Looking Sideways: 10 Things
Why voting RFK Jr lets Trump in the back door, Db's latest opus, our forthcoming six week of election chaos, and Tom Jones absolutely having it in this week's selection.
1. Welcome The Wave to HKC Discount Club! Yep, my close friends at The Wave have offered Looking Sideways listeners and readers yet another an exclusive discount code, this one offering 10% off ANY session at our favourite inland lake. Just drop the code SIDEWAVES10 at checkout to get the goods. You’re welcome….
2. Seeing Kelly Slater and Travis Rice post endorsements for RFK Jr, and reading the subsequent comments from some of surfing and snowboarding’s most famous names, has been fascinating.
Especially in the context of a wider conversation doing the rounds in US politics right now - that Trump is considering taking RFK Jr as a running mate, given his ability to hoover-up left-leaning voters. (Try this podcast for more on that argument)
Self-confessed ‘freethinkers’ often hate the thought of tactical voting and, in this case, being told to vote Biden as the lesser of two evils.
I thought this incendiary post (above) by previous LS guest
got to the heart of the issues with this privileged take pretty effectively.3. Speaking of elections….the next six weeks should be pretty hectic. Start getting your head around it with this Rest is Politics primer - and stand by to hear an incredulous Rory Stewart on the insanity (as he sees it) of Sunak calling an election now.
4. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is 50 years old. This BBC archive documentary on author Robert Persig is fascinating, and includes previously unheard footage of the author discussing his legendary text.
5. Okay, I'm biased, but the new DB film discussing those airport scenes we all love and know so well is absolutely brilliant. Watch it above.
6. This Led by Donkeys short, which systematically details the way that our water companies have been asset-stripped in the 30 years since the Thatcher government privatised the water industry, is stark and shocking. As is this extensive New Statesman breakdown of the whole sorry mess.
7. I binged all eight parts of The Rest is History on Custer, Crazy Horse and The Battle of Little Bighorn in one go.
8. Yes, I’m still on a Steve Albini tip - this one on the recording of In Utero. Worth it for the anecdote of the studio engineer on his first day being sent to the airport to pick up the most famous band in the world (who were masquerading as a bluegrass band).
9. Last call for the forthcoming Sidetracked x Kudhva Festival tickets! I’ve got an exclusive discount if you fancy checking this one out - hit up LSXELEMENTS at checkout for 15% off.
10. Finally, if you’ve never seen Tom Jones jamming with (a clearly stoned out of their gourds) Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young …well, let’s just say you’re in for a treat.
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I'm particularly curious about 4 - thanks for sharing this! One of my favourite people on the internet, Brendan Leonard aka semi-rad, wrote an article about trying to read Moby Dick and Zen and the Art... is my Moby Dick equivalent. I have tried maybe 10 times to read it but always given up, admittedly I was much younger when I last had a go. Maybe it's time for another go.
Hope it's OK to share the link: https://semi-rad.com/2024/04/moby-dick-is-my-literary-ultramarathon/