Entry 710: Light Fare

I have this thing happen to me from time to time, and it happened this week. I get a yen to write a serious post on politics or culture in the middle of the week -- I start mentally formulating thoughts and opinions and takes on the various goings-on in our society -- and then when the weekend rolls around, and I actually have a moment to sit down and write something, I no longer have that serious post in me. I just want to write about bullshit, like movies or crossword puzzles or the number of combinations of a shuffled deck of cards. This isn't the worst thing in the world, but one thing I like about this blog is that I'm able to go back in time and remember what I was doing and thinking at given moments in my life. If I'm only writing about frivolous things then it won't capture my full range of thought and emotion.

But so it goes...

Since my last entry, I've gotten even more into the song "We Are the World." I did deep dives on all the artists and went down a YouTube rabbit hole watching reaction videos. This is my favorite one. They don't know like 90% of the artists. One of them thinks Lionel Richie is Richard Pryor; they call Kenny Rogers "Roger Craig"; they guess every Black woman is Whitney Houston; one of them calls Al Jarreau "OJ"; and they say Dan Aykroyd looks like Dwight Schrute from The Office. It's too funny. I mean, it's understandable. This song was recorded like 20 years before they were even born. If you showed me a video with a bunch of musical stars from 1957, I wouldn't know Paul Anka from Pat Boone or Sam Cooke from Jackie Wilson or Pattie Page from Brenda Lee. But still, it's too funny.

For the rest of this post, I'm going to list each of the soloists in "We Are the World" and tell you their best song (as determine by me). Then I'll be done with this song.

Lionel Richie: "All Night Long"

I loved him in the documentary, but I don't really know much of his music. Back in the day, my friend had that song of his "Hello... is it me you're looking for?" on his answering machine, which was hilarious. (Remember when funny answering machine messages were a thing? Remember when answering machines where a thing?) But "All Night Long" is clearly the best of his songs, at least among the five I know. "Brick House" is a close second, if we open it up to his work with the Commodores.

Paul Simon: "Late In the Evening"

So many great songs to pick from. Ask me on a different day, and not only would I have a different answer, I probably wouldn't even have this one in my top ten. That's the thing about your favorite musical artists. You don't have favorite songs of theirs. You have favorites songs right now. Then it totally changes. I'll give "Still Crazy After All These Years" a shout out, not because it's ever been one of my favorites (it's fine, but a bit too slow and maudlin for my tastes), but because I love the Curb clip where Larry sings it after he and Cheryl miss out on a Paul Simon concert due to a miscommunication by Larry.

Stevie Wonder: "Part Time Lover" 

I like his fast songs more than his ballads, and I give "Part Time Lover" the nod over "Superstition".

Kenny Rogers: "Just Dropped In"

This is the Big Lebowski song. It's one of two Kenny Rogers' songs I can name off the top of my head, and I wasn't going to pick "The Gambler" (great vocals, but way too played out). Plus, "Just Dropped In" legit rocks. The video I linked to isn't the best version of the song, but I picked it because of the video. It's like psychedelic country.

James Ingram: "Baby, Come To Me"

I didn't know who this was, but I do remember this song, a duet with Patti Austin -- total banger.

Tina Turner: "What's Love Got To Do With It"

"The Best" is great, but it's not the best. It's not even second best -- that would be "Proud Mary"-- but they are both clearly behind "What's Love Got to Do with It". The way she belts out the chorus is spine-tingling. 

Billy Joel: "Pressure"

I posted this entry, and then realized I forgot Billy Joel, so I'm adding him now. I'm not a diehard Joel stan or anything like that, but I do know and like most his songs. I guess you could say I'm a casual fan. I used to say "Only the Good Die Young" was my favorite song of his, and I still do quite enjoy it (my advisor in grad school who grew up near Billy Joel on Long Island claims to know the Virginia referenced in the song), but I moved towards "Pressure" because it's a great workout song. It's kinda corny, kinda haunting, and just a joy to listen to. It reminds me of the Nintendo game Castlevania. I'll also give a shout out to "River of Dreams". It probably doesn't crack my top-10 of Billy Joel songs, but I have soft spot for it. My parents owned it on CD, and for a semester in high school, I had late arrival, so everybody in my house was already gone when I got up, and I used to blast it while I got ready for school. 

Michael Jackson: "Billie Jean"

I should outsource this one to Lil' S2. He's obsessed with Michael Jackson right now. He was in a school play, in which he lip-synced a song by The Jackson 5, and even though he just had a bit part, he got really into it, and since then he's been watching all Michael Jackson's videos on YouTube. No, we haven't yet told him about all of Michael Jackson's controversies and weird behavior (e.g., dangling his baby over a balcony). I'm easing him into it. I told him today he had sons name Jermajesty and Blanket -- start small. Anyway, Lil' S2 is sleeping right now, so I'll just pick "Billie Jean." It's actually not my favorite song of his, but it is my favorite performance. The moonwalk is probably the single coolest dance move in human history.

Diana Ross: "You Keep Me Hanging On"

This one was tough because "Upside Down" is a totally bop, but I'm a huge sucker for Motown bubblegum pop. 

Dionne Warwick: "That's What Friends Are For"

I have to admit, I don't know any Dionne Warwick songs other than this one.

Willie Nelson: "Always On My Mind"

Also don't know many Willie songs, even though I love his voice. This one is great though.

Al Jarreau: "Mornin'"

Don't know any Al Jarreau songs -- this one was the first one that came up when I typed his name into YouTube. I had never heard of him before -- sounds like he's not really for me.

Bruce Springsteen: "Glory Days"

Never been a huge Springsteen fan. I picked "Glory Days" simply for its strange use of the term "speed ball". Why doesn't he just say "fastball"? What does it mean?

Kenny Loggins: "Danger Zone"

Delightful guilty pleasure song.

Steve Perry: "Separate Ways"

Journey is super cheesy (I mean, did you watch the video?), but Steve Perry can legit sing.

Darryl Hall: "Maneater"

Same goes for Hall & Oates and Darryl Hall.

Huey Lewis: "Heart and Soul"

I was a huge Huey Lewis and the News fan back in the day. I believe I owned both Sports and Fore! on cassette. I could have gone many different ways here -- "Power of Love", "The Heart of Rock & Roll", "I Want a New Drug" -- but I give the edge to "Heart and Soul". Hot lovin' every night... I heard and interview once with a famous rock & roll groupie, and she said Huey was the biggest and baddest. Hot lovin', indeed.

Cyndi Lauper: "Time After Time"

There was a part in Pulp Fiction, just the director's cut, I think, in which Uma Thurman's character Mia expounds to John Travolta's character Vincent about how there are Beatles guys and Elvis guys, and they are two distinct groups, even though Beatles guys can like Elvis and Elvis guys can like the Beatles. I feel like the same is true for Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. Their "rivalry" was mostly bullshit and driven by sexism (as if the music world wasn't big enough for two quirky, bawdy female pop divas), but, nevertheless, I think most people who liked pop music back then picked a side, even if subconsciously. I'm definitely a Madonna guy, so I don't feel totally qualified to make this pick.

Kim Carnes: "Bette Davis Eyes"

You can put this one in the "Only Song I Know" category.

Bob Dylan: "Tangled Up in Blue"

I kinda got into Bob Dylan. I like some of his songs, at least. I saw him once in concert, circa 1999. He was terrible -- the voice was shot, and he had no energy at all. I thought maybe I caught him on the wrong night, but I've had several other people tell me the same thing, unprompted. I guess he's just terrible live and has been for a long time. 

Ray Charles: "Hit the Road Jack"

I like "George on My Mind" very much, but "Hit the Road Jack" is one of the greatest songs of all time. The audio isn't great in the linked clip, but again I went with the better video -- it's a delight.

Until next time...

Entry 709: A Week In Oz

It was the kids' spring break this past week, so we went to S's parents for a visit. S's sister was there too, so it was a full bungalow. They live in a gated, quasi-retirement community near Tampa, and it's a culture shock every time we go down there. The area surrounding the community is your typical, suburban American sprawl -- miles of intersecting arterial roads lined with pockets of shopping centers, filled with chain stores. There's a Walmart nearby, a Publix, a McDonalds, a Chick-Fil-A. But if you want to sit in a coffeehouse and work for a few hours (as my sister-in-law did), the Panera down the road is your best bet.* If want to grab a drink, you can probably find a bowling alley or a Buffalo Wild Wings within driving distance. If want anything more interesting than that, you will have to drive the half-hour to Tampa (which does have some really cool neighborhoods).

*They are soon opening a Starbucks not too far away, and we all got way too excited about it.

There are not even any parks or public greens spaces in the area, and the only way to get around is by car. Basically, everything is designed for old people, who live in gated, quasi-retirement communities and only go out when they need something. It's not for parents with school-age children, or anybody who wants to enjoy what a city has to offer. Your gated enclave is your city. And as far as that goes, S's parents' "city" is quite nice. It's on a little man-made lake with a geyser in the center, palm trees line the streets, and everybody you pass smiles and says hi, even if they're total strangers. My sister-in-law and I were joking that when you drive through the gates its like entering Oz. Everything goes from black-and-white to color.

But like Oz, so much of it is superficial. There's not a lot of there there. After a few days, once you've gone to the pool a few times, you realize there's really nothing to do here. My in-laws like it, and so that's cool,* but I just can't imagine ever wanting to live in a place like that, even when I'm in my eighties. Also, it's way too hot, and there is almost no shade anywhere. You're on sizzling concrete the instant you step outside. No solar panels either. Every time I'm there I get so annoyed by the fact that people live in one of the best possible places in the country to get cheap renewable power, and they just don't take advantage of it. Maybe things would be different if they had a governor who was more interested in energy policy than fighting stupid culture wars.

*They have a lot of friends in the community, which is big reason why they moved, and I totally get that. 

I don't mind visiting though. Actually, I like it. I'm good at doing nothing, and S's parents are so good to us. (Her mom's cooking is amazing!) I usually bring my computer and work, since we have so much downtime -- save my vacation days for other times. This time, however, I did take one day off, Tuesday, so that we could go to Sarasota beach. It was quite nice. We rented some beach chairs and an umbrella and just laid on the beach. Lil' S1 did not come because he had an earache, so we had three-on-one adults-to-kids with Lil' S2, and we all took turns going into the water with him, which was the perfect amount of in-water time.

Whenever I go to the beach, I just sit there and watch the water and the people and maybe doze a bit. I don't read or look at my phone or anything like that. It's one of the few places where I prefer to do nothing other than absorb the environment. There was this old guy -- an obvious local with his telltale bleached white hair and leathery, bronze skin -- sitting not too far from us, blasting yacht rock from a bucket speaker. So, at one point I took a weird psuedo-nap, in which I was half-asleep, half-groving to Steely Dan. There are worse ways to pass the time.

The next day, I worked, and S, bless her heart, spent 14 hours taking people to the doctor. Her dad has some sort of vascular ailment that is causing his ankles and feet to blister and swell. It had gotten to be quite bad, so he had to see a specialist about an hour away, so S drove him there at 7:00 in the morning. Then, when she got back, she immediately took Lil' S1 to urgent care, because of his earache. They didn't get back until about 5:00 pm. Both my father-in-law and my son got some medicine and seem to be on the mend, so that's good. It sucks for Lil' S1 because he couldn't go in the water the entire time we were there, and we had to fly back with his ear still bothering him a bit, but so it goes.

S nearly had to make a third trip to the doctor for me, because I strained my hamstring, but it wasn't quite that bad. It's been a little sore the past few weeks, but seemingly nothing major. I mean, I'm nearing 50, so just about every body part is a little sore all the time. But it started really nagging me while I was running on the treadmill, so I stopped and tried to stretch it out, and as I was doing so, I felt a pop. It was a little pop, but it was a pop nonetheless. I just thought, Great, that's me laid up the next few weeks. 

I've had the full-on hamstring blowout, where you are in constant pain and can barely move, and this ain't that, but I certainly won't be running anytime soon. And that sucks because vigorous exercise is my main form of stress relief. Without it, my mental health and mood really are adversely affected. I can still do pushups and upper body weightlifting, so that's good, but I need something cardiovascular to get that good sweat going. Maybe I'll dust off the road bike and take it for a spin. I don't think I've used it since the lockdown. I don't really enjoy cycling as a form of exercise -- I much prefer running -- but it is much easier on the hamstring, and it's better than nothing.   

On Thursday, we went to a matinee showing of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and were literally the only people in the theater. It was fine. It's not going to win any Oscars, but it was a decent enough way to pass a few hours. I put it third on my Ghostbusters film ranking. It goes the original Ghostbusters, followed by a big drop to Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (they are about the same), then another big drop to the girl Ghostbusters, and then a final big drop to Ghostbusters II, the worst of the bunch by far. S could not convince everybody to watch Dune: Part Two in the theater with her, but she was able to stream it and watch it on my in-laws' big screen TV, while I occupied the kids, so that worked out okay.

We did a new thing this time and flew into and out of Sarasota airport, instead of Tampa, and it was like, Why didn't we do this before?! It's much easier to get to and navigate. We just didn't know about it, but now we do, and I suspect we will use it every time from now on. There is chatter about sending Lil' S1 back during the summer by himself, and the fact that he could arrive at a smaller airport like Sarasota (and one my in-laws could drive to without going on a major interstate*) is a big reason why we might be okay with it. We will see though. The thought of him taking a flight by himself understandably makes me nervous. Although he is pretty good about being independent and handling himself in those types of situations. In many ways, he's still very much a little kid, but in other ways he's quite precocious.

*At one point Lil' S2 and my mother-in-law had the following conversation, after she asked him if he wanted to go to the store with her.

Him: Wait, Avva, you still drive?
Her: Yes, I do, Bujji.
Him: Oh, you just aren't very good now? 

On the flight home, I watched The Greatest Night In Pop, a documentary about the making of the song "We Are the World." It's really good, especially if you are a child of the '80s and want to take a trip down memory lane. I never really liked the song -- I always thought it was saccharine and corny -- but I have a newfound appreciation for it. If anything, it's worth listening to just for the vocal arrangements. It's probably the greatest collection of voices on a single song in music history. If you're into pop music at all, I highly recommend the doc.

Okay, that's all for now.

Until next time...

Entry 708: ACPT and NPR

It's been a few weeks since I posted something here because I've been pretty busy. Last weekend was ACPT, and if you click the link and scroll down to the "Judges and referees" section, you can find my name listed among many others in small print. It was awesome. As I describe to you what I did for pretty much the entire weekend -- scanning thousands of puzzles into a computer and checking that they are scored correctly -- it probably doesn't sound awesome (I literally did not leave the hotel for even a millisecond from the moment I checked-in Friday evening to the morning I checked-out Sunday afternoon), but it was. It's the people and the energy -- so many brilliant, fun, weird people to talk to; such a interesting, stimulating, festive atmosphere.

Will Shortz was there, which was wonderful. As you might know (I mentioned it in a previous entry), he had a stroke about two months ago, so there was some question about whether or not he would be able to attend the tournament. But he made it, and he seems to be doing well--or at least as well as possible for somebody who recently had a stroke. He's in a wheelchair, and there is no life in the left side of his body, but he can speak clearly enough, and most importantly he's still with it upstairs. The intellect is still there. That's the part I worry about as I slowly (and yet much too rapidly) ascend into old age. As far as I'm concerned, the body can go, as long as I can still think straight. I'd rather be like Stephen Hawking, only able to speak through a computer by twitching my cheek muscle, than get dementia and die not knowing who I am or who my loved ones are.

Of course, I'd rather maintain both my mental and physical faculties right up to the very end. That's the goal. It's possible. William Shatner is 93, and he was on Real Time with Bill Maher the other day. He's a little slower than he used to be, naturally, but he's still doing his thing -- performing, interviewing, adventuring. He said he's going to Antarctica soon. I doubt I would have much desire to go to such a place in my mid-nineties, but that's largely because I have little desire to go there now. But I hope, when I'm closing in on the century mark, to be in good enough condition and spirits that I could go there in theory.

Shortly after I got back from the tournament, S had to leave on a business trip. It was just two days this time, but Lil' S1 happened to get sick the night before she left. So, I had two kids on my own, one of whom was quite ill. He was hacking and wheezing and snotting it up all the while. It wasn't Covid -- I tested him -- but I treated it like it was Covid. I kept him home from school for two days and quarantined him in his room (he didn't have the energy to get out of bed much, anyway), and I wore a mask every time I went in there. S makes fun of me for this -- for being so worried about getting sick whenever the kids get sick -- but it's like, why shouldn't I worry, and why shouldn't I take precautions? Getting sick sucks, so if I can avoid it by keeping my distance and/or wearing a mask for a few days, mild inconveniences, it seems worth it to me. It's not like Lil' S1 cares. He didn't want to hang out with me, anyway. He just wanted lie in bed and watch, read, or sleep.

And anyway, I should be the one making fun of S, for always insisting that we give the kids "medicine" when they're sick -- Children's Dimetapp or what have you -- even though that stuff is total bunk. The only reason I give the kids that stuff or take it myself is so that I can say to S that I did so. Actually, this gets at a philosophical parenting difference between S and I. When our kids have a problem, often her first instinct is to do something -- anything is better than nothing, as far as she is concerned. Whereas my first instinct is often to do nothing -- sometimes things just need to work themselves out on their own. 

It's like, when the ship gets rocky for your child, do you help steady it, or do you just provide them moral support until they reach calmer waters? S is more the former; I'm more the latter. But we are able to co-parent pretty well together, because neither of us is too militant about it. Ultimately, we both just want what's best for our children, even if that means that things aren't done our "way." In parenting as in baseball, the only rule is it has to work. Unfortunately, in parenting, unlike in baseball, there is nobody keeping score, and most the time you have absolutely no idea if what you did worked or not.

In other news, if you run in the same political/cultural circles as I do, you probably came across this piece by NPR editor Uri Berliner about how NPR has "lost America's trust," by becoming too ideologically-driven, too focused on identity-based restorative justice, too homogeneous in perspective. And this, in turn, has led to a dwindling audience. It's impossible to say for sure if he's right or not, on the whole -- there are myriad reasons a huge content creator like NPR might struggle to maintain its massive consumer-ship in today's media landscape -- but I can say for sure that he is right for me, personally. I used to love NPR, and now I only listen to one of their podcasts, It's All Politics, and that's mainly because it's so short, I can burn through it on 1.5-speed in under ten minutes. The reasons I mostly stopped consuming NPR content are exactly the reasons Berliner gives in the article.

Basically, over the past ten years or so, NPR has transformed itself from a media organization with a reasonably broad (perhaps left-of-center) appeal, into one that only serves a niche demographic -- highly educated, upper class individuals, who put "In this house, we believe..." signs on their lawns. And if your content is designed for a niche demographic, you are going to end up with a niche audience and the revenue numbers to go with it.

The thing is, if NPR loses its broad appeal, it's not that big a deal, but, as I've written about before, I fear this same sort of thing is going on with the Democratic party, and this is that big a deal. It's not even so much the party itself, as it is institutions that are associated with the party by being left-coded -- like universities and certain media companies (like NPR) -- but in an election, what people think a party stands for matters more than what a party actually does stand for. Biden has a lot of liabilities as the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November approaches -- his age, inflation, the border, the war in Gaza -- and I think this perceived "nichefication" of the Democrats is just one more.

 And on that fun thought... until next time...