Random thoughts from the middle of spring

Middle of May
What ya say
Gettin' the fish next month
And then the 4th.


I never claimed to be a poet

Random Thoughts in early spring..

I think 5 Guys understands how to make a hamburger.
I know the little salad place just south of Alex does as well.
Mickey D's, eh! All i'll give them.
BK Lounge does better with burgers if you can get them to understand "your way."
DQ Forget the burger, dessert first.
Same for the hedgehog.
Popeye's doesn't do burgers. And that's a good thing.
Regular resties do have burgers but there is often some assembly required. I prefer RTE.


Yes, I am still hungry.

Bye, Bye, Baby Bye Bye

Yes, I am quoting Janis there, or Big Brother to be a bit more precise. The reference of course is to Face(plant)book. Far too many distractions from what I am interest in and too much divisiveness in the political arenas. I've done my research and have reached the same conclusion once again. Anarchy is the inevitable outcome of our current political situation and the degree of violence that my grandkids will face is growing exponentially. It has become obvious to me that the current political parties are no longer viable alternatives and we need some refocusing on the important issues. Actually, we need a better understanding of which issues are important and which ones exist simply to incite rage and disorganization. We are rapidly failing as a country and are getting to be a nuclear armed 3rd world country. Charlie Daniels may be correct and the South might just do it again. California may be trying to be the leader but like so many leaders who have come and gone, they are not leading in a good direction. Washington (dc) can't decide on a positive direction so it is in it's own inverted universe with so many ticks sucking the country's blood and no clue what to do. ( for all you English majors and teachers out there, sorry about the run-on and incomplete thought. That is actually my point though.) All I can say is get real. Between Bush one and Trump every president we had killed many of our constitutional rights and are continuing to trod on that uniquely formulated agreement and have all, in my not so humble and sometimes very loud opinion, disgraced the office with which they were trusted. Governors from all parties in the states with which my family have connections have been ineffective leaders accompanied by legislatures who would prefer to bicker with governors rather than address and resolve issues. Am I speaking of Louisiana? Of course, and Florida and Texas and Oklahoma and pretty much the other 46 states. ALL the major and most of the minor parties have sought to keep the economy rolling at a wartime pace when in fact there is no need. The country as a whole needs to take a step back and get another look at what we are doing. As of right now, corporate and political greed is at an all time high. Government is out of control and no one is paying attention to it. Seems to me like there are two entities free falling from 30 thousand feet and the only thing they care about is getting in the last "slap in the face" rather than finding a parachute to use. OK, not my best analogy, but still better than Tony Stark's Spidey analogy.   

Music and randomness is in the air.

Well, I'd normally not recommend things but on occasion I am surprised by something.  Of course for you who know me know that that in itself isn't a surprise. But that I admit I like something, that may surprise you. At the moment I am referring to Pandora and Spotify websites/Apps. If you are looking for certain songs they can be a deliverance to your puzzled mind. They can also frustrate you,but so far I am enjoying the experience. Also the allowance for you to build your own playlist will let you combine songs of various genre' from many assorted albums. Given that my taste run from ragtime to prog rock and includes everything except sitar (only) music my playlist are what many call eclectic. (polite word for weird if you didn't know) Ragtime, blues, military, big band, real rock n roll, soul, psychedelic, hillbilly, jug band, newer rock n roll(ish), alternative (some), Prog rock and others make up my  listening environs. I know John Phillip Sousa tunes, Elmore James, Rogers and Hammerstein, Bo Diddley and so many others. I listen to them all specifically for what God has put into their messages in verse. If you look for satan's message, you will find it as well, but I look for God's. Many of the songwriters put their lyrics down without regard for the sublime but have a certain message in mind. Of course, many songs have a very limited message, usually identified by multiple repetitions of the same noise. Rap and hip-hop haven't really influenced me much as "explicit" content will make me listen to something else rather quickly, even to the point of hitting the off button and listening to the grass grow. It doesn't shock me but it does make me pity the teachers who see their efforts wasted. If you can't express yourself any better than using profanity, you are not an artist. You show your limited perceptions and disregard for the value of real respect and a lack of self-respect. At least, so it seems to me. Herman's Hermits "Henry the VIIIth" presented itself back in the 60's and I took it as a parody of songwriting back then. (Second verse same as the first). I like much of Weird Al's work, the beauty of It's A Beautiful Day, the strangeness of Hampton Grease Band, Pink Floyd, and The Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin, the precision of Eric Clapton and Roy Clark. I listen to country and to western as well as swing, both big band and Texas. Truthfully much of todays top music (sales wise) carries very little appeal as I am now old and I still find gems in the 60's and 70's music that is new to me. I am also a "Deadhead", though not of the usual variety. Starflyer 59 I first heard on the Blonde Vinyl tape and just found them on Spotify. Mellowing out is cool. The Doors had many really impressive songs as well as totally forgettable ones. The same can be said of most groups. I'm not talking top 40 either. Most of those were here and gone without making a dent on my mind. Maybe I'll put a playlist out there for all to see. Word of warning, most of the songs I like last more than 3 minutes, several more than 30 minutes. Now excuse me as I go "Surfing with the aliens".