Sean McDevitt
Blog
One day we were celebrating headlines like this: In the United States, Every World Cup Team Is a Home Team. And the next day, our beloved squad was soundly defeated by Belgium, and our nation was being mocked with disdain as the winning team ridiculed America with a clownish Trump dance and a post that read, Overturn This. As Jerry Brewer writes in The Athletic: The United States’ dream didn’t die. It was overturned. “The president didn’t rescue Folarin Balogun. He didn’t give the U.S. greater odds to win. He didn’t fix the tournament by correcting a mistake. He repossessed the World Cup. He made Balogun, whose class and character represented the entire squad, the face of a fix. He helped create the snooty American attitude that gave Belgium a motivational boost.” What can I say: Football is life. And this is life with Trump. The whole charade was “in many ways, yet another crystallisation of America’s philosophy under Trump, where a rules-based international order can be swept aside when it is deemed to be in the interests of the U.S. One day, it may be climate change co-operation, or it could be economic tariffs on long-standing partners. On another day, it may be withdrawing from the World Health Organization, or threatening to seize Greenland or making Canada the 51st state.” And Trump’s MAGA-red card insertion into the World Cup is a pitch perfect metaphor for the kick-off of today’s NATO meetings, where Trump will further antagonize allies, destroy America’s leadership role, and provide yet another reminder that the election of 2024 was the own goal of the century.
Did anyone else look at the final trailer for Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY and think to themselves… “No, I’m good”? Or was that really just me?
I understand the SUPERGIRL film cratered on release. I haven’t seen it. I saw one of the trailers, and it looked like a Guardians Of The Galaxy film. I haven’t read the graphic novel it’s based on, although one article I saw this week suggested it’s a riff on TRUE GRIT, with Supergirl in the Rooster Cogburn role, and I guess the TRUE GRIT structure didn’t provide enough stakes so the film added in the poisoning of the CGI dog. The thing about TRUE GRIT is that it doesn’t really hang if Rooster Cogburn is 21, so I presume there’s more to it than that. I dunno, maybe Jason Momoa as Lobo was supposed to be Rooster Cogburn, but I hear his appearance is basically an extended cameo. All of this means that I don’t have an informed opinion, which means I don’t have an opinion worth listening to.
In the film press I read, there seems to have been a lot of talk about whether this should really have been the second film from the new DC regime, whether there was any appetite for the character, many comments about the massive rounds of audience testing, observations that it plays a hell of a lot more like a James Gunn film than a Craig Gillespie films, lots of backseat driving.
Listen, Supergirl’s tv show lasted literally twice as long as Wonder Woman’s and she was a lot more recent in the culture than the gap between Lynda Carter and Gal Godot. It was a fair call and not the worst idea for a follow-up to the Superman film on the face of it.
It’s possible, however, that they just didn’t know where their audience was.
The other week, I mentioned DOCTOR WHO and their not seeming to know where their audience was landing - if eight year olds are really watching alt-universe Regency fops fucking on BRIDGERTON, then space babies and cuddly toys aren’t landing where your audience is. On the other hand, maybe a cosmic comedic murdery take on Supergirl just wasn’t where people were. Maybe everyone went to see BACKROOMS and OBSESSION instead, because those films knew what they were and weren’t tested to death first.
“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” –- Erma Bombeck
Shawn Blanc -
Life is almost entirely a series of small, seemingly-inconsequential choices and moments.
All the little things that you do (and don’t do) are what paint the picture of your life.
If you want a different life, make a small change to one thing and stick with it.
Then change something else.
Then something else.
The little things, over time, add up big.
Steinbeck points out that the stars shine in the sky, regardless of the drama here on Earth.
Perspective fools us into believing that our point of view is primary, but it’s not difficult to imagine a more distant (or closer) one that would change everything.
The service at table 7 might not matter much to the waiter, but it matters a great deal to the elderly couple celebrating a positive medical diagnosis. The greeting you offer to a stranger might seem trivial to you, but it could change the arc of that stranger’s day. And the drama that consumes us in this moment might be forgotten in just a few days…
“Important” always requires a modifier. Important to whom? Compared to what? In what time frame?
It’s all important. And none of it is.
Spent the weekend adding mulch to the beds in the back. It looks great.
Every time I do it, it makes me want to pull up all the rocks from our front and replace them with mulch. Pulling the rock would not be hard, just time-consuming, and I’d need a place to put the rock. Basically, we have rock on both sides of the house and the front. The right side (garage side) has three sections of rock. The left side (kitchen/library) has one continuous piece that runs from under the front window and wraps around. Lastly, there is a front section which connects the other side of the garage to the porch.
I want all the rock replaced with mulch. Someday.
Om Malik with a great blog post exploring Anthropic’s naming for Mythos and Project Glasswing:
Project Glasswing is the same move. The name suggests something fragile and transparent, a butterfly with see-through wings. The project is opaque. Only the trusted can see it. The name performs openness so the structure does not have to.
I actually think Anthropic and Claude are going to win the AI Wars. On an aesthetic level, I’m a fan of their naming convention quite a bit. Haiku, Sonnet, Opus, Mythos, Fable. Quite lovely.
In a hearing today about the president’s bulldozing of the East Wing of the White House and plans to build a vast ballroom, a judge asked if the president could also bulldoze the Statue of Liberty and be subject to no legal challenge. The DOJ lawyer, Yaakov Roth, said that yes, President Trump could decide tomorrow to bulldoze the Statue of Liberty and no one could stop him.
It was a good question from DC Court of Appeals Judge Patricia Millett since it brings the arguments and their implications clearly into the open. Reframe the question and the absurdity of this proposition becomes even more clear. If you hire someone to administer your estate, can they burn down the buildings on your estate or chop it up into parcels and sell it off? Presumably not. You hired them to run it, not to destroy it or sell it. It’s not theirs. They were hired for a specific task. That person is your employee. The president is hired to administer the country and enforce its laws for four years. He doesn’t own the country or its properties.
Will someone please rid us of this meddlesome idiot.
Cory Doctorow: Refining humanity:
Computers don’t just clarify what we know and how we organize our society: they also clarify what we are.
Jamelle Bouie: The cruelty is still the point of the Trump regime.
This isn’t a border security policy. It’s cruelty as governance — directed at people this administration has decided don’t deserve dignity.
All year I’ve been reading about taste. Someone somewhere identified that one of the things AI can’t do is “taste.” Now it seems a certain part of the world can’t stop talking about taste, and much of it is trying to define taste, presumably to boil it down into a useful prompt.
This is a bit of a shift from the prevailing notion of “you’re allowed to like stuff,” which turned into “can’t we just let people enjoy things,” which quickly warped into “you have to like everything or you are a monster.” Especially if lots of other people seem to like it, which is one reason why the mainstream culture is so completely flat right now. Taste was demonised by poptimists who defined themselves as victims of those with taste.
And now everyone’s turned around and gone, oh shit, the robots can create everything I said I liked and I’m a slop-eater. There is no status or cultural cache in that. People are freaking the fuck out. They’re trying to find out what taste even is.
Tastemakers have discernment. They know they don’t have to and aren’t supposed to like everything, and they immediately distrust anything so flat and edgeless that it screams of being designed to be liked by the largest number of people. They have knowledge and powers of recognition, they have context and they own their idiosyncrasies. They don’t like what other people like, because they have taste and other people don’t. Other people sit on the kerb of a street in a town that isn’t pretty enough for Instagram influencers, their skin aged prematurely by their phone screens and the digital billboards all around them, googling for peptides to restore the collagen their own phones are evaporating out of their faces and being told by the Google AI summary that tobacco reduces skin cancer. Goldfish with tits of congealed microplastic fuck in the black water sludging its way down the gutter. A “celebrity,” which they understand to mean “someone who is on a screen somewhere for a period of time longer than fifteen seconds,” appears on the nearest digital billboard. Its teeth are white. Taylor Swift white, Rylan white, bone-white, skull-white, nothing-white. The alien teeth seem to swell on the screen, as an inhuman voice drones from the frame about low-cost funerals to the musical accompaniment of something Spotify has inserted into eight million playlists this year. They know the song intimately but they don’t know what it’s called or have any context about it beyond the fact that it must be popular because all the machines make them listen to it over and over again. The teeth seem to invert and bend, twisting inwards to become the event horizon of a black hole that emits only the elongated howling word ddddeattttthhh in an utterance that sounds eerily like Pedro Pascal’s because he had a spare three minutes to ensure he was literally fucking everywhere. They run from the town into the countryside, because “people” on X have told them to “touch grass.” But the grass bends away from their feet, because even vegetal microintelligences can tell when something approaches that is essentially Wrong and no longer of this world. They fall to their knees and whisper for mercy to a seedling in the undergrowth, as an AI gardening podcaster had once told them to talk to plants. But the seedling blackens and crumbles under their graveyard breath. They crawl through the undergrowth to the shore, and look at the water, but they do not know how to feel about the water because no mathematics has told them how to feel about it, for they are basically just a meat coffin containing a low-voltage ghost that knows nothing and feels nothing beyond a faint, fearful urge to spend money on tokens to feed huge calculators that might tell them what to like. In the weeks and months to come, even the carrion eaters reject the corpse by the shore, instinctively recognising that its grey fibres contain no nutrition. Because they have taste.
Anthropic submits draft to go public:
Today, Anthropic, PBC confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of our common stock. This gives us the option to go public after the SEC completes its review. The proposed initial public offering will depend on market conditions and other factors.
I’m not a stock market person, but I’d bet Anthropic is the winner in the LLM company race to be Coke over Pepsi.
I listen to a lot of YouTube at work. The moment I clicked through to the Caught In Joy YouTube channel, I knew I was going to love it. The description:
Over 80 albums designed to focus, flow and reset. Instrumental electronic music for you brain to wander.
And from the website:
Caught In Joy (Karol Pokojowczyk) is a multi-instrumentalist based in Florida, passionately dedicated to live composing, hardware synthesizers, and tape recording - a completely independent music project. I strive to create four albums and visual performances every month, entirely by myself.
I started my professional life as a software engineer and later became a serial entrepreneur, with a few successes along the way. After more than 30 years of working, I saved enough to fund my dream: building a home studio where I could finally focus fully on music.
This album is my current favorite: Mercury - full album (Tangerine Dream meets Pink Floyd and Boards of Canada)
This Reddit thread asks what a person can learn in 10 minutes that will be useful for life, and the top-voted answer is using your hand span, thumb to pinky, as a built-in measuring tool. Mine is 7 inches, which I will never forget now.
The other favorites in the thread are worth sharing for your relationships and your nervous system: “Never explain yourself to people committed to misunderstanding you.” Before responding in an argument, scan your body and take a slow nasal breath to notice fight or flight before you speak. Then speak calmly. “‘No, I can’t’ is a full sentence. You don’t owe anyone a 10-minute TED Talk about why.”
The most important point about rising AI use in the arts is simply this: Millions of people desperately want affirmation. They don’t want to go to the trouble of writing or painting or drawing or making music — or maybe they are afraid that their own work won’t be good enough — but they want people to believe that they have made art. We should be thinking seriously about the intensity of the human need to be recognized, to be thought not basic but special.
This is true, but it has always been true and AI doesn’t have much to do with it.
For a few weeks there, I checked my phone like a worried parent. Andrej Stojakovic had entered the NBA Draft, gone to the combine in Chicago, and told everyone he was “both feet in.” That phrase does something to an Illinois fan. It sits right in the chest.
Then, on Wednesday, he pulled out. He’s coming back to Champaign.
The combine actually went well for him. He led every prospect in the max vertical at 41.5 inches, which is the kind of number that makes you sit up straight. But the draft boards had him as a late second-round guy, and that math never adds up to leaving early. especially in the NIL era. So he’s staying.
The 6’ 7” frame and the athleticism are already there. The rest of the game isn’t finished yet, and now he gets another year to build it. Shoot a million threes, get better, and go in the first round in 2027. That’s the bet, and it’s the right one.
The roster is locked and loaded.
If you’re an athlete, results are measured in wins and losses. But for the rest of us, there is no scoreboard — no way to clearly measure yourself against others.
Which is a good thing, I’d say. Your success shouldn’t be based on whether you’re doing better or worse compared to someone else. There’s a reason for the expression “run your own race.”
You have to figure out why you do this work. What matters to you? Why does this work have meaning to you? And are you doing work that meets those goals and those expectations?
It’s not about followers or likes or even revenue.
However you get meaning from this work, however you measure up against that — that’s your scoreboard.
My right knee hurts. Twice while walking with Maria I stepped wrong and nearly fell. The second time was pretty close to crashing.
Yesterday it was way better than it had been for days. I was on my knees helping plant flowers and plants and I generally felt okay. It was stiff this morning, but walking two miles as per usual just wasn’t in the cards after nearly hitting the deck. This is annoying.
“Americans may not only pay tribute to our honored dead but also unite in prayer for success in our search for a just and lasting peace.” — John F. Kennedy, “Prayer for Peace,” Memorial Day 1962
Matt Singer on The Mandalorian and Grogu –
The movie’s set pieces are a little grander than the ones The Mandalorian typically produced for Disney+; AT-ATs look even more imposing in the boxy IMAX frame. Otherwise, the feature recreates the episodic vibe of the show’s first season. The Mandalorian and Grogu is a straightforward adventure with almost no character development and little to discover below its handsome surface. Even the two-act structure (complete with a cliffhanger right around the one-hour mark), suggests it could have been rejiggered from a pair of scripts for the never-made fourth season of The Mandalorian.
Which is exactly why I’m not spending time and money to see this in the theater.
Do I think it will wildly entertaining? Yes. It’s just not enough for me to go see it outside of my home.
It baffles me why they didn’t just make 7-10 seasons of good shows with this character. It doesn’t need a movie.
James Poniewzik on Colbert ending The Late Show –
He didn’t land the pope, but he got a Beatle. He didn’t have a new project to announce, but he left us with a song (in fact two). He didn’t choose to end his show, but he ended it his own weird, wonderful way. Stephen Colbert hosted his final ‘Late Show’ on Thursday night, completing the story of the TV year’s most notorious and rancorous cancellation. But his final hour-plus — an emotional and delightfully bizarre wake for a comedy institution — turned it into a cancellebration.
That’s a good word. “Cancellebration.”
Colbert’s finale was just amazingly good. Unsurprisingly on-brand. And what a song to end on. Perfect.
At 2:30 in the morning, the night clerk at the hotel is a great help if you’ve locked yourself out of your room.
But if you want to complain about the hours of the gym, the hotel’s environmental footprint or even their late check-in policy, you’re almost certainly wasting their time. And yours.
Every organization with more than a few people in it has night clerks. Most of the people who work at the phone company, for example, and even the person clearing tables at the local pizza place.
It’s the night clerks that have the most customer interaction–in fact, they’re almost certainly the highest leveraged, most insightful marketing cohort in your organization.
They have information, and if we give them agency, they could transform the customer experience.
Alas, our systems rarely help. Many night clerks are underpaid and underappreciated, and systems around them push them not to care.
When your organization gets stuck, don’t blame them. Instead, find a way to help them become the contribution they’re capable of being.
Some useful questions you might not be asking:
How much does the information we’re not collecting cost us?
What is the customer service cost and brand dilution of depriving our people the freedom to take action?
If we built a culture of mutual respect with our night clerks–using training, compensation and engagement–what would our new customer experience and reputation be worth?
Americans are increasingly divided, not only politically, socially, and economically, but geographically. Our lack of real-world interaction makes us all the more susceptible to hateful, rage-baiting messages spread by those who benefit from keeping us divided and afraid of one another. Most Americans have never met anyone in real life that they hate as much as the caricatured versions of their political opponents. The imaginary friends of our childhoods get replaced by the imaginary enemies that exist somewhere, out there, beyond the borders—online and off—of our silos of homogeneity. Forget having united states, between political messaging, physical divides, and now contorted gerrymandering, we don’t even have united neighborhoods anymore.
“I just realized that maybe (just maybe) the reason for the fact that I’m unhappy, unmotivated and slightly head-achey might be that I didn’t have my morning coffee yet.” — Dominik Schwind
It’s raining off and on today and it’s making me depressed or maybe I’m just tired. I dunno.
I just created a Skill in Claude. I found a really great breakdown and then used it as a basis for digital Claude Council to take a question and then debate the good, bad, indifferent about it and present a conclusion. It’s pretty great. I haven’t done anything with it yet, but I think it will become useful in the future.
“There’s a difference between standing up and telling people what you’re planning to do and standing up and going and accomplishing something.” — Paul Stanley
I’ve been watching YouTube stuff too much. Don’t get me wrong, I like what I’m watching but I’m missing on so many things on streaming. Aside from The Pitt with my wife, I’m not really watching anything regularly yet I’m paying for all the streaming services. I’m going to start watching shows/movies I want and stop with the YouTube.
Let’s see if I can’t come up with a playlist.
A direct transfer of billions of your taxpayer dollars directly into the bank account and the pockets of Donald Trump, all dressed up as a settlement of a lawsuit in which Donald Trump is both the plaintiff and also the defendant… All of this happening as the Trump administration is literally making your life harder and more expensive with wars and tariffs. But none of that has stopped Trump from trying to get his hands on more of your money.
The president, in effect, sued himself for more than $10 billion, or he sued the government he controls. This is an attempt at the largest theft ever by an American politician. Plainly, flagrantly, blatantly, in plain daylight. It is a conflict of interest so enormous, the term itself, ‘conflict of interest,’ hardly begins to capture what’s happening.
The mob has a word for that: shakedown. He’s suing the federal government that he controls. A check for $10 billion that he hopes to secure that will go to Donald Trump, signed by Donald Trump. And who’s paying the check? The American taxpayers.
$10 billion is almost enough to fund federal disaster relief for a year. It is enough to fund the entire National Park Service, one of the great jewels of this nation, for five years. You could fund the Peace Corps for 20 years. It could all go straight into the Trump family coffers.
I am telling you, there is no scale or precedent for corruption like this in the United States. It would put every other Trump grift to shame. This is what life looks like under a mad king. Every day brings a new ‘let them eat cake’ moment.
You have to seize all of his assets when this is all over.
“History is a vast early warning system.” — Norman Cousins
Robert Kagan’s ominous view of the Iran war –
“There will be no return to the status quo ante, no ultimate American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done. The Strait of Hormuz will not be ‘open,’ as it once was. With control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the region and one of the key players in the world. The roles of China and Russia, as Iran’s allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished. Far from demonstrating American prowess, as supporters of the war have repeatedly claimed, the conflict has revealed an America that is unreliable and incapable of finishing what it started. That is going to set off a chain reaction around the world as friends and foes adjust to America’s failure.”
Doc Searls has a fantastic breakdown that I agree with 100%, especially the point about skipping ad reads.
Near the end of this Pivot podcast, starting at about the 55 minute mark, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway give a great summary of why podcasting is “the fastest-growing ad-supported medium.” Among other things, they say “People actually listen to the ads,” and that host read-overs are very effective and remunerative (bringing much higher CPMs).
Five additional points.
First, you can listen on your own time. You’re free from the tyranny of “What’s on." This is the triumph of personal optionality over … I dunno, you name it. Yes, we still need what’s live, at least for news and sports. But we don’t need it all the time for everything else. While that doesn’t completely obsolesce the things called “stations,” and “networks,” it does relegate them to a legacy niche. It’s an open question how big that niche will be when the transition is over.
Second, not all podcasts are ad-supported. I know, the ones without ads are mostly out on the long tail, but what matters is that anybody can podcast on the Net, just like anybody can publish there. RSS—really simple syndication—gives all of us scale. This is, as Kurt Vonnegut once said, a miracle on the order of loaves and fish. It’s foundational.
Third, podcasts are liberating. Radio and TV required licenses on the transmission side and dedicated instruments (radios and TVs ) on the receiving end. With podcasting, the thresholds of production, distribution, and consumption verge on zero. Got a phone? You’re in.
Fourth, a huge advantage of podcasts is that you can skip over the ads. Whenever I hear Kara announce the first “quick break,” I usually hit the forward-30-seconds icon six times, to jump over three minutes of 30-second ads. (Though lately Pivot has gone to seven of those in the first break.) Still, I’m sure the advertisers' money is well spent, because some percentage of the audience won’t skip all the ads all the time. And the host-reads are good and effective, as they say.
Fifth, if it’s not “wherever you get your podcasts,” it’s not a podcast. The context for what I sourced above was Kara and Scott’s back-and-forth about Netflix moving into video podcasts. I think “video podcasts” is a contradiction, especially if those podcasts are just another form of TV you can only get from one exclusive producer. If that’s the case, it’s just a show. But look at Us magazine’s list of the 7 Best Podcasts on Netflix Right Now (April 2026). The audio versions of all seven are available wherever you get your podcasts. That makes them real. If they become exclusive to Netflix, or to anybody, they aren’t podcasts anymore. Find another word for them.
The NBA Draft Combine runs May 10-17 at Wintrust Arena. Three names from this year’s Final Four team are on the invite list: Keaton Wagler, Kylan Boswell, and Andrej Stojakovic.
Wagler’s the lock. Top-10 projection, consensus All-American, Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year. He won’t have to scrimmage. The interview rooms are basically a formality.
Boswell is the one I’m watching. He averaged a double-double at the Portsmouth Invitational a few weeks back and made the all-tournament team. He’s projected late second round right now. A strong week in Chicago could only help his stock.
Stojakovic has until May 27 to make up his mind, and the smart bet is that he comes back. The three-ball still has to come around (please shoot 500 threes all summer), and another year with Underwood is worth more than a contested 50th pick.
Miss the days when we all watched the same episode and talked about it the next day. Now everyone’s at a different point in the season. That shared TV excitement is getting harder to find.
Baby, if you’ve ever wondered.
A radio station in Cincinnati just changed its call letters to WKRP this week. Yes, that WKRP. The one where the turkeys couldn’t fly.
Here’s what I love about it. The show was set in Cincinnati, but was never broadcast or filmed there. The call letters bounced around. Most recently, a low-power nonprofit in Raleigh put them up for auction this spring.
Grant County Broadcasters won the bidding. They took 97.7 FM and started playing the same kind of music the show used to spin. They ran the theme song on a six-hour loop before flipping the switch Monday morning.
Most of the time, nostalgia is just something we feel sorry for ourselves about. Every once in a while, though, a fictional place gets to become real, and a station that should have existed all along finally does.
That’s pretty cool.
The first time I heard the Rocky Horror soundtrack, I was at a neighbor’s house. He had the LP from the movie and we played it like it was a normal album. We were kids. We had no idea what we were doing.
A year or two later, the old show Night Flight ran the “Time Warp” section of the movie. Just dropped it on the screen with no setup. I had no idea exactly what I was seeing. I still hadn’t seen a single frame of the actual film, but I knew the song.
I was transfixed.
Here’s the confession. I have never been to a midnight showing. Not once. No rice, no toast, no shouting at the screen. For somebody who loved those songs that long, that’s an embarrassing gap. I should fix my “virgin” status.
The revival opened last month at Studio 54, which is the perfect address for this kind of show. Luke Evans is Frank-N-Furter. Stephanie Hsu is Janet. Rachel Dratch is the narrator. Juliette Lewis is Magenta. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez is Columbia. The production picked up nine Tony nominations, including Best Musical Revival.
Last Monday, they took it to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. They did “Sweet Transvestite."
I’ll admit something. That’s my favorite song from the show. Has been forever. It’s also the song most likely to make somebody clutch a pearl, and that’s part of why I love it. Written in 1973, it still has teeth.
Luke Evans walked it out on The Tonight Show stage in full regalia and pulled no punches. They put it all out there. It was glorious.
Rocky Horror dared you to be weird in public. It still does. The people who showed up at midnight in 1976 weren’t trying to be respectable, and the ones lining up at Studio 54 right now aren’t either.
Forty-some years of knowing every word without seeing it is long enough.
My random hot take on a Sunday trying not to doomscroll:
Not all opinions are equal. Your “vaccine research” is not more comprehensive than immunologists that have devoted their life’s work to this. Barely literate parents are actually not as qualified as educators to teach children. I could go on and on because somewhere along the way we have decided as a culture that it’s exclusionary to recognize expertise or listen to experts. It’s not.
Mike Brock explaining Ben Shapiro’s approach to debate/intervews in the most articulate and enlightening way possible.
The structure is one-way and worth naming plainly.
You concede every factual claim your interlocutor makes. Yes, Trump is corrupt. Yes, Trump tried to overturn the election. Yes, Trump’s loyalists are unfit. Yes, the reframing of January 6 is awful. Yes, the family enrichment is unprecedented. Yes, the response to political murders is morally egregious. You concede all of it.
You then argue that none of these concessions can justify changing your vote, because what you are voting for is policy. The policy is what matters. The character, the corruption, the constitutional vandalism — all of these are bundled with the policy and you cannot get the policy without the bundle. So you take the bundle. You take the wannabe dictator because you also get the tax cut, the conservative judges, the Israel alignment, the DEI rollback. The plumber fixes the toilet. The footprints on the floor are the cost of doing business.
When the interviewer asks what would constitute disqualifying behavior — the level of corruption, the level of constitutional violation, the level of cultural degradation — you respond that disqualifying is not a meaningful concept, because politics is binary and the alternative is worse. There is no level. There is no threshold. There is only the comparison. As long as Kamala Harris exists, Trump cannot be disqualified. As long as a Democrat exists who would do the wrong things on Israel or DEI or taxes, no Republican can be disqualified.
The implication, which Shapiro does not quite state but which is the only honest reading of his position, is this: there is no Republican who could be disqualified by character or conduct, because the alternative is always a Democrat, and the Democrat is always worse on policy. The category of disqualifying has been emptied. There is nothing a Republican president can do that would cause Ben Shapiro to vote against him, because the only available alternative would be a Democrat, and Shapiro has decided in advance that no Democrat can ever be acceptable.
This is not a political philosophy. This is a one-way ratchet. And the ratchet has a name. It is what authoritarian movements have always required from their apologist class, in every country where they have come to power: a class of articulate people who concede every factual point about the authoritarian, who acknowledge his crimes, who profess discomfort with his methods, and who continue to vote for him anyway because the alternative is the left. The apologists do not have to believe in the project. They only have to provide cover for the people who do, and to refuse, when asked directly, to ever pull the lever the other way.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a couple of former Fighting Illini basketball players on their roster, Terrance Shannon, Jr. and Ayo Dosunmu. Both stepped up in the first round of the NBA playoffs to take down the Denver Nuggets.
Last Saturday, Dosunmu scored 43 points off the bench. Thirteen of seventeen from the field. Five for five from three. Twelve for twelve from the line. Forty-two minutes of work, a 27-foot pull-up to put the game away, and an arena chanting MVP at a guy who joined the team two months ago.
Thursday night, Shannon delivered a breakout performance, helping the Timberwolves close out the series. Just like Ayo, he had to start because the Timberwolves have been bitten by the injury bug. He scored a playoff career-high 24 points while adding six rebounds, one assist, and two steals. He shot 9-of-20 from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line.
Watching their individual highlights from the games and it was just like watching both in an Illini uniform. I keep thinking this is exactly how it looked to anyone who watched them at Illinois. It’s cool to see these two players excelling in the NBA and representing Illinois.
I don’t really watch much NBA, but the highlights (Dosunmu, Shannon Jr.) are fun.
Most weeks, the internet is a place that takes things from you. This week, it gave back. Hank Green pulled together every NASA photo from the Artemis II mission, all the videos posted to Instagram and YouTube, the official mission schedule, and the public API that tracks the Orion spacecraft’s location at any given moment, and he stitched them into an interactive timeline. You scroll through ten days of crewed flight to the moon and back. You see what they saw, when they saw it, where they were when they saw it.
NASA uploads its photos to Flickr with the EXIF data intact. Flickr preserves it. NASA also publishes the spacecraft trajectory through an open API. Three pieces of public infrastructure, free for anyone to use, were sitting there waiting for someone to combine them. Hank Green did.
I think I have Plantar Fasciitis. My foot now aches after walking on it. It’s not painful when sitting, but it really hurts when I walk. I’ve done a bit of research to see what can be done and it looks like a massage ball and stretching it about it. I’ve taken ibuprofen, but I don’t think it really helps.
I’ll do the stretching and the massage and hopefully it will get better.
“You’re looking for three things, generally, in a person,” says Buffett. “Intelligence, energy, and integrity. And if they don’t have the last one, don’t even bother with the first two. I tell them, ‘Everyone here has the intelligence and energy—you wouldn’t be here otherwise. But the integrity is up to you. You weren’t born with it, you can’t learn it in school.”
– Warren Buffet
At least, that’s what he thinks. His life is mundane enough that it takes him a while to notice the days repeating. So he tells Elise. She doesn’t believe him, but she helps him anyway. With her encouragement, he finds a way out.
That’s the surface.
Watch it again and the loop starts to come apart. I’m not convinced it was ever a loop. Clues are planted early and they aren’t obvious. You’ll finish the second viewing holding a theory you didn’t have after the first. You might not be any more certain.
I love these kinds of videos.
After 18 months of court fights, the deal is done. The Onion has acquired Infowars. Alex Jones can cry all he wants.
Obviously, satire and comedy won’t fix what Jones did. Nothing can. But watching the machinery that tormented the Sandy Hook families get repurposed as a joke against itself, with a judge’s approval and the families' blessing, is maybe the closest thing to real justice we’re going to see this year.
When you watch the official title sequence for 007 First Light, you might be fooled into thinking there’s a new Bond movie coming.
It’s not a movie, but close enough.
The video game features the original song “First Light,” written and composed by Lana Del Rey and David Arnold. It’s got the slow strings and the punchy horns, and it slides a bit of the old Monty Norman theme into the end of the chorus. I think the song is a fantastic addition to the Bond soundscape. Not better than Adele’s “Skyfall,” but way better than “No Time to Die” by Billie Eilish.
Watch the title sequence again. It’s silhouettes and explosions and abstract smoke, the choreography and visuals someone figured out in 1962 and nobody has improved on since. Perfection.
Sean Bonner is on a tear and I’m here for it —
I’ve been amused at the headlines over the last few days that statutory rape defender and Epstein lawyer Alan Dershowitz has left the Democrats and become Republican. First of all, because who cares? Secondly, because he’s mad that Democrats aren’t pro-Israel enough, which (unfortunately) isn’t true but also who cares? But mostly amusing because he already threw a temper tantrum and quit back in 2024. I guess it’s good for headlines or whatever though so maybe we’ll see him make the same announcement again in a few years? Turns out this is a thing, in a huff Sean Hannity announced that from this moment on he’s no longer Catholic. This of course spawned by the “tough situation” (spoiler: it’s not actually tough) that a lot of MAGA-Catholics are finding themselves in having to pick sides between Trump and The Pope. Again memories seem to be failing because Hannity already announced he’d left the Catholic Church back in 2019. It’s almost like these are just performative labels that can be applied when beneficial and thrown off when it makes a good headline. Speaking of MAGA and changing beliefs, it seems like a growing number of the Trump faithful are suddenly questioning if the Butler assassination attempt was staged.
Speaking of staged, social media is being flooded by tons of AI-generated influencers who really love Trump. And while this appears to be a concerted effort with a specific purpose, apparently it’s not hard to fool people and randos are realizing that making fake AI Bible loving MAGA devotees can be a very profitable grift. I looked around and seems like this is only really happening in one direction, which is a whole story in and of itself. It gets worse, people are now making fake testimonials from fake abuse victims to push regime change in other countries. Unless you know the person or are seeing it live, pretty hard to trust any video online at this point. To balance that out, somewhat, human influencers are apparently being hired to spread panic about AI bringing about the end of humanity. So that’s fun.
While the doomer narrative is everywhere, I thought this comment from 02UI about the newly released Claude Design was an interesting take: “People are saying designers are cooked, but I think the opposite – now designers can cook!” Design friends, that 12 minute video is worth watching. As new models and new products are shipping almost everyday now I think it’s really easy to get overwhelmed and if are in one of the fields that AI is likely to impact, or has already impacted (which is almost all of them) then trying to think of opportunities rather than sinking into fear is probably advisable. I think “I have an entire design and dev team working for me now” is going to help people sleep better than “this AI can do in 10 minutes the think that takes me a week, so I’m toast.” Taste is still yours and valuable, it’s execution which is losing it’s mystique.
Speaking of toast, the Iranian Lego trolling videos are just insane. I’m sure Lego is not happy about them, and I can’t even imagine what is going on behind closed doors at the White House but it’s relentless and at this point anytime something newsworthy happens theres a Lego parody music video circulating in a few hours. The point here which should be obvious is you can just do things now. Like, for real. The separation between having an idea and delivering it to the world has been reduced to just deciding to make it. Its really exciting and I feel like I should be doing more, what about you?
David Graham in The Atlantic —
In the lead-up to the war, which Trump launched without consulting Congress, making a case to the American people, or assembling allies, many of his aides believed that Trump was not taking seriously the risks and trade-offs involved … Once the war began, Trump received updates that were screened and bowdlerized for him. He has long been inattentive to briefings—early in his first term, aides realized that he liked maps and graphics and would glaze over if given much information in text—but he has reportedly been starting his day off with a sizzle reel of stunning explosions rather than with hard info.
A President who can’t be in the Situation Room, can’t be trusted with information, and can’t handle reality should not be the leader of the free world.
Noah Hawley in The Atlantic —
Any asset can be acquired but nothing can ever be lost, because for soon-to-be trillionaires, no level of loss could significantly change their global standing or personal power. For them, the word failure has ceased to mean anything. This sense of invulnerability has deep psychological ramifications. If everything is free and nothing matters, then the world and other people exist only to be acted upon, if they are acknowledged at all. This is different from classic narcissism, in which a grandiose but fragile self-image can mask deep insecurity. What I’m talking about is a self-definition in which the individual grows to the size of the universe, and the universe vanishes.
Most billionaires probably shouldn’t exist.
I need to tell you about Truvia Vanilla Liquid Sweetener.
I say “need” because this is the kind of product you find and then it just becomes a part of how you do things. You put a single squeeze in a cup of coffee and it tastes like perfect vanilla coffee, not the chemical wince you brace for with most of these kinds of sweeteners. This one tastes like vanilla. Not vanilla-flavored-something. Vanilla.
Additionally, I have added it to an open can of Coke Zero and enjoyed a Vanilla Coke Zero. I’m open to other uses.
A quick disclaimer: I’m not getting paid for this. If Truvia wants to send me a case, I will accept it in the true spirit of journalism.
Sarah Fitzpatrick in The Atlantic —
On multiple occasions in the past year, members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to information supplied to Justice Department and White House officials. A request for ‘breaching equipment’—normally used by SWAT and hostage-rescue teams to quickly gain entry into buildings—was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request.
Can we please rid ourselves of these incompetent buffoons?
Per source pic.twitter.com/smeKwDbb2T
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) April 17, 2026
What a great day for Illinois basketball on Wednesday. It wasn’t surprising but it was certainly fun.
I fully expect Andrej Stojakovic will be next this week. There are still some other pieces to figure out like where Ty Rogers fits and others lower on the bench, but the core looks like it will be back.
I’d like to also land John Blackwell. The problem is there’s a lot of mouths to feed. Vaaks, Mirkovic, Stojakovic, Coleman, and Morillo are all getting minutes and will have the ball in their hands. If I’m Blackwell, I’d want to be the lead guard handling everything, but Illinois is not a one-dimensional team. Does he want to play for a national champion contender?
If he doesn’t want that, even if the money is decent, then he should never have left Wisky. Reality is it’s probably a pay day and that’s okay too. The fit at Illinois is way better for him, but who knows?
I have every confidence the program will pivot to a different 1 or 2 already in the portal if they don’t get Blackwell. Still, with everyone essentially coming back, a tremendous freshman class, and at least two impact transfers, the train will keep rolling.
And that’s all that matters.
McCartney Rock ‘n Roll in Three Phases
- Beatles: “I’m Down” (1965) This is McCartney at his most primal. Recorded the same day as “Yesterday” - the range is staggering - it’s a flat-out rock and roll scream, inspired by Little Richard, and arguably the most ferociously energetic thing the Beatles ever put to tape. “Helter Skelter” is the obvious rival, but “I’m Down” has a raw, almost reckless abandon that even Helter can’t quite match.
- Wings: “Jet” (1973) No contest, really. From the opening blast, “Jet” is one of the great rock openings of the 1970s - relentless, euphoric, mysterious (nobody is quite sure what it’s actually about). It showcases McCartney’s gift for momentum: the song never lets up, yet never feels like it’s working hard.
- Solo: “Maybe I’m Amazed” (1970) A love letter to Linda wrapped in one of the most powerful rock vocal performances of his career. The guitar solo is ragged and perfect. In its live version (Wings Over America), it became something transcendent. For later-period solo, “Coming Up” deserves a mention: strange, funky, and irresistibly propulsive.
What’s striking is that Paul McCartney’s rock and roll is always joyful, even when it’s ferocious. That’s his particular genius in the genre.
The Playlist has a story on Soderbergh Bond pitches and I kind of shake my head in disbelief –
The first pitch, he said, goes back to 2008, and it was already pretty radical by Bond standards. “I had pitched in 2008 the idea to Barbara Broccoli of a parallel franchise,” Soderbergh said. “Set in the ’60s, R-rated, violent, sexy. Fictional backstory to real historical events, different actor, different universe.” […]
That version was designed to open up a different, more lo-fi, stripped-down, and cost-effective way of making Bond movies, but not a replacement for them. “[It would be] cheaply made, where you get people like me, who are interested in that approach to do one of these things,” Soderbergh explained. “It’s just another lane that exists totally separate from the normal Bond movies.”
Broccoli and company, he said, were at least open enough to hear it out. “They were intrigued,” Soderbergh said. “But didn’t move forward.”
What could have been?
The question to ask is not will I be replaced by AI but how can I use AI to enhance my career?
I realistically think Keaton Wagler declares for the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility — that’s just the smart move in today’s game.
Right now, he’s projected as a top 5–7 pick. That’s life-changing money and something you simply don’t pass up lightly. Historically, this would be a no-brainer: go get paid.
But college basketball isn’t what it used to be.
With NIL, guys who would’ve been automatic one-and-dones are seriously considering coming back. You’re getting paid, building your brand, and competing at a high level — all while potentially improving your draft stock.
There are risks both ways:
• Go to the draft → secure the bag, lock in your position
• Come back → risk injury or stock drop, but possibly elevate into a top 3 pick
And then there’s the human side of it.
Keaton is a competitor. Illinois just made a Final Four run and came this close to winning it all. That kind of loss sticks with you. That “unfinished business” feeling is real.
If Illinois didn’t make that run? I think he’s 100% gone.
But with:
• Core guys returning
• A potential addition like Blackwell
• 1–2 more key transfers
There’s at least a small chance he runs it back to chase a title.
Also worth noting: next year’s draft class doesn’t look nearly as strong. If he comes back and improves, adds weight, develops his game — he could push into that top 3 conversation.
At the end of the day, I think the smart decision is still to go to the draft.
But I can’t completely rule out a return.
In today’s college basketball landscape… it’s not as crazy as it used to be.
If this does happen, I think it breaks the internet.
NASA’s Artemis II crew flew around the Moon this week and the photos are already some of the most extraordinary space images I’ve ever seen. The crew captured a shot of the Moon fully eclipsing the Sun from the far side, and it’s the kind of photo that makes you stop scrolling and just stare.
We waited 54 years to send humans back to the Moon and they’re sending back pictures that justify every second of it.
Joan Westenberg wrote a piece this week about the growing culture of accusing writers of using AI, and it landed with me. The short version: a debut novelist named Mia Ballard had her career destroyed after Reddit and YouTube decided her book was AI-generated. Her publisher pulled it. Her name was ruined. She says she didn’t use AI. Maybe she’s telling the truth, maybe she’s not.
Westenberg’s point is that nobody actually knows, and the tools people use to make these accusations are garbage. OpenAI shut down its own detection tool because it was worse than a coin flip. Stanford researchers found detectors disproportionately flag non-native English speakers and neurodivergent writers. The whole thing feels like a moral panic dressed up as quality control.
Mediocre writing is not proof of a machine. I think about this more than I’d like.
Dieter Rams, the legendary designer at Braun, worked from a simple belief: almost everything is noise. Very few things are essential.
His job was to filter through that noise until he reached the essence.
Early in his career, he was asked to help design a record player. At the time, the norm was to encase it in a heavy wooden lid or build it into a piece of living room furniture.
Instead, Rams and his team removed the clutter. They designed a player with a clear plastic cover and nothing more.
It was so different that people worried it might bankrupt the company.
But it didn’t.
Over time, it became the standard that every other record player followed.
Rams' philosophy can be captured in three words: Weniger aber besser.
Less but better.
I stayed up to watch Michigan beat UConn. It was a good game. I kinda hoped Michigan would blow the doors off, but they didn’t and so it was kind of close. I wish Illinois on Saturday had shot the ball better to get to the national championship game, but that’s what happens in a single elimination tournament.
Good for them. This is the first time a single conference has the College Football National Champion, Men’s College Basketball National Champion, and Women’s College Basketball National Champion. The Big Ten is the best conference, bar none.
By the way, the rims on the court were shit. No one could make hardly anything. I’m not sure what was up, but it was really weird and noticeable to a lot of people. I know why they don’t, but the Final Four really needs to be played in an NBA arena and not a NFL stadium.
There’s a new Black Label Society album called Engines of Demolition that I’m really enjoying today. The thing about this project is Zakk Wylde’s voice is so close to Ozzy’s that it always sounds a bit like new Ozzy music. I think “Name in Blood “is my favorite track. I’ll listen more, but that’s the kind of riff I absolutely love. The solo is kind of unhinged, too.
“We fought, we fought, we fought, and had a very tough shooting night, especially at the rim. We missed some shots that we normally don’t miss. It’s part of this game. The ball has to go in. You hold a team to 35 percent from the field — we’ve had the No. 1 offense in the country all year, and again, give UConn credit. They forced some of those misses. But again, I thought our looks were really good, and I wouldn’t do anything on that side over again.” – Brad Underwood on the loss to UConn
Champaign Showers —
Critics act like bringing global talent to central Illinois is some bizarre science experiment. But if you walk around campus, or sit in a coffee shop in downtown Champaign, or look at the names of the people who have walked these halls before, you realize that this is exactly what Illinois has always done. The university has spent a century acting as a beacon for international talent, bringing the best and brightest to the prairie to build the future. Why shouldn’t our basketball program do the exact same thing?
Champaign-Urbana has always been a place for people from all over the world to prepare for great things at the next level, no matter their country of origin. This team is no different, and that’s what makes them a perfect representation of our home.
This is our culture. Illini by a billion.
The Illini have so many different ways it can generate paint touches because of its immaculate spacing and sharp matchup-hunting, including [Andrej] Stojakovic drives, [Keaton] Wagler in pick-and-rolls, [Kylan] Boswell attacking seams, [David] Mirkovic backdowns, Tomi Ivisic post-ups or Zvonimir Ivisic lobs. If UConn can’t defend the paint much better, it’s in scalding-hot water because Illinois isn’t making many mistakes these days. Illinois does not foul. Illinois does not turn it over, which breathed life into UConn’s rally against Duke. Illinois also offensive rebounds at an elite clip. That’s another area where the [Silas] Demary injury hurts UConn. He is the second-best rebounder in [Dan] Hurley’s starting lineup, and UConn’s quietly allowed its opponents to corral at least 33% of its misses 11 times this year. There are just too many easy buttons for Illinois’ elite half-court buttons to press. They’ll put [Braylon] Mullins into the action 24/7. They’ll poke at [Malachi] Smith whenever he subs in for Demary. They’ll drag [Tarris] Reed away from the rim to defend Ivisic’s pick-and-pop 3s and open up more driving lanes to the paint. It’s a hard matchup for UConn to offset all the paint touches that Illinois will generate because if UConn has to start bringing two to the ball, the Illini’s blend of plus passers have shredded that defensive gameplan all year. [Alex] Karaban, [Solo] Ball and Mullins need to go berserk from downtown, or UConn’s run ends in the Final Four.
“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.” — Mark Twain
Most of us would like to live with wonder, grace and optimism.
Perhaps it pays to practice this in advance. When considering any given moment, is there a glimmer of good worth focusing on, even making a comment about?
Our narrative of reality often becomes our reality.
Things worked out as ideal as possible for Illinois in the tournament this year. As nice as it would’ve felt initially to be in the Midwest region, the path the team ended up with was the most ideal and honestly may have been a blessing in disguise as the squad seem to play better further from home in road environments.
Penn without Ethan Roberts and TJ Power coming off sickness.
VCU upsetting North Carolina then starter Nyk Lewis going down in the first minute.
Matchup vs a Houston defense that had played significantly worse vs top 25 teams (outside the top 40) and a team that hadn’t beat a top 15 NET or KenPom opponent all season.
Iowa upsetting Florida and Nebraska.
UConn upset vs Duke and allowing for a rematch. And we’re now initially favored by sportsbooks to beat UConn.
Even better, the path involved beating Fran McCaffery, Kelvin Sampson, and Iowa. Now there’s a revenge game vs Dan Hurley and UConn, and potentially a revenge vs Michigan. All while Bruce Pearl has to sit in the studio and talk about this great Illini team.
This upcoming weekend could settle all family business.
They did it. Wow.
What a game. It was advertised as a Final Four caliber match-up and it delivered. I have zero doubt the winner of this game is heading the actual Final Four.
And that team is Illinois.
They were up by two at half time, but Illinois went on a 20-4 run to start the second half and then just kept Houston from making any kind of real run. It’s like this team learned from its earlier mistakes when up by 15 with 10 minutes to go that you have to keep battling. Finally.
This was the best win of the Brad Underwood era and maybe the best NCAA win since the 2005 Arizona comeback win.
I’ve noticed something while watching lots of college basketball. The sport has changed and changed fast. The evidence includes NIL money, open transfer windows, and legendary coaches walking away.
The regular season is important as the foundation, but the only thing that matters is reaching the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. That’s when people start paying attention.
It’s no coincidence that Illinois appeared on network television seven times this season, one year removed from their first Elite Eight trip since 2005. When Brad Underwood arrived nine years ago, most Illini games were buried on BTN Plus.
The other change is the flip post-NIL and transfer portal of the college programs that are actually elite. Kentucky hasn’t won a national championship in 14 years. Indiana fans are closing in on the 40th anniversary of their last title. Eleven coaches combined to deliver one crown to UCLA in the half-century since John Wooden left.
There’s real parity now that other schools can pay players and recruit at the same level as the so-called blue bloods. Gee, when everyone can pony up some money it makes all the difference.
So who’s actually elite right now? It’s basically these 16 teams: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue, Tennessee, UCLA, and UConn.
And I’ll be watching the Illinois/Houston game and praying to the Basketball Gods for an Orange and Blue victory.
Will Leitch on this Illinois basketball team —
This weekend, we will find out how, exactly, we will talk about this team, a team that we have obsessed over all season, for the rest of our lives. This team has the talent to be a Flying Illini team, the sort that makes your kids slobber all over a 45-year-old Jake Davis when they run into him in 25 years. This team also has the inconsistency–and the occasional struggles with embracing prosperity and opportunity–to be one that breaks our hearts. I’m pretty sure that, at its best, this is the most truly talented Illini team since the Dee-Deron-Luther team. (It’s more talented, top-to-bottom, than the Ayo-Kofi team. I’m not sure it’s that close?) But that doesn’t mean we’ll forever talk about them that way.
They have three days, two games, to be legends here forever. It really is just about these three little days. By Sunday, we will know. And so will they.
This is it.
In three months, Keaton Wagler is going to be chosen in the NBA Draft, almost certainly among the top 10 picks. (I keep dreaming the Spurs get him and he gets to play a decade with Wemby.) He will have that “6-foot-6 guard from Illinois!” roared before his name for many, many years to come; Keaton Wagler will be representing the Illini when Brad Underwood is in his 70s, when Tommy DeVito turns 40, when the kindergarten children in your house leave and go off to college. His name is going to be in the rafters of the State Farm Center. We will talk of him for the rest of our lives.
So I would love it if, before he leaves, he sends us off with something truly glorious. It’s all setting up for him. The rest after the Big Ten Tournament seems to have invigorated him: The shoulder is healed, he’s making the right passes in space, he’s handling the physicality everyone’s throwing at him, that incredible, signature stepback 3-pointer has returned to its inherent perfection. I want him to have his Deron Williams moment, his Nick Anderson moment, heck, his Kemba Walker moment. He is a truly special player. All we can dream of is him giving us, before he goes, a truly special moment. So he will become a legend–the sort of legend that, years from now, makes us all want to faint.
I’m ready. Are you?
I’m not sure I can handle watching the game on Thursday… so… no.
J.J. Wetherholt will be on the opening day roster and most likely the lineup for the St. Louis Cardinals. While he is a John Mozeliak recruit, he stands as the first big prospect to launch in the revamped Chaim Bloom era. He will have a bevy of instructors at his disposal, unlike previous prospects like Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman. Thankfully, his .386 OBP and high walk rate this spring already proves that he won’t chase sliders like Walker continues to do at the plate. His power and average will come in time, but he’s someone that baseball (not just St. Louis) is raving about. It’s an exciting element in an otherwise dismal (winning wise) period of baseball around here.
As the great Joaquin Andujar would say, “you never know,” especially when it comes to prospects. Wetherholt may be different.
For the last six weeks, I’ve been a bad fan.
I had decided somewhere in that fuzzy space between the Michigan State overtime loss and the early exit in the Big Ten Tournament that nothing this team did in the regular season would count unless it was validated by the NCAA Tournament. Specifically, by getting to the Sweet 16.
That’s a terrible way to watch basketball. I know this. And I knew it then.
This Illinois team finished 13th in the country. They won 15 Big Ten games. They played through injuries and the accumulated weight of expectation and still earned a 3 seed. Objectively, that’s one of the best regular seasons I’ve watched as an Illini fan, and I’ve been watching for a long time. Believing that it didn’t matter unless they reached the second weekend was the wrong kind of thinking, but it was there in the back of my brain.
This anxiety wasn’t born from doubt. It was born from belief. This team went on a 12-game win streak in December and January that made me think, genuinely think, they had the kind of mettle you need to win a national championship.
Excitement became expectation. Expectation became dread. Somewhere along the way I stopped having fun watching a really good basketball team. Those damn overtime losses just beat me down.
Then came Illinois versus VCU for a berth to the Sweet 16. Then came Zvonimir Ivisic.
The dunk happened with the score at 46-32. There were fifteen minutes left. The game wasn’t over, technically speaking. But it was over. Anyone in that building knew it was over. And what struck me in the moment is that it wasn’t that whole sequence itself that broke something loose in me. It was the reaction. His brother’s face. His teammates on the bench. The pure unfiltered joy of it.
Man, I needed that.
The Illini handled VCU the way good teams handle opponents they’re better than. The defense was relentless. VCU shot 35% and scored their worst offensive total of the season. More of that please.
Brad Underwood earned his 300th career Division I win. The numbers are good, the wins are real, and next Thursday they play Houston in the Sweet 16.
And I plan to enjoy every second of it.
That’s the thing about letting go of an outcome you’ve been white-knuckling. You remember that you actually love this. The game. The team. The watching.
How sweet it is.
“There is a dynamic quality about enthusiasm which nothing can resist. You can see it in the street orator, whose whole heart is in his argument, swaying a crowd. You can feel it in the work of any artist—painter, writer, musician, or whatever he be—if he has put himself into the thing he has wrought in, felt it enough, suffered it enough. And the beginning of the year is a good time, it seems to me, to set about enkindling our enthusiasm afresh. For life is a dead thing without it. Make it woodwork, if our tastes lie in that direction; make it stamp collecting; make it anything in the wide world so long as it is alive and vital.” — Charles Hayward
The Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer dropped this week and I’ve watched it a couple of times now, which probably tells you everything you need to know about where I’m at with this.
Four years after No Way Home wiped everyone’s memory of Peter Parker, we find him doing the only thing that makes sense: being Spider-Man. It’s an interesting starting point, but seems about right.
And then the trailer gives you approximately forty other things to think about.
The Punisher’s back, in his battle van. The Scorpion shows up. I’m pretty sure that was the Tarantula for half a second. There are Hand ninjas, which means maybe we see Daredevil? Peter has a class with the Hulk. Tramell Tillman from Severance is in there too.
I have no idea how this all comes together but it looks great.
Illinois put up 105 points against Penn. That’s the most any Illini team has ever scored in the history of the NCAA tournament. The previous record was 96 points, set back in 2001 against Northwestern State. Illinois also poured in 65 points in the second half Thursday night, which shattered the previous record for most points in a half in tournament play. That record was 53.
Those are team records. There are more.
The winning margin of 35 points is second all-time. Thirty-seven field goals, third all-time. Fifteen three-pointers, second all-time. Forty-eight rebounds, fourth all-time.
And then there’s Mirkovic.
He dropped 29 points — fourth most ever by an Illinois player in the tournament. Eleven field goals, third all-time.
The 17 rebounds he pulled down Thursday night are the most any Illini player has ever had in an NCAA tournament game. Let that sit for a second. Not James Augustine. Not Brian Cook. Not Roger Powell. Mirkovic. He owns that record now. The double-double he put up also slots him fifth all-time in NCAA tournament double-doubles for Illinois.
This is what a prepared team looks like. For one of the first times in a long time, Illinois came ready. They looked like one of the best teams in the country.
Let’s see how far they can go.
Since Selection Sunday, I’ve been sitting in my feelings about Illinois Basketball. So, here are my three seasons why Illinois makes the Final Four.
Yes, I’m going there. Here’s my case:
One: this team has been built for March. The Illini have gone through enough adversity this season to know how to respond when things get hard. Tournament basketball rewards teams that don’t panic. This group doesn’t panic.
Two: Keaton Wagler just won Big Ten Freshman of the Year. You don’t win that award without being something special. A freshman who performs at that level in a conference that hard is exactly the kind of player who outperforms expectations in the tournament, because he has nothing to prove and everything to gain.
Three: the bracket will break right for someone. It always does. This is a team capable of beating anyone in the country on a given night. That’s all you need.
I’m not predicting a championship. I’m predicting a run. There’s a difference, and right now, the difference feels significant.
Please let this be the year…
You’ve likely heard it all before, but it’s good to remember…
You don’t own shit that you put on social media platforms. You don’t own your follower counts, you don’t own your posts. Stop giving away all of your shit to data harvesters and advertisers for free in exchange for the illusion of importance that comes with likes and a follower count. Set up a website — and while you’re at it, start a mailing list, because email is basically the only means of reaching your contacts that can’t easily be taken away from you.
I voted. It was incredibly easy. Yeah, democracy.
Also, Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
“If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don’t give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Most gossip is envy in disguise.” ― Matt Haig, The Midnight Library
Well, I was right.
It was never going to be a live-action reboot, but something that makes way more sense: animated Firefly.
Firefly fans are in for a treat.
Nathan Fillion has just revealed at Awesome Con that an animated Firefly series is in advanced development based on the beloved cult sci-fi franchise—and Deadline has the details.
Fillion spoke on a panel at the Washington, D.C. event and live taping of his “Once We Were Spacemen” podcast alongside co-stars Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, and Summer Glau, all of whom are expected to reprise their roles. Adam Baldwin, who played Jayne Cobb, will also lend his voice to the project.
Everybody’s back, except, you know, Joss Whedon, for obvious and unfortunate reasons.
I don’t want to get my hopes up. I am absolutely getting my hopes up.
Nathan Fillion has been posting a series of amusing videos recruiting his old Firefly castmates, Gina Torres, Morena Baccarin, Summer Glau, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Adam Baldwin, for… something. One by one. There’s a countdown. The announcement is due tomorrow.
He’s specifically ruled out convention appearances, podcasts, and crossovers.
Firefly ran for one season in 2002. Eleven of its fourteen produced episodes aired before Fox cancelled it. It developed a cult following that has refused to let go for over twenty years. There was a movie in 2005. There have been comics. The cast has spent two decades doing convention panels together.
Whatever this is, it looks like the whole crew is in.
I will be genuinely shocked if it’s a rebooted series or another movie mostly because many of these actors are committed to other shows.
What do I think? It’s going to be something animated.
The harsh reality from today is Illinois basketball is going nowhere in the NCAA Tournament. Up until today, I still felt the team was capable of making a run. Today took the wind out of my sails. It seems painfully obvious we will have an arduous time closing out a close game against a good team and that we’re going to blow a big lead. And we’ve shown basically no ability to rally from any sort of sizeable deficit.
This team just has a lot of hallmarks of a second round ouster. I didn’t really feel that way until today. I’m still just so confused how you can go from 60-45 with the ball to 62-60 in just four minutes. It is incomprehensible to me.
I honestly worry about the team’s mental state at this point. I know they’re a lot more resilient than fans give them credit for, but they can’t be in a very good place. Again, at some point, doubt has to creep into the psyche when you lose close game after close game to good teams.
Illinois has not played well for a month now. The team has lost 4 OT games…some with missing players, but this team is healthy and somewhat rested, and still couldn’t harness the mental and physical toughness to close a game.
As I’ve said before, the BTT is meaningless. What matters is next week and how they play there. Losing in the first weekend in an upset would make this season a failure. Lose in the S16 isn’t a failure, but it will feel like it.
A week ago, something pretty remarkable happened in the golf world that, if you’re not a die-hard golf fan, you almost certainly missed.
Shane Lowry, a former major winner, led the Cognizant Classic by three strokes with three holes to play on Sunday. And then, on back-to-back holes, he hit shots into the water. He went from being a near-certain tournament winner to finishing second.
A few days later, I was listening to “The Tony Kornheiser Podcast,” when Steve Sands, a golf commentator, told this story about chatting with Lowry after the tournament:
He told me a cute story on Tuesday. He said, “We’re headed home, we’re getting to the house, and everybody realizes how upset Dad is and how upset I am. Nobody’s saying anything, and my 9-year-old daughter looks at me and says, ‘Daddy, what’s wrong with second?'”
When we get lost in the details of our work, sometimes we need an outside voice to reset things. We need someone to ask us: “Why does this really matter?” An outside perspective can reset things when you get too inside your own world.
As for Lowry: Yes, it was a tough way to lose the tournament. But he still won $726,400 for finishing in second place.
To which I’d say: There doesn’t seem to be much wrong with that.
When Keaton Wagler committed to Illinois, he was the 150th-ranked prospect in the country. Two high-major offers. That was it. Most programs didn’t give him a second look. Tyler Underwood saw something the rest of college basketball missed and then showed his Dad.
Keaton Wagler just won Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
The 6-foot-6 guard from Shawnee, Kansas averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 41 percent from three. Remember when he scored 46 at Purdue? He broke the Illinois freshman scoring record with 555 points on the season. He was named First-Team All-Big Ten by both coaches and media. He is one of only two freshmen in the entire country averaging at least 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists. The other guy is Duke’s Cameron Boozer, one of the most recruited players in recent memory.
Wagler is only the fifth Illini since 1986 to win the conference’s freshman honor. He joins Corey Bradford, Brian Cook, D.J. Richardson, and Kofi Cockburn.
That is a very short, very good list.
I look forward to seeing his jersey in the rafters next year.
I’m tired this morning. I’ve been tired a lot. It likely means I need to go to bed earlier, but I’m not tired so much at 9:30. Good lord that seems like an early time to go to bed. I used to start my evening out at 9:30 and now I go to bed at that time.
When did I become an old person?
I was having a bad morning. Nothing major, just several things not quite working right. I was getting in my own way.
At work, I started listening to Deraps new album, Viva Rock N’ Roll. While it was very good and very Van Halen-ish. I needed something else.
I started listening to one of my favorite recordings of all time, Miles Davis Kind of Blue. I decided what I needed was several listens of “Blue in Green.”
I wondered if someone had created a way to listen to it over and over again without breaks and, of course, someone had. I then proceeded to listen to two hours of “Blue in Green” on YouTube.
After about 40 minutes I was calmed down and ready for the rest of the day.
So, if you need a mental reset, I highly recommend listening to “Blue in Green” and letting it wash over you.
Will Leitch on the World Cup and Summer Olympics –
You cannot separate sports from politics because you cannot separate anything from politics. It’s all connected, whether we want it to be or not. But I will say that when you spend your time watching a sporting event wondering whether the person you’re cheering for is a supporter of a fascist regime, you are not, in fact, having a very good time. And sports is supposed to be a good time! This is supposed to be a diversion! We’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves! But this isn’t fun for the athletes, it’s not fun for those trying to make these games happen (and make money off them), and it’s certainly not fun for the fans. Do you want to tune out the noise of the madness of living in 2026 for a few hours and just enjoy a game? Do you want to escape? You can’t. Trump won’t let you. That was how it played out at the Winter Olympics, and that’s how it will be at the World Cup. Jack Hughes may indeed never have to pay for another drink the rest of his life. But if so … he better make sure he picks the right bars.
During his first press conference of the Iran war, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explained that Operation Epic Fury is not a so-called regime change war. That may surprise many observers because the first salvos of the operation decapitated the regime. No, the war is about denying Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But we were told that America’s bombing runs in 2025 obliterated that nuclear program. America and Israel chose this moment to attack Iran because, since October 7, Iran has shown its military and intel weakness, and has become increasingly isolated in the region. Of course, Iran’s weakness could also just as easily be used as a reason not to attack them now, at a moment when the overall risk they present is relatively low. Trump has told Iran’s security forces to surrender, but it’s unclear that there’s anyone to surrender to. Trump told the Iranian people to rise up. But the attack comes after thousands of them were killed by the regime while doing just that. At different points over the weekend, we were told to expect this war to last days, weeks, months or some other amount of time, but that it definitely won’t be endless. We’ve been offered no such duration assurances when it comes to how long the contradictions will continue. Most administrations spend a lot of time justifying and explaining their strategies before taking the country to war. This administration isn’t giving clear explanations even after starting one. Maybe that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Our Contradicter in Chief ran on an agenda that called for an end to global interventions, and yet, “no president in the modern era has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries.” During the 12 day war, Iran was outed as more of a paper tiger than anyone in the Middle East imagined; one that had been fully infiltrated by foreign intelligence. The fall of the regime has seemed more likely than ever. Whether this is the right way to get rid of the regime, or whether Bibi, Trump, and Hegseth are the right guys to do it, is a different matter. Here’s what we know so far. The leaders of an evil and destabilizing regime behind much of the world’s terrorism have been eliminated and that is a great thing for the region and the world. Unless something worse follows. So let’s hope this is a so-called regime change war and not an endless, destructive quagmire that recent history suggests is a very real possibility. How will it turn out? Don’t ask me. And don’t ask the Trump administration, either.
There’s no plan. This is all a distraction from the Epstein files.
The first teaser for HBO’s Lanterns has arrived, and if you were expecting a neon-green spectacle of alien worlds and cosmic ring-slinging, think again. The trailer leans heavily into a moody detective vibe, zero ring constructs, and a dusty atmosphere. The whole thing is set to Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper,” a nod to the police-like nature of the Green Lantern Corps.
Kyle Chandler as veteran Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as rookie John Stewart make for a compelling odd-couple pairing. For less than a second, you see a Green Lantern uniform, and I like that the design takes clear inspiration from the graphic novel Green Lantern: Earth One, opting for a muted, grounded jacket rather than a flashy super-suit.
The trailer’s best moment, though? Chandler’s Hal Jordan casually dropping a joke about one of the Corps members being a squirrel. It’s a perfectly timed “say what?” for non-comic fans and a nod to comic fans who know Green Lantern Ch’p, the squirrel-like alien Green Lantern from the comics.
True Detective with magic rings? I’m in.
I went to the final regular-season game at State Farm Center on Tuesday. It was Senior Night when Illinois hosted Oregon and it was great to see Ben Humrichous and Kylan Boswell be honored before the game. However, another player was also receiving senior accolades: AJ Redd.
There are players who arrive at a program with fanfare and expectations. AJ Redd was not one of those players. The Chicago native came to Illinois as a student manager, someone who carries bags, does laundry, and sets up drills and exists, largely, in the background. What he has become over the past four years is something far more interesting than any highly recruited prospect.
Redd eventually earned his way onto the court as a walk-on, grinding through practices, earning the respect of his coaches and teammates one day at a time. Redd stayed for all four years. He became, fittingly, the only true four-year player honored on Senior Night.
The game played out exactly as it should have. Orange Krush began chanting his name early in the second half. When Coach Underwood sent Redd onto the floor with about three and a half minutes remaining, the roar from the crowd set the tone for what followed.
What followed was, first, a nearly 28-foot pull-up three that clanged off nothing. Underwood called a timeout. The coach was not amused. “He’s done one dumb thing in four years,” Underwood said afterward in the locker room, which was both a rebuke and, quietly, a tribute.
The redemption came quickly. A between-the-legs, backward bounce pass from Mihalio Petrovich found Redd in transition on the left wing, and he buried the three-pointer. State Farm Center came unglued. Then, just to complete the story properly, Redd drove hard to the basket against an Oregon defender and finished the layup, giving him five points, a new career high, in his final minutes as an Illini on his home court.
Andrej Stojakovic, who has only known Redd for nine months and was the real star of the game with 21 points and 12 rebounds, said simply: “No one can replace what he brings to this team.”
The manager-turned-walk-on had more points on Senior Night than the leader of this team, Kylan Boswell. That’s something.
What a great moment for the young man.
Max Leibman: No means no.
No, I do not want to install your app.
No, I do not want that app to run on startup.
No, I do not want that app shortcut on my desktop.
No, I do not want to subscribe to your newsletter.
No, I do not want your site to send me notifications.
No, I do not want to tell you about my recent experience.
No, I do not want to sign up for an account.
No, I do not want to sign up using a different service and let the two of you know about each other.
No, I do not want to sign in for a more personalized experience.
No, I do not want to allow you to read my contacts.
No, I do not want you to scan my content.
No, I do not want you to track me.
No, I do not want to click “Later” or “Not now” when what I mean is NO.
I went to couples’ boxing with my wife on Saturday, and it kicked my butt. I am sore all over. It was lots of fun, though.
So, I guess we are at war with Iran? Anything not to have the Epstein files in the news.
“In basketball—as in life—true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way.” – Phil Jackson
I watched the Illinois Women’s Basketball team nearly knock off the #9 Iowa team at their place last night. It was pretty exciting.
Illinois gave Iowa everything it could handle and nearly toppled the Hawkeyes. The Illini didn’t play scared, but just left a few too many plays on the table down the stretch. It’s a missed opportunity for what would have been a no-doubt NCAA Tournament clincher and a big boost to their résumé.
Bottom line: they weren’t intimidated by Iowa or its fans and played with a lot of confidence.
Hoping for a big win on the Men’s side tonight.
The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees arrived this week. As always with this institution, the 17 names on the ballot are not all rock and roll. I roll my eyes in their general direction.
There are several rock acts among the nominees, including Oasis, Iron Maiden, the Black Crowes, Joy Division/New Order, INXS, Billy Idol, Jeff Buckley, and Melissa Etheridge. I’ll even grant you P!NK is a rock artist even though she’s mostly pop. The remaining nominees are anything but rock and roll: Phil Collins, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Luther Vandross, New Edition, Sade, Wu-Tang Clan, and Shakira. Not taking anything away from these artists, but none of them are rock-and-roll acts by any measur
Mariah Carey is now up for induction for the third consecutive year. Her holiday dominance and pop chart reign are undeniable, but she isn’t a rock and roll artist. Luther Vandross was a transcendent soul singer. Wu-Tang Clan revolutionized hip-hop. Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation is one of the greatest albums of the 1990s. Shakira is a bona fide global icon. None of that is in question. What is in question every time a new list of nominees appears is why there are so many acts that are not rock and roll included?
Sure, rock and roll has always been rooted in blues, R&B, and gospel. However, that seems like a loophole for the Hall to induct virtually any popular music act from the past half-century. If everything is rock and roll, then nothing is.
In my humble opinion, none of the non-rock-and-roll-oriented acts should be inducted, and of the remaining acts, only Oasis, Iron Maiden, the Black Crowes, Joy Division/New Order, and INXS really showcase rock’s popularity, longevity, and influence.
I want to simplify my life. This is difficult for me. One of the best things I can do is a self-evaluation to clear out the chaos. However, being honest with myself is troublesome. I’d rather have someone else tell me the hard truths. Ultimately, that feels expensive.
Simplifying also means thinking about the costs in terms of time, pressure, stress, and finances.
It all takes time to think and prepare. I’m not sure when I can carve out the clutter to get to the simple.
I’m not a big fan of Moby. However, I think he’s really talented and his approach to music is unique and interesting. He has a new album out titled, Future Quiet, and it’s haunting and atmospheric. I need something like this right now. It’s perfect.
Illinois basketball blew it against UCLA. Just a complete collapse. Lost another OT game.
The Illini squandered a 23-point first-half lead against the Bruins, who were coming off back-to-back blowout losses to Michigan and Michigan State. After going up 33-10 on a Ben Humrichous three nearly 11 minutes into the first half, the Illini gave up an atrocious 85 points the rest of the way. Ugh.
I saw an idea that said Illinois wins big and loses small. Meaning either the team beats the shit out of opponents or opponents get lucky/hot, and they win by an average of 3 points.
The Illini’s four Big Ten losses have come by a total of nine points, with three of the games going to overtime and two of them — Nebraska being the other one — decided on baskets made at the buzzer. With a little more luck, a very good record could be even stronger.
Time for some good luck to come this way.
Dan Simmons died on February 21st. He was 77. A stroke, in Longmont, Colorado, where he’d lived and taught sixth grade for years before leaving to write full time.
He wrote lots of books, but the one he’ll be best remembered for is Hyperion**.
If you haven’t read Hyperion, I want to be careful not to over explain it, because the structure is part of the experience. The short version is the novel is built like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. It features a group of pilgrims traveling toward something terrible, each telling their story along the way. It won the Hugo Award in 1989. It’s simply one of the best science fiction books of the 20the century. *The Fall of Hyperion *completes their story.
The author might have went off the deep end in the last few years of his life. Simmons got driven crazy by watching too much Fox News after September 11th. Seriously. However, if you can separate the art from the artist, I highly recommend reading Hyperion (and maybe Carrion Comfort and The Terror, too).
“To me, all creativity is magic. Ideas start out in the empty void of your head - and they end up as a material thing, like a book you can hold in your hand. That is the magical process. It’s an alchemical thing. Yes, we do get the gold out of it but that’s not the most important thing. It’s the work itself.” ― Alan Moore
“Many people procrastinate because they’re waiting for their motivation to rise. They forget that getting started is what leads their motivation to rise. Passion is not a prerequisite for progress. It’s often the result of progress.” — Adam Grant
Before Christmas, my wife, my step-daughter, and I went up to Algonquin, Illinois, to do some unique shopping. We stopped at Syrup for a late breakfast and enjoyed the food immensely. On a whim, I had the waitress add a couple of pumps of vanilla syrup to my coffee. Somewhat unsurprisingly, that little trick turned a good cup of coffee into an amazing cup.
Since then, I’ve been adding two or three pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup to my coffee mug, and I’m never, ever going to apologize for it.
I know there’s a contingent of people who treat coffee purity as a moral position and I’ve decided they can have all that. For me, the bitterness and the sweetness do something together that neither does alone. It’s just chemistry.
Also, it makes 6 am more manageable, which is worth something.
Illinois dropped more than 100 points on hapless USC last night. The 36-point victory is Illinois' largest in a Big Ten road win in 80 years.
This is pretty powerful. 10 Years. 1 Leader. Josh Whitman.
The Illini game on Sunday was more like it. Heavy domination on rebounding and size. They shot it incredibly poorly from three, like 7 for 30 something, but it didn’t matter because David Mirkovic was making everything, rebounding everything, and playing like one of the best freshman in the country.
More importantly, Kylan Boswell has recovered from his broken hand, and his presence defensively was incredibly important. The Illini routed Indiana 71-51 at home Sunday with Boswell back in the starting lineup. Nice cheer when he was announced from the crowd.
Having a seven man rotation is so much better than a six man rotation. Even better will be an eight man rotation when Andrej Stojakovic comes back from the high ankle sprain, likely for the Michigan game on the 27th.
On Valentine’s Day, I was tasked with acquiring a heart-shaped pizza from Papa John’s for my step-daughter and her friend. I walked into the place to order, and they had Dio’s “Holy Diver” playing at concert-level volume. It was a scene.
I placed my order and sat down to wait while they made the pizza. The guy swinging the dough around started singing, and suffice it to say, he was not on the same level as Ronnie James Dio. It was almost amusing, but he was clearly enjoying himself immensely.
I texted some friends, knowing they’d also enjoy the situation I was in. They loved the whole karaoke-and-pizza vibe.
It was obviously a greatest hits or playlist because the next song was “Rainbow in the Dark” and he continued to add his vocal stylings to the recording.
When my pizza was ready, I told the guy at the counter that I was really enjoying the Dio and he gave me a completely blank stare. Like, he either didn’t hear me or his opinion of the music choice/singing was less than enthusiastic.
I wanted to say to him, “Do your demons, do they ever let you go? When you’ve tried, do they hide, deep inside. Is it someone that you know?”
Somehow, I don’t think he would have appreciated it.
“I think that Valentine’s Day is only as good as you want it to be. You know, I don’t think it should be anything fancy, nothing crazy. As long as you’re spending time with that person that’s special, I think that’s a great Valentine’s Day.” — Prince Royce
Sometimes I wish I gave a shit about horror movies and the like, but I don’t. Friday the 13th was the first horror movie I saw. It might have also been the first sex scene I saw. First boobs were probably Airplane! or Caddyshack. I guess there’s a sex or sexy scene in Caddyshack, too.
I read a long investigative piece into the allegations against Neil Gaiman, and I read the coverage of his publisher moving forward with his new book anyway. I don’t know what happened in those rooms, and I’m not here to adjudicate guilt or innocence. However, I will say the piece raised serious questions about reporting standards, corroboration, and the speed at which accusations become convictions in public discourse. Just to be clear, no criminal charges have been filed, and all the civil lawsuits have been dismissed.
Is Neil Gaiman a scumbag? I have no idea. Probably? I don’t really know. And neither do you.
Brad Underwood is tired of the shitty officiating in the Big Ten Conference. Start at 13:35 if you don’t want to watch the whole thing.
The fix for this is so easy.
The Big Ten hires the highest-rated referees in all of college basketball and gives them a real salary, real accountability, and real opportunity. You set up a real league office, just like the NBA, with a staff of around 50 referees (maybe more, I didn’t do the math to see if that’s off) for the regular season and the B10 Tournament. The office then manages their training, evaluation, and performance reviews. The league covers travel and hotels and pays a real living wage for a high-stress job. NBA refs on the low end make $150K. I’d probably start at $50-60K, with the opportunity to earn more based on performance.
This should be Tony Petitti’s top priority. It isn’t, but it should be.
Lindsey Vonn crashed during a training run at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She was coming back after retirement, skiing against people half her age, and she crashed hard enough that her Olympic dreams were dashed. Her response was to keep dreaming.
“…we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try.
“I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.
“I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying.”
Just wow.
The Super Bowl halftime show featured Bad Bunny with special guests Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. It was great. I loved the dancing, the (real) wedding, and the message. I didn’t know the songs or what he was singing, but the storytelling was clear. He’s not my music, but I’m an old fart. I think the last Super Bowl halftime performance I even think about, years later, was Prince in the rain. Right now, Bad Bunny is one of the biggest musical stars on the planet.
There’s always been alternative halftime shows. This year, the one getting all the attention featured Kid Rock, an artist who has not had a meaningful hit since 2008’s “All Summer Long,” which, incidentally, is just a riff on better songs (Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London”). I don’t mean to call Kid Rock irrelevant, but he is. The Puppy Bowl probably got better or about the same numbers as the show featuring Kid Rock and a bunch of musicians you’ve never heard of before.
Bad Bunny performed to 120 million people in a language that half the country doesn’t speak fluently, and it worked because the performance was excellent and the moment was genuine. That’s it. The NFL didn’t book him to make a political statement. They booked him because he is an international superstar, and the NFL is trying to expand to other non-American markets. Kid Rock and the people putting on this show are yelling at a cultural shift they don’t like and can’t stop. Too bad. So sad.
As soon as Seattle finally scored their first TD after four field goals, the game was over. New England could not find any rhythm and the Seahawks took it to them defensively.
It wasn’t much of a game, and at one point, Maria asked if I was enjoying myself. I was mostly meh.
I didn’t even think there was a clear commercial winner.
Today is the first day I could legitimately wear a T-shirt or a Polo to work without a coat. I’m sure this is just “Fool’s Spring” and it will get super cold next week. It is nice, so I’ll just take advantage of it and wear my favorite Illinois T-shirt.
“When you write a blog post, you’re creating a standalone document with a permanent URL. It exists at a specific address on the web, and that address doesn’t change based on who’s looking at it, when they’re looking at it, or what algorithm has decided they should see next. The post is there, stable, waiting for whoever wants to find it.” — Joan Westenberg
Use the moments of high motivation to make it easier when you have low motivation.
- When you feel like you should exercise, set out your gym clothes and water bottle so it’s easier to do the next workout.
- When you feel grateful, buy some Thank You cards so it’s easier to write the next Thank You note.
- When you feel the urge to eat healthy, pick a recipe now so you don’t have to decide what to make for the next meal.
Use the occasional burst of motivation to make the next habit easier.
Ayo Dosunmu has been traded to the Timberwolves.
I haven’t been following too closely, but I guess he’s having a pretty good year. The Bulls are in full rebuild mode and are trading all kinds of players. Ayo was posting 15 points, three rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in a reserve role for the Bulls.
He’ll join Terrance Shannon Jr. on the T-wolves. Cool.
It just means I won’t randomly watch a Bulls game on TV anymore.
My wife has chided me for continually listening to podcasts focused on Illinois sports or politics. Guilty as charged.
To her point, I finally started Remarkably Bright Creatures on audiobook. My wife often finds new books via Instagram Reels. This particular title was among the recommendations and was specifically praised for its audiobook version. She loved the book and could not wait for me to read it so we could talk about it.
I currently have about six hours remaining. So far, it is delightful. I’m enjoying the narration quite a bit. Michael Urie is a standout here.
I have no idea where the story is headed, but I can’t wait to learn more.
With Spring Training on the horizon, Chaim Bloom and the St. Louis Cardinals finally moved Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners in a three-way trade that yielded some prospects and cleared the way for Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker to prove their worth in 2026, and cleared a spot for J.J. Wetherholt to make the show as well.
The Cardinals traded Donovan and received a bundle of five assets for their rebuild: 3 prospects drafted in the 1st-2nd rounds, plus two draft picks that give St. Louis 6 of the first 86 selections in the 2026 MLB Draft. The prospects are Jurrangelo Cijntje, a hard-throwing pitcher who needs work in the minors and to stop with the whole switch-pitcher thing, and outfielders Tai Peete and Colton Ledbetter, who, as I understand it, are still learning how to hit professional pitching.
I guess that’s a good return for two years of Donovan, who was an All-Star, but not really a star. I’m also guessing this completes the offseason moves with Donovan, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras all traded.
Bloom has lessened the payroll and broken up the infield logjam. The only players on the Cardinals now making 5 million plus in 2026 are pitcher Dustin May ($12 million) and outfielder Lars Nootbaar ($5.35 million). May is on a one-year deal with a mutual option, while Nootbaar has two years of team control. Both are trade candidates if they’re playing well in July and the Cardinals are out of the playoff picture (and they will be, and they will be traded, zero doubt).
The tank-and-rebuild process grinds on as the Cardinals continue to look toward 2028, because it ain’t happening this year or even the following year. Plus, the strike is coming…
Illinois earned another massive road victory over a Top 5 team on Sunday. The Fighting Illini overran Nebraska 78-69 and flexed their way to another notch on the win streak that currently sits at 11.
I think this Illinois team might be special. They move the ball. Everyone can shoot well from the perimeter. And their defensive chemistry has improved over this win streak. Such a fun team to watch and root for this season.
It was not too long ago that a very good Illinois team hit a wall in March. This group looks capable of powering through. It all depends on the matchups, but as a 2 seed or even a 1 seed, this squad might make a Final Four.
Wouldn’t that be something?
On a related note, I’m loving the fact that Illinois basically is running with either the script Illinois jerseys in white, orange and blue or the Fighting Illini white, orange and blue. I know the Nike graphics are still on tap, but they don’t pop like the script and ’89 team style.
“…since the baseline is now good enough, the app experience and how LLMs are woven into a people’s daily lives and workflows will be the differentiators going forward.” — Frederico Viticci on AI results
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” – John Steinbeck
Illinois basically stiff armed Washington last night to get their tenth win in a row. Sunday at Nebraska will be the next real test. They went undefeated in January. If they beat Nebraska, Michigan State, and Michigan and take care of business the rest of the way, they are getting a 1 seed and winning the Big Ten.
I have high hopes.
Writer-director Rian Johnson has posted many of his scripts on his website. It is a treasure trove for an aspiring writer. You’ll want to download the Benoit Blanc material, but I recommend starting with the Brick screenplay/novella combo PDF. It’s beautiful.
“I think it is more difficult these days to define what makes a good citizen than it has ever been before. Certainly all any of us can do is follow our own conscience and retain faith in our democracy. Sometimes it is the very people who cry out the loudest in favor of getting back to what they call “American Virtues” who lack this faith in our country. I believe that our greatest strength lies always in the protection of our smallest minorities.” – Charles Schulz, Letter to a 10-year-old fan, 9th November 1970
Well, that was a hellava Saturday. I’m still a little stunned.
Keaton Wagler put together one of the greatest scoring performances in college basketball history:
• It was the most points scored in a road win over a top-10 opponent in AP poll history.
- His 46 points were the most against a top-10 team since Malik Monk scored 47 against #7 North Carolina on Dec. 17, 2016.
- Wagler’s 46 points were the most against a top-5 team on the road since Buddy Hield dropped 46 points for Oklahoma in a loss at #1 Kansas on Jan. 4, 2016.
• Set the Illinois freshman single-game scoring record.
- Broke the previous record of 35 points set by Giorgi Bezhanishvili in OT vs. Rutgers on Feb. 5, 2019.
- Scored the most points by any freshman in a Big Ten game since at least 2010-11.
• Tied the second-most points in the 121-year history of Illini Basketball:
- 53 – Dave Downey at Indiana, Feb. 16, 1963 + T2. 46 – Keaton Wagler at #4 Purdue, Jan. 24, 2026 + T2. 46 – Andy Kaufmann in 2OT vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Dec. 3, 1990
• Set the Mackey Arena scoring record for a visiting player.
- Broke the previous record of 39 by Willie Humes of Idaho State on Dec. 11, 1969 and equaled by Sam Vincent of Michigan State on Jan. 10, 1985.
• Scored the most points by an Illini in a road game vs. a top-5 team since at least 2010-11.
- Became the first Illinois player to score 40+ against a top-5 opponent since Brandon Paul’s 43 points vs. #5 Ohio State on Jan. 10, 2012.
• Posted the first 40-point game by an Illini since Terrence Shannon Jr.’s 40-point outing in the Big Ten Tournament vs. Nebraska on March 16, 2024.
• Set the Illinois school record with nine 3-pointers.
- Broke the previous record of eight treys, which was achieved six times, most recently by Terrence Shannon Jr. vs. UCLA on Nov. 18, 2022. + His 81.8% 3-point field goal percentage ranks as the eighth-best mark by a freshman in program history.
• His 13 field goals are tied for the second-most by a freshman in program history.
-
- 14 – Giorgi Bezhanishvili in OT vs. Rutgers, Feb. 9, 2019 + T2. 13 – Keaton Wagler at #4 Purdue, Jan. 24, 2026 + T2. 13 – Deon Thomas in 2OT vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Dec. 3, 1990
• His 11 free throws are tied for the fifth-most by a freshman in program history.
• Scored in double figures for the 12th consecutive game and for the 17th time overall this season.
- Averaging 20.1 ppg during that stretch.
• Hit at least one 3-pointer in 19 of the first 20 games of his collegiate career, the most games with a triple on the team this season.
• Led the Illini in scoring for the team-leading seventh time this season.
• Scored the Illini’s first 14 points of the night and 24 of the Illini’s 39 first-half points.
- Broke his career-high in scoring with nine seconds remaining in the first half.
“That’s him. He just plays. He just hoops. There’s nothing that fazes him. He just wants to make the right basketball play. Tonight it happened to be scoring it. It’s just his personality. He’s so stoic. He’s very non-emotional. He’s excited, yes. His teammates were thrilled. That’s the beauty of Keaton. The most impressive thing is he takes the emotion out of it. In a venue with 15,000 people all against him and he just plays. He took what the game gave him.” – Illinois head coach Brad Underwood on Keaton Wagler’s 46-point performance against Purdue
“I have one piece of advice: if you read a book you love, tell other people about it. Tell them face-to-face. In your groupchat. On social media. Even on Goodreads. Every book is a lottery ticket, but the bezzlers are buying their tickets by the case: every time you tell someone about a book you loved (and even better, why you loved it), you buy a writer another ticket.” — Corey Doctorow
I watched The Rip last night and thought it was an entertaining couple of hours.
It’s a good heist movie. I love a good heist movie. It’s not exceptional, but it’s entertaining as hell and, frankly, rips. You could not ask for a better cast for a bottled up, tense whodunnit of an action movie. You couldn’t. It’s absurd, and that’s not even factoring in Damon and Affleck — Yeun, Taylor, Sandino Moreno, Chandler. C’mon.
It’s not Heat good because nothing can ever touch that movie, but it’s not even trying to do anything close to Heat.
I didn’t see many of the twists coming; maybe they were obvious, but not to me, or maybe I was too caught up in the action, the tension, and the pace to care. I did catch the various numbers given to the team about how much money they might actually find, and I knew that would come back into the story. The phone books were a good touch.
Andrej Stojakovic, in his previous stops, was the primary everything. At Illinois, he doesn’t have to do that. However, with Kylan Boswell out with a broken hand, he will have to step up and carry the load. The good thing is this Illinois team can score. A lot.
They have the best offense in all of college basketball, but the most encouraging thing about them over the last month has been the improvements they’ve made on defense since the Nebraska game. That’s why they’ve won eight in a row, and that’s why I’m getting excited. That’s why I want to believe. This team might be special.
It’s the next ten games that are the true gauntlet. In those games, we will learn if this team is special or not quite. It culminates in a February 27 Friday night home game against Michigan. In a month, we will know just how special this team will be. I cannot wait to find out.
For a lot of my life, I had a very strong attachment to being right. I didn’t realize it, but it aggravated friends and family. I couldn’t see it, because I was so focused on being right.
Have you noticed this need to be right in yourself? If so, you might reflect on what it feels like when you notice it in others.
Along the same lines, I often feel the need to act like I know what I’m doing or what I’m talking about. This gets in the way of learning from other people, or letting myself be a beginner who doesn’t know what I’m doing. It also … tends to be aggravating to people around me!
Do you notice your need to look like you know what you’re doing or what you’re talking about?
I don’t have the answers to these things … but I find myself practicing letting go. The need to be right or know things feels like tightness in my body. Letting go feels like relaxing that and not needing to appear any way to anyone.
What I’m left with is a more vulnerable place of not knowing. I don’t know if I’m right, I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t know much at all. But I’m open.
Let me admit I’m not always in this place of not knowing. I still have my attachments. That said, I find it much more interesting to be in the not knowing.
Would you be willing to be in that too?
I like this very much and need to incorporate it into my life.
There is a cannabis dispensary opening soon in my neighborhood and they recently installed the sign for the business. The name… Wait for it…
Really Dope
Tickles me to no end every time I pass by.
Perfection.
This person relates the most unhinged bus story I’ve ever read. It starts with, “I just woke up from a nap and somehow while I was asleep, everyone on the bus has figured out we are not going to the right place.” It just gets crazier from there.
What do you do regularly?
Where do you show up, what do you publish? Who do you ask, and what do you answer to? What gets better because you persist?
Are there systems you support or work to change?
What do you do when you don’t feel like it? Especially then.
The ocean is made of drops. And our practice turns those drops into something of significance.
It’s a practice if we show up even if it’s not working (yet). And it’s a practice if we understand how to make it better.
Our actions become our habits, and our habits attract others. That becomes our community, and our community builds systems. Those systems feel awkward until they become normal, and then, once normal, they become the status quo.
Bolts of lightning rarely change the world, but erosion does. Streams turn into rivers, and rivers persist.
I finished Wake Up Dead Man, the third movie in this series, last night. It was delightful. Smart. The cast was great. The mystery was sophisticated.
I hope Rian Johnson makes 20 more of these.
“I am so bored by A.I. One of the things I love about the theater is: A.I. can’t do it. I couldn’t be less interested in computers and fake things. I like people. I like the way they smell, I like the way they talk, and I like the way they think. I think of A.I. as a plagiarizing mechanism. That’s all it is. And I know it’s going to change the world, it’s screwing everybody up, and I’m not in denial about any of that. But I’m in open rebellion.” — Ethan Hawke
Drew Magary is on fire.
“What does he actually stand for, besides anything that Trump or his sugar daddies in the tech sector tell him to say? And how exactly did Americans benefit from the unprovoked killing of a woman literally named Good? Do you feel any safer thanks to Ross’ open cowardice? Do you feel grateful that he left Good’s children devastated, forever? Are your groceries suddenly cheaper now thanks to Ross’ heroic act of randomly shooting a woman? Did you study all of the camera angles like an NFL ref and decide that actually, Good completed the process of attempted murder? No, no, no, no, no, and no. Vance can lie, slander and spin this killing all he likes, but, thanks to the raw footage, none of it will mask the giant, neon sign blinking over his head that says THIS MAN IS AN AMORAL SACK OF S—T. A fascist. A liar. A champion of genocide.”
Here’s some advice: Live your life in such a way that when you die, your obituaries don’t open with how you were such a massive racist asshole.
Illinois, Daktronics Install Largest Video Display in College Football –
“The new south end zone display will measure approximately 69 feet high by 250 feet wide and will feature a 10-millimeter pixel spacing for high-resolution imagery and improved contrast. The size of the display will allow for larger-than-life content, including live video, instant replays, graphics, animations, game statistics and sponsorship messages.”
I can’t wait to see this thing in action.
The Madness of Living in 2026 –
Will Leitch has had a hard week. Haven’t we all?
“I have regularly told myself, truly believed even, that this ghastly period will eventually end, that we will get through it, that we will someday tell stories of how we lived through it. I didn’t know how it would end. I just believed it would. May we be so lucky. May we make it long enough to find out.”
The simple rule: Nine shortcuts take longer and are less productive than simply doing the work the right way the first time.
When we look for one-quick-tip and the lazy hack, we’re wasting time we could have spent on the direct path instead.
When a shortcut becomes the best way to do something, it ceases to be a shortcut. It’s simply the direct path. It’s easy to find satisfaction in finding the unexplored shortcut that gives us a temporary advantage. However, it won’t last long, and the time spent looking for it is a distraction.
Sit down and type. Stand up and lead. Simply begin.
It was a good B10 road win the other night, but what I noticed is that Illinois athletics is having fun right now. Robert Rosenthal sees it too:
Think back to the water guns in the locker room in Boston after beating Iowa State in the Sweet 16. Think about the chair thing during the tournament with the players pushing in their chairs at press conferences. Think about Luke Altmyer and his shirts praising his offensive linemen. Then think of the football team having a snowball fight on top of the giant snow pile after beating Northwestern.
Think of Brad Underwood purchasing the orange sweatsuit and recreating the AI photo. Think of Tomi smashing the guitar after beating Tennessee the other night.
Think about Krush showing up tonight and drowning out the Ohio State postgame tradition of signing “Carmen Ohio” by signing Alma Mater at the same time. And think about these guys going to this length to support the team from behind the bench referencing the above picture.
Think about all of the Illini fans in Orlando making the T-Bar gesture towards the South Carolina fans. Think about the spring practice where the moms participated, not the players. Think about the Illini fan invasions at Duke in September and in Nashville just the other night.
Could this be any more fun right now?
Winning cures all, of course.
This morning’s moment in Waking Up was wonderfully simple.
You have one job, and it consists of two parts. Be a good person, and pay attention.
Two things.
It was murder. Dave Pell of Nextdraft made this Atlantic piece a gift article and it should be read by everyone. Others should listen to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s message: “Get the f-ck out of Minneapolis. It was murder. The New York Times has a frame-by-frame analysis, from three angles, of the murder. She was a poet. It was murder.
Scott Galloway answered my question on his video.
It starts at 11:56. Pretty cool.
Last night, Montana State won the FCS national championship in overtime on an extra point. Insane game. Being an Illinois State fan for the duration of the game was utterly exhausting.
So much happened at the end, I’m probably forgetting something:
• Illinois State came back to tie the game from down 14
• Illinois State QB wanted to go for it on 4th and 1, but the coach elected to kick the FG
• Illinois State had that go-ahead FG blocked
• Montana State QB took a sack with 1 TO left in FG range to win it
• Montana State’s center snapped the ball before the QB was ready forcing them to punt on 4th and 28 (!!)
• Illinois State in OT promptly went down and scored, but got the extra point blocked
• Illinois State had an INT off the fingertips that would have won the game
• Montana State was down to 4th and 11
• Illinois State brought the house instead of playing prevent and Montana State had a wideout open in the endzone to tie it
• Montana State kicked the extra point to win it
Illinois State went 8-4 in regulation, became the first team to win four road playoff games, a 14-point comeback late vs. No. NDSU and again vs. No. 2 Montana State. They had criss-crossed the country to get to the championship.
They were one defensive stop away from winning it all. Heartbreaking.
“You just gotta keep making s–t up, scribbling–like sitting down and drawing with my kids. It reminds me to do that in my songs. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad. I think it looks great. Let’s hang it on the refrigerator.” — Jeff Tweedy
This is the start of another year in our lives, and I hope to improve upon it, hold steady, and subtly refresh it. I’m jumping in with my head up and keeping a firm eye on the good stuff that’s in my life.
I don’t have a whole lot to say about what’s going on in Venezuela at the moment because like most people, I’m still finding out about it. The one thing I will say, and this rather emphatically should not be construed as a mitigation or an exculpation, is that the folks suggesting this is a line that the US has never crossed before should probably reacquaint themselves with the U.S.’ history in South and Central America. We have done this before, both overtly and covertly, lots of times.
“But this is different!” Sure, because every one of these times is different in the details, and likely to be different in its consequence. But in principle it’s much the same, going back to the Monroe Doctrine. The US believes this half of the globe is its own. Again, this is not mitigation, or exculpation, or the suggestion that individually or as a cohort, we throw up our hands and just accept it. It’s just a reminder that we’ve been here before, not all that long ago, and not all that long ago before that.
Sigh. This feels like we’re the bully beating up on a kid in the cafeteria for his lunch money.
First selfie of the year.
“Well, we have a whole new year ahead of us. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all be a little more gentle with each other, a little more loving, and have a little more empathy, and maybe, next year at this time we’d like each other a little more.” — Judy Garland