It has become somewhat confusing to know what to do in the
face of recent public safety measures.
There’s a lot to process.
I mean, universities are shutting down larger classes.
Disneyland is closed. Tom Hanks and Justin Trudeau and their spouses are
undergoing self-quarantine (but not together). I am guessing people who were
really looking forward to the Rolling Stones are kind of bummed.
But am I clear on this, this is all in aid of containment?
There is the idea still that this virus can be contained and eradicated? Is
that the plan? Or are we just prolonging a scenario when everyone in the world
gets this new bug, and it keeps coming back…? If we can’t contain it… then
what? If we know now that we can’t contain it, are we, what, just giving it our
best shot?
No one ever goes to Italy again, or something? Or something
more, I don’t know, collapse-of-civilization? What changes are we in the midst of
witnessing, and just how temporary are they?
Okay, so, uh, yeah, okay, I can process this. (Do the people
who are hoarding toilet paper know something I don’t, or can they at least tell me where I can buy a
cheap thermometer?). What are we down here on the lower tiers supposed to be
doing, exactly? There’s still lots of people out there shopping – Metrotown was,
maybe save Christmas, as full as I’ve seen it… but nowhere fuller than the
grocery floor at Walmart, where people were making very large purchases, and
there were prominent displays of hand sanitizer described as being 99%
something (I couldn’t read the something, because it was in a Chinese
character).
Am I overreacting? I
had a tickle in my throat so I phoned in sick yesterday, and it turned out to be nothing (I'm fine, today), but – I mean, help me out, here,
folks: what’s the playbook we’re supposed to be operating from? If I get a bug,
and go to work, and spread it… How exactly am I supposed to be practicing
social distancing when I work with people all day?
More importantly, how does this all relate to TOMORROW’S
SHOW AT THE RICKSHAW? …Or, what, the Dayglos are playing somewhere, too, aren’t
they? I am sure there are lots of shows happening, and I am equally sure that
after this weekend, there’s not going to be so many. Mo posted on Facebook
about how Timbre and Live Nation's decision to pull the plug on concerts are
going to affect him. Dig this, the Rickshaw has no shows booked from March 13th
– tomorrow night – and March 26th. Shows I had planned to see (Satanic
doo wop band Twin Temple, opening for Tiger Army in April!) are cancelled. Just
as well I haven’t put any time into interviewing Martin Barre!
Part of me is thinking, ummm, maybe I should stay home
tomorrow night, and play it safe, and part of me is thinking, no, fuck that
noise, this might be the last night I’ll get to go to a concert in a REALLLLLLY
LONG TIME: who knows, maybe I could take in BOTH Sunday Morning and the
Dayglos, depending on when bands go onstage…?
One… last… concert…
It’s messing me up. Should I – sorry – stay, or should I go?
What is the more rock’n’roll decision? What is the more rational one? Are we being actually, officially told to not go out for non-essentials?
I still don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’ll say this,
Bruce Wilson: don’t guestlist me. If this is gonna be
the last time I get to go to the Rickshaw before the world ends or whatever
comes next comes next, I’m gonna pay to get in!
If I go.
(Didja see? monkeys are rioting in the streets of Thailand because a
sudden massive drop in tourism means they have no one feeding them treats. Thousands of monkeys, running amok. Shit is messed up).
3 comments:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/coronavirus-severely-obese-warned-among-21704686
now do you think i was fat shaming you. Asshole.
Uh, whoever that is, I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't recall commenting to anyone about fat-shaming in recent memory, or even feeling fat-shamed recently, or writing about it - though no doubt I am fat. I am quite aware that I am at risk, from this and other issues, so this is not news. I also don't think I'm doing or saying anything particularly assholish here. So I don't know what you think you are doing or responding to, or what you think I've done to you, or even who you might be.
But here's what you ARE doing, beyond a doubt: you are, in the midst of stressful times, anonymously popping up on the internet to insult someone and offer a hostile "I told you so." Does that seem like particularly laudable or helpful behaviour to you? It's kind of a sad and shitty way to behave, isn't it? Presumably you're someone I have chosen to distance myself from in recent years. Sorry if it hurt you, but do you think your behaviour here might explain WHY someone might not want to be around you?
Whatever.
Jesus, it's David, isn't it?
Sorry, David - it took me a bit to figure out what was going on. I don't imagine that you'll be reading this - I imagine you're more of a snipe-and-run dude - but I think I've now put the pieces together. That was you a few posts back, attacking my interest in TSOL, right? I had assumed it wasn't you, though the post fit your MO, because it didn't seem - with your having invited me to come with you to Seattle to see TSOL! - that you would be slamming them now, except that's totally you, innit? You might just be the kind of guy who would like a band, then feel pissed off at them (as I recall you were, when you heard East Bay Ray was supposedly playing with them in Seattle) then change your tune about them by 180 degrees and forget you were ever interested. Eric D., the only other "internet loose gun" I know, is vastly more consistent than you are, in these matters, and less prone to anonymous sniping (tho' he may well also hate TSOL and think me a shitty music journalist, who knows? But he generally attaches his own name to his hostilities).
Do the two of you know each other, I wonder?
Just for the record, I never was on you about fat shaming me, man - the episodes you are referring to made so little impact that I didn't even realize what you were talking about, above, until hours later. True, I did get irritated with your incessantly getting me to try to join you in weight loss groups after I made it clear I wasn't interested, because I just didn't want to be nagged about it, and didn't want to go to weight loss groups (or any self-help groups - just not my scene), and still don't, thanks - I am actually fairly good at losing weight when I put my mind to it (which, you're right, I probably should be doing about now!). However, back then, I did realize that you were expressing a sincere, well-meaning desire to improve my life, and I didn't feel SHAMED; I felt **annoyed by the unsolicited advice and your apparent inability to see a boundary I was drawing.** Big difference, there.
It is NOT why I distanced myself from you, though - I did write you a long note about that, which I had hoped you would read. It really, really had everything to do with your online behaviour towards a female friend/ colleague. You really have no idea how far over the line you went that day, did you? It was BAD WEIRDNESS, man. Like, come on, do you actually think that your annoying but obviously well-meaning interest in getting me to lose weight was a major part of my distancing myself from you?
Dude, it wasn't.
Just so you know, David, I've still felt bad about all that. I still don't want to be in touch with you, but I do realize that - especially if you can stay away from online discourse - you're a totally sweet guy, and the most sincere music fan I know. I hope you're doing well. How the hell with COVID-19 affect you? It's gonna take a huge bite out of your concert-going! I bet you had tickets to the Residents all lined up (Me, I was thinking I might go this time, too, maybe even talking to Homer Flynn again).
But hey - tho' I do NOT want to renew contact with you, and would block you if I could, because I don't need this weird noise right now - the truth is, I think I still have that fuckin' WIRE magazine you lent me, and if you want, I will mail it back to you - just use the email address you have for me, send me your address, and I'll send it to you by snail mail. You'll have to probably leave it untouched for awhile, but you'll have it back... assuming I can find it. I THINK I know where it is.
...take care of yourself, dude. Maybe lay off the internet attacks on people? Everyone is stressed out right now, and it doesn't do anyone any good; probably it isn't even that healthy for you. Try to, like, stay positive or something?
Best of luck.
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