Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Up and out early, I caught the sun’s first flush spreading over the snowy mountains on the valley’s other side as the sky gained blues and lost its darkness. Every night has its dawn, went through my head, which brought on Bret Michaels of Poison singing, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (1988). It’s a mellow song for a metal band, but a nice sound for contemplating winter, 2020.
Stay positive. Test negative. Wear a mask.
Miserable night for sky watching yester-evening. Clouds forever. But I was out there with my star finder anyway. I was looking for Jupiter-Saturn but was certain that I was out at the wrong time and that it was below the horizon. I mean, I’ve been tracking it for weeks going on months. Also, I spotted it the other morning while we were out on an early morning shopping mission for baking supplies, so I had a strong sense of its pattern. I was pleased to see it that morning. It was so wonderfully sharp and bright.
Anyway, I was enjoying last night’s nine PM silence. With lockdown, there’s little road traffic. The Depeche Mode song, “Enjoy the Silence” rose to mind. “Words are very unnecessary.” Yeah, I like the silence but I need the words in my head. Writing can be a challenge. Seeing a scene, hearing dialogue, even hearing thoughts and feeling emotions, you know what is to happen. The whole package is there. But the words must be presented to share it with a reader on paper. Those words that I put down are sometimes so banal and awkward, it makes for a teeth-grinding experience.
But the 1990 Depeche Mode song can work for today’s music. For one, Donald Trump has been quiet and out of sight, sulking, grieving his election loss, abandoning his duties in general. He’d never taken them seriously, anyway, always blustering about his greatness while his minions ran wild, de-regulating all that they could and milking opportunities to further empower the wealthy.
Ugh, don’t want to go down that road this early. Enjoy the music. Stay positive (yeah, like that’s so easy), test negative, wear a mask, and get vaccinated. Cheers
Sipping coffee, looking out the window, I was thinking of the season. I’d just asked Alexa about the time for sunrise and sunset today. I’m getting ready for the solstice. I’m not a fan of the shortened period of daylight. I like Ms Sun. She and I go waaayyy back. To me, ocean and sun with a little beach is la perfect combo.
There’s no snow out there this morning but calendar thoughts took me to the notion that Christmas is next week. Kwanza and Chanukah are already in session. Queuing up behind this week is New Year’s, then Biden is inaugurated. The vaccine is being distributed. Did I dare dream that change is coming?
These thoughts ’bout what’s comin’ led me to Three Dog Night’s cover of “Eli’s Coming” from 1969. Took three shakes of a neuron to do a thought mash up, combining Christmas is coming with “Eli’s Coming”. Such an adaptation could be a perfect holiday song.
Everywhere I go, though
Chanukah’s a-comin’ (She walked, but she’ll never get away)
Kwanza’s a-comin’ (She walked, but she’ll never get away)
Christmas a-comin’ (She walked, but she’ll never get away)
Sorry, it was BC, that horrible period of the morning before coffee has reassured my brain. Happy holidays to you. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, get a vaccine, and stay sane. Cheers
Today’s sound choice was inspired by waiting for my coffee. It takes so long to brew, like, minutes. Exasperating.
Not the first time this has happened with this song, “I Want A New Drug”, a 1984 song by Huey Lewis and the News, and this situation. When I was in the military after the song came out, staggering into the briefing room at miserably dark o’clock, I thought of this song many times. Of course, I understand that it’s not really about drugs. I sang about it in that context, too, when I was job hunting, or thinking about changing cities, states, or my role in a company. It’s a good song for that purpose, for capturing your frustration about here and now, and spinning a vision of what you really want.
Hope you enjoy this tune. Stay positive, test negative, and wear a mask. Get the vaccine, too. You know the one I mean.
There I was in my Jaguar. A gleaming dark blue roadster, the top was up. Looked like a series one. Not sure, because it was part of the dreamscape. The rest of the dream included a sequence in which a woman and I trick one another into not marrying, then realizing at the end that each had the same goal in mind — not to marry the other — and agreed it was for the best.
After that dream, today’s song choice began playing in my mind. “Young Turks” by Rod Stewart was released in 1981. The sound had shifted from previous Stewart offerings as a solo act and as part of a band, but it worked. Although it peaked at number five in the U.S., it hit number one in other places, and generally charted well around the world. Bottom lining it, the song is pretty well known among people of a certain age.
Hope you enjoy it. Stay positive, test negative, and wear a mask. Cheers
After thinking about the dreams and feeding the cats, I was making breakfast and started singing “Black Balloon” by the Goo Goo Dolls (1999). I thought, why not have a song about falling into addiction as a theme song? Seems appropriate for this social media age.
Yeah, my thoughts are slightly spun by the impact of a dramamentary, or docudrama, The Social Dilemma, and all about the efforts to push us to like more and more to make these platforms money. Many people find themselves caught up in chasing information. I go in and out of it, but it mostly bores me. The same stuff is displayed again and again.
Anyway, here’s the music. Hope you find something in it. Remember, stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vaccine. Cheers
I had “Some Enchanted Evening” stuck in my head last night. The song is from the musical, South Pacific. I know all of South Pacific; Mom had the soundtrack — on 33 RPM vinyl — and played it often.
The words were a little different for me last night. Instead of singing “stranger”, I was singing, “Kitty”, as in cat, because I was singing to a cat. Youngblood (aka Meep, official floof de plume, Papi, but aka the ginger boy) was sitting in a chair across the room watching me. I sang to him. He didn’t look impressed. His expression said, “I see no food…”
To get that melody out of mind, I began entertaining other songs. I’d seen Bruce Springsteen on SNL last weekend, so I started shuffling Springsteen tunes. “Brilliant Disguise” (1987) caught and stayed.
Here we go. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get a vaccine. That is all.
Today’s song comes as a reflection on 2020 and its events. As I cogitated about what was and wasn’t, and what might be, I thought of how mojo rises and falls. What will the mojo be like in 2021?
All that thinking led me to a Cat Stevens song, “Wild World” (1970). I was fourteen when I heard the song. His singing tone spoke to me as it did a significant swath of my generation.
“But if you want to leave, take good care. I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear. But then a lot of nice turns bad out there.”
Yeah, you never know how things will turn. You can predict and plan, expect, hope, and pray. It often turns without warning, spurred by a sudden wind, a sharp word, a surprise pain, a shy glance, a quick smile, a brief hug. For want of a nail…
Have a good day. Stay positive, test negative, and wear a mask, please.
Nice to wakey to some sunshine. Yesterday stayed a dark day, as if the day mechanism was stuck, unable to bring day to fullness.
Don’t know the roots of today’s song in my thinking. Just came to me as I was making the bed. “It’s A Heartache” was recorded and released by Bonnie Tyler in 1978, becoming a major hit for her in several countries.
Hope you enjoy the choice. The song starts slow and flat, almost a country and western dirge to my ears, and then builds. Remember, stay positive, test negative, and wear a mask.
Cheers
After a series of tremendously affirming dreams, I awoke with “You’re All I Need to Get By” (1968) by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It’s a softly melodic song, gentle, tranquil, a good rainy Sunday song. Please remember, stay positive, test negative, and wear a mask. Cheers
Michael Seidel, writer 