Beating the cold with some hot takes:
+ Trump caved. Everyone except maybe his most ardent supporters could see it coming. His petty little hostage situation ended in, at best, a short-term failure. That it happened the same day Trump cheerleader (and former Nixon crony) Roger Stone was ensnared by the Mueller investigation is hardly a coincidence. Two years into the most mercurial presidency in recent memory, Trump is either learning to pick his fights or admitting he isn't perfect. Could we see a glimmer of self-awareness anytime soon?
+ Climate change is happening. Extremes in temperatures are gradually destroying habitats worldwide, and water levels are rising. Anyone who dismisses the concept of global warming (or uses it like an epithet) doesn't comprehend standard deviation. Also, yes, I am writing this as the wind chill is hitting record lows in the Chicago metro area.
+ I've set a personal goal of 750 followers on Twitter by mid-February. Will you help me out?
+ Before I forget: this month marks 10 years on Blogspot. Some of you may remember when I started this blog on TV.com/Gamespot, then "synced" my blog between the two hosts, then shifted over here. Even if you haven't read all 613 of my dispatches (the most recent 400 or so posted here) I thank you again for following along.
(613)
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Friday, January 25, 2019
25 More Facts About Myself
Earlier this month, the big fad on Facebook was posting pictures of yourself from at least 10 years and now. I'm not totally sure why its trending; for me, its a stark reminder that I'm aging out of a key commercial demographic.
The big trend in January 2009, however was writing 25 random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. If you were on FB ten years ago, admit it: you almost certainly wrote a list. Like the "2008 to 2018" thing, I took a facetious approach. Unlike that fad, I cut and pasted the rules, then encouraged who I considered my top friends at the time to share theirs. I'm in a much different place than I was a decade ago, and I'm sharing this almost like an open self-evaluation. (TL:DR, because that's how I roll.) Also, forgive me if I'm repeating myself or sharing you were well aware of.
1. I still blog.
2. My high school graduating class had a disproportionate number of twins.
3. I have never eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and even though I feasibly could with a epipen handy, I have no aspiration to do so. The mere smell of peanuts make me queasy.
4. When I substitute teach, I go out of my way to make sure students neither know nor figure out my first name, mostly for privacy. A group of eighth graders at one school where I sub "exposed" me in October 2016; they Googled my name and found some short films I made with Brandon Reich in 2012-13. Even though its an open secret, I still white out Stuart on the name tag I have to print out every morning.
5. I've been using the same email accounts since 2002-03. Its not that I don't want a personal Gmail so much as its a privacy thing. Also, having an active AOL account in the late 2010s is a fun conversation piece.
6. I once went over a decade without setting foot on an airplane. I'm not proud to admit that; I love to travel, but I went through a prolonged period where I did not have the time or money to do so.
7. I put a commodity on communication. For all my social awkwardness, I appreciate directness, transparency, and honesty.
8. My parents died 16 months apart.
9. When my father died, I was 31 years old. My grandfather died when my dad was 31. My grandfather was also 31 when *his* father died.
10. I have next to no immediate family left. I have my sister, my aunt, and some cousins and that's pretty much it.
11. It took me seven tries to get into Level 1 of the Second City Conservatory program, another seven tries to get into Level 3 (and finish the program). Most of the people I auditioned with that first time graduated more than two years before I did.
12. Partially because of me, Second City now caps the number of times you can audition for the Conservatory program. To anyone reading this that was told not to come back after their third Level 1 audition, I apologize.
13. I have a love-hate relationship with stand-up comedy, and I feel far more comfortable writing comedy and doing improv.
14. Prior to launching Stu News, I used to sporadically post topical jokes as status updates. Since the launch, I've written over 1,600 different jokes, or roughly six a week for 5 1/2 years.
15. Speaking of stand-up, in June 2008 I did an open mic at a venue in the west Chicago suburbs. My five-minute set went okay, but the owner/open mic host and his staff were very rude. I attempted to book a slot about a month later, and again a month after that, but my voice mails was never returned. This turned me off from doing stand-up for about 3 1/2 years.
16. The first woman I was ever in a relationship with was an unabashed bigot, who was prone to bullying and gaslighting. I tolerated it for far longer than I ever should have. It was a relationship that I regret being in, as well as a brutal learning experience.
17. My two years at WZND (the college radio station at Illinois State University) were the first time I ever felt like I was part of a team. Even though its perfectly natural for people to grow apart, I still mourn some of the friendships that disintegrated since I graduated.
18. After my career in the radio industry came to a sudden halt in April 2010, I have spent the better part of a decade alternating between substitute teaching and temp jobs.
19. I quit my longest-lasting temp job (about three years) under exaggerated pretenses. I informed the company and my temp agency that I had landed a long-term substitute teaching gig. While it was my intention to sub, my real reason for quitting was that I could no longer tolerate my obnoxious, borderline incompetent manager, and my complaints fell on deaf ears.
20. My *shortest* temp job lasted about an hour. I was assigned by the same agency to do some clerical work for a hotel manager. He had broken off from a national chain, was trying to create his own independent hotel "experience," and had absolutely no idea what he was doing. When I first walked into his office, he was not prepared for me, so he asked me to shuffle some papers around "so the piles look neat." After 15 minutes, I mostly sat there waiting for further instructions. I was told I could go home, but after I told the agency how my morning went, I was pulled from the assignment.
21. I don't give much credence to most conspiracy theories, especially if there's very little hard evidence, but...
22. ...I am just about convinced that John Travolta killed his son.
23. My father's side of the family is from the Kansas City metro area, mostly around Overland Park and Lee's Summit. I more or less became a Royals fan by osmosis.
24. I collect sports autographs, with an emphasis on signed cards. I received my first autographed card in the mail in December 1997 (future Hockey HOFer Ron Francis) and I still do autograph requests by mail from time to time.
25. Adding onto #17, I struggled to make friends and connect with people growing up. If you're reading this, I appreciate having you in my life, and that you tolerate my eccentricities. Additionally, thank you for reading.
(612)
The big trend in January 2009, however was writing 25 random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. If you were on FB ten years ago, admit it: you almost certainly wrote a list. Like the "2008 to 2018" thing, I took a facetious approach. Unlike that fad, I cut and pasted the rules, then encouraged who I considered my top friends at the time to share theirs. I'm in a much different place than I was a decade ago, and I'm sharing this almost like an open self-evaluation. (TL:DR, because that's how I roll.) Also, forgive me if I'm repeating myself or sharing you were well aware of.
1. I still blog.
2. My high school graduating class had a disproportionate number of twins.
3. I have never eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and even though I feasibly could with a epipen handy, I have no aspiration to do so. The mere smell of peanuts make me queasy.
4. When I substitute teach, I go out of my way to make sure students neither know nor figure out my first name, mostly for privacy. A group of eighth graders at one school where I sub "exposed" me in October 2016; they Googled my name and found some short films I made with Brandon Reich in 2012-13. Even though its an open secret, I still white out Stuart on the name tag I have to print out every morning.
5. I've been using the same email accounts since 2002-03. Its not that I don't want a personal Gmail so much as its a privacy thing. Also, having an active AOL account in the late 2010s is a fun conversation piece.
6. I once went over a decade without setting foot on an airplane. I'm not proud to admit that; I love to travel, but I went through a prolonged period where I did not have the time or money to do so.
7. I put a commodity on communication. For all my social awkwardness, I appreciate directness, transparency, and honesty.
8. My parents died 16 months apart.
9. When my father died, I was 31 years old. My grandfather died when my dad was 31. My grandfather was also 31 when *his* father died.
10. I have next to no immediate family left. I have my sister, my aunt, and some cousins and that's pretty much it.
11. It took me seven tries to get into Level 1 of the Second City Conservatory program, another seven tries to get into Level 3 (and finish the program). Most of the people I auditioned with that first time graduated more than two years before I did.
12. Partially because of me, Second City now caps the number of times you can audition for the Conservatory program. To anyone reading this that was told not to come back after their third Level 1 audition, I apologize.
13. I have a love-hate relationship with stand-up comedy, and I feel far more comfortable writing comedy and doing improv.
14. Prior to launching Stu News, I used to sporadically post topical jokes as status updates. Since the launch, I've written over 1,600 different jokes, or roughly six a week for 5 1/2 years.
15. Speaking of stand-up, in June 2008 I did an open mic at a venue in the west Chicago suburbs. My five-minute set went okay, but the owner/open mic host and his staff were very rude. I attempted to book a slot about a month later, and again a month after that, but my voice mails was never returned. This turned me off from doing stand-up for about 3 1/2 years.
16. The first woman I was ever in a relationship with was an unabashed bigot, who was prone to bullying and gaslighting. I tolerated it for far longer than I ever should have. It was a relationship that I regret being in, as well as a brutal learning experience.
17. My two years at WZND (the college radio station at Illinois State University) were the first time I ever felt like I was part of a team. Even though its perfectly natural for people to grow apart, I still mourn some of the friendships that disintegrated since I graduated.
18. After my career in the radio industry came to a sudden halt in April 2010, I have spent the better part of a decade alternating between substitute teaching and temp jobs.
19. I quit my longest-lasting temp job (about three years) under exaggerated pretenses. I informed the company and my temp agency that I had landed a long-term substitute teaching gig. While it was my intention to sub, my real reason for quitting was that I could no longer tolerate my obnoxious, borderline incompetent manager, and my complaints fell on deaf ears.
20. My *shortest* temp job lasted about an hour. I was assigned by the same agency to do some clerical work for a hotel manager. He had broken off from a national chain, was trying to create his own independent hotel "experience," and had absolutely no idea what he was doing. When I first walked into his office, he was not prepared for me, so he asked me to shuffle some papers around "so the piles look neat." After 15 minutes, I mostly sat there waiting for further instructions. I was told I could go home, but after I told the agency how my morning went, I was pulled from the assignment.
21. I don't give much credence to most conspiracy theories, especially if there's very little hard evidence, but...
22. ...I am just about convinced that John Travolta killed his son.
23. My father's side of the family is from the Kansas City metro area, mostly around Overland Park and Lee's Summit. I more or less became a Royals fan by osmosis.
24. I collect sports autographs, with an emphasis on signed cards. I received my first autographed card in the mail in December 1997 (future Hockey HOFer Ron Francis) and I still do autograph requests by mail from time to time.
25. Adding onto #17, I struggled to make friends and connect with people growing up. If you're reading this, I appreciate having you in my life, and that you tolerate my eccentricities. Additionally, thank you for reading.
(612)
Sunday, January 13, 2019
My Nonessential Two Cents
Welcome to the Neverending Shutdown. If only it were a whimsical, underappreciated '80s fantasy movie...
I doubt anyone expected this partial government shutdown to last more than a few days. Sadly, you have to expect the unexpected with President Trump. His desperate, all-or-nothing bid for border wall funding has taken the nation hostage, and rather compromise in any way he wants to declare a national emergency. Trump has put himself in a Catch-22: if he caves on his beloved wall, he alienates his (presumably dwindling) core supporters and effectively loses reelection. If he gets his wall, Democrats that were on the fence about impeachment will surely flip. Beyond the usual backpedaling and finger-pointing, its hard to deny that the elongated shutdown is largely Trump's fault.
(611)
I doubt anyone expected this partial government shutdown to last more than a few days. Sadly, you have to expect the unexpected with President Trump. His desperate, all-or-nothing bid for border wall funding has taken the nation hostage, and rather compromise in any way he wants to declare a national emergency. Trump has put himself in a Catch-22: if he caves on his beloved wall, he alienates his (presumably dwindling) core supporters and effectively loses reelection. If he gets his wall, Democrats that were on the fence about impeachment will surely flip. Beyond the usual backpedaling and finger-pointing, its hard to deny that the elongated shutdown is largely Trump's fault.
(611)
Monday, December 31, 2018
My Last Post of 2018
I wanted this last blog post of 2018 to be reflective, but I didn't to repeat myself or rehash something from my previous 35 posts from this year. Instead, I'll share an anecdote that sums up my year:
I had been Lyft driving for a couple of weeks. I became a licensed Lyft driver in August 2017, but really hadn't ride-shared in earnest until June of this year. I was hovering around downtown Naperville around 11pm, when I picked up a very drunk man at an upscale bar. He stumbled into the car, barely said a word, and whatever he did say was slurred. It was a 30-minute ride from Naperville to Montgomery, and I was genuinely concerned that he was going to vomit in my back seat.
At the end of this decidedly quiet ride, the passenger asked me to drop him off in front of the house rather than in the driveway. The house was in the middle of a gorgeous subdivision that couldn't have been more than a decade old. He mumbled "thank you," then walked out of the car and into the night. I drove half a block up, then parked to turn off my app and check messages. Just as I was about to drive out of the subdivision, the passenger was walking down the sidewalk. As I made a left, he came within inches of my car. My best guess is, he tried to walk of his stupor, but he was still pretty wasted. I'm relieved that I didn't hit him.
Where others struggled, I had a so-so 2018. I checked off some bucket list items, but I didn't make that many inroads as far as professional pursuits go. (Thanks, writer's block.) Onward and upward to 2019.
(610)
I had been Lyft driving for a couple of weeks. I became a licensed Lyft driver in August 2017, but really hadn't ride-shared in earnest until June of this year. I was hovering around downtown Naperville around 11pm, when I picked up a very drunk man at an upscale bar. He stumbled into the car, barely said a word, and whatever he did say was slurred. It was a 30-minute ride from Naperville to Montgomery, and I was genuinely concerned that he was going to vomit in my back seat.
At the end of this decidedly quiet ride, the passenger asked me to drop him off in front of the house rather than in the driveway. The house was in the middle of a gorgeous subdivision that couldn't have been more than a decade old. He mumbled "thank you," then walked out of the car and into the night. I drove half a block up, then parked to turn off my app and check messages. Just as I was about to drive out of the subdivision, the passenger was walking down the sidewalk. As I made a left, he came within inches of my car. My best guess is, he tried to walk of his stupor, but he was still pretty wasted. I'm relieved that I didn't hit him.
Where others struggled, I had a so-so 2018. I checked off some bucket list items, but I didn't make that many inroads as far as professional pursuits go. (Thanks, writer's block.) Onward and upward to 2019.
(610)
Friday, December 28, 2018
That Wonderful Year in Music... 2018
In trying times, music is an outlet. From a progressive and cultural standpoint, if 2016 was a gauntlet, then 2017 and '18 were just as bad if not worse. Popular music turns into a reflection of our struggles, both a source of relief and catharsis. Some of us won't readily admit it, but we needed music this year. Even if it was white noise to drown out a phalanx of bad news, 2018 was a good year to get engaged in new artists and new albums. All of my top picks, however are established musicians whose work soared to dizzying heights.
NOTE: I acknowledge that my jazz top ten is unfairly devoid of Wayne Shorter's 3-CD set Emanon. In spite of gushing reviews and positive word of mouth, the album is not on Spotify, and I have not had the opportunity to buy the box set online. Hopefully, Emanon will the best 2018 recording that I first listened to in '19.
BEST ALBUMS
1. 7, Beach House. My top pick in 2012 sort of slipped under the radar with 2015's almost-as-stellar Depression Cherry, but their seventh album is by no means a resurgence. Rather, its a new direction; the core duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have put out their most collaborative, unpredictable, and extroverted work yet. Multiple listens helps you peel away the fascinating layers of their shoegaze-adjacent sound.
2. Hell-On, Neko Case. Music as feminist catharsis. Since her last solo effort, we've heard two so-so New Pornographers albums and an otherwise winning collaboration with Laura Veirs and k.d. lang that didn't use her to best effect. Hell-On reminds us how relevant and urgent Case is as a standalone singer-songwriter. Her voice is warm and engaging, emotional without getting histrionic, and the production is both atmospheric and detailed.
3. Freedom's Goblin, Ty Segall. As loopy as he is prolific, Segall's decade-long saunter through fuzz-rock freak-outs and funky deconstructions reached an apex on Goblin, his first of three (!) solo releases this year. Everything has built up to this, it seems; a master's thesis of noisy, malevolent guitar that bounces around every era of rock n' roll. Come for the distinct tuneful sensibility fully realized, stay for the Fred Armisen cameo.
4. Care For Me, Saba
5. Twin Fantasy (Face to Face), Car Seat Headrest
6. Daytona (EP), Pusha T
7. Transangelic Exodus, Ezra Furman
8. Be The Cowboy, Mitski
9. Dirty Computer, Janelle Monae
10. Everything is Love, Beyonce & Jay-Z (The Carters)
11. I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life, TuNe-YaRdS
12. All Nerve, The Breeders
13. In a Poem Unlimited, U.S. Girls
14. Wide Awake!, Parquet Courts
15. Tell Me How You Really Feel, Courtney Barnett
16. Some Rap Songs, Earl Sweatshirt
17. Post-, Jeff Rosenstock
18. Blue Madonna, BORNS
19. Lush, Snail Mail
20. God's Favorite Customer, Father John Misty
BEST JAZZ ALBUMS
1. Heaven and Earth, Kamasi Washington. Of course Kamasi is on top of this list again. He's built a reputation for releasing albums that are gloriously busy, take an entire afternoon to digest, and thoroughly important. His second full-length (emphasis on full) is the first recorded in Trump's America, where racism has lept from subtext to context and uncertainty is everywhere. He doesn't spare a second or waste a note, and for that we must keep basking in Kamasi's genius.
2. The Window, Cecile McLorin Salvant
3. Contra La Indecision, Bobo Stenson Trio
4. Seymour Reads the Constitution! Brad Mehldau Trio
5. Music IS, Bill Frisell
6. Love Stone, JD Allen
7. Pay for It on the Other Side, Pete McCann
8. Full Tilt, Adam Shulman Sextet
9. On the Brink of a Lovely Song, Christina Von Bulow
10. Full Circle, Eddie Palmieri
Honorable Mention: Dans Ma Main, Jean-Michel Blais.
BEST METAL ALBUM: The Sciences, Sleep. The first new release from Sleep in nearly 20 years was well worth the wait. Its six tracks of all-killer, no-filler sludge metal with a 420 bent, a proggy romp on par with their 1999 opus Dopesmoker.
Honorable Mention: Stranger Fruit, Zeal & Ardor.
BEST SINGLES (in no order)
"Already Gone," Brett Dennan
"The Joke," Brandi Carlile
"Lottery," Jade Bird
"Get Out," CHVRCHES
"Tailor Made," The Lemontwigs
"Fever Pitch," Rainbow Kitten Surprise
"Lift Yourself," Kanye West
"A Lifeboat," Kacy and Clayton
"There's a Light," Jonathan Wilson
"Not in Love, We're Just High," Unknown Mortal Orchestra
"Still I Rise," Soraia
"Casanova," Rayland Parker
"Words I Heard," Julia Holter
"Feed the Fire," Dawes
"Fade to Black," Born Ruffians
"Bells & Circles," Underworld feat. Iggy Pop
"Sicko Mode," Travis Scott
"Severed," The Decemberists
"Connected By Love," Jack White
"Body Behavior," Ty Segall & White Fence
BEST VIDEOS
1. "This is America," Childish Gambino. Everyone and their aunt has watched this clip. There's nothing I can add that hasn't already been said. Wow.
2. "MALAMENTE (Cap.1: Augurio)," Rosalía. The Catalan answer to Beyonce (and maybe M.I.A.) crafted a modern visual stunner for her distinct blend of flamenco and hip-hop. Even if the lyrics are difficult to comprehend, the mashup of imagery is mesmorizing.
3. "APE***T," The Carters. There's nothing subtle about this. Then again, Bey and Hova aren't introverts. This flaming hot take on blackness in Western colonialism, layered in meticulous chereography, launched a thousand think pieces and sure to ignite quite a few more dissertations.
4. "thank u, next," Ariana Grande. What I said about Gambino's video mostly applies here. This is both a fun romp and a statement of artistic maturity.
5. "Pa'lante," Hungry for the Riff-Raff. Washington's response to Hurricane Maria and the devastation of Puerto Rico was a joke. Music can cleanse the soul, though food, shelter, and clean water would be nice, too.
6. "Everybody Wants to Be Famous," Superorganism. Being YouTube famous is not all that its cracked up to be. Let a 19-year-old college kid from Maine (and her 30-something band mates) explain why.
7. "Oh Baby," LCD Soundsystem. Thanks to the miniseries "Castle Rock" (among other projects) 2018 was a renaissance for legendary actress Sissy Spacek. This sci-fi collab with David Strathairn and director Rian Johnson was another strong performance, albeit far more below the radar.
8. "Send Me," No Age. Welcome to corporate hell!
9. "Walk It Talk It," Migos feat. Drake. Offset et al. bridge a gap between '70s soul and 2010s trap that we didn't know existed.
10. "Hard World," YACHT. Inspired by the rotating Happy Foot/Sad Foot on Sunset Boulevard (and its ensuing superstition), you assume these bipedal neighbors couldn't have more disparate days until an appreciated moment of levity at the end.
Honorable Mentions: "Stereo L," Daniel Avery. It plays and sounds like a gibberish version of the old school "Doctor Who" opening theme. Hypnotic. "PYNK," Janelle Monae. The video looks like a lost collaboration between Georgia O'Keeffe and Robert Heinlein, by way of Prince.
What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear from you.
(609)
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
The Ghosts of Conservatism, Past and Present
(Ed. note: please forgive the delay. I've been having issues with my laptop.)
George Herbert Walker Bush left a mixed legacy. Nearly every good deed he committed as a public servant was cancelled out by something shortsighted or outright bad. The first time I ever really paid attention to politics was when Bush ran for reelection in 1992. His one term in office was "Reagan lite"; depending on how you look at it, that could be praise or disdain. He was a throwback to a time when politics weren't personality-driven (read: boring) and there was a place in the GOP for moderates and centrists. History will remember him as a middle-of-the-pack president: not a failure, but not a man who defined a generation of Americans, either. He was competent, which was more than we can ask for now.
The memorial in DC earlier this month was only allegedly anti-Trump. Rather, the service reminded people of positive character traits that Bush 41 had that the current president seems to lack, without calling Trump out by name. It was a subtle compare and contrast: an okay presidency alongside one rife with division.
With that said... we have to stop assuming President Trump will resign. The man lacks the self-awareness to admit he's not only cornered, but in over his head. Worse yet, impeachment will likely die in a GOP-controlled Senate. Michael Cohen is going to prison for sending hush money to a porn actress, and Michael Flynn is (probably) going to prison for collusion. More members of Trump's inner circle will be implicated and left for dead, but the heart of the beast keeps going. Forgive me for repeating myself, but one hopes the Democrats will get their act together in 2020.
Next week: the year in music, 2018.
(608)
George Herbert Walker Bush left a mixed legacy. Nearly every good deed he committed as a public servant was cancelled out by something shortsighted or outright bad. The first time I ever really paid attention to politics was when Bush ran for reelection in 1992. His one term in office was "Reagan lite"; depending on how you look at it, that could be praise or disdain. He was a throwback to a time when politics weren't personality-driven (read: boring) and there was a place in the GOP for moderates and centrists. History will remember him as a middle-of-the-pack president: not a failure, but not a man who defined a generation of Americans, either. He was competent, which was more than we can ask for now.
The memorial in DC earlier this month was only allegedly anti-Trump. Rather, the service reminded people of positive character traits that Bush 41 had that the current president seems to lack, without calling Trump out by name. It was a subtle compare and contrast: an okay presidency alongside one rife with division.
With that said... we have to stop assuming President Trump will resign. The man lacks the self-awareness to admit he's not only cornered, but in over his head. Worse yet, impeachment will likely die in a GOP-controlled Senate. Michael Cohen is going to prison for sending hush money to a porn actress, and Michael Flynn is (probably) going to prison for collusion. More members of Trump's inner circle will be implicated and left for dead, but the heart of the beast keeps going. Forgive me for repeating myself, but one hopes the Democrats will get their act together in 2020.
Next week: the year in music, 2018.
(608)
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