Best Song Lyrics (Part XI)

In my previous ten (X) posts on this topic, I haven't included one (I) country music artist.  It hasn't been because I don't think that genre has great songwriting - there is no question that some of it is great.  It's just that, I don't regularly listen to country music, aside from the pop/rock crossover hits on the radio.

So I'm going to give a nod to country music in this post.  Probably should have done that sooner, because while it wasn't true decades ago, country music now seems to consistently have more meaningful lyrics than rock music.

I'm sure there are lots of contemporary country artists that routinely put out great lyrics.  That said, I'm going to go with an artist that was very popular when I was younger, Garth Brooks.  He may have been too commercial, but his songs seemed to have meaning.  (Full disclosure: I do have an old Garth Brooks CD that I never listen to.)

So let's go with the great, Friends In Low Places:

Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots
And ruined your black tie affair
The last one to know, the last one to show
I was the last one you thought you'd see there
And I saw the surprise, and the fear in his eyes
When I took his glass of champagne
And I toasted you, said honey, we may be through
But you'll never hear me complain 

'Cause I've got friends in low places
Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away
And I'll be okay
I'm not big on social graces
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis
Oh, I've got friends in low places

Well, I guess I was wrong, I just don't belong
But then, I've been there before
Everything's all right, I'll just say goodnight
And I'll show myself to the door
Hey, I didn't mean, to cause a big scene
Just give me an hour and then
Well, I'll be as high, as that ivory tower
That you're livin' in

'Cause I've got friends in low places
Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away
And I'll be okay
I'm not big on social graces
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis
Oh, I've got friends in low places

The Meaning Of Christmas (Cards) Redux

Post-Thanksgiving week begets my annual rite of deep thought over this year's holiday letter.  Last year,  I wrote about how this is a task I willingly take up, while not hiding my disdain for those who make virtually no effort.

This year, I've realized the near-deadbeat Christmas card senders don't deserve all the disdain.  I need to reserve some of it for another group - the total-deadbeat Christmas card senders, and those who send cards to them.

Yes, in the past week I've come across a couple of families that say they enjoy getting Christmas cards, but don't send any themselves.  I don't understand how either of those things happens.

I'm happy to send out holiday greetings, but there is definitely a quid pro quo.  If I don't get even a lame Christmas card over a two year period, the non-sender isn't going to get one from me.

Yeah, I know, the whole Christmas card ritual should not be a burden, nor a contest. However, for those who choose not partake of it, even in a minimal way, you're missing an opportunity to share information about your family with non-Facebook people who might care.

More Unthankfulness

Thanksgiving is early this year, which also moves up my annual list of things for which I'm not thankful.   

Once again, this list builds on the lists I've made in past years, and are presented in no particular order:

SuperPACs.

One Direction, and any past and future boy bands.

Droughts.

Phony, intellectually dishonest people.

B1G football.

Stories related to vampires or werewolves.

The fiscal cliff.

Cats.

The National Hockey League lockout.

Black Friday becoming Black Thursday or earlier.

About That Marijuana Referendum.....

When higher life forms finally emerge from their pods or arrive in their spaceships and take a close look at us Earthlings, there's a lot they will not understand about what our civilization allows.  Things like SuperPACs, or Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback.  But one of those things will surely be how hypocritical we are in regulating some mind altering substances, while not regulating others.

However, after Washington and Colorado voted last week to legalize (sort of) recreational marijuana, we may have a little less for which to be ashamed.  (How is it that Oregon voted against this?)

Finally, we have agreement, within certain territorial boundaries, that pot is no more regulatory-worthy than alcohol.  Both can be destructive, but both can clearly have therapeutic value within reason.

Unfortunately for now, federal law still considers marijuana possession to be illegal.  And more unfortunately, there are still 48 other states that aren't enlightened on this issue, most not even enlightened enough to allow medicinal pot.

In the meantime, every state allows adults to possess, sell, and consume unregulated amounts of alcohol, often with grave consequences even to those who do not consume it.  Oh, and also, the U.S. spends millions on drug enforcement, and jails fill up with people who are not threats to society.

I've written too often about the benefits of decriminalizing pot in America.  [Search the label 'marijuana' in this blog.]  But no matter how often, the conclusion remains:  There is no intellegent life down here.

About That Presidential Election.....

Many years ago I attended a meeting where an economist was the keynote speaker. His opening line was, "I'm not a member of a major political party.  I'm a Republican."

Never has that line cut deeper than this week.  After all of the campaigning, the SuperPAC money, the advertisements, the blustery predictions, etc., the Rs have gone in reverse.

Their presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, seemed like he was qualified enough to be president.  Certainly qualified enough to defeat an economically-weakened Barack Obama.  So how did this happen?  Let a lifetime independent voter tell you.

If you listen to the Rs, they've got all sorts of reasons why they lost the presidency plus some senate seats.  The only correct reason is that the Rs don't have a big enough tent.  It's comprised of a declining base - whites, males, married females, social conservatives, and, um, that's about it.

Look at America.  It's becoming less white, less dependent female, less socially conservative.  Rs have to start appealing to those constituencies, or at least stop pissing them off.

But what are the conservative pundits framing as their next strategy?  To go even farther right!  They seem to believe that if they simply do a better job promoting their anti-secular, anti-immigration, anti-environment ideals, that we 'moderates' will be more likely to join them.

So, the Rs analysis of the problem is correct, but their solution is exactly wrong.  They think we independent voters don't understand them?  The problem is we understand them perfectly, and we don't like it.  Newsflash to Rs: We aren't going to like more of what we already don't like.

The crazy thing is, the Rs really weren't/aren't so far away from taking power.  Most independent voters are like America - socially liberal, but still fiscally conservative.  If the Rs would spend more time on the fiscally conservative message, and a lot less on the social issues, they'd be fine.

[This is a good time to note and give kudos to the states of Colorado and Washington for legalizing marijuana.  Talk about your trending social liberalism.  By the way folks, it's no big deal - they already have legalized alcohol, a more abusive and dangerous drug.  More about this in a future blog.]

There is plenty to dislike about the other non-major political party, a/k/a Democrats. As an independent, I think they're wrong on union support, wrong on expanded government, wrong on tax policy.  I matured (such as it is) in the 80s, during the Reagan revolution, and I actually believe in supply-side economics.

To a political independent like me, however, the other stuff matters more now.  It's encouraging to see WOITH politicians like Michele Bachmann, Steve King, and especially Bob Vander Plaats struggle so much (and in the latter case, outright lose) this election cycle.  Their message of hate, masquerading as social conservatism, has become the  millstone around their necks.

If they and the rest of the Rs want to appeal to today's independent voter, they need to go farther left, not farther right.

R.I.P. MLB

The Major League Baseball season ended this week, with the crowning of the World Series champion.  Oh, you didn't know?  That's because only a few people in America care about baseball after late August, and most of the rest of them stop caring after September, much less late October.

How is this possible?  Because as I've previously written, baseball sucks, and it has been sucking for a while.  The games are too long, the season is too long, the players are too forgettable, the teams have too much disparity between them.  What other reasons do we need to not be interested?

This is all exacerbated by America's love affair with college and pro football.  When Labor Day rolls around, we care about football a lot more than we do baseball.

You'd think baseball would figure all of this out someday.  Maybe invoke some type of salary cap like the other pro sports, so every franchise feels like it could be a contender.  And/or maybe end the season earlier rather than later.  Instead, they watch as the ratings for the World Series go down the tubes.

Nice job, baseball.  You suck.

How To Run A Marathon - Or Not

The Des Moines Marathon (and half-marathon) was held last weekend, in Des Moines, Iowa, of all places.  My wife ran in the half-marathon, so I attended as a supporter, but also as an observer.

Both my spouse and I were terrific in our respective roles of runner and supporter. I now write this in my role as observer:

There are many different ways one might tell by sight whether a runner is doing a half-marathon (13.1 miles) or the full marathon (26.2 miles).  These include runner pace, runner weight (the fatties are definitely NOT doing the full), and perhaps most obviously, runner apparel.  The marathoners had all the gear - the Lycra, the designer running shoes, the expensive running watch, even the personal masseuse at the finish.  In the meantime, many of the half-marathoners wore costumes.

Lots of people weren't there to run, they were there to walk.  Some were obviously walking for a cause, others were walking for exercise.  Regardless, I don't really get that.  In Des Moines, there is some sort of 5K or 10K walk/run every weekend in the warm weather months.  If someone wants to walk, do it in one of those other races, not at the marathon.  Can we not have one race that's not full of people who never actually exercise?

The after-race accommodations were awesome.  There was the usual race pictures, massages, and music.  But there was a fantastic assortment of food and beverages, which was in an area sectioned off just for the runners.  That not only kept out the spectators and other hangers-on from getting 'free' stuff (for which the runners paid within their $60+ entry fee), but preserved enough room for everyone.