Alternative Was Around Long Before the ’90’s in Another Form, I Think…

Call me crazy…Call me whatever you will, but some of the lyrics I hear in songs I grew up on would kick ass if updated today.

I have found a lot of songs in the weirdest places where the lyrics seemed way ahead of  their time. I can listen to this one and go straight to “Cat’s in the Cradle”, or “Wonderful” by Everclear since to me, they are songs in a parallel universe.  I can  listen to “Pleasant Valley Sunday” while remembering what it was like living on a military base as a kid, and then going straight to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” when I snap out of fantasy of what family roles while living in some of the places we grew up in should have been–and a lot of dissatisfaction that there was no real “Brady Bunch” after finding out that fairy tales were nothing more than illusions. Hell everyone I knew in school wanted a Dad like Mike Brady–or a Mom like Shirley Partridge. I kid you not!

I will also go so far as to say as these were some early alternative rock lyrics set to pop. They made people think about the “status quo” and the possibility of changing it I think. Since I spent time on military bases–I can tell you that Pleasant Valley Sunday does speak to how everything is the freaking “same” on them–appearances and otherwise. However this one is “Door Into Summer”–and believe me, if telling a story, I can definitely see this as a precursor to “Cat’s in the Cradle” since dear old dad gets left behind–like the kids.

I am putting this link up because the video from the show is really too damned cheesy and it’s the lyrics I want you to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7FOSGGPots

For further reference here are “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “Daily Nightly” as well.

Who would have thought the Monkees could evoke such a response?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUzs5dlLrm0

I mean, seriously, did anyone realize how deep these lyrics really were and what they addressed when released the first time around? I think “Daily Nightly” does well at describing addictions to various things–and the fall of the person addicted, if you know what I mean. However it was reported that it was about some rioting that went on and a club that was burned down. Again I post the lyric version so one can actually get the gist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO_HmVpo8lA

Am I the only one out there that has these weird trains of thoughts and the ability to impart to what most people, unless they are writers or musicians, could be the most useless pieces of information in the universe unless one is going to update these things? I’m just wondering because to me, these songs ARE worth updating. These lyrics are genius. I could see a “Nirvana job” on “Daily Nightly”,  if you know what I mean. Man I wish Cobain was still around. When he was here, he made people think. Trent Reznor can make people think…What the hell is wrong with these record companies that promote so few artists with that ability?

And here’s one more thing: “I still say the Monkees belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! I don’t even have to outline the reasons as most fans and a lot of other musicians probably know fully well why they belong in there.

There…I’m through…Coming back to Earth and down from my soap box. Good night–or should I say, “what’s left of it”…?

I’ll Stay Single, Thank You Very Much…

When destined to be alone  it is totally best to revel in the solitude. In order to truly appreciate it, all I have to do is listen to all the couples I know when they fight over dumb crap and be glad that I don’t have to deal with their dilemmas.

I am very serious. Every couple I know either got together out of some sense of a need for a living arrangement or they got together because of outside pressures that “they’d be good for each other”. I am sorry but any relationship that is not based on a mutual attraction in the beginning that leads to some sort of pseudo commitment with no love  is nothing but a lie in the making and if there is any love whatsoever, it is usually one-sided. “Arrangements that make sense” are just not my thing. That’s a business arrangement not a relationship.

These are the same individuals who think my life is “broken” and needs “fixing”. No thank you. I spent over half my life married and have no desire to commit to anyone again.  I have no interest in meeting the person one thinks would be so “good for me” because in fact that is being based on what is good for THAT person engineering this whole thing in his or her own mind. To that I would say I am not you. I have my own needs and desires and if I go out with anyone it will be of my choosing, not yours. If that person is so good to you, then dump your significant other and go out with him yourself…I’m not interested. Capiche?  I feel like I’m being pimped out when someone tries to set me up like that and I totally detest it.

Every couple I know fights over money, or the fact that one has to work long hours to make the money to pay for that house or whatever the other person wants, but then they get mad because they feel they don’t get enough attention once the novelty wears off of the relationship. Relationships take work. I learned that a long time ago. After two strikes I’m not going for a 3rd. Unlike a contestant on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” I know when to take what I’ve got and walk away. I’m not willing to kiss any more friggin’  frogs and I’m not looking for a prince because to me there is no such thing as real, romantic love. If there were, there wouldn’t be so many bloody divorces…

Here is the PERFECT singles ad for me if I were going to put one up: “Hey guys! If you are looking for a woman who looks like Cindy Crawford, cleans like Alice on “The Brady Bunch” and cooks like Julia Child, you are shit out of luck with me.”  At least I can say I am honest. I do not need anyone to “take care of me” and I certainly don’t need a partner to validate who I am.

Voting Will Be Reactionary This Year…

With more and more people becoming dissatisfied with the way things are being ran in this country, I think it is safe to say that Americans are mad as hell, aren’t taking any more, and that voting will be reactionary to the past 6 years of watching this country divide in ways that we have not seen in decades.

The first error made by both parties was making sweeping changes to policies that have had adverse affects on both veterans and senior citizens. The second error was making further sweeping changes to those same policies that have had adverse affects on the working class and those who rely on single incomes. The third error was mistaking that families would not notice how these laws and policies affect THEM.

Believe it or not, if they read the ACA from pages 220 on, people with children, for the most part, resent intrusion into their family life. Read about the expanded categories of children that are now defined as “at-risk”.  It truly leaves the interpretation thereof open to CPS more than anything. THAT is another thing that needs to change.  In fact, I think anyone working in Child Protective Services should have to pass the same psychological exam a police officer in the academy has to pass before being licensed, and should have to be evaluated yearly.  I also think the exam should be completed by a neutral psychologist from an area OTHER than the one they will be working in.

The other effect the recent politics has had on this nation is that suddenly it is quite alright to live by a double standard because the end of it always justifies the attacks on those we don’t agree with, doesn’t it? I mean isn’t one justified in attacking someone for their faith, their sexual orientation or the simple fact they don’t agree with our politics? God, I hope not. If so, this nation has gone to hell in a hand basket.

Since when it is it ever alright to condemn the Christian, the Jew, the atheist, the homosexual or the person who is or is not of color? To condemn anyone for any of those reasons is pretty damned sorry in my book. Why do we as a nation do it? It’s simple. We’ve allowed the politicians to divide “We the People” and we’ve allowed groups with special interests in keeping these divides in tact too much leeway to sway our opinions.

We’ve also watched the police force of America deteriorate to the point where others are being abused in ways that officers would have been terminated for not even 10 years ago.  Seriously, you saw the body cavity searches done of females by the roadside in TX, right? How about the young man in his underwear who was tazed to death in San Angelo, TX not too long ago?  Seriously, if a person is UNARMED a simple take-down should have been done.  Nobody had to die there. Same thing with the girl in FL who could have been taken down physically–not tazed so that the back of her skull got broken on the pavement. She was already hand cuffed. Really? That is considered excessive use of force in this state. Quite frankly, whoever the supervisors are that let them back on patrol need a new job–and they definitely do not need to be law enforcement officers.

And what the hell is this confiscation of property to fund the police dept. with no warrant or anything? Sounds to me like the people really need to take back this country because that is a clear abuse of power and process. On top of that we have an Attorney General who selectively prosecutes hate crime cases when the motive is clear–which is causing more racial tension since justice is supposed to be BLIND. It doesn’t matter if it’s white on black, black on white, purple on green or whatever, if the motive for attacking anyone is due to the color of one’s skin, gender, sexual preference or anything else people like to bitch and moan about,  that is a hate crime and anyone engaging in it  should be made to answer for it. I don’t want to hear another bloody excuse about how one population over all others has suffered enough when my ancestors were enslaved LONG before anyone’s here and some are still in POW camps–OH SORRY, the PC term is “reservations”…

Selective prosecution is another way to abuse the power of one’s office. BTW, I wonder how those investigations into the campaign financing for the 2008 races are going? Any arrests besides the one canary yet? I won’t hold my  breath on it.

Then we have situations where some cities have enacted regulations that make homelessness and feeding the homeless a crime…Someone needs to put a list of those cities together so they can be challenged in court and/or boycotted when it comes to tourism.

These are all issues a candidate could latch onto and the reactionary vote would put them in office–at least for one term if they didn’t fix this crap listed above.  It is seriously time to reign this country and its politicians in. With me, messing over our veterans and others who desperately need help is where I drew the line.  The poor in this country are not the problems–the vacuüm in D.C. sucking all the money out of our wallets for their own gain is.  Sorry but it’s the leadership in charge right now that is causing the problems. It can’t be blamed on Bush OR the GOP since neither are in control of all 3 branches–yet. I expect that to change in November when all the reactionary voting hits the fan. They’ve had over 6 years to fix things and for many of the middle class, lower middle class and working poor, they have only gotten worse.

I HAVE to Become Famous Now…The WBC Needs Something to B***h About, Right?

Note: I cut loose with the vernacular in this one. You have been warned.

Alright everyone…It is with heavy heart I must make this announcement being that I rather enjoy my boring-as-hell life.  I have to become famous for something. It doesn’t matter if it is for my not-so-eloquent prose at times, or my ranting but it is something that must be done.  We all know (if you know me well) that it won’t be for my culinary skills, that’s for damned sure!

I have decided that I must be famous before I die so the Westboro Baptist (Church) Hate Group can protest my funeral and look like the total ass hats that they are. If they decide to show up at MY funeral to protest it will relieve some other family of suffering when their loved one most likely died on duty in the military or something, which is an honorable death.  It will also spare the family of some celebrity WORTHY of attention some grief if I was so vocal they decided to show up and do a piss take on my departing this “bitch of an orb”–(Beckett) ceremony.

There is only one thing I ask should this become a possibility: “I want someone–ANYONE, to show up at my mutha friggin’ funeral dressed as the grim reaper so that he/she can  put a hand on one of their shoulders and say, ‘It’s your time, Bitch!”  Hopefully they will do a good job sounding like “Job” from Banshee! That would be my ultimate prank on that lot. They can substitute any vernacular they wish with my blessing.

And I want someone to pull this at my funeral–just stand behind someone who gave me a lot of crap!