Ken's Blog

For years one of my favorite songs has long been Mickey Dolenz’ Randy Scouse Git. He wrote it in 1967, and it appeared on the Monkees’ Headquarters album.

Just today I listened to that song, and then to another one of my favorite songs, El Paso written and recorded by Marty Robbins in 1959. Since I didn’t know any other songs by Marty Robbins, I looked him up on the Wikipedia.

I learned there that one of his other most popular songs, also written and recorded in 1959, was called Big Iron. I had never heard of that song, so I went over to YouTube to hear what it sounded like.

And I discovered that the main melodic line and rhythm of Randy Scouse Git is an exact copy of Big Iron. From a musical perspective, it could almost have been the same song with an alternate title.

Now I am left wondering several things. Was Mickey Dolenz consciously aware of Big Iron (it was released only eight years before his own song), or was this a case of unconscious copying?

And just how often does this kind of thing happen?

It must be challenging to be a supporter of the current Republican candidate for U.S. president. For months you’ve been led to believe that your candidate is strong, in command, on top of things.

And then you somehow need to reckon with your candidate spouting nutty conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants eating cats and dogs, weirdly obsessing over crowd sizes, talking about having “concepts of a plan” for health care, and claiming that newborn babies in the U.S. are being summarily executed right out of the womb.

For months your candidate has been telling you that his opponent is “dumb”. Yet you witness that opponent in a debate not only articulating clear policy positions, but also effortlessly running rings around your candidate. Watching her was like watching Cassius Clay in his prime putting away a washed up old boxer.

It must be difficult, under such circumstances, to keep the faith. Faith can be hard to sustain in the face of cold hard evidence.

At a Whole Foods that I sometimes frequent, more than half of the magazines for sale at the checkout lines have generally featured Taylor Swift on their cover. That is not at all surprising, considering her popularity.

I went to that same Whole Foods store today, and noticed a remarkable change since my last visit: Not a single magazine that the store had chosen to sell at checkout featured Taylor Swift. It was as though she didn’t exist.

I wonder why that is.

Sometimes I remember that every new day is a universe of opportunity. When you wake up in the morning, anything is still possible.

This is truly a wonderful and miraculous thing. And the best part is this: If you miss that opportunity, there is always the next day.

The most brilliant thing about multiplayer computer games is that by engaging people to kill each other’s avatars, they bring people together in a spirit of joyful cooperation.

If that is not a delightful example of understanding human nature, I don’t know what is.

There were so many completely nutty moments in last Tuesday’s debate that it makes me want to print my own tee shirts with custom messages.

One tee shirt might just say “They’re coming for our pets!”

If you could print your own tee shirt, what would yours say?

I told somebody today that I am a student of life.

I added that I would like to stay enrolled here for as long as possible before I need to graduate.

In my mind the two events go together — last night’s presidential debate and the fact that this is the twenty third anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center.

The world is an unsafe place. Until September 11, 2001, everyone on the planet seemed to know that except the citizens of the United States of America.

Of course, that all changed overnight. The sort of existential threat that Europe and other parts of the world have needed to deal with every day was suddenly on our radar as well.

Now, with multiple wars ranging around the world, with the threat of nuclear escalation hovering over our collective heads, this is not the time to fool around. Electing a reality TV star to lead our country is never a good idea, but at some moments in history it can be an especially bad idea.

Last night reminded us what sane, intelligent, cool headed leadership looks like. We do have a choice to elect the grownup in the room.

And when we do, everybody in the world will be that much safer.

I remember the very first time I heard the David Essex song Rock On on the radio. I was completely transfixed by the beautifully desolate sound of that track — it was like listening to the spectral ghost of rock and roll.

I couldn’t get enough of it. Every time through, it just kept getting better. Especially that bass line.

It was only later that I learned that I was mainly responding to an innovative double-tracked bass guitar arrangement. The deep silences around it left that doubled bass guitar nearly all by itself — with plenty of room to create a haunted and elegiac space.

And just today, in honor of the great Herbie Flowers, who passed a just few days ago at the age of 86, I have been playing Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side on repeat.

Every time through, it just keeps getting better. Especially that bass line.

So here’s a thought experiment:

There are about 16,000 square miles of highway in the United States. I know that because I looked it up.

To fully power the United States with solar energy, it would take about 22,000 square miles of solar collectors. I know that because I looked it up.

If we cover all of those highways with solar collectors, they could provide more than two thirds of our nation’s electrical power needs.

Like I said, just a thought.