PODCAST

: lower black pain.

Jd Michaels - The CabsEverywhere Creative Production House

Life’s lemons into rich, dark chocolate. lowerblackpain.substack.com

society & culture performing arts

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5:00

Happy 4th of July July July July

: lower black pain. ·

2024/07/04

My mother and her husband wanted us to see a fireworks display. We’d only been married maybe a year, and it was our first Independence Day together in Kansas City. My wife is from Northern California and admitted that 4th of July seemed bigger and louder in the midwest, what with all of the legal explosives and whatnot.There were more than 20 displays scheduled in the metro area - we went to the closest, which happened to be in the parking lot up by the HyperMart (a gigantic WalMart with a full

2:14

Thunderwalking.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/06/27

the storm rolls in, like a boulder, like a freight train, and then there is the briefest of silences, when the air is still and warm and heavythen a drop. then another. then rain, which is different from a storm, we think, because rain is just water falling from the sky, all friendly-likebut then the drops somehow get bigger, each of them a separate splash of liquid fireworks on the rapidly darkening sidewalkthe wind picks up – suddenly howlsthen lightning +two (1000)three (1000)four

3:43

15 Hours of Daylight.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/06/20

By the time you read this, it will be summer.The solstice will have occurred, one of the two times each year the sun seems to stand still in the sky for a moment before continuing its orbital motion.Target™, in its trademark spirit of nearly intolerable seasonal anticipation, having been outfitted with inflatable beachballs since late March, will today begin shifting its display towards “Back to School” (if not Halloween).There will not be a “warm” day again until autumn… days will either be “really

5:21

Darn.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/06/13

I am a responsible adult. I am an example to the child person that lives in my house, and exemplify as many mature traits as possible each day. I try to be kind, work hard, listen, learn: I attempt not to “whine” and to eat all my vegetables and don’t slouch (except on the couch, because that’s the way to sit on the couch).It’s a struggle, not leaning into being a kid myself. For instance, I really love cornflakes – not just in the morning but for a snack or dessert or… y’know anytime, and because I

2:10

Dwowsy.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/06/06

Every weekday afternoonat 3 o’clockthe day becomes soheavythough its balance is far past the tipping pointthe last few hourslooming aheadare somewhat overwhelming and I just get sotired.I make a cup of caffeine free teawhich perks me up becausethe water is just fartoo hotthen back to work withwistful sighs forsimpler times whencomplex afternoonswere met with mats and window shades.I miss napsso much morethan i miss youth(which was exhausting)every dayat 3 o’clockwe’d all lay downand close our

6:31

A Nice Cold Glass Of Anything.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/05/30

Last summer, when visiting my mother, we discovered that all the ice from her refrigerator seemed to be made of epsom salt. She had gotten used to this, living her life with the understanding that during hotter months of the year all sodas and juices would taste like they were mixed with a spicy turkey gravy, but we immediately discarded all her old ice trays and sent her several replacements. I never realized that there were so many new variations on the idea of an ice cube tray. My grandparents

5:52

Hobby, or not Hobby?

: lower black pain. ·

2024/05/23

Last weekend our family learned how to silkscreen on fabric, a new skill initiated by a school project my daughter was finishing. It turned out the assignment did not actually require her to silkscreen or sew anything, just turn in a sketch of a fashion design, but she felt that the extra effort would really illustrate her artistic point. We didn’t know that until after she’d already “turned it in”.So now we all know how to silkscreen. We have silkscreen tools and little bottles of silkscreening

9:38

Heading to Leather.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/05/16

Tis the season for flat hats and thin colorful gowns, balloons and flowers and relatives and sold out lunch reservations at family restaurants. Graduation. Streets filled with flocks of Jedi knights, all smiling somewhat nervously, making sure everybody’s together on the subway platform, a look on their faces of specific sweet relief topped with an overwhelming scoop of “what’s next?”.I am not a doctor or lawyer, so I haven’t seen my diploma in forever. It was comforting having those levels of

3:21

Grateful.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/05/09

The seven deadly sins get all the attention. They are the high school “bad kids” at the loudest lunchroom table, all switchblades and cigarettes, roaming life’s hallways like they own the place. The seven heavenly virtues are off studying at the library: prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude, faith, hope, and charity: also a very impressive group, who do a lot of volunteer work that will look great on their college applications, but in my opinion are missing one critical member.In all of human

7:43

boneless.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/05/02

I was never allowed to go boneless. I must’ve tried, once, but it wasn’t a viable option for negotiation. If you’re confused, boneless is that thing little kids do in the grocery store where they go incredibly limp, instantly doubling their body weight like a leaden water balloon supported only by a parents’ grip on their somehow-always-sticky hand. The boneless tactic is usually employed as a last ditch effort bargaining chip to either obtain something or avoid doing something. I wasn’t allowed

5:46

Flights of Better Angels.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/04/25

It’s been a rough week.Back in the late 1980’s, when people could still smoke on planes, I took a flight home from college at Christmastime. Someone had told me how to get to the airport very early so that I could give my seat to someone in a bigger rush than me, thus earning myself a free flight coupon. I did so, and later that afternoon found myself one flight wealthier and holding a tentative aisle seat on another overbooked flight.I don’t know what her name was (I know she told me later); she

6:44

AI, IRL.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/04/18

I have indeed fretted over the possibility of computers somehow “taking over” while listening to NPR through my smart-speaker over broadband wireless, working on my laptop.As a child, computers represented “logic and efficiency” when I was all about imagination and emotion. I didn’t see how our paths would even cross unless I someday worked in one of those rooms full of tall white metal machines with the big round spinning tape spools on them. Then came the irresistible bacon-like seduction of the

2:18

Luna Obscura.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/04/11

this week my daughter rose from bedand put a colander on her headsince we don’t have a family rule“you can’t wear kitchen tools to school”she did so, proudly. Metal hat.(Stop her? Why would we do that?)it’s a pretty even bet thatsome of this could be geneticher voice, walk and choice of clothesseem to cause intrigue with thosewho don’t believe that it’s all real –then WE show up, and seal the dealshe spent the day attending class:as her friends and teachers passedthey’d ask, of course, in low

7:45

Heavens! (Centennial.)

: lower black pain. ·

2024/04/04

I began this experiment nearly two years ago, and as I explained in a reply to a recent comment, did not expect it to go on this long. Originally there were to be 12 columns, a number I enjoy for various reasons, but then this sort of became a habit, and I didn’t want to stop for any specific reason, so I kept going; setting new goals, none especially significant. I made it a year, which was fun, and now this is the 100th column, and I know exactly what I want to write about.That being said; it

6:17

Einsteinium.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/03/28

I adore the periodic table. To me it’s a larder containing everything that makes up everything. I also feel that way about the dictionary, the full spectrum of light, the audible wavelength range of musical notes, and the giant menus at diners in the Northeast where you can get both waffles and lobster.Einsteinium is the element you get when you combine 99 protons with 99 electrons, which is difficult to do because it requires a hydrogen bomb explosion, which we are absolutely blessed with a dearth

7:07

Shelf Space.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/03/21

Yesterday my dentist and I ended up talking about Pokémon cards.He had started playing the Pokémon card game in ninth grade, and collected quite a stash of them, which he was still very proud of, though a few years ago he had given the bulk of it to two of his nephews. “I found out they traded them for some snacks at school.” he told me. His voice didn’t quaver, but it wasn’t steady. He changed the direction of the conversation.“Did you ever collect them?”“Just a few.” I replied (my mouth was still

3:15

276 days 'til Winter.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/03/14

By the time Winter gets here, the voting will be over. You’ll have most of your holiday presents wrapped and the tree will definitely be up, if that’s a thing you do. You’ll be done with pumpkin spice and will have probably seen that Dune sequel since it came out for download in June. You’ll have bought warm new pajamas that aren’t fraying around the hem and no matter what you were worried about or how many newscasters or late night comedians communicated general chaosyou’ll be sitting somewhere

1:36

I Really Think That You'll Agree.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/03/07

“The end of winter” is not “Spring”.morning light still powder bluea chill at sunriseleafless brancheslack of birdsongbed so warmmost certainlythis iswhere we’re supposed to bebut alas alarm (three snoozes); winter wins(sigh)comfort, losesday beginsso very slow, push push and push and barely godrawing superhuman power to make coffee, take a showergo from here to here againbut that’s the point of when this isthe destination lies aheadall efforts leading back tobed so warmuntil we hear the birdsand

6:53

Mystery History.

: lower black pain. ·

2024/02/29

I have always considered the “African” part of “African-American” a bit of a mystery. Some Americans grow up surrounded by the language and culture of the first part of their hyphenated nationality, be it Irish or Chinese or Russian, and have been told stories from their grandparents about a faraway place that one would have to cross a body of water to visit which the entire family sometimes refers to as “home”.For my family, that place is Kansas. At some point before that, it was certainly Africa,

5:47

Encyclopedia (brown).

: lower black pain. ·

2024/02/22

I have only one picture of my great grandmother. It is sepia toned, with blue dip pen notes on the back. She’s wearing old fashioned clothing. She is not smiling. It’s difficult to assume anything about her life except that she was staunch: her eyes look into the camera and beyond it with the power of one of Bruce Lee’s punches.I have maybe 80 photographs of my grandparents, only on the one side of the family, since that’s the side I know. Five large albums with photos displaying the history of home

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