I’ve been wound really tight through most of the past week. This probably won’t surprise those who know me well. I tend to be a seether, to swallow irritation and annoyance until the kettle finally boils and shrieks to let that heat out.
— If you missed the last Overzealous Recycling, you can read it here —
It’s not one of my better character traits; I know that. I constantly need to do a better job of addressing things in the moment or shortly thereafter, rather than letting them build up. I feel like I’m better than I used to be, but when I do finally air my grievances, it can come across as a surprise to the recipient. I didn’t let on that I was feeling that way.
I always think I’m letting displeasure be known, but it probably gets lost under my default surly setting. So there I go, like Anger in Inside Out or Yosemite Sam with guns a-blazin’, if you’ll indulge a much older reference.
So I’ve been wound tight, letting work stuff get to me, other podcast stuff, people at home, even a little niece who was just a little bit too whiny the other day, and I need to lighten up. Or maybe relax on a few standards. Take a breath. Chill the hell out. Life is too short, right?
I keep telling myself to take up meditation. One of these days, I’m really going to do it. Whatever comes first: That, or marijuana being legalized in North Carolina. Maybe I should just chomp on some CBD gummies in the meantime.
** OK, this won’t go well with resolving to lighten up and unclench. Getting mad over people (co-workers) making mistakes is one thing. We all make mistakes. But what about the people who fuck up continually? Or just don’t care enough to do good work? Even worse is when those people get defiant about their incompetence. “I know it happened, but it did so let’s move on.” We should stop trying to understand that. They will always let you down. [Medium]
** No disrespect intended to many of the wonderful TV critics working today, but how many of them would write about The Rachel Maddow Show and the hard conspiratorial turn it’s taken since Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report apparently wasn’t as damning as so many of us hoped? (Still to be determined, until Congress gets to look at the full report.) Kudos to Willa Paskin for going there, though some readers might prefer to read politics elsewhere. [Slate]
** I don’t watch nearly as much NBA as I did in my teens. (Probably not a coincidence that this was when the Detroit Pistons were ascendant in the late-80s.) It was a very different, more rugged game back then. Now it’s much more open, especially with players shooting so many more three-pointers and spacing the floor. Sometimes, more fun to watch but is it better? Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that former players don’t like how the NBA has changed. [Sporting News]
Here a Shazam, There a Shazam…
Initially, it looked like Warner Brothers did no favors for Shazam! by scheduling it so close to the Avengers: Endgame release. But DC’s latest superhero movie might be an ideal appetizer for the full course Marvel will soon serve.
At the very least, the fun, more family-friendly path is one DC would do well to stay on for continued success. And it’s nice to see Zachary Levi get a star turn. Hopefully, he’ll get to play Shazam again soon.
For Mountain Xpress, I played the role of comic book “expert” in a dual review with Edwin Arnaudin (the comics “novice”). I enjoyed the opportunity to provide some history on the character, whose background is convoluted.
And if you’re a regular reader of The Casselbloggy or follow me on social media, you know I wrote a longer review for this site.
UPDATE (4/10): I recorded a Shazam! review on the latest episode of The Podcass too. (Please subscribe on iTunes!)
** I try not to link to articles behind subscription paywalls. If you can’t read it, what’s the point of the link? (The Athletic is worth a subscription if you’re a sports fan, though.) This is a really intriguing story about several Los Angeles Dodgers giving up dairy in their diet and the difference it’s made. [The Athletic – $]
** I’m not older than 50, like NY Times columnist Frank Bruni. Maybe that’s why I don’t necessarily want quiet and simple when I go out to eat. But I don’t necessarily yearn for trendy, either. This does remind me of my mother, however, who often hates it whenever I take her to a new place that might have a hint of trendy to it. Brunch at Cracker Barrel it is, then. [New York Times]
** When did Bob’s Red Mill products become so pervasive? In the past, I occasionally bought Bob’s cornbread mix, bean soup mix or rolled oats. But Bob’s has surged in our gluten-free and paleo-loving culture. Their section at the grocery store keeps growing. Grains, seeds, oat bars, nut meals and flours, and protein powders. Perfect for a dairy-free lifestyle! I bought four bags of Bob’s Red Mill stuff during my last trip to the grocery store. [NPR]
Grocery Store Playlist
Speaking of the grocery store, that last visit means I have a new playlist. This latest one isn’t as good, largely due to what has to be Phil Collins’ worst song, “Groovy Kind of Love.” Hey, I like Phil Collins. But that song stinks, the kind of soft rock you’d expect to hear in a grocery store and could stay in your ears the rest of the day.
Not even an Echo & The Bunnymen song — and I’d never guess that would play in a grocery store — and one of history’s greatest pop songs, “Our Lips Are Sealed” could save this playlist, unfortunately. Hopefully, the next visit is better.
** It’s been 25 years since Season 2 of The Real World — which was probably the best one, right? (I don’t think I even remember the others after Season 2.) If you told me I’d still be following Judd Winick’s career nearly three decades later, I doubt I’d have believed you. (I’d also ask you “What’s social media?”) Winick has written Green Arrow and Batman stories (while creating a great supporting Bat-character in the Red Hood), and I’d like to show my nieces his Hilo series, but they don’t respond very well to “boy” characters. [Nob Hill Gazette]
** I love that Warren Ellis is blogging again and sharing thoughts on what sorts of graphic novels he’d publish if he ran a comic book company. His ideal format would be what DC Comics did with its Paradox Press imprint: Smaller-sized, 90-page, black-and-white standalone stories. If you’re a fan of A History of Violence or The Road to Perdition, each of those books came from this line. It may have been ahead of its time. [Warren Ellis Ltd]
** Would chefs of color get more publicity and acclaim — or would there be more of them — if there were more food critics of color? It’s an intriguing question put forth by Kith/Kin’s Kwame Onwuachi. (Just about every media beat would benefit from more people of color and women, to be frank. It’s an issue throughout the industry.) [Food and Wine]
** I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid (like 10-12 years old). Trips to the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History were spectacular. That kid would’ve devoured news about scientists discovering fossils that indicate the very day when a meteor hit the Earth and killed the dinosaurs. [New York Times]
How did I not want to grow up to be a paleontologist? I would be so much more interesting. This newsletter would be good!
Ian Casselberry 