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Hard things are supposed to be hard.
From The EQ School: “Changing old patterns, ending relationships you’ve outgrown, raising children, creating from your core, letting go, stretching, growing, and stepping into the unknown. The more worthwhile endeavors require you to show up vulnerably & honestly, and they leave space for something new to happen.” They go on: “All of my familiar self-protective…
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On Tyranny
John Lithgow reads 20 lessons on Tyranny, penned by historian Timothy Snyder. 1. Do not obey in advance 2. Defend institutions 3. Beware the one-party state 4. Take responsibility for the face of the world 5. Remember professional ethics 6. Be wary of paramilitaries 7. Be reflective if you must be armed 8. Stand out 9.…
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Charles Schulz on Democracy
“In 1970, students in a fifth-grade class at Hawthorne School in Beverly Hills were assigned to write a letter to someone they admired, asking them ‘What makes a good citizen?’ Joel Lipton, 10 years old at the time, wrote to Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz.” “I think it is more difficult these days to define what…
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“If you can’t be a good example, at least try to become an interesting cautionary tale.”
Not sure what is exactly that Merlin Mann is up to, but he’s been posting words of wisdom on Github. Lots of gems.
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Jim Henson: Idea Man, Ron Howard
Had the pleasure to see the Muppets in a wonderful exhibit in Grand Rapids last year and this film served as an excellent reminder of that inspirational day. In his own words: “Life’s like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending.” I will likely always be more of a George Carlin or…
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The Creative Act: A Way of Being
“All that matters is that you are making something you love, to the best of your ability, here and now.” Was hoping for a few real world examples from Rubin’s illustrious music career, but this is still an inspiring book on the creative process. Here is something I need to remember: “Living life as an…
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Rest in Peace, Steve Albini
I know there’s “cooler” albums to talk about, but In Utero and Surfer Rosa were profoundly important to my teens, and I haven’t stopped listening to Mclusky Do Dallas since seeing them in San Francisco this past March. My friend Tom had the good fortune of studying under Albini in the early 2000s and had…
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You Don’t Know How to Drive
If I never share a pixelated meme again, it will be too soon. But this one is important. Otherwise, it’s gonna be a looong summer. It’s quite simple, really: “When most drivers see the first “lane closed ahead” sign in a work zone, they slow too quickly and move to the lane that will continue…
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From The Journal of Kurt Cobain, Gone 30 Years Ago Today
Don’t let your opinions obstruct the aforementioned list.
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Benedict Cumberbatch and Ian McKellen Read Letters by Kurt Vonnegut
From two Letters Live events, great letters filled with great advice from one of the twentieth century’s best minds. Key takeaways: Reduce and stabilize your population. Stop poisoning the air, the water, and the topsoil. Stop preparing for war and start dealing with your real problems. Teach your kids, and yourselves, too, while you’re at…
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Herzog’s Advice for Filmmakers
Apparently this list is on the back cover of A Guide for the Perplexed. Need to pick this up ASAP. (Via Kottke)
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Walking, Productivity and Creativity
I have walked and jogged and ran quite a bit since the pandemic began some 87 years ago, but this summer I decided to step it up (unfortunate pun intended). 100,000 steps per week, every week, for twenty weeks. Two million steps. Sounded like a reasonable goal. I didn’t think about my Fitbit dying, being…
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Attainable Aspirations Inspired by Great Humans of the Past
A friend has been going through what they are confident can be defined as a “midlife crisis.” I too have been thinking about a lot of the “big picture” stuff the last year or two, and have been trying to get better at living life. I do a lot of reading, offline and on, and…
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The Beatles and Productivity
I spent all of the Sunday after Thanksgiving watching Get Back, arguably not the most productive way to spend a day. But The Beatles’ productivity stuck with me, months and months later. Unsurprising, their staggering output is undeniable proof of just how productive they were in such a short period of time. Former journalist Tom…
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You Can Be a Different Person After the Pandemic
From an essay by Olga Khazan: “…the person who emerges from quarantine doesn’t have to be the same old you. Scientists say that people can change their personalities well into adulthood. And what better time for transformation than now, when no one has seen you for a year, and might have forgotten what you were…
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Werner Herzog on Skateboarding
“I’m not familiar with the scene of skateboarding. At the same time, I had the feeling, yes, that’s kind of my people… You have to accept trial and error…”
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Fuck January
You’re coming off the holidays. It’s cold outside. It’s snowing. Not suggesting be outright lazy for a month, but lean into the new year. You’re much more likely to set goals and keep them if you formulate a game plan. I keep a planner and in the back pages run monthly tasks that I use…
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Current Header: Thelonious Monk
In 1960, Dixieland soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy joined the jazz legend’s band for a tour with John Coltrane. Young, wide-eyed and starstruck, he absorbed all he could, eventually writing down Monk’s words of wisdom. Applicable in jazz, so too applicable in life: Just because you’re not a drummer, doesn’t mean you don’t have to keep…