And every time I see him, he's just barely getting by.

  I don't really have anything today, so we'll just fill up space while we listen to Charlie Daniels. Too bad it isn't yesterday. I had a flash of inspiration and worked out the background basics of what I think would be a neat science-fantasy tale. It's essentially a Quantum Leap or Voyagers that doesn't involve making sure history goes "like it should" because history - and existence - is fluid. The Many-Worlds Interpretation plays into it, of course.

 Is Voyagers remembered at all these days? I loved that show. Brief synopsis for you kids. Male-model-as-pirate and Punky Brewster's older brother travel through history to make sure it stays on the right path. They have a little pocket watch-looking deal that glows green when everything's okay. It ran for 20 episodes back in '82-'83 and all I remember was the Pirate character (Bogg) saying something would work with "Does Marie Antoinette have great legs," and when pressed by the Kid he said "No, Marie Antoinette had terrible legs," and I've thought about that ever since anytime she comes up.

 It was actually fairly popular, particularly since it was up against the juggernaut known as 60 Minutes. Apparently, it was canceled so NBC could launch a competing news magazine show. The idea was something shifty had gone down at 60 Minutes as happens from time to time, and NBC thought it could snag that market. That 60 Minutes still broadcasts every Sunday evening shows how that worked out.

 Like I said, this was in '82 or '83, so I was seven going on eight when this broadcast. It's also roughly about the same time I saw my first Doctor Who serial - Pyramids of Mars, yes I remember - and the first time I saw Time Bandits. I'm assuming that's where my fascination with time travel and time, in general, came from. I'm currently reading a non-fiction book on the nature of time by Alon Halperin called The Network of Time. So far it's nothing new - to me, anyway - but it's been an enjoyable read, and I have a book featuring H.G. Wells as the protagonist on deck plus a non-fiction book that's particularly about the science of time travel.

 I have no idea why time travel has such a hold on me. I have no desire to revisit my own past and living in any historical time holds no allure. Maybe Nashville during the '70s, but that's about it. Also, one of the ways my protagonist realizes that history has gone awry is him noting that Hank Williams died in the plane crash that killed Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins rather than due to alcoholism somewhere between Knoxville and Canton, Ohio.

 Anyhow. I've spent the last half-hour reading about the 1982-83 television year, so I guess I should wrap this up. I can't really think of anything too interesting to get into. I got my second Pfizer shot yesterday, and I think I'm feeling some effects from it. Nothing heavy, just a general achy/shitty overall feeling. I got in touch with the guy who sold me the Lucky 13 that apparently got lost in the mail, so he's sending me a new one. Hopefully, it gets here Friday. The PowerDraw says it's still stuck in China, but it's got until May 10. I also broke down and bought a Special 20 in F because the music store in Tupelo didn't have one, dammit.

 I've gotten further into Dragon Age: Origins than I ever have. Those games require a lot of time and dedication, and really don't allow for much else. Regardless, it's an exceptional game. That's enough of that.

Take a little trip with me.

  It's the first of April. I never have cared for April Fool's Day mainly because most folks are neither all that funny nor all that clever. I've only seen a couple of April Fool's tweets today and they've been blatantly obvious. I guess living in the bizarre reality that has been the last four years has sapped most people's tolerance for bullshit.

 The Derek Chauvin case is going into its fourth day. Here's a pretty good Twitter feed called Unicorn Riot that's been following the trial. The defense's strategy seems to be not only painting George Floyd as a danger but also that the cops were being threatened by the cops. It's going to be interesting to see what the defense brings because the prosecution is eating them up. A former supervisor of Chauvin has said he went too far.

 Another... interesting take on it is how guilty the witnesses all seem to feel over it, as if they're blaming themselves for Floyd's death. Particularly the young man who originally thought he passed a fake twenty. He was hard to listen to, bless his heart, and it goes a long way in explaining why this sort of thing keeps happening, why police brutality is so commonplace.

 You'll see these arguments online where people who support police brutality and inevitably someone will ask them, "Well, what if it happens to you or someone you love?" Once they get over the claim they'd never do something like that, the pro folks always say something along the line of, "Well, I/they probably deserve it." Think about that. Our culture has this worship of authority so ingrained that we think we deserve to have punitive measures used against us whenever said authority deems it necessary. 

 That's something about our culture we maybe should think about. It doesn't remove or explain away the racial aspect of police brutality or the other aspects of White Supremecy that, but I definitely think it has a structural component to this all-American comment of daily life. Same thing with yet another mass shooting. We for some reason think we deserve like this or, at least, it's a reasonable sacrifice. It should also be noted that the same people who think the cops are justified with what they do are the same ones who lose their shit when they get a ticket for parking in a handicapped spot. Go figure.

 Moving on, we've all had to consider Matt Gaetz's "oh-face" way too much this week. It's come out that he's given to show nude pictures and videos of his sexual conquests to others, even fellow Congress critters while on the floor of the House of Representatives. That's just creepy and gross. I mean, that'd be creepy and gross if he was 21, but for a member of the U.S. legislative body, it's almost beyond the pale. Even if the sexual trafficking of minors charge is bogus, he ought to be bounced just for that. For cryin' out loud, man, try not to act so much like the privileged frat boy douchebag you so obviously are.

 And that's about that. It's been cold but an otherwise lovely day and we finally got high-speed fiber-optic internet. It is nice to rejoin the 21st century. I've been buying more harmonicas, including a PowerDraw harp that I'm extremely looking forward to messing with. Maybe after my birthday, I'll buy myself one of these Lucky 13 harps that are tuned for bass playing.

 I'm having a lot of fun relearning harmonica and guitar. Maybe the best thing about learning or relearning anything - from a musical instrument to a sport to something like painting - is when a hurdle or a block that's been hanging you up and frustrating your progress just melts away. You figure it out and it becomes second nature. It's like discovering you have a super power.