Day 830, Quasi-Quarantine: Disney Day 2 Allows Us To Lose Ourselves In The Star Wars Universe

 

After an initial day in the Magic Kingdom, Day 2 at Disney World featured our long-awaited first trip to Batuu, an Outer Rim Territories planet.

Featuring rogues like smuggler Hondo Ohnaka, Black Spire Outpost is a gritty spaceport. The heat was occasionally overwhelming, but the level of detail and intricacies built into the experience were phenomenal.

A journey on Smuggler's Run was an essential place to start. With crew members assigned to pilot, navigator, and gunner, helming the Millennium Falcon represented a dream come true for any '80s kid -- or younger.

Visiting the various shops around the outpost, we tried blue and green milk (with and without alcohol), did some shopping (landing a rebel helmet, among other trinkets), and encountered some familiar figures from the Star Wars universe.

After building our own droid, we also rode Rise of the Resistance, a phenomenal ride that took you through being captured by the Empire and then escaping back into Batuu.

After a full day in Batuu, we had an appointment for late drinks at Oga's Cantina, which not only gave us an opportunity to experience an iconic cantina, but to take pictures of a near-empty park. The T-16 Skyhopper (Tito's vodka, Bols melon liqueur, kiwi, and half & half) and the Bad Motivator IPA from Sierra Nevada were standouts.

A whirlwind, immersive day in Black Spire Outpost for sure, and with nearly 32,000 steps as a family, we were ready to hyperdrive back to the hotel.

But Batuu was everything we hoped it might be, and more -- a not-insignificant feat considering the lofty expectations we brought with us to the Outer Rim.

Day 829, Quasi-Quarantine: Lego's Rebel Pilot Helmet Had Me Nostalgic For Jek Porkins

I finally got around to putting together Luke Skywalker's Red Five Helmet (set 75327), a birthday gift that had been lingering for a minute.

This was my first crack at one of the "Lego for Adults" (18 and older) helmet sets, and it was very satisfying to see the disparate elements come together and the way various pieces were repurposed for other uses.

Though somewhat smaller than expected, this 675-piece set includes an integrated display stand and some compelling color combinations. The final result had me ready to run the Death Star trench in pursuit of cosmic fame.

 

Limerick Friday #548: Normalizing A Coup Attempt And Other Hypocrises -- Day 825

Traitors did their bidding

While they tried to stay hidden

Asking for pre-emptive pardons

While watering terrorist gardens

Who the fuck are they kidding?

Gave everything that he had

Even when things looked futile and sad

A one-man Wolfpack at times

As he looks for new mountains and climbs

For Dereon Seabron, let's be glad

Injuries becoming a thing

As the Mets take wing

Running outta depth

A roster bereft

A revealing West Coast swing

You've never been a fit

Because you don't really do shit

With existential "thoughts" you smother

But we don't need a den mother

Do something and stick a sock in it

Can you buy a spine

On the taxpayer dime?

Because Merrick Garland is in need

Down his leg he's peed

History will crucify him in time

Last time ...

Day 824, Quasi-Quarantine: "Stranger Things" Owns The Summer -- And Closed-Captioning Horror

 

The first part -- comprising seven episodes -- of the fourth season of "Stranger Things" felt like seven mini-movies, making the wait for the final two episodes on July 1 feel interminable.

On the plus side, the Duffer Brothers are indicating that there will be a fifth and final season, though, which is welcome news for those who were working under the assumption that this was the last we'd see of "Stranger Things."

For now, let's appreciate the pure terror involved in the phrase "Demogorgon feeding wetly" as we bide our time.

Day 823, Quasi-Quarantine: Haunting "Sundial" Channels The Eerie Desert In Propulsive Ways

"When people say something is 'unthinkable,' what they usually mean is that they don't want to think it. They are resistant to an idea. But that is not what unthinkable means. I understand that, now. It means to be confronted with a thought so vast, dark, and monstrous that it will not fit into any known shapes in your mind. It is poison and madness flowering behind your eyes."

Thirty pages into Catriona Ward's "Sundial," I was already terrified. The feeling didn't abate much over the ensuing 250+ pages.

Set in the Mojave desert, this book is a psychological thriller, a ghost story, and a true-to-life depiction of the unerasable scars of abuse and neglect. Featuring an untrustworthy narrator, the tale winds through a series of harrowing events as a mother seeks to protect her daughters from the past, the present, and the future.

"I am caught in his golden eyes. All the desert is in them. He is still a king."

With frantic pacing, "Sundial" features a breakneck rhythm with a satisfying ending, replete with the twists, turns, and ghosts that turn it into an irresistible read.

 "It's possible to feel the horror of something and to accept it all at the same time. How else could we cope with being alive?"

Day 822, Quasi-Quarantine: Funko! Pops Share Their Take On The White Stripes

 

Released in 2003, "Elephant" was the fourth studio album by the White Stripes. One of the most impactful albums of my listening career, this collection featured "I Just Don't Know What do Do with Myself," "Ball and Biscuit," and the era-defining "Seven Nation Army," among other standouts.

I first became fully aware of the genius of Jack White with this album, and whether you call it punk blues, blues rock, or garage rock revival, his work with Meg White is nothing short of transcendent. 

Cheers to Funko! for making a couple of Pops celebrating this band that reshaped music in the early 2000s.

Day 821, Quasi-Quarantine: Fun With Closed-Captioning

 

I'm not sure what was happening in this Louisville-Texas A&M game, but I'm reasonably sure that the play-by-play person wasn't accurately describing the action.

Day 817, Quasi-Quarantine: Braving Florida For A Toe-In-The-Water First Day At Disney

 

The crew chased away April with a long-delayed journey to that most magical mystifying of places.

Disney World.

The first day involved a very early morning flight into Orlando, followed by a harrowing Uber (due to there no longer being Disney transportation at the airports) to the Swan hotel. We ducked into the Magic Kingdom for a few rides (including the family favorite and not-long-for-this-world Splash Mountain), spending the bulk of our time in Frontierland and riding the Liberty Square Riverboat for the first time.

With a much-anticipated and long-awaited visit to Batuu and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge looming for the following morning, we had a relatively low-key afternoon, netting just 21,470 steps.

That would change in a big way.

Soon.

Day 816, Quasi-Quarantine: Meandering "Anthem" A Poignant Commentary With A Missing Point -- Which May Be The Point

"Perceived loss of standing had torn our country apart. The fear of losing ground to those beneath us ... Rather than elevate those they perceived as lower status to their own level. Deep down, it seemed, many Americans were convinced that a gain for others was a loss for themselves."

This apocalyptic novel delves into long essays at various points during the narrative, but Noah Hawley has painted a dark, vivid, oppressive picture in "Anthem" -- and one that is ripped from our incessant news cycles.

"In simpler times this would have been called irony, but your author would like to point out, dear reader, that the times in which he lives stopped being simple long ago. In the new times -- the Age of Tribal Thinking, the Age of Inverted Reality -- irony has been stripped of its humor.

"And irony without humor is violence."

"The internet, invented to 'democratize information,' has turned out, instead, to be a tool of self-affirmation. Whether you believe you're suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or that 9/11 was an inside job, the World Wide Web exists to tell you you're right.

"You're always right."

Despite a problematic ending, Hawley has captured a disaffected generation as they come to terms with the lies and broken promises handed down to them by their parents and grandparents. A broken planet, rampant abuse of power, and a mind-numbing war on reality itself are the legacies transferred to contemporary teenagers, and the author finds fertile ground with which to work.

The through-line is a hive-mind group suicide phenomenon, which has rendered parents captors and families beating to the march of a perpetual egg timer.

"Suicide, you see, is an idea. And like any idea, it can spread from person to person to person. Anyone who has ever stood at a great height and felt the impulse to jump recognizes the draw. And what is adolescence if not a great height from which we are all expected to jump? A precipice of hormones and doubt, of alienation and longing. No longer a child. Not yet grown. Trapped in the pain of becoming.

"But what if you could make the pain stop?

"What if the answer was not to endure the transition and all its adjacent misery but to end it?"

While the occasional humor and -- for some of us -- joy-inducing Stephen King references soften some blows, the reading can be difficult and disturbing. 

"I am Randall Flagg, the Walking Dude, the Ageless Stranger, who can call beast and fowl alike to my defense, who haunts the dreams of mortal men. Randall Flagg, the Man in Black, Old Creeping Judas, the Grinning Man. Only an atom bomb can kill me."

"Anthem" falls short of what it purports to be, offering no answers, no encouragement, and no haven -- just a mirror held up to who we are and a hint at what lies along the smoldering path.

"'I figured it out,' he repeats. 'It's grief. The five stages of death, right? Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, but we're all trapped in the first two stages. The whole country, or maybe the Earth. We're in denial and we're pissed, because something we love is dead, except, for half the country, what they're grieving is the past they think they've lost, and the other half is mourning the progress they thought they'd made, but everyone feels the same way. Like someone they love has died.'"

Day 815, Quasi-Quarantine: Miami Caps Free Agency 2022 With An Intriguing Scheme Fit in Running Back Sony Michel

 

Fortifying what has recently been a subpar running back corps, Miami inked former enemy Sony Michel to a one-year, $1.75 million contract, with $850,000 guaranteed. The post-draft addition adds another proven veteran to what has become a crowded offensive backfield.

The pluses: At just 27 years old, Michel is coming off his second Super Bowl title in four years in the league. The 5-11, 215-pounder has 3,137 career rushing yards, with 18 touchdowns and a 4.2 yards-per-carry average. After starting 35 games in three seasons as a former first-round pick in New England, he was traded to the Rams prior to last season for fifth- and sixth-round picks. The Orlando native led Los Angels with 845 yards and four scores, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Michel has just three lost fumbles in his career and shined in games against the Dolphins, racking up 437 yards and four touchdowns in six career contests against Miami.

The negatives: Michel has never had a 1,000-yard season and was an afterthought in the postseason for the Rams a season ago, posting just 80 yards and no scores on 3.1 yards per attempt. He's not much of a threat to break chunk plays (with a long run of 48 yards in his career) nor is he a receiving threat, with just 47 catches for 386 yards and two touchdowns in his career. The Patriots gave up on him as a former first-rounder in an injury-limited season after he averaged 5.7 yards per carry, and Michel now joins his third team in as many seasons.

The bottom line: Michel is best as a grinding, between-the-tackles runner, making him an interesting candidate for Miami's new zone blocking scheme -- especially with the injury histories of the Dolphins' current backs. With Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds adding speed to the backfield in free agency, Michel is likely to be counted on to earn the tough yards, with his shifty style in the hole probably making him a better fit than incumbents Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed. While his career is no longer trending in the right direction, one gets the sense that there is still some meat on the bone for Michel, and as an extremely late addition in post-draft free agency, this feels like a low-key strong move for the 'Fins.

Day 814, Quasi-Quarantine: Next-Leveling Your Run-Of-The-Mill Rum Cocktail

 

I've discovered Kraken Black Spiced Rum. There's no going back now.

Originating in Trinidad & Tobago, this rum contains hints of cinnamon, ginger, and clove. If you're into Scooter levels of sophistication, this pairs ideally with Trader Joe's Jalapeno Limeade.

The current state of the world calls for diversified heavy drinking decisions, and the Kraken perhaps best embodies that in both spirit and spirits.

Limerick Friday #547: "Barry" Doing Its Best To Redeem (*Gestures Aimlessly*) All The Things -- Day 811

Every week I see

But can't believe the quality

"Barry" is a revelation

In a time of desolation

The best thing on TV

Moon shots galore

But never more

A bittersweet word of thanks

To Tommy "Tanks"

The latest walking out that door

The arrival of season four

Couldn't have been anticipated more

"Stranger Things" back with a bang

More horror and drama for the gang

The Duffer brothers dialing up the gore

Tensions run high

Burnout is nigh

Emotions close to the surface

Ignorance without purpose

That sense we're all living in a lie

Same bullshit now as then

Screwed once again

Pack baseball targeted every day

By a vindictive NCAA

Fuck 'em in every way you can

Last time ...

Day 810, Quasi-Quarantine: "Ozark" Could Not Possibly Have Constructed A More Awful Ending

Welp. I have never wanted to boo the finale of a series I liked more, and the robotic video above was chosen to reflect the mechanical nature of how the show ground to a halt.

To be fair, I would have been pissed about any "Ozark" conclusion that didn't involve Wendy -- one of the least likeable characters I can recall by a gifted actress, Laura Linney, who seems to specialize in playing such roles -- getting blown away. 

However, to snuff out the iconic Ruth -- who carried the entire show -- while allowing the Byrdes to emerge scott free was too much to bear. The classist nature of having the Byrdes skate while the entire Langmore and Snell families were wiped out rang hollow and disturbing.

It became clear that the writing/directing team lost control of the plot line over the past couple of seasons, allowing what should have been a two-season show to meander into oblivion based on mass appeal.

Introducing random new characters, allowing the Marty-Wendy relationship to persist (they didn't even like each other, much less love each other), ignoring interesting subplots like the criminal maturation of Jonah, and reducing Three to some sort of occasional reminder that there were once way more Langmores ... these are unforgivable mistakes on a prestige show.

For a while, "Ozark" qualified as can't-miss art. By the end, it was reduced to swing-and-miss TV.

Day 809, Quasi-Quarantine: Wistful Journey Turns Troubling Precursor To The Dissolution Of A Nation's Soul In "Travels With Charley"

"For how can one know color in perpetual green, and what good is warmth without cold to give it sweetness?"

Facing his own mortality and a sense that the country had changed while he wasn't paying attention, John Steinbeck set out to travel America with his standard poodle, Charley. The result is a memorable travelogue that dissects the author's feelings about the degradation of the environment and overall morality coursing through the veins of a new nation.

"There seemed to be no cure for loneliness save only being alone."

Much consternation has been made about the truthfulness of Steinbeck's account, and it's overtly apparent that many dialogues and episodes are made up. He has improbable conversations with fairly wooden characters and uses Charley as a stand-in to monologue about what he thinks he's learning.

A harrowing trip through the deep South near the end of his journeys paints the overall experience in depressing and somber tones. 

"I faced the South with dread. Here, I knew, were pain and confusion and all the manic results of bewilderment and fear. And then South being a limb of the nation, its pain spreads out to all America."

"Beyond my failings as a racist, I knew I was not wanted in the South. When people are engaged in something they are not proud of, they do not welcome witnesses. In fact, they come to believe the witness causes the trouble."

Over the course of some 10,000 miles, Steinbeck reckons with an America at war with itself, serving up prescient warnings that -- some 60 years later -- ring frighteningly true.

"I do know this -- the big and mysterious America is bigger than I thought. And more mysterious."

Day 808, Quasi-Quarantine: Pack9 Pays The Price For NCAA Pettiness & Ineptitude

The litany of hose jobs suffered by NC State at the hands of the NCAA continued Monday, when the Wolfpack was inexplicably predictably left out of the national baseball tournament.

Cemented in all quarters as a two-seed in the upcoming regionals, the Pack was left out in a development that can only be read as payback for the withering criticism dealt the NCAA from all quarters after last year's circus-like expulsion of the team in the midst of the College World Series.

You might be forgiven if you can no longer keep the slights straight, so last year is when State -- on the verge of a national championship in most eyes -- was removed from the tourney in the middle of the night after a controversial COVID testing scenario.

Lambasted from all sides, the NCAA doubled down on the football side by refusing to deal UCLA a forfeit after the Bruins randomly decided not to play the Wolfpack an hour before the Holiday Bowl. Then tripled down by giving No. 2 seed UConn a home game in its Elite Eight matchup with No. 1 NC State in this year's NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

While it may be argued as to which incident was most egregious against the Pack, the latest event feels the most "personal" based on last year's CWS fiasco. Even prominent national observers are calling attention to the triple standard of treatment toward NC State.

So what can be done? Well, Boo Corrigan is persona non grata among Wolfpack Nation at the minute due to the perception that he is rolling over while the NCAA lands body blow after body blow. However, the only recourse seems to be the imminent dissolution of the NCAA, which will be coming sooner rather than later, combined with a persistent national spotlight on the issue(s).

Of course, that doesn't help the Pack seniors, who likely had a title stolen from them and now have been robbed of a chance to compete for another one. And while State fans have grown accustomed to scenarios like this playing out, this one feels particularly painful, based on a perception that was a conscious decision to punish the Wolfpack for putting the NCAA on blast a season ago. 

Limerick Friday #546: Words Fail, Hypocrisy Prevails -- Day 804

 

Unthinkable pain

Collusion insane

In our darkest hours

Racist cowards

Republicans: our country's stain

Injuries begin to roll

Taking their toll

And after a year in Queens

Lindor still can't hit for beans

Let's hope this Mets team has soul

Rich old crooks

Cooking the books

'Tis primary season

Ignorance beyond reason

Just as corrupt as it looks

A show that grew and grew

Until no one knew what to do

Ruthie redeemed a lot

But "Ozark" sunk under its own plot

With an ending that made me want to boo

Bloodstained mops

Babysat by spineless cops

They hid outside

While kids screamed and cried

The coverup just never stops

Last time ...

Day 803, Quasi-Quarantine: Bidding Farewell To The Nation's Capital

 

On our final day in D.C. (previous experiences go backwards from here), we did a little more exploring en route to our appointment to journey to the top of the Washington Monument.

With mild claustrophobia in check, the views were stellar, and the displays while you waited for a ride back down revealed a lot about the origin story of the monument.

Then we were off, checking out of our hotel, having an awkward exchange with the doorman, heading to the metro, and ending up at the bus station for our return trip.

Maybe the less said about the train ride, the better.

Except for this. This is a one-boy lesson into how to shut everything out and focus on what you love to do.

All in all, a worthy spring break adventure -- and one that was a long time in the making.

Day 802, Quasi-Quarantine: "Fox 8" Offers A Needed Parable For A New Age

This engrossing short story from one of my favorite authors, George Saunders, manages to pack a lot in its 49 pages. The book -- peppered with charming illustrations by Chelsea Cardinal -- shares an out-of-species perspective on human nature, observing the whims, marvels, and wanton cruelty of people.

"Fox 8" is a curious daydreamer who teaches himself English through eavesdropping on bedtime stories, then sets out to use this new skill to save his extended family, which has been imperiled by habitat destruction under the guise of development. 

"Why did the Curator do it so wrong, making the groop with the gratest skils the meenest?"

Fox 8's interactions with humans are fraught with kindness mixed with evil, and after he gets lost and finds a new group, he is forced to recognize that humans jeopardize the future of those he loves and must be considered the enemy.

George Saunders uses a clever and inviting approach to create a modern-day parable, and "Fox 8" offers the balanced and impactful format needed to view the world through a new lens -- whether human or fox.

Day 801, Quasi-Quarantine: Miami Ends The 2022 Draft With A Whimper

Over the years, the draft has been an area of deep pain and frustration for Dolphins fans (as extensively documented here). So -- and stay with me here -- why not just, like, skip the draft by packaging your picks for players who are already proven? That's exactly what Miami finally did this year, following the L.A. Rams model by shipping essentially an entire draft to Kansas City for Tyreek Hill. While that sounded like a stellar idea on the day the trade was announced, reality set in in late April when the 'Fins picked zero players on Day 1 and a single player on Day 2 to prepare for a boon of three picks on the final day of the draft.

The pluses: After the scant Day 2 result, Miami had three picks on the final day of the draft. Not ideal -- especially since the strength of this draft was deemed to be in the middle rounds -- but this was the hand the 'Fins dealt themselves. At 6-2, 209 pounds, fourth-rounder Erik Ezukanma of Texas Tech gives the team a potential replacement for DeVante Parker as a physical wideout with size. The seventh-rounders -- edge Cameron Goode of California and quarterback Skylar Thompson of Kansas State -- play high-value positions, making them worthy flyers at the draft's back end. The Dolphins need to keep hammering the pass rush spots, while I've long been a fan of taking a signal-caller every year, especially since it's a position the franchise has paid dearly for ignoring for years at a stretch.

The negatives: Look, there was not a lot of draft ammunition here; we all get that. However, landing a reach wideout when you just mortgaged the draft for a receiver and signed another in free agency feels like a luxury pick. Ezukanma was rated as the No. 171 player in the draft by The Athletic guru Dane Brugler, and Miami picked him at No. 125. Considered a "predictable route runner" with average speed and fourth/fifth receiver development potential, Ezukanma was a questionable direction to go in with needs along the offensive line and in the defensive secondary. Continuing the theme, neither Goode (picked at No. 224) nor Thompson (No. 247) was listed among Brugler's top 300 prospects.

The bottom line: The decision to trade for Tyreek Hill came with consequences, and this was part of that fallout. Emerging from an entire draft without a single starter is one way to continue a lengthy streak without a playoff win, and that appears to be the case this year. I don't feel Miami was one player away, but I'm perfectly willing to be wrong. As far as the draft goes, you never want to be completely reactive during the selection process, but that's where the Dolphins put themselves. It's possible Channing Tindall or Ezukanma emerges as a standout for the team, but as things stand now, it was an uneventful and low-impact draft for a franchise that has tied so many (lost) hopes to these days in the past.

Day 800, Quasi-Quarantine: Stupid People Vote Too

"Because my stupid vote counts as much as anybody else. And sometimes, way more, like in my county."

An important PSA to close out another SNL season.

Day 796, Quasi-Quarantine: To The Zoo! (No, Not Congress, The Other One. No, The Other Other One.)

With our trip to the District winding to a close after a host activities on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3, our fourth day featured a more peaceful pace. Braving the Metro and some forbidding weather, we headed out to the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Amazingly, the zoo is free, and the combination of the early hour and the intermittent rain made it nearly empty. The lack of foot traffic gave us plenty of time to spend with delightful creatures like the Emperor Tamarin.

After seeing the iconic pandas, we encountered a pretty sleepy orangutan.

The Andean bear was also quite a sight as it began to slowly wake and greet the day.

With our travel companions fading quickly (I could have stayed there all day), we headed back to the hotel for some swimming before journeying to Capitol City Brewing Company to end the day with an oat soda.

Up next: an early-morning jaunt, followed by a looming lengthy train ride back to Raleigh.

Day 795, Quasi-Quarantine: Steady Creep Of Fascism Pushes "It Can't Happen Here" From Satire To Contemporary Observation

 

"People will think they're electing him to create more economic security. Then watch the Terror!"

"'Wait till Buzz takes charge of us. A real Fascist dictatorship!'

'Nonsense! Nonsense!' snorted Tasbrough. 'That couldn't happen here in America, not possibly! We're a country of freemen.'"

Serving as a searing social commentary while simultaneously being dense enough to be a slog, "It Can't Happen Here" is a difficult and challenging read that is well worth the effort.

Halfway through, Sinclair Lewis's novel moves from satire to warning when Doremus Jessup's son-in-law is shockingly and swiftly executed. The rise of the Hitler-like Buzz Windrip is largely based on Huey Long, and though the author characterized the story as pure propaganda for American democracy at the time, there are enough parallels to contemporary and current times to be chilling.

"The Senator was vulgar, almost illiterate, a public liar easily detected, and in his 'ideas' almost idiotic, while his celebrated piety was that of a traveling salesman for church furniture, and his yet more celebrated humor the sly cynicism of a country store."

"To the veteran reporters it was strange to see the titular Secretary of State, theoretically a person of such dignity and consequence that he could deal with the representatives of foreign powers, acting as press-agent and yes-man for even the President."

After voters choose "security" over freedom, Windrip's ascendant organization seizes the press and academia, silences opponents, burns books, and builds concentration camps. Before the populace fully realizes it, the government -- enforced by the Stasi-like Minute Men -- has a chokehold on the country, finally leading to the creation of the New Underground as a resistance.

"If I ever hear that 'can't make an omelet' phrase again, I'll start doing a little murder myself! It's used to justify every atrocity under every despotism, Fascist or Nazi or Communist or American despotism, Fascist or Nazi or Communist or American labor war. Omelet! Eggs! By God, sir, men's souls and blood are not eggshells for tyrants to break!"

As the stepbrother of "The Plot Against America," "The Man in the High Castle," and even "The Handmaid's Tale," "It Can't Happen Here" feels like an essential read. Lewis's approach is clever and prescient, brilliant and brutal, allowing him to offer political commentary in the context of conflicted character.

"Cure the evils of Democracy by the evils of Fascism! Funny therapeutics. I've heard of their curing syphilis by giving the patient malaria, but I've never heard of their curing malaria by giving the patient syphilis!"

As a social satirist, Lewis offers no solutions or clear ending, and the brutal depiction of the oppressive regime within America challenges the reader's dedication. Yet nearly 90 years later, "It Can't Happen Here" remains a compelling and important book, lending important context to the current global political landscape.

"'More and more, as I think about history,' he pondered, 'I am convinced that everything that is worth while in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that the preservation of this spirit is more important than any social system whatsoever. But the men of ritual and the men of barbarism are capable of shutting up the men of science and of silencing them forever.'"

Day 794, Quasi-Quarantine: After Sitting Out Day 1 Of The Draft, Miami Makes Limited Entrance On Day 2

Following its seismic trade for Kansas City wideout Tyreek Hill -- in which Miami sent essentially its draft to the Chiefs -- the Dolphins were casual observers on the 2022 selection show's first day. While I both understood and would not have made that deal (more on that on another day), the fallout is that the 'Fins were relegated to trying to make the most of its first pick of the draft: 102 choices in.

The pluses: Miami used that third-rounder (as announced by franchise legend Larry Csonka) on Georgia's Channing Tindall, a highly athletic 6-2, 230-pound linebacker. In a season that saw the Bulldogs win the national title, he recorded 67 tackles, including 7.5 stops for losses and 5.5 sacks. Powered by a 42-inch vertical and a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, Tindall rose up the rankings as the draft neared, with Dane Brugler, draft guru for The Athletic, slotting him as the No. 74 player in the draft. Scouts cited his acceleration, burst, aggressive runs fits, striking ability, and sideline-to-sideline style of play.

The negatives: Overshadowed by more prominent Georgia linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, Tindall was seen as something as a slow developer after tallying just 41 tackles in his first three seasons in Athens. Without a pass breakup in his entire career, he's seen as a liability in coverage, exhibiting poor pass breakups and anticipation. As a result, Tindall was primarily considered a rotational linebacker whose speed and hitting ability could help him eventually evolve into a starter.

The bottom line: Linebacker is a position where Miami has mostly been trying to just get by with patchwork additions in recent years, so investing in the unit was long overdue. Tindall would appear to be a good scheme fit for an aggressive, attacking defense, with high potential as a blitzer and quarterback spy. If he can give Jerome Baker some help with pressure from the linebacker corps and earn situational reps, Tindall will justify being the Dolphins' first choice in an anomaly of an NFL Draft for Miami.

Day 793, Quasi-Quarantine: Discovering New Scott Hutchison Gems 4 Years After His Passing

I can't speak to why this song didn't make the cut for the self-titled Owl John album that was released in 2014. What I can say is that this is one of the most gut-wrenching songs and painful lyrics I've heard by Scott Hutchison, lead singer and guitarist of Frightened Rabbit and the solo act behind Owl John.

And yet ... and yet. It's irresistible in the haunting.

Limerick Friday #545: Batuu Redeems The Sunshine State -- Day 790

 

Ventured into Disney

And the unmasked humidity

Plans carefully made

Turned to survival and shade

But enough magic moments to offset stupidity

It was an NBA era sublime

That HBO tried to pantomime

With characters of cardboard

And moments of "Oh, lord"

This is the roller-coaster of "Winning Time"

Morale did plummet

As quality morphed into "slum it"

But against all odds

And prayers to the marketing gods

Everything kinda worked at Summit

We made the most

Of Black Spire Outpost

A memorable May the Fourth

Despite crowds, it was worth

A T-16 Skyhopper toast

The bane of every tool

And mid-life crisis fool

Guts blindingly white

With cans of Miller Lite

Welcome back your neighborhood pool

Last time ...

Day 789, Quasi-Quarantine: "Raising Worry-Free Girls" A Straightforward Look At Anxiety That Spans Age -- And Gender

"Girls today have greater expectations but less hope than children in generations past."

In "Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World," Sissy Goff has created a worthy conversation starter for parents and children. Though focused on girls and daughters, the book is applicable to all genders and ages.

"If we solve our kids' problems for them, they don't develop the ability to problem-solve, which I believe is one of the primary deterrents of anxiety."

From square breathing to mind platters to gratitude jars, Goff shares a number of exercises and tools that are helpful to kids -- and adults -- of all ages. The author also touches on the benefits of exposure therapy and includes a useful list of anxiety types.

This book pulls from a number of resources to back up the activities, and some statistics are jarring -- for instance, the revelation that, over the last 30 years, we've shortened the childhood of girls by a year and a half.

"Research shows that one of the biggest predictors of anxiety in kids is anxiety in parents.

"It perpetuates for several reasons, one of which is that our fear sometimes gets in the way of them doing what they need to do to work through their fear.

"Our goal is for the child you love to know that she is smart, capable, brave, strong, and resilient. We want her to grow in her grit."

Especially near the end of the book, there is a deep religious bent that may be off-putting to some readers. However, the message and its importance are universal, making "Raising Worry-Free Girls" a good resource for parents and their children.

"The kids we love are getting the message that the unspeakable happens, but we're not preparing them for the daily troubles that make up life."

Day 788, Quasi-Quarantine: Busing Our Way Through History In D.C.

After a whirlwind Day 1 and some memorable second-day activities, our third day in the District gave us an opportunity to take a hop-on, hop-off tour.

Despite some miscommunication and initial stress in actually securing a bus, we did a drive-by of the Washington Monument before moving on to the Jefferson Memorial.

We executed the "hop off" portion of the festivities at our next stop, giving us a chance to see the Lincoln Memorial and read the Gettysburg Address.

The powerful Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial was up next, and we felt grateful to experience this part of the park that overlooks the Potomac.

As the morning cold slowly dissipated and the sun came out in full force, we proceeded through the Chinatown area of the city.

After winding our way through a number of notable parts of D.C., we slid by the Capitol Building, offering a sobering reminder of one of our nation's darkest days and the overriding fragility of our government.

This method of experiencing Washington, D.C., gave us snapshots of history with the ability to dig deeper as we liked. Whether through intention, osmosis, or immersion, we all learned something and had plenty of moments for reflection.

Day 787, Quasi-Quarantine: Terron Armstead Emerges As Centerpiece Of Miami's Free Agency 2022

 

Despite some anxious moments as part of the waiting game of free agency, Miami eventually landed its top target in former New Orleans left tackle Terron Armstead. The former third-rounder out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff earned a five-year, $87.5 million contract -- including $43.37 million guaranteed -- to help fix the 'Fins offensive front.

The pluses: There are a number of reasons why Armstead was considered free agency's top offensive tackle and tabbed as the No. 79 player in the league in the NFL's annual list of top 100 players. According to Pro Football Focus, he's received a top-10 pass-blocking grade in each of the past seven seasons, allowing pressures on only 3.7% of his pass-blocking reps, tied for best in the league in that span. Demonstrating his versatility, PFF has also graded him at 95% in blocking for man-to-man running assignments and 88% on zone runs since 2015. That should be music to the ears of new offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who will be reunited with Armstead after Smith served as an assistant with the Saints.

The negatives: The lone issue here -- and it's a significant one -- is availability. While he's known for playing through pain, the 6-5, 304-pound Armstead has only played more than 13 games four times in nine NFL seasons, appearing in 97 games for the Saints over that timeframe. He missed half of last season, and the sole reason why he lingered in free agency after the initial wave of high-profile signings was injury concerns. For a soon-to-be 31-year-old playing a cornerstone position, this is a situation to monitor and account for.

The bottom line: Look, let's not overthink this: The Dolphins added a three-time Pro Bowler to a unit that featured the worst-graded tackles in the league (50.8 by PFF) last year. Armstead brings a reputation as a locker room leader and tone-setter from a culture standpoint, and when he's right, he's a borderline dominant left tackle. Miami did its due diligence and will need to have a backup plan in place, but this is a home run move by a franchise that needs more of them. On top of all else, Armstead showed up to his introductory press conference wearing a Dan Marino throwback jersey, immediately cementing his status as a fan favorite.

Day 786, Quasi-Quarantine: Finding All The Magic Moments

 

Recovering, but remembering.