19 thoughts on “Monday, August 1, 2022”

  1. There you go, Mike. Deja Vu. Brings back the same kinds of memories for me. Carry On and Almost Cut My Hair. The Neil Young songs. Great music. Which is better, first album or Deja Vu?

  2. Love your Royal QDL, Mike. As you know, I’m partial to Royal QDL’s at the moment. Also, re: the deer…are you happy they are present? Gardeners aren’t happy as deer eat their vegetables. And forests aren’t happy as they eat saplings. So…are you happy?

    1. Thanks Barbara. That’s the sort of green one I mentioned a ways back. It’s among my favorites.

      Yes, the deer make me happy, even when they munch on my garden. They did get carried away with the fig tree and the Swiss chard, but I’m happy to share.

  3. Well now let’s see. I’ve read Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between The World And Me, White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, and for an opposing view, John McWhorter’s Woke Racism. Coates is the best writer, but he lost me when he said the NYC policemen and firefighters who died trying to save lives on September 11, 2001 were “not human,” and “menaces of nature.” McWhorter seems more reasonable. DiAngelo’s book, as McWhorter has said, is best used to level a chair or table.

    Meanwhile, I again find myself being characterized as a racist and race baiter on here because of a recent comment I made. One or two other people on OTP have previously suggested or written that I’m a racist because I’ve criticized people of color. But being critical of what a person of color writes or says does not of itself make one a racist. People of color are not exempt from criticism.

    Call me ignorant, lazy, little Johnny, tell me to fuck off. I don’t care. I don’t enjoy being called a racist, but all right, have it your way. I doubt I can ever change your mind.

    1. That must have happened during one of my absences. When was that? Criticizing the work of a person of color doesn’t make you a racist. I read Coates’s book and it kept my interest. It may have been Toni Morrison who said he was the next James Baldwin. Um, no. He’s no James Baldwin.

      But Roger, this is a conversation I’m guessing no one wants to jump into here. Kind of like what they tell you if you’re going to bartend: don’t talk about religion or politics because both topics lead to fights.

  4. Barbara: You’re right. Nor am I asking anyone to. But being called a racist once is enough.

    From now on it’s probably best if I hold my tongue and watch my sense of humor. Avoid the highly controversial on here both when reading and writing. Pretty dull, but there you are. And yes, I think the other stuff happened while you were away.

    Everyone raves about Ta-Nehisi Coates’ talent, even his critics. You might like Rich Lowry’s review of Between The World And Me for Politico in 2015, still on the website.

    1. I wasn’t saying you were trying to start a conversation. I was really just thinking about how recently an OTP member said they weren’t going to get into talks about racism and I was thinking others probably feel the same way. Part of the problem is tone is missing from online posts. The same conversation could take place in person and have an entirely different effect.

      Things are so screwed up–everywhere? Just the U.S.? Between having to be PC about everything and the Cancel Culture, I dunno what to say. Comedians can hardly tell jokes anymore, for fear of offending, then being cancelled.

  5. Barbara: Forgot something. You asked Mike “Are You Happy.” I’ll bet he remembers the song of that title by Iron Butterfly. It opens with these lyrics “I met a pretty girl on a date last night/Let me tell you now she was groovy.” Groovy. Sheesh, that was corny even in 1968.
    .

  6. Barbara: I know you weren’t saying that and hope i didn’t sound snippy, as Al Gore once said. That’s a prudent person who avoids discussing racism on OTP. But if one does, it’s best to do what you did Saturday, condemn the racist house guest. I couldn’t get past the prohibition on Repubs, conservatives and moderates. The last one really got me. I howled. Pure comedy. And nothing for it but to play along, so I asked the question that got me in trouble.
    By the way, if you like to laugh at politicians, watch Bill Maher’s take on Herschel Walker last Saturday. Hilarious. John McWhorter is a guest, black guy next to Bill.

  8. Tomorrow my page will say “words that maybe shouldn’t have been written”. I take that back. Words should be written.

  9. Damn Mike. That’s some cool sounds. I learn so much here. Gracias. I do see most of you as mi Gente. Gracias.

    2. I thought you might like that. Lee Oskar was the harmonica player in War. The front man was Eric Burden from the Animals.

  10. Xicano, I thought you didn’t read comments, but if you are there my favorite WAR song is “Zlipping into Darkness”
    ….Slippin’ into darkness, yeah
    When I heard my mother say
    I was slippin’ into darkness
    When I heard my mother say
    Hey, what’d she say what’d she say
    You’ve been slippin’ into darkness….

  12. Hi, Catalina. ‘Auntie Phyllis’ was there in the very beginning, about 390 pages ago, when Jennifer was hospitalised, a visitor from England who left Chicago when Jennifer ‘died’; she had an overheard quarrel (by Caroline) with Franco about wanting to say her last goodbye – she never saw the body…Then she scarcely gets a mention until Caroline discovers her mother is alive and thinks about how her aunt thought she was dead for the rest of her life. ‘Blew my mind’ – high praise indeed. That makes it worth losing sleep last night because I added a page to the last chapter I’d written – at four in the morning…and then the characters started talking to each other, as they tend to do, and kept me awake for another hour…

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