You probably noticed I haven't been keeping up with the CeleBirthdates or CeleDeaths lately.
It's just that I keep missing or forgetting about the birthdates, and that a lot of recording acts from the 50s thru the 80s are at that age where "death notices" are to be expected.
And that this site is not really intended to double as some kind of "CeleObituary" or "CeleBirthdate announcements" outlet, but, rather, to be primarily about me and my personal viewpoints and opinions
...plus the fact that it's just too overwhelming to keep track of all these birthdates and "death notices".

I'm not oblivious to the recent passing of Ray Thomas (Moody Blues), Denise LaSalle (Trapped By This Thing Called Love), Hugh Masekela, or Edwin Hawkins.

And, speaking of Edwin Hawkins, I got to thinking how many songs from the early-to-earlier part of the rock and roll era had some kind of religious theme:

The Bible Tells Me So
Deck Of Cards
A Wonderful Time Up There
Jesus Is A Soul Man
Put Your Hand In The Hand
Spirit In The Sky
Morning Has Broken
Open Up Your Heart (And Let The Sunshine In)
Crying In The Chapel
Reverend Mr. Black
The Three Bells
Shake A Hand 
Dominique
The Lord's Prayer
Oh Happy Day
Amen
The Village Of St. Bernadette
Day By Day
Mama Sang A Song
People Get Ready
The Magnificent Sanctuary Band
Jesus Christ Superstar
Wings Of A Dove
Amazing Grace
Why Me?

I'm not sure how such lyrics would go down in today's pop music climate.  Probably not at all.

While I'm not a Biblical Absolutist by any means I'm not an atheist either.
I think "God" is as good a metaphor as any for the notion of a universe which came about as a result of a deliberate strategic planning and execution, even if a bit cartoonish and dumbed-down.

The concept of all the galaxies, solar systems, and suns with their surrounding planets being prime examples of "cosmic architecture" is a notion I find quite feasible in theory, a lot more so than I do the uncertain and disjointed capriciousness of the Evolution theories, with their brands of twisted logic explanations and premises.

United we ...
     devour each other

The stereotypical utopianism  is one in which "everyone lives together in perfect harmony and loves each and every one of their brothers and sisters unconditionally".

But, the reality is----each of us, as individuals, have our own idiosyncrasies and beliefs, many of which are not compatible with just anyone else.

Just as one should never force the lions and lambs to share the same space, nor the wolves and rabbits to do so likewise---or should know enough not to mix certain chemicals and ingredients, some personalities should never share the same spaces.

Like it or not, the culture and social climate you grew up in, as well as whatever temperament one is born with, DOES make a difference in what kind of environment one can function in and in what kind of persons one can be in the presence of without incurring some kind of conflict or discomfort.

I'm not here to promote bigotry or anything like that.  I like the concept of flexibility and diversity.
But, like the Arizona cowboy trying to adjust to the fast pace and surly attitudes of Manhattan, some things and individuals are best kept away from certain others.

I say all this because of the way American society is so overzealous in the manner it's been pushing everyone together, forcing all of us to share the same spaces, the same streets, squeezing all of us together indiscreetly, regardless of background or social class.

Everywhere you sit---on public transit, in a restaurant, in the library---someone's always less than ten feet away from you
...a total stranger.

Too much proximity, with little more than a few Draconian behavior regulation laws to prevent total invasion of space.
But one still feels "violated", even when no-one's done anything to initiate such feelings.

I'm just not that keen on existing in such an overcrowded social environment.  It's too easy to be chronically interrupted and interfered with
...or at least feel that way. 

            Reasons why "The Law Is An Ass" (revisited)
I've been thinking:
How does anything happen anymore?
How does life happen anymore?  In such a regimented society?
I mean, how do people "have adventures" these days?
How does anyone interact, have fun, explore the world and life itself, goof around and just "cut loose" once in a while?

You can't jest and joke around and tease----all these laws against "verbal abuse".
You can't just venture anywhere to check out "what's happening on the other side"----too many laws against "trespassing" and too much paranoia concerning "suspicious" persons and potential terrorists and predators.

You can't be upfront with your emotional reactions:  if you yell too loud you're "disturbing the peace"; if you get upset and start throwing things you'll have the S.W.A.T. teams barging in with guns drawn; if you're candid toward someone you find attractive about any sexual desires you feel toward them you're assumed to be lascivious and accused of "harassing";  if you express independent views and opinions that don't harmonize with the proper narratives you're ostracized for being somehow treasonous toward your own society.

I understand the necessity of having laws and of putting certain individuals in charge to create and enforce them
...that the only alternative would be anarchy---which would be tragic, as then the social climate would quickly get taken over by the dominating personalities: the bullies, the hustlers, the charismatic, the self-assured snobs.

And I'm all for the original basic laws:  those against stealing, murder, bearing false witness, intentionally harming others except in self-defense
...but, over time, we've added too many "Invent-A-Laws", laws intended to appease the favored and cater to social prejudices and dogmas, and laws that only protect the financial interests of the upper echelon classes
...and laws created solely for the purpose of catering to the "power play" desires of those assigned to carry out the enforcement duties:  the police, the courts, the judges.

Societies are too regimented and controlling---often just for the purpose of "being in charge" and "reminding their 'lessers' and minions 'who's really boss'".

And, like I've said before, once any law is written and enacted it can be interpreted clinically, impartial to circumstance or overall reality
...like, for example, a man who's broke, hungry, and hasn't eaten for days grabs a sandwich in a convenient store out of desperation, but is stopped by the cashier on his way out.
And, elsewhere, a kleptomaniac is grabbed on his way out of a department store with an expensive shirt he's trying to steal "just for the hell of it"
...yet BOTH are still charged with the same offense---Petty Larceny.
The law never concerns itself with why an individual commits a certain offense.  Only with WHAT they've done, and whether or not their acts fit the clinical description of what constitutes an official violation of said law.
That's the extent of the concerns of the law. 

                                                        Absurdity  3
...circa early-to-mid-1990s:
location:  Wendy's, Rolla Missouri ...

I'm sitting in the dining area, nursing a cup of coffee, when I overhear one of the employees (from behind the counter) going off about a customer she just served:
"I don't believe this!  I just took an order from the drive-thru, and the guy tells me 'This is to go'!"

                                                        Absurdity  2
What's up with these people who just stand around on the sidewalk---then ask me if they can "borrow a cigarette" as I walk by?
...and I'm not even a smoker.

Sort of like a relative of mine who, when visiting me one time, asked if she could "borrow a roll of toilet paper" until she had a chance to make it to the store.

What do people do with the cigarettes and tissue paper they borrow?  Return it, used?

                                                     Absurdity  1
In light of all the school shootings and mass shootings, isn't it in bad taste for restaurants and coffee shops to be playing SMACKWATER JACK over their sound systems?

                                           Musing For Today
Childhood is the time for imagination and fantasizing

Adolescence is the time for worshiping ideals and idols

Adulthood is the time for joining those who work behind the scenes:
the novelists who write the books, concoct the stories and invent the characters
the actors who play the parts of fictional characters
the playwrights, the producers, the actors and actresses
the songwriters, the singers, the musicians
the politicians and leaders and authority figures
the teachers, the parents, the principals, the bosses, the business owners, the publishers
the directors, the producers, the managers

If you've grown up and find yourself still in the audience instead of on the stage 
or if you're still listening instead of announcing, singing, or playing
or if you're still watching instead of acting, negotiating, or performing
you obviously still have never matured or grown up.

                          A few observations of an apartment dweller
When did the tenants above me get a pet elephant?  And how does such a large creature even fit inside a small unit?  For that matter, how did they even manage to get it through the doorway in the first place?

What are the tenants above me doing?  Setting off grenade launchers or dynamite caps?  Remodeling their whole unit?

Why is it okay for the tenants above me to sit out on their balcony half the night talking and shouting at the top of their lungs and getting shit-faced drunk on a night when I have to get up early the next morning to make an appointment
...yet if I play my TV or stereo too loud I get a warning and lecture on "respecting the rights of others" from the management?

Sometimes I think blogging can become quite superfluous in nature after a while.
I mean, how may times can one go on and on about how "it's usually a waste of time to seek help from those in charge at times when you have a problem with the behavior and attitudes of another, like when that other person is either messing with you or being all-around inconsiderate
...when, often, those in charge will seldom take action, probably because those in charge usually have the same personality and character traits as the offending party, and will actually see the complainant as being the 'antagonist'"?

Or how, when talking or writing about "the origins of mankind", the only choices presented to us as available belief systems are either being a Biblical Absolutist or a secular Evolutionist?
...and both theories have so many obvious flaws in their logic and reasoning.  And no-one seems willing to seriously look into the matter any deeper in terms of in-depth analysis of available evidence, or of further imaginative speculations which could result in previously un-thought-of revelations.

Or why the experts keep insisting the phenomenon of "climate change" is all solely the result of man's altering the earth's landscape and polluting it with poisonous man-made chemicals, instead of also looking into other possibilities---like cosmic activity or naturally occurring planetary patterns interacting with human intervention as well?

Growing up in Toledo Ohio with my parents and brother and sister,
I remember when my mom invited a friend of hers to spend a couple of nights at our place, and the way we all had to stop doing whatever it was we normally do so as to not be too loud or interfering with the comfort of our house guest.

Suddenly our own home became this other person's domain, like she had full license to "take over" everything in our place of residence.

I'm guessing the house guest was quite unaware of the way me and my siblings were being forced to sacrifice our normal way of living for her, as it was our parents who were strongarming us into this display of "domestic hospitality".  She probably figured we were simply "courteous types" by nature.

...after being scolded, chided, and given a strongarm warning to "never ever again even THINK about giving her daughter the kind of lewd 'goo-goo eyes' I displayed in the fast-food restaurant" the MeToo lady and her group of white knight shills proceeded to head toward their late-model SUVs, pick-up trucks and sports cars, revved up their engines while staring at me in full contempt with their "evil eye" glares (in an attempt to further intimidate me), then hauled ass out of the parking lot (0 to 60 MPH in less than 2 seconds) right onto the main drag without even once braking, yielding, or slowing down.  Never mind it was during rush hour, or that the adjacent sidewalk is always busy with a heavy pedestrian, bicycle, jogger, and skateboard presence.

...all because they regard me as "a threat to community safety" on account of my alleged "lewd gestures" ...

Normal people
need a TelePrompTer to express themselves as they don't have the aptitude for original thought or ideas

Song Analysis: Sugar Town

This top-10 hit from late 1966 by Frank's daughter portrays an "ultimate shangri-la", in which one is shielded from the hardships, evils, and responsibilities of the world.

The character in the song is quite self-satisfied and self-possessed.
She desires not the usual crutches and obstacles of the "normal world"---she "never had a dog that liked her some", and she "never had a friend---or wanted one".

She's free to be just who she is in her own right, without the perils of obligations and enduring judgment calls from strangers and meddling acquaintances and relatives.

She also mentions being sheltered from all the inclement weather other "normal" places routinely get (although I see these verses as being somewhat metaphorical in nature as well).

She further mentions that if she were independently wealthy she'd be all-too-willing to part with all her money by giving it away to the whole world in an attempt to bribe it into backing off and leaving her alone to just live out the rest of her life in this "la-la land" of hers.

....this is as ideal a fantasy song as one can get.

Normal people
have this uncanny ability to instinctively spot any and all evil in others, even ten miles away
...while still being totally oblivious to any of their own iniquities

                                       Musing For Today
Isn't built-in obsolescence, the practice of deliberately designing consumer products to wear out or break down after a given period of time, sort of a form of conspiracy?

            One thing I don't get about Medicaid:
They have no problem footing the bill for a $30,000 hernia operation, or for drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment programs
...yet they still can't see fit to spare $850 for a gold crown on a molar.

I guess if you're a drug addict you have it made, but if you're in need of any kind of involved or critical dental work good luck in getting them to accommodate you.
                                                                                                                                                  
                    I guess these days the drug addicts rule!

  ...after taking a bite out of one of the fruits from the "tree of knowledge"...
Adam and Eve looked around, and, upon seeing they were naked, felt ashamed ...

One take I have on this passage is that up until the time they took a bite of the apple their whole world was just them, the Garden of Eden, and experiencing full "favoritism from God".

Once knowledge entered their mind they became more aware of everything around them, and that there's more to reality than just their provincial perspectives, that they're not "the center of" all that is, but, rather, just an integral part of everything in existence---simply just a part of the whole.

Suddenly realizing they actually don't matter as much as they always thought they did, it brought upon them feelings of insecurity, of vulnerability, of no longer "mattering" enough to be worthy of any special "protection" or "preferential considerations" from God above.

"Naked" could be considered a metaphor for no longer feeling "protected" or "favored by God", now that they've figured out they might actually be "just one-in-a-million among all the other creations" and not the special "God's chosen ones" they so long assumed themselves to be all the while.

                                          Multiple Musings

The last vestiges of sanity to be found are when reading between the lines, in off comments, and in the occasional "confession"

On one occasion, during which MORNING HAS BROKEN was playing, someone made the comment "No matter which direction popular music chooses to take there will always be a place for a song like this".

Digital is too "bureaucratic".  There's no room for error.  Even the slightest misalignment can completely shut the operation down.
Dealing with digital  devices is too much like dealing with government agencies, the courts, the authorities and the lawmakers.  Too many directives, too many procedures, too many clinical terms to memorize.
Analog is more flexible, more malleable, easier to navigate and manipulate, more possible for one to control and direct.
Digital has too much of "a mind of its own", just like your domineering parents and bullying classmates when you were growing up:  obstinate, bullheaded, uncompromising, always messing with you and getting their own way all the time.

While listening to the song IN A TURKISH TOWN I realized Ritchie Valens probably never recorded any more songs beyond 1958.
It's quite disenchanting, you know, the notion of a child prodigy dying so young, what with all the useless people we have running around causing problems for everyone else, the idea that someone who could have benefited society would get "snuffed out" so soon is a bit unsettling.