I read an article about Johnny Cash this week. I was really just looking for a reprieve from all the awful news related to the tragedy that is unfolding in our country. Growing up listening to the Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull. Fleetwood Mac and even James Taylor, I had little exposure to Cash. I did enjoy hearing Ring of Fire, which I now know was written by his wife to be June Carter. Carter loved Cash but was aware of his unstable nature. The line is thought to have come from an Elizabethan poetry book, “love is like a burning ring of fire.” Without the love angle, the lyrics are a frightening metaphor for what we are experiencing each day, “…….I fell into a burning ring of fire, I went down, down, down and the flames went higher—-and it burns, burns, burns,…..”. Ignoring the Supreme Court is the latest fuel to the Constitutional blaze.
Cash always wore black in his public appearances. His l971 hit tells the tale. “Well, you wonder why I always dress in black, why you never see bright colors on my back, and why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone, well there is a reason for the things I have on.” The lyrics go on to inform, “I wear the black for the poor and beaten down, livin in the hopeless, hungry side of town…..I wear it for the sick and old……. And concludes, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day, (bet that would frost Trump’s socks) ….’till things are brighter I am the man in black.” Perhaps we should all wear black until fascism can be seen clearly in our rear view mirror. We must assure history is preserved so that our grandchildren can avoid making the mistakes of the past in a never ending loop.
I also spent a bit of time reading about the amazing pufferfish in a BBC Wildlife article. You may be aware of the phenomenon where people often look like their pets or possess similar traits. I thought of the toxic Orange Wanker who sees a distorted view of himself at all times; but always full of hot air and bombast. This very poisonous fish reaches 60 centimeters in length. (The formula to convert centimeters to inches is cm/2.54=inches). This 23.6 inch fish utilizes buccal pumping into a very elastic stomach to grow to up to four times its size. The fish looks like a beach ball and theoretically are too large to eat. The black spotted puffer fish has distinctive orange highlights on its face. The fish are edible but beware, most species contain tetrodotoxin, a lethal poison acquired from certain bacteria in their diets. One fish has sufficient poison to kill “30 adult humans.” In Japan, trained and certified chefs prepare “fugu”, to keep the patron’s safe.
The photo is a fish circle created by the white spotted pufferfish, “these ornate , geometric formations are made by males to attract mates. The males also are responsible for elaborate nests for the female to lay the eggs. The male guards the brood until they hatch. According to the current project 2025 ideology, that would be woman’s work.
As our President begins to deflate before our very eyes, we can all get involved in pushing our elected officials to “stop the steal” of our democracy; insist on due process, protect public education, science, our planet, women’s rights, citizenship, our financial leadership and for sure diversity, equity and inclusion. Hats off to Bernie Sanders, AOC, Meidas Brothers, Corey Booker, Rachel Maddow, ReClaim Idaho and all those who are speaking out. Elbows up!!
Thanks for staying in touch and join the fight. Mike