spinning weird with Bush v Gore and the Florida hanging chads (which could be the name of some kind of group) in the next year. 1999 was a good year for me in my world. Maybe my mind lauds it as the last good year.
Well, here it is. The song, I mean, not my world. It’s a video. I’d not seen it before today, but it’s amusing to watch three naked men (except shoes and socks) running around.
That is all.
A bit of contra programming for myself today. Reading the news and watching videos of protesters losing eyes from police firing rubber bullets into crowds sickens me. Some respond, well, the protesters shouldn’t have been there. I disagree. They have the right to assemble right included in the bill of rights. Why huge police forces must escalate with violence is the disturbing part. Fighting fascism, the fascists say in classic double-speak.
It’s all hard to handle, which kicked the Black Crowes’ cover of the song by the same title into my music stream. Otis Redding wrote and recorded the song, and it’s been covered by many since the song’s first release in 1968. I enjoyed Otis Redding’s version and found the BC’s cover was a fatter, slightly up-tempo version that works for me. So here it is, from 1990.
Goo Goo Floofs (floofinition) – American floof rock (flock) band formed in Floofalo, New York, in 1986. The band have achieved considerable success, selling over fifteen million albums.
In use: “One of Goo Goo Floofs’ many pop floof songs includes “Floof Balloon”. Released in 1999, the song reached number sixteen on the floofstream charts.”
We finished the “Dream Garage” (Michael Fishel) jigsaw puzzle today. Took us three days to assemble the 1,000 pieces.
While the odd shapes put me off, I enjoyed the puzzle details and vivid colors. Remember how gas stations often blazed with neon signs? Seeing those logos invited television jingles into my head.
“STP is the racer’s edge.”
“See the U.S.A in your Chev-ro-let.”
“Only Mustang makes it happen, only Mustang makes life great. Mustang, Mustang, ’68!”
“You can trust your car to the man who wears the star, the big bright Texaco star!”
Then the cars. Four of them were the sort of cars I slobbered over as a fourteen year old in 1970: Mustang, Corvette, Camaro, and Challenger. I ended up only owning a Camaro. It was a fun, memorable car, good gas mileage, excellent performance, and reliable. It was just a 327, though, not an SS 396 featured in the puzzle.
Besides the Coke and car stuff, there was a cigarette machine (how long since I’ve seen one of those?), a Wurlitzer jukebox (in the puzzle’s center), a pin-up calendar (over above the purple Challenger) and movie posters for Some Like It Hot and Bullitt. (See Steve McQueen up there in the right hand corner by the clock?)
Be a few days before we begin the next one. We have several in the closet awaiting their turn, but I’ve been eyeing a few on the net, so…we’ll see…
War.
Climate change. Natural disasters.
COVID-19 pandemic. Rising deaths.
Black lives matter. Police brutality. Corruption. Protests. Riots. Looting. Tear gas.
Murder hornets. Asteroid heading for Earth. Forty thousand year old worms dug up, thawed out, and living again.
2020 is seen by many to be a year of worsening situations. Many read something new happening, fill with dread and ask, “Oh, no, is another disaster about to strike the planet?”
Chuckling to myself over this today, Europe’s song, “The Final Countdown” (1986) entered my musical memory stream.
The song is about leaving Earth, but you know, just pause a mo’ and shift words around, and it’ll work for this year.
If we need a theme song for this year, maybe this is it. Maybe it is the final countdown, not to leaving, but to another crisis.
The Everly Floofs (floofinition) – An American musical floof duo who were active from 1956 to 1973, recording a succession of pop and country musical hits.
In use: “The Everly Floofs’ first hit came in 1957 with “Bye Bye Sleep”, which spoke to many house pets about their need to awaken their human hosts.”
A quiet day for me, providing an interlude for reflection. After watching the news, contemplating history and contrasting them with current events, Neil Young’s song, “Old Man” (1972).
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
and there’s so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two.
Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things
that don’t get lost.
Like a coin that won’t get tossed
Rolling home to you.
Old man take a look at my life
I’m a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that’s true.
Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn’t mean that much to me
To mean that much to you.
I’ve been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I’m all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.
h/t to AZLyrics.com
I picked this acoustic version for its simplicity, and because Young is young in it, and alone, unvarnished, on the stage with his guitar.
Green Floof (floofinition) – American punk floof (poof) rock band from East Floof, California, winner of multiple Floofies, including Best Poof Album.
In use: “Green Floof won Record of the Year for “Boulevard of Floofen Dreams” in 2004.”
Fed the cats, used the restroom, woke up (yeah, that was the order, to the best of my recollection, your honor), and realized I was humming “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters (1998). Thought it a good song for these times, when people need everyday heroes to manage commonplace matters.
[Chorus]
There goes my hero
Watch him as he goes
There goes my hero
He’s ordinary
[Bridge]
Kudos, my hero
Leaving all the mess
You know my hero
The one that’s on
h/t to Genius.com
Find a hero. Find yourself a hero. You don’t need to worship them; just support them.
Michael Seidel, writer 