A-Punk | Samuel Sloan | Notes Nobody Asked For… Jets vs Panthers | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
We’re closing out Week to Week Notes’ Vampire Weekend with A-Punk by Vampire Weekend. The band Vampire Weekend formed in New York City in ‘06. They met at Columbia University and they got their name because of their frontman Ezra Koenig’s college film project about a vampire invasion. It was a summer project that he was assigned between his freshman and sophomore year. Koenig gave up on the Vampire film idea, only scattered footage and a trailer are all that remain but he came back with the name in mind when the group decided to make a band. (Source: Denver Post)
Not only was the band formed in The City, but most of the band members are also local Tri-Staters. Ezra Koenig was born in Manhattan before moving with his family to Glen Ridge, New Jersey where he graduated from Glen Ridge High School. Koenig is the band’s lead singer and guitarist. He also wrote this song A-Punk. Chris Tomson is their drummer and he is from Upper Freehold Township, New Jersey, so he might be an Eagles & Phillies fan. Chris Baio plays the bass and he is from Bronxville, New York.
Their first show was in a battle of the bands at Columbia’s Lerner Hall. After they graduated from Columbia University, the band produced their first album while simultaneously working full-time jobs. Ezra Koenig was an 8th-grade English teacher at Junior High School 258 in Brooklyn, New York before the band took off being named ‘08’s “Best New Band” by Spin magazine. A-Punk came out in February of ‘08 and was ranked #4 on Rolling Stone’s Best Rock Songs of ‘08. If you know this song, but can’t quite remember where you heard it, be sure to check out the YouTube Rabbithole!
I gotta assume that Johanna was stuck in traffic driving into The City on the GW.
So the ring on the finger of His Honor is thousands of years old and it sounds like it was taken from someone who may have been sick.
Unique chorus, I’m guessing the raincoats means something bad is on the way?
Okay, I’m not sure what’s going on here. I guess the guy tried getting a bit exotic so he went down to New Mexico. Cutting your teeth means trying something new, so I’m guessing he’s trying to play the harmonica?
Hmm… Columbia University is located in Washington Heights. I’m stumped by this song. It sounds good though!
Honestly, that’s really all I got in terms of the vampire weekend theme bit… Sorry if I come across like A-Punk but I told you on Thursday, I’m no Stephen King.
On to some history and then sports…
Samuel Sloan
Born in County Down, Ireland on Christmas Day of 1817, Samuel Sloan moved to New York with his parents at the age of 1. His father, William Sloan, passed away when he was just 14 years old. After his father’s death, Samuel Sloan dropped out of Columbia College Preparatory School. Did you know that Columbia Prep has been around since 1764 and Pre-American Revolution was originally called “The Grammar School of King's College”? They cut ties with the college in 1865 but when Samuel Sloan was there they were still associated. Anyway, Sloan got a job at an importing house on Cedar Street. Frankly, there isn’t all that much information about what Sloan was importing on Cedar Street but he would eventually become head of the importer firm, working there for 25 years.
On April 8, 1844, he married Margaret Elmendorf, and the married couple moved to Brooklyn. The Elmendorf part I found rather interesting because there is a small street named Elmendorf Lane back home in the River of Pearls. I tried doing some digging into if there was a connection, but can’t confirm if her family is who that is named after. I’d have to guess there is though. Samuel and Margaret had 11 children together.
By 1852, Samuel Sloan was named the supervisor of Kings County in Brooklyn. Next up in 1855, Sloan became the director of the Hudson River Railroad. He would eventually be elected president of the Hudson River Railroad during the Civil War and he was the company’s shares rise from $17 to $140. In 1858, he became the first president of Long Island College Hospital, which is now (the University Hospital of Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital). Next, he decided to retire from whatever business he had been importing into The City and he threw his hat into the political scene. He was elected as a Democrat to the New York State Senate and was a member for 2 years. At 40 years old, Samuel Sloan was looked at as a successful businessman with some political ambition but nobody saw what was coming for him next. (Source: Crooked Lake Review)
After resigning from the Hudson River, Samuel Sloan became elected as director in 1864 and then president in 1867 of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. Under Sloan’s leadership, DL&W Railroad went from a small coal road group that served a limited region to a powerhouse railroad company. Post-Civil War, there was a ton of expansion of railways and Samuel Sloan played a major role. During his 32-year administration run, Sloan was able to complete railway projects that reached the likes of Buffalo & the Poconos, which was a popular vacation spot even back then.
Although this era was filled with robber barons, it was said that “newspapers never had to beat about the bush with old Sam Sloan” and he was described as “one of the monarchs of the land ... the actual rulers of the United States; the men who had the power in the final say of ordering what should be done.” (Source: Gustavus Myers in “History of the Great American Fortunes”). If I had to guess, I’d say the railroad tycoon from the 19th century was still pretty cutthroat. Samuel Sloan was friends with J.P. Morgan and was one of the founders of what is now Citibank. His name is engraved on the stone wall in the former Citibank headquarters at 55 Wall Street. At the time of his death in 1907, Sam Sloan was director or officer of 33 corporations including Citibank, Farmers Loan and Trust Company, United States Trust Company, Consolidated Gas Company, and Western Union Telegraph Company. (Source: Crooked Lake Review)
Samuel Sloan’s statue was erected in Hoboken originally in 1899. It was said to have been facing the Hudson River, with him looking out into the Hudson River ferries and The City. The people of Hoboken were pissed off that it appeared Sloan’s statue was turning its back on them so in 1908 they adjusted the statue’s orientation so that it was facing the town and rail road. I’ve walked by that statue countless amount of times, so kinda cool to learn a bit about it from Stumblin’ Along.
Notes Nobody Asked For…
Jets vs Panthers | Preseason 8/12 ‘23
- Missed the first couple of plays because I had to re-sign into the CBS app on Firestick for the 5th time in a month. #CordCutterProblems
- 1st play I catch is the Bam Knight fumble that gets reversed.
- Michael Carter showing some good wiggle.
- There is an annoying ass whistle on in the background of the CBS Broadcast.
- Does Dalvin Cook have much leverage with the young RBs in NY & Miami?
- Zach Wilson with rough 3rd down throws to end two consecutive drives. The pocket was collapsing and he pumped faked himself out on a throw.
- Rodgers looks befuddled by Wilson’s throw into traffic. End of the 1st Quarter. I’m probably being a bit harsh, Wilson looks 10x better than he did at the end of last season.
- Quinton Jefferson with a powerful sack. This will be Jefferson’s 8th season in the NFL and he is coming off a career-high 5.5 sacks with Seattle in ‘22. He’ll provide some depth at DT.
- I’m multi-tasking a bit here, I just found out A-Punk by Vampire Weekend is the opening song in Step Brothers, which is defintiely where I know it from.
- Jermaine Johnson might be an absolute problem coming off the edge this year.
- Jeremy Ruckert sighting for a 1st Down. This CBS whistle is driving me nuts.
- Training camp star rookie WR, Jason Brownlee, hasn’t been able to flash yet in these two preseason games. Has been a big talk of camp.
- 2-minute offense to close out the 1st half: Wilson completes 3 consecutive passes to Izzy, Ruckert, and Brownlee.
- RB Izzy A. with a 27-yard run with a spin move. Was initially a TD, overturned to down at the 1-yard line. Looked like an old Madden spin move outta nowhere.
- TE Kenny Yeboah scores on a Zach Wilson play action. Yeboah has been on the Jets’ practice squad and active roster bubble for the past two years. Would be big for him if he could give other teams some good tape this preseason, the Jets won’t have room at TE.
- Quarter 3 underway, Bruce Hector with a strip sack and fumble recovery. Great play. Hector was just recently selected in the XFL Draft but was released by the Arlington Renegades so that he could sign with the Jets just 5 days ago.
- EJ Jenkins and Zack Kuntz have now also scored TDs. 3 TDs from TEs today. Zack Kuntz also tried hurdling over a defender, imagine a 6’8” grown man trying to jump over you in cleats.
- Mekhi Becton played 27 snaps at LT and looked healthy. He gave up an ugly sack but their goal was to get him 25 snaps for the game so today is a win.
- Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson look like serious players. The last time the Jets had two young 1st Round pass rushers was Jason Abraham and Shaun Ellis.
- I can’t wait to do these for real games this year. Hey, it’s not only the preseason for the players but also the preseason for the Notetakers so I gotta get my reps in for the season. I wrote down Notes every Jets game last week but just kept them for myself. Now they’re Notes Nobody Asked For!