NCAA Picks
I hate my picks. That’s how I’ll sum up this year’s NCAA tournament. Which seems perfect for a college basketball season I have mostly hated. Spoiled KU fan, I know. As hard as I tried not to, I ended up going with all four #1 seeds to reach the Final Four. Which is an idiotic way to fill your bracket…
Early NCAA Thoughts
Here we are, NCAA tournament time. The time of some of my favorite, non-family of course, moments of my life. And also some of my least favorite. I suppose that’s the good thing about KU’s relative mediocrity this year: if I genuinely have no expectations, there is only opportunity for good memories this week. I expect them to shit the…
Weekend Notes
As I said Friday, last week was a very odd one around here, at least in terms of our daily schedules. Monday was a normal day, although one third of L’s classmates were gone on their retreat. She did go in late after getting her stitches removed and new cast put on. Tuesday had the same schedule, although this was…
Friday Playlist
Weird week around here. So weird I’m putting this together Thursday afternoon as I have some plans Friday morning. “Fur Mink Augurs” – Bob Mould Bob’s new album came out last Friday. It is exactly what you would expect from a Bob Mould album. This is probably the best song on it. Sounds like a good song to end a…
Reader’s Notebook, 3/11/25
I just read a remarkable book that demands its own post. The Real Hoosiers – Jack McCallum McCallum, the longtime NBA writer for Sports Illustrated, dove into the history of the Indianapolis Crispus Attucks high school basketball teams of the mid–1950s, when Oscar Robertson starred there. Famously, Attucks lost to Milan in the first game of the State Finals in…
Weekend Notes
I had a busy morning, so will blow through a few items from another rather laid-back weekend. Jayhawk Talk Saturday’s regular season finale with Arizona summed up the season for KU. Nice start, only to fell apart when Hunter Dickinson went to the bench. Another solid run in the last 6–7 minutes of the first half on the verge of…
Friday Playlist
“Dollar Store” – Ben Kweller featuring Waxahatchee Katie Crutchfield is starting to show up in as many songs by other people as Phoebe Bridgers. Thank goodness both of them are always great collaborators. “Bethany” – Craig Finn Speaking of collaborations, can we just send Finn and The War On Drugs out on tour together and make old guys like me…
Reader’s Notebook, 3/6/25
Beirut Station – Paul Vidich I’ve read a couple of Vidich’s books and was luke warm on both, so had largely written his work off. His spy stories seemed reserved, dry, and emotionally complex in a way that I did not connect with. But I heard him on a podcast where his personality seemed the opposite of that, and read…
Wednesday Links
Heavy on James Bond content today, as there was some major news regarding the series’ future along with two other tidbits that haven’t received nearly as much attention. First, Amazon threw another billion dollars at Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to take over full control of the Bond series. Broccoli especially has not been thrilled with what she believes Amazon’s…
Jayhawk Talk: Checking Out
What a stupid, unserious team. That was one of my biggest thoughts after KU lost to Texas Tech Saturday. There’s no shame in losing to Tech; they are a hell of a team and now have wins at KU, at Houston, at K-State, and at BYU. They are very much like Iowa State in that they have a terrific coach…