The Friday Link for 7/24/26

Hi all!  Happy Friday!

This year I've had two exceptional music experiences.  Last Thursday I was in Chicago for the Rush 50 Something tour, and it did not disappoint. As a fan of the band, I never thought I'd ever hear them play again, since Neil Peart passed away.  Then Paul McCartney (who I saw play last October) encouraged Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to get back at it.  They found an amazing drummer in Anika Nilles, and they went back on the road.

It'd be like tasting your mom's cooking again after being away for a decade.

Here was Freewill from Thursday night in Chicago.

I think I also talked about going to see Lady Gaga earlier this year.  That was also an incredible show, which came across more like a half concert/half Broadway show! 

Here she is singing Applause! 

As a 57-year-old man, now that my kids are all off at college, I'm rediscovering the joy of going to see big live concerts again.  Pick a show and enjoy! 

Also tonight, they released the trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, and it looks AWESOME! 

If the trailer is not enough for you, then let your real Marvel geek out and let New Rockstars break down the trailer frame by frame to give you every clue, Easter egg, and theory they have about the upcoming film. 

These guys are nothing but thorough! 

That's it for this week!

Please stay safe and make sure you get vaccinated for everything.  

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is trying to make you sick.  I want you to be safe. 

PEACE!!!

The Friday Link for 7/17/26

Hi all! Happy Weekend! 

Back in late April, I had a Friday Link which included Tasting History's Max Miller listing off the worst historical recipes he's ever recreated (edible leather??? Hard pass!). Realizing there is always a day for the night, he has now put out the best-tasting recipes he recreated, and I will admit I am surprised by his top favorite.

I have made two of these myself, Coronation Chicken and Irish Stew, and they were both fantastic.

The other video this week is from Last Week Tonight.  A few weeks back, they took on the crisis of feral hogs, and it is a crisis.  Feral hogs are running amok in the US, and most states are having to deal with them.  In Texas, they are out of control, and considering how fast they breed, this is becoming a major environmental disaster.

And they are smart too.  If one gets away from a trap, it will not only learn to stay away from that trap, but it will teach the other hogs to avoid that area too. 

That's it for this week.

Please stay up to date on all of your vaccinations and have a nice feral hog-free weekend.

The Friday Link for 7/10/26

I have an eclectic group for tonight's Friday Link.

I grew up in the video game age.  I still remember exactly where the video arcades were in the area malls I grew up around.  I was a Galaga guy, getting up to level 30 once. 

I remember when Dragon's Lair came on the scene.  They would have a TV on top of the video game so everyone could see the action being played out. When this game showed up, kids were 10 deep watching people throw their money away. 

I say "throw their money away" for two reasons.  Dragon's Lair was the first video game to cost 50 cents to play.  And Dragon's Lair was insanely hard to learn.  Most of us did not have the money to try to play for an hour.  I think the best result I ever saw was a guy playing for five minutes. 

BazookaBills on their YouTube channel to put out a complete run of the game. I remember how hard the river and the Black Knight level were. I also remember the risque nature of Princess Daphne. Was she the template for the modern AI girlfriend?  

Forty-three years after it came out, I finally see someone win it. 

Earlier this year, I went to Yellowstone, and as cool as that place is, it is also terrifying. It's a massive volcano, and when it does go, it will cause utter devastation.  

For a play-by-play of what will happen to the entire planet (spoiler alert: I hope you like starvation), So, What If... has a rundown of what will likely be the end of most of us.

Finally tonight, I am still enjoying Trump-free recognition of the 250th Anniversary of this country. Antiques Roadshow has a great episode of pure Americana, which will spark a little bit of your patriotic pride (Did I mention, no Trump!).

That's it for this week! 

Have a wonderful and safe weekend and make sure to stay up to date on all your vaccinations! 

The Friday Link for 7/3/26

Hi all!

Kind of short and sweet as we are in the holiday weekend! I hope everyone in the US has a wonderful Independence Day.  Remember, this country is far more than a bloviated, narcissistic, serial abuser and pedophile. 

If you've never seen The Play That Goes Wrong, it was a theater production from 2012, originally from London, that eventually made its way to Broadway, where an ill-equipped theater company puts on a murder mystery.  As advertised, everything goes wrong.  Here are the first 10 minutes of the production, done for the BBC in 2015.

The creators and cast did a special for the BBC in 2016, an hour-long production called Peter Pan Goes Wrong.  It ramps up the chaos quite a bit more. More than a few unexpected twists.  It's fun. 

(If your browser doesn't let the video play, follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H1UjfpPf48)

That's it for this week. 

Have a happy and safe celebration, no matter where you are! 

And make sure you are vaccinated!  It really is important, and I want you to be healthy.