United and Leeds and the Arsenal - Oh My!

 

It's a bumper crop of Prem action this morning, including matches involving our three favorite clubs. I'll be on the road heading toward Gooner HQ during part of the morning, so I'll be a bit in and out. Join me?

Music of 2022

Continuing with the series of end of year lists of cultural artifacts, it's time to talk about the music that sustained me during this turbulent year. I continued to discover new music primarily through NPR, KEXP Songs of the Day, and podcasts. Like many of my generation, I still enjoy collecting and owning music, at least in the form of digital files and I resist streaming platforms that are too ephemeral for me. These are the records that meant the most to me this year: 

1. Cat Power - "Covers 2022:" Twenty years ago, Chan Marshall released a set of covers under the moniker "Cat Power" that set the indie rock world abuzz. She was back this year with another intriguing set of covers. It starts with a nifty take on Frank Ocean's "Bad Religion" and continues with iconoclastic versions of songs from Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" to the Billie Holiday standard "I'll Be Seeing You." Unlike her earlier album back in 200, which had spare guitar backing, this album has a crack backing band and some ambitious arrangements. 

2. Robert Glasper - Black Radio 3: Robert Glasper's "Experiment" project has produced three albums and made Glasper one of the most intriguing figures in early 21st century jazz. It's clear that he's steepe in the hip hop and r'n'b of his youth and yet I'm not sure that the kids will be listening to this album. It seems more likely to appeal to people of my age bracket than to the TikTok generation. As usual, Glasper drafts in a roster of collaborators on this one, including Lalah Hathaway and Common on a nice cover of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." It's the sort of thing to throw on at your next bougie cocktail party.

3. Brian Blade, Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman - "LongGone:" I had the great fortune to see this Josh Redman-led quintet live back in 2002 as part of the International Association of Jazz Educators conference in Boston. Twenty years later, they're back and sounding better than ever. 

4. Lizzo - "Special:" Now on her fourth album, we know what to expect out of Lizzo - it's those anthems that make you bounce out of the shower wanting to take on the world. See, for example, the lead single "About Damn Time." The title track is so catchy and affirming that one might actually feel, you know, special. Well, at least for three minutes or so. And honestly, would you rather listen to the new Spoon record that makes you want to reach for the Fentanyl? No, you don't. 

5. Mitski - "Laurel Hell:" Mitski is an fascinating figure on the pop/rock landscape. Is she an Olivia Rodrigo style pop star with a penchant for rock riffs or is she a genuine indie rocker? Hard to tell at this point, but on this third album, she produces some solid #MeToo era singer-songwriter material, along with some superior pop balladeering. The standout track for me is "The Only Heartbreaker," where she rakes an ex over the coals in true Taylor Switftian fashion. 

6. Terri Lynne Carrington - "New Standards I:" Jazz drummer Terri Lynne Carrington has set herself the ambitious goal of recording 101 new jazz standards all written by women. She has assembled an all-star cast to help her with this project, including saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. 

7. Wet Leg - "Wet Leg:" Every decade or so, rock music needs to be refreshed and shaken up by a dose of garage rock. Punk did that in the 70s, grunge did it in the 90s, the downtown NYC bands like the Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs did in the early 2000s. British band Wet Leg are proposing to be the start of that wave in the 2022s, with tunes like "Chaise Longue" - surely the best titled song of the year - that cut through the muck. 

8. Maggie Rogers - "Surrender:" Maggie Rogers is one of a generation of young singer-songwriters influenced by country and western but not wedded to it. On her debut, she followed the acoustic path forged by the likes of Neil Young in the past. On her latest, though, she has found a more ambitious palette with a stellar band to save it. I was particularly drawn to the track "Overdrive." 

9. Father John Misty - "Chloe and the Next 20th Century:" Father John Misty is a conundrum for me. Back when he was still just Josh Tillman, dutifully playing drums in Fleet Foxes, I loved his background vocals. But he was obviously constrained by this role, with the heart of a boho troubadour beating inside him. His latest has a jazz, cabaret feel to it, which is often tasteful, if a bit precious at times. My favorite track is the sunny Laurel Canyon ballad "Goodbye Blue Sky." 

10. Cecile McLorin Salvant - "Ghost Song:" Jazz vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant specializes in deconstructing the pop songbook in ways that emphasize the dark and hidden histories of this country.  On this latest album, she goes a bit farther afield with a ghostly cover of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" and a handful of chamber-jazz influenced originals. It's not an easy listen but it's a rewarding one. 

Significant Others:

* Steve Lacy - "Gemini Rights"

* Sondre Lerche - "Avatars of Love:"

* Angel Olsen - "Big Time"

* Sharon van Etten - "We've Been Going about this All Wrong"

Disappointment: 

* Brad Mehldau - "Jacob's Ladder:" I always look forward to Brad Mehldau's new releases, and I was particularly intrigued by this one, as I'd seen what I thought was a preview clip of Brad at home with his son on drums vamping on a modal take on "Wives and Lovers." Well, it turns out that that tune isn't included on this record. Instead, it's built around religious imagery, which I could ignore if the album were any good, with mostly instrumental originals included. Instead of his usual trio, which I love, Brad includes an assemblage of collaborators including Chris Thiele on banjo. For some reason, one of the main motifs that Brad builds the album around is Rush's immortal "Tom Sawyer," snippets of which filter through the whole set. Now, I have no problem with jazzers expanding the jazz canon with rock songs; however, the hard part in making the cover as muscular as the original with acoustic instruments. Most of the time, as here, it comes out sounding thin.

Back at Elland Road

 

Afternoon, chaps - it felt great to get back to the Premier League action this week and the results were very favorable for my beloved Leeds United. That will certainly help as the Whites play host today to Manchester City and one Erling Haaland who was been a right old tear since moving back to England this summer. There's some history behind this one, as Erling was born in Leeds while his dad Alfe Inge was playing for us and there were some on-line fantasists who thought that he might want to come home. Instead, he has promised in the media that he'll score a hat-trick on his return - and I wouldn't put it past him. I don't honestly have much hope for this one and just want us to keep it competitive and keep the score down for the sake of morale. 

I'll be around on the blog for this one in case anyone wants to join in. Come on, you Whites! MOT!

Books of 2022

 

Better late than never, I'm finally starting my annual look at the cultural artifacts that have sustained me over the last year. As tradition dictates, I'll start with books. It was a funny year of reading for me as I binged during my spring sabbatical and then had very little time for pleasure reading after the twins arrived in our lives in May. So, my list is heavier than usual on non-fiction as a consequence. Here are the books I most enjoyed this year: 

1. Michael Berube and Jennifer Ruth - It's Not Free Speech: This timely response to the discourse surrounding supposed "cancel culture" was the most essential book of the year for me. I've been enjoying Berube's work on academic freedom the flap over "political correctness" in the early 90s, and this deep dive into contemporary cases didn't. Berube and Ruth make a compelling argument that white supremacist views represent a dereliction of one's intellectual duties and, thus, while they can be protected by the First Amendment, cannot be defended by the principles of academic freedom.

2. Paul Theroux - Under the Waves of Waimea: I haven't read a Paul Theroux novel since The Mosquito Coast in the mid 80s, so Steve's birthday gift gave me the perfect opportunity to return to his work. Theroux's travel writing informs his fiction again as this story of an aging surfer dude and his long-suffering British nurse girlfriend rests heavily on the lush setting in Hawaii.

3. Questlove - Music is History: Roots drummer and Tonight Show bandleader Questlove is a national treasure. As a follow-up to his Oscar-winning documentary The Summer of Soul, Questlove continued his series of entertaining books about music history with this volume, which weaves a fascinating narrative of popular music and the history of the past 50 years, with one song representing each year from 1972 onward. I made a playlist from his suggestions, which has become a firm favorite.

4. Lucy Foley - The Paris Apartment: A young British woman attempting to get over a bad break-up contacts her brother who is living in Paris to see if she can stay with him for a few weeks. He reluctantly agrees to put her up, but when she arrives at his apartment, he's nowhere to be found. This is the intriguing premise for Lucy Foley delicious mystery novel, in which the apartment building is a key character itself. 

5. Chris Stokel-Walker - YouTubers: I've become a big fan of the YouTube channels of several ardent Leeds United fans. These short videos give me a first-person account of the experience of season ticket holders who show up at Elland Road week after week. So, I was really interested Stokel-Walker's history of YouTube. It gave me a better sense of the business-end of YouTubers and the all-important algorithmic decisions that they make. 

6. Leo August, Jr. - The Receivership: During my spring sabbatical, I had the opportunity to interview prolific local author Leo August, Jr. about this intriguing novel about the life of a Buffalo, NY middle/high school that is threatened with receivership. It was clear from August that several of the lead characters, and especially principal Howard Sales, are composites of the author. August definitely has his heart in the right place and it was a pleasure speaking with him.

7. Armin Brott - The New Father: For obvious reasons, I spent a lot of time reading parenting books this year. This one was my favorite, as Brott - a father of twins - focused on creating a balance in one's life. Obviously, I've got a lot to learn about parenting, but every day is a revelation and books like Brott's are a useful companion to my lived experiences.

8. Chiara de Santi - The Journeyl: I returned from a holiday trip to Virginia to find a copy of this lovely little book written by my friend and former colleague Chiara de Santi. It encourages all of us to organize our lives both working and personal, so I took inspiration by using it to organize my sabbatical efforts. 

9. Christopher Evans - Don Revie: An Autobiography: I saved this Christmas gift from Steve last year until the summer months in order to get excited about the upcoming 2021/2022 Premier League season. It's still unclear whether Jesse Marsch's American Revolution will come off at Elland Road this season, which has seen uneven form with thrilling wins against Chelsea and Liverpool and dismal defeats against Leicester and Brighton. But one thing is clear - he has some doing to equal the highs of legendary Leeds manager Don Revie who took the club from Second Division obscurity to the European Cup final. 

10. Wayne Journell - Post-Pandemic Social Studies: During my spring sabbatical, I previewed several texts for possible adoption for my Fall 2022 social studies methods course. Wayne Journell's new edited volume was the one that I chose. Thanks, Wayne!

Notable Others:

* Lisa Delpit - Teaching when the World is on Fire

* Natalie Diaz - What to Do When You're Having Twins: 

* William Hart - Never Fade Away

* Arlie Hochschild - Strangers in their Own Land

* Georgia Hunter - We Were the Lucky Ones

* Heidi Murkoff - What to Expect: The First Year

* George Packer - Last Best Chance

* Rodriguez and Swalwell - Anti-Oppressive Social Studies

* Robert Wuthnow - The Left Behind

* Zimmerman and Robertson - The Case for Contention

Disappointment: 

* Lukianoff and Haidt - The Coddling of America: If Berube and Ruth's book mentioned above was the best take on the thorny issue of "cancel culture," this one was the worst. Lukianoff, a clinical psychologist, and Haidt, a First Amendment, combine to present a flabby argument that we as a society are coddling our young by trying to protect them from bullying and abuse. Let's hope that neither ever has a kid in peril.

Lancer Cup Update Ahead of the Final

Standings :

1. Swansong- 71 points

   Teddy Goalesevelt- 71 points

3. MUR- 65 points

4. Blubber Boy- 54 points

   MOT - 54 points

  WHR- 54 points

7. oticoN- 48 points

    Red Devil - 48 points

9.  Bees Knees- 47 points

10. Blue Devil - 46 points

11. Gooner- 43 points

12. UWS- 41 points

13. Red Devil - 40 points

Good Afternoon, everyone and heading into the final here is the latest update. Our current , holder, Teddy, and Swansong are tied for first heading in to the final., six points ahead of Yours Truly.The primary reason is the Messi factor and it looks like the Lancer Cup has turned into a Messi vs Mbappe contest.  The difference in the points is because Teddy was perfect in his semifinal picks while Swansong moved up due to picking Messi for GBB. As a result I lost eight points because Mbappe is no longer GBB.  Messi wins the tiebreaker because he has one more assist than his PSG teammate. The path to the title is as follows: if the Argies win tomorrow Teddy retinas his title. If France wins, but Messi is BOTH MVP AND GBB then Swansong wins. If France wins, Mbappe is GBB, AND Messi is NOT MVP then Yours Truly wins. If there are any questions or errors please let me know. IOt's going to be a dramatic finale.

Qatar Semi Final #2

 

Will the World Champions advance to meet Argentina in the final or will Morocco pull off the shock of the tournament to become the first African finalists? Join me to find out.

Qatar 2022 Semi-Final #1

 

I'll be honest, boys. The England v. France removed the last ounce of interest I had in this World Cup. Once England, the US and Brazil are all knocked out, I usually start to wane in terms of my enthusiasm, but it's worse this year. Argentina v. Croatia? I couldn't really give a toss. But it's on today and I'll have it on in the background while I'm doing some Finals Week grading. 

A Huge Test for England

 

Morning, chaps! It's another massive day for England, who meet the current world champions France this afternoon. At stake is a berth in the semi-finals against either Portugal or Morocco, who play this morning. I'm cautiously optimistic that Gareth and the boys can get a result today. Come on, England!

The Quarter-finals Begin!

 

Morning, chaps! It's a big day in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, with the quarter-finals kicking off with two big match-ups. It all gets going this morning with favorites Brazil against 2018 finalists Croatia. It's the young boys of Brazil against the old codgers of Croatia. 

Later on, it's the rematch of the 1978 World Cup Final as Leo Messi's Argentina face the Clockwork Orange boys from Holland. 

It's a busy day for me, with the twins' six-month appointment this afternoon, but I should be around for much of the first one. Join me?

Lancer Cup Round of Sixteen Update

Standings :

1. MUR-  59 points

2. Gooner- 51 points

   Teddy Goalesevelt- 51 points

4. Swansong- 49 points

5. MOT- 48 points

6. Blubber Boy - 44 points

    Red Dragon - 44 points

8. Bees Knees - 43 points

9. Blue Devil - 42 points

10. Red Devil - 40 points

      WHR - 40 points

12. UWS- 37 points

13. oticoN- 36 points

     

James Corden on Hot Ones

My podcast pick of the week is telly personality James Corden's recent appearance on "Hot Ones." As with most Brits who've been on the show, James really suffers through the course of increasingly spicy chicken wings. It's a larf - give it a go here: 

https://youtu.be/U7rm_01SIuA

Rounding Off the Round of 16

 

Morning, chaps - the Round of 16 wraps up today with the Group E and F match-ups. It all starts this morning with Spain against a surprising Morocco team. This afternoon, we've got Portugal v. Switzerland. The mainstream narrative has this heading toward an Iberian Derby in the quarterfinals but football is a funny old game at times. 

I won't be around much today because of work and a car appointment but I thought I would start us off. 

The Round of 16 Continues

 

Morning, chaps - I'm still buzzing from England's comprehensive win over Senegal yesterday, which has set up an immense quarterfinal date with France on Saturday. Today, we move on to the Round of 16 matches that came out of some of the later groups. We begin with Japan v. Croatia, the one match-up without a dominant team. Later this after, the boys from Brazil take on a surprising South Korea side. 

Join me throughout the day. 

The Big Day!

 

Okay, boys - it's time to good serious. I was actually okay with seeing the US knocked out yesterday because that's as far as the US really should go in these tournaments. Now we can focus on our first love - England. Before we get to the big match with Senegal this afternoon, we've got France v. Poland this morning. 

Come on, England!

Just To Start the Day on the Right Foot

COME ON ENGLAND

COME ON ENGLAND

COME ON ENGLAND

The Knock-Out Rounds Begin!

 

Okay, boys - it all starts here! The Round of 16 is always my favorite moment of any World Cup - and it starts with a bang this year, with Greg Berhalter's young US side taking on European powerhouse side The Netherlands. The Dutch are famously known as best footballing nation never to win a World Cup, despite three final appearances. But this Dutch side is not the 1974 team of Johans Cruyff and Neeskens. So, while they are distinct underdogs, the US have a chance today. It should be thrilling. I believe that we will win! Come on!

World Cup 2022 Update End of Group Stage

Standings:

1. Swansong- 34 points

2. MUR- 33 points

    Teddy Goalesevelt- 33 points

4. Gooner- 31 points

5. Blue Devil - 30 points

6. Blubber Boy- 29 points

   MOT- 29 points

   Red Dragon - 29 points

9. Bees Knees- 28 points

    WHR - 28 points

11. Red Devil - 25 points

12. oticoN- 24 points

13. UWS- 22 points

Qatar 2022 - Day 13 - Hopefully Not Unlucky

 

Welcome to Friday, the 13th day of this World Cup. We're wrapping up the group stage with Group G and H action. Group H kicks us off in the morning and everything is still very up for grabs. As we saw today, that can produce some rather fun soccer. 

In the afternoon, it's Group G and Brazil again. The Selecao have already qualified for the R16, which should mean a B team. But what a B team, with the likes of Gabby Jesus, Gabby Martinelli, Antony, Rodrygo and Fred on offer. Come on! 

Join me throughout the day, won't you? 

Qatar 2022 - Day 12

 

Morning, chaps - it's another big day in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, with two more groups - Groups E and F wrapping up their play. Both groups are wide open with no teams having qualified for the Round of 16 and only Canada having been eliminated from the tournament. I'll be a bit in and out due to work but I'll be touching base with matches as I can. 

Enjoy the footer today!