Summertime Blues

Feeling blue is a common summertime ailment from which there is apparently no cure. 
The phrase “summertime blues” has, in modern parlance, evolved from the sentiments of a kid working a summer job to encompassing any and all feelings of lethargy during the long, hot days of summer.  The “dog days,” as it were.
The original “Summertime Blues” was written and recorded by musician Eddie Cochran in 1958 and reached #8 on the Billboard charts that year.  It was later covered by several bands including The Who, The Beach Boys, and country superstar Alan Jackson.  It expresses the frustration of a kid with no car, working long hours at a summer job and unable to take his sweetie on a date.  In a theme often repeated in popular music throughout the ensuing years, it is an anthem for teenage angst.
Modern application of the phrase is puzzling.  While the hot, humid days of summer can be wearisome, summertime is nonetheless preferable to the icy cold and snow of winter for many.  The warmth and plentiful sunshine generally contribute to a more positive attitude.
Activities abound and the weather is much more conducive to outdoor excursions.  Afternoons are spent enjoying picnics in the park, lounging by the pool or frolicking at the beach.  No need to bundle up in a parka, hat and mittens.  A sundress for the ladies and short-sleeved shirt and light pants for the guys will do!
Thunderstorms are frequent and displays of lightning are impressive and sometimes frightening.  But there’s no need to spend hours clearing a driveway buried in wet, heavy snow or waiting for the snowplow to clear the road.  Rather, just hop in your car, open the windows, and cruise – that is, assuming you have one, unlike the teen in the aforementioned song.
And like the teen hoping to take his sweetie on a date, summertime offers a multitude of pleasurable outdoor jaunts with a significant other, from outdoor concerts, movies at the drive-in theater, or even a simple, quiet evening under the stars.  Winter, of course, limits dating options to mostly indoor activities.
Heat and humidity can be dangerous in the summer, especially for the more seasoned citizens.  Relief from the heat is often just a cold beverage away or a comfortable chair in a cool, air-conditioned room or home.  Larger cities often offer “cooling centers” for those in need of such facilities.  And few things are as pleasant as a tranquil summer night with the windows open.  Don’t try that in the winter!
So is there really no cure for the summertime blues?  Summertime is the cure!  The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day.  Get out and enjoy it!  Winter, after all, is always just around the corner.

The Green/Food Police

The pervasive environmentalist culture (or, to be more accurate, Mother Earth worshipers) are trying to tell me what I can and can't eat?  What's wrong with these people and their moral superiority complexes?  Why do they always want to control people?
Funny thing is when it comes to an issue like abortion these people don't want anyone telling them what to do with their bodies of the bodies growing inside their bodies.
I'm going to eat whatever I want, and leave as many carbon footprints as possible.

How much protein do you really need?