Tag: pop

Saturday’s Theme Music

Excitement is building. They’re forecasting some snow for our state and area next week. Maybe a few inches. Oh, heaven! Snow on the banks. We need it. We’re all worried about the heat, drought, fire, and smoke endured for the last several years. We’d like to avoid more of the same. Some say that last year was the worst because the COVID-19, wildfire, and smoke sucked enjoyment out of going anywhere or doing anything. But the year before, fire struck our town and heavily gutted two neighboring towns. Toss up, to me.

This is Saturday, 2/29/2022. Sunrise kicked in at 7:02 AM. And what a sun. Let’s give the sun a hand. Heat, light, very impressive display. The sky is blue forever and on. Whatever storms and clouds are lurking out there are doing so beyond the mountains that hem our valley. It’s presently 46 degrees F and we will see something in the upper fifties for a high today before the sun downs itself beyond the world’s curvature at 5:48 PM.

Today’s theme song comes from the film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. I’ve used “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” (1985) by Tina Turner before. It came to me today because I looked at my poor sick black cat and said, “Aren’t you a sight, raggedy cat.” Which reminded me of a line that Aunt Entity said to Mad Max. That lined up the neurons to begin playing the song. So here it is, friends and neighbors. Give it all or nothing.

Stay positive, test negative, wear masks as the situation warrants, and get vaxes and boosts when you can. I’m off to meet my maker and pour a cuppa, right? Cheers

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Friday’s Theme Music

Boom, Friday. Feels like just yesterday was Thursday.

Today is February 18, 2022. Sunrise moved forward a few minutes more to 7:03 AM and sunset slipped back to 5:47 PM. Temperatures sometimes feel like spring and fall. We rarely feel like winter this year. Today we’ll hit the sixties F again, though it is clear and chilly this morning. Hovering now at 53, they say it feels like 41. I agree, although, when you’re in that sun, its impact is superfine. It’s a blinding sun. No clouds in its way today.

Out walking yesterday, my mind channeled “Kansas City”, a song that I learned as a child. Its beat always worked for a good walking song, and I’ve long used it for that purpose, along with “The Wanderer” by Dion, and “I’m Walking” by Fats Domino. The list has always grown, with later additions being “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas, “I Will Walk 500 Miles” by The Proclaimers, and “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man. Although I’m familiar with several versions of “Kansas City”, I went with this one just because of the number of rockers on stage. (Funny, but they’re mostly Brits playing this American song.) Hope you enjoy it. It’s not the version generally heard in my head; I’ve never found that cover and don’t know who does it. I will continue my search, though.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Locally, we’re moving toward moving mask restrictions. Cases are way down; our zip codes shows 82 percent of us are vaccinated, and deaths are declining. It’ll be a cross-your-fingers, hold-your-breath period, though. Other variants remain out there, and a new one could always develop.

Now, going to the kitchen, to the kitchen here I come, got some hot fresh coffee there, and I’m gonna get me some. Cheers

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Thursday’s Theme Music

Today is Thursday, February 17, 2022. A few sketchy cloud islands keep the sky from achieving a perfect blue. A robust sun brought the light and heat at 7:05 AM. Temperatures have climbed quickly. It’s 46 F now and we expect a high of 61 F before the Earth’s spin steals the sun from our sector at 5:46 PM.

I’m feeling a little off today. Not sick or anything. Just behind on my routines. Explanation:

I have a young ginger cat. We’ll call him Trouble, which is not his real name, but I want to protect his privacy. After going out at two AM and coming back in at two twenty (it was a cold night, about 29 F), At 5:42 AM, Trouble woke me again with his song of his need to leave again, to be wild and free, outside. I let him out and used the bathroom. While in there, the sick cat asked for food. “Okay, I’ll feed you, baby,” I said. I had a can open for him, got him the food, and settled back into bed.

Or tried. Tucker, the house’s Prime Floof, had taken over my spot and was purring like a revving motocycle. I tried shifting him, but cats can multiply their body weight by over one thousand percent at will, and I couldn’t budge him. I had to reconfigure myself and my space.

That was when Trouble came knocking to come back in.

I let Trouble in. He proceeded to tell off sick cat. I provided sick cat with another helping of food. 6:15. Back to bed. A few minutes later, sick cat began beating his water bowl and complaining. I got up to address his issue. Water bowl was empty. But I’d just filled it last night —

“Yeah, whatever,” reality said, “it’s empty now.” I refilled the water bowl. Went back to bed.

Trouble arrived. Could I please let him out, OMG, it’s so important that I let him out now.

AAARGH.

I let Trouble out and lectured him about what he was doing to me. Returned to bed. Drifted to sleep reflecting on remembered dreams.

Guess who came knocking to come back in?

It was now eight. I’m usually up by now but I felt exhausted. I began exercising, which will usually stir up enough blood movement to reach the point that I can get to the kitchen, make coffee, and resuscitate my heart. “More sleep,” my body whispered with seductive tones. “You got it,” my brain replied, because he’s such a pushover.

Back to bed I went and did not get up until ten AM.

When I saw the time, my brain shrieked, “Ten AM! OMG. I’m in bed so late.” My body replied. “So? You don’t work. You have no employment. What difference does it make?”

“I still have things to do,” I reply with royal indignation, “like drink coffee, for example.”

“And feed cats,” sick cat said.

I have a song, “Uprising” by Muse in the morning mental music stream. I did it as a theme song not long ago and don’t want to repeat it today. That forced me to find another song. Nothing was coming to mind. The neurons finally started circulating “Cradle Of Love” by Billy Idol (1990). “Why?” I asked the neurons. “Because we like it,” they said, then went on with petulance, “Why not?”

Right. Why not.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you’re able. Here’s the music. I’m crawling into the kitchen for some coffee. Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

Tattered clouds hang over us, letting us glimpse blue sky and sunshine through the rips and tears. Today is Wednesday, I remind myself after a moment, the mid-week for anyone concerned, February 16, 2022. Happy birthday to someone, somewhere. And happy anniversary to someone out there. Congratulations to your new job or promotion, to someone else — well done! For those of you mourning a loss, I feel you, and words loss traction, going nowhere, as I try to express my condolences.

The sun came around the mountains at 7:06 AM and will turn away at 5:45 PM. Feels chilly today, endured and welcomed, because it’s closer to normal and averages. It’s 41 F now — feels like 35 — close to the forecasted high of 47 F. The clouds are fragmenting into large white ships on a calm blue sea.

Today’s music arrived in mental music stream during a walk yesterday afternoon. It was about 4:30 PM. I was thinking, it’s chilly. No sunshine glowed where I walked on the valley’s southern side. Clouds and sun conspired to create a narrow golden band on the valley’s opposite side. I thought about how nice it would be to be over in that sunshine. From there, the neurons said, “Out in the sunshine. The sun is mine.” With that, Soundgarden was playing “Burden in My Hand” from 1996. I share it with you. See if it jogs your memory, where you can say, “Oh, yeah, I remember being with so-and-so and this song played.” Or something like that. That’s always music’s magic for me. With this song, I remember being with John in a club, drinking a beer and singing the song with him, and smiling. He was getting ready to retire, and it was a sweet night. His girlfriend was the DJ.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Here is the song. Time to refill the coffee cup. Cheers

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

Blades of sunshine broke over the mountain a while before the sun broke cover at 7:07 AM. We had rain last night — hurray! Not heavy stuff in our area. With the temperature sitting at 37 F, I checked the surrounding mountains for snow. They said we’d get three to six inches about 5000 feet of elevation. And there it was, a creamy white layer topping the northern mountain ridge. Not much but nice to have it, as it’s been too dry this year. Fingers crossed that more will arrive, especially after reading an article that posits the idea that the U.S. West is in a megadrought. Joy.

Feathered clouds streak the sky with cotton candy pink and blue. We expect a high of 47 today, and no more rain around us, alas. Sunset is expected at 5:43 PM on this Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Note to self: February is over half gone.

Today’s song comes out of walking and eyeing the clouds through a cold rain as I took a walk yesterday and from watching the movie CODA the other night. One featured song in the film was “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell. Released back in 1969, it didn’t make a great impression on this thirteen-year-old American male. It wasn’t until later that I appreciated the song’s nuances and insights about change and perspective.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you’re able. Here’s the music. Guess what I’m doing now? If you guessed I’m going for coffee, you’re wrong. I already have it. I’m drinking my coffee. Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music

The expansion of the daylight hours continues and, um, expands! Yes, I know it happens every year. Still excites me to see our area gain light and emerge from gloominess. The sun’s arc over our region started at 7:09 AM and will stay until 5:42 PM. Temperatures now are 46 F. We saw 66 on the home weather station yesterday, below the seventies which forecasters proclaimed. Clouds have flocked to the sky, shielding us from the blue and sunshine. Today’s high is expected to be 54 F, and there is a call for rain! Yes, there’s a seventy percent chance at ten AM. We’re expecting 0.18 inches.

Now that the Super Bowl is over, we can discuss the halftime show (I read that MAGAts disliked it because it didn’t feature anything about faith), TV commercials (ah, nostalgia and stars — how much old music did you hear?) and start the countdown to the NFL season. Also, the holiday season is on the way. Also, the mid-term elections. Also, the Olympics. Also, time to do taxes. It’s a busy month! Oh, yeah, and today is Saint V’s Day, or as a friend called it, Single Awareness Day (SAD).

Of the Super Bowl commercials, my favorites were the Amazon one (about Alexa reading our minds), and the one for the NFL, where tiny NFL stars broke out of a TV for a game at some children’s home. But I’m a Eugene Levy fan, so top spot goes to the Nissan commercial. It was a send up of so many action movie tropes.

It might surprise some that the Ray Charles from the start of the Nissan commercial stayed in my morning mental music stream. But come on, it’s a cool song. Lit. Here’s “What’d I Say” from 1959.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Here we go. Take it, Ray, while I get my coffee. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

Last night was clear. Ample star and moonshine lit the way into today, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. Sunlight kicked in at 7:10 this morning. NIght comes on shift at 5:41 PM, when sunset begins. We hit 72 F yesterday, according to the home weather station, and will see 72 again today. It’s 46 right now. Nice to have such pleasant weather. Why, it’s spring, really, with trees unfurling leaves and birds bustling about. But we roll through daily ambivalence, contemplating what this dry streak and warm weather is doing to our growing season, fire season, and snowpack and reservoir.

Man, we are so out of cat food in this end of the valley. Only have four grocery stores plus three convenience stores and one drug store; all show almost completely bare shelves where wet cat food should be. I’ve ordered from online, dealing with inflated prices. Forget stockpiling toilet paper. I’m more worried about the cat food. We’ll see what another day, week, and month brings.

Musically, a wide range of songs have been flashing through the morning’s mental music stream. Some, inspired by the moonlight, began last night. A few were about sunrises (and our lack of a tequila sunrise). Then, there was the Monkees’ theme song, a few John Denver tunes, AC/DC, and Tame Impala. Like my neurons are going through the mental drawers and shelves, pulling things out to see what they are.

It all settled down to “Panic Switch” by Silversun Pickups from 2009. I have not heard this song in sooo long. Came up into the theme via a chuckle over telling my cat, “Don’t panic, I’m going to feed you now.” The neurons went, “Can you fall asleep with a panic switch.” Another mind part responded, “Huh?” With the speed of a blazing snail, the bass and rhythm found home in my head, followed weakly by half-remembered lyrics until it all arrived with a shout.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, when needed, and get the vax and boosters as and when you can and need. Coffee is up; I’m off. Cheers

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Saturday’s Theme Music

Good morning, people of Earth. It’s sunny and warming fast here in Ashland of southern Oregon. The sunlit portion of the day began at 7:11 AM. Temperatures are already up to 67 degrees F on this February 12, 2022. We did not reach the 70s yesterday, but were denied at 69. However, today’s air fills balmier. The chance of breaking 70 F by the time the sun’s show ends in our valley at 5:40 seem higher than than someone at Woodstock in ’69.

Today’s music feels like another odd turn. “Cool Night” by Paul Davis is one of this mellow 80s tunes prevalent in the decade’s early part. It came to me as I was walking yesterday evening. About an hour before sunset, I was already feeling the chill brought on by being in the mountain’s shadow. (Side bar: Would “The Mountain’s Shadow” be a good novel title? Feels like it would.) I thought around then that although it was a warm day, it was going to be a cool night. Sometime later, after I’d made the turn for the final mile home, the song rose into the mental music stream, where it still resides today. Thus, you know, it must be shared to be dislodged.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters. Here’s the music. I’ll get the coffee. Cheers

(Another side bar: “The Mountain Shadow” and “The Mountain’s Shadow” have both been used as a novel title. Thought it sounded like a good one.)

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Thursday’s Theme Music

It’s crazy Thursday, where anything can happen to anyone at any time. In this regard, it’s very similar to crazy Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s also February 10, 2022, the only day it’ll ever be this day.

Sunrise was another sunshine-filled production. The mountains keep us fairly dark until the sun heaves itself over their edge, then it’s a fairly sudden illumination, a blazing concoction of light and heat. This officially came about at 7:14 this morning. Sunfall — or set, as many label it, for when the sun falls below the horizon as the Earth rotates — is due at 5:27 PM. Yesterday’s high saw us at 64 degrees F. They claim we’ll hit 75 today, about 23 degrees above our normal average high for this time of month and year. If we do hit that number, it’ll beat the record of 72, set back in 1992. What we’d really like is a bit of snow and rain. Our waters are steadily dropping, painting a despairing portrait of what the summer will be. Many growers are already lamenting that their produce will not grow again this year. Not enough water. Of course, that sends prices up locally, regionally, and nationally. It’s one big cluster growing.

Had beer with friends for a few hours yesterday evening. Six of us sat and toasted, recalled, lamented, and celebrated with a few pints at a favorite local brewery and restaurant, Caldera. We were outside, far from others. All six of us have been vaxxed and boosted, wear masks, isolate, and socially distant. None of had COVID, although two have tested themselves several times as colds and allergies kicked them in the nards.

Today has a 1975 Pink Floyd composition percolating in the morning mental music stream. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” was dedicated to a former band member, Syd Barrett. They’d terminated his relationship with the band amid his increasing health issues and inability to perform. I don’t understand why this song is playing today, but I have no problem with it; it’s a song that I enjoy and haven’t heard in a while. Of course, I’m only offering up part of it today. It’s a lengthy tune. I do recommend that you listen to the whole of it sometime.

Since someone mentioned percolating, I guess I’ll go get coffee. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters. Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

Wednesday has bloomed, fresh as a middle-of-the-week day can be. The sun popped over the mountains and turned on its blaze at about 7:15 AM, immediately registering as a positive on the sky’s light and warmth levels, taking us up off our 38 degrees F low. It’s already 58 outside. Fingers crossed that we’ll reach 67 F as they forecast. Friends and I are going to sit outside at a local brewery and toss back one or three before the sun drops out, taking its heat and light with it, at 5:36 PM.

A dream I remember from last night called today’s theme music into the morning mental music stream. “In the Navy” was a 1979 hit for the Village People. It was one of those songs that suddenly arose to be played everywhere, it seemed. Of course, its simple lyrics and strong beat made it memorable, and the general goofiness to it — I mean, you couldn’t take it seriously — made it a popular dance and party song for a while. Like many eras and their memes, you really had to be there to understand.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and booster when you can. Now off to the kitchen, where I’ll sing, “In the kitchen, you can make a cup of tea,” to the tune of “In the Navy”. Cheers.

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