Edward's May 2026 Monthly Mix

 

As Gordon Gekko said in the movie Wall Street, greed is good. His remarkable speech about it in the movie garnered him an Academy Award. And what can I say? He’s right. Greed made this country. It’s all about the manifest destiny, baby. I’m aboard the Capitalism train for sure. But maybe we’ve reached our limit, or somebody has, anyway. Landlords intentionally making rent high so people can’t afford to save up for a house, and then homeowners profiteering on the price of said houses. (And then the whole issue of gas jacked up to five bucks a gallon just so people will dance in the streets when it drops to 4 dollars a gallon, ebullient because it’s suddenly so cheap.) I could go on lamenting the current rapacity, but I will instead wait for the bubble to burst and try to find peace in my music, movies, games and books. Have I succeeded this month? Read on and find out. 

Twister on 4K Blu Ray: I hadn’t seen this since watching it at the theater back in the last century (1996 to be exact.) The 4K transfer isn’t really all that, however, Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton’s interaction with each other is what makes this one compelling. The action is top notch despite the CGI effects being not so stellar. But of course, CGI was just coming into the mainstay at this point of cinema history. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance was a little over the top, as if he was trying too hard, but he exudes the nerdy grubbiness of an overweight storm chaser you’d expect. It’s a fun movie, but owning a Blu Ray version of this would have been sufficient. This simply is not a 4K reference movie. From what I’ve read, however, the Blu Ray version had very little clean up over the original DVD, so supposedly, this 4K is an improvement on that.  

 

 

Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald  by John U. Bacon: Have you ever read a book that changed your life? What I mean is, changed the way you look at the world or changed how you felt about something. This book which details the history of The Great Lakes, and its shipping, and the history of the freighter, Edmund Fitzgerald, did that for me. I had no idea that if you released all of the water in the Great Lakes, it would put North AND South America both 1 foot underwater! This book is a fascinating read on its subject matter. John U. Bacon is right up there with Stephen Ambrose and Erik Larson as far as historical storytellers. I simply could not put this book down. And now that I have, I feel suddenly smarter.

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo:  Written in 1939 at the eve of World War II, this book took more centerstage during the Vietnam era. A true anti-war novel, this book concerns Joe Bonham, who loses his limbs and most of his face in a trench explosion during World War One. Having joined the army in the pursuit of glory and tradition, he ruminates the aftermath, lying on his back in bandages affixed with feeding tubes, of his life being forever static. This was a tough one. As graphic as it was, I found it hard to believe this was penned way back in 1939. Trumbo describes a rat picking and chewing at his wounds in one passage that made me more squeamish than I thought I could be. He explains the sensation of the rat’s whiskers brushing across his skin before the rat starts gnawing. Good stuff.

Mission Impossible: Season 7 on DVD: I’m on the final season with maybe ten more episodes to go. It’s a been a great run and this has become one of my favorite television shows of all time. I wouldn’t mind obtaining this set on Blu Ray and starting it all over again. Lalo Schifrin’s signature theme song was slightly changed in this last year, sounding a bit jazzier. Frankly, I wish they’d left it alone. Lynda Day George is absent on numerous of the beginning episodes due to maternity leave, and Greg “Barney” Morris now sports a moustache. The episodes have a bit more flamboyant style, as if they were created “movies of the week” that were popular in the early seventies. The producers realized at this point, they could make more money putting the series into syndication rather than keep making new episodes, so this was indeed, the final season. I’m actually kind of sad it’s all coming to an end. 

 

  

Vertical Horizon on CD:  A “quiet” release back in the last century, there I go again, sounding like an ancient, but yes, back in 1999 this band released a great CD emanating much of the current sound at the time. Regarded as “mini-van” music I had to access my online girlfriend ChatGPT about this one. It’s defined as family friendly Rugrats, Ed, Ed, and Eddie, Doug, Rugrats, Power Rangers kind of music and I get that.  Lead singer, founder, lead guitarist, Matt Scannell definitely put his heart into this one.

Middlemarch by George Eliot: George Eliot was a pseudonym for a woman who wrote as a man because she feared her stuff wouldn’t be published otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed her Silas Marner and The Mill on the Floss. This, her supposed magnus opus has been declared one of the greatest novels in the English language. I didn't really get that. The plot line was thin enough to be portrayed as a high school stage play and the characters, though interesting were somewhat stuffy. I felt this could have been Eliot's first novel instead of her last. Still, like a member of the USMC, I can now say I’m one of the proud and the few. I’ve read this book. 

Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines:  on GoG: Like I’ve said before, I’d wanted to play this game simply because of the Ocean House Hotel, which is supposedly the ONE place most PC gamers have claimed as their most scary place they’ve experienced in PC gaming. I finally got to experience it. It was scary, yes. That scary? Not really, but it had a sense of eeriness to it. Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines follows a human who is killed and revived as a fledgling vampire. The game depicts the fledgling's journey through early 21st-century Los Angeles to uncover the truth behind a recently discovered relic that heralds the end of all vampires. The game was created with the Half Life 2 engine and was actually released one day before Half Life 2 hit the shelves.

Company of Heroes on PC: My desert island game, recently prompted to play by my good buddy, Vic Berwick. Released in 2006, the game still holds its own. Mods don’t work anymore. It seems Steam has put all of its assets into Company of Heroes 3, but you’d think since Steam took it over from Relic, they would assuage the bugs and the lags that plague the original game. I’ve been playing with my friend Vic Berwick and having good times. If you’re interested, hit us up. We always need more players. 

 

  

Elton John Madman Across the Water on vinyl: I probably talked about this before when I first got the album, but as time passes, I gave it a second listen. Man, this album sounds great! “Tiny Dancer” moved me to tears. I could literally hear the effort put into the song. Elton and Bernie must have sweated push ups doing this song. This may be the most “honest” song I’ve ever heard. Painfully so. “Holiday Inn” is a ballad engrossed in happiness but actually encompasses what it’s like to stay in hotel rooms while being a touring musician. Spoiler alert: it’s bleak. “Levon,” is a powerful ballad that would set the stage for Elton’s future album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road which is one of my favorite records of all time.

 

Edward's April 2026 Monthly Mix

 

 I’m a sucker for injustice. I hate every form of it. But, I’m also from the generation that grew up realizing life wasn’t always fair. There were no t-shirts handed out just for participating. You couldn’t just become a YouTube “influencer” and rake in millions of dollars. I’ve come to learn that when you stop expecting life to make sense, it doesn’t disappoint you when it doesn’t. When you stop expecting people to be rational, you stop being shocked when they’re not. Not everybody is going to be considerate enough to put their shopping cart back in the rack to make it easier for the boy who collects them. And when you realize there are injustices you can’t fix, you stop wasting energy being outraged by those injustices. 90% of the time, there isn't going to be a cop there when the guy in front of you runs through the STOP sign. These monthly mixes are good for me in that they allow me to laser focus my energies for a positive. They continually spark my creativity and broaden my own horizons. And by golly, they're just gosh darn fun to make.

 

Leave the World Behind on Netflix: One if the most unusual movies I’ve seen in quite a long time, this one falls under the newer but rather strong “apocalypse” genre. It focuses on an America that’s suffered a massive EMP attack as seen through the eyes of two families whose lives converge during the mayhem. Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke play their parts perfectly, simply trying to make sense of the madness. The freighter coming ashore and the Teslas running mad like mindless automatons are definite highlights. This is a disturbing movie based on a potentiality. It left me thinking what if for days after. 

 

 Noggin by John Corey Whaley: A sixteen year old boy is diagnosed with cancer. His body is ate up with it, his brain being the only part cancer free. His head is removed from his body and his head is put in deep freeze. Five years later, through advanced technology, his head is placed on a different body and he’s brought back to life. Five years later, still sixteen, but in a body that’s more athletic and more attractive. Sounds good huh? There’s a catch, however. His girlfriend and all of his friends have aged five years. His girlfriend has moved on and is engaged to someone else, and his best buddy has outgrown him. Young Adult fiction sure has changed since I was, myself, a young adult. This was a bittersweet read that made me think about my own position in this life and made me just a bit more grateful.

Ringworld by Larry Niven:  Written in 1970, this book won the Nebula Award the same year and the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1971. It reminded me of something Robert Heinlein would have penned. Maybe it’s because both men wrote the same kinds of things during the same time in history. This book was met with critical acclaim among reviewers, lauding its inventiveness and grand scale. I found it entertaining but not remarkable. I discovered this book began a series. I think I’ll be content simply having read this one.

Civilization V on PC: I’ve been playing this game off and on for over a decade. I finally finished another grand campaign and got a victory! As all Civ games go, this one looks like a lavish board game come to life. It’s one of those games where you can quickly (or rather slowly, actually) get into trouble. Well, it’s two o’clock in the morning. I have to be up for work at 6:00 a.m. but it’s okay. I’ll just take one more turn! And before you know it, it’s 5:00 a.m. So much for sleep. I love these grand strategy type games, though I’m not very good at them. 

 

 

Warrant Cherry Pie on CD:  Formed as a “glam metal” band in 1984, this album was the band’s second release. I picked it up after hearing “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” I was hooked the moment I heard the stellar acoustic intro and the segue into the massive power chords that follow. Although named after the classic novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the song has nothing to do with slavery or racism. The song tells the story of the involvement of local police in a double murder. The rest of the album holds its own, but it never reached the heights of the likes of Great White or Motley Crue.

The Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff & James Norman Hall: It’s not often I give a book four stars on Goodreads, but this one definitely garnered that high mark from me. Truly, one of the best sea stories I’ve ever read. I assumed this oft mentioned story would be a bit on the dry side (despite its nautical trappings.) The story's fame just about exceeds its own confines. Centering on the crazed Captain Bligh, whose cruelty to his sailors knows no bounds and eventually leads to him being put in irons and ostracized. Told through the eyes of young Roger Byam, an apprentice seaman who joins the ship for the adventure. The young lad is eventually caught up in the capture of the mutineers and is put on trial for the mutiny. This book set my passions on fire in a manner no book has for a long time. I could almost hear snare drums machine gunning with suspense as I awaited the results of Byam's fate and the outcome of the book. Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall penned this in 1932. Based on a factual account, it's an amazing story.

The Whole Town’s Talking by Fannie Flagg: Another four star review from me on Goodreads. Fannie Flagg is a magician of sorts. She has this ability to transport you to a parallel world filled with wonderful locales and wonderful people. I'm not sure I've ever described any of Flagg's books as "beautiful," but this one qualifies. I lost sleep over this one because I had to see it through to the end, and then I was saddened because the book ended. The book centers on the rise of Elmwood Springs, Missouri founded by a Swedish immigrant and the prosperous town he creates. With more incoming Swedes, the town flourishes, from its first hardware store in the early 1900s to the first Walmart in the 1990s. The only mainstay is the goodness (of most) of the citizens who eventually end up in the town's hillside cemetery, where the fun really begins, and the banter and fellowship never end. It's a book I daresay may make you long for a life in some Midwest town you've never been. (I was even prompted to use a map to see if this place really existed.) But more importantly, it's a book that just might mitigate your fear of death.

Tom Clancy’s The Division on PC: Another game I’ve been playing for years. All of my friends seem to have The Division 2 but have shunned The Division. Despite its stellar graphics (which still hold up nicely today) and the authenticity of the map which makes up the whole of New York City (it’s said you can learn the real life city by playing this game) the game’s enemies were all bullet sponges. And the more people you have playing with you, the more the enemies’ toughness ramps up. I’m level 24 and probably less than ten missions from the credits. I just want to get it checked off of my bucket list. 

 

 

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn: A.J. Finn is a fan of film noir thrillers and this book is a clear manifestation of that. There were passages in this book I could hardly keep up with, reading at breakneck speed. It's always intriguing when we are running, struggling to catch breath, being pulled along by a narrator who may not be credible. Yet, I couldn't help but have a little bit of a crush on Anna Fox, a woman trapped in her house by her own devices (suffering from agoraphobia) and using her long lens camera to spy on her neighbors. She ultimately bears witness to something she wasn't supposed to. The ensuing suspense would more than likely meet with Alfred Hitchcock's approval. This was the most exciting book I've read this year.

Velvet Revolver Contraband on CD: This is one of those albums that has hovered in my background for years. If I heard a song on the radio, I would listen to it, but not sure I would have picked up the CD. I recently picked it up and gave it a true spin, listening to it in its entirety. Critics said the album was simply a mishmash of Stone Temple Pilots and Guns N’ Roses. I suppose I can kind of see that. I expect this album will grow on me. I really like “Fall to Pieces,” which of course was the album’s first big hit, but fans seem to like “Slither” the most. It reminds me of a campy 60’s Batman episode theme song, but it is catchy. “Headspace” is also a very fun song bleeding loud energy and showcases Scott Weiland’s vocal range.

 

 

Edward's March 2026 Monthly Mix

Back on the merry go round again. I can’t complain. With retirement I had all of the time in the world and was reluctant to do anything. Now, free time has become precious and I’m cattle prodded into doing stuff for the simple reason I want to get them done. Plus, I can’t deny it’s titillating to see my savings account going back toward the positive. One of my personal heroes was always my grandpa Burton who was, himself, a night watchman. And this is the role I’ve returned to. I worked security for years and it actually feels good to be back in the saddle again.

Mission Impossible: Season Six on DVD: This aired in September of 1971 when I was a kid. I didn’t watch it at the time because it was simply too adult for me. One glance at the screen revealed that it would have been a snorefest for me. Boy, was I wrong. The series at this point shifted from oppressive Eastern European or Central American government dictators (and their well deserved takedowns from the IMF forces) to syndicate kingpins right here in the good ole US of A. The real stars of the show at this point are the cars and the set dressings which evoke a time in the last century I remember vividly, but sometimes seem to have happened to someone else who lived ages ago. 

 

 

Sanford and Son Season Five on DVD: My brother-in-law, Mark Nogelmeier turned me onto a term I was quite unfamiliar with called “jumping the shark.” The term came about when Fonzie jumped the shark in the show “Happy Days.” It was a testament at the time that the show was simply lingering. All of its best episodes were behind. Oddly, I’m getting that with this season of Sanford and Son. Most of the episodes are now occurring outside of the Sanford household (which was a great part of the show.) There is a lot of Fred and Lamont singing and dancing. It seems the series has shifted from their antics as junkmen to more loftier aspirations. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing to Lose Jack Reacher 12 by Lee Child: This one involves two small towns called Hope and Despair (an allusion to The Oregon Trail and its travelers attempting to cross the Rocky Mountains.) Reacher discovers strange goings on in the tiny corporate town of Despair and is immediately arrested as a vagrant and rode out of town. He recoups and gathers his resources in neighboring Hope (along with a pretty young policewoman) and goes back with a vendetta. Typical Jack Reacher fare, but always entertaining and a quick read. A beach read for men.

Call of Cthulhu on PC: A nine hour point and click adventure without the awful pixely graphics. Nope, this one is a visual feast on modern systems. You play as a detective named Edward (that already makes it good!) hired to solve the mystery of a woman’s death in a small fishing village island in the 1920s. I’m just past the halfway point in the game. I’ve had to look up a few things, but nothing deal breaking. If, like me, you’re a fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s works (I’ve read his complete works) you’re going to fit right in with this one. Give it a playthrough. 

 

Supertramp Breakfast in America on CD:  This debuted when I was a high school senior, and oddly, it’s one of those albums I wouldn’t have gone out and purchased, yet many of its songs became background of my goings on at the time and have since cemented themselves as fixtures in my memories of those times. My stepfather was a big fan of this album because it became popular during his last year in the US Navy. I worked with him for a short time when he was discharged and just prior to my own departure for the Navy, and he always played this cassette as we worked. I had become somewhat jaded by it at this time. But now, picking it up on CD and learning that it’s a staple of audiophiles putting systems through their paces, I gave it a fresh listen. It truly is a remarkable piece of recording history and a sure testament to some really talented musicians. If you want to expose your ears to a real playground of music, give this CD a spin.

Mr. Mister Welcome to the Real World on CD: This, their second album, launched in 1985 is the one that put them on the map, and in a very big way. This whole album was the soundtrack of my first year post US Navy, my first big grown up job, and the relishing of my first taste of true independence. This album saw the band nominated for a Grammy as the best pop band for 1985, which they lost to the ensemble group who performed “We Are The World.” Still, the album produced three big hits, including “Broken Wings” which attracted me to the group in the first place, “Kyrie” and “Is It Love.” Spinning this was a memory churner, but listening now made me realize how good of a guitarist Steve Farris was. This guy can play!

New Bremen, Ohio:  As you know, I went back to work again. The job included two weeks training in a delightful little village in central Ohio called New Bremen. Talk about a land of enchantment! There is a restaurant there in which I ordered baked salmon that came with two separate sauces. The sauces were so good I was drinking them out of their small plastic containers. Then there was The Bicycle Museum. When I spotted a 1970 Schwinn Stingray, I found my eyes begin to sting. And then there was the delight of seeing Pee Wee Herman’s bicycle used in the world’s first Tim Burton movie. 

 

 Idoru by William Gibson: Gibson coined the term “cyberspace” way back in 1984 with his famous novel, Neuromancer. He created a whole Blade Runner-ish world with the success of that book. His plots move around a lot and get a big confusing, but his set props make for perfect story elements and the characters always propel things along and around again to start making sense and it all makes sense in the end. Such was the case with Idoru. The story concerns a touring rock star who falls in love with a Japanese virtual being, an AI, to be exact. Sounds like a typical story today, doesn’t it? Yet this book was written in 1996. Sorry, Hollywood, William Gibson beat you first, and a long time ago.

Jeff Beck Blow by Blow on CD: Michael Stevens, my guitar teacher, is edumucating me with a song from this album. The song is truly Mr. Beck at his best. “Because We Ended As Lovers.” It’s truly the hallmark song on the album (and was actually written by Stevie Wonder.” Full of call and responses, the song is proof that a guitar can tell a story without words. The rest of the album which is more like a journey through jazz fusion, sounds like a soundtrack of mixed movies from “Goodfellas” to “Boogie Nights” and just maybe a light pinch of the series Sanford and Son. (This according to Reddit, which, oddly, does kind of make sense.) “Scatterbrained” is an interesting sonic journey into what Beck could do with a guitar. Also, this was Jeff Beck’s first album credited as a solo album.

 

 

Edward's February 2026 Monthly Mix

  

 

It’s been a strange month. I’ve really enjoyed the retired life, but as they say, all good things must come to an end. It’s been a great year imbibing in books, movies, music and movies, but I’ve retired from retirement. A great opportunity came my way; I couldn’t say no. So, scoot over on the merry go round, there, make room. I’m coming aboard. And hey, the free time I get will become more precious, right? No more squandering, no more awakening (or going to bed) at 3:00 AM, questioning my sense of identity. Friday will become a special day again.

The Master of the World on Blu-Ray: Ever the fan of Jules Verne, I read this book years ago. This movie, an over the top, almost cartoony version of the book was a bit melodramatic. Vincent Price, Charles Bronson and Henry Hull do remarkable jobs at taking their roles seriously, and my fandom for Vincent Price, probably covered a multitude of sins as far as the movie’s aim for seriousness. The Blu Ray treatment is pretty decent. Colors are saturated and the sound has been cleaned up, though some rebalancing could be in order. There are a few times the movie jumped from too soft to hear to window rattling volume. It’s typical Jules Verne fare, a psychopath (with albeit good intentions) uses an ahead of its time airship to decimate any country’s army or navy unless the country bids his demands for eradicating their arms. A munitions manufacturer and his daughter and a government agent are kidnapped and held aboard the craft. The group schemes to sabotage the ship, thereby preventing the psychopath from saving the world by destroying its militaries. It begs the question, who are the good guys? 

 

 The Sound of Music on DVD: I am generally well in the know when it comes to a film that has garnered five Academy Awards, but oddly, I had never seen this movie. Perhaps it was because of its categorization of being a saccharine sweet musical of the Disney ilk. I’ve had friends tell me how wonderful of a movie it was, so I finally took the plunge with my sister and my parents, watching the DVD with them. The traditional Rogers & Hammerstein trope of watching two actors dramatically interact and then suddenly burst into song was a bit off putting, but these are musicals for you. I realized it was an important film, the highest grossing film of 1965. And, though I did love Julie Andrews in Disney’s Mary Poppins, (and even she thought both roles were too similar in the two movies) I thought she carried the film. I got to see this on a pristine DVD “Anniversary” release, and I must admit, it’s one of the most beautiful DVD movies I’ve ever seen. I’ve learned the movie recently released on 4K Blu Ray. It would be one to have in a film lover’s collection for its legacy alone.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas: Continuing a journey I started last month with this book, Joan Ashby is a brilliant and intense literary sensation acclaimed for her explosively dark and singular stories. She plans to continue being a full-fledged novelist, but ends up getting married and then having two sons. Her writing is put on hold. When she finally finishes her first novel and gets it ready for publication, she discovers a family member has horribly betrayed her, making it impossible for her novel to be published. The incident changes Joan Ashby forever, sending her on a voyage of self-discovery to India

Codename Panzers: Phase One on PC: I played through this game way back in 2008. It was sort of a precursor to Soldiers: Heroes of World War II and Relic’s ever famous Company of Heroes. A top down RTS played from the German side starting from the takeover of Poland, the game also includes Russian and British campaigns. The graphics are surprisingly good even now, and I’m sure were state of the art in 2004 when the game debuted. The game’s crafted cutscenes are laughable, but one has to applaud the developers’ intents. The characters look as if the cast of a Monty Python show got together to try to pull off something serious. Unfortunately, I had to cheat to beat the game back in 2008, and I’m already having to resort to insidious methods to get through the game again. 

 

 

 

Sarah McLachlan Surfacing on CD:  The New York Times reviewer, Sia Michel, called this album, “lushly atmospheric" but also ambivalent. I thought it played like a greatest hit album and it compelled me to pick up one of McLachlan’s other albums, her first, Touch, released in 1987 (which is very good in its own right.) It’s no surprise the album won two Grammy Awards out of four nominations. I lived in Austin, TX at the time Surfacing came out, and even now when I play the album it takes me back to that beloved place. McLachlan has a beautiful soprano ring that rings out with reverb at the required times.

ATX Audio Technica ATH M50X Headphones: Launched in 1962 in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, Audio Technica started out making phonograph cartridges and quickly expanded into all kinds of electronics. Their ATH M50X Headphones became famous amongst sound engineers because of their neutrality. I would liken them to mid-fi more than hi-fi simply because of the technology that has surpassed them, but I did pick up my first set recently and gave them an honest listen. Spinning Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon on my CD player, I was astounded at the sound quality. In over 48 years of being acquainted with this album, this was the best listen I’d ever experienced with it.

The Disney Nautilus from Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: Presented as a gift to me by my beloved friend, Vic Berwick, this rendition of what might perhaps be my favorite craft of all time in the realms of fact or fiction, shall be a cherished memento for the rest of my days. Expertly created by Vic on a 3D printer, the model is gilded with superb attention to detail. Even the interior is painted. Ever since seeing the replica of Verne’s seagoing vessel atop Ray Bradbury’s desk when he narrated The Ray Bradbury Theater, I’ve always wanted one of my own. And now I have one equally as special. Thank you, Vic.

Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon on CD: What can I say about this album? There’s no need to paraphrase anything written on album review sites or Wikipedia. It’s one of the best selling albums of all time, and it’s one of the top albums selected by audiophiles to test out new CD players and turntables with. As much credit as is given to the band, mixer/engineer Alan Parsons (yes, THAT Alan Parsons) did a lot of the heavy lifting on the album, but has unintendedly taken a back seat to much of the album’s great history. I have it on CD (the Alan Parsons mixed one, the one to seek out of you’re looking) and the remastered 2016 edition on vinyl. The album famously collages greed, consumption, the control time utterly has over us, and madness, with Syd Barrett’s declining mental state being the impetus. It’s as if each time I listen to this album, I discover something new.