"Poor people don't vote..."

so says the illustrious Bernie Sanders.

No shit Mr. Sanders!
That's because we don't feel represented by our society or by those in charge of it.

I'm not bothering to register myself, especially with the caliber of candidates who are offering themselves up for "top banana" position (here in the U.S.).

Any group of 5-year-olds trying to perform Shakespeare would be more authentic and convincing than the current crop of contrived "snake oil" hacks presently bidding for the "top billing".

Pop Music Epitaph/Obit (Again?)

Prince
Our Prince seems to have actually been quite a "king" judging by his immense cult following.
To me he was simply a prominent and prolific singer/songwriter/record producer who had hit records and also wrote songs for others.
A "superstar", along the same line as Elton John, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, and so forth.

Lonnie Mack
All I know about this guy is his 1963 instrumental version of MEMPHIS


More and more my audio disc collection is transforming into a pop music obituary.

                                               Adages For Today

Part of being an individualist is realizing they put the same brain inside the heads of everyone except you



Going out in public wouldn't be so bad if they could just get rid of two things:  inclement weather and stupid people

                                         Misplaced Priorities

One thing that both amazes and miffs me:
That so many commercial and public establishments never invest in their restrooms.

Think about it:
Restaurants, coin-op laundries, coffee shops, public libraries, bars, convenience stores
...a lot of them have restrooms with only one (or two) toilets.  They seldom clean them, a lot of times they don't refill the soap container, they don't replace the toilet tissue, sometimes they also don't maintain the plumbing itself.

When such places do invest it's usually to expand the dining area, or to install televisions in the seating/dining area, or to replace the vending machines, or some other superficial crap like that.

It's not fair to have to "try not to pee oneself" because someone else is either taking a dump or because one of the restrooms are "out of order".

Unaffiliated

So many people are declaring themselves to be "part of" some faction:
They're either "liberal" or "conservative"
Or they base their own existence on their ancestry
Or they base their lives around their sexual preferences
Or they form their persona around their social class, race, gender, educational level, religious beliefs, political stance, or whatever age they are.

I'm one who just lives for myself (ultimate faithless), and, as such, find it hard to commit to any type of factional beliefs, lifestyles, or practices.  Including living up to the stereotypical characteristics of my own gender, race and age.

I just behave, think, and speak whatever makes sense to me at the time.  I realize that most any belief and viewpoint can be argued at least two or more ways, that what may be true for one person or situation might not pan out for/in another.
And that no one person (or group) should ever have the last word on anything (or anyone).

                    If Thou Doth Not Work
                   Neither Shall He Eat

Pretty cut-and-dried.  Doesn't leave much room for any circumstantial nuances.

During Biblical times "working" was toiling in the fields---planting, tilling, harvesting.  Or being a tailor, the one who produces garments for people to wear.  Or the baker, the one who makes the bread.  Or a butcher.  Or a cook.  Or a blacksmith who makes items out of iron and metal for specific uses and purposes.
In short, to work was to produce items of substance and to provide essential services.  There was a purpose to working.

Of course the whole concept of "work" is subjective anyway.  It's not so much whether or not one works as it is just what one is accomplishing by their efforts.  If a paycheck is the primary reason for one's efforts then the whole concept becomes a series of perpetual cliche perfunctory rituals.

And, even if unemployed, one could still be hard at work on a passionate creative hobby with intricate details not to be overlooked if said project is to be carried out properly.

                                                      "...Imagine no possessions
                                                             I wonder if you can
                                                      No 4-million-dollar mansions
                                                      Or 'driving Rolls not Chevy vans' ..."



No doubt John Lennon was quite sincere and heart-felt when he wrote IMAGINE.
However, when one is a celebrity recording act worth a few million who resides in a huge mega-mansion and they write lyrics like "Imagine no possessions" they're sort of asking to be parodied.





             "...I don't care too much for money 'cause money can't buy me love ..."

I imagine CAN'T BUY ME LOVE also garnered it's fair share of derision, especially with Paul McCartney on lead vocals.
    

             Keep on Cajoling Advertisers

Watching the local news (mostly for the weather forecast) I never cease to be astounded by the number of commercials for new cars, internet and cable/satellite television services, and furniture.

Who ARE these people constantly buying brand-new vehicles, or totally dependent on cable TV for amusing themselves at home, or running out and buying more and more sofas, couches, mattresses and queen-size beds every time they're 40% off?
Just how big are their houses and driveways?

And why do they stuff my mailbox once-a-week with clusters of ads and coupons?
If I "take advantage of" all those coupons I'd end up spending a couple hundred dollars a week just to ensure I "get 40% off".  Why not just buy an item only when I need to and save money that way?
And among those ads I get in the mail is ...you guessed it ..."40% off lounge chairs and sofas".  Thanks but no thanks for your "deal".  My apartment is a little too small to accommodate any kind of large furniture.






                                                  Adage For Today
The squeaky wheel may get the most grease but if it continues squeaking it gets replaced by another for being either defective or worn out.

Pop Music Obit/Epitaph

...that's what my audio disc collection is more-and-more resembling.

Keith Emerson
Brilliant accomplished keyboardist and innovative/inventive "prog-rocker"

Gogi Grant
Best known for her 1956 soft-pop classic THE WAYWARD WIND

Patty Duke
Legendary actress and part-time "teen idol" singer.  "Lesley Gore sound-alike".