Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Stumble On
Streaming television entertainment can be as pernicious as social media apps’ algorithm-driven endless scrolling features. Before the credits even start to roll, the screen flips to a promo for another enticing new series that matches your viewing history.
I tend to tell people that I’ve stumbled on to some new show that looks promising, but the truth is closer to these programs being purposely placed before my eyes. This weekend it is “Bad Monkey” with Vince Vaughn in the lead role that has grabbed our attention after just two initial episodes. Once again we find ourselves hooked into a series that is too new for us to indulge in a binge-fest that finishes in a couple of days like we would a good book.
We are stuck waiting for the next episode to drop on Wednesday.
It was just instinct that had both Cyndie and me feeling this was going to be worth our attention for some high entertainment value until we caught a segment on CBS Sunday Morning that introduced us to author Carl Hiaasen who wrote the novel the show is based on. Deeper in their piece on the show and this author, they reveal the series producer is Bill Lawrence whose work includes two other favorites of ours, “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking” among his other creations.
In this case, I shouldn’t complain about the automated output that algorithms dictate to show up before my eyes.
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PWHL Champions!
Congratulations to the Minnesota team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League for defeating Boston in a best-of-5 series to take the first Walter Cup in the inaugural season of the league.
Professional women’s sports once again destroy the myth that Minnesota teams can’t win championships!
You Go Girls!
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Wayback Break2
This morning we woke up in a strange bed away from home. I’m letting the Wayback Machine determine what today’s blog post will be (from the Previous Somethings archive). Just click on the image! (One time, when I tested it, it popped me into an entire month from 2010 instead of just a single post. The powers of the Wayback Machine are mystically magical, indeed.)
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Wayback Break1
It’s February! In case you were somehow unaware. Today, Cyndie and I are heading out on a day-and-a-half adventure. After I take her to a physical therapy appointment, we are going away for an overnight at the home of friends and leaving horse care to sitters during our absence. In honor of this stepping away from the usual daily grind, I am also leaving Relative Something in the trusty control of the Wayback Machine. This way, you get to go on a couple of little adventures, too.
Just click the Wayback image to be automatically transported to a random post from any of the many years of Previous Somethings! What are the odds of it being a post about chickens?
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For Free
It has been a while since I became enamored with an entire album of recorded songs by a particular artist. With everything coming at us in streaming form these days, listening to a complete album seems a little archaic. Doing so throws me back to my days working in a record store and devouring music on vinyl LPs, one side at a time.
This month I was lucky to stumble upon news of David Crosby releasing his latest effort, titled “For Free.” I navigated to my Apple Music account for a listen and a day later found myself replaying the chorus of the opening song in my head as a pleasing earworm. I always take this as a good sign when I’m not yet familiar with a song but my mind is already hooked on a part of it.
Very often the song that does this for me aligns with the eventual “hit” song that ends up achieving radio play and wide popularity, but not always since my tastes are a little broader than average.
That pleasant looping refrain in my brain usually leads me to follow-up listening sessions and with “For Free,” doing so quickly hooked me on multiple cuts. I’m a fan of most music David Crosby has created and thoroughly enjoy the sound of his singing.
One aspect of his vocal sound on this album impressed me for the way it belies his age. David is almost 80 and can still sing like his younger self. At the same time, I detected occasional words with a pronunciation that hinted he’s not 29 anymore, but instead of that being an unpleasant aspect, I’m finding it more endearing and intimate when it occurs.
The lyrics are engaging, the musicianship inspiring, and David’s familiar singing voice a true gift to the ears.
His collaboration with Sarah Jarosz on the title track cover of Joni Mitchell’s song is a gem and provided my first introduction to her artistry. I’ll be exploring her recordings in the near future, for sure.
Several places throughout multiple songs I found myself enthused with the enticing momentum provided by a pleasing bass and drumset energy, for which I assume Crosby’s son James Raymond deserves credit as album producer.
I’m consuming this album in numerical order from beginning to end, on repeat. If you are a music fan with any appreciation for David Crosby, I invite you to give the whole album a full listen.
The old man turns 80 in August, for heaven’s sake. Everyone should hear what he is still doing at this age.
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Had Enough
Have you had enough of the wayback machine by now? Since I am on vacation, all these wayback posts were formatted and scheduled before I left. At that time, I didn’t have a sense of whether they would be met with an appreciation or come across as a repeating annoyance.
It’s a random results generator. I’m guessing your response will have everything to do with which posts from the archive showed up for you.
I had thought about curating my own pick of ten old posts for the duration of my vacation but didn’t have the time it would take to scour the thousands of possibilities to come up with ones that seemed worthy. And worthy to whom? It’s a big world out there on the interweb where these blog posts can be found. Posts about chickens? Optimal health? Trekking the Himalayas? Words on images? Destigmatizing depression? All things love-related?
Okay, I suppose I could have found ten topics like those and horses and Portugal, and posted a gem for each, but remember that thing about not having time?
When the idea came to me for a random generator, I liked the thought that each reader would end up with a unique old re-post. Everyone would end up seeing something different.
When Julian successfully pulled off his manipulations of the coding in the span of one short phone conversation, I was giddy with delight. It was so much fun for me to use, I decided it didn’t matter if anyone else liked it.
I liked it.
Go ahead. Take another spin. You might find a gem.
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Wayback Anew
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Everything old is new again. Click the image to enjoy a new look at something old.
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Today I will be departing the bike tour early after riding to Wabasha. Cyndie will pick me up so we can drive north to Hayward, joining her family for a weekend of remembrance for her father who died a year ago on the 24th of June..
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More Waybacking
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It’s like birthdays and holidays all wrapped up in one big surprise click! What will you uncover today? It’s utter random madness!
(Cyndie thought the picture should be bigger to better see my cute little boy face.)
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Wayback Again
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What will you find this time? You’ll only discover it by clicking the image…
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Relative Something 