What This World Needs

By Paul Rubin

Many years ago, an enigmatic and brilliant fellow named Don Van Vliet (who lived somewhere in the Mohave Desert) wrote a tune under his moniker of Captain Beefheart. He called it "Buggy Boogie Woogie." Don growled his way through the thing, with his Magic Band creating a strangely intoxicating cacophony beneath. The refrain went, "What this world needs is a good two-dollar room 'n a good two-dollar broom!"

For some reason, that lyric popped into my head as I contemplated this, my inaugural blog for Valley Fever. Actually, I do know what the reason was: It was no revelation for me to realize that what this world certainly does not "need" is yet another blogger (or should that be clogger?). But, honestly, I see this as a cool little forum to get things out there that I hear about on the street during my daily travels (I'm no desk jockey)--updates on stories past and tidbits on things that might not see the light of day because of the constraints (yes, there are some) of working at a weekly. I'll throw things out there as I see fit and as time permits, and see how the fur flies. After almost 23 years of inflicting journalism at this rag (I mean, this august publication) and still having a blast, blogging could be a bit of a hoot, no?