This is dedicated to a good friend of mine, he knows who he is and he knows my thoughts are with him.

I think that the title of this week’s song  pretty much says it all.  For those that need a little more here is the first verse for your entertainment.

“Every day held a new surprise
I watched the hunger burning in my sister’s eyes
The paste-board shack we called home
Would haunt me in my dreams
‘Cause there’s nothing soft about hard times”

For the last 5 years, I assisted undergraduate students with a variety of career services.  I revised resumes, cover letters and reviewed portfolios.  I even provided advise on the job market.  Man, I’ve never been more depressed by what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen.  I know four people laid-off in the same week!

It is hard to hope when you hear this kind of news.  “Cause there’s nothing soft and soft about hard times.” And these are most definitely hard times.

“I’m gonna tell you ‘bout the hard times”

How do you hold onto hope when your wife is laid-off, your daughter is 8 years old and you are in school?  Well, first you leave school just shy of finishing your degree (of course.)  How do you find a job without a degree?  You’re doing this to help your family after all.  Then you find out that your wife’s unemployment was denied.  All because her boss did not specify that the check he gave her on her last day was actually a severance check that was supposed to cover her until April.  So this prevents her from getting unemployment until April.  Worse, you’ve spent most of the “severance” money trying to pay down debts so you could live on the unemployment money.  Without the unemployment you don’t have enough money to pay your rent and must choose whether you will move in with your mother (who smokes as does your brother and your wife has asthma) or your in-laws (where you, your wife and daughter all have to share a room). What do you do?

What would you do if “a dime meant bread and not a movie?”

(If anyone has recommendations for my friend please comment below, thank you.)

So “I went off to find the moon.” And came up with the following idea:

Warning–there are a lot of questions for you to think about coming up.

I always wondered why the first to get laid-off are those on the lower echelon at a company. (I experienced this phenomenon once.)  What would happen if CEOs, who make over $1 million, added up all of the salaries of all the people that were going to lay-off and deducted that from their own salaries?  Remember I am talking about those that make over a million dollars. If the deduction would lower their salary to under a million they could deduct up to $1 million dollars.  At least it would help some people.  If the employees continue to receive a salary and know that their CEO was caring for them, wouldn’t they work harder for the company?  Wouldn’t it help the economy (just a tiny bit) because they are able to keep consuming?

The current solution that companies use to “solve” their economic problems just doesn’t make fiscal or economic sense.  Look at the green revolution that is taking place. So many consumers were looking for companies to take responsibility for “green” accountability so the companies started to change.  Yes, admittedly, there is some “green washing” but there are also watchdog groups that call them out.  This new concept of CEO generosity would also generate watchdog groups that monitor who really implement the strategy. Lists would exist that consumers could check to see whether the product they want to buy is from a conscientious company or not.  All this could happen because of CEO generosity.

Remember I am talking about those CEOs making above a million dollars, plus they will be capped at not going below a million.  I think that this is a reasonable cap.  It doesn’t have to be limited to just CEOs, others in the company that make above a million could also choose to participate, but I think starting with the CEO is a good start.  I know that most CEOs have earned their salary amount, but this is about thinking of those people that are just starting out in the company.  Just like when they were starting out.

I know it is all wishful thinking.  As someone that has experienced being laid-off, the plights of my friends and the negativity of the news, I really want there to be such a simple solution.  Or at least a solution that didn’t hurt those at the lower rungs when those at the top where still living the high life.

I would like to end with wishes for you all that you (and I) will make it through such “hard times”

HB

Next week:  That’s What Living Is To Me

As promised, I have a new post ready for your viewing pleasure.  This week’s focus is on the song My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don’t Love Jesus. I choose this song in honor of Fat Tuesday and the end of Mardi Gras.  It is the perfect song to describe the feeling one has after partaking in the carnival festivities.  If you get the chance to hear the song you will definitely know what I mean, if you can’t, then at least you will be able to read my interpretation.

For those that are unfamiliar with Mardi Gras, it is a carnival celebration that ends on the day before Ash Wednesday.  The Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday is called Fat Tuesday which is the last day of the celebration.  With an international reputation it has the reputation of being one of the largest and craziest of celebrations throughout the world.  Cities that are known for the largest Mardi Gras celebrations are Rio, Brazil and  New Orleans (Whoo hoo).

Jesus Disclaimer…

I just wanted to clarify one thing about the part of the title of the song “I Don’t love Jesus.”  This is the title of the song and is by no means a view that I share.  At least not at the moment.   It is an important part of the song and is not meant to offend.    Okay that is enough of that read on for more.

My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don’t Love Jesus–Havana Daydreamin’

My head hurts, my feet stink and I don’t love Jesus.
It’s that kind of mornin’,
really was that kind of night.
Tryin’ to tell myself that my
condition is improvin’ and if I don’t
die by Thursday I’ll be roarin’ Friday night.

My Head Hurts:

Ahhhh. So you wake up after one of those nights.  There is this sledgehammer in your head and Peter Gabriel didn’t put it there.  If you do not know who Peter Gabriel is, you didn’t watch the Oscars (or you watched and thought his song was just a part of the Slumdog Millionaire coupling).   You also probably didn’t watch Wall-E.  and you certainly didn’t grow up during my decade. Which is a whole other issue So what are Jimmy’s recommendations:

“Got to get a little orange juice,”

“And a Darvon for my head.”

“I can’t spend all day, Baby, layin’ in bed.”

Please note that I actually found an image of “orange juice” without a brand label.  It wasn’t easy, Google had to work hard to find it.  Special thanks to Richard X. Thripp for the use of the image.  Also, for those that do not know what Darvon is I recommend Googling it to find out.  I would put the information here but I don’t want to be endorsing taking a painkiller.  Oops!

My Feet Stink:

Well, I think that this all comes down to footwear.  Both male and female.  And both his and her choices are made for looks not for smell prevention.  (That is what odor-eaters are for after all.)

Men often wear gym shoes with socks (of course.)  This causes the feet not to breathe.  Let me tell you is not pleasant to wake up and wonder what the smell is and find out it is the guy you are with’s shoes.  Or worse his feet under the covers.

Women wear heels that are meant to look goooood. Not ones that handle the sweat that a foot puts out during such a long night. Plus you don’t know how many drinks have “accidentally” been spilled.  Alcohol and a stiletto are not a good mix (even if it is a hurricane.)

“Duval Street was rockin’,my eyes they started poppin’!

Because there she sat at the corner of the bar.”

And I don’t love Jesus:

Not loving Jesus is a feeling that occurs when your entire body hurts.  I mean really hurts, body and soul.    You wonder intensely how you got into the situation that you did.  Why didn’t Jesus or God or the Holy Ghost stop you from doing the things that you did.  You know you have to deal the reality of the sins of the night before.  That is if you remember them.  At least it is Ash Wednesday and salvation is around the corner.  Well until you remember the fun that you had getting that way.

So what is the moral of the story.  Enjoy Madri Gras and Fat Tuesday for what it is supposed to be. Pray that you have the appropriate cure for a hangover ready.  Wear sensible shoes.  And try to remember to pray for forgiveness the next morning (of pray that you won’t need the hangover cure and the salvation.) At least until St. Patrick’s Day.

Thank you once again for reading.

Next week: There’s Nothing Soft About Hard Times

Heather Birkhead

Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling—Beach House on the Moon

Permanent reminder of a temporary feeling

Complex momentos, not subtle revealings,

Amnesic episodes that never go away.

Just a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.

As I was preparing for this week’s topic, I felt as if I were dragging my feet.  Something in me was not yet ready to take down last week’s blog.  I don’t know if it was because of the amazing ,insightful responses I received, or just my own sentimentality to the post.  Then it dawned on me, the piece never really does go away.  It is forever archived on this site and in the minds of everyone that read it.  The post is in and of itself a Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling.

This week:  All the Ways I Want You –Far Side of the World

This week I feature a special Buffett ballad with lyrics of longing and music of hope. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and a great deal of us will be thinking about love and chocolate hearts and jewelry (ohhh sparkly.)  But once again, this blog is not about that. Each of us has experienced longing for a loved one.  And that is what this week’s blog is about.

After each of the three verses in All the Ways I Want You I comment on different personal experiences of longing. Please note the absence of a chorus; the song does not have one.  WARNING: You might want to grab a box of tissues.

Mental Floss—Banana Wind

“I’d like to be a jellyfish, ‘Cause jellyfish don’t pay rent
They don’t walk and they don’t talk, With some Euro-trash accent
They’re just simple protoplasm, Clear as cellophane
They ride the winds of fortune, Life without a brain

In one ear and out the other, Don’t you get criss-crossed
I recommend you try a little Mental floss”

This week I thought it important to address the winter doldrums and overall craziness we feel during this time of year.  The concept of Mental Floss is to clear out the junk in your head.  Just like flossing your teeth each day you need to floss your brain as well.

Thank you to those that read my first blog, I hope that you enjoy this one as much or more.

To those reading for the first time, welcome and enjoy.

Follow up: Gypsies in the Palace

Now that the inauguration is complete and the celebrations are finished, it is time for President Obama to enter into his first 100 days in office.  But before we focus on that, I want to say just how emotional this inauguration was for me.  I am not ashamed to say that I cried through most of it, including the balls. Her dress was amazing, I can’t wait to see more of Jason Wu. I was in awe by the love that President Obama and Michelle displayed at all of the balls.  After listening to my parents talk about how JFK made them feel, I realized that he is our JFK.  Us gypsies care about him and for what he stands.  He is ‘our’ president.  I know that the changes he wants will take time, but I believe that these feelings of hope will help Americans get through the tough times ahead.

I just had to get that off of my chest, now on to this week’s song.

Everybody’s on the Phone–Take the Weather With You

“Message in a Bottle, Rhythm of a Drum,
Smoke Signals and Telegraphs Made the Airways Hum,
But That’s All Ancient History Like Bongs and Lincoln Logs
No We’re Living Like the Jetsons, in a Wacky Wireless Fog
Talkin’ Squawkin’ Hawkin’, Who Knows if Anybody’s Getting’ Through”

Ah, the wonders of technological advancement.  With last week being the first week of this blog, I of course wanted to share it with everyone that I knew and even those that I didn’t.  One of my first calls was to my mom, of course.  Her first question was  “What is a Blog?”  I really had to take a moment to figure out how to explain it to her.  I did my best but I don’t think she got it.  It’s not her fault; it took me awhile to grasp the concept as well.  Luckily she had a friend to pull it up for her so she could read it. (Thanks Gail!)

The Beginning:

Since this is my first post, I thought that it best to begin with what this blog is all about.  Some of you might recognize the name Cultural Infidel, but many might not.  Cultural Infidel is a song by Jimmy Buffett about those individuals throughout history that have challenged society’s norms.

I admit that I am a Parrothead (like a Deadhead, but not).   My dad introduced me to Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers when I was a wee lass and I went to my first Buffett concert when I was in the third grade.  I have been to every tour since (except that one summer I was in Ireland, but hey it was Ireland.)  Let’s just say that I have attended over 25 Buffett concerts, I know that you might be tempted to do the math but don’t hurt yourself (Math Suks).