Look on the Brightside - With Music

Mrs Dear Leader and I each have a friend who is in hospice, friends of many years. Having also lost two of my closest buddies of over forty years just in the last year alone I think I can say, this really sucks. In fact, life has been tough for a lot of people the last few years and it's easy to get down about it. There's another way to think about this though. As difficult as it is, sad events like this should make us realize, no, remember that life is precious. Yup, we have a lot problems maybe individually and certainly as a country but you know what?  If you’re still vertical then things aren’t so bad and there's always hope. Nobody has ever called me a Pollyanna but maybe we could stop whining and realize how lucky we are? Okay, end of sermon. 

With that said it’s time to embrace the sweet fragrance of spring in Minnesota. The days are getting longer, golf courses are opening, lakes are turning from white to blue - can flip flops and sun dresses be far behind? Best of all, unlike last year there’s real hope that life is slowly returning to normal (whatever that is.)

I’ve always said that there’s nothing like music to be your personal time machine. (You can ask anyone, really, I have always said that.) Music will take you back to exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard the song  - and just lived for the day.  I suggest you just do that, look for a favorite song from past and go there. Go ahead, give it a try.

Here’s a bunch of summer music (and other tunes with good memories) along with my recollections for your consideration. I apologize for how old most of these songs are but like most people I quit paying attention in my 30’s so these are what I know. Hopefully you’re old enough to remember at least some of them.

Pick a couple to play or find your own and ask yourself where you were then. Bet it’s a happy place!

Summer Song, Chad and Jeremy – 1964  

Holy mackerel, it’s true, a driver’s license and girls don’t mix.

Summer in the City, Lovin Spoonful - 1966    

Hot damn, they let me graduate from high school!

59th St Bridge Song  Simon & Garfunkel – 1967     

Spring quarter freshman year down on Park Point in Duluth. Listening to this it was very hard to not skip across that Aerial Lift bridge.

Hot Fun in the Summer Time, Sly and Family Stone – 1969    

Between my junior and senior year in college, road trip with three other cadets (French for idiots) to ROTC summer camp in Spokane WA - legally drinking beer and listening to Sly (and Steppenwolf!)

Green-Eyed Lady, Sugarloaf – 1970 

My God, can it be over 50 years since they let me graduate from college AND gave me those brown bars? I wandered off to AF navigator school in the divorce capital of the country, Sacramento - yowser! This song seemed always to be playing as I was nodding off in my radar scope every time before takeoff on early morning training flt's – that sort of fluke kinda sticks with you.

Summer Breeze  (Possibly the greatest summer song – and video – ever done.) Seals and Croft – 1972

I was just starting AF career, flying around the world in the giant, globe-girdling C-130 without a care in the world. In some officer's club in Turkey the pilot, Johhny Mac, taught the young lieutenant navigator to love martini's - bastard! Anyway, a very good year (except for a little detour to Vietnam.)

Piano Man Billy Joel – 1973 

Back to SEA and Thailand accompanied by the Piano Man – “There’s someplace he’d rather be. . .” Still, it all worked out.

Find Your Place in the Sun Pablo Cruise – 1978   

Turning thirty was such a drag - says the old guy 43yrs later! - but at least there was still really good music.

We Are Family  Sister Sledge – 1979

Okay, it’s disco but good disco – and nice way to introduce our son to the family.

Hey Nineteen  Steely Dan – 1980

Well, if I’m going to welcome a daughter to family too what better than possibly the greatest music group ever, The Dan!

Walking on Sunshine Katrina and the Waves – 1983  

If you can sit still while this is playing there is something seriously wrong with you – especially if you have two young kids!

Boys of Summer (Close 2^nd to “Summer Breeze”) Don Henley – 1984   

A family man and inching closer to being one of Henley’s boys of summer. (FYI - It’s actually a sad song but it’s still great tune.)

Smooth Santana   Rob Thomas -1999  

"Give me your heart, make it real or else forget about it" Got my MA and met future Mrs Dear Leader - it was very good year.

And to at least get into the 21^st century and prove there’s still great music - and memories - out there.

Clocks  Coldplay - 2002

Hall of Fame The Script - 2012 (You gotta see this video)

Well, I could suggest a ton more of good songs but it’s time to do something functional – like study for our Italian class. (Yeah, Buon giorno to you too!)

Okay, one more. Since we’re reminiscing, we might as well end with this - what the hell, enjoy it while you can!

It Was a Very Good Year, Frank Sinatra

Star Tribune Articles - Voter Suppression Mar 7 Trump Still Controls GOP Mar 8 2021

 

 Perhaps It's an Illness

Clearly something is not right with a huge group of our fellow citizens who cling to the coat tails of a known liar and seditionist. And now, apparently since democracy isn’t working for them, they also want to restrict the right to vote.

I read the article about the Republicans nationwide working hard to make voting “safe from fraud” and, like many people who actually care about democracy and the right to vote, I was outraged. After further consideration, I believe they are still wrong but I now think they deserve at least a little understanding; even before they allowed themselves to be hijacked by that corrupt, east coast grifter they had some mental health issues.

Starting with St Ronny Reagan with his assault on unions and goofy trickledown economics, they began to drift off the road of being a functional political party. Aided by guys like Newt Gingrich and Trump, they are so far off road now that it seems unlikely they will survive without some sort of major intervention. Don’t get me wrong, Democrats don’t have all the answers. In fact, they really need a strong opposition party to keep them from heading down the rabbit hole of their dumbest ideas. Sadly, that is not today’s Republicans. Luckily, I think I know what’s wrong with the Republicans. Among several issues, it’s a condition called Munchausen by Proxy. Bear with me.

This is a very real and rare disease - at least outside of Republican circles - where the afflicted individual causes some sort of injury to someone close to them so that they can turn around and be recognized as a caregiver or savior for that person. Now I ask you, how else would you describe the recent odd behavior in which Republicans have circulated a ridiculous story (created by said liar) and repeated it over and over (with a riot or two thrown in) thus causing great concern among certain people whom they can now “save” by restricting the vote to only those they deem eligible? Yup, Munchausen. (Although that sounds better than what it really is, voter suppression.)

According to experts, “Caregivers who have this condition need long-term counseling. They may resist treatment or deny that there is a problem" (Duh!) So, how can we help our Republican friends recover from this problem? It seems the kindest thing we can do is give them plenty of time for therapy. In turn, the easiest way to do that is by voting them out of office so they won't have the burden of actual governance while in treatment (which, given their record the last several years, should be fairly easy for them.) Republicans are very fortunate here in Minnesota because we can help them. Sadly, people are not so lucky in the red states where they are doomed to continue living in the 18th century until the voters wise up - or a lot of old white guys pass on.   

As for treatment, it might be challenging for them but I would suggest a ten-step program that covers at least: democracies, the Voting Rights Act and human empathy. (Maybe the Constitution but with focus on other amendments besides the Second.)

I wish them good luck and many years of therapy ahead.