Friday Fives

Who dunnit?

The great questions that plague mankind. Bonus complication, only one-word answers… except you may expound on one (of your choice)

1. Did Oswald act alone to kill President Kennedy?
Yes.
That being said, there is always Delillo’s great book “Libra” that takes a fictional account of the events – a great read. As well as a strong conspiracy driven book concerning Nixon and E Howard Hunt’s involvement in the JFK assassination (that is incredibly speculative nonfiction but an interesting supposition – “Watergate: The Hidden History: Nixon, The Mafia, and The CIA.”

2. Did President Trump knowingly collude with Russia for assistance with his election?
Yes.
The man is not to be trusted and he will do anything to stay on top. He learned his game from Roy Cohn, one of the most ruthless Washington and NYC lawyers around and he surrounds himself with a group of felonious monks, tied to his survival.

3. Was Tony killed in the last episode of the Sopranos?
Yes
The unfilmed last scene was a gruesome mob hit.

4. Did OJ kill his ex-wife?
Yes

5. Amelia Earhart – captured, or crashed?
Crashed and dead, dead, dead.

Friday Fives

Rock star deaths

Another rock star died today, and by his own hand… again. It’s time to have the talk. The big talk. The one your dad was supposed to have with you when you were 12… but he was afraid to. So, instead he just told your mom that you two had ‘the talk’ and just bought you a Penthouse from that 7-11 over at 44th & Camelback? You know, ‘scary Larry worked there overnights?’ Dude was LEGEND, and would sell ciggies and Mickey’s Big Mouth beers to anyone as long as there were no other customers in the store.

Or… am I being too specific? So let’s just finally have that ‘talk’. The ‘talk’ about rock stars dying.

1. Kurt Cobain – do you think Courtney was involved?

No, I don’t. This guy was a fucked up, depressed addict and he killed himself Next?

2. The ’27 club’, think it’s a real thing, or just a perfect example of confirmation bias?

Confirmation bias and the result of (see abovel applied to a famous too soon crowd.

3. What’s your favorite rock star death? I know that’s a sick question… let me rephrase it ‘what is the most interesting death… to you’?

The deaths of the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly and Richie Valens – The Day The Music Died. We almost lost Waylon on that one. What would have become of Outlaw Country without him? Not to mention the lovely narration of the Dukes of Hazard

4. What rock star death hit you the hardest?

Prince, probably. Didn’t see that one coming.

5. Who is the rock star that you are most surprised isn’t dead? Difficulty challenge – other than Keith Richards. Don’t be so obvious, man!

Using Mr. Richards as the gauge – i go with Iggy Pop. He has lived pretty hard and I am surprised he is still alive. A lot of the 1970s and 1980s punk stars still breathing tend to amaze me.

Questions via Lono

The Friday Fives

1. How many of you still read books for entertainment?
Thank the heavens for Kindle technology – I always a book I am reading and sometimes two or three (an old throwback to my English Lit days in college when I had several books I was assigned to read at any given time.)

2. What is that one book you just could NOT put down while you were reading it?
Neal Stephenson’s SevenEves. It was a door stop of a book, coming in over a thousand pages but a great “what if” science fiction thriller? Maybe not a thriller as it’s intended to also be a think piece. What would happen to Earth if the Moon was destroyed.

3. what book are you currently reading?
“Friday’s at Enrico’s” by Don Carpenter and Jonathan Lethem. Based on notes, outlines and a first draft, Lethem wrapped up Carpenter’s unfinished tale of life in Portland and San Fransisco writers’ communities in the late 1950s and 1960s. It’s great.

4. What book absolutely blew your mind?
I still can’t stop thinking about “Dune” which I read in high school and a couple of times since then.

5. If you died today and the last text you received was written on your tombstone, what would it say?
“Great job! I was @ 1:20 this am as I got a Lil bit stuck for a 2nd and had to go back and correct something.” Commenting on yesterday’s NYTimes Mini Crossword.

Friday Fives

1. What do you never trust?
Single sourced news stories or news stories that have several sources but all point to the same original source.

2. What or who do you always trust?
Kevin. The man is genetically incapable of telling a lie.

3. What are some basic mechanics of a car everyone should know?
How to change the oil and change a tire. How to change a taillight or brake light.

4. What is an odd mechanical/DYI skill you have that has become a lifelong superhero skill?
Mechanical, not so much but I am pretty great at fixing the computer stuff and an unabashed expert at the MS Outlook suite of tools. My email and calendar are on a stupendous autopilot that saves me hundreds of hours each year.

5. What are the biggest product scams?
Be careful about any new product that is designed to get you sign up for product refills. That’s how they get you with the recurring monthly fee things.