It's A Good Time Friday! - May 24, 2024
Slugger the Sea Dog, neon tube art, and more
Hey hey hey, here’s some fun reading to distract you in your half-day before Memorial Day weekend! (Or to get you through the return after Memorial Day, depending on when you read this. No time constraints!)
I’m a little bummed because I’m not currently in Maine or anywhere in New England this weekend — just toiling away down in New Jersey — but I plan to eat clam pasta two nights in a row to make up for it. That’s how I make my own fun!
And here’s a photo to mentally and emotionally transport us all:
Now, let’s get to the good times:
➡️ As I was looking up links for my post on minor league ballcaps, I came across this profile of Slugger the Sea Dog — Director of Crowd Entertainment for the Portland Sea Dogs — and it made my day. We have the same taste in movies! And same weight! And I would probably equal him on that Base Race Record.
➡️ In the early days of pandemic, I leaned into Star Wars hard and made my way through the entirety of The Clone Wars as my self-soothing nighttime show, and that’s how I got acquainted with the talent of Dee Bradley Baker.
Here’s a profile on him and how he works through voicing every. single. clone. in the animated Star Wars-verse. (I confess I haven’t gotten around to watching The Bad Batch yet, but it’s not for lack of interest!)
➡️ Yes, I’m recommending a 12-minute video here, which normally would be outside my range. But this one is about the work of Dan Flavin, the late “artist who does neon tubes,” and his permanent installation at Dia Bridgehampton.
It’s often hard to articulate the inner sensations and feelings you get when you’re experiencing a piece of art (and of course, they’re completely subjective), but I feel like you can actually feeeeel the transcendence and joy through the screen when you watch this. That’s a big lift, but I think it works here. And if you’ve never seen a Flavin in person, I hope this inspires you to do so.
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