Several things on the mind, in between kid & family stuff that have been solely focused on the holidays and strictly surviving life.
Number one: Powerage Please, If you are a fan of rock and roll music, listen to AC/DC's 1978 album, Powerage. I grew up listening to it in high school, and most likely got arrested to it a time or two...but have just recently revisited it, and am enamored with the entire effort. Front to back, it's possibly one of the best out there. Brian Johnson is fun. He's 80s AC/DC, and that's a swell thing. It's a reinvented band that helped create enormous, dumb, stadium rock that is near and dear to my heart. Powerage is not this. It's Bon Scott...and for some reason, feels much more genuine and raw than anything AC/DC did post Highway to Hell. It's fucking good. Listen to it. Number two: Cards I really like St. Louis Cardinals baseball. Have since I was my son's age. He's 3. I pay quite a bit of attention to the team this time of year, it being the time of year that free agents sign and trades typically happen. It's the offseason, and it's no secret that MLB wants attention given to this sport during the winter. The Cards typically don't do a whole lot during the winter, and this season has been no different. But I, as most every fan out there, would dearly like to see an impact trade that would boost the offense. I get that the FO needs to posture themselves in a way that doesn't claim to chase anything particular, but as coy as they're being, they had best get a hitter that can backup Goldy in the lineup. I would literally kill a man If we traded for Colorado's Nolan Aranado. Except for killing Aranado himself...that seems counter-productive. Number three: Christmas Christmas is a hassle. Everyone, meaning the general public, turns into an asshole. People bum-rush sales, drive like brain-dead dipshits, engulf themselves in excess, and lose track of what Christmas is supposed to be about. Clearly, I've worked in retail. I understand the religious meaning behind Christmas, which is arguably the absolute main reason we're all doing this right now. And I'm glad people still "keep the Christ in Christmas" and whatnot. Makes sense to me. But some people don't worship Jesus. A lot of people don't. It's true. And there's a good chance they're pretty good folks...just don't praise the same dude you do. And there's also a good chance they feel the same things we all feel this time of year...warmth, love, happiness, joy, forgiveness. That's good all good shit right there. I say "Merry Christmas". I say "Happy Holidays". I say "What it is?" Please don't get bent out of shape over semantics. Just be open minded and don't be a dick. Who cares how someone greets you--just be pleased they acknowledged you in a polite manner. Don't lose your mind over a Starbucks cup if doesn't say what you want it to, either. When you do this, you become the asshole that ruined Christmas for me and every sane-minded person that I know. Recap: I like AC/DC. I like the St. Louis Cardinals. I sort of like Christmas, and strongly dislike people. Goodnight.
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As a lad, I didn't care about much. That was solely by design, as I was a lawless rebel intent on pissing everyone off. I skated, I played in a band, I quit a very promising career in high school football so I could drink beer and chase girls more, and I listened to fast rock and roll music sometimes while in a fast car. Did I have a leather jacket? Unfortunately, it was suede.
Those days will always be with me. Honestly, I haven't changed a ton. I haven't done a complete backflip and dedicated my life to some certain organized religion. I haven't become a prominent member of city council or the chamber of commerce. I'm still me. Same as I ever was. Maybe a touch more mature now, but not a touch too much. At any rate, the not caring part of my life is something I've been revisiting as of late. Not in a reckless way, but in a healthy way. I dearly enjoy saying "I don't care". It's perceived as an immature cop-out, and rightfully so in some cases. But when a 46yr old man with a normal suburbian life says "I don't care", then it probably means something a little different. In my case, I don't care if you're gay. Why would I? The Bible? Hogwash. If Jesus hates gays, then he's not as cool as you think he is. Religion? I don't really care. Worship...do your thing. Praise be to whomever, just leave me be. I'll do my thing, you do yours. You're transgender? Cool. I don't care. I'm not overly familiar with it, but that doesn't mean I'm against it or afraid of it. You're a woman trapped in a man's body? Cool, man. Hope you can work it out without too much unnecessary hate. I will not be participating in that hate. Politics? Oh politics. You suck me in like the drama-laden reality show that you are. What's real and what's not? Who's real and who's not? Is there a wizard behind the curtain pulling all the levers and pushing all the buttons while this shitshow in DC is gorging on TV ratings? I'm really starting not to care. Vote and deal with it, right? What else? Hmmm... Here's what I do care about: My family. Their future. Human rights. Conservation. Swell music. Whisky and meat. Seriously, If you're reading this and you have an issue with gay people or transgender people or people of color or people of a different faith than you or whatthefuckever...ask yourself a very serious question: Why do I care? Live and let live, jabronies. Time for two fingers of whisk. "I Wanna Live!" Ramones, Loco Live, 1992 |
AuthorI am Earl. Archives
May 2024
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