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pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow") wrote:

Within a few hops, I'd found my way to Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and thence to the immortal James Cotton:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl4IcMlrJwM

I started skipping Rocky Horror to see the house band at Chicago's on Queen Street, and from there found my way to the weekend jams at Grossman's:

https://torontobluessociety.com/venue/grossmans-tavern-2/

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pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow") wrote:

By the time I was 20, I'd amassed a vast collection of used records, tapes and CDs featuring Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Aretha Franklin, Willy Mabon, The Chips, Floyd Dixon and more. Soon, I was leaping from one artist to others. I found an incredible Pop Staples/Steve Cropper/Albert King collaboration "Jammed Together":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sarzs8VRSg

7/

pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow") wrote:

But beyond the movie, I was taken with the Blues Brothers' *music*. I didn't know much about blues, boogie woogie and other roots music before the Blues Brothers came into my life. The combination of the Blues Brothers movie and its sound-track sent me on a treasure hunt for music by the band, its musical guests, and the artists whose song they covered.

6/

pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow") wrote:

The Blues Brothers is sunk so deep into my psyche that I don't know that I ever questioned *why* they were so embedded. I don't know if I can even say when I first saw the movie. Certainly, my friend-group was *very* into the movie, and my best friend and I went as Jake and Elwood on multiple Hallowe'ens at the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Toronto's Roxy Theatre, until it became such a cliche for us that we felt the need to mix it up and dress up at *zombie* Jake and Elwood.

5/

pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow") wrote:

Like many people of my generation, I grew up with The Blues Brothers. I taped the movie off of TV when I was about 14 and literally wore the tape out in the next four years, re-watching and re-re-watching the movies on that tape - Animal House, The Blues Brothers and Spinal Tap - so many times that I can still just about recite those movies verbatim, more than 30 years later.

4/

pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow") wrote:

By the time the line was cleared, there was no question that I was going to buy this book, even though it wasn't formally for sale for a couple days (the bookstore staff were kind enough to make an exception for me, not least because I promised them that I wouldn't get a chance to read it for quite some time as I flitted from city to city on the rest of the tour).

3/

pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow") wrote:

It was on the receiving table I sat next to as I signed books after a book-tour reading, and I snuck peeks at the back cover while I chatted with the long line of attendees.

2/

pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow") wrote:

I picked up Daniel de Visé's *The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic* at LA's Diesel Books:

https://danieldevise.com/product/the-blues-brothers-an-epic-friendship-the-rise-of-improv-and-the-making-of-an-american-film-classic

--

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/06/21/1060-west-addison#the-new-oldsmobiles-are-in-early-this-year

1/

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
jedi@bolha.us ("Thiago, chamado Jedi") wrote:

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
mcnado@mstdn.social ("McNadoMD") wrote:

FYI, if you buy Chiquita bananas right now, you’re crossing a picket line. The unionized workers at a plant in panama went on strike, and they fired them.

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
ploum@mamot.fr wrote:

Did you know that there’s a premium version of Whatsapp which :

- Has no advertising
- Has no mandatory AI integration
- Has no tracking and does not gather your personnal data
- Has increased privacy and stronger encryption
- Is exclusive and allows you to chat with other premium members

Best of all ? It is currently free to join!

Go now to your app store and install it before it is too late!

It is called "Signal"

https://ploum.net/2025-05-23-chats-digital-clutter.html

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
ada_ada_ada@helvede.net ("Ada Ada Ada") wrote:

The AI market crash will affect millions, if not billions, of people across the globe through our pension funds and other investments. @pluralistic briefly outlines here what went down after the dotcom bubble burst:

"The bubble was terrible. VCs and scammers scooped up billions from pension funds and other institutional investors and wasted it on obviously doomed startups."

pzmyers@freethought.online ("pzmyers 🕷") wrote:

Queer Morris is having a party this afternoon

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/06/21/celebrate-today/

fribbledom ("muesli") wrote:

God nods. "Okay. You want the Stillness. Total peace. Soul off-grid."

I blink. "Wait, that’s an option? Why don’t you lead with that?"

"Marketing," they say. "Reincarnation gets better engagement."

I laugh. "Yeah, I’m good. No more side quests." They raise their mug. "To finishing the game early."

Light washes over me. I fade, finally free. No rebirth. No chaos. No emails. Just... blessed silence.

[3/3]

denschub@schub.social ("Dennis Schubert") wrote:

als bahn-nerd find ich formsignale ja super, aber als infrastruktur-nerd will ich immer ein bisschen heulen. c’mon, deutschland…

fribbledom ("muesli") wrote:

I lay it all out: climate collapse, billionaires LARPing as space cowboys, influencers selling moon water, rent’s a joke, AI's making playlists that understand me better than my ex.

God winces. "I gave you opposable thumbs and empathy. How did you mess it up this bad?" I shrug. "We tried capitalism." God sighs. "Again?"

"Alright, what do you want instead? Goat in the Alps? Small-town librarian? IKEA pencil?" I shake my head.

"No more loops. I want out."

[2/3]

fribbledom ("muesli") wrote:

I died choking on a carrot - final proof healthy living is a scam. I wake up in a glowing lobby that smells like eucalyptus and unresolved emotions.

In walks God, looking more like a tired barista than a thunder-wielding deity: hoodie, sandals, coffee mug that says "#1 Creator." They give me a kind smile. "Hey" they say, "Ready to reincarnate?"

I squint. "Back there? You seen Earth lately?"

God shrugs. "I check in sometimes." "Well" I say, "you really should’ve read the comments."

[1/3]

Boosted by jwz:
dnalounge@sfba.social ("DNA Lounge") wrote:

Drink Special @ Cowboy Carter Beyoncé Tribute: GLORIOUS ROCKET EXPLOSION - Cazadores Reposado Tequila, Soda, Splash of Tequila, Lime.

Attachments:

• gifv: 34e16471219e4bcf.mp4

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
oldcoder@dansu.org ("OldCoder") wrote:

@mastodon has commented as follows:

"We've heard your feedback on the Terms of Service updates for mastodon.social and mastodon.online, and we're pausing the implementation date (previously announced to users via email as 1st July 2025) so we can take further advice and make improvements."

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
drrimmer@aus.social ("Matthew Rimmer") wrote:

@pluralistic Reading this practical medical care story, I was reminded that there is a significant component of the Australian community (particularly men) who avoid seeing a doctor https://ahaclinics.com.au/2023/07/24/demystifying-a-visit-to-the-doctor/

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
zenhob@butts.team ("Zack") wrote:

God, this bubble burst is going to be so brutal

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
hmorrell@openbiblio.social ("HarveyMorrell") wrote:

@OrionKidder @pluralistic I love that the Martin Hench books are working their way from most current to the past.

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
ferrisoxide@ruby.social wrote:

@pluralistic My copy has been handed around to friends, so apologies for not helping drive demand, but it's great to hear how your and Rebecca Giblin's work is circulating so widely. Awesome sauce. Congratulations.

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
afeinman@wandering.shop ("Alex Feinman") wrote:

I love the Fediverse because half of it is like "fifteen well-sourced reasons for UBI" and the other half is "I draw the furry porn your dad doesn't admit to buying" and they're actually the same half.

lloydmeta ("Lloyd") wrote:

Successfully set up a repo where I test behaviour in a framework, with Dependabot auto-opening PRs for newly released versions of the framework and merging them.

#canary

https://github.com/lloydmeta/quarkus-vthread-pre-routes

Boosted by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
skye@void.rehab ("skye, eira, ibis") wrote:

ok well you don't have to make it personal

Boosted by adam@social.lol ("Adam Newbold"):
unseenjapan@mstdn.jp ("Unseen Japan") wrote:

One of the best ways to reuse the cushioning they put around expensive fruits in Japan: Turn your cat into Bastet

#japan #unseenjapan

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
OrionKidder@mas.to ("Orion Ussner kidder") wrote:

I just finished #PicksAndShovels last night. Really fun read. It clearly comes from @pluralistic's heart. I won't say anything about the plot bc it unfolds beautifully and then folds itself up in a very satisfying way, but I will say that along with being a thriller set in the early days of computing, it's a coming-of-age story about being young and full of good intentions but with lots and lots to learn. I think a lot of men will relate to it. I hope it's not the last Hench novel!

pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow") wrote:

One of the cool things about doing a book signing is you get to check out how many printings your books have gone through. Today at an event in PDX I was pleasantly surprised to see that CHOKEPOINT CAPITALISM is in its *twenty-third* printing!

Boosted by pluralistic@mamot.fr ("Cory Doctorow"):
krisfreedain@fosstodon.org ("Kris Freedain 🙏 🏋🏻 🍕") wrote:

It's always great to see you @pluralistic - can't wait to read the new book.

Cory Doctorow & Andrew "Bunnie" Huang author signing https://kris.haus/cory-doctorow-andrew-bunnie-huang-author-signing/