Music

I’ve always liked this song. I think the first time I ever heard it was on the Muppet Show (yeah, I know, I’m dating myself). More than just liking it, I feel like it says so much about today…

There’s a portion of the lyrics that say:

There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Are getting so much resistance from behind

It just resonates. I realize in ’66 it was probably the Left they were talking about, but if you really put your mind to it, the issues of ’66 on the Left are today’s Right leaning issues more often than not.

I’m tired of there being no way to communicate across the great divide. I’m tired of the resistance to facts. I’m tired of the lies. I’m tired of having to police Every Single Thing I read or hear about in a day. It’s just exhausting. I’m sure that’s what it’s supposed to be…

But here’s the thing: I’m not giving up. I might be quiet (because, as I remind myself frequently, I am NOT the idiot-whisperer), but I’m still here. I am not giving in to illustrating “when people are wrong on the internet” (for the most part), because it doesn’t actually fix anything. But I do speak up when it’s important, among my friends and family. I’m not where they are, a lot of the time… but I’m noticing more and more that people are beginning to be more open to talking.

This week at the Fort, I had a long talk with someone whose opinion I value highly. We were not on the same side… but we recognized that our end goal was the same. It led to interesting discussion, which both of us decided was worth looking into. Neither of us changed our opinion, per se, but we heard the other side and granted there was at least a grain of truth that warranted investigation. So it isn’t all bad, folks. It just feels like it is, sometimes.

I love songs by strong women. This one really hit me. I love the tune, the slightly odd scansion of it, and her voice just purrs. I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

I think this may be my new favorite song. Let me introduce you to Fuck Around, by Breaking Law.

From the chorus, “I ain’t all talk, I’ve been here before. You push me hard, I’ll push back more.”

This is … a view of the Right side of America today. Read that however you like.

A out.

This is what last week felt like.

I hate flying. I being around people. The thought of going to a place where there are lots of people does not appeal to me.

I’m cold. I’ve been cold for a few days now. My child is trapped in her dorm with 36+ inches of snow blocking everywhere she wants to go. Power is out in some dorms. They ran out of hot water, food service has been reduced to making and delivering pizzas.

Sunday we finally got our wood delivered. My son, wife, Ally and I were out in the cold moving and stacking wood. The wonder of the congo line.

Son picks up a stick and swings it to me. I take it and chuck it across the yard to land in front of one of the stacks. As the pile gets high enough infront of the stack, I switch targets and start tossing into a pile in front of a different stack.

Ally and wife are busy stacking from the piles I’m making. Nobody is bending. When the pile is too short for son to reach without bending, he goes to one knee an just keeps going.

So I want to be on a warm beach, huddled under my woobie, sun glasses on. A few spare mags, and just be warm.

Oh, and drinking Long Island Iced Teas.

How I was feeling over this last week.

My wife took me to an incredible Valentine’s dinner. I wanted to have dinner in my state, not in Mordor.

I got what I needed. A lovely dinner with my lovely wife.

I love her so much, it sometimes hurts.

When I heard this song on ,Fallout it struck a chord with me. My country is worth fighting for.

Ran into a song… got to thinking about a “reprise” I’d heard. Here is the original:

Dolly

Jolene’s side, because there’s always more than one side to a story: