Remember (Free as a Bird)

Do you know what song ties The Beatles, John Lennon, Billy Joel, Goodfeelas, and Tik Tok?

In 1977, John Lennon recorded a demo of the song Free as a Bird.

Here it is remastered with AI (hey, I didn’t do it):

Now listen to this song by The Shangri-Las (15-year-old Billy Joel is thought to have played piano on it):

I know this song because it appears in the movie Goodfellas:

That’s where I first realized Free as a Bird quotes this song, which you can really tell in the re-recorded version with the rest of The Beatles (the part where it says “whatever happened to…”

Turns out, there’s also an Aerosmith version:

In 2005, Capone sampled The Shangri-las version:

Which was sampled by Kreepa:

Which is the source for its use in many a TikTok video:

Backrooms

Do you know The Backrooms? I think I’d heard the name and then hadn’t seen footage until it was shown on Corridor Crew. The original was (mostly) CGI and done by Kane Parsons/Kane Pixels, who was 16 or 17 when he made the original viral video. Now, at the age of 20, his feature-length version is being released by A24. I’m glad to see Kane is also directing this, and I’ll be curious to see what they do for a story. The original was inspired by a photo of an abandoned HobbyTown under renovation. Anyway, here’s the trailer, the original, and the clip from Corridor Crew.

The Teaser:

The Original:

Corridor Crew video:

Free Movies

If you’re ever in a pinch and looking for something to watch, did you know you can watch free (legally, with ads) movies on YouTube? I’ll often use this to scope out something before paying for it, or if it’s not streaming elsewhere. Here’s a sample of a few sources…

HelloFresh

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried HelloFresh for dinner. Overall, I like the service… everything is pre-portioned, and you can make substitutions. There are some pieces I could see doing again, maybe putting my own spin on them. I’ve mentioned my dairy sensitivity before – this makes it easy to choose meals that are safe for me, too.

Here are a few I’ve tried:

Coming up:

After this next delivery, I’ll also be getting a free Zwilling Four Star 8-Inch Chef’s Knife! If you want a link where we both get freebies, let me know, and I’m happy to send one.

London Calling

I’ve been lucky enough to visit London four times over the past 26 years. I wanted to put together things I can remember visiting… this isn’t a best of list, just some thoughts.

If you’ve never seen them, Big Ben, The Tower, London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, etc., are things you could knock out pretty quickly. I am a sucker for overpriced tickets for seeing a city, so you could always visit The Shard! As a general statement… get Indian food and sushi, and clichés like fish and chips and a traditional pub. I’ve wanted to try really traditional places like F. Cooke. Some random things were meaningful to me… seeing the old home of BBC Television and their coffee shops, cafés, etc., and finding an old Police Call Box at Earl’s Court Police Box (can you tell I like Doctor Who and other shows on The Beeb?).

  • Art
  • Shopping
    • Selfridges: I became a little obsessed with Selfridges while staying at an Airbnb in Mayfair. I love the mix of 1909 architecture and contemporary styling. I found myself trying a bunch of vendors in the food court area, though many have changed since my visit (there’s now a sushi conveyor belt!?). I haven’t been to Harrods, but maybe next time!
    • Portobello Road: I love dipping in and out of the shops in Notting Hill and visiting the street vendors.
  • Food
    • Market Thai: Honestly, I mostly remember the well-decorated interior. Mostly, I’m impressed it’s still open since I first visited in 1999! Though I just learned it opened the year before my visit.
    • Goodman Mayfair: Steak spot with a few locations in the city.
    • The Gate: A vegan café with several locations; I visited Hammersmith.
    • Nando’s: I understand the obsession!
    • Random: Honestly, I miss popping into a Sainsbury, Gregg’s, or M&S and grabbing an actually edible sandwich (<3 you all day breakfast sandwich)
  • Pubs
    • Iron Duke: It’s funny, you pop into a place and then learn it was first licensed in 1736, and the current version started in 1866.
    • White Hart: I didn’t make it in, but I snapped a photo of the inspiration behind the name of one of my (now closed) favorite bars in my hometown. It also claims to be “The Oldest Licensed Premises in London” (it opened in 1216).

Weapons

I’ve been thinking about Weapons (the movie) off and on since I saw it. This has been partially bolstered by others’ video essays. I’m not going to go into detail to avoid spoilers, but I’m curious what others think.

The movie draws on several sources:

  • A standard mystery/drama: The first section of the film operates like one, with characters trying to find missing children and exploring the lives of Josh Brolin and Julia Gardner.
  • Fairy tales: Most obviously, the Pied Piper and Goldilocks.
  • P.T. Anderson’s Magnolia: The episodic nature, the cop character, the overall look and feel. Plus, the director even said so!
  • Alcoholism: The director has gone on record as saying this is a massive piece of the film. Julia Garner’s character is one, as were Josh Creeger’s parents. The idea of a child taking care of their parents originated here.
  • What else am I missing?

Comfort Movies

I hesitate to call most of these “comfort movies,” but these are movies I will put on in the bacikground mostlybecause I’ve seen them so many times.

  • Back to the Future (1985)
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) I’ll often keep watching the series – they’re more connected than their Next Generation counterparts.
  • Zodiac (2007)
  • Alien (1979) again, I’ll often watch a lot this series (even with its highs and lows)
  • Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Cooking with Congress

Fun fact… when I was in the second grade, I became obsessed with the U.S. Presidents. I had books, a puzzle, memorized facts… you name it. My teacher would hold challenges for who could memorize all 40 (at that time) presidents, and I won! It came down to me and someone who would actually end up working in the government for governors, senators, and the like.

So that’s why I think I’ve been super into this YouTube show, Cookin’ with Congress. Not only does the show feature meals eaten by congresspeople from each district, but it has also expanded to include First Ladies, congressional district constituents, and, most importantly, Presidents. Anyway, check out Big Steve’s meals in the latest video.

Scenes from an Italian… dinner

I had a friend over for dinner and made a bunch of food from scratch, and 100% vegan. All of the recipes are linked below. I didn’t take a single picture.

I’d probably tweak a few things here and there, but I was happy overall!