Remember Kevin McCarthy?

Back in January, when I was just beginning this practice, I wrote about Kevin McCarthy and his quest to become Speaker of the House. I believe it took about 15 rounds of voting to finally get approved, but he was forced to make multiple concessions between rounds in order to succeed. One unprecedented concession was giving his party - and particularly a small faction on the far right - the power to remove him from his position if they felt he was not upholding his commitments to them.

Well, fast forward nine months or so and what do you know? McCarthy is out. What did he do? From what I understand, I believe he… did his job??? The government was on the verge of shutdown, as it seems to be every two to three weeks or so in my opinion, and McCarthy relied on Democrats to keep the government open and functioning. Naturally, doing anything resembling compromise is forbidden in modern American politics, so McCarthy’s actions led representative Matt Gates and his far-right mafia to pull the plug on the Speaker of the House. Now the Republicans are considering options for his replacement and other members of the House and the Senate are urging them not to be so divisive but I mean, if it quacks like a duck…

So, what did we learn? Anything? In January I tried to focus on the silver lining. “You have to at least respect McCarthy’s persistence” and all that. Now, I’m not sure what the lesson is. Don’t give in to bullies? You make your bed so lay in it? Read the fine print? I’m pretty sure he knew this would happen eventually. The American government is tragically flawed? Maybe. We’re past the peak of the bell curve relative to the rise and fall of the American empire? That could very well be true. I don’t know, people. It’s a bad look, that’s for sure. What do you expect when you try to negotiate with unreasonable people? I don’t think about it too much. I mostly just think it’s funny. I probably shouldn’t take too much joy in watching our institutions seemingly deteriorate but I guess I’ve got a dark sense of humor.

That idea brings me to one other question, which I think often. I’ll mention it now but I’ll save my longer thoughts for another day, or maybe even another form. Essentially, the question is: Is this actually the worst it’s ever been, or does it just feel that way because this is the only time we know?

-J.P.

Don’t Wait Too Long… Did I Say That Already?

I had a good one that slipped away today. I got distracted. Didn’t write it down. Classic Joe. What an idiot. Guess I’ll just get on with my day now. I need to write more next week. There are too many wires getting crossed up here.

-J.P.

Is Art War?

I have a particular way of being whereas I get very competitive. VERY competitive. Kill everything in your path and be unstoppable. BE the greatest ever or be nothing. There is no middle ground. Nowhere along the climb that is sufficient for settling. That’s how bad I want to win. There is no backup plan, no other option. I feel that way a lot.

But I write a lot of slow songs. A lot of love lost songs. Mostly soft songs where the intention is to comfort, provide a moment of peace in the midst of the rat race. Songs that just want to give you a big hug and let you rest on them when you’re sad or lonely.

I guess it’s all about balance. I keep coming back to that. Not just this year, but my whole life. Keeping my balance. Maybe I’ll buy a slack line.

-J.P.

Looping, in Transit

Missed the day’s post yesterday because I was in transit. My whole life kinda feels like it’s in transit right now. It makes for a pretty confusing existence. Lots of days are spent trying to predict the future based off unknowns. If it sounds impossible, it is. I need to work a little harder on the daily to stay present. I was a little better at it at the beginning of the year, when goals were clearer and we were set in routines. Lots of pieces started moving and things got tougher. But you know what they say when the going gets tough.

-J.P.

Ups and Downs

I’m a New England Patriots fan. I’m from New York so sometimes it’s a point of contention. The Patriots had a historically great run between 2001 and 2019. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and a top tier defense most years led the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships and they contended every single year.

Then Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay and the there was a lot of turnover and they drafted Mac Jones and they’ve been bad for the last three or four years and it’s pretty miserable to watch sometimes.

It’s ok though, everybody has ups and downs. They need each other.

-J.P.

According to My Notes App

I was on a bus

Actually I was on my bus

Actually we were on our bus

We were on our bus

We drove past an old forester on the 10 heading east toward riverside eventually

That forester took me so far

New York to California far

I put my whole life in the back of that car and me and Frankie raced across the country.

My classes started in six days.

My mattress was being delivered 5 pm July 11 and I had to sign for it.

I rushed that trip

We took the northern route though so there wasn’t much to see anyway.

But when there’s nothing to look at seeing nothing is still seeing something.

That’s all beside the point.

I don’t know what the point is

I always feel like I’m getting there

That forester took me 20,000 miles

New York, the better part of the tri-state, Youngstown, Omaha, the Mississippi, Denver, Los Angeles, Laguna beach, orange, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Rosarito, Las Vegas, slab city - everywhere I’ve ever been in my adult life. Every job I’ve ever had.

Every girl I’ve known.

And now I’m on this bus to riverside

Still getting there

On the way back

I’d like to buy my parents’ house.

I’d like to have little landing spots, all around the world.

Places I can stay along the way.

Imagine all the people that’d stay there too.

We talk about the work that’s been done

Maybe a thing or two still need doing

But most of that is behind us now.

All these things we built

All the time we spent

It was rough there for a while

But look at the web we spun

That’s some sprawl.

Look at what we made

All that we own

On the way back I own

Still getting there

-J.P.

Olivia’s New Room

Olivia has a nice new room in her apartment because her old roommates moved out. Now she has her own bathroom, floor to ceiling windows in the northwest corner and plenty of space for her desk. She even color coded all her books!

We’re in Brooklyn today and had plans to explore some neighborhoods that we’ve never been to but the rain has thwarted us yet again. It’s not gonna stop, like at all for the next 36 hours so I think we’ll get breakfast, maybe go to a museum and head north to Hopewell for a weekend of fall activities and a lunch at the culinary institute.

Maybe the rain is meant to be a sign of some sort. Maybe it’s not. I’ll think on it more. Just not now. For now I’ll just be here. There are some new songs coming out next month from Roe’s Garden, The New Hippies and The Corner Store. We’re nearing the end of our run. I’ll think about that some more, too.

-J.P.

Plane Snacks

I don’t have anything to say about plane snacks. We’re flying to New York today. Going to explore Brooklyn. Who knows what’s out there? Who knows where life will take us?? Not me. I don’t know nothin.

-J.P.

A Room With a View

I dream of one day sitting down to do my daily writing and looking out the window at the ocean, or a big mountain range, a lake or a forest, or even an inspiring city skyline. I can only imagine the ideas that will come with those perspectives.

For now I’ll keep trying to write something hopeful while the people in front of my house argue with each other over drugs while their clothes fall off their bodies and they threaten each other with violence. Top, here comes the daily police helicopter flyover. It’s special in its own way.

-J.P.