Kyle McCowin

Tried to go to a Vietnamese restaurant I like tonight only to see dark windows and a paper sign taped up. I was worried until I saw it said they were on vacation and would re-open in March. Good for them

Crucial Track for February 27, 2026: "Fel Del Av Gården" by Movits!

Today's prompt: A song in a language that you don't know. #CrucialTracks

Lucky enough to see them live on a US tour.

https://www.crucialtracks.org/profile/cortjstr/20260227

Wait, is this a new episode? I don't see it on my Patreon feed

Crucial Track for February 26, 2026: "I See Spiders When I Close My Eyes" by The Boy Least Likely To

Today's prompt: If today were a genre, what would it be? Pick a matching song. #CrucialTracks

https://www.crucialtracks.org/profile/cortjstr/20260226

front of the Washington Spirit's 2026 cherry blossom jersey. The design is made up of lots of little dots

Back of the 2026 Washington Spirit cherry blossom jersey. The design carries over from the front on the sleeves and part of the back but most of it is a plan green with the player's name and number in pink

I can't decide how I feel about the new kit. It's interesting but it's also so busy (except for the flat green on the back). I feel like the badge gets lost.

MAKE THE SCENE with Programme 4: a feature presentation of this groovy, analog world is coming to cinemas & venues!
All-new programming! Guest stars! Rhodes pianos! Complimentary matchbooks!
More dates & announcements to come so PLEASE STAND BY. Tix:
Programme4.tv/makethescene

my uncle runs a place in Anchorage that serves fish and chips, and he named the half portion the "Texas size" which is just an incredible troll

Crucial Track for February 25, 2026: "Because I Got It Like That (Ultimatum mix)" by Jungle Brothers

Today's prompt: What’s a remix or cover you like more than the original? #CrucialTracks

Because I got it like that
Like how?
Like that

https://www.crucialtracks.org/profile/cortjstr/20260225

A metro station of brutal concrete blocks and jagged black obelisks.

“You finished those DC metro stations?”
“Sure thing boss, beautiful, moodily lit and oddly unsettling, just like you asked.”
“What?”

My first thought was Mr. Peanut-style Superbowl commercial but that was a couple weeks ago. This has to be a similar publicity stunt

When I was in my 20s people would talk about State of the Union watch parties. I really hope those are no longer a thing.

This month I had two different North Carolina comics events reach out to me about being part and I was distressed to realize I don't have a list of other NC creators to send them.
If you're a comics person that live in NC, reach out and get me your email address so I can connect you.

At H-Mart the other day I noticed they had ramune in aluminum bottles. They didn't have my favorite flavor, lychee, but I grabbed an original to try it thinking it has to be more friendly than the glass.

2 problems: it's way bigger than the glass and while drinking it I noticed the BPA warning

I like Drew Tarver a lot so caught him right away as Lunch Meat. PFT, Rash, and Oswalt I noticed but Joel I missed.

Patton Oswalt is the most (only?) famous graduate of my high school so I'm more tuned into him.

My favorite Branson voice was the trench coat.

That was the first guest where I went, "wait, is that?"

Though looking at the imdb page there are a lot of voices I didn't notice. Tawny Newsome, LeVar Burton, etc.

I was mostly looking out for recurring ones like Paget or Marc Evan Jackson

I got busy and fell out of filling in my daily journal so I just half-assed a month, filling in what I could remember.

Things got real hazy when I spent like a week not leaving the house because of snow.

Yes. Who is saving pictures for these? I just copy an image and paste it when I need one.

I could also never get very rewarding text from those games where you just let your keyboard finish a sentence.

I listen to both Rude Tales and These Those because of you talking about them in your newsletter back in like 2019.

Is your substack still the best place to keep up on your new projects or have you moved elsewhere?

Crucial Track for February 23, 2026: "Kids" by Sleigh Bells

Today's prompt: What’s a song that grew on you over time? #CrucialTracks

I don't think I got Sleigh Bells at first

https://app.crucialtracks.org/profile/cortjstr/20260223

And Carly worked on both Venture Bros and Birdgirl

his line in Gwenpool about her seeing Uncle Ben die more times than she's eaten arugula is a classic.

Both shows are so good. I started listening when Chris mentioned the show in his newsletter back when.

I only own 3 pieces of original comic art and 2 of them are Chris Hastings pages.

Hearing that Chris and Carly are leaving Rude Tales of Magic is sad news. I'm glad for their successes but they were a highlight of the show.

At least we still get Carly on Oh These Those Stars of Space.

SCANDAL!

I was finally able to start Strip Law and it's a very fun show. Annoyed I have to go to bed then work instead of finishing the season right now.

It's not as bad as when American newscasters started incorrectly saying "an historic" but it's up there.

Crucial Track for February 22, 2026: "Stay Don't Go" by Spoon

Today's prompt: What’s your favorite deep cut from an album? #CrucialTracks

https://app.crucialtracks.org/profile/cortjstr/20260222

My parents have been visiting since Thursday which by my count is 36 days.

They don't want to sit home and watch tv but also can't think of anything they want to do so filling the days is always a challenge.

Crucial Track for February 21, 2026: "The Rest of My Life" by Sloan

Today's prompt: What song makes you feel like you're in a different country? #CrucialTracks

https://app.crucialtracks.org/profile/cortjstr/20260221

It's true and you're right to say it

I get such a look when I tell people I only listen to music that I own. From CDs, eMusic, Bandcamp, 7digital, Google Play, and Amazon depending on the year I bought it.