Something New (This Week)
Spring is springing, and content abounds.
Happy Saturday, reader. Has spring sprung? It has for me, because it is BASKETBALL SEASON (cont’d.). After one of the more thrilling NCAA tournament seasons, in which I got to see NC State and Texas in-person, we finally reach the “We’re trying our hardest” season of a league that adults play in. There is nothing like it. I’ve made a goal for myself to watch at least one full game from every series of the playoffs, which is at least 15 games (don’t check my math). As I write this, tip off is beginning in the first televised series, the Orlando Magic vs the Cleavland Cavaliers. It’s the NBA TV series, a.k.a. the series that the league thinks will garner the least amount of viewers. Nice try, fuckers, I’m all in for this one. Honestly, I could see myself watching 30+ games. It’s been a great season in the NBA, and it’s going to lead beautifully into the WNBA season. We are currently blessed, at least in basketball world.
Listening to Things Online
It’s also New Taylor season. The Department of Tortured Poets is out, and readers, it is certainly music that was made by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. After one listen, that’s about all the credit and reviewing I can do of it for now. How anticlimactic of me (and them)!
After a different approach to their last two projects, collaborations with Leon Bridges and Vieux Farka Touré, Khruangbin are back with stripped down vibes, and, Lord, hear me: that’s all I need in my life during the hot weather seasons. I’m glad to announce it will be a Hot Khruangbin Summer.
One of my favorite podcasts of the last couple of years, Pablo Torre Finds Out, remains cooking, and they recently released an episode under one of my favorite categories: sports team owners are the worst people you can imagine. I don’t typically watch the video version of the shows, but they are easy to link, so here is that:
Reading Things Online
Garbage Day is one of my favorite finds recently. They talk about things that one might consider niche internet happenings, but I really love their insight and analysis, and their writing is simultaneously very fun to take in. Reading about the newest app that is “Silicon Valley’s latest obsession”, which is really just a data farm for AI or any other use that a couple of weirdos want to use it for. Another day, another one of whatever the fuck those ideas are.
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I’ve talked about No Expectations before, but I am reminded every week that Josh Terry simply doesn’t miss, and that this is the exact format that I want for music recommendations: short reviews, tons of options, and taste that is recognizable (and fortunately similar to mine). You simply must subscribe.
The newest outlet for Mags Colvett, a writer/poet/editor/person that I enjoy, and have recommended before, has a new poetry recommendation thing that has treated me well so far in its infancy: Magpie Reader. I have been finding more and more value in poetry, especially contemporary works, but I’m not necessarily putting in the work to go find it for myself. Mags has given me the perfect solution. Shoutout to them.
That’s it for this week. My spring will definitely start tomorrow, when tryouts for the ultimate frisbee team I coach begin. That’s my favorite time of the year, and it helps me organize my time very specifically, and gives me the opportunity to prioritize with more intention. These beautiful weather months need our focus and prioritization, so we can get what we really want out of them, before they retreat back to rest. I hope you give yourself what you want, and what you need.
TTFN,
Bobby