• I was on a kick the last few weeks to reorganize our closets, toss old unused items, clean out the bookshelves and recycle clothes. It dawned on me that this probably reflects an instinctual response to the chaos of our post-election days, my need for a sense of order amidst the crumble. I must say that our own closet-cleaning has been nearly as satisfying as our national house-cleaning.
• Trump is plainly unhinged. That a sociopath like Trump has tens of millions of followers is plainly frightening.
• The fact that I don’t engage on Facebook doesn’t mean I don’t care for you. It just means that Facebook doesn’t get to decide how I interact with you. On-demand mundane contact with one’s friends was never an expectation in pre-social-media days. So what changed?
• My spouse idly asks me one evening, would I ever get a tattoo? I say, sure. So she asks, of what? And I answer, of a tattoo.
• You know life is stressful when watching Judge Judy feels like an escape from reality.
• My spouse said she would vote for me to be president. I responded that she is the one who should be president. She said, that would be scary. I said, not really, you would just have to know whether to single-click or double-click the nuclear button. We both grimace.
• The CDC just announced its priorities for what segments of the population should get the COVID-19 vaccine first. From what I see, my spouse and I won’t be eligible until March or April anyway. That’s OK. We have the resources, and patience, to stay safe. Unlike those who have to go to work, who have to care for others, who have to interact with the public, who have to keep the cash flow going to live somewhat-normal lives. I don’t envy Biden. Most of America is impatient.
• That the Beatles were a tight band, even at the end, can hardly be disputed after watching this video of the 1969 rooftop performance of Don’t Let Me Down. What is disappointing, however, is that the late keyboardist Billy Preston, practically the fifth Beatle at that time, has less than two seconds of video airtime in a song that was carried by his performance. My point: The Beatles were no exception in how egos rule in the music business, just as they do in every other creative sphere.
I agree about the trump followers. So scary that there are so many of them.
The only other known musician to play on a Beatles album was Eric Clapton on one of George’s songs. The others were not that happy with his decision. There is a video of the entire rooftop concert on YouTube. They had all agreed to bring in Preston. Many comments on YouTube were asking who was playing the keyboard.
And SCREW Trump and his grifter family.
Yes it is very frightening!!!! Even more so as most of the Republicans are either remaining silent or adding fuel to the fire!!!! These are dangerous times and I hope we can move beyond it come January 20th.
If the media stops giving him a platform maybe he will self destruct!!
Trump intends to create his own platform, I think. And “the vast right-wing conspiracy” will help him do so. (For a rude wakeup, read “Antisocial” by Andrew Marantz.)
Stress-cleaning has been a ‘thing’ long before Covid pandemic and political lunacy…. it absolutely is a tactic a human brain uses as it scrambles for a way to feel grounded and in predictable, safe surroundings. Sadly, no matter how hard I scrub the floors of my apartment, the world outside looks wretched. Well, not the natural world, just a shockingly large number of the people walking around in it.
Sort of like when Sue does “stress-laundry” the night before we travel, whether we need the clothes done or not!
I am a terrible Facebook friend. I personally feel like I have to be either an “all or nothing” contributor, so when it so happens that I think to post something, I go back and read through my friends’ posts, react, and/or comment to them. Only then do I feel like I can share something of my own. I’d like to reciprocate more, and more consistently, in all of my relationships (beyond Facebook).
I am very happy not to have a tattoo. I know you and mom threatened to rescind my college tuition if I ever got one, but honestly, that was never something I ever had a desire to do. All I could ever think about, is how that tattoo would look decades from now (no judgement on those who do have them, like Nate! Is it horrible that I think the positive of him having a tattoo on each of his limbs would ever come in handy if he were hit by a semi? Yes.)
I agree, Mom would make an excellent POTUS. As for your role as “First Mate”, your blog could be your platform!
Lastly, the reason I believe that Billy Preston had fewer than two seconds of airtime in that video, is because he was Black.
President Collins does have a nice ring to it!