Welcome into the firing round edition of the week. On what may be the most gorgeous St. Louis afternoon of the year, I come here to present you with some unfiltered thoughts.

The stuff that will never post on KSDK. Things that even St. Louis Game Time readers wouldn’t understand or get into a polarizing argument about. “Was Dan’s post more Jake Allen choke or Patrik Berglund overrated?”

So here I am, stripped down and ready to talk about things that Fox News would deem unnecessary. Just another liberal party favor. Let’s dig in before another video goes up.

MINNEAPOLIS 

Look, I’ll keep this short because anything more will place a scope on my chest for speaking out loud about things that apparently no one is looking to me for perspective. One of these days, who knows when, I am going to unburden myself with the tedious oversight.

But let me say this. I am disappointed in many people. First being the authorities who took so long to arrest the former police officers, especially the one who placed his entire body weight on George Henry’s neck. Why did it take so long when you had hundreds of videos as evidence? People are too corrupt with power or with an inability to know how to properly use it.

I am also disappointed in the people coming in from out of state just to burn stuff and loot. I don’t get it. Use your voice elsewhere or join a peaceful yet powerful protest. Don’t burn down businesses. More carnage hasn’t been the way since the late 1700’s. Just saying. This isn’t the Boston Tea Party here. Let’s find out way back to peaceful humanity.

But for some people whose shoes I have not walked in, it’s something different. It’s the bell that screams “I’ve had enough!” Something in them setting off flares and raising the temperature. I’ll never be able to tell you what it’s like to walk in a different color skin, so my thoughts are remedial at best here. I can’t relate to someone who is afraid to go for a run. I can’t.

But I hope something good comes from all of this. Chaos can reign supreme if it goes unchecked.

SpaceX Rockets

Picture a rocket going 17,500 miles-per-hour. Imagine going from coast to coast in 15 minutes. Flying high in April, shot down in May, but caught a rocket in June. The SpaceX launch, brought to you by Elon Musk, proves just how powerful the human race can be again. The ability to put that into space and explore the great unknown gives me some hope. Hope that everything could be good again because it used to be. A hopeful sign.

MLB GREED

I don’t see an end in sight for the owners and players. It will have nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with money. The owners agreed to a prorated salary arrangement with the players in March but did so under the pretense that fans would be allowed into games when play resumed. Now, the players aren’t accepting less than what was promised, and the owners won’t open the books or budge on their stance. This is a fight where sitting on either side couldn’t catch you too much flack. Not really.

The players are standing their ground, using a pandemic to establish how slanted the revenue scale is in baseball. The owners are claiming a huge predicted loss and bending the public’s will to their side with historical milestones and ruthless resilience. One of the sides will make a concession, but I doubt it will happen soon. Time is ticking away very fast as the summer prepares to get underway. At some point, you’ll have to call it and focus on next year–and that CBA chat in 2022.

RED AND BLACK BRASS BAND

One of the cool highlights from the past month has been a neighborhood walking jazz band. They call themselves The Red and Black Brass Band and they produce all kinds of sass in Princeton Heights. It’s not a bad thing to hear the rumble of New Orleans coming from your street as you wake up. And then they slip into Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” on a very lovely day in St. Louis, and the heart is spent. If you hear or see them, toast them and raise your glass.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN NETFLIX DOC

Look, I have a thousand things to say about this revealing documentary, but I’ll spare you the last 997 things. First off, Epstein is an even bigger monster than you think. Yes, it’s actually possible after soaking in these four hours of interviews, evidence, plotting, and overall scheming. Epstein abused hundreds of women and got a slap on the wrist and then the quickest exit after actually being convicted and not given bail. It’s one of those bittersweet stories that doesn’t have a very happy ending. Second, I hope this isn’t the end. I hope this lights a fire under the right people’s asses. I hope these survivors keep the flame going. They deserve more than the finale of Jeffrey Epstein, who either took his own life or had one of his former “friends” orchestrate it. This should only be the beginning.

Back in love with MAD MEN

I finished my re-binge of the AMC gem. I didn’t want it to end. A show where nothing really happens, just small flashes of ordinary people’s lives mixed with lots of alcohol and tons of poor decisions. This is where the Jon Hamm legend began, and it will remain his best character. It doesn’t matter what he does next. He played this part perfectly up until that fateful last shot at the hippie retreat. But it’s also John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, Elisabeth Moss, and so many more. They made advertising sexy and intoxicating like “The Sopranos” mob life and “The Wire” crime life. Kudos to Matthew Weiner for giving us something we’ll never see again.

THE LITTLE THINGS

I’m talking about a cheesy gordita crunch at midnight to quench a craving. I’m talking about a well-made flat white from Starbucks after a good meal. I’m talking about biscuits from Russell’s on Macklind. I’m talking about cigars and bourbon with my dad. A few moments with my mom. A Sunday drive. When you really stumble upon a great idea. All of that. The little things are everything.

THE CLEANING: Lightning round of thought

~Let’s get the latest on drivers in St. Louis. “They’re still terrible.” Thanks, Bob.

~I have a few shows to watch. “Normal People” is up there. When Erin Fritts tells you to watch something, waiting is dangerous.

~I can watch “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” just about every day. I find something new in Quentin Tarantino’s epic blast each time. I also love all the scenes with Rick and Cliff.

~The Bill Withers Pandora station is underrated.

~When done right, onion rings are the ultimate comfort food.

That’s all I got for now.