A Visit From the Riff Fairy and other notes

Well the riff fairy has been through the building and at least one guy I knew is gone. And while yes I am relieved it’s not me, it still sucks rockets.

Damn. I’m tired of layoffs and I’m tired of riffs and I’m tired of the whole why things are done in corporate America – even in private corporate America.

When I was growing up back in the late Stone Age, what I was told was that the thing to do was get a good job. A good job being defined as a corporate job because that was safe. No don’t try and do anything with your creativity, like write or anything no, that’s far too risky and do you really think you have enough talent? (Again I never ever have to wonder where my self-esteem problems come from).

So I didn’t do that – but I’ve done safe and what has it gotten me? Hmmm? I spent all last week worrying about layoffs and this isn’t the first time – or the last time.

The thing is I’m not so sure that it’s not I’m ready to quit my day job, it’s I’m worried that my day job might quit me sometime in the future.

Well enough of that for now. Short blog today – after writing about 4,000 words on Crossroads and Robot monster I have run a bit low on snark and I’ll need some time to recharge. Still some things to be noted:

While the war in Iraq has created about 150,000 refugees, U.S. policy is only to let 500 in. No I’m not making that up; the legal immigration limit from Iraq is 500. The reason. Well the official reason is a lie but you have to figure the government didn’t want a flood of Iraqi refugees into the country as they keep trying to pretend things are going well.

The neo-con petulant baby reaction to the Iraq Study Group continues to gain strength – the NY times commentator said on WQXR – the New York Classic station – that W is being presented with two choices one to maintain that there is a chance of victory and the other to reverse course.

Reverse course? W? I was amazed the reporter didn’t crack up while reading the report. W’s never reversed course in his life. The only change this time is that is Daddy has given him a way out and he’s decided that he’s not going to take it. (By the by this wasn’t really a way out for us or the poor bastard Iraqis, this was an attempt to save W and the Bush family name).

I have to wonder when the words “batshit crazy” are going to be used as a common descriptor for W as in “the President, who is commonly felt to be batshit crazy”.

W said he will be speaking on the 18th to describe or more accurately lie his ass off about the reasons we are in Iraq and his plans. I don’t know why he’s doing this every time he’s opened his mouth about Iraq his ratings take a hit – and right now he’s less popular than slime mold.

I was listening to Johnny Cash this morning – the American label recordings – and I have to say, while I love Johnny Cash to absolute death and I feel he was one of the giants of American music (embodying many of the deep contractions of the American character), even his vocal gravity couldn’t stop Neil Diamond’s solitary man from sounding like the whine of a self pitying little jerk.

Just let me not to this day that I can’t understand what the hell Neil Diamond was doing in the Last Waltz at least the rest of the guest stars had links to either The Band itself or the style of music they played. Neil’s a brill building hack. A talented hack but a hack nonetheless.

"I am"... I said
To no one there
And no one heard at all
Not even the chair” – Neil Diamond – I am – 1971

Now I am not sure if this means he is so deranged with loneliness (get a pet for god’s sake) that he’s talking to his furniture or he worse yet, he’s convinced the furniture is ignoring him. Either way the man needs a turkey baster full of psychoactive drugs shoved down his throat and a nice room in the hospital.

Tomorrow – I hope – Shonen Knife and for everybody who arrived late to this – who we are and we are trying to do.

Peace Love, Shonen Knife.