"The furious hoarfrost bearing down upon us knows neither mercy nor reason ... Clutch your babes close to your breast and take small comfort in knowing
that they will howl for but a few hours before death becalms them
forever." -
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
I want cabin fever.
I actually want to be "non-essential" ... so that when I'm forced to stay home from work, losing money and faced with an actual blizzard (of backlog, coming back into it), I don't stress;
I want to believe the "weather team", from whatever "information" source being forced down my throat, throbbing, stuffing my ears full of dire "news" about the fact that it's winter, and sometimes it snows!
... I want to believe them when they tell me, all day, excitedly, babbling repeatedly, warnings about the "historic" storm ... The inexplicably NAMED winter snowfall. "Why is the snow called 'Juno', Daddy?
"Is snow going to hurt us?"
... The five year old's questions more calm, more rational, more simply reasoned, than anyone breathlessly standing outside in this winter season's first "event", holding a microphone while loudly declaiming and pointing at things: "Now we're starting to see sanitation workers move into place!" as a garbage truck passes in front of a camera ... "You don't want to be outside in this MONSTER!"
NEWSFLASH: It's winter. It's one of four seasons. Sometimes it snows, hard.
It's NOT "Snowmageddon".
It's ONLY WINTER. Sometimes, okay, there is even a blizzard (and sometimes, in SUMMER, there's thunder and lightning!). It's not invitation to fill me with dread ... try and addle me mentally, put me to bed!!!
The "Extreme Threat Alert Message" received on New York City smart phones Monday -- "All non-emergency vehicles must be off all roads in NYC by 11PM until further notice." -- was, to me, as unnecessary as it was vague, discomfiting and deeply unwelcome. Heavy-handed and Martial Law-like, as "violators" were reminded on local newscasts of summonses, and possibly even arrest.
This is why Americans kill each other. Everyone's harangued so relentlessly, so kept on the precipice of fear and panic ... bombarded with overwrought, negative messages ... that we're all batshit crazy.
Not in a good way.
Only the five year-olds stand a chance ... if they can be left alone to enjoy winter.
... I want to believe them when they tell me, all day, excitedly, babbling repeatedly, warnings about the "historic" storm ... The inexplicably NAMED winter snowfall. "Why is the snow called 'Juno', Daddy?
"Is snow going to hurt us?"
... The five year old's questions more calm, more rational, more simply reasoned, than anyone breathlessly standing outside in this winter season's first "event", holding a microphone while loudly declaiming and pointing at things: "Now we're starting to see sanitation workers move into place!" as a garbage truck passes in front of a camera ... "You don't want to be outside in this MONSTER!"
NEWSFLASH: It's winter. It's one of four seasons. Sometimes it snows, hard.
It's NOT "Snowmageddon".
It's ONLY WINTER. Sometimes, okay, there is even a blizzard (and sometimes, in SUMMER, there's thunder and lightning!). It's not invitation to fill me with dread ... try and addle me mentally, put me to bed!!!
The "Extreme Threat Alert Message" received on New York City smart phones Monday -- "All non-emergency vehicles must be off all roads in NYC by 11PM until further notice." -- was, to me, as unnecessary as it was vague, discomfiting and deeply unwelcome. Heavy-handed and Martial Law-like, as "violators" were reminded on local newscasts of summonses, and possibly even arrest.
This is why Americans kill each other. Everyone's harangued so relentlessly, so kept on the precipice of fear and panic ... bombarded with overwrought, negative messages ... that we're all batshit crazy.
Not in a good way.
Only the five year-olds stand a chance ... if they can be left alone to enjoy winter.
I have to say, I get it: the piece IS funny. Non-sequiturs ('I hate music. I wasted my life.') placed in an absurdist context (Sonny Rollins uttering them) … is funny. Absurdity is a foundation of satire, which of course is an element of humor … and humor is comedy.
Lighten up, people!
... (U)ntil ‘Sonny gets blue’ about it, why should we?"
Then I traded with Payton, who got all riled up and made terrible noise. His bars had "race cards littering the table.
"Not at all what the original 'offending' piece was about."
I was disappointed to hear Payton blowing that way! Not surprised though - it's out there, and always will be.
Anyway, the set ended for me when this cat, Howie Doodat, kept putting people down, man. Thanking people for agreeing with him ... Otherwise, "Learn about life," he'd smirk. "No wonder you're confused," he teased. "'Django'" (in quotes), he kept chiding Django ... suggesting that can't be the cat's real name!