The Greedy Heart is a Prodigious Thing, Indeed...

"Enshittification, also known as crapification and platform decay, is a pattern in which online products and services decline in quality. Initially, vendors create high-quality offerings to attract users, then they degrade those offerings to better serve business customers, and finally degrade their services to users and business customers to maximize profits for shareholders."

Who could have guessed? Turns out Spotify is a prime example of enshittification, just an elaborate rigged game. A money-making machine built to line the pockets of it's executives, board members & shareholders. It's a dominating, wildly-successful, obnoxiously-ubiquitous app that resides on everyone's smartphone. It's also a scam and a total hustle. I mean, fuck, knock me down with a feather, of course.

Did you know that, as Liz Pelly writes there are "ghost artists", fake artists churning out tracks for Spotify, completely b.s. creations used to just to goose the company's profits? Cutting out legitimate musicians. Ha. Not surprising. It is always amazing how the Tricky Monkeys will hustle and scheme to squeeze every last drop of juice from every last buck. We are amazing and so fucking predictable.

So yeah, what might have started as a nice idea has turned into an elaborate hustle. Music and musicians be damned. What does the future portend? Probably, let's just cut to the chase, have AI create the tracks, and then maybe have the AI create fake listeners to listen to them endlessly 24/7?  Maybe they can just eliminate the Human element completely?

Turns out we are all just hustling each other with this internet thing. Fake shit gobbling up all of our time and attention. What's a Pilgrim to do? Dust off that turn-table and go back to analog. Or fire up that Sony Walkman and spin those silver discs. That is more real world. Wake up Bunky, there is a world beyond the veil, beyond the world wide web. Maybe put that fucking smartphone down? I know, a radical idea, right?! 

Open the window. Go outside. Smell the roses. Take it to the streets. We have created this alternate reality and it's just an enormous Hall of Mirrors, we use it to hustle and lie to ourselves, a load of mumbo-jumbo and madness. Fuck it.

BTW - I was alerted to this subject by a musician I know very well. We make music together, totally on the fringes of the "music biz."

Here is an excerpt from a conversation via email:  "We were recently talking to another record label (chasing rabbits down rabbit holes) and for them it's all about the Spotify algorithm, they talked about it like it's some unholy god. They wanted to analyze our tracks with some kind of app that somehow predicts how the algorithm would respond. Very creepy way to think about music. It makes sense that the insiders at Spotify would rig the game to benefit themselves. The greedy heart is a prodigious thing, indeed. Yikes. What a world."

The MAGA Creeps are Flailing...

One creepy billionaire donated $250 million dollars to help elect another creepy billionaire, and now, what do we get? Chaos, dysfunction, bad blood, bad governing, idiocy on steroids. Fuck. Who could have seen it coming? Oh, yeah, pretty much any slightly-conscious citizen, you know, anyone with a brain.

The other creepy billionaire hasn't even been sworn in yet, and already the MAGA creeps are flailing. Seems we are heading towards the disaster phase of USA, you know the "fuck around and find out" period of our history. 

Living in the USA. It promises to be a wild ride. Not necessarily a fun one. Although, I am beginning to think there will be a very entertaining side to this unfolding, unholy, spectacle: watching the MAGAs, & the amped up billionaires, make total hash of everything. Sure they are rich and powerful, but it seems they are also toxic, clueless, incompetant clowns. 

Sure, we will all suffer the consequences, but there might be some dead-bounce laughter amidst the tears. It will be obvious who owns this clusterfuck.

Sure, it's a meager silver lining. Being proven right, as the ship of state teeters over the edge is cold comfort. But, who knows, maybe this will all shake out, maybe it's a necessary cleanse? Pushed to the breaking point, and then cooler, smarter heads wake up, the worm turns and we get back to actually trying run a real goverment with folks who know what they are doing? Hope dies last.

The Billionaires are Getting Surly...

“You don’t know anybody as stupid as Donald Trump. You just don’t.” - Fran Lebowitz  Ha. Thank you, Fran...

Ok... another "know your history post,' (see previous post). 

The incredibly wealthy amongst us, the billionaires in our midst, seem to be seriously drunk on their money and power. They are now out in force, and they are at war with Goverment of, and by, the People. Suddenly the little people, the common ones, the working stiffs, you know, basically the rest of us, those who actually do the day to day work that keeps the economy humming along, are under attack. Seems those super-weatlhy folks aren't content unless they can Lord over the rest of us. Think: Hubris, Arrogance, Belligerance. These are not nice folks, they are not as smart as they think they are either.  Many of them are actually drug-infused and brain addled. Certainly, most of them seem to be saddled with egos of mammoth proportions. Not healthy people. They are part of the new shameless, empowered asshole class. Maybe we are in the "fuck around & find out"phase of the story. Even the super-wealthy & super-powerful can push things too far. They have conveniently forgotten that it actually takes a village to make a billionaire. When the villagers finally wake up, things could get very interesting. 

I Bet this Story Gets Worse...

"Legal sports betting revenue in the US has gone from $430 million in 2018 to $11.04 billion last year, i.e., more than a 25-fold increase in five years. Note that revenue means total bets minus total payouts, so that $11.04 billion is the net loss to legal sports gamblers in America last year."

This is subject dear to my heart. I used to love to bet on the ponies. I spent many an afternoon at horse-racing tracks around the city chasing after that big score. You do not want to be a gambling, risk-taking type human being, armed with a shiny little smartphone that connects your bank account directly to an online gamibling site. I mean, fuck, isn't that a fucking obviously super-bad idea? Yikes. This little monkey knows you do not want to feed that jittery big-score seeking monkey.

Of course, the online gambling industry is happier than pigs in shit. And the goverments, local and federal, are probably happy taking their cut too. This runaway money-train is gonna be hard to stop. But what of the poor schlubs gambling their fortunes, or hard-earned pennies away? 

Those hyped-up schlubs can now bet on every play of every game on every game day.  You know, just one click away.  Many of them will be just trying to get even, digging themselves in deeper and deeper with every crazy-ass bet.

Turns out online gambling, on pretty much everything, is draining the bank accounts of folks all acorss the land. Who could have seen this coming? Ha. Maybe just about everyone? And, don't forget, as the money pot grows larger and larger, we get closer to that inevitable sports-betting-scandal? You know someone throwing a game, dropping a ball, making a an obviously bad call to cover a bet, and score the big bucks. Does anyone remember the 1919 Black-Sox Scandal? Know your history people!

No Idea...

Well... yeah... there's the "hidey-hole" (see previous post), and then the rabbit hole. Lately, it seems, I find myself going down rabbit holes. I guess, I am just chasing after mythical, unseen rabbits. Maybe catching just a glimmer of a cotton tail? Why do I want to chase a rabbit down a rabbit hole? I really have no idea...

A Hidey-Hole...

Yes. Super-important to have a designated "hidey-hole." A safe space away from other people and the forever-on-rushing hurly-burly of events. As they say, history, is just "one damn thing after another."

A place of silence & retreat is required. A place of practiced stillness, and renewal.

In my secret hidey-hole I have a bookshelf stocked with great books and records. I have my little Sony Walkman, and a pair of excellent Grado headphones. My acoustic guitar is always at hand. I have a little digital recorder for new song ideas, stray riffs and chords.

No man is an island, but everyone needs an island to claim as their own; a place where one can nurture and fortify their mind and spirit. Absolutely essential...

Empowering...

Empowering the Asshole; that is the inevitable consequence to be derived from the results of the November 2024 Presidential election. I suppose it will be "interesting," to see how it all turns out? What is that famous Chinese curse? "May you live in interesting times."

Just how fucking interesting, will be an interesting experience. Think of it all as a long-form experiment in self-sabotage, a curse, a test, a willfully-conjured up clusterfuck, an idiotic, ritualistic, hurling of ourselves into the black void of fucked-up-ness. How much damage can one over-stuffed, over-amped, and devastatingly ignorant, classless, corrupt & destructive man do? I suppose we will all find out. Like they say: "Fuck around and find out." Yikes. We are now heading into the full-speed ahead finding out part.

Philosophy in Action...

 Yes... well... being philosophical: "If you are philosophical in your reaction to something that is not satisfactory, you accept it calmly and without anger, understanding that failure and disappointment are a part of life."

Yikes. 

I suppose it's all a matter of degrees. How to be be calm and clear, not angry about "something not satisfactory." Is it a good idea? A healthy way to live?

Seems like a test and a challenge and contrary to our audacious pop culture credo of having everything all the time. Accepting failure and disappointment; is it just being an intelligent person, or an abdication, a giving up, a giving in? 

There is a Universe of "not satisfactory," shite out there. It is the ocean we swim in, the air we breathe. We endure the slings & arrows of outrageous fortune, and keep on going. That's philosophy in action.

We Turn to Art...

Ah... well...

This is all so familiar to my partner and I. Disappointed in the Human Game, in the turn of events, in the long, ragged, jagged journey of our species. Humans are very tricky and complicated. And it gets weird & ugly at times.

What is our fall back? Our go-to mode? Art. 

We both sink into music, books, film, poetry. We create. We are always conjuring up new dreams, fantastical ideas, crazy-ass adventures in our heads. Always working on new songs. Writing new lyrics. Recording demos with our little digital recorder.  Sinking into, and living in, a swirling creative pool. 

We seem always be in the mind of discovery. Always on the search and lookout. Turning to other artists for inspiration. We surround ourselves, bury ourselves deeply other worlds & minds, in the creative soup of life. So, yes, I suppose dark times can lead to creative breakthroughs. We truly do need to create to live. No joke. Almost as essential as the air we breathe, the water and food we take into our bodies.

We truly live it. It is not some grand ego trip. It's a humble way forward. Leaning into the poetry and rythmn of life. Our feet on the ground, our heads in the clouds. The real work, the soul work, the spirit work. "All that glitters is not gold..." Yes. Indeed. Damn the torpedoes...

Humbled & Resigned...

Ah... we are a bit humbled and resigned around here. The news everyday lately is bad, the worst amongst us are being nominated  by the large toxic clown, and they are targeted to do important jobs in the new administration. And the wealthy amongst us reveal themselves to be corrupt, doofusses with no idea how government or even a civil society works.

Every day my friend and I say to each other: "It's gonna be bad."

Still, we carry on. We do our thing, hope for the best. Someone said, "Expect the unexpected," Another replied, "Unexpect the expected." I say be prepared to improvise. Change is the ocean we swim in.

Remember there were probably fabulous parties during the Dark Ages. People lived and died, and the whole cycle kept repeating. Seems we have get philosophical in our thinking. Sure things are gonna be bad, I mean for some unfathomable reason lots of our fellow Americans turned to the dark side. Maybe as Paul Campos wrote a couple days ago: "Huge swaths of the populace are ignorant morons rather than literal Nazis. So that’s the good news . . . " 

Of course, on the other hand, lots of morons in our midst can also be fatal to a healthy and prosperous country. Either way, Democracy, our little experiment in representative governing here in America, is pointed full speed ahead to an fairly certain period of suffering and dark, moronic times. Yikes.

Still, we can choose to seek the goodness and the light in the moments of a day. Find the little gems in the MAGA pile of shite. Hope for a better day and a better way.  I mean, at least, that is what keeps us going. We need a reason to be positive. Sure, it's gonna be bad, but we will not lose our heads, we refuse to be defeated. We believe this will blow over in time. It's the only healthy way to forward. Damn the torpedoes...

"The Secret of the Prima Materia..."

This morning I ponder the Ouroborus. Maybe the thought was initiated by that little dog that I lived with for few days? Every morning she did a little circular dance, chasing her own tail in the living room,  the morning sunshine streaming thru the window. It was little act of self-awareness, futility, and absurdity too.

A snake eating it's own tail. Symbol of the eternal cycle of life, life, death, rebirth.

Let's check in with Carl Jung on the subject: "The Ouroboros is a dramatic symbol for the integration and assimilation of the opposite, i.e. of the shadow. This 'feedback' process is at the same time a symbol of immortality since it is said of the Ouroboros that he slays himself and brings himself to life, fertilizes himself, and gives birth to himself. He symbolizes the One, who proceeds from the clash of opposites, and he, therefore, constitutes the secret of the prima materia which ... unquestionably stems from man's unconscious."

As Dylan put it: "He not busy being born, is busy dying."

Shame on the Humans...

OK. Forget the Blue/Red divide for a moment. It's real, but we've talked that shite to death. This morning I am thinking of something else: dark times are here, maybe for a long while. The Assholes amongst us are ascendent. The Billionaires are armed with $, and bad ideas, which they want to impose upon the rest of us. They have decided that Government of, and by, the People, you know Democracy, is a threat to their wealth (Every billionaire is a policy failure, don't you know?! & It takes a village to raise a billionaire!). Those rich fucks have decided that the problem with the USA can be traced to the Social Programs  we have that address the needs of the populace. You know juicy and life-giving programs like Social Security, Medicare, & Veterans' Benefits.Talk about the unmitigated arrogance of wealthy Assholes. Yikes. What's a Humble Pilgrim to do? First shake your head in shame. Shame on the Humans for elevating the Assholes amongst us. Those folks should be shunned, and of course, taxed at a suitable rate. Not a one of them accumulated their wealth alone. The villagers helped make every fortune, no doubt. And then, well maybe People need to wake up!? The rich folks, I mean, the filthy rich, don't give a fiddler's fuck for the rest of us. Ok, there may be a few good-hearted, benevolent ones, but, fuck, don't count on the goodness of a billionaire. For the majority, we are just in the way. You know we are the folks who flee and cower when they start wielding their power. For them it's about $, and how to keep it, and make more. It's a soulless, asshole-ish way to live. Death-dealing, ignorant, selfish, greedy and small-minded. We can do better Humans!

Speakers in the Room...

Staying at a place with one those fabulous old analog stereo systems.  Real wood, real steel, real cables, solidly built, built to last, substantial, powerful. A large amplifier with big & little speakers wired throughout the house. Speakers in the living room, TV room & kitchen. I am spinning those little silver discs, CDs that I brought with me for the stay-over. 

The last few days I have been listening to D'Angelo's "Black Messiah." One those great gems of a recording. I hear it as avant-garde soul. Slinky, sexy, slippery, big on groove. Fabulous bass & drums, gorgeous vocals. So invigorating. 

Also listened to saxophonist, Kamazi Washington's "Heaven & Earth." Epic. Overstuffed. Grand. Ambitious. The life of the mind, the mind of a life. Powerful, beautiful, trippy, sounds like a soundtrack to an epic fanstasy film. Full orchestra, full choir, and a fabulous band of jazz musicians. Everything can be found in this 2 disc set. It keeps morphing and changing. Anything seems possible. Makes you smile, and wonder too. 

Also three Tragically Hip records: "Road Apples," "Day for Night,  & "Trouble at the Henhouse." This band is one of my latest "discoveries." Amazing catalog of music. Great band, 5 guys, friends since childhood, from a small town in Canada. They became Canada's most beloved. Great story. Fabulous r&r band. There are no flaws here. Unique singer, fabulous lyrics, kick-ass band. Love the two guitars and their on-going interplay. So good.

And Shabaka Hutchings. His record "Perceive it's Beauty, Acknowledge it's Grace", is astonishing, beautiful. My favorite recording of the moment. Flute, clarinet, spoken word, grooves. It just hits home, but with a light, graceful touch. Inspiring. Enriching. Healing. This is music at it's absolute best.

The Birth of Pop Culture = Beatles '64...

We watched "The Beatles 64," yesterday. Amazing, exciting. Surprising. It features newly unearthed, never before seen footage of the Beatles when they visited the USA, played the Ed Sullivan Show, Carnegie Hall, and chilled out in Harlem with Ronnie Spector and the Ronnettes. Who knew!?

Gil-Scott Heron famously told us: "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," but he didn't mention that Albert and David Maysles were most likely filming it while it was happening. The brothers had cameras rolling for many significant events of that decade, including Monterey Pop and Gimmee Shelter.

A case can be made the 60's didn't really start until that fateful night on the Ed Sullivan Show. The Beatles played their music for 70 million Americans, many of them screaming and crying in joy and ecstasy. The nation was still reeling and mourning the murder of JFK. This little group of mop-tops captivated and electrified the youth of the world, and yes, changed the world as it changed them too.  

Turns out the 60's, and the optimism and good vibes of that decade, seemed to die right around the time (1970), the Beatles broke up. The Rolling Stones at Altamont, and the Manson family murder spree also kind of put the nail in the coffin of that hippie credo: What's so funny about Peace, Love & Understanding, indeed?!

Hindsight is revealing & deceiving, nothing is all that neat and simple. But it's clear that you can't understand the 1960's if you don't include the improbably brilliant journey of the Beatles. It is all still sort of astonishing even now. Right time, right place, magic happens. They were one of the few bands that just got better, more creative, and genre-busting with each recording.  Their explorations with fashion, drugs, mysticism, meditation, avant garde art, and world music, became our explorations too. The Beatles became the example, the myth, and the template for everyone else who ever tried to  follow or emulate them.

The craziness of Beatlemania is still pretty unfathomable, unexplainable. As John Lennon says, they experienced it as a sort of ride in the eye of a hurricane. We get an insider's glimpse of those four lads birthing Pop Culture into being; a magnificent, thrilling, tsunami & joy-ride of new energy.

To see it all now? Another world. Did all really happen? Was it just a dream? A blast of enthusiasm, innocence, good vibes, humor & fun. As Paul said: it was all "A bit of a laugh." Of course, it was much more than that, but that was close to the heart of the beginning.

Crisis this Morning...

Maybe not the most important story this morning, at least, I am guessing, not important to you, but to me, yes, indeed, a story of "crisis." I am on the road, staying at a plush, old world mansion-like abode. Drinking my morning coffee in the dark, listening to the BBC on the radio. Seems all hell is breaking loose in many parts of the globe. I suppose you might say, just a typical morning. I finish my morning pot of coffee, and turn to making tomorrow's brew. Grinding new beans, suddenly, or you know, in the moment, mid-grind, my little, trusty coffee-bean grinder "gave up the ghost." It just up and died. One last grind, French Roast, and then kaput. This morning's coffee is fine. But what about tomorrow?! Immediately, trouble in SunnyJimmy Land.  How long have I owned that grinder? Decades? It's all sort of misty & hazy. My life, I mean. The years fly by, the beans get ground up, the coffee gets brewed, and then I  imbibe it all with a theatrical flourish. My life. An essential ritual. Energy is Eternal Delight. So, well, of course, the crisis can be easily remedied. Just dig in my pocket and pull out some cold, hard cash. There are a few places in town where I can secure a new grinder. I make a mental note to trek out into the cold later today. Buying new shit. It's a thing, a necessity. Doing my part to keep our economy humming, and my energy flowing. Yes, indeed, "coffee is truly the will to live."

Pop Culture References...

Yikes. When we  heard the news that a United Healthcare President, an executive in a major health insurance conglomerate was gunned down on the streets in New York City, our first thoughts: "Mr. Robot."  & "V for Vendetta."

Then we heard that the bullet casings were inscribed with these words: "Delay, Deny, Defend."  Later we found out that there was book titled "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It"

When we hear about record profits, ($6.6 billion dollar profit for the 3rd quarter of 2024), for this particular insurance company, we are smart enough to know that they make their money by denying benefits to sick and often dying patients. Not a very admirable way to make a living. It's wild how sometimes pop culture informs the wider world.

Can't help wondering: Is the gunman just a canary in a coalmine? You know, "every billionaire is a policy failure" & "it takes a village to make a billionaire." Maybe the downtrodden villagers, those denied, those deceased, those who are currently suffering, are getting restless? Vast & rampant income Inequality is a disease...

Yes... Coffee & Music...

A very dear friend, who knows me well, sent me this drawing, and well, yes, my life too revolves around coffee, music, sunglasses, dogs, and the desire to be cool. Of course, you can't aspire to be cool, and you don't get to decide if you are cool or not, that is left to the four winds. But, yes, how to manage a life? For me, the two key poles: coffee and music. The trajectory: morning coffee = everything is possible, late afternoon music session  (listening to it and/or playing it) = harmony, melody, rythmn, vibes. "There once was a note, pure & easy..." - P. Townsend. Joe Cool Snoopy...

Good News from South Korea...

Good news this morning. The people of South Korea successfully came out in the streets to peacefully resist an attempted coup initiated by their President. The brilliant Heather Cox Richardson writes about it here. Seems their President has backed down, Democracy wins.

Sure it is a long way from USA, but such a refreshing, exicing, heartwarming event. Maybe it is instuctive? The people who value Democracy standing up for their right to a free and fair society, for their constitutional order, good government, and human rights. It's a beautiful thing.

Sometimes the "good guys & girls" win. My partner and I are big fans of South Korea. We love their people, their know-how, their innovations, their products, some of our essential devices include Samsung Smart TV & a Google Chromebook. Also one of our favortie series on Netlfix was the astonishing and beautiful "Alchemy of Souls." Hat-tip to the shamaness, poet & rock & roller Patti Smith for alerting us to that amazing show; magical, graceful, funny, astonishing. Also we loved "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," smart, funny, quirky, fabulously entertaining. South Korea comes across as a beautiful jewel of a land.

Anyway, good news is good news. 

We have been on the alert for the good things in life. Picking and choosing from the best around us. Staying nourished and informed by informed sources. On the lookout for Quality in thought, in writing, in art, in technology, in all aspects of good living. You know, leaning to the Light. Seeking life-giving, soul-enriching people and things.. It's all part of taking care of ourselves, healing, staying connected to one another, and seeking out the best that culture has to offer. Aware, alive, awake. Always.

The Void of Madness...

A stray sentence that I came across this morning that rings true, and totally resonates with me...

"His religion kind of creeps me out..."

Yes. Is it fair to say that most (all?), religions are based on essential, fundamental misunderstandings, and willful falsehoods?  Think of swallowing and embodying the lies as the first deadly step into the void of madness. One digests the false creed, and goes forth into the darkness. Living the lie. A turn away from what is true. It opens up a can of worms, decaying worms of the mind; corrupting, misleading, dangerous, leading to all kinds of mayhem, mischief, tragedy, blood, revenge, oppression, chaos, ignorance & injustice. 

How Do I Sleep at Night?!

Ah well. How do I sleep at night?!

What helps me...

I still believe in Gravity. And Karma. I believe in Justice & the Rule of Law. I believe in a Better Day. I believe that those we think of as "Evil-doers," are imprisoned & tortured by being themselves. That is their worst punishment, they have be them.

I believe in hard work, good cheer. I believe in Good Government & Democracy. I believe the Universe is an amazing, wondrous, & mysterious place. I believe we are all here to observe, to witness, and to discover our very own meanings and purposes.

I believe in the Creative Journey. I believe that Life is a Long-Form Improvisation. I believe it's important to Grow, to Change, to Evolve, to always be Learning. I believe in Grace, Hope, and an Inner Light.

And of course in the face of the constant turmoil, toil & trouble, and chaotic hurly-burly, I believe one must be clear-headed, alive, aware & awake. And of course, always, Damn the Torpedoes...

Bleak, Stupid & Unnecessay...

All the news is bad. No doubt. Especially on the home front in USA. So, I parcel out my time indulging in the news in tiny doses. I dip my toe in the pool, stir it around a little bit, get a decent sample of the worst of the worst shite, and then gracefully exit,  dry my toe, & turn to other things. It's the only way to keep somewhat sane, and the only way to minimize the effects of the poisoning. Sure a body can handle a tiny dose of the poison, just to know what's out there, but then the rest of the day is pointed towards health & balance. There is only so much toxic doom & gloom one humble Pilgrim can tolerate. I am amazed how quickly & easily recent events have basically spun out into visions of total dystopia. It was not my scenario at all. All signs point to a deep decline in the prospects for our Democracy & Good Government. Those ideas now seem under assault from all corners. WTF? That is still my go-to mode: WTF? My fellow Americans are truly baffling to me. I wonder if they have just given up? This decided turn to the Toxic Clown and his disgusting minions seems like the worst self-sabotage imaginable. What happens next? Who knows? It all looks very bleak, very stupid, very unneccsary. 

Entering the Corrupt & Stupid Era...

Went to a gathering of folks. Lots of food and chatter. No one talked about the debacle of a few weeks ago. Not one soul ventured into that ugly terrain. It is now the subject we don't talk about. Too dark, too painful, too disturbing. And, of course, we are all exhausted by the trials and tribulations of the Toxic Clown.

We live in concentric circles of blue, in a decidedly, proudly blue state. We hope & believe that our state, our Governor, will stand tall for the America we want to continue to live in. We all still hold that torn & tattered, wispy little dream of an inclusive and loving America the Beautiful.

We now feel so out of step with the bigger picture. The focus is closer to home. How to keep our heads, how to help our friends, how to still be positive and hopeful knowing that that an unbound Master of Bad Shite will be conducting things in Washington D.C.?

My take: America is Broken. We are now entering the Corrupt & Stupid era of America. Can we survive 4 years of corruption and stupidity on steroids? Can we really keep our heads in the midst of a trash TV adminstration? Who knows?! 

I kept these thoughts to myself, no sense bringing the party to a halt. No sense being the existential downer. We ate good food, we laughed, we talked about everything else under the sun. Sure, it was like a collective whistling past the graveyard thing. Dancing and partying like in E.A. Poe's Masque of the Red Death.

Everyone in that room was smarter, more caring, more admirable than the folks who appear to be populating the coming shit-show. Fuck.  I mean, you know, what a world?!

A Day of Indulging...

Back to basics. A day off. A day of thanks. Happy to be able to eat a hearty & healthy meal; all vegetarian, no turkeys harmed in the making our meal. 

Aware, alive, awake.

A day of no worries. Hanging with my love. Telling stories. After our meal I decided to read out-loud to my companion; a few of my favorite passages from a fabulous novel, Liam Heneghan's astonishing & totally captivating Through Pleated Light." 

Also listening to fabulous music. Lately it's been thrilling to dive into the discography of Tragically Hip. They are the Beatles, or U2, or REM of Canada. What a great discovery. 

It's good to get out of my own hall of mirrors, and submerge into other folks imaginative Universes. That's the beauty of fine literature, and great music. Totally diverting, renewing, refreshing, & enriching. 

So yes, it was a day of feeding the body, the head, the spirit. Imagination & healing.

The Merry-Go-Round...

The thing is...

Life goes on. Bad shite goes down, good shite goes down, doesn't matter. The world keeps on turning. Life rolls on no matter what. As George Harrison once sang: "And life flows on within you and without you..."

You can like it or not. Ride with it or not. It's a bit humbling, being a Human Being. Once you get on the merry-go-round, there's no getting off, until, well, finally you fall off. And well, that's a life, right there, in a nutshell.

My Upside?!

Since that thing that happened, I have been struggling to come up with an upside. I feel so of out of tune with the moment, at least the political moment, and maybe also dare I say,  I am on the wrong side of history? If indeed the USA is making a dark turn to an authoritarian-type dystopia, I am experiencing major dissonance with the prevailing symphony, and I am quietly brushing up on my stance & attitude of alienation & dissent. I am up for a life of resist, obstruct, & resist some more in my own little corner of the world. I can do alienation & gnarliness with the best of them.

Here's my upside: all the grifters, con-men (& women), looters & pillagers of the public coffers, corrupters & crooks, incompetants, right-wing numbskulls, wanna-be-nazis, souped-up christian-nationlists, the evil-doers, the oppressors, the suppressors, the forces of a retrograde debauchery, lawless power grabbers, will be in one place, one administration. They will be very public, hopefully under the microscope, that is if the rest of us just bear witness. We must keep engaged, alive, aware, awake & always vigilent. We will see & catalog all of their dastardly bad acts of destruction, division & chaos. We will keep count, a running total, of the lies, the crimes, the bad deeds.

As per usual, let's just assume, for the sake of argument, that we can cling to a certain, totally under stress per usual; if history is to be our guide, someone else, the next adminstration, the next President & their Cabinet, will be a good government, Democractic-type adminstraiton, that will come in, try to clean up, put the shattered pieces back together, get back to the business of the public good, dedicate themselves to honesty, integrity, good government, the rule of law, justice, etc. I mean, hell, one can only hope.

And it has been a trend. Just check the history books. Of course, nothing can be taken for granted. We may have taken a deadly turn. As Joe Strummer once said: "The Future is Unwritten." That could be a good, or a bad thing. Who knows?!

The midterms are two years away. Next Presidential election is in 2028. Seems like a very, very long, probably very rocky and disheartening interval of time. It may seem like a lifetime, an eternity, but really, lately, time does seem to fly by. Wonder if we will all be around to see it?! I do hope so, I'd like to get back in-tune with a better day & a better way. Fuck. I mean, shite & damn the torpedoes.

Prescient & Relevant. Yikes.

This morning, I came across this paragraph written in 1984 from Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale. It seems quite precient, relevant and unfortunately, totally of the moment here in the USA...

"Would I be able to persuade readers that the United States of America had suffered a coup that had transformed an erstwhile liberal democracy into a literal-minded theocratic dictatorship? In the the book (The Handmade's Tale), the Constitution and Congress are no longer: The Republic of Gilead is built on the foundation of the seventeenth-century Puritan roots that have always lain beneath the modern-day America we thought we knew."

Yes. Well. This has a resonant ring of plausibility. Yikes...

Re-prioritizing...

Getting over a cold. It's a process. Slow. Step by step. Once you go down for the count, there is the slow revival. Every day, slightly better. You come to really value easy breathing and good feeling. There is a recalibration, and a re-think. What's important? What to do? How best to expend the little energy that is available to you? Then the worm turns slightly and every day it is about "Getting stronger." Like Rocky. Ha. 

This morning I am in my Bartelby the Scrivener mode: "I prefer not to." There is much to turn away from, to not listen to, to not worry about, to not engage with, and to not waste my attention upon. I think of healing, cleaning up, re-prioritizing. Getting back to basics: good food, restful sleep, excellent music, books, coffee. Taking care. Feeding the head, the heart, the spirit. Yes. Alive.

The Double-Edged Nature...

Awhile back I was singing the praises of community. A gathering of the tribes. That good feeling of being in a room with other folks. It definitely has it's upside. I think of Dean Martin singing: "People who need people, are the luckiest people in the world." Sappy song, but, maybe it's true?

A few days after that gathering I came down with a nasty cold. No, not covid, (I tested to be sure) but I was knocked down a peg or two with a doozy of a cold. All the classic symptoms: chills, congestion, cough, depleted energy. Obviously someone in that little room had been a secret carrier.

It is amazing what a little germ can do. I was brought low for about a week, living with a river of phlegm.

A reminder: people are contagious. Right? They can pass all kinds of things onto you: vibes (good & bad), enthusiasm, depression, fabulous & terrible ideas, love & hate.  So, yeah, the downside, I think of Jean Paul Satre's: "Hell is other people." Yes, maybe it's true? 

It's funny. I was also sickened by the results of the election, and then my body & psyche joined forces on a downward journey. In-tune with sickness: body, head, & spirit.

There is a duality to the reality of being a Human Being. We embody the double-edged nature of our existence together. BTW - I recovered from my cold, and feel totally liberated this morning. Renewed. Sometimes after getting sick, it seems, I suddenly feel better than ever. More alive, aware, awake. What a rollercoaster: Life.

A New & Improved Human?! Nope...

My favorite writer, post-election has been Paul Campos at the blog Lawyers, Guns & Money (hat tip: Warren Zevon).  Paul (& Warren too), are just my kind of people. Smart, witty, articulate; writers with heart & intellect, inquiring, fiery, creative minds. 

Over here in our little secret garden, my partner and I have been wracking our souls & minds trying to make sense of recent events. We have been spinning in a whirlpool of conflicting emotions, and furious confusion. Our conception of the USA, the World, hell, the Universe itself, has been shattered.  Our post-election days have been a process of picking up the scattered pieces, trying to mock up a new vision, a new narrative, a new story we can tell ourselves & live with.

It has been difficult. 

Yesterday's conversation seemed to hover over the idea: How to make a Better Voter, or even more fundamentally, a Better Human Being? Talk about a fraught, dicey, complicated, contradictory, and impossible subject.

Look at the History of Humans. It's a battle of Religions, Philosophies, Mythologies, Governments, Languages, Ethics, Morals, Sciences, Biology. Much of the pain, heartache, misery, oppression, tragedy, genocide, atrocity, and catastrophic ugliness has been generated by groups of Humans trying to impose their vision, their way of life, upon other groups of Humans. With always fucked up results. 

Think of those missionaries with a Sword in one hand, Bible in the other. Ha. Lately folks want to beat down other folks with hefty old books like the Bible or the Koran. That is some old time shite. What of "On the Road?!" Or "Moby Dick?" or "Slaughter House Five" or "Catch 22"? Ha!

Yikes. The best answer we came up with yesterday to the question how to make a smarter, better Humans was: Fuck, Who Knows?! I mean we are not so delusional, or maybe not as delusional as some other folks; we are smart enough, my partner and I, to know that our idea of smarter & better doesn't mean more Humans that look, think and act like us. That is arrogant hubris.

We are pretty fucked up and condictory ourselves, and our history & the formative experience in our lives, within our very quirky families, and our faculties, capabilities, and biological imperatives are uniquely our own.

But kicking this question around, basically comes down to how can our species get better at decsion-making, evaluating information, separating truth from bullshit, acting more compassionately towards each other, and living more truthfully & ethically. Of course the question is assuming other people want the same thing for the species. Which may be a fundamental fallacy right there. Ha. I'm just defining our own private tribe, right there.  We are also the tribe that thinks: live and let live & to each his and her own. As Sly Stone told it: "Different strokes, for different folks." A nice, happy, little blue-bubble utopia right there.

An ongoing Human problem: Humans imposing their ideas, their ways of life on other Humans with violence and oppression.

This morning I came across Paul Campos latest post about how most Americans have no clue about America and their fellow citizens. Funny. We truly are a stupid, complicated, ridiculous species. We think we are so damn smart, and we prove every damn day that we really, really aren't. 

Best way forward? Start with: I know nothing. The kicker line to Paul's post: "The re-election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States is truly a mystery that will never be solved."

Ain't it the truth, brother. 

The Way of Losing...

Yes. I fall back on all the old cliches: Keep on Keeping On, Hang in There, Keep A Going, When the Going Gets Tough the Tough Get Going, Be Here Now. 

We often fail, fall down, lose a battle, your team loses, your dreams crash & burn, you take a licking, but, you know, you gotta keep on ticking. 

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes happens all the time. What do we learn from losing? The Universe works in mysterious ways. The Universe is bigger than you. The Universe doesn't give flying fig for your feelings.

You are gonna lose. Often. 

On the one hand, you have to get used to it. And other hand, you can't let it defeat you. Sure, sometimes you get totally pummeled, beaten down, you will be hammered into the ground, but, still, for sure, you will get back up. It's just the way of the world. You can tell yourself, losing, and how you handle it, is the way to build character, and that's a good thing, character. Ha. That's a good one.

If you stay in the game, there will be wins. No doubt. It's what keeps you going. As long as you are living, there will always be the sea of possibilities. You know, there's Joe Strummer's idea: The Future is Unwritten. Ok. You are down, defeated, feel like shit, but, come on, look up, there is a big blue sky up there, there is a glimmer of light beckoning to you, it's a new day, fuck, Lady Luck might be riding with you today, a winning streak may be just around the corner. Who knows? I mean, hell, anything is possible, right?!

Let's Stop Gaslighting Ourselves...

Ok. Maybe this from Paul Campos is the best thing I have read post-election? 

"I don’t have a specific plan of action for our purported leaders. I do have the following observation: If you are saying that Donald Trump won a free and fair election, you are lying to yourself."

It gets to the nub of the issue for me. I suppose I have been noodling it around in my head, danced around it, talked it through with my partner; we have been spending many days, fretting, consoling each other, "telling stories to ourselves," trying decide upon a satisfying narrative of what happened, and why are we so alienated from the results.

But, of course, yes, indeed, we have been gaslighting ourselves, the reality: "It wasn't a free & fair election." 

"Donald Trump’s re-election wasn’t free and fair in a whole bunch of ways, including the fact that it was enabled by enormous amounts of mind-poisoning propaganda, foreign and domestic, but here I want to emphasize the most important such way, which is that a correct interpretation of the pre-existing legal rules, specifically those found in the US Constitution, would disqualify him from holding the office to which he was just re-elected.

Donald Trump tried to overthrow the government by staying in the presidency after he lost an election. That is the very definition of committing insurrection against the lawful government of the United States. The 14th amendment was adopted specifically to bar people like Donald Trump — insurrectionists — from holding federal office.

This little detail has seemingly gone down the national memory hole, so eager are we all to tell ourselves stories in order to live."

WTF! Right?! 

Let's stop with gaslighting ourselves. This man should have been disqualified from running for office long ago. All our institutions have failed. The Supreme Court, the Republican Party, the Congress, the Justice Department, much of the Press, and many of our fellow citizens. They have all betrayed the spirit and the letter of the rule of law, and failed in their duty to the Constitution and to the USA.

Shame on them. Does anyone still believe in shame? And shame on us too.

Mass Delusion... Yes... Indeed...

This from Roxane Gay (what a fabulous name), is the smartest take on Trunp's voters I have read. There is a madness a "mass delusion," amongst the MAGA hordes. I have always thought the movement is more about pathology than politics.

What is so difficult to swallow: the Victory of Unreason. You can't argue with it. You can't present facts and carry the day. No longer does the best idea win.  Folks so deluded, so dedicated to clinging to the never-ending river of lies are impossible to deal with. If there is no truth, no facts, then we are lost in the Funhouse of Power and Tyranny. Tyranny of Blind Unreason.

"Mr. Trump’s voters are granted a level of care and coddling that defies credulity and that is afforded to no other voting bloc. Many of them believe the most ludicrous things: babies being aborted after birth and children going to school as one gender and returning home surgically altered as another gender even though these things simply do not happen. Time and again, we hear the wild lies these voters believe and we act as if they are sharing the same reality as ours, as if they are making informed decisions about legitimate issues. We act as if they get to dictate the terms of political engagement on a foundation of fevered mendacity.

We must refuse to participate in a mass delusion. We must refuse to accept that the ignorance on display is a congenital condition rather than a choice. All of us should refuse to pretend that any of this is normal and that these voters are just woefully misunderstood and that if only the Democrats addressed their economic anxiety, they might vote differently. While they are numerous, that does not make them right.

These are adults, so let us treat them like adults. Let us acknowledge that they want to believe nonsense and conjecture. They want to believe anything that affirms their worldview. They want to celebrate a leader who allows them to nurture their basest beliefs about others. The biggest challenge of our lifetime will be figuring out how to combat the American willingness to embrace flagrant misinformation and bigotry."

All in One Place...

All in one place. Below is a description of the man the GOP nominated for President twice. Takes your breath away to read these simple paragraphs. The gobsmacking part, people actually voted for, and elected this supremely toxic individual twice. To see his life summed up in a few paragraphs really brings home what soul-less, foolish, idiots some of us truly are.  Are folks just that deluded? That stupid? That uncaring? Do some of us actually want the USA  & our little experiment in Democracy to fail? 

"The sheer volume is remarkable." Yes. Indeed. Not in a good way. What does it say about us, that some of us would choose this man, of all people, to represent us in the world? Pathetic, terrible, tragic, such a self-sabotating debacle and catastrophe. Remember when we were told that "character counts?" Whatever happened to honor, intelligence, grace, ethics, morals? Ha. I suppose that is now old world shite? Crazy world brothers & sisters.

On October 20, Peter Baker wrote a rare comprehensive story on Trump’s alleged and convicted crimes.

His businesses went bankrupt repeatedly and multiple others failed. He was taken to court for stiffing his vendors, stiffing his bankers and even stiffing his own family. He avoided the draft during the Vietnam War and avoided paying any income taxes for years. He was forced to shell out tens of millions of dollars to students who accused him of scamming them, found liable for wide-scale business fraud and had his real estate firm convicted in criminal court of tax crimes.

He has boasted of grabbing women by their private parts, been reported to have cheated on all three of his wives and been accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women, including one whose account was validated by a jury that found him liable for sexual abuse after a civil trial.

He is the only president in American history impeached twice for high crimes and misdemeanors, the only president ever indicted on criminal charges and the only president to be convicted of a felony (34, in fact). He used the authority of his office to punish his adversaries and tried to hold onto power on the basis of a brazen lie.

Mr. Trump beat some of the investigations and lawsuits against him and some proved unfounded, but the sheer volume is remarkable.

We are Not Wrong...

The New Manifesto...

Yes. Something clicked for me over the weekend. Saturday, we plunged into other things. Playing music with our band. Sinking into the process of songwriting, and then bringing those songs to a small group of accomplished musicians. We all needed to do it. Desperately. We lost ourselves in the creating.

Then, later that evening we rode our bikes to a little storefront place (see previous post), and plunged into the good vibes of a ramshackle collection of souls, a loose community of seekers of good vibes, good music, and moments of glimmering transcendence. 

It dawned on me that yes, of course, we live in a Blue Bubble, a place very different from other parts of the country, but we wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I truly believe we are on the right track. This is our America. It is the right place, the right time, the right stance, the way to live. It's a welcoming, open-armed and open-hearted place; a multi-cultural stew of Humanity. It's a beautiful thing, indeed.

Over here the policies are inclusion, non-discrimination, good cheer, smart conversation, a compassion and an empathy that rides inside everyone's hearts. We do have it figured out. Our side may have lost the election  by the slimmest of threads to the forces of unreason, hatred, division, BUT WE ARE NOT WRONG. Our instincts, our policies, our politics, are correct. 

We are on the path of soul. 

So, yeah, you know, a new Manifesto. It's a Manifesto of Love & Creativity. We have to navigate around the coming Tyranny. Do our best to tune that evil, death-generating shite out, to keep our heads and hearts in the game. There is no place for despondency, there is no giving up. We are on the right side of history. No doubt. There may be dark times ahead, but we will gather together, and bring & bathe in, the Light.

This is just a little detour, a setback, a wake-up call. 

This is How to Do It...

We didn't talk about current events. That was a little protest right there. Instead, we gathered together to listen to music, to say "hello" to each other; like-minded folks reaching out for a healing & a renewing: musicians, poets, writers, people from all walks of life. It was a celebration. There was joy & love in the room. Overflowing, over-stuffed, a defiant, enthusiastic, joy. A turning away, a turning towards the light in each other. We all felt the power of a lively, intelligent, giving spirit emanating from inside us and floating up & around us. We were all bathing in the power of great music, great performers, and the good feeling and spirit of the gathered tribes. It was not a surrender, it was a defiant-rebellion and a soul-enriching choice. We all refused to be defeated, refused to be despondent. We all knew we were on the right track, riding the vibes. It was all so essential. This is how to do it; to carry on, turn away from the madness & darkness. Yes. And damn the torpedoes.

Here's a Good Question...

Here's a good question...

What if you are a citizen of a country, a big sprawling land that encompasses lots of territory and is home to many people, a vast multi-cultural stew of Humanity, and as an engaged, concerned citizen of this land, you happen to believe in the constitutional order, the rule of law, good government, personal responsibility, the public good, kindness, gentle-ness, empathy, compassion a better way, and a better day? What if you happen to respect women, and gays, and all racial groups? What if you think that everyone should be treated equally, and encouraged to flourish, and live good, happy, productive, healthy lives?

And at the same time, the newly elected President of this same land, believes in none of the above?  Instead this person entrusted with this weighty consequential job is a long-time law-breaker, a norm-destructor, a fantasy-maker, a prodigious and unashamed liar, a sexual predator, a shit-stirrer, a creator of division and hate, someone who recognizes only their own need & wants, and someone who sees power as something to wield against all perceived enemies, and really, when it comes down to it, everyone is an enemy, or potential enemy, except those who play the game, bend, and bow, and shamelessly disembowel themselves and scrape before the mad wanna-be power?

What does that engaged, concerned citizen do then?

Ha... well... like I said, good question!

Turn to Wisdom...

Yes. Sticking with the "funny" concept (see previous post). The World takes a turn to the darkness. My country, good Ole USA, looks to be taking a great leap forward into the void of a Very Stupid and Proudly Corrupt Authoritarianism.

Sure. Resist. Maybe the best way forward, clearing the decks, start with Laughter, laugh at the pure idiocy, self-sabotaging ridiculousness of it all.

Then, screw your head back on and be ready to protest, organize, march, vote, and be a thorn in the side to the scoundrels, grifters and looters of our country's treasures. Refuse the new group-think. These folks who want to dismantle our government are not good people, they have bad intentions and bad designs.

Who to turn to? Socrates? Aristotle? Plato? MLK Jr? John Lewis? Shakespeare? Beckett? Vonnegut? Joseph Heller? Buddha? Gandhi? Nelson Mandela? I turn to Pogo. Yes. Who to blame? Our fellow voters. The beauty of Democracy, we all get to vote. But what if half the country believes the bullshit? "Garage In, Garbage Out. The best Democracy is made up of an informed populace. The Worst Democracy, and Idiocracy, a very misinformed populace.

From Heather Cox Richardson: "A new study out today from Data for Progress showed that people who paid “a great deal” of attention to political news voted for Vice President Kamala Harris +6, while those who paid “none at all” went +19 for Trump."

Yes. Ha, ha, ha. The joke is truly on us...

The HIlarity Phase...

What are the 5 stages of grief? Oh yeah. They didn't mention Hilarity. I just added it to the list.  Hilarity is the 6th stage. The Headline: Trump pick - Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. When I heard the news I broke into deep belly laughs. Yes. It was like the dam bursting. I just leapfrogged past all the other stages. Now I am in the land of Hilarity. I boldly step forward with a smile on my face and laughter in my heart.

If you don't know who Matt Gaetz is, well, I envy you. Google it for kicks. An appropriate nickname: Sleezy Creep. He is even loathed by his creepy colleages in the GOP, which if you think of it, is the safe harbor for scoundrels, cowards, rascists, and hollow characters of all stripes.

For the back-story and blow by blow of this latest fuckery, check out Heather Cox Richardson.

Looks like our new President-Elect really does want to destroy the USA from the inside out. His projected cabinet is not a a cabinet of curiosities, no, this will be a cabinet of hideous absurdities.

I do think the Orange Menance is now trolling all of us. He is a vengeful, deeply corrupt and corruptng force. What have the voters unleashed? Madness. Pure madness. I think this is really, really stupid, even for this supremely, stupid and stupid-making man.

Will Gaetz actually be confirmed? I doubt it, but who knows?! For sure the confirmation hearings should be a real circus and total shit-show. Maybe that's the point? So, yes, in the face of this idiocy, and bad intention, laughter is an appropriate response. It's a distancing thing. Sure, I am pained by the turn my country has taken, a turn to unreason, corruption, idiocy, retribution, but, you know, Human folly is a bottomless well. 

And hubris. It will rise like the sun. Karma is a bitch. The Orange Menace will inevitably push too far, and then it will all will come crashing down to reality. At least that is my pitch and life-raft. I mean, I know my Shakespeare and MacBeth, Richard the III, and King Lear. 

There is a joke to be found in there somewhere. Of course, it's a joke on all of us. In the meantime: Laughter rings out across the heartland.

Re-Think, Re-imagine...

Ah well. What's the upside? Bad shit goes down, you are sent reeling, you sink to the bottom. What next? A re-think, a recharge, a renewal. You do an inventory. What's important? What's essential? What's not essential? You sort of have to re-imagine your self, and your place in the world. You reimagine a new you. It's a bit gnarly, and weedy, and you know, you are sort of like Jeff Goldblum in "The Fly."  You are going to go thru some things. Turns out reality, and your place in it, is a bit uglier, and more unreasonable, crazier, & more complicated than your last conception of it all. And, well, that's OK. Best to be in touch with the real. Back to first principles: Be Here Now, Every Step Counts, Lean to the Light, Step Lightly, Be Lively,  Grace, Love, Heart, Soul, Music, Laughter. Everything has changed, and well, in a way, nothing has changed. There are new places to put your mind, and your attention. Your empathy and compassion needs a bit of a re-focusing. Eat well, Sleep Well, Read good books, listen to good music, write songs, play your guitar, re-fortify your being with Poetry, Drama, & Humor, and, of course, always, DAMN THE FUCKING TORPEDOES.

The Worst & the Dimmest...

Yes...

We have been on a downward spiral over here. Feeling like David Byrne's character: "I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax." 

Plus, feeling really down in the dumps. 

What is it all about?  The reality that our politics has taken a sharp turn away from reason. You know we are now in the Age of Unreason: crazy, stupid, fierce, unhappy, flailing. Every day we hear about the projected new, incoming administration. The usual deplorable suspects. The major assholes have been victorious and they are on the rise. Not the "Best & the Brightest," instead "The Worst and the Dimmest." 

It is totally disheartening. Mass Deportation is not a good idea. Climate Catastrophe is real and will have consequences for all living things on the planet. Climate Change Denialism is total madness writ large.

Talk about the Dark Ages. We will be taking major steps backwards into madness, ignorance, corruption, idiocy, bad-blood, bad deeds.  Yes Fascism on the rise. What a waste of time, energy, and human potential. Is there an upside? Probably not. It's looking like that kind of self-sabotaging tragedy.

It's the "I'm with Corruptly-Stupid Election..."

Well, if I met someone from another planet, you know, ride with me, it's my little fantasy thought-train this morning, if I met a traveller in time and space from another galaxy far away, how would I explain the 2024 Presidential Election in America?

It's the "I'm with Corruptly-Stupid Election."  You know those "low information voters" came out, and had their say, and it was quite definitive. Close, but definitive. They voted for that loud fat guy. You know the felon, the corrupt fool, the compromised cretin, the wanna be fascist/authoritarian big mouth.

Pretty sure those low information folks cut their own throats, and ours too. One digustingly obese billionaire seems hell-bent on fluffing up a crop of of other greedy billionaires, leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves. Those authoritarian chickens are coming home to roost. Yikes.

Do I think there is going to be major 'buyer's remorse?" Yes, indeed, I do. And it won't take long to settle over us all. Of course, the damage will be great, and it's gonna a be long, hard, difficult slog, for years, to try to come back from this debacle. Democracy dies in Stupidity. Hard to fight the stupid.

Figure lots of pain and suffering, fleeing, flailing, and wailing, for the common folk, you know, the large majority of us. Any smart person, I'm not talking genius-level here, could have, and did, see that this particularly ugly choice was a fatal error. 

What to do? Try our best to keep our heads & spirits up, to take care of ourselves and those that we love. 

I turn to the Coach, Vince Lombardi. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Yes. That's the go-to mode. But, you know, where the fuck are we going? Nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide. Those other galaxies are so far away...

I Turn to Other Voices...

Republican strategist Sarah Longwell, who studies focus groups, told NPR, “When I ask voters in focus groups if they think Donald Trump is an authoritarian, the #1 response by far is, ‘What is an authoritarian?’”

WTF...

I turn to Other Voices. These are all must-reads: Heather Cox Richardson, Timothy Snyder (On Tyranny),  Rebbecca Solnit, AOC, Elizabeth Warren.

Assessing and recalibrating. There is no sense in beating up ourselves, or turning on our allies. The election of a deeply corrupt, criminal, billionaire, with no morals, no conscience, no respect for the Truth, the Constitution or The Rule of Law has deep & disburbing consequences for all of us on the planet.

We have a million worries: The Climate Catastrophe, Mass Deportation of Humans, National Abortion Ban, the downgrading and demeaning of all minorities. Looting & Pillaging of our Government, Destabilizing the $, destroying the middle classes, the stomping on the underclasses. Crony Capitalism of the Worst Sort, American Oligarchs unchained and joined with the ugly Authoritarians across the globe.

Now the question seems to be: How to keep our heads? How to organize? How to resist? How to keep Hope alive? How to channel the worry, the fear into Power, The Power of Love? Heady shite. There have been other times and places folks have faced this reality. There are heroes and other powerful counterbalancing voices, ideas, road-maps, strategies to be found.  

Be sure read this from Rebecca Solnit:

Authoritarians like Trump love fear, defeatism, surrender. Do not give them what they want

Rebecca Solnit

Here we are in a crisis in which almost everything we love is going to be under siege in the US in ways that will affect the world in many ways. Most of all this will be because a Trump administration is going to go to war on climate action domestically and internationally – on nature itself and the ways we protect it and thereby protect the systems on which human life depends.

I was asked to talk about hope. First of all, hope does not mean saying this is not bad, and it does not mean saying that we can defeat it. It just means saying we will keep showing up. That we will not give up. That we will assess our powers and weaknesses and recognise that the future we face looks grim, but we do not know how it will unfold, and neither do those we oppose. How it will unfold depends in no small part on what we do. People too often think hope is smiles and sunshine, when it’s fury in the face of danger and oppression, and pressing on in the storm.

More here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/09/authoritarians-like-trump-love-fear-defeatism-surrender-do-not-give-them-what-they-want

A Letter to a Friend...

Yes. For sure. I am usually the hopeful type but the opposite of hope is despair. I am kind of there at the moment. Alienated from my Country, wondering how we will live under Tyranny. Thinking Canada is a possibility.

Someone wrote that there are three responses to Fascism: Flee, Surrender, Resist. I suppose I would prefer to resist. But resistance is probably mainly/mostly just in my head. Revolution in the Head. Sure we will vote for the opposition. We are willing to march and protest. But, the forces of our destruction look to be on the ascendant with all the money & power available to them.

There is very little light at the moment. We are in the process of turning away, turning inward. Turning to our "art" our music, trying to find little moments of love and creativity. Doing our best not to be consumed by the darkness

The looming threat of living under the thumb of a lawless, corrupt, wanna-be tyrant is quite disheartening, absolutely soul-killing. Contrary to everything I ever thought about living in the USA. The American Dream trashed and crashed.

I do know my history. There have been dark times before: The Bush Torture Regime, The Iraq War, Nixon's war on drugs, Vietnam, Kent State, Race Riots in LA, Chicago, Detroit, The long enduring oppression of the poor, women, blacks, browns, gays.

Fuck. The country was originally founded upon the Genocide of the Native Americans, and Slavery of Black Folk. A deep, dark history, no doubt. But also a reaching forward to a better way. That seems to have been convincingly obliterated by this election. 

I have no idea what comes next, but it is looking quite dark & bleak at the moment.

"Resist, Flee, or Surrender..."

Walking around in our little progressive Blue Bubble yesterday, everyone we met on the path was in a state of shock. Yes. The American Dream has been deeply damaged. You could feel a deep sense of mourning; there was a cloud of inevitable doom. 

As the smoke clears from the wreckage of this latest election, I think those of us in opposition to the winning party, need to brush up on history, and on the meaning, and the ugly reality of Fascism in the USA.

Here is great little primer on what Fascism is and how it evolved and manifested in the world. Know your Mussolini and Hitler. It will be essential knowledge to carry with you in the coming years.

I am with Paul Campos here, I too think the people I greatly admire are being overly concilatory at the moment, it sounds gracious and smart, but I think it's the wrong message: the Obamas and Harris/Walz are wrong, you can't walk back your opposition to Fascism. They named it, they called it out. How do you now say, "let's all get along, roll up our sleeves and work together?" No. Now is not the time for "bipartisanship." Sure, peaceful transfer of power, violence only breeds violence, but there is no compromise with Fascism. 

"The options for defenders of liberal democracy are to resist, flee, or surrender. Bipartisan cooperation isn’t on the menu with Trump and Trumpism, and anybody who claims otherwise is either a fool, or thinks that they can cut a deal with Donald Trump while somehow still keeping their own hands clean at a time like this."

I strongly recommend you check out AOC's reaction to the election on Instagram. I think she lays it all out in vivid, real-world detail. We are entering dark times. We need champions who will fight for what's right. There is no compromise with the darkness. Resistance, organizing, mobilizing folks to educate themselves and then stand up and fight for what we believe in: Rule of Law, the Constitution, Democracy, Human Rights.

Democracy Damages Democracy...

It is a human-made catastrophe. Democracy damages Democracy.  Voters who choose a person who doesn't respect the constitution, free & fair elections & the rule of law, are choosing to destroy the Democracy from the inside. Their desire for a strong-man/tyrant seeds the dissolution and destruction of this very fragile union.

It is gob-smacking, confounding, astounding, crushing, depressing, ridiculous, unfathomable. 

But, who knows, maybe this Democracy isn't really as fragile as we fear? Maybe it is more resiliant than we believe? I guess we will find out. Seems the good, the bad, the ugly are always contending.

If you believe in Democracy, the power of the vote, you have to respect the results of the vote, even if you actually despise the results, and oppose the winner and his "policies" with every fibre of your being and soul.

There is no sense "analyzing," or trying to come up with theories. I look at the election of 2024 as a calamity, a castastrophe, a black swan event. Human Beings are complicated, contradictory. They do crazy shit all the time. They are easily conned, swayed, inflamed, misled; they actually often vote against their own interests out of hate, fear, spite, envy, pessimism, vengeance. Look at the history of Humanity. So much needless bloodshed, suffering, injustice, hurly-burly, toil & trouble. 

Might as well try to analyze a hurricane, a tsunami, a mud-slide. Humans make bad choices all the time. Self-sabotage is a constant theme. Yes, seems to me that we were at an important pivot point in the History of our Country. Looks like we've either gone backwards in a very dramatic & ugly fashion, or we have taken a leap forward into a deep darkness. I mean, you know, probably both. We seem to have stepped into a dark hole, it's a major fucking fail. We will soon be testing the resiliance of Democracy, and maybe we will discover it's limits and breaking points. Who knows?!

Yikes. I cling to that idea that "The Future is Unwritten." There is hope and promise in that idea. There are always surprises, detours, new openings, new ideas, new movements, new dreams; there will be renewal to be found in the tiny corners, the forgotten substrates, the deep dark places of reflection, the streets, the cafes and coffeehouses, & in the hearts & minds of Human Beings reaching out for the promise & the possibility of a better day. Sometimes we do listen to our better angels, sometimes not. Fuck, yeah, feeling dark and broken. But, you know, not done, not undone. Still standing, still dreaming.

Wow. I mean. Yikes.

 Ha. What to say? Shit Happens. 

 I had no clue. Living in my own little progressive blue bubble. The USA is a big, complicated, contradictory country. Yikes. How does it feel? Like a punch in the gut, a sharp stick in the eye.

It's just another episode of Everything You (I) Know Is Wrong. There were a few pessimists in my midst, turns out they were oh, so right. My sunny optimism was a blinding ball of light. Sometimes things are not as they seem. Maybe I just wasn't looking closely or clearly enough? Dazzled by the joy and good feeling? I was in my happy little bubble, pretty sure that we would turn away, and turn the page, on that wanna-be tyrant. 

Yes. So very wrong-headed of me. I chalk it up to weird shit & bad juju.  Sometimes it is that kind of Universe. Supremely strange, but true, &, of course, greatly disheartening & disappointing.

I think of Curtis Mayfield this morning: "Keep on keeping on:"

"Some years back I remember, still in my mind so well

My mama made this one point clear and I find it never fails

Never worry too long (Worry too long)

About what goes wrong (About what goes wrong)

Today in sorrow (Today in sorrow)

We got joy tomorrow (We got joy tomorrow)

Keep on keeping on (Keep on keeping on)

Keep on, keep on (Keep on, keep on)"

"She's Going to Win..."

My long-time friend, who lives in Europe, in the thick of things over there, called me last night. Every time we talk we immediately click into a long-running conversation that started back in the 1990's. We are from totally different backgrounds, but in a weird way we are total Soul Brothers. He is my best friend on the planet, I haven't seen him in the flesh, we haven't been in the same room together, in decades. 

He wanted to get my take on the election happening today. Not that I am some kind of expert, but you know, I am "on the ground," closer to the action. He told me that this American election is the most important event for Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall. You know, it's not just all of us in the USA who are worried about the fate of Democracy, Freedom, Human Rights, Good Government, Ethics, Laws, Rationality, Logic, and the Future of the Planet.

There is a lot riding on the outcome of this election.

My friend is bit more pessimistic than I. I am a bit more optimistic than him, which makes for a great meeting of the minds. Our differences flash & light up with lots of insights and "aha" moments. We both respect each other's opinions We both crack each other up with our off-kilter perspectives. Lots of laughter, also long, rambling, free-range, conversation, sprinkled with sparks of light, little break-throughs, and weedy detours.

We both love to talk. 

Anyway, we agreed to reconncect again later tonight after the polls close. Who knows, it may take awhile until we know who emerges victorious. My closing thought to my friend last night, with a certain shaky smile & confidence reflected in the tone of my voice: "She's Going to Win..."

The Vibe is Positive...

I am big on vibes. Seeing vibes, reading vibes, exuding, and creating, vibes. I am a very public person in my little, progressive, blue-bubble neighborhood, I have a bit of a personal brand, and that brand is good vibes. I am a "good vibes Charlie." 

You know, even when I'm a bit low energy, or down, I can turn up the positive energy. It's often a shield and a protective mode, but usually my vibes are genuine. I can really turn up the vibes on demand. When folks come to see our r&r band, usually the first thing I hear from folks after a show: "I really love the vibe of your band." So, yeah, vibes are big part my life. I feel like I am a bit of an expert at the vibe thing.

When I say "expert at the vibe thing," I mean, it's all a fucking mystery to me too. I do think ever since I was a wee lad growing up in the heartland, I have been super-sensitive to feeling, seeing and reading vibes, ("Tommy can you hear me?"), reading the vibes of a person, a  crowd, a room.  Reading the good, and maybe more importantly, the bad vibes floating in the air. Early on, I often  ignored, discounted or just blew past those clear signals,  to my own detriment, which then led to much confusion, uncertainty and self-sabotaging. So, you know, it's a double-edged sword, not always useful or beneficial.  Still, I think over the years I have gotten much better at listening and trying to incorporate and act on the vibe.

This morning, one day before the 2024 election, you may ask me: "SunnyJimmy what is the vibe?"  Well, I am not afraid to say, the way I read it, the vibe is good, the vibe is strong, the vibe is positive, the vibe is Kamala. Really. Of course, folks need to vote, and I think they will. I think folks are going to be surprised by the overwhelming support for Democracy, Freedom, Hope & Joy that breaks across the land.

Everyone around here is nervous, anxious, full of worry and doubt. Folks are afraid to be positive. I do get it. Vibes are a slender reed to hang a life on, they are invisible, intangible, unquatifiable. Some folks don't believe they even exist. I am not one of those. Yes. This morning the vibe is Harris/Walz for America.