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Disturbance at the Heron House

R.E.M. – Disturbance at the Heron House

Today should have been a celebration of Georgia electing two Democrats to the Senate, and a final formality of pronouncing a Democrat as the next president. Instead we had GOP Senators and Representatives making treasonous statements, and a deranged narcissist unleashing his rabid base of lunatic QAnon radicals on the Capitol.

“…The followers of chaos, out of control…”

I wonder if any of those Republican senators and representatives, who had to shelter in place today from armed white supremacists that had stormed the Capitol, ever stopped to think to themselves, huh, this must be what children feel like when they’re in lockdown at school. Except, you know, those are children and not full-grown ass-lickers that created and enabled the conspiracy-theory, crazed, cult members running around DC in mountain man militia outfits while Capitol police just moved the barriers aside and let them in.

Why are people surprised? I’m more surprised that it took this long for this to happen. Since NaBloPoMo falls in November and I’ve been doing it for many years now, I can go back and see that since Trump was just a candidate for the Republican nomination, I have feared something like this would happen. I don’t say this to pat myself on the back for being right, I truly would have been happy to have been wrong about Twitler and his supporters, and the GOP, but as an explanation for why I’m not shocked and why I’m not posting things about the unbelievable events in DC. It’s totally believable. They lied and misled and winked and fanned the flames and never once worried that this would somehow backfire. Meanwhile peaceful Black Lives Matter protestors were tear gassed, hit with rubber bullets and worse, indigenous people trying to stop an oil pipeline on their own land were blasted with fire hoses in freezing temperatures.

“…try to tell us something we don’t know…”

I’m not hopeful that we’ll see any meaningful accountability for this, not amongst members of the GOP or even those with their faces completely visible, caught on multiple cameras parading through the Capitol with Confederate flags, stealing things from congressional offices, breaking multiple laws. They should ALL be arrested and tried for sedition. This is a coup.

My Problem

Say Sue Me – My Problem

In an effort to not make myself too depressed and anxious about only having two problematic old white guys left in the primary race, I decided to shift my attention to preparing to quarantine my family for two weeks if we are told we have to do that. Because that’s not paranoid or stressful.

I’m not actually that concerned about getting the coronavirus, but the way things are playing out, it seems entirely possible that someone in my house will have found themselves at the same place as an infected person and then we’ll all have to stay in our house for two weeks, even if you never get sick yourself. And then if you do get sick, you’ll be stuck there even longer.

Usually I do a big grocery store trip on Sunday to get the basics for the coming week, my husband will fill in during the week if we need something in between, but there isn’t really room to stash a lot of stuff. There are no real closets in the house and while we do have cupboards in the kitchen, space is limited and storage is at a premium. I just haven’t been in the habit of buying in bulk because I don’t have a place to put 20 rolls of paper towels, and I don’t usually buy a lot of things in cans so the appeal of the big discount stores, Costco, BJs, has been lost on me.

I figured if I just make a point to buy two or three extras of things I normally buy, then put those in a separate spot from the food we eat on a regular basis, that could be our reserve for the end times. However, while I was out shopping, I saw an update that made me think, hmm, I’m not sure there’s going to be enough time for the slow acquisition of enough food to last us for two whole weeks. What if my husband or I come home from work tomorrow and one of us has been told to “self-isolate” there won’t be time to go shopping.

So after getting four pounds of pasta and several cans of beans and tomatoes of different kinds, 12 rolls of toilet paper, 6 rolls of paper towels, cheese for several pizzas, and a few other oddities at Aldi, I then went to our regular grocery store for the usual stuff. I’m cruising the aisles and the in-store ad comes on the loudspeaker, “It’s cold and flu season! And with the coronavirus spreading, make sure you’re prepared with all the cleaning supplies you need to keep your home safe. On sale in aisle 3!” Then I turned the corner and saw someone coughing half-heartedly into their hand, so I made a bee-line for aisle 3. Also in aisle 3? More toilet paper. I didn’t understand the run on toilet paper at first but then someone at work said, “Well, there’s really no substitute for it so you don’t want to run out.” Especially if you’re living off canned beans for two weeks.

I bought more pasta, some milk that’s been ultra heated or something and has a date of April 5, and as many bags of frozen vegetables as I thought I could fit in my freezer. I really hope we don’t lose power for any reason or that will be a huge waste. 5 pounds of potatoes, I’m not sure why. I just thought we’d get tired of rice and pasta, and if we did get sick, I’d probably want to make vegetable soup and then I’d want some potatoes. I also bought four cans of vegetable soup. It won’t go bad. Two boxes of Bisquick, because if we’re all home together, my son is going to want pancakes and I could make biscuits if we run out of bread.

Two weeks seems simultaneously not that long and a really fucking long time. It’s only 14 dinners, that’s not too bad. But not leaving the house for 14 days straight? I think my muscles will start to atrophy. And what if part way through the two weeks, my daughter’s college sends everyone home? How would we get her? And then would we reset the two week clock? I didn’t buy food for four people, I bought for three.

I do, however, now have 44 rolls of toilet paper.

I discovered Say Sue Me from some Instagram videos of their shows back in December. Luckily they finished their tour of the US before heading back to South Korea because they’re really stuck there now.

Love, Love Alone

The Jody Grind – Love, Love Alone

Shout out to Prince Harry. Upholding family tradition by saying, take your royal protocol and shove it. He was never going to be crowned king anyway so what’s the fuss?

I was delighted to see the great Kelly Hogan, who I had only known as the singer of The Jody Grind, as part of Neko Case’s band when I saw her just about two years ago. Such gorgeous harmonies. She also helped transport the practice organ of the former Chicago White Sox organist (along with Max Crawford, from Poi Dog Pondering, who also works at Wrigley Field) from Chicago to Boston where Josh Kantor, who plays with the Baseball Project, lives. He plays the organ for the Red Sox (as well as a day job at Harvard), and that’s about the sum total of my baseball knowledge. In fact my knowledge about how all those musicians intersect is much more impressive than any baseball fact I might know. (Article linked above written by Annie Zaleski, who wrote the liner notes for the 25th anniversary reissue of Out of Time. Just to tie it all up with a bow.)

Wikipedia tells me that Kelly Hogan has been working for the cartoonist Lynda Barry since 2013, arranging her teaching schedule, etc. How many more of my favorite people can I cram into this post?

Coolest of the cool.

Loudmouth

Ramones – Loudmouth

Is anyone surprised by Rump talking so loudly on the phone that it was easy for others to hear their conversation.

I have an idea, let’s indict Bibi and Trump and let them share a jail cell together. The thought of the pair of them rotting away in prison would just be a perfect ending.

Hire

Girlpool – Hire

Needing something to take my mind off the state of the world, work, money, etc., I fired up Spotify for my drive to work and went to see what was in the new release section. I was pleasantly surprised to find a new Girlpool album. I was then further surprised because I’ve been out of it and didn’t know that Cleo Tucker had transitioned. I was not expecting a male voice but I really like it and I think the new album is a reflection of who they are now. It’s not just Cleo’s transition but also they’re older and the songs feel more grown up. I liked this Stereogum review I read in case you’re interested.

In my opinion, people who are coming out as trans during the chaos we find ourselves in politically these days, are the most courageous people I know. To do so under the scrutiny of the music business and public opinion is really fucking brave. Way to go, Girlpool. ✊

I Am the Antichrist to You

Kishi Bashi – I Am the Antichrist to You

I’ll get back to the memorial service playlist (long version) in a little bit but I’m stuck on the Kishi Bashi show I went to over the weekend. Wow. This advice comes a little late as the tour only has two more shows (Charlottesville on Wednesday and Asheville on Thursday) before heading to the UK and no other dates posted, but if you get the chance to see him, you should go. For reasons I can no longer remember I have missed the shows that came within driving distance of me before. Not a mistake I will repeat in the future.

The musicians he has playing with him are really talented and versatile. I feel like the songs really soar in a way that the recorded versions just can’t match. The harmonies are fantastic.

When I’m at a show, I usually grab a couple of pictures when the opportunity presents itself but I don’t usually try to do more than that. Both because my phone’s capabilities are limited and my own concert-going protocol is pretty old school. Be present. Be in the moment. Don’t watch the concert through your phone. Now and then I’ve tried to record some part of a song but the results are usually bad and I’d rather be dancing than standing still filming anyway.

But just before he performed this song, he asked everyone to take out their phones to make a sound effect. If you and a friend call each other, then put the two phones very close together, just a few inches apart, it will create a chirpy, cricket-like feedback. Well, I was by myself. And since the people near me moved a little to be able to get their phones in position to make the noise, I had a clear shot and my phone in my hand. Watch it in HD and full-screen (my daughter always gives me a hard time that I forget to turn the phone for a horizontal shot but then I’d just have people’s heads in the shot) if it looks too small and blurry above.

That’s just him looping the violin and his voice, and the sound is so big. You can really hear the phone feedback clearly at the end of the song. That is not me you hear singing along. If you are in my car, you will have to endure me singing along, loudly, maybe even repeating a song enough times for me to be able to sing the different harmonies, but at a show, I am only going to sing along when the performers are encouraging the crowd to join in. I actually think I’m pretty good at singing along but I’m there to hear them, not me.

This was the only song he did solo, several they played as an acoustic four-piece, then others with everything plugged in and lots of additional instruments. It’s worth the price of admission just to see the banjo light show that Mike Savino brings to the outfit. Go. I can’t imagine you would regret it.

 

I Wanna Be Sedated

Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated

Half the day I spent trying to think of what song would capture how I’m feeling on this last day of Obama’s presidency. This one hit me past the 24-hours-to-go mark but I’m still going to post it. I’ve never been one for drugs but I’m currently on my third glass of wine. I have a feeling I’m not alone.

I wish I could be out somewhere in a mosh pit tonight. I went to the eye doctor yesterday and as part of the exam, they took my blood pressure. It’s elevated, though not alarmingly high, and it’s risen despite there being no changes to my life other than the impending disaster tomorrow. I blame the Cheeto.

We have to come up with something to use for all the stuff we are going to blame Fuckface von Clownstick for going forward. It can’t be, “Thanks, Twitler” because “Thanks, Obama” has to remain as is. I love that it transcended the slap it was meant to convey and instead became a rallying point. I want to come up with something clever, but which can’t be flipped to be a positive for the Orange Toddler. Please submit suggestions.

Tomorrow I plan to not watch or listen to any coverage from DC. I will be with friends and listening to music and trying not to freak the fuck out. Stay strong, friends. ✊

The Gloaming

Radiohead – The Gloaming

Oops, just had a Radiohead song two posts ago and another earlier during NaBloPoMo. Sorry, but I’ve been thinking about this album (Hail to the Thief) a lot lately. Both from the dark sound to the inescapable relevance of the lyrics. To say nothing of the title in this election year when the popular vote winner, for the second time in only 16 years, is not going to be inaugurated.

I can’t understand why the Democrats in Congress are not screaming their heads off. I can’t understand why the institutions are sitting on their hands. The man is not even president yet and already the roadblocks that ought to prevent the disaster that is being assembled are failing. How can he be allowed to still be running a tv show while he’s president? HOW?!?! How can he be allowed to still run his companies? Have his children in his administration? Have taxpayers pay for security for his building in NYC because he doesn’t want to live in DC full time? How can he NOT attend security briefings?! It’s another 9/11 waiting to happen, which will be followed by another war. Just stop! Say NO! I can’t understand. When Obama entered the White House he had to give up his Blackberry and follow protocols. Why is this not happening now? Because the Orange One is saying no? Then we fucking say no. No. He’s acting like a fucking toddler, we treat him like one. You do not reward tantrums. You do not get to be president if you refuse to follow the rules for that office. You want to stay in New York and run your businesses and Tweet at actors? Ok then, that isn’t what the president does. You will have to pick. And hey, no hard feelings when you pick the more glamorous, easy job you created for yourself instead of the very ugly and difficult job that has turned every man gray during his tenure.

The Democrats had better get their fucking shit together, and fast. With each nominee he names it gets worse and worse and worse. It’s right there before our eyes, he’s looking to dismantle every agency in the government. He’s got three or four generals ready to swear allegiance to him. Oh my god, how much more evidence do you need that this man is going to be the end of our democracy? Your alarm bells, they should be ringing. Something has to be done. The recount efforts seem stalled. The investigations into Russian vote tampering won’t happen soon enough. I’m ready for the Electoral College option, even though I was against it at first and still feel it would probably result in deaths. I like Lawrence Lessig’s proposal more than others I’ve read but I suspect there isn’t enough time left for that. Then there’s two or three legal though frowned upon ways to get Merrick Garland confirmed. There’s the run off election in Louisiana for the Senate seat and while I doubt that will help us out, my last ditch hope is that a handful of Republican Senators who still have a shred of decency left and who have spoken out against Trumpenführer could be convinced to jump ship. Defect. I’m looking at you John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins. Do it. What do you possibly have to lose at this point? Finally, if nothing else works, the Democrats have to block every last piece of legislation and every appointment he tries to make. EVERY. ONE. Stop taking that goddamn high road and get down in the street and kick some fucking asses. Stop waiting. Stop expecting him to follow norms. Stop deferring to the ways things have always been done. He has no intention of playing that game so why on earth are we?

 

Help Save the Youth of America

Billy Bragg – Help Save the Youth of America

<political rant>

Do you know anyone who will be old enough to vote in November who isn’t registered yet? Do you know anyone who says they don’t vote because politicians are all the same? Or maybe even someone who is so devoted to one Democratic candidate that they claim they won’t vote in the general election if the person they’re supporting doesn’t get the nomination? Possibly more than ever before, there is no time for any kind of foolish grandstanding. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation this year and we are all going to have to be way more engaged in this battle.

I hope you don’t know any Trump supporters because I think turning one of them around may be an insurmountable task. It’s getting scarier every day. Truly frightening. Trying to get them to see that he’s only using them isn’t likely to work but perhaps it’s possible to get the disenchanted to realize how much is at stake. You have to tell them, yeah, it sucks when everything feels like a lost cause and you don’t like your choices. I don’t care. This is a true national emergency. I sometimes wonder if we’ll even make it to November or if the whole thing will implode before then.

What also scares the crap out of me is even in the best case scenario, what happens with all of those people that Trump has whipped up into a frenzy? He’s legitimatized their anger and given them the space and support to grow. To me this has always been the biggest threat. I don’t really think Trump even necessarily holds the beliefs he spouts at his rallies, he just says what he knows they want to hear. He’s just priming their fear and hatred. It’s all going to blow sooner or later. Do you think they’ll just slink quietly back into the shadows where they were hiding before? Not a chance. I don’t know who or what can diffuse it and it’s ugly. Really ugly.

</political rant>

I admit, I laughed at the Chris Christie memes, but this is no joking matter.