The Journey

Quoth the Raven, Thirty More

By on • ( 35 Comments )

Hey, Folks.

Quick intermission post today…

In roughly 30 hours, the first election polls will start closing in America as the “official” Election Day winds down. (Over 95 million citizens have already made their choices in early voting, a record, as people get their votes locked and secured ahead of any Election Day turbulence.)

Typically, we would know the results by the wee hours of Wednesday morning. (Not always, but usually.) This year, however, it’s very possible that, unless there is an overwhelming surge of votes for one candidate or the other, it may be days or even weeks before we have an outcome. The Trump administration, and multiple Republican state administrations, have been doing everything they can to undermine the election process, intimidate voters, and restrict the rights of citizens who tend to vote blue. There may or may not be a frenzy of court battles. We just don’t know.

Naturally, there are a lot of varied emotions running high right now.

As a reflection (and partial distraction) here are a few songs that capture my current mood.

 

The Confusion and Uncertainty…

 

 

The Hope…

 

 

The Legacy of Violence…

 

 

And finally, a song that always makes me feel better, even if there’s a thread of sadness in this ode to unending yearning and personal evolution. Big dreams, small rooms, learning to fly.

 

 

If you are in America, please vote if you haven’t already. And really, wherever you are, always vote, if you have the right to do so. It’s a precious and powerful responsibility often left untended by too many.

Cheers.

 

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35 replies »

  6. Wise words, Brian, and I hope for the sake of your country and the world that the right outcome results. Good to see you branching out into music but, sadly, the last two weren’t available for me to view. I’m guessing the last one might have been Tom Petty? Either way, it looks as though you’re suffering GOP interference!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks, Clive. I do fiddle with the music here and there, but not as often as I would like. The original conception of the Friday Night Clam Bakes was to share videos, but I soon drifted in other directions, as is often the case at Bonnywood.

      Looking back on this post, I now realize I should have identified the artists and songs for instances such as yours where the videos are restricted.

      Herewith,

      1. “Blinded by the Light” – Manfred Mann

      2. “I Can See Clearly Now” – Johnny Nash

      3. “Abraham, Martin and John” – Dion

      4. “Indiana” – Melissa Etheridge

      No Tom Petty, but there are several of his songs which would fit nicely. I suspect you might be hinting at “I Won’t Back Down”, but if I had included a Tom, it probably would have been “Don’t Come Around Here No More”, partly for the message but mostly for the trippy “Alice in Wonderland” video which is perfect for the state of America right now.

      Cheers.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • Thanks for filling in the gaps, I can now see clearly where you were going with this. I’m beginning to be cautiously optimistic, despite my concern that so many Americans could still vote for that abomination, despite all he has said and done/not done.

        Liked by 1 person

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  7. Well said, Brian.
    On our way to a doctor’s appointment today, we saw a caravan of trumpers on the road. Clearly, it was all about intimidation. Then, while waiting for the appointment, a Biden ad came on, where he said he’d be a president for ALL Americans, including the ones who don’t support him.
    Never have I put more hope in an election or politician in my life. You?

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Damn those Trump caravans. I’m sure you’ve heard of the incident in Texas where they tried to run a Biden bus off the road. And then Trump tweeted his support of their actions. What is WRONG with those people?

      So yes, I am very invested in this election. Things have GOT to change.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. There must be enough free thinking people out there to send that toxic egomaniac off his beloved stage and onto his facetious ass. Surely.
    If-if so I recommend a listen to Eels, ‘Mr E’s Beautiful Blues.’ The chorus is more infectious than a one-term one sick Presidents last rally.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • There ARE enough free-thinking people. The issue is getting those folks galvanized enough to get their asses to the polls. One of the drawbacks of progressive people is that they often have faith the things will just work out for the better. You have to MAKE them work out, not just wish that they happen, and therein lies the rub…

      I’m not familiar with the Eels song, so I will be doing some research and perusal here in a bit…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. The latest from RealClearPolitics has Biden way ahead of Trump, so far ahead there’s almost no possibility of Trump winning. If you give the “toss up” states to the candidate that is slightly ahead, Biden finishes with 319 electoral college votes to 219 for Trump.

    In popularity, Biden is ahead by 7%. Looks like the Democrats may also pick up a couple of Senate seats. A big Biden win is likely to pull some in on his coattails. All they need is a tie.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Sadly, it looks like the pollsters were off the mark once again, with the election proving to be much tighter than the foretelling implied, but there’s still hope as of this writing. It also looks like the Senate won’t be decided until January. And the beat goes on…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • With Biden in office the Democrats only need to tie in the Senate to control it. Win both races and they have it. Except that the Democrat caucus also includes 2 independents but they are pretty reliable.

        A one vote minority means they have to peel away just one Republican to win. I kind of like that. Since it would no longer be political suicide to do so, it might finally happen.

        I’d love it if the entire House and Senate leadership went away and they started over.

        Liked by 1 person

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