Reading lyrics and credits in the booklets or inserts of albums is something I’ve always enjoyed doing. Particularly with the credits, it’s cool to see who was involved in making a record I really like besides the people at the forefront. On quite a few occasions, this has led me to check out artists that …
For a few years before the pandemic, I had thought a lot about starting to donate blood as often as I could. I had never donated in the past, mostly because I don’t like needles, but it seemed like an easy thing to do to help people out. Finally, toward the end of 2019, I …
I’ve always enjoyed card, dice and board games going all the way back to when I was a little kid, often playing these with both of my grandmothers. Back in college and during the first few years of living in Los Angeles, my friends and I got into a pretty regular routine of playing poker …
If there’s one artist that always makes me think of my dad when I hear him, it’s Jim Croce, and not just because they both had great mustaches my whole life. My dad was a blue-collar worker, working in machine shops most of his life, who enjoyed playing guitar and giving back to the community …
Earlier this week, this uncle was briefly on babysitting duty caring for my niece. Conveniently, her school is within walking distance of my residence, so it was great to be able to work in some exercise and spend some time chatting. By the time we arrived home, she was well primed for the pizza we …
The Golden State Warriors are the world champions of basketball once again. As a longtime Pistons fan, I certainly was pulling for the Boston Celtics to lose. As a longtime Michigan fan, however, I was not thrilled with the idea of seeing Draymond Green, a Michigan State Spartan, win another title. I kid to some …
I had my buddy Dennis by for dinner last week. During our previous get together, the subject of backgammon came up, and it was the first time that each of us found out that the other played, despite knowing each other for well over a decade at this point. This time, he brought a board …
Pasadena is building a new park near old Route 66, now known as Colorado Boulevard in the area near there. Shortly after they started construction, there was a sign on the perimeter fencing detailing the various park amenities it would house and also asking for submissions to name the park. I can’t recall the name …
When I had the opportunity to work on the Ministry album Twitch, the first band I thought of as I listened to the music was Nine Inch Nails. The style reminded me of the album Pretty Hate Machine a lot, and I wondered how far apart each of these albums was released from one another. …
My buddy Carlos has the deepest knowledge of hip-hop out of anyone I know, and he always manages to hit me with some good shit whenever we hang out. While there’s a decent amount of crossover between us, I usually find myself asking him what he’s playing, particularly when it comes to more modern stuff. …