I'm still here! There is not a better way to start the week than with some new tunes. This episode of Tales From The Drop Box explores a very poppy side of the musical world. This week's episode is really a trip through some neglected pop music that inhabits the multiverse and that is not on any popular radio in the U.S. (for the most part). Episode 195 explores that indie pop genre with some lyrically catchy and somewhat dark themes sprinkled throughout. It is interesting to hear music that is somewhat upbeat and then takes that dark sharp left into the uncomfortable. .. Continue reading →

Well, I'm back again for another week of newish fine-ish music. Thanks for the positive comments. I missed you all as well. So, there should be some candy in this week's episode of Tales From The Drop Box because for some unknown reason there are more pop sounds than usual. So, don't be alarmed if there is not a plethora of heavy music or you missed your favorite punk rock track. We will get back there at some point but for now, . . Continue reading →

Well I bet you thought that this podcast had evaporated int othe sands of time. It still might, but I'm going to give it a shot. As this is only the 5th Episode of Tales From The Drop Box in 2021, and We've had a vaccine in the time I've been away, I'm hoping that as things now after some clusterfackerry are hopefully heading on a positive trajectory. Maybe it was January 6th that got me sideways, but I'll try to get back on track. So, rather than jibber-jabber about nonsense, here is what you came for Continue reading →

Valentines day. The day after the U.S. Senate's shameful action in acquitting the traitor and insurrection inciter who lead an attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 resulting in the deaths of 5 Americans and numerous injuries to those who defended the same morally bankrupt and timid senators who voted to acquit. Shameful. January 6 marked the day that democracy was rendered meaningless by a corrupt leader but democracy died on February 13, 2021 when 43 senators knowingly and willfully violated their oath of office to preserve their power advancing their own individual interests over the people they were elected to represent and the Constitution they swore an oath to uphold and defend against all enemies foreign and domestic. Liars. Shameful and shameless.

Here is what you will find in Episode 192 (2021-04): Continue reading →

So massively cool you will be a little dizzy after this latest episode of Tales From The Drop Box Episode 191 (2021-03).

Another Super Bowl Sunday. I'm not sure I have any skin in the game, but I'll watch because it is a short attention diversion as I am still trapped inside because I am still trying to avoid crowds and gatherings until such time as we ( the royal societal we) are able to resume some type of safe human interaction with strangers. Even when the pandemic is over, I am not sure how safe we will be with the number of certifiable nut jobs on the loose in this nation. The real time coverage of the ass wipes who attempted the January 6 insurrection in the service of Trump - a repository of all things evil, does not give me much confidence that people will suddenly wake up from this 4 year nightmare saying "what happened? Let's all be good to one another, right? Why can't we all just get along? Trump exposed and gave voice to the evil that lies in the heart of man. Combined with a Republican party corrupted to its amoral core willing to accept evil under the "big Republican tent", I am not sure that we are not headed to a full reckoning involving violence. Well, so that I don't sound paranoid, let's hope that I am incorrect and that humanity will course correct and head towards self-actualized positivity as a society rejecting the temptation to divide through arbitrary classification.... Continue reading →

Sanity returns to government. Honestly, the bar is really low for competence in government and perhaps it is time for people to think about the creatures that they elect to make important decisions about the future. Just a thought that perhaps we need to think about how we educate our citizens moving forward. The issue is not the elected creature but rather that there are a significant number of these morally bankrupt and evil scum bags being elected and continuing to be the loudest voices in a democracy. It is truly shameful that we are at a point in our history where the symptoms of the disease afflicting our democracy throw up right wing racists and extremists supporting fanciful conspiracy theories all in the name of good government. We have time, as a nation, to alter our path forward, but if we do not take aggressive steps to root out and repel the corrupt and evil and reject ideologies of hate then we are going to be back to the last 4 years soon enough. So, with those positive thoughts, what about the music? Continue reading →

So, as a starter, happy New Year! I'm glad to be back after a short break. So where are we now a few weeks into a new year? Well, shit is still bad. As you might note by the title to these episodes - we are still in a deadly pandemic. In Los Angeles, where I am located, things are really bad. There are more people dying here every day than at anytime in the past 11 months. While there is hope on the horizon we are experiencing the surge caused by a catastrophic failure of people to listen to the advice and act. Here we are at a point where community spread is so high that we just passed 1 million (1,000,000) COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, and confirmed its first case of the new, more contagious coronavirus strain first reported in the United Kingdom. This week the county also reported 14,669 new cases of COVID-19 and 253 additional deaths, bringing the county's totals to 1,003,923 cases and 13,741 fatalities. See it's bad. Continue reading →

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. Continue reading →

I hope you enjoyed your week after the thanksgiving holiday. I took the week off llast week and perhaps you noticed there was no new episode for you to listen to last week. Perhaps, not. If you did look for something, I hope you went back and gave a listen to something you might have missed. I truly believe this has been a terrific year for new music. In what could have been a truly horrible year (keep reading) the music that is coming out now is pretty freakin' awesome. Although it would appear that we do not have much to be thankful for this year, your perspective on what has happened this past year as we approach the end of 2020 is truly important. I am truly blessed and thankful I am still here, my family is safe and we are still earning a living. These are simple graces for a difficult year. I am saddened by the horrific loss of life that truly was preventable. There is plenty of blame to go around but that is not the point of this missive. ... Continue reading →

As anticipated by last weeks Coronavirus explosion in the U.S. , we are going to be in a world of hurt in the U.S. over the next month. It should be not too surprising to anyone who has followed Tales From The Drop Box that not only was this rapid increase in infections anticipated, but sadly, even knowing what we know, the fact that we as a society could have prevented all of this tragedy and refused to do so was also predicable. That is, despite knowing what we actually truly do know about the spread of COVID-19, many millions of people still refuse to cooperate with the basics necessary to keep the virus spread in check. Thus, the predictable result is what we as a country are experiencing now - which is increased hospitalizations followed shortly thereafter by death. I am truly shocked by how numb we have become to the reports of COVID-19 deaths and our apparent acceptance of truly preventable tragedies. It is too sad and disappointing to actual reflect on this tragedy for too long. So...take action. Take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones by following the scientific guidance you know to be true - you are safer at home. Don't gather in groups indoors. Create physical distance from each other. Wear a mask. Participate in the social contract we all make to live in a free society i.e. do no harm to each other.... Continue reading →