Musical Interludes Over This Week

person doing tricks on cassette tape

Music plays a huge part in my life. One of my “gifts” is the ability to tie pretty much any phrase, event, or whatever with a song. I’ve had plenty of opportunities this week.

I’m currently working on a project with the Edmonds Waterfront Center. They have several musical activities over the course of each week. And I can hear these from my office. One of my favorites: a ukulele class. They play a wide range of songs, which often transforms me in place in time. The ukulele is a wonderful instrument that I delight in hearing. With this, I was explaining to a chum about some of the artists who have created albums with the instrument. The two that readily come to mind are Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame and Amanda Palmer.

Eddie has a great ukulele album titled, less creatively (I guess) “Ukulele Songs“. This is, perhaps, my favorite from that album.

Amanda Palmer has written some fun songs for the instrument. This one is my current favorite (FYI, not completely safe for work).

A few days later, a friend of mine mentioned her drink of choice was tequila. That always make me think of this song:

And, yesterday, while seeing article after article about AI, this song popped into my head.

Affiliating songs with events is not something I work at, just natural reflex. The results of my misspent youth, I guess.

Famous Moments in History, Reimagined By Centrists

Here’s a comic from The Nib that gave me pause. What are the bounds of free speech? A what point does “centrism” enable the destructive forces of hate?

Comics provide a unique voice in the modern political climate that I value. This particular series was created by Kasia Babis. The link will take you to a large list of their work. You really should check them out.

A Morning Song

Most every day, a song echos in my mind as I wake. The universe often speaks to me in song.

This morning I woke to U2’s “40” and the line “how long, to sing this song?”

My heart troubled by the world’s rage soaked violence, by another bloody day. Will humanity expand out of it’s ego before the world’s burned into obliteration by hubris? Will I get to see that day? How long, my friends. How long?

Recommend Reading: @ClaireDederer’s “What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?”

As my culture deals with abrupt waves of awareness of the ugly, monstrous behaviors of so many prominent men, Claire Dederer presents a rather thoughtful article. 

What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?

I struggle with this, too. Ms. Dederer captures my sentiment quite nicely. Very insightful questions, making one think, which seems considered criminal any more.