I stay mad, by A.C. Reed

Credited on YouTube to Earl Hooker, in error. This is a great CD, I've got a copy. Earl is the session guitar player on all of the cuts. The singer here is A.C. Reed, and the record was released under his name.

But yeah, me too, A.C. I stay mad. Hell, I'm still mad about stuff going back to the Eisenhower administration, lots of stuff. Too old to change by now, I recon. I guess I'll be mad until the end.

My New Device

I am very pleased with the performance of the newspaper that I purchased yesterday. No shipping required, they had one ready to go at the mall near me. In fact, they had two different models! I chose the one with the mid-year economic review supplement.

Man, this thing is fast! It loads multiple pages with just one flick of the wrist, no waiting. Super fast streaming, I haven’t seen any buffering at all. None! The thing is ultra-lightweight, and I can tell you from experience that the battery will last just about forever.

You wouldn’t believe how cheap it was! I’d recommend newspapers to anybody. It’s a mystery to me why they’re not more popular. 

Johnny Burnette Trio-Train Kept A Rollin'

Guitar players will do anything for a laugh. Loosening a tube inside the amp to get a sound? What are the mechanics for that to happen?

Does he think, "it's all so pretty in there, let's fuck it up a little and see what happens!"

Or, "all plugged in solid, sounds solid. What does 'loose' sound like?"

Does he replace a tube while drunk, then wonder, "what the fuck is that noise?" And then discover the loose tube? Does he like the noise, and repeat it? Does it end up on a record?

Probably that last one.

Eric Idle - "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" - STEREO HQ

This is the best advice in all situations. What else are you going to do?

That pain in your shoulder will probably resolve with some physical therapy. (And you can find plenty of physical therapy on the Internet without going broke paying for it.) Those chest pains are almost certainly just an unfortunate, but not too dangerous, side-effect of the medicine that's got your blood pressure down to the very good range. And seriously, I'll bet almost nobody gets the side effect called, "kidney damage." Losing a few teeth might get you a nicer smile, and lots of people seem to eat very effectively with dentures. Lying quietly in bed is almost as good as sleeping, and without those annoying bad dreams!

Look on the bright side! If that gets too difficult, try a trip to Walmart. Looking around at your fellow shoppers should do wonders for your perspective.

Your job should cheerfully renew your contract for next year. Why wouldn't they? Not paying your salary would represent such a small savings to them, why should they bother firing you? The likelihood that those merciless gangsters in Washington D.C. could do such financial mischief that it would destroy the savings of everyone in America is very, very slim.

So why worry? Especially if you're pushing seventy, like I am. It's only a couple of more years, whatever happens. You're short! A few hundred days and a "wake up." As the Marines used to say, "you could do that walking on your hands."

Look for the good!

The Seven Deadly Sins, Presidential Edition

Saligia! The mnemonic for the Seven Deadly Sins in Latin.*

1.   Superbia (Pride);

2.   Avaeritia (Greed);

3.   Luxuria (Lust);

4.   Invidia (Envy);

5.   Gula (Gluttony);

6.   Ira (Wrath); and

7.   Acedia (Sloth).

Most of us have a touch of these things in us, more or less. Like the professionals say, it’s not a problem unless it affects your life, or the lives of loved ones. Some people are experts in many or most of these things. They’re going to hell for sure.

The only person that I can think of who excels at all seven is President Donald John Trump.

Oh, I hear you say, but President Trump is not lazy at all! Well, it may be technically true that he is busy for much of every day, but he spends much of that time sitting around thinking his horrible thoughts and otherwise violating the other Deadly Sins. He is proud of the fact that he takes no exercise, correctly declining to claim that golf qualifies. And he is certainly lazy-minded. When asked about his favorite book, he seemed to be at a loss to recall just what a book was, exactly. “The Bible!” he finally blurted out, and “The Art of the Deal!” Sad!

Concerning the other six, there is no argument. Guilty!

It’s another interesting point of comparison with our most recent ex-president, Barack Obama. Mr. Obama may be guilty of a touch of pride, although I would argue that even that would be forgivable. Of the rest, Mr. Obama is innocent. Compared to DJT, Obama is a saint.

You may apply the list to other recent presidents if you wish. It’s an interesting exercise. Of the saints, there is room for discussion. Who is the most innocent of the bunch? But of the sinners, it’s really no contest. We have a winner! Ladies and gentlemen! President Donald J. Trump!  

*I learned about Saligia in Dan Brown’s latest railway novel, Inferno. 

Six Turning Four Burning - Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" (HD)

Jimmy Stewart actually flew bombers in World War II. He was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and the French gave him a Croix de Guerre to boot. You've got to watch out for the quiet ones.

I love this movie. "Strategic Air Command." It's got great flying footage by the yard, and just enough drama to keep it off life-support.

Les Jaguars - Guitare Jet

"The exceptions always prove the rule." Or something like that.