Friday Check In

Hey folks adding a Friday check in thread so we can share our week.

Weather here is windy as hell a storm is coming in.

Weeks work was busy.

I am a member of a vinyl club and my brand new pressing of Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever will be here Monday so looking forward to that.

Whats new with the Cobalt crew?

TGIF raising a glass of the brown stuff to CC

Really feel retired now: filed the papers to dissolve what was left of my consulting practice that I had wound down to 0 over the last 18 months, about to file its final tax returns and close the bank account. Mrs Greybelt is a little teary-eyed at the prospect, but I haven't felt so good and free since making the retirement real. Hooray!!

Been converting more reels this week, have not processed them yet -- hoping there's some good stuff in there.

Loving the baseball season and all the streaming opportunities we now have.

And next week -- my second degree black belt test! I hope I remember everything!

Great News greybelt

You richly deserve some time for yourself and your family

Best regards
Art

Spring is trying to get here in Ohio. Its been a struggle.
Hit the pickleball courts yesterday for a few hours.
I'm feeling it today.
Who said 70 is the new 40?

Okay, so it's Saturday; let's pretend it's daylight savings time:
I'm working on my master catalog of radio shows (now over 100,000 entries)

Updating the comic book collection (too many to guess)

Watching at least one movie per night (The last two were *Sukiyami Western Django*--weird, fun, Japanese actors speaking English in a Tarantino-like western with Tarantino!--and *Love Crimes*--a French thriller which was wonderful fun)

Writing a sequel to my first children's book, privately published last year

Cobalting
Enjoying retirement's new rhythm.
Jeff

Ghem,

What comics are you collecting. My brother has a huge collection the type that has spilled over into a storage unit.

I just finished catching up on the Orville. Way too many Star Trek alumni appearing for my taste. Its basically the Next Generation with bits of Voyager thrown in. Opening sequence is basically the Voyager one. Rant off.... still okay confectionary.

Waiting for the 2nd season of Dark as German Sci-fi is obscure and enjoyable. Same for S3 of Stranger Things.

Wanna know more about this Children's books is it Heart of Darkness meets Winnie the Pooh?

O, Great Turban'd One--
I'm running the gamut on comics--mostly DC titles, some Red Sonja, just fleshing out all the stuff I have lost to time.

My son likes *Orville*, but lately my tastes have run from *Killing Eve* and *Luther* (Season 5 starts June 2 in the USA) to *Good Girls* and a backlog of vintage TV shows, making my way through *Mannix* on disc, while my wife is gaga for *Alias*.

The book is a quasi-child/adult conflation of punnery with a commentary on how to be happy in today's world. I took the chainsaws out of it so the appeal would be for kids but touch the parents--rather like Rocky & Bullwinkle meets *The Big Lebowski* with less nihilism. A continuation of the first book which I wrote and illustrated. . . this one deals with being and nothingness. A laugh riot.

My hopes for widespread publication notwithstanding, I think the future is safe.
Jeff

I've had another busy week grading about 10 million papers from my students. Was gone Friday and Saturday for a funeral, but back in (a cooler) southwest Ohio today. I got a little more Mr. D.A. research done, as I'm now looking into the Jay Jostn TV version and the transition from radio to TV. Listened to some Counterspy episodes, but thinking of a different series for this coming week.

Ghemrats thanks for the heads up on Luther -- what streaming channel will that be? Don't know if they will ever do better than season 1, but the show is just fascinating. Even when Luther is sub-par, it's better than most everything else on TV.

We just finished season 5 of Bosch which was up to standard and makes us thirsty for season 6!

Enjoyed Unforgotten, the latest season posted on PBS.com but is also available elsewhere.

Saw two great documentaries in past two or so months. The favorite and still haunting is "Three Identical Strangers" about triplets separated at birth. It has many light and endearing moments and then turns tragic (I gasped when I realized what was going on). It was on Hulu but is also on the other streaming services for modest fee. Superb storytelling, we found it captivating.

The 2008 documentary about studio musicians was re-released in 2015 and is called "The Wrecking Crew." It's not as polished, production-wise, but it was very entertaining behind-the-scenes of 60s and 70s rock, with lots of "I didn't know that" and some great personalities.

Now that we're done with Bosch, figuring out what to binge next.

Ghem,

I am also making my way through Mannix love that show. The Olds Tornado convertible one of a kind built by George Barris. Great show I love the premise of a computerized workplace no papers on the desk. LOL anyone here work in an office with computers? you see clean desks anywhere. Great guests. Good show all round.

Please get some Spinoza in that book with a touch of Greek stoicism.

greybelt I saw that doc on the wrecking crew. Glen Campbell was quite the session guitarist. I was never a fan of Specter I think his wall of sound was 46 tracks of overdubs to many for me.

FYI: *Luther* Season 5 is airing on BBC America on June 2. It's been available in Great Britain for a year, but we Americans are slow to pick up.

So much fun to see guest stars on *Mannix*--some who have gone on to greater things and some who have disappeared to time.

Greybelt, if you haven't seen *Killing Eve*, do so. It's being run on AMC. Villianelle is the prime foil: playful, deadly, beautiful with a wickedly dark sense of humor. I'd suggest it's worth the binge; Season 2 is running on AMC now. Again, it's BBC.

Just watched *Vice* and *The Big Short* both executed by Adam MacKay. Wow.

All for now.
Jeff

We did see Killing Eve and every time we thought we had seen the peak of her nefariousness she outdid it. Really great character. What a great series -- anxious for the next season.

Saw Big Short and enjoyed that very much

Mannix -- that man had more sport jackets than anyone ever on TV before or since  You occasionally see some of our radio veterans in there. Mike Connors was CBS' threat to Raymond Burr if he didn't sign one of his later Perry Mason contracts, and he did sub for Burr in an episode when he was hospitalized. Always liked Connors in the Mannix role (especially after the first year when they changed the setting and had him in his own private detective practice). I try to catch it here and there but one of the streaming services has not put it up as a free offering yet.

Friday check in and here I am checkin' in on Monday. But as busy as I've been lately, that's pretty typical. Lot's goin' on in my world right now. Gettin' ready to storm the west coast in June and gettin' things ready, for my grandson to move to Las Vegas. That last is gonna really hurt, but life does constantly change. Then of course there's the minor issue, of gettin' things started toward retirement in a year or few.

As to comments above... Glen Campbell was one of the greatest and most overlooked guitar players of his time. Toss Roy Clark into that same boat. Though he actually received more acclaim than Mr. Campbell, he never received his due. Bein' basically country performers, they weren't taken seriously, by the general public as the true musicians they really were. But I'll offer up a bit of proof here.




And then there's this "Who Woulda Believed It" tribute from Alice Cooper.



And in support of my claim, as to Roy Clark's abilities. I offer up this extended clip from The Odd Couple.

Wow, Space. The Glen Campbell videos are really powerful. How refreshing to see Alice Cooper speaking so passionately and humanely. Alzheimers is today's void, the black hole of the soul; my dad had it and it hurts everyone. But thanks for sharing these great tributes.
Jeff

Campbell is included in that documentary "The Wrecking Crew" -- he was a successful studio musician when he was in LA

The movie about his Alzheimer's and his final tour received much acclaim. It's available for streaming at various places.

Its Friday night again time to check in. Had a bad week after finding out my friend and friend to many here Marsfilm passed on. I was caught up at work and life and had not checked in when I did I found out he had died. Hard pill to take.

Nothing much else to report, not really feeling up to it right now.

Hope everyone is having a good week.

Yes, it's been a tough week. But time heals.

Its a sunny warm Friday here in Dublin. Almost out the door to home. Excitedly waiting for my new vinyl pressing of Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield to come. Gonna be warm all next week so happy enough with that. The Final season episode of Discovery with the Enterprise in battle with Pike at the helm was some really exciting TV. Probably the best Star Trek battle scene I have seen on TV. Pike and the updated classic Enterprise were amazing. Its a must see that season with Pike.

Whats everyone up to? whats your summer plans? anything new you are watching, reading or listening to?

No major plans this weekend. But I have two trips planned for this summer. 10 days, startin' in a few weeks explorin' Washington, Oregon and northern California. A month after that, I'll spend a week explorin' the area around Las Vegas.

Just finished a novel that I predict will be getting some attention--*My Lovely Wife*. Quite a ride along the lines of *Gone Girl* but not similar plot and character-wise. This weekend I'll celebrate not having to go to the University's graduation ceremonies since I'm a professor emeritus now. I am envious of your vinyl pressing of *Tubular Bells*, Seamus--I just got into Kate Lush's music, but sadly she records only on CD, no vinyl.


Happy weekending.
Jeff

I like the Kate Lush band. I have 10,000 songs on my ipod. But I have now taken up collecting vinyl again. Lots of flea markets and charity shops plus we have two fabulous vinyl shops that stock everything you could wish for. I take it slow and on foot. The only compromise to foot work is my vinyl club as they actually press the album new on the last week of every month I then get in mail 2 days later and its exciting like being a kid again. I collected old stereo components and an old hifi guru I know reconditions them for me. I have a tube amp for the turntable and Marantz components from 1978 all shiny and rebuilt. Sound is phenomenal. I have the Fluance RT85 reference Turntable which is a jewel the sound is so complete. CD's and streams cannot compare. Its a thoughtful exercise to choose clean and play your vinyl I take great joy out of the whole ritual. It calms and centres you as you are more involved in the listening. Ah I wax on about the hot wax.

My oldest son is heavily into vinyl. He got really excited when I gave him my collection of 70's Rock N' Roll. My current musical obsession is Hannah Wicklund. I really hate the death of the traditional music distribution business. Digital is supposedly superior in quality. But much of it seems so sterile. Add in what I see as the slowly diminishing music radio business, due to the amount of streamed music and it's getting really hard for new acts to stand out.

Oh well, here's Hannah.

I like Hannah Wicklund she is playing on a bill with Joe Bonnamasa another Blues fave of mine.

So this week is starting off annoying. First Peggy Lipton dies then my super favourite Doris Day. I was just happy to Know Dot was there looking after her charity for animals. The world just lost some light. I think of the celebs of today who have zero class and here is Doris Day. Class from beginning to end.

Seamus wrote:So this week is starting off annoying. First Peggy Lipton dies then my super favourite Doris Day. I was just happy to Know Dot was there looking after her charity for animals. The world just lost some light. I think of the celebs of today who have zero class and here is Doris Day. Class from beginning to end.

Happily, as soon as they fall out of favor, today's celebs disappear into the dollar DVD bin at Wal-Mart. After that, they reappear every once in a while, in commercials for dubious products and infomercials. Except for Action movie stars. They'll all make at least a cameo appearance in Expendables 24: The Geritol Connection.