Day 1,504, Quasi-Quarantine: An Artist And A Stakeholder Walk Into A Bar ...

I feel so very seen.

I also want to laugh, cry, and dry-heave all at the same time.

Day 1,499, Quasi-Quarantine: Hypocrisy, Religion, Violence Clash In Troubles-Driven "Trespasses"

 

“He lit the tobacco and told her between puffs that he had liked how she stalked into the pub with a dirty big cross on her forehead. That he liked that she hadn’t looked away when she caught him watching her in the mirror. That he liked her in the Lyric, when she was standing by the ledge, trying to look nonchalant. That he especially liked that she cried when he mentioned her father. That he loved her.

“If you’re saying that you’d better mean it, she said.

“I do. You’re supposed to say it back.

“Another time. I’ve been doing all the running.”

A claustrophobic tale of illicit affairs and cross-religion relationships during the Troubles, "Trespasses" follows a young teacher and barkeep who falls in love with a married barrister. Cushla initially idolizes Michael, but gradual disappointment bleeds in, until she senses the danger that he is courting by representing suspected IRA members.

“Jesus, said Cushla. All he did was walk down a street?

“It’s not about what you do here, he said. It’s about what you are.”

From a technical standpoint, the book's lack of quotation marks can be a bit off-putting and make dialogue more difficult to follow. Catalog this as a minor observation, but one that can break flow a bit.

The denouement is stunning despite its inevitability, but Louise Kennedy finds beauty in the tragedy. "Trespasses" captures Ireland's identity crisis at a crucial moment in history, allowing Cushla and Michael to serve as the microcosm of the hypocrisies and needless suffering involved.

“... Leniency, for that’s what it was; in a place like this, no deaths was a gift.”

Day 1,498, Quasi-Quarantine: SNL Knocks It Outta The Park With "Ozempic For Ramadan"

👏

Limerick Friday #616: "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Bids Its Final Adieu -- Day 1,495

It never failed to disturb

Or laughingly perturb

Larry David a mensch

Even when making your muscles clench

Man, am I gonna miss "Curb"

Bias is what I would say

Preferential is another way

Make up a new role

To cover up a hole

Gaslighting is the word of the day

All Mets fans hailed

When City Connect was unveiled

I wish it said Queens

Or had more color scenes

But otherwise this concept was nailed

The beach beckons again

Only a matter of when

A coupla days away

I can't wait to stay

And relax with a beer and a pen

A Final Four run

That can't be undone

Now recruiting is lit

The transfer portal won't quit

Keatts with support will be fun

Last time ...

Day 1,494, Quasi-Quarantine: The Mets Digging Deep To Right The Ship And Rekindle Hope

So, I've admittedly had strong early-season reactions to J.D. Martinez's infamous "overall body soreness" and the team's so very Metsiest of starts. New York lost its first five games of the season, a couple in brutal fashion.

To their credit, the Mets have now ripped off 10 wins in 13 games and won four straight series -- against some of the best teams in MLB. The hazardous schedule isn't going to let up anytime soon (New York, frankly, has an unreal early slate), but big ups to the squad and new manager Carlos Mendoza for staying the course.

It's a long season. I have to remind myself of that more often.

LFGM.

Books Review: Identity, Puberty, And The Mystical Vie For Prominence In "The Cruel Prince"

“‘I’ve seen many impossible things,’ the man said. ‘I have seen the acorn before the oak. I have seen the spark before the flame. But never have I seen such as this: A dead woman living. A child born from nothing.’”

An interesting mix of modern and medieval, "The Cruel Prince" explores what happens when the human world collides with the fairy lands that are obscured from mortal view. The start of a trilogy, this book explores the interplay between the magical and the real.

“The odd thing about ambition is this: You can acquire it like a fever, but it is not so easy to shed.”

Spirited away from her human life at an early age, Jude has to manage her status as an "other" in Faerie at the same time she deals with loss, identity, and maturation. 

Holly Black does a deft job of balancing real teen problems with palace politics and otherworldly magic, and "The Cruel Prince" is at is best when it reflects those dual realities.

“I step out of my second life the same way I stepped out of my first, holding too few things and with great uncertainty about what will happen next.”

Day 1,492, Quasi-Quarantine: Having A Picnic (Puzzle) In The Shadow Of Chimney Rock

 

A recent trip to the North Carolina mountains provided another opportunity to work on a travel puzzle.

This time, the subject was a 1,000-piece panoramic puzzle from Mudpuppy. "Picnic Party" featured a number of very similar colors and some really faint touches, making it a worthy challenge.

8/10, would pursue overlooking Lake Lure again.

Day 1,491, Quasi-Quarantine: "The Acolyte" Hits In June

Bring me all your Star Wars universe programming.

I ask no questions.

Feed me.

Limerick Friday #615: A Final Tip Of The Red Hat To The Wolfpack -- Day 1,488

The D.J.'s mix and cook

Earning every national look

Through merit and not pity

They captured the city

And wrote their names in State's history book

Every teammate a fretter

And likely a former bedwetter

Adjust your expectations

Take a never-ending vacation

Or learn to do hard better

Wore the red jacket

Followed the Pack racket

Blocked out the hate

And believed in State

This is how I won my bracket

Direction conflicting

Creativity constricting

Do what needs done

And trust no one

It's ineptitude we're depicting

With everything on the line

They made a run divine

Laughed at the odds

Played like hoop gods

And did it all for the 919

Last time ...

Day 1,487, Quasi-Quarantine: Today Requires An Uplifting Musical Experience

... And so we present an oddly moving rendition of Radiohead's "Creep," as performed by a pub choir.

"What the hell am I doin' here?" indeed.

Sing on.

Day 1,485, Quasi-Quarantine: Thanks To J.D. Martinez, The Mets And Their Fans Suffer From "Overall Body Soreness"

When New York made a late addition of slugger J.D. Martinez in spring training, many Mets fans were excited. Finally, the missing bat and designated hitter needed to pull the lineup together.

Except that, two-and-a-half weeks later, he's no closer to, like, contributing. Anything.

Why not?

"Overall body soreness."

Keep in mind that this is a player who doesn't actually play a fucking position or, you know, leave the dugout more than five times in a game.

Sure, he's 36 years old. But as my son asked: "He was a free agent. Shouldn't he have been, like, working out?"

For $12 million, you'd think Martinez would be -- and I don't want to be controversial here -- in good enough shape to at least ... hit? Considering the Mets have the lowest batting average in the major leagues, his absence is even more prominent.

I've witnessed a lot of really poor pairings between fanbase and player. But it's hard to imagine a worse start to what is already sure to be a very short Mets career than the one Martinez is fashioning.

Day 1,484, Quasi-Quarantine: Hitting The Bricks To Soak Up That Final Four Fever

We decided to hit NC State on Saturday to soak up the vibe around campus in advance of the Pack's momentous Final Four matchup with Purdue.

From lunch at the legendary Player's Retreat to visiting the statues outside of Reynolds Coliseum (nice work on the new "Skywalker" art!) to walking the Free Expression Tunnel to navigating the throngs inside the Student Store, the excitement was palpable.

Of course, the Wolfpack hit the wall against the Boilermakers, playing incredible defense but suffering seemingly a million rim--outs in a 13-point loss. While the outcome wasn't what anyone wanted, experiencing nine wins in 20 days and witnessing this incredible, improbable run with my son was unbelievably rewarding.

Go Pack. Let's not wait another 37 years.

Limerick Friday #614: The Pack Boot-Stomps The Final Four -- Day 1,483

A return to the Final Four

Cements this team in State lore

Never quit, never blink

Love, laugh, and think

And still the Pack wants more

Life on the line never fair

Stress and speed are a pair

Brought up the restaurant maze

But those were some great days

This is the experience of "The Bear"

Board that Phoenix bus

Or Cleveland traffic cuss

State rules the hoops world

And as destiny unfurled

We all asked, "Why not us"

Down we'll dumb it

As morale does plummet

Subtraction by addition

Plus voluntary attrition

Should be a curious Summit

Replacing NC State with Mets shit

Of hope there's not a bit

Lost five in a row

And I just wanna know

Can anybody here fucking hit?!

Last time ...

Day 1,480, Quasi-Quarantine: Expanding Our Horizons And Testing Our Calves At Chimney Rock

A recent spring-break journey took us to the Lake Lure area in the mountains of North Carolina. After climbing many, many steps in thin, thin air, we reached the top of Chimney Rock, which offered a stunning view of the surrounding vista.

An alternate view of where we had been made us rethink our decisions. The sloping nature of both the rock and trees look far more treacherous than the feel when you're on actual Chimney Rock.

Following a return to the bottom, we  made the trek to Hickory Nut Falls, a modest 1.4-miles, round-trip trek. Billed as "one of the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River," this waterfall was both beautiful and accessible to humans and falcons alike.

The visit to Chimney Rock State Park made for an exhausting day, but the experience -- and the deck beer that followed -- made it all worthwhile.

Scooter & Hum's Top Five Books Of The Year 2023

Matching last year's total of 46 books took a herculean holiday effort, landing me in the top 25% of all readers on Goodreads. I managed to cover 15,226 pages across those books, with the average read running to 331 pages.

The shortest work I read was 116 pages (Denis Johnson's incredible "Train Dreams"), while the longest was 896 pages (Stephen Markley's "The Deluge").

I'm setting my goals lower this year to avoid an end-of-year scramble, but also to give myself license to pursue some longer, tougher reads along the way.

Without further ado ...

#1: "Glory," by NoViolet Bulawayo

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now: 

This powerful, brutal political satire and allegory depicts the impacts of tyranny and colonialism in Africa.

Passages to Remember: 

"We'd be laughing  one moment, then we'd recall the rigged elections when we'd dreamt of change, prayed for change, cried for change, voted for change, and where some had died for change, and weep. We'd be cheering one moment, and then we'd remember all those the regime had claimed -- the tortured, the jailed, the exiled, the disappeared, the dead, the dad, the dead, the dead -- and wail."

"The reality, Comrades, is that these animals gathered all around us aren't some weird creatures from some faraway planet. They're your very own. And you all know that your relatives are in that crowd. Your friends and neighbors are in that crowd. Your landlords. Your church members. Your children's teachers. Your nurses and doctors. All of them good, decent citizens. Every one of them knowing they can die today. All of them prepared to die today. Not directly by the Seat but by us, on its behalf. My question is, When will we learn disgust?"

"What happened next taught the children of the nation a lesson they very much regretted not learning any sooner. Which was that it is quite possible to spend a lifetime in the terror of a darkness that in actuality harbors nothing but flowers and grasshoppers and doves and toothless crocodiles."

#2: "The Orphan Master's Son," by Adam Johnson

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now:

Orphan navigates the horrors and anonymities of oppressive North Korea in a many-genred tale.

Passages to Remember: 

"There was a look on her face that Ga recognized, and it was not a happy one. It expressed an understanding that everything would be different now, that the person you'd been and the life you'd been living were over. It was a tough knowledge to suddenly gain, but it got better with tomorrows."

"There was no such thing as abandonment, there were only people in impossible positions, people who had a best hope, or maybe only a sole hope. When the graver danger awaited, it wasn't abandoning, it was saving."

"For a while, she would have rules. But eventually, our genitals would intercourse in a way that was correct and satisfying."

#3: "A Gentleman in Moscow," by Amor Towles

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now:

Delightful, intricate depiction of an aristocratic Russian subversive turning house arrest into a beautiful gift.

Passages to Remember: 

"That sense of loss is exactly what we must anticipate, prepare for, and cherish to the last of our days; for it is only our heartbreak that finally refutes all that is ephemeral in love."

"In the light, the Count could see that she had an almost severe beauty about her -- like one for whom there would be no half measures in matters of the heart."

"He had said that our lives are steered by uncertainties, many of which are disruptive or even daunting; but that if we persevere and remain generous of heart, we may be granted a moment of supreme lucidity -- a moment in which all that has happened to us suddenly comes into focus as a necessary course of events, even as we find ourselves on the threshold of a bold new life that we had been meant to lead all along."

#4: "Small Things Like These," by Claire Keegan

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now:

Exquisite writing reveals church-sanctioned cruelty -- and its concentric circles -- in harsh, insular, rural Ireland.

Passages to Remember: 

"Crossing the river, his eyes again fell on the stout-black water flowing darkly along -- and a part of him envied the Barrow's knowledge of her course, how easily the water followed its incorrigible way, so freely to the open sea."

"The worst was yet to come, he knew. Already he could feel a world of trouble waiting for him behind the next door, but the worst that could have happened was already behind him; the thing not done, which could have been -- which he would have had to live with for the rest of his life."

#5: "Shuggie Bain," by Douglas Stuart

What I Wrote Then

What I Say Now:

The slow descent of Agnes Bain in gritty 1980s Scotland is experienced by unforgettable Shuggie.

Passages to Remember: 

"He let her cry, he let her talk, and he didn't contradict her when she made him promises he knew she would be unable to keep."

"The front door opened again, and Shuggie came out on to the top step. Without addressing the women he turned to his mother and put his hands on his hips; he thrust a foot forward and said as clear as Agnes had ever heard him speak, 'We need to talk. I really do not think I can live here. It smells like cabbages and batteries. It's simply unpossible.'"

"Shuggie eventually grew bored with the brutality."

Narrow Misses (in 15 words or less):

"The Quiet American," by Graham Greene: Stunning first-person work documents Vietnam War and love triangle from the ground in Saigon.

"Let Us Descend," by Jesmyn Ward: Hope, prescience lift up a heartbreaking and challenging tale of the cruel loneliness of slavery.

"The Refugees," by Viet Thanh Nguyen: Themes of identity, displacement, and legacy dominate powerful short stories of post-Vietnam refugee experience.

"Train Dreams," by Denis Johnson: Sparse prose ascribes poignancy to a tale of grief and hope in relentless American West.

"Babel," by R.F. Kuang: Magical realism, alternate history mesh in sprawling tale of colonialism and speaking truth to power.

"Night Wherever We Go," by Tracey Rose Peyton: A brutal, searing depiction of Texas plantation life in the 1850s that honors its victims.

"The Deluge," by Stephen Markley: Stunning, near-overwhelming climate fiction explores impact of extreme weather on the globe and society.

"A Heart That Works," by Rob Delaney: Devastatingly emotional and vulnerable tribute to a lost son brings tears, insights, laughs, and introspection.

"The Trees," by Percival Everett: Satirical horror marks frantic pace that exposes unresolved questions about race and who we are.

"Biography of X," by Catherine Lacey: Marked by sprawing ambition, this omnigenre work is a stunning journey into consideration of perspective.

"Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture," by Douglas Coupland: Drifting, listless trio ends up in the touristy California desert, searching for family and meaning.

"Old God's Time," by Sebastian Barry: Unreliable narration dominates tale of retired detective battling tragic demons on the harsh Irish coast.

"Juno Loves Legs," by Karl Geary: Devastating tale of Dublin backstreets features pervasive bleakness punched through by moments of sublime beauty.

"A Fan's Notes," by Frederick Exley: A sardonic look at coping with alcoholism and mental illness through writing, institutionalization, and football.

"How to Be an Antiracist," by Ibram X. Kendi: Meticulously researched book blends author's personal journey with dissection of language and history of racism.

"The Backstreets: A Novel from Xinjiang," by Perhat Tursun: Eerie, haunting depiction of the existential and physical effects of stark, calculated racism in China.

"Antarctica," by Claire Keegan: Loss, terror, melancholy, and draw of the illicit mark stunning collection of Irish short stories.

Honorable Mention (in 10 words or less):

"Small Mercies," by Dennis Lehane: Gritty underbelly of fractured city revealed in tale of racism.

"Winesburg, Ohio," by Sherwood Anderson: Sleepy Midwestern town in early 20th century features hidden lives.

"Snow Crash," by Neil Stephenson: Prescient depiction of anarcho-capitalism undermined by problematic plot, stereotyping.

"Cat's Cradle," by Kurt Vonnegut: Slapstick-ish tale of world-bending invention, contrived religion, island culture.

"Bullshit Jobs," by David Graeber: Explores unhealthy dynamic between what we do, who we are.

"The Night Watchman," by Louise Erdrich: Close-knit tribe tackles exploitation in mid-1950s North Dakota.

"The Chill," by Scott Carson: Dramatic tension, pacing propel supernatural exploration of water, local memory.

"Holly," by Stephen King: Holly Gibney returns for more investigation of Midwest Covid freakiness.

"Crook Manifesto," by Colson Whitehead: Vignettes, colorful characters collide in noir depiction of 1970s Harlem.

"The Ghost Writer," by Philip Roth: Identity, possibility collide in cautionary tale of meeting your heroes.

"Walk the Blue Fields," by Claire Keegan: Sublime stories document isolation, regret, fleeting hope in harsh Ireland.

Notable (in 7 words or less):

"The Searcher," by Tana French: Chicago ex-cop tackles pastoral Irish vagaries.

"The Revivalists," by Christopher M. Hood: Epidemiological apocalypse marks book with identity confusion.

"How to Write Short," by Roy Peter Clark: Accessible, actionable writing resource uses digestible format.

"Boys and Oil," by Taylor Brorby: Identity, family struggles in unforgiving North Dakota.

"Because Our Fathers Lied," by Craig McNamara: Musings from hated Vietnam War architect's son.

"The Man Who Played with Fire," by Jan Stocklossa: Stieg Larsson tribute degenerates into bumbling investigation.

"Untangled," Lisa Damour, PhD: Resources for navigating minefield of raising daughters.

"The Interestings," by Meg Wolitzer: Art-camp friends learn about adult emotions.

"Blood-Dark Track: A Family History," by Joseph O'Neill: Exploring paranoia and tribalism in Ireland, Turkey.

"Zuckerman Unbound," by Philip Roth: Struggling with paranoia in 1960s New York.

The Rest (in 5 words or less):

"Bad Mormon," by Heather Gay: Vacuous depiction of faith abandonment.

"Novelist as a Vocation," by Haruki Murakami: Disjointed collection lacking throughline, focus.

"Scrum," by Jeff and J.J. Sutherland: Simplistic arguments undermine agile resources.

Day 1,478, Quasi-Quarantine: The Most Metsiest Of Starts To A Brand-New Season

Expectations surrounding the New York Mets are tempered this year, but even a four-game losing streak to start the campaign feels beyond the pale.

New York has posted just eight runs and 25 hits in the four games, and that includes a six-run, 12-hit eruption in the second contest of the year. If my math is correct (and boy, does it hurt), that means the Metsies have two runs and 13 hits in the other three games.

Compounding matters, three of NY's top four players -- and often the top three in the batting order -- are hitting under .100 for the year. Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, and Jeff McNeill have combined for three hits in 44 at bats, and none of the trio has a run, RBI, or extra-base hit.

Read that again. Fucking unreal.

The rookie "leader" presiding over this -- Carlos Mendoza -- hasn't won a game in his managerial career while finding time to throw one of his top players (McNeill) under the boss in a beef with Milwaukee's Rhys Hoskins.

Sure, it's early. But it's still pretty goddam problematic.

Wake up, Queens.

Day 1,477, Quasi-Quarantine: It's The Wolfpack's Basketball Wave Right Now, And We're All Just Surfing It

 

Yes, the NC State men's and women's basketball teams both advanced to the Final Four yesterday.

No, I don't know what the hell is happening.

Yes, I'm certain it's not an April Fool's joke.

No, I don't recognize the world we're currently living in.

Yes, you should absolutely avoid any changes in routine. Or christ, even sudden movements.

No, I don't exactly how to feel about ... <*gestures randomly*> everything.

Yes, we deserve this.

Go Pack.