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We were quarantined. We wanted to connect to something. At one point, a small group of us were huddled around our computers, laptops, and smartphones to watch this old movie from 1924. Downbeat Coffee has been hosting watch parties in their small attic space for the last few years. With the recent shelter-in-place situation, they haven’t been able to do it– but last Saturday, they streamed it on Facebook. There were only 20 of us watching, but it was still cool. We were chatting online while the movie played, and it felt good to know we weren’t alone.

“… and the darkness has not overcome it.” That line is from my church’s Lenten service… and the bible. It represents how I felt when I read an article about how Generation X (folks around my age) are pros at social distancing and how we’re coping with the Coronavirus pandemic. The author, Courtney Dabney, must be in her mid-50′s like me. Here’s a bit from the article that I thought was spot on:
“Gen X folks can actually thrive on solitude and enjoy their downtime, due to our advanced tolerance for boredom. We spent untold hours alone in our homes after school, fending for ourselves, living off Ding-Dongs and macaroni and cheese, as the first generation of latchkey kids. Social isolation is not only tolerable for us, Gen X requires a regular dose of it to recharge our batteries. So, while you might already be flipping out, we are basking in the downtime.”
——–
My cousin Warren (also a Gen X’er) sent me the link to Courtney’s article, which can be read in its entirety here. Thanks cuz!

Man, could things get any weirder? To quote Hunter S. Thompson, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” It’s April Fool’s Day, and I’m asking my podcast listeners to submit fake band names to be read on THE EPILOGUE CABIN. I didn’t realize the irony of the situation until I posted a couple of links on facebook.

The pandemic has generated two novelty songs that I know about. I’m starting my own playlist to score these weird times that are separating us together:
Isolation – John Lennon
I Am A Rock – Simon & Garfunkel
Missing You – John Waite
All By Myself – Eric Carmen
Message In A Bottle – The Police
Overtime – Lucinda Williams
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore – Nat King Cole
Miss You – The Rolling Stones
Hold On – John Lennon

#2 in the Faces in Formica series features Mo Neck or Stretch Pomp or any other name that emphasizes elongation. For this one I imagined a guy on a high school basketball team. The team is on a losing streak. This guy has just flung the ball at the basket from the other end of the court. The buzzer goes off while the ball is in the air. He doesn’t even come close to making the goal. Fans groan and someone takes a picture of him staring in disbelief at the missed shot.

For Wednesday night Lenten services there’s no need for an expensive camera or a fancy tripod when there’s a decent smartphone and a circuit board holder nearby. Art had the smartphone, I had the circuit board holder, Pastor Kris had the sermon, and Becky provided piano music. And just like that (snaps fingers) Overland Park Lutheran was streaming live!

It was a historic moment. America made it to the moon before the Russians– but what was this object on the surface waiting for the astronauts? Someone else had apparently landed before the Americans and raised Darla’s birthday flag! This single photo was snapped for the occasion right before Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong erected a US flag just a few feet away. Happy Birthday Sis!

He didn’t like getting his picture taken. His lower lip extended so far that birds tried to perch on it… and that one tooth was positioned so that he could chew food and pick his nose at the same time. This is what I saw on our formica countertop this morning. If you had to give this guy a name I think it would be Herb because his mouth is permanently shaped to pronounce an “R” sound.

Three years ago, Chris Mull and I wrote a song and made a music video for the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball. It was an event hosted by the local library. It’s weird that all Johnson County library locations are closed right now– BUT there are little free libraries all across the country. If you’re scratching your head and asking, “what’s a little free library?” They are basically outdoor stands in random spots with books inside that can be accessed at any hour. Just click on this link to find one that’s within walking or driving distance from you! Also here are the lyrics to Electric Florence Acoustic Lawrence:
We could climb a mountain
we could sail the sea
we could fly to Paris
or just stay home and read

The world spins ’round the right way
the skies are blue all the live long day
the birds sing sweetly in the trees
When you and I stay home and read

Whitney Matheson drew these comic panels on instagram a few days ago. She is an observer and correspondent of all things that are cool: a pop culture purveyor. And when she’s not passing along info on cool bands, movies, and books, she is drawing simple cartoons like the one above. She also has a website.