The Machine’s Pump Volume 23 – #6 – June 2020

The Party Solution

Okay, let’s see. Covid-19 is running rampant all across the USA, causing the European Union to ban travelers from the United States. We are sucking worse than almost every other country in the world (MAGA?). And that’s not all of the good news. In Denton, where we live, the city council voted to impose mandatory masks inside public spaces. The infection numbers are high and rising around here. Well, of course, the council members then received death threats. That’s logical. Denton has also experienced huge marches and rallies, since the death of George Floyd, with no destruction of property. Consequently, as is happening everywhere, our poor old weather-withered confederate soldier was taken down from his similarly sad and doomed arch on the south side of our beautiful courthouse square. Poof! It just disappeared, after years and years of debates and protests, in the dark stillness of an early morning. Around 3:00 or 4:00. Damn, I wish I’d known. But nobody knew, so there was just a handful of people witnessing this rather significant historic event. And, even more amazing, there has been very little public objection following the controversial event. That makes me think the town, as a whole, is happy about it. You know, just ask yourself, “Are you more MLK or KKK?” Be honest. You might be surprised at what you discover. I’ve mentioned this a few times over the years, but I grew up in Northeast Texas and remember seeing posters inviting everyone (white folks) to a Ku Klux Klan rally. The posters colors were red, black and white and included a striking image; the silhouette of a hooded rider on the back of a rearing horse. It seems the imperial wizard was about to be released from a Texarkana prison, so it was time to celebrate and have a party and, I assume, a cross-burning. I was a teenager. I thought two things. 1. This is a tiny fringe group of idiots with not much influence. 2. That is a great poster. I regret not grabbing one when I had a chance. Whatever, I always had the impression the KKK was bad news, full of dumb rednecks. My parents didn’t allow racist attitudes. Now I wonder if I’ve always been naïve. I assumed everyone around me felt the same as I; that all people should be treated with respect and have equal opportunity. That seems like, at least, a good place to start. But there are a lot of empty people out there who need to be filled with something. They can’t figure it out on their own, for a variety of reasons. Their lives aren’t even close to their expectations and they have to blame something or somebody for their misery. And sometimes people just can’t resist being part of a tribe. That, in itself, is fun, I guess, like playing soldier when you were a kid. That WAS super fun. Sometimes the enemy was a dinosaur or an evil being from outer space. A common enemy can be a great unifier and it feels good to have someone with whom to get drunk and bitch mutually. That’s easy and satisfying socializing. Everyone’s good at it. I guess it all depends on what’s important to you. Jeez, if you’re gonna get riled up about something, let’s start with police violence. Anyway, here’s a photo of me pointing to where the unenlightened, but proud, chalky rebel stood just days ago.

(See Photo at the Top) The party solution. Light-weight. Filtered vent holes on top. A small battery-operated fan circulates air within the bubble. Small microphones outside. Small speakers inside. Face shield easily opens but seals tight, when closed. I am ready for anything, anywhere!

I’ve been checking out Mussolini and the typical dictator’s playbook and wrote a song called, “Mussolini.” Below or on YouTube is a little video with the lyrics. It’s a tarantella (Italian dance style), of course. Things didn’t end so well for Benito, by the way, in case you didn’t know.

VIRTUAL CONCERTS. Check our itinerary often. Although live music has been put on hold, we have a lot of virtual concerts coming up and you never know when something might drop into the schedule, such as a video premiere. It’s a new landscape, but we are excited about exploring the possibilities this weird time has now made available to us. We hope to make each online event unique and will try to be sure, even on a small screen, that our performances embody the same spirit as our live shows.

I’ve been thinking about karmic balance a lot these days. Big shifts are happening. Old ideas are for losers.

Yes, it’s time for fear and worry, but it’s also time for optimism. The picture may be bleak, but there is also a fog lifting, revealing a core goodness in people. Almost everyone wants to be treated fairly and, believe it or not, to treat others fairly. So, let’s make things better and better, starting with wearing a mask. As I’ve been saying, everyone looks way better with a mask on anyway. Besides, not wearing a mask is the new smoking. I will say, it’s interesting how I barely notice people with masks, but those who aren’t wearing ‘em really stand out, because they usually look angry and EXTREMELY self-conscious. And angry and self-conscious is the opposite of cool, Baby. Come on, get down. Pleasant dreams and pleasant wakes!