Red October

Greetings, gentle readers.
Two things have been preying on my mind recently, and the colour red features prominently in both of them.
The first would be Liverpool Football club.  After seven consecutive wins to begin the season, the team suddenly seems to have hit a rough patch of form, losing and drawing their previous two games before facing off against Italian club Napoli in the Champions' League yesterday.  It would be the third game in a row against an opposition playing in blue, and the team playing in red seemed to be facing an uphill battle against form and very solid blue opposition.

Liverpool's goal in the second of four straight games against blue opponents.

The second would be the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court Senate Judicial Confirmation Hearings, which seemed destined to be coasting toward a very contentious "yes" decision in the face of some serious allegations of sexual misconduct and perjury.  Given the American congressional midterm elections next month, the factions at odds over Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation seemed to be breaking very clearly across political party lines with Kavanaugh angrily asserting that evidence denigrating his character were the product of Democrat (blue) conspiracies and other forces mustered against the Republican-Trump (red) administration.  Only the actions of departing Red senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) prevented Kavanaugh's confirmation and allowed the FBI one week of investigation into the various allegations against the candidate.

Where should one look for clarity and direction in these times of confusion and uncertainty?  In my case, I turn on my iPod and take a shower with the Shuffle feature turned on and let the forces of the universe inform me in their own stochastic way, much as the shamanistic traditions of the world use animal entrails, bones, or wooden sticks.
Here's what it had to say:

Random Bathroom Tunes

• National Shite Day by Half Man, Half Biscuit
• Frag Mich Nicht Immer (trans.:  I Don't Remember) by Peter Gabriel
• The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love) by Journey
• Dream Police by Cheap Trick
• Vindaloo by Fat Les
• Turn on Your Lovelight by Van Morrison and Them

It could just be me, but there almost seems to be a narrative created by this seemingly innocuous list.
The next few days will see how both red/blue conflicts develop, with Liverpool hosting the Manchester City Blues at home, and the FBI releasing its findings to both the red and blue congressional factions examining the SCOTUS.
Personally, I am highly partisan in the first instance in favour of the red side while wishing that partisanship could be removed altogether from the systemic examination of judicial candidacy in the second.
In lieu of further speculation, I shall drop back into one of my exhaustion comae and let the universe unfold as it should.  Or at least, as the universe shall, with or without my let.
Until next time, good night England and the Colonies.
—mARKUS