1) Yes, boys and girls, the unusually positive title of this post is yet another quote from Larry King, signifying yet another Random Thoughts entry. I don't claim to understand the rules, self-invented though they may be, I just play by them.
2) Woo-hoo! The utterly emasculated, essentially meaningless health care bill passed. It will be quickly signed into law, but Republicans are vowing all manner of legal challenges and...who cares, really? It's such a messy, complicated piece of work that it's unlikely to make much of a difference in most people's lives. But fine, better that it passed than not, I guess.
A couple things worth mentioning about the whole run-up to the vote, however. First of all, all those deals that had to be cut and language that had to be altered to placate anti-abortion Democrats--um, maybe I'm wrong about this, but abortion is still legal in this country, right? Sure, there are those who find it morally repugnant, but it is the right of every woman to obtain the procedure--why are so many lawmakers so casually willing to circumvent the law?
The other thing is: Democrats, look to the Republicans. This is how it's done. Next time a Republican president nominates a far-right nutjob to a position of great power or tries to slam through some bit of legislation that mocks the founding fathers' intent, you don't have to vote for it. All of you band together and just refuse to play. Stop offering half-hearted objections, then going ahead and voting in favor. Show some spine, for God's sake.
3) Anyone who knows me, even if only through this site, may well be wondering why I didn't write anything about the sudden, terrible death of Alex Chilton. Fact is, when I first heard about it, I was too busy reeling from the shock to say anything more coherent than, "Fuck no!" And even when I tried to organize my thoughts, I really didn't know what to say.
Fortunately, Paul Westerberg offered a lovely tribute to his friend and hero in yesterday's New York Times. I can only add my sincere belief that everyone reading this should run out and buy Rhino's recent Big Star boxed set, as essential a musical purchase as anyone could make. After that, you'll want to hear everything Chilton ever did, and it will all be worthwhile.
4) I spent about two hours Friday night on YouTube, helplessly watching intros and promos for various TV shows from the late seventies. I kept telling myself this was research for an upcoming piece I intend to write, and maybe it is, but about the time I got to this--
--I was horrified by the fact that I actually remembered this show's existence, and only mildly relieved to remember that I never actually watched it. Ask me to name all the U.S. presidents, you'll have a long wait. Ask me what that TV show was that Marc McClure did right after he first played Jimmy Olsen, and the answer's easy: California Fever.
What the hell's wrong with me?
5) Finally, Delmar: He's taken to curling up on my lap and actually staying there for lengthy periods, purring until he falls asleep. Sure, he bites and scratches furiously once he wakes up, but until then, he's almost normal, barely a psychokitty at all these days.
Oh, he still rips my flesh until I bleed sometimes, but old habits die hard...
