[160] Screed City

[160]

07/08/2020 Friday. Garbage Room. Beaver Haus. Lower Granville, Vermont.

Well, I wasn't going to screed tonight, but it has been a stellar day in Screed City. I mean, Screed City Radio is up and running! I mean, almost. I got trained today. Which, I mean, the Radio Hippy or maybe he is the Radio Libertarian, I mean, he said the n-word twice within three minutes of meeting the guy. I mean, kind of in his defense he was talking about FCC regulations, but still, he didn't need to use the word. And the funny thing was that it wasn't even the N-word that caused the issue, it was some guy calling himself a Wi**er. Which is even more racist somehow, but also, I mean, if the Radio Libertarian had said that word it would have made more sense, but he refused to say it. Which I found very odd indeed. I mean, what the hell? But also, the guy railed against the establishment and the Pandemic calling it just barely worse than the flu. And he referred to science as propaganda. Which was a little rich. AND the guy doesn't even own a cell phone. Which, I mean, kudos to that. Like really. We bonded on a few issues. This being one of them. And he does seem nice enough. I mean, his views on free speech were kind of refreshing on one hand, but he complained about how everyone was too sensitive nowadays. Which, I mean, reading the room is just SO hard for some people. The concept is VERY simple, you are not allowed to define who I am, and just because you can say something that doesn't mean you should, or that there shouldn't be fallout from it. If I called his mom a dirty whore, I think he would have taken offense. But shit, free speech, am I right? But if I did that and he slapped me, I mean, I probably had it coming. I mean, that still doesn't give me the absolute right to go on Twitter and call his mom a dirty whore. It just doesn't. Not because of anything other than there are rules regarding such things. And they are not rules that violate my rights. His right to dangle his dick in the middle of the street of Warren stops the second there is somebody there to witness it. You dig?

Either way, I learned to do some radio junk. I even got to play two songs. One was Round Here by the Counting Crows and the other was some Brazilian Native music. I mean, I did a great job. AND I learned I can have live bands if I want, and I can do a 3 hour show if I want, and I can basically do whatever the hell I want within the FCC guidelines for Community Radio. I mean, I can't sell shit or tell people to go do something or cuss or play songs with cussing, but everything else is up for grabs ATBMS.

AND THEN! After it was all said and done and I was trained and stuff, I turned on the radio, driving away and guess what song was playing? Rock and Roll Radio, by the Ramones! I mean, my intro uses that song! How serendipitous is that? Very, is how. I mean, I still need to sit in with somebody a few times. Get my sea legs ATBMS, and I will not be able to start until the end of August, maybe beginning of September, but everything is up and running now. I mean, a banner day for Screed City.

Also, it is a banner day for Cubby Bubbys. I mean, I nailed, absolutely nailed the Gluten Free Bubbys. The new flour was the trick. I soaked it in beef stock for a few hours. Added some baking soda and baking powder. I mean, I don't know how to use those things, but I added about a teaspoon of each. And a little salt, but that was it. And the things came out moist and tasty. I mean, it is as close I will ever get to an actual Cubby Bubby I believe. I mean, the are definitely a "One Piece Sandwich" for sure. So, I got that going for me. Sadly though, I had to try two of them after I cooked them to make sure. And that means I only have eight for tomorrow, but we will see. Maybe that won't matter so much. Originally I was going to only bring seven anyway. So, I mean, maybe I will give one to the Putin of Gluten as a sign of good will. I mean, in the end I will be bringing 58 things to the market tomorrow. Give one to the Putin, and a Breakfast Bubby to G, so I will have 56 to sell. But so what? I mean, finger crossed that I sell them all, although I do need new display Bubbys, so selling about six less than I bring wouldn't hurt my feelings. I mean, 50 times $6 dollars is $300 dollars. That is the sweet spot as far as I am concerned. I mean, I did some more math today. And I could do an intensive 12 hour bake and make 120 Cubby Bubbys, I mean, if I could sell that many, maybe I would do it, but that really is the limit as far as what I am capable of doing. But still, that would ultimately mean I am making $25 dollars an hour after expenses, so who knows if that is worth it, although, $720 dollars a week might be worth it in the end. Three days work. I mean, it would be enough to live off. In theory. As long as Junior Mint lived for another 100,000 miles and I got the gas bill down to $200 dollars a month in the Winter. Speaking of, my god! I need to cut that fucking hole in the wall. I don't think it will happen until September now. My fuck. Why is everything so hard in Vermont?

I mean, after my learning at the radio station I walked down the stairs and was greeted by four different Vermont Crusters. I mean, there is a little bakery upstairs by the radio booth and a grocery/deli on the first floor. I mean, I guess this is where the hip kids hang out. By kids I mean, middle aged grumpy White Vermont anti-society types. Butwhatever, how that connects with my question about why Vermont is so damn infuriating, I don't know, but it does connect. I mean, I think it is just a timing thing. And I think that people are able to live cheaply or have tons of money already that it doesn't bother them, but still, they probably have good insulation and a wood burning stove. So they don't have to wrestle with gas prices and lazy landlords. Or maybe they do. I don't know. But still, Vermont gets a grade of: PU, when it comes to being annoying sometimes.

After I baked the GFs I took G to the Sunset Hike on Lincoln Gap, and boy oh boy did they complain. Ugh. And the worst is, I got so frustrated with their griping I left them in the dust, and then they got lost and didn't even make it to the payout. The magnificent vistas. I mean, they zigged when they should have zagged. I mean, luckily for us there was good phone service so they could call me. Otherwise I may still be up there looking for missing teenage vibes. I mean, when we talked they said:

"I went uphill and then it was wrong, so I turned around and am heading back."

I said: "Are you on the trail?"

They said: "I'm on a [Italics] trail."

I said: "Okay, just keep walking downhill. I'll catch up." Then I started running. Then I called them back.

I said: "You know to just follow the same route you took, right? Don't take any shortcuts. And if you get lost just stay where you are."

They said: "Yeah, I know that." I didn't believe them, that they knew that, but, I mean, the trail and the hike was very mild indeed, so I wasn't that worried. I mean, I was worried enough that I was running to catch up, but I wasn't worried that they would end up in Lincoln or something. Fall off a cliff or something. I mean, if G is anything it is lazy, so I don't think they would just walk and walk for hours and not give it a second thought like I would do. But still, I have never gotten lost in my life, well maybe in a casino or something, the sub-burbs, but not while hiking. But then again, I am always lost, so nothing new for trash like you, ATBMS.

I mean, when I got to the vistas there was a couple of literal DeadHeads hanging out. Mid-20's. Crusting on the cliff's edge. I mean, they weren't actually crusty. They were kind of clean cut and very attractive. I mean, we talked for a while. They were in town for the Dead concert in Burlington? I missed this information. But they were heading to Philly tomorrow, then Pittsburg, then the City. We talked about travel and farmers markets. They were going to "Market" when the tour was over. Which, the last show is the City show. I told them that the markets here were quite lucrative if you had something to sell that wasn't perishable. And they agreed. They thought they would head over to Brandon tonight to go to a Bluegrass festival. Then I told them about how shitty it was to live in Vermont. How there is no social life and the Winters are brutal. The dude said:

"You are making me reconsider moving here."

I said: "I mean, it's not so bad, it is pretty enough, it's just not what you think it is. The Winter is literally six months, maybe longer. And the social life stinks. I mean, when I came up from the City I had so much pent up energy that I loved the place for about six months, then it kind of went downhill." Then I told them about the apartment in Queens and how the City sucks in the Summer, but hopefully I can Winter in the City and come up here in the Spring. And the chick said:

"Oh, the best of both worlds."

I said: "Yeah, I guess."

[Insert Vista Photo]

I took this dumb thing as an after thought. I was too embarrassed to walk back out and take a good one. But I got the DeadHeads.

And then I told them to tell everyone hi down there and they said: "Oh, yeah, right on, we will." I don't think they understood I was joking. Either way, they were very nice. I mean, G did have a good time after all. There was a couple on the trail with a little kid, a boy, that G said the boy asked his mom after passing G on the trail:

"Who was that her?" G found that very funny. And they did get some exercise. I mean, I forgot to make them lunch because they took forever to come down and leave before we left, and our outing was like a three hour thing. So that is bad parenting on my part, but in my defense I forgot to make them lunch. Not because I am a bad father, which, I don't think I am, but because they said they would be down in a few minutes and it took like an hour, and by that time I had lots of other things on my mind. And they didn't remind me about the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I offered them. I mean, I wonder if that would have helped the poor attitude? Either way, it's too late now.

I mean, when we got back I wrapped the cooled GF Bubbys and made G some mac and cheese with broccoli. Cleaned out the trunk of Junior Mint. I mean, tomorrow is going to be weird. With three chafing dishes and one extra G. I think I have to put one of the things in the trunk. I guess. I mean, I think it will work out fine. I don't know though. I was going to test it, but instead I am writing this. So I blame you, and your thirst for gossip that is going to be my downfall. I mean, I joined Twitter for you insatiable maniacs. Twitter! The bane of society. I mean I decided today that I will only post Screed City on Twitter. Not the fiction stuff. That shit becomes books that everyone should buy. I mean, one day I will publish a rolodex of Screed City. I mean, it will be glorious. I mean, I thought I should start an app called Screed City, that is just people venting about shit. But unlike Twitter, it will be unlimited in the amount of words you can use. I mean, it will basically be a weblog app, but you can't have pictures or songs or anything, just text. And there can only be commentary, commentary you can't respond to, so you just have to sit there and take the abuse. I mean, it sounds awful and it will be awful, but that is the point. You know? The limits of free speech. I mean, I guess your next Screed could be about how society really let you down and respond to criticism that way, but that will just add to the long-form nature of the app. I mean, you post something, get a hailstorm of criticism, then spend the next 10 "Screeds" dealing with the fallout. Which nobody will read. And maybe then we can get an accurate understanding of how Social Media actually works. That it is not actually the town square bullshit it pretends to be. I mean, it will be like putting a lock in the town square for all the outraged townsfolk to throw rotten tomatoes at you. I mean, I am joking, because that is how these foolish assholes who just shit on the world and then wonder why everyone is pissed think things work, but with the Screed City app, it will actually be true. Anyway, you can follow me on Twitter: @screedcity.

Speaking of assholes, just joking, you can't bait me that easy, Mister Brain. I won't do it. I just won't. I mean, I feel like there was one more piece of good news that I wanted to convey. I mean, I went to the post office in Warren. That was funny. I sent some books to that podcast that reviewed Donkey the other day. Plus some money. $20 bucks. I mean, that seemed like a weird thing to do, to put money in the package, but I don't subscribe to them, which I should. They give me a lot of pleasure, but I can't bring myself to do it, just yet. I have two other ones that I should give a subscription to as well. Which, I mean, it's weird. It's weird to give somebody money who did a review of your book, but I know they make their living this way, with the podcast, so it isn't the worst thing to do. And I doubt they did the review just to get my measly $20 doll hairs and some books they probably won't read. But there is an ethics concern there, kind of. I mean, I should just support their work. But still, I have conflicts. And these other two. I mean, they have sponsors. I mean, The Professional Left is doing gods work out in the Midwest. For progressive politics. Which is important. And this other one, Opening Arguments, I mean, how I started this paragraph, how I was about to go on a diatribe about how much of an idiot and liar Elon Musk is, I mean, they have been real-time telling the world that that asshole was going to take his bullshit offer to buy Twitter off the table and blame it on something like the bots this whole time. That, in fact, the contract he signed to buy the thing in the first place was such a horrible decision on his part, that he is, in fact, a terrible business man, much like the Orange Douche, that the deal was never every going to happen, because he is such an idiot, I mean, listening to them spell it out and then watching it unfold they way they predicted, I mean, it is prescient. I mean, I think they are doing some very specific work, legally based, that needs more funding, so I may subscribe to them. Plus they are atheists, which is a breath of fresh air in this fucked up timeline that we all seem to be living in. The other one is whatever. They have sponsors too. And I just want to see their Boston show with Chris Brokaw, so I might subscribe and then take my subscription back. I mean, I don't know. It is complicated. I mean, people pay for this drivel. And it makes me feel weird. I mean, I appreciate it very much, don't get me wrong, and I would love nothing more than to just do this for a living, but that is very unlikely, and the idea that I use that money to support someone else that has sponsors? I mean, Opening Arguments is actually doing on the ground stuff. Starting funds for things. Raising money for things. Doing actual legal work for things. And all artists deserve to get paid, but as an artist that doesn't get paid, not really, for my art, I find it weird to just pass the same $20 bucks around like money is meaningless. Because it is not meaningless, to me. So I am conflicted. And I am filled with guilt. But still. Support art. You have no idea how much it means to the artists. I mean, for a while there, Donkey was costing like $300 dollars a month to send out, and I was getting, what? $20 dollars a month in paid subscriptions? I mean, I know that makes me as bad a business dude as Elon Musk, but still, it is either that or nothing. I just write this shit, print it on cheap paper and then wipe my ass with it. Clogging my septic tank and creating a new and horrible problem for myself. I mean, if you can afford it, like buying a gallon of milk per month, I mean, it makes a HUGE difference. It not only helps with living, but it makes the artist feel like they aren't just shooting rope into the wind, if you know what I mean. Screaming into the void. I mean, the problem with Progressive thought is that we, and I mean, WE, we will all do it for free, because it is important, but there comes a time when part time prostitutes can't fight back against the very well funded Fascist, Racist, Theocratic Right. Who, need I remind you, just shoved the tip of their fucking anti-rights iceberg out of the sea and the Titanic of Democracy, the US-Fucking-A is heading right towards it. And I hate to tell you, this ship is not an un-sinkable Molly Brown. We could be living in a very different world two years from now. I mean, we already are, it's just hasn't set in. And this idea that we can just point to them and say: "Aint that fucked up? You better vote for us." IS NOT ENOUGH.

I mean, there is a reason that I am so excited for Screed City Radio. It gives me something. A little bit of power. A little bit of hope. That I can make a very tiny bit of difference. That I can remind people to vote. Remind people to go to Select Board meetings. School Board meetings. Protests. I can amplify candidates. Even if it is just having people on to talk. That I can control the narrative. I mean, the inertia is everywhere. Because we keep losing, over and over and over. But we need energy to get us out of this shit. And it comes on the local level, AND! Since we live in a modern world, my shit is going to be live-streamed, so you don't need to be in Warren or Waitsfield to hear it. I mean, Art Bell, you remember that guy? Coast to Coast? I mean, he radicalized an entire generation of fools, but in the golden era of just hearing things on the radio, I mean, driving across the humongous States of America, there was a moment when anything seemed possible, even if it was just conspiracy bullshit, I mean, Progressive ideas are GOOD IDEAS. They are simple, practical, they address simple things, like how money is just going to the top and not being distributed to the rest of us.

I mean, I had this idea today, about renting. About what it meant to own a house. About how, sure, owning a house, spending your life getting something that will build your portfolio, or whatever is great. It gives the banks something to come steal when you can't pay your medical bills. I mean, the idea is that you are building towards something, but that something is just corporations coming to get your life's savings when you are dying. I mean, why the hell would I want to be part of that? I mean, if you see shit in those terms, why not rent? You don't have to worry about anything. And when you get sick, just go to the emergency room and don't pay your bills. I mean, either you die and whatever, or what? They come for your $3,000 dollar 2004 Nissan Altima? I mean, okay. Empty my $1,000 dollar bank account? I mean, at that point you call the ACLU. I mean, break the fucking system. The housing market is a scam. And the idea that we should all be succubus’s for Big Bank, for Corporations? You have to be kidding me? I say, "Die broke and leave a mountain of debt!" Force those fuckers to deal with their bullshit. I mean, owning a place is just as bad as renting, except you, YOU, have to deal with the shitty boiler, the shitty insulation, AND, you still have to pay taxes. Why not rope-a-dope these fuckers. I mean, life is like beer, you only rent it anyway. I mean, fuck these assholes. They strive on the status quo. And guess what? That means you and me paying our fucking bills, owning houses and having 9 t0 5 jobs so we can go broke at the end of our lives and give it all back to them anyway. NO! Fuck that! Ownership is a construct. Rent a house, don't pay your rent, go to the emergency room if you are sick, don't get insurance, I mean, take good care of yourself, see doctors and stuff, but you know what I mean. I mean, until the system is broken and there is no way around it, we are all just pawns in some billionaires game. Who! Need I remind you, there will be a trillionaire within this decade if we don't do something about it now.

I mean, elect progressives. Start radio shows. Podcasts. Get involved in local politics. School boards, select boards, busybody societies. Keep the vampires out. Knock on doors. Talk about this. All of it. Say the word abortion. Hate the police. The police only protect the status quo. I mean, this is the only way. The only other option is the Christian Right taking over the country. With exactly zero of the mandate from the people who actually live here. I mean, if you think these monsters are going to stop at Roe, you are gravely mistaken.

Anyway, I guess I am not supposed to talk politics, because, boo-hoo-hoo, nobody likes it, but those stupid bleating goats just saw me through the window and now they won't shut up. And as a suddenly very oppressed majority we should take a lesson from their idiocy, we need to be vocal, now, and keep being vocal forever. If, in some weird alternate universe, the Right is supposed to be a ballast to the Left leaning politics that America is wont to do, that analogy will not work if the Left doesn't have any wind in our sails. I mean, blow like the wind! I mean, a tiny million breaths will make bellow of us all! Seriously! It is now or never! Protest votes in "Safe" states does nothing. We need new leadership and new ideas. The politics of the last 20 years have failed us. Admit we have a two party system and deal with it. I mean, two years of a democrat putting judges on the bench for lifetime appointments is far better than the alternative. And if you think Jill Stein can solve that problem, you are a fool living in la-la-land. I mean, it sucks, but vote in the primaries, vote Progressive, and when that doesn't work out, vote Democrat. Plug your fucking noses. That is what the Right has done for 50 fucking years, and look what it got them. Learn a fucking lesson. Joe Mansion sucks, but the Republican Governor of Vermont is great. Whoop-dee, fucking doo. Federal politics are not the future. That is very apparent now.

I mean, I will descend from my soap box now, but still, I really don't want to hear it anymore. We lack leadership, but so what? How about instead of whining about it, we actually do something. Tits McGee and Nose Glasses Grampa need to go. Our power is that we have EVERYBODY on our side, just not the 33% of fucking maniacs that now control the Government without having any mandate at all. They did a run-around on us, and we let them do it. I mean, if I have learned anything from the Vermont inertia, it is this: Life is hard, you have to show up, and when you show up, you have to be present. If you phone it in, suddenly The Chainsmoker is running the town.

I mean, since I am putting this Screed out on the Screed City app, don't expect any responses to your critique, but still, you may think I am shaming you into voting for Dems, I am not. I just want it to be very clear that any Republican in power in the next election is going to enact a very brutal and anti-American action, an anti-Freedom action, that will destroy the lives of half of the population, at least, I mean, primaries first, then the elections. That is all I am saying. I am begging you. There is a world of difference between "With exceptions" and "11 year old carrying to term." Even if they language is bullshit. Even if the politics is bullshit. And if you don't think they are not coming for contraception and gay marriage next, you are wrong. Their next thing first is voting rights. And that will happen this Fall. We are not fucked if we simply engage. Screen shot your enemies, share your friends. Stop amplifying the Right. They only get stronger.

Do it for G! They need us now!