Our Tribe

Ain't it beautiful?

So unusual

Life's a gas and it's running out

Living a cliche

Gonna seize the day

Bottle rockets and celebrate, celebrate, celebrate

~~ “Carpe Diem” by Green Day

It was a great night last night in downtown South Bend.

Our own Mayor Pete Buttigieg invited his supporters to join him for a holiday celebration at CJ’s Pub, a great local haunt and burger joint. We met Shane and Matt there and had a great time getting caught up on everything and talking about how to deal with things.

Mayor Pete gave a brief welcome to us all and said he was keeping it brief because he planned on talking to all of us who attended, and he did indeed keep his promise. He visited with everyone in the room and spent a good 10-15 minutes chatting with the four of us. (We also got to meet his partner, who is a very nice guy!)

We asked Mayor Pete about how we go forward from here, and he reiterated what he wrote in his op-ed (link above). Talk to people. Interact as a community. Grassroots politics is key and we can all participate, whether it is running for office, attending city council meetings, or working with the local Democrats to get out the vote. But his main focus is on connecting with others and taking the time to listen to them.

He is a remarkable guy and I couldn’t be prouder to have him as our Mayor. He is also very easy to talk to and is not intimidating at all. I get the impression that he really wants to hear from everyone and wants to make a difference in our community. It was a pleasure to talk to him and I look forward to seeing what happens in South Bend as we go forward. I see many good things ahead of us!

I was also very touched by something Matt told me. At some point, I guess I wrote something to him and Shane about how while we might be dismayed, disgusted, and downright despondent over this election, those of us who love each other have to stick together and support each other. I said that we are all part of Our Tribe and we will get through this by hanging tough and sticking up for each other. Matt said that that really spoke to him and he took it to heart. It did my heart good to hear that something I wrote made someone feel resolved and ready to support those who are feeling disenfranchised.

It really is all about being stronger together, isn’t it?

Feelin’ it

Look, guys...I made you a meme! This is totally me lately. Still stuck in Green Day mode, although I throw some Dropkick Murphys in there once in a while. Don’t worry, I won’t really post all the Green Day...they’ve got a shit-ton of songs out there, and although it may not seem like it lately, this is NOT a blog only about Green Day!

For whatever reason, their stuff is really speaking to me lately. Not just the fun and energetic music, although I really love that. I’m diggin’ the lyrics, too. So much of it seems pertinent in my life lately, whether it’s lines like “I’m sick to death of your every last breath, and I don’t give a fuck anyway!” or “Wake me up when September ends.” Do you ever feel like you can relate to what the songwriter was writing about? Feel like you really get where he or she is coming from? That’s me and Green Day (and Billie Joe, since he’s the main songwriter) these days.

For the past few days, I’ve really been getting deep into “21st Century Breakdown” during my workouts. Now that I think about it, I think I’ve listened to it every day this week. One of my favorites is “¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl).” There are some great lines and phrases here, and yes, some of this makes me think of particular people. “Of love and razor blades your blood is surging,” “You’re a stray for the salvation army,” “Your lifeboat of deception is now sailing,” and “You dirty liar, you’re just a junkie preaching to the choir.” Man, that’s some fine writin’ right there! Songs speak to different people in different ways, but I hope you’ll enjoy this one as much as I do. This is a great live version.

TURN IT UP!

Little girl, little girl
Why are you crying?
Inside your restless soul
Your heart is dying

Little one, little one
Your soul is purging
Of love and razor blades
Your blood is surging

Runaway
From the river to the street
And find yourself with your face in the gutter
You're a stray for the salvation army
There is no place like home
When you got no place to go

Little girl, little girl
Your life is calling
The charlatans and saints
Of your abandon

Little one, little one
The sky is falling
Your lifeboat of deception
Is now sailing

In the wake all the way
No rhyme or reason
Your bloodshot eyes
Will show your heart of treason

Little girl, little girl
You dirty liar
You're just a junkie
Preaching to the choir

Runaway
From the river to the street
And find yourself with your face in the gutter
You're a stray for the salvation army
There is no place like home
When you got no place to go

The traces of blood
Always follow you home
Like the mascara tears
From your getaway
(Gloria!)
You're walking with blisters
And running with shears
So unholy
Sister of grace

Runaway
From the river to the street
And find yourself with your face in the gutter
You're a stray from the salvation army
There is no place like home

Bits and Pieces

Good grief, Billie Joe, what an adorable little punk you are! More on that in a moment.

Got the estimate on Blacky today, and good news! It came in at much less than anticipated, and he is totally NOT totaled! The appraiser knows and has dealt with my cousin and his body shop, and I emailed my cousin to start to figure out what we need to do and when to bring it down. They’re going to start looking for parts now, and we’ll probably take it down on Saturday. The insurance company called after they got the estimate, and the agent was super helpful. She’s going to send out the rental voucher as well as medical forms so that Ken can get reimbursed for new lenses on his glasses. (Got a chip on them from the broken glass...if it had been on the edge, no big deal, but it’s right in his line of site.) I told her that I’ve been really impressed with how quickly they are moving on this. Thank you, Farm Bureau! You guys rock!

What a relief, because we would have dealt with it if we’d needed to, but we weren’t quite ready for a new car yet. Very happy that Blacky can be fixed!

It was a warm day today, so after I did my workout, I did a couple of things and then sat outside and read for a while. There was a nice breeze, and it’s not too bad in here. Tomorrow could be another story, because we’re supposed to get hot and humid again, possibly breaking a record. Urgh!

Late this afternoon, I picked up with my Coursera courses, watching the latest video for the Vaccines course. One of the topics was the polio vaccine. It’s amazing to me how many kids have been saved from this virus, and I hope to see it completely eradicated in my lifetime. We’re getting very close! I watched a couple more lectures from this week’s History of Rock lectures, and enjoyed them very much. I’ll try to spread it out a little more this week, instead of watching them all in one day.

I was listening to “Nimrod” while working out today, and I love the song “All the Time.” I LOVE that opening riff! I like these lines, too:

Wasting time down a bumfuck road
And I don't know where the hell it'll go

Man, if that’s not small town life, I don’t know what is. And really, where DID all the time go?

Salud! TURN IT UP!

And now…a song

I ran errands this morning and got a little behind on stuff, so while I continue to work on getting my Chicago pictures sorted out (Cubs game coming to this space soon!), please enjoy this musical interlude. It’s a sweet song from Green Day called “F.O.D.” This is not a message to any of my friends, by any means! I just dig the attitude.

Something's on my mind
It's been for quite some time
This time I'm on to you
So where's the other face?
The face I heard before
Your head trip's boring me

Let's nuke the bridge we torched
2,000 times before
This time we'll blast it all to hell
I've had this burning in my guts now
For so long
My belly's aching now to say

Stuck down in a rut of dislogic and smut
A side of you well hid
When it's all said and done
It's real and it's been fun
But was it all REAL fun?

You're just a fuck
I can't explain it 'cause I think you suck
I'm takin' pride
In telling you to fuck off and die

Goood niiiiiiiiight…




Then I was thinking that nobody does the rage face sneer like Billie Joe...but then I thought of some other guys.






And THEN I made you a poll. Who doesn’t love a good pollin’, amirite? If you vote for “Other,” you have to be fair and say who you think does the Sneer better.

Who has the best sneer?

Billy Idol

Billie Joe Armstrong

Elvis Presley

Sid Vicious

Other

Please Specify:

free polls

Sometimes it pays to have attitude

I was listening to Green Day while working out today—shocking, I know!—and I was on the elliptical while the song “The Grouch” played. It made me laugh, because it’s such a misanthropic song, but I love its attitude.



I was a young boy that had big plans
Now I'm just another shitty old man
I don't have fun and I hate everything
The world owes me, so fuck you

Glory days don't mean shit to me
I drank a six pack of apathy
Life's a bitch and so am I
The world owes me, so fuck you

Wasted youth and a fistful of ideals
I had a young and optimistic point of view

I've decomposed, yet my gut's getting fat
Oh my god I'm turning out like my dad
I'm always rude I've got a bad attitude
The world owes me, so fuck you

The wife's a nag and the kid's fucking up
I don't have sex `cause I can't get it up
I'm just a grouch sitting on the couch
The world owes me, so fuck you

Glory days don't mean shit to me
I drank a six pack of apathy
Life's a bitch and so am I
The world owes me, so fuck you

I love the way Billie Joe sings the word “man.” It’s more like “mehhhn” and it’s pure snot-nosed punk sneer. I really don’t feel this way. I’m not all that cynical or grumpy; I’m not rude or apathetic; I can say with certitude that I love to have fun and I don’t hate everything; and I absolutely don’t feel like the world owes me! But I really do love the attitude of this song, and I can say that there are times when I have an attitude of my own.

I try not to let it get out of control, but I was thinking as I was ellipticalling that it does come in handy at times. What sprang immediately to mind is how Ken and I quite smoking several years ago. A friend of ours and his wife are working on quitting, and they seem to be through the worst of it. I’ve been trying to be a source of support, because I know how tough it is.

I can’t remember the exact date we quit, but it was in August, and I believe it was seven years ago! I have had no desire to ever start again, and I don’t miss it at all. I still have those weird, sporadic cravings once in a while, but they last a matter of seconds and then they’re gone. I don’t expect those ever to go away. (My Dad told me that even after 30 years or so after he quit, he’d still reach to his shirt pocket to pull out a cigarette!)

Attitude really helped me when I was quitting, because my thought process was something like, “Oh yeah? I’ll show you, Cigarettes. You aren’t the boss of me!” It was like the smokes were up in my face and I was getting right back in THEIR face, and even poking them in the chest. “Oh yeah? Yeah? You want a piece of me?” And I beat them. Beat them right into submission. Damn straight!

I hesitate to say that anyone who doesn’t quit smoking is weak, because I understand what a powerful addiction it is. I really loved to smoke. But I came to recognize that it was a psychological crutch for me, and once I figured out that I was stronger than that, it was a very empowering moment. I remember my Mom telling me, “Beth Anne, you’re a really strong-willed person. I can’t believe that you will let those cigarettes keep ruling your life.” She was absolutely right, and I know that her and Dad were really proud of us for quitting.

So to our friends, or anyone else out there who wants to quit, just get a little Billie Joe Armstrong attitude, and to paraphrase the Thunder Song in the movie “Ted”: “Fuck you smoking, you can suck my dick!”

Give me give me danger

I got my errands run this morning, and most of my clothes laid out today, so I’m in good shape to just take care of little, last minute things tomorrow! It’s supposed to be a nice and much less humid day, so I should be able to get a little last minute sunbathing in, too. Yay!

I got some CDs ready to go, and although I’ve got some stuff like Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ “Mojo,” and Springsteen’s “Wrecking Ball,” I’m going heavy on the Green Day and did you really think I’d go for long without posting a Green Day song?! Bahaha!

Silly people.

I don’t know what it is lately, but I am just in total punk mode. Not speed metal or anything…I’ve never gotten into that, and Green Day isn’t even close to that. They are very close to the punk that I listened to in high school and college, and for whatever reason, that is just what is speaking to me right now.

Hey, I’m not going to over-analyze it. The most important thing is that it is really rocking my world right now, and that is all that matters.

How about some “Sex, Drugs & Violence”?

All my life trouble follows me like a mystery, girl
I've been chasing down a memory like a mystery, girl
I've been getting lost searching my soul all around this town
I took a wrong turn at growing up and it's freaking me out

Back at school it never made much sense
Now I pay but I can't pay attention
Teaching me the hardest lessons of my life
Too dumb to die I guess, but that's the way it goes
Sometimes I must regress to

Sex, drugs & violence
English, math & science,
Safety in numbers
Give me, give me danger

Well I don't want to be an imbecile
But Jesus made me that way
All my life I've been running wild like a runaway
Wherever the night takes me like a stowaway

Back at home it never made much sense
Now I pay but I can't pay attention
Teaches me the hardest lessons of my life
Too dumb to die I guess, but that's the way it goes
Sometimes I must regress to

Sex, drugs & violence
English, math & science,
Safety in numbers
Give me, give me danger

As I was listening to this, I was trying to think of what it reminded me of. The closest I could come was Rockpile. The lines “Sex, drugs & violence/English, math & science” just really made me think of them. Kind of an innocent vibe and beat, except for the lyrics. I love the line “Give me, give me danger.” It makes me think about my bad decisions in the past, but also about how I got past those bad decisions and started making better ones. I still do dumb things sometimes, but I’m definitely on a better track!

I am still sometimes a bit of a Troublemaker so the “give me give me danger” line speaks to me.

And yeah, I just went meta and linked to a Green Day video in a post about a different Green Day video!

Next week, I may very well be “sunburned in a pink bathing suit.”

TURN IT UP!

And now…a song!

Just for a change of pace, it’s a—nah, totally kidding, it’s another Green Day song, obviously.

We went down to see my Mom today (she’s doing well!), and on the way there and back, we played the CD I got this week, “21st Century Breakdown.” (Yes, I am behind. I am quite aware of that! Better late than the Twelfth of Never, right?) The song that immediately struck me was “Peacemaker.” I LOVE this song, and Ken liked it, too. I had to play it twice, and I’ve listened to it a couple more times since we got home.

I love the minor tone; I find that I am often drawn to songs with a minor tone. I love that pause in the last word, and then the final scream of the last syllable. The lyrics don’t really speak to me other than the sense of rage, especially what seems to be religious rage. It’s just a really kickass cool song, an auditory grenade. What a blast!

Well, I've got a fever
A non-believer
I'm in a state of grace
For I am the Caesar
I'm gonna seize the day
Well, call of the banshee hey hey
Hey hey hey hey hey
As God as my witness
The infidels are gonna pay

Well, call the assassin
The orgasm
A spasm of love and hate
For what will divide us?
The righteous and the meek
Well, call of the wild hey hey
Hey hey hey hey hey
Death to the girl
At the end of the serenade

Vendetta, sweet vendetta
This Beretta of the night
This fire and the desire
Shots ringing out on a holy parasite

I am a killjoy from Detroit
I drink from a well of rage
I feed off the weakness
With all my love
Call up the captain hey hey
Hey hey hey hey hey
Death to the lover that you were
Dreaming of

This is a stand off
A Molotov cocktails
On the house
You thought I was a write off
You better think again
Call the peacemaker hey hey
Hey hey hey hey hey
I'm gonna send you back to the place
Where it all began

Well now the caretaker's
The undertaker
So I'm gonna go out
And get the peacemaker
This is the neo
St. Valentine's Massacre
Well call up the Gaza hey hey
Hey hey hey hey hey
Death to the ones
At the end of the serenade

Well, death to the ones
At the end of the serenade

TURN IT UP!

Beth’s Music Moment: Green Day’s Uno! Dos! Tré! Trilogy

Today while I was working out, I listened to the last installment of Green Day’s triple threat, “Tré!” I have to say that it is my favorite. This is just straight-up rock and roll, with a couple of slower songs in there that are quite touching.

Since I’ve listened to all three of them now, I’ll talk about them in general (but share a couple of songs from the third one). It amazes me that they released all three of these in the space of about three months, although as Rolling Stone points out, that’s the way music used to be released. It wasn’t uncommon for bands like the Stones and the Beatles to release two or even three albums in a year. But three months! These aren’t throw-away songs, either—they are all solid, fantastic punk and pop and punk-pop songs that seem to encapsulate the history of rock and roll.

I’ve written about some of my favorites from the first two albums. One of my favorites on this one is the slower “Drama Queen,” with the line “I think she’s going psycho.” Another is “Dirty Rotten Bastards.” I love the change in tempos in this longish song, and I think it really rocks! A smokin’ hot guitar solo and amazingly, a genuinely cool bass solo!



My other favorite closes out the album and the trilogy: a ballad called “The Forgotten.” It turns out this was used in one of the sparkly vampire movies...hell, what was the name of those? Oh, the Twilight movies. Yeah. Which is kind of like “eww, ick.” But I’ll forgive the guys for that, because this song is a beauty.



I don’t know what it was about that song, but as I sat there cycling away on the recumbent bike, listening to it, it got to me so bad that I cried. Is it Billie Joe’s voice? The way the song sounds? The lyrics? I don’t know, but I didn’t just tear up a little bit...I had actual tears rolling down my face. I played it again and cried more, and at the end I said, “Oh, Billie Joe!” I had to laugh a little at myself, because I was thinking, “Jeez, Beth, get a grip!” But it’s okay. I like it that music can still move me to tears. Just like Third Eye Blind said, the four right chords can make me cry. In my case, that is literally true.

So mad props to Green Day for three stellar albums. You guys blew me away with these. I was writing to Shane, and I said that if you consider this a triple album (which I really do...I don’t see how you could have just one or two of these), I’d put it right up there with that other classic triple album, “Sandinista!” by the Clash. Yeah, I went there! In some ways, it’s almost better—oh no she dih’n’t!—because “Sandinista!” had what I felt was some filler on it, with dubs and remixes. Plenty of solid, great songs, too, but there were also some that I would lift the needle and skip over. I don’t feel that way about this trilogy, and I think all the songs are excellent.

I’ve liked them from the early days (although as I mentioned recently, I got away from them for a bit), but I can say that I have a newfound respect for their talent and musicianship. These songs run the gamut for me: sweet, sad, in-your-face, funny, raunchy, balls-to-the-wall, chills-up-my-spine, and finally, as the last song played, a song that had me crying my little rock and roll heart out. Any band that can have me dancing around our workout area singing “Baby baby it’s FUCK TIME!” at the top of my voice one day and sitting there with tears rolling down my face the next day is doing something right.

If you’re like me and Joan Jett and love rock and roll, you should get these. Seriously. BUY THESE ALBUMS.

Going Green (Day)

I’m happy to report that after several delays, a cancellation, and a flight change, Ken was finally able to make it to Omaha. Has anyone else noticed that flying is getting to be more of a hassle than it’s worth? I’m glad we started driving to Florida once I stopped working. Road trips are much less stressful, and it’s fun to see some scenery and maybe find a fun and different place along the way for lunch and dinner. Traffic jams are annoying, too, but it’s better than sitting on your ass in an airport. Anyway, he finally made it!

I got a good workout in today, and even managed to get an hour in the sun before the clouds and rain rolled in. I’m sorry I didn’t get to spend more time outside, but hey...weather, right?

I’m also sorry if I seem to be fixated on Green Day right now, but I kind of am. I was writing to Shane earlier today and told him how much I was enjoying this album trilogy (although I haven’t gotten to “Tre!” yet). I said that I really liked them back in the Dookie-Nimrod days, and then it was like I just moved in another direction and kind of left Green Day behind. *sob* I’m so sorry, guys! I don’t know what I was thinking! I continued to like them when I heard their songs on the radio, but just wasn’t as much into them. My loss, because as I’ve gotten back into them, it’s like I’m re-discovering them all over again and I am LOVING IT.

Hey, Billie Joe, why are you wearing my pants?! Take ‘em off! No, really…take ‘em off.

“Dos!” strikes me as having a little more of a ‘50s/’60s feel to it...some almost doo-wop harmonies and rhythms, but with a harder edge, of course. I’ve only listened to it once all the way through, so I look forward to playing it many more times. I was immediately struck by the opening song, “See You Tonight.” It has a folksy feel to it, with sweet harmonies and a gentle sound. I was like, “Well, THIS is different, Green Day!” Then...THEN...the next song starts up almost immediately, and I laughed out loud. That’s my Green Day! It’s a sweet little love song called “Fuck Time.” Haha! Man, this is just pure raunch and roll, with that rolling rockabilly guitar riff, Billie Joe’s moans and laughter and shouting “Baby baby, it’s fuck time!”, and a kickass guitar solo. But still some nice harmonies, don’t you think? What a great contrast between these two songs, and a great kickoff to the album. This just makes me grin, and I could listen to it over and over again—and I have been! (I think they got some of the lyrics wrong in this fan-made video, but don’t nitpick!) You know I’d be on the dance floor for this one, jumping up and down, hands in the air, and singing along! This is music that speaks to the Inner Lizard!

In my book, the #1 companion songs are still “Shoo-Be-Doo/Candy-O” by the Cars, but this baby just skyrocketed up the charts to #2 for me. With a bullet! I really think it’s the juxtaposition of the sweet folksy song immediately transitioning into a balls-to-the-wall song with the completely unsubtle title “Fuck Time.” Man, that just delights me! Billie Joe, you’re a little maniac! What would you like to do first? (Does anyone get that reference?)

TURN IT UP!

Let Yourself Go

I am admittedly a bit behind on some music. A while back, Shane played Green Day’s “Uno!” for me when we were in his car, and I loved it...but I hadn’t gotten it until recently. I now have that one, “Dos!”, and “Tre!” is on its way.

This is some primo punk-pop. It’s got that punk drive and edge, but also genuine melodies, harmonies, and lyrics. Major props to Green Day for being around all these years and still writing infectious and fun songs! I’ve added them to my “watch list” for concerts, because my new goal is to see them in concert. I had always been content to just enjoy the music, without any real desire to go see them. That has changed for me now. They’re really kicking ass, and with a newly sober Billie Joe, I suspect that they will be touring and making music for quite a few years yet. I’d say that they have as much staying power as some of the great groups from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Seriously...MAJOR respect to these guys. This is everything I love about punk rock: the attitude, the rage, the sneer. But it also has some real musicianship behind it, and a sense of pop that was often missing from pure punk bands. Not to take anything away from that, and I still love punk! It’s just cool to see it evolve a bit. I love it! Love Billie Joe, too...a punk for the modern age!

I listened to “Uno!” while I worked out today, and my favorite song was “Let Yourself Go.” I laughed out loud when I heard the lyrics. It’s actually a pretty good message, too!

Shut your mouth 'cause you're talking too much
And I don't give a damn anyway
You always seem to be stepping in shit
And all you really do is complain

It's your lie, tell it how you like
Small minds tend to think alike
Shut your mouth 'cause you're talking too much
And I don't give a fuck anyway

[Chorus:]
Let yourself go, let yourself go, let yourself go [x4]
Gotta let me go, gotta let it go [x2]

Cut the crap 'cause you're screaming in my ear
And you're taking up all of the space
You're really testing my patience again
And I'd rather get punched in the face

You're getting on my every last nerve
Everything you've said I've already heard
I'm sick to death of your every last breath
And I don't give a fuck anyway

[Chorus:]
Let yourself go, let yourself go, let yourself go [x4]
Gotta let me go, gotta let it go [x4]

Always fuck fuckin' with my head now..
Always fuck fuckin' with my head now..
Always fuck fuckin' with my head now..
Always fucking with my head and I gotta let it go!

[Chorus:]
Let yourself go, let yourself go, let yourself go [x8]

TURN IT UP!