change in attitudes
all our running and cunning
laugh or go insane

I am not a parrot head.

Not by a long shot.

But I do enjoy Jimmy Buffett.

When I look at his list of songs, like many artists from Anita Baker to Sam and Dave, I am surprised at how many songs I have scratched on my memory plate.

I like many of his songs.

But for me, Mr. Buffett is like KFC.

I enjoy if its not too often.

For all those who just screamed, DID HE COMPARE JIMMY BUFFETT to KFC, you can just leave the room.

Gee whiz.

It wasn’t a comment aside from I like Jimmy Buffett in small doses.

Regardless, anyone and everyone has to admit that Mr. Buffett has a way with the words.

“If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me”

The start of the song “Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes” is one of my favorite bits of writing PERIOD.

Cute? Maybe.

Dr. Suessish? Nahhhhh.

Clever? Without a doubt.

Fun? Beyond beyond words.

I took off for a weekend last month
Just to try and recall the whole year.

Right now, its the chorus that resonates.

With all of our running and all of our cunning,
If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.

I have more to say but if Mr. Buffett’s music does anything for me it makes me stop whatever I am doing and sit down and stare.

If I recommended music for anyone during this time of sanctioned introspection, I don’t know that you could go wrong with these songs of sun sea and beach.

“Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes”

I took off for a weekend last month
Just to try and recall the whole year.
All of the faces and all of the places,
wonderin’ where they all disappeared.
I didn’t ponder the question too long;
I was hungry and went out for a bite.
Ran into a chum with a bottle of rum,
and we wound up drinkin’ all night.

It’s those changes in latitudes,
changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same.
With all of our running and all of our cunning,
If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.

Reading departure signs in some big airport
Reminds me of the places I’ve been.
Visions of good times that brought so much pleasure
Makes me want to go back again.
If it suddenly ended tomorrow,
I could somehow adjust to the fall.
Good times and riches and son of a bitches,
I’ve seen more than I can recall

These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes,
Nothing remains quite the same.
Through all of the islands and all of the highlands,
If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane

I think about Paris when I’m high on red wine,
I wish I could jump on a plane.
And so many nights I just dream of the ocean.
God, I wish I was sailin’ again.
Oh, yesterdays are over my shoulder,
So I can’t look back for too long.
There’s just too much to see waiting in front of me,
and I know that I just can’t go wrong
with these…

These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes,
Nothing remains quite the same.
Through all of the islands and all of the highlands,
If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane

should remember that
not unhealthy as they fear
healthy as they feel

“How would you like to feel the way she looks?” says Groucho Marx in the movie, “Night at the Opera” as he watches Auzcena the gypsy singing.

I was reminded of that line when I read one the better articles on Coronavirus and what it feels like to come down with and go through the illiness.

The article, What does the coronavirus do to your body? Everything to know about the infection process, by Javier Zarracina, and Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, in a well written and nicely presented fashion recounts how you get the virus, how you feel when you start to come down with the virus and what you go through as the virus works though you.

The authors interviews a Dr. Raphael Viscidi, infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Dr. Viscidi says, “So it’s basically a war between the host response and the virus,” Hirsch said. “Depending who wins this war we have either good outcomes where patients recover or bad outcomes where they don’t.

Restricting oxygen to the bloodstream deprives other major organs of oxygen including the liver, kidney and brain.

In a small number of severe cases that can develop into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which requires a patient be placed on a ventilator to supply oxygen.

However, if too much of the lung is damaged and not enough oxygen is supplied to the rest of the body, respiratory failure could lead to organ failure and death.”

For me, the most important words are, “In a small number of severe cases.”

On 2nd thought those aren’t the most important words from Dr. Viscidi.

The most important words come at the very end of the article.

“People should remember that they’re as healthy as they feel,” Dr. Viscidi said. “And shouldn’t go around feeling as unhealthy as they fear.”

The article says, “Viscidi urges to public to think of the coronavirus like the flu because it goes through the same process within the body. Many people contract the flu and recover with no complications.”

In Night at the Opera, just before Grouch says, “How would you like to feel the way she looks,” he has another great line that more or less sums up my take on all this.

“Boogie, boogie, boogie”

coronavirus
said backward, needle reversed
turn me on dead man

If you say CORONAVIRUS backwards, you can hear the phrase, “turn me on deadman.”

Honest!

This haiku is a test.

This is only a test.

This is only a test for the people who know.

How many themes can you find hidden in this Haiku?

Records.

Not Olympic records but music, long playing albums and 45’s.

Record played with a diamond needles.

Hidden messages in records.

Playing records backwards by spinning the turntable manually.

If you could, place the tone arm, as it was called, so the needle was reversed OR just leave it and hope you didn’t wreck the needle.

Possibly the most famous ‘hidden message’ was in the Beatle’s White Album.

In the song, Revolution 9, the words, “number 9, number 9, number 9”, are repeated over and over.

If played backwards in the manner described above, you heard the secret message, “Turn Me on Deadman, Turn me on Deadman.”

You heard about this as a rumor at school.

You tried it home.

It worked!

It was thrilling and hilarious.

You tried it all your other albums to find hidden messages.

You wrecked the needle on your record player.

You bragged at school that you heard the message but it wrecked your needle.

If you were REALLY cool you said “stylus” instead of “needle”.

Sermons in churches were based on these hidden messages.

Paul was dead.

Paul wasn’t dead just facing backwards on Sgt. Pepper.

I have never been to England, but I kinda like the Beatles.

My sister Mary screaming “THERE HE IS”, when Paul walked on stage with John Lennon to accept a Grammy.

And people think iPhones are cool.

Go figure.

Help me out, what did I miss?