As we make note of the fact that it’s been a year since we’ve officially been using the term “pandemic” to describe the overall condition of the world, we mourn the loss of over half a million of our fellows, lament the denied opportunities for social interaction and live artistic performance and exhibition, and just, frankly, being so damned tired of it all, as of yesterday evening, we have something to celebrate with the passage of the American Rescue Act.

If you have any manner of empathy for your fellow humans, there’s a lot to like in this law; and the more I read about it, the more I see exactly the kind of positive changes it has the potential to bring, and to start undoing the last fifty years or so of conservative, trickle-down garbage that’s been dragging down quality of live for pretty much everyone who’s not ultra-wealthy.

Sure, the big story is the checks, but there’s a lot more to it. The expanded child tax credit is going to do some amazing things, especially if we manage to make it permanent. I’d have loved to see the minimum wage increased (heck, it’s only two bucks more today than it was 30 years ago when I was slinging ice cream part-time in high school!); but that’ll come. As for the rest of it, referencing FDR’s New Dealis not an unreasonable comparison.

So, yay, progressive values – I’m taking the win.

I’m taking what solace I can in this good news, as I’m personally exhausted and burned out from a crazy, deadline-ridden and willful ignorance filled week at work. Long hours have been put in, some problems have been solved, but sadly, even more have arisen. I am mentally drained, quite frankly, and tiring myself out physically after work on the bicycle only does so much, although the physical activity is definitely welcome. I’m not particularly focusing on weight loss at this point, but it’s a goal to drop the extra bits of me I picked up over the past year.

Depression’s a bitch, and it hasn’t helped my bottom line (or the lines of my bottom) at all.

Hoping for a quiet weekend, apart from the continued “teach the kid to drive stick” lessons, which include a certain amount of vibration, rattling, and shaking, but no more than anyone else’s first few times. I’ll try and put a few tens of miles in on the bike – last weekend’s 25 miler felt good; depending on my knees, I might do that twice (although I’m taking today off – there’s some rain in the forecast and, also, my knees hurt). Otherwise, I just kind of want to turn my brain off.

And with that, some music. Lots of early 90s distorted guitars this time. At the time, this really wasn’t my thing (I was going through my awkward country and following local acts around phases), but it’s not all bad. I’ll never turn down some Nerf Herder and or Bosstones:

1. “Low Self Opinion” – Rollins Band
2. “Sweet Charity” – Mr. Bungle
3. “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart” – Stone Temple Pilots
4. “Civilized Worm” – Melvins
5. “Van Halen” – Nerf Herder
6. “Chewbacca” – Supernova Chile
7. “If I Only Had A Brain” – MC 900 Ft. Jesus
8. “Institutionalized” – Suicidal Tendencies
9. “Buckethead” – Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie’s Brains
10. “Albert” – Eddie Japan
11. “Thursday” – Morphine
12. “Where’d You Go” – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones