Five Things on a Friday: Dear Mr. Fantasy

How are we doing, friends? 

I've been busy this week. It feels like there's a lot going on. I wrote a new prologue for Gun Girl Gracie this week, but as of this writing, I've not even had time to go back through it for its initial rewrite. Right now it's just sitting there, like an itch I can't quite scratch.

Anyway. Let's talk.

1. Private equity faces existential crisis in US as unsold companies pile up (The Guardian)

"Retail stalwarts Saks and Eddie Bauer filed for bankruptcy. Kmart and JoAnn Fabrics are gone for good, a trail of layoffs and disappointed customers in their wake. Hospital giant Steward Health Care collapsed, costing thousands of jobs and leaving several communities without a local hospital.

"These once-trusted US companies have one thing in common: they were owned by private equity investors, who load companies with debt when they buy them and squeeze out profits as they restructure.

"The business model is now facing an existential crisis that may have profound ramifications across the US... Private equity funds are sitting on a “record number of unsold companies, many of which they’ve been unable to sell … or at least unable to sell at the prices that they’re looking for”, said Jim Baker, the executive director of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, an industry watchdog."

This is my shocked face. It's like buying a used car, stripping it for parts, and being surprised no one wants to buy the husk.

Well. At least we can all look forward to the eventual bailout.

2. UN votes to adopt new map that makes our world look very different (CNN)

"The United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday to adopt a new world map that reflects countries’ true relative sizes, after African nations urged the UN to right a centuries-old wrong.

"The “Correct the Map” resolution –– put forward by African Union member states, as well as the Bahamas –– passed with overwhelming support: 164 member states voted in favor, six abstained and only the United States voted against it."

Via the Equal Earth Project. There are five version of this thing. This one is "Oceana".

Of course the U.S. voted against a map that made the world look more like what's actually on the ground instead of what American's believe the world looks like. What's truth next to the power of belief?

Sigh.

3. Friday Music Project: Dear Mr. Fantasy

Sally and I saw Steve Winwood in concert on Wednesday, and let me tell you, what a show! I would not have said that I'm a huge Steve Winwood fan, but he played an electric set that we both thoroughly enjoyed. "Dear Mr. Fantasy" came right before "Higher Love", and for my money, that was the show's highlight. 

Enjoy!

I mentioned Gun Girl Gracie earlier in the piece because I got an idea for a scene rewrite while we were at the show. I'm dying to put it together to see how it works, but I've gotta find a couple of free hours first. 

This second book uses music in several places, and once I get done with the rewrite, that music will include Winwood Greatest Hits Live. But like I said, I gotta find the time to put it together.

4. Five Ways to Beat the Bulls (As For Football)

"But many of these same South Florida players only just transferred into the program. It didn’t work out wherever they were before, and — perhaps subliminally — they’ve got to be wondering if maybe it’s not going to work out again.

"That’s a lot to process for a twenty- or twenty-one-year-old kid. Sure, it’s easy to shut out the noise when things go well. But that same noise can get pretty loud when things start to go badly. 

"This is why Army needs to throw the first punch this weekend."

Via AFF Photographer Mike K. Heit.

I wanted to write a bit this week about the psychology and angst of being a Power 4 transfer playing at a new school. I don't know if this quite caught it, but from where I'm sitting, it doesn't look easy.

I'm really curious to see how tomorrow's game goes. Between you and me, I think the Black Knights should do well.

5. I've Only Just Remembered Today Is September 11th

Ugh. I really need to stay off of social media today. 'Nuff said.

* * *

If you're wondering, last week's Five Things didn't do nearly the number that the first edition of this reinvention did. As of this writing, last week's edition has found 90 readers, versus 153 for the first one. 

I don't know if talking about social media algorithms made the real algorithms demote the posts advertising these things or if folks just weren't as interested last week. Readership on the blog is up overall -- not surprising given that I'm writing here a lot more now -- but we haven't hit any kind of sustained increase. At this point, we're just seeing spikes from occasional posts.

So. If you like this column, do me a favor and send it to a friend. I like writing these, but it's more fun if we can engage the audience. Plus, if you're here, chances are we know each other, so you can even mention that I brought this thing back from the grave. Deal?

Thanks in advance.

Enjoy the weekend, friends. See you next week.