Falcon and The Winter Soldier
Disney+
The finale just dropped today and, yes, I’m writing this after watching it. No spoilers, but I thought it ended the first season quite well (well, there’s one exception, but I said no spoilers…). This is the second Marvel series on Disney+ and, wow, this and WandaVision have both been great in very different ways. Really looking forward to Loki… too bad we have to wait another month!!

Ska Dream
Jeff Rosenstock
I admit not knowing who Jeff Rosenstock was before this week, but I really like the cut of his jib. Last year he released the album “No Dream.” It’s a really enjoyable punk album with great riffs, tight instrumentation — everything you’d want if you came up on punk in the late 20th century. This week, though, he dropped a ska version of the album. Yes, a ska version. Why? He wrote, “As with most things ska in my life, what started out as a fun goof with friends eventually morphed into “Hey, what if we tried to make it good though?” All of us have a pretty deep history playing and touring the country in punk/ska bands.” And you know what? It’s awesome! (Above links are Spotify links)

James Hoffmann
YouTube
I watch a lot of YouTube. Probably more than just about any media because I feel there’s a more direct link between creator and viewer. With a low barrier to entry anyone with a niche can find an audience. Those who do it well and consistently (and who know how to work the algorithms) will find like-minded people. James Hoffmann can come off as a ridiculously pedantic espresso guy. And, on some levels, he is. I mean, if you’re going to review multiple burr grinders that cost well in excess of $1000 each head to head you’re going to have to get into the fine details and know your unimodal flat burs, if you know what I mean — and he does. That said, he’s got a wonderfully dry sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously — as evidence I give you his review of the Bripe, a brew pipe. I don’t have an espresso maker (well, I have a Mokka Pot), though I hope to, but watching James Hoffmann’s videos are still soothing.

Osprey Talon 22
Backpack
Early in the pandemic I realized two things: one, Armstrong Woods is only five minutes from where I live; two, hiking and walking are great exercise and you don’t need anything more than a good pair of shoes. Over the last few months, my hikes have gotten longer and steeper and more off the beaten path and I realized that it doesn’t take a lot for things to go bad really fast. A lot of circumstances can be ameliorated if you have the right things – a way to call for help, a way to bring and get water, a way to treat injuries, etc. And you have to carry that stuff. I have a lot of friends who’ve beat the ever-living crap out of Osprey packs and have had nothing but glowing reviews of them. So I did some research, and when REI had them deeply on sale, I picked up this 22 liter version. No, you don’t need it to hike, and if I’m going less than five miles I usually don’t bother. But when I venture out a bit, I’m really glad I have the capabilities at hand.

Fleabag
Amazon
Why am I putting something on this list whose second and final season debuted back in 2019? Can’t you find anything new? Whoa, there. First, my list, my rules. Second, when I talk about Fleabag with someone like, of course they know what I’m talking about I inevitably get “Wait, flea what?” So, it’s not nearly as ubiquitous as it should be. But I’m putting it here because you should watch it for the brilliance of its creator and star, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is in the news for two significant reasons. One, she is a writer on the forthcoming James Bond movie, “No Time To Die.” Okay, as for why she would be considered for a Bond film (I mean there isn’t a lot of action (nor spies) in Fleabag) you might need to also watch the amazing “Killing Eve” where she was the writer and showrunner for the first season. But even more recently, she’s been tagged to be the female lead opposite Harrison Ford in the forthcoming Indiana Jones 5!!! Squee!! So, consider this a primer on who she is and why she’s imminently qualified to be in *waves hands* everything.

It’s been a minute since I did one of these! Let’s get into it…

Clickup
It’s productivity software. Understand, “productivity software” in general is to me what kryptonite is to Superman. However, Akilah did some reasearch on various platforms and made the case that such software could help us get back on the creative track. And she’s right. We settled on Clickup, which is online-based and has a mobile version (which isn’t particularly useful, if I’m honest). It’s nice to have a schedule and something to remind me about deadlines.

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (Spotify link)
Taylor Swift
I’m an unabashed Swiftie, and both of her albums last year, folklore and evermore, were among my favorite albums of the year. Fearless is her re-make of her 2008 album. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the he-said/she-said controversy that led to her project of re-recording her first six albums, but I’d argue it doesn’t matter. This is the first of the albums to be released and I argue it justifies the project no matter the impetus. The recordings are extremely close to the originals, but her voice is better and the instrumentation is – I think – cleaner as well. The original album is significant in that this, her second album, really previewed the immense talent she had for songcraft and would portend the mega-star she’s become. For that reason, I’m glad she chose this album to re-record first and I’d highly recommend it as a place to start if you’re only familiar with her most recent recordings or her controversies.

Glen And Friends Cooking
YouTube
Glen and Friends have gotten me through the pandemic. I first stumbled onto their “1 Gallon Of Beer – Your First HomeBrew Recipe” but that led to so many other inspirations. He’s been posting these charming videos from his studio kitchen in Toronto for more than a decade. The videos are bite sized and run from recreating recipes from ancient cookbooks to making soda pop, curing meat, and trying to create a KFC replica. I guarantee you’ll find something that will make your mouth water, and Glen presents everything in a way that feels very easily approachable and delightful. 

Cautionary Tales – Demonising Dungeons & Dragons
Podcast
Economist and journalist Tim Harford is into the second season of the podcast Cautionary Tales where he stitches together real life incidents to illustrate particular human tendencies. It’s a well-paced and enlightening podcast. Honestly, there’s a number of great episodes I could have chosen such as “Martin Luther King Jr; the Jewelry Genius; and the Art of Public Speaking” or “Fire At The Beverly Hills Supper Club” which I think about almost daily. The episode that dropped today, “Demonising Dungeons & Dragons,” is a great entry. 

Ubiquitous puppy picture
Alli
She graduated beginning puppy training. If I’m honest, it’s because she excelled at some things (focus) even if her excited temperament got the better of her at other skills (loose-leash walking). But, in the spirit of “What do you call the medical student who finished at the bottom of his class? Doctor,” here’s the happy graduate:

Notre-Dame Came Far Closer To Collapsing Than People Knew. This Is How It Was Saved.
NYTimes
The Times has come under fire for mis-reporting or under-reporting during this contentious political time. Those criticisms are fair and should always be leveled and examined – much like criticism of this nation itself; contrary to what the head of the executive branch would say, criticism and examination is what makes institutions – newspapers and countries alike – stronger. What does this have to do with the article at hand? This is how a newspaper tells a story utilizing all the tools it has in the media it’s publishing in, and it makes the complex more understandable for it. It’s a well-told story about a tragic event, but you will come away with a better understanding of what happened where and when, and you might find a few tears, too.

Is It Okay To Laugh At Florida Man?
Washington Post Magazine
You’ve seen the headlines like “Florida Man Wearing Crocs Gets Bitten After Jumping Into Crocodile Exhibit at Alligator Farm.” But what exactly are we laughing at? And does it matter? This is a longread that might overstay its welcome, but it’s worth it for hearing straight from some of the most colorful Florida Man characters.

The Havana Job
Medium
Three CIA agents botch a job in post-revolution Cuba and are sent to a notorious prison. There’s high-level diplomacy, a failed invasion, a and desperate escape attempt. Enjoyable writing about an incident that reads like fiction but is informed by released Cold War documents. Definitely a fun read!

Where Are All the Bob Ross Paintings? We Found Them
NYTimes
He painted three paintings for each show, and you only need to see the episode list on Netflix to know there are a lot of shows and, ostensibly, a lot of paintings. So where are they? The 10 minute video here is a wonderful look at where there are and where Bob Ross came from. 

I Put Pringles in the Fridge And It Changed My Life
TheWeek
Guess what I’m going to do this week? #lifegoals