That Wonderful Year in Music... 2023

No bones about it, 2023 was a freewheeling and unpredictable year for music. It was a year of hard left turns, reunions, unlikely collaborations, and several releases that were better than they had any right to be. This year's list is as expansive as it's ever been, yet I'm sure there are omissions. This was also an abnormally strong year for jazz; in fact, I'd argue my favorite album of the year was technically a jazz recording. Let's dig in:

BEST ROCK/POP ALBUMS

1. Guts, Olivia Rodrigo. After recording one of the more impressive pop debuts in recent

memory (2021’s Sour, also a high finisher on my annual list) Rodrigo continues to straddle

the line between adolescence and adulthood, yet emerges as an even stronger songwriter.

Her not-quite-sophomoric sophomore effort leans more toward the vicious punk-pop of “Good

4 U” than the reflective balladry of “Driver’s License.” Rather than keep hitting mid-2000s

nostalgia in the stomach, Rodrigo builds something familiar yet new.

2. Javelin, Sufjan Stevens. Spiritual themes are nothing new in Stevens’ oeuvre. Love and

heartbreak are not unfamiliar topics in music. Put together, however, Stevens creates his

most idyllic and engagingly ethereal work in a good while. Nine of the ten songs are Stevens’

own (the album closer is a Neil Young cover) and Sufjan plays every instrument except on

one track; Stevens’ DIY, unaccompanied approach to songcraft is an intriguing bookend to

his 2003 breakthrough Michigan, but the drama feels organic and less pretentious.

3. 10,000 gecs, 100 gecs. A gloriously cacophonous prank of an album. Two savants make

top-tier hyperpop, veering and jutting around for 27 unpredictable minutes, spoofing

everything from ska to doo-wop. It’s a feast for the ears, in the sense that one appreciates

filet mignon and White Castle on the same plate.

4. Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, Caroline Polachek 5. Let's Start Here, Lil Yachty 6. The Record, Boygenius 7. Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Lana Del Rey 8. Leaving, Fran 9. The First Two Pages of Frankenstein, The National 10. Food For Worms, Shame 11. Stereo Mind Game, Daughter 12. Norm, Andy Shauf 13. The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monae 14. Scaring the Hoes, JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown 15. Unreal Unearth, Hozier 16. Sundial, Noname 17. Red Moon in Venus, Kali Uchis 18. Water Made Us, Jamila Woods 19. The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We, Mitski 20. Playing Robots Into Heaven, James Blake

Honorable Mention: Cousin, Wilco.

Best Album, Senior Division: The Rolling Stones’ anti-nostalgic Hackney Diamonds

Second Best Album, Senior Division: Paul Simon’s Old Testament pivot, Seven Psalms

Third Best Album, Senior Division: Bob Dylan (Taylor’s Version), aka Shadow Kingdom

Best Song, Senior Division: The Beatles’ AI-assisted “Now and Then”

Worst… Everything, Senior Division: Roger Waters’ mumbly, unnecessary re-recording of Dark Side of the Moon

BEST JAZZ ALBUMS

1. Fly or Die III (world war), Jaimie Branch. A posthumous release (Branch died suddenly in 2022, when this was in post-production), the third album from her Fly of Die ensemble wasn’t necessarily intended to cap a trilogy. What a way to go out, though: everything about this album is vibrant and teeming with life. Branch lets her punk-jazz freak flag fly, seamlessly inserting some psychedelic accents. I finished listening in exhilaration, which soon turned to melancholy, as III only teased at what a Fly or Die IV would’ve sounded like.

2. Mélusine, Cecile McLorin Salvant

3. Triogram, Triogram

4. Your Mother Should Know, Brad Mehldau

5. Brand New Life, Brandee Younger

6. Solo, Benny Green

7. In Real Time, Artemis

8. Book of Queens, Krasno/Moore Project

9. After Dark, Chris Hazelton

10. New Blue Sun, Andre 3000

Best Jazz Reissue: Evenings at the Village Gate, John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy

BEST SINGLES

"The Drop," Sports Team

"Evergreen," Mount Joy

"brrr," Kim Petras

"Nothing's Free," Angel Olson

"This Is Why," Paramore

"Wings of Time," Tame Impala

"No More Lies," Thundercat feat. Tame Impala

"Ring of Past," Men I Trust

"Slipstream," Django Django

"Mermaid Vampire," Susto

"One Like You," LP

"Forgiving Ties," Deer Tick

"Nothing Matters," The Last Dinner Party

“Angelcover,” The New Pornographers

“Sometimes,” Mannequin Pussy

BEST VIDEOS

1. “VOID,” Melanie Martinez. Surreal, gross, WTF… unforgettable.

2. "Back On 74," Jungle. Sometimes a great video doesn't need a complex premise. This British duo has a history of making clips with insane choreography, and this time they really outdid themselves.

3. "What They Call Us," Fever Ray. This reminds me of some of my old temp jobs.

4. "Make Way," Protomartyr. I mean, it's science, right?

5. "Free Yourself," Jessie Ware. Madonna might have faded into sad irrelevance, but the artists she influenced have carried the torch and then some. 

Honorable Mentions: "Feel Good," by Slowthai (Surprise!) and "Anything To Be With You," by Carly Rae Jepsen (It's hard for me to say no to any clip that was shot in Chicago at 3 AM).

Your thoughts?

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Random Notes, December 2023

 St. Nicholas' Day was over a week ago, but here's some candy for your shoe: 

+ A few months ago, I shared a eulogy of sorts for my aunt, Kay Allard while trying to uncover the communication breakdown behind her passing. As a last resort, my sister reached out to our lawyer to find her lawyer; a couple days later, we both had a 10 minute phone conversation with the woman handling our aunt's estate. As it turns out, both of the designated trustees in her will, her husband and my father, are both long dead. My sister has volunteered to jump in as the new trustee, and to my understanding we have some cooperation from her stepson in Florida. We may have also inherited some debt. Stay tuned. 

+ The Biden impeachment is a waste of time, energy, and money. In pandering to right-wing propaganda (and voters who gobble up said propaganda) the GOP is frittering away whatever advantages they have in Congress on an investigation where there is little evidence that connects the president to his son's various vices. 

+ In the wake of Donald Trump's "dictator on day one" remark, imagine if Trump pulls a Grover Cleveland *and* Democrats win back the House. (I'm not as optimistic about the U.S. Senate, at least right now.)

+ I almost met David Letterman! In all honestly, I was nowhere near Dave and never have, but I caught wind of his Netflix show shooting one episode in Chicago and I was on the wait list for the taping. I even cleared out my Tuesday afternoon just in case, but for naught. What could have been...

Next time: my annual year in music blog.

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My 19th Annual Thanks/No Thanks List

Late November already? Fall is more than halfway over, and I'm in my usual denial stage; I insist on wearing a fleece jacket when a winter coat would probably suffice. It's also time to reflect, and as I have for nearly two decades I give thanks (and no thanks) to the things that affect my life. This hasn't been an easy year for me or most of my closest and dearest, but sometimes it's the little things. 

Thanks: an end to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes (and those who fought and directly benefitted), reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances, reinforcing my existing friendships, and that after 13 years my Keurig still works every morning. 

No Thanks: inflation, misinformation, miscommunication, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the ongoing GOP clown car.

Enjoy your Turkey Day, friends. 

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James Swiglo, 1956-2008

My uncle died 15 years ago last week. I blogged my raw emotions the day he was buried, almost oblivious to the history that was being made that evening. I've also discussed my, uh, inheritance. 

Uncle Jim was a flawed man, but as I said a decade and a half ago, there will never be a right way to die at 52. Part of me can imagine him now at 67, gradually turning into his father (my grandpa), a reactionary grouch. Both of them had a fearful, paranoid side. Regardless, Jim was the kinder of the two. They had a volatile relationship that was sort of patched up when my grandfather died in August 2002, though I found it weird that Jim suddenly kept Chuck in a high regard after his passing. 

Jim's passing was a tipping point in my mid-20s. I was less than a year removed from college, and I was treading water. I was back in Downers Grove, isolated and kind of flailing. I did not want to spend my entire adult life living with my folks --like he did-- so it eventually inspired me to take improv classes. Also, this was the first in a string of deaths in my immediate family, mostly in my parents' generation, extending to my aunt's passing a few months ago.

For a lot of my relatives, their time had come. In my uncle's situation, he kept his pancreatic cancer under wraps until he couldn't; I learned a few years later that he turned down treatment. He was on borrowed time anyway, he surmised, but it also jibed with his pride and his frugality. (Again, he wasn't perfect.) My uncle and mother argued over how to take care of my grandmother, and with Ma taking the reins, Grandma was able to get more thorough assistance. Given everything that has gone on in the world (and my family) since 2008, maybe this "what if" is best left to my imagination.

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Random Notes, October 2023

 An early Happy Halloween to all:

+ In the 18-plus years I've been writing this blog, I've mostly (but not entirely) avoided discussing Israel and Palestine. It's a loaded, complicated subject, and no matter how informed my opinion might be, navigating over 75 years of strife is just outside my grasp. And yet, more than a few underqualified people have been sharing their purported insight since Bibi declared war on October 7th. Ultimately, more civilians than troops are dying in a region that has only seen imperialism, genocide and generational trauma in most of our lifetimes, and the sooner is ends the better.

+ I finished my last blog post not knowing Speaker Kevin McCarthy had fired his final salvo. The historical, yet rash decision to remove McCarthy as SOTHOR, followed by three-plus weeks of inter-party bickering has left us with a legislative branch with no function. The fissures of the GOP have been laid out for all to see, with three factions: far-right silverback gorillas, conservatives that are trying to curry favor with Trump (but quietly wished they didn't), and milquetoast moderates. Until Mike Johnson was elected today, I was about to suggest someone give Hakeem Jeffries the steering wheel.

+ I went to 29 baseball games this year. Call it cacoethes; I take advantage of my free time in the summer. Seeing minor league games is budget-friendlier than the big leagues, but I still had to adhere to a budget. This year, I saw MiLB games in four new cities (Round Rock, Louisville, Lansing, MI and Charlotte) and one new indie league venue (Crestwood, IL). Next year, given how much gas and airfare cost, I will probably be a little more modest.

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Random Notes, September 2023

 I write essays when I can. In the meantime: 

+ About two weeks ago, I attended my 20-year high school reunion. I tend to get anxious about reconnecting with people I haven't seen in a long time, and this event was no exception. I went to a fairly large high school in the Chicago suburbs, and getting over 500 people to agree on a day, time, and location was a Herculean effort, so that alone made my attendance an obligation. In the end, about 125 of us had an epic reminiscence at a Loyal Order of Moose lodge, guzzling domestic beer and eating mediocre delivery pizza.

+ The first Trump-free GOP debate was a futile exercise. The second was a hot mess. The uneasy slog to an inevitable Trump-Biden rematch continues, and the race to GOP second place truly offers no winners. 

+ Not to belabor the point, but the modern GOP really *can't* get their shit together. Speaker McCarthy has done little to prevent another government shutdown; his quench for congressional power apparently means kowtowing to the fringe right. 

+ Dianne Feinstein was a liberal stalwart and one of the first LGBTQ allies on the national political stage. She'll be missed, but like Ruth Bader Ginsburg before her, she held on for far longer than she needed to and was too stubborn to just retire. 

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32 Teams, 32 Haiku: My 2023 NFL Preview

 

After a remarkably wild summer here in Chicago --at least, as the weather as concerned-- football season sort of crept up on us. The Cubs are watchable but not contending, and the other city sports offerings have been a letdown, so why not get in on the Bears at entry level? As for the NFL as a whole, the AFC has a surplus of elite QBs, balanced out by an NFC that has quality wideouts to spare, and a good set of linebackers are a commodity no matter where you are. With world champion Kansas City hosting Detroit --two interesting teams, but hardly a rivalry-- to start the year, where does everyone really stand? 

Yes, I'm starting my annual pigskin delve with my boldest prediction. 

*notes wild card

NFC NORTH

1. Lions (10-7). Music in Motown/again; in Great Lakes dogfight/kitties claw to top.

2. Vikings (9-8). Close wins, lucky breaks/won’t sustain; can Flores fix/the secondary?

3. Bears (8-9). Fields is fun to watch/but wins are scant; porous D/curbs any progress.

4. Packers (7-10). No summer of Love/in Wisconsin tundra; soft/D evokes Swiss cheese.

NFC EAST

1. Eagles (13-4). Iffy holding calls/aside, vengeance is likely/so elite, it Hurts.

2. Cowboys (10-7)*. Dak says he won't throw/15 interceptions... he'll/throw 16 instead.

3. Giants (8-9). This year’s boom or bust/squad; Daboll and Jones will thrive/or fail, simply put.

4. Commanders (5-12). New owners, who dis?/Crafty D, patchwork O means/more Beltway boredom.

NFC SOUTH

1. Saints (10-7). Oil of Olave/keeps the Carr running; deep D/won’t just pump the brakes.

2. Falcons (8-9). Boo-birds’ high-flying/…ground game? Lack of wideouts eye/of the rebuild storm.

3. Buccaneers (7-10). Brady to Baker/saves some doubloons; younger squad/barely stays afloat.

4. Panthers (6-11). Young Bryce scurries as/O-line falters; low-key D/is Cats’ saving grace.

NFC WEST

1. 49ers (13-4). Purdy persuasion/regardless of who's QB/loaded O will feast.

2. Seahawks (10-7)*. I was wrong about/Geno; offbeat Gulls win with/excess receivers.

3. Rams (7-10). Absurd dead cap space/aging Stafford and Donald/not bad… but a mess.

4. Cardinals (3-14). Marquise attraction/wideout carries O while/Kyler recovers. 

AFC NORTH

1. Bengals (12-5). No average Joes/here; win-now mindset gives Chase/but windows can close.

2. Ravens (11-6)*. Receiver upgrade/(finally) lets Lamar throw/outside the numbers.

3. Steelers (9-8). Rarely bad, that’s not/news; how wicked will Pickett/be in season two?

4. Browns (7-10). D upgrades help, but/Watson rubs us the wrong way/even with a Chubb.

AFC EAST

1. Bills (14-3). If Hyde, Poyer, and/Von can stay healthy, they’ll break/records (and tables).

2. Dolphins (12-5)*. Tua is ready/assuming he’s healthy, or/he’ll die on his Hill.

3. Jets (10-7)*. Does Rodgers play out/of pocket… or a cave? There’s/something in the Sauce.

4. Patriots (7-10). How the tables turn/Mac must attack, or Kraft will/Jones for a rebuild.

AFC SOUTH

1. Jaguars (10-7). Lawrence won’t welk; new/targets burnish his Pro Bowl/case. Cue the bubbles!

2. Titans (8-9). Levis better learn/quick; solid D can’t cover/atrocious O-line.

3. Colts (6-11). It’s Tony Dimes’ time/run-happy O obscures young/buck under center.

4. Texans (5-12). Young with upside, yet/briskly cowed by injuries/new O-line might stun. 

AFC WEST

1. Chiefs (14-3). Youthful D is boom/or bust; with Mahomes, they’ll romp/the West anyway.

2. Chargers (11-6)*. Color me shocked if/they win a playoff game for/once; Horse Knob Herbert?

3. Broncos (8-9). Forget the diva/treatment, Peyton will force Russ/to earn his paycheck.

4. Raiders (5-12). Too many Pats’ hand/me downs (Jimmy G, Hoyer)/hold back Josh Jacobs.

NFL MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Offensive POY: Christian McCaffrey, Niners

Defensive POY: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Jets

Offensive ROY: Bijan Robinson, Falcons

Defensive ROY: Jalen Carter, Eagles

First Head Coach Fired: Josh McDaniels, Raiders

Super Bowl LVIII: Niners 30, Bills 26

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Georgia On My Mind

 Warren G. Harding, our 29th president, died 100 years ago this month. At the time of his sudden passing, he had high approval ratings and was expected win reelection in 1924. His connections to the Teapot Dome scandal, a bribery investigation that dragged on for two years, overshadowed all of Harding's accomplishments posthumously. 

There are some neat parallels between this and our 45th president, who is on his fourth indictment and counting. Had Harding lived to see Teapot Dome play out, he almost certainly would've been indicted as well. The end result of Teapot Dome was a member of Harding's cabinet and a few presidential aides going to prison. This latest Trump indictment corralled 19 collaborators, including disgraced former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani; for a pioneer of RICO laws, getting charged with racketeering is a sad irony. Naturally, all parties are pleading innocence. 

The very idea of an elected US president standing trial for anything seems absurd. That was true in 1923 and it remains preposterous now, but Donald Trump is a special case. He's still running the GOP table (so to speak) and his base has hardly wavered. I assumed six years ago that if the crap hit the fan, most of Trump's lackeys and brown-nosers would take the fall while their vainglorious boss got off relatively scot-free. Seeing that Trump mugshot offers hope for a long-awaited reckoning, but it's only surface-level assuagement. 

Next time: my annual NFL preview.

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Kay Allard, 1945-2023

My aunt, Kay Allard died on May 25th, one week after her 78th birthday. A memorial was held on June 21st.

My sister and I didn't know she passed until Tuesday.

We were equally livid and confused as we stumbled upon the news. I had not heard from Aunt Kay since late March; I last texted her in mid-June to share an old photo we'd found. My sister had commented that we hadn't heard from her in awhile, and we noticed over the weekend that our calls were disconnected and texts were bouncing back. My sister called the Naperville Police Department to do a welfare check; they called back to inform us that she'd passed two months ago. A memorial service was held and attended by "family and friends," and this vague phrase also appears in her obituary. 

We had to get to the bottom of this communication breakdown. Eventually, my sister got a hold of the hospice service that Kay hired (and assisted in the service). Aunt Kay had mentioned earlier in the year that she was going to have pacemaker surgery, but she didn't specify when. The procedure was just before her birthday; after the surgery, a number of complications arose, including a series of strokes. It left her incapable of speaking or operating her iPhone, and no one knew how to unlock it. For a self-described ambassadorial extrovert, it feels awful knowing she essentially died alone and in silence. 

I had a stronger relationship with Kay than my sister. I would attribute any issue between Kay, my mother and my sister to personality clashes, and I’ll leave it at that. We texted about monthly, but I hadn't seen Kay in person since my mother's burial in June 2017.

Kay was the last direct connection to the Kansas City side of the family, even though the Allards moved to LaGrange, IL in 1951, not long after her sixth birthday. With her gone, my living family is now down to my sister and some scattered cousins. 

Kay did not live alone. Even though she was widowed in 2004, she was the primary caretaker for her husband's sister Delores. She is developmentally disabled and was shuffled around most of her life until landing with Kay and my late Uncle Ray in 1995. My sister and I were told that Delores was moved to a dementia facility in Tampa. 

There is still some mystery to this. My sister and I have cousins in southern Illinois that we are not close to; they apparently organized the memorial service. I don't believe we have their contact info. On top of that, we don't know what will happen to Kay's belongings; we believe her will cites our father (who died 7 1/2 years ago) and Delores as getting the majority of her inheritance. 

Given how abruptly we found out our aunt's passing, I'm still processing my thoughts. Had things going according to plan, the onus of writing a eulogy would have rested on my shoulders. Though Kay was not the reason I went into education (a long story in itself) I inherited her passion for teaching writing and helping students generate ideas. She was an English teacher at Glenbard East High School in Lombard, IL from 1981 to 2001 and taught at College of DuPage in some capacity from 1973 to 2022. 

I feel some guilt about this. Even though I last texted Kay in mid-June, she hadn’t texted me since late March. I wanted to do lunch or brunch or something to that effect, but couldn’t find the right time to ask. COVID compounded the perceived distance. Until I can fully embrace her passing, all I can say beyond this is that I hope she’s at peace.

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Random Notes, July 2023

 Four hot takes for a happy Fourth:

+ If any one person is at fault for the WGA strike (and a possible SAG strike) it's Warner Brothers Discovery head honcho David Zaslav. WB is desperate to hide his buffoonery, though GQ magazine may have potentially flubbed an expose of Zaslav. To call him unpopular in the entertainment industry is generous. 

+ I really want to care about this submarine thing. Schadenfreude is oversimplifying most people's reactions; it was a doomed joy trip by the idle rich, augmented by mistakes that would've been satirical 20 years ago. Somehow, though it was a better financial decision than Elon Musk buying Twitter. 

+ I am disappointed but not surprised by the recent SCOTUS decisions on college debt and affirmative action. Nothing will change will Clarence Thomas retires, and he'll likely hold out until after Biden leaves office. Even then, our best shot is still a 5-4 conservative majority, and Chief Justice Edwards has not been a reliable swing vote. 

+ Stu News is turning 10 next month! That's about 3,100 total jokes, published six or seven times a week without stopping since mid-2013. How will I celebrate? More details soon. 

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File This!

On paper, Trump looks screwed. Alas, I doubt his punishment (assuming he really does get punished) won't fit the crime. After a presidency that was more scandal-plagued than Nixon and Clinton put together, we watched one Trump lackey after another get thrown under the bus while the boss remained relatively unscathed. On top of that, Trump has no intention of dropping out of the 2024 GOP primary, where he's polling better than all the other declared candidates combined. At least 51% of the party is sticking with their guy, prison or not.

At least one conservative pundit has compared Trump's unfair treatment to how George W. Bush was scrutinized by the "liberal media" in the 2000s. Was Bush 43 a trust fund bumbler? Yes. Was he too trusting in the wrong people? Often. Was he corrupt? No. Trump is not being prosecuted for being a Republican, nor is being prosecuted by cable news. Trump is being prosecuted because he is likely a criminal.

Then there's the Trump lackeys, his homers, his ride-or-dies. The sizable chunk of the GOP he hasn't alienated. Naturally, they're pretending the overwhelming evidence against Trump isn't real, that this a politically motivated witch hunt or exaggerated by partisan vitriol. In other words, they're incorporating their two favorite tactics, gaslighting and whatabout-ism. Either they're saddled by unconditional support or they're lying to themselves, it's often hard to tell.

Let's play that GOP tactic right now: what about Joe Biden? Yes, he did have confidential documents stacked in the garage. However, there weren't nearly as many as Trump hoarded, Biden cooperated with authorities, and Biden apologized. Mike Pence, the stoic Christian, committed the same sin. Even so, the 2024 race is shaping up to be Biden against... something, and for all of Biden's flaws he is the only palatable option. In other words, vote blue... or until Mark Levin is blue in the face.

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Through a Freshman's Eyes: "Batman Begins" Edition

When I heard my Blackhawks had won the NFL Draft lottery, I was briefly taken aback when I learned the crown jewel of this year's class, Connor Bedard, was born in July 2005. It also means this year’s high school graduates and incoming college freshmen weren’t alive to see the first half of the 2000s. It’s hard to fathom that someone born five years after Y2K can now play Lotto or enlist in the military. 

With that said, if you are graduating, or have graduated, high school this month…

…Gmail and YouTube have always existed.

…King Charles III has always been married to Camilla.

…Prince Harry has never done Nazi cosplay.

…there has never been sectarian violence in Ireland.

…you always knew W. Mark Felt was Deep Throat. 

…you’ve never seen any Ukrainians wear orange.

…it has always been possible to clone dogs.

…Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, and Peter Jennings have never anchored a network news broadcast.

…Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were never married.

…Pink Floyd has never played live.

…Rich Hill has always played baseball.

…you have never attended a Montreal Expos baseball game.

…the New York Yankees have never blown a 3-0 series lead in the ALCS.

…there has never been an ugly lockout that wiped out an entire season of the NHL.

…you don’t know what the phrase “malice at the palace” has to do with basketball.

…”The Office” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender” have always been on TV.

…”Family Guy” was never canceled and “Doctor Who” has never been off the air.

…Johnny Ramone, Russ Meyer, Scott Muni, Richard Avedon, Joyce Jillson, Rodney Dangerfield, Janet Leigh, Ken Caminiti, Christopher Reeve, Pierre Salinger, Ray Boone, Anthony Hecht, Steig Larsson, Yassir Arafat, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Cy Coleman, Ed Paschke, Dimebag Darrell, Johnny Oates, Jerry Orbach, Will Eisner, Virginia Mayo, Johnny Carson, Vicky LaMotta, John Vernon, Max Schmeling, Ossie Davis, Arthur Miller, Dick Weber, John Raitt, Hunter S. Thompson, John DeLorean, Barney Martin, Johnnie Cochran, Mitch Hedberg, Frank Perdue, Terry Schiavo, Pope John Paul II, Saul Bellow, Dale Messick, Debralee Scott, Prince Rainier III, Percy Heath, Herb Sargent, animator Joe Grant, Thurl Ravenscroft, Eddie Albert, Oscar Brown Jr., George Mikan, Anne Bancroft, Lane Smith, Paul Winchell, Shelby Foote, Luther Vandross, Admiral James Stockdale, James “Scotty” Doohan, Hildegarde, Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe, and Robert Moog have always been dead.

If I allegedly missed anything, here’s last year’s list.

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Random Notes, May 2023

 What's happening, friends?

+ The COVID-19 pandemic is over, except it's not. It's under enough control that it's not longer considered a major threat. The wave became an undercurrent, where it's been for several months now. I still see students wearing masks, but I don't judge them. I was one of the fortunate few that never tested positive, but I'm still wary of it, and I fear its aftereffects. 

+ Lori Lightfoot's sole term as Chicago's mayor will be remembered as a mixed bag. Her strict mom energy during COVID (and in general) was annoying but well-intentioned, but her accomplishments over the last four years will be undercut by her fractious relationship with the city council, her limp response to a spike in violence and being too empathetic to the CPD. At best, Mayor Lightfoot was a deeply flawed altruist. I can see why Chicago progressives rallied around Brandon Johnson, a relative political novice, as her successor. He didn't inherit a mess necessarily, but there is ample room for improvement. 

+ Speaking of mixed bags, I can see why Joe Biden decided to run for reelection. Trump just keeps adding baggage, and the DeSantis "campaign" is already losing steam. 

+ Hey, here's the short film I shot in Austin! 

Next time: my annual memory list.

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Jet Unset

 I had a bizarre and exhausting travel experience a few weekends ago:

I flew back to Austin for spring break, my fourth trip in six years and first time in Texas since Leap Day 2020. (That ended up being my sole vacation in that headache of a year.) I was supposed to fly back in the early hours of Saturday, April 1st. Not long before going to a Round Rock Express game that Friday night, I was informed my nonstop flight to Chicago was cancelled. There was a string of nasty storms and tornado warnings in northern Illinois. I was grateful that my old pal Brandon and his wife were letting me hang out at the house until my flight would be rescheduled. I tried calling United but they were clearly slammed with calls; as it turned out, they wiped out 36 straight hours of flights to O'Hare because of the inclement weather. After two hours with an chatbot, I received a refund for my initial flight. 

I had plans for Saturday, so my instinct was to find the next available flight back home. I didn't consider Amtrak or anything else. My best option was via American and Southwest; Bergstrom to Dallas-Fort Worth to Oklahoma City to Chicago, and land home after 6 PM. I arrived at Bergstrom at 10:15 for a noon flight, and the shuttle landed at DFW without issue. Then the plot thickened. My second flight had a one hour delay for maintenance; an attendant for American noticed the four minute gap between my OKC flight and when I fly from OKC to Chicago (in different terminals) so I ended up getting switched to a layover in Springfield, MO *then* Chicago free of charge. The Springfield flight was supposed to board after 10 PM; I didn't get on the plane until 11:15. That particular layover lasted 10 1/2 hours. 

In the meantime, I endured the longest layover I've ever had. I meandered around DFW, eating lunch at a Pappadeaux, a snack at a frozen yogurt stand, and a late dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. I also took advantage of American's Minute Suites, where I took an uncomfortable two-hour snooze on a cushioned bench. The mini motel room experience was sufficient, but not worth the $51 an hour. After I landed at Springfield-Branson, I had to find a bench to take a second over-glorified nap. I was surreal laying down in the arrivals and baggage area of an empty airport, especially in a smaller airport in an unfamiliar city (one terminal, eight gates, zero Starbucks). Just after 5 AM on Sunday morning, I finally boarded my connecting flight to O'Hare. I landed at 7 AM, I returned to my apartment around 8, and I took a four hour nap. In all, I spent 21 hours in aviation limbo. 

April fools, indeed.

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30 Teams, 30 Haiku: My 2023 Baseball Preview

After a wobbly start to the 2022 season, 2023 brought tremendous momentum to baseball, courtesy of a much-watched international tournament. With all due respect to the Czech team and their grounder-shagging prowess, the real show is here.

*notes wild card

AL EAST

1. Yankees. Early injuries/are concerning; with deep cast/who am I to Judge?

2. Blue Jays*. Young, hot talent at/ev’ry position; bullpen/woes might prove fatal.

3. Rays*. Creative lineup/and stud rotation will keep/The Trop a hot spot.

4. Orioles. Feisty young birds shocked/us all last year; lackluster/SPs won’t keep up.

5. Red Sox. Here’s the Story: all/their pitchers are injured, with/two big infield gaps. 

AL CENTRAL

1. Guardians. Best of sorry bunch/stacked farm system lurks behind/84-win club.

2. Twins. Victors, somehow of/the Correa war; beyond/that, not much to boast.

3. White Sox. Besides Benny, key/issues weren’t addressed; time for/summer of Bummer?

4. Royals. Keep your Witts about/you; subpar SPs hinder/young, regal offense.

5. Tigers. Assuming Baez/rebounds and young arms adjust/these kitties have claws.

AL WEST

1. Astros. Wheeling and dealing/suits the champs; new faces keep/fans banging on cans.

2. Mariners*. Above water at/last; young, dangerous seamen/need a switch hitter.

3. Rangers. Free agent pitchers/must stay healthy; lack of left/fielder is glaring.

4. Angels. Give up thinking Trout/and Ohtani will ever/reign in Anaheim.

5. A’s. Bolts-out rebuild yet/again; budget pachyderms/seek move to Vegas.

NL EAST

1. Phillies. Losing Bryce wasn't/nice; after surprise run, wins/won't come on a Trea. 

2. Mets*. Big Citi spenders/can high-risk old arms curb next/October collapse?

3. Braves*. Beyond Acuna/and Albies, one hopes patchwork/left field has Wright stuff.

4. Marlins. Alcantara can’t/carry this team– think fourteenth/straight losing season.

5. Nationals. Strasburg is injured/(shocker!) so DC, go watch/Ovechkin instead.

NL CENTRAL

1. Cardinals. Contreras, traidor/with so-so arms, productive/bats set the (Noot)baar.

2. Brewers. Small ball, Cream City/top tier rotation offset/by lack of power.

3. Cubs. For whom Bellinger/tolls; infinite (Pat) wisdom/says new faces thrive.

4. Reds. Time to trade Votto/this machine needs rebuilding/don’t waste the old man!

5. Pirates. These Bucs won’t compete/weird mix of young and old, but/Cruz stands tall at short.

NL WEST

1. Dodgers. 100 wins for/sure; place your Betts now for big/budget, elite squad.

2. Padres*. SoCal high drama/gutted farm system won’t help/if things go sour.

3. Giants. After ‘22/thud, who knows what to expect/Webb of mystery.

4. D-Backs. A Gallen of hope/for young bats; rotation depth/curbs upward progress.

5. Rockies. Thin air haplessness/behind Bryant and McMahon/…meh. Rebuild awaits!

AL MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Angels

NL MVP: Mookie Betts, Dodgers 

AL Cy Young: Alek Manoah, Blue Jays

NL Cy Young: Max Fried, Braves

AL Rookie of the Year: Triston Casas, Red Sox

NL Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll, D-Backs

First Manager Fired: Derek Shelton, Pirates

2023 World Series: Dodgers over Astros in 6

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