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SwanShadow Gives Thanks, Volume 22: Reverse SwanShadow Edition

November 27, 2025

Welcome back, my friends, to the tradition that never ends. Okay, truth to tell, it will inevitably end eventually, because I will inevitably end eventually. But fortunately for all of us, that end does not appear imminent. Then again, this is Las Vegas, where anything can happen and often does.

I decided to label this 22nd iteration of this annual post “Reverse SwanShadow Edition” because when I typed the number 22, it looked remarkably like a mirror image of my familiar cygnus-and-umbra logo. If you play Texas Hold ’em, you might refer to a pair of pocket deuces as “ducks,” which I suppose is close enough. (I have it on good authority that bingo aficionados use the same terminology in reference to the call number I-22.)

Knowing my inherent inability to concentrate on anything for very long, I consider it a monumental achievement that I’ve managed to be regular in this particular habit for 22 years. But the fact is, I am deeply grateful for the life I’ve been blessed to live to this point, and for all of the people, places, and things that continue to make it pleasant and endlessly interesting. This annual exercise, as focused on ephemera as it appears to be, remains my personal love letter to everyone and everything I appreciate. It’s a peculiar way of expressing thanks. But it’s my way.

If you’re new to this experience, the following is an alphabetical list — one item for each letter of said alphabet — of items human, non-human, and inhuman (um…?) for which I am thankful this Thanksgiving, as though that weren’t redundant. As random as the collection appears, it represents in synecdoche (Google it) the sum total of everything that is. At least, everything that doesn’t stand on its own, unlike The Daughter and The Son-In-Law and The Little Dudes and The Sunflower and The Nest and Wanda the Scarlet Witch and all else that is truly special and good.

So, on this Thanksgiving Day 2025 (where does the time go?), your Uncle Swan gives thanks for:

A’ja Wilson, star of my beloved Las Vegas Aces: the four-time M’VP, the three-time D’POY, the two-time FM’VP, and quite possibly the G’OAT. I could not imagine a more appropriate place to begin this Number 22 list than with Number 22 her own self. I’ve been privileged to see many legendary athletes — from Steph Curry to Barry Bonds, from Joe Montana to Jerry Rice, from Willie McCovey to Steve Young to Klay Thompson — play in person for my favorite sports teams over the course of my fandom. I’m not sure that I will ever have seen, by the hopefully long-distant end of her still-escalating career, a more singular team-sport athlete on my home team than A’ja Wilson.

Bettie Page, who just might have been the GOAT of iconic image makers. She may not have garnered the undying adoration accorded Marilyn Monroe — whose appeal I’ve never entirely understood, to be frank (sorry, Frank) — but no one ever gave better face than the Queen of the Pinups.

Cornbread dressing, a seemingly simple side dish that it has taken me decades to perfect. Much scouring of cookbooks and Internet recipe sites, in addition to endless trial and error, has brought me to the point where I can almost say that my cornbread dressing (don’t call it stuffing unless you’re cramming it into an animal carcass) is the equal of the dish that annually graced my mother’s Thanksgiving table. Almost.

Dustbuster, the portable handheld vacuum that I don’t know how I ever survived without until I purchased one this year. Well played, Messrs. Black and Decker.

Eighteen B. (Actually, it’s more commonly written 18b, but we make allowances.) The Las Vegas Arts District is an 18-block (18b… get it? someone was clever) expanse just south of downtown proper where all manner of funky galleries, museums, murals, eateries, breweries, and other locations of interest collide. People who think that Vegas has no culture or soul have never been to this part of the city.

Freakin’ Reviews, the YouTube channel hosted by my fellow Las Vegas Valley denizen James White. Originally, James focused on video reviews of “as seen on TV” products. Now that that category of merchandise has been more or less subsumed into Amazon, Temu, and other online retailers, James showcases, for better or worse (often worse), whatever unusual gadget or household item strikes his fancy. James recently added a second channel, entitled Freakin’ 2, where he samples weird foods and beverages so I don’t have to.

Ground News, a Canadian-based news aggregator with a intriguing purpose: helping its readers navigate the sociopolitical “blind spots” both of news outlets, and of the readers themselves. Ground News serves up news articles from a wide array of sources, noting the particular bias of the source so that the reader knows where that source is “coming from,” so to speak. It also highlights news items that sources on either end of the political spectrum are under-reporting. In an environment where it can be difficult to know which media to trust — or whether you simply trust those who happen to agree with you, regardless of their factual accuracy — Ground News is a tool worth checking out. (This is not a sponsored post.)

Henderson and North Las Vegas, Sin City’s twin siblings here in the Valley. Most visitors tend to view the entirety of southern Nevada as “Las Vegas,” but quite a bit of it isn’t (including the Las Vegas Strip, which lies entirely outside the city limits). In fact, two other sizable incorporated cities lie cheek-by-jowl alongside us: Henderson (Nevada’s second-largest city; yes, bigger than Reno) to the southeast, and North Las Vegas (the fourth-largest) to the north and northwest. Both cities have reputations — Henderson as a boring backwater; NLV as sketchy and crime-ridden — that aren’t entirely deserved, and both actually have much to offer their communities. And yes, residents of both get a little annoyed at being lumped in as merely “outer Vegas.”

Isis, the Egyptian-themed superheroine of long-ago Saturday mornings. In civilian life, she was mild-mannered high school science teacher Andrea Thomas (played with understated cool by Joanna Cameron, who passed away in 2021). But when she donned her mystic amulet and uttered the phrase, “O mighty Isis!”, Andrea was transformed (okay, she just changed clothes, really) into a modern-day interpretation of the ancient goddess. Isis could (as noted in The Secrets of Isis‘s opening narration) “soar as the falcon soars, run with the speed of gazelles, and command the elements of sky and earth” — at least, as much of any of those things as a children’s TV budget and 1970s technology would allow. She could even deliver a thoughtful moral message at the end of each episode.

Juneteenth, the national holiday that celebrates the day when enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation began in Texas in 1865 (two years after the document was signed; no Internet in those days, so news traveled slowly) and slavery formally (if not culturally) ended in the United States. It’s also my half-birthday, which I’d like to imagine is worth celebrating on at least a minute scale.

Kosher salt, the one ingredient I can’t imagine my kitchen without. Did you know that it’s called “kosher” salt not because it meets kosher dietary standards, but because it was the salt used in kashering, a process of dry-brining meats? My preferred brand is Diamond Crystal, even though they confounded me recently when they redesigned the traditional box.

Leona Lewis, whose “Bleeding Love” is one of my all-time favorite pop tunes. Leona is playing her first-ever Las Vegas residency during this holiday season, and I can hardly wait to see her perform live next month. Leona’s included in my list of 31 “magical voices,” spotlighting the female singers whose pipes I adore.

Myron’s. Speaking of magical voices, Myron’s at the Smith Center is one of my favorite places in Las Vegas to hear them. This year, I saw Sam Harris there — his first tour in several years — and the New York Voices, who are currently winding down their nearly 40-year performing career. Myron’s cabaret-style venue makes a fine, intimate space in which to enjoy talented musical artists and their craft.

I’ve only just begun working on my NOKbox, an organizing tool designed to assist one’s next of kin (“NOK”) in event of one’s disability or demise. (That’s a polite way of saying, “It’s for when you croak.”) The NOKbox helps you put together all of the information and documentation that your loved ones will need in order to resolve your estate. With luck and a fair wind, my sunset is hopefully yet a long distance away. But it’s comforting to have a handy tool that will make things somewhat easier for The Daughter when the inevitable arrives. (Boy howdy, there’s a boatload of stuff to pull together, though. I’d better step it up.)

The Osmo Pocket 3 is one of the handiest devices ever made for recording video on the go. It’s a small handheld camera (it also mounts to a stand or tripod) with a built-in gimbal, plus numerous other features that lend themselves to quick and relatively easy shooting. I’m still figuring out how best to put it to work on the creative ideas that percolate in my brain, but I’m confident that the device will be up to the task even if the operator is not.

The Plaza Hotel and Casino is one of the downtown hotspots that I can see from my front window. What I love most about the Plaza is not the hotel-casino itself, but rather the free fireworks displays they host on major holidays (including Formula 1 weekend, which I suppose is now a public holiday here in Vegas), as well as every Friday night during the summer season. It’s like having a front-row seat to the Fourth of July every weekend from Memorial Day onward, as well as on the actual Fourth of July.

Quail eggs are delicious. I feel a little bit sorry for the quail. But only a little bit.

Rush, one of my favorite rock bands of all time, are reuniting next year for their first tour since legendary drummer Neil Peart passed in 2020. I know that some fans are up in arms at the audacity of Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson carrying on without The Professor, who in addition to his nonpareil percussion skills also wrote the band’s lyrics. But I for one am thrilled to have another opportunity to see Geddy and Alex perform live — I never got to experience Rush in concert while Neil was still with us — as well as thrilled for them to enjoy playing their music together again. I’m excited too to see how Anika Nilles, a phenomenal talent whom I’ve followed for years on YouTube, fits in behind the drum kit. And yes, I already have my ticket for one of the gigs in LA.

South Point is the place I point to (pun intended) when people tell me that “Vegas is dead,” because this locals-friendly joint is always packed. One of the few hotel-casinos left in the market that’s still privately owned by a single individual (longtime industry executive Michael Gaughan), South Point makes it work with customer-focused service, an array of reasonably priced dining options (including the best value buffet remaining in Vegas), and entertainment options that appeal to their target demographic. South Point also hosts numerous events including bowling tournaments (their bowling center is massive) and rodeo competitions (they have an arena specially built for horse-related activities). I tend to avoid the place when the cowboys are in town, but you do you.

Calling a business Terrible’s seems like a poor marketing strategy, but that is in fact the name of the outfit that holds the franchise on Chevron gas stations in these parts. Apparently, the company’s founder, nicknamed “the P.T. Barnum of gasoline” for his outrageous promotional schemes, decided to lean into the fact that his competitors found his business approach “terrible,” and ran with it. For the record, the gasoline does not seem terrible.

“Unchained” is one of my favorite Van Halen tracks. Go listen. That’s all I need to say.

Vitamix held a 40%-off sale on Amazon earlier this year, so I finally broke down and purchased one of their world-class but usually insanely expensive blending machines. And I love it. It’s added smoothies to my daily routine, so I can truthfully say that I’m doing something health-forward. (You can’t taste the spinach. You really can’t.) I also enjoy making the occasional soup in it. Who knew that you could make hot soup from cold ingredients in a blender? The wonders of modern technology.

Winnie and Ethel’s has fast become one of my favorite local dining spots. (And by “local,” I mean “five minutes from my house.”) Originally just a breakfast/brunch option — their malted pancakes are incredible, and don’t sleep on the grits, either — they now open a few evenings each week for equally excellent dinner. It’s the kind of place where the staff greets you like an old friend when you walk in the door, and serves you coffee in a mug from the most random collection of drinkware ever assembled outside of a Goodwill store. Get off the Strip and go there for a meal. You will not regret it.

Xanadu was: (1) the summer palace of Kublai Khan; (2) a classic poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge; (3) the title character’s mansion in the film Citizen Kane, based on the real-life Hearst Castle; (4) a dreadful slice of cinematic cheese served up in 1980 by director Robert Greenwald, and starring Olivia Newton-John; and (5) the title song from said film, which will now be stuck in your head for the rest of your Thanksgiving Day. You’re welcome.

Yermo, the weird little California desert town on Interstate 15 just a few miles east of Barstow that every SoCal traveler passes through on the drive to Las Vegas. Yermo is noteworthy for such touristy stops as Eddie World, allegedly California’s largest gas station (you’ll recognize it by the ginormous milkshake out front); the Liberty Sculpture Park, an assortment of found-materials artworks visible from the freeway; Peggy Sue’s ’50s Diner, what a Denny’s might be like if American Graffiti vomited inside it; and the Marine Corps Logistics Base, a massive storage facility for earth-tone military vehicles. The fast-food chain Del Taco also originated in Yermo, although there isn’t a Del Taco there now. Or much of anything else, except as noted above.

Zucchini, because your neighbor planted some and now has a ton to give away, including to you. There’s always zucchini bread.

As is ever the case, I am grateful for you, friend reader. If you’ve continued to drop in here every November for this feast of word salad, you have earned my respect, admiration, and even love. I hope that you and those you cherish will enjoy a wonderful and thoughtful Thanksgiving, and that all of us will still be around to celebrate another at this time next year.

Categories: Aimless Riffing, Celebritiana, Cinemania, Dead People Got No Reason to Live, Food Glorious Food, Hero of the Day, Listology, My Home Town, Reminiscing, Sexiest People Alive, Soundtrack of My Life, Sports Bar, SwanStuff, Teleholics Anonymous, Thanksgiving, That's Cool!, Trivial Pursuits, Vegas, Baby
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SwanShadow Gives Thanks, Volume 21: Winning Blackjack Hand Edition

November 28, 2024

Twenty-one — an ace plus a face card or 10 — means a win in blackjack (or at worst, a tie or “push”). In Texas hold-’em poker, the same hand might have great potential (especially if the face card is a king or queen) that could go undeveloped if the board fills up with middle-value cards.

Is our 21st annual edition of the Thanksgiving Day blog post an immediate winner, or merely awash with unfulfilled potential? That, friend reader, will be for you to decide.

As always, I have so much more to be grateful for than a simple list can encompass. Thus, our customary exercise: I’ve chosen 26 seemingly random items — one for each letter of the alphabet — to stand in for everything and everyone in my life that I love, admire, treasure, and appreciate. I began my Thanksgiving Day chatting via FaceTime with The Daughter and the two Little Dudes (The Son-In-Law peeked in briefly for a hello and a “Happy Thanksgiving” as well), an interaction that reminded me again how fortunate I am to have loved ones and to be loved. There’s much more love in the enumeration below, if you know where to look.

And with that, let’s do the do.

On this Thanksgiving Day 2024, I’m thankful for…

Agatha All Along. Marvel Studios has taken a fair bit of heat for some of their latter-period offerings, but for my money (and as a Disney stockholder, it kind of is my money, to some infinitesimal degree), the MCU smashed it out of the park with the most recent made-for-streaming-TV event. Agatha All Along, the followup series to the acclaimed WandaVision from a few years back, gave us everything we expect from Marvel — engaging characters, exciting action, a compelling and twisty storyline, and a sense of both drama and fun that hearkened back to the Marvel Comics of old. Kathryn Hahn made the most of her star turn as the ageless witch on a quest to regain her lost mojo. Her supporting coven, led by Sasheer Zamata, Joe Locke, Patti LuPone, and the ubiquitous Aubrey Plaza (who seems to be in everything these days), each brought their own flavor of awesomeness. Personally, I’ve been happy with most of the MCU Disney+ product — I even enjoyed the widely derided She-Hulk: Attorney at Law — but Agatha All Along served notice that Kevin Feige and Company still can pull magic out of their pointy hat.

Bluesky. Like many of you, I pretty much gave up on Twitter as it entered its Age of Elon a couple of years ago. While the jury is still out, Bluesky seems at least for the moment a viable alternative to what the Twittersphere once provided. I’m SwanShadow there as here, so feel welcome to follow if you’re inclined. Also, here’s a tip: You can obtain a download from the former Twitter of all your content posted there. I pulled one in advance of abandoning my account altogether, so that I can repurpose some of my classic tweets for future use on Bluesky.

Concierges. There are both pluses and minuses to living in a vast concrete jungle. One of the true upsides in my highrise life is the concierge staff who man/woman/person the front desk in my building. I never have to worry about a package being porch-pirated or a DoorDash delivery going misdirected. And more often than not, I get a smile and friendly greeting when I walk past on my way to the mailroom or the Amazon Hub.

Dominant eye. One might suppose that when one has inhabited a body for as many decades as I’ve inhabited mine, one would know all there is to know about this mortal frame. But in fact, I only recently learned something fascinating about my physical self: I am one of the roughly 18-20% of humans who are cross-eye dominant. That means that while I am naturally right-handed, my brain favors my left eye. It’s especially a challenge for things like target sports — think shooting or archery, even darts — but also partially explains my lifelong lack of hand-eye coordination. Now that I know that my cross-eye dominance exists, I can learn to compensate for it. (You can test your own eye dominance thusly: Extend your arms in front of you. Make a triangular space by partially crossing your hands; your thumbs will form the base of the triangle. Center the triangle on some fixed object across the room. Now, keeping both eyes open and focused on the object, draw your hands slowly toward you until your hands touch your face, and the triangle lands over one of your eyes. That eye is your dominant eye.)

Eggnog. People who know me in the real world know that I’m not a huge fan of the holiday season in general. One feature of this time of year that I do enjoy is eggnog, which can be difficult to find outside of the fall-to-winter window. The Kroger store brand is surprisingly decent.

Fans. When one lives in a high-desert location that can reach peak temperatures of 120 (as Las Vegas did one day this past summer), anything that provides cooling air circulation is a godsend. The three powerful tower fans around the Nest — one in my office, one in the living room, one in the master suite — help keep the HVAC system from working too hard during the long hot Mojave summer.

Graduation. The Daughter collected her hard-earned master’s degree in library and information sciences at a ceremony this past June. She deserves abundant plaudits for completing her coursework while holding down a full-time job and — not insignificantly — giving birth to and caring for two children. Fortunately, she inherited her late mother’s determination. I could not be more proud.

The House, a.k.a. Michelob Ultra Arena, home to my beloved Las Vegas Aces. A championship three-peat escaped our grasp during a challenging season, but I thoroughly enjoyed every home game… even the ones the Aces didn’t win. The House draws great crowds (every game this season was a sellout, and season tickets are already sold out for next season as well), and the Aces’ enthusiastic fan base always shows up and shows out. (Some show out a little more than others.)

“I Can’t Drive 55.” I have been a major Sammy Hagar fan since he was the lead vocalist in Montrose in the early 1970s. In the ’80s, seeing Sammy perform live became an annual ritual; I caught the Standing Hampton, Three Lock Box, and VOA tours in consecutive years. This summer, I got to see Sammy alongside his former Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony, guitar wizard Joe Satriani, and drummer Jason Bonham, playing a mix of tunes from across his career. The guy still can sing up a storm (unlike certain other former VH frontmen who shall remain unnamed here), and he brings plenty of fire to the stage even now in his mid-70s. Sammy might not be able to drive 55, but he is outliving it in style.

Josh Johnson. In case you’re unfamiliar with Josh, he’s a standup comedian who’s also a correspondent on The Daily Show. His standup is nothing short of brilliant, especially considering that — unlike most working comics — he performs a set of brand-new material almost every night, often drawing inspiration from current events. He’s topical and socially aware without being overtly political (usually); adult in orientation without working blue (usually); and his onstage persona is engaging and charismatic without any of the grotesque bravado that characterizes a lot of today’s standup. Check out his YouTube channel — he posts clips from recent performances frequently — and catch him live if he comes to your town. I will challenge you not to laugh.

Kamala Harris. She made the best of a tough campaigning circumstance, and carried herself with dignity and grace to the very end. Thank you, Madame Vice President.

Las Vegas Boulevard. Not just that roughly four-mile portion known to the world as The Strip, but all of its nearly 50-mile length. Drive along the Boulevard for a while, and you’re bound to see something you’ve never seen before, and most likely would not see anywhere else.

Mucha. My love for comic art is well known to those who have frequented this space in earlier years, but I also have a deep appreciation for many other kinds of graphic art. One of my all-time favorite artists is the Czech-born illustrator and painter Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939), famed for his creations in the Art Nouveau style. Mucha is one of the most renowned artists whose most familiar work was done in the field of advertising. He created hundreds of theatrical posters, product advertisements, and print illustrations in an ornate style that was compelling, immediately recognizable, and often imitated. Mucha’s art never fails to bring a smile to my face and peace to my heart.

Neewer. I’ve been working for some time on a video project (more about this, soon). Neewer makes a wide assortment of photographic accessories, from lighting to tripods, several pieces of which I now own. I find their products to be of good quality, easy to use, and competitively priced. This is not a sponsored ad — I just like their stuff.

Olympics. This year’s Paris Games provided some of the finest spectacle in sport. From the triumphant return to competition of All-Everything gymnast Simone Biles to the home-crowd-pleasing successes of French swimmer Leon Marchand; from the continued US domination of men’s and women’s 5×5 basketball to the even more dominant performances in the diving pool by Team China; from the constant thrills of insanely close races on the athletics track to… whatever that breakdancing thing was; the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad had it all.

Pizza Rock, serving the best pizza in Las Vegas in this pizza connoisseur’s estimation. To be fair, I haven’t tried every single pizza available in the Valley. But I’d be hard-pressed to find any that outclasses the offerings from Tony Gemignani’s downtown hotspot.

Quokkas. Because the world needs all the furry cuteness we can get right now.

Richard Osman’s House of Games. I adore British quiz shows in general, but I hold a special fondness for this quirky series presented by the former Pointless creator and co-host (and now, bestselling mystery novelist) Richard Osman. Each week, four “famous faces” (translated: “celebrities” familiar to much of the British TV-viewing public, but completely unknown to most Americans) play five days’ worth of quizzes, ranging from simple word games (“Rhyme Time”) to find-it-on-a-map geography (“Where Is Kazakhstan?”) to merging clues with pictures (“Answer Smash,” which concludes each day’s proceedings). The “celebrity” who wins each day’s contest gets to select from a motley assortment of tacky prizes, all of which bear Osman’s silhouette; the player amassing the most points over the course of the week takes home a cheesy trophy cup that most bowling alleys would be embarrassed to give away. It’s all in good fun, and plays much better than I’ve just made it sound.

Sunflowers. They are magnificent and magical, regal and radiant. They stand out in any arrangement. Artists and artisans throughout history have drawn inspiration from them. Their beauty is undeniable, and beyond compare. Who doesn’t love sunflowers?

Trots and Bonnie. I’ve been revisiting at times throughout this year the wonderfully creative cartooning of Shari Flenniken, whose strip appeared originally in the legendary humor magazine National Lampoon from 1972 until 1990. Trots and Bonnie features the everyday exploits of two junior-high school teens — bright-but-naive Bonnie and her more precocious friend Pepsi — and Bonnie’s sharp-witted talking dog Trots. As was typical of the Lampoon‘s fare, Trots and Bonnie skews quite adult at times, but Flenniken’s charming artwork and thoughtful, realistic sensibility set the strip at a higher level.

Unsung Titles, the theme of my ninth One-Day Special quiz for the Internet’s premier daily trivia competition, LearnedLeague. I’ve enjoyed presenting each of the 1DS quizzes I’ve written over the years, but I was particularly fond of this one, which focused on popular songs whose titles never appear in their lyrics. It was a fun set to create, and people seemed to enjoy playing it. Here’s a sample question (I’ll put the answer at the end of this post):

You might think this song is called:
“We Come From the Land of the Ice and Snow” (1970, #16 US Hot 100)
It’s easy to see why this song became Thor’s walk-on music in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, what with all that Norse mythology “hammer of the gods” and “Valhalla” stuff in the lyrics.
But you know what’s not in the lyrics? Passports. Or visas. Or the actual title of this song.

Video editing, a new skill I’m struggling to acquire. As mentioned above, I’m working on a video project. The thing is, despite many years of experience editing audio files — and I consider myself a pretty solid audio editor — I haven’t worked with video since college, back in the Dark Ages. Some necessary skills translate from the audio world; others are brand new to me. You know that old saying about old dogs and new tricks? Well, I’m an old dog.

Wakizashi and katana. Most mornings, the first thing I see when I open my eyes is my daisho, a matching pair of Japanese swords of the style originally carried by samurai. I am not a samurai, or trained in the art of swordplay. For me, these beautiful swords are strictly display pieces. But I like to think that a master martial artist could make great use of them, should the occasion arise. And speaking of swords…

… there’s the xiphoid (“sword-shaped”) process. It’s that tiny piece of your skeleton at the end of your sternum, to which your diaphragm and your rectus abdominis muscles — colloquially known as your abs — are connected. What’s interesting to me about the xiphoid process is that it isn’t fully developed until around age 40. Think of the fontanelles (or soft spots) in a baby’s skull, which harden into bone during the first 18 months or so after birth. The xiphoid process is like that, only it takes until middle age to harden. Weird.

Y&T, one of the great underappreciated bands in the history of rock. Frank Meniketti, Y&T’s co-founder, lead vocalist, and lead guitarist, should be a household name given his prodigious talents. But for whatever reason, his band never quite vaulted over the hump into superstardom. Despite years of touring and recording excellent, tunefully catchy hard rock music, Y&T just never found that one killer song or released that one killer album that might have made their career. The band’s name — a truncation of their original moniker, Yesterday and Today — probably didn’t help. And yet, they’re one of the acts whose CDs I frequently pop into my car player on long road trips. I always find myself wondering… why weren’t these guys a much bigger deal?

Zarfs. You know that little cardboard sleeve around your cup when you order a hot beverage at your local Starbucks? It’s a zarf. And when you don’t get one, you wish you did.

As I am every year — and increasingly as the years roll past — I am sincerely thankful for you, friend reader, especially those of you who’ve kept coming back for this annual experience for the past 21 Thanksgivings. If you’re here for the first time, I’m grateful for your presence too. I hope you realize how much you have to be thankful for, and that you’ll exercise some of that gratitude in the way you live your life and interact with the people around you. I hope we’re all here next year to be thankful again, and still.

*Answer: “Immigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin)

Categories: Aimless Riffing, Celebritiana, Cinemania, Comic Art Friday, Disney, Food Glorious Food, Good Reads, Hero of the Day, LearnedLeague, Listology, My Home Town, Reminiscing, Ripped From the Headlines, Soundtrack of My Life, Sports Bar, SwanStuff, Teleholics Anonymous, Thanksgiving, That's Cool!, The Swan Tunes In, Trivial Pursuits, Vegas, Baby
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SwanShadow Gives Thanks, Volume 20: Double Decades Edition

November 24, 2023

Be honest now, who thought I’d still be doing this 20 years later?

Seriously, who even thought I’d still be doing anything 20 years later?

Never bet against your Uncle Swan, o ye of little feathers. (But not Sacheen Littlefeather. That’s a can of worms I don’t want to open, especially on Thanksgiving.)

Last year’s Thanksgiving Day post leaned heavily on Las Vegas: the reasons that brought me to reside in the Entertainment Capital of the World, and the things I was only then beginning to appreciate about my new neon hometown (to borrow a phrase from YouTuber Las Vegas Gal). There will be a lot of Vegas in this year’s list also, as I’ve come to love even more people, places, and things in this one-of-a-kind desert metropolis. But there’s still much that I’m grateful for in the greater, wider world, so there’s a bit more of that sort of reflection this time around.

Just a brief introduction to what this is all about, for the benefit of any newcomers who’ve found their way here for the first time. Every Thanksgiving for the past two decades, I’ve posted in this space a list of 26 items — one for each letter of the alphabet — for which I am particularly grateful. These 26 items are not intended to be comprehensive. Instead, most of them represent, by way of synecdoche (I’m sure there’s an app where you could look that up), many other people and things that I hold precious, even dear. It’s just a mechanism for compelling myself once a year to think deeply about all that truly moves me to gratitude.

Some mean too much to attempt to find place for them in this little exercise. The Daughter, whom I love with the ferocity of a thousand suns and would sacrifice anything for, tops that list, along with The Son-In-Law and the two Little Dudes, the second of whom arrived since the writing of the previous post. Others find their place in the subtext within the list, or simply transcend it. They know who they are, and what lofty status they hold.

And with that said, let’s forge ahead. (Have I really done 20 of these? Wow.)

On Thanksgiving Day 2023, I’m thankful for…

Ahsoka Tano. I’m not a huge Star Wars guy. I’ve made no secret these past 46 years that I never completely understood all of the fuss about what we now call Episode IV: A New Hope (what I’ve called from the jump, a super-cute Carrie Fisher plus a bunch of derivative space opera and oblique Jack Kirby references). But I have very much enjoyed several of the latter-day spinoffs, especially The Mandalorian and its brand-new companion series, Ahsoka, starring the sublime Rosario Dawson in the title role. There’s a statue of Ahsoka Tano in my living room. Not everyone gets that kind of recognition.

Buckaroo Banzai. I was honored this year to write a One-Day Special quiz for the online trivia site LearnedLeague about The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension — a film that, unlike the aforementioned Episode IV, I have loved since the day I first beheld it, goggle-eyed, in a local movie theater. If you don’t grok the unique sensibility of Buckaroo Banzai, I can’t explain it to you. I also can’t explain why there’s a watermelon in the lab.

Cats In Space. People who know me IRL have heard me opine more than once that good music stopped being made by 1989. Of course, this comment is intended to be facetious. There’s plenty of excellent music being created even today, by artists whose careers began long after the ’80s ended. Case in point: the delightful British rock band Cats In Space. When you listen to a Cats album — and you should — you can detect their influences: Queen, Styx, Boston, a little ELO here, a little Supertramp there. However, you won’t hear anything that sounds exactly like any of those bands, or anything that sounds like a tribute, nostalgia, or novelty act. Cats In Space are legitimate unto themselves, keeping alive the classic arena-rock flavor but adding their own modern interpretation (and considerable musical chops) to it. Try their most recent album, Kickstart the Sun, or Diamonds, a 2021 selection of their best catalog numbers re-recorded with their current lead vocalist, Damien Edwards. If you enjoy any or all of the bands I mentioned earlier, I strongly suspect you’ll dig Cats In Space.

Dita Von Teese. The undisputed Queen of Neo-Burlesque, Ms. Von Teese (her birth handle is Heather Sweet, which seems like a perfectly appropriate name to me, but what do I know?) has been almost single-handedly reinventing the art of cabaret for the past 30 years. She earns huge props from me for helping to keep alive (along with graphic artists such as Olivia De Berardinis, Jim Silke, and the late Dave Stevens) the legacy of 1950s pinup legend Bettie Page. Ms. Von Teese recently premiered a new show in the Jubilee Theater at Horseshoe Las Vegas (formerly Bally’s), utilizing some of the famous costumes from Jubilee!, the last of the old-school Las Vegas revues. The show has drawn rave reviews, and I’m looking forward to seeing it next month.

Esther’s Kitchen. If your entire perspective of Las Vegas is strictly bounded by The Strip and Fremont Street, you’re missing a ton of the sweet spots Neon City has to offer. One such spot is the Arts District, an 18-block swatch of Downtown Las Vegas that’s home to numerous restaurants, quaint shops, and entertainment venues. Among the excellent eateries to be found in the Arts District is the newly expanded Esther’s Kitchen. It’s nominally an Italian restaurant, but it’s nothing like any Italian restaurant you’ve ever tried. The menu is seasonal and constantly changing, but you’re sure to find something you’ll love.

Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Since it was topped out back in 2008, the Fontainebleau has been the tallest building not only in Las Vegas, but in the entire state of Nevada. Also since 2008, the Fontainebleau has been a ginormous, empty blue husk at the north end of The Strip. A victim of the Great Recession (and probably some mismanagement along the way), the Fontainebleau, while mostly completed, never opened. In the years since, the property has changed hands several times (and names at least twice), while locals wondered if the monstrosity might just get imploded someday. But in fact, the Fontainebleau was reacquired by its original developer in 2021 and has undergone a flurry of construction and redesign since then. It’s now scheduled to open — at long last — on December 13. People who’ve seen the inside say it’s magnificent. I’m eager to see for myself.

Glittering Lights. Every holiday season, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (not to be confused with the recent Formula 1 contest, the Las Vegas Grand Prix… don’t get me started) transforms its racetrack into a drive-through electric spectacular called Glittering Lights. It’s a two-and-a-half-mile cruise through more than two million… well… glittering lights, in the form of cheerful holiday images. Put some classic carols on the car radio, and get into the spirit of the season. If someone as notoriously Grinchy as your Uncle Swan enjoys it, you might too.

Huntridge Theater. I’m not old-Vegas enough to recall when the Huntridge Theater on Charleston Boulevard was a happening joint. That said, I was privileged earlier this year to take a fascinating tour of this historic building, which began life in 1944 as a movie palace, then segued into its second act as a performing arts venue in 1992. The roof of the vintage structure — built during wartime with wooden support trusses rather than then-rationed steel — collapsed in 1995. Efforts to save the facility ultimately failed, and the Huntridge shuttered — seemingly forever — in 2004. Then in 2021, a local developer purchased the Huntridge and vowed to restore it within three years. The theater’s iconic Art Deco neon sign was relighted for the first time on April 7, 2023. Soho Playhouse has signed on to operate the theater once the reconstruction is complete, and will book it for live performances.

Injera. Among Las Vegas’s many hidden gems is its Ethiopian corridor, which gained official recognition as a cultural district this year. “Little Ethiopia” is home to around 90 restaurants, shops, and other businesses owned by members of Vegas’s 40,000-strong Ethiopian community. If you love Ethiopian food — and I do — it’s the neighborhood where you can stuff your face with spicy meats and veggies, all transported into your mouth with injera, the spongy, slightly sour flatbread made from teff flour that doubles as both an accompaniment and a utensil.

Juan’s Flaming Fajitas. Las Vegas is also home to some of the finest Mexican cuisine you’ll experience north of the border. Although Tacos El Gordo (four Las Vegas-area taquerias) is my local go-to for quick Mexican bites, when I’m in the mood for a sit-down feast I might head to one of the three locations of Juan’s Flaming Fajitas. When they say “flaming,” that’s not just marketing-speak. They mean actual fire. The fire of deliciousness.

Karen Avenue is a largely nondescript street running east-west from the general area of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It makes my list because the one non-nondescript fact about Karen Avenue is that a section of it — the part between Joe W. Brown Drive and Maryland Parkway — was recently renamed Liberace Avenue, in honor of the late pianist once lauded as The World’s Greatest Showman. At the peak of his lengthy career in the late 1950s and early ’60s, Liberace was the highest-paid entertainer on the planet — a planet that at the time still headlined people like Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, and Elvis Presley. I never saw Liberace perform live, but I remember watching him countless times on television when I was very young. It’s nice that Vegas finally got around (35 years after the man’s death, but who’s counting?) to honoring someone whose name spun box office gold for decades on The Strip.

Leilani’s Attic. My love for all things Hawaiian knows no bounds. I spent my earliest formative years in Hawaii and still regard it as the place where I’m “from,” to the degree that a constantly transient military kid could be “from” any one place. Part of the appeal to me in relocating to Las Vegas was the city’s status as “the Ninth Island,” where many Hawaii residents vacation, and where many former islanders come to find paying jobs and affordable homes. One of the greatest assets of the Ninth Island is Leilani’s Attic, a treasure trove of Hawaiian foods and beverages, as well as clothing and souvenirs. It’s my local resource for saimin (Hawaii’s version of noodle soup) and Hawaiian Sun juice drinks, among other treats.

The Marvels. Don’t believe the pouting keyboard warriors who trashed the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe without even bothering to view it. (Here’s a tip, fanboys: When you begin a screed about any entertainment product with the words, “I haven’t seen/read/listened to [INSERT TITLE HERE], but…,” your opinion lost any credibility three words in.) The Marvels proved itself — to this person who actually bought a ticket — fun, engaging, and heartwarming, with the interplay between the three leads alone worth the price of admission — which I, unlike many online pundits, actually paid. Is it the MCU’s best film? No, not by a long shot. (The villain, in particular, is tragically underwritten… which can be said of the villains in at least half of the MCU outings. It’s neither a new nor a unique problem with this film.) But not every MCU movie has to be Avengers: Endgame or Black Panther, nor could they all be. The Marvels is very good for what it is — a mid-tier film in the Marvel canon. If that’s the sort of thing you like, you’ll probably like this one. I certainly did.

The Nest, my not-terribly-clever code name for the Vegas iteration of Casa de Swan. It’s taken over a year, but it finally feels fully and completely like home. It even has a thermostat on the wall with its own name on it.

Outlet shops. The Las Vegas North Premium Outlets are right in my neighborhood. I’m not really an outlets shopper, but every time I pass, they appear to be doing a land-office business. Plus there’s a Cheesecake Factory.

The Palms. Thought to be on the verge of extinction as recently as a couple of years ago, the Palms — the off-Strip hotel and casino that was once home to both a Playboy Club and a season of The Real World — appears to be thriving under the new ownership of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. It’s the first Las Vegas casino to be owned and operated by a Native American tribal band. (The casino at Virgin Las Vegas, formerly the Hard Rock Hotel, is operated by the Mohegan band out of Connecticut, but the property is owned by Virgin Hotels.) The new owners reopened the buffet — it’s a pretty decent one, in an era of vanishing buffets — and maintained most of the better dining and imbibing venues, including the iconic Ghostbar. The Pearl Concert Theater is a great place to see a show; I caught Cheap Trick there on their current tour.

Queen Latifah. She’s had stunning success as a music artist and as an actor. Her current TV venture, a retooling of the classic crime series The Equalizer, is pretty solid — though I’ll admit that I prefer the film series starring Denzel Washington… because Denzel. Props to The Queen, though, for doing it her way.

Repeat champions. Speaking of Queens, all hail to the Queens of the WNBA, the back-to-back world champion Las Vegas Aces! What an exciting (and sometimes crazy) season the Aces put forward on their way to their second consecutive title. Even the mid-campaign, season-ending injury to newly acquired superstar Candace Parker, and the equally season-ending arrest and subsequent banishment of super sub Riqana Williams, couldn’t derail the Aces as they marched to collect another trophy. When “Tha Point Gawd” Chelsea Gray went down during the Finals, the team rallied to finish off the archrival New York Liberty, almost without missing a beat. I can hardly wait to see what happens as coach Becky Hammon and all-World forward A’ja Wilson (the Finals MVP, who should also have been the regular season MVP) lead the squad in search of a threepeat in 2024.

The Scarlet Witch. I might be referring here to one of my all-time favorite comics (and later MCU) heroines. But I’m actually referring to the crimson Subaru that replaced my previous vehicle (nicknamed the Blubaru, for reasons you can probably guess) at the end of last year. She’s red, and she does a ton of technological tricks that seem like magic. What else could I have called her? (She answers to Wanda — as in Maximoff — for short.)

The Tropicana. I’m going to miss the old Trop, which as of recent events is officially doomed to be razed in the near future, to make way for the new stadium home of the soon-to-arrive Las Vegas Athletics of Major League Baseball. The Trop was my go-to lodging spot when I came to Vegas as a visitor, for the better part of a decade. In fact, I enjoyed one final stay at the Trop last year when I pulled into town as a new resident, while I waited for the truck ferrying my belongings. So long, old friend. We’ve shared many good times and made many cherished memories. I hope the implosion isn’t too painful.

Uzo Aduba. I read in an interview that the talented actor, who recently headlined the reboot of the TV series In Treatment, got her breakthrough role as Crazy Eyes in Orange Is the New Black in an interesting way. Apparently, Aduba auditioned for another role in the same show. When her agent called, they had “bad news” and “good news.” The bad news: Aduba didn’t get the role she’d read for. The good news: The producers wanted to cast her instead as Crazy Eyes. To which Aduba said that she responded: “What was it about my audition that made them think I’d be right for a character called Crazy Eyes?” Whatever it was, it was worth two Emmys. Indeed, Aduba is the only performer to win a “Best Supporting” Emmy for both comedy and drama for the same role in the same series. Sometimes, as Mick Jagger once noted, you don’t get what you want, but you get what you need.

The Venetian Theatre. In the past year, I saw five terrific concerts in this gorgeous venue: ZZ Top; Styx; Smokey Robinson (when you can see a legend, go see a legend); Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band (when you can see a Beatle, go see a Beatle); and Earth, Wind and Fire. I also saw the national touring company of the Broadway show SIX here. I’m hoping to see many more shows at the Venetian in the years ahead.

Watch Art Grand Exhibition. This year, for the third time, I was privileged to be hired by the world-renowned Swiss watchmakers Patek Philippe to narrate the audio guide to one of their Grand Exhibitions. I first narrated the Grand Exhibition held in New York in 2017, then provided the English-language version of the guide to the Singapore Grand Exhibition in 2019. This year, Patek Philippe took their display to Tokyo, and I again got the call to narrate the English-language guide. I now understand far more about the craft of artisan horologerie than I ever imagined that I would. If you ever get to see one of these periodic exhibitions, I highly recommend that you check it out.

X. I’m just going to give the letter X the year off. I’m not really thankful for anything — or anyone — related to X (regardless of what X may or may not have been called previously) this year. (If you know, you know.)

“Ya Mo Be There.” If I hear this song one more time, ya mo… well… not burn this place to the ground. Maybe I’ll butt-dance in my seat instead.

Zippy’s. After an interminable period of years since the original announcement, the Hawaii-based diner chain Zippy’s has finally opened its first location in Las Vegas. The day I considered stopping in, the waiting queue wrapped around the building. I’ll definitely get there sometime soon, after the initial furor dies down a bit. That’s assuming, of course, that it dies down. People here on the Ninth Island have been waiting an awfully long time for a Zippy’s.

And of course, as always, friend reader, I am deeply grateful for you. I appreciate your time and attention. My hope is that you’ll be inspired to list a few of the things and people you’re happy to have in your life, and give grace according to whatever belief system you subscribe to. I hope you’ve had a most excellent Thanksgiving, and that you’ve been able to share it with at least some of the people for whom you’re the most thankful. May we all be here in 12 months to be grateful yet again.

Categories: Aimless Riffing, Cinemania, Food Glorious Food, Hawaii, Hero of the Day, I'm The Mic Guy!, LearnedLeague, Listology, My Home Town, Reminiscing, Ripped From the Headlines, Soundtrack of My Life, Sports Bar, SwanStuff, Teleholics Anonymous, Thanksgiving, That's Cool!, Vegas, Baby

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SwanShadow Gives Thanks, Volume 18: Emerging From the Silo Edition

November 26, 2021

So, yeah… this pandemic has been, and continues to be, a thing.

But here we are. A year ago, we were all pretty much locked down, shut in, and wondering if or when we would ever be able to resume some semblance of normal life. Today, we’re several months into having effective anti-COVID vaccines available — many of us have already received both initial doses, plus a booster — which have facilitated at least some measure of mobility.

At our house, having everyone vaccinated meant enjoying the in-person Thanksgiving dinner with close family that would have been unthinkable last year. The Pirate Queen and I were able to take the Hawaiian vacation we’d had to postpone for a year and a half. And I got to see the two most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe films — Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals — in an actual movie theater. I would not have believed how much I would treasure such experiences, until they were snatched away.

None of that erases the fact that more Americans died from COVID-19 this calendar year than last, or that millions of people both here and abroad continue to suffer from the consequences of this plague.

But I’m thankful for the progress that we’ve made.

As always, my Thanksgiving list of gratitude is topped by loved ones — the Pirate Queen, The Daughter, and The Daughter’s family, which expanded by one in April. The Little Dude is a genuine delight, and is as adorable as it’s possible for an infant human to be. I wish I had a better world to welcome him into. But it is what it is.

Without further folderol, then, here’s this year’s A-Z sampling of people and things for which I’m grateful this Thanksgiving season. As is our tradition in this space, this list is not intended to be comprehensive, but rather a kind of synecdoche (look it up) standing in for the countless reasons I have to give thanks.

Thus, in November 2021, I’m thankful for:

Adobe Audition. I’ve toyed for years with the notion of upgrading my digital audio workstation (a technical term for “recording software”) from freeware to something more professional. Even though I’ve had extensive experience engineering with Audition in a studio setting, I hesitated to replace the familiar and comfortable Audacity (which I was using long before I got into pro voiceover work) in my home environment. This year, I pushed myself to make the switch. My only regret is that I didn’t do it ages ago.

Brandon, Buster, and Belt. My beloved San Francisco Giants returned to playoff form with a 107-victory season in 2021, with the Three-B Triumvirate of veterans leading the way. Shortstop Brandon Crawford not only earned his fourth Gold Glove, but also finished fourth in the National League MVP voting with a career-best offensive campaign. First baseman Brandon Belt blasted 29 home runs despite a couple of significant injury absences. Catcher Buster Posey capped a stellar career — he announced his retirement at season’s end — by winning the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

The Chase. What I was NDA-bound not to reveal in last Thanksgiving’s list became clear in January, when I added a few seconds to my 15 minutes of TV quiz show fame (I say, “fame,” as though I were actually famous) with a successful appearance on ABC’s revival of The Chase. My teammate Daniel and I managed to outrace Jeopardy! superstar James Holzhauer to split a bankroll of $325K. Although it aired this year, our episode actually taped in November 2020 under strict COVID protocols.

Dr. Strange. He’s guest-starring in the third MCU Spider-Man film next month. He entered my statue gallery earlier this year. I’m wearing his T-shirt as I type this post.

Everything bagels. Not literally “everything,” but still, a savory flavor combination that’s hard to resist. So popular that you can now get “everything” seasoning on dozens of other foods, or even just by itself you that you can apply it to your own creations. There’s a bottle in my spice rack.

Fandango. It was pleasant to return to the cinema after nearly two years, with the ubiquitous movie-ticket app making the admission process contact-free. Also pleasant: being able to see how many other tickets had been sold in advance for each performance, to have a sense of how crowded (or not) the theater might be.

The Gospel According to Luke. I’ve read a fair number of rock star bios and memoirs in recent years, but none I’ve enjoyed more than this one by longtime Toto guitarist Steve Lukather. In addition to his decades-spanning Toto run, Luke has played hundreds of sessions behind other music legends — everyone from Michael Jackson (that’s Luke playing the non-Eddie Van Halen guitar parts on “Beat It”) to Elton John, from Aretha Franklin to Boz Scaggs, from Stevie Nicks to Chaka Khan. But I was surprised to learn just how deep his backing credits run. That’s Luke on Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me”? On “Talk to Ya Later” by the Tubes? On Spinal Tap’s “Break Like the Wind”? Who knew?

Haiku. A mere three brief lines. Just seventeen syllables. Poetic word art.

Insecure. Issa Rae’s groundbreaking HBO series about a young African-American woman navigating life with her circle of friends and lovers is currently in its final season. It’s impossible to overstate the power of seeing Black people on television leading authentic lives and dealing with everyday relationship complexities that always feel real. I’ll miss Issa, Molly (played by the sublime Yvonne Orji), and their crew, and I’ll look forward to seeing what Ms. Rae brings to the table next.

Jodie Whittaker. Speaking of TV departures, I’m also going to miss the Thirteenth Doctor when she departs Doctor Who at the end of this series. It took Jodie’s quirky, impetuous Time Lord (and her glorious Yorkshire dialect) to get me back on board with a show I hadn’t cared about since halfway through David Tennant’s run as the Tenth Doctor. I can only hope that whoever the Fourteenth Doctor might be (the role has yet to be cast), they’ll bring as much joy to the character as did Whittaker.

Kailua. One of the highlights of our Oahu trip this year was touring this delightful town on the Windward Coast. Between its world-class beaches, walkable central district, and relaxed, congenial vibe, Kailua’s an easy place to love. (The other Kailua, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island, is pretty awesome too.)

Little Dude. Did I mention that he’s adorable? Yes, I believe I did.

Magenta. It’s been a long while since I added a new entry to my catalog of all-time favorite bands. These Welsh progressive rockers cracked the code this year. A three-person core — multi-instrumentalist Robert Reed, guitarist Chris Fry, and vocalist Christina Booth, plus Reed’s brother Steven who contributes lyrics — supported by a changing cast of supporting players, Magenta takes cues from such earlier prog acts as Yes, Genesis, and Renaissance, but ends up sounding very much like its own thing. What separates Magenta from its prog predecessors for me is Rob Reed’s insistence upon “giving priority to melody rather than technical showmanship.” Magenta’s music focuses on evocative songs rather than endless instrumental noodling; songs sumptuously conveyed by Booth’s alternately delicate yet powerful voice. Magenta also takes the well-worn trope of “concept album” in interesting new directions. Their most recent effort, 2020’s Masters of Illusion, dedicates its tracks to once-prominent horror film actors, including Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, and Ingrid Pitt. Previous albums have employed such themes as the seven deadly sins (Seven) and rock stars who died young (The Twenty-Seven Club).

Nachos Bell Grande. You know that craving you have every now and again for something that’s barely food, but that satisfies that craving like nothing else can? Of course you do.

One hundred eighty. My Common Elements comic art commission theme reached this milestone number in 2021. (A couple of entries are still in the hands of their creators.) Seventeen years ago, when I first got the idea to commission an original artwork featuring otherwise unrelated comic book heroes who shared some feature in common, I would never have predicted that I’d eventually own 180 of them. And yet, here we are. Which of the 180 Common Elements drawings is my favorite? The next one.

Packing cubes. They seem like a gimmick at first, but these magic pouches have become an indispensable part of traveling. I have always struggled to fit everything for a trip into a single suitcase. Packing cubes transform my checked bag into a TARDIS — bigger on the inside.

Queen of Swords. I was reminded recently of this short-lived period series from the early 2000s, in which Tessie Santiago starred as a kind of female Zorro. You can find a handful of episodes on YouTube, which only make me wish some streaming service would collect the entire run. Also: the title of one of my favorite songs by Idina Menzel.

The Real Housewives of Henry VIII, my Online Quiz League team. The name derived from the fact that the team originally had six members. When two of our players moved on after the first season, we kept the name. Since I usually occupy the fourth position in our playing rotation, I hold the Anne of Cleves seat. (From a historical perspective, Anne did alright for herself — she got a rich settlement, was beloved by everyone including her servants, and never had to be intimate with Henry, whom she outlived. None of which can be said for Anne Boleyn or Catherine Howard.)

Smart Resume. Why doesn’t every channel offer this feature on every DVR recording? Because they want us to watch the commercials, obviously. But I employ Smart Resume every chance I get.

TD Ameritrade, the nice folks who provide the tools to manage my investment portfolio. For the record, today (Friday, November 26, 2021) was not a good day for the market. But I can’t blame TD Ameritrade for that.

“Unpretty.” Still my favorite TLC jam, with an ever-relevant message — especially for young women — about not allowing other people to define you.

Vaccines. As I noted in the introduction to this post, vaccines have helped ease us back onto the path toward a semblance of normal life. We’d be even further along that path were it not for an active misinformation campaign sponsored by villains about whom, quite frankly, I don’t have much positive to say. Vaccines helped rid the world of smallpox and, for the most part, of polio. Vaccines reduced the threat of measles, a disease that used to kill millions of children, and of other scourges such as typhoid, cholera, tetanus, and diphtheria. Just get your shots, people.

Warriors. The Dubs are back in full force, after a few seasons on struggle street. Steph Curry has redefined basketball — bold words, I know, but I can’t think of a more accurate way to put it. And Steph once again has a supporting cast around him that’s capable of a deep playoff run. Just wait until the other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, returns to the floor next month.

Xiao long bao. I don’t know who invented soup dumplings, but whoever you are, bless you.

Yu Oughta Know. Lynn Q. Yu’s daily current events email/quiz helps keep me up to date on what’s fresh and exciting in the world, as well as information that just might turn up in competitive trivia sometime in the near future. I’d need more fingers than I have to count the number of times recently that something I only knew because of Lynn’s newsletter fell into my lap during a quiz. Every point matters.

Zot! Cartoonist Scott McCloud might be better known these days for his Eisner Award-winning Understanding Comics and its sequels, but long before those seminal masterworks, he was known for Zot!, a superhero pastiche about a relentlessly positive do-gooder from a utopian parallel Earth. We could all use a bit of Zot’s cheerful optimism these days.

As I express every year, I am thankful for you, friend reader. I hope you’ll use this opportunity to reflect on the people and things for which you’re grateful. May we all survive another circuit around the sun, so that we’ll have even more to celebrate in a year’s time.

Categories: Aimless Riffing, Cinemania, Comic Art Friday, Hawaii, I'm a Warriors Worrier, Jeopardy!, Listology, Soundtrack of My Life, SwanStuff, Teleholics Anonymous, Thanksgiving, That's Cool!, Trivial Pursuits

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The Steely Dan 64 Project: Songs 56-49

February 17, 2020

[NOTE: The Steely Dan 64 Project represents my ranking, in order of my personal preference, of the 64 songs released by Steely Dan during their “classic” period (1972-80). You’ll find a detailed introduction to the project, as well as the beginning of the ranking, HERE.

As stated elsewhere, your own perspective on how these songs compare to one another may — and most likely will — be different. That’s absolutely okay. There’s no right or wrong, just individual taste. What matters is celebrating the legacy of Donald Fagen, the late Walter Becker, and their host of collaborators, and the incredible music they created.]

56. “Throw Back the Little Ones” (Katy Lied)
Hot licks and rhetoric
Don’t count much for nothing

A jazzy little (no pun intended) number featuring another of the many spectacular guitar solos that Elliott Randall contributed to Steely Dan records over the years, starting with “Reelin’ In the Years.” Not one of my favorite Fagen vocals, but a decent tune overall.

55. “Fire In the Hole” (Can’t Buy a Thrill)
A woman’s voice reminds me
To serve and not to speak
Am I myself, or just another freak?

Fagen doesn’t often get enough credit for the brilliance of his piano playing. He’s razor-sharp on this track. Nothing in popular music sounded quite like this in the early ’70s, except maybe Marvin Hamlisch’s Scott Joplin-tribute soundtrack to The Sting.

54. “East St. Louis Toodle-oo” (Pretzel Logic)

In compiling this ranking, I despaired of where to place “East St. Louis Toodle-oo.” At one point, I considered omitting it altogether. It’s an unusual item: the only instrumental number in the Steely Dan catalog, and the only track not written or co-written by Becker and Fagen. Composed by Duke Ellington and Bubber Miley in the 1920s, it exists only to showcase the boys’ affection for jazz — an affection that would morph into an obsession, starting with their next album — and, I suppose, to fill a bit of space on Pretzel Logic, which contains a number of short songs.

The unusual guitar work is fun — Becker’s talk-box and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s pedal steel make for interesting twists on the original arrangement’s muted trumpet and trombone, respectively — but I don’t know that it really adds much to the Dan legacy outside of a footnote. Well played, gents, but I can’t slot it any higher than this.

53. “My Rival” (Gaucho)
I was the whining stranger
A fool in love
With time to kill

I actually remember listening to “My Rival” for the first time and thinking, “That’s kind of a creepy song.” I didn’t know until decades later that Becker and Fagen had created this weird little number for the soundtrack of a horror film: Phobia, directed by the legendary John Huston. Knowing its origins explains the song’s gooseflesh-raising vibe, but doesn’t make me love it any better.

52. “Pearl of the Quarter” (Countdown to Ecstasy)
She loved the million dollar words I say
She loved the candy and the flowers that I bought her
She said she loved me and was on her way
Singing “Voulez-vous”

I’m already on record [see “Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)” at #62] as not being enamored with the Dan’s occasional dabbling in the countrified end of the musical pool. Still, there’s something ineffably sweet about hearing Fagen sing a more-or-less straightforward love song… okay, he’s in love with a streetwalker here, but in love nevertheless. Skunk Baxter and his pedal steel guitar get an opportunity to shine.

51. “Only a Fool Would Say That” (Can’t Buy a Thrill)
Unhand that gun, begone
There’s no one to fire upon

One of the brighter, bouncier tracks on the Dan’s debut album, “Fire” showcases some deft-fingered guitar by The Skunk, and a vocal by Fagen that actually sounds as though Donald was in a good mood that day. The fact that a song this cool checks in this far down in the rankings is testimony to just how much excellent stuff lies ahead.

50. “Third World Man” (Gaucho)
Smoky Sunday
He’s been mobilized since dawn —
Now he’s crouching on the lawn…

The final song of the Dan’s classic period is something of a ringer: an emergency fill-in for another, allegedly better number entitled “The Second Arrangement,” most of which was accidentally erased by a studio assistant. Becker and Fagen made several attempts to rerecord the lost track, but couldn’t recreate the magic to their satisfaction. Instead, they dusted off a piece they’d written for (but not used on) an earlier album, swapped out most of the lyrics, and gave it a new title. There’s some awesomely gritty, snarling guitar by Larry Carlton here, but “Third World Man” remains an odd fit against the ultra-smooth pop-jazz that makes up the rest of Gaucho.

49. “King of the World” (Countdown to Ecstasy)
Show me where you are
You and I will spend this day
Driving in my car through the ruins of Santa Fe

Most of Steely Dan’s music has a timeless feel to it; songs that were recorded more than 40 years ago still sound fresh today. “King of the World” is an unfortunate exception to this rule. The electronic keyboards that feature so prominently here have “cheesy 1970s exploitation flick” stamped all over them. Which is too bad, because the post-apocalyptic storyline of the lyric is intriguing, and the rest of the band contributes some super-tight playing, drummer Jim Hodder in particular.

Categories: Cinemania, Listology, Soundtrack of My Life, Steely Dan 64 Project, SwanStuff, That's Cool!

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SwanShadow Gives Thanks, Volume 15: Crystal Turkey Edition

November 22, 2018

As unlikely as it seems, this post marks the 15th anniversary of my yearly Thanksgiving Day blog entry. Given that crystal is the traditional gift for a 15th anniversary, I will attempt herein to be as transparent, sparkling, and multifaceted as possible.

Those of you (and you know who you are) who’ve kept up with these posts over the years know that I have many, many people and things in my life for which I am thankful. I don’t take that responsibility of gratitude lightly. I earnestly, honestly appreciate how blessed my life is.

When I roll over the side of the bed every morning, even when that effort comes accompanied by the creaks and crackles of advancing age, I am grateful that I have two feet to stand on, and legs that support the standing. I know there are millions of people in the world who can’t get out of bed and would give anything to do so. And, as I go about my day, I am thankful that I have a comfortable home, clean clothes, abundant food and water, work I enjoy, the entertainment of a companion animal, and the love of a life partner. I know there are millions of people who have few, or none, of these, and would sacrifice anything they do have to possess that which they do not. I am not better, or more deserving, than they. I am merely more fortunate. Again, I don’t take that for granted.

And especially when I find myself living in a state where entire communities have been consumed by disastrous wildfires over the past year-plus, robbing people of every material possession and a lifetime of treasured memories…

I take none of this for granted.

Because I have far more things to be thankful for than I can enumerate, on Thanksgiving Day it’s been my custom these past 15 years to focus my gratitude on a list of just 26 items, one for each letter of the alphabet. Some items on the list are trivial (indeed, some are literally that). Others are profound. All stand in the place of many, many others that I simply haven’t time in one day to name. It’s just my way of acknowledging how deeply moved in soul and spirit I am when I pause to consider how rich my life is, even in those countless moments when I feel poorly within.

With all that said, on Thanksgiving Day 2018, here are the things for which I’m giving thanks.

Air. In our part of the world, it’s easy to forget about air — we have it fresh and without limit… until an event like the fire that destroyed Paradise, California clouds the atmosphere with toxic fumes and ash for days on end, even for those of us living a couple hundred miles from the event. After breathing soot for two weeks, today’s clean air (courtesy of our first rains in months) gives us NorCal residents something extra special to celebrate.

Bob Almond. My comic art collection began in earnest almost simultaneously with these annual posts, 15 years ago. During that time, one artist’s work has come to be represented in my galleries far more frequently than any other — more than 50 times, at last count. It might be easy to miss that, however, because Bob Almond toils as an inker, an embellisher of other artists’ pencil drawings. Bob’s unique ability to meld his ink lines with a broad variety of styles — always enhancing, never imposing or interfering — gives me the confidence to keep putting projects in his capable hands, knowing that the art will always return to me better than when it left. And, as founder of the Inkwell Awards, Bob labors tirelessly to gain recognition and appreciation for other practitioners of his craft — artists whose work often goes unnoticed, but is indispensable to the art form we call comics.

Confetti. I play quite a few online trivia games (although fewer all the time, it seems, as some of the upstarts have gone or are going out of the picture). I have the most fun playing the Facebook-based Confetti every weeknight. Confetti’s distinction is that it allows one to play in concert with one’s Facebook friends, seeing their responses to each question in real time and benefiting from their collective wisdom. Assuming, of course, that one has smart friends. I just happen to be lucky that way.

Doctor Who. Until this season, I haven’t been a regular viewer of Doctor Who, the venerable BBC science fiction series, since the days of the Fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker in the 1970s. When the show was revived several years back, I sampled an episode or two of each new incarnation of the Doctor, but was never drawn back into steady attendance. Then came the Thirteenth Doctor, played with charm and spunk (and a goofy-to-American-ears Yorkshire accent) by Jodie Whittaker, the first female actor to be cast as the Time Lord. In the Doctor’s own phrase, “Brilliant!”

Egg foo young. Yes, I know, it’s not real Chinese cuisine. But sometimes, I just gotta have it. It’s probably the gravy.

Freddie Mercury. I have yet to see Bohemian Rhapsody, the recent biopic starring Rami Malek as the legendary front man of Queen. Part of my reluctance is the reviews. The greater part, though, is my fear that nothing could compare with the reality of Freddie, perhaps the most uniquely talented performer in rock history, and one whose music and memory means so much to me.

Garlic. Can’t cook without it. Okay, maybe breakfast. But not after that.

Hawaiian Airlines. Truly the friendliest airline in the skies. You’d be friendly too if every one of your round trips ended in Hawaii. At the Pirate Queen’s insistence, I got a new credit card this year that earns Hawaiian Airlines flying miles. Maybe one of these years I’ll earn enough miles to just stay.

Infinity War. Every time I think the Marvel Cinematic Universe has gone about as far as it can go, Kevin Feige and company find a whole new way to turn things up past 11. Coming in hot on the heels of Black Panther — quite possibly, the greatest superhero film ever made, and one that could have dominated this Thanksgiving list had I not decided not to be quite so obvious — Avengers: Infinity War raised the stakes and broke our hearts by taking our Panther (and several other Marvel headliners, including Spider-Man and Doctor Strange) away. The sequel can’t get here fast enough. (Also, Black Panther 2.)

Journalists. I’ve never practiced the trade — the closest I came was my years as an online film reviewer — but I trained at university as a journalist. I value the talent and commitment of those who tell the true stories within our world, and deliver the news even when those in power would undermine and even physically thwart them. Now more than ever, we need legitimate journalism, and we all need to support those outlets and individuals determined to publish the truth.

Kansas. This summer, the Pirate Queen and I spent a weekend in Central California centered around a concert by the classic rock band Kansas. This was the fourth time I’ve seen Kansas live — the first was on my 19th birthday, at the Cow Palace — but the first time in more than 20 years. I still love the music. Kansas is the only significant American band to focus largely on progressive rock for the majority of its career (yeah, I know, Styx — but they were only prog-ish, and at that, only sometimes). Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Maybe not… but who cares? All we are is dust in the wind.

Lutron. One of the many things I love about our little abode here at Pirates Cove is the auto-dimming LED light fixtures, manufactured by a company named Lutron about whom I know nothing. Great lights, though.

Marriage. In the words of a certain Impressive Clergyman, “Mawwiage is what bwings us togevvah today.” In May, The Daughter entered into vows with The Son-In-Law. It was a beautiful day, and they still seem totally happy together six months later. I’m glad she found someone special to share her heart and her life with (and he does indeed seem like a great guy). I’m glad that the Pirate Queen and I found each other, too. Ain’t love grand?

Notability. An essential tool in my everyday working life — I import all of my scripts into it, where I can annotate and mark them up as I will. I also use it for note-taking in workshops and sessions, and for general brainstorming. If you can use a high-quality document markup / notation tool with a wealth of functionality, I highly recommend Notability. (Not a paid endorsement. Just a satisfied customer.)

Outrigger Reef Waikiki. We stayed here on this year’s trip to Oahu, and it immediately became our new favorite hotel on the island. Centrally located on Waikiki Beach, the Outrigger Reef offered a ton of features that we liked: unmatched location, warm hospitality that personifies aloha, first-rate beach access, a reliable breakfast venue, super-convenient layout that minimizes walking (something that can’t be said of many large resort hotels), great pool, live music nightly, and a Starbucks. I almost hate to mention it here, because now you people will fill it up the next time we want to stay there.

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco has presented a couple of exhibitions in recent years featuring the works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, an association of 19th-century British artists and writers. This year’s show afforded the opportunity to see a number of stunning paintings by the Brotherhood’s leading lights: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Holman Hunt, and John Everett Millais. I’m always impressed by art that keeps me thinking about it for days after I’ve seen it. The Pre-Raphaelites and their acolytes accomplish that.

Quizmasters. Having written a few quizzes for LearnedLeague and elsewhere, and played thousands more, I’m acutely aware of how difficult it is to compose top-shelf trivia questions and answers. I’m in awe of people — including LearnedLeague Commissioner Thorsten A. Integrity and newly inducted Trivia Hall of Fame member Paul Paquet — who manage to do it consistently over long periods of time.

Radio. As some of you know, I was a radio disc jockey in a previous life. Thanks in part to the SiriusXM subscription that came with our new Subaru Forester, I’ve been listening to more radio of late. It’s a format that I hope never goes away.

Stan Lee. Some idolized Marvel Comics writer/editor/publisher “Stan the Man” and gave him perhaps more credit than he deserved. Others in their zeal to counteract Stan’s penchant for self-aggrandizement were perhaps too quick to denigrate his contributions. All I know is this: Stan Lee co-created (we can disagree as to what percentage) several of the most iconic characters and stories of my lifetime, including some that had a tremendous impact on my youth and beyond. I can’t say this about many people whom I never met, but I would be a dramatically different person today were it not for Stan Lee. Rest in peace, and excelsior.

Taarna. I don’t like to talk myself up, but for some years, I was among the primary resources online for information about the 1981 animated science fiction anthology film Heavy Metal. I compiled and maintained the Squidoo lens spotlighting the movie, contributed significantly to its Wikipedia entry, and wrote material about the film for several (mostly now defunct) websites. My art collection reflects my obsession, with its gallery of commissioned artworks featuring Taarna, the lead character in Heavy Metal’s concluding segment and star of its iconic poster. When Sideshow Collectibles announced early this year that they were releasing a statue of Taarna, I knew I had to own one, even though I’m not a statue collector. The Taarakian defender now upholds The Pact from a shelf in my office/studio.

Ukulele. I decided a while back that I wanted to learn to play the ukulele. This decision did not come without trepidation — I took years of guitar lessons as a youngster and never got very good at playing the guitar. (Which is a charitable way of saying that I totally sucked at playing the guitar.) I’ll probably never be very good at playing the ukulele either. But even my clumsy fretting and strumming brings me joy. That’s something, yes?

Victoria Coren Mitchell. One of the world’s best female poker players, and the presenter of one of my favorite quiz shows, Only Connect. Is there anything she can’t do?

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. I fell in love with the Tiki Room on my first visit to Disneyland, way back in 19[mumble][mumble]. When I visited with the Pirate Queen in February of this year, I found my love unabated. It’s cheesy yet classic, dated yet timeless, silly yet charming. The performances by the lead voice actors (Wally Boag, Thurl Ravenscroft, Fulton Burley, and Ernie Newton) remain engaging, despite their broad (some might say stereotypical, and some might not be wrong) accents. There’s always at least one Audio-Animatronic character that doesn’t function quite perfectly. And yet, the moment the Tiki Room show concludes, I want to queue up again for another round. It’s one of my favorite childhood memories. Also, Dole Whip.

Xenon. It’s the noble gas used most frequently in film projection lamps. When you go to the movie theater and look at the brightly lit screen, you’re seeing xenon at work.

Yacht Rock. It’s not just a musical genre — it’s a way of life. The smooth, studio-crafted, jazz-inflected sounds of such late-’70s/early-’80s acts as Steely Dan, Toto, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Al Jarreau, and the Michael McDonald-era Doobie Brothers are my jam. (One of my jams, anyway.) Please don’t confuse true Yacht Rock with that stuff that gets played on the SiriusXM channel of the same name — most of it’s Nyacht Rock. (Hint: Jimmy Buffett is Nyacht Yacht Rock.) For the real deal, check out the pioneering 2005 web video series Yacht Rock, and Beyond Yacht Rock, the subsequent podcast hosted by connoisseurs JD Ryznar, Dave Lyons, Hunter Stair, and “Hollywood” Steve Huey.

Ziploc bags. I don’t know who invented them, or how that individual came up with the technology. But how did we ever live without them? The ones with the slider sealing mechanism? Pure engineering genius.

And as always, friend reader, I’m grateful for you. Thanks for stopping by on yet another Thanksgiving. I hope you’ve found much to be thankful for today. If you have, share some with someone who has a little less.

Peace.

Categories: Aimless Riffing, Celebritiana, Cinemania, Dead People Got No Reason to Live, Disney, Food Glorious Food, Hawaii, Hero of the Day, LearnedLeague, Listology, My Home Town, Reminiscing, Ripped From the Headlines, Sexiest People Alive, Soundtrack of My Life, SwanStuff, Teleholics Anonymous, Thanksgiving, That's Cool!, Trivial Pursuits

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Comic Art Friday: It’s all gonna be a stone gas, honey

August 17, 2018

Moonstone_Darna_Santamaria

If you’re a regular here, you know that I grew up as a military brat. My adoptive father served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, and I was around for the last 15 of those years. As a result, I spent a fair chunk of my childhood living on islands — specifically Oahu, Crete (that’s Greece, but you knew that), and Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines.

During our two-year stay in the latter island nation, I became acquainted with Darna, who is to Filipino komiks what Wonder Woman is to the American genre. I didn’t understand much Tagalog, but even without knowing the language, I could appreciate the character. Darna is a young girl named Narda who swallows a magical white stone and transforms into a superpowered woman warrior. (And to answer the question I know you’re thinking: She regurgitates the stone when she wants to change back into her normal self. It’s like Mary Marvel or Isis, only kind of gross.)

Since her debut in 1950, Darna has enjoyed a significant presence in Filipino pop culture even beyond komiks, starring in numerous films and TV programs. When we lived in the Philippines in the mid-1970s, Darna was being portrayed on screen by a popular actress named Vilma Santos. Posters and pictures of Vilma in her Darna costume were everywhere. Vilma became so well-known that she parlayed her show business success into a prominent career in politics.

Darna_Vilma

I’ve long wanted to feature Darna in a Common Elements scenario, and was fortunate to commission a talented Filipino artist, Michael Sta. Maria, to do the job. Michael pairs Darna here with Dr. Karla Sofen, a.k.a. Moonstone, another character who obtains her superpowers from a rock… albeit with less swallowing and upchucking. Which, you know, is probably a good thing.

And that’s your Comic Art Friday.

Categories: Celebritiana, Cinemania, Comic Art Friday, Hero of the Day, Reminiscing, SwanStuff, That's Cool!

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Comic Art Friday: Panthers and Tigers and bucks, oh my

March 16, 2018

I’m going to presume that if you have even the remotest interest in comics and comics-related media, you’ve seen the Black Panther film by now. Because, you know, it’s grossed over one billion (with a B) dollars in worldwide box office to date, and I’m guessing that you’ve contributed to that staggering total just as I have.

As a fan of the Panther for nearly a half-century — I don’t remember the first T’Challa-featured comic I read, but it would have been one of his appearances in The Avengers sometime in the late 1960s — I never would have dreamed in my most fevered moments that we’d someday be talking about a big-budget, major-studio, live-action Black Panther movie raking in a billion bucks. Maybe, back in 1992 when Wesley Snipes was pumping the idea of playing the King of Wakanda himself, I might have hoped that we might someday get a modest, in-and-quickly-out-of-theaters Panther flick, something on the level of that terrible Elektra movie with Jennifer Garner that followed Ben Affleck’s pitiful cinematic turn as Daredevil.

But this? I honestly never saw it coming.

And if you’d told me it was, I’d have told you to lie down with a cool compress on your forehead until the demons went away.

Yet, here we are. Black Panther is headlining marquees in metroplexes around the world, the hottest property in motion pictures. People who mere weeks ago couldn’t have distinguished Wakanda from Walt Disney World are tossing words like “Dora Milaje” around in casual conversation, and T’Challa’s super-smart little sister Shuri is America’s sweetheart. And I’ve lived to see it.

Pardon me while I grab a tissue.

So, there couldn’t be a better time than now to showcase a Common Elements artwork starring everyone’s favorite heart-shaped-herb eater.

WhiteTiger_BlackPanther_DiVito

That’s the Black Panther himself stalking another big-cat themed superdoer, the White Tiger, in this jaw-dropping creation by Italian superstar artist Andrea Di Vito, who not exactly coincidentally can be seen at this very moment drawing T’Challa’s adventures in Marvel’s Black Panther: The Sound and the Fury. Check it out at a comics retailer near you (or on your favorite digital device, if that’s how you roll with your comics in this tech-savvy age).

The White Tiger identity has an interesting legacy all its own. The Tiger shown here, Angela Del Toro, is the fourth of five discrete characters to have worn the code name White Tiger in the Marvel Universe. Angela is the niece of the original White Tiger, Hector Ayala, who in the 1970s was one of Marvel’s first attempts at a Latino hero. After Hector was killed, Angela, an FBI agent, inherited Hector’s amulets that imbued the wearer with the White Tiger’s powers. Angela’s adventures formed the basis of a six-issue miniseries in the mid-2000s. (The fifth and current White Tiger is Ava Ayala, Hector’s younger sister.)

Aside from the obvious feline-plus-color thematic element, there’s an additional link that ties the Black Panther and the White Tiger together. Both superhero identities were assumed at different times by the same character — Kevin Cole, better known by his nickname Kasper. Late in his run on the Black Panther comic book in the early 2000s, writer Christopher Priest transferred the Panther’s mantle from T’Challa to NYPD officer Kasper Cole, whom Priest envisioned as a satiric spin on Peter Parker’s Spider-Man. When the Black Panther series ended, Priest moved Cole to his new project, a superhero team called The Crew, and gave him the White Tiger identity.

You know, all this Black Panther talk has me hankering to see the movie again.

And that’s your Comic Art Friday.

Categories: Cinemania, Comic Art Friday, Hero of the Day, Ripped From the Headlines, SwanStuff, That's Cool!

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SwanShadow Gives Thanks 14: As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly

November 23, 2017

Each year, since this humble (in the classic sense of “low to the ground”) blog began in 2004, I’ve paused on Thanksgiving Day to take stock of the many things in my life and in the world about me for which I’m grateful. If I took the honest measure of my blessings, I’d be typing nonstop between Thanksgivings, and I’d never get much life lived. (Plus, these posts would get even more unbearably lengthy than they already are.)

So I hit upon the idea of choosing just 26 items, sorted alphabetically, to represent by means of metonymy the countless people and things for which I am grateful.

It’s been an interesting year. The Pirate Queen began a new job, which she enjoys, and where she is appreciated and fulfilled. I landed one of my most daunting voiceover projects this summer, survived a hectic busy season with my largest client, and checked a box off my career bucket list by booking a gig for one of the most recognizable companies on the planet. We traveled a bit, as we are wont to do.

The Daughter hit a pair of milestones: she, like the Pirate Queen, began a new job — one that she’s been chasing hard for a few years — and she and her beloved (formerly The Boyfriend, now The Fiance) got engaged. They’ll be married next May, prompting yet another nomenclatural change. The Daughter is  thrilled to begin these new chapters in her life, and I am thrilled — with a father’s wistful trepidation — for her. She wishes her mother was here to share her joy. I wish that too. But as the old saying goes, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. So walk on, we shall.

2017 will be forever remembered in the North Bay as the Year of the Firestorm. If you live hereabouts, you know — and perhaps lived through — the devastating wildfires that destroyed thousands of structures across Sonoma and Napa counties. The Daughter and her Grandma were evacuated from their home for a week. Many longtime friends and acquaintances don’t have homes to which to return. The city of Santa Rosa and the other hard-hit communities will rebuild, but the lives that were lost will never be restored, and the precious possessions of thousands of people will never truly be replaced. I can’t put into words the sadness I feel for those I know — and so many others I don’t know — whose lives were irrevocably altered, even as I also can’t express my relief that my precious Daughter’s life was spared.

Walk on, we shall, indeed.

But enough preamble. Here’s the fourteenth installment of my annual Thanksgiving list. Next year, should we all live to see it, I’ll have to add a whole new table in the Word document where I keep track of each year’s offerings. (The chart is seven columns wide, and this will fill out the second chart.) For now, here’s what I’m grateful for… among so much else.

Almond butter. The Pirate Queen brought a jar home the other day from Trader Joe’s. In a world awhirl with chaos, the simple pleasure of an almond butter and blackberry jelly sandwich is an amazing comfort.

Blue Öyster Cult. This year on LearnedLeague (the world’s toughest online trivia league, and why haven’t you asked me for a referral yet?), I was privileged to write a quiz about a band whose music I’ve grokked since my high school days. (Yes, we had music then, you young punk. With electric guitars and everything.) I’ve still got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell.

Cabo San Lucas. Neither the Pirate Queen nor I had ever been to Cabo before our weeklong vacation there in February. We enjoyed our stay immensely. It’s not Hawaii — this was the first year in the last five that we didn’t visit my childhood home — but it’s lovely nonetheless. We’ll return, no doubt.

Draymond Green. He may be the third or fourth best player on the Warriors. He might also be the most irreplaceable. No one plays defense at a more intense level than Money 23. The Daughter has a picture of herself with him from a photo op before he rose to NBA All-Stardom.

Electricity. Thank you, Ben Franklin. (I’m still annoyed about that $100 bill question from Millionaire, though. Just so you know.)

Firefighters and First Responders. They couldn’t save every home and storefront in the North Bay, but they worked tirelessly and valiantly to save as many as they could, and to rescue and help as many people as possible. The community will never forget their efforts and dedication.

Gal Gadot. As a lifelong fan of Diana of Themyscira, I wasn’t fully convinced when the little-known Israeli actress landed the role. I’m convinced now. I’m glad Gal is our Wonder Woman. Change our minds, and change the world.

Hamilton. We had the opportunity to see the smash hit musical in San Francisco this summer. We did not throw away our shot. Few popular entertainments live up to their hype, but Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece gets as close as you’d imagine.

Ice hockey. I know, I know. I’m the guy who refers to hockey as “soccer on ice with sticks.” But thanks to the largesse of a good friend who’s a San Jose Sharks season ticketholder, we saw our first in-person game last season. It really is a heck of a sport to watch in person, in ways that don’t translate well on television. I’m a believer.

Jetways. I’m old enough to remember… okay, slow down; not the Wright brothers — but the days when you actually had to walk out onto the tarmac and climb a mobile staircase in order to board a plane at many airports. Give me the stretchable hallway any day.

Kilimanjaro. She rises like Olympus above the Serengeti.

Linseed oil. Also called flaxseed oil, it’s the stuff that keeps the insides of my cast iron skillets silky smooth and nonstick. Liquid gold, it is.

Monet and Munch. We toured a pair of spectacular art exhibitions this year: Claude Monet: The Early Years at the Legion of Honor, and Edvard Munch: Between the Clock and the Bed at SFMOMA. In general, I’m not especially partial to Expressionist art, but seeing the work of these two great masters up close was powerfully impactful. I’m already looking forward to the next Monet exhibition here in two years.

NextDraft. Every day, I check in with several news sites and aggregators to keeptrack of what’s going on in this crazy world. Dave Pell’s NextDraft stands as one of the best curated aggregators I’ve come across. Dave skillfully mixes links to the day’s hard news with items that are merely fascinating. Always topical, always informative.

‘Oumuamua. “Strange visitor from another world” used to just mean Superman. Now, it’s the first object officially identified by astronomers as having traveled into our solar system from interstellar space. A cigar-shaped asteroid estimated at around 500 feet in length, its Hawaiian name means “scout” or “messenger.”

Patek Philippe. I narrated the first-ever full-scale North American exhibition by the world-renowned Swiss watchmaker this summer. In the process, I learned a ton about the craftspeople who design and build these incredible (and incredibly expensive) timepieces that can not only tell time, but in some instances play symphonies, display lunar cycles, and calculate dates hundreds of years into the future — all using mechanical, analog functionality. No microchip, no battery, just precision clockworks.

Quesadillas. Because hot, melty, delicious cheese.

Red Special, the one-of a kind guitar built by Brian May in his garage when he was a teenager, and which has lent its unique tone to Queen albums and concerts for more than four decades. I recently saw Brian wield his legendary axe in person for the first time in 35 years, and both guitar and guitarist amaze me still as much today as they did back then. If Brian and the Red Special had never given the world anything besides “Fat Bottomed Girls,” it would have been gift enough.

My Steel Will 1505, a.k.a. the Gekko, has featured as my everyday carry pocket knife for most of the past year. Solid, sturdy, and wicked sharp, with its maroon Micarta handle scales and black D2 steel blade, it’s both a workhorse and a creature of quiet beauty.

Thumbtack. The online service offers access to all kinds of local professionals, from electricians to mobile disc jockeys to personal trainers. Plus, they keep the Pirate Queen gainfully employed, for which we are enormously thankful.

“Unwritten”
Feel the rain on your skin.
No one else can feel it for you —
Only you can let it in.
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips.
Drench yourself in words unspoken;
Live your life with arms wide open;
Today is where your book begins —
The rest is still unwritten.

Vision. Last night, I stood on a BART train next to a blind man accompanied by his golden retriever guide dog. Even with my acute myopia and astigmatism — easily remedied by contact lenses — I am blessed that, unlike that unfortunate gentleman, I can open my eyes and see the world. Today, I’m not taking that for granted.

Women — and I have some wonderful ones in my life: the Pirate Queen, The Daughter, her Grandma, and more treasured friends and colleagues than I can list, along with the memory of KJ and the three decades we shared together. Our culture is currently awash with a tsunami of women finally feeling emboldened to speak out against the abuse, harassment, and disrespect they’ve experienced, and I applaud and support them. Be heard, sisters. Your voices matter.

XTC. Quirky, edgy, and impossible to categorize, Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, and company formed one of the most underrated bands in the history of pop music. “Generals and Majors,” “Senses Working Overtime,” “The Mayor of Simpleton,” and the controversial “Dear God” — even if you didn’t understand all of the ideas (or didn’t agree with them), you had to admire the style.

Yeast — fueling bakeries and breweries for thousands of years. Except during Passover.

Zapper — that’s what I call my racket-shaped electric wand that strikes fear into the hearts of flying pests that dare disturb the sanctity of my abode. I’m perfectly content to let buzzing bugs buzz outdoors in their own environment, as long as they don’t attack me. But if you come into my airspace, critter, I’ve got some voltage waiting for you.

And as always, friend reader, I’m grateful for you, and the time you take to peruse my rambling prose. May you and yours find much for which to be appreciative on this Thanksgiving Day.

 

 

Categories: Aimless Riffing, Celebritiana, Cinemania, Food Glorious Food, Hawaii, Hero of the Day, I'm a Warriors Worrier, LearnedLeague, My Home Town, Ripped From the Headlines, Sharp Objects, Soundtrack of My Life, SwanStuff, Thanksgiving, That's Cool!, The Swan Tunes In, Trivial Pursuits, What's In My Pocket?

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Comic Art Friday: I’m tho Thor I can’t even potht

November 10, 2017

Have you seen Thor: Ragnarok yet? In a word: Go!

The two previous Thor films were my least favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe entries — that is, aside from The Incredible Hulk, for which I give Marvel Studios a pass because they were still figuring things out at that point. (Also, Edward Norton.) But Thor: Ragnarok totally makes up for its two predecessors by abandoning their ponderous tone and going all-in on fun, humor, and visual bombast. I hope director Taika Waititi gets to make a few more Marvel movies, because he hammered this one out of the park.

My Ragnarok afterglow had me looking back at Thor’s representation in my comic art collection. One of the very first artworks I purchased — I think it’s the fourth or fifth longest-tenured piece in my entire collection — was this dazzling portrait by Geof Isherwood, later inked by Bob Almond.

Thor_IsherwoodAlmond

Purely by coincidence, the very next piece I bought also featured Thor, this time alongside his Ragnarok costar, the Hulk. Dan Jurgens penciled this one, and again, I commissioned Bob Almond some time afterward to complete the piece in ink.

HulkThor_JurgensAlmond

Thor has made, to date, two appearances in my Common Elements theme. In Common Elements #12, penciler Trevor Von Eeden and inker Joe Rubinstein pit the Odinson in a “Showdown!” against another hammer-wielder, Steel.

ThorSteel_VonEedenRubinstein

And in Common Elements #82, Thor meets his fellow demigod-turned-superhero Isis, under the creative auspices of the great Steve Rude.

Isis_Thor_Rude

The Valkyrie makes her cinematic debut in Thor: Ragnarok, portrayed with grit, grace, and swagger by actress Tessa Thompson. Here’s the comics version of Val with her trusty winged steed Aragorn (who also makes a brief cameo in Ragnarok via a flashback sequence) as envisioned by Geof Isherwood.

Valkyrie_Isherwood

Just for good measure, one more Valkyrie image, this time by Phil Noto.

Valkyrie_Noto

Again, if you haven’t seen Thor: Ragnarok already, I highly recommend it. Pro tip: It’s worth the extra few bucks to see it in IMAX 3D (or just regular 3D, if the IMAX option isn’t available in your neck of the woods), for the astounding visuals.

And that’s your Comic Art Friday.

Categories: Cinemania, Comic Art Friday, Hero of the Day, SwanStuff, That's Cool!

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