I had a beautiful day today so far.
It's 5:41 pm
The date is july 4th 2008
I was hungover in manhattan. Woke up on a friend's couch.
Went outside and was wandering around. This guy handed me a sheet of newsprint advertising a fourth of july sale at J&R.
I thought: what I need is a nice digital camera. Since my old one got ruined in the flood.
So I walked over to J&R.
I bought a digital camera.
I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Went down by the water.
Took this picture of this patriotic barge.
I wrote a song a while back where I say: "I'm a patriot of Brooklyn/ I pledge allegiance to New York/ the rest I can't really vouch for."
Which, in truth, I cribbed from the great Henry Miller. Who wrote once:
"I am a patriot-of the 14th Ward Brooklyn, where I was raised. The rest of the United States doesn't exist for me, except as idea, or history, or literature."
I feel similarly.
It's hard to have any one unifying feeling about such a large, diverse, ever changing, land mass. It seems odd to me, to feel pride about so much that has nothing to do with us.
I do love the flag though. It's just a really nice design. I like the colors. Word to Betsy Ross.
But I know, in the end, this country belongs to big oil men and their ilk. And not to me.
but as Abner Jay says:
"Folks, don't worry about energy crisis because Standard Oil, Shell, Gulf, Mobil, Texaco, Aamaco, Esso, Sunoco, Exxon, Nixon, Standard Oil, General Motors, Chrysler, George Wallace, & Ford is not the backbone of America. The Backbone of America is a mule and cotton."
We took a Chance with this song back in Episode 3.
I love Abner Jay and will be chancing more of his beauts in the near future. So stay tuned.
Press play to Listen
Download: The Backbone of America Is A Mule and Cotton - Abner Jay
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