Daily Log

Woke up after 10. Read some, most of the AI chapter in Acemoglu, leaving one chapter left on "Working Class Liberalism." Came down at 11:15. I posted Music Week to Substack last night, but didn't do any promo links. I suspect my own interest is flagging. I should knock the blog version out today. Then, presumably, more Loose Tabs. Tomorrow would be a good day to push that out. I asked Doug to come over and trim the tree and clean up around the house, but he can't do that until Tuesday. Running out of September. I've been assuming I need to start prepping for Jazz Critics Poll in October, so that is well nigh upon us. Only thing I'm actually looking forward to in October is my birthday dinner. Israel elections two days later. US elections a week or two after that.

Email (268 unread in inbox):

• Substack: Music Week (9:4): shareable assets; 1 like.
• RiotRiot: Yes: Jeff Evans Porkestra [A-], Sweeping Promises [A-], Tinashe, Downtown Boys, Mountain Goats [***], This Is Lorelei [***], Sweet Pill [*], Neil Young: As Time Explodes [A-], Neil Young: Second Song [A-], Carly Pearce [***], Dinosaur Jr, Lex Walton, Golems of the Red Planet [***], Tipps and Obermiller [A-]; Maybe: Wednesday, Tubs [*], Westside Cowboy [**], Phoebe Bridgers [***], CS Cleaners [***], WU LYF, Chat Pile, Katseye; No: Nirosta Steel.
• Dreamspider: I replied to their Bill Scorzari plug, noting my NOEL review.
• Walgreens: Two prescriptions ready for pickup. Should be five. Running out of refills. I called them to straighten that out.
• Cuneiform: Ray Russell: Dangerous Bends bandcamp code. Downloaded.

Daily Log

Came down at 10:45. Woke up a bit after 10, 95 on the machine, from a dream where I was living in a glass-windowed skyscraper, which was being attacked by by people descending on lines from the roof. I couldn't open the windows. I thought that if I had a gun, I could shoot some of them, but I didn't. Presumably at some lower level they would break through the glass and invade, but we didn't get that far.

The Toyota has been complaining about low air pressure in the right rear tire. When I measured this, I got 29 psi, so I figured we could drive on that, but eventually I should add some air. I finally went to QuikTrip yesterday, and was dismayed to find that their air machine didn't have any sort of gauge. I had a little battery-powered gauge with an LED display. I had to replace the battery to get it to work at all, and once it did, it would only stay on for a few seconds. In bright sunlight, it was hard to see the numbers. And, of course, it was hard to get down to tire level, so the whole thing was very uncomfortable. I eventually got three tires to 33-34 psi, but the fourth read 24, so I kept pumping air into it until I hit 34. I then fiddled with the dashboard until I found the tire pressure screen: three measured 34-35, but the fourth showed 51 psi. I (correctly) surmised that the gauge had switched to kilograms. I had by then decided that I wanted an analogue gauge, one that would register pressure unambiguously, and visibly under all cases. I had several such gauges somewhere at home, but went to Autozone, and bought a new one. It included a button to bleed air pressure down, which I used.

That whole thing took a couple of hours: my big accomplishment for the day. I went to Thai House and picked up some dinner, and came home. The only other thing I got done was some Loose Tabs. Today the priority will be Music Week. I don't have much to show for the week, but I do have a lot to complain about.

Email (238 unread in inbox, many old):

• I hear I have a Meta Account now, which "works across Meta apps and devices, making it easier to log in, control settings and keep your info secure." Gee thanks. The only such account I have is on Facebook.
• Amazon: I ordered the new Susan Niemann book, Call It Evil: Understanding the Trump Era. Maybe I won't need to write my own book.

Music Week

Expanded blog post, September archive (in progress).

Tweet: Music Week: 38 albums, 14 A-list

Music: Current count 46640 [46602] rated (+38), 25 [23] unrated +2).

Advance Music Week appeared September 25 on Substack as Music Week (9:4). It is also archived here. My cutoff was done before the Substack post, but the introduction is revised/rewritten.

New records reviewed this week:

• Terry Allen: Blood Sucking Maniacs (2026, Paradise of Bachelors): [sp]: B+(**)
• Lucian Ban & Elevation: Rush (2024 [2026], Sunnyside): [sp]: B+(**)
• Ran Blake: Voices (2023 [2026], Tzadik): [cd]: B+(***)
• George Garzone: Themes for Good Friends (2026, Jojo): [sp]: B+(**)
• Ned Hill Band: Saw Jesus at the Park (2026, self-released, EP): [sp]: B+(*)
• The Hobknobs: Helmets Off (2026, 12XU/THK): [sp]: B+(**)
• Lenny Kaye: Goin' Local (2026, Yep Roc): [sp]: B+(**)
• Takashi Matsunaga: Ride Five (2026, Ride Five): [cd]: B+(**)
• My Face Is Dancing: My Face Is Dancing (2021-25 [2026], 577/Positive Elevation): [dl]: B+(*)
• Angela O'Neill and the Outrageous 8: A Live Musical Tribute to Peggy Lee (2024 [2026], Outrageous 8): [cd]: B+(**)
• Matthew Putnam/Hilliard Greene/Francisco Mela: Bright Sun Outside (2025 [2026], 577): [os]: B+(**)
• Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra: Royalty: The Music of Duke Ellington & Count Basie (2026, T2 Music): [cd]: B+(***)
• Tricky: Different When It's Silent (2026, False Idols): [sp]: B+(*)
• Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts: Second Song (2026, Reprise): [sp]: A−

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

• Amiri Baraka: New Music ~ New Poetry (1982 [2026], Modern Harmonic): [bc]: A−
• Ella Fitzgerald: Live at the Falkoner Theatre Copenhagen 6th February 1966 (1966 [2026], Gearbox): [sp]: A−

Old music:

• Sunny Ade & His African Beats: The Master Guitarist Vol. 11: Sunny Ti De (1974, African Songs): [yt]: A−
• Nelson Angelo/Joyce: Nelson Angelo E Joyce (1972, Odeon): [sp]: B+(**)
• Bembeya Jazz National: Hommage À Demba Camara (1974 [2000], Sylla): [sp]: A−
• Nat King Cole: Unforgettable (1946-54 [1954], Capitol): [sp]: B+(*)
• Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe: Lo Mato (1973, Fania): [sp]: B+(***)
• Celia Cruz: The 'Brillante': Best of Celia Cruz With the Orchestras of Johnny Pacheco & Willie Colon (1974-77 [1978], Yaya): [sp]: A−
• Aracy De Almeida: Noel Rosa (1950-54 [2002], Continental EastWest/Warner): [sp]: B+(**)
• Heitor Dos Prazeres/Jorge Fernandes/Ataulfo Alves/João Da Baiana: Macumba (1958, Fantasia): [sp]: A−
• Heitor Dos Prazeres E Sua Gente: Macumba (1955, Discos Rádio, EP): [sp]: B+(***)
• Antonio Carlos Jobim/Luis Bonfa: Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro) [The Original Sound Track of the Movie] (1959 [1960], Epic): [sp]: A−
• Los Calvos: . . . Y Que Calvos! (1968, RCA): [sp]: B+(***)
• Los Calvos: Estos Son Los Calvos (1967, RCA): [sp]: A−
• E.T. Mensah and His Tempos Band: Tempos on the Beat (1959, Decca): [yt]: B+(***)
• Anita O'Day: Anita (1955, Verve): [sp]: A−
• Hermeto Pascoal: Slaves Mass (1977 [2004], Warner Bros./Rhino): [sp]: B+(***)
• Le Seigneur Rochereau & L'Afrisa International: À L'Olympia (Paris) 1970 (1970 [1997], African): [sp]: A−
• Jamaaladeen Tacuma: Hotel Le Prince (2009 [2022], Jam-All Productions): [bc]: B+(***)
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Gospel Train (1956, Mercury): [sp]: A
• Toots and the Maytals: Sweet and Dandy (1969, Beverley's): [sp]: A−
• Papa Wemba & L'Orchestre Viva La Musica: Mabele Mokonzi (Elou) (1976-77 [1978], Special Molokai): [yt]: B+(***)
• Edmundo P. Zaldivar (H): Carnavalitos (1955, Pampa, EP): [yt]: A−
• Tom Zé: Imprensa Cantada (2003, Trama): [sp]: B+(*)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

• Rodrigo Amado/This Is Our Language Quartet: Wailers (European Echoes) [A−]
• David Maranha/Rodrigo Amado: Desolation Row (Comets Coming) [A−]
• Jason Robinson: Blue Salience: For Yusef Lateef (2026, Circumvention Music) [10-29]
• Jamie Safir: Momentum (Chill Tone) [09-04]
• Trio Imagination: Creative Inspirations (Pi) [09-25]
• UNLV Combos: Back Home (Vegas) [11-01]
• UNLV Jazz 1: My Favorite Things (Vegas) [11-01]

Daily Log

Came down at 11, after reading about "social engineering." I'm in a rut, getting very little done, irresolute in my ambitions. I should at least whip up a Music Week, although I have little to report. The least I can do is to work on jigsaw, at least until I'm ready for breakfast.

Email (205 unread in inbox; I've been whittling this down, but I have at least 30 new messages today; I'm still getting errors on failed IMAP sync operations, but I suspect they get repaired later on):

• Walgreens working on refills. Do I need to talk to them?
• Project Syndicate: The AI Productivity Delusion (Yanis Varoufakis sees the technology converting markets into fiefs and profits into rents, ending capitalism as we know it).
• Got PR from Gary Barve, who has an album I Am Elvis, but more curiously declares himself as a Republican, a candidate for "the 48th presidency of the United States of America," with a book (One Nation Under God), and other notes of extreme right-wing conceit.
• Jacobin: The Left should start using the word "evil"; Susan Neiman has a book, Call It Evil: Understanding the Trump Era.
• TomDispatch: Joshua Frank: Green Energy Is Coming for the Desert

Daily Log

Another unpleasant night, but not as bad as the previous. Woke up after 9. Read Acemoglu blaming the left for Mao's Cultural Revolution and trying to "deplatform" US university critics of DEI. Woke up thinking about the "gentler genocide" piece.

Email (257 unread, still working on it):

• Robert Christgau: Consumer Guide: September, 2026: Mostly albums I've already heard/graded, mostly graded differently, some up (Margaret Glaspy A- to A+, Rolling Stones A- to A, Twisted Teens *** to A-), some down (Jeff Evans Porkestra A- to *, Olivia Rodrigo A- to B+, Bill Scorzari A to B+, Vince Staples A- to **), some similar (Open Mike Eagle ** to B+), some unheard (Terry Allen, RJ Chesney, FaithNYC, Hobknobs, Lenny Kaye, Tricky, Neil Young, Tom Zé [2003]). I added notice to website.
• Robert Wright: The Singularity Is Clear: Part I of a four-part series.
• Gene Seymour: Five Less-Travelled Trane Tracks
• Mike Konczal: Can We Find Literally Any Sign Deportations Are Helping Native-Born Workers?
• Tom Carson: Unka Steven's Bang-Bang Boo-Hoo World War II: Saving Private Ryan, reconsidered in 1999 and now re-reconsidered.

Daily Log

I had a horrible fucking night. Went to bed early. Got up multiple times. Had trouble breathing. Had mask leaks. Swapped out the cushion in the middle of the night, and turned the AC on. Wound up at 100, with over 7 hours, but it was a relief to finally get up and stay up. Read some. Thinking much about Weird book. Wondering whether Trump ever had a real definition of what "make America great again" meant. Thinking I should soft peddle the left critique of America, stressing that we have a few problems that can and should be easily improved, while most of whatever we need and want is alrealdy within reach.

Email (296 unread in inbox, 28 from today; new IMAP account is set up and working, so I can read mail through Thunderbird; still some kinks to work out: main thing seems to be that I need to move the old account messages into Local Folders, so I can delete the account):

• Tom Carson: Ramones: Rocket to Russia; previewed [09-20] by The Ramones, starring in Political Science: The Musical. So, Carson got into Stranded, but I didn't? I wasn't unknown when he first appeared
• Nationwide Medical: I ordered replacement cushions and filters. Took me a while to figure out how to turn things off.
• NYT has a reader's poll of the top 100 TV shows since 2000. Jeffrey St Clair's ballot: Twin Peaks: The Return; The Wire; Shogun; Deadwood; Reservation Dogs; The Americans; Slow Horses; Chernobyl; Atlanta; Breaking Bad. I don't recall 1; gave up on 9; also gave up on 10, but returned and hate-watched it to the end. I also missed some episodes in the early days of 6.

More email work (adding to this over later days):

1. Under the old thull2@cox.net account, I emptied the Trash and Spam directories. I created a new Local Folders folder for Cox, and under that, I created subfolders: Old Inbox, Old Archives, and Old Sent. The idea is to move what's left of the old account messages to the new Cox folders.

2. I cleared out the old Archives folders, either by deleting or by moving messages ito Local Folders.

3. I cleared out the old Drafts folder. I moved one message to the Drafts folder under thull2@tomhull.com. I accidentally moved the rest to the new Drafts folder, so they got copied back to Yahoo. Something to deal with later. The time delay was obvious, but the operation worked. That leaves Inbox and Sent to be cleared out.

Daily Log

Woke up early, at 9, with less than 5 hours of sleep. Read some, then tried going back to sleep. Must have slept some, as I woke up from a dream with the bodies of four UPS delivery men scattered about the front lawn, and the phone I reached for to call 911 off the hook. Came straight down after that, about 10:30. 68F outside, overcast, looks like we had some rain. I posted Music Week blog late last night. Firefox was slow, so I did a software update, and restarted the machine. Now I have to reestablish my workspaces. I'm thinking maybe today I'll try setting up that Yahoo IMAP account. But first I need to fire up Firefox. Then work on the new jigsaw a bit. Then breakfast.

We went to a GLC event last night, with an Iranian who teaches electrical engineering at WSU. Like many Iranian expats, he assumes that most Iranians are anti-clerical and pro-Western, but he still takes a peculiar pride in how the regime is kicking Trump's ass. Part of it has to do with growing up looking at the world through Iran's 5,000 year history of civilization, often dominating its region, or even deeper the nation's identification with the Aryan race (without quite mentioning Reza Pahlavi's fondness for Hitler, although he did mention his role as a modernizer, his appreciation of Attaturk, and how the British sacked him, putting his weak-minded son nominally as head of state of a parliamentary monarchy, up to the 1953 coup that turned the Shah into a despot). I don't doubt that there is some truth to his views, and that the protests could transform an otherwise secure Iran into something else. But Netanyahu and Trump have short-circuited that: by attacking the whole nation, they've restored the legitimacy of the regime and its leaders, whose popularity has soared to such an extent that anti-regime expats like our speaker are taking some measure of pride in how they're kicking Trump's ass.

Email (285 in inbox). I need to finally work on fixing this.

• Substack: Music Week (9:3): +1 like.
• Caroline Borolla: Sent me a download link (I think) for the Human Hearts: Faith & Credit (Dromedary) [11-13]. Not what I asked for.

Caroline Borolla asked "what are your current outlets?" so I wrote:

I don't have a very good system for managing downloads, so I rarely ask for them. I don't need to listen to the new Human Hearts album until it's released (if then), so I'll save the email until later. What I was asking for was some kind of access to the back catalog items I mentioned (especially the EP, which Christgau really liked), on the off chance you could facilitate that. I realize it's not something you're actively promoting, but sometimes I've gotten lucky. No problem if not. Just thought I'd ask.

I've started a free Substack called Notes on Everyday Life, where I publish a shorter version of my Music Week blog posts, once a week. I'd appreciate a subscription: https://notesoneverydaylife.substack.com/ -- a recent post called "Consumer Guidance" explains the process and methodology (and madness?) better than I can here. The full unabridged, unexpurgated Music Week column still appears weekly on my website blog: https://tomhull.com/ocston/blog/index.php?t=Music-Week -- I can't guarantee that I'll write a serious review of everything I listen to, but I jot down some notes, make them public, and the ratings help remind me of what's worth recalling.

The website is built around a ratings database of some 46000 albums. I've been doing this a long time, and listening pretty widely. About 60% of what I listen to is jazz, at least since I wrote the Jazz Consumer Guide at the Village Voice. When that died, some publicists kept sending me records, so I kept writing about them. I manage the Jazz Critics Poll founded by Francis Davis, and published these days at Arts Fuse, so sometimes I write there, but generally I haven't found freelance to be worth the hassle. I do still "review" everything I get a CD of, and supplement that mostly by streaming, with the occasional download when I'm seeking out something specific.

Since my writing is readily available and voluminous, I assume that publicists can follow me, so I rarely notify them of posts. (There is an RSS on the website, and I post notices on X and Bluesky.) I do usually respond to letters such as yours, although lately email has been hell. Thanks.

I'm finally going to try to move my cox.com email from POP3 to IMAP. Steps, as I do them:

1. Under Server Settings for thull2@cox.net (server pop.mail.yahoo.com): Uncheck: Check for new messages at startup; Check for new messages every N minutes; Automatically download new messages (is this used if checking is disabled?).

2. I want to make a backup: Use Tools - Export: creating file ~/Thunderbird_profile_backup_20260920.zip. File size 5301070133 (5.3 GB).

3. I asked Yahoo for help here. It gave me the following:

   • Incoming server: imap.mail.yahoo.com
   • Port: 993
   • Connection security: SSL/TLS
   • Username: thull2@cox.net
   • Outgoing server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
   • SMTP port: 465 or 587
   • SMTP security: SSL/TLS
   • SMTP authentication: enabled

   Yes, generate a new app password first and use it as the password in Thunderbird. Go to the Yahoo Account Security page, choose Create app password under External connections, name it something like "Thunderbird IMAP," then copy the generated password into Thunderbird.

   Thunderbird may also set up the secure sign-in method automatically when you add the account. Since you've already disabled POP checking, keep the old POP account in place only until you confirm the new IMAP account has downloaded the mail you need.

4. In my Yahoo account: Security - External Connections - Create app password: App name: Mingus Thunderbird IMAP. Password: byeffefwmczqewhq

5. Add the IMAP account: File - New - Email Account. Email address thull2@cox.net. Manual configuration: recommended IMAP. Set up my account. IMAP settings:

   • Hostname: imap.mail.yahoo.com
   • Username: thull2@cox.net
   • Authentication method: Autodetect
   • Connection security: Autodetect
   • Port: 993
   • Outgoing server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
   • Authentication method: Autodetect
   • Connection security: Autodetect
   • Port: 465

   I clicked on Connect. Thunderbird found the correct settings and updated them. Authentication method (IMAP/SMTP) is: Normal password. Connection security: SSL/TLS. I clicked on Connect again. Now it's asking for password. I enter password. Remember password is checked. I click on Continue. Account created. It allows me to "explore options for security and personalization: End-to-end encryption; Email signature. I'm assuming I can deal with that later, so I click Finish.

6. I now have a new server folder tree for thull2@cox.net (IMAP). Inbox has 289 messages. Drafts 1.

7. SMTP tests are producing confusing results.

Daily Log

Woke up early, not quite clearing 5 hours, so 85 on the meter. Read more Acemoglu, getting into the paradox of toleration, whether one should tolerate others who would not tolerate you. Went back to bed, so I logged some more time, but didn't really sleep. Came down at 10:40. Cold front came through last night, delivering some rain. Temperature is 72F now, high forecast for 78F. Forecast is for highs in the upper 70s until it reaches 82 next Sunday. Should be good to do some work outside next week. I will feel some relief when the recycle is finally picked up on Tuesday. Bin has been packed full for several days now, as we accumulate more stuff elsewhere.

Thinking about Weird book. Wasted yesterday on 70s list, not even getting Music Week up, so that is first priority this morning. Playing Tom Zé right now. Laura wants to go to a GLC event tonight, where Ali Eslami talks about the Iran war.

Email (254 in inbox):

Music Week

Expanded blog post, September archive (in progress).

Tweet: Music Week: 34 albums, 6 A-list

Music: Current count 46602 [46568] rated (+34), 23 [25] unrated -2).

Advance Music Week appeared September 18 on Substack as Music Week (9:3). It is also archived here. My cutoff was done before the Substack post, but the introduction is revised/rewritten.

New records reviewed this week:

• Ralph Alessi: A Sun That Never Sleeps (2025 [2026], ECM): [sp]: B+(**)
• ALG Trio: Between the Vistula and the Hudson (2026, Aesthetiko): [sp]: A−
• Gilad Atzmon/Daniel Bulatkin/Taras Volos/Dušan Černák: Praying for More Songs to Come (2024 [2025], Hlava XXII): [sp]: B+(***)
• Baauer: U (2026, LuckyMe): [sp]: B+(**)
• Maja Babyszka/Gilad Atzmon/Nikos Sidirokastristis: In Memory of That Song (2024 [2025], Aesthetiko): [sp]: B+(**)
• Alain Bradette: To My Loved Ones (2026, Quantum Gravity): [cd]: B+(*)
• BTS: Arirang (2026, Big Hit): [sp]: B+(**)
• Todd DelGiudice: Mas Alto (2025-26 [2026], OA2): [cd]: B+(***)
• Louis Durra: Mood Music (2026, self-released): [cd]: B+(**)
• Christian Finger: Zeit Zirkel (2026, Finger Music): [cd]: B+(*) [10-01]
• Grex: Auntie + Tebs (2026, Geomancy): [bc]: B+(**)
• Rich Halley 4: A Distant Land (2025 [2026], Pine Eagle): [cd]: B+(***)
• Heat On: 150 Swirl (2025 [2026], Cuneiform): [dl]: B+(***)
• Noah Kahan: The Great Divide (2026, Mercury): [sp]: B+(*)
• Kiwi Jr.: Blowin' Up (2026, Perennial/K): [sp]: B+(**)
• Janel Leppin: The Realist (2024 [2026], Out of Your Head): [sp]: B+(***)
• Roberto Magris Trio: Live in Mexico City (2025 [2026], JMood): [cd]: B+(***)
• Syran Mbenza: Rumba Africa (2025, Hysa Productions): [sp]: B+(***)
• Rome Streetz: Sock It 2 My Pocket (2026, Mass Appeal): [sp]: B+(**)
• Nicolas Souchal/João Madeira/Bruno Parrinha: Parcours D'Impulsions (2025 [2026], 4DaRecord): [dl]: B+(*)
• Ross Stanley/Gilad Atzmon/Joel Barford: Organology (2025, Aesthetiko): [sp]: B+(***)
• This Is Lorelei: The Singer in My Band (2026, Matador): [sp]: B+(***)
• The Tubs: Hard Life (2026, Merge): [sp]: B+(*)
• Matt Wilson's Good Trouble: Love Is the Whole Thing, We Are Only Pieces (2026, Palmetto): [cd]: B+(**)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

• Herb Geller/Roberto Magris: Come Lately: Archival Recordings 2009 (2009 [2026], JMood): [cd]: A−
• Roberto Magris: Live in Hollywood: Archival Recordings 2006 (2006 [2026], JMood): [cd]: A−
• Roberto Magris Europlane Quintet: Broken Barriers: Archival Recordings 2008 (2008 [2026], JMood): [cd]: A−
• Roberto Magris: Wind Summit: A Kansas City Jazz Session: Archival Recordings 2014 (2014 [2026], JMood): [cd]: B+(**)

Old music:

• The 5.6.7.8's: Best Hits of the 5.6.7.8's (1989-2014 [2019], Time Bomb): [sp]: B+(**)
• Chabuca Granda: Tarimba Negra (1978, Pronto): [sp]: B+(***)
• Hannibal and the Sunrise Orchestra: Hannibal (1975, MPS): [sp]: A−
• Thomas Mapfumo & the Acid Band: Hokoyo! (1978, Chimurenga Music): [sp]: A−
• Nass El Ghiwane: Disque D'Or (1973 [1998], Mélodie): [sp]: B+(***)
• Celestine Ukwu: Igede (1971 [2007], Premier): [sp]: B+(***)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

• Rahsaan Barber: Eternal (Jazz City Music) [10-09]
• Daniel DeLorenzo: Can You Not (self-released) [09-01]
• Louis Durra: Mood Music (self-released) [07-12]
• Phil Haynes 2 Horns & What?: Avant Modern/Jazz Now (Corner Store Jazz, 2CD) [10-02]
• Carla Marciano: Daydreaming: My Beloved Father Giovanni (Challenge) [09-25]
• Angela O'Neill and the Outrageous 8: A Live Musical Tribute to Peggy Lee (Outrageous 8) [08-21]
• Julian Davis Reid and Circle of Trust: Mercy We Need (Too Lost) [09-25]
• Fumi Tomita: Yokai: Songs of the Japanese Supernatural (OA2) [10-16]
• Jerry Z: Break Allegro (Drawbar) [10-09]

Daily Log

Managed to stay up past 3 last night (watched another episode of Beyond Paradise; worked on jigsaw puzzle; failed again at my Mahjongg game). Slept until 11, logging 7:40, first time in a week or more I've been anywhere near 7 hours. Laura says she got 4 hours. She wanted to go to an event tonight, but has given up on that, as lack of sleep is consuming her entire life.

I still have sore throat, some cough, no fever, much depression. I sent Music Week (9:3) out last night. Blog MW delayed, as I've been working on the 1970s list, to link to. I should get that done this afternoon. Not much else to report. Front porch light literally went on the blink last night. I had one Amber BR30 E26 bulb left, so it was pretty easy to change it. (Did involve a ladder.) I'll order more.

Email (310 in inbox, fuck Yahoo!):

• Substack: Music Week (9:3): shareable assets; 7 likes; stats: 7 likes, 0 comments, 1 restack, 122 email views, 53 other views.
• Human Hearts has a new album in November. I wrote Borolla to complain about not being able to stream their old albums.
• Amazon: I ordered BR30 E26 Amber lightbulbs (3), after one on porch freaked out last night. No immediate need, but it's good to have replacement lightbulbs on hand.
• Tom Carson: Kash for Chaos; The Ballad of Mitzi Sobiewski.
• Chuck Eddy: When Elsie Met Elmer. Reminder that Brad Luen's 1996 poll ballots are due Sept. 30.
• "Unsung '90s midwest emo-shoegaze band nymb's entire reissued catalog out today!"

Daily Log

Even earlier to bed, even worse night, waking up after 8 when just under 6 hours of sleep. Read some, came down after 9. Light is so weird this time of day. When I get going, today will be the day for Music Week. Not sure what else. Well, groceries. I can say that it is a relief that the boil water advisory is over.

Email (276 in inbox, Friday is usually a big PR day, but it's still early):

• Substack: +1 subscriber.
• Matty Wishnow: The Christgau doc, The Last Critic, is coming to Wichita, Tallgrass Film Festival, Oct. 17-18. He's offering me tickets.
• Himanshu is pressing me to do website work. Lord knows I need some help. Too bad I'm too cheap.

Daily Log

I didn't sleep much better last night. Waking up so often alerted me to how little sleep Laura is getting. I got up after 8, read some, tried going back to sleep, couldn't. Came down, read some more. I'm writing this at 10:20. Checked and no changes on the boil water order, so we're still working around that, although I doubt the problem is real, and I'm not being super careful (using boiled water to drink and make ice, but washing my hands with soap in running water; dishes are mostly piling up). Tests not expected until this afternoon.

My throat is still scratchy. Other than lack of sleep and general stress, nothing else obviously wrong. Still in a stretch of 90+F days. Mostly worked on Loose Tabs yesterday. I should shift back to Weird book. Might also go ahead and post a Music Week. I don't think I'm relying much on Friday releases this week.

Email (still fucked, 236 in inbox; old inbox reduced to 4462):

• Substack: Music Week (9:2): +1 like.
• Mike Konczal: I Disagree With the Tax Foundation, Labor Share is Collapsing: Gettinto the guts of NIPA and what prop income really does when you include it.
• WordPress auto-updated for carolcooper.org, notesoneverydaylife.org.
• OR Books: Garrison Lovely: Obsolete: The AI Industry's Trillion-Dollar Race to Replace Us — and How to Stop It

Daily Log

Horrible fucking night. I forgot to take water up. Woke up several times during night, with dry mouth, nothing to drink. Got up at a bit after 8. Started to take my tylenol, but no water. Bathroom was occupied. I came down straight away, and took my pills. Laura came down later to feed dog. Says we're under a "boil water" advisory. No idea why. We had some water left in filter pitcher, so ok for now. Very down after yesterday. I'll probably just work on jigsaw today, at least to get going. Possible we could finish tonight.

Email (who fucking knows? or cares? 267 in inbox):

• Wichita Public Library: My two books — Artificial Intelligence All-in-One, and The Yahoo! Style Guide — have been renewed again, so are now due Oct. 16. I've yet to open either.
• OR Books: Julie Tilsen, Personal Responsibility, Inc.: How Psychotherapy Turns Society's Problems Into Yours.

• Amazon: I ordered socks, and a telescoping brush attachment for hose (intended for washing RV's, etc.). Latter has been shipped, so should be here. Socks, for some reason, take longer. I should get the Klein-Taylor book today. We saw their pitch on Democracy Now, starting with a promo video. I wasn't super-impressed.
• Tom Carson: My Ten Favorite Books About Movies
• RiotRiot: Rock and Roll, Well, Never Forgets: Making Village Voice's 9/11 Benefit Album

Daily Log

Woke up shortly after 9, but didn't get to writing this until after noon, so the short-term memory loss has already lost many details. Mostly worked on jigsaw puzzle, while listening to Herb Geller — getting a third play now. Good news is that WM picked up the garbage. This shouldn't have been a big deal, but Laura told me that pickup was delayed a day for Labor Day, when it evidently wasn't, so we had both garbage and recycle left over. Recycle is every other week, so we still have a full dumpster of that, and another week to wait before it goes away. We'll handle it, but it's been rough for me psychologically. I went shopping last week for an extra trash can and some bins so I can handle what I expect we'll have.

Bad news is that the upstairs toilet isn't filling properly. It's run slow for years, so I suppose a crisis point was inevitable. My next step will be to take out all of the apparatus and rebuild it. I doubt it's the supply hose, valve, or line. If it's the latter (mineral build up could constrict the line, but how likely is that?) I'll need a plumber. I'll check the pressure after I remove the fill valve, and if it's weak, I'll replace the shutoff valve and supply hose, but both problems seem unlikely. I had a hose break a few years ago, and the spray went all the way to the ceiling. We're going out this afternoon, so will stop somewhere. Meanwhile, we have pitchers and buckets that can be used to fill the tank. I'm not much of a plumber, but I've done this sort of thing several times.

Yesterday's big home improvement yesterday was changing a light bulb in the dining room. Needed a ladder, and the GU10 bulbs are hell to line up properly, although for the first time ever it went pretty easy. Also had to make a repair to the bathroom faucet, which required some physical contortion I'm still feeling. Laura has ear doctor today, so we'll go out for that, then possibly dinner and/or shopping. Hit 99 yesterday. Already well into the 90s today (94). Forecast is 96. Record is 103. Forecast is for 93-95-95-93, after which we get a cold front, storms, and 70s.

Probably Loose Tabs today, maybe Weird book. Email is still broken (inbox 250):

• Substack: Music Week (9:2): +1 like, +1 comment.

We went to Laura's ear doctor, then out for sushi, and shopping at Whole Foods. Car tire pressure light went on, back rear, but couldn't get any more information. I had a tire gauge in car, but it didn't turn on. Battery is probably dead. Looks ok, so I drove on it. Laura wanted to come straight home. It was raining. Didn't walk the dog. Didn't get anything done. Started watching The Marlow Murder Club.

Daily Log

Not quite so early to bed or to rise, but similar. Came down about 10:15. Watched a Beyond Paradise (end of season 2, the wedding that wasn't) after Laura went up. Before that, we watched whatever the sequel to The Magpie Murders is called (first episode, so most confusing, as a fictional murder recapitulates a real but past murder, with many actors playing roles in both stories, and imaginary detective Atticus Pünd appearing in the current scenes). Moved on to Acemoglu's book on liberalism. Nothing new so far (25 pages in ).

I registered the domain name for francisdavis.org last night, with Porkbun. They seem to have complete web hosting services, and at quite reasonable prices, but I switched the nameservers to mine. I'll set up a WHM account today, and cobble together a stub web page. I've moved my Loose Tabs draft notes to a temporary page in blog/archives, so I can work on it in earnest. Currently have 49 links, 3319 words.

Email (218 in inbox):

Substack: Back to 2025 Jazz: +1 like.
• il-s2.serverpanel.com: New account: fdavis (francisdavis.org)
• Tom Carson: Death of a Salesman (Ronald Reagan, 1913-2004); His Nibs Meets His Master's Voice (Nabokov, Edmund Wilson, Eugene Onegin); Paper Grails; JFK/FJK (the posthumous career of Jack Kennedy).
• Michael J Media: Chris Knight will perform in McPherson Opera House on Nov. 13; tix $29-$59.
• Mike Konczal: Why Are Women Over 100% of Jobs Gained Under Trump's Second Term? All their effort at a gender vibe shift is in service of a plan that is failing on its own terms.

Daily Log

Early to bed, early to rise, about 8:30 today. Read nearly to the end of Why Nations Fail. They're rejecting engineering and aid as remedies, mostly because they serve to reinforce existing elites, but suggests "empowerment" as an alternative, citing Lula's Brazil. Obviously written before Bolsonaro, but they'd probably point out that Lula's change was deep-seated enough to bring Lula back. I'll finish it today. I ordered Acemoglu's book on liberalism. Amazon promised delivery today, so it may be available next.

I should work on "Weird" and Loose Tabs today. Also register a Francis Davis domain. I shut Thunderbird down for an update, and haven't brought it up again. Found a lot of pretty good email in spam, including a letter from Rodrigo Amado.

Email (251 in inbox, who knows how much is new?):

Substack: Music Week (9:2): +1 comment.

I finished compiling my 1970s Brad Luen checklist. I should extend it to his earlier decade lists, while they're still fairly easy to find. The 77 albums break down to: 11 A+, 18 A, 15 A-, 5 various B+, Blood on the Tracks, and 27 unheard. The latter are (I should implement some kind of switch to filter this):

1. Franco & le TP OK Jazz: Untitled [AZDA/Mabele (Ntotu)] (1974)
2. Tom Zé: Estudando o Samba (1976)
3. Sunny Adé & His African Beats: The Master Guitarist Vol. 11: Sunny Ti De (1974)
4. Gil e Jorge: Ogum Xangô (1975)
5. Celestine Ukwu: True Philosophy [Igede] ()
6. Celia Cruz: The 'Brillante' Best (1978)
7. Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe: Lo mato (1973)
8. Zaïko Langa Langa: Plaisir de l'Ouest Afrique Volume 1 (1976)
9. Nelson Ângelo e Joyce (1972)
10. The Best of the Staple Singers (1974)
11. Papa Wemba & Viva la Musica: Mabele Mokonzi (Elou) (1977)
12. Zuhura Swaleh, Matano Juma & Orchestra Morning Star: Karama Zijiri (1973)
13. Rail Band: Série Folk Rail 4 (1975)
14. Caetano Veloso: Bicho (1977)
15. Yellow Magic Orchestra: Solid State Survivor (1979)
16. Hannibal and the Sunrise Orchestra: Hannibal (1975)
17. Nass El Ghiwane: Disque d'or (1973)
18. Thomas Mapfumo & the Acid Band: Hokoyo! (1978)
19. Hermeto Pascoal: Slaves Mass (1977)
20. Bembeya Jazz National: Hommage à Demba Camara (1974)
21. Le Seigneur Rochereau à l'Olympia (1971)
22. Chabuca Granda: Tarimba Negra (1978)
23. Idrissa Soumaoro & l'Eclipse de l'I.J.A.: Le Tioko-Tioko (1978)
24. Astor Piazzolla: Libertango (1974)

I commented on Luen's debrief post:

I finished transcribing this as a checklist: 29 A/A+ albums, 15 A-, 5 B+, 1 lower, 27 unheard: 1 jazz (Hannibal), 1 comp I've probably heard most of (Staples), YMO, most of the African/Latin/Brazilian (including Colon), although I have many later comps. Count after Music Week, where 2 Brazilian albums moved from U to A-. Since you mention Ornette, "Dancing in Your Head" would have been in my top third.

I registered the domain name francisdavis.org at Porkbun. Notes moved to a separate file. I'll set up the website tomorrow.

I moved my tabs.php content to a temporary blog file.

Daily Log

Excessive news yesterday about the Sept. 11 anniversary. I'm glad I got my piece in a day early, so I didn't get chance to react to it. I'll collect some pieces for Loose Tabs. I did take the opportunity to plug my piece several times. That doesn't seem to have created an avalanche of new subscribers.

Came down around 10:30. Into the conclusion of Why Nations Fail now: extractive bad, inclusive good. Music Week (9:2) went out last night. I'll do the blog update today. Not sure what else. I should work on the "Weird" outline, as I've linked to it.

Email (305 in inbox, looks like 18 today, but much old I haven't looked at):

• Substack: Back to 2025 Jazz: +1 like; Remembering 9/11: +2 like, stats: 3 likes, 0 comments, 117 email views, 34 other views (bsky.app: 0), so that was way down from the previous. Music Week (9:2): shareable assets, 6 likes; stats: 6 likes, 1 comment, 1 restsack, 151 email views, 39 other views; +2 subscribers.
• Robert Wright: Always Forget: My own personal takeaway from 9/11.
• Tom Carson: Stasiland in Lodi; G-L-O-R-I-A; A Town Named Alice in Caroland (1990 review of Robert A Caro's Means of Ascent, revised and updated); At the Foot of the Golem Gate Bridge; Bell Boy; some of this stuff is from "TLDDT," an essay collection of The Last Days of Donald Trump.
• Tom Engelhardt: What I Would Have to Say to Donald Trump (Not That He Asked, Of Course); YKEW's World
• Substack (Arielle Swedback/Shea Serrano): Shea Serrano did the math on podcasting. Betting on himself was the winning equation. "creators publishing podcasts collectively earn over $200 million a year on Substack." That's depressing. Serrano's podcast is called "Organizing Things."

Facebook "insights" on my "Remembering 9/11" notice: 110 views (84.5% followers), 7 interactions (4 comments, 2 by me), 1 share, 0 link clicks; who viewed: 55.4% 65+ (about 3/4 male).

Daily Log

Woke up too early. Read some, then went back to sleep. Got up after 10, and read some more. Up to page 400. Numerous examples of ruination: Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Uzbekistan, North Korea, Egypt. He almost gets to the point of identifying power as the villain, but can't see beyond property rights (which is really just one way of diversifying power, although it's still dependent on some kind of centralized power, and he doesn't look into the more mundane ways that power can be corrupted, to the relative impoverishment of many).

Friday. Might as well do Music Week today. Still have lots of email piled up (276 in inbox, no idea how many new but unread go back several days, and much of what I get I'm summarily deleting). Inbox down to 5099 messages. Update available, so I may just shut Thunderbird down for a while.

• Substack: Back to 2025 Jazz: +2 likes; stats: 3 likes, 2 comments, 0 subs, 147 email views, 61 other views; probably the highest view counts to date. Remembering 9/11: +1 like.
• Rich Halley: A Distant Land out today.

Music Week

Expanded blog post, September archive (in progress).

Tweet: Music Week: 29 albums, 9 A-list

Music: Current count 46568 [46539] rated (+29), 25 [23] unrated +2).

Advance Music Week appeared September 4 on Substack as Music Week (9:2). It is also archived here. My cutoff was done before the Substack post, but the introduction is revised/rewritten.

New records reviewed this week:

• Nicki Adams and Michael Eaton Featuring Francisco Mela: Arrival (2024 [2026], J-man): [cd]: B+(***)
• Amyl and the Sniffers: Truth or Consequence: Live From El Coyote (2025 [2026], Rough Trade): [sp]: B+(*)
• Towa Bird: Gentleman (2025, Interscope): [sp]: A−
• Bitchin Bajas: Isle Peaks (2026, Drag City, EP): [sp]: B+(**)
• Liz Cracchiolo: Just a Girl I'm a Woman (2025 [2026], Pacific Coast Jazz): [cd]: B+(**) [09-18]
• The Kris Davis Trio: Lost in Geneva (2025 [2026], 4166): [cd]: A− [09-25]
• Michael Dease: City Life: Music of Greg Hill (2024 [2025], Origin): [sp]: B+(***)
• Julia Holter: Materia (2026, Domino): [sp]: B
• Ray Wylie Hubbard: Reel 2 Reel 4 Real (2026, Sound.ly Music): [sp]: A−
• Jason Kao Hwang/Human Rites Trio: Second Life (2024 [2026], Flying Panda Music): [cd]: A− [10-01]
• Braxton Keith: Real Damn Deal (2026, Warner Nashville): [sp]: B+(*)
• The Necks: Disquiet (2025, Northern Spy, 3CD): [bc]: B+(**)
• Carly Pearce: Honest Woman (2026, Stoney Creek): [sp]: B+(***)
• Queen Herewin & PA. Dre: DOTOM: Death of the Old Me (2026, Matic): [sp]: B+(***)
• Rapsody: God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops (2026, We Each Other/Roc Nation): [sp]: A−
• Jim Rotondi & Dena DeRose: Out of the Past (2024 [2026], Cellar): [sp]: B+(**)
• Bill Scorzari: Sidereal Days (Day 2) (2022-24 [2026], self-released): [cd]: A [09-25]
• Co Streiff/Russ Johnson Quartet: Oracle (2023 [2026], Intakt): [sp]: B+(***)
• Trevor Watts/John Edwards/Tollef Østvang: In the Know (2024 [2026], Motvind): [bc]: A−
• Brennan Wedl: Brennan Wedl (2026, Anti-): [sp]: B+(***)
• Charlie Worsham: Once Upon a Second Time Around (2026, ONErpm): [sp]: B+(***)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

• Irène Schweizer: Piano Solo: Prelude to a Kiss and More (1986 [2026], Intakt): [sp]: B+(***)
• Sittin' With Blaze: A Tribute to Blaze Foley (2026, Lost Art): [sp]: B+(***)

Old music:

• Nicki Adams & Michael Eaton: Paraphrase (2021 [2022], SteepleChase LookOut): [sp]: B+(**)
• Cátia De França: 20 Palavras Ao Redor Do Sol (1979, Epic): [sp]: A−
• Blaze Foley: Sittin' by the Road (mid-1970s [2010], Lost Art): [bc]: B+(**)
• Blaze Foley and the Beaver Valley Boys: Cold, Cold World (1979-80 [2006], Lost Art): [bc]: B+(***)
• Blaze Foley: Live at the Austin Outhouse (1988 [1999], Lost Art): [bc]: B+(*)
• Novos Baianos: Acabou Chorare (1972, Som Livre): [sp]: A−
• Queen Herawin: Metamorphosis (2015, Matic Entertainment): [bc]: B+(***)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

• Ran Blake: Voices (Tzadik) []
• Andrea Brachfield: A Holiday Celebration of Light (Pacific Coast Jazz) [11-13]
• Alain Bradette: To My Loved Ones (Quantum Gravity) [06-16]
• Alexis Cole: Taking My Seat: A Musical Inheritance (Tiger Turn) [11-09]
• Azar Lawrence: Turn the Music Up (Trazar) [09-15]
• Takashi Matsunaga: Ride Five (Ride Five) [07-06]
• Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra: Royalty: The Music of Duke Ellington & Count Basie (T2 Music) [08-07]

Daily Log

Bad night sleeping, getting up several times, finally just after 9. Read about "the iron law of oligarchy," as well as tragedy returning as farce (and even more tragedy). I find myself ever hopeful of the possibility of exceptions. Acemoglu puts a lot of emphasis on strong property rights, and what he's really talking about is distribution of power. He is very enthusiastic about patents as motivation for creative destruction, but the main effect of patents is to extend property rights to a select few outsiders, who then become insiders. That's not a generalizable method of developing inclusive economic and political systems. Neither is concentrating all property in the state, regardless of how much lip service one makes to "the people." I don't doubt that he's right that some degree of state centralization is necessary, at least to set up the frameworks within which we can function democratically. Property is part of this, but so is justice, and social responsibility, and personal freedom within broad but generally unobtrusive constraints.

No obvious plans for today. It's raining, which has brought the temperature down to 73F at 10AM. I whittled my mail inbox down to about 7000 messages. I should work some more on that, but at some point just need to bite the bullet and set up the IMAP connection. I'll probably hold off until tomorrow for Music Week. I'm wondering about something for 9/11. I'm also thinking about doing a series of "what is the word for" pieces, starting with genocide and fascism. And, of course, I should get back to my "Weird" book outline.

Email (233 in inbox, 20+ today):

• Substack: Back to 2025 Jazz: +2 likes, 2 comments (both thanks).
• KiTalbums: evidently there is something called "smart media albums" ("the first new physical music format since the CD"), which are physical tokens with a chip or QR code that unlocks digital content. Billboard is going to start counting them as album sales. Doesn't sound like something I'll have any interest in.
• Hillside Medical: message: Katy Campbell added surgeries to chart; says to call pharmacy and ask them to send refill requests to Dr. Tibbe. Didn't say anything about ACO or referrals.
• Toyota responds: they said sorry, but we don't know jackshit about third party products; they sent a PDF of the Corolla/Corolla Hybrid 2025 Multimedia Owner's Manual, and referred me to p. 166. I'll bookmark the manual (says it's a PDF, but it's not giving me any access controls; only displays 100 pages; I downloaded the PDF). Refers to the section on "Playing music files on a USB flash drive."

Daily Log

Past labor day now, so summer, as I grew up thinking of it, is over, and autumn is if not here coming, surely. But it's still hot outside. When we went out for groceries yesterday, the car thermometer registered 106°F. My weather station got to 104. (That was the official figure, which set a record for the date. We've had seven days of 100F+ so far in September, which breaks a previous record of six in 2000.) Writing this as 11:12 AM, and it's 94 outside. Forecast is 98, but looks like it will cool off a bit tonight (79 by 9 PM; I've been walking the dog after dark lately, but it's usually still been in the 92-95 range). It's usually hot the first couple weeks of September, so this isn't unexpected, but the last 2-3 weeks have been the worst of the summer. Keeps me from wanting to do anything outside.

Started writing Back to 2025 Jazz last night. Didn't get very far into it, but I did the basic research, and should knock it out today.

Email (215 in inbox):

• Substack: Back to 2025 Non-Jazz: +2 likes; stats: 4 likes, 0 comments, 0 restacks, 120 email views, 41 other views. Back to 2025 Jazz: shareable assets 1 comment. Consumer Guidance: +1 comment ("The Neil album is also on YouTube as a film Corduroy Plants if you'd rather watch and listen." No thanks.)
+2 new subscribers (Greg Morton, Steve @ ESP-Disk').

I finally got around to adding a comment to my Toyota "case" file:

I took my car in for its regular "free" service. (They wanted $55 to replace a dirty cabin air filter, which even though it's a routine item, doesn't seem to be covered. Given that the filters cost about $10 retail, and that 90% of the work to replace them has to be done just to look at them, this mostly served to remind me that your dealer service is designed to rip customers off.) They couldn't find any Bluetooth problems, and maintain that the car is working properly, which suggests that the continuing disruptions with the "infotainment" system are engineering (or business) features. Android Auto comes up automatically sometimes, or not. The procedure to get it running requires that I first get off the road, as it's so complicated and counterintuitive, the touch screen often doesn't work, and I've yet to get the car to respond to a single voice command. I can stream Spotify through Android Auto, but it mysteriously cuts off, so I have to reach over and restart it. Spotify's own user interface makes it nearly impossible to select new music while driving, so I basically wind up playing the same thing over and over again. It would have been so simple for you to offer a CD player, as my old Toyota did. I've been looking for a way to add one, but I'm getting mixed information. It is generally agreed that one can plug a unit (which will probably have to be taped to the side of the center console, as you've designed the dashboard to make any more convenient mounting, including on top of the dashboard, impossible) into the USB port. Local dealers want about $500 to do this, even though there is no hidden wiring. Similar units are available from Amazon for $50-120. I wrote to one vendor, and they weren't sure if their unit would work -- seems to depend on whether you recognize WAV files. I've read about a much more expensive unit ($270) that also hooks up through the USB, but mimics a phone interface. Do you have any idea what would or would not work? Ideally, the basic functional controls should appear on the "infotainment" screen, so it's quite possible that Toyota has designed their system to make any such thing impossible. Another possibility I'd consider is hooking a MP3 player up (like the old iPods, but the newer ones aren't limited to MP3 files; while most use USB, some also use Bluetooth). Do you have any guidance on that, or is that something else you want to exclude to steer people into your side deals with Sirius XM and such? I haven't done anything with the Toyota app, which seems to me to be useless and possibly downright annoying.

Daily Log

After making modest progress on my book outline on Sunday, I wasted yesterday putting together my list of albums Christgau missed in 2025, and posted it to Substack: Back to 2025 Non-Jazz. Title leaves open a follow-up piece on jazz, or practically demands it. Criteria there would be to exclude the albums that got 2+ votes in our poll. I suppose I could do that today, while I have the research near done, or I could go back to the book outline. I need to follow up on a couple issues: doctor, car audio.

Woke up about 7:30 or 8:30 (memory hazy, so maybe both). I read some (French revolution impact on Europe, Meiji Restoration in Japan). Thought I might as well stay up, but tried again, and slept until 11:45. Was 98F when I came down.

Email (lots new in Yahoo; ugh!):

• Brad Luen: That Seventies list: A debrief. Stats show he has 39 Anglosphere albums (USA + UK + Canada) vs. 38 for everywhere else (including 5 from Jamaica). I suppose I could write a response, but for now I should just study up on the unknowns, mostly from Brazil and Africa.
• Substack: Back to 2025 Non-Jazz: shareable assets, 2 likes.
• Jacobin: Francis Fukuyama: The American Right has gone off the deep end

Daily Log

Got up after 10. Came down just before 11. Read about South Africa, where the apartheid regime engineered the poverty of the segregated Bantustans. I spent most of yesterday setting up and outlining the political book. Wrote about 2000 words. My hope is to work on it over the following week, to see how much I can come up with, and how well it hangs together. I have an outline, and under each major section a "synopsis," where I can start to sketch out the contents of the chapter. I need to come up with a way of doing footnotes. For now, I'm just using emacs and HTML markup, so I can review it as a web page. Still, this morning, I'm thinking about taking a short break to knock out the 2025 non-CG piece. Perhaps that's just weakness in my resolve? It's something I've been threatening to do for some time now, and it's pretty doable. Also thinking about rewriting the "6 worst things about Trump" note. That, at least, can feed into the book.

Email (still times out, 184 in web app, about 20 from today):

• Remembering 9/11: shareable assets.

Daily Log

Stayed up past 3 last night, working on the jigsaw puzzle. Earlier in the evening, I posted Music Week (I should change date to Sept. 5). Then we watched a movie Laura had been wanting to see: The Sheep Detectives, a combination of human acting and animated sheep, but the models were fairly realistic 3-D. It wasn't much of a mystery — my line yesterday about "super smart and highly principled" didn't begin to apply, as the crime was figured out, rather clumsily, by sheep, and the cop became their agent because he wasn't smart enough to go his own way, but was naive enough to take the sheep seriously. The humans were effectively as cartoonish as the animations.

Read some more, about absolutism in China and Ethiopia, and the inability of Somalis to form a central state. Thinking about writing the political book. I may give it a start today, after some puzzle work and breakfast. Playing Professor Longhair to start the day.

Email (7 messages so far today, plus whatever is left):

• Substack: Music Week (9:1): +2 likes.
• Semipop Life: last section of 77 favorite albums of the Seventies (25-1).

Daily Log

Got up once during the night, but went back to sleep, and got a full 8 hours for the first time in ages. Read some, and came down after 11:30. Music Week went to Substack last night. As usual, it was much better received than my non-music posts. Laura wanted to watch another of the Danish Dept. Q movies, which kept me from working on the Music Week blog intro. I'll do that today, then update the website. Email still a major problem. I sometimes get redundant copies of deleted emails. I'm not sure what that tells me. My guess is that local deletes didn't get communicated to the Yahoo server, so they can be downloaded again. Still, if retrieval is still happening on rare occasions, I'd expect to see some mail from later than 8/31, but I'm seeing none of that.

I have a pretty good idea what to do regarding Yahoo. I need to disable, but not delete, the current Thunderbird account that uses POP3. That should leave its existing inbox, etc., as an archive, although it is recommended to move what I want to save locally to Local Folders. Then, I need to set up a new Thunderbird account for the same address that will use IMAP. To do that, I'll need to get a new device password at Yahoo. That will create a new directory structure under Thunderbird, which will then reflect what's on the server. There's supposed to be an option under Thunderbird to always download emails, so I should find that and enable it. That will give me POP-like behavior, but my Inbox, etc. will also be mirrored on the server. Alternatively, I could just take extra pains to keep my Inbox from growing by saving files more quickly into Local Folders (possibly creating a purgatory, so I move things of possible future reference there, then every few months review them, delete some, and move the rest into other directories.

Still, this is only because I figure I want to preserve my old cox.net email address. As much as I hate them, I have a lot of stuff attached to that address, so losing it completely would be a hardship. Moving forward, I should set up an address on my server for most of my email. I have a couple already, but need to pick one. Also need to register a domain name for the Francis Davis site. I put off dealing with the medical questions until Monday. Maybe I'll get that new phone next week.

Email (203 in inbox, looks like 9 from today, but I've deleted a few already.

• Substack: Music Week (9:1): +2 likes; stats: 6 likes, 0 comments, 0 restacks, 0 subs, 130 email views, 47 other views. 1 new subscriber.
• Brad Luen: 77 favorite albums of the Seventies, pt. 1: Ever fallen in love with a decade you shouldna fallen in love with? I should checklist this, check out what I've missed (like, off the top of my head: 77, 76?, 74, 72, 70?, 69?, 68?, 67, 65?, 63, 61, 59?, 58?, 56?, 53?, 52?: many Brazilian/African titles, some jazz, ? probably split into three groups, for heard, unheard, and partly heard through compilations [like Piazzolla and Franco]), maybe write about it. Only goes to 50, so more parts to come. A couple of my top-ten albums there already (although an actual top ten is going to be very competitive).
• Brad Luen: Part 2 has dropped, 50-26.
• Chuck Eddy: Oops That Wasn't Supposed to Happen
• Roberto Magris, reply to my ack on receiving his 5 CDs. I'll keep the compliment: "We need more people like you in our jazz world. Bravo!"

Daily Log

Woke up after 9 again. Came down after 10, my reading triggering thoughts of rekindling the political book. The introduction is more personal. The pre-Trump section goes back to WWII, and possibly starts with the delusion that war is winnable. The three Trump sections reduce to one: I had been thinking of chronicling the campaigns, since that was what interested Trump, but we need to focus more on the administrations. I'm starting to refer to Biden as Trump 1.5. I'm increasingly viewing Trump less as an actor who is transforming history than as the all-too-visible excressence of more fundamental processes. His unique ability is to accelerate those forces while gathering political support from their victims. My idea was to follow the Trump sections with chapters of dystopia and utopia. I thought of adding a new chapter on "Trump as a Revolutionary Experience," then I realized that would work for the dystopia chapter. We don't need to extrapolate a lot to get there. That leaves the utopia chapter, but maybe I postpone that for Utopian Essays & Practical Proposals, and just conclude with a chapter on how Trump's revolution breaks down. While its failure is virtually certain, the likely outcome isn't utopia: it's yet another muddle, because that's what we are.

Still, main work today is kicking out Music Week. I may also work on the 2025 albums post, possibly for tomorrow. Major task is to fix the Yahoo Mail problem. One possible solution is to switch my mailer from POP to IMAP. This requires disabling the old account, creation of a new account, manual migration of any old account files to new, and deletion of the old account. While that sounds straightforward, I still have over 8000 inbox emails, plus lots of sent, and a few drafts. (Trash presumably can just be emptied.) This could involve transferring files back to the IMAP server, although storage there is limited, and it's Yahoo's. This is going to be a lot of work, and I still have questions, like do I have to remove (as opposed to disable) the old account (i.e., its local directory structure)? "No" would be helpful.

My other approach is to get a new email address, and start to move my correspondents over to it. While I could use a third party service, the easiest approach would be to create a new account on my server. In the past, doing so encountered reputation problems, so most of the email I sent got spam-trapped. That should be less likely given the filtering at Shock Hosting, but is still a fear. While email is mostly a nuisance right now, the jazz poll will be impossible without reliable delivery.

I sent out email to jpadmin on poll status on Wednesday. No feedback so far. One thing I promised to do is to register a Francis Davis domain name. I've decided to look for a .org name, and register it using Porkbun. Not a huge priority today, but something I should be able to do soon. I also have an issue with Hillside Medical, and I still have the car and phone things to deal with. Weight is up again, so that too is depressing.

Email (web inbox: 245, keeps switching to "Primary" whatever that means? I'm increasingly just deleting anything that doesn't look necessary, including nearly all music PR):

• Substack: Published Music Week (9:1): shareable assets: 4 likes.
• Amazon: I ordered two books, scheduled to arrive Sunday. Notice doesn't name them, but they are: Joan C Williams: Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back, and Joseph Henrich: The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter. Amazon gave me some aggravation on the order, requiring me to login again.
• Roberto Magris wanted confirmation I received the CDs he sent.
• Got a note back from Bart Grahl, who at 78 describes himself as "better than ok so far," but his partner Carol seems to have some problems.

Music Week

Expanded blog post, September archive (in progress).

Tweet: Music Week: 53 albums, 7 A-list

Music: Current count 46539 [46502] rated (+37), 23 [19] unrated +4).

Advance Music Week appeared September 4 on Substack as Music Week (9:1). It is also archived here. My cutoff was done before the Substack post, but the introduction is revised/rewritten.

New records reviewed this week:

• Agriculture: The Spiritual Sound (2025, The Flenser): [sp]: B
• Willow Avalon: Pink Pocket Pistol (2026, Assemble Sound/Atlantic): [sp]: B+(**)
• Erykah Badu & the Alchemist: Before the World Blows (2026, Control Freaq/Young): [sp]: B+(*)
• Kimmi Bitter: Bittersweet (2026, self-released): [sp]: B+(***)
• Christer Bothén/Oren Ambarchi/Johan Berthling/Andreas Werliin: Serpentine (2023 [2026], Black Truffle): [sp]: B+(**)
• Geof Bradfield/Myra Melford/Ben Goldberg/Dana Hall: Open or Close (2025 [2026], Calligram): [cd]: A−
• Greg Chako: Hard Bop for the Record (2026, Mint400): [cd]: B
• Rasheed Chappell: No Era for Margins (2026, Perfect Time): [sp]: B+(**)
• Corook: How Do I Relate to You (2026, Atlantic, EP): [sp]: B+(**)
• Zaccai Curtis: Sonoluminescence Vol. 1 (2026, Truth Revolution Recording Collective): [sp]: B+(***)
• Czarface/Frankie Pulitzer: Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer (2026, Silver Age): [sp]: A−
• Echo Party: Who Does Not Seek the Sky? (2025 [2026], Mahakala Music): [bc]: B+(***)
• Fatboi Sharif & Elucid: Invasion Body Camera (2026, Fused Arrow, EP): [sp]: B+(*)
• Fatboi Sharif & Child Actor: Crayola Circles (2026, Backwoodz Studioz): [sp]: B
• Fatboi Sharif & Roper Williams: Goth Girl on the Enterprise (2025, POW/Fused Arrow, EP): [bc]: B
• FLO: Therapy at the Club (2026, EMI): [sp]: B+(***)
• Sullivan Fortner: Leave That in There (2026, Artwork): [sp]: B+(**)
• Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin: Second Attempt (2026, Libra): [cd]: B+(***)
• Eric Harland: Vipassana II (2026, Ropeadope): [sp]: B+(*)
• Stefon Harris + Blackout: Legacy Dances (2024 [2026], Motéma): [sp]: B
• Inpatient: Asylum (2026, Sick Boi/EighthHD): [sp]: B+(***)
• L'Rain: Fata Morgana (2026, Mexican Summer): [sp]: B
• Frank London/Loisada Fife & Drum Corps: Touzle Your Kurchy (2026, Adhyâropa): [sp]: B+(**)
• Mama's Broke: Reunion (2026, Free Dirt): [sp]: B+(*)
• Ami Molinelli: Raízes Do Choro E Samba (2026, Amimo): [cd]: B+(***)
• Orquesta Akokán: América! (2026, Daptone): [sp]: B+(*)
• Nino Paid: Somewhere Over the Rainbow (2026, Signal/Columbia): [sp]: B+(**)
• Sarah Pillow: Wanderer (2026, Buckyball): [cd]: B+(***) [10-05]
• Punkt.Vrt.Plastik: Kompress (2026, Intakt): [sp]: B+(**)
• Quagmire & Christer Bothén: Rörane (2026, Relative Pitch): [sp]: B+(**)
• Andrew Sa: American Rough (2026, Bloodshot): [sp]: B+(*)
• Sweet Pill: There's Still a Glow (2026, Hopeless): [sp]: B+(*)
• Ayumi Tanaka/Thomas Morgan/Thomas Strønen: Windflower (2025 [2026], ECM): [sp]: B+(**)
• Saul Williams: Leap Life (2026, Big Dada): [sp]: B+(**)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

• The Cramps: Gravest Gravy (1977 [2026], Vengeance): [sp]: B+(**)
• Junglist! Old Skool Ragga, D&B, Jungle 1993-95 (1993-95 [2026], Soul Jazz): [sp]: A−

Old music:

• The Rough Guide to Bachata (1993-2005 [2009], World Music Network): [sp]: B+(***)
• Rumble in the Jungle (1991-95 [2007], Soul Jazz): [sp]: B+(***)

Grade (or other) changes:

• Barcelona Art Orchestra & Miguel Zenón: Expressions: Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (2025 [2026] Miel Music): [cd]: [was: B+(*)]: B+(**)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

• Satoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya: Kore Kara (Libra) [10-02]
• Rich Halley: A Distant Land (Pine Eagle) [09-11]
• Herb Geller/Roberto Magris: Come Lately: Archival Recordings 2009 (JMood) [09-01]
• Roberto Magris: Live in Hollywood: Archival Recordings 2006 (JMood) [09-01]
• Roberto Magris Europlane Quintet: Broken Barriers: Archival Recordings 2008 (JMood) [09-01]
• Roberto Magris/Wind Summit: A Kansas City Jazz Session: Archival Recordings 2014 (JMood) [09-01]
• Roberto Magris Trio: Live in Mexico City (JMood) [09-01]
• Polyfillas: An Assortment of Punk Originals (Dangerous) [09-04]

Daily Log

Writing this at 9:40 AM. I've been awake for about an hour, most of which I spent reading, mostly about Tudor England, the Stuart efforts to restore absolutism, and the war with Parliament. Next up is the Glorious Revolution, which is the pivotal event in Why Nations Fail. After my initial depression, I did get some work done yesterday: I updated the Christgau website database, which now contains all albums reviewed through August 2026. It took me the better part of Tuesday to catch up with the last four columns I hadn't gotten to. The update process is fairly straightforward, but I wind up requiring a lot of specific options to mysql/mysqldump to compensate for the sad fact that we're still using the latin1 character set, instead of utf-8. The main goal of redesigning the website is to fix this, a process that due to my inertia has dragged out for decades.

I then moved on to updating the Jazz Critics Poll index page. I'm putting all of the years into a table, and including winner album pics and links into the various essays as well as standings. Yesterday I worked my way back from 2023 to 2010, so I have four more years to go. The state of available files is increasingly broken, especially for the Rhapsody years. I hope to get this done today. Then to update the website, register a Francis Davis domain name, and write it all up for jpadmin. I thought about running Music Week, but right now I'm leaning toward Friday. This week's haul is pretty lame so far, and not likely to get much better, but at least that will pick up the 09-04 releases.

Email (fuck email, nothing there anyway):

Substack: August stats: 155 subscribers (+13), 1202 post reads (+371).

Daily Log

Woke up about 7:30. Came back to bed, but decided to read a bit: up to the Roman Empire in Why Nations Fail. Tried going back to sleep, but couldn't. Trouble breathing through the mask. Lots of uncomfortable thoughts. Finally got up around 9, and came down. I'm feeling very depressed. Email is weighing heavy, even though I have a fairly decent understanding of the problem and solutions. Worked instead on the jigsaw. After some silence, I finally put on Tatum & Webster. Before that it was just "Too Much Monkey Business" in my head.

Email (not working, who knows?):

• Substack: More Intro Ideas: stats: 2 likes, 0 comments, 0 restacks, 0 subs, 128 email views, 9 other. +1 subscriber.
• I wrote to jpadmin Yahoo spam-trapped my message.

I started cleaning up the email archive. Started with about 12800 messages in inbox. Down to 8100 now: most deleted, but some moved to various categories, including new ones for family, friends, house, and medical.

Firefox was running very slow, so I killed and restarted it. When it came back up, I lost all access to Yahoo Mail. Page says: "Your mail is temporarily unavailable. Learn more": when I click on "Learn more" I'm given a captcha to prove that I'm human; when I complete it, it checks the human box, then offers me nothing else. Their bot blamed my browser, which I didn't like, but just to be sure, I brought up Firefox on the other machine, then logged in to Yahoo Mail, and my mail appeared. Then when I returned to my main machine, I brought up a new window, and the mail appeared, so logging in on the other machine seems to have cleared whatever was causing the problem.

Daily Log

Well, September now. We've had temperatures over 100F for a week now, and the forecast is for another week, so the callendar change isn't going to be felt immediately. And since we're past school and retired, those seasonal shifts aren't likely to have much impact either. But the march of time is hitting my psyche hard, as was probably evident in yesterday's Substack post. Now, what to do next?

Well, we take the dog to the vet for a 1:50 appointment. New vet, closer, so shouldn't be much of a deal. I did some grocery shopping yesterday, and picked up food at Tiger Rice Kitchen. Laura may still want to go shopping (or she may have ordered from Whole Foods). Not much else planned, but I should update the Christgau database, and the jazz poll index page. Woke up this morning thinking about what I recall from the founding of Contex. It's becoming sketchier in my mind. That's probably true of all of the memoir stuff. The sense of impending doom is growing.

Email is still broken, so nothing since 11:57 AM yesterday. Using Yahoo's webmail app, I'm deleting a lot of stuff without reading it (especially music promo).

• Substack: More Intro Ideas, shareable assets, 2 likes. Loose Tabs (8:2): +1 like. +1 subscriber.

The Yahoo problem has really been bothering me today, so I asked Google for some advice, and got quite a lot of it. Some highlights:

1. Yahoo's POP service is falling down all over the place. Evidently they want people to switch to IMAP. So the most straightforward fix is to reconfigure Thunderbird to use IMAP. Thunderbird can be set to always download from IMAP, thus reproducing the functionality of POP. I still need to investigate whether it's possible to simply change the server settings on the existing connection (thereby keeping my inbox, sent, etc.). It seems like that should work, but before I do so, I should do some housecleaning, as I currently have 12256 messages in Inbox, plus more elsewhere.

2. It thinks setting up a primary email address on my server would be a good idea.

3. It offered several commercial plans for consideration.

Aug 2026