Two things have been growing these past few weeks and months. First, I have navigated away from talk radio an have been diving back into my music library and it has been a real joy. Revisiting the Beatles has been especially fun because it brings back a time when I was discovering music in a new way. Not as a background or entertainment, but really diving in to a song or album experience and letting it wash over me. It also brought some chuckles. ( i have a buddy, you know who you are, who told me one morning that the night before he was sure that "Across the Universe" had just appeared on his "Let it Be"album and was delivered to him directly from John Lennon). If you knew me in those days you wouldn't be surprised and, If memory serves me, we went out that very night and I'm pretty sure I had the same experience. Anywho, the whole experience has brought me back to an appreciation of good music (and obviously brought back my music snobbery, not that it ever really left). Which happens to be a good tie in to my next point.
It has recently occurred to me that i give everybody too much credit. And I dont just mean that i thought everybody should recognize a great album (Michael Jackson's Thriller) or a crappy one ( Justin Timberlake's new one). Please recognize that for arguments sake, I picked out a great album in a genre that I don't normally associate myself with to illustrate the fact that I am not showing any bias. I mean in all categories of life. i am now skeptical of all leadership which is not a big deal but now I am feeling a lack of confidence in professionals like doctors and business leaders because it appears that an enormous veil has been lifted from my eyes and has revealed that everyone is human and their opinions are not any better or more informed in mine. No kidding you say, but yep. I think that a lot of it has to do with the Michigan leadership. ( i will try not to rant here). I am baffled by some of the decisions made by our leadership. Really, its like: when did the patients start running the asylum? Apparently they always have been. another thing. The UAW is going to strike? I realize that they have a powerful union but I don't care who you are, why do you risk your job in an economy that is failing anyway. It all leads me to a fundamental lack of faith in people's judgment and reason. It is all kinda sad actually. I guess I have finally reached adulthood and see the sad state of real life. The only thing I guess I can do is hold on to what I have and try to improve the situation of those in my general vicinity.
On that note, I'll start making the world a better place one person at a time: here are some recommendations for great albums everyone should hear:
Sea Change by Beck
Revolver by The Beatles
Normal for Bridgewater by Peter Bruntnell
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams
Maybe I'll list some more as they come to me and one day everybody will be enlightened and people like Miley Cirus and Mariah Carey will be out of a job.
until then.....
