Friday, January 6, 2023

Welcome back to Wolmania for another year of me scrambling to pull together something that technically satisfies the definition of a newsletter. I hope you are having a better start to the year than Kevin McCarthy and the Grand Old Party.

Item 1: a link

Common sense for restaurant success is actually the opposite of everything the Cheesecake Factory does.

I enjoyed this look back at the history, and lasting appeal of, the Cheesecake Factory. I found a lot of fun surprises in the original 1978 menu from their first outpost in Beverly Hills, which boasts a fun design and a fascinating approach to hamburgers.

Personally I like their cheesecake on a to-go basis, but haven't eaten at a CF since something like 1997.

Item 2: a list

John Cazale films, ranked

1. The Godfather
2. The Godfather Part II
3. The Conversation
4. The Deer Hunter
5. Dog Day Afternoon
6. The Godfather Part III (archival footage)

Item 3: a media recommendation

Have I already recommended the Everything is Alive podcast? I can't remember and won't be checking. But in any case, this is a simple concept - each episode is an interview with a sentient inanimate object. It's mostly funny but occasionally not funny and at all times is thought-provoking. I like to queue it up for long drives.

Item 4: word of the week

Napery

Item 5: a photograph

See ya!

Thanks for reading - I will see you next week.