State of Incredulity
What’s the emotion beyond anger, rage, sadness, disbelief, horror, grief, and excruciating loss?
What’s the emotion beyond anger, rage, sadness, disbelief, horror, grief, and excruciating loss? I don’t know, but I expect we will find out in the foreseeable future. Our questions are overwhelmed only by the lack of credible answers. The sheer incompetence and shameless mendacity of our political leaders is breathtaking. They must be held to account. But naturally, now is not the time.
Their news conferences are, in between hashtags of #LAStrong and publicly kissing the asses of their elected colleagues, an exhibition of conventional press PR that feels decades-old in today’s video news environment. The mayor of Los Angeles in 2025 offers a government website as “URL”.
I get reading off a script, but not hearing yourself describe a web address like that should cause an immediate correction. She was oblivious to her verbal error. And then, responding to a reporter’s question about a viral video, these “leaders” say it’s too early to point fingers or assess blame. They promise a full investigation. Promises.
They promised to have a functioning fire prevention and suppression system. Taxpayers paid the taxes and politicians fill up the reservoirs. I think this is a psychological problem. We describe our leaders “Father” of our country. NO, elected leaders are employees. Employees that work for the taxpaying citizen.
It’s time we start acting like a business owner. We hire and fire politicians, and they are at-will employees. We have term limits - we call it voting. It’s about time we start acting like concerned citizens. In times of peace as well in times of strife.
Let’s start the healing. Music always helps me reflect on the deeper issues of the day. It’s good that old songs provide new comfort in hard times. Everyone that lost a home probably lost hard copies of their music. But their songs are still here. And those songs are theirs forever. Here’s a few that I hope provide a melodic salve for a damaged soul.
We are broken and hurt and crying. And we don’t know when the pain will stop.
Pray for us. And pray for yourselves.
Ric
A high school friend - a drummer of course - posted this video on his fb. I had never heard this version, and it brought me to tears. I specifically remember hearing it on the radio last summer, driving along Mulholland Highway with the windows down, sun shining, and music blaring.
I vividly recall just laughing uncontrollably at how miserable I thought my life was as I was rolling across the most beautiful iconic views in all of the world. This is my city - The City of Angels. And now it’s burnt to a crisp. Because of the people we hired failed us.
Losing It
Available on Signals
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
Lyrics: Neil Peart
The dancer slows her frantic pace
In pain and desperation,
Her aching limbs and downcast face
Aglow with perspiration
Stiff as wire, her lungs on fire,
With just the briefest pause —
The flooding through her memory,
The echoes of old applause.
She limps across the floor
And closes her bedroom door…
The writer stares with glassy eyes —
Defies the empty page,
His beard is white, his face is lined
And streaked with tears of rage.
Thirty years ago, how the words would flow
With passion and precision,
But now his mind is dark and dulled
By sickness and indecision
And he stares out the kitchen door
Where the sun will rise no more…
Some are born to move the world —
To live their fantasies
But most of us just dream about
The things we’d like to be
Sadder still to watch it die
Than never to have known it
For you — the blind who once could see —
The bell tolls for thee…
The Pass
Available on Presto
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
Lyrics: Neil Peart
proud swagger out of the schoolyard
waiting for the world’s applause
rebel without a conscience
martyr without a cause
static on your frequency
electrical storm in your veins
raging at unreachable glory
straining at invisible chains
and now you’re trembling on a rocky ledge
staring down into a heartless sea
can’t face life on a razor’s edge
nothing’s what you thought it would be
All of us get lost in the darkness
Dreamers learn to steer by the stars
All of us do time in the gutter
Dreamers turn to look at the cars
turn around and turn around and turn around
Turn around and walk the razor’s edge
Don’t turn your back
And slam the door on me
it’s not as if this barricade
blocks the only road
it’s not as if you’re all alone
in wanting to explode
someone set a bad example
made surrender seem all right
the act of a noble warrior
who lost the will to fight
and now you’re trembling on a rocky ledge
staring down into a heartless sea
done with life on a razor’s edge
nothing’s what you thought it would be
no hero in your tragedy
no daring in your escape
no salutes for your surrender
nothing noble in your fate
Christ, what have you done?
The Trees
Available on Circumstances
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
Lyrics: Neil Peart
There is unrest in the Forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the Maples want more sunlight
And the Oaks ignore their pleas.
The trouble with the Maples
(And they’re quite convinced they’re right)
They say the Oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light
But the Oaks can’t help their feelings
If they like the way they’re made
And they wonder why the Maples
Can’t be happy in their shade?
There is trouble in the Forest
And the creatures all have fled
As the Maples scream ‘Oppression!’
And the Oaks, just shake their heads
So the Maples formed a Union
And demanded equal rights
‘The Oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light’
Now there’s no more Oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw…
Red Hot Chili Peppers Lyrics
"Under The Bridge"
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner
Sometimes I feel like my only friend
Is the city I live in, The City of Angels
Lonely as I am together we cry
I drive on her streets 'cause she's my companion
I walk through her hills 'cause she knows who I am
She sees my good deeds and she kisses me windy
Well, I never worry, now that is a lie
I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
But take me to the place I love, take me all the way
I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
But take me to the place I love take me all the way
Yeah, yeah yeah
It's hard to believe that there's nobody out there
It's hard to believe that I'm all alone
At least I have her love
The city, she loves me
Lonely as I am together we cry
I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
But take me to the place I love take me all the way
I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day
But take me to the place I love take me all the way
Yeah, yeah yeah
Oh, no, no, no, yeah yeah
Love me, I say, yeah yeah
One time
(Under the bridge downtown)
Is where I drew some blood
(Under the bridge downtown)
I could not get enough
(Under the bridge downtown)
Forgot about my love
(Under the bridge downtown)
I gave my life away, yeah
Yeah yeah
Oh, no, no no no, yeah yeah
Oh no, I said oh, yeah yeah
Here I stay