Hey, man, I’m alive – I’m takin’ each day and night at a time…
I’m gonna pick up all the pieces and what’s left of my pride
I’m feelin’ like a Monday, but someday I’ll be…
… Saturday Night.
bon jovi
We have no doubt. And we’ve all got your back.
the good citizens of tnocs.com
And so, we meet again, awesome friends, on a Friday afternoon at tnocs.com!
Hey – I’m really sorry – can you all hang on for just a second? I’ve been so busy working on the site that I totally forgot to e-sign the Turbo-Tax thingy, and send in my 2021 return.
But all week long, he’s been calling me, “My Little Deduction.”
Impending IRS audits aside, it’s been another week of fun and frivolity. Many of you de-lurked, and we welcome you with major enthusiasm and virtual open arms… and, if I can get HR to approve it, maybe some extra personal time off!
18 year-old Oprah jokes aside, it’s a huge deal when you decide to delurk and register. This step allows you to comment and participate in the often-tangential discussions that we’re known for, and also is the first step in writing articles and other content for the site, if you are so inclined. As we hope that you will be.
I well understand that it’s a bit of a leap of faith on your part. If you have privacy concerns (and these days, who doesn’t?), this is a good time to reiterate: I will never sell, trade, share or reveal your personal data. I can confirm that a trustworthy online experience is just as important to me as it is for you. Pinky swear.
And as always: We know that you have many choices for your online viewing, and we thank you for choosing tnocs.com. Now, there’s a pretty original positioning statement, if I say so myself.
Fine. I’ll work on it.
So, welcome to all! As always, be sure to use our “The Weekend Files” space to enjoy chatting about whatever you’d like, all weekend long. We burn the candle at both ends, just for you.
But first… the big ol’ recap of cool stuff that you may have missed…
This Past Week’s New Articles
Linda Richman, move over. You have company. Contributing Author and King of the Cappuccino Pauly Steyreen returned caffeinated and triumphant this week, with an article about his experiences with the brewed bean. I was amazed to learn from our comment section that so many of you were not coffee fans. I wonder if it’s generational, or a health concern, of if some of us just never acquired the taste. At any rate, we thank Pauly for a nice slice-of-life read. Next time, we’ll provide him with a nice slice-of-pie to go along with his excellent and fun-to-read writing. Good on you!
I’ll provide a topic: mt58 is neither empty, nor 58. Discuss.”
Contributing Author and all-around sweet soul dutchg8r was back with another great article, straight from the heart. So many of us have that instinctive fear of reaching out to our heroes, but our scribe is apparently made of something more. She took the leap – and as a young person, at that. If you missed it, read her piece about the hard life and eventual triumph of Merril Hoge. I knew nothing of his story before this week, but I’m glad to learn about anyone who can use life’s sourest lemons to make lemonade. Well done, friend dutchg8r. We hope that you’ll consider writing more thoughtful pieces for us to ponder.
I have a weird confession to make. Whenever I read a piece that Contributing Author Chuck Small writes for us, I feel like I’m taking a wonderful restorative yoga class, while sipping on some piping hot Sleepytime Tea. Chuck has a style that manages to be exciting, informative, and… I think “soothing” might be the word for it. His latest article about a K-Tel compilation record from 1971 was no exception. It’s Chuck-full of great info, with a handy, play-in-the-background link to all of the songs in the piece. And, perhaps the cherry on top: a Partridge Family-version reference to the ‘Two Darrins’ debate. Chuck, you’ve done it again. We’re looking forward to your next article!
Contributing author Both Grouse dutifully sallies forth with his entertaining and very informative series about the 2022 Big Ears Music Festival. With each installment, I realize that I have so much to learn about new genres, artists, and artistry “outside the box.” You can see by the many comments that a lot of us want to know more about the talented artists that our author saw and thoughtfully reviewed. Due to popular demand, and thanks to BG’s tireless efforts, you’ll find the penultimate chapter of the series on today’s tnocs.com Up Front home page.
Site Stuff:
- How’m I doin? Is the site loading fast enough? Any major fails? Looking OK on desktop, tablet, and mobile? Please let me know what you like, hate or would like to see for your best viewing experience. Feedback is appreciated and respected.
- Remember this, um, “alert enhancement” thingy below, from last week? I did some tweaking… let me know if it’s better. Or worse.
• Any suggestions for channels? Content? Cool features? General mayhem?
• I really do want to keep growing the site, but advertising is crazy-expensive. Any mentions about our hangout on social media or other such places are greatly appreciated. When in doubt, please PM me at mt58@tnocs.com
And, as always: I need you! Please write for us. Send your story pitches, finished pieces, or just PM me to talk to me a about your general thoughts on what you might concoct for a featured article to: submissions@tnocs.com
I want this to be your place. Tell me how I can make it better.
Thank you so much for your support and kind comments about the site. I’m impossibly lucky to be able to hang with all of you. Have a great weekend, please be careful, take good care of yourselves and each other…
.. and good on you all.
Thank You For Your Vote!
Sorry You have Already Voted!
So mt, does that mean you are therefore Full, and 25?!
Newsflash – I am American. And not a reptile.
No big whoop. Back to you Linda!
Just to clarify, I am also neither of the things in my handle.
I actually am frequently the thing in my handle.
mumchance! Wonderful to see you here!
Happy to be here! Been reading on and off for a bit, but never had anything to say until now! Like the man says, “when I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed.”
My handle is halfway accurate. I’ll let you guys guess which half.
Let me guess… you’re from the future?
You’re the 3000th clone of the original Aaron?
Huh. For ages, I’ve been reading that as “Dutch gr8”, like Tony the Tiger, but, you know, Dutch. Learn something new every day!
mt58, the site is looking swell and there are no major fails. I’ve noticed something minor that may or may not be a fail. The red heart at the end of each article? It’s like it’s been clicked before I even scroll down to it. If I click it, it turns gray and the count diminishes by one. Click it again and the heart turns red and the number goes back up.
I don’t think it happens all the time and I really don’t mind it pre-clicking. I’m most likely going to click it anyway. Saves me a click!
It’s a fairly technical concept, but I’ll explain: I’m a terrible coder.
The heart weirdness is on the list of fix-its for the weekend.
Seriously, everyone, please let me know about stuff like this, and I’ll get after it.
Only minor issue I’ve noticed is that reading the site on my phone the pop ups saying who’s online and for other articles tend to come up and cover the text I’m reading so have to click to remove them. Nothing major though, a very minor inconvenience.
Got it! Great feedback, JJ, and it’s on the list for fixing this week.
After Chuck’s comment in today’s Bone Thugs-n-Harmony article at the mother ship, I’ve had The Connells stuck in my head all afternoon. Specifically the songs “Fun & Games” and “New Boy”.
What have you read recently here or at the ‘Gum that’s been stuck in your head lately?
I posted “Fun & Games” there, I’ll post “New Boy” here. Enjoy folks!
https://youtu.be/f0dUduZ1VdE
Somebody posted “Champagne Supernova” t’other day, and even though I didn’t even play it, it keeps popping up in my head. Damn Oasis and their catchiness. (And today’s Heardle was “Wonderwall”. Truly an annus horribilis for the Oasis-averse this week.)
(OK, not actually an annus horribilis, but I don’t know how to say “week” in Latin. My high school Latin teacher is no doubt hanging her head in shame somewhere. Sorry Mrs. Houston!)
Chuck’s article on the Bill songs here a few weeks back led to the chorus from “My Girl Bill” playing on repeat in my head for several days straight (not fun!).
School holidays and daughter spent the week with grandparents. Unfortunately it was Mrs Js busiest week of the year at work so we failed to take advantage of our freedom as she put in a tireless shift all week. With what free time we binged the final series of Peaky Blinders. I understand its got a following in the US as well, intrigued to see if anyone has watched it and what you make of it – especially the Birmingham accents.
Used my downtime to watch Nick Cave documentary, One More Time With Feeling. Beautifully shot and fascinating but a difficult watch as it deals with recording in the aftermath of his teenage son’s death. Been on a Bad Seeds binge since then, working my way through all of his albums. The first few albums don’t particularly work for me but once he got into the 90s he really hit his stride.
Also watched Blinded By The Light. Based on journalist Sarfraz Manzoor’s own life, a coming of age drama about a teenage 2nd generation Pakistani growing up in England who develops a Bruce Springsteen obsession. Recommended viewing whether you’re a fan of the boss or not.
I wondered whether Blinded by the Light played better in Britain. I saw it in the theater (back when that was a thing) and didn’t like it as much as I liked “Yesterday.” It may have been more of a genre difference as Yesterday really played up the fantasy/romance genres while BbtL felt more like a coming-of-age drama of its era. I do second your recommendation, though, especially for Bruce fans.