Weekly Update, June 7, 2021

Howdy y’all and welcome back to the weekly update post. Quick question - how is it already June?

Black Lives Matter

I was shocked that the government in Minnesota would try to come in and dismantle the monument at four in the morning at George Floyd Square, but I wasn’t surprised. It hurt to read and see the images, but I don’t think that their struggle is over. If you want to learn more you can check out this article.

I feel like I write the same thing every week - and that’s probably because I do. However, I want to keep using this platform to lift up other voices and remind people that there are still struggles going on in the world. For the white people who are reading this, I encourage you to find more Black, Indigenous, and other people of color to follow on social media and listen to what they have to say. Read their words, hear their stories! There are so many white voices out there, particularly in the media, so it is important to go out of your way to find people that don’t look like us (being white people) and listen to what they have to say. Their experience is different, valid, and really important to discuss.

Politics

One of the best things I’ve seen recently was a discussion on (I believe) MSNBC about how Joe Manchin is the new Mitch McConnell. (Correction – it was actually NBC and that story is here) It’s unfortunate that the Democrats are going to be punished in the midterms, but it’s going to be somewhat well deserved. American politics is so clearly and demonstrably broken, yet no one seems to do anything about it. Oh well, let’s talk about sports! Or hey, the stock market is up, so who cares right? It’s obvious that the younger generations are much more progressive and that the time for conservative politics are over. The writing is on the wall, it’s clear to see that the Republicans are passing voter suppression bills everywhere they can. They are saying the quiet part out loud – if everyone is allowed to vote they never win another election ever again.

One guy I was talking to on TikTok was saying that he thinks that Democrats should get primary challenges from progressives and I don’t think he is wrong. However, it also feels kinda implausible and another one of those, “kicking the can down the road” solutions that feels like it takes too long.

I don’t know, when I was younger I would have cared much more. Now I’m more concerned with trying to figure out how to make better art and more interesting music. There is only a finite amount of time. I know that people might say that makes me a poser and a sellout, but if I can only dedicate all my energy to a few things, I have to be selective.

If I think about it more, I think he is actually right, and we should be pushing all politicians to the left. While the rep out here in my district is pretty good, he could be more progressive. Politics in general has to shift and issues like income inequality have got to be addressed. Wealth just can’t be concentrated at the top without consequence, there have to be some changes to the way things are going now.

Personal

I’ve been working on this secret project lately. I’ve not said very much about it, but what I will say is that it’s caused me to gain experience in mixing music together and it’s been instructive. I have also been thinking about taking a hiatus from making music as, “Dude and the missing rugs” to focus on working with someone to write lyrics and reconsidering the future direction of that project. In the meanwhile, I am going to keep working on this other project and eventually I might reveal more details of it here and in other public places. For now, it’s fun to have a little anonymity.

Professional

Don’t want to talk about it this week.

People to follow (on Twitter)

Bernice King - The daughter of Dr. King

Martin Luther King III - The son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

@cetolyne - great friend, awesome programmer, super helpful!

@blenster - cool maker, very positive, well worth a follow!

Marley - first place champ! Marley is one of the best on Twitter!

Null Coder - another awesome person to keep an eye on!

@EvilMog - creator of the DC MUD and an interesting person to follow.

TrakoZG – an internet friend who tweets excellent things

Sofia Rune – brilliant scholar who shares things that are both insightful and valuable

MildThrone – up and comer with a small following for now, but I think this account is on the rise!

Johnny B. Ill – Brilliant musician with wisdom to share for those smart enough to listen

Tiffany Collins - This is my wife, who is making cool art and is well worth a follow!

My music project - This is my music project, Dude and the missing rugs (I know that I link to it below, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to list it twice).

One last thing – for the music and art lovers

If you want to find what I am doing on other platforms, this is my TikTok here is my YouTube channel and here is the music project Twitter. Finally, if you want to listen to the full songs that I’ve recorded, you can check out my Spotify or search most music platforms for, “Dude and the missing rugs.”

My wife is making incredible art, and this is her website where you can buy her prints/stickers, here is her TikTok she is also on Instagram and Twitter. Finally, if you like her art you can support her on Patreon as well!

That’s it for this week, internet friend! Thanks for reading this far! I hope you have a very nice day and a most excellent week.

Cheers!

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