Good Good Things – Issue 004
“What? More Good Good Things?” Yes, my friends, despite the current state of our world, there are some more Good Good Things out there. Take my hand, let’s explore them…
How Muppets Break Free from their Puppeteers
“Jeff, how old are you?”
Let’s just say that when the original “The Muppet Movie” was released, I saw it three times at the now-shuttered Belmar Cinema. Please don’t do the math, instead, learn how Jim Henson’s puppet masters made the muppets move and groove when they were in the great outdoors.
How Oregon Cheese Became the Best in the World
I love cheese. All of it. If you see me, feel free to offer me cheeses of every variety. I’ve had the Rogue River Blue mentioned in this video and it was incredibly delicious. I plan on doing a trail race in Oregon in the next two years, and I will definitely carve out some time for an Oregonian cheese tour.
We’re home to world-class, award-winning, one-of-a-kind cheeses, including the best string cheese in the country from Don Froylan and the world’s best cheddar from Tillamook. Blue cheese from Southern Oregon’s Rogue Creamery was even crowned “Best Cheese in the World” — the first time ever a cheese outside Europe has won the prestigious award.”
Watch It Again: “The Trip” Movies with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon
When Steve Coogan is asked by The Observer to tour the country’s finest restaurants, he envisions it as the perfect getaway with his beautiful girlfriend. But, when she backs out on him, he has no one to accompany him but his best friend and source of eternal aggravation, Rob Brydon.”
“The Trip” came out in 2011. There have been three sequels. They are all very funny and filled with incredible impressions and top-notch sniping. The dueling Michael Caines is a classic and a solid peek into their relationship and the perpetual one-upmanship dynamic.
Public Art Archive
I was looking for a website to find the latest murals in Philly, and I came across the nationwide Public Art Archive, which is an amazing resource, offering a lot of easy-to-use filters to find public art by artist, location, year, and more.
Here is the Mural Arts Philadelphia section of their website. And of course, you can visit the lovely Mural Arts Philadelphia website.
Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. For 40 years, we have united artists and communities through mural-making to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives.
Is This the Funniest TV Promo Ever?
Yes.
funniest TV promo ever
— Jeff Lyons (@gojeffgo.com) September 15, 2024 at 6:30 PM
My 12 Favorite “What’s in My Bag?” Episodes
Mondays are rough, but thankfully, it’s usually the day of the week the fine folks at Amoeba Records drop a new episode of their long-running music recommendation series “What’s in My Bag?”
Here are 12 of my favorite recent episodes >
Best Music Videos Featuring Dogs and Cats
I start tearing up (with joy) about 30 seconds in on this life-affirming Touché Amoré video featuring so many good dogs and cats and the love they get from a cavalcade of notable punk and punk music adjacent peeps. Touché Amoré also released my favorite song of 2024.
Lawrence Wilson, a Scottish dog walker, takes some happy pups around NYC while the “Lion Rumpus” by the mighty Mogwai plays. Uplifting, beautiful, perfect.
How Trail Designers Build Good Hikes
Designing a hiking trail seems simple enough: It has to take a person from A to B, pass through scenic nature, and last through years of wear and tear. And for most of human history, trails did that without much intentional design at all.
But as trails shifted from essential transportation to a recreational destination, the way we make them did, too. Now, hidden in every trail is a carefully made design language of angles, alignment, and materials that keep them enjoyable for generations.”
The 27 Most Beautiful Bridges in the World
Love a good bridge!
Designed by world-renowned architects such as Zaha Hadid and Santiago Calatrava, these bridges are travel destinations in their own right.”
“Spinal Tap” Back in Theaters July 5-7
Looks like I am heading back to the theater:
Experience the remastered, remixed, definitive version of this mockumentary masterpiece only in theaters for three days, July 5-7. Plus a sneak peek of SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES.”
Click the “Get Tickets” button on this page to see where it is playing.
Happy 40th anniversary to my favorite cutaway shot ever.
— Jeff Lyons (@gojeffgo.com) March 2, 2024 at 3:25 PM
Featured Pet: Barry
Nobody loafs it up like ya boy Barry 💗💗💗
— Martha Kelly (@marthakelly.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 10:25 AM
New Old Photo
My parents, Patty and Don, have been gone a while, but I am still finding old photos of them that I have never seen as I go through old boxes, and it brings me some much-needed joy. Here’s a great one of my Dad when he was young. He was such a good guy and a fun dad.
Western States Endurance Run Documentaries
Ultra trail running is a niche sport, but even niche sports have their own “Super Bowls.” The Western States Endurance Run is the tippy-top peak of importance and prestige for 100-mile trail races in North America. You win “States” and you are a legend. The race starts on June 28, 2025. It is my favorite sports day of the year, 20+ hours of viewing and listening (I go for a nice slow, flat long run during the early part of the race to show my respect).
The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run is the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race. The Run starts in Olympic Valley, California, near the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, and ends 100.2 miles later in Auburn, California.”
Sounds fun, right? If you need more incentive to check it out — a little more background on the race and the down-to-earth athletes who have tackled it in years past — you are in luck! Strap on an ice bandana and pop a few gels. I put together a playlist of Western States documentaries and videos to get you prepped and pumped up.
Worst-selling IPAs
- Hernia Hoperation IPA
- MenHopause IPA
- Intestinal Hopstruction IPA
- AutHopsy IPA
- OrtHopedic Shoe IPA
- Jeff’s Diet IPA
- Million of Dead Hops
- Kidz Hop
- J. Robert Hoppenheimer’s Destroyer of Worlds IPA
- Rick Wakeman’s Tales from Hopographic Oceans IPA
Talking Heads – Psycho Killer (Official Video)
Full disclosure: I’m not the biggest Talking Heads fan (sorry!!), and I am not the biggest fan of murdery type stuff (podcasts and movies), but I dig this subtle new music video for “Psycho Killer” starring Saoirse Ronan and directed by Mike Mills.
Philadelphia Tom Petty Appreciation Band Concert
From the hardest-working drummer in Philly, Pat Berkery:
“We’re firing up the Philadelphia Tom Petty Appreciation Band for a concert benefitting the Make the World Better Foundation at Union Transfer Friday, Oct. 17. We’re calling the night Room at the Top, and we’ve got a bunch of friends jumping up to play with us:”
- Eric Bazilian (The Hooters)
- Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz)
- Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices/Nada Surf)
- Eliza Hardy Jones (The War on Drugs/Iron & Wine/Grace Potter)
- Dave Hill (Hyphenate extraordinaire)
- Toby Leaman (Dr. Dog)
- Frances Quinlan (Hop Along)
- Perry Shall (Another hyphenate extraordinaire)
- Wesley Stace (aka John Wesley Harding)
We’ll probably add a couple more guests closer to the date. Go to UTPhilly.com for tickets.”
Sorry About These
- My friend who died while visiting a dairy farm is in a butter place now.
- My elderly Polish neighbor only eats potato and cheese dumplings and that’s her pierogiative.
- I don’t know the name of the actress in The Departed but her face is vera farmigaliar.
- I have a new YouTube channel about fungus living in a symbiotic relationship with algae or cyanobacteria. Please lichen subscribe.
- Most ads for soup use stock photography.
Early 80s MTV Videos
Enjoy a rad mix of rock and new wave videos from early 1980s MTV. Some semi-obscure gems included for all you music geeks (like me).
Click play below or click here for the full list of videos.
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Good Things on Bluesky:
It takes so much effort to eat a salad and so little effort to drink a milkshake. Makes you think
— Shenanigans (@shenanigans.bsky.social) May 27, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I just want someone to look at me the way audience members at poetry readings look at their phones.
— Brandon Diehl (@iambrandondiehl.bsky.social) June 13, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Proud to be a part of the #NoKings rally with @150 like-minded souls in deep-red Greene County GA. Lots of horn-honking support.
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— Mike Mills ✌️🇺🇦🐶🇨🇦 (@millsish.bsky.social) June 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Never forget that #SesameStreet once did a sketch based on Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, which involved a Swedish fisherman counting seals until he found the seventh one.
— RedScharlach (@redscharlach.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Not to make anyone feel bad but I blame all of your obsessions with true crime and tv shows about white murderous rich people on the current state of our country. You had to deify sociopaths? We couldn’t have just gotten season 2 of My So-Called Life?
— Erin Whitehead (@girlwithatail.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 7:23 PM
The Doomsday Clock is too grim. We should change it to this.
— Mike Schuster (@mcs212.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 9:31 AM
In high school, I was a triple threat: I could sing, dance, and my choir teacher found a knife in my backpack.
— Chip Chantry (@chipchantry.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 7:01 PM
nothing quite hits the spot at two thirty one am like Night Stand Water
— Ygrene (@ygrene.bsky.social) June 16, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Punk rock kid buskers (‘The Whops’, tiktok) near the Edgware Rd. They run into Paul Simonon, play Death or Glory for him. He asks if they know The Guns of Brixton. They do –
— Justin Sherin (@wychstreet.bsky.social) June 15, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Take care of each other. See you soon with more…
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