{"id":2782,"date":"2022-04-21T21:23:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T02:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/?p=2782"},"modified":"2022-05-22T23:38:24","modified_gmt":"2022-05-23T04:38:24","slug":"beck-gave-me-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/beck-gave-me-covid\/","title":{"rendered":"Beck Gave Me COVID\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p>\u2026and it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=204\">nobody\u2019s fault but my own<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>After 2 years of doing all the right careful things as a good citizen, the allure of a solo acoustic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.setlist.fm\/setlist\/beck\/2022\/acl-live-at-the-moody-theater-austin-tx-63891ad3.html\">Beck show during SXSW<\/a> was too good to pass up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_2799\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2799\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2799 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_1673-scaled-e1653280688683-300x295.jpeg?resize=300%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_1673-scaled-e1653280688683.jpeg?resize=300%2C295&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_1673-scaled-e1653280688683.jpeg?resize=1024%2C1007&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_1673-scaled-e1653280688683.jpeg?resize=768%2C755&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_1673-scaled-e1653280688683.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1510&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_1673-scaled-e1653280688683.jpeg?resize=800%2C787&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_1673-scaled-e1653280688683.jpeg?resize=407%2C400&amp;ssl=1 407w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_1673-scaled-e1653280688683.jpeg?w=1907&amp;ssl=1 1907w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IMG_1673-scaled-e1653280688683.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2799\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">There&#8217;s a <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=111\">fume<\/a> in this room&#8230;<a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=860\">chemtrails<\/a> too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<p>I\u2019m vaxxed and boosted. I\u2019ve worn a mask indoors and generally avoided indoor venues\/dining for the whole pandemic. My indoor restaurant count for the last two years is in the single digits, maybe even one\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=752\">back of my hand<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>With all the protections in place, Beck felt like the right time for a return to normalcy. Embrace the science, trust the half-official, half-honor system of a &#8220;proof of vaccine or negative test&#8221; venue entry policy, and get back to the joy of live music and a night on the town. Go easy, right? <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=512\">Everybody&#8217;s gotta learn sometimes<\/a>&#8230;<\/p>\r\n<p>Long story outlined:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Show was Saturday<\/li>\r\n<li>Felt a little rundown Tuesday night<\/li>\r\n<li>Sore throat kicked in Thursday afternoon; tested <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=626\">positive<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li>Blah and tired for 4ish+ days. Slept for 12 hours twice.<\/li>\r\n<li>At the peak, air felt &#8220;heavy&#8221; in a sort of inverse to the way it feels &#8220;thin&#8221; at altitude. (Like I sucked down a <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=62\">cyanide breath mint<\/a>, causing <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1415\">heavy breathing on the phone<\/a>.)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=213\">outcome<\/a> was different than I expected&#8230;<\/p>\r\n<p>As illnesses go it wasn&#8217;t so bad. All in all it could&#8217;ve been worse, and now I <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=124\">guess I&#8217;m doin&#8217; fine<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>Except for <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=48\">captain brain<\/a> fog.<\/p>\r\n<p>How do I describe it? I&#8217;ve certainly lost some brain <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=535\">cell<\/a>s over the decades, but never to the point where I could definitively say I was smarter two months ago than I am now. <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=74\">Something&#8217;s wrong &#8217;cause my mind is fading<\/a>&#8230;<\/p>\r\n<p>I forget words, lose my <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=42\">broken train<\/a> of thought, or otherwise become <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=302\">totally confused<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>One <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1424\">morning<\/a> I couldn&#8217;t figure out how to get out of the car. Sat there in the driveway pulling on the armrest and confused why the door wasn&#8217;t opening, like I was in a <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=527\">rental car<\/a> for the first time and not my own 10+ year old <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=69&amp;searchString=hyundai\">Hyundai<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>Another day I was riding my bi<a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1458\">cycle<\/a> and heard someone playing a killer <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=254&amp;versionID=2\">sax<\/a>ophone solo by the <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=371\">side of the road<\/a>. I craned my neck to watch without slowing down and completely wiped out\u2014somehow not realizing the likely outcome of this action.<\/p>\r\n<p>My sense of direction has always been my kryptonite. People tell me I have a busted internal <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1022\">compass<\/a>. Post-COVID it&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=7\">almost a ghost<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=370\">already dead<\/a>. I can&#8217;t get anywhere without turning on navigation aside from walking the dogs around the block. It&#8217;s like a <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=913\">broken engine<\/a>. Yesterday I went on a coffee run\u2014take a right and it&#8217;s on the left\u2014and somehow took two wrong turns.<\/p>\r\n<p>The best analogy I have is my autopilot is out of whack along with my ability to process <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=764\">the information<\/a> in the background. With deep concentration I can usually get it back, but generally I&#8217;ve <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=120\">got no mind<\/a> as the wise man once said. It&#8217;s a <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=522&amp;versionID=3\">ghettochip malfunction<\/a>. Or sometimes <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1144\">just noise\u00a0<\/a>while the rest of my brain<a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1449\">wave<\/a>s are <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=309\">buried alive<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>This blog post has taken two months because I keep forgetting about it. And even when I remember, I struggle to recall the <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=117\">glut<\/a> of Beck lyrical references I used to be able to conjure up at will. Is it <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=152\">all in my mind<\/a>? Yes\u2014and that&#8217;s the scary <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=109\">Mountain Dew Rock<\/a> of it. <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=524\">Scarecrow<\/a>&#8216;s only scaring himself. (Big shout out to the amazing <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\">WhiskeyClone.net<\/a>\u00a0for jogging my memory.)<\/p>\r\n<p>Was the risk worth the reward? I&#8217;d like to say the answer is\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=522\">hell yes<\/a>!<\/em> but honestly <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=175\">lord only knows<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>At the <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=374\">end of the day<\/a>, this <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=313\">ain&#8217;t your time to go<\/a>. Use a <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=106\">forcefield<\/a> to protect your <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=54\">cold brains<\/a> unless you want to be <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1509\">up all night<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1610\">thinking about you<\/a>(r) IQ <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=754\">falling off a cliff <\/a>while plotting scenarios for <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1523\">bringin&#8217; it back<\/a>, sleeplessly unable to <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=695\">silence them<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1377\">Do you ever wonder? No, I don&#8217;t.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>I <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1112\">know I&#8217;m gonna make it<\/a>, but predicting how or when I regain my <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=184\">maximum potential<\/a> is a <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=177\">lost cause<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=85\">Don&#8217;t get bent out of shape<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>These are the words we use to <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1452\">say goodbye<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>(Now I&#8217;ll <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=258\">shut up<\/a> since this is <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=119\">going nowhere fast <\/a>and I&#8217;m <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=1111\">busting out some weak ass shit <\/a>instead of being <a href=\"https:\/\/whiskeyclone.net\/ghost\/songinfo.php?songID=426\">poignant<\/a>.)<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2026and it\u2019s nobody\u2019s fault but my own. After 2 years of doing all the right careful things as a good citizen, the allure of a solo acoustic Beck show during SXSW was too good to pass up. I\u2019m vaxxed and boosted. I\u2019ve worn a mask indoors and generally avoided indoor venues\/dining for the whole pandemic&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[29,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-misc-debris","category-music"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3pfx3-IS","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1783,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/of-the-year-2017\/","url_meta":{"origin":2782,"position":0},"title":"Of the Year &#8211; 2017","author":"LBDG","date":"January 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Commentary coming sooner or later... ALBUMS Resistance Radio: The Man in the High Castle Album -- Various Life Will See You Now -- Jens Lekman Colors -- Beck Like a Drunk in a Midnight Choir: RSD Celebrates the Music of Leonard Cohen -- Various St. Mojo -- Sweet Spirit Salutations*\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":760,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/all-about-the-benji-hughes\/","url_meta":{"origin":2782,"position":1},"title":"All About The Benji Hughes","author":"LBDG","date":"October 3, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Every once in a great while a record comes around that just plain blows your mind. One that lands in heavy rotation, building up steam and momentum with each listen. You may like or even love other albums, but the magical ones like this are few and far between. Music\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":702,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/acknowledged\/","url_meta":{"origin":2782,"position":2},"title":"Acknowledged","author":"LBDG","date":"August 24, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"A few months back a friend of a friend emailed me a few questions about my publishing experience. \u00c2\u00a0I gave some honest answers and wished him luck. \u00c2\u00a0He later offered me a free copy in appreciation. When the book came in the mail, I was quite surprised and flattered to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Misc Debris&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Misc Debris","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/misc-debris\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Quirky short stories by Scott S. Phillips","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/Screenshot_10-188x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":119,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/eloparty-playlist\/","url_meta":{"origin":2782,"position":3},"title":"Eloparty Playlist","author":"LBDG","date":"September 3, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"(Apologies for going off-topic, but sometimes this blog is the easiest place to publicly post things like this. I did sign a book at the party, so there is some relevance...) By popular demand, here is the playlist as heard at our Les Zygomates elopement party shindig on the east\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Misc Debris&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Misc Debris","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/misc-debris\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1993,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/2020-hindsight-commentary-no-for-the-13th-time-fourteen-rivers-fourteen-floods\/","url_meta":{"origin":2782,"position":4},"title":"2020 Hindsight Commentary: No, For The 13th Time &#038; Fourteen Rivers Fourteen Floods","author":"LBDG","date":"July 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm revisiting Timely Persuasion 12 years after releasing it \/ 17 years after writing it \/ 6000+ days since I jokingly told Jon Mack \"maybe I'll write a book\" with a new round of fresh eyed commentary. Today's look at yesterday's chapters is brought to you by The Wonder Stuff\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Behind the Scenes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Behind the Scenes","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/behind-the-scenes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3626,"url":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/one-or-ten-for-me-and-one-for-you-8-more-shows-with-the-pink-stones-at-sxsw-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":2782,"position":5},"title":"One or Ten For Me and One For You: 8 More Shows with The Pink Stones at SXSW 2026","author":"LBDG","date":"April 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"They1 said it was a record that would never be broken: One band, eight sets, five days of SXSW2. Never say never\u2014especially when it comes to a music based challenge involving your favorite active live touring band (I think3). https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DVrZ892D3hX\/?hl=en I was on a mission to make up for my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_5286-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C722&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2782"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2782\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2808,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2782\/revisions\/2808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.timelypersuasion.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}