My One Political Post for 2024
I'm trying not to be political. I know that there's very little that I can say that will sway anyone one way or the other. But I wanted to say this:
Eighteen long years ago, I wrote The Counterfeit, book about the Illuminati and about conspiracy theories. And there was one big takeaway from that:
People believe in conspiracies because it is easier to believe a simple answer than a complex answer. It is easier to believe that there is a cabal of people in a smoke-filled room making the important decisions.
Take, for instance, inflation. I don't care whose side you're on but here's the deal:
I Wanna Get Better, by Bleachers
I've been posting the top songs you need to know to know me, and there's nothing on that list (maybe) higher than Bleacher's I Wanna Get Better.
This song came out in 2014, at a time when I was going through some really serious shit. I had schizophrenia--I had started showing symptoms in 2011--but I wasn't going to be officially diagnosed until 2017. And things were just really, really, desperately bad.
Wildfire, by Mandolin Orange
The Wikipedia entry on Mandolin Orange—who changed their name and now go by Watchhouse—a folk duo led by Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, describes them as "bearing the stamp of folk, country, bluegrass, gospel and pop, all mingled in a unique melange perhaps best described simply as modern American roots music." Putting aside the fact that this flowery language probably means the article was written by their publicist, the description is rather apt. Marlin plays the titular mandolin, plus guitar and banjo, and Frantz plays guitar and violin. And, together, they have amazing harmonizing vocals.
Creature Comforts, by Arcade Fire
There’s a song that’s been going through my head for a while now—I think it’s because I’m writing a book about teenage girls, but also because I’ve been thinking a lot about mental health generally.
The video for Arcade Fire's "Creature Comforts" shows the band--dressed in shimmering gold and silver, illuminated by spotlights and strobes--from the neck down. The style is synth-pop, synthesizers, electronica, and even a keytar. It sounds like dance music with a catchy melody and a strong bass line. It could be a song about anything—a peppy love song, a feel-good pop sensation.
Do I Not Have the Tools to Write?
Allow me to let you in on a shameful secret: I really have a hard time reading.
I have mental illnesses (plural) one of which includes OCD. And one of the medications I take to control these obsessions and compulsions has a side effect: it makes it so I can't obsess about ANYTHING, meaning I can't keep my attention up for a long time in any real direction.
Note: this has nothing to do with ADHD, which I also have. No, this is something specifically meant to tamp down my ability to concentrate on a long-term project--like reading a book.