A Master Delivers New Work
Another example of why politics makes most people sick, from an article at foxnews.com, edited by yours truly: “Two congressmen have introduced legislation to reclaim the $25 million allocated in the recent coronavirus stimulus bill to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as reports emerged that the opera house will furlough roughly 60% of its full-time administrative staff after having suspended pay for more than 700 part-time employees and musicians.” WTF is the center doing with the money?… And here’s a tidbit I had no idea of, from another article at FN, edited by YT: Tobacco is used to grow vaccines, to grow the proteins that are used to challenge the immune system to create an antibody. A tobacco plant is now being injected with a protein from the coronavirus to see if a vaccine can be developed. Maybe it won’t be called the “demon weed” in the future… And here’s the amusing Corona headline of the day: “Michigan couple replaces wedding guests with cardboard cutouts amid coronavirus restrictions.”… In San Francisco, an order has been instituted that may have environmentalists tearing their hair out: “stores are not allowed to let customers bring their own bags, mugs, or other reusable items from home when they shop at or patronize a business.” Years ago I’d read that reusable bags harbored harmful bacteria. The timing of the plastic bag ban in NYC could not have been worse… The most likely place I’d contract the virus is Stop n Shop, where it’s crowded now even at six AM. One has to eat, though. There was joy this morning as there were little cups of Edy’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream in the freezer. The confection had been absent for at least a month. It’s my Thursday morning treat… I’d guess the percentage of folks wearing masks in NYC is now above 50, at least in the Sheepshead Bay area. I’m still not wearing one, but I practice social distancing, even in the supermarket when possible.
Yesterday evening I listened to the the entire new Bob Dylan release, Murder Most Foul, which seems to pinpoint the JFK assassination as the beginning of America’s decline. From there it is less cohesive, making myriad references to pop culture. Of course, the writing is, as usual, interesting. Maybe the song is simply momentary — or 17-minutes worth of — sadness. I’m not sure America is in decline, although it seems challenged as never before. It has made several comebacks in the past 50 years. The period beginning with the assassination and extending through the murders of Bobby Kennedy and MLK and the political upheaval of the era was certainly dark outside of the arts. If America is truly in steep, irreversible decline, the causes will be argued ad nauseum. Conservatives will likely say it began in the 30’s, the start of what seems our inevitable march toward Socialism. But what if America does Socialism way better than any other country ever has, as it has done just about everything else, and avoids decline or settles on a plane just above it? I will argue against Socialism until I leave this planet, but I doubt I’ll be around long enough to see the resolution of the conflict. The mainstream media and colleges have enormous power, and they are gaining converts continuously. The left has been routing the right for decades. The social safety net is enormous, although liberals want more, despite a debt/deficit of more than $20 trillion. Abortion is legal and almost entirely unlimited. Porn is mainstream. Language is relaxed. Censorship is almost non-existent. Minorities have gained entry into almost every aspect of society. Homosexuality is accepted by many, perhaps most. The last bastion is capitalism, the system that has done far more for humanity than any other, that allows an individual to pursue wealth. What will happen if it is replaced? Who will create wealth enough to support the system? Okay, I’ve rambled on like the great Dylan does in the song. I hope my thoughts aren’t incoherent. There are now more than ten youtube posts on the song. I’ve only listened to it once, so my thoughts on it are not concrete and subject to change. Dylan has been one of my favorites since I was a teenager back in the ‘60’s.
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