re: #207 Scout

This is some really sad news:

The Beat singer Ranking Roger dies aged 56

Oh goddamit. Saw Roger and Dave Wakeling perform at the late, lamented 14 Below club in Santa Monica a … (gulp) … lifetime ago. They were amazeballs, and later on we hung out in the parking lot, indulging, laughing about the 80s, just riffing on depraved pop culture. They were a total signifier for Gen-X.

Put on English Beat, and you were legit. It was audio virtue-signaling that you could dance to. Many a late night spent in the bunk beds in dorm rooms to this soundtrack.