It's raining and I'm listening to the blues. The rain is coming straight down; usually it is driven by the wind in from the ocean and slams into us at an angle.
The blues were a big influence of what became rock and roll. These songs were recorded by black artists in the 1920s and beyond.
Rock and roll did not have a name until 1954. But it wast the Delta blues, Robert Johnson (1911-1938) in particular, that influenced Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Robert Plant and others who brought it all home in the 1960s.
Slowly over the years the genres have merged and separated back out over again into something new and ever changing. You can call it any name you wish. To me it all goes with the rain.
***
There are many different kinds of writers and they all have different habits and inputs. Some write outside, some write inside. Some drink coffee, some prefer whiskey. Some don't drink at all.
For many, place matters. Some like to write in a coffee house, some in a garden. There are those who write on a train and there certainly are those of us who like to write when it rains.
Experts concerned with our mental health during the pandemic (below) recommend writing to relieve some of the depression and anxiety many are experiencing. They recommend writing in a journal.
Maybe you share it, maybe you don't. But the process may help.
***
When journalists connect the anti-Asian rhetoric of Trump and the six victims in Georgia's mass shooting, they are not diminishing the deaths of the other victims who were not Asian.
Every life lost matters equally, regardless of race, obviously. But when we cover massacres like this one, we have to take note of the venues, the perpetrator's statements and past behavior, the weapons used, the demographic characteristics of the shooter and the victims, and the political environment surrounding the whole sordid episode.
Blaming China for the virus was a staple of the Trump era, just one of his many messages of racist hate. His entire political career, which hopefully is over, was based on resentment of anyone not white and on the fear that white privilege is threatened by the diversity that in fact is the most beautiful aspect of this society.
I say I hope his political career is over but that is far from certain. He and his minions lurk in the shadows, spewing his hateful rhetoric and plotting his return.
Meanwhile, innocent people were killed at Asian-owned massage parlors. It is our duty to make the connection with Trump. Anything less would be irresponsible.
***
The news:
* Smaller cities and communities are turning into ‘Zoom towns’ and competing with coastal hubs as workers move to find more space and lower costs. (WSJ)
* Christian leaders wrestle with shooting suspect’s Southern Baptist ties (WaPo)
* Proud Boys Leaders in Four States Are Charged in Capitol Riot -- Prosecutors accused prominent members of the far-right nationalist group of conspiring together in connection with the Jan. 6 attack. (NYT)
* White Supremacists Plastered The U.S. With More Physical Propaganda Than Ever In 2020 (BuzzFeed)
* There are lots of people working overtime to try to prove that the mass shooting of six Asian women wasn’t motivated by bigotry. It was. (The Nation)
* Authorities have charged Robert Scott Palmer, 53, who was caught on video attacking police officers with a fire extinguisher during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. HuffPost, building on the work of online sleuths who dubbed him #FloridaFlagJacket, first revealed his identity March 5. [HuffPost]
* FBI releases video of 10 violent suspects from Capitol riot who remain unidentified (WaPo)
*Americans will be getting extra time to prepare their taxes. The Internal Revenue Service says it's delaying the traditional tax filing deadline from April 15 until May 17. (AP)
* 12 Republicans opposed Congressional Gold Medals for police who protected them on Jan. 6 (WaPo)
* U.S. Senate confirms Becerra as top federal health official (Reuters)
* ‘When Normal Life Stopped’: College Essays Reflect a Turbulent Year -- This year’s admissions essays became a platform for high school seniors to reflect on the pandemic, race and loss. (NYT)
* YouTube is rolling out a short-form video-streaming service on its platform in the United States as it looks to better compete with rival TikTok in the hugely popular category. (Reuters)
* Postal Service finds no evidence of mail ballot fraud in Pa. case cited by top Republicans (WaPo)
* Facebook developing wristband to support augmented reality glasses (Reuters)
* Troubled U.S.-China ties face new test in Alaska meeting (AP)
* One Of Biden's Biggest Climate Change Challenges? The Oceans (NPR)
* Endangered Gazelles Make a Comeback on the Edge of a War Zone -- Hunted nearly to extinction worldwide, a wild mountain gazelle finds a helping hand on the Turkish-Syrian border. (NYT)
* Our solar system’s first known interstellar visitor, Oumuamua, is neither a comet nor asteroid as first suspected and looks nothing like a cigar. A new study says the mystery object is likely a remnant of a Pluto-like world and shaped like a cookie. Arizona State University astronomers reported this week that the strange 148-foot (45-meter) object that appears to be made of frozen nitrogen, just like the surface of Pluto and Neptune’s largest moon Triton. (AP)
* Living through a global pandemic has messed with our mental and emotional health in countless ways. If you’re looking for ways to cope, consider starting a journal. Mental health professionals have long touted the benefits of journaling: It can alleviate stress and act as a tool to help manage anxiety and depression. That’s important right now given that the vast majority — 90% — of American adults report dealing with emotional distress related to COVID-19. (HuffPost)
* Police Warn Asian Americans To Be On Guard For More Random, Motiveless Attacks (The Onion)
***
My baby alrigth with me
Last night I had a dream
My baby alrigth with me, yeah
All alone since you left me
Ain't no man I used to be
I see the same dream, baby
Many days, many nights
I see the same dream
Alone since she left me
Ain't no man I used to be
Why don't you leave my dream alone?
Why don't you leave me baby?
Alone, please let me now
Why don't she stay?
Why don't she go?
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