PicoBlog

This week, my friend Joe Pera’s taking over the passions newsletter. He’s got a special coming out tonight on YouTube, which I’ve had the good fortune to watch, and it’s really fantastic. Marty Schousboe directed, Caity Birmingham production designed, plus Ryan Dann made the music, and if you loved the show Joe Pera Talks With You, I’d say there’s about a 100% chance you’re gonna love this, too. Here’s the trailer. Take it away, Joe!

Cell Phone Chargers - for a long time, I thought that when cell phones run out of battery, you have to throw them out. But this is not true, explained my tech-savvy nephews (ages 10 and 12) who showed me last week how to plug my smartphone into a wall.

sorry, sorry, I will take this seriously...

Woody Guthrie's "New Year's Rulin's" (New Years Resolutions) January 1, 1943

Feel kinda dumb sometimes when I put my goals together - write a few hours a day, read more, don't drink too much on a Wednesday night - so these pages really struck me when I visited the Woody Guthrie Center while doing a show in Tulsa. 

It's a beautiful list and seeing it in his own handwriting was both inspiring and a good reminder that it's mostly about just staying regular with the basic stuff and trying to put some good work days together. Maybe he should have put "send Mary (his wife) and kids money" higher than "listen to radio a lot" but who am I to say?

Tom Delgado's NYC History YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tomdnyc1, IG: @tomdnyc

Really great videos on the history of New York City. When our comedian friend, Tomas Delgado quit law to pursue comedy, he became a New York City Tour Guide to pay the bills. When the pandemic hit, he began making some great videos of his tours as well as on specific neighborhoods and subject matter that are funny, well-researched, and almost as good as hanging with him in real life which is a nice thing if you ever get the chance. I've lived here a while but I learn so much while watching. Also, what a handsome man! (he will hate that but Jo will agree).

Drinking 3 Beers and Eating 20 Chicken Wings on a Sunday Afternoon: Not that novel and nothing to be proud of but I did it for the first time in a while this past weekend while watching the Bills game and what a day. Yes, I was hungover at 6pm. Yes, my stomach hurt too but what a great 3-4 hours while it lasted.

Finding the right glass: the "right" glass is different for everyone but you will know when you get it because even water tastes when you drink from it. I hope all readers of 'Passions' will find the glass that is right for them.

And now some from the readers…

Sabina: “My passion this week is consolation cereal. I moved into college recently (!), and while it’s all going great, sometimes I miss the window the dining halls are open for dinner. But guess what never closes? The Special K dispenser. It’s the next-best thing for sure!”

Ben: “I am passionate about idioms. Inside baseball, the pot calling the kettle black, soup to nuts. It makes the English language so colorful and fun. For those interested, I highly recommend Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions. Great bathroom reading material.”

Sean: “At live concerts, I'm passionate about doing a nice, short "woo!" during a break between songs, while the applause is starting to wane and the musicians are tuning their instruments. It sometimes sets off a chain reaction of other short, polite "woo!"s and I feel a connection with these kindred spirits. Also I'm often holding a beverage in one hand, making it difficult to just clap. The “woo!” is the hands-free solution for expressing your appreciation for their performance.”

Woo!

-Jo

ncG1vNJzZmiin5u2s7HSraannV6owqO%2F05qapGaTpLpwvI6omq2nkpq%2FbsPEnqJmaQ%3D%3D