The Saturday List — February 21, 2026

What I'm Watching, Reading, Listening to, and Rediscovering

Hi there! It’s another Saturday List, and it’s our 16th consecutive throwdown!

Well, not a throwdown, just a summary of some of the stuff I’m paying attention to. Don’t forget to subscribe using the button below. Here goes:

Watching: The Big Short

Never has a movie about a Global Financial Crisis been so much fun.

It could be jealousy — I mean, some of these folks made the absolute right call at the absolute right time — or just a well-crafted story that makes this so compelling.

Based on the book by Michael Lewis, The Big Short takes you inside the implosion of Mortgage Backed Securities, but from the point of view of a few who made unconventional bets. (It’s part of a troika of movies about the GFC; Margin Call is one of my all-time favorite movies — and one I’ve written about on these pages before — and Too Big To Fail is also really good.)

Here’s a clip — which has been lightly edited, as it blurs a semi-legendary scene involving an exotic dancer; but not edited enough to take out the film’s also-semi-legendary blue language — that features a group of investors doing “discovery” in Florida and learning about “NINJA” loans.

You can watch the movie itself on Netflix and Paramount+, among other places.

Reading: 12 Rules for Life, by Jordan B. Peterson

If his appearances on Joe Rogan’s podcast him on the map, this book is the one that cemented his role as a global thinker.

For me, 12 Rules for Life had to be re-read almost immediately.

He’s also become synonymous with lobsters — Rule 1, “Stand Up Straight with Your Shoulders Back” — discusses what humans have in common with lobsters. It’s explained here:

Listening to: Three Solid Songs That Dropped in 2026

If you’re interested in a some new music, here are three songs that have caught my eye already in 2026:

First up, a band from Chicago (!) called Brigitte Calls Me Baby. Their song, “Slumber Party,” continues to channel The Smiths in a pretty 2026 kind of way. (Whatever that means, Dave.)

Next up, a song that hit me upside the head this week, from a band called Deadletter with a song called “Songless Bird.” I had to listen to it twice in a row, then again this morning, then again as I wrote this. It’s that good.

But…if I had to handicap “Dave’s Song of the Year 2026” predictions, Bleech 9:3 seems to be the (very early) frontrunner with its “Cannonball.”

Rediscovering: Barry Bonds Without A Bat

In honor of Pitchers and Catchers reporting…And with apologies for those who don’t consider themselves to be baseball nerds.

The brilliant sports numbers guy named Jon Bois created this experiment several years ago, and…well, it has to be seen to be believed.

Theory: Barry Bonds had a phenomenal 2004 season — his on-base percentage set a record at .609 — but what if he spent his season without using a bat?

Watch for the beauty of…all of this. Even if you’re not a baseball fan, it’s a really cool video.

See you all next week!