Three for the Road
The Ghost and the Wall - Joshua Radin
When I was in high school, I went through a heavy metal phase. It was actually a shorter phase than I remember, but it was long enough that many people assume that hard music is my go to. While I enjoy a good grunge song now and then, and I’m still up for the occasional thrash metal or punk tune, my favorite genre of music is Singer/Songwriter.
When I worked as a luggage delivery driver (a job I wrote about in my book, My Life’s Work, available for purchase here) I had a subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio, and one of my favorite stations was Coffeehouse, which featured acoustic singer/songwriter stuff. Sure, I don’t mind a good headbanger, but I’ll take an acoustic guitar, light drums, and a vocalist any day of the week.
Which brings me to Joshua Radin, who I was first exposed to on an episode of Scrubs, (might I add, the best episode of Scrubs, Season 3, episode 14, “My Screw Up"“, and has a new record up. It’s just delightful. Perfect for a snowy day by the fireplace with a cup of coffee.
The Funny 115
I’ve been watching Survivor since the first episode aired over 20 years ago. And while it’s a shell of it’s former self (the current season is…not good.), I still enjoy looking back at older seasons when I have the time. During the pandemic, my wife and I were able to stream the first 12 seasons, watching them for the first time since they had aired.
What I’ve enjoyed about Survivor in the past ten years isn’t the show itself, but the community around it. Specifically the community that doesn’t take the show seriously, spending most of their time discussing the show by riffing on it.
The king of riffing on Survivor is Mario Lanza, who has painstakingly curated the funniest moments in the history of the show. The 115 funniest moments from the show. And he’s done three versions, for different eras of the show. They can all be found at this link.
Not only are the things that Mario points out funny, but Mario is funny. He’s the best comedy writer on the internet. And if you need a laugh, go read an entry of the Funny 115. It’s guaranteed. He’s just finishing up his last entry, and he did the impossible for me - made me want to rewatch Survivor: South Pacific. That’s a feat.
JAWS (1976)
I’ve settled on the topic for my next book, and it involves watching JAWS a few times. I could think of worse things to research.
Have a great weekend!