From community journalism to health care and higher ed, Mike’s career is powered by a passion to discover, create and share stories that connect people and advance strategic priorities.


Slow Horses, The Moment with Rick Rubin, and Money on Jane - Today's Tea and Three

Slow Horses, The Moment with Rick Rubin, and Money on Jane - Today's Tea and Three

Tea and Three with Mike B.  - December 8, 2023

What I’m paying attention to today while the tea’s brewing.

Watching Slow Horses on Apple TV. I’ve read and reread all of Mick Herron’s Slough House/Slow Horses books and enjoyed the first two seasons the Apple TV adaptation. After three episodes, I’m ready to declare season three, based on the novel Real Tigers,  the best yet. What I love about the series is that it starts with the framework of the novels, but adapts the plot, situations, and characters to better fit TV storytelling conventions. So far, season three is unspooling at high-tension, break-neck speed. Like the books, the series is addictive. I immediately want more after finishing each episode. Thankfully, production for season 4 is already underway. 

Listening to Brian Koppelman’s spirited interview with Rick Rubin on The Moment. What starts as a discussion of creativity, music, and the best rock and roll drummers  (AC DC’s Phil Rudd gets a lot of love) shifts, perhaps playfully, to the nature of what is real. While I’m willing to go down many rabbit holes with Rubin, I’m more likely to accept Rudd as the world’s greatest drummer than I am to believe the earth is flat. Rubin’s Book The Creative Act: A Way of Being was one of my 2023 favorites. 

Anticipating new music from Money On Jane. Information is scant, and believe me, I’ve searched, but Money on Jane appears to be a secret project coming (hopefully) soon from musicians Angelo Petraglia and Eulene Sherman. Coming out of Nashville and name-checking references like Dylan, the Velvet Underground, and “Brian Jones-era Rolling Stones” may sound like a bold promise. The brief samples that can be heard on the band’s Instagram page indicate Money on Jane may be ready to back it up.  

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A Wish for Your Week (and Mine, Too)

A Wish for Your Week (and Mine, Too)

Chip Taylor, The Iliad, and Happy Birthday Jon B. - Today's Tea and Three

Chip Taylor, The Iliad, and Happy Birthday Jon B. - Today's Tea and Three