Joker

I really think Heath Ledger set the bar for this role. Joaquin looks like he might give him a run for the money though. Who’s in on this one?

If You Hate The Dead…

The Grateful Dead’s Legacy of Awful Music

A good summary of the anti-Dead perspective.

On a personal note:  back in the 80’s I found myself in a short,  ill-advised relationship with a neo-hippie chick.  Because I will listen to anything once, I allowed myself to be subjected to a fair cross-section of their live and studio recordings.  What I heard was not one, but TWO drummers who couldn’t keep time (where else but in 60’s San Francisco could two such creatures be found?), a bass player who aimlessly noodles when he should be anchoring the song, meandering guitar solos (see article for a good description of those), silly-sounding harmonies, and songs that were either watered down country–country without the requisite redneck element–or jazz without the requisite improvisational talent.  In short, to my ears, they couldn’t play, sing, or write.  Other than that, great band.

And while it’s true that I was prejudiced because I hate jam bands, it’s also true that I at least respect ones who can play.  I never liked the Allman Bros., but I’m forced to admit their musicianship was top-notch.  Hell, Duane Allman even worked as a session guy in Muscle Shoals.  I believe Jerry Garcia would have been laughed out of the room.

Open The Pod Bay Doors, HAL

Google Duplex, coming to an iPhone near you.

Google Duplex is one of the more impressive products Google has shown off in recent years. Just ask the Google Assistant to make a restaurant reservation at a certain time, and it will do it. By “do it,” I mean it will make a phone call to a business, speak to the business on your behalf with one of the most human-sounding computer-generated voices ever made, negotiate a reservation time, and get back to you.

I can’t decide if I’m excited or terrified.

My New Favorite Podcast

That’s S-Town, as in Shittown, Alabama. Just to avoid spoilers, I’m not even going to tell you what it’s about. This thing takes more left turns than a NASCAR racer. Go in cold and thank me later.

Check it out here.