What I Am Listening To

Or maybe this should be titled What I Am Reading? I recently finished listening to the audiobook version of David Goggins’ Cant Hurt Me, while at the same time reading sections from the book itself. Audiobooks are something I had resisted engaging with, but recently have embraced as a worthy way to become exposed to books I probably would not have had time to read. I will write about others that have made a significant impact, but Can’t Hurt Me is unique. Not only a reading of the text of the book, it includes sections that are a discussion between Goggins and narrator Adam Skolnick, who Goggins credits with helping him write the book. It is these discussions that elevate this to more than an audiobook. They not only explain certain sections of Goggins’ journey, they also serve to provide moments of inspiration to the listener, to really feel and appreciate the change Goggins went through, and that he believes we all can achieve.

Wisdom From Christoper Hitchens

“Those who need or want to think for themselves will always be a minority”

— Letters To A Young Contrarian

What I Am Listening To

At the suggestion of David Goggins in his book Can’t Hurt Me, I started listening to the Rocky soundtrack while working out. I can recall walking out of a Manchester, NH movie theater in 1977 after watching this movie, believing that I was going to turn my 7 year old self into the next world championship boxer. What really propelled me into this fantasy was the music I heard during the movie. The theme is obvious - uplifting, glorious, triumphant. But the gems are tracks such as The Final Bell and Going the Distance. The power and energy they convey is unstoppable, which as a workout track makes you believe that you are unstoppable as well.

Wisdom From Christoper Hitchens

“What really matters about any individual is not what he thinks, but how he thinks”

— Letters To A Young Contrarian

What I Am Listening To

Brilliant, peaceful and inspiring. I always enjoy listening to this in the morning, when things are quiet and I can really appreciate the power behind every track. Sometimes soft, often strong, it is another example of Hans Zimmer’s greatness. If you are not familiar with the story behind the creation of this work, seek it out. It will only add to the enjoyment of hearing the music. Maybe an idea for another time.

What I Am Reading

From Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations -

Say to yourself first thing in the morning: today I shall meet people who are meddling, ungrateful, aggressive, treacherous, malicious, unsocial. All this has afflicted them through their ignorance of true good and evil. But I have seen that the nature of good is what is right, and the nature of evil what is wrong; and I have reflected that the nature of the offender himself is akin to my own - not a kinship of blood or seed, but a sharing in the same mind, the same fragment of divinity. Therefore I cannot be harmed by any of them, as none will infect me with their wrong. Nor can I be angry with my kinsman or hate him. We were born for cooperation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of upper and lower teeth. So to work in opposition to one another is against nature: and anger or rejection is opposition.

What I Am Reading

I read this book about a year ago, but is important enough to mention now. I think of it often, as the lessons it contains are universal, and at the same time personal. My Adventures With God by Stephen Tobolowsky came across my radar by accident, and I truly do not recall how. Regardless, I was curious enough to dig in, and it was one of those gambles readers make that pays off gloriously. All too often expectations are not met, but this book was that special experience that I did not want to end. Tobolowsky uses stories from his life to illustrate the struggles and challenges we all face, using humor and beautiful writing to leave an impact felt long after the last page is turned. Hats off to you, Stephen. Thank you for this gift.

What I Am Listening To

You would have to look hard to find a more loyal fan of Bruce Springsteen. I have been listening to him since before I was ten, Born To Run the first album I bought on my own after getting a Sears record player for my seventh birthday. I have seen him in concert about a dozen times, raised my kids on his music, and I own every album he has made plus several bootlegs.

Springsteen on Broadway is the album soundtrack to the live show he performed on Broadway in 2017-18, and mirrors the Netflix film. I wish I had listened to the album without watching the Netflix special, as the album is rich with the storytelling and straightforward music that makes Springsteen such a forceful storyteller. That impact is weakened by the video, as the way he is filmed and edited only reminds you of his age and the unnatural arena in which he is playing. The album, though, is where the magic happens. You hear the emotion, the depression, and the struggle of the characters and the artist in both his narrative introductions and the songs. This is what makes Springsteen a legend, and what has kept me listening for over 40 years.

Life In The ICU

Just another night in the ICU. Not an original thought, but while the opioid issue is important, the prevalence of alcoholism and its effects to this country is overwhelming. Looking around 20 ICU beds and over half the patients have an alcohol related critical illness.

What I Am Reading

I am really enjoying Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, though its taking me longer than I planned to get through it. However, I am trying to be methodical and absorb as many of the important messages in the plot. The book is enormous, not just in size but also scope, as it touches on politics, religion, philosophy and family. I love Dostoevsky, and have a goal of reading all of his work. As a side note, I can recommend the podcast Very Bad Wizards (@verybadwizards). Their recent episode (part 1 of a planned 2 part series) on Notes from Underground is a very interesting analysis of another powerful book from Dostoevsky. And to answer their initial question, I do not think the majority of people have ever read Underground, though I wish more had.

What I Am Listening To

This morning I am enjoying the 1998 masterpiece In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, by Neutral Milk Hotel. A fusion of unique sounds and powerful rock, this album is a complete work of art. I challenge someone to listen to the opening track The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt One and not be intrigued and overtaken by the beauty of the music and the songwriting.

What I'm Listening To

This morning I am listening to maybe the most beautiful rock album ever recorded, David Bowie’s Hunky Dory. If you have never listened to this from start to finish, take that journey today.

Orwellian Wisdom

“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear”

A clear example of what our country used to believe. But it seems this is currently a violent idea.

Bloody Genius

I wake up every day at 415AM. Every day. It keeps my schedule consistent, I don’t need to change my alarm, and it gives me time, even I work days, to listen to music before I head off into the daily grind. For about the past three months my morning routine has included listening to the most recent release for the Bob Dylan Bootleg Series - The Bootleg Series Vol. 14: More Blood, More Tracks. This is a collection of recordings Dylan made in 1974 during the creation of his 1975 masterpiece Blood on the Tracks. What you hear when you listen to the six discs is the creation of art, the sometimes muddled and sometimes brilliant experimentation that can rarely lead to something of pure beauty as is the case with Blood on the Tracks. While one may recoil from seeing a CD with ten versions of Tangled Up in Blue, trust me it is a rare gift to be able to listen to the evolution of a classic song.

I’ll write about this set in more detail in the future, but could not hold back from posting my appreciation for this example of the genius of Bob Dylan.

This Day in History - Women Fight For The Right To ...... Smoke?

While it is temptingly easy to write about the most significant historical event to occur on January 22, the 1905 “Bloody Sunday” murder of over 200 Russian citizens that sparked the revolution that overturned the Romanov autocracy, much can be learned from mining history for the lesser known events and people.

Katie Mulcahey would be one example. Alcohol prohibition captures most of the attention when US history is examined for evidence of its Puritan traditions, but tobacco smoking has been targeted vice since the 18th century. States banned the sale of tobacco to minors, employers refused to hire smokers, and smoking was often portrayed as an unhealthy habit for both body and mind. This sentiment coupled with the pervasive Victorian sentiments of society in the late 19th century led to the 1908 ordinance that forbid women smoking in public spaces within New York City. Katie Mulcahey’s name is remembered for her arrest for violating this law one day after it took effect. She spent a night in jail for her protest of the restriction of women’s freedom, reportedly telling the judge “No man shall dictate to me”. The law was vetoed by the mayor only two weeks later.

On This Day in Music - Jimi Hendrix Records All Along the Watchtower

On January 21 1968, Jimi Hendrix recorded his version of “All Along the Watchtower”, a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan. While Dylan’s version remains a solid example of his gifted songwriting, I would argue that it is Hendrix’ interpretation that gives the lyrics the powerful music that they deserve. With its regular radio play on classic rock stations, Hendrix’ version is also the one which introduces most listeners to the song, many of whom are likely ignorant of the song’s origin and version recorded by Dylan in 1967. The song has lived on in other versions, with one of my favorites being U2’s performance in San Francisco in 1987 during their free lunchtime concert at Justin Herman Plaza. Memorialized in their movie Rattle and Hum, this performance bears mention not because of a uniquely powerful interpretation, because honestly their version is quite anemic and does not approach the power the Jimi Hendrix Experience gave the song in 1968. It is worth watching because it is an example of Bono at his peak egotistical self (which makes him such an amazing performer), as he just can not resist adding his one verse which serves best to magnify the greatness of Dylans original words, and for that matter Hendrix’ singular version.

On This Day In History - Reagan Inauguration January 20 1981

Ronald Reagan became the 40th president of the United States of America after being inaugurated on January 20 1981. This signaled a significant change in the attitude and direction of the country’s international stance, symbolized by the almost simultaneous release of the American hostages held in Iran. After being held in captivity for 444 days by Iranian revolutionaries, 52 Americans were released to American personnel at the moment Reagan completed his inauguration speech.

There are many theories about the timing of the hostage release regarding who was responsible and the possible connection to the 1980 presidential election. Nevertheless, it was clear to the world on this day that America was standing up straight and strong after the submissive posture of the Carter administration.