Just wanted you to know. Mrs. Brewer---what a woman--- has become a Christmas common character in my house since you wrote this a few weeks ago. Along with Rick's black Santa, the Headless Wiseman, and the wooden reindeer our redneck neighbor built (that I'm still confused on how it showed up in our house). Thanks for keeping us laughing on this one!
You know, as you mention Santa and good music, it makes me wonder what Santa listens to as he makes his rounds on Christmas Eve. I haven’t seen any pictures of him with AirPods in his ears but he must be keeping up with technology! Just look at all the techno he delivers!
Matt, as a ''long time reader'' i.e. about 6 weeks. ;-) I was shocked earlier in the week when your normal, rational readers resembled a mosh pit on the reunion tour of some 1980's heavy metal hair band. It was only when I re-read your opening that I understood we had been overrun by a herd of faithful Drudge readers. After a quick, painful peruse of Drudge's dreck, I went out for a long, long, run followed by a long, long shower. No offense, but I hope Drudge doesn't select one of your articles for awhile. On the positive side, at least for you, it firmly reminded me why I come here: an interesting, wry take on our current world, along with the acknowledgement that I'm not alone thinking that both sides have gone a little mad. Oh, and add another former Republican onto your subscriber list. :-)
I hear you, Brian, though I'm always grateful for Drudge. (And I read him every day, besides.) He drives traffic like nobody else - still, after all these years. But aside from that, I think he's been mighty sensible as the wheels have come off the country in the last half decade or so. He stood up to the worst of the seditionist hooligans, at great cost to his own popularity with a good many on the right. Which is not an easy thing to do, or more people would do it. (About nine out of ten conservative media outlets took a powder on that.) And he still thumps lefty excesses, too. Of course when you have that many millions of readers on a daily basis, you draw all kinds. Including people who like to fight in comments sections. So yeah, it got a little rowdy last week. But nobody broke the furniture. And if it happens again on a third-rail topic that has everyone putting on the warpaint, I can always limit comments to paid subscribers, which does seem to tamp down people's taste for violence a bit. Plus, I'm happy to bounce people when they earn it. And a few did.
I'm gonna' skip the email thing and throw down my Ask Matt right here...how 'bout changin' "sporadically" to maybe semi-regularly, or there 'bouts?? One more good thing to look forward to among sundry good things that flow in on the 'Tide. (Apologies, couldn't seem to help myself on that one. If it were later in the day, I might be able to blame it on the Bottled in Bond. But it ain't even 1/2 past 1:00, so no excuses.)
Not a drop of musical talent flowing through these veins, but a lot of appreciation for those who have it. Used to listen to music from all over the place. Had forgotten how much I too like the sound of a mandolin. Thanks for the reminder. There's a sweet little 2-channel system sitting in a back room that I put together some years ago in lieu of the cost of a new pickup. Hasn't amplified a signal in a while now other than from the FM receiver (gag) while my wife's back there doing her thing on her loom. Think I'll dust off a little Monroe. Maybe a little Skaggs, with a shot of Stuart (as opposed to Stewart, whom I dig on too, but not today). Would throw in a dash of Thile for good measure, but that would require a signal from this crappy laptop, and going thru that system it wouldn't do the poor guy any justice at all.
Too bad your mandolin is gatherin' dust along with your C-4. If you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods, bring it along. (The instrument, not the boom. Got enough crazies around here already.) We can sit out on the porch. I'll put on some of the above and crank it up a bit, and you can pick along. And with the help of a little B'n B, we might both shed our otherwise suitable smallness and feel a little big for a hot minute, all the while annoying the crap out of a couple of the crazies, which I have to admit I'd very much enjoy.
If I ever disagree with your take (occasionally you can be a bit too acerbic for me 😉), your exquisite taste in music will always bring me back. That and your love of nature and dogs. Us humans are complicated and finding commonality has gotten us this far, so I figure, what the hell, lets keep that going.
One of my favorite songs (very sweet and simple) about understanding the "bigger" stuff is James Taylor's "Secret of Life"....
Back in the day when I had a pretty nifty little home theater with plenty of top shelf bells & whistles, along with a hell of a lot more stuff on my plate than I do now, one of my go-to's in my video library when I'd had a crap day and just wanted to chill and let it all fall off into the dust was James Taylor Live at The Beacon Theatre (New York, 1998). Not technically the best live recording I have, but an all-around winner just the same. A couple of dozen tracks of Let it all go, why don't ya?
Favorite track? #11 Shower the People
Towards the end, Taylor's on the lead, does the refrain a couple of times, all the instruments drop out except the base and some very restrained percussion, and he falls off into back-up and one of his back-up singers, Arnold McCuller, steps up on the lead and hits it out of the park in a complete understatement of what that voice is actually capable of. He does a couple of bars, the band falls back in, and he brings it home to the last line, delivered by Taylor with that typical JT smoothness. It's all just enough without a drop too much anywhere.
They all get a standing O, with much of it being for McCuller, and Taylor graciuosly acknowledges him, obviously happy to let the rest of the considerable talent around him shine all on its own.
If you turn that up to "live" volume, kick back and watch and listen, and somehow don't feel more right than wrong by the end, there's something wrong somewhere.
I'm with Matt. Screw the cool kids. Wouldn't know cool if it walked up and bit 'em. But then I doubt JT would do that.
Am with you on that. And have always been a sucker for JT (was practically raised on "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon"), even if the cool kids think he's soft. Screw them. He's a ridiculously talented songwriter.
We zealously protected our youngest of three boys about the Santa project. Our older sons went along because it sustained their lost innocence after having been corrupted by
brutal reality.
So the day came when little Rusty asked me if Santa was real, having been brought to question it by his 'filthy' friends. (I love that.) So, in the best tradition of awkward parenting, I asked him what he thought. His answer is a revealing insight into all family relationships.
"I think your parents would never be that nice to you." Well said, young 7-year-old Russell. Well said, indeed.
You realize, of course, that every video or audio link you include sends readers off your email column into the depths of YouTube or SoundCloud from which they may not return. Substack should allow you to embed those links within your newsletter, and not send them away to more alluring twinkling shiny objects.
I always wondered why they don't let them do that, and while I understand the potential for abuse, I sometimes regret I can't post pictures of interesting things...lol
Just wanted you to know. Mrs. Brewer---what a woman--- has become a Christmas common character in my house since you wrote this a few weeks ago. Along with Rick's black Santa, the Headless Wiseman, and the wooden reindeer our redneck neighbor built (that I'm still confused on how it showed up in our house). Thanks for keeping us laughing on this one!
You know, as you mention Santa and good music, it makes me wonder what Santa listens to as he makes his rounds on Christmas Eve. I haven’t seen any pictures of him with AirPods in his ears but he must be keeping up with technology! Just look at all the techno he delivers!
Matt, as a ''long time reader'' i.e. about 6 weeks. ;-) I was shocked earlier in the week when your normal, rational readers resembled a mosh pit on the reunion tour of some 1980's heavy metal hair band. It was only when I re-read your opening that I understood we had been overrun by a herd of faithful Drudge readers. After a quick, painful peruse of Drudge's dreck, I went out for a long, long, run followed by a long, long shower. No offense, but I hope Drudge doesn't select one of your articles for awhile. On the positive side, at least for you, it firmly reminded me why I come here: an interesting, wry take on our current world, along with the acknowledgement that I'm not alone thinking that both sides have gone a little mad. Oh, and add another former Republican onto your subscriber list. :-)
I hear you, Brian, though I'm always grateful for Drudge. (And I read him every day, besides.) He drives traffic like nobody else - still, after all these years. But aside from that, I think he's been mighty sensible as the wheels have come off the country in the last half decade or so. He stood up to the worst of the seditionist hooligans, at great cost to his own popularity with a good many on the right. Which is not an easy thing to do, or more people would do it. (About nine out of ten conservative media outlets took a powder on that.) And he still thumps lefty excesses, too. Of course when you have that many millions of readers on a daily basis, you draw all kinds. Including people who like to fight in comments sections. So yeah, it got a little rowdy last week. But nobody broke the furniture. And if it happens again on a third-rail topic that has everyone putting on the warpaint, I can always limit comments to paid subscribers, which does seem to tamp down people's taste for violence a bit. Plus, I'm happy to bounce people when they earn it. And a few did.
I And Love And You… just saying
Great tune. You're not wrong.
Are you absolutely certain you know what playing the skin flute means per the Urban Dictionary??? Just saying.
Yes, Tom. It has several meanings. And is definitely not the one you're referring to!
And in the immortal words of Seinfeld, "Not that there's anything wrong with that!"
If it were a crime, we'd all be locked up.
I'm gonna' skip the email thing and throw down my Ask Matt right here...how 'bout changin' "sporadically" to maybe semi-regularly, or there 'bouts?? One more good thing to look forward to among sundry good things that flow in on the 'Tide. (Apologies, couldn't seem to help myself on that one. If it were later in the day, I might be able to blame it on the Bottled in Bond. But it ain't even 1/2 past 1:00, so no excuses.)
Not a drop of musical talent flowing through these veins, but a lot of appreciation for those who have it. Used to listen to music from all over the place. Had forgotten how much I too like the sound of a mandolin. Thanks for the reminder. There's a sweet little 2-channel system sitting in a back room that I put together some years ago in lieu of the cost of a new pickup. Hasn't amplified a signal in a while now other than from the FM receiver (gag) while my wife's back there doing her thing on her loom. Think I'll dust off a little Monroe. Maybe a little Skaggs, with a shot of Stuart (as opposed to Stewart, whom I dig on too, but not today). Would throw in a dash of Thile for good measure, but that would require a signal from this crappy laptop, and going thru that system it wouldn't do the poor guy any justice at all.
Too bad your mandolin is gatherin' dust along with your C-4. If you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods, bring it along. (The instrument, not the boom. Got enough crazies around here already.) We can sit out on the porch. I'll put on some of the above and crank it up a bit, and you can pick along. And with the help of a little B'n B, we might both shed our otherwise suitable smallness and feel a little big for a hot minute, all the while annoying the crap out of a couple of the crazies, which I have to admit I'd very much enjoy.
Sounds like a fine afternoon. But I'd have to take some lessons first. Not on the B'n'B part, though. Am all practiced up on that.
If I ever disagree with your take (occasionally you can be a bit too acerbic for me 😉), your exquisite taste in music will always bring me back. That and your love of nature and dogs. Us humans are complicated and finding commonality has gotten us this far, so I figure, what the hell, lets keep that going.
One of my favorite songs (very sweet and simple) about understanding the "bigger" stuff is James Taylor's "Secret of Life"....
Alright. James Taylor. Now we're talkin'.
Back in the day when I had a pretty nifty little home theater with plenty of top shelf bells & whistles, along with a hell of a lot more stuff on my plate than I do now, one of my go-to's in my video library when I'd had a crap day and just wanted to chill and let it all fall off into the dust was James Taylor Live at The Beacon Theatre (New York, 1998). Not technically the best live recording I have, but an all-around winner just the same. A couple of dozen tracks of Let it all go, why don't ya?
Favorite track? #11 Shower the People
Towards the end, Taylor's on the lead, does the refrain a couple of times, all the instruments drop out except the base and some very restrained percussion, and he falls off into back-up and one of his back-up singers, Arnold McCuller, steps up on the lead and hits it out of the park in a complete understatement of what that voice is actually capable of. He does a couple of bars, the band falls back in, and he brings it home to the last line, delivered by Taylor with that typical JT smoothness. It's all just enough without a drop too much anywhere.
They all get a standing O, with much of it being for McCuller, and Taylor graciuosly acknowledges him, obviously happy to let the rest of the considerable talent around him shine all on its own.
If you turn that up to "live" volume, kick back and watch and listen, and somehow don't feel more right than wrong by the end, there's something wrong somewhere.
I'm with Matt. Screw the cool kids. Wouldn't know cool if it walked up and bit 'em. But then I doubt JT would do that.
Am with you on that. And have always been a sucker for JT (was practically raised on "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon"), even if the cool kids think he's soft. Screw them. He's a ridiculously talented songwriter.
Avett Bros. "No Hard Feelings" is a damn good song about the "bigger" stuff as well....
See the documentary "May It Last" if you get a chance. Pretty good stuff.
Great song
I LOVE you Matt ( in a purely platonic way...lol)
Awesome column, and as usual agree with everything you said...( this makes it easier to love you, obviously, but, I do disagree sometimes too...lol)
We zealously protected our youngest of three boys about the Santa project. Our older sons went along because it sustained their lost innocence after having been corrupted by
brutal reality.
So the day came when little Rusty asked me if Santa was real, having been brought to question it by his 'filthy' friends. (I love that.) So, in the best tradition of awkward parenting, I asked him what he thought. His answer is a revealing insight into all family relationships.
"I think your parents would never be that nice to you." Well said, young 7-year-old Russell. Well said, indeed.
Your ear for language always make me smile, if not outright grin broadly. Thanks for sharing!
You realize, of course, that every video or audio link you include sends readers off your email column into the depths of YouTube or SoundCloud from which they may not return. Substack should allow you to embed those links within your newsletter, and not send them away to more alluring twinkling shiny objects.
I hear you. But it's a chance we take sometimes, Farmer Fred. An extra payoff for the people who care about such things.
I always wondered why they don't let them do that, and while I understand the potential for abuse, I sometimes regret I can't post pictures of interesting things...lol