Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Hall & Floof (floofinition) – American floof pop-rock (flooporo) duo popular in the 1970s and 80s, winner of multiple Floofy Awards.
In use: “Hall & Floof’s many songs earned them worldwide adulation, and people are familiar with songs such as “Toe-Eater”, “I’m Gonna Go for that (Yes, I Can, too)” and their early hit, “Food’s Gone”, which still get airplay.”
Come Sunday morning, come Zucchero with Solomon Burke, and “Diavolo in Me”, a rousing song with a thumping, moving bass.
Floof Dimension (floofinition) – 1. A measurable aspect of some kind, as seen by an animal.
In use: “Although he was a large animal, using floof dimensions, he wedged himself into the box.”
2. An existence employing spatial, temporal, and classic physics which animals know, but humans can’t comprehend.
In use: “Animals live lives of adventure in the floof dimension, often requiring them to eat and sleep more frequently in the human dimension, so that they can recharge and return to the floof dimension with fresh energy.”
3. Popular American musical floof group active beginning in the 1960s, who melded multiple musical influences to create the champagne floof sound.
In use: “Songs such as “I Wouldn’t Let You Sleep Last Night”, “Empty Bowl Blues”, and “Aquarius/Let the Cat Out”, kept the Floof Dimension atop the hit list.”
We slipped out, conducting a night patrol. Basically, we’d read of rumors on the net about certain stores and their hours and how much better it was during those times. The ‘special shopping hours’ are ten to midnight, so we left at 10:11 and cruised down through the parking lots. Who was masked? How many people seemed present? Was it safe? (My wife is sharply risk adverse, as she has RA.)
While out, George Benson’s 1980 song, “Give Me the Night” filled my music stream. It started a medley of Benson songs, but I stayed with this one for the theme music. The lyrics lend to that wonderful night energy that breathes new life into you.
Whenever dark has fallen
You know the spirit of the party
Starts to come alive
Until the day is dawning
You can throw out all your blues
And hit the city lights
‘Cause there’s music in the air
And lots of lovin’ everywhere
So gimme the night
Gimme the night
You need the evening action
A place to dine, a glass of wine
A little late romance
It’s a chain reaction
You’ll see the people of the world
Coming out to dance
‘Cause there’s music in the air
And lots of lovin’ everywhere
So gimme the night
Gimme the night
So come on out tonight
And we’ll lead the others
On a ride through paradise
And if you feel all right
Then we can be lovers
‘Cause I see that starlight
Look in your eyes
Don’t you know we can fly
h/t to AZLyrics.com
Back in 1985, I was traveling frequently with the military. Based in South Carolina, I was a frequent visitor to California, Florida, Virginia, and New Jersey. Between them, I spent months in South Korea and Egypt, dashed through Spain, and part of a week in Belgium. This travel all revolved around war readiness planning and exercising.
Somewhere in those travels, I picked up on a song called “Live is Life”. I’d heard the song but didn’t know who did it. It didn’t seem to have much playtime in America. Eventually I hunted it down and discovered it was by Opus, from Austria.
Anyway, as I adjusted to today’s limited agenda and travel plans and admired spring’s growing presence outside, the song returned to me. It’s a jaunty song without deep lyrics, kind of odd as a rock song — more pop than rock –but it’s easy to sing.
Looking out, sipping coffee, I questioned myself, seeking the day and date. Wow, the sixteenth, half of April is already gone. Thursday again, already? It seemed like we just had one. Pretty soon, it’ll be the weekend all over again.
The weekend doesn’t have much true meaning for me. Military existence as a shift worker made them moot. When I joined management, it changed, and I kind of got the hang of it, mostly due to my wife saying, “It’s the weekend. We should do something.”
Everyone seemed to have a mindset around the weekend – do something, or do nothing. Meanwhile, since dropping out of the employment world to enter the sinister world of being a novelist, I’ve drifted back out of the weekend thing. Everyday is for writing in my world, but I still clash with the rest of the world and its idea of the weekend (along with those pesky interruptions called ‘holidays’).
Weirdly, out of all this, the song by the Killers, “Human” (2008), splashed into my thought stream.
I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender
I was brought but I was kind
And sometimes I get nervous
When I see an open door
Close your eyes, clear your heart
Cut the cord
h/t to Genius.com
Interesting to me but probably no one else how my mind jumps through these connections. It makes me smile.
That could be the coffee, though.
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.
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.
Steely Floof (floofinition) – An American floof rock (flock) duo who synthesized influences from many diverse musical styles to create an enduring pop-rock sound.
In use: “Active in the 1970s, Steely Floof’s hits like “Black Floofday”, “Ricky Don’t Lose that Floofie”, and “FM (No Kitties at All)” were frequently played on FM radio stations.”
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:
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
Grand Floof Railroad (floofinition) American floof rock (flock) band active for a decade starting in the late 1960s, earning greater popular success as they transitioned” their sound to a more mainstream dance style.
In use: “One of Grand Floof Railroad (later shortened to Grand Floof), was “Some Kind of Wonderfloof”, a remake of a Floof Brothers Six song.”
Michael Seidel, writer 