Peter Gabriel, Robert Durst, and John Pinette
As always, a variety of interesting topics for your reading and listening pleasure
How do you do. Time for some links, some food for thought, and some music.
Song of the Day: Peter Gabriel, “Shock The Monkey”.
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This stands up as one of the greatest, if not the best song Gabriel has put out, and that’s saying a lot. And the video is an all-time great, with unforgettable images throughout it. Gabriel in white powder face gave me nightmares for a while as a 10-year-old kid. I’m still not completely over it. Genius material.
– It was nice to see Robert Durst finally convicted of murder. He apparently has COVID-19, and he looks more fragile than ever at age 78. But he deserves no empathy. The 2015 HBO series “The Jinx” that centers around his crimes still resonates with me. It was masterfully produced, and it ends on such a dramatic note. The series is a terrific example of how truth is stranger than fiction. If you haven’t seen it, drop what you’re doing and see it. It is compelling, twisted stuff.
– It’s the return of HBO’s “Succession” series Sunday night, and I’m stoked to see how the story evolves. I re-watched the Season Two finale – as you should always do with a new season approaching – and its almost suffocating pressure on all of the characters really sets the stage for more tumult and turmoil in Season Three. The writing is fantastic, the acting is first-rate, and the settings are majestic. This is about as good as mainstream entertainment gets.
– Here’s my latest column for The Hockey News. It’s on injuries in the NHL, the fact GMs of teams now expect to have players sidelined, and the importance of depth and a robust development system. It doesn’t quite seem like an epidemic of injuries yet, but it’s not far off from there, either. For instance, the Vegas Golden Knights just lost star forwards Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone to injuries, and they’ll need to rely on younger players to step up and take advantage of the opportunities they get.
– Here’s my latest Toronto Maple Leafs file for Full Press Hockey. It’s about the constant drama that comes with playing in Toronto. It’s never going away. The players who shoulder the most pressure and can thrive under it are keys for the Leafs’ future. And they’re basically at a huge crossroads this season. One way or another, there’ll be major decisions that affect the Buds’ future.
– I’m not sure exactly how the late John Pinette came into my YouTube meanderings this week, but I’m happy to say his work has held up marvellously. I saw him live in Montreal at the Just For Laughs festival, and I’ve never seen a comedian with more natural storytelling talent. Here’s one of his appearances at JFL:
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Pinette died at age 50 in 2014, making him another iconic standup who we lost far too soon. But I’m thankful we have so much of his material to enjoy.
That’s all I’ve got for you today. Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for reading. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do so here: