Posted on
February 1, 2024
👋 Hey there
Updated: February 1, 2024
📕 Books I finished reading
- 10% Happier by Dan Harris – Dan Harris is a news anchor on national TV. After reporting from war zones in Iraq, he struggles with drug use and ends up having a panic attack on live TV. This book tells his story from drug use to finding meditation and Buddhism. He’s not “all in” on Buddhism, especially the more supernatural elements like karma and reincarnation – but he thinks the practice of meditation makes him about 10% happier. One quote I liked from the book was where Harris was quoting Eckhart Tolle and said “we ‘live almost exclusively through memory and anticipation,’ he wrote.” I feel that quote is very true and accurate.
My Rating: ★★★★☆
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy – This is the second book I’ve “read” by listening to the audiobook. I had read this one before back in 2018 and I gave it 3 stars. But the audio book was very good… I really enjoyed listening to it. This is not a happy book – it’s about a father and son in a post-apocalyptic world just trying to survive and fighting the urge to not want to just die. The man and the son have a conversation about remembering things, which I thought had a good point:
“Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think about that.
You forget some things, dont you?
Yes. You forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget.”
My Rating: ★★★★☆
🎸 Music I’ve been listening to
- Weathervane by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – I listened to this when it came out… but I guess I wasn’t ready for it yet. I gave it another listen and was blown away by a couple of songs… mostly The King of Oklahoma – what an incredible song… I really like songs that can tell a whole short story… maybe even a novella in just a short 5 minute song. Jason Isbell seems to do that extremely well
📃 Articles I thought were worth reading
- Jason Isbell, Self-Doubt and the Album That Tested His Marriage – As I went down the Jason Isbell rabbit hole, I read this article and thought it was interesting and worth reading. It describes a rough time in Jason’s life and marriage while he was struggling and trying to push through making an album and still discussing with his alcoholism even though he’d been sober for years at that point.
🎧 Podcast episodes I thought were interesting
- None – I haven’t listened to any good podcasts lately. What podcasts/episodes do you recommend?
🎥 Videos I thought were worth watching
- VH1 Inside Out: Warren Zevon – A VH1 documentary about the last few months of Warren Zevon’s life after he had been given the diagnosis and only 3 months to live. This was pretty sad, but it was nice to see a group of friends help him produce one of the best and most creative (and saddest) albums of his life.
- What to say when you’re not 100% sure – I’ve got in the (bad?) habit of watching this YouTube channel. I believe he is an English as a Second Language teacher… but for some reason, I enjoy watching his videos. I can’t explain it. If you speak English well, this one might waste your time.
✍ Quote I’ve been thinking about
“Nancy Clutter is always in a hurry, but she always has time. And that is the definition of a lady.”
– from In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
I’ve thought about this quote quite a bit since I read it (listened to it) in the early chapters of In Cold Blood. I’m not sure if it defines a lady or not… but I do think it’s something to strive for… always be in a hurry and have some urgency about the things you want to get done, but at the same time – always take the time when necessary, especially with people – make sure to slow down and be present during conversations.