February's first Friday is here already. 2020 is traveling like a bullet train. Are you taking time for stillness? Are you meditating? Have you remembered to remain present? I know, I know; it's tough. It's been tough for me, too. But here we are.
There's lots to be grateful for, I think. Progress is being made in so many areas. It's truly the best time to be alive!
To prove my point, I have identified several things in life that can safely be deemed "good." I will share them with you now!
Oh. My Goodness.
I stuck mostly to my normal routine this week. Kept my head down and did my work. Stuff like that. But I wasn't so focused on productivity and all that crap that I couldn't appreciate some good things. Let's examine my findings, shall we?
Just a Touch of Ignorance
Gosh, the news sure is full of news these days. It's just so, so newsy! And people have so much passion, anger, sadness, fear and other strong feelings. Rightfully so! I have to admit that – at least for me – I'm better off just not paying attention.
I mean, yeah, I'm plugged in and EXTREMELY ONLINE. So it's impossible for me to miss the gist of what's happening in the world. But I'm no longer obsessed like I used to be. I don't click or tap on every outraged article. It doesn't do me any good. When I swim in those waters, I just feel bad. Powerless. Everything seems bleak. Why bother with anything? Being a little ignorant about what's going on is okay with me. It's been good for me. It might be good for you, too.
What I've realized is that I have a lot of control over my life. In each moment, I get to choose to live according to my values and beliefs. I get to act in ways that reject all the things I stand against. I don't need to "be informed" so much that I feel constant outrage. That's not healthy for me. Or anyone, in my opinion. So I'm going to remain just a little bit ignorant. Otherwise, I won't be at my best when the shit really hits the fan and we all need to go hide in the woods.
Bernie Sanders for President
I was a very strong supporter of Bernie Sanders for President back in 2016. I was way less excited about his candidacy this time around. Like, get out of the way, old white guy. Unfortunately, this old white guy is the only one talking about making changes that might actually transform the system in the necessary ways. He's the only one who seems to understand that it's not about his candidacy; it's about creating a movement in which the people have the power to change the system and hold the privileged accountable.
Elizabeth Warren, who I will vote for if she becomes the Democratic nominee, talks about, "big, structural change," which gets me excited. But her actual plans and proposals seem to prop up the status quo more than they create real change. I flirted with membership in the "Yang Gang" for a while; I am a big believer in Universal Basic Income. But I worry that Andrew Yang is just another tech bro who really doesn't get the vile impact capitalism has had on so many Americans, particularly over the past couple of decades.
So I support Bernie Sanders for President. He has the best vision. And he has the best chance of actually defeating the current officeholder. So there. Feel the Bern, okay?
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Annie and I watched this classic 1986 John Hughes film over the weekend after I noticed its availability on Netflix. Let me tell you, it really holds up.
The humor is sharp and smart. The performances are inspired and charismatic. The script is super tight and polished. It provides laughter and entertainment. It also goes somewhere and has stuff to say. To me, it's the best '80s movie of all the '80s movies. And when I say "'80s movie," I mean that as a genre, not an identifier of the decade.
The cool thing about this movie is that it's really about the character of Cameron, Ferris Bueller's best friend. But to actually have a movie centering on Cameron as the main character would be a depressing slog. So Ferris Bueller is the Trojan Horse through which Cameron's sad story gets to be told. And people love it!
Of course, since this is a movie from 1986, representation is not amazing. People of color aren't given much to do in this film about wealthy white people created by wealthy white people. Stealing cars, singing and dancing are about it. We've come a long way.
David Sanborn's Saxophone on Ween's "Your Party"
So much passion! This is how you play the porn horn, friends. Damn.
Pre Saving the Album Don't Feed Monsters by Meri Dean
Trust me; it's what all the cool kids are doing.
But seriously, Meri Dean, which consists of my friends and musical collaborators Jason and Melissa Kadinger, is an excellent original duo with smart, expressive and groovy tunes. I even appear on one of them!
They are releasing their album soon on all the platforms. I can't wait! That's why I pre-saved it, which is something you can do, too. Just follow this link and do the stuff. Then you'll be made aware immediately upon the album's release. Do it!
You Be Good Now
You hear me? Now go on and git! GIT!