James Lileks' The Ramble: Recent Episodes
The Ricochet Audio Network
Forget your lame Pong, man. We've got a pocketful of quarters and we're heading to the Arcade at the mall!
Every generation finds its own groove... and learns to appreciate the grooves of others.
New cars and old trains and infinite waitresses all the way down... say, did you just hear that?
Your car can be sporty, it can be practical, it can be new or used, but whatever it is - if you're driving it to The Diner - it has to have style.
Christmas traditions come and go just like the people in your life. But they don't really go, do they?
The Mercury plunges and we wrap our hands around a hot bowl of soup and contemplate what lies beyond our chicken and stars...
It's a trip to a romantic, exotic locale... you know, the Diner. Have a seat and a cup of Joe, por favor.
Electronics? Check.
Inflatable pillow? Check.
Peanuts. Check.
Headphones. Check.
Welcome to Lileks Air Flight 39 to Heathrow...
Memories flood the brain like the mighty Sheyenne River pouring over its banks. Grab your shovel, son, there's work to be done.
Life is a highway. A double-yellow lined, curving, narrow highway of mechanized death. But on the bright side, that's where you'll find the Diner.
Hold this episode up to your face. Now point at it and smile. You, too, can be a pitchman.
A stiff drink, a hot band and a lanyard around your neck. It doesn't get any better than that. Or does it?
Contemplating the marvels and the possible malevolence of the modern age while consuming a slightly warmed-over "Weird Burger."
Playlists, algorithms, musical tastes and you never know who's listening...
On the juke box: End of Every Song by Buck Dharma (Triceratops Music - ASCAP) Used by permission. endofeverysong.com
Events of the day leads to thoughts of events of the past - with a little Lidocaine thrown in for good measure.
James is back from the British Isles and has had a little bit of it shipped home directly to The Diner.
James is heading off on his annual sojourn but takes emough time to stop in and sit at his familar place at the long, boomarang-patterned Formica counter and talk a little Fourth of July and things that go BOOOOM in the night.
Refrigerator's acting up. Will take my regional soda with ice. Hold the metal shavings.
Brown sugar. Butter. Maybe some cream. Perhaps a dash of vanilla and a pinch of salt. That's the recipe for Butterscotch.
Or you just follow the directions on that 10-lb bag of powder over there.
You write and you write and you write some more. And you keep writing until you're done.
An episode that asks the eternal questions:
Is this good? Better? Worse? Better here? Or better here? What's the lowest line you can read?
Something that you can only get at The Diner: A trip to the future on a trip to the past.
By your command...
An order of eggs, forget the bacon and bring us a side order of aesthetically pleasing buildings.
We know this podcast is met with great anticipation and we want to assure you that while the packaging may change from week to week, it comes to you with the same great taste!
Fancy that.
We're getting ready for a road trip and you know it's not best to travel on an empty stomach. So sidle to the long counter and get something in you before we take off.
James will return in two weeks. See you then.
In which the SS Tighty Whitey becomes a wreck and strands Gilligan and company on an island with a lot of vines and bamboo. Meanwhile in the news.... one of these days, Alice... to the moon! (Or at least to The Diner.)
Singing roosters... musical pigs... and a trail of references.
Don't believe me? Vas you dare, Sharlie?!? Eggs-actley!
It's time for your weekly dose of delicious content, a tasty treat for your ears, packed with wholesomeness! Indulge in a hearty serving of Lileks! Pour yourself a serving of "The Diner" – it's the most satisfying way to kickstart your day!
The Diner: Where A.I. meets three little words scribbled on a note pad.
It's the stuff that dreams are made of.
And people say we're monkeying around.
Does anybody mind if I slip two bits into the jukebox? Man... that sounds... so familiar.
Is that a fresh pot sitting on the Bunn-O-Matic? Pour me a cup and hand me a pack of crackers.
And put away that screwdriver. You'll void the warranty on this episode of The Diner.
An episode that rests quietly as a snowflake hitting your tongue... and as spicy as one-too-many dashes of hot sauce... and the stuff of bad childhood dreams... that's The Diner.
Got a quarter for the juke box? Thanks. Pay you back when I get my change.
It's cah-raaaazy, Daddy-O.
It's a cold, blustery day. C'mon in and have a hot cup of something.
Pay no attention to the grumpy old poet in the corner booth. It's just another day in The Diner.
C'mon in and park yer carcass. Have you seen this in the Times? Can you believe it? Almost wished we had been there to see that. I mean, that's how you write a news story, right?
Place an order and join us for a cup of coffee. Or two.
We're back in the Diner on Old Highway 23, about thirteen and a half minutes from wherever you happen to be at the moment.
You might not be watching the new Twin Peaks, or care that it ever existed. But it changed TV, and one of the reasons that made it so unique was the music. Let’s go beyond the theme and explore the compositions of Angelo Badalamenti.
Source
What do you do in Reno? Yes, yes, besides that. But here’s the more pressing issue for modern times: what does Reno do with Reno?
Source
What makes a city or a country sound familiar? When the music sounds like we think it’s supposed to sound like. But what if our preconceptions are wrong? (Hint: they’re probably not)...
Source
What does monophonic sound have to do with the moral turpitude of electric shavers? Let’s find out. James Lileks’ The Ramble is brought to you by Harry’s Shave. For a great shave at an even greater price, go to Harrys.com and enter the coupon code RAMBLE...
Source
As another anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking draws nigh, Lileks wonders: are we finished with this story? Perhaps. But even if we’ve exhausted Titanic nostalgia, we can still consider how other eras looked at the catastrophe. The Ramble examines five Titanic movies – not so much for their storytelling, but their backstories and musical contributions. Bonus: Nazis. Double bonus: A Star Trek...
Source
A trip to Sin City prompts thoughts of the one thing people usually don’t think about when they think of Games, but something absolutely essential: sound. Music. Melody. The burbles of the casinos to the chimes of pinball to the soundtracks of computer games – it’s an essential part of losing yourself in another world.
Source
Did you ever think you believed the innocence of the subject of “Making a Murderer” because the theme music said you should? The Ramble takes a look at documentary soundtracks, and veers off into something you might not have considered: the Golden Age of Objective News Fanfares.
Source
How much Fargo was in the TV show “Fargo”? Let’s listen to a true Fargoan explain. Don’t worry – it’s not a recap of a show you didn’t see. It’s something quite different. How did eminent domain affect the Mary Tyler Moore show? Why did a one-hit-wonder rocker end up dead in his car smelling of gasoline? Why do I think of the seven hills of Rome when someone mentions Wild Bill Hickok?
Source
Prepare to geek out: Lileks monologues Star Wars past and present. ( No spoilers herein!)...
Source
Welcome to our newest occasional podcast, The Ramble with James Lileks. This week, let’s Tiptoe past the Yoo Lips, as James and John Yoo — yes, that John Yoo— discuss the Walking Dead, dystopian sci-fi, why Minnesota would be zombie-free, and what 80s hair-metal band’s hit song would be perfect for a zombie show.
Source