Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Something/Someone Old
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I remember this song from when I was three years old. My parents had a joke that it was actually about our dog, Tiger, whom they sometimes called "Piece," short for "Piece of Shit." And he did, indeed, like to run through the city.

He looked something like this. Unlike these dogs, he was a mutt, but a mutt with a fair amount of terrier in him:

mutt.jpg

I've always loved the song.

Something New
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My new things all seem to be from Netflix lately.

My mom wants to watch this 2020 Netflix production with me:

Were any of you there in Chicago for these events? I am curious what Aaron Sorkin and Netflix will make of them.

I am, of course, suspicious of all attempts to make historical fiction about America between 1929 and, well, the present. The powerful are currently engaged in debunking the idea of the so-called Golden Age of Capitalism. (The Golden Age of Capitalism falls roughly between 1932 and sometime in the early to mid-1970s, and consists of a few decades during which it was possible to believe that capitalism could be used as an economic basis for a working society). While it would be not only possible, but also helpful to debunk that Golden Age by saying that there were people to whom it did not apply, the owners of media corporations, the CIA, the Pentagon, and whatever other elites are in charge of deciding which stories will get told and which won't are not morally qualified to deal with that question. In other words, people who never gave a shit about race before ten years ago don't get to be the ones who tell us that what we had back then was bad because black people didn't get to share in it. (In fact, that argument is completely illogical anyway, but even if it represented the combined efforts of Rene Descartes, Einstein, and Mother Teresa, the current American elites would be morally unqualified to advocate for it.)

In a similar vein, people who never found a war they didn't support don't get to explain to us that one reason America did well back then is that World War II had eliminated the manufacturing bases of our strongest competitors. This piece of debunkery has two prongs: one, our comparatively good standard of living back then was actually a bad thing because it came from bombing people; two, that that standard of living didn't have anything to do with, you know, the New Deal, the Great Society, or anything Keynesian. We didn't get a better standard of living because of Keynesian economics, you silly sausage! It was just because of war. This argument is based on the fallacy that large amounts of government spending on war don't count as large amounts of government spending. Nowadays, due to globalization and the race to the bottom, it's true that large amounts of government spending on war are unlikely to help working people in the United States (or most other places), but that's because we don't have a manufacturing sector to speak of, and most of the places that do have one pay their workers crap.

In fact, because the people engaged in the debunkery are oligarchs, it's not capitalism or war that they're trying to debunk; it's the standard of living enjoyed by many working people under capitalism during those times--and the policies and customs that both led to that standard of living, and emerged from it. Keynesian economics and its political corollaries must be buried deep, and, above all, we must never acknowledge that we've lost anything.

I'm especially suspicious of new historical fiction made about American culture between the years 1968 and 2001, because that period is, essentially, the scene of the crime. It's when the loss happened. It's when we went from being a flawed and, let's admit it, somewhat crappy republic to a full-blown fascist oligarchy. There's an argument to be made for Kennedy's assassination as the beginning of the transformation, or even for the rise of the Dulles brothers after the second World War. On the other end, you could make the argument that by 1994, it was all over but the shouting. But I am very cautious about stories made later than, say, 2009 about anything that happened between 1968 and 1980.

Of course, there are many worse people than Aaron Sorkin. Maybe the movie will be good.

I will report back.

Something Borrowed
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Tori Amos is one of the greatest cover artists I've ever heard. I've got two covers from her to share today:

First, there's her cover of "I'm On Fire." Here's the original:

Here's Amos' spectacular remake. It's quiet, so turn up the volume...

I've always loved this song, both in its original version from Zeppelin II, and Page and Plant's own remake when they played together as Unledded. Here is the latter version:

I had no idea till today that Amos had also done a cover of this wonderful song:

Something Blue
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It's a kind of frustrating experience to look for Maxfield Parrish images online. His gorgeous colors are half of why I want to look at them, and there is, shall we say, a very large variation in color in the various digital images. Some of them, like many of the renditions of "Daybreak," are truly awful. I picked "Aquamarine" for today because it seemed the truest to what I remember. Of course, I've never seen his works in person, only prints, so maybe it's *my* ideas that are way off!

Aquamarine_Med-Res.jpg

I love his work, and I don't care that (as the secretary at the graduate English office told me) "It's a little too close to unicorns and rainbows." I'm trying to adopt, at my late age, a no-shame attitude towards art and music.

How are you all today?

I hope you all get to eat a wonderful meal with people you love--or at least like!--tomorrow.

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Comments

how the good times we (of a certain vintage) can still remember before the downtrodding began.
With revisionist propaganda, the younger folks have less perspective as to how we got here.

nice Tory

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@QMS

digital colors are limited in their ability to express the colors
one can see in a deep ocean absorbed by unlimited sky variations
it's more of a relationship between the optical nerve and the
interplay of environmental conditions

cheers

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11 users have voted.
Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@QMS

I would embed the image, but it doesn't want to embed. Hope the link works.

https://www.zazzle.com/daybreak_maxfield_parrish_beach_towel-25630470289...

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6 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

some algorithm got a bit loose with color codes on that beach towel. But if lying in the the sand, perhaps it works better?

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@QMS

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3 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

thanatokephaloides's picture

@QMS ...... not so Zazzled up:


source

Smile

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@thanatokephaloides

I think I forgot to mention above that Daybreak is the most popular art print of the twentieth century. Apparently one print of Daybreak was sold per every four American homes!

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2 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

thanatokephaloides's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

I think I forgot to mention above that Daybreak is the most popular art print of the twentieth century. Apparently one print of Daybreak was sold per every four American homes!

And despite being in the US public domain, it's still in print and selling like hotcakes!

Smile

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2 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@QMS

of Daybreak I've ever seen. Of course, I've never seen the original, so maybe these colors are as intended.

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6 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

paying for it now big time. Fortunately, it is overcast here today, so the muted tones from the sky aren't cringingly blinding.
Muted Wink
Thanks for the OT!

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@QMS

I didn't know you were also a denizen of the Gulf Coast. Perhaps that's one reason I've always found you so simpatico. Smile

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8 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

How are y'all today?

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8 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

enhydra lutris's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal
our turkey, tetrazzini isn't too far off now, 'cause it's 13# for two of us. Today is sort of get ready day, so I'm dropping into non-cognitive mode, just going through the routine.

All you really need to know about the Chicago 7 is that the police and feeebs, etc. had already established felony conspiracy as their favorite weapon. Any time two persons agree to engage in behavior which is arguably a misdemeanor, or agree to do something part thereof, such as driving to the scene together, that makes it a "conspiracy" and elevates the charges and punishment to felony grade. Naturally any activist worth their salt committed innumerable such conspiracies, and tptb could then use such charges to single out and hammer perceived "leaders".

be well and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@enhydra lutris

I like finding things out from people who were actually there. Marilyn Hagle once gave me some serious perspective on Mario Savio. I don't get starry-eyed too often, but I was putting dude on a bit of a pedestal.

It was a hell of a speech.

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6 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

enhydra lutris's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

Mario was an interesting person, seriously devoted to civil rights, who was in exactly the right spot at exactly the right time.

be well and have a good time

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3 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Anja Geitz's picture

And there are many, is his tendency of pretending we not only have a functioning democracy but one that deserves a lot heartfelt speeches. Knowing this in advance, however, might help with the gag reflex when watching it play out on screen. What I have greater difficulty with is his placating role in an industry that’s none too keen these days on touching the third rail of U.S. military over reach. Which is all the more baffling when the story he’s writing is about a group of protestors protesting the Vietnam war without ever “putting forth an argument either for or against a war that had stained the soul of the nation.” Instead we get an establishment approved sentiment from one of the characters about the right to protest being the hallmark of our democracy. A warm fuzzy sentiment I wonder if any of the 5 were actually feeling at the time.

But if you don’t take any of that into account, you will probably enjoy what is essentially a well made courtroom drama with unforgettable characters made even better by snappy dialogue and the caliber of acting. So, if it’s something your Mom wants to watch together, perhaps it’s best to enjoy the story on its own and not think too much about the manipulative implications of it.

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

@Anja Geitz

thanks

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earthling1's picture

@Anja Geitz
Ken Burns works until I watched his Vietnam special. He left out a lot. Now I question the veracity of all his works.
Sad.

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9 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@earthling1

were more or less OK until the oligarchs decided playtime was over.

It's pretty easy to intimidate people, if you can't buy them. The up side of that is that there may be no need to re-assess all of Burns' former work. I'd probably compare what he did before 2010 to what he did afterwards, and see if there's a marked difference. If I didn't find one there, I'd look before 2001 and after. If you find a marked shift around those dates, probably someone had a conversation with him. At least, that's what I think.

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7 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Anja Geitz

his tendency of pretending we not only have a functioning democracy but one that deserves a lot heartfelt speeches.

up
8 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Anja Geitz's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

Doesn’t play like West Wing did in the gag reflex area. But the glaring absence of addressing the war is palpable.

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There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

earthling1's picture

Gulf coast huh? Never been down there.
Spent time in Georgia and visited the Keys once. Not the same as the gulf coast though, huh?
My primary haunt has always been the left coast. I'm up in the pacific northwest now. We're rainbirds, not snowbirds. We have intermittant sun showers.
Would love to see New Orleans before I turn in for the last time.
Someday maybe. Y'all have a good turkey day.

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6 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

enhydra lutris's picture

@earthling1

lotsa history, scenery, food, beverages, music and all that. It's as if somebody poured a brobdinagian cauldron of joie de vivre over the entire city like syrup and it seeped into and permeated the place. Definitely go if you can. Be sure to get an authentic sazerac and some absinthe.

be well and have a good one.

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7 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@enhydra lutris

up
6 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal
over a few years during the 70's and 80's
Wonderfull culture
great food
good music
soul city

Wonder what it is like now?

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@QMS

My honey and I went there for Wrestlemania. Back when I could still stomach Vince McMahon's horrible politics (and horrible treatment of people generally).

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5 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

earthling1's picture

@enhydra lutris
what all those words mean, ha ha ha.
Now I'm gonna have to go on a quest to find out if they go in my mouth or wherever.
Thanks for giving me something to do. I'm sooo bored.

up
7 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@earthling1

I really hoped to visit your neck of the woods one day. Actually considered moving up there but came back home instead.

up
6 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Granma's picture

I expected to be busy, but plan changed. It gave me time to think.

I'm going to start journaling again. I did it daily for years, both on paper, then on computer. Actually during Covid, I highly recommend journaling to anyone who lives alone. It is a great way to get the conversations you are not having out of your system. I don't want to bore the people I do get to talk to. Nobody really wants to hear my repeat of a conversation I had, or the details of my day. It is also a great way to unload anger or frustrations. Write it and leave it there.

If you haven't journaled before, try it. I usually write early in the day about my previous day and plans for the current day. It clears my mind somehow, frees me from the leftover thoughts and emotions. For some people, it might work out better to write in the evenings.

I hope you will enjoy the time with your mom even if you don't especially enjoy the movie.

Have a great day everyone.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Granma

Rather than going out in the back yard and ranting at politicians and industrialists who aren't there and making all my neighbors think I'm truly crazy.

up
9 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

earthling1's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal
do that. I thought it was normal. Huh. Will have to give it a try.
Now, where did I put my rainsuit!

up
7 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

@Granma

stored in calendars divided by years
if anyone wants to know my history, it's there
(especially me) as I tend to forget the whens.
It is an everyday morning exorcize, like you,
frees up brain space for the new dawn.
Write it down and forget about it. Ha!

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Granma's picture

@QMS to have the journals with the calendars. Smart. I tossed a bunch of mine because they contained too much venting that I didn't want anyone else to ever see. I don't vent much about people close to me anymore so can safely keep the more recent ones.

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6 users have voted.

@Granma

not sure if anyone outside my psyche could decipher
what all that shorthand means, but I don't trust electronic
record keeping anymore. All those damn platforms die before
the ink on paper fades away. Clie was good for awhile, but ran out
of supportable software. Not too bothered to just write it down.

It's good to keep records, not just the old 45's Wink

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Creosote.'s picture

@Granma
unspooling what I see and think means. Thirty years' worth.
Helps set closeness or distance, what's felt, what can be done
many thanks

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4 users have voted.

just had a burger, since we couldn't have pizza, since somebody forgot to pack the pizza crusts.
We have people in the cabins on either side of ours, but they do not go outside, and we hardly notice them.
This is a really nice place, the sunset over the water was gorgeous.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@on the cusp

We actually had a traditional Thanksgiving, with my mom over, which was great. Then Nick and Kate went to bed and my mom and I watched Bridesmaids together. What an awesome, fun movie.

So a good time was had by all.

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2 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver