Good Good Things – Issue 25

Here’s a good thing: I got together twice over the past month with two different groups of old friends to eat pizza, chat about music, rehash embarrassing stories, and most importantly, make fun of each other. I almost stumped legendary deejay Jon Solomon with trivia question about an early punk doc, but after a solid hour of brain racking, he prevailed.

As someone who works from home and doesn’t socialize (in-person) enough, these outings were much needed. Lots of slices were eaten and lots of laughs were had. Restaurants visited: Vic’s and Paulie Gee’s Soul City Slice.

Two of the four Pizza Pals at Paulie Gee’s with a stunning pie.

Another good thing? It’s spring, baby! And the weather is becoming tolerable, so try your best to get outside and disconnect as much as possible. A 20-minute walk at lunch or a weekend dog-watching hike in the woods can lift your mood. When you are back online and refreshed, check out a few of these…

Must Watch: “This Is a Gardening Show”

This show checks many boxes for me:

✅ Does it feature my favorite comedian, Zach Galifianakis?

✅ Does it focus on something interesting I know very little about?

✅ Does it not focus on murder, violence, or really shitty people?

✅ Does it give me a little hope in this dark world?

This Is A Gardening Show is a refreshing and whimsical take on gardening, hosted by Zach Galifianakis. Rather than positioning himself as an expert, Galifianakis approaches the subject with curiosity and self-effacing humor, admitting that his goal is to learn alongside the audience. The series blends lighthearted comedy with a sincere appreciation for humans and nature. Ultimately, This Is a Gardening Show is about the joy of connecting with the earth and people.

Philly Legend Fergie Lawyers Up!

31226 Fergies Billboard — Photo courtesy of Fergus Carey and Philly Voice

Personal injury lawyers billboards are a blight on the skyline and humanity. Philly’s most beloved bar owner made our view a little better.

Carey and McNamara were both well-dressed one day and decided to seize the moment. They asked for someone to take their picture, and voila, they had the makings of their billboard. At first, they placed the ad in Metro Philadelphia newspapers for laughs. Carey inquired about a billboard on I-95, but kept getting quotes that were too high to make the splurge.

Read all about it on Philly Voice >

Strandbeest Evolution 2025

Theo Jansen builds otherworldly majestic beasts that will fill you with joy. (via kottke.com)

Strandbeest Evolution 2025 provides an update on the evolutionary development, which is going on since 1990. Every spring I go to the beach with a new beast. During the summer I do all kinds of experiments with the wind, sand and water. In the fall I grew a bit wiser about how these beasts can survive the circumstances on the beach. At that point I declare them extinct and they go to the bone yard.

Pro Cyclist Noemi Rüegg wins in Australia

I know very little about pro cycling but that does not stop me from following the EF Pro Cycling team. This video series does a stellar job showing both chill behind-the-scenes vibes and exciting, “Good lord they are going fast!” race-day footage. There is so much more teamwork involved in these races than I ever thought.

Join us for our first RaceTV episode of the season, live from Southern Australia. Tour Down Under is always a great start to the season for our team. The racing is fast, temps are hot, and the koala hunt is on. Once again Noemi Rüegg put on a masterclass in the hills outside of Adelaide to take the crown and Ochre Jersey. Who likes Vegemite? What do you do when you see a Koala? What tactical moves did the squad take into the final stage?

Hell Yeah: New Iron Maiden Documentary

My brother and I listened to a lot of Iron Maiden in our room as wee lads and well into our teens. My top five Maiden songs? Thanks, for asking:

Wasted Years
Flight of Icarus
Number of The Beast
The Trooper
Run to The Hills

In Theaters May 7. Details: ironmaidenfilm.com

IRON MAIDEN: BURNING AMBITION explores how Iron Maiden has helped shape a cultural movement, challenging conventional views of rock music and heavy metal’s broader impact on society and culture. Featuring interviews with the band and contributors such as Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich, and Chuck D, this electrifying film offers an intimate look at their uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their global army of fans.

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

The new film celebrating the life of beloved poet Mary Oliver looks like a must-see. Oliver was described as an “indefatigable guide to the natural world,” by Maxine Kumin in the Women’s Review of Books. Read more here.

See film screenings and more info here.

The Storm
Now through the white orchard my little dog
romps, breaking the new snow
with wild feet.
Running here running there, excited,
hardly able to stop, he leaps, he spins
until the white snow is written upon
in large, exuberant letters,
a long sentence, expressing
the pleasures of the body in this world.
Oh, I could not have said it better

– Mary Oliver

From a lonely childhood to literary fame, her life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Featuring poems read by Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi, Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Jesse Welles, and Oprah Winfrey.

Why Everyone is Obsessed with Earl the Great Grey Owl?

Um, because Earl rules. SMJ Falconry is a great follow on Instagram.

Meet Earl, the Great Grey Owl, a silent giant with a loveable character. Earl has become a small social media star for us, he has grown up in the spotlight and captured peoples hearts. Many people have already visited this beautiful Owl because of watching him online.

Pro Chefs Blind Taste Test Every Potato Chip

My wife and I got very excited when these chefs gave high marks to the brands we liked.

We’ve asked professional chefs Bret Lunsford, Darrell Holder, and Brittney “Stikxz” Williams to give us their unfiltered, honest reviews of some prominent potato chip brands found on supermarket shelves. Which chips pack the most bang for your buck, and which should you avoid at all costs?

Very Good Music Facts – Vol. 6

This edition of VGMF will highlight guest backing vocalists and musicians on popular songs. We all know Eddie Van Halen played on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” Mick Jagger sang on Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” Michael McDonald delivered the goods on numerous yacht rock classics, and Stevie Ray Vaughn ripped an iconic solo on “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie, but what about the lesser-known killer collaborations?

Kirsty MacColl sang backing vocals on Tracey Ullman’s 1983 hit song “They Don’t Know.” Kirsty wrote the song and recorded the original version in 1979.
Liz Phair provided guest backing vocals on Sheryl Crow’s 2002 hit single “Soak Up the Sun.”

Behold all of these Very Good Music Facts >

New BTS Album and Documentary!

We are a big BTS household and I am very excited for our boys to drop a new batch of bangers. RM, Jin, Suga, J‑hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook will make their first late-night appearance since 2021 with back-to-back episodes on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” The doc, “BTS: The Return,” debuts on Netflix on March 27.

BTS will release their 5th album, titled ARIRANG, on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 1 PM KST, marking their first full-group comeback in over three years. The 14-track album, heavily influenced by their military service experience and Korean heritage, includes the main track “SWIM” and features collaborations with artists like Diplo and Ryan Tedder.

Quick Hits

Best Jeffs Tournament

There are a lot of great Jeffs out there and a few major duds. Pick your favorites and remember, absolutely no Geoffs!

Download: Best Jeffs

Get Birding with Sean Bean!

Man, I hope we get to see some Great Eagles of Manwë.

In this opening episode, Sean Bean grabs his binoculars and invites listeners into his garden to slow down, look up, and join the UK’s biggest citizen science event, the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. He is joined by NHS doctor and RSPB President Dr Amir Khan, fellow birder, Elbow frontman and BBC 6 Music DJ Guy Garvey; ornithologist and environmentalist Dr Mya-Rose Craig; YouTuber City Girl in Nature; and beatboxer and nature sound artist Jason Singh.

New Tunes!

Slippers – “Wants For Everyone”

Drug Church – “Pynch”

Office Dog – “Front Row Seat”

Gaijin Smash – “Mountain”

Treat Yo Self!

Jane Goodall’s Final Interview: “Without Hope, We Fall Into Apathy”

The world was lucky to have this beautiful soul. Read more here.

Goodall describes herself as “somebody sent to this world to try to give people hope in dark times, because without hope, we fall into apathy and do nothing, and in the dark times that we are living in now, if people don’t have hope, we’re doomed. How can we bring little children into this dark world we’ve created and let them be surrounded by people who’ve given up? So even if this is the end of humanity as we know it, let’s fight to the very end. Let’s let the children know that there is hope, if they get together. And even if it becomes impossible for anybody, it’s better to go on fighting to the end than just to give up…”

The Best Free Indie, Alternative, and Punk Music Documentaries

I love a good music documentary. Where else would I discover important bits of music history like, “From the very beginning of The Smiths, Morrissey behaved like a Big-Time Charlie Potato… like a rock star.” I now call people with large egos, “Big-Time Charlie Potatoes.” You should, too.

Check out this list of awesome free music documentaries >

I Partook in a Meme!

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A post shared by Jeff Lyons (@phillytrailrunners)

Bluesky

me: if i had kids, i’d be such a helicopter mom

you: you DO have kids

me: WHAT

— kattsdogma.bsky.social (@kattsdogma.bsky.social) March 4, 2026 at 10:15 AM

I don’t want to shower and go to work, I wanna stay home and be disgusting

— House of 1000 Fionas (@cogentanalysis.bsky.social) March 10, 2026 at 2:45 AM

humpty dumpty: (falling off the wall) please don’t write a nursery rhyme about this

— Ygrene (@ygrene.bsky.social) March 12, 2026 at 6:55 PM

30 years ago tonight:

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— Bill Mudron (@mudron.bsky.social) March 13, 2026 at 1:22 AM

Steve: did u guys get a good pic of me
Dave: ya dont worry
Steve: which pic did u use
Mark: dont worry about it

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— Gregory Possum-Friend (@possumacquainter.bsky.social) March 7, 2026 at 8:41 AM

Started saying “grok is this true” whenever anyone tells me anything I don’t want to hear.

— Howard Mittelmark (@howardm.bsky.social) March 6, 2026 at 4:19 AM

You can tell these folks are beyond shame because they can use the term “warfighter” without wincing. If you were working at Hasbro in the 80s and offered that name for one of the Transformers you’d be cleaning out your desk.

— Tom Coombe (@calmtomb.bsky.social) March 4, 2026 at 10:44 AM

A real nice encounter with a Red-shouldered Hawk on my last trip to Heinz in Philly. Thanks for chillin’ and posing in the parking lot my guy. #🪶 #birding #philly #nature #gobirds

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— jds (@jamesdavidsaul.bsky.social) March 21, 2026 at 8:42 AM

I’m assuming this is a non-controversial opinion here, but sometimes, after a long gap since you’ve last listened to it, “Train in Vain” comes on, and you’re just, like, “oh yeah – music – it’s really good.”

— Ted Leo 🍉 (@tedleo.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 9:05 AM

look at this baby beaver and feel better briefly

(@ wildheartrescue on TT)

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— Mar Hicks (@histoftech.bsky.social) March 22, 2026 at 3:17 PM