The PopCulteer
April 27, 2018

Your PopCulteer is still not quite back to 100%, but there’s a lot of stuff to talk about this week, so let’s just jump in…

Blue Parrot Friday

Friday night at the Blue Parrot you can hear Three’s Company Blues, Bad Keys of the Mountain and The Jeffrey Thomasson Group, which features Joey Lafftery on 6-string bass and none other Chuck Biel on drums, joining Jeffery on guitar.

All three bands are well worth catching live, and seeing them all on one bill for a mere five bucks is too big a bargain to pass up (unless you’re still on the injured reserve list, like yours truly). Were your PopCulteer in any shape to do so, this would be a great triple bill to record for Radio Free Charleston.

Because Chuck is involved, there will be a program for The Jeffrey Thomasson Group, who are opening, and you can see a part of that at the head of this post. I believe the music kicks off at 9 PM, with The Jeffrey Thomasson Group, and the plan is for Three’s Company Blues to stream their portion of the show on their website at 11 PM.

Even without the presence of yours truly, there are still vibrant musical acts performing all over town. You really need to get out and support the local scene, if you’re able to at all.

Cosby

Bill Cosby was convicted of three counts of sexual assault yesterday, and people are asking how his work should be presented in light of the fact that so many accusations are practically confirmed now.

My take is that it shouldn’t be presented anywhere for the time being. At this point it’s too close to allowing him to reap rewards from his renewed notoriety for his wretched and criminal actions. Maybe in a few years, his work can be viewed in the proper historical context of being ground-breaking material that helped break down racial barriers in this country, but for now there’s no other way to look at it except as the things he did to put himself in a position to rape women.

Monet

I am a recent convert to the ways of the smartphone, and wanted to make note of a nifty little gadget-type-thing (I believe the word I’m looking for is “accessory”) that was recently gifted to me.

The Monet is a nifty little compact wallet/grip/stand that sticks to the back of your cellphone (or cellphone case) and allows you to take better selfies, carry your ID and a credit card and stand your phone up so you can watch it like a little GI Joe-sized flatscreen TV.

The peel and stick application is simple, and the patented design is quite clever, with the sliding grip/stand easily slid back into place to give you a flat profile for your phone when not needed. The animal-friendly, stylish material is durable and the construction solid, and you can get one of you own from their website, Amazon or in upscale boutiques nationwide.

Their PR says, “The ultimate fashion accessory for the on-the-go minimalist.  It’s an extension of your hand with its easy slip on grip helping you to have a secure grip on your phone while taking better selfies. That same grip becomes an on-the-go phone stand when you need to put your phone down to watch something, and Monet is a sleek wallet to hold money and cards. It’s currently available in 30 color variations with more colors currently in production. Monet is an expression of you and your phone.”

This is the only accessory I’ve added to my phone, and I’m really happy with it.

More Reviews in PopCult

You can expect to see more reviews in PopCult in the coming weeks as I get back into the groove, covering toys, comics, books, gadgets and TV shows. I’m about a year in with Netflix, and due to my recent bouts with illness, I’ve somewhat mastered the art of binge-watching. I’ve also discovered a lot of new hidden gems and lost classics tucked away on the Roku, so expect to read more about that, too.

Toys R Us Update

As I write this, the Canadian, French, German and Italian branches of Toys R Us have all been sold and will continue to remain in business. The Asian operations, including Australia as well, are expected to be sold to the minority partner in the Chinese stores.

That leaves the American branch, and at the moment last-minute bids are in the works, but only for part of the stores. Isaac Larian, of MGA Toys, is said to be courting new partners and is hoping to present an enhanced bid for 215 of the US stores, but as we go to press no bid has been submitted, and the liquidation has moved into its next phase, with most items now marked down to 20% off.

Word is that the trustees may drag this out to give prospective bidders more time to build alliances.

The AIR

Our sister internet radio station is still plugging away. Tune in at the website or on this embedded radio player to listen to truly independent radio…

As soon as your PopCulteer is back at full strength, The AIR will be back on track, with all-new programming every weekday at 2 PM.

The Monday Morning Art Unintentional Theme for April

Thus far, April has been a repository for Monday Morning Art based on old sessions of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School. With next Monday being the final day of the month, we see no need to change that, so check back for a new painting of Pepper Fandango, with a bit of a 1980s flair to it, first thing next week.

And tha’t it for this week’s PopCulteer. Yours truly plans on spending Friday eating Advil and watching WWE’s huge event in Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, you can check back every day for fresh content here in PopCult.