Hi,

You know what right now reminds me of? Me as a kid in polyester pajamas under a fuzzy acrylic blanket, kicking my restless legs around to create snappy streaks of electricity instead of falling asleep. These constantly uncertain, charged-up times are exhausting. Oof.

Luckily, one of my favorite college geography professors was an avid birder who turned every field expedition — whether it was to check on manzanita burn regrowth or plotting invasive ice plant species — into a hefty bird watching lesson on the side. At the time, it was cool. But I didn’t get the fervent appeal. Now, if you ask me, I could produce a pair of binoculars within 5-10 minutes, depending how far I am from my car or bag. 

At some point, during the pandemic, when things were still and silent for long stretches at a time, I noticed every little sound outside my door — crows having an epic turf battle with a mockingbird, a Black Phoebe chirping for love, and a Cooper’s Hawk tearing apart a chick while its sparrow parent attacked and screeched in utter dismay. So much non-human drama! I need more of it. I’ve dusted off my Merlin app (it identifies and collects your sightings) and I’m even planning my bird encounters instead of just catching them on the fly 🐦‍⬛. 

So yeah, things may not be looking up, but in the meantime, for a welcome distraction, you can! If you’re not ready to go all out, ask your local library if they have a birdwatching kit you can check out. And remember, you can always just use your eyes and ears — they’re free! 

• Don’t feel guilty about feeding hummingbirds, they want you to. 
• What did “Bumpy” Johnson do to Forest Whitaker?   
• Maybe it was just alcoholism, not absinthe.  
• Nathan Fielder could be the best researcher out there. 
• Go to a free Wes Anderson movie starring coolest guy, Benicio Del Toro.
• Get away by scenic train to wine country! 

One last thing, watch this really happy moment when a pop punk band hears itself on the radio for the very first time, thanks to our KCRW DJ, Jason Kramer. They had me bawling. 😭 

Connie Alvarez
Your KCRW Insider

P.S. Thank you to everyone who supported KCRW during our Mission Critical Fundraiser! You are truly special. 💗

Backyard Feeders Changed the Shape of Hummingbird Beaks, Scientists Say

Evolution before our eyes. Turns out that evolution can happen in just ten generations — which isn’t too long since hummingbirds live only three to five years. A new study suggests that one type of hummingbird’s beak has changed to adapt to backyard feeders. "Very simplified, the bills get longer and they become more slender, and that helps to have a larger tongue inside that can get more nectar from the feeder at a time," says Alejandro Rico-Guevara, a professor of biology at the University of Washington and senior author on the study. How will these adaptations play out in the long term?

Forest Whitaker on What It Takes To Play a Crime Boss

Accomplished actor, director, and producer Forest Whitaker speaks with Elvis Mitchell about his portrayal of real-life crime boss “Bumpy” Johnson in the fourth season of the MGM+ series Godfather of Harlem. Whitaker tells The Treatment about how exciting it is to have civil rights icons like Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell play big roles in the series, the code “Bumpy” Johnson lived by, and why portraying Johnson took so much out of him.

How Did an Absinthe Conman Get Away With a Massive Fraud?

Absinthe has a storied history and Good Food dives in to explore the spirit of this spirit. Banned all over the world for most of a century, people blamed the demise of the French civilization on absinthe. Plus, there was a demonization of one of its ingredients, wormwood, because of a tale about a farmer who had murdered his wife and children after drinking absinthe (but really, he had drunk bottles of wine and cognac before the absinthe). Evan Kleiman chats with author Evan Rail about his book, The Absinthe Forger, about an absinthe conman seeking and selling pre-banned bottles.

HBO's The Rehearsal

If you’re traveling this summer and worried about the current state of aviation — we have a recommendation for you that probably won’t make you feel any better about it. HBO’s The Rehearsal probes the causes of plane crashes just in time for all our concerns about air safety. Nathan Fielder recreates crashes from transcripts of real flights that get increasingly more absurd. While it may lean into some comedy, it hits home on serious situations and identifies how flight issues can arise: communication in the cockpit. Madeleine Brand explores the series with New York Magazine science writer, Jeff Wise.

The Phoenician Scheme: In Theaters Everywhere June 6th

From writer/director Wes Anderson comes The Phoenician Scheme, the story of a family and a family business, starring Benicio del Toro as Zsa-zsa Korda, one of the richest men in Europe; Mia Threapleton as Liesl, his daughter/a nun; Michael Cera as Bjorn, their tutor. 

The amazing ensemble cast also features Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, and Scarlett Johansson; plus Richard Ayoade as a helpful freedom fighter, Benedict Cumberbatch as Zsa-zsa's mysterious half-brother Nubar, Rupert Friend as the shadowy agent "Excalibur", and Hope Davis as Liesl's Mother Superior.

An official selection of Cannes Film Festival, THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME is in select theaters New York & Los Angeles this Friday, everywhere June 6th.

Last Chance for KCRW’s Allegretto Vineyard Resort Sweeps

Imagine this: wine tasting for two, private poolside cabana experience, Swedish couples massage, art tour, and $500 in food & beverage credit — all at the Allegretto Vineyard Resort. Sounds nice, right? Donate by midnight on May 31st to be automatically entered for a chance to win a three-day escape to this Tuscan-inspired getaway in Paso Robles. Plus, you’ll ride in relaxation with round-trip Amtrak tickets out of Los Angeles.