Reader’s Notebook, 4/7/20
Well, I did it. I finished my pile of books I checked out from the library last night. I have a couple books on my Kindle that I’ve purchased to get through the next week or so. After that I guess I’ll start checking out ebooks from the library, which I kind of hate to do after learning about how…
Old School Gaming
It should be national championship night. Maybe KU would be playing tonight in the school’s ninth title game seeking their fourth NCAA title. The Chicago Tribune ran a simulation and had the Jayhawks beating Michigan State tonight to indeed grab the 2020 nets. USA Today had KU beating Dayton on a buzzer-beating shot. Alas, there was no tournament this year…
Friday Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2IPr9tKB4PIXoAOtBfcs0P?si=Oct24QEbS4K9B16v3Kv4QQ “I Know That Much” – The Lathums This band is from England, but there is a distinctly 80s, Australian vibe to their music. To be fair, there is also a strong early 90s jangle pop feel to it as well. I also hear REM and Johnny Marr. This is turning into a wine description: “Oaky, but with a hint…
Covid Chronicles, 4/2
The latest in America’s favorite new blog series! Last night I had my first Zoom meeting with friends. Most of those buddies check in here on the blog occasionally – Nez, E$, Sir Dave, The Piddler – and we’ve been texting often. But it was still great to see their faces, have a conversation, and make a human connection. Yesterday…
What I’m Watching, March
Obviously a busier month than normal. Let’s get to it. Narcos, season three Maybe not quite as excellent as the first two seasons, largely due to the end of Wagner Moura’s epic run as Pablo Escobar which carried the first two seasons. The move from Medellín to Calí still made for compelling TV. Despite that move, there was still a…
Reader’s Notebook, 3/31/20
First off, in my last entry I mentioned that I had forgotten to include a book in my December updates. But I had also forgotten the book’s title, so I could not mention it at all. Fortunately the author of the book blurbed one of this entry’s books which jogged my memory. This is my official recognition that I read…
Covid Chronicles, 3/30
Happy spring break, everyone! So excited to leave dreary, cold Indiana behind for a week in sunny, warm… Well shit. We weren’t even supposed to go someplace warm, but it is still crappy to remain stuck at home rather than on day two of skiing in Colorado. Who knows, maybe staying home means one of us didn’t break a leg…
Friday Vid
“The Rising” – Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band It’s a big new music week. I’m a few songs into my first pass at the new Pearl Jam album. There are at least four more new albums that require my attention today. So just a video today, and something to hopefully give a little hope that things will get…
Covid Chronicles, 3/25
I find myself bouncing between hope and despair quite often these days. The numbers from Italy and Spain are so staggering, and our country’s reaction so inept, that it is difficult not to live in great fear of what comes next. But I also know that despite all the issues we have had in preparing for this, America tends to…
Reaching for the Stars, Vol. 39
Chart Week: March 24, 1984 Song: “They Don’t Know” – Tracey Ullman Chart Position: #30, 5th week on the chart. Peaked at #8 for two weeks in April/May. It’s been a minute or two since I’ve done one of these. Part of that is because my AT40 workflow has changed. My normal, weekday routine is to turn on the iHeart…