#the grapes of wrath band

[im-queen-of-the-black-forest]

Closet full of choices!

Cirrus: *entering Copia’s bedroom, holding a book* Hi Papa! I brought your book back! It was kinda weird and there were hardly any grapes in it but-* notices that Copia is sitting in the middle of his bed with the covers askew, wearing only his socks* ……why are you naked?

Copia: I …er… I’ve run out of clothes?

Cirrus: What?! How?! *walks over to Copia’s closet and opens the door* Look you’ve got plenty to wear here! Red suit, white suit, rat kigurumi- hi Terzo!- ,black suit-

[buzzdixonwriter]

Jack Kerouac vs Norman Rockwell

I recently saw two idiots saying idiotic things, but in the course of their idiocy they illuminated something crucial about the American mix I think people have overlooked.

The first idiot -- one with a (D) behind their name -- criticized a politician on the other side of the aisle for wanting to be buried in the same family plot as six other generations of his family, saying such a desire represented white supremacy and patriarchy.

The second idiot -- surprise, surprise, this one with an (R) after their name -- retaliated in kind, claiming the other side viewed anyone who wasn’t a placeless interchangeable worker with suspicion.

And when I read this exchange, the little light came on.

What is the quintessential American literary form?

The road story.

We can cite Jack Kerouac’s On The Road as the category definer, but it existed long before then.

Every story about Columbus is a road story.

Every story about pilgrims is a road story.

Every story about pioneers pushing west is a road story.

Every story about a wagon train is a road story.

Every story about country bumpkins going to the big city is a road story.

The Grapes Of Wrath is a road story.

Lonesome Dove is a road story.

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas is a road story.

Even Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a road story despite traveling by raft on the Mississippi.

The road story is about what’s over there.  It’s a story of deliberately leaving the familiar and setting off into the unknown.  It’s a story of not just discovery but self-discovery.

What did you find in your travels?

What did you think about what you found?

What does that tell you about yourself?

The American continents were settled by people looking for something else.

They arrived here tens of thousands of years ago, populating North and South America with a population primarily derived from what we now refer to as Asia.

In the last millennia, people from Europe learned of the existence of the American continents.  The very first were Lief Ericson’s band of Viking colonists who came looking for something new, something better.

They faced a tough time of it especially against well organized native resistance and eventually gave up and returned home.

The next batch came from Spain after a misguided Italian navigator learned the hard way that the world was much bigger than he thought.  The Spaniards came prepared and in force, and with exceptional cunning struck at native Mesoamerican civilizations at their weakest points, hastening their collapse and conquest by a far smaller invading force.

Other European nations came soon after, a few in relatively benign form as traders and explorers, far too many as colonists willing to take territory by force.

The latter group found an ally among the microbiological world.

As a result of a devastating plague that swept through both continents, disrupting native cultures by killing off between 90%-to-98% of any local population, the European colonists with more robust immune systems soon flooded a continent with a native population in complete disarray.

By the time the indigenous cultures recovered to the point they could mount well organized resistance, it was too late.  The colonists already established numerous beachheads and began pushing westward, ignoring the humanity of the native people they encountered, driving them off or killing them whenever they felt challenged to superiority.

The Americas soon filled with Europeans who either came voluntarily or were sent by their masters to take what wealth they could wrest from the continents.

In either case, the result was the same.

They came.

They saw.

They conquered.

And some of them began thinking about what they had done.

In the end the native peoples -- particularly in North America -- were isolated away from the predominantly northern European population.  Where the northern Europeans encountered the blended Spanish / native cultures of Mexico, they either drove them out or subjugated them to marginal roles.

When they needed cheap labor they imported chattel slaves from Africa, or allowed immigration from impoverished southern and eastern European countries, or imported laborers from China who would work for a fraction of the cost of northern Europeans.

In all those cases -- voluntarily or involuntarily -- the road story became the story to tell the experience. 

And in all those cases, even those of the enslaved, the point of the road story was clear:

You’ll never know until you go and find out.

So we have baked into the American soul this peripatetic psyche on a never ending quest to see what’s over the next hill.

Nobody summed it up better than and Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe in their musical, Paint Your Wagon.

“Where you going? I don’t know. When’ll you get there? I ain’t certain. What’ll you find? I ain’t equipped to say, but who gives a damn -- we’re on our way.”

. . .

When I grew up in Appalachia, I noticed an interesting difference between the roads on the North Carolina side and the roads on the Tennessee side.

In North Carolina they go around the mountains, long languid curves punctuated by the occasional hairpin turn.

In Tennessee they plow straight through the damn mountain, leaving a huge notch where the road passes.

The people who populated the North Carolina side were stopped by the mountains.

They encountered an obstacle sufficient large enough to make them stop their westward expansion and settle in the area, learning to cope with the obstacle as best they could.

Those on the Tennessee side were ornery bastards who wouldn’t be stopped by any old mountain, and when they decided to settle they just dug and blasted the mountains out of their way.

But in both cases, settle they did.

Kurt Vonnegut wrote on the plain and simple virtue of looking around, appreciating the good things in our lives, and saying, “This is nice.”

That’s what settlers do.

As opposed to adventurers / desperados / explorers / poets / prophets consumed with a burning desire to keep moving forward, the settlers find a place they like and cultivate it like a garden.

No one denies them that right and pleasure.

My wife and I garden.  We enjoy a 10x20 enclosure where we grow beans / tomatoes / cucumbers / garlic / zucchini / herbs.

It can be hard work and it typically involves a lot of dirt and mulch, but when we’re sitting at our table enjoying a tasty meal of freshly picked vine ripened vegetables, we forget the sweat and shit (literally) that went into it.

Settlers -- as opposed to colonists -- tend to either forget or deliberately overlook the stink and sweat and shit in their own communities.

You don’t need to be a rural farmer to think and feel this way.  We know a lovely older lady who often waxes rhapsodic about growing up in southern California in the 1950s, for her a truly “happy days” experience she never experienced again.

She was too young and too naively innocent in the 1950s to recognize the machinery that made her adolescence so blissful.

She never saw the gunk and grime and corruption that made her picture-perfect life so pleasurable.

There is a tendency among settlers to look back at their life through Norman Rockwell lenses.

They see only the good, the pleasant.

They don’t see the bad pain and suffering that made that good pleasantness possible.

They see nostalgia, not history.

Now there’s nothing wrong with wanting to conserve the good and pleasant things of the past.

But if you want them for yourself, you are morally and ethically bound to want them for everybody else.

And if somebody else paid in blood and toil and tears and sweat for your pleasure, you are obliged at the very least to see that their suffering ends, and ideally that they are compensated for what they endured for your benefit.

For most of his career Norman Rockwell embraced the exact opposite philosophy of Jack Kerouac.

While Kerouac strove forward, struggling to come to terms with the country he lived in and his place in it, Rockwell looked back with a wistful, nostalgic sigh.

Today’s progressives keep Kerouac’s spirit.  “Whatever it is we’re looking for, it sure isn’t this.”

Today’s conservatives want things not the way they really were, but the way they want to pretend they were.  A few are refreshingly honest enough to gloat in their attitudes of self-proclaimed superiority, but most just don’t want to recognize the horrible wrongs that were inflicted in the past for that thin strip of nostalgia they cling to.

Funny thing about Norman Rockwell, though…

Rockwell was married three times, the first one ending in divorce after fourteen years, the second starting three months after the first ended in 1930 and lasting until her death in a mental health facility in 1959.

During the latter part of this unhappy marriage, Rockwell sought psychiatric treatment from analyst Erik Erikson.  Erikson observed to Rockwell that he painted his happiness, but did not live it. 

This was the period where Rockwell painted his patented idealized vision of small town American, a place he desperately wished he could fully and joyfully inhabit.

After his second wife died, however, he married again, this time a much happier union.

Here’s where Rockwell’s career took a surprising turn.

While he never completely abandoned his nostalgic views, Rockwell began looking forward.  He painted representations of the ongoing manned space program, he painted white children encountering a black family in their neighborhood for the first time.

He painted six-year old Ruby Bridges being escorted into her school by federal marshals past a hateful white mob.

He painted James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner being murdered by the KKK for daring to register African-American voters in Mississippi.

Rockwell’s nostalgia served as a panacea for his personal pain.

Once that pain left his life -- and at precisely a time of life when many creative types look to bank off earlier success -- Rockwell looked forward.

The road beckons.

  © Buzz Dixon

[toothandfeather]

Some random asks for you !! Hope you like them. 🧡

What sort of health care routine do you actually practice? Is there anything you actually do for yourself because it's comforting and healthy and good for yourself? Like regularly? If not do you have an idea what you would like to start?

If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life what would it look like?

Do you have a favorite book?

Do you prefer birthdays over Christmas?

How could one win your heart? What qualities would they have to bring to the table?

aww thank you!!! I love them ^^

I don’t have an exact routine haha, I just exercise whenever I can get myself to and that does help my mood and overall health quite a bit. When I don’t feel up to exercising, I at least take a walk to move around and get fresh air and sunlight. I would love to focus more on my health though 😭

If I could only wear one outfit….hmm…I think it would be my favorite Lorna Shore band shirt, my favorite skirt, leggings, and two mismatched leg warmers! That’s the idea hehe

I have a couple of favorite books actually, I really like The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck as well as his Tortilla Flat. I haven’t read a lot by Kafka yet but he’s already becoming one of my favorite authors!

Between birthdays and Christmas…I’d pick Christmas haha. For birthdays sometimes they fall on weekdays and there’s still classes and work and all that but for Christmas the whole place shuts down and is merry and festive. I also love Christmas because the lights and songs and spices are super cozy to me. And also, I can give gifts to people!!

😭😭😭this question is hard because I don’t really know. I guess the main thing is to just have a good heart, and to truly love me, all the parts of me (and that includes the crazy side) and to respect my family. I think if it’s real love, we should be able to work past difficulties together and become better people together ^^

[grandma-susan]

With Love Grand Nephew

@helluvaoutlaw

"Miss Susan?" Called the shop keeper. She looked up and saw the demon push a tray over towards her. "Could you please check if its to your liking?" To her liking, she knew it would be. This particular craftsman was well known for their reclaimed metal jewelry. She had seen his work a number of times in the paper and online. And she knew he wouldn't disappoint. She opened the box and there they sat in a velvet box polished to a shine but also had a faint patina to show their age and their use were a pair of bullet cuff links shaped into a pair of flowers . On the side just below the oxidized colored petals and on the brassy sepals each of them were stamped with the initials A. J. E. J. and C. One for each the folks who could not attend the wedding in person. The shop keep leaned over their counter with a mild smile. Their claws dingy and well callused from their work. The Sinner's eyes were glistening with the pride they had for their work and service. "Are they to your satisfaction?" The lid clicked closed and Susan smiled. "A job well done. They came out beautifully, thank you." The shop keep handed Susan a small silk bag and a slipped a small piece of paper into it. "I doubt he will need it, but care instructions if they ever do. Come back any time. It's been a joy Miss. Susan. I haven't created anything this sentimental and tender in a long time. " He said tapping the case below them pointing to an pendant that clearly once was a wedding band. "I use to make things like that for the widowed, but not many people come in for that, not in Hell." Susan breathed a somber smile, "Well...if I do come back, it won't be for that. It'll be celebratory." "I'd like that, Miss. Susan. Here's the other one you ordered." He said hoisting a much heavier box onto the counter revealing the warmly stained wood. Susan let out a laugh at the sight of the horseshoe hat rack. "This is perfect too!" Running her fingers over the burnt silhouette of Striker and Bombproof. Keenie had done a great job of getting her the horse shoes.

"For the same man?" "They sure are." "Hell don't make funny Grannies like you anymore."

Susan smiled closing the lid. "Many people would disagree with you. but thank you." Now it was a matter of getting these items to him. Always a challenge considering he was always on the move and his hideouts were secretive. But there had to be drop points. Maybe if she could find the vicinity of where he was she could deliver it there. "Oh! That's right he did write something down for me once." She muttered as she flipped through her phone for the address. It wasn't a place she could ever visit, no casually anyway, but Striker had put in regardless. "Here it is." A saloon in Wrath. Boxed up and wrapped up securely she gave the package an extra level of security with a personal stamp. After all the contents were precious to her. The metal stamp lifted from the surface and a lily with grape leaves glistened with yellow sparks in blue ink and its light slowly crept around the package. If anyone beyond Striker tried to open it, they would find their hand a burnt stump.

She watched the imp postal worker carry the box into the back and breathed in a breath hoping that it would make it safely down to Wrath. Tuck within the box were his two gifts and a letter.

Dear Grand Nephew,

For the last decade I have watched you grow from a dusty greenhorn cowboy to the successful man that you are now. The skills you've honed, have shot through the layers Hell like divine light.

I've seen you face your challenges and losses with grit and perseverance. With a tenacity that most people could not even begin to muster. I've watched you mature, in many ways beyond your mustache, and your weird teeth. Your loyalty is unmatched to those you care about. You're a ruthless killer, that makes me smile every time the paper tell me you've succeeded. But the blood stains have never once washed away the side of you that has made this old withered soul feel alive again.

Your wild Wrathian spirit reminds me of a time I can only call a memory, and your visits bring joy I thought I had lost so long ago. From the day you first visited in your patchy overalls, to your tattered oversized duster to now, you've given me a gift Earth and the Heavens have not.

And so, Beanpole. I want give you a gift, that I hope will help you on your new journey. The first is a gift that I had made with the help of Keenie, that when you are able to, you'll have a place to safely hang that beloved hat of yours when you rest. — And yes, these are his shoes.

And the second, is for you to wear when you standing there waiting for your Harp to walk down the aisle. I know how close you hold your family to your heart , and I wanted them to be as close to you when you two are married. They're made from a pair of bullets you left behind in my walls a handful of years ago. Happy Father's Day, Grand Nephew and Congratulations. With every ounce of affection and pride.

Susan

[starry-night-rose]

"Hm, what's in my glass? What would such a thing matter to you? Tsk Tsk"

Character Playlist / Character Inspirations

Full Name: Alice Antonia Darius

Nicknames: Pain in the ass (Vin by @authoruio ) Partner in crime (Maria by @windbornearchon ) The only other sane one here (Hecate by @terrovaniadorm ) Vampire Squid (Floyd) Mademoiselle Vigneronne (Rook) Lady Darius (Lilia) Aunt Alice (Silver)

V/A: Kikuko Inoue (JP) Natasia Demetriou (EN)

!Twisted from Lady Alcina Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village!

Age: ???

Birthday: November 4th

Horoscope: Scorpio

Species: Vampiric Faerie

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/her

Height: 234 cm (or 7'8)

Hair Color: Ebony Black

Eye Color: Sickly Gold

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Homeland: Briar Valley

Family: Unnamed Father, Unnamed Mother, Unnamed younger sister, Unnamed younger brother

Dominant Hand: Right

Dormitory: Terrovania (belongs to @terrovaniadorm )

School Year: Third Year

Class: 3-C (No. 13)

Best Class(es): Defensive Magic, Magical History, Ancient Curses

Worst Class: Potions

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Favorite Food(s): Grapes, Cheese, Chocolate, Wine, Blood

Least Favorite Food(s): Cauliflower, Asparagus

Hobbies: Fencing, Listening to Jazz music, Teasing others

Dislikes: Sunlight, Hot weather, War

Talent(s): Basketball, Wine-making, Chess

Sexuality: Sapphic Bisexual

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Personality: A calm and elegant woman with a slight snobbish aura, Alice is the definition of the perfect noblewoman who thinks a bit too highly of herself at times. Although she keeps a level head most of the time, Alice's wrath is know all around Terrovania for being unforgiving and merciless. Alice tends to play with people, confusing them with stories or taunting someone during a fight but in all honesty, she does not mean half of what she says. Alice can be scarily protective of those she enjoys the company of, as willing to go on a rampage just for them. Alice has little to no regard for rules enforced by others, actively breaking as many as she can get away with. Alice also has a bit of a sadistic streak, ever since she was young but keeps this part of her hidden away.

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Backstory: Alice comes from the prestigious Darius family, known for their world class wine and service to the royal family of the Briar Valley. Due to her family's immense wealth and status, Alice was surrounded by the finer things in life and always appreciated the idea of having wealth. When she was much younger, she met the feared General Vanrouge at a royal ball. Alice hates to admit it but she was intimidated by him at first but grew to love and care for him. The Darius family even tried to arrange them to be wed but these plans were quickly forgotten. Many years later, she would help that same Vanrouge raise a child of his own. Alice at first was hesitant to help raise a child, a human one no less, but later on she grew to love the boy like a son of her own. Around the same time as Lilia, Alice decided to attend NRC for a change of scenery and was sorted into Terrovania.

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Unique Magic: Death's Flowers

The user unleashes sharp claw like nails from their fingers. These claws are so sharp that they can cut through many materials from metal to even flesh. Takes little magic to use due to years upon years of refinement and perfection.

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Trivia!

Alice is one of the star players on the Basketball Team and is known for being one of the best in the school

Alice, Vin, and Maria are always seen chatting together despite Vin saying he dislikes them both

There was one night where a poor Terrovania student wanted a midnight snack and saw Alice with some red liquid dripping all over her face. Note to self, never startle Alice when she's having a midnight drink

Alice grew fond of jazz after hearing it in a club many years ago, she even attempted to join a jazz band herself but was seen as "too scary"

[annes-room]

🍇 Jan 20, 2024

book review: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

⭐ 4.5/5

I feel like I understand why this book is so revered now. I also think it's incredible relevant today, and I think everyone should read it.

buckle up I have a lot of thoughts

short summary: featuring the Joad family, the story takes places during the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s. the Joad family is displaced from their home in Oklahoma, they pack up everything they own and drive their family truck to California to look for work, meeting hundreds of others just like them--starving and penniless. work is scarce but they keep trying, and they find community everywhere they settle.

something that I really appreciated about the presentation of the novel is how the main story is interspersed with chapters showing larger pictures of what everyone was going through: car dealership negotiations, trying to pawn off valuables for change, what happens to their farmlands after they leave, experiences of squatter's camps (that Steinbeck visited and collected accounts about while writing this book), shrinking wages and fermenting rage, perfectly good food left to rot because no one can afford it. it paints a wider picture of how desperate people were and how panic spread. it gave another perspective of the Joads by showing the variety of reactions people had to the injustices.

I won't lie, it's a bummer of a book to read, it starts bad and just gets worse, but the whole time, I had hope. the Joads had hope. I was rooting for them the entire time. every time they banded together during a struggle showed their resilience and hope that their luck would turn. and in the end it didn't. misfortune follows them the whole time. right from the start, family members start dying or leaving--up to the very last chapter. they start out with 13 people, and by the end, all but 6 are either gone or dead.

despite the fact that the novel doesn't really offer any solutions to the problems, I think it's still an important read. there seems to be another cycle coming around, where the cost of living is higher than a paying wage. there's a slight comfort in knowing that there will always be a community to find and rally around when everything seems insurmountable and pointless.

"but it's a classic novel! I can't understand those!" yes you can. the prose in this book is probably one of the easiest to understand that I've read in a classic novel. it still has it's dry points, but even if you don't understand every single reference to that time period, you'll still get a lot out of it.

some of my favourite quotes:

-a truck driver after debating whether or not to help a hitchhiker: "He knew he was being trapped, but he couldn't see a way out. And he wanted to be a good guy." (page 7)

-"a spotted brown hat creased like a pork pie" (19)

-"The red sun touched the horizon and spread out like a jellyfish" (45)

-"this was the new hearth, the living center of the family; half passenger car and half truck" (100)

-"This is the beginning--from "I" to "we."" (152)

-""Ain't you got half a buck?" [...] "Yeah, on'y I wisht they was some way to make her 'thout takin' her away from somebody else."" (187)

-"Down in the valley the earth was the lavender-gray of dawn." (289)

I started out thinking Tom was going to be the main character, but I think in the end it was actually Ma. she was the one doing the most to keep the family together and to encourage everyone not to give up. the first and second-last chapters propose that the women were always watching the men, trying to forecast their emotions to determine whether everything would be alright. either way the women would have to be the support on the other side, and that's the responsibility that Ma shoulders throughout the entire novel.

this book has a way of drawing you in and putting a magnifying glass to the discomfort the family experiences. Wikipedia has a quote from Steinbeck about the novel: "Throughout I've tried to make the reader participate in the actuality, what he takes from it will be scaled on his own depth and shallowness." I think it's absolutely true and he accomplished his goal. this is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

[hawkeyes-boy]

rules: tag 9 people you wanna get to know better :)

thank you for the tag @majorbaby <3

Last song:

Currently watching: x files!! need to rewatch early seasons mash so bad tho..

Currently reading: just finished Grapes of Wrath and I'm just about to start Giovanni's Room I'm v excited

Current obsession: house,,,, I finished it like a week ago and I have not stopped thinking about it. also been playing a lot of stardew valley atm

tagging: @iodinebyleonardcohen @major-majoranon @kigiom @genderqueer-klinger

[lohtulauluja]

If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series etc.)? Why do you love them?

Top 10 is a bit difficult, since these change a lot all the time, but the first one at least is kind of constant, so. My favourite piece of art in the whole world is Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell. It works well as the concept album and all the other albums, but best on the stage. I love everything about it. It is a tragedy, it is a time loop, it is told again and again. And it is about hope.

My favourite book is probably Poems by Anne Michaels. She writes with painful clarity and gentleness, and her poems resonate strongly with me.

My favourite band is a Finnish indie band called Juhlat, their music is very catchy and I love the lyrics. They are a fabulous live band as well.

When it comes to series, I usually have one hyperfixation at the time, but one of the strongest in the last 15 years (I think) has been The Mentalist, which also has an amazing slow burn romance and great found family vibes.

Lately I've been enjoying Severance a lot. It is very unique, the concept is intriguing, the cinematography is brilliant and the actors do an amazing job. I also recommend Ted Lasso, which is a heart-warming comedy. And A League of Our Own (mini series), which is a cool baseball queer thingy.

My favourite books include Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones (excellent mythology retelling), The Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson (a great queer retelling of Greek mythology), The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt (funny and quirky yet moving story about a boy searching his father) and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (excellent classic).

Comic-wise I really enjoy The Witch Door by @kindlyanni (it has an aroace main character) and Heart of Gold by Viv Tanner and Eliot Baum. (The latter is on indefinite hiatus, but I still highly recommend it.)

My favourite movies are The Fall (2006) and The Thing Called Love. The first one is visually stunning, very moving and evocative, and the second one is lovely and fun and I should definitely watch it again.

[eitmonline]

EITM Playlist 3/25/24

A Perfect Circle - Judith | 6:12

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A post shared by Josh Freese (@joshfreese)

Asking Alexandria - Dark Void | 6:29

Asking Alexandria - Nothing Left | 6:34

Kenny Chesney - Born | 7:01

Kenny Chesney - This Too Shall Pass | 7:05

Matt Nathanson - Map At The Mall | 7:30

Mother Mother - Explode! | 7:45

The Story So Far - Letterman | 7:50

Zac Brown Band - Tie Up | 8:15

Sam Hunt - Locked Up | 8:45

Bradley Simpson - Cry At The Moon | 9:07

Sheer Mag - Playing Favorites | 9:23

Julia Wolf - In My Room | 9:28

Kane Brown - Fiddle In The Band | 9:54

Weezer - Only In Dreams | 10:31

Drew Holcomb And The Neighbors - Find Your People | 10:51

[writer59january13]

Daylight Savings Time Ends – November 5th 2023 means...

discombobulated, harried, and lobotomized state of body, mind, and spirit triage. Onset of dark shadows signalling edge of night occurs earlier as the world turns beckoning, hinting, robbing passage regarding days of our lives, where the young and the restless,

plus the bold and the beautiful

exhibit variations on a theme

titled one life to live. Within my figurative neck of woods boughs bend forming roods, where all across the United States except Arizona and Hawaii troubadoors festooned nsync with generational matriarchs wearing hoods remaining incognito as identity guard of their broods mare uncannily decked, and tricked out as an old man, usually in a white robe, having a white beard, and carrying a scythe signify turning the clock one hour at 2:00 AM eastern standard time, hence birthing following reasonable ridiculous rhyme. Hour hands clock get set back

sixty minutes of Autumn

round about this same of month

every year, what a bum

er, and inconvenient truth

diverged from this chum

purposelessly manipulating a hold over, sans yesteryear doth drum

a sensation of jet lag

(with earth in the balance)

as if watching Monty Python's flying circus within time machine

at warp speed from

this station, where bumpy ride

invariably finds me feeling a bit ticked off and glum and in no mood to rhyme,

nor be leer re: cull juiced barely tantamount

to gather scattered wits sin tide, and express mood as hoe hum

fortunate, this chronological seismic shift

nada wide, ah assume,

nevertheless mein kampf cerebral hemispheric plate tectonics comb pluck hated off jangling black keys helplessly boom fancifully drifting and boring into quick ribald sand trap doom ming an inducement for emergency convoy, when pitched from

sea to figurative shining seven sea – gram ma mother earth glum, where live yik yak viewed thru Tik Tok wired vanguard trulia tried optimism to hum

nevertheless, swallowed (Old Rotten Gotham) sliding down into behavioral sink analogous to cremated ashes of late mother once boxed, but long since scattered into eternity

like talcum powder went – me mum

bling bloviation, once worth matchless peerage, now pitched numb lee into morass of temporary confusion, where existence not peachy keen plumb line delineating circadian rhythm offset, when athwart Jane Pilots' rum

man strait ting and bickering

with Lilliputians slum

bring within islets of langerhans

defiantly, haughtily and laughably thumb ming nose, where

body, mind & soul Weeknd viz a bully did cower, hence (principal at Methacton Junior High School) Mister Clock, who got hijacked 3600 seconds per hour experienced head, thorax

and abdomen diminishing in power wrought indistinguishable Whitsuntide as sour grapes of wrath imposing ill fitting sea legs, which folded like a faulty tower crumbling skeletal carapace,

resoundingly surrendered, and back slid vis a vis space/time continuum did devour. Black hole event horizon indeed kept bottled up cosmic genie good Lord and Taylor (swift) lock step

as das joint mill on the floss hoard

sucker punched the band Reo SpeedWagon of father time, whose riffs a silent chord nsync with atomic fractional second bored quirky shenanigans toying with chronometers counter point of view shifted to oppose this minute accord.

[terandanna]

3. "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck: It indirectly underscores the importance of responsible water use and sustainable agriculture.

The main idea is that injustice exists in various forms perpetrated by capitalist systems. Hope, however, and the ability to endure can help people improve their situation.

While not exclusively focused on water conservation, this classic novel depicts the hardships faced by Dust Bowl-era migrants in California, a region struggling with water scarcity.

The moral of the story is that, in the end, people need to band together to help each other out. Only by working together can individuals hope to survive systems and events that will hurt them.

[cksmart-world]

SMART BOMB

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

October 3, 2023

THE BABY AND THE BATHWATER

Hey Wilson, guess what? The government didn't shut down, after all. Nobody knows exactly why because no one can figure out what the hell is going on. In May, the Biden Administration worked out an agreement with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to avoid a government shutdown. But McCarthy went back on the deal 'cause Florida firebrand Matt “Baby” Gaetz and a dozen crazies wanted to shut down the government to prove a point. What point? Don't ask silly questions. Baby Gaetz showed McCarthy he was serious by spitting in his face and calling him a pussy. To which McCarthy retorted, “Sticks and stones will break my bones but spit will never hurt me.” Well, not exactly. In order to win the Speaker's seat McCarthy promised Gaetz and his band of MAGAttes that if he didn't do what they wanted they could pants him. So McCarthy did as they said but they pants him anyway. Then McCarthy did something completely unexpected, he COMPROMISED with Democrats. WTF! In doing so he threw Baby Gaetz out with the bathwater, leaving him dripping with spite, absent his signature skunk-eating-garlic grin. An angry Baby Gaetz promised retribution and he got it on Oct 3 in Shakespeare-style as he led a revolt that ousted McCarthy from the Speaker's chair. Et tu Brute!

DON'T LIKE HOMELESS PEOPLE— SUE 'EM

Those damn homeless people are at it again — they're creating a nuisance on streets, sidewalks and public parks, according to a recent lawsuit and it's all Salt Lake City's fault. “Salt Lake City (read Mayor Erin Mendenhall) has adopted a policy of inviting and fostering vagrancy, public camping, public urination, public defecation, and the public use of illegal drugs on its property... ” What's wrong with you, Salt Lake City. Why can't you fix homelessness. Maybe they should sue San Francisco, too, and L.A., San Diego, Denver, New York City, Burlington, VT... And heck why not just sue the whole damn country. There are one million homeless people in this country — in 1980 there was only a tiny fraction of that. Here at Smart Bomb we just call it Reaganomics: quit spending money on the social safety net and affordable housing; cut taxes on the wealthy and money will just trickle down. A rising tide floats all boats and homeless people will just float away or drown. You're right Wilson, maybe we should sue the bastards who set up this economic system that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer 'cause Congress sure as hell isn't going to do anything about it. Or we could send the homeless away somewhere, like the Reagan National Library in Simi Valley, California. Call it The Grapes of Wrath.

LDS CHURCH: TIM BALLARD IS A BAD, BAD BOY

Well, there goes Tim Ballard's Temple Recommend. That's a bummer for a would-be Mormon hero, especially if he's planning a run for the U.S. Senate. As you will recall, Ballard invented Operation Underground Railroad (OUG), a nonprofit claiming to fight sex trafficking. IRS tax filings for 2021 show that OUG had 82.1 million in assets against 1.38 million in liabilities. Not bad work if you can get it. You guys seen any sex trafficking around here. Maybe you'd like to make a contribution. Ballard was big and getting bigger after “Sound of Freedom” — a movie based on his heroic work — became a box-office smash. Utah A.G. Sean Reyes was one of Ballard's biggest fans and went undercover with him in Colombia to flush out traffickers and save girls, or so the story goes. But now Shifty Sean is backing away from Ballard and won't endorse him for the Senate since several women complained that Tim made inappropriate advances. Tim also bragged that LDS Apostle M. Russell Ballard was central to his business dealings. President Ballard did what? Oops, you screwed up, Tim. He has stepped down as CEO of OUR, which is too bad 'cause rescuing trafficked girls is such a good gig. But that's peanuts compared to a Temple Recommend. Eternity can be such a long time.

Post script — That's about it for another fun-filled week here at Smart Bomb, where we read banned books so you don't have to. OK Wilson, do you remember in junior high the big hit that was Henry Miller's “Tropic of Cancer.” French people actually did that? Did our parents know? How could they? And no, “The Tropic of Cancer” was not in the school library. As the paperback made its rounds, all the good parts got underlined. That was cool 'cause it saved a lot of time. Those sultry James Bond books were popular, too. The dude knew how to work it. Where did Ian Flemming get that stuff. We obviously had a lot to learn. And then there was “The Diary of Anaïs Nin.” Holy smokes. Girls were thinking that, too. OMG! Banning books is hip again. Some parents and MAGA mobs are ripping books out of libraries and screaming at school boards and librarians intent on turning children into sex fiends or homosexuals or communists. Yes Wilson, it is reminiscent of the “War on Drugs. Don't want college students to smoke pot? Easy, just outlaw it. Don't want teenagers to know how the French have sex? Easy, just ban books. Right. Don't want middle school kids turning gay. Easy, just ban “And Tango Makes Three,” “Beyond Magenta” and “Captain Underpants.” Take that, Satan.

Well Wilson, it's just too bad Sean Reyes and Tim Ballard had to break up. They were such a great couple, going around the world in disguise to get them sex traffickers and save all them girls and then telling everybody how cool they were. It's just too bad — a shame, really. So what do you and the guys in the band have that might help with the big breakup:

I don't care if you never come home I don't mind if you just keep on Rowing away on a distant sea 'Cause I don't love you and you don't love me You cause a commotion when you come to town You give 'em a smile and they melt Having lovers and friends is all good and fine But I don't like yours and you don't like mine I don't care what you do at night Oh, and I don't care how you get your delights I'm gonna leave you alone, I'll just let it be I don't love you and you don't love me I tried to love you for years upon years You refuse to take me for real It's time you saw what I want you to see And I'd still love you if you'd just love me I don't care if you never come home I don't mind if you just keep on Rowing away on a distant sea 'Cause I don't love you and you don't love me

(Promises — Eric Clapton)

[thxnews]

John Steinbeck Grapes of Wrath: Triumph Amidst Adversity

  The Joad Family's Journey From Oklahoma to California

John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Grapes of Wrath," is a timeless American classic that transcends borders. This epic tale revolves around the Joad family, a struggling Oklahoma clan, who find themselves uprooted from their farm during the Great Depression. In their quest for a better life, they embark on a tumultuous journey westward to the golden promise of California.  

Vintage car. Photo by Pablo, Unsplash.  

The Hardships They Face Along the Way

This poignant narrative compellingly unfolds against the backdrop of the Dust Bowl era in the 1930s. During this tumultuous period, the Joads encounter a relentless litany of hardships, including the heart-wrenching loss of home, debilitating sickness, tragic death, and unrelenting discrimination. Despite these adversities, the indomitable spirit of the family fuels their resilience, driving them onward in their pursuit of hope, opportunity, and survival.  

Meet the Grapes of Wrath Characters

The novel introduces an array of captivating characters: - Tom Joad: The compassionate protagonist, freshly released from prison, driven by a desire to reunite with his family. - Ma Joad: The unyielding matriarch who binds the family together with love and strength. - Pa Joad: The proud patriarch, a skilled worker navigating the challenges of a new life. - Uncle John: Pa's brother, a kind-hearted alcoholic who joins the family. - Rose of Sharon: Tom's pregnant sister, a symbol of hope for the future. - Granny: The wise, superstitious elder with a cherished lucky charm. These characters, along with supporting figures like Al, Muley Graves, and Casey James Trimble Smith, make the novel a rich tapestry of human experience.  

Grapes of Wrath stage set. Photo by Jill Clardy. Flickr.  

The Hope They Find in Their New Home

Steinbeck skillfully employs religious imagery to vividly underscore the paramount importance of political and spiritual unity in conquering the hardships faced by farm workers. Furthermore, as the migrants band together, forging connections and casting aside insularity, the profound hope they discover in their new home stands as an undeniable testament to the remarkable power of cooperation and goodwill.   The Importance of Family and Community Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, "The Grapes of Wrath" emphasizes the significance of family and community. As the Joads confront nature's challenges and human cruelty, their unwavering loyalty to one another and their shared goal becomes a beacon of resilience. Within their newfound community of fellow strugglers, they discover strength, support, and solidarity. This novel is a poignant reminder that in the face of adversity, we all depend on the bonds of family and community to navigate life's harshest trials.  

Californian grape vines. Photo by Robert Linder. Unsplash.  

What Does the Grapes of Wrath Teach Us?

In the shadow of economic hardship, "The Grapes of Wrath" delivers a sobering depiction of the human toll of the Great Depression. Yet, amid the darkness, it illuminates the enduring strength of the human spirit. The novel ultimately imparts a message of hope, demonstrating that even during the bleakest of times, people can unite and summon the fortitude to persevere.   Summary "The Grapes of Wrath" encapsulates the harrowing journey of the Joad family during the Dust Bowl era, marked by the loss of home, sickness, death, and discrimination. Despite the countless trials they face, the Joads stand united, a testament to the power of family, hope, and determination in the face of adversity. Steinbeck's masterpiece transcends time and geography, offering a universal message of strength and resilience.   Sources: THX News, Wikipedia & Britannica. Read the full article

[c-40]

A-T-3 245 The Residents: Slicing Up Eyeballs

It was early August bank holiday weekend in the UK which means no work on Monday for many people (if you work freelance it means nothing.) I met up with a friend to see some another friend play records in a little café. After 11pm the place packed out and people started dancing on tables and chairs. The Djs know their stuff and are playful with their selections, so it made me chuckle hearing a big whoop from the dancers when the first few bars of Kaw-liga began to play. The reason for the whoop from the crowd was The Residents cover of Hank Williams' Kaw-Liga is a subversion of Michael Jackson's Billy Jean and Buddy played the 1986 Prairie Mix which delays all indication its not plainly a version of Billy Jean for a little bit longer. The Residents' Kaw-liga originates from their American Composers Series and Stars And Hank Forever, it was picked up by clubs as early as 1986

Resident Trump

So what were the Residents doing in 1983? They release Mole Show (also known as The Residents' Moleshow - Live At The Roxy - October 30, 1982.)

"The Mole Show—a stage production based on the Residents’ ambitious Mole Trilogy project, a kind of science fiction epic about labor, race and rock music inspired by The Grapes of Wrath—was the first show the group took on the road. Dramatizing the conflict between the ugly and industrious Moles and the cute, suburban Chubs, it was emceed by Penn Jillette, whose role was to make the audience want to kill him. He would begin by insulting the band (“Rather flashy, in a low-tech sort of way”) and come unglued as the show went on, culminating in a total meltdown between “The New Machine” and “Song of the Wild”; long after his mike had been cut, he’d be dragged offstage screaming “THIS IS A FUCKING RIPOFF! THE RESIDENTS ARE TAKING YOU FOR A GODDAMN RIDE!” Jillette would reappear onstage for Satisfaction, but Groucho-glassed, gagged and handcuffed to a wheelchair—a castrated clown in the seat of a cynic.” - Dangerous Minds

The Residents fuel fanatic fans through their anonymity, myth, and lore, they are obscure, cryptic, and subversive - giant eyeballs, residing outsiders, seeing everything and holding a mirror up to it. The residents embraced new media technology (if Hardy Fox was still alive he'd be all over AI,) from the early days of the internet people have been writing online about The Residents. Along with the writings of Robert Anton Wilson, The Church Of SubGenius, The Residents gave us a dress rehearsal of some of the darker corners of the internet (this is where people point at Reddit, the Chans, but of course there are a lot more spaces now, like X and Telegram) where what was once satire, critique, subversion, and performance, is itself being subverted to promote hate and exhibit power. Politically RAW, The Church Of SubGenius, The Residents are ambiguous (is that just American Liberalism?) I got into all three in the late 1980s when politically they were lumped with punk bands bands like the Dead Kennedy's and Black Flag, writers like Charles Bukowski, American underground comics, and conspiracy writing, what they all these things had in common was their distrust of the USA, and the straightjacket of Reaganism, consumerism, and religion

Controlled Misinformation. In 2014 The Atlantic published the above article about Vladislav Surkov, he is the architect of Russian sovereign democracy which I believe was adopted to achieve Brexit and Trump's victory in 2016 and the current strategies for the tory party in the UK and reabulivan party in the USA. As we've seen with Pizzagate/QAnon/#SaveTheChildren and now the Trump2024 show, the creation of these ideologies borrow heavily from performance art like that created by The Residents and CotS. Penn Jillette's role as narrator for Mole Show the aim is to create a dizzying effect, Putin did this just last week, Schrödinger's Putin is and isn't involved in the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin. It might be believed he is but news media can't confirm that, they can broadcast Putin's made for tv eulogy, anything else is speculation and also Putin leans into that. Trump is trying to use his arrest to achieve something similar

The ambitious Mole Show trilogy (a trilogy of pairs in six parts) was never completed and (like a lot of theatre) the live show left them broke, the sets had been seized by a UK shipping company because they couldn't pay their bills, to make US backers happier they scraped together what they could to perform Uncle Sam's Mole Show in Washington DC. They released an outtakes compilation album called Residue of the Residents, and The Residents label Ralph Records put out their 1977 promotional Radio Special were probably due to the financial failure of Mole Show

In this British interview about Mole Show from 1983 Penn Jillette talked about the making of a radio special, this is the 10 Year Anniversary Radio Special that came out in 1982, the story is very entertaining

[arrant-knav3]

OH BOY thank you for tagging me!!!

last song: The Last Shanty by the Derina Harvey Band

last book: Grapes of Wrath by Jon Steinbeck!! It's well written and has a lot of important passages that I love but it's long and I'm on a time limit for school so it's kinda been annoying and miserable to read :(

last movie: The Princess (2022) it was fun! I liked it, it was very entertaining!

last tv show: The Waltons! My dad wanted to show me the dust bowl episod since im reading grapes of wrath for my literature class. I liked it! It's not usually my thing though.

last thing i googled: “chapter 13 grapes of wrath pdf” LOL

sweet/savoury/spicy: It really depeands on what I want at the time!

relationship status: I’m married to the sea

looking forward to: finishing my classes 😭

current obsession: the medieval era!! I made a new oc and now I have a problem LMAO

tagging: No pressure of course!! @diana-daphne @klqrambles @gabriel-shutterson

tagged for 10 people i'd like to know better by @drinkthemlock ( ty for tagging me :3 this is so late im so sorry lol)

last song: champagne coast by blood orange

last book: tell me i'm worthless by alison rumfitt

last movie: the lighthouse (probs by favourite eggers movie so far, can't wait to rewatch it and pick out all the symbolism)

last tv show: peep show

last thing i googled: vox crossword archives

sweet/savoury/spicy: yes

relationship status: eunuch advisor

looking forward to: watching cabaret w my besties tonight :D

current obsession: tennessee williams, 19th century medical history, john waters, and sea glass

tagging: @berkeley-mews @fakenudes @burningvelvet @enlitment @swimmingback @cicadaland @saintjustienne @wyvin

[writer-in-theory]

Today I'm thinking about Billy and Steve being together in high school or maybe even a college au of sorts. Billy coming over to Steve's house one day and there's papers and textbooks literally everywhere. And Steve, well Steve is laying in the middle of the living room just staring at the ceiling and it's so unlike his boyfriend that Billy is terrified of the scene.

He starts to pick fun because that's what he does, but then Steve isn't really laughing. Steve actually looks pissed at the situation, saying he wanted to have all his studying cleaned up before Billy got over so he wouldn't have to see it. And Billy realizing that he's never actually seen Steve work on any homework or studying, and Billy kind of just...never thought about it before.

Steve admitting that he has a hard time focusing on it, that every time he has to sit still to focus on it he feels like he's gonna jump out of his skin. He admits he's sat there and just cried before because he wants to study, he wants to get good grades, he just can't fucking do it.

So Billy drops his bag, because it's not too uncommon for him to do homework at Steve's house. And fuck, how didn't he notice this before? Because while Billy studies, Steve is usually making dinner or curled up next to him talking about something but never actually doing the work Billy knows he has because they're in the same fucking classes.

And Billy is pulling out a tape of Metallica or something equally loud, not hesitating to blast it as loud as he dares without incurring the wrath of Steve's neighbors. He's grabbing a small handful of rubber bands from the bottom of his bag and slapping them into Steve's hand, ignoring the very confused expression on his boyfriend's face.

"Well? What d'you have to do today?" Billy is asking, and Steve is still trying to make sense of the situation but he admits he's behind on the Grapes of Wrath reading but that said book has long since been abandoned at the back of his locker. "Use my copy, I've read it before," Billy tells him, pulling out a well-worn and loved book with plenty of Billy's writing held within its pages.

"I, I don't," Steve is trying to say, trying to understand.

"A friend from California was the same way," Billy explained like this wasn't one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for Steve. Because people just assume he's lazy, assume he can't do it, assume he's not smart enough. But here Billy is, not once ever making him feel stupid just...giving him options even if they don't make sense right now. "Said he needed music to keep his brain quiet enough or some shit. I always kept rubber bands on me when he needed his hands to be messin' with something. Sometimes he'd walk around while he read too, said it helped to keep his feet focused on something else."

Billy goes back to his math homework like it's not a big deal, but when Steve slowly starts pacing while reading he can't help but smile. Steve got more studying done that night than he'd ever done in his entire life, so slowly Billy starts collecting more trinkets to carry around in case Steve needs his hands on something.

And it's not perfect. There are still days where Steve still just can't, but his grades improve because someone thought to actually care about what he was saying.