Limerick Friday #509: Patience Suffers On The Stagger To The Finish Line -- Day 461

If I needed a smoke, I'd bum it

If I needed a ride, I'd thumb it

And on this Friday

I can honestly say

If I needed a drink, I'd Summit

Sprints in the heat

With cleats on the feet

Chasing flag pulls

In the dog-day lulls

This is how you avoid defeat

Cat updates and chat lurks

And finagling company perks

Maybe more time writing

And less time crying

See, this is how work works

A College World Series to see

State-Stanford will be key

Look for a curveball hanger

Against the logo doppelganger

And focus on chopping down the Tree

Walks and camps

Practice and cramps

Beers on the porch

The sun a blowtorch

Summer's activity ramps

Last time ...

Day 460, Quasi-Quarantine: Wave Scooter, Reporting For Duty

 

Part of our end-of-year activities has involved creating Clone Wars-themed minifigures to inform the missions that my building partner comes up with.

Hence, meet Clone Trooper Wave Scooter.

Yes, that may or may not be Harry Potter's head.

Yes, the helmet features a dolphin painted down the middle.

Yes, fanbases persist throughout the solar system. 

Because in space, no one can hear you scream.

Day 459, Quasi-Quarantine: Keeping Up The Reading Pace Of Escapism

 

With just under 200 days left in the year, I've knocked out 25 books. I had set a goal of 42 for 2021, so I may need to adjust my aims.

Cheers to literary escapism.

Day 458, Quasi-Quarantine: The 'Fins *Gulp* Roll The Dice On Jaylen & Jaelan

After some bouncing around the draft order, Miami settled on the No. 6 and No. 18 overall picks in the first round of April's NFL Draft. The 'Fins initially had the third overall pick, but traded back to No. 12 before (controversially) jumping back up to the sixth spot.

The Dolphins played the long game in last year's draft, with decidedly mixed results. The 'Fins braintrust took a similar approach in 2021, betting on the come with Alabama speedster Jaylen Waddle and Miami end Jaelan Phillips. 

The pluses: In a nutshell, speed and plus athletic ability. In addition, these selections filled massive needs on the depth chart.

The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler pegged Waddle as the No. 2 wide receiver and No. 6 overall player in the draft, so this was an appropriate spot for the youngster to go. Waddle has multiple gears, possesses elite return abilities, and is seen as a difference-maker in the open field. He's most often compared to Kansas City weapon Tyreek Hill -- hopefully minus the assaults on women and children.

Phillips was considered the No. 3 edge rusher and No. 22 overall player available by Brugler. At 6-5, 260 pounds, Phillips is a long, angular rush man who shares some traits with former 'Fin great Jason Taylor and long-time Washington end Ryan Kerrigan. The Miami product keeps tackles off balance, is strong enough to play through with swipe moves, plays the run surprisingly well, and tracks the ball nicely. The pedigree is there, with Phillips having been the No. 1 high school recruit in the land in 2017.

The negatives: In a nutshell, both of these dudes have small track records and scary medical histories, bringing significantly more risk than I'd prefer to see in a pair of top-20 selections.

Checking in at 5-9, 180 pounds, Waddle has questionable strength, and his ability to block and break tackles was flagged in the draft process. He's also been dinged for his route-running, though this is hard to measure since he made marked improvement in this area of the game as a junior and the Alabama scheme gets guys open so easily.

What's not hard to measure are the underwhelming stats. Most recently coming off a fractured right ankle, Waddle had less than 2,000 receiving yards in his career and only started nine games in college.

Even more alarming is Phillips's medical file. After two injury-plagued seasons and three documented concussions at the college level, UCLA doctors actually advised him to retire -- which he briefly did, electing to pursue a career in music.

On the field, the defensive end is not considered a sudden athlete, and his predictable rush moves and stiff playing style were documented by analysts. After skipping his bowl game and senior season after transferring to Miami, Phillips ended college with 12.5 career sacks and 16 starts, so there's not a ton there to evaluate.

Most importantly, though, many question how much this young man loves football. In fact, some teams did not have him on their draft board, while the Dolphins went in the other direction -- actually picking him as the first defensive lineman in the entire draft.

The bottom line: It's hard to assess these picks without considering the context of players chosen around them and the history of the draft slot itself. Analysts lauded the 'Fins move to trade back to No. 12, but much of that ammunition was lost when the team immediately moved back to the No. 6 position.

While it must be mentioned that Miami did net draft collateral for future years, there is also a sense that the Dolphins may have outsmarted themselves a bit here. Most fans were praying tight end Kyle Pitts or receiver Ja'Marr Chase fell to No. 6 (they didn't), despite Miami's brass swearing afterward that Waddle was the pick all along.

You also never love to see the team picking right behind you acting like they won the Super Bowl because of someone you passed on (cue the Lions war room reaction to the realization that Penny Sewell got past the 'Fins).

From a risk-averse standpoint due to the value of these picks, I would have preferred staying at No. 12 and/or picking 'Bama wideout Devonta Smith and Michigan end Kwity Paye, two polished players with more proven track records. However, in the Dolphins' defense, Jaylen & Jaelan were not necessarily reach selections, and the franchise felt comfortable betting big on guys they did a ton of homework on.

For now, Miami got better -- as always, ask me again in a couple of years about these players and the Fins' second-day picks and third-day selections to see just how much better and how big a role this duo played in that evolution.

Day 457, Quasi-Quarantine: The Pack Is Back In The College World Series

 

First, lose the first game by 19 runs.

Next, beat the No. 1 team in the country twice in its own yard.

Always: Never give up.

Limerick Friday #508: Saying Goodbye To A Unique School Year -- Day 454

Mornings on a virtual tool

Lethargy the standard rule

Teachers asking for respect

Kids struggling to connect

All of a sudden it's the last day of school

Squared up every pitch

Collectively hit like a witch

Pack fans were legion

As State dominated the region

On to the Supers without a hitch

Old-school tech was dire

Slogging through the PC mire

Captured to a tee

Making compelling TV

Kudos, "Halt and Catch Fire"

A structure of suck-ups and fakes

Posturing and existential takes

For transparency we strive

But what the fuck is a hive

Insanity is repeating mistakes

Virtual school's got it made

A promotion from fifth grade

My, the years do flow

Where did lil' Ube go?

Kinda wish the early years stayed

Last time ...

Day 453, Quasi-Quarantine: The Devastating, Mandatory Truths Of "Caste"

 

"Caste is insidious and therefore powerful because it is not hatred, it is not necessarily personal. It is the worn grooves of comforting routines and unthinking expectations, patterns of a social order that have been in place for so long that it looks like the natural order of things."

Perhaps never has a book been so simultaneously difficult and important to read. 

"Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent" is part history book, part sociology study, and part political commentary, somehow managing to weave personal accounts with true horror stories with contemporary context and historical backdrop. 

"Americans are loath to talk about enslavement in part because what little we know about it goes against our perception of our country as a just and enlightened nation, a beacon of democracy for the world."

"In Germany, displaying the swastika is a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. In the United States, the rebel flag is incorporated into the official state flag of Mississippi." 

Isabel Wilkerson's staggering tome features a stark and matter-of-fact tone, yet the revelations of a largely obfuscated American past are as instructive as they are emotional. 

Her ability to trace history's abuses to contemporary politics and emerging boundaries alone makes "Caste" worthwhile. Her painstaking research into what this trending could mean for a shifting American demography makes the book essential. 

"Why, some people on the left kept asking, why, oh, why, were these people voting against their own interests? The questioners on the left were unseeing and yet so certain. What they had not considered was that the people voting this way were, in fact, voting their interests. Maintaining the caste system as it had always been was in their interest. And some were willing to accept short-term discomfort, forgo health insurance, risk contamination of the water and air, and even die to protect their long-term interest in the hierarchy as they had known it."

"What we face in our current day is not the classical racism of our forefathers' era, but a mutation of the software that adjusts to the updated needs of the operating system."

Wilkerson has noted that this was a book she "did not seek to write but had to write," and that compulsion should extend to everyone who may not seek to read it -- but must.

"The awkward becomes acceptable, and the unacceptable becomes merely inconvenient. Live with it long enough, and the unthinkable becomes normal. Exposed over the generations, we learn to believe that the incomprehensible is the way that life is supposed to be."

Day 452, Quasi-Quarantine: "Mare Of Easttown" Gets The SNL Send-Up Treatment

I just wrapped up HBO's "Mare of Easttown," so this "Murdur Durdur" sketch is timely. 

While the show had some holes and turned a bit too much into "Clue: Meth Country Edition," it did dial up the intensity at times. It's worth a watch if you're into the noir-ish "True Detective" genre.

Day 451, Quasi-Quarantine: The Jabroni Strikes Again, Bringing Fox Into Our Lives

As noted earlier, an unordered Commander Thorn arrived from a jabroni instead of what I actually ordered. Similarly, Clone Commander Fox landed here much the same way.

A member of the Coruscant Guard during the Clone Wars, Fox -- or CC-1010 -- was tasked with protecting Chancellor Palpatine. He often led security missions for Jedi ambassadors and dignitaries as well.

Perhaps most famously, he was forced to arrest Jedi Ahsoka Tano, who was framed by a fallen Jedi named Barris Offee. Fox also saved Senator Padme Amidala from the Hutts and was forced to shoot rogue clone "Fives," in addition to tangling with the mercurial Cad Bane on a few occasions.

Fox met his demise after he failed to give a description of Darth Vader to his troops. When his unit fired on the Sith Lord, Fox had his neck broken by Vader in retaliation.

That's a long way of saying this is a cool minifigure that joined our forces by accident but we dig his look and we'll hang on to him.

Day 450, Quasi-Quarantine: Beware The Wolfpack Nine

 

So the Pack ripped through the Rustin regional, winning all three of its games by a combined 30-11.

Up next? Depending on today's deciding game between Arkansas and Nebraska, State will either be journeying to take on the Razorbacks or staying at home to host its own Super Regional against the Cornhuskers.

So, um ... go 'Huskers? 

Limerick Friday #507: The Pack Packs So Hard -- Day 447

Watching with a wolf pup

As we forget how to tag up

NC State Shit reanimates

But no worries, mates

'Twas only for a championship cup

People with ignorance to burn

They're everywhere you turn

Steps are being skipped

As off masks are ripped

When will the world learn

"Underground Railroad," a can't-miss review

Of a painful part of our milieu

A performance sublime

Documenting our country's crime

A hat tip to Thuso Mbedu

No more Ratface tears

After about a million years

Good riddance to Coach K

Just a hypocrite for the NCAA

He's cost me so many beers

Pool visits and practice under a tent

Birthday parties and rooms to rent

Shuttling from here to there

In the humid summer air

Forgot what normal meant

Last time ...

Day 446, Quasi-Quarantine: "The Goldfinch" Overpowers With Hard-Earned Emotional Structures

"Why am I made the way I am? Why do I care about all the wrong things, and nothing at all for the right ones? Or, to tip it another way: how can I see so clearly that everything I love or care about is illusion, and yet -- for me, anyway -- all that's worth living for lies in that charm? A great sorrow, and one that I am only beginning to understand: we don't get to choose our own hearts. We can't make ourselves want what's good for us or what's good for other people. We don't get to choose the people we are."

Reading like as many as five books in one, Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch" comes on like a fever dream at times, following the Dickensian journey of Theo Decker as he searches for and finds father figures, mother figures, brother figures, and idolized loves. 

"Things would have turned out better if she had lived. As it was, she died when I was a kid; and though everything that's happened to me since then is thoroughly my own fault, still when I lost her I lost sight of any landmark that might have led me someplace happier, to some more populated or congenial life. Her death the dividing mark: Before and After."

Theo's friend Boris is a force of nature, and must be included among the more memorable characters in recent literary history. While providing comic relief, Boris also allows Tartt to explore undertones of homosexuality that permeate the story.

"Americans ... movie stars ... TV people ... they name their kids like Apple and Blanket and Bear and Bastard and all kind of crazy things."

"And your point is -- ?"

"My point is like, democracy is excuse for any fucking thing. Violence ... greed ... stupidity ... anything is ok if Americans do it. Right? Am I right?"

"More than anything I was relieved that in my unfamiliar babbling-and-wanting-to-talk state I'd stopped myself from blurting the thing on the edge of my tongue, the thing I'd never said, even though it was something we both knew well enough without me saying it out loud to him in the street -- which was, of course, I love you."

The cast of characters includes Pippa, a mercurial personage on the edge of Theo's reality, and Theo's mother pervades every scene -- however, it is Theo's relationship with Hobie that is the engine of this novel.

" ... Short term boredom and long term pain, temporary panic and permanent desperation striking all at once and flaring up in such an ashen desolate light that I saw, really saw, looking back down the years and with all clear-headed and articulate despair, that the world and everything in it was intolerably and permanently fucked and nothing had ever been good or okay, unbearable claustrophobia of the soul, the windowless room, no way out, waves of shame and horror, leave me alone, my mother dead on a marble floor, stop it stop it, muttering aloud to myself in elevators, in cabs, leave me alone, I want to die ..."

Tartt's staggering work is a lengthy read that occasionally struggles with chronology and an ending that can strike as a bit over the top. There are elements of "Shutter Island" or even "Fight Club" that are effective, but also cast some doubt on the narrator.

But the end result is intensely moving, run through with a rhythm and zest for life -- and death -- that rightly propels "The Goldfinch" among the best literary works of the 21st century.

"And I add my own love to the history of people who have loved beautiful things, and looked out for them, and pulled them from the fire, and sought them when they were lost, and tried to preserve them and save them while passing them along literally from hand to hand, singing out brilliantly from the wreck of time to the next generation of lovers, and the next." 

Day 445, Quasi-Quarantine: Unexpected, Unordered Thorn Joins The Fray

 

This spring, I ordered a Hound minifigure from an online scammer called RepublicBricks. More than a month later, after a couple of terse exchanges with this gonad, I finally received a minifigure.

The wrong one. Perhaps predictably.

Exhausted from head shaking over the entire situation, I embraced the new guy -- Commander Thorn.

A Coruscant Guard clone shock trooper who is armed with a Z-6 rotary blaster cannon called "The Hammer" when he's not being sold weaponless to the wrong people, Thorn admittedly has a tremendous look.

His armor coloring is on point, but obviously the highlight is his distinctive winged helmet. In the Clone Wars, he was charged with protecting Senator Padme Amidala, which he did to great effect, helping to save her during a Separatist Droid Army Invasion of Scipio at the cost of his own life.

Now Thorn has become an active member of multiple missions involving the Bad Batch. Hey, we'll take what we can get these days, especially when it means avoiding contact with ignorant tools.

Day 444, Quasi-Quarantine: SNL's Final Weekend Update Of A Memorable Season

In SNL's season finale, Colin Jost and Michael Che discuss things like, you know, Republicans blocking an investigation.

Into an armed insurrection.

 

In the nation's capital. 

That targeted their colleagues. 

For public executions.

Anyway.

In a post-reality world, this was a fitting coda to a strong season of "Saturday Night Live."

Day 439, Quasi-Quarantine: "Ready Player Two" Follows The Template -- But Loses The Immersion

"My friend Kira always said that life is like an extremely difficult, horribly unbalanced videogame. When you're born, you're given a randomly generated character, with a randomly determined name, race, face, and social class. Your body is your avatar, and you spawn in a random geographic location, at a random moment in human history, surrounded by a random group of people, and then you have to try to survive for as long as you can."

I thoroughly enjoyed "Ready Player One," to the extent that I named it may top choice in the 2016 Scooties Awards. However, its sequel -- the rather on-the-nose-ly-named "Ready Player Two" -- lacked most of the engrossing elements of the first book.

While not particularly complex or sophisticated, this follow-up predictably extends the original story. Ernest Cline delivers exactly what you would expect here, though the fun quotient has been dialed down a bit.

"We were witnessing the dawn of the posthuman era. The Singularity by way of simulacra and simulation."

Littered with pop culture references, "Ready Player Two" is another fun jaunt, not asking much in terms of expended mental energy and paying off the entertainment aspect. The John Hughes quest provides a hilarious escape, and Prince fans will find Cline speaking directly to their soul at certain moments.

There are certainly no surprises to be found here, but maybe there's something to be said for that when it comes to reading during a global pandemic. Cline is exactly as advertised -- and that is often just enough and all we need.

"Through sheer force of will and brainpower, he'd once again turned science fiction into science fact, without much regard for the long-term consequences."

Day 438, Quasi-Quarantine: "Well, Normy, It's Interesting To Note That Hoth Is Largely Devoid Of Life"

 

Filling out an order recently to reach a free-shipping limit, I added the Star Wars Legos kids book "Use the Force!" to my cart. Why this item? Because it came with -- essentially -- a Cliff Clavin minifigure.

Let's back up a bit. 

John Ratzenberger, who famously built the unforgettable role of Cliff Clavin in "Cheers," actually appeared in "The Empire Strikes Back." As Major Bren Derlin, he gave the order to close the Echo Base shield doors when Han Solo was out searching for Luke Skywalker in the frigid wastes of Hoth.

Off screen, he apparently survived the Hoth attack and went on to serve in the Battle of Endor. Hopefully, he and Han eventually settled their differences over a cold one with Norm in a Boston cantina.

Day 437, Quasi-Quarantine: Cecily Closes SNL Strong

Eviscerating Jeanine Pirro is the ideal way to wrap up the season finale of Saturday Night Live.

Kudos to Cecily Strong for just owning this skit.

Day 436, Quasi-Quarantine: Landing Jacoby Brissett Was A Low-Key Big-Time Move For Miami

It certainly didn't draw the most headlines, but the Dolphins' signing of Jacoby Brissett early in free agency was among the most important moves the team made this entire offseason. Bringing in the Florida native and NC State alum on a one-year deal -- $5 million guaranteed, with an overall potential value of $7.5 million -- was crucial for Miami. 

The pluses: Brissett is mobile, possesses a strong arm, is a beloved teammate, and was Indianapolis's nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award last year. Still only 28 years old, he has 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his career, starting 32 games between the Patriots and the Colts. He'll also be learning a brand-new playbook at the same time as the rest of the offense, which will be led by new co-offensive coordinators George Godsey and Eric Studesville.

The negatives: I mean ... none? Look, the rap on Brissett in Indy was that he was overly cautious with the ball, checking down too early and too often. And while that is valid, that actually could be construed as a positive in a backup quarterback.

The bottom line: Brissett is considered one of the best backups in the league, and let's face it: There are still sizeable questions about Tua Tagovailoa. Having a proven player in this role in Miami is absolutely vital, and getting a player of Brissett's versatility -- you usually don't find backups that teams are willing to create packages for, which the Colts did -- is something of a coup for the 'Fins. 

Limerick Friday #506: Another Normal, Unthinkable Year For The Mets -- Day 433

Freak injuries leave them bereft

Wondering who the hell is left

"The Irregulars" are trying

But I'd by lying

If I said the Mets roster had heft

"Secret City," a wandering mess

So much confusion to address

Anna Torv and Aussie accents

The show's redeeming assets

A guilty pleasure, I confess

Bob Bafford the latest cheat

To blame cancel culture on repeat

Don't be a snowflake, dear

And stay with me here

What if it's really repercussions, meat?

Check out the fates

Of Al Franken vs. Matt Gaetz 

It's exactly how it sounds

Hypocrisy knows no bounds

Politics in the United States

Reliving '70s hysteria spin

"Sons of Sam" remembers when

Journalism mattered

As terror scattered

Netflix, you've done it again

Last time ...

Day 432, Quasi-Quarantine: "Black Buck" Is Kinetic -- And Essential

 

"Poor people and God usually hand in hand because it's easier to explain why some people have so much and others have so little when there's a master plan."

Let's just say that "Black Buck" covers a lot of ground. 

Mateo Askaripour pours three or four stories into this ambitious novel, and though the results can be mixed, the overall product is impossible to ignore. 

The novel is at times laugh-out-loud funny, emotional, thought-provoking, ridiculous, and motivational. 

"She swept her hand in front of me. 'You look like a Mormon, son.' I looked at my white short-sleeved button-up with two pens in the front pocket, black slacks with a black belt, and black leather shoes to match. Shit."

"It felt like the guy jumped inside my head, looked around, took a shit, and left."

Featuring a unique format, "Black Buck" is what happens when "The Firm" meets "Juice," and while the writing isn't overly sophisticated and the phrasing can be cheap and easy (" ... Like the earth only orbited the sun so it could see her from all angles."), Askaripour has created an important and worthwhile entry into contemporary conversations about diversity.

"What you are about to see if what happens when intuition overrides logic, which is the mark of any salesperson worth their salt. People buy based on emotion and justify with reason."

Day 431, Quasi-Quarantine: Right There With Ya, Elaine

Relatable. 

Check out part two for a couple more epic lines ("Now we're celebrating a sick day?!").

Day 430, Quasi-Quarantine: Will Fuller Brings Speed And Uncertainty To South Beach

 

One year after putting together arguably the worst free agency class in the history of the NFL, Miami took a lower-key approach to this phase of player acquisition in 2021.

Perhaps the biggest name was former first-rounder and Houston Texan wideout Will Fuller V, who was one of the last big-name receivers to be signed. Inking a one-year, $10.6 million contract, the burner will be betting on himself this season.

The pluses: Fuller can undeniably fly, running a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL combine. Entering his sixth season in the league, he just turned 27 years old, so he should be entering the peak of his career. At 6-0, 184 pounds, the Notre Dame product is coming off his best season (879 yards, 16.6 yards per catch, eight touchdowns), averaging nearly 80 yards per game, good for 10th in the league. Landing Fuller on a one-year deal could be seen as something of a coup for the 'Fins.

The negatives: Plagued by injuries, Fuller has only played more than 13 games once in his career and is averaging a little more than just 10 games played per season. As a result, he's never had a 1,000-yard season and was seen as a bit of an underachiever in Houston. On top of all that, he was suspended for PEDs last season, and his penalty will extend to the first game of 2021 in Miami.

The bottom line: The Dolphins are hoping that Fuller is simply a late bloomer in the vein of the guy who will play on the opposite side of the field, Devante Parker. Fuller brings a pure speed element that Miami desperately lacked last year, and even if his inconsistency persists, his presence alone should force defenses to rethink the looks they give the 'Fins. If he can deliver on his immense promise, he'll certainly be looking to cash in on the free agent market again in 2022 -- a "problem" that Miami would be happy to face if it comes to fruition.

Day 429, Quasi-Quarantine: Replicating The Fascinating "Bad Batch" Adoptee, "Echo"

CT-1409, or "Echo" (or even "The Hero of Anaxes"), has quickly become one of our favorite members of Clone Force 99, and his dramatic backstory is just one of the reasons why "The Bad Batch" has emerged as a must-watch.

A former ARC trooper, Echo was originally part of the Domino Squad before his heroics at Rishi Station led him to the 501st Legion. After further valor at Tipoca City, he was thought to be lost during an explosion on Lola Sayu.

Instead, the severely injured Echo was imprisoned by Separatist forces and turned into a cyborg. Taking advantage of Echo's lack of consciousness, Wat Tambor put him to nefarious uses as part of the Techno Union.

 

The Bad Batch, Captain Rex, and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker rescued Echo from Shako Minor, and after that mission, Echo accepted an invitation from Hunter to join the Bad Batch near the end of the Clone Wars.

His history in the field serves Clone Force 99 well, and his socket arm and implants allow him to easily interface with computers -- turning a disability into a strength.

As you can see, we've had varying success in building our own Echo (a bonafide Lego minifigure does not exist yet). His pale skin is hard to match outside of the standard Lego white, and we painted a 3-D clone helmet to try to match is colors.

On the first effort, the gray was not quite dark enough, so we went with a sterling silver on the next effort, and the result was good (see the comparison photos above). We have also painted a headset that he can wear when his helmet is off.

As we not-so-patiently await the arrival of the Havoc Marauder set in August, we are tiding ourselves over by trying to build out our own Bad Batch. 

Knowing that these troopers are outcasts and misfits makes slipping up on our designs that much easier to take.

Limerick Friday #505: Needless Panic At The Pumps -- Day 426

Every stupid ass

Drove around looking for gas

Creating a worse situation

Welcome to our nation

Displaying ignorance en masse

Bad hires cause wrath

Suck up for a jolly path

Consult on what you don't know

Ask an existential question, then go

And call yourself a polymath

Fell in love with a wild creature

With humanity as an endearing feature

Lived in another world

The emotions certainly swirled

Watching "My Octopus Teacher"

New guidance from the CDC

A recipe for disaster, if you ask me

Here come the vaccinated lies

From racists and ignorant guys

Unnecessary risk, just wait and see

Kin more like strangers

With ideological ranges

A family fractured

Caring manufactured

Wake me when something changes

Last time ...

Day 425, Quasi-Quarantine: Immersion Makes You Not Want To Say Goodbye To "Leave The World Behind"

"You told yourself you'd be attuned to a holocaust, unfolding a world away, but you weren't. It was immaterial, thanks to distance. People weren't that connected to one another. Terrible things happened constantly and never prevented you from going out for ice cream or celebrating birthdays or going to the movies or paying your taxes or fucking your wife or worrying about the mortgage."

"Leave the World Behind" starts slow, peppered with unnecessary words and off-putting sexual references, but as the pacing ramps up, that jarring beginning feels intentional by Rumaan Alam. 

" ... His wife felt it important, not to do the moral thing, necessarily, but to be the kind of person who would. Morality was vanity, in the end."

"Ruth had learned only one thing from the current reality, and it was that everything held together by tacit agreement that it would. All it took to unravel something was one party deciding to do just that. There was no real structure to prevent chaos, there was only a collective faith in order."

This book seamlessly takes on a frantic, sinister tone, bolstered by a well-woven racial component and fly-on-the-wall sentiments. The author uses a series of clues out of context to give hints as to the overriding apocalyptic feel to the plot, but doles them out sparingly to ratchet up the foreboding, eerie feel. 

In addition to offering a master class in how to build tension through ominous undertones, Alam excels at taking what some only think and expressing it directly via his characters.

"Smoking tethered you to history itself! It was a patriotic act, or once had been, anyway, like owning slaves or killing the Cherokee."

"'Let's say something happens in New York City. Do you think this president will do the right thing about it?' This kind of thing used to sound like paranoia, but now it was just pragmatism."

The indirect references to what has altered life as we know it evoke Stephen King, in particular offering echoes of "Under the Dome."

The literary equivalent of a bottle episode, "Leave the World Behind" is staggeringly immersive, hammering away with choppy, weighty sentences, leaving the reader not wanting it to end -- not wanting to leave the story behind.

"If they didn't know how it would end -- with night, with more terrible noise from the top of Olympus, with bombs, with disease, with blood, with happiness, with deer or something else watching them from the darkened woods -- well, wasn't that true of every day?"

Day 424, Quasi-Quarantine: Resistance Troop Transport A Hidden Gem In The Star Wars Universe

At my strong suggestion, the Resistance Troop Transport  #75140) was a recent birthday gift. Checking in at 646 pieces, this set features a detailed external design, a clever layout for interior play, sharp decals, and a couple of hard-to-find minifigures.

In fact, in his review video, the highly respected Jangbricks called it one of his favorite Star Wars Lego sets ever (9:31 mark).

Appearing in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," this starship is horizontally oriented, making it unique in Lego builds. The transport has an intricate weapons system (plus dual spring-loaded shooters) on one end, bookended by a cockpit on the other -- my initial impression was that the cockpit could be detached as an escape pod, but that was just wishful thinking.

The ship's highlight is the roomy interior, which is accessible via a pair of opening top hatches, as well as a ramp that lowers. This area offers the many opportunities to position the respectable crew of minifigures.

The iconic latter-day Princess Leia and the rare Admiral Ackbar (complete with cup o' joe) are unquestionably the great gets in this set. However, the two Resistance troopers have super-cool visor assemblies and a unique look, and while some argued that a red-armed C3PO should have been included instead of one of the Resistance troopers, this strikes me as a mere quibble.

Since it serves as both a headquarters and a means of transportation for the rebels, the Resistance troop transport has quickly inserted itself as a core component of a number of Star Wars missions in our household.

Kudos to Lego for this surprising and stellar set.

Day 423, Quasi-Quarantine: Bringing The Bad Batch Into The Light

In the new Disney animated series "The Bad Batch," the exploits of Hunter, Tech, Crosshair, Wrecker, and Echo (more on him in a future blog post) have captivated our household.

The crew has now added a (***SPOILER ALERT***) new quasi-member in the form of the delightful Omega, but we currently have to be content with the 3D-printed Bad Batch minifigures we procured toward the end of the Clone Wars runs.

While we currently wait impatiently for the arrival of the new Bad Batch Lego set in August, we've been busy retrofitting existing minifigures and adapting them to the new storylines from the TV show.

It's still quarantine as hell up in here. But I wouldn't change this part of it.

Lego on.

Day 422, Quasi-Quarantine: Remembering Scott Hutchison

"When it's all gone

Something carries on

And it's not morbid at all

Just that nature's had enough of you"

Three years ago yesterday, Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit took his own life. Through the charity established by his family -- Tiny Changes -- he continues to impact the world through awareness and music.

His meaningful collaborations with so many respected musicians spoke to the deep respect the community had for him. Said The National's Aaron Dessner, "Scott was able to turn the darkest corners of his mind into pieces of art."

It hurts that there will likely be no more Frightened Rabbit music. Or Mastersystem. Or Owl John.

But the music carries on, in all the small but massive ways.

You can mark my words, I'll make changes to earth

While I'm alive, I'll make tiny changes to earth

[Please enjoy what might be my favorite music video of all time.]

Limerick Friday #504: The Beach Restores Yet Again -- Day 419

An Outer Banks jaunt

With weather to flaunt

A change of scenery

Minus the greenery

Did everything I did want

We did immediately latch

To the new show to catch

Order 66 clones

And spy drones

Welcome to "The Bad Batch"

A little out of debts

So they placed all their bets

On Lindor's hits and throws

Now he all of a sudden blows

This is so very, very Mets

The site Republic Bricks

Full of lies and delivery tricks

Knockoff lego scam

With a needless sham

Run by clueless pricks

Frets and strumming

Chord picks while humming

Seems like a magic trick

Will it ever click?

The guitar, alluring and dumbing

Last time ...

Day 418, Quasi-Quarantine: "Later" Roller-Coasters Its Way Into King's Noir Catalog

"Even a little kid knows certain basic things if he's not soft in the attic. You said please, you said thank you, you didn't flap your weenie around in public or chew with your mouth open, and you didn't talk to dead folks when they were standing next to living folks who were just starting to miss them."

Stephen King's work in the Hard Case Crime series has been tremendous, highlighted by one of my favorite stories of his, "Joyland." While "Later" doesn't measure up to his best in this genre, the author builds more memorable characters and viable backstories yet again.

Continuing the tradition of incredible Hard Case Crime artwork, this book doesn't take long to start living up to its cover. Sporting a frantic pace, this one forces you to consciously slow down to make it last.

"Looking back on it, I sometimes think my life was like a Dickens novel, only with swearing."

From homosexuality to demonic possession, from incest to dirty cops, "Later" doesn't shy away from weighty issues. Jamie Conklin's extrasensory perception can be used to thwart domestic terrorists, but it can't be used to fend off a lonely, rocky upbringing. He's often burned by authority figures, lending an undertone of depression to his narrative voice and infusing this tale with an extra layer of emotion.

Some of the twists and coincidences become a bit hard to take, but there are moments where King's brilliance shines through. There aren't enough of those to elevate this one in the context of his canon, but for those hanging on his every word -- especially in the midst of a global pandemic -- this unstoppable page-turner will more than suffice.

"Thoughts drowning in blood. I never forgot that."

Day 417, Quasi-Quarantine: I Want To Go Back To There