I Don't Get It

 I Don't Get It

An impromptu essay by Aaron D. Backes

I don't get it.

Republicans plan to make banning free school lunches one of their top priorities in 2024, even though several studies show that children are more alert and do better in school when adequately fed.

I don't get it.

Republicans want to impeach Joe Biden even though they have no realistic evidence that would warrant such action.

I don't get it. 

Some Republicans want to ban books that feature members of the LGBTQ+ community, even though such works are not offensive in any way.

I don't get it. 

Many Republicans are adamantly against gun control, even though we've had more mass shootings than days in the calendar year every year this decade. Missouri legislators even recently voted to allow children to carry guns in public.

I don't get it.

Texas resident Kate Cox had to flee her home state because she was not allowed to abort her pregnancy which was no longer viable.

I don't get it.

Many Republicans are mad at Democrats for the recent ruling in Colorado that would remove Donald J. Trump from the 2024 presidential election ballots in their state, even though the case for this action was brought forth by Republicans and Independents.

I don't get it.

Many Republicans are vehemently opposed to COVID-19 vaccines, even though empirical data that's surfaced since the pandemic started clearly shows how many more COVID-19 illnesses and deaths have happened in red states than blue states.

I don't get it.

Donald J. Trump has 91 indictments, was impeached twice, and arrested four times, and yet he's still expected to be the Republican candidate for president in 2024.

I don't get it.

Trump also allegedly craps his diapers and reportedly smells terrible. (Hence, the reason why #trumpsmells has been trending lately.) Republicans still support him anyway.

I don't get it.

Many Republicans constantly complain about "cancel culture," while they are actively trying to cancel things they don't like. They also criticize companies and individuals for being "woke," which means being aware of social and political events. Maybe they'd rather stay asleep and live in their little dream worlds. 

We can definitely do better as a nation. 

Until next time, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Rock Bands You Should Know #4: Mammoth WVH

 Mammoth WVH is a relatively new band formed by Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang. I was fortunate to see them live in concert at First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis last month. They're a fun live band that's well worth seeing whenever they're in your area.

Wolfgang started the band while he was still the bassist for Van Halen. He started recording his debut album in 2015 at 5150 Studios. Wolfie has thus far written, recorded, sung and performed all of the instruments on Mammoth's albums. He was also the bass guitarist for Alter Bridge/Creed lead guitarist Mark Tremonti's solo band Tremonti until being replaced by Tanner Keegan on bass and played drums on Sevendust lead guitarist's 2020 solo release God Bless The Renegades.

The first Mammoth WVH single, "Distance," was an emotional tribute to Eddie Van Halen, who passed away in December 2020 after enduring a bout with throat cancer. It was one of several songs included on their debut album, which was released in June 2021. Wolfgang revealed in interviews that he wanted to use the name Mammoth as part of his band name, as it was a moniker that his father's band initially used early on. Eddie gave his son approval to use the name as well.

Wolfgang is joined on tour by his former Tremonti bandmate Garrett Whitlock on drums, bassist Ronnie Ficarro, and guitarists Jon Jourdan and Frank Sidoris. Their second album, Mammoth II, was released in August 2023. Mammoth WVH has been on the road recently as a headliner (with Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss and her solo band as the opening act) and supporting Metallica during their stadium tour. 

I was impressed by Wolfie's talent and on-stage presence during last month's show. He's clearly learned from some of the best. His music videos also have a good tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, much like many of the Foo Fighters videos that I've seen over the years. One of these days, I'll have to spring for the VIP meet and greet. It'd be interesting to pick his brain about music and his experiences. I strongly recommend picking up their albums and catching a show or two. 

Well, that's all for now. Until next time, have a great week, everyone!