A Look That Said Let’s Go

‘Feel Like a Stranger’ was released on the Grateful Dead’s 1980 eleventh studio album Go to Heaven, and it was written by Bob Weir and John Perry Barlow.  This was the band’ first album without keyboardist Keith Godchaux and vocalist Donna Godchaux who were both replaced by Brent Mydland.  Bob Weir and John Barlow were both born in October of 1947, just a couple of weeks apart.  John Perry Barlow was born on October 3, 1947, and he died on February 7, 2018, at the age of 70.  John is best known as a poet, rancher, and long-time lyricist for the Grateful Dead.  He also co-founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation (The leading nonprofit defending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation) and he wrote the manifesto “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace”, a paper on the incompatibility of current governments with the rapidly growing Internet, which asserted that traditional nation-states had no moral right or sovereignty to rule over the digital world.  Bob Weir was born on October 16, 1947, died on January 10, 2026, at the age of 78.  Bob was a founding member, rhythm guitarist, and singer for the Grateful Dead.  He formed a prolific, decades-long songwriting partnership with Barlow after meeting him in high school.

I read ‘Feel Like a Stranger’ explores the feeling of being on stage or in a familiar crowd yet suddenly feeling like an outsider in the chaos and thrill of a Dead show, but I think there is a lot more to this song, as it seem like there is a sexual tension building up between the singer or possibly a person at the concert and a woman in the audience.  The lyrics point to these two strangers meeting at a concert while they are both enjoying this exciting, relaxed environment, they are trying to connect or hook up with each other.  They both like the same music and they want to socialize as they are standing or sitting or dancing right next to each other.  This song became a beloved, danceable staple of the band’s live shows that frequently served as a powerful show-opener to allow for extended jamming.  When this song opened up a concert, Deadheads knew they could count on things getting strange.  The Grateful Dead had a very different sound with Brendt Midland, which the newer fans thought were their best years, and others didn’t enjoy the heavier synthesizer sounds, but some older Deadheads initially had a hard time adjusting to Keith Godchaux taking over keyboard from Ron “Pigpen” McKernan.  The Grateful Dead went through distinct musical eras, and these shifts frequently coincided with a change in their keyboard players.  Because the keyboard role was vital to their improvisational sound, bringing in a new musician radically altered the band’s dynamics and style.

Bob Weir and John Perry Barlow met in the mid-1960s as teenagers while attending the Fountain Valley School, a co-educational college preparatory high school that was located in in Colorado Springs, Colorado that catered for “difficult” children as a day school and a boarding school.  Weir attended from 1962 to 1963, but he was asked to leave after one year due to his “unrestrained exuberance”.  Barlow did graduate in 1965, and he went on to earn a degree in comparative religion from Wesleyan University in 1969.  Weir returned to the campus for his 50th class reunion in May 2015, and the school officially awarded him an honorary diploma to commemorate the occasion.  The two bonded quickly and became lifelong best friends.  Bob Weir was expelled or asked to leave almost every school he attended before he went to Fountain Valley School.  His struggles were primarily due to undiagnosed dyslexia and a rebellious, mischievous streak.  In 1971, Weir brought Barlow on to write lyrics for the band, resulting in a legendary 18-year songwriting partnership that produced iconic songs like ‘Black-Throated Wind’, ‘Cassidy’, ‘Estimated Prophet’, ‘Looks Like Rain’, and ‘The Music Never Stopped’.

‘Feel Like a Stranger’ has some interesting lyrics and this song was inspired after Bob Weir visited a Marin County singles bar featuring a house band led by a pre-fame Huey Lewis.  Bob Weir felt like a stranger having this slightly alienated feeling of locking eyes with someone across a crowded room, anticipating a chaotic night, and navigating the strange boundary between connection and unfamiliarity.  Weir was literally looking at a stranger across the room, while also feeling like a stranger being disconnected, alienated, and deeply paranoid.  The lyrics evoke the thrill of the chase with a sense of consequence, where sneaking away with this person “feels just like running a red light”, bringing an immediate sense of anxiety and danger.  Grateful Dead concerts earned a reputation as places where “it’s gonna get stranger” because of the unpredictable, psychedelic subculture surrounding the band.  Weir and Barlow argued over the lyrics in this song because Weir felt Barlow was adding overly intellectual concepts to a straightforward rock tune.  Weir wanted the song to be a gritty, early-1980s meditation on casual sex, but this songwriting session grew incredibly tense and Barlow snapped and said, “If there’s one literate man left in America, I’m writing for him.”  Weir was offended, so he bolted and locked himself in a bathroom refusing to back down.  Barlow chased him and literally kicked his way through the bathroom door, leading to a brief scuffle that broke out in the hallway, but they did eventually resolve their issues.

Inside you’re burning
I can see clear through
Your eyes tell more than you mean them to

Lit up and flashing
Like the reds and blues
Out there on the neon avenue

But I feel like a stranger
Feel like a stranger

Well the music’s thundering
We’re restless and hot
You keep firing glances across the room

And I can’t stop wondering
Just what you got
Get the feeling I’m gonna find out real soon

Still I feel like a stranger
Feel like a stranger
Well you know it’s gonna get stranger
So let’s get on with the show

Yes and the wheel
Gets smoking round midnight
You shoot me a look that said let’s go

Yes and it feels
Just like running a red light
There ain’t no point in looking behind us, no

But I feel like a stranger
Feel like a stranger
You know it keeps getting stranger and stranger
If it’s love then how would I know?

Yes and it’s gonna get stranger
Some things you just know

If this were love then how would I know
(Feel like a stranger)
(Feel like a stranger)
Feel like a stranger
(Feel like a stranger)
It’s gonna be a long hot crazy night
It’s gonna be a long long crazy crazy night
Yeah crazy night
Silky silky, crazy crazy night

Written for Song Lyric Sunday where the theme is to find a song that was written or performed by someone who was bo9rn in October.

Crisp Autumn Weather

Banner generated by Copilot

The film Smokey and the Bandit, and C.W. McCall’s hit song ‘Convoy’ made today’s date infamous with the line, “10-4 good buddy” which means “message received and understood, friend” for those of us that live in the US, but since the vast majority of the world uses the day-month-year calendar format, that makes this line relate to the tenth day of April instead of being October 4.  October is known for its gradual shift to cooler weather, but it is also loaded with many important historical events.  On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of hundreds of members of the Knights Templar, accusing them of heresy, financial corruption, and other crimes.  On October 12, 1492, Columbus thought he reached the Indies because he relied on existing, flawed historical measurements and misinterpreted the units to make the globe appear much smaller than it actually was when he arrived in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.  On October 19, 1781, British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending the American Revolutionary War.  On October 21, 1805, the British Navy, led by Admiral Horatio Nelson, decisively defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar.  On October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty was officially dedicated in New York Harbor.  On October 24, 1929, the stock market crash began on “Black Thursday”, leading into the Great Depression.  On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, starting the Space Age.  On October 14, 1962, U.S. spy planes discovered Soviet missile installations in Cuba, setting off the Cuban Missile Crisis and all the students had to hide under their desks.

Last week we had Power Dynamics and the Human Struggle for Equality and Justice where the theme was to find a song that relates to civil rights, oppression, protest, revolution or social change.  This week the theme is to find a song that was written or performed by someone who was born in the month of October.  Take some time to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this music challenge, and even better, read as many of them as you can as you will probably find many enjoyable songs and it is quite possible that you will learn a thing or two.  Share your music with others and post a video, try do some research and let everyone know something about the song that you post.  Tell everyone why you like the song, whether it was a hit, or what you think the song is about.  Show the lyrics, let’s all listen to our favorite songs and explore some new music.  Try to find a song that fits the theme, then write your post and create a pingback, or you can just place your link in the comments section.

Suggestions
• If the song you select does not meet the criteria, then please explain why you chose this song.
• It would be good if you could post the lyrics to the song of your choice, as this is helpful for the people that want to follow along with the music.  Warning: Bloggers make posts at their own risk, and since song lyrics are copyrighted, you may be asked to take them down from your post if you don’t have permission.  It is highly unlikely estates or artists will sue regular people (although it has happened) especially if the bloggers that do this are not making money from their site, but an artist or a publisher can ask you to remove the lyrics from your post.  I am not a lawyer and there are no rules for Song Lyric Sunday, as we are all here to have fun and hopefully get to listen to some good music.
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due. It would also be a good idea to give credit to the singer and the band associated with your song.
• Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be, but please try not to include too many videos as that just makes it take longer for me to look at all of the other posts.
• Link to the YouTube video, or you can pull it into your post, so others can listen to the song.
• Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
• Feel free to suggest future prompts.  Have fun and enjoy the music.

This week I will be writing about the Grateful Dead song ‘Feel Like a Stranger’, and next week, I will be writing about the song ‘Most Girls’ by Hailee Steinfeld.  The upcoming prompts will be:
October 11, 2026 – Song that mentions girls
October 18, 2026 – Song about fishing, a mariner, sailing, seafaring, or ships
October 25, 2026 – Song about the American West, or one that mentions cowboys, a sheriff, an outlaw, horses, cactus, or tumbleweeds
November 1, 2026 – Song written or performed by someone who was born in the month of November

Believe It or Not

1. What is a calibre?
This is when a person ends their diet and they are liberated from counting calories.

2. What is citrus?
These are immigrants that got their Green Cards and became citizens are us.

3. What is phlebotomy?
The study of leaches.

4. What is pumpernickel?
She wanted a dime, but I only gave her a nickel.

5. What is meant by nimbus?
This is a slow, foolish, or silly person.

6. What is a sea monkey?
Something that refuses to be flushed down a toilet.

7. What is an ambassador?
This is a guy with a really large butt that can no longer fit through a door.

8. What is a flywheel?
This is the rear wheel on a garbage truck.

9. What is a catacomb?
An inappropriate photo that was taken on the beach.

10. What is flamboyant?
This is a fried lamb that floats.

Written for Di’s Fibbing Friday.

Lady Titicaca

Image generated by Bing AI

While public opinion varies, society generally subjects sex workers to deep-seated stigma, moral judgment, and social marginalization rather than universal, active hatred.  In May 1984, the City of Vancouver filed a major injunction to ban sex workers from the West End, using community policing groups to publicize their names.  This event eventually became a catalyst for local activism.  In 2001, a group of sex workers marched through the streets of Venice holding bright red umbrellas, and this became the global symbol for sex workers’ rights, and annual “” trace their historical resistance back to this pivotal 1984 crackdown.  Millions of people regularly consume mainstream adult content like pornography, yet societal disrespect toward the actual workers remains high.  Society holds a double standard toward sex workers as they are discriminated against and prosecuted as criminals, while they remain in high demand for a massive, multi-billion-dollar industry for adult media.

Red Umbrella Marches are annual events in many cities around the world, though they do not take place on a single, unified global date.  Alice was looking forward to this year’s Red Umbrella March, to show her defiance against what she deemed as unfair and unconstitutional prostitution laws, and a violation of her personal liberty.  Alice picked out a red parasol that matched her red boa and bustier, and she knew most of the 100 people that were going to march in this protest.  Alice always hated her birthday because it marks a visible passage of time, but it also represented the day when her childhood sexual abuse began.  No one believed her when she told her story about what happened and she feels that this past abuse did limit her career options and increase her vulnerability to entering the sex trade, as she was called a slut and she figured that since she could not shake her reputation, she might as well make money from it.  Alice usually took her birthday off to be away from everyone, but this year’s Red Umbrella March was on her birthday and that was important to her.

Her childhood abuse came from her teacher who kept her after school because she was chewing gum in class.  Alice never dreamed that she would be betrayed by an authority figure while they were completely alone together after hours.  He told her that she had to organize the supply closet for her punishment, and while she was doing this, he started sharing personal details about his own life, his financial problems, and his loneliness.  She wanted to finish her punishment and go so she could be with her friends, but he was watching everything she did standing right behind her, lingering longer than necessary, and leaning over her shoulder.  He crossed the line when he gave her a pat on the back and left his hand lingering on her shoulder, as that made her feel uncomfortable.  The classroom was entirely too quiet, save for the ticking clock and the heavy silence between them.  She grabbed a textbook in the supply closet and told him to step back and not stand so close to her.  He stepped closer to her and asked her what was wrong, which was a big mistake.  Instinct took over, and she turned around and hurled a heavy book straight at his face.  The solid corner of the spine caught him squarely across the mouth with a sharp, sickening crack.  Her teacher stumbled backward, gripping his jaw as the book thudded heavily onto the linoleum floor.  Blood was gushing out of his mouth and his bloody tooth landed next to Allice, so she picked it up and ran out of the class.

Alice kept the tooth in a small velvet box as physical evidence of the event.  Alice went by the working name of Lady Titicaca because she thought that had an exotic sound and Lake Titicaca is known as the birthplace of the world.  She was not so happy that caca was also known as excrement, but she remembered that the Aztecs had a deity called Tlazolteotl who was known as the goddess of excrement, and she was able to transform physical waste, moral sin, and decay into life-giving agricultural fertility and spiritual purification.  She was a sin eater absorbing human guilt, trauma, and bad deeds when people confessed, cleansing them and granting a fresh start, and in her line of work Lady Titicaca came across many people that needed a fresh start.  The Aztecs used human waste as an essential fertilizer for their crops, viewing rot and waste as the direct source of new life and food.  Alice was also fond of the Titicaca grebe, a flightless water-diving bird found in Peru and Bolivia as it is a very charming and endearing bird with sweet habits that many people find adorable.  The Titicaca grebe represented her inability to move past the lifestyle that she was trapped into, and it became a symbol of her own helplessness.  The Titicaca grebe is listed as an endangered species and it faces ongoing threats, just like she does in her work, so she has a lot of empathy for them.

These five things kept popping up in her dreams (a red umbrella, a missing tooth, 1984, a woman who hates birthdays and a bird that cannot fly) haunting her every night.  She knew that they had to be connected to something, but she had no clue what that was.  While she was marching in the parade, she noticed a man missing his front tooth who looked a lot like her molesting teacher from her past and she realized that these five things were all part of her life, and she solved the mystery of how and why they were all tied together.  Marching with her friends on her birthday helped her to uncover the secret that she was trying to discover.

Written for the Great Minds Think’s Friday Challenge, which is hosted by Rohini and Sarah and this week we were asked to make a story out of five different clues.

Barefoot and Pregnant

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, it was said that a woman’s place is in the home, doing chores, and having babies and it was imperative that they were not allowed to wear shoes so they could not run away from their man.  It seems shameful that this sexist, misogynist, discriminatory policy was instituted by men here on Earth to exert their male superiority and dominance because they felt they were entitled to tell women what to do, and this led to the patriarchal structure.  Human societies transitioned from egalitarian hunter-gatherer groups to agrarian communities around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.  Settling down meant acquiring land and resources that required physical defense, often putting physically stronger males in control of security.  Property began being passed down the male line, which gradually reduced female autonomy and established patriarchal norms.  Men historically held greater economic and social power, creating structural advantages that normalized traditional roles of male dominance and female submissiveness.  Laws, religious traditions, and social expectations over centuries formalized these hierarchies, making male authority the default standard in many cultures.  A rigid division of labor relegated women to unpaid domestic and reproductive tasks such as child-rearing and maintaining the household, with men dominating public spheres, warfare, and paid labor, this economic dependence further solidified male authority.

Classical Greek philosopher Aristotle described women as inferior, providing ideological justification for male dominance.  Major world religions often positioned women as subordinate, reinforcing gender hierarchy.  Medieval and early modern interpretations continued to portray women as morally or intellectually weaker.  Cultural narratives tied women to domestic roles and men to public authority, making inequality appear natural.  During the rise of early agrarian societies, patriarchal systems were tied to property, inheritance, and control over women’s labor and reproduction, and they also restricted women’s rights in marriage, property, and citizenship.  The rise of private property drove men to control household production and lineage, and to ensure that land and assets passed strictly to male heirs, this required strict monitoring of female fidelity and sexuality.  Early farming communities did not instantly fence off individual plots of land, but agricultural surpluses naturally created private land ownership.  The Manishtushu Obelisk carved around 2270–2255 BC has an inscription about the king purchasing property.  Institutionalized patriarchy is evident in early legal structures like the Code of Hammurabi written around 1754 BC, classified male headship, restricted female occupations, and severely penalized challenges to male authority.

There is no single cause for the imbalance of power where women were being viewed as subordinate to men, but when you are a minority it is very difficult to gain control.  Dominating groups create the foundational rules that naturally restrict the upward mobility of minority groups.  Having wealth and assets are necessary ingredients to influence change, and they are critical for getting your message across.  Eventually women got tired of being paid less and being told that they had smaller brains and their broader hips made them ideal candidates to bear and raise children.  In the 1970s, the women’s movement decided to challenge male dominance in all its forms by targeting systemic inequalities across law, culture, the workplace, and personal relationships, because they were tired of being devalued and considered inferior.  The oppression of women needs to end, but globally they earn roughly 16% to 30% less than men and perform over three-quarters of unpaid domestic work.  1 in 3 women face physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes.  Women hold only about 10% of top government leadership roles globally, and over half of countries lack consent-based definitions of rape.  Women still don’t have control over their own bodies, as male lawmakers have made abortion illegal, and things seem to be getting worse since June 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the federal constitutional right to an abortion.

Written for Reena’s Xploration Challenge #450 where today she gave us two images to ponder, and I chose the one on the left which is shown above.

Habitually High on Marijuana

I’m a space cowboy the first human born outside of Earth.  I am a cowboy that has lived my whole life in space, bet you weren’t ready for that.  Since the moment I first realized that cowboys were cool, all I ever wanted was to be a cowboy.  I wear boots and a western hat, but I have never seen a real cow or rode on a horse.  I have ridden on the mechanical bull bucking machine in this bar many times, which is a lot like being a real rodeo cowboy and I did quite well, if I have to say so myself.  I broke the time record, and the bartender gave me free drinks for the rest of the night.  I practice lassoing working on my wrist coordination, rhythm, and timing to release the loop at the exact moment where the natural momentum of the spinning rope carries it forward toward the target, but while traveling through space in microgravity, spinning a rope causes my entire body to rotate in the opposite direction.

Written for Thursday Inspiration new and improved hosted by Fandango where he gave us the AI generated picture above to write a story about.

Gang Rape is Contemptuous

Research comparing multiple-offender (gang) rape and single-offender (individual) rape indicates that gang rape victims often experience more severe trauma outcomes.  Gang rape is considered to be a heinous crime, as it represents a severe violation of human dignity, bodily autonomy, and fundamental human rights.  Gang rape is a violent, criminal act where a person is forced to have sex against their will by two or more people.  This is classified as a non-consensual sexual assault.  When I was in High School, I learned that many students were involved in gang bangs, and this one girl was known for pulling a train and her brothers made money from the guys that lined up in the queue.  The term gang bang is used for a group sexual encounter where one person has sex with multiple partners, usually sequentially or simultaneously, with the explicit consent of all participants.  It is a form of consensual group sex or an orgy.  All of these instances involved a lone girl and a group of guys, and these situations never worked out good for the girl, as after the guys had their way with her, she was called a slut.  I don’t know what made these girls do this, but I have to think they regretted what they did later.  Scientists and sexologists say that almost everything about human sex is “normal” because biological and behavioral research reveals an enormous range of natural diversity rather than a single rigid standard, thus as long as sexual activities involve informed, ongoing consent between adults and do not cross into abuse or coercion, sexology treats the vast array of consenting human expression as a healthy part of the human experience.

I read that most straight men don’t like being involved in gangbangs, and this was never my thing, but the guys that did do this bragged about it like they were heroes.  Acquaintance rape happens in a dating relationship, and this is commonly known as “date rape.”  This involves unwanted sexual contact forced through physical violence, threats, intimidation, or coercion, including when a person is unable to give consent due to the influence of alcohol or drugs.  Consent is an active, voluntary, and ongoing agreement to engage in sexual activity, and it is the fundamental boundary that separates consensual sex from sexual assault or rape.  An individual who is incapacitated by alcohol or drugs cannot legally or ethically give consent to sexual activity.  This brings us to what I have been watching on the News where New York state prosecutors reopened a case of alleged gang rape at Cornell University that took place in 2024.  The plaintiff, identifying as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit against Cornell University, several Chi Phi fraternity organizations, seven current and former students, several sorority organizations, the former president of Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter, a local bar and several unnamed individuals.

On Oct. 19, 2024, the night of the alleged drugging and sexual assault, the plaintiff admits that she consumed hard liquor at an event even though she was underage and she became intoxicated.  She “stumbled alone” to Chi Phi National’s Xi chapter’s fraternity house, where a fraternity member allegedly proposed having a threesome with him and another fraternity brother.  The lawsuit contends she was “incapable of consenting,” when the two guys pressured her to snort a white, powdery substance claimed to be ketamine and supplied her with marijuana and a liquor believed to be high-proof rum.  She claims that they each had sex with her without her consent.  Then allegedly one of the rapists allegedly encouraged fraternity brothers to join him, sending a message about “free pussy” upstairs to a Snapchat group.  I have never been in a fraternity, as I went to a commuter college and I did that at nights while I was working, so I don’t have a clue how this works, except from what I saw in the movie Animal House.

Written for FOWC with Fandango – Contemptuous.

Enchanted Forest

The woman hiker is wearing an olive jacket, dark pants, a backpack, and tall boots and while she is walking along a forest dirt trail she meets up with a small group of deer (two adults and a fawn), a red fox, a raccoon, two bunny rabbits and four forest songbirds are flying above them.  This gathering of different wild animals was most likely created by an AI image generator, as the very tiny deer appear to be much too small to be real, and this is primarily due to a lack of consistent scale and proportions with artificial intelligence struggling to find asymmetrical balance.  In the United States, I am used to seeing white tailed deer, which people recognize as Bambi, but there are other species that are smaller, however these deer do look like miniature white tailed deer, and they should have been drawn bigger than how they appear.  The adult deer are barely larger than the fox and roughly the same height as the woman’s hip despite her standing closer to the camera.

In the wild, a predator like a red fox, a prey species like rabbits, a protective mother deer, and a human would not walk calmly together in a tight cluster, but in an enchanted forest, anything is possible.  An enchanted forest is a place of deep magic, transformation, and mystery that is filled with mystical phenomena.  Travelers can encounter talking plants, glowing flora, hidden portals, and sudden transformations that bend the rules of reality.  The woods serve home to creatures like fairies, elves, dragons, witches, and giants.  These liminal spaces act as both a dangerous unknown where curses and monsters dwell, and a sanctuary or testing ground for heroes on a quest.  Magical woods often act as a mirror, reflecting the inner reality, fears, or desires of the person walking through them.

Written for Simply 6 Minutes hosted by Christine Bialczak.

Blue Wave

Image generated by ChatGPT

She watched him and smiled as he looked at his phone, turned pale, and quickly left the room.  The text on his phone said there was a Democratic sweep of both congressional chambers in the 2026 midterms.  This was like winning the lottery for him, because it would grant Democrats full control over investigations, judicial blocks, and allow potential impeachment proceedings.  Having a Democratic majority in both the House and Senate would allow Democrats to chair every congressional committee, where they could issue subpoenas and launch high-profile investigations.  A Democratic Senate could refuse to confirm judicial and executive appointments.  The Democrats ran on a campaign of making life more affordable for the American citizens and now they will have to act on making reforms.  Since Congress controls federal funding, and the House and Senate majorities can block or claw back appropriations, restrict how money is spent, or refuse to pass new funding bills for mass deportation programs.  A majority allows Democrats to launch congressional investigations, subpoena DHS and ICE officials, and hold public hearings on agency conduct.  Lawmakers could pass statutory guardrails, such as the proposed “Alex Pretti Act” aiming to eliminate qualified immunity for federal immigration agents, though enactment would still face a potential presidential veto.

The president also holds veto power on the tariffs that he initiated, but Democrats would be able to frustrate and constrain the administration’s agenda.  They could scrutinize or block funding for specific trade enforcement or implementation programs.  Many items that they are looking to change will probably go nowhere, as Republicans want higher defense spending, while Democrats want to reverse cuts to Medicaid in the administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill.  Given the increasingly confrontational nature of fiscal negotiations in recent years, neither side may be willing to concede much ground, so nothing will likely be done to lower the US federal debt which is now above $40 trillion.  The war in Iran would probably continue until we get a new president that isn’t, so pig headed.  The Democrats would have significant power to block, investigate, and challenge President Trump’s White House ballroom and triumphal arch projects.  He wanted real change and although things will be improving now what he is really looking for is a future Democratic president and a Democratic majority in Congress so they could pass legislation or direct federal agencies to remove Donald Trump’s name from federal property, buildings, or honors, provided they have the legal authority over those assets.

Written for Fandango’s Story Starter #266.

Nationwide Sensation

The maneki-neko, or Japanese “beckoning cat”, originated as a clay figurine in Tokyo (then called Edo) during the late Edo period (1603–1868).  A famous legend from Tokyo’s Gōtoku-ji Temple tells of a starving monk who shared his food with his pet cat.  During a sudden storm, a wealthy feudal lord named Ii Naotaka took shelter near the temple and saw the cat waving him inside.  Lightning struck the tree the lord had just left, saving his life.  Grateful, he became the temple’s patron.  Today, the temple attracts tourists from all over Japan and the world.  Another Edo lore credits an impoverished elderly woman in 1852 who had to abandon her cat.  The cat appeared in her dream and told her to make dolls in its image.  She crafted clay Imado ware figurines made from local terra-cotta, and sold them at the shrine gates, and escaped poverty.  Renowned artist Hiroshige Utagawa drew these cats in an 1852 woodblock print, the oldest known record of the fortune cat.

The beckoning cat is also known as lucky cat or welcome cat, and it is internationally recognizable with its raised paw that symbolizes wealth, good fortune, and welcoming customers worldwide into businesses.  These statues are often placed near entrances or cash registers to bring success.  Since the original beckoning cats wore a collar with a small bell around their necks to bring good luck.  The population of domesticated cats was relatively small at this time, some cats were kept on leashes to keep them close, rather than letting them run wild.  As Japan’s economy grew and shifted during later periods, the focus of the talisman turned more toward material wealth.  The neck bells were eventually replaced or supplemented by a paw holding a koban (a large oval gold coin from the Edo period) to symbolize financial fortune.  The cat came to represent material rather than emotional happiness.  In the 1950s, the cat’s head became as big as the body and eyes became widely opened.  Meowth is a Pokémon character inspired by the Japanese beckoning cat, and it features a prominent gold coin embedded right in its forehead.  Although there are no restrictions on the kind of cat that can be represented with the maneki-neko statue, the calico Japanese Bobtail is the most traditionally accurate and common breed.

A beckoning cat with both paws raised symbolizes protection, happiness, and an all-around invitation for both wealth and good relationships for a home or business.  It is a double blessing, combining the power of both single-paw gestures, beckoning financial wealth (right paw) and welcoming customers, friends, or family (left paw).  It is frequently viewed as a powerful guardian amulet that shields a household or a business space from negative energy.  In some traditional Japanese folklore, raising both paws is humorously interpreted as “surrendering”, “throwing up one’s hands”, or being overly greedy (“asking for too much” luck at once).

Written for Melissa’s Flash Fiction Challenge #396.