As I write this, America and the world are commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Much will continue to be said in the days and weeks to come about this anniversary, where we are as a nation…and where we’re headed.
My goal today is to…well, move on, keep things positive, and talk about lots of other things. In other words, after a day of reflection on Friday, the mission here is a fun diversion on Saturday. Here goes, what I’m Watching, Reading, Listening to, and Rediscovering this week.
Watching: The Latest Edition of The Vandy Program — My Interview with PR Pro David Eckstein
I’ve had many chats with David Eckstein over the years; we first met doing fintech PR in the late 2010s and have kept in touch. He was on The Vandy Program earlier in the year, but this repeat appearance was all about the intersection of Sports and PR.
SPECIFICALLY, what about some of these “unforced errors” that are committed by big sports brands like the Los Angeles Clippers, or LSU — really, though, Lane Kiffin — or The University of Michigan. (That last one might be the fault of the Big Ten Conference; an outfit that forgot how to count in the early 90s and ceased to be a geographic league when they added west coast teams.)
It was a really good chat. Link to the video below, like and subscribe and all that fun stuff.
Reading: The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
Show of hands: when were YOU asked to read this? For me: Junior Year of High School. Colloquially known just as Strunk and White by those of us who have, at one point or another, written for a living, William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White provided a classic with their The Elements of Style.
What’s most interesting to me about this book, which you can pick up for a few bucks at the above link, is that Strunk wrote the first edition in 1918 (!) and White — yes, THAT E.B. White, he wrote Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web — edited it and republished it in 1959 (!!).
How’s this for an example of style: one excerpt about using concrete language.
Listening to: Mitski
I just dig her and her work. That’s all. If you haven’t heard of Mitski here’s a quick primer.
Newer stuff: “If I Leave.” (Definitely on my 2026 Top Ten List.)
But wait, hasn’t she been aroud a little while? Yes. In fact, here’s one of her older tunes: “Washing Machine Heart.” 180 Million views and counting.
And finally, here’s “My Love Mine All Mine.”
We could all use a little more Mitski.
Rediscovering: A Really Bad Rendition of The National Anthem
This is Fergie at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.
(Of course, when my daughter showed me this, I had to counter with… “Oh yeah?” See the following.)
Finally: Toby Keith, ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue’
Nothing better to listen to right about now, IMHO. On September 12, 2001, we were all Americans, one people, together, looking to stamp out evil and preserve our way of life. Will we ever get back to that kind of America?
Here’s to you, dear reader. Thanks for checking out The Saturday List.
Dave