Editor’s Note: There is a lot of emotion in the air this week. As a senior retiree, I hope for peace and understanding. That seems to be in short supply at the moment. A large percentage of people seem think everything is fine. Another large percentage think they have witnessed a large Federal Crime. I am curious to see what will be used to bring us together again. There must be some social media message that can connect us, though I can’t imagine what it might be. I saw an interesting old article this morning about the extent to which Federal control of social systems expanded in the last century. FDR’s New Deal was one, and LBJ’s Great Society was another. Having experienced the latter as a sort of life-expanse event, some of our generation is skeptical about more of it. I have to count myself with them.

– Vic

Author’s Note: Just a video link to a song’s live stage performance that seems worthy of consideration for these times of the plague and uncivil political war.

Yup — The Good, The Bad and The Ugly played by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

This 1966 Italian spaghetti western movie and its theme song reset the standard for what audiences wanted from American westerns:

weathered poncho’d good guy, silver toothed bad guy
Civil War backdrop — set in 1862 as America first made war on itself
atmosphere of merciless competing bounty hunters — like today’s political parties and media outlets
extreme close-ups that scare viewers (see Sergio Leone’s art below and compare it to current cable TV news video dreck)
treasure hunting and greed
unforgettable characters and names like Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes
cutthroats of all colors

I can’t wait for some future Leone to make a western based on the past year of plague and political trench warfare that leads them, one and all, to a desert cemetery. They’ll have mucho trabajo work to do on the current nicknames of Orange Head, Wacko, and Basement Guy.

It’ll be Baaaaah.

-Marlow

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