Holding back the years
Simply Red: Holding Back The Years
Thinking of the fear I’ve had so long
When somebody hears
Listen to the fear that’s gone
Songwriters: Mick Hucknall and Neil Moss
Billboard Hot 100 #1 – July 1986
“Great.“
“I just knew it.”
“I knew that this was going to happen. So much for my big New Year’s Eve plans.”
“Aw, Gary, c’mon. It’s not so bad.”
“It’s an honor to be asked to host this event!”
“And, technically: it’s only December 30. The actual New Year’s Eve thing isn’t until tomorrow.”
“Yeah, but still… It took me forever to make the teaser banner. And look at it: it clearly says: “Join ME For…” And, whelp, here we are: it’s just us two. I really thought we were getting a long weekend. But I don’t expect you to understand the concept of a “day off.”
“I mean, really: think about it. Every day is a day off for you. You’re a dog. What plans could you have? Maybe sleep in late… eat… and then take a nap?
“Hmm. Kinda reminds me of someone. You really want to toss me a softball like that, Gar?
“Very funny. Whatever… And by the way:”
“Goodness knows, I understand how tight the budget is around here – further evidenced by this world-class holiday spread from the vending machine. But are you telling me that management couldn’t even swing the cost of a 2023 version of a New Year’s Eve hat? Seriously?”
“Oh, this? No, this was my idea. I’ve decided to go old-school and re-celebrate 2018. It was a big year, you know. It’s kind of my thing… I’m sorry to say that I don’t have an extra one for you to wear.”
“Ha. Like I’d even wear a stupid hat. No, I’m good, thank you. And, oh, Al Stewart? He just emailed. He says if you even think of doing a song parody, he will absolutely sue.”
“OK. Got it. I promise – you’ll not hear ‘Year Of The Dog’ from this pooch. So, what do you say, big guy? Can we take a little timetrip, to review the 2022 tnocs.com highlights over the past year?
“Sure. It’s fine. I’ll just write some code from scratch, and magically restore the terabytes of compressed files, because that will only take me hours.”
“Um… Gary?“
“I knew that it was gonna be a lot of work…
… so…
(“and please don’t be mad…”)
“…but I guessed your password to access the archives. I worked on the files all night.”
“I wanted to surprise you. It’s all done! This way, you can go home. Here, take the Funyuns. I’ve got this for you. Now you can go and have fun with your friends!“
“Um… uh… I,”
“… um… actually, I, uh… the thing is, I don’t…”
“…You know what? Maybe just to make sure nothing goes wrong… I… I’d better stick around for awhile. Just in case, you know, you might need me…
“….or want some company…”
“That would be so nice, Gary. You and me – lets do this!”
“OK, you go ahead and start. I’ll be there in just a second…”
{Gary’s work notes for 12.30.2022:}
{Priority Level: Top:}
{1. Make your passwords not so obvious.}
The tnocs.com 2022 Year In Review:
I wish that I could repost them all.
This place – your place – would be just random pixels on a lonely screen, if it were not for the loyalty, humor, and generous companionship that you give to all of us.
From our wonderful Contributing Authors, to our beloved Commenters, and to anyone who ever lurked here, hoping for a little laugh, a kind exchange, or a good think: please know how much you mean to all of us.
Here are just a few randomly selected highlights from the over 300 articles written by our beloved Contributing Authors in 2022.
For this recap, we’ll focus on the articles. Be sure to post your favorite site comment-section memories or specific article /author shout-outs in the comments below.
(lots of links… might take a bit to fully load…)
February:
I had an idea. I talked about it over at stereogum.com. Whether born out of respect, or just sheer relief at the possibility of being rid of me, it got a response from their corner office.
Put up or shut up time. I had about five weeks. I got to work.
March:
03.16: Day One. Fun fact: I was officially terrified.
03.18: Our first contributor article is published: The site debut of Bill “Virgindog” Bois:
03.21: The site debut of Pauly Steyreen:
03.23: The site debut of Chuck Small:
03.23: The site article debut of lovethisconcept:
03.23: The site debut of dutchg8r:
03.25: The site debut of JJ Live At Leeds:
03.31: The site debut of thegue:
April:
04.07: The site debut and our first multi-part series from Both Grouse:
04.14: Coffee Talk from Pauly Steyreen:
04.14: The first in the “Chuck’s Record Collection” Series from Chuck Small:
04.26: The site debut of Phylum Of Alexandria:
04.26: The Greatest TV Game Show. Ever. from dutchg8r:
04:29: The debut of Theoretically Speaking from Bill Bois:
May:
05.05: The first of our occasional “Perfect Record” series from dutchg8r:
05.10: In A Special Relationship from JJ Live At Leeds:
05.12: A debut article from minor major 7th:
05.17: This Was Us from Chuck Small:
05:23: The site debut of cappiethedog:
05.25: The site debut of Edith G:
05.27: The site debut of Ozmoe:
June:
06.12: Ozmoe continues his Summer Song Series with Episode 2:
06-14: The debut article from bcm4648:
06-27: On Power- And Honor by Chuck Small:
July:
07.05: The debut article from shadowboxer122:
07.07: A poll from Countdowner:
07.07: No Stars Upon Thars from Phylum Of Alexandria:
07.12: A Film In The Closet from cappiethedog:
August:
08.02: Pinch Me: I Must Be Dreaming from JJ Live At Leeds:
08.09: Seventy-Six Trombones and One Woodblock from thegue:
08.16: What Makes For The Perfect Song? (v4.0) with Both Grouse:
08.25: The article debut of Aaron3000:
08.26: The Season 2 Premiere of Theoretically Speaking: What Makes This, That ? from Bill Bois:
September:
09.05: The Series Finale: Ozmoe’s “Songs Of The Summer”:
09.07: I’m Sorry. I Tried To Be Tolerant… by Edith G:
09.13: The series debut of “Great” Moments From Teaching from thegue:
09:15: My Nepal Experiences: The Farewell Chapter from Pauly Steyreen
09.20: The series finale of This Wasn’t In The Brochure, Part 4: from JJ Live At Leeds:
October:
10.04: Question Mark: Episode 4- Into the Black from Phylum Of Alexandria:
10.06: The article debut from Link Crawford:
10.13: Fly Like An Eagle: An Appreciation of Anne Heche from cappiethedog:
10.21: Nominations Open! It’s “The Spooky Song Supreme!” from lovethisconcept
10.28: The Season 2 Finale of Theoretically Speaking from Bill “Virgindog” Bois:
November:
11.03: Press Start To Play from Phylum Of Alexandria
11.07: The article debut of Blossom W:
11.09: The article debut of JoyceV:
11.11: The article debut of Shelby Dunn:
11.15: You Deserve a Jingle Today! – Part 2: Radio! from Link Crawford:
11.16: The Lovable, Huggable Philly Sports Fans: Part 1 from dutchg8r:
11.18: Theoretically Speaking S3 | E1: What Makes Folk, Folk ? from Bill “Virgindog” Bois:
11.22: The article debut from A. Donnachie
11.28: Keeping Up With The Recommendations from Chuck Small:
December:
12.01: Singing For Your Brain by Shelby Dunn:
12.02: Round 1 Voting for “The 2022 All-Time Top Christmas Songs” by lovethisconcept:
12.08: Calling Cards – Part 1 from Phylum Of Alexandria
12.13: A Brief History Of “The UK Christmas Number One” – Part 1 from JJ Live At Leeds:
12.15: “Great” Moments in Teaching, Part 10 from thegue:
12.23: The Results And Live Group Chat! from lovethisconcept:
12.29: The Same Procedure as Last Year from Bill “Virgindog” Bois:
We two have paddled in the stream
From morning sun till night
The seas between us Lord and swell
Since the days of auld lang syneFor old acquaintance be forgot
Auld Lang Syne – Robert Burns
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
For the sake of auld lang syne?
Charting every December 31 – in our hearts
Thank you, friends, for a better year than I ever expected or deserved.
In 2023: Please be careful, take good care of yourselves and each other,
… and good on you all.
-mt58
Thank You For Your Vote!
Sorry You have Already Voted!
Thanks mt for all of the hard work in getting this off the ground and keeping it going (and of course Goodboy and Gary for all the tech support and the sunny, can do attitude).
I can’t believe it was March when the site debuted. Seems like no time at all but looking at all those articles we’ve packed a lot in. Some great stuff there from everyone and the spirit and supportive nature of everyone here is quite something. A little idyll of camaraderie without the negativity that infects other areas of the internet.
Hope I haven’t bored anyone with all my musings, I’ve got a few more in mind, a couple of which will continue my mission to educate you all on the weirdness of British culture.
My new year will be spent in our traditional way. Ordering a takeaway and then the three of us all pick a film and have a movie marathon through til midnight. And then mini J will still be up at 7am New Year’s morning ready for whatever 2023 brings.
Happy New Year everyone, look forward to reading all your articles and comments in the new year.
Bored? Mate, the Australia stuff alone is classic. Keep it coming!
Many thanks to our host mt58 and his hard, endless, creative and technical work on our little community. (Ever notice he and Gary have never been photographed together?)
I love the glimpses of British culture. Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike the U.S.
Douglas Adams approves this message.
Very sorry for the tech issues this morning. All fixed.
-mt
——————————————————
That’s what happens when you rouse Gary from his beauty rest. 😉
This one goes out to mt, Gary, Goodboy, and the whole dang tnocs family. Every word rings true (well, I can’t buy everybody a Cadillac, but aside from that…):
https://youtu.be/voNEgCKzves
What a year! I am so glad to be back after being out of touch for a week. I have been having a great time with a house full of company and several different Christmas celebrations. And we had a white Christmas for the first time in my daughter’s memory! But, as much as I enjoyed all of that, I have missed being here a lot. What a lovely article to come back to. Now to catch up on the rest.
Excellent summation of this year here, mt58, to no one’s surprise, of course. Even though I’ve been off work for 2 weeks now, it hasn’t really felt that way because I was getting all my major projects done before and after Christmas, including a lot of decluttering in my house and even in my inbox. It’s finally nearly done today so I can enjoy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (and January 2nd too as a bonus day!).
It’s been a great year for me personally, and being part of this group has certainly played into my enjoyment for it. I don’t make resolutions to start each year, just keep working on my to do list. However, that list has some projects that will extend well past 2023 to complete, so I’m going to concentrate on doing some smaller activities that include listening to more songs that made the Hot 100 beyond the top 10 from 1958-1993 (yes, that will be 30 years from now, scary to believe) and of course contributing some pieces to this great website.
Goodbye 2022. Glad we could all make the trip around the sun together for this year.
@mt58 I haven’t thank you enough for creating this place and allowing us to be part of this community. In less than a year this site has done too much for us and I’m honored and grateful for the encouragement you give us to be able to speak about whatever is in our minds.
Thank you and hello to Goodboy and Gary.
Happy New Year to all of you, I wish you the best, always.
You did it, mt58. What a lovely way to end the old year and make way for the new with a recap of all the great posts from our merry band of highwaymen (and ladies, should I make it highwaypersons?).
You took a good concept and made it great!
The world is a better place for you being in it and thanks for running a site that always has a bit of tongue in cheek (Maybe our politicians could use a bit of humor in their work).
Have a Happy New Year ( and make sure Goodboy and Gary don’t overdue the celebration).
I have so enjoyed getting to know everybody and be part of this community. Watching it grow slowly but steadily has been a great source of pride and comfort for me.
Mega shout-outs to Gary and Goodboy for making this little venture chug along. And to mt for sharing the OG’s with us (Ornery Gary & Obedient Goodboy).
At some point this inaugural year of TNOCS, mt was talking about the future of this website. Should it be more specific, more focused, more niche? Maybe just about music, or just about a narrow range of music genres even. And I will trust mt’s judgement whatever direction he wants to take it. But he has leaned into the vibe — positive, welcoming, close-knit. Not closing doors but opening them. Making the site expansive and open… anything could happen, but it will be inclusive, not divisive.
The content is all over the place, and that’s a strength in my opinion. I feel like it’s a bad recipe for rapid growth. But for nurturing a loyal community of writers and commenters, the formula is pure gold. Anything goes, but no bullies or trolls. So I’d like to thank mt for hewing strong to his original vision, a Field of Dreams for all of us.
I can’t wait to see what 2023 will bring. I can’t wait to see what new community members we’ll welcome into the fold. I can’t wait to read more from all my friends here. I can’t wait to see what hijinks lie ahead with the OG’s, mt, and any additional characters who enter the orbit.
Take care and see y’all in 2023!
mt58, the effort you put into making this website look professional is astounding. It is top notch!
Other thoughts:
I think Dan Fogelbergs song is pretty good. A fine description of the pangs of nostalgia. But that soprano sax outro is beautiful.
Was that a MAD magazine “yecch” thrown in there?
Got back home late last night after a long trip. It was great to be back in Japan. I’ve retained more Japanese than I thought I would given that I rarely practice these days (and have been learning French!) but after 9 days of almost no English, I kind of need a vacation from my vacation.
I will miss my friends and all the great food, but am happy to enjoy big comfy couches again. 😀
Happy New Year everyone!
As you wish…
https://youtu.be/wJwS1mfj6j4
The Bats have an album called Couchmaster. I couldn’t find an appropriate song. This is perfect.
So that Bill Murray shower scene is true-to-life.
Well, kind of. My shower was adjustable to my height, but the glass shield wasn’t designed to prevent spray from that height. So, to avoid flooding the floor, I had to do a bit of crouching when rinsing.
As for most of Lost in Translation, it’s not wrong, but it’s mostly captures the manic chaos of life in a busy city. I feel the same way when I’m walking around midtown Manhattan.
Standing ovation for our gracious host mt. Thank you for all the hard work you’ve put into this place – it is greatly appreciated, as have been everyone’s contributions. It’s been a fun ride so far…
And thanks to everyone putting up with my Duran Duran ramblings. 😁
Here’s to 2023 at tnocs.com!!!
Thank you for the site, @mt58 – it’s become a place to stop by daily and see how members of a community I’ve come to think of as good friends are doing and thinking. Also TNOCS doesn’t let me rant about Star Wars, and y’all do.
Hope things go up and up from here – happy 2023.