I’m listening to a compilation of Eddie Money tunes on Spotify as I’m thinking back to 1983 when his videos for Shakin’” and “Think I’m In Love” were all over MTV. A year later, Ric Ocasek was walking on water in the Magic” video and turning into a fly in the “You Might Think” video.

These artists, among so many others, were the soundtrack of my high school days.

Age has a way of catching up with everyone. I’m not 16 anymore, even though, in my mind, some of the pop icons at that time are indelibly etched eternally at the age they were when they meant something to me. The reality is they got older too.

Eddie Money passed away at age 70. Ric Ocasek was 75 when he was found dead at home.

Michael Hutchence, George Michael, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, and Prince have already left us. When Sting, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna shuffle off this mortal coil, representatives of an incredible era of music will be gone.

As I’ve now reached past 50, the lyrics for “I Wanna Go Back” mean so much more now.

I was listening to the radio
 I heard a song reminded me of long ago
 Back then I thought that things were never gonna change
 It used to be that I never had to feel the pain
 I know that things will never be the same now

I’m feeling so much older.

Josh Gitner, at his site, pointed me to a cool video.

My friends and I visited and recreated every default Apple wallpaper on a one week road trip. Starting with MacOS Mojave in Death Valley National Park, we traveled to each of Apple’s California Locations to try and make an identical photo to their wallpapers that come installed with every new Mac computer.

Bernie Miklasz, writing for 101ESPN, called the Cardinals versus the Cubs game last night operatic.

Just when you thought that the Cubs owned all of the momentum and positive emotion and cranked-up energy, just when you thought the Cubs would win the night on a stunning comeback, Carpenter reset the stars, and put the baseball planets back in alignment.

I don’t know if this was Thursday night baseball or a Night at the Opera.

Acting … drama … plot twists … overwrought scripts.

Bernie is having fun here, but then he gets into the real story of the night.

Now, if you really want to talk about a comeback by a down-and-out guy who won a freaking game and saved his team from a horrendous, spine-weakening loss … well, say hello to Matt Carpenter, and you don’t even have to god him up, because most of the Cardinals fan base is endlessly annoyed with him anyway.

Carpenter didn’t have a sprained ankle; he was suffering from a broken season, and a Grade 3 strain of his baseball career.

It’s been a rough summer. But with one swing of the bat — hell, I refuse to write something stupid like, ‘Swing of the magic wand,’ — Carpenter turned smoke into a game-winning strike and instant happiness. It wasn’t fireworks. It was more like fire Joe Maddon being in the works.

That last sentence. Whoa. Bernie’s on fire.

Seth Godin on becoming a creative person:

There’s just one way to become one:

Do something creative.

It’s a little bit like leaders. What they have in common is that they lead.

Simply begin.

Will Leitch, writing for New York Magazine, posits and interesting premise: Is it time for superstar athletes to become politicians?

It would seem time, though. There has never been a time when sports and politics have been so inextricably intertwined. From the NFL protests — which not only drew Trump’s ire but came this close to pushing Beto O’Rourke past Ted Cruz last year — to LeBron James and Stephen Curry fighting with the president on Twitter to the equal pay fight with the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team to Big Macs for unpaid football players in the White House, there is nothing about sports that isn’t politicized anymore. And athletes have begun to realize the power they have. LeBron was one of several athletes who hosted fundraisers for Hillary Clinton and will almost certainly do so again for the eventual Democratic nominee. Megan Rapinoe became a star at the Women’s World Cup as much for her statements off the field as her goals on it. Former WNBA MVP Maya Moore has actually put her basketball career on hold to dedicate her life to criminal-justice reform.

Sports is at the center of every major American issue at this particular moment, from class to race to #MeToo to militarism to labor relations. Simply by being a high-profile athlete, you have an identifiable political platform, whether you want it or not. Tom Brady has always gotten this wrong, thinking you can say nothing in the year 2019 and possibly get away with it. (Not standing for something is a stand.) Megan Rapinoe has a clear, easily understood, deeply compelling political platform already, right now, simply because of what she did and said during the 2019 World Cup. Who has a better rationale to run for president right now: Megan Rapinoe or Bill de Blasio? Who has more to offer the country?

Oh, I know the answer to that one.

Survive the school year with these must-have #BackToSchool essentials. https://t.co/9KgxAQ0KGz
This PSA contains graphic content related to school shootings & may be upsetting to some viewers. If you feel this subject matter may be difficult for you, you may choose not to watch. pic.twitter.com/5ijYMtXRTy

— Sandy Hook Promise (@sandyhook) September 18, 2019

This is hard to watch. As it should be.

Kids shouldn’t have to endure this anymore. Vote for the people who will do something about this.

HINT: Not Republicans

John Pavolvitz, writing on his site, has some strong opinions on the state of the American experiment.

The only way things are going to be okay—is if good people make them okay…

I’m afraid he’s right.

Jeremy Werner, writing at his Illini Inquirer site, has one of the best behind-the-scenes stories on what it takes to be the lead broadcasters on a Big Ten football game. It is in-depth and practically minute-by-minute.

In my opinion, it’s one of the best stories Werner has put together. Really solid work and an incredibly fun read.

The 22nd Amendment says a person can only be elected to be president two times for a total of eight years. But Trump’s GOP never follows rules, norms, or laws. Why should we?

Obama 2020. pic.twitter.com/xX8ROP3cjB

— Dave Pell (@davepell) September 18, 2019

It would be my choice too, but he’s not running. Neither is his wife.

David Wallace-Wells, writing in New York Magazine, has an incredible story on Greta Thunberg.

She was the Joan of Arc of climate change, commanding a global army of teenage activists numbering in the millions and waging a rhetorical war against her elders through the unapologetic use of generational shame. The comparison might seem hyperbolic and may come to look even more strained than that, depending on what the future brings for Greta and for climate action. But for the moment, there is simply no other appropriate analogy from political history to draw on in describing just how much she has achieved at such a young age and in so little time.

What a rise for this young activist. She’s the future.

Adam Rittenberg, writing for ESPN, has a positive sports story that I definitely needed.

Tennessee announced Thursday that it has extended an offer of admission and a four-year scholarship — for the Class of 2032 — to the elementary school student in Altamonte Springs, Florida.

The university will cover the cost of the boy’s scholarship if he chooses to attend the school and meets all admission requirements.

The boy’s story drew national attention earlier this week when Laura Snyder, his teacher, detailed on Facebook how the boy had been bullied after clipping a piece of paper with a “UT” design to an orange T-shirt for “college colors day” at the school.

The power of social media made this happen.

I’m a huge fan of power pop. I usually like a bit more crunch a la Cheap Trick, but the Romantics, Gin Blossoms, Honeymoon Suite, the Knack, and more all have amazing power pop songs. I mean, technically, the Beatles were the first power pop band.

Last summer, I stumbled upon a post at Eclecticity Light about a singer/songwriter/band called Pugwash. I took a listen and found a mashup of the Beatles, ELO, and the Beach Boys and it was wonderful.

Check out “The Perfect Summer.”

Rob Bricken, writing his Nerd Processor column on Medium, has decided fandom has been transformed from being about love and diversity into hate and intolerance. As usual, he’s full of shit.

There are an increasing number of things I used to enjoy that feel tainted by the hate other so-called fans feel for them, and it’s getting harder and harder to separate the two.

I’m sorry, but you have control over how you feel. It’s not hard to separate what assholes say and what you think. Who is more important? According to Bricken, it’s everybody else’s opinion.

Studios have given nerds power, and power has corrupted us. By acknowledging these fans so much, and catering to them to wholly, they’ve given nerds a wholly unjustified sense of equality with those making the entertainment. Worse, when studios do try to placate fans by bowing to their wishes, it confirms what these fans have always felt in their hearts — that these franchises belong to them.

People who make the entertainment do not cater to fans or placate fans. They are creating their art, and if fandom loves it or hates it, it doesn’t matter. Do you think a creator spends time thinking about what an audience wants and then caters to them? I’m not saying that aren’t thinking commercially, but they are also thinking creatively, and what makes them creatively fulfilled.

I don’t give a shit what some rando on the Internet thinks about Star Wars, Game of Thrones, or any other entertainment I enjoy. You feel tainted by their vitriol. Ignore them, and you take away the oxygen they feed on.

I can still express my opinion without also going on a crusade to convince people who love it that they’re wrong, because these are the people who remember that being a fan of something is about loving it.

Write about this next time. This is what you want to have a thousand words on. This.

Bernie Miklasz, writing for 101ESPN, tries to ease Cardinals fans fears as meaningful September baseball is about to be played. I like his way of seeing things.

The Cardinals will play 10 of their final 16 games against the Brewers (three) and Cubs (seven.) That might unnerve some folks, because the Brewers and (especially) Cubs can launch direct attacks on the Cardinals and cut into the lead. But I guess I see it the other way: if you’re holding a four-game lead, and have the stronger position, then you should be excited to have a straight-on shot to weaken, wobble or knockout your rivals.

If the Cardinals fear playing seven vs. Chicago and three against molten-hot Milwaukee, then they’re missing competitive fiber. And I don’t believe that’s true. I decline to insult them by conjuring up — or assuming — some worst-case scenario.

One thing I don’t think is happening to the Cardinals team is a lack of “competitive fiber.”

After reading David Edlestein’s review in Vulture of Joker, I’m even surer I’m going to hate everything about this film.

It tells me everything I need to know about the movie in one simple sentence.

The downside to the performance is the downside to the movie: It’s one note played louder and louder.

I don’t need that in my life. In fact, I have zero desire to watch this film. As Edelstein points out, it’s obvious what director Todd Phillips is going for here: a pastiche of a better director’s (Martin Scorsese) movies (obviously King of Comedy and Taxi Driver). Of course, he stunt casts Robert De Niro.

Although Phillips and the screenwriters sought to make Joker more realistic than its DC Comics predecessors, it exalts its protagonist and gives him the origin story of his dreams, in which killing is a just — and artful — response to a malevolently indifferent society. Arthur/Joker might be repulsive, but in a topsy-turvy universe, repulsive is attractive. I’m not arguing that Joker will inspire killings (it might, but so might a lot of other things), only that it panders to selfish, small-minded feelings of resentment. Also it’s profoundly boring — a one-joke movie.

How boring. But then, I’m not a selfish incel with “small-minded feelings of resentment.” If I want to watch a “killing is just” movie, I’ll watch Keanu Reeves gun-fu through the John Wick movies. I’m sure I’ll be way more entertained.

Just who is this movie for anyway? I mean, fans of the DC Comics version of the Joker aren’t going to care about this approach. If you loved Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance, this isn’t going to make you love the character more. If you hated Jared Leto’s take on the character, I’m sure Phoenix’s version will be even more wrong.

My fear is the controversy surrounding this movie will push audiences to go see the film and make those in charge of DC movies incorrectly believe that creating individual, non-universe connecting movies is the way to go. It isn’t.

I don’t see many movies anymore. My life is busy. However, it seems obvious to me that the movie is a pastiche of Taxi Driver and King of Comedy with DC Comics intellectual property sprinkled in. I’m actually tired of these types of approaches to comic book movies. There is no joy here. Of course, movies can be depressing, but most of the time, I don’t want a movie to depress me. I expect Joker will be depressing.

Maybe even one note.

Imagine if Marvel decided to make a movie called Dr. Doom. It’s a story about a beautiful and smart peasant boy, Victor Von Doom, living in the made-up country of Latveria. He gets an opportunity to attend a prestigious university in the United States, leaving the woman he loves to a cruel prince. A freak accident scars his face and creates havoc with his vanity (and sanity). He melds the occult teaching of his mother and futuristic science to create a mask to hide his face and a powered armored suit, He returns to Latveria as Dr. Doom to take back the love of his life and ultimately become dictator of Latveria.

No Fantastic Four, no Avengers. No Iron Man. It might be an interesting story, and with a charismatic lead, it might generate excitement, but it’s a movie that will never, ever get made. Why? Because Marvel movies don’t work that way. Good comic book movies don’t play well that way in the theater. It may make a lot of money, but it derails the train in the process. It kills sequels and merchandise tie-ins

Kevin Feige understands this. I have no idea if Walter Hamada does.

The DCU is focusing on individual stories and not an interconnected universe. When will they ever learn this is the wrong approach?

Patrick Rhone on plans -

The best gift one can give to any plan is time. The more time given, the more sure the plan. The more sure the plan, the better the work. Plan the work. Then, work the plan.

Sara Luterman, writing in Slate, has an uplifting story about people with Down Syndrome dressing in drag and putting on a show. The obvious villain of the piece is a Republican who doesn’t understand it and never will.

The name of the group is perfect.

Nate Jackson, writing for Deadspin, has a 9/11 story I’ve never heard before. It would make an excellent movie.

Today I was reminded of a story that resonated with me ever since I read it.

I remember the image. It haunts me each year.

I will not post it, but I will direct you to the story by Tom Junod in Esquire.

It is enough.

The AP has a report out today outlining why the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied Ohio State University’s trademark filing on the word “The.”

The patent office cited the trademark appears to be used for “merely decorative manner” and as an “ornamental feature” that doesn’t appear to function as a trademark that would differentiate the items from others.

This was so dumb.