We started a re-watch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer this week. Initially, I thought it was a reaction to the news that there might be a reboot of the show coming. But after six episodes of far too much 90s grunge music, I think there might be more to it.

Seriously, I did not remember just how much music was in the show. Maybe they tone it done after season 1?

Last week we watched the six episode series American Primeval. Set in 1857, it is a brutally violent and profane drama that is thematically, historically accurate. The Mormons were homicidal maniacs, the US Military not much better, and the Indigenous Tribes in Utah were screwed. Almost everybody dies. That's how life in the west was back then. But the one hopeful character arc couldn't make up for just how miserable the US Government was, and just how horrible the Mormons were. Add in that I've been reading Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, which is a retelling of the US conquest of the West from the Native American point-of-view, and layer in the actual day-to-day hell that is life in the US right now, and well, it is all too much.

I'm conflicted between my desire to do what I can to improve things, the reality that my ability to affect change is pretty damn limited, and my other desire to pull the covers over my head and sleep through this nightmare, metaphorically speaking. Also, I need to acknowledge the obvious truth that I've got it much better than many in the US. I'm a CIS, heterosexual white dude with a pretty decent income. The government isn't trying to erase me from existence — yet.

Which brings us back to Buffy. The Buffyverse is pretty damn black and white. Vampires are bad (ignore Angel for now). They must be vanquished. Direct action by a high school girl can save the world. Yes, the world is more complicated than that, and the show dives into that struggle. But on the surface, vampire bad, must be turned to dust. It's comforting to lose myself in that world for a couple of hours every night. It's a world I can deal with. I didn't watch Buffy when it was originally broadcast. We watched it over 2010-2011, after which I wrote,

More seriously, the message of the show, from my point of view, is that growing up is hard. High school makes that hard thing an absolute living hell. (Literally, in the case of Sunnydale High) That isn't so far from the truth."

When faced with what to do about your government taking a hard turn to the right towards Nazism, the problems of high school seem quaint by comparison. Even if those problems do involve vampires.

• 3/4 ounce rye whiskey
• 3/4 ounce cognac
• 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1/2 ounce Bénédictine liqueur
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
• Cherry or lemon twist, garnish

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, stir to chill, and strain into a glass. I prefer serving it over a large ice rock with a Luxardo cherry garnish. For the whiskey component, I used Pikesville Rye — its 110-proof strength adds a nice spice balance to the bitter and sweet elements.

The balance of sweet, spice, and citrus made for a refreshing drink. We enjoyed ours with a simple spread of cheese, crackers, and mixed nuts. 

After finishing our drinks, I decided to head out to the deck for a quick cigar before sunset. The Black Label Trading Company Bishops Blend cigars in my humidor had been calling my name, especially since I still have samples dating back to 2020. I grabbed one of the 2024 sticks to enjoy.

The 5 x 48 Robusto features an Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper, an Ecuador Habano binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan, Connecticut Broadleaf, and Pennsylvania Broadleaf filler tobaccos. It delivers rich flavors of coffee, cocoa, and dark fruit, with a hint of black pepper adding depth to the profile.

The weather was pleasant, though I turned on the heater for a bit of extra warmth. I kept things simple, pairing the cigar with just a glass of water while acoustic blues played softly on the radio. After about an hour of peaceful relaxation, I headed back inside, where Colleen was preparing a delicious "Seven Layer Mexican Hot Skillet Dip." We feasted on that while half-watching the football game — muting the halftime “performance.”

It was a great way to start what promises to be another cold, wet, and snowy week. Hopefully, we’re nearing the end of this long season.

Cheers!

This is an ongoing series in which I dig into the dustier corners of my MP3 folder.

The Knees - Sexual Radio

Yet another Aime Street find, from 2008 if the dates in the MP3 metadata can be trusted.

I think this was an all-woman band. The music is very much in the pop-punk vein. They basically don't exist online. Another band started using the same name in 2020 and even Last.fm has the two bands confused. I found the album uploaded to YouTube, but beyond that there is no Facebook page, no website, no reviews of the album, no trace of the band at all.

The album is okay. The music is catchy, but after the first couple of songs they start to all sound the same to me. Which, to be fair, is not a unusual issue with debut records. Songwriting, like everything else, typically improves with practice. The two songs I shared below are bangers, though.

If you know anything about this band, please share.

Sick of Being Stoned

Can't Stop Now

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and I don't care. I'm not watching the game. We bought my wife a new iPhone today. She needed one, and we decided to pull the trigger now before prices go up 10% due to Trump's tariffs. Everything went fine except regaining access to her Google account. That took me an hour to figure out. I wish I could get her off Google, but she hates change, and it's not a hill worth dying on. One secret to staying married for 33+ years is understanding which battles you can't win, or are not worth winning. Like the computer in Wargames said, sometimes the best move is not to play.

10 Things We Can All Do to Protect Democracy - We being US residents, although I think a lot of this is generally applicable.

4 Things to Do Right Now to improve your online security posture.

Aloha- Waiter Rant was possibly the first blogger to score a book deal back in the day. He hasn't been a waiter for almost 20 years at this point, but he is still one of the most thoughtful writers around.

WikiTok - A TikTokish interface for Wikipedia. Bookmark this on your phone and instead of doom-scrolling you can learn something when you have a few minutes to kill.

Buffy is coming back - Some good news to offset, well, everything else.

Attend a protest safely - Seems like good stuff to know.

The Field Notes Thing - I can't make taking notes last more than a week or two. This guy has 13 years of notebooks, all scanned and organized too.

Immigration wiki for transpeople - Seems like the info they are gathering is somewhat universally useful for Americans.

This is an ongoing series in which I dig into the dustier corners of my MP3 folder.

The Highballers - The Highballers / Soft Music and Hard Liquor

I owe both albums by this band. They were playing a local club in Fredericksburg on a night we were looking for something to do. I went home with a CD. I'd call this cow punk. They play loud, they like twangy Gibson guitars, and they write great songs about heartbreak, drinking too much, and breaking hearts while drinking. This is classic honky-tonk stuff. They are still playing a few gigs a year around the DC area, so if you have a chance definitely catch them live. They got shut down early for being too loud the first time I saw them.

I Didn't Mean to Get Drunk Last Night

Doing Time in Pennsylvania

Live to Let You Down

No songs with over 500 plays on YT Music. That ain't right.

This is an ongoing series in which I dig into the dustier corners of my MP3 folder.

The Heyday - The Heyday

This band was another Amie Street find. It was released in 2007. It's straight ahead power pop, with catchy hooks and melodies that suck you in. I think they may have been just out of high school when they did this record. Unfortunately, they couldn't maintain the momentum. Their Bandcamp has the debut album, an EP released in 2011 that takes a bit of a Keith Urban country pop turn, and a single in 2012. They seem to have given up in 2013.

This record is better than most of what was released in 2007.

Come In of Stay Out - 4000 stream on YT Music. It's by far their most popular tune.

Turn Me Around - My favorite tune off the album.

This is an ongoing series in which I dig into the dustier corners of my MP3 folder.

Cabin Creek - Cabin Creek

Cabin Creek is/was a "modern folk" band in Fredericksburg VA when I lived there. I think I first encountered them busking on a street corner, and I eventually saw then live several times in the bars in Fredericksburg. Their eponymous EP is solid. It's 5 songs that I'd put more in the bluegrass category than folk. They don't appear to be particularly active these days. I think they were college students or maybe recent grads when I first encountered then in 2014ish. So 10 years later they probably have careers, kids. etc., so it makes sense that the band is back-burnered. It's a shame though, because they had some songwriting chops.

The EP I have does not exist on YouTube Music. I found this iPhone quality video of one of the tunes that'll give you the flavor of the album.

Peace

Verdict: It's a keeper.