The Weekend Reset: Space Rock and homemade jerky with a side of Bond.

It’s Friday. Looking for something to switch up your weekend, or to give you an excuse to relax a little? That’s what the Weekend Reset is for. Each week contributor Tim Johnstone pulls together five things to get your weekend started. Could be something to read or watch, something to eat or listen to, or even something to do. Enjoy the weekend fellas.

 

APPRECIATE: The auto industry just got a little less interesting.

Sergio Marchionne was not your typical CEO. He didn’t do things the way everyone else did things. He certainly had no issues letting people know how he felt. And while he was schooled in tax law and accounting, he loved automobiles. He took a failing company and turned it around, and then took on an even bigger failing company, merged them and created a booming brand. His story is one of success, work, work, work and a little controversy. Thanks to Dappered reader Mark G for sending this our way.

 

EAT: Home made jerky is easier than you think. Do it!

It is time to reclaim jerky from the realm of truck stops and convenience stores. Sorry Big Jim, the folks at Fatted Calf Charcuterie in San Francisco (James Beard nominees) have put together a terrific cookbook with 40 “easy-to-follow” recipes for home made jerky and other dried meat dishes from all sorts of proteins. Here is another way to expand what you know how to do in the kitchen AND serve up some conversation along with the goods at your next get together. Plus, when the Zombie Apocalypse happens, these skill sets will come in handy.

 

BUILD: LEGO + Bond = OMG OMG OMG!

The ten year old in you wants this yesterday. I’m not going to go on about how kids these days have no idea how good they have it. Because, nothing says old like making those comments. However. Come on. This is like the coolest Venn diagram ever. I would have traded my G.I. Joe Adventure RV for this any damn day. Thanks to Joe for sending this my way. Then there’s this!

 

DRINK: A blood orange update of a recent fave.

A Blood Orange Moscow Mule. I want one of these things right now. This sounds like a legit fantastic cool drink for these hot days. Where is my pitcher, anyway?

 

LISTEN: Space Rock from deep in the heart of Texas.

And just like Texas, the music of The Secret Machines was big, open and a little trippy. The band called what they made Space Rock. It was fitting. These songs are at times spacious and intricate. At others, they are propulsive and hit all the right buttons with harmonies, power chords and atmospheric. The influences come through clearly at times, as if they were tipping their hats to those who came before. Nowhere Again is an album that is always interesting, delivers more surprises with repeated listens and contains a few songs that have never left my gym playlist.

Tim Johnstone is Dappered’s music correspondent as well as our resident gatherer of all things interwebs related. He’s currently undergoing a Tim Improvement Project™ (Version 4.0) and he understands that this is a life-long endeavor.