D's Notebook

Tag: media (Page 1 of 14)

November Media

December 2, 2024 /

Movies, Shows, etc

The Americans, season 6
Why re-watch something I’ve seen before when I have so many unwatched shows on my list that I need to get to? Because this is my favorite TV drama ever made, it never had a subpar season, and its final 10 episodes were as good as any concluding season ever filmed. Each season got progressively bleaker and more stressful. In season six, you could almost feel the weight crashing down on each charater, like a strong arm in the middle of your back forcing you to the ground.

And the finale? Holy shit. Even knowing what was coming, the middle 40 minutes were an emotional A-bomb. The 11-minute garage scene was a masterclass of television, somehow wrapping up almost every loose thread from the 74 previous episodes without seeming tedious or overdone. Then STAN LETS THE JENNINGS GO!!!! THE CALL TO HENRY! PAIGE GETS OFF THE TRAIN!!!!! I urge any of you who have never watched this series’ 75 brilliant episodes to give it a shot.

A+

Starting 5
I liked this far more than I thought I would. I know the players, especially LeBron, had a lot of control over the final project (much like his control of his team). But all five subjects were anywhere from pretty to extremely interesting. The insider look at their lives seemed pretty honest, if anodyne. How can you not love Ant or Jimmy Butler? Or admire Jason Tatum? Domas Sabonis was probably the least interesting of the bunch, but it was fascinating to see that maybe his wife controls his entire life? Joe Mazzulla? Crazy genius. And LeBron and his family are amazing. I know he’s not perfect, but he really is the prototype for how you want a modern superstar to behave, at least off the court.

A-

Shrinking, season two
In progress.

Bad Monkey
Looks like I read this book back in 2013. Fortunately I didn’t remember much of it, so this series was all new to me. Didn’t reach the level of the other Bill Lawrence shows (see Shrinking above). Probably could have been tightened up a bit rather than a 10-episode season. But in general, it was entertaining and fun. I always wonder how much of Vince Vaughn’s dialog is written just for his style, and how much he riffs on his own. Natalie Martinez isn’t terrible to look at.

B

The Diplomat, season two
For the first half, this was not as good as season one. It seemed like the slider for gossipy romance had been cranked up a couple notches. Fortunately the last two episodes yanked it right back to where it belonged. That ending!!!

A-

Sixteen Candles
AMC had an 80s movie marathon on Black Friday. This was the only one we watched, and we watched the entire thing. Interesting they add a disclaimer now that it contains cultural stereotypes that may be offensive to some viewers. Which, fair. They also cut out a couple of my favorite lines. Again, for fair reasons. Still holds up. Am I bad person for still finding the parts that are offensive to 2020 ears funny?

A

Cheers, Thanksgiving Orphans
38th consecutive year watching this classic.

Holiday Baking Championship
Our cable package changed this fall. Part of the deal was a reduction in our DVR space. So I had to start watching these earlier than usual rather than letting them stack up until December. I’m four episodes in. I have a favorite, but she nearly went home in week four, so what do I know?

Incomplete

St. Denis Medical
The latest entry in the lineage of shows that somehow are conneted to The Office. (There’s another new one I may try to get to in December.) It’s always tough to judge new shows as the characters are finding their places, the writers are settling in to find what works, and so on. Plenty of funny moments. I’ll keep watching to see where it goes.

B so far

Shorts, YouTubes, etc

Beau Miles builds a raft for Amy Shark
Glenn McGrath Attempts to Build a Beach Bar with Beau Miles
I approve of Beau’s sponsored bullshit, even if they are very Australian and I have no idea who these people are.

I made a picnic table from someone’s rubbish
I made a fort on the Mississippi River
And here is some of his regular bullshit.

Getting a Crash Course in Tex-Mex Cuisine, Bull Riding & the Spirit of Texas | DIRT Texas
Not sure how I missed this when it first came out.

Brooklyn 99 moments that were NOT scripted
Always fun to catch up with the 99 crew.

Dr. J at Harlem’s famed Rucker Park
Nothing about this sucks.

iPhone 16 Pro: In-Depth Camera Review
Not strictly photo-related, so I’ll drop this gorgeous piece into this section. Looking forward to upgrading my phone next spring.

Our Top Holiday Gifts For Men | 2024 Huckberry Holiday Gift Guide
How To Elevate Your Cold-Weather Wardrobe | Men’s Fall Style Guide | Ask Huckberry
Watching these videos always sends me straight to Huckberry. Which I think is the point, right?

An Overlanding Pilgrimage for Wildlife | Australia Part I
Not What We Expected | Australia Part II
Again, it would be cool to be sponsored to take trips like this.

Golf, Food, Magic | Neil and Randy Explore Brooklyn
Even when the NLU guys do a single episode travel vid it is great.

200 Earth Impact Craters Mapped by Size and Age
My big takeaway is that Canada seems targetted.

How Copperfield Vanished the Statue of Liberty
Fascinatingly low tech! This event played a major role in one of the best episodes of The Americans, and seeing it now it seemed super cheesy. I kind of remember watching it live as a kid, but don’t remember being dazzled by it, just thinking that there was some simple explanation. Who knew it was so simple?

Johanna Under The Ice: Freediver Johanna Nordblad on the accident that led her to a world record
This is beautiful, but no fucking thank you!

The Big Wait
What a charming piece about an odd and amazing place. Only in Australia can you find these modern throwbacks to the frontier days.

Very Good Chili Crisp Recipe
I had never tried chili crisp before last summer, when I bought some for a spicy noodle recipe. Man, how did I miss this for 53 years?!?! Not sure I’ll make my own, as I’m the only one in the house who will eat it. But it’s in the back of my mind for the next time I make those noodles.

Why Americans Love Iced Coffee
Enjoying iced coffee is the most millennial thing about this Gen Xer.

A Real Diplomat Reviews Netflix’s “The Diplomat”
Not a true review, more of a set of observations.

Top Dunks in Kansas Jayhawks Basketball History
Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Coach Bill Self On His Role As The Caretaker Of Allen Fieldhouse
Inside Kansas Jayhawks Coach Bill Self’s Office: Memorable Stories And Hidden Gems
Other than watching Cheers, this is how I spent my night before Thanksgiving.

Car Content

Why American Cars Are So Expensive
Some surprising explanations in here, the biggest being simple greed.

The Polestar 3 is Amazing
Sure would be cool if Polestar could stay in business and drop a ~$50K car on the market.

Photography

Some of the many, many photo vids I watched.
A Week in Peru on Film // Leica M6 + Ultramax 400
2 Days in Florence / [#35mm]() Film
Mark Ruwedel: Seventy-Two and One Half Miles Across Los Angeles
Backpacking the Coast Mountains on 35mm film
Exploring Pubs & Shooting Film in Ireland
Fuji Recipes and 27mm in the Streets of Oslo | Street Photography
30 Days Photographing Italy With My Little Fujifilm XT5
A Road Trip in Finland with the Plaubel Makina 670
The North Cascades Highway, Pre-Closure
Photographing Washington’s Larch Trees on Slide Film
Everyday Photography EP.1
Matt Day
Fall Photography, Camping, Mamiya 645, 35mm, Fuji x100f
James Popsys
Is 40mm the new 50mm?
In Search of my Everyday Carry Camera
7 Days in Puglia, Italy / 35mm Film

October Media

November 1, 2024 /

Kind of an odd media month. There was some baseball early, but not much after the Royals were eliminated. A lot of reading The Lord of the Rings. A fall break vacation. But not much long-form stuff. That should shift in November. And there was a changing of the hobbies, a switch that is reflected below with a new section.

Movies, Shows, etc

Halloween Baking Championship
The winner was a bit of a surprise, as Manny rallied in the final three episodes to take the competition. Poor Aaron has now reached the finals of two different holiday shows without getting a win.

A-

Anchorman
As noted before, we watched this as a family with our hosts in Denver. Apparently the kids and moms did not like it as much as the dads. Not sure what is wrong with them.

A

Shorts, YouTubes, etc

Bill Self UNFILTERED on the portal, navigating NIL, Kansas as Preseason No. 1 | Goodman & Hummel
Unfiltered is a little strong. I guess he does say “shit” once. But otherwise your standard, solid interview.

Running Australia’s hardest 100km while needing a hip replacement
I got nervous when I saw the title for Beau Miles’ latest bullshit. Turns out it is his buddy who needed the replacement, not him. A touching short, with a sequel to come.

I built a chicken coop for zero dollars
This is some good, and wholesome, Beau Miles bullshit.

Beau Miles takes Cody Simpson on an epic adventure
Hey, Beau now has sponsored bullshit! I had no idea Cody Simpson, who was big on Disney Radio when our girls were in that phase, was a competitive swimmer now.

‘Afternoon Plus’ documentary on the BBC World Service (1982)
Did I watch and enjoy this British doc from 1982 about the BBC’s World Service? Hell yes I did.

We Answer Your Fall Style Questions For 2024
Get your wardrobes correct, fellas.

6 Minutes of the Best Jokes in Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee
Sometimes I like these better than the actual show.

We bought a NEW CABIN ︱ Svalbard
I can’t imagine living like this.

Inside The World’s Most Secret House Built Into a Mountain
This, on the other hand, would be a wild way to spend a shit load of money for a very isolated vacation.

How This Surfer Built His Dream Home on the Nova Scotia Coast
Forget the financial side of this. I wish I had the imagination to conjure up a place like this, then the ability to put it together.

Indianapolis | Cinematic Travel Diaries Shot on Sony FX30 w/ 20mm lens
Not a lot of travel videos about Indy. Makes sense this one is less than two minutes long, although I guess that’s kind of this guy’s thing.

The unique undersea tunnels that link the Faroe Islands
Fascinating. I read an article that mentioned these a few weeks before this video popped up.

Is Colorado a Food Utopia? Exploring Farm to Table Cuisine, Epic Landscapes & UFO’s | DIRT Colorado
Perfect timing, right before our trip to CO, even if it focused on different parts of the state than we did.

First Big Trip in Our New Truck
I know I’ve said this before, but it sure would be cool to be cool enough to live like this. Or, rather, it would be cool to be cool enough that brands sponsored you to live this way.

Leon Bridges Talks New Album, Texas Roots & How He Developed His “Futuristic Retro” Style
I dig Leon’s whole vibe.

Apollo 16 lunar rover “Grand Prix” in HD
Dopeness.

Remembering Fernandomania
A wonderful piece from a couple years back about a legend we lost in October.

Car Content

Lucid Air Pure: The Real Tesla Fighter
If only they were in my price range…

Photography

Welp, I’ve picked up the camera again. Check my Instagram feed. More details later, but here is a sampling of the photo vids I watched last month.
Italy on 35mm
“Street photography is creative freedom” | A Day with Chris Harrison
How to take Great Photos with Patience / Lake Garda on #35mm Film
Journals E28- Fuji XF10 Photography in the South Of France
Spain & Italy
Three weeks of film photography across Japan
Chasing Fall Color in the Eastern Sierra | Pentax 67
One Month Two Cameras
The Photo Dept.

D’s Notes

October 2, 2024 /

Another dive into the notebook for a selection of random notes.

College NIL

Shockwaves went through college sports last week when UNLV quarterback Matt Sluka, who tore up KU in week three, announced he was sitting out the remainder of the season so he could transfer and retain a year of eligibility. He claimed that UNLV had not lived up to their NIL agreement. UNLV fired back that they had provided everything promised and he was looking for a better deal elsewhere because of his hot start.

Before we get to the NIL angle, there’s actually another dumb thing that needs to be addressed. In college basketball, if you play one game, you have burned your eligibility for that season. In football, players can appear in as many as four games and maintain their redshirt option going forward.

That is one of the stupidest rules the NCAA, an organization with a lot of dumb rules, has instituted. Before NIL you would occasionally see a player decide after week four he was shutting it down so he could jump to another program. Khalil Herbert did that at KU a few years back, running all over Boston College one week then not playing again that season before jumping to Virginia Tech. I think this might sneakily be the most destructive element of the modern, free transfer era. It’s bad enough coaches have to re-recruit their own players every year. Now you have to worry about whether they’re going to make a business decision before week five that wrecks your season.

I’m all for player power, but I think they have too much power in this situation.

Back to NIL proper. I just laugh at this, and know more of it is coming. For the 100th time on this site, let me remind you that the NCAA could have nipped this in the bud 20 years ago. All they had to do was share a fraction of the money they made from using players’ names in video games, which was the right thing to do on every moral and legal level imaginable, and then allow schools to throw kids a few bucks when they sold jerseys with their names and numbers on them. But, no, they insisted on protecting the “sanctity of amateur sports,” when college football and basketball decidedly hadn’t been amateur at the highest level for at least a generation, and refused to allow any of that to happen. Now we’re in a wild west where the NCAA has no rules or control and no higher authority is interested in stepping in to create ground rules. The result is kids getting paid flatly to play at specific schools rather than profiting off the use of their name, image, and likeness as was supposed to happen. Boosters are funneling money into NIL collectives rather than university booster organizations or general funds.

Congrats, NCAA! You managed to both destroy college sports while trying to protect it, and create a significant financial shortfall for universities at a moment when they face increasing budgetary hostility from the legislatures that fund them. That is some amazing work!

Replay/Refs

Pretty much every game I watch these days refs make terrible calls. WNBA refs might be the worst I’ve ever seen, worse even than high school refs. At least high school refs are out-of-shape, thin-skinned, semi-pros so you expect them to suck. I think WNBA refs make up the rules as they go some nights. Twice in their playoff series the Fever had to use a challenge in the first quarter because the referees assigned a foul to the wrong player. In each case it was obvious an error was made, but the refs made no move to correct their call, forcing the Fever to burn a challenge early. Fortunately, in each case they won and the call was changed. ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo blasted the refs and league for putting the Fever in that situation. A referee mistake should not force a team to burn their challenge.

Refs suck. You know what else sucks? Replay. In so many ways.

We can see a replay on TV and often in five seconds know if a call was right or wrong, then we sit around for three minutes while the refs try to figure it out. And then sometimes the refs still come up with the completely wrong call. The worst is in college basketball, where they will review an out-of-bounds call, realize the initial call was wrong, in the process see there was a foul that went uncalled, but can only change who has possession, not assign the foul that caused the turnover.

Then there are all stupid rules about what is and is not a catch in football. Or how in baseball a player’s body coming a fraction of an inch off the bag for a fraction of a second somehow means he was out. And so on.

I’m pretty sure I’ve suggested this before but I think replay review should only be shown at real-time speed. We don’t need to slow it down to one frame per second to analyze whether a ball moved a fraction of an inch when a receiver hit the ground. If we’re checking the refs, we need to check them at the same speed they made the call.

Yeah, folks will throw a fit if slow-mo shows detail that real time does not. That’s a downside I’m more willing to live with than how replay is used now.

And every review should be a coach’s review, with a limited number of challenges per contest. Give us back our games!

Kids

I forgot to mention the M got her sorority Little last weekend. It was the girl she/we expected, an architecture student from California. They both looked excited in the pictures we saw, so that’s good. We were worried the new girl wouldn’t be as into the process as M and her Big were last year. Looks like she can at least fake it.

We submitted C’s two college applications she plans on sending Monday evening. One to IU, her top choice, and one to UC. M got her acceptance letters from both schools in mid-November of her senior year, so we should know fairly soon.

Our mailbox has been flooded with promotional material from schools for both C and L. This week C got a package from High Point University. When we opened it up, this book was inside.

It’s a legit, hardback book. She hasn’t checked a box expressing any interest in them, so I assume thousands of these went out unsolicited. I guess at a hair under $70K a year, before aid, they can afford to send some books out. Seems like a weird choice for 17–18 year olds, though.

L has been sick for a couple weeks. It’s been so bad that she’s had to skip a few morning basketball workouts. We’re are pretty sure she had/has mono, but when we had blood work done last week, somehow the mono test got lost. There were other indicators that suggest mono so we’re going with that. Official basketball practice begins in three weeks, hopefully enough time for her to start feeling better.

ESPN

The alleged World Wide Leader is having rough times. Last week they laid off Zach Lowe, one of the best sports writers/analysts across all sports, and the finest basketball analyst they had. Another sign all they care about is the hot-take side of “analysis” that can be chopped up into Tik-Tok videos.

Also, last week I was sitting in a waiting room reading their story about the final home game for the Oakland A’s. It was a great story, and proof that ESPN does still allow some long-form journalism to take place under its watch.

But check out how user-hostile the reading experience was.

I’ve noticed this a lot lately. You get roughly halfway through a piece and this footer filled with disclaimers, etc pops up. You can’t dismiss it. You can scroll up and it will disappear, but when you scroll back down it returns. It remained on my screen until I finished the article. It’s not even a freaking ad, just a bunch of legalese that the reader should be allow to dismiss, or better yet, should auto-hide after a few seconds.

Finally, multiple times Monday ESPN showed graphics for the baseball playoffs that were completely wrong. One had the Royals and Tigers flipped, the Royals playing Houston and Detroit going to Baltimore. At least this one you could kind of explain away. The Royals and Tigers finished with the same record, the Royals getting the five seed thanks to winning the season series with Detroit. Obviously someone didn’t know the tie-breaker rules and either gave Detroit the higher spot because of alphabetical order or because they had a better record over their last 10 games. Or because they didn’t bother to look at MLB.com to get the official bracket. Still super dumb, but understandable since ESPN, like much of sports media, has fired many of their experienced editors and replaced them with cheap talent that doesn’t understand context.

Later in the day, though, they flashed a graphic that had Oakland in the playoffs. The A’s finished 17 games out of the final Wild Card spot. Worse, they had them playing the Padres…on the National League side of the bracket. I guess leaving Oakland means the A’s are also switching leagues?

September Media

October 1, 2024 /

A few changes prompted a new sub-section.

Movies, Shows, etc

US Open, week two
The non-stop action of week one is more fun, but week two still dominated our TV.

A-

The Americans, season four
In general The Americans is a bleak show. I forgot how beyond-bleak season four was. Thirteen episodes of crushing negativity, applied a little heavier each week. Important characters are killed or deported or exfiltrated or question everything about themselves. It wasn’t as flashy as some of the earlier seasons, but perhaps that makes it more like what spying really is like? Also a reminder that this show kept getting better as it progressed.

A

The Americans, season five
When it initially ran, this was the lowest rated season of The Americans aside from the first year. Now, that meant a 94 on Metacritic so “lowest rated” is relative, but people still complained about its slowness and rather restrained finale. Watching it when you know what comes next changes that. This was indeed a slow year, with lots of long, drawn out scenes featuring sad gazes and exhausted sighs. But it was all about setting up the decision the Jennings made near the end, and how that choice would carry over to season six. It also continued to focus on the tedium of being a spy than the cool, James Bond-y parts of the job. And while the finale lacked fireworks, it had a huge emotional impact. Ten episodes to go, which include several of the best in the show’s entire run.

B+

Pearl Jam – Orpheum Theatre, Boston, 04.12.1994
So fun and interesting to go back and watch this, considered one of their greatest shows of the era, and compare it to seeing them in person last month. A lot of experimentation on stage, with songs from Vs. not fully fleshed out yet in the setlist. Dave A on drums, for better and worse. Eddie weird, angry, and distant. Not even three albums into their career they could still bust out a 25-song show. The video quality is about a D-, but the sound is incredible.

A+

Shorts, YouTubes, etc

How an Interior Designer Maximizes Her 650 Square Foot NYC Apartment
This brings back memories of the two small, urban apartments I lived in alone before I got married. Of course, I was a late 20s/early 30s single dude and put zero effort into decorating or where the furniture would go. What a surprise this video was! You can actually put thought and care into your living space, no matter how small it is.

First 4 Minutes of NBC’s New Workplace Comedy | St. Denis Medical | Sneak Peek
There are some connections on the creative side of this show to both The Office and Scrubs, among others. Might be worth a look as my first regular TV sitcom since The Good Place ended.

Golf, Food, Baseball | Tron and Randy Explore Denver
All good things in a city we will be visiting soon.

The Office but just the dated pop culture moments
Not the best presentation, but I did laugh out loud when Dwight kicked his date in the face at Jim and Pam’s wedding.

The Office moments that were NOT scripted
It would be more fun to see how these moments came about, and any breaks they caused in early takes, rather than the finished product, where they don’t stand out as much.

Deeply Inappropriate Office Bloopers
Obviously I’m still a sucker for Office content.

Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament and Eddie Vedder on the road
PJ gets the CBS Sunday Morning treatment.

A Tour of Antarctica by Drone
This is nine years old. I wonder what an updated version of this would look like, between the better drone technology and what elements of the film have changed because of climate change.

The Conet Project – Disc one
After reading the two Jeff Tweedy books, I listened to a bunch of Wilco music, including their 2001 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which took its name from this, a collection of recorded shortwave radio spy transmissions. So, naturally, I had to go listen to the Conet Project. Or at least the first disk. Remember, I had a shortwave radio as a kid so this shit is cool to me.

Car Content

Road To Lucid Gravity Update
1,000 Miles With TWO Charging Stops! Lucid Air Road Trip From California to Colorado

Finally dialing back the car vids, keeping it just to these two Lucid-related pieces.

Photography

Replaced the car stuff somewhat with diving back into photography-related videos. Rather than highlight individual vids, here’s a list of channels I devoted some time to.
Grainy Days
Camera West TV
Willem Verbeeck
Dylan Spitz
Gajan Balan

Podcasts

The Ringer WNBA Show
It took me a while but I finally added a WNBA pod to my collection. In my defense this one, hosted by the fantastic Seerat Sohi, is a new spin off from The Ringer’s NBA pod feed. I really enjoyed the episode that looked at the end of the Fever’s season, what they did right, what they did wrong, and the moves they need to make to improve their odds next year.

August Media

September 2, 2024 /

Movies, Shows, etc

2024 Summer Olympics
Already much discussed in this space.

A

The Americans, season 3
The re-watch continues. Season three was a tight, excellent set of episodes: I believe every show fell between 43 and 48 minutes. Even in 2015, that was rare in the prestige TV realm. The last four episodes, especially, were crackling with intensity as the Jennings’ secret started to spill out.

A-

Homicide: Life On The Street, selected episodes
One of the all-time great TV dramas finally arrived on a streaming platform last month. I watched a fair amount of Homicide, at least the early years, back in the day. I read the book it was based on. And, of course, I obsessed over its spiritual and thematic successor, The Wire.

TV critic Alan Sepinwall put together a list of 10 episodes he thought best summarized the show. I don’t really have time to go knock out the whole series so instead ripped through his list. Some very dated production, dialogue, and fashion, but the core stories still stand up. The late Andre Braugher was such a force. As jarring as it was to see him play comedy in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it was equally jarring to go back and watch his intense portrayal of Frank Pembleton.

A-

Tourist Sauce, Return to Australia
The NLU crew went back to the location of their first travel series, nearly seven years later, with a bigger budget and crew, and a lot more knowledge of what they were doing. As usual, the result was great.

A

Pearl Jam 2024/05/30 Seattle
Prep for seeing them in person.

A

Ocean’s Eleven
Pretty much a perfect movie.

A

US Open, week one
An annual marker that summer is ending and fall has arrived.

A

Shorts, YouTubes, etc

Two Weeks of Exploring Southern Thailand
Beautiful part of the world + interesting film stock + great photographer = amazing images.

Buying The Cheapest Cameras In Japan
OMG!!! You don’t have to know a thing about cameras, or be interested in photography, to find this piece totally hilarious.

Every Olympic 100m Final (1912–2016)
This is pretty cool. It would be even cooler if it noted who won each race. Also, these are only men’s races, so it’s not really every 100m final.

29,000 Feet Up Mount Everest with DJI Mavic 3 Pro
Gorgeous.

I Visited Mount Everest Base Camp
An interesting undertaking: this kid doesn’t try to climb the entire mountain, but rather just get to base camp. Which is way harder than I would have expected, and even this is probably beyond the abilities of 95% of people.

Brad Leone Tries to Eat His Weight in Tacos on a California Roadtrip
I can think of way worse ways to spend your time than driving around cool places and eating tacos for every meal.

Mascots Savage Moments Against Little Kids
This might be the greatest video ever made. Each time I see it, I laugh my ass off. Also fun is finding the full-game videos from these events. The Colts’ Blue is a beast in those games.

Arrested Development moments I think about a lot
Arrested Development moments I think about a lot #2
It might be time to give AD another re-watch.

Redeeming 10,000 bottles and cans because of Seinfeld (Part 2)
It took a year to get there, but finally an end to this chapter of Beau Miles Bullshit.

Apple Computers 1995 Promotional Video “The Martinettis Bring Home A Computer”
Holy mackerel! Who are the ad wizards who came up with this one?

Car Content

I Drive The Fantastic Polestar 3 For The First Time!
I was super intrigued by the Polestar 2 when I was car shopping, specifically used ones, which have plummeted in value. Someone not too far from us owns one, and I keep wanting to catch them at Target or wherever so I can ask questions. However, the closest current service center is in Columbus, OH, I have concerns about the long-term health of the line, and then the difficulty in calculating how much damage the previous owner did to the battery. It looks like the company is continuing to do great things. Now the trick is coming out with one in the $45K range so I can test drive one in three years when I get back into the car shopping game. Another trick will be not going out of business before more affordable models can hit production.

What should an electric car sound like?
I had no idea so much effort had been invested in this space.

The Southern California EV Charging Problem!
Who knew SoCal would be more Chicago than Bay Area when it came to charging your EV?

July Media

July 25, 2024 /

Posting this early as we head off to Florida for vacation this weekend.

Movies, Shows, etc

Tour de France
A good first two weeks became a rather boring final week as Tadej Pogacar destroyed the field for an easy win. Luckily, that last week was when I barely watched, between travel basketball and the British Open. As always, the Peacock production of the French images was laughably bad at times. My favorite was the day they were convinced a guy that had been leading solo for about an hour had the race won, and literally 15 seconds later five other riders roared past him. But at least we can still watch here in the US.

B+

Shrinking
S pulled this out again when we had visitors over the Fourth, as they had not seen it. We watched two episodes with them, then watched the next eight the next night after they left. As good as the first time.

A

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Sigh. It didn’t make me laugh, there were no Magic Eddie Murphy Moments, some of the cast seemed way too old to have been rolled back out for another entry in the series, the story was pretty much like 8000 other cop movies, the many references to the first three films felt heavy handed, and a lot of the jokes seemed forced and/or straight out of an 80s action film playbook. And what was up with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s accent? His character was born in Chicago then moved to Beverly Hills, yet had some weird, quasi-McConaughey Texas thing going?

C

For All Mankind, season four
This show has found a way to always stick the landing through the first three seasons. That wasn’t the case this time. Kind of a silly season all around, with some extreme silliness in the finale. Not nearly as compelling as the first two seasons, for sure, and lacked the pure drama that wrapped up season three. I read that Costa Ronin will join the cast for season five, making him the third? fourth? fifth? cast member of The Americans to make the jump. We need to find a way to tie the shows’ plot lines together, like he’s still the technology expert who was stationed in the US in the 1980s but is the KGB director in the alternative 2012 USSR of season five.

B-

Shorts, YouTubes, etc

Patagonia Gear Expert Breaks Down His One-Bag Travel Essentials and Everyday Carry
This guy has a great job. Working for a company that makes all kinds of cool shit; getting to try that cool shit out and decide what goes to market, what needs improvement, etc.; and getting paid for it.

‘The Bear’ Cast Test How Well They Know Each Other
Or do they know each other well?

When an actor got dumped…and decided to conquer Hollywood
Swingers is one of the five, non-holiday movies I’ve watched the most in my life. It’s been too long since I’ve watched it. Shame it is kind of hard to find to stream for free. Or at least it’s not on any of the platforms we currently pay for. And we pay for a lot of them.

Dave Spends The Day With Richard Simmons
So great. RIP to Richard.

Top Ten Reasons Joe Biden Dropped Out Of The Race
When I first saw this in my feed, I got excited that Dave was putting out new material. Alas, this is from 1987. Still funny, though.

How The Tour De France Is Filmed (It’s A Technical Masterpiece!)
Technical masterpiece is a bit of an overstatement, but it is cool how the images get from the road to the TV.

The Day Remco Evenepoel CHEATED DEATH
Holy schnikies! I would not have been able to watch this if I wasn’t aware that he survived and was riding in this year’s Tour.

Romain Bardet & Kevin Vermaerke ripping canyons in California
I assumed this was on a closed road for some reason. So it freaked me out the first time one of the riders was deep into the opposite lane on a curve and, moments later, a car came by in that lane. 40+ MPH down a hill on a bike is not for the faint of heart.

Descent Disciples ||Vol 13|| Tom Pidcock vs. The Fish
He almost bites it on a curve near the top, and I about pissed myself as his back tire slid.

This really aired
Dig around and you’ll find evidence both for this ad airing once and it never airing. Surely it is the later, right? Regardless, it is hilarious.

The Thrilling Tale of Terry Bolinger: The 13-Year-Old Daredevil of Indianapolis
This is brilliant. How many of us made similar attempts without the harsh glare of the local media?

CHiPs “Roller Disco” – The most Seventies scene in 1970s TV
This is some fun, wild stuff.

Car Content

Electric Family SUV Race To Vegas! Model X v R1S v EV9 v EQS – Part 1 Part 2
Still watching these, and I pick up something new that benefits my EV ownership every time I do.

I Drive A BYD For The First Time! The Seal Is A Direct Tesla Model 3 Competitor In China & Europe
The Chinese are coming.

New Tesla Model 3 Performance Top Speed & Extreme Thermal Stress Test! Yikes, Improvements Needed
Good Lord, some of these autobahn passes are insanely close!

June Media

July 4, 2024 /

Movies, Shows, etc

The Americans, seasons one and two
I’m finally doing it: devoting this summer to re-watching one of my very favorite TV shows. My original plan was to try to knock all five seasons out in June. But as I can’t watch more than a couple shows a night, even if I love something, and there were a lot of basketball nights in the month, I only got through the first two. Guess what? It still holds up!

A-, A

Tour de France – Unchained, season two
Required viewing to prep for this year’s race. Last year, based on my viewing of season one, I was pulling for Jonas Vingegaard. This time, Tadej Pogacar came across as much more normal and empathetic. Weird.

A

The Bear, season three
I just wrote about this Tuesday!

B+

Pearl Jam – 2024 – Los Angeles, CA – May 22nd
I watched/listened to this and began getting very excited about seeing them in a couple months. Eddie sounds great. Then he got sick last week and they’ve had to cancel the rest of their European tour, which makes me nervous for the Indy show.

A for show, D- for vibes

Shorts, YouTubes, etc

10 Things The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach Can’t Live Without
Bear content season!

Weird Science: 20 Things You Never Knew!
Eighties movie trivia is never a waste of your time.

I’m sick
Not our normal Beau Miles bullshit. An interesting turn of events.

The Victims of Eddie Van Halen
Victims seems a little harsh, but confirms that EVH had some issues dealing with others.

How This Photographer Crafted His Vintage Adventure Van
Ahh to be young and think this was a good idea.

Will Ferrell Acceptance Speech | 2011 Mark Twain Prize
I had never seen this before. My man Sir David V suggested it when I was in KC. It is outstanding, especially the part about his wife. Or wives…

Car Content

Lucid Air Sapphire is The Best Performance Sedan Ever Made!
Newest entry on my If I Won The Lottery car list. I laugh at how so many young reviewers complain that Lucids look like old man cars. I think they look great. I ran that by my buddy who owns a Lucid and he replied, “Well, we are old men now.” Yikes!

My Garage Update – June 2024
Kyle Conner has become a huge part of my media diet since February. I’ve watched tons of his videos and listened to hours of his podcasts in my car journey. I’ve always wondered how many cars he actually owned. Well, if you don’t want to watch over an hour of him breaking it down, I think the answer is 20. And that’s before the loaners he has for reviews and ones his business officially owns. Now I wonder where a dude his age has the money for 20 cars, plus insurance, plus registrations, plus maintenance. Surely not just from YouTube earnings.

Meet The Tesla That Won’t Die: 430,000 Miles On One Battery! Episode 1
Range Test! How Far Can a 430,000-Mile Tesla REALLY Go? Episode 2
Man, what a coup to parlay free Supercharging into a cornerstone of your business! Not sure why they’re being so stingy sharing the next vid in the series.

I Drive The Chevy Equinox EV For The First Time! Full Tour, Software, Comfort, & DC Fast Charging
Chevy is trying. I don’t think they’re there yet. But at least they’re making an effort. Hopefully in a few years their prices come down and their offerings get a little better and we see more decent EVs in the $35–40K range.

The Bear, Season Three Review

July 2, 2024 /

We knocked out season three of The Bear over the weekend, binging six episodes Friday and four Saturday.

Before I dive in, a couple preliminary notes.

First, I had not heard official word that there will be a season four until after we finished. I believe I heard there might be another season, but not that it had been confirmed. Thus, when we paused things Friday night, I was a little concerned about how things were going to wrap up in the final four episodes. Turns out that season four, or at least part of it, was shot right after season three. There’s been no word about a release date, so maybe they just shot a few parts for continuity’s sake and will reconvene later this year for a summer 2025 release? Regardless, at least one more season of The Bear!

Second, this is such a beautifully shot show, and has such perfectly selected music, and is filled with such great actors, that even an uneven, possibly disappointing season like this one still delights in so many ways. It’s always been a gorgeous show to watch, but this year it went to another level in terms of pure visuals. So many stunning moments.

Now, calling it disappointing probably isn’t fair, but that’s in comparison to the bar set in the first two years. Like so many shows that move beyond season three, that third year becomes more about setup for what’s next than being as rich as its predecessors.

I think this season can be called disappointing largely because of how it ended. Season one ended with an immense sense of relief and hope for what was ahead. Season two’s finale was a big bummer, with Carmen melting down on opening night. But there was still a sense of accomplishment from actually getting the restaurant open and an eagerness to see what happened after that first night.

This time, though, it feels like the core of the show is spinning apart. Sydney is so dissatisfied with Carmy’s disfunction and controlling nature that she will surely take Shapiro’s offer to jump ship to where she has more control and security. Richie, having discovered how a prestige restaurant should be run, seems disgusted by every choice Carmen makes. Marcus is too expensive for what he provides (according to The Computer). Tina tries nobly, but often can’t handle the pressures of the dinner rush or meet Carmy’s expectations. Natalie just had a kid and her husband just won an important trial. She can turn her back on an enterprise that is home to exactly the kind of toxic relationships she does not want to expose her daughter to.

And Carmen is so inside his own head that he can’t relax and enjoy the reality of running the restaurant he’s always wanted. He has stacks of notebooks filled with incredible ideas. Yet he spends hours staring at plates me makes, tinkers with, and then tosses aside because they can’t reach the impossible ideal he thinks will earn the Michelin star he craves. He’s forgotten what great food is supposed to be about, and is wasting his own talent and that of his crew in his pursuit of perfection. He built this great team, empowered and inspired them, then totally undermines them when they are on the verge of success. Instead of all the good things he learned from Chef Terry and others, he’s repeating the negativity pumped out by Chef David.

Where the audience could once put up with his moods and tantrums, he’s become unlikable in almost everything he does. He was one the tortured artist with a dream. Now he’s just kind of a dick.

All of this is worth it because, I think and hope, it will lead to someplace very interesting next season. It’s just a bummer that so much time was spent without advancing the story very far.

I LOVED episode one. Thirty minutes of food and photography porn. It was quite a way to remind, refresh, and reset. I can’t recall another show ever taking that direction to set up a new season, devoting an entire episode to the process. It also ended up being a perfect setup for how cluttered Carmy’s mind would be by the end of the year. The soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, a constant drone that never either peaked or crashed, was a superb accompaniment.

We finally got Tina’s origin story! That was another of my favorite episodes of the season. You see where that fierce pride in her comes from. I think it helped that you know how it ends up, but her meeting and conversation with Mikey was a wonderful piece of TV. I like to think the tears in Liza Colon-Zayas’ eyes were because she knew what a powerful moment that was, not just because of her character’s emotions.

Little tidbit some of you might already know: the man who played Tina’s wife, David Zayas, is Liza’s real-life husband.

Another great episode: “Ice Chips.” Shockingly intimate moments between Natalie and Donna in the hospital. The intensity of them just looking and holding each other was as powerful as the screaming in season two’s “Fishes.” Them coming to an understanding of each other and Donna having to step aside when Pete shows up was a huge gut punch. I don’t think Donna is a super sympathetic character because she is SOOOO crazy. Sure, you feel sorry for how she is and how she got there. But you also see the havoc and pain she causes, especially in Sugar, and you want to tell her to knock it the fuck off. But the moment when she leaves Natalie’s room and you see life drain from her as she realizes she is alone again, was devastating.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but there were too many and too much of the Faks this season. When a show starts running out its comic foil more often, it generally means something is awry with the core story. In this case, I think they just needed 10 episodes and couldn’t quite get there, so padded each one with some Fak nonsense. Don’t get me wrong: I love the Faks! But like a powerful spice, they need to be used sparingly to avoid overwhelming the dish they are in.

Along those lines, John Cena was funny as Sammy Fak. But was he needed? His presence distracted. Just let Matty Matheson do his thing.

I didn’t get all the people who hated Claire’s introduction last year. Most of that criticism was that she was kind of formulaic and we never got to know much about her, thus her time on screen distracted from the story we were really interested in. I doubt those people will be pleased with how she floated in and out of this season, without ever being a big part of it aside from a couple scenes. And I guess this means she’s back next year?

Marcus is still the best. His eulogy for his mother was wonderful.

Favorite line of the year: Chef David telling Carmy “You basically made nachos” when he adds a dot of sauce to an already spare dish. Joel McHale is so good in his limited moments as David.

Another good line, this time from Richie: “Chef Carmen uses power phrases ’cause he’s a baby replicant who’s not self-actualized.” I love self-actualized Richie!

Richie is totally taking Jess to his ex-wife’s wedding, isn’t he? Good for them both. And good for Richie and his ex being civil to each other for their daughter’s sake. I loved their scene where they are having a normal, adult conversation then occasionally scream at their daughter not to eat something she finds on the playground.

Interesting to read theories about the Chicago Tribune review. I’m not totally convinced Carmen read it, but instead wonder if those words that flashed on the screen were another product of the mess in his head.

However, some TV critics think he did read it. One thought it was a bad review. One thought it was mixed, praising The Beef side of the business while dinging The Bear side. And another thought it was actually a positive one that pointed out that, like so many other new places, it needed some time to work out the kinks and find its focus.

I’m not sure any of it matters. Even if the review was positive, does that end up reinforcing in Carmen that he’s on the right path and he doesn’t need to make concessions that will bring The Bear at least to a break-even point? And, thus, Cicero pulls the plug? Might Syd be so far gone that she will take Shapiro’s offer no matter what the future of The Bear is? Is season four all about Carmy and Syd going two different directions because that was inevitable?

At the Ever funeral dinner, we see all these famous chefs, many of whom have worked together but eventually scattered out on their own. Great chefs rarely stay together for long. Even if Carmen cleans up his act and The Bear begins making money, Sydney is destined to take her own journey at some point.

One review of season three I read drew some parallels between the arc of The Bear and Ted Lasso. That writer suggested season four will follow the Lasso lead of putting everyone in a good place before it wraps up. I think we all want that to happen. But on The Bear, I’m wondering if a happy ending means the crew we’ve come to love so much end up going off on their own rather than conquering the world together.

There were plenty of high points in season three. Overall, though, it was frustrating because of its lack of focus. Or, perhaps, it was more focused on what’s ahead than what was in the present. I hope the writers know what they are doing, get their groove back for season four, and return the show to where it was in seasons one and two.

B

May Media

June 3, 2024 /

My goal for May was to adjust away from so much YouTube back towards more traditional shows and movies. I didn’t do a great job of that. I have started a summer viewing project, so while the hours may adjust in June, I don’t know if the number of entries in each section will change much for awhile.

Movies, Shows, etc

The Gentlemen
Highly entertaining. You can’t go wrong with a collection of fun British accents. Throw in some normal Guy Ritchie stuff and you got yourself a super watchable TV series.

A

John Mullaney Presents Everybody’s In LA
I got through four of these and that was enough. Funny, but also just weird and uneven enough for me to skip the last two. Which means they were probably the best.

B-

Pearl Jam: The ‘Dark Matter’ Interview
An incredible hour with PJ. Remember when Eddie hated to do interviews? Now, if he’s in the right setting, you can’t get him to shut up. This goes beyond the usual new album PR push as it feels like there are some genuine moments of emotion in their conversation, especially near the end. And seeing their rehearsal/storage building is super cool.

A

Hustle
Predictable, formulaic, and manipulative. Yet it was fun, entertaining as hell, and surprisingly well acted. Every time I saw Anthony Edwards in the playoffs, I kept thinking of the grin on his face when he baits Bo Cruz into shoving him. Not sure why it took me so long to watch.

B+

NBA Playoffs
A lot of great games last month. And some great performances in games that weren’t super competitive. Could have used a couple more Pacers wins, though.

A-

Shorts, YouTubes, etc

Pearl Jam Clubhouse Tour with Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament
Lot of PJ content this month.

Conan Explains What Happened To His Body After “Hot Ones”
Important follow up from last month.

Can’t Get a X100 VI – Still Worth Waiting For? Here’s 11 Alternatives!
Back when I was really into cameras, I watched a ton of these guys’ vids. Their combination of accents always made me laugh, plus there was good camera content. If I was still into cool cameras, I had the budget, and I could find one, I would 100% get an X100 VI. Although the perfect camera would be 10–20% smaller so you could actually get it into a pocket while getting much better results than from an iPhone.

10 Things Jerry Seinfeld Can’t Live Without
No puffy shirt? No Pez dispensers? No marble ryes? No copy of Tropic of Cancer? I call BS.

Max Velocity
I watched way too much of this dude breaking down severe storms around the country. YouTube is pretty cool sometimes.

The Best Comebacks and Insults in Archer
I can think of about 100 that weren’t in this clip, which shows how freaking funny Archer was.

A Complete Breakdown of ‘The Office’ Basketball Game
How did it take me four years to see this?!?!

TRYING KANSAS CITY’S MOST ICONIC FOODS! 🇺🇸 WORTH THE HYPE?? BBQ, Z-MAN, MOCHI DONUTS & MORE!
Once you get past the title, which could not be more Millennial YouTuber, this was a fun vid. I agree with the person in the comments who said they’ve lived in KC for 70 years and never heard of a cheese slipper. Wondered if something new had been invented in the 21 years since I moved away.

Bound for Nowhere
I think I’ve watched some of this couple’s videos before. They are starting a new series of international travel and kicked it off with three videos about their new truck. Not sure why I’ve never found a bunch of sponsors to finance me custom building my own vehicle.

A visit to Sears with Mom in 1977
“These are on sale, so that’s what we’re going to get, ok. You like these.” What kid in the Seventies didn’t hear that phrase when it was time to buy new shoes? I think I’m going to give this channel more attention.

Car Content

Volvo EX30 vs Volvo C40 | Long Trip Test Battle!
Seems like Volvo needs to simplify their EV lineup. Or at least name them similarly.

Driving the stunning new Aston Martin Vantage
As much as I enjoy the silent power and speed of my Tesla, I freaking love the way Aston Martins sound. If only they made one that cost under $50K…

Podcasts

The Bill Simmons Podcast
I’ve been back into Simmons’ pod since last September. It’s usually pretty good, especially the NBA stuff. Last month he had Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament on to talk about Pearl Jam’s career, the episode the above video was a companion to. But I LOVED this episode, or at least the final segment, when his daughter Zoe was on to review her freshman year of college. I made note of her big observations and ran them by M, who agreed with most of them but very much disagreed with her assertion that boys and girls can’t be friends. But Zoe seems like a serial dater when M is the opposite, so makes sense they would have different perspectives.

Bandsplain
Yasi Salek was a regular guest on 60 Songs That Explain the 90s. I’ve dabbled with her pod, but it often seems too long to really dive into. But a three-part breakdown of Pearl Jam’s career that lasts over 10 hours? Yes, I worked through every minute of that over the course of several weeks.

April Media

May 1, 2024 /

Back in February I vowed to get my YouTube algorithm re-calibrated so it was sending me more good videos. Jumping into the car-buying process kick-started that process. It might be time to swing back the other way, as I only watched a few “normal” shows in April and my YT feed is overrun with car vids.

Movies, Shows, etc

Curb Your Enthusiasm, season 11
Five foot fence!

B+

Curb Your Enthusiasm, season 12
LD pretty much stuck the landing. I wasn’t sure where the season was going early on, but it slipped into gear in the middle and finished up pretty strong.

I did not like how the finale began. We’re supposed to believe that someone who has harped on societal niceties for 35 years isn’t going to turn his phone off or fasten his seatbelt when a plane takes off? That fit into the broader point of the finale, though: Larry is a terrible person. It was great bringing Jerry Seinfeld back. Any time I see David and Seinfeld interact I think of what it would have been like to see these two bounce ideas off each other back in their writing primes. The final image was just about perfect.

A-

Conan O’Brien Must Go
As you’ll see below, a lot of Conan content this month, mostly because of this new travel show. Every episode is great, but the segment where he learns about common Irish phrases is one of the best moments of the series.

A

Duran Duran: There’s Something You Should Know
My brother-in-music E$ recommended this. It was indeed pretty good. In fact, it might be the perfect, modern rock doc. It was brisk, checking in at exactly an hour. It ripped through the band’s history. Four of the five original members participated. There wasn’t too much attention to the band’s most recent albums. I would have liked to have seen more details of their prime years, when I’m guessing these dudes lived AMAZING lives. I’d rather a flick like this leave me wanting more than dragging on too long, though.

B+

NBA Playoffs
I only watched the Pacers closely, but had them on almost every night there was a game.

B+

Shorts, YouTubes, etc

Tyrese Haliburton, Robbie Avila, and the Heart of Indiana Basketball
A fun piece that covers a lot of the state of basketball in Indiana these days. Notably they miss Purdue, but the Boilers were in Ohio the weekend these guys visited.

Conan O’Brien Needs a Doctor While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones
This is outstanding in every way. I laughed so hard I cried multiple times.

Andy Richter Coming Up Clutch Pt. III
Andy Richter’s Best Zingers & Quips Pt. II
Hilarious.

Dave responded to Jay’s “Don’t Blame Conan”
This “commentary” by David Letterman about the Tonight Show mess was terrific.

Can Our Merino Wool T-Shirt Handle Tasmania’s Most Rugged Challenges? 72 Hours: Tasmania, Australia
I’m ok with commercials like this that are just as much travel videos as product pushers.

How the UN is Holding Back the Sahara Desert
This is both awesome and, likely, a relatively cheap project. So I’m sure there are a lot of folks in the political world who want to stop funding projects like it.

Exploring Japanese Street Food and Local Surfing Spots | DIRT Japan Part 1: Kyushu
Incredible scenes and food.

DIRT Host Josh Rosen Unpacks His Essential Gear From His Alaska Adventure
Of course he has cool gear.

Cycling Iceland – 18 Days Bikepacking Iceland’s Ring Road
This journey, and Iceland, look incredible. But I think it would be even more incredible done in a car or SUV. But I’m also almost 53 years old.

STEP BROTHERS – Bloopers
Will Ferrell, Exotic Animal Expert
Don’t Ask Will Ferrell About Professor Feathers
Will Ferrell’s SNL Audition
Will Ferrell rabbit hole.

‘Something had to change’: Larry David gets candid on Morning Joe
The Moment Curb Your Enthusiasm Went From Pretty Good To Great
Larry David Stand-Up Comedy
How Larry David ALMOST Broke Seinfeld
LD rabbit hole.

HOW the HELL Is This Apocalyptic 1979 Anthem MORE Relevant TODAY than it was THEN?-Professor of Rock
TOBTM.

Community 38 Greatest Quotes
I’m not sure about 38 greatest, but these are pretty good. The comments might be even better.
Community having world class writing for 13 minutes straight
Algorithm gonna algorithm.

Dave Franco and Alison Brie Read Thirst Tweets
Dave Franco & Alison Brie Take a Couples Quiz
They are just precious.

Steve Carell making the whole cast break: The Office Bloopers
Has to be some Office content if I’m diving into other classic, TV comedy vids.

Is the iPhone “Illegal?”
I’m no attorney, but I find the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Apple to be quite weird. There are some parts that make sense, while others seem completely illogical. MKBHD’s views largely mirror mine.

Middle Kids Live at WNXP’s Sonic Cathedral
Good stuff.

Walking 90km to work changed my life
Beau Miles bullshit.

Emperor penguin chicks jump off a 50-foot cliff in Antarctica
I love penguins. I hate heights. So I’m conflicted here.

Norm Macdonald Constant Shitting on OJ Simpson
Norm Macdonald Constant Shitting on OJ Simpson Part 2
35 minutes of Norm McDonald destroying OJ.

Car Content

Lucid Air vs BMW i5 | Battle of Electric RWD Sedans
When my buddy drove me around in his Lucid, sadly he didn’t drive like this.

How the 2025 Lucid Gravity Rethinks the SUV for an EV Age
Not in my budget now or probably ever, but still cool to see where the high end of the market is headed.

How Chinese EV Giant BYD Is Taking On Tesla
There are some advantages to the Chinese market the US can’t compete with. But a decade of roughly half of our nation running away from EVs, in terms of political/economic policy and buying choice, has put us woefully behind and now we’re resorting to threatening to ban Chinese cars. Ain’t that America?

18-Month Timeline of the Hyundai/Kia/Genesis EV ICCU Recall Revealed
Maybe they’ve figured out their electrical issues?

I Drive The Taycan Turbo GT For The First Time! Porsche Dials Up Their EV Performance To 11
Sweet Jesus!

I Drive The Porsche Macan EV For The First Time!
If you want a slightly more refined Porsche drive in an electric platform.

How To Ruin Your Electric Car’s Battery – 3 Common Mistakes
A typical YouTube title that overstates things, but some good guidelines for EV owners. I won’t follow these as strictly since I am leasing and am not trying to get the battery to last 10 years.

Podcasts

The Vergecast: The TikTok ban and the iPhone monopoly
This is in my normal podcast rotation, although I don’t always get to it. This episode was terrific for explaining what’s going on with Apple and the Department of Justice, and TikTok and the US government as a whole.

What Kind of a Superpower Is India Becoming?
We think of Russia, China, and the mess in the Middle East as the most important geo-political challenges of the moment. India is fixin’ to buck its head, though, and I found this look at where they are and where they are headed super informative.

How One Small Company Saves Retro Tech
I loved this look at Retrospekt, a company that refurbs and resells old technology products. What a great journey for the owners. Also I listened to this in podcast form, but this link is to the YouTube video.

« Older posts

Archives

© 2024 D's Notebook

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑