On This Snow Day, Let's Appreciate the Greatness of "It's All I Can Do"

For 16 years I've been working as a professor at Niagara University, a lovely place situated in Lewiston, NY (near Niagara Falls and about twenty miles from Buffalo). Snow days have been extremely rare in my career. I would guesstimate fewer than 8 in all those years. I'm pleasantly surprised to have a snow day today. So far I've caught up on e-mail, made pancakes, and emptied the dishwasher. Just as I was about to have my second cup of coffee, one of my favorite Cars songs came into my head: "It's All I Can Do." Time to give this one a few listens before slugging down more coffee. Once properly caffeinated, I will set to work on class prep and other sociological pursuits. Have a great day everybody.

Random Things Bracket

Middle Kids - Edge Of Town

I love when a song changes pace and catches you by surprise. The kind of song that makes you feel. It's right around the 2:17 mark when this song goes from good to great. Feeling the lyrics too. "Have you got something on your mind? Tick, tock, can I take it for a while?" And the fantastic final thirty seconds: "And I got something on my mind..." It never ceases to amaze me how much great music there is in the world. It's one of the best things about getting older. More time to accumulate music.

Listen To This Song. And Then Listen To It Again.

This is a terrific song. The video works too. A pay phone is featured prominently. There is dancing. Lovely background singing. A funky guitar solo. Smart fashion choices. Plus, it's true: friendship is a small boat in a storm. Chicano Batman is now an unofficial band of this blog, joining other musicians unofficially affiliated with this blog: Real Estate, Courtney Barnett, and Stevie Wonder. I have seen Stevie in concert. Now, let's gather Chicano Batman, Real Estate, and Courtney Barnett for a concert in my backyard. Loyal readers, you are all invited. There will be beer.

Strength Has No Gender

Did you hear the one about how, in capitalism, corporations do whatever they have to do to move product? Sometimes, the result isn't terrible. Here, Brawny does a nice job selling paper towels in a way that promotes a positive gender message. For now, I will overlook the fact that paper towels aren't good for the environment. I will admit to using too many paper towels. I try not to make much garbage, but use of paper towels is one way I regularly do so. Well, I will try to reduce my use of paper towels. In the meantime, I will buy Brawny paper towels to support their Strength Has No Gender campaign.

Scoreboard for today:
Capitalism 1
Schoepflin 0


There are even different versions!

I Love You, Man

These are nice words by Lindsey Graham about John McCain. It's not often you hear a man say "I love him to death" about a friend. I like seeing these men express their emotions to the public.