Positive news on the COVID-19 front lines with the emergency approval of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for distribution in the U.S. This is an important first step in ending the pandemic. Given the large number of people in the U.S., it is going to be quite some time before it gets to the average individual. A look at the CDC Advisory Committee’s plan for allocating initial supplies prioritizes 21 million health care workers and 3 million residents of long-term care facilities. After that it is likely to go to the 87 essential million workers not involved in front-line health care, then to the 100 million adults with certain high-risk medical conditions and the 50 million people who are 65 years old or older. I also anticipate that there will be line jumpers a plenty because nothing says American more than me first. After the shameful actions of the 106 republican members of Congress who signed off on frivolous Texas lawsuit challenging the actions of other states in conducting their elections because they did not like the outcome and after the lawsuit was rejected for lack of standing by the Supremes, it was not surprising that they subsequently tossed around the idea seceding from the U.S.. It’s not enough that these assholes are attacking the foundation of democracy i.e. the right to vote in free and fair elections but they are attacking the idea of a united states. So, in a country with a significant number of gutless and stupid leaders who are both morally and intellectually bankrupt, there are going to be continuing problems with vaccine distribution regardless of the good intentions of the person the large majority of the citizens elected to lead us out of the valley of death. At least this paragraph started positive. Here is hoping that sanity, cooperation, and science prevails over the cult of stupid.
I was missing live music this week and apparently a number of bands thought it was a good idea to release some pretty awesome live records this year, so I have cued up a number of tracks from those records. There are also some outstanding reissues from bands many of you who are under the age of 45 years old will have had little experience, so, they may sound like awesome new tracks, but trust me they are old, some real old. I have included tracks from The Gun Club, Gang of Four, Powderfinger and the House of Love, so how bad can that be? It’s not. It’s lovely really. So, like always, let’s enjoy the now and contemplate our navels for a few moments before rushing ahead into, what I hope is, a brighter, more positive new world. Oh, and this episode is a little bit longer. You are getting 25% more music for the regular price! Until next time, here is what you will find in Episode 188 (2020-36) of Tales From The Drop Box:
- Pale Honey – “Some Time, Alone” (Some Time, Alone)
- Powderfinger – “Daybreak” (Unreleased 1998-2010)
- Bearings – “Transient Colours” (Hello, It’s You)
- The Lathums – “I Know That Much” (Fight on EP)
- Heavy Lungs – “(A Bit Of A) Birthday” (Ultra Stereo)
- Frankie And The The Witch Fingers – “Where’s Your Reality? (Levitation Sessions)
- Arctic Monkeys – “Four Out Of Five” (Live At Royal Albert Hall)
- Kelly Jones – “Dakota” (Don’t Let The Devil Take Another Day)
- Cut Worms – “Castle In The Clouds” (Nobody Lives Here Anymore)
- Gerry Cinnamon – “Where We’re Going” (The Bonny)
- Fontaines D.C. – “A Lucid Dream” (A Night At Montrose Live)
- The Gun Club – “A Devil In The Woods” (Miami)
- Gang of Four – “Damaged Goods” (Gang Of Four 77-81)
- The House Of Love – “Marble” (A Spy In The House Of Love)
- Dream Wife – “Kids” (IRL Live In London)
I designed the line that keeps you way down here I destroyed the void that echoes in your ear In a flash you were ashes in a cosmic ray . . . just how dark can an animal be? How dark can an animal be? Dark like darkness dark like a devil out in the woods now . . .
KFR