Distractions during the worst(?) of the worsening pandemic…
Watch HBO for Free
Varya and I were avid fans/serfs of (most of) Game of Thrones, and now look forward to questioning our reality and humanity each week in Westworld, currently in its 3rd season. But HBO was leading the golden age of prestige television long before the robot Hosts’ bloody uprising and the Queen of Dragons’ fiery rampage. You might say this age started with the widely acclaimed Sopranos at the turn of the century (though I watched the series years later). Still, it was the first 4 seasons of the hard edged The Wire–arguably one of the best TV series ever produced, better than the more popular mob show in my book–that really hooked me on HBO content. I would purchase entire Wire and True Blood (guilty pleasure) seasons on iTunes, download them to my video iPod (still have a couple) in Moscow, hook it up to the old TV in my Energia Hotel room inside the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and binge watch (before that was a thing) through the long nights on the Kazakh Steppe. I missed the acclaimed Six Feet Under, didn’t quite get hooked on the comedies Barry and Veep (your mileage may vary), but loved the sharp, nerdy humor of Silicon Valley. HBO has made all of these bold TV titles and more (e.g., the highly rated Succession), plus some movies and documentaries (including a recent favorite, McMillion$, about the criminals who rigged the McDonald’s Monopoly game throughout the 1990’s), available for free streaming through the month of April. The How to Watch HBO for Free page is rather self-explanatory, and includes links for downloading HBO apps from the App Store or Google Play (HBO Go, a companion to cable/satellite TV, or what I use, the standalone HBO Now). Now you can binge watch HBO at no cost for at least 3 more weeks of the pandemic.
Musical Quarantine
Anything can inspire musicians, especially the comedic kind, even a deadly virus and the first (not last?) global pandemic of the 21st century. Here are a few favorite recent performances:
- For those born to boogie (at home) with the Bee Gees, Stayin’ Inside
- For those born on the bayou with Creedence Clearwater Revival, Coronavirus Rising
- For those born to rock with Queen,
- Coronavirus Rhapsody from Adrian Grimes
- Coronavirus Rhapsody version from InVoca/Raul Irabien with cute video
- Chris Mann has been busy while sheltering…
- My Corona for fans of The Knack (like me and My Sharona)
- Hello (from the Inside) for Adele fans
- …and the clear favorite of Madonna & fashionistas like Varya, Stay Home Vogue
Finally, while there are many big names live-streaming virtual concerts during the pandemic, this Lockdown Session caught my eye and ear, as I haven’t seen or heard The Red Rocker in years: Won’t Get Fooled Again cover by Sammy Hagar & The Circle.
Hopefully we don’t get fooled again, learn from our lack of preparedness and slow response, get ready to quickly detect and control the next novel virus before it spreads into a pandemic. (See epidemiologist Dr. Larry Brilliant’s Wired interview and TED2006 Talk.)
Moonday 