John's Blog

Although I've got the monkey off my back and don't feel the compulsion to blog that frequently, I just can't walk away completely. Perhaps it's a false optimism that suddenly the inclination to do this will return, or that I'll find something meaningful that needs to be said. Sadly, this post doesn't meet either of those criteria.

After getting re-addicted to YouTube as a result of iPod surfing I did have a minor crisis this week. A router burn-out severely limited my ability to get on-line and waste time. But after yet another trip to The Apple Store, a new Airport Extreme resolved that problem, as well as wiping out the places in the house that had spotty Wi-Fi coverage. Unlike the old router that I tried to hide, I had to re-arange the desk so that this beauty can be seen. My quest to view every snippet of MST3K and Futurama on-line continues.

And after dogging the Genius Bar over the problems I was having with my iPod crashing, I've got a new one that works perfectly so I can listen to music without drama and disapointment. Speaking of frustration, not since trying to figure out what a "bustle in your hedgerow" was, have I been as frustrated by song lyrics as I've been with the new Bruce Springsteen song "Livin In The Future". Whatever metaphor he's going for escapes me, and I continue to try and deal with the song on a literal level.

A letter come blowin' in
On an ill wind
Somethin' 'bout me and you
Never seein' one another again...

Don't worry, darlin'
No baby, don't you fret
We're livin' in the future
And none of this has happened yet...

Na na na na, na na na na-na
Na na na na, na na na na-na
Na na na na, na na na na-na
Na na na na, na na na na-na
Na na na na, na na na na-na
Na na na na, na na na na-na
Na na na na, na na na na-na

Generally, time travel in the world of fiction is riddled with paradoxical problems that are seldom resolved satisfactorily unless you suspend logic and just buy-in. "Livin' in the future" where "none of this has happened yet" seems like a logical contradiction, since in the future, the past has already happened. Oh sure, you could travel to the future and insure that certain events don't happen to change future outcomes, but it seems that in addition to lamenting the sorry state of national affairs, he's just as regretful about the loss of a relationship.

Luckily, despite all his woes, he's responsible enough to keep his pet monkey under control. Couldn't you have just given us a "I Hate Bush" song that doesn't tax the imagination of literal peabrains like myself? Although it was a nice interview tonight with Bruce on 60 Minutes it did little to lessen my confusion. In fact, now I'm even MORE confused since my cable guide lists "60 Minutes: 7:30PM to 9:00PM"!!

Tags: music, pointless rambling