Reflecting at 42

 I turned 42 earlier this month. My Douglas Adams birthday, so to speak. I was overdue for a relatively quiet summer, and for the most part it was uneventful. 

As summer break winds down, I can't shake off a sense of wanderlust. I've been almost exclusively subbing for nine months of the year for some time now, but supplementing my income with Lyft, a weekly tech gig, and eBay. I'm ready to do something else or something more, but the opportunities don't seem to be there. I constantly crave to be somewhere else, that literal sense of wanderlust, but the money isn't there. My big trip was two nights in Grand Rapids, a three-hour drive from Chicago.

I spent a fair chunk of the summer helping my new-ish roommate. She started a temp job in late June, and the office is a 15 minute drive from the apartment. I either drop her off at work or pick her up, sometimes both; she's even tighter on money than I am and appreciates not having to spend anything on a rideshare. In addition, her office is a good central spot to turn the Lyft app on. 

Now I'm back to the grind. The school year hasn't been too bad so far, but that honeymoon period doesn't last. 

Next Week: my 2026 NFL preview.

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My Uncle's Nephew, Redux

July 24th would've been my Uncle Jim's 70th birthday. As I said when he passed away in 2008, there's no right way to die at 52. In all honesty, Jim's death hit harder than either of my parents, but in hindsight I have some mixed emotions. I'm also trying not to repeat what I said on the 10th anniversary of his death. In some ways, he lives vicariously through me. 

My uncle could be low-key creepy. When he inquired about school and I brought up a female classmate, without a beat he would ask "is she hot?" (I had to start using they/them pronouns whenever he asked.) In Summer 2006, I attended a pool party at my friend Brittany's house. I put a photo of us on Facebook and Myspace; I'm in an olive polo shirt, she's in a green bikini. When we were cleaning out my uncle's office 2 1/2 years later, I found a printout of that photo, except I was cropped out.

My uncle put family first, but in hindsight he couldn't get out of his own way. In the early 2000s, he was too proud to admit that his parents (my grandparents) needed more help than he could offer. We put Grandpa in a home and eventually hired Visiting Angels for Grandma, pretty much at his protest. Three years after his death, Visiting Angels became insufficient and we put her in a home; he would've fought that, too. 

As I've stated in past blogs, my only living family are my sister and some cousins. The majority of my relatives died in old age; Jim obviously didn't. I have a "found family" of friends that I can fall back on, and Barb (his girlfriend in the 2000s) is still a presence in our lives. In spite of my struggles, I can only hope he's proud.

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Random Notes, July 2026

 How's your summer going?

+ I wanted to be excited for the bisesquicentennial. I just wish this milestone didn't feel like a undeserved Trump victory lap, or an advertisement for his agenda. My celebration was kind of laid back; I did my usual volunteer thing in Glen Ellyn, then tried to watch fireworks at Oak Street Beach with my friend Abby. 

+ Much like the Charlie Kirk shooting, I don't want to give the impression that I'm jumping for joy over the sudden passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham. He was the successor to Strom Thurmond's seat, and spent 24 years as a sassy, sniveling lapdog to the likes of Mitch McConnell (whom, incidentally is still kicking). Graham was also a hawkish, garden-variety southern conservative who then jumped wholeheartedly into the lap of Donald Trump, in spite of ample criticism during the 2016 election cycle. 

+ He's still doing this? I guess Jon Ossoff really hit him in the sweet spot during the Blanche confirmation hearings.

+ Cags! Finally, a highlight for this continual slog of a Royals season.

Next week: marking someone's 70th birthday.

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Random Notes, June 2026

 It's summer break and I have a little down time to write:

+ Almost total capitulation. It's almost as if the old man didn't even read the document. Iran received a slap on the wrist, essentially for a war they didn't technically start, and naturally Israel is furious. Granted, when you have buffoons like JD Vance and Marco Rubio doing negotiating on your behalf, what do you expect? The Middle East is much more complex situation than just "let's bomb Iran," especially if the rationale is nubilous.

+ The annual SCOTUS decisions make me more queasy with each passing June. What should've been a clear-cut defense of the 14th amendment only passed by a 6-3 decision, while a scant handful of trans-femme prep athletes have been all but banned from playing sports. 

+ My Royals are foundering and the Vegas oddsmakers say Matt Quatraro will be the next manager fired. Our pitching struggles aren't his fault --our entire Opening Day rotation has seen IL time-- but we're not scoring runs to compensate. What worked two seasons ago isn't working now. Something has to give.

+ With no school until the third week of August, my budget is fairly limited. I took one kinda-sorta road trip to Wisconsin in mid-June and another in early July, but beyond that I can't afford to fly anywhere or do anything particularly ambitious. In the meantime, please follow Stu News and support the Patreon to at least help with some overhead.

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Through a Freshman's Eyes: "Pineapple Express" Edition

Graduation season has come and gone? This year has been a blur of sorts. 

I don't write this every year to make anyone feel old. This is a somewhat arbitrary, sideways perspective thing. I was randomly reminded during this process that most of this year's high school seniors weren't born yet when I graduated college (December 2007, FWIW) so if anything, I feel the shifting sands of time. I've been substitute teaching for 18 years; someone born the day I ran up the stairs at Glenbard West High School will start college this August. 

With that said, if you graduated high school in the last few weeks...

...you don't remember a WGA strike over DVD residuals or Conan O'Brien's first attempt at growing a beard.

...Rudy Giuliani never ran for president. 

...Sarah Palin has always been a nationally known political figure.

...DNA tests have always been available over the counter.

...Hulu, Google Play and Android phones have always existed, and Tesla has always built electric cars.

...you've never rented a DVD at Hollywood Video. 

...no NFL team has ever won 16 games in the regular season.

...you have never seen a Seattle Sonics game. 

...the Detroit Red Wings have never won a Stanley Cup. 

...Jonathan Papelbon never danced in his underwear on a baseball field.

...Luciano Pavarotti, J. Walter Weatherman, Jane Wyman, Joe Zawinul, Brett Somers, Bill Wirtz, Lois Maxwell, Deborah Kerr, Robert Goulet, Joey Bishop, The Fabulous Moolah, Evel Knievel, Ira Levin, Sean Taylor, Verity Lambert, Kevin "Lips" Dubrow, Benazir Bhutto, Oscar Peterson, Ike Turner, Dan Fogelberg, Heath Ledger, Brad Renfro, Suzanne Pleshette, Sir Edmund Hillary, Johnny Podres, Roy Scheider, Barry Morse, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Buddy Miles, Teo Macero, William F. Buckley Jr, Arthur C. Clarke, Gary Gygax, Paul Scofield, Paul Aspinall, Richard Widmark, Charlton Heston, Danny Federici, Al Wilson, Esbjörn Svensson, Dick Martin, Sydney Pollack, Harvey Korman, Bo Diddley, George Carlin, Yves Saint Laurent, Cyd Charisse, Estelle Getty, Sen. Jesse Helms, Larry Harmon, Bernie Mac, Bernie Brillstein, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Isaac Hayes, Jerry Wexler, and LeRoi Moore have always been dead. 

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(Almost) Summertime Sadness

Happy Memorial Day. I've been trying to post twice a month, though lately it's been easier said than done. Inflation has caught up to me as well, and I'm essentially working three jobs. The school year wraps in a few days, so I'm seeking out summer temp/seasonal work. I don't know if Lyft will sustain me for the summer, so any leads in the Chicago area are welcome. 

This has been a particularly challenging year as a substitute teacher. The junior high where I work most has seen behavior issues increase tenfold. (Naturally, I'm getting the brunt of their antics.) My teacher friends and the school admins are doing their best, but it seems like whatever they're doing isn't working. I almost have to fault the parents; they've had sit-downs with the principal and assistant principal, and either everything is going in one ear and out the other, or these parents are just feckless.

In world news: the Iran war that President Trump says we won handily now drags into a fourth month. The Russian "annexation" of Ukraine that was supposed to take three days is comfortably in year five. The Epstein files still haven't been fully unredacted. My friends and acquaintances at "Late Show with Stephen Colbert" are glancing at LinkedIn and CareerBuilder, just like me. 

If I've been dwelling on a particular news topic, it's the GOP's attempt to tip the scales in the 2026 midterms. Trump's approval ratings are in the toilet, and in any other circumstance, Republicans would lose their footing in the House and Senate. Alas, they're up to old tricks. Gerrymandering --or as one savvy person on social media called it, whitemaxxing-- was reinforced in several states by a recent Supreme Court decision. By arguing that districts can't be realigned largely by race, Louisiana v. Callais defanged a key part of the Civil Rights Act. Democrats still have a narrow advantage come November, but the uphill battle just got steeper. 

Next week: the annual mindset list.

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Random Notes, April 2026

There's so much that's happened in the first third of the year that I've barely discussed here:

+ Impeachment is still wishful thinking. We've done this twice before in the last decade and it didn't work. Someone in Congress can write articles, but it'll go nowhere. Trump has too many loyalists and bootlickers. Assuming voter rights aren't completely gutted by November, the best short-term option is a blue wave in the midterm elections in six months. 

+ I'm not buying into conspiracy theories about the latest assassination attempt --yes, his third in less than two years-- because there's too many holes in the logic. It also only serves to embolden both brainwashed Trump supporters and right-wing conspiracy theories against his critics. 

+ I feel like I'm making a down payment on unleaded now. These gas prices are absurd. 

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Writer's Blocked

 What's going on? I mean, besides all the dumb stuff? Plenty:

I'm still having battles with Meta over Stu News; Meta really likes to parse when it comes to promoting. There's an exemption for politics and civics, but it applies to candidates, non-profits, and action groups, and not comedy or satire. I've been able to promote content, but I can't use a sitting politician's name or mention specific political parties. Typing "T***p" or "B***n" dulls the edge, so to speak. This annoying crap has been going on for a few years.

Two weeks ago, however I found this new red flag. FB won't suggest Stu News to friends of friends anymore because of my content. I've been mistaken for a bot (here and IRL) before, I understand that. In nearly 13 years, those "other sensitive subjects" have become Stu News' bread and butter. I'm not interpreting this as censorship so much as AI-fueled gatekeeping. 

If this limits my page's reach long- or short-term, I'm at peace with that. I'll still be posting new jokes and fresh "reports" six days a week. That's where you come in, friend; Stu News has over 2,800 followers largely by word of mouth, and I hope that you continue to read and share the content I post. If you're weening yourself off FB, I'm also on Twitter/X, Threads, and BlueSky; just look up the #StuNews hashtag. I also set up a Patreon to help pay for some of that promotion overhead. What started as an opportunity to potentially land a comedy writing gig morphed into something else entirely, and I hope it's one of the reasons you're still on this flawed site.

Meanwhile, one of my best friends had a baby! Congrats to Dan and his wife on their son, born March 2nd. That also means Flower Shop Bangers is still, still on hiatus. If you're a comedy friend reading this, I'm still seeking out a collaborator; I had a couple projects in the last year that were dead-ends.

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30 Teams, 30 Haiku: My 2026 Baseball Preview

Yes, I know the Giants-Yankees game on Netflix was Wednesday night. For most baseball enthusiasts, the real Opening Day is Thursday, and as always I come prepared with 510 syllables of prognostication. (Asterisks note wild cards)


AL EAST

1. Yankees: Bevy of pitching/prospects; now back home, will we/watch Judge choke again?

2. Blue Jays*: Even without Bo/new winning culture accrues/with the exchange rate.

3. Red Sox: Haphazard roster/oddly built; give Breslow a/Lego set, pronto!

4. Orioles: Too many prospects/rushed up; new bats compensate/for lack of an ace.

5. Rays: Too good for last; rash/of injuries gives deep farm/system a long look.



AL CENTRAL

1. Tigers: Justin's victory/lap hopes to curb another/September collapse.

2. Royals*: Jac, one of a kind/Playoff return in the cards/with Ragans bounce-back.

3. Guardians: Status quo is not/enough; can grit and moxie/hide lack of power?

4. Twins: Fire sale, Buxton/remains; these pesky unknowns/might play spoiler.

5. White Sox: Fun, young energy/party like it's 99/...losses, minimum.



AL WEST

1. Mariners: No sea legs here; tight/young core floats way beyond this/ho-hum division.

2. Astros*: Formidable bats/...on paper; Hunter Brown will/fish for run support.

3. Rangers: Too injury-prone/to predict; Langford, lone star/to play every day.

4. Athletics: Feisty young bats rake/but with soft arms, 85/high-scoring losses.

5. Angels: Yikes! Manoah and/Greyson are their aces? Trout/further goes to waste.



NL EAST

1. Mets: Stearns' shake-up must pay/off late in the year; prospects/won't be Benge-warmers.

2. Phillies*: New Wheeze Kids? Aging/core still has fight; Bryson Stott/due for a breakthrough.

3. Braves*: Dark horse, if healthy/a full year of Acuna/is wishful thinking.

4. Marlins: Infield defense, sole/saving grace; Morel at first/a curious move.

5. Nationals: Youth is served, on and/off the field; middle relief/will get a workout.



NL CENTRAL

1. Cubs: Bregman doesn't miss/the playoffs; deep roster will/ensure streak goes on.

2. Brewers: Low-budget wonders/elite bullpen's ground ball rate/is a saving grace.

3. Reds: Over .500/if young bats support Suarez/and Greene is healthy.

4. Pirates: Konnor at short, long/on potential; can new bats/placate wary Skenes?

5. Cardinals: Whether Wetherholt/produces, Redbird rebuild/is now in full swing.



NL WEST

1. Dodgers: Sets cash ablaze like/a Socal wildfire/shrewd anti-heroes.

2. Padres*: A healthy Merrill/and nasty bullpen enough/to beat LA? Eh...

3. Giants: Vitello, the old/college try; "huge" risks must pay/off at Oracle.

4. D-Backs: Ketel, not traded/another playoff near-miss/looms if pitching wilts.

5. Rockies: Purple punching bag/Goodman anchors bad lineup/and worse rotation.




AL MVP: Cal Raleigh, Mariners

NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers

AL Cy Young: Tarik Skubal, Tigers

NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes, Pirates

AL ROY: Kevin McGonigle, Tigers

NL ROY: Nolan McLean, Mets

First Manager Fired: Mark Kotsay, A's

2026 World Series: Dodgers over Tigers in 5


Thoughts?

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Observing the Chaos

Is anyone running anything anymore? Is this what the Articles of Confederation was like? I can't remember living in a time when the US government was this ineffective and ambivalent about citizens' needs. Anyway, I have varying thoughts:

I doubt I'm the only person getting multiple emails from progressive PACs and Democratic candidates. The Democratic party is far more dependent on grass-roots donations than the comparatively wealthy GOP. If people can afford only basic essentials (if that) then they can't donate to Democrats, and the GOP is largely to blame for maintaining inflation. I'd throw whatever I'd have at the Dems if they had a clear agenda, too.

With that said, Trump is so unpopular right now that Gallup Poll has stopped keeping track. His approval rating is so low, his most ardent supporters can count with their remaining toes. His State of the Union had to be flawless, but instead it was the usual boasting and rambling. And then, like a wannabe Ottoman sultan, he and his penchant for gold decorations went to war with Persia. Nothing to see here.

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Excuse Me While I Wag

A great cartoonist passed away. His name was Richard Thompson, and he drew "Cul de Sac" from 2007 to 2012 until Parkinson's disease ravaged him and he died in 2016.

All joking aside, "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams passed last month. I was a fan of the strip growing up, though it became apparent as time went on that Adams was a difficult, unpleasant man. Circa 1996-97 I had the comic strip collections, a subscription to his quarterly newsletter, even the Dilbert and Dogbert dolls. Entering puberty, I latched on to Adams' --and technically Dogbert's-- cynicism and heavy sarcasm. (The animated series that ran on UPN in 1999-00 is a lost gem, but I'd attribute most of that to Larry Charles.) If nothing else, I am grateful that Adams and his creation gave me an early warning about the drudgery and absurdity of corporate America. Dilbert the milquetoast engineer, however was an avatar for logic in an increasingly illogical world.

Alas, like so many things in pop culture in recent years, there's the matter of separating the art from the artist. I am acquainted with people that met and knew Scott Adams; only "Pearls Before Swine" creator Stephan Pastis had anything kind to say upon his death. Interviews and second-hand interactions suggested a difficult and unpleasant man, this 2015 blog entry suggested that he was steadily going off the deep end, lost his sense of irony, or both. Then Adams started questioning the scope of the Holocaust, made highly misogynist remarks, and most pivotally, a COVID/vaccine skeptic, and finally a casual racist. After his syndicate dropped him post-haste, "Dilbert" moved online (behind a paywall) and Adams hosted a livestream until he randomly decided you can treat terminal cancer with horse dewormer.

Scott Adams was probably the last newspaper cartoonist to ever become a household name. Today's funnies are dominated by decades-old "heritage" strips where the creator is long dead, with little room for young or new talent. Part of that is because of the economics of modern media, but that's another blog for another time. For a few years in the 90s, Adams was a breath of fresh air. He also had a particularly strange, self-inflicted fall from grace.  

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Ten Years On

January 18th marks ten years since my father died. It was the unfortunate culmination of a nearly three-year battle with brain tumors and lymphoma, and I've spent most of the weekend trying to compose my thoughts on this unfortunate milestone. 

Ken had undiagnosed autism, I'm almost certain. He was a man of many quirks: he almost always wore black slacks; he had an obsession with the stock market and read the business section of the newspaper first; he had very few friends, and most of them lived out of state; he thought Tic-Tacs functioned like aspirin and vitamins and consumed them in large quantities. He was 46 when I was born; there were all apparently habitudes from before I was born. When he learned how to use a PC late in life, my sister and I realized his Yahoo search history was mostly three things: NASDAQ quotes, baseball scores, and Filipina porn.

Peccadillos aside, his second-greatest obsession was sports. Between him and my roommate passing 18 months ago, I miss having someone around the house that I can talk baseball and football with. That weighed heavily on me as I watched the Bears-Rams game last night. Both men would've been entertained, even if the outcome wasn't what we wanted.

On the flip side, Ken's passing meant avoiding nearly a decade of political arguments. My father was a third-generation center-right Republican, and one of his last lucid political thoughts was that was "leaning toward John Kasich" in the 2016 primaries. I have little doubt he would've come around to Donald Trump's "clown show" (his words) but not necessarily get dragged into the conservative misinformation outlets of the internet. I remember how annoyed he was that I had skepticism about the war in Iraq in early 2003, insinuating that I was brainwashed or imprudent in my own right. Beyond that, I was cautious about expressing my two cents about world affairs face to face.

For my original eulogy post, click here.

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That Wonderful Year in Music... 2025

 

As a whole, 2025 as a year in music was wild, eclectic, capricious, and... pretty good. This was a rough 12 months for a lot of people, but if your Spotify or Tidal account was paid up, music was as reliable an outlet as ever. As always, my annual best-of list came down to the wire, and whittling 20 pop/rock and 10 jazz albums proved more difficult than usual. I'll try to be more finicky in '26. 

BEST POP/ROCK ALBUMS

1. Getting Killed, Geese. Aspiring to be Brooklyn's answer to Radiohead, morose frontman Cameron Winter quite possibly cobbled together a contemporary Kid A *and* Amnesiac. The Thom Yorke comparison (or Ian McCulloch, for that matter) is only somewhat unfair; this third album is Geese at their most artsy and unhinged. Witty and cryptic lyrics alternate on ebullient melodies and earworm hooks. 

2. Virgin, Lorde. Each of Ella's previous albums were inspired by a drug; Pure Heroine was an unsubtle pun, Melodrama was fueled by Ecstasy, Solar Power was recorded in a haze of cannabis. Virgin is Lorde at her most sober so to speak, looking inward with eyes wide open. Her lyrics are intimate and bluntly honest; the onetime teen prodigy is pushing 30 and realizing she doesn't have all the answers. 

3. moisturizer, Wet Leg. Arguably this year's biggest revelation was the arrival of Rhian Teasdale as a songwriter and frontwoman. Where their great first album was a showcase for Rhian and collaborator Hester Chambers, Chambers (and her well-documented stage fright) took a backseat to Teasdale's bravado. The album itself is a queer love manifesto; "Catch These Fists" is a rebuke to unwarranted attention from straight guys, and "Davina McCall" is an ode to... um, British TV star Davina McCall. 

4. Pirouette, Model/Actriz

5. Phonetics On And On, Horsegirl 

6. Sinister Gift, Panda Bear

7. Thee Black Boltz, Tunde Adebimpe

8. Only Dust Remains, Backxwash

9. For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), Japanese Breakfast

10. Perverts, Ethel Cain. Either you "get" the southern gothic weirdness of Ethel or you don't. She had two releases this year, one (see below) is a spiritual prequel to her 2022 debut Farmer's Daughter, a gorgeous slowcore/shoegaze concept album about a doomed teen romance in the Bible Belt, circa 1986. Perverts, however is the more daring and challenging listen. This is a droning 90-minute opus about religious indoctrination, sexual deviation, suicidal ideations, and family trauma that mesmerizes or befuddles, depending on who you ask. I suppose I'm in the former camp, but don't say I didn't warn you.

11. Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, Ethel Cain

12. Cover The Mirrors, Ben Kweller

13. Who Let The Dogs Out, Lambrini Girls

14. Forever is a Feeling, Lucy Dacus 

15. Trash Mountain, Lily Seabird

16. Forever Howlong, Black Country New Road

17. Believer, Sister Ray 

18. Eusexua, FKA Twigs

19. I Quit, HAIM

20. The Scholars, Car Seat Headrest

Honorable Mentions: The Future is Here and Everything Needs to Be Destroyed, The Armed; Lifetime, Erika de Casier; Noble And Godlike In Ruin, Deerhoof; Patience, Moonbeam, Great Grandpa; Don't Tap The Glass, Tyler the Creator; Through This Fire Across from Peter Balkan, The Mountain Goats.

Best Album That Required Google Translate: LUX, Rosalia 

Best Album That Unfortunately Includes a Song About Travis Kelce's Dingle: The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift

BEST JAZZ ALBUMS

1. CREAM, Kassa Overall. Jazz covers of 90s hip-hop could've been a silly novelty, but Kassa (a prolific session drummer that also raps) pays respect to the songs he grew up with and avoids sampling those songs or the samples from the original recordings. Case in point: Digable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” reimagined as forceful hard bop, and the title track, which implies that Wu-Tang Clan could be something to f*** wit.

2. Concentrik Quartet, Nels Cline

3. Arboresque, Artemis

4. Even Keel, Mason Razavi

5. Labyrinth II, Nicole Johänntgen

6. The Vibe, Nanami Haruta

7. Square One, The Empress

8. About Ghosts, Mary Halvorson

9. Out Late, Eric Scott Reed

10. Solace of the Mind, Amina Claudine Myers

Honorable Mentions: Just, Billy Hart Quartet; Open Up Your Senses, Tyreek McDole; Words Fall Short, Joshua Redman; Poems Never End, Tony Tixier.

Best Jazz Reissue: Cookin’ at the Queens (live), Emily Remler. A self-described nice Jewish girl pretending to be Wes Montgomery, Remler left a fairly small discography prior to her death in 1990. Thirty-five years after Remler's passing, her dearth of live releases was rectified with this charming double disc set, capturing her guitar virtuosity live in Las Vegas in two sets, recorded four years apart.

BEST SINGLES

"Like a Woman," Lady Blackbird

"Get Dumber," PUP feat. Jeff Rosenstock

"Bethany," Craig Finn

"Tyrants," Sam Fender

"Balcony," Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers

"Lover," Richard Ashcroft

"This is the Killer Speaking," The Last Dinner Party

"Mind Loaded," Blood Orange feat. Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Mustafa

"Lippy," Joy Orbison

"Horses," Jesse Welles

"Buddies On the Blackboard," Animal Collective

"Old Tape," Lucius 

"Guess I'm Falling In Love," Spoon

“Children Of The Baked Potato,” Thundercat and Remi Wolf

"New to the Office," Hadda Be

"Allnighter," Twen

"Keep On," Lettuce

"7th Floor," Allie X

"Roulette," The Webstirs

"Rivers Run Red," The New Eves

BEST VIDEOS

1. "Denial is a River," Doechii. This delightful, surreal throwback to 90s sitcoms (with debts to "Too Many Cooks" and A24) dropped right after New Year's. 

2. "Stay In Your Lane," Courtney Barnett. Alex Ross Perry of "Pavements" fame directed this bloody good clip set in a mental hospital.

3. "Party 4 U," Charli XCX. I've had birthday parties like this.

4. "No Front Teeth," Perfume Genius feat. Aldous Harding. Now *that's* my idea of a party!

5. "Abracadabra," Lady Gaga. I'm a sucker for top-tier choreography and cinematography, but when you put both together...

6. "Love," OK Go. Done with mirrors, and not in the Aerosmith fashion. I guess if this Chicago quartet has a new album out (Ancient Possible was their first since 2014) they're going to pop up on this list. 

7. "Gethsemane," Car Seat Headrest. A little bit Ingmar Bergman, a smidge of Robert Eggers, a lot of synthy anguish in this chilling tale of resurrection.

8. "She is Afraid," Motion City Soundtrack. Ooh, a "Severance" pastiche!

9. "T-Shirt," David Byrne. That's an impressive collection.

10. "Who Laughs Last?" Lord Huron feat. Kristen Stewart. A cool noir with a propulsive beat, Stewart tells a creepy anecdote before Ben Schneider unveils the chorus.

Your thoughts?

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Random Notes, December 2025

I'm trying to get back to writing this blog more consistently. I came down with some kind of viral infection early last week, and even though I'm mostly recovered, I'm still hoarse and finding time to rest has proved difficult. Now I'm putting my energies toward catching up on the year in music.

+ BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS! The future is now at Soldier Field. While I'm not expecting a championship this year, the turnaround and the change in culture has me reeling. The NFC is more wide open than it looks; neither the Rams, Seahawks, nor Niners look perfect, which should make for an enjoyable playoff. 

+ The Epstein files are out (mostly) and it's damning. The right-wing media is focused on Bill Clinton's presence in assorted photos and documents, but we know he's a sex pest and always has been. (Also, he left office 25 years ago.) Yet again, they're trying to protect a sitting president that has barely any moral compass and pivots to other concerns on a second's notice.

+ Phony rage-bait if there ever was: a college undergrad deliberately wrote a terrible essay to provoke a transgender college professor and plastered it online to gain sympathy from fellow Christians. Maybe if she'd actually quoted the Bible, she might have received one point out of 25.

Next week: as alluded above, my annual music recap.

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My 21st Annual Thanks/No Thanks List

When I was still writing this blog on a weekly basis, sometimes I would grasp at straws to find something to discuss. (My oldest blog entries are still on GameSpot, BTW. It's an uneven read.) Late in November 2005, almost six months into my weekly dispatches, I wrote two succinct lists expressing what I was thankful for (or not so much) ahead of Turkey Day. This is my 21st annual such list. 

Thanks: I don't have satellite radio in my new car anymore, so outside of commercial radio I listen to a fair amount of WLUW 88.7 FM, the Loyola University Chicago student-run station. In spite of losing SiriusXM, I'm thankful regardless for a new-ish car, a 2021 Hyundai Accent, that is running pretty well so far. I'm thankful sub work has been steady, even though I've seen an uptick in behavior issues so far this year. I'm also grateful that my roommate of 14 months is good with cats.

No Thanks: general cowardice and ambivalence about pedophilia, especially at the national level. Closer to home, I was disappointed to hear that Bob Stroud's "Rock n' Roll Roots," my traditional Sunday morning listen, is moving to a somewhat inaccessible streaming platform starting in December. The show has been on and off Chicago radio since 1980, and I first found it around 1998. However, WDRV-FM is steadily becoming what 97.9 FM The Loop used to be, they're phasing out ol' Bob as well as 60s/70s rock that isn't necessarily hard rock. Also, inflation and shrinkflation are both pains in the ass.

Happy Turkey Day!

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The Explain Game

 Conservatives don't seem to be very good at explaining things. They dismiss things they don't like as "too woke" without articulating what that means. I'll see someone on Twitter/X or Facebook post something about how Joe Biden was the worst president ever, but when I ask why, I get ghosted. That's just one example.

When Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson paused an order requiring the reinstatement of SNAP benefits during the six-week government shutdown, she used the delay to get a conservative lower court decision --and thus, the Trump administration-- to justify their reasoning. The shutdown was resolved with an ungainly truce by a split U.S. Senate; SNAP was reinstated, but Democrats couldn't deliver or concur on retaining ACA subsidies. The concession highlighted growing concerns about Charles Schumer's abilities as Senate Minority Leader.

Granted, the fissures aren't limited to the Dems. The Epstein files remain a canker sore in the GOP's mouth, and rather than explain why they can't be disclosed, President Trump begrudgingly allowed this MAGA grovelers to vote for the files' release on Monday morning. After months of fighting, he caved and signed the Epstein Act on Wednesday night; throughout all this, he tried desperately to change the subject. 

If anyone reading this disagrees with me, you're welcome to explain in your own words in the comments. It's always appreciated.

Next week: thanks and no thanks.

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Random Notes, October 2025

 Don't worry, I'm still here. I'm home sick today, so I'm catching up on my to-do list:

+ My new-ish roommate (she moved in last September) depends on SNAP and unemployment benefits. She's a substitute teacher like me, but she's been looking for more substantial work, especially during the summer. She's subbing for CPS at the moment, but with the government shutdown now in its fourth week, she's just barely getting by. It's the usual GOP gaslighting: they control every branch of government, but it's the Democrats' fault; everyone getting government handouts are bums; ACA subsidies don't need to be extended. Somehow Jeffrey Epstein is indirectly involved. The Republicans in Congress are still devoid of ideas; they're just pandering to the president as if their lives depend on it.

+ What's happening in Chicago hasn't directly affected me, but it's still scary. There's been ICE raids all over the area, inching closer to my neighborhood. One day after work my GPS directed me on a detour off 290 through Broadview, where I had the misfortune of driving past the regional ICE facility. I saw news vans, squad cars, and scattered randos; the apparent remnants of a protest. The incessant raids are barely within jurisdiction, terrorizing innocent people without much explanation beyond skin color. The presence of the National Guard to reinforce ICE has been left dangling in the courts, but I fear SCOTUS will eventually side with Trump.

+ My sister screwed up. She conflated our aunt's trust with her estate, and we didn't owe nearly as much money as we thought. We sold the house last September, but we only came out ahead $1,900; the feds thought we cut a much larger profit. The process to refile our taxes (including a corrected K-1 form) dragged on almost all summer, but I think I'm finally squared up with the IRS *and* Illinois Department of Revenue. Regardless, that was over $3,000 I didn't have sitting idly. The mess my aunt left had further ramifications than we thought. 

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An Obligation to Comment

I perceive social media predominately as an outlet for quick takes, so I use this particular platform to address more complex and convoluted issues. (I've had this blog for 20 years. If you just found this, hello, and better late than never.) I've been fairly transparent about some of the personal issues I've had over the last couple of years, but my blog is also where I can give a more articulate response to current events and complicated topics.

Outside of inadvertently irking a couple Republican high school classmates, I haven't said that much of the death of former Trump staffer and conservative pundit Charlie Kirk. I found out about the shooting while glancing on my phone at work. A student asked if I wanted to see the video of the shot; I said no, but he shared it anyway. I put my phone on airplane mode for my weekly chiropractor appointment; when I turned the Wifi back on, Kirk had passed away. When I turned on the car radio, the first song that played was "Dialogue (Parts 1 and 2)" by Chicago, an up-tempo number about political discourse that ends abruptly. I'm still figuring out to interpret that.

This is sad and appalling, but it's hard to mourn this guy. It is perfectly possible to believe that guns are a cancer on America, and that Kirk's rhetoric enabled that. It's not hard to find his opinions on an array of hot button issues, including gun control. I see no need to repeat them here.

I worked at a right-wing AM news/talk station for two years, and I noticed the commodity placed on younger talking heads to counter aging personalities like Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage. I was in the same office space as Guy Benson, and after I was let go, I saw from afar the football get passed from Guy to Milo Yiannopoulos to Tomi Lahren to Ben Shapiro to Kirk. Guy lost favor because he's a moderate conservative; the other four were more extreme, annoying at best and appalling at worst.

To be clear, I'm not celebrating his death. I'm also not trying to give credence to the inevitable conspiracy theories. He was a family man, after all. However, American society is polarized and all this will do is divide us further. 

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32 Teams, 32 Haiku: My 2025 NFL Preview

 

You know the drill:

*notes wild card

AFC NORTH

1. Ravens (12-5) Elite... until the/playoffs; rookie kicker is/only glaring concern.

2. Bengals* (10-7) Al Golden, new Vic/Fangio? Burrow-led O/can't win ten alone.

3. Steelers (8-9) Mister Rodgers' new/neighborhood; new O faces/contrast steady D.

4. Browns (5-12) Crowded QB room/among other issues; good/D-line stops pass rush.

AFC EAST

1. Bills (11-6) Allen to Kincaid/alone could carry the O/that new look D, though...

2. Dolphins (9-8) Locker room drama/makes Tua's head spin; can they/(Storm) Duck the friction?

3. Patriots (8-9) Vrabel is able/but to get this O going/it's gonna be... Maye.

4. Jets (4-13) Post-Aaron, Woody/is Field-ing a low risk bet/at QB ...for now.

AFC SOUTH

1. Texans (11-6) Low-key contender/if Stroud regains rookie form/and D-line still cooks. 

2. Jaguars (9-8) By-the-book Cats shake/it up with Hunter; patience/for Trevor wears thin.

3. Colts (5-12) Danny Dimes ponies/up; Taylor, Pittman, Warren/all stuck in first gear.

4. Titans (4-13) Stud O-line, Ward of/gifted young QB; Barton/sole vet linebacker.

AFC WEST

1. Chiefs (13-4) Mahomes isn't done/explosive plays needed to/make Worthy worthy.

2. Broncos* (10-7) Nix plays it safe as/top-tier secondary grinds/first downs to a halt.

3. Chargers* (10-7) Justin's pass stats mean/nothing without an O-line/Safety surplus helps.

4. Raiders (7-10) Geno inherits/gobs of weapons; will old Pete/right this motley ship?

NFC NORTH

1. Lions (13-4) New coaches, same Goff/Sonic & Knuckles tag-team/for elusive rings.

2. Packers* (10-7) Trading for Parsons/overshadows weak back end/like (not Love) the O.

3. Vikings (9-8) Recent draft picks aren't/impacting; heat on healthy/JJ, other kids.

4. Bears (8-9) On paper, new look/O could be entertaining/if Caleb makes strides.

NFC EAST

1. Eagles (14-3) High flying O keeps/soaring; Moro Ojomo/low-key sack leader?

2. Commanders* (12-5) Daniels, two-way threat/immediately elite/but old D might fade.

3. Cowboys (8-9) Parsons parses all/trade options; "all in" squad sure/looks like status quo.

4. Giants (5-11) Throwing (Jaxson) Darts/to see what sticks; good D-line/carries Blue burden.

NFC SOUTH

1. Bucs (10-7) Butchered Baker needs/playmakers; no edge pressure/means short playoff run.

2. Falcons (7-10) Young edges carry/patchwork D; Bijan and Drake/go hard for Penix.

3. Panthers (6-11) Which Bryce will show up/anxious ankle-biter, cool/mite or small wonder?

4. Saints (3-14) Bring back the paper/bag "hats," young Tyler isn't/ready for Shough-time.

NFC WEST

1. Niners (12-5) Brock needs receivers/Jauan wants a raise; question/marks on solid squad.

2. Rams* (11-6) McVay props up old/Stafford for another year/with bright young wideouts.

3. Seahawks (8-9) Gallant gulls, frugal/yet bold; Charbonnet becomes/Darnold's fave target.

4. Cardinals (7-10) Marvin is starvin'/to break out; healthy Kyler/makes Redbirds dark horse?

MVP: Jalen Hurts, Eagles

OROY: Ashton Jeanty, Raiders

DROY: Mykel Williams, Niners

First head coach fired: Brian Daboll, Giants

Super Bowl LX: Eagles 27, Bills 20

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Ruminations on 41

 I turned 41 two weeks ago. I celebrated twice, once with friends and again with my sister and a family friend. I let the Facebook wishes roll in, and I tried to respond or "like" to all 175 wall posts (I didn't finish). I barely have any family left, and I'm still feeling some post-pandemic social isolation, so having a "found family" of friends and colleagues means more than it ever has.

I'm trying to put time in perspective, but it's been coming out in random and esoteric ways. A child that was in third grade when the pandemic shut everything down is now starting ninth grade. Most of this year's incoming seniors were born in early to mid-2008, and the incoming sixth graders born in early to mid-2014. I remember sitting at a high school assembly in March 2022, where a group of Ukrainian-American students expressed their heritage as Russia invaded their homeland. They were mostly freshmen, and now they're college freshmen. It's the little things you notice when you're an over-glorified babysitter for teenagers.

Next time: my annual NFL preview.

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