∞

Belo

Andre Curbelo has entered the transfer portal. I am not surprised, but I am a little sad. He had one of the best freshman seasons last year and one of the worst sophomore seasons this year. Perhaps, as everyone seems to say, a fresh start would do wonders for him and the Fighting Illini Men’s Basketball program.

Robert Rosenthal, writing at IlliniBoard, has a few thoughts. I’d like to share what I think is the most important part.

…Remember the player he helped up during the first exhibition game when his teammates left him hanging? Remember that one tweet from a TV reporter near the court (can’t remember which game) who reported that an official went to Curbelo (who was in street clothes) and asked him “do you understand your role (on the bench)?” This is all part of the Andre Curbelo experience. He observes a reporter typing without looking and interrupts and NCAA press conference to talk about it. He observes someone reaching out to block a free throw and takes his complaint directly to the officials.

Personally, I love it. He’s so incredibly unique. Put all the basketball aside — I very much enjoy people who see the world through a different lens. The way he sees the court is the way he sees the world.

Unfortunately, I think it was very difficult to see through that lens after everything that happened this season. Last year’s confidence in March became this year’s uneasiness. Whatever the lasting effects were — and remember, he was cleared from the concussion and played three games before it was determined that something wasn’t right and he was shut down for 55 days so it wasn’t “he got a concussion and sat for two months” — he was never really back to Belo. The mental and the physical never got back in sync.

I hope he gets back to being himself. Post-concussion, the only glimmer was the Purdue game, and I think that took a toll on him physically and mentally. I am sorry to see him go. I’m not sure the player we got at the end of his freshman year was ever returning. He was unique, but I’m not sure he has the right mindset to overcome his deficiencies, which was a red flag.

You can be a six-foot point guard in college if you are getting a ton of assists, running the offense, not making turnovers, and going 110% on the defensive end. Curbelo was a smart defensive player and could occasionally make passes others could not, but his numbers were not good this year, and he was obviously hurting all year.

I want Illinois basketball to get taller, more athletic, have a higher basketball IQ, and be less prone to mistakes.

Good luck, Dre. I hope you turn it around.

∞

Welcome Home

I still can’t quite believe it.

∞

Will Smith Smacks Chris Rock, a Breakdown

Here’s the Jomboy breakdown you didn’t think you needed but will give you all the necessary context for the slap heard ‘round the world at the 2022 Oscars.

Personally, I watched Will Smith smack Chris Rock live. He then went on to win the best actor award and deliver a rambling, semi-coherent speech about being a vessel for love. I don’t get it.

The fact that Will Smith wasn’t arrested for assault right after hitting Chris Rick on national television just shows you how different rich people are treated compared to the middle class and poor. I want people arrested and fired for assaulting people. I guess if you are rich and famous, you can get away with it. Where have I heard that before?

I am trying to imagine just how famous and privileged you must be to get out of your seat at the Academy Awards, slap someone, sit back down and heckle, and then win the Oscar. The answer is Will Smith famous.

He should have been escorted out of the room. If that meant he could not claim his Best Actor statue, all the better.

Was the joke tasteless? I thought it was pretty light. Jada Pinkett Smith has alopecia.

She wasn’t going through cancer treatments. Still, I get the whole “defend your wife because she just gave Rock and then you the stink eye.” But also, overreact much?

It was a moment of toxic masculinity by an actor that disgraced not just himself but the event itself.

No one will remember it was the first time a streaming service (Apple TV+) won Best Picture at the Academy Awards for CODA. That in and of itself is mind-blowing and should be addressed by the industry. No one will remember Jane Campion’s win, Troy Kotsur’s, or anyone else’s win.

It will just be the Oscars where Will Smith smacked Chris Rock, and that’s sad.

∞

Foo Fighters Drummer Taylor Hawkins Dead at 50

Kat Bouza has the story for Rolling Stone:

Taylor Hawkins, the jovial, ferocious drummer for Foo Fighters for more than two decades, has died at the age of 50, according to a statement from the band.

“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” read the message, which was posted to social media. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever.” Foo Fighters are currently on tour in South America and were scheduled to perform at Festival Estéreo Picnic in Bogotá, Colombia, at the time of Hawkins’ death, a rep for the band told Rolling Stone. No cause of death was given.

It’s disappointing and sad. I’m sure drugs will be involved or some undiagnosed condition which the illegal substances he was using messed him up.

All anyone will remember is Dave Grohl was a drummer of a band who lost their singer, then he became the singer of a band who lost their drummer.

∞

The Japanese Sword as the Soul of the Samurai

This documentary on the making of Japanese swords, narrated by George Takei, offers a fascinating look at the exhaustive process of forging samurai swords.

In the 1969 short documentary The Japanese Sword as the Soul of the Samurai, the US filmmaker Kenneth Wolfgang (1931-2011) is allowed rare access to the Tokyo workshop of a master samurai swordsmith to explore the craft and history behind the iconic Japanese weapon. Instantly recognisable for its elegant shape and sharp cutting edge, the samurai sword was long one of the most fearsome weapons in the world, as well as an object of great symbolic importance in premodern Japan. Here, its creation is documented in rich detail as a swordsmith and his apprentices hammer, fold and weld to create a near-perfect steel blade in a process that melds expert craftsmanship with Shinto religious ritual. Alongside the workshop footage, Wolfgang uses traditional Japanese woodblock paintings, dolls and the narration of the US actor George Takei (Lt Sulu in Star Trek) to take the audience through the sword’s history — from its mythological origins and into the 20th century, well past the samurai era. In doing so, Wolfgang demystifies the object for Western audiences while also conveying its deep significance to Japanese history and myth.

∞

Jackassery

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse (R), during today’s confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson:

I think we should recognize that the jackassery we often see around here is partly because of people mugging for short-term camera opportunities.

I’m sorry, but no shit. Having televised hearings like this always defeats the purpose of transparency and allows the jackasses to have a platform to strut their bullshit for soundbites and viral videos.

∞

Digital Dust

Rick Beato plays the demo he made with a country duo, Muddy Magnolia, that was lost to the sands of time, and it sounds like something you should’ve heard on the radio.

I enjoyed the Muddy Magnolia live version, but the demo is better.

∞

If We’re Back to ‘Normal,’ Why Am I Still So Exhausted All the Time?

Dan Sinker, writing for Esquire, wonders what is normal after two years of the pandemic.

Going back to normal is the wrong direction anyway. We need to move forward, to build new lives, better lives. Lives that address the inequalities laid bare in the pandemic, that pay people doing work we deemed “essential” two years ago wages that reflect it; lives that offer healthcare that doesn’t just address the current emergency but the fact that all of us live on a razor’s edge all the time; lives that give parents the support they desperately need; lives that lift up black and brown people who bore the brunt of the pandemic’s harshest outcomes; lives that feel like they’re worth living, for everyone. It’s possible. I have to believe it’s possible.

I love the idea of moving forward. We probably aren’t going back to the way it was in February 2020 ever again. It all changed when March Madness was canceled, and Tom Hanks got COVID. Maybe the turning point was when celebrities started dying like John Prine, Adam Schlesinger, Terrence McNally, Nick Cordero, and Herman Cain.

In any case, we must learn from our mistakes and go on. It’s the only way to do better. Everyone should learn from this experience, dismiss the old ways’ familiarity, and start thinking about the new.

New is the new normal.

∞

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman Become New Voices of Monday Night Football

From Derek Volner in the ESPN Press Room:

ESPN has signed acclaimed play-by-play commentator Joe Buck and leading football analyst Troy Aikman to multi-year deals, as the NFL’s longest current booth pairing and Pro Football Hall of Fame members will become the new voices of Monday Night Football. The iconic duo’s 2022 Monday Night Football debut will mark their 21st NFL season in the booth together, matching the legendary Pat Summerall and John Madden’s all-time record as on-air NFL partners. In their two decades together, Buck and Aikman have called six Super Bowls, surpassing all other pairings/booths except for Summerall and Madden. […]

Buck and Aikman are the best duo since Madden and Michaels. It’s a good lineup and should put the shine back on Monday Night Football.

∞

Online Roland Synthesizer

This is a time killer.

In celebration of 50 years, Roland has collaborated with sound designer Yuri Suzuki to create Roland50 Studio, a digital reworking of some of their most famous and influential devices.

You can play with a trio of Roland music machines for the musically inclined (and the no so inclined): the TR-808 drum machine, the TB-303 bass synthesizer, and the SH-101 synthesizer.

Even better, once you have your masterpiece set, you can download it. I wish I had the time to create something extraordinary.

∞

I Need A New Butt

I have never heard of I Need a New Butt, but it sounds hilarious and perfectly appropriate for second graders.

A young boy suddenly notices a big problem — his butt has a huge crack! So he sets off to find a new one. Will he choose an armor-plated butt? A rocket butt? A robot butt? Find out in this quirky tale of a tail, which features hilarious rhymes and delightful illustrations. Children and parents will love this book — no ifs, ands, or butts about it!

Fun! Of course, the superintendent in Mississippi’s Hinds County School District took offense.

Maria Cramer and Isabella Grullón Paz, writing for the New York Times, explains how an assistant principal lost his job because he read it to children. Toby Price read the book to a group of second graders over Zoom … and lost his job.

Later that day, on March 2, the district superintendent, Delesicia Martin, called him into her office and told him he was on administrative leave, Mr. Price said. He was fired two days later, accused of violating the standards of conduct section of the Mississippi Educator Code of Ethics.

In a letter to Mr. Price, the superintendent called the book “inappropriate.” She particularly took issue with the references to farting in the story and how “the book described butts in various colors, shapes and sizes (example: fireproof, bullet proof, bomb proof).” Ms. Martin called Mr. Price “unprofessional” for having selected the book.

Delesicia Martin, the superintendent, should be fired. Immediately. There’s even a change.org petition.

No child or parent complained. The superintendent was worried someone might complain. Unbelievable.

This is one of the hundreds of reasons why the Mississippi education system rates 47 out of 50. I hope Mr. Price gets plenty of job offers to educate young minds where he is appreciated.

∞

Scott Hall, RIP

Hey…yo.

Scott Hall, WWE Hall of Famer and co-founder of pro wrestling’s legendary New World Order faction, died on Monday after being taken off of life support by his family following complications from hip surgery. He was 63.

He was the man who kicked off the biggest boom period in the history of professional wrestling. Along with Shawn Michaels, he innovated the ladder match, now a staple of the sport.

His life behind the scenes was filled with constant struggles with substance abuse and personal demons, run-ins with the law, and sexual misconduct allegations. In 2013, “Diamond” Dallas Page invited him to live at his home and get clean. A year after moving in with Page, Hall was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and would be inducted again in 2020 as a member of the nWo alongside Hogan, Nash and X-Pac.

His acceptance speech was amazing. “Bad times don’t last, but bad guys do.”

Whether you knew him best as the Diamond Studd, as Razor Ramon, or simply as himself, “Da Bad Guy” was always one of the coolest wrestlers to ever set foot in the ring.

∞

Cardinals Maybe Interested in Albert Pujols

Do you want to get Cardinals fans excited? Tell them Pujols is returning to St. Louis to join the Wainwright/Molina farewell tour. At the very least, tell them there’s a chance.

Last year, Pujols became a free agent during the regular season. Fans got excited about a potential reunion. President of baseball operations, John Mozeliak, didn’t even consider it and rightfully so. With the universal DH, bringing in a crowd-pleasing player like Pujols could be fun. Nevertheless, it makes little sense for the Cardinals to sign a rapidly declining and limited player in Pujols and take away opportunities for younger players like Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar.

Could Pujols help the Cardinals? Of course. He’d be a veteran on the bench to help the younger players. He’d be a leader in the clubhouse. Reuniting with Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright would give these three all-time Cardinals one final season together, and it would be a license to print money.

Still, I don’t have my hopes up for a reunion.

∞

There Will Be Baseball

Baseball is back!

After 99 days of a lockout on the players, the MLB owners and Players Association agreed to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. So, after all that hand-wringing and soul-crushing shenanigans, what exactly happened? What’s different?

In a Twitter thread by Evan Drellich of The Athletic, he outlines the details of the new CBA agreement.

Bonus Pool
The players wanted a bonus pool of $100M. The compromise number of $50M is excellent. It’s a way for the impressive rookies and quality players to get a bit more money.

Minimum Salary
The minimum salary is now $700k and a sliding scale up for each season. When the lockout was going on, there was a narrative of millionaire baseball players against the billionaire owners, and that just wasn’t true. Most professional baseball players were not making a million dollars. With the minimum salary going up, it will help the most significant number of players.

Universal DH
I’ve been screaming about this for years. The National League was behind every other example of organized baseball in existence. This will make the game much better and make the World Series a more equitable set of games.

Schedule Changes
The regular season will be delayed, but only a tiny bit. More importantly, there will be a full slate of 162 games. To do that, it looks like there will be some scheduled doubleheaders during the season. Also, the doubleheaders will be nine-inning games. No more of this seven innings crap. Plus, no more stupid “ghost runners” on second to start extra innings.

Expanded Playoffs
The owners wanted expanded playoffs because that’s where a lot of money is made. The players used this as their primary bargaining chip. The owners wanted a 14-team playoff. The players proposed a 12-team playoff, and that’s the compromise. I hated the one-game Wild Card, and expanded teams mean Wild Card three-game series, which is much better.

On to free agency, spring training, and an actual regular season starting in about a month.

∞

Friday Night Baseball

Somehow, I missed this news from Apple entirely. The Verge outlines the new way for people to watch baseball:

During the company’s Peek Performance event on Tuesday, Apple boss Tim Cook announced that Apple’s streaming service will feature two Major League Baseball games on Friday nights during the regular season. Kicking off when the season begins, Friday Night Baseball will feature pregame and postgame programming.

Apple TV Plus subscribers in the US and Canada will additionally have access to a new 24/7 livestream with Major League Baseball replays, news, highlights, and analysis, as well as what Apple described as “a full complement of on-demand programming, including highlights and MLB-themed original content.” In addition, a new live show titled MLB Big Inning will air highlights on weeknights during the regular season.

I recently changed my television from digital cable to YouTubeTV and several streaming services. What I missed by going this route was watching St. Louis Cardinals games on Bally Sports Midwest. I don’t watch a lot of major league baseball, but I’ve found in my old age that I like just sitting back and taking in a random game. This feels just about right.

∞

3x5

The 3 x 5 life of Patrick Rhone. This is an interesting approach to task management. I’ve always thought his Dash/Plus system was cool. I appreciate Patrick providing his GTD guided mindsweep.

I might have to try this.

∞

Star Trek/Wars Teasers

New Star Trek and Star Wars television series are coming soon, and their first real teasers have hit the interwebs. Both shows hit their respective streaming services in May.

First up is the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds teaser trailer, which fans of Star Trek: Discovery have already seen glimpses of with a reintroduction of a few characters fans knew were traipsing around the galaxy at the same time. Of course, Star Trek fans were introduced to Captain Pike, Number One, Spock, and others in the original pilot, and a version of Captain Pike made an appearance in the Kelvin-Timeline Star Trek movies. However, this version is the retro-updated version of the USS Enterprise back before Kirk and company took command.

There are a lot of Star Trek shows, but this is the only one that reminds me of the fun and hope of the original series. It looks beautiful and the cast is top-notch. I’m hoping we see a Captain April.

I always thought there was a story to be told right after Obi-Wan Kenobi drops off Luke at the Lard Homestead and walks into the Tatooine desert. Now, we are going to get one.

Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped its first teaser trailer for the Disney+ show and we finally get a glimpse of what’s in store.

Man, when the “Duel of Fates” hits I actually got a tingle in my spine. Actually, when the music transitions from “Battle of the Heroes” to “Duel of the Fates” then back to the first was amazing. Also, the lightsaber swiping to form the Disney+ logo at the end was a good bit of design.

May looks like a good month for Star Trek and Star Wars fans (like me).

∞

Emilio Delgado, Luis on Sesame Street for 45 Years, Dead at 81

Emilio Delgado, who portrayed singing shop owner Luis Rodriguez on Sesame Street, died in New York. He spent more than half of his life on the show, and he holds the record for the longest-running role for a Mexican American actor in a television show.

Sad.

∞

Heardle

I watched someone else play Wordle and thought a.) This seems like fun and b.) I would suck at this, like really suck.

However, I found Heardle which is like if Name That Tune and Wordle had a baby. It seemed way more up my alley.

First opportunity to play, I had no clue at all what the song was. Ultimately, it told me it was “Ms. Jackson” by Outkast. The only Outkast song anyone knows is “Hey Ya,” so this was total crap.

If there was a version of this of just 80s songs, I’d kill.

∞

How Did This Many Deaths Become Normal?

Ed Yong, writing for The Atlantic, examines the distinct lack of societal change that is occurring after millions have died and nearly a million alone in just the United States.

He starts and doesn’t let up:

The United States reported more deaths from COVID-19 last Friday than deaths from Hurricane Katrina, more on any two recent weekdays than deaths during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, more last month than deaths from flu in a bad season, and more in two years than deaths from HIV during the four decades of the AIDS epidemic. At least 953,000 Americans have died from COVID, and the true toll is likely even higher because many deaths went uncounted. COVID is now the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after only heart disease and cancer, which are both catchall terms for many distinct diseases. The sheer scale of the tragedy strains the moral imagination. On May 24, 2020, as the United States passed 100,000 recorded deaths, The New York Times filled its front page with the names of the dead, describing their loss as “incalculable.” Now the nation hurtles toward a milestone of 1 million. What is 10 times incalculable?

The whole thing paints a sad portrait of America.