Peter Wagner (a Real Dr., not a surgeon-barber/body-tech/golfer)
@peterjwagner3.bsky.social
Computational Paleobiologist, Lord of Chaos & Entropy, Cubs Fan, Estranged Lover of 🐌 & self-proclaimed Bilbo Baggins of Paleontology. Opinions & sarcasm mine & mine alone, but model-based. I block apologists for the South, MAGA, etc. He/Him.
Golf instructors rarely discuss that.
November 18, 2025 at 4:43 AM
Golf instructors rarely discuss that.
I saw Prince & the Revolution on the Purple Rain tour. It was kind of a weird concert: they basically re-enacted the film for the first half. The 2nd half was just a really good rock show, though.
But good calls.
But good calls.
November 18, 2025 at 3:49 AM
I saw Prince & the Revolution on the Purple Rain tour. It was kind of a weird concert: they basically re-enacted the film for the first half. The 2nd half was just a really good rock show, though.
But good calls.
But good calls.
… his older albums, and "Cleanup Time" manages to put a punk edge on being a househusband. (Lennon remained "hip" to current music and greatly appreciated the punk & new wave movements). Mostly, it made people wonder what could have been had he lived. The saddest words of tongue or pen...
November 17, 2025 at 7:53 PM
… his older albums, and "Cleanup Time" manages to put a punk edge on being a househusband. (Lennon remained "hip" to current music and greatly appreciated the punk & new wave movements). Mostly, it made people wonder what could have been had he lived. The saddest words of tongue or pen...
… not great. Still, this was after a 5 year hiatus of not composing or recording: and having had to experience a long hiatus from doing research many years ago, I have a new appreciation for how tough it is to get back in the saddle. "Watching the Wheels" and "I'm Losing You" would have worked on…
November 17, 2025 at 7:51 PM
… not great. Still, this was after a 5 year hiatus of not composing or recording: and having had to experience a long hiatus from doing research many years ago, I have a new appreciation for how tough it is to get back in the saddle. "Watching the Wheels" and "I'm Losing You" would have worked on…
… I remember "Gates of Steel" and "Cold War" really worked for me when I was 15/16.
And I probably should include John Lennon's last album, Double Fantasy. I was no fan of Yoko's weird stuff (although groups like the B-52s and Devo were hugely influenced by her), and Lennon's stuff was good but…
And I probably should include John Lennon's last album, Double Fantasy. I was no fan of Yoko's weird stuff (although groups like the B-52s and Devo were hugely influenced by her), and Lennon's stuff was good but…
November 17, 2025 at 7:49 PM
… I remember "Gates of Steel" and "Cold War" really worked for me when I was 15/16.
And I probably should include John Lennon's last album, Double Fantasy. I was no fan of Yoko's weird stuff (although groups like the B-52s and Devo were hugely influenced by her), and Lennon's stuff was good but…
And I probably should include John Lennon's last album, Double Fantasy. I was no fan of Yoko's weird stuff (although groups like the B-52s and Devo were hugely influenced by her), and Lennon's stuff was good but…
… second favorite song featuring my favorite body of water. (I don't think that "Call Me" was on the original version, although it's on the CD.)
And in the hard to categorize, there was Devo's "Freedom of Choice." I love that when I was 16, although it hasn't aged as well to me. Besides "Whip It,"…
And in the hard to categorize, there was Devo's "Freedom of Choice." I love that when I was 16, although it hasn't aged as well to me. Besides "Whip It,"…
November 17, 2025 at 7:44 PM
… second favorite song featuring my favorite body of water. (I don't think that "Call Me" was on the original version, although it's on the CD.)
And in the hard to categorize, there was Devo's "Freedom of Choice." I love that when I was 16, although it hasn't aged as well to me. Besides "Whip It,"…
And in the hard to categorize, there was Devo's "Freedom of Choice." I love that when I was 16, although it hasn't aged as well to me. Besides "Whip It,"…
And on the topic of labels, Blondie's last great album, "Autoamerican" came out late in 1980. Where they punk or new wave? (It's still rock & roll to me...) Everyone remember "Rapture," the first song with a rap to hit #1, but "The Tide is High" is a straight up good pop-tune. And "Europa" is my…
November 17, 2025 at 7:41 PM
And on the topic of labels, Blondie's last great album, "Autoamerican" came out late in 1980. Where they punk or new wave? (It's still rock & roll to me...) Everyone remember "Rapture," the first song with a rap to hit #1, but "The Tide is High" is a straight up good pop-tune. And "Europa" is my…
… best Elvis song ever written. However, "Sail Away Sweet Sister" (sung by astrophysicist May) and "Rock It (Prime Jive)" (sung by dentist Taylor) always stood out to me. This was Queen's last popular US album, but I always liked their '80s stuff more than their '70s stuff!
November 17, 2025 at 7:38 PM
… best Elvis song ever written. However, "Sail Away Sweet Sister" (sung by astrophysicist May) and "Rock It (Prime Jive)" (sung by dentist Taylor) always stood out to me. This was Queen's last popular US album, but I always liked their '80s stuff more than their '70s stuff!
Oh, here's one that I forgot: Queen's The Game. The group was transitioning from the Progressive/Stadium Rock to more "modern" stuff, and for all of Mercury's genius, May, Deacon & Taylor all stand out. "Another One Bites the Dust" got played to death and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is the…
November 17, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Oh, here's one that I forgot: Queen's The Game. The group was transitioning from the Progressive/Stadium Rock to more "modern" stuff, and for all of Mercury's genius, May, Deacon & Taylor all stand out. "Another One Bites the Dust" got played to death and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is the…
I'm probably missing a few. And I was really just starting to get into popular music at that time. (I was a late bloomer.) But it was a pretty good year for music (tragic endings notwithstanding).
November 17, 2025 at 5:30 AM
I'm probably missing a few. And I was really just starting to get into popular music at that time. (I was a late bloomer.) But it was a pretty good year for music (tragic endings notwithstanding).
… filled with tunes like "If I Didn't Love You", "Another Nail in My Heart", "Separate Beds" and "Pulling Muscles from a Shell" (although I didn't get the reference!) that have the melodic sensibilities of the "classic" rockers with complexity of progressive rock yet lean arrangement of New Wave.
November 17, 2025 at 5:29 AM
… filled with tunes like "If I Didn't Love You", "Another Nail in My Heart", "Separate Beds" and "Pulling Muscles from a Shell" (although I didn't get the reference!) that have the melodic sensibilities of the "classic" rockers with complexity of progressive rock yet lean arrangement of New Wave.
… high points, although Waterfalls is just a beautiful song. ("Don't go chasing polar bears, in the great unknown... some big friendly polar bear, might want to take you home" is both cute & horrifying).
And the final one is sort of the intersection of all of the above: Squeeze's Argybargy. It's…
And the final one is sort of the intersection of all of the above: Squeeze's Argybargy. It's…
November 17, 2025 at 5:27 AM
… high points, although Waterfalls is just a beautiful song. ("Don't go chasing polar bears, in the great unknown... some big friendly polar bear, might want to take you home" is both cute & horrifying).
And the final one is sort of the intersection of all of the above: Squeeze's Argybargy. It's…
And the final one is sort of the intersection of all of the above: Squeeze's Argybargy. It's…
… Rings or Celtic mythology or something like that. It's still my favorite Gabriel album.
Having mentioned the American McCartney, the original had one of his trippiest albums, McCartney II in 1980. It's basically a great musician playing everything in his home studio: the instrumentals are the…
Having mentioned the American McCartney, the original had one of his trippiest albums, McCartney II in 1980. It's basically a great musician playing everything in his home studio: the instrumentals are the…
November 17, 2025 at 5:20 AM
… Rings or Celtic mythology or something like that. It's still my favorite Gabriel album.
Having mentioned the American McCartney, the original had one of his trippiest albums, McCartney II in 1980. It's basically a great musician playing everything in his home studio: the instrumentals are the…
Having mentioned the American McCartney, the original had one of his trippiest albums, McCartney II in 1980. It's basically a great musician playing everything in his home studio: the instrumentals are the…
… we love labels, except for Peter Gabriel, who's 3rd Peter Gabriel Album came out in 1980. (We fans called it "Melt") Games without Frontiers, Biko, I Don't Remember, Family Snapshot all had the musical gravitas of Progressive Rock, but were very sociopolitical instead of being about Lord of the…
November 17, 2025 at 5:17 AM
… we love labels, except for Peter Gabriel, who's 3rd Peter Gabriel Album came out in 1980. (We fans called it "Melt") Games without Frontiers, Biko, I Don't Remember, Family Snapshot all had the musical gravitas of Progressive Rock, but were very sociopolitical instead of being about Lord of the…
… style and do it well. You May Be Right, Don't Ask Me Why, All for Leyna are all fun: but Still Rock and Roll to Me is sort of like Don't Stand So Close to Me in it's quirkiness AND it makes the point that my jazz musician brother often makes: for all of our labels, it's all just pop music!
But…
But…
November 17, 2025 at 5:15 AM
… style and do it well. You May Be Right, Don't Ask Me Why, All for Leyna are all fun: but Still Rock and Roll to Me is sort of like Don't Stand So Close to Me in it's quirkiness AND it makes the point that my jazz musician brother often makes: for all of our labels, it's all just pop music!
But…
But…
Fashion, Ashes to Ashes, Scary Monsters, It's No Game... huh, actually, another album that doubles for rehab. And Robert Fripp's guitar work is amazing.
In terms of more normal pop, Billy Joel's Glass Houses is still an awesome record. Joel is kind of the American McCartney: he can compose in any…
In terms of more normal pop, Billy Joel's Glass Houses is still an awesome record. Joel is kind of the American McCartney: he can compose in any…
November 17, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Fashion, Ashes to Ashes, Scary Monsters, It's No Game... huh, actually, another album that doubles for rehab. And Robert Fripp's guitar work is amazing.
In terms of more normal pop, Billy Joel's Glass Houses is still an awesome record. Joel is kind of the American McCartney: he can compose in any…
In terms of more normal pop, Billy Joel's Glass Houses is still an awesome record. Joel is kind of the American McCartney: he can compose in any…
… songs ever written. And, to date, Empty Glass is the only song to work in "Ecclesiastes" (of which I'm aware).
But wait: their's more! Bowie was sort of a "gapper" between the '60s rockers and the New Wavers. The final (and best) of the Low Trilogy, Scary Monsters & Super Creeps, also came out…
But wait: their's more! Bowie was sort of a "gapper" between the '60s rockers and the New Wavers. The final (and best) of the Low Trilogy, Scary Monsters & Super Creeps, also came out…
November 17, 2025 at 5:03 AM
… songs ever written. And, to date, Empty Glass is the only song to work in "Ecclesiastes" (of which I'm aware).
But wait: their's more! Bowie was sort of a "gapper" between the '60s rockers and the New Wavers. The final (and best) of the Low Trilogy, Scary Monsters & Super Creeps, also came out…
But wait: their's more! Bowie was sort of a "gapper" between the '60s rockers and the New Wavers. The final (and best) of the Low Trilogy, Scary Monsters & Super Creeps, also came out…
... note, the old guard came through, too. Pete Townsend's Empty Glass helped get me into the Who, but it as better than anything that they did after Quadrophenia. It's Townsend trying to rehab himself through song with Rough Boys and Empty Glass. However "A Little is Enough" is one of the great…
November 17, 2025 at 4:55 AM
... note, the old guard came through, too. Pete Townsend's Empty Glass helped get me into the Who, but it as better than anything that they did after Quadrophenia. It's Townsend trying to rehab himself through song with Rough Boys and Empty Glass. However "A Little is Enough" is one of the great…
November 17, 2025 at 4:53 AM
AND the song that we jokingly dubbed "Fleetwood Clash", i.e., Train in Vain. This was punk at it's peak to me: social commentary at every level, but also tuneful in stripped down ways. My elders said that this is when the Clash took over for Dylan and the Who. I sort of get that now. But on that…
November 17, 2025 at 4:53 AM
AND the song that we jokingly dubbed "Fleetwood Clash", i.e., Train in Vain. This was punk at it's peak to me: social commentary at every level, but also tuneful in stripped down ways. My elders said that this is when the Clash took over for Dylan and the Who. I sort of get that now. But on that…
… Eyed and Painless and Born Under Punches. Once in a Lifetime is great always!
A small cheat is the album that got me into Punk: London Calling. (It was released in the States in 1980!) Besides the title track, Death or Glory, Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket, Guns of Brixton, Clampdown…
A small cheat is the album that got me into Punk: London Calling. (It was released in the States in 1980!) Besides the title track, Death or Glory, Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket, Guns of Brixton, Clampdown…
November 17, 2025 at 4:51 AM
… Eyed and Painless and Born Under Punches. Once in a Lifetime is great always!
A small cheat is the album that got me into Punk: London Calling. (It was released in the States in 1980!) Besides the title track, Death or Glory, Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket, Guns of Brixton, Clampdown…
A small cheat is the album that got me into Punk: London Calling. (It was released in the States in 1980!) Besides the title track, Death or Glory, Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket, Guns of Brixton, Clampdown…
… great rock tunes. De Do Do Dah and Bombs Away both makes fun of political songs while making great political commentary. The same year saw Talking Heads' Remain in the Light. Again, not their best album, but some great tunes (many of which were better live than in the studio), especially Cross …
November 17, 2025 at 4:47 AM
… great rock tunes. De Do Do Dah and Bombs Away both makes fun of political songs while making great political commentary. The same year saw Talking Heads' Remain in the Light. Again, not their best album, but some great tunes (many of which were better live than in the studio), especially Cross …
Also, Heisenberg…
November 17, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Also, Heisenberg…
… to disperse at that time (not that ichthyosaurs or new ammonoid clades need a lot of help!) it’s not quite the shift in disparity & ecosystem structure that we see from the Ediacaran into the Cambrian: but it’s got to be #2.
I do miss rostroconchs, though.
I do miss rostroconchs, though.
November 17, 2025 at 4:29 AM
… to disperse at that time (not that ichthyosaurs or new ammonoid clades need a lot of help!) it’s not quite the shift in disparity & ecosystem structure that we see from the Ediacaran into the Cambrian: but it’s got to be #2.
I do miss rostroconchs, though.
I do miss rostroconchs, though.