Welcome to my little world of commentary on a wide variety of topics: music, politics, culture, family and sex. Chick Riffs is the category I use for just about everything that is not a music review.

I’ve published many more riffs than are listed here, but a good chunk of riffs were short-term messages to inform readers of absences and changes to my policies. The riffs here should have a longer lifespan.

The Truth About Beets: An essay on different musical tastes that contains my no-fly list of artists I have no intention of reviewing.

The De-Evolution of Modern Music: Why today’s music generally sucks.

AI Resistance Via Live at the BBC: Thoughts on how artificial intelligence could destroy artistry in music.

Home at Last, Unwelcome Validation and the Genius Challenge: An update containing information about my relocation to Ireland, the looming disaster in the USA, and thoughts on what constitutes genius in music.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: My marriage announcement.

Making Noise: My efforts to become a better-than-shitty guitarist.

Desert Island Disks: My family’s lists of the records they would take to the proverbial desert island.

Desert Island Movies and Television Series: My list of the films and TV shows I would take to the desert island.

What Place Do You Never Want to Visit? Why?: A riff on a WordPress writing prompt that caught my eye that explains why I never want to set foot in my country of origin again.

Guilty Pleasures: A list of you-won’t-believe-it songs I love.

Uh-Oh: Thoughts on how a European war could impact my livelihood and ability to continue writing about music, including a survey of the current geopolitical situation.