The Mossletter 24
Hey Friends,
I know my timing isn’t necessarily like clockwork with this newsletter, but I feel like if I send it out once a month (and by that I mean once in a “calendar” month), that’s close enough. It’s not a hard and fast monthly rule, really — you know, it lives somewhere along the spectrum of the “Pirate Code” (i.e. it’s more like a “guideline”). Speaking of pirates … ☠️
I don’t know about you, but for me — the most bullish indicator that the US is making tangible progress against the pandemic (or perhaps more accurately, the endemic now) is that theme parks are starting to open back up again. I mean, it’s binary, right? It’s either a yes or a no:
“Are theme parks open?”
✅ or 🚫
I know, I know — they’re silly … yes, the lines can be dreadful, and you’re likely standing in the blazing hot California / Florida sun, etc … For sure, there are many reasons to not go to theme parks, but frankly my dear, I don’t give a hoot — I love ‘em (in small doses) … The design, the food, the thrills, the characters … I feel like a kid again — and to be real, we could all probably use a bit of that these days? Sufficed to say, we dropped by good ol’ Disneyland & California Adventure this past week, and (barring an untimely bout of food poisoning — yucko — but I’m okay) we’re definitely “back in business”. 🎡
PS: “Rise of the Resistance” = Worth It 👍 (if you manage to get into the twice-daily reservation queue)
PSS: “Avengers Campus” = Worth It 👍 (if you manage to get into the twice-daily reservation queue / if you’re a comic nerd or have a child that is a comic-nerd-to-be)
📸 Pics Or It Didn’t Happen
Rey the hologram …
… and Rey in real life!
🧠 Muse From Around The Way
This Place Is On My Bucket List
There’s something dystopian and yet oddly … comforting (?) about this gorgeous little corner of the planet. 💧
If In Doubt, Begin
What are we waiting for? 🏃♀️
Forget Everything You Think You Know
Nature is freakin’ cool. 🪲
🎧 On Repeat
My old pal Jon Ragel (aka “Boy Eats Drum Machine”) has whipped up a lean and tasty LP for your ears and your soul. Jon is (imho) not only one of the most creative DJs out there — he’s the rare DJ chimera that can really sing, bringing years of band-frontman experience to his one-man-band. It’s been a minute (years?) since Jon released a full-length album, so I was excited to rip the (metaphorical) cellophane off this digital ditty as soon as I could sit down with it (or more specifically, do “chores around the house with it”). Imagine have a celestial radio dial, clicking “scan”, and seeing where it lands. Well for me, this album skittered somewhere between the playful frequencies of Bowie and the pensive transmissions of Folk Implosion or Urge Overkill … and because that’s an intriguing place to be — I stopped the scan right then and there and proceeded to float away into the atmosphere …
“Guess who’s back … back again … Liz Phair’s back … tell a friend …”
Okay, that’s not how that goes, but it is true. Are you a Phair-fan since the early days — or are you a more recent convert? With the new Soberish album, it doesn’t really matter, as there’s something here for those who like the more “coffee-shop-confidential-Phair” and those that prefer her “glossier / more-produced” side. Either way, this is a breezy album with an honest undercurrent flowing straight down the middle. While not every track is destined for the hall-of-fame, it’s never over-produced — and there’s plenty of space to roam. We hear a wisened-Phair, one who still sharpens her claws to hunt for prey — but is maybe a tad more wary of bringing stray cats home. “In There” is a whimsical wonder I could listen to daily, and “Soul Sucker” is a slinky minx of a track that layers on purrfectly (couldn’t help it). Overall, it’s worth a spin, because “guess who’s back? Back again …”
🥧 Stick It In Your Pie Hole
Do you like tacos? (In other words, “are you breathing?”) If you find yourself on the Eastside of Los Angeles (like East-Eastside, in El Monte) take a lunch break over at Xecora Gastronomia Urbana and lap up some delightfully modern (yet rustic) taco fare. The place is colorful and funky, offset by gorgeous murals; many of the tacos are wrapped in a lovely handmade corn tortilla … and the cocktails? Whoo-wee … You better come thirsty (and correct) for this artisanal Mexican experience. 🌮 🍹
🍿 Popcorn Break
I … am … Groot??? (1:14)
🖋 Parting Words
Millions long for immortality who don’t know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. — Susan Ertz, Writer