I occasionally pop onto Threads and was prompted to join their Community Notes system, so out of curiosity I did. After a little playing with it, I’m convinced that Community Notes itself is a cynical user engagement feature rather than any kind of a good faith moderation tool.

#AT40 I haven’t heard “Sister Mary Elephant” in decades, but this time I picked up the production detail of gating the “SHUT UP!” to make it sound like it’s blowing out the speakers, regardless of the volume.

#AT40 My college roommate’s sister played violin on “Le Freak” (and other Chic and Madonna songs, and more). It was always fun to see the platinum record on the wall of their family house in Maine.

post a perfect album from the 90s that isn't nirvana, pearl jam, soundgarden, or Alice In Chains. “Girlfriend” by Matthew Sweet pretty much cemented my musical taste for the next 35 years.

Deteriorata” > “Desiderata” #at40 youtu.be/9Axyqk5ERKQ?...

In an attic box somewhere, there’s a dusty cassette of my cousin and I’s attempts at “Mr Jaws” style humor…only with more fart jokes. #at40

It seems like the Colorado Gay Conversion Therapist petitioner in the Supreme Court case yesterday is basically arguing that “Come on, we all know therapy doesn’t do anything, it’s just talking.”

Democrats need to stop calling the ACA Tax Credit a “subsidy”. It’s a tax credit for regular Americans who buy their own insurance. Rolling back the tax credit is a huge middle class tax increase. Democrats should be punching Republicans hard on this every time they are in front of a camera.

I know that you aren’t supposed to respond to spammers but I was in a mood

It can only good happen.

It wouldn’t be entirely bad if Trump convinced enough followers to stop taking their baby aspirin.

My wife and I were sequestered with COVID this weekend, so we did some catching up on movies. So…”Superman” was supposed to be good? Because damn, that was a colossal chore to watch.

I cancelled Hulu/Disney+ because of the ABC Kimmel suspension, but noticed that I can still watch the last two episodes of “Alien Earth” before the end of the billing period. So I’m not exactly a Freedom Rider, but damn that show is good.

Real conversation today: Cardiologist: It’s great that you lost 20 pounds. How’d you do it? Me: Reduced caloric intake and increased exercise. Cardiologist: Wow, people still do it that way?

Dang, this one hurts. Along with Mad Magazine, Tom Lehrer was a developmental cornerstone of my sense of humor. As a kid, it was revelatory to learn “wait, there are adults who see all this nonsense too?” /1 www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...

@kenwhite.bsky.social sees the Candice Owens story, sighs, and dusts off his First Amendment explainers.

I guess it’s ime to be reminded that there IS a lot of evidence that the 2016 Trump campaign coordinated with Russian Intelligence on the release of hacked (stolen) DNC server documents and emails. www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/u...

Rickie Lee Jones is one of those artists whose number of chart appearances don’t convey her awesomeness. #at40

I opened up Wordle and got a “What’s new in Apple Game Center” pop up. I briefly thought I time-travelled back to 2007.

Workout Playlist Random Song of the Day (6/27/2025) The Happy Fits “Everything You Do” Not really random because it’s on heavy rotation. Probably gonna be my song of the summer. youtu.be/oKf11AW1RbM

The Administration is simply reminding citizenry “You know, we control the military, right?”

“Action” by Sweet is my song that blasts when I plug the phone into the car”, not “A-Punk” by Vampire Weekend. #at40

Finally watched “Nosferatu” (2024). Watchable…but Coppola’s “Bram Stoker's Dracula” (1992) is still my fav. Although avoid the cable TV edit that cuts out Tom Waits’s Renfield.

This week is definitely an #at40 of “Songs that will be used as the centerpiece of movie soundtracks in the next century”

This DOGE claim is bogus and the press coverage of it has been completely gullible, particularly if you know anything about how these database systems work. 🧵 /1 finance.yahoo.com/news/musks-s...

Workout Playlist Random Song of the Day. 03/19/2025 Guided by Voices, “Glad Girls” Because sometimes, you gotta go straight to the chorus. youtu.be/XZsi9uEOJLg?...

Workout Playlist Random Song of the Day. 03/15/2025 Ides of March, “Vehicle” Because I remember a cover of this song by Blotto (of “I Wanna be a Lifeguard” novelty hit fame) at a live show in the 80s with a stellar guest horn section. youtu.be/xvnv34eS7n4?...

Uhg…our financial advisor called us yesterday. She was working down her client list, doing the obligatory “don’t panic” phone calls. Not an unusual event, but in the course of the conversation, it became apparent she’s way more Trumpy than we would have thought.

“And you're a prima ballerina on a spring afternoon. Change on into the wolfman howlin' at the moon…” RIP David Johansen of the New York Dolls, who could literally bring the house down. Or at least collapse the roof of The Mercer Arts Center, NYC. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/a...

OK, so I guess I’m watching “The Conversation” again. And “The Royal Tenenbaums” And “The French Connection” And “Young Frankenstein” And “Unforgiven” And “Downhill Racer” And “The Birdcage” And “Hoosiers” RIP Gene Hackman. I can’t think of any actor as represented in my favorite movies list.

OK, I roll my eyes at performative, “we cancelled our subscription to…” posts but we did cancel our subscription to the Washington Post today. It’s pretty simple, if they’re going to limit the range of opinions they cover, they aren’t worth a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/b...

Got woken up this morning by a call from my health insurance company, so I picked it up. It was a promotion for their “health coaching”…which includes sleep management.

The theme of the Super Bowl Halftime Show was “I’m Old”

I got a little nauseated by that tongue ad.

As soon as you know that “Convoy” is by the same guy behind Mannheim Steamroller, you can totally hear it in the orchestration. #at40

In the least surprising news imaginable, Elon Musk’s DOGE is firing USDA investigators responsible for investigating Musk’s Neuralink for animal cruelty. Also, with a gutted USDA, enjoy your prion and human finger burgers soon! www.newsweek.com/former-usda-...

Thank goodness President Trump took the time to reassure a mourning nation that the plane crash definitely somebody else’s fault.

Buried lede. Classic case of Trump taking credit for fixing something that he broke. “Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the U.S. from 2020 to 2024 (…) It accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024.” That’s two deportation flights a week in *2024*. apnews.com/article/colo...

Yesterday, around the time of the swearing in, some jabroni started driving loops around the neighborhood, honking in celebration. Big “oh, yeah…who’s stupid NOW!” energy.

I loved the story from the “The Last Waltz” about how, when he joined The Band, Garth Hudson had to tell his parents he was giving the other members music lessons. He gave their songs a soaring orchestral feel that elevated them yet retained the intimacy of the narrative. RIP Brother Garh.

Back in the first dotcom era, shockwave(dot)com funded David Lynch’s development of his “DumbLand” cartoon series. The delightfully unnerving result should have been expected, but somehow the execs involved in the deal were surprised the episodes weren’t very mainstream. youtu.be/KKi-5fxidwA?...

Mini book review: “Bluebird, Bluebird” by Attica Locke. Mystery novel of a double homicide investigation in a small Texas town by a black Texas Ranger who’s juggling his own career and personal problems. Richly textured and engrossing, very deserving of its 2018 Edgar Award. #bookreview #mystery

My college roommate’s sister was a violinist for Chic. I don’t specifically know if she was on “Dance, Dance, Dance” but she definitely was on “Le Freak” (the Platinum record was on their parents’ living room wall). #at40

I do have to point out it’s “Meat Loaf” not “Meatloaf.” That’s why the New York Times could refer to him as Mr. Loaf in print. #at40

Facebook has never been that bad for me. I’ve only used it for friends/family and set my privacy setting accordingly. Recently, the feed has gotten really shitty. Hardly anything from IRL friends. It’s almost entirely low-end ads and posts from pages that I don’t follow. It feels like a dead mall.

Two Matt Gaetz story observations: 1. It’s always funny when they try to dump these kinds of stories on Christmas Week. 2. That being said, Republicans REALLY must hate Matt Gaetz. This is a Madison Cawthorn level immolation to even release the report at all.

Just flew back last night from a family member’s memorial service. Christmas travel without the benefit of actually going anywhere for Christmas.

One of my kids just flew home for Xmas and witnessed this TSA exchange… TSA Agent: (after explanation for random extra screening) Do you have any sensitive areas? Man: My balls. TSA: Is that a joke? Man: Don’t touch my balls.

Years ago at work, I needed a late afternoon coffee and slunk to the office kitchen. I wasn’t really alert as I went in the and door and I walked right into…Todd Rundgren. He was cool and affably said “Oh, sorry.” I could only respond with “T-T-T-Todd…” And that is my Todd story. #AT40

LL Bean’s password change screen is keeping it Down East.