Postcards from the Bleeding Edge
Saturday, October 04, 2003
It's too bad that songs like this don't get played on the radio anymore. It's kind of an ironic reminder of how critically dependent we are on technology and on government that works.
This mornin' when I arose, no smell of coffee came to my nose
Stumbled to the kitchen to see the coffee machine was blinkin' at me
As my groggy head started thinkin', I seen my alarm clock wasn’t tickin'
Seems my clock had lost its power and I’d slept in for over two hours
Water's cold, we got no heat too, even my dog’s tongue looks blue
'Cause last night I didn’t see the news, now I’ve got those rollin' blackout blues
I made it to work just after eleven, computers were down, oh thank heaven
No cool air was found to be blowin', beads of sweat started showin'
All around lovely Lucy’s face, she had her makeup runnin' all over the place
She’s got those rollin' blackout blues, maybe you’ve even had ’em too
They say bad things come in threes, what could be next, maybe the killer bees?
Tell me please what’s next for us all? Maybe it’s gonna be the Big One by next fall
Now my baby's all alone, she can’t even use her new cell phone
They say we’ve lost power 'till three, oh my God we got no TV
The free and only solution to me is if California falls in the sea
Now my six pack of beer's no longer cold
And the cheese is stale, gone green with mold
Who out there will stand up and save us?
Superman, hell no, Gray Davis???
We’ve got those rollin' blackout blues, hey, hey, have ya heard the news?
Politicians’ lack of vision has left us in our current condition
Now who’s gonna pay when the bill comes due
Now we’ve all got those rollin' blackout blues
Most days I avoid thinking about the California recall. Some days I think programmers and sysadmins should vote as a block for Georgy Russell (left) - as the only candidate that can possibly understand the problems engineers face in keeping the lights on and the computers humming. She, at least, has a little idealism left, and a clear political agenda. She gives a good speech, too.
I had a little idealism when I was younger, too. Still do, actually, once I cut through my grimy layers of cynicism.
I have hope for Georgy's generation - the people under thirty - because they were raised on the internet. It may take 30 years or more for them to get into power - but they have one advantage over the generations suckled on television: They can read - and write - and think - better than any generation of humanity raised - ever.
The one thing I really like about the recall is that people are registering to vote in droves. This is the first election in which "the people" actually have real choices for a major political office in years. 130+ choices! That makes voting a worthwhile exercise!
Not that you can tell that by reading the papers. The press, out of lazyness and the lack of column inches, has boiled the race down to two people. Thanks a lot, press. If you think you are doing your job right in this election - you are being led by the nose by both political machines - and if you had done your job right every single candidate got an equal amount of coverage. Period. You would have pre-picked no "front-runners". The plutocratic playing field in politics pisses me off just as much as set-piece television debates, and just because you only have so many column inches to devote to the topic doesn't mean you have to simplify the electoral process down to a choice between Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Most of you, and the big political machines, treat voters like children.
¶ 5:14 AM 0 comments
The Rolling Blackout Blues
Copyright 2000-2001 Rick Ednie with a Realaudio clip here and cd available from Rick Ednie Records at: http://www.rickednie.comThis mornin' when I arose, no smell of coffee came to my nose
Stumbled to the kitchen to see the coffee machine was blinkin' at me
As my groggy head started thinkin', I seen my alarm clock wasn’t tickin'
Seems my clock had lost its power and I’d slept in for over two hours
Water's cold, we got no heat too, even my dog’s tongue looks blue
'Cause last night I didn’t see the news, now I’ve got those rollin' blackout blues
I made it to work just after eleven, computers were down, oh thank heaven
No cool air was found to be blowin', beads of sweat started showin'
All around lovely Lucy’s face, she had her makeup runnin' all over the place
She’s got those rollin' blackout blues, maybe you’ve even had ’em too
They say bad things come in threes, what could be next, maybe the killer bees?
Tell me please what’s next for us all? Maybe it’s gonna be the Big One by next fall
Now my baby's all alone, she can’t even use her new cell phone
They say we’ve lost power 'till three, oh my God we got no TV
The free and only solution to me is if California falls in the sea
Now my six pack of beer's no longer cold
And the cheese is stale, gone green with mold
Who out there will stand up and save us?
Superman, hell no, Gray Davis???
We’ve got those rollin' blackout blues, hey, hey, have ya heard the news?
Politicians’ lack of vision has left us in our current condition
Now who’s gonna pay when the bill comes due
Now we’ve all got those rollin' blackout blues
Most days I avoid thinking about the California recall. Some days I think programmers and sysadmins should vote as a block for Georgy Russell (left) - as the only candidate that can possibly understand the problems engineers face in keeping the lights on and the computers humming. She, at least, has a little idealism left, and a clear political agenda. She gives a good speech, too.
I had a little idealism when I was younger, too. Still do, actually, once I cut through my grimy layers of cynicism.
I have hope for Georgy's generation - the people under thirty - because they were raised on the internet. It may take 30 years or more for them to get into power - but they have one advantage over the generations suckled on television: They can read - and write - and think - better than any generation of humanity raised - ever.
The one thing I really like about the recall is that people are registering to vote in droves. This is the first election in which "the people" actually have real choices for a major political office in years. 130+ choices! That makes voting a worthwhile exercise!
Not that you can tell that by reading the papers. The press, out of lazyness and the lack of column inches, has boiled the race down to two people. Thanks a lot, press. If you think you are doing your job right in this election - you are being led by the nose by both political machines - and if you had done your job right every single candidate got an equal amount of coverage. Period. You would have pre-picked no "front-runners". The plutocratic playing field in politics pisses me off just as much as set-piece television debates, and just because you only have so many column inches to devote to the topic doesn't mean you have to simplify the electoral process down to a choice between Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Most of you, and the big political machines, treat voters like children.
¶ 5:14 AM 0 comments
Thursday, October 02, 2003
I am not a victim. I control my own destiny.
I need to eliminate "I can't" - and "I'm afraid" from my vocabulary.
I need to face the world, every day, and stare it down.
I need to work, every time I am able, to make my home my castle.
I will laugh at the wolves howling at my door. Let them howl! ¶ 7:41 PM 0 comments
I need to eliminate "I can't" - and "I'm afraid" from my vocabulary.
I need to face the world, every day, and stare it down.
I need to work, every time I am able, to make my home my castle.
I will laugh at the wolves howling at my door. Let them howl! ¶ 7:41 PM 0 comments
