This is an interesting look at how modern rockets expend their fuel and jettison their stages. Saturn V. Space Shuttle. Falcon Heavy. SLS.
Better late than never!
Deer Tick – Mayonnaise
J.S. Ondara – Tales of America
Anders Osborne – Alone
Ian Noe – Between the Country
Of Monsters and Men – Fever Dream
Brittney Howard – Jamie
The Highwomen
Yola – Walk Through Fire
Khruangbin – Hasta El Cielo
Tool – Fear Inoculum
Steve Earle & The Dukes – GUY
Hiss Golden Messenger – Terms of Surrender
Tyler Childers – Country Squire
The DeToffol’s are sheltered at home in Minnesota and plan to stay isolated for the foreseeable future. We are very privileged in that we are currently healthy, are able to shelter in our wonderful home in a safe community, and that I am able to continue to work from home.
This detailed and well-sourced article makes the case that we need to hammer coronavirus with isolation and extensive testing to buy ourselves time. Each of us has a major role to play. We need to stay home.
Coronavirus and Covid-19 information sites:
- Covid Tracking Project
- John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
- CIDRAP Covid-19 Resource Center
- Self-triage Tool
Comic courtesy of XKCD
We got the Simmons SD600 electronic drum kit for Christmas and it has been a lot of fun. I’ve been watching a bunch of drumming videos and this isolated footage of Danny Carey playing on “Pneuma” is my current favorite. Danny is a true master, who obviously loves his art. And this is a great song.
This video gives a decent introduction into why you should secure your devices and digital accounts. Pay special attention to your personal email account. It is the most crucial account to secure as tightly as possible because it is the gateway to all your other accounts.
- Buy products with security built-in. Make sure your software is updated regularly.
- Use a password manager. I recommend Bitwarden, which is free and works across Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.
- Use Second Factor Authentication (2FA). Turn this on for all your important accounts, especially email and financial services. And don’t use SMS to receive the codes if you can help it.
It has been 50 years since the Apollo missions launched humans to the moon. In celebration, there are a multitude of events, documentaries and retrospectives and websites marking the anniversary. I’ll update this list as I find more.
- NASA’s official Apollo 50th website.
- This amazing NASA document from 1971, before Apollo 13, contains 8 articles describing What Made Apollo A Success?
- Experience Apollo 17 in real-time, with more Apollo missions coming later this year. And now Apollo 11 in real-time is live!
- Interesting trove of documents can be found in the Apollo Press Kits.
- The DeToffol clan saw the amazing new Apollo 11 documentary last week and it was a thrill.
- I’m looking forward to the “Chasing the Moon” and other space related shows coming to PBS this summer.
- The Smithsonian created a 3D virtual tour of the Apollo 11 Command Module.
The Lego NASA Apollo Saturn V 21309 kit is excellent! The set has amazing details and build quality. The boys and I had a great time building and learning about the most powerful rocket ever made.
How the Earth rides around the Sun, and how that impacts our clocks and calendars.
Uncle Tupelo played their last show on May 1, 1994, captured for posterity (and with a decent board recording!) in this video. This seminal band, the progenitor of alt-country, had a huge influence on my musical tastes.
Rolling Stone recently published this fantastic oral history documenting the 25th anniversary of ‘Anodyne’, Uncle Tupelo’s final album.
The end of each year brings the best of lists from across the arts and entertainment media. Here is a list of best of articles that I’ll update as I find new ones.
David Ehrlich’s “The 25 Best Films of 2018: A Video Countdown” (video above)
The New York Times “The Best Books of 2018“
Paste Magazine “The 50 Best Albums of 2018“
Paste Magazine “The 25 Best TV Shows of 2018“
Google Play’s “Best of 2018“
Apple’s “Best of 2018“
The Wirecutter’s “The Gifts We Want To Give in 2018“
The New Yorker “The Best Podcasts of 2018“
NPR “The 100 Best Songs of 2018“
NPR “The 50 Best Albums of 2018“
AV Club “The Best Comics of 2018“
American Songwriter “Top 25 Albums of 2018“
