Novelty Songs

get a bad rap.  They're treated by most pop music aficionados as "throwaway" entities, often categorized as being among "the worst records ever made".

SURFIN' BIRD, DISCO DUCK, Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Nutty Squirrels, AHAB THE ARAB and the like:  Songs like that are deliberately sophomoric, only intended for free-spirited amusement.  A reprieve from the usual romantic angst and topical social commentary fare of the average song.

Sort of like going on a picnic with a close friend.  Where you joke about bodily malfunctions and strange sexual obsessions and just all-around loosen up.

True intimacy is "never wanting to own an SUV or monster pick-up truck because they're the most impractical vehicles ever made and only pompous blowhards would ever desire to own one".

Everyday life and the world itself is so grave.  Everyone is a "king" and a "queen" and you're always the only "peasant".
Full of "those who drive SUVs and monster trucks".

Novelty songs are the entertainment fare of the free-thinking-and-free-spirited-at-heart.

The Officious Ones IV

Riding public transit anymore is a nerve-wracking experience, what with all the idiots shouting on their cell phones and, on top of that, all the prerecorded announcements blasting out of the public-address speakers mounted on the ceiling of the buses.

It's the stupid announcements, in particular, that impede one's train-of-thought.
One of them:  "Security is of top priority.  If you see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary please tell your operator about it.  Again: 'See something, say something'."

One of these times I'd like to, just as a joke, start badgering the bus driver:  "I'd like to report lewd behavior of one of the passengers.  I saw that man over there scratching his butt repeatedly."
"That woman on her cell phone.  She's talking loud and using profanity."
"The girl, sitting in the back.  She's chowing down a bag of potato chips.  Isn't there 'no eating on the bus'?"

I'm guessing my bus-riding privileges would last all of just-one-more-day if I actually started doing that shit.

I'm always so intrigued by the way judges give harsh/maximum sentences to certain individuals upon conviction of a crime to "make an example of" them.

You know it'll always be the type who are the easiest to take advantage of who'll receive those kind of sentences.
As if whatever happens to some "loser" will, in any way, have any kind of profound detrimental effect on the future actions of those of privilege or favor, or even of most "average" persons for that matter.

If some social outcast, who already receives the brunt of society's wrath anyway, gets fully slammed by the legal system it's not going to make any kind of impression one way or the other on those who are used to either being treated special or to those who are used to having friends or special interest groups who support and stand behind them.
It won't be enough to make any of them hesitate to act should any devious tendencies come over them at any point in time.

You have to figure:  Anytime any "average" person gets nailed by the police or receives a severe sentence in a courtroom there's the cry of "abuse of authority".  But when it's some social outcast or "oddball" type being dragged through the hot coals of the court system these same people are suddenly on the side of the "system" and the police (one reason I was never much impressed by the "Occupy" movement of a few years back).


     The above is my Musing For Today

   Just Because It's Possible To Do Something Doesn't Mean You Should


  ... the 21st century is NOT a period of wisdom, discretion, or discernment.

                                    Some things I don't like about the world:

The general lack of transparency.  Having to live among scam artists, confidence tricksters, tyrants, conspirators, suck-ups, crusader/reformers, bandits, saboteurs, and the like.






                     The above is my Musing For Today 

                                  Seek and Ye Shall Find

That can mean one of two things:  That a lot of what one learns or discovers are things that have always existed right under one's nose for time indefinite, but they've just never noticed those things before because either those things have never been brought to one's attention before, or because one's never before had reason to think about those things.
Or it could mean sometimes things come about because one actually creates such things themselves.

What comes about in one's life is usually whatever subjects and ideas one happens to be focused on at the time.
Whatever one is obsessed with they will "run into" anywhere and everywhere, because one will start "seeing" whatever it is they're fixated on all the time anywhere they go, no matter how irrelevant the setting or situation they'll find a way to infuse whatever it is they're obsessed with into it in some way.

The media and the authorities are heavily focused on drug and alcohol addiction, sexual predators, terrorism, domestic violence.
If you're a bit eccentric or do something off-the-wall, you "might be on drugs".
If you make goo-goo eyes at a pretty girl/woman you're "probably some kind of creep or predator or stalker".
If you raise your voice during an argument you're suspected of possible "domestic violence" or of "making a threat" of some kind.

                      No Immunity From Invasions

Don't think your place is immune from break-ins simply because you live modestly, don't really own anything of any great monetary value, and are not the kind who buys up every pricey fancy latest trendy gadget and device being currently commercially peddled.

No burglar is going to think to himself, after having forced or finagled his way into another's domain: "Oh damn!  This guy obviously lives a very basic, simple life.  Hardly a thing worth snatching up that'll pay worth a shit on the black market.  Guess I better head on out and try another place".
Especially considering he's already risking a potential 10 to 25 years behind bars for his actions.  He's going to do some kind of damage.  Even if it's trashing your place.  Or helping himself to your refrigerator and cabinets for food and drink.  Or just crapping on your floor or furniture.

He expected a 72" flat-screen TV and found a 12" one instead.  Or he expected to find valuable jewelry and instead found used magazines and paperback books.
He'll be pissed, and he'll make you "answer for" not making his risks "worth it".






                                                Another site to check out: www.soberinanightclub.com 

              Would Jesus Celebrate Valentine's Day?

Find your soulmate today.  Find the one God has planned for you.  Using secular man-made high technology.

Enter Christian Mingle, an on-line dating service intended for lonely singles who are of the Christian faith.
Currently they have a "Valentine's Day offer".  First three months free, or something along that line.

There's something awfully cliche and banal about the notion of "meeting a future wife/husband" by such formulaically perfunctory cultural ritualisms.  Especially by those of Christian faiths whose priorities are allegedly of a higher spiritual nature.
On-line dating?  How "earthly".

Would Jesus commandeth one useth a powerful worldly tool for fulfilling their need for love and faithful matrimonial companionship?

Pop Music R.I.P.

I forgot about Wednesday being the 57th anniversary of the untimely deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson.

I feel my collection of audio CD-Rs are more and more transforming into one massive collective "musical obituary".

Lately it's been the deaths of songwriter/producer Allen Toussaint, Natalie Cole (a SOPHISTICATED LADY, yes), David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Paul Kantner, and now Maurice White and Joe Dowell.

Ten years from now my CD-R collection stands to be quite "haunted".

                              Cybertime is of the essence

I like the way you go into a store, buy only a couple of items, and they give you a receipt about three feet long.

Mostly coupons:  $20 off your next purchase of $75 or more.  "Oh WOW!  Gotta take advantage of THIS one!  Think what all I could use the extra $20 for!"

And then there's the on-line survey:  "Tell us how we did and get a 10% discount on your next purchase".  Followed by a web address they expect you to go onto next time you're on-line.
As if I have nothing better to do when I go on-line except answer a bunch of cliche questions like "Do you feel your cashier valued you as a customer?".
Like I don't already have web sites and blog sites I visit regularly whenever I get the chance to access a computer.

Why is it ...
when my underpants bunch, and I have to drop my jeans momentarily to adjust them, someone walks in right at that moment?

They walk in right when I have my pants down and leave thinking I must be some kind of "pervert".

They catch me at my worst moments and assume me to be slovenly and grungy, and automatically figure me to be that way all the time.






You know the 1973 Beach Boys song DON'T GO NEAR THE WATER?
That would make an ideal theme song for Flint Michigan.


            The above 2 are my Musings For Today




                                     Adage For Today
 You know someone has too many rights and liberties by the fact that you're either stuck in a corner or backed up against a wall so they can have all the space to themselves

Winches

If you've ever been aboard a Navy or merchant ship you undoubtedly are aware of a gigantic mechanical contraption known as a winch.

These are used for extending hoses over to adjacent ships for the purpose of refueling.  Or they have straps and belts hanging from them that fasten onto pallets, machinery, appliances, or motor vehicles for delivery to commercial ports.  

The first time I saw a winch I thought "My God, those cables are filthy.  I mean, look how thick that grease and gunk is on them.  How can anyone be so negligent as to allow that much crap to build up like that?  They need to scrub those cables down ...then polish them back up till they shine."