June 2022

😀 Updates since last month

Updated: June 1, 2022

📗 Books I’m currently reading

  • The Case for God by Karen Armstrong
    • I’m only a few pages into this book which seems to describe the history of religion and why it might be important to humans.
  • Behind Enemy Lines by Marthe Cohn
    • I also just started reading this first person account of being a Jew and helping other Jews escape the Nazis in WWII.

📕 Book I finished reading last month

  • The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
    • This was a little bit of a slog.  I like the philosophical aspect of the book – but it was a little dense.  And the story just wasn’t very good, I didn’t think.

🎸 Music I’ve been listening to

  • Tron: Legacy (Soundtrack), Daft Punk
    • I’ve turned to this soundtrack recently when I need “work” music. This has gotten me into a work mood when I turn it on.

🎧 Podcast episodes I thought were interesting

  • Thoreau on Living Deliberately,The Partially Examined Life
    • I tried to read Walden a few years back, but didn’t make it very far. This episode has me excited to give it another try very soon. I was also happy to hear that one of the hosts also had trouble getting through it.
  • At Last the ‘Inspirational’ Show, Back to Work
    • I haven’t listened to this podcast in a while, but I really liked it when it first started more than 10 years ago.  I went back and re-listened to a few episodes, some of the episodes really hold up, like this one on being “inspired” to work and avoiding “distractions”.

🎥 Videos I thought were worth watching

  • At a Crossroads, Jordan Peterson 2022 commencement speech
    • I’ve listened to this speech at least 3 times in the last few weeks.  Peterson describes that at any decision you make, you have two options – you aim up or down.
  • How to Speak, Patrick Winston, M.I.T.
    • This was an interesting lesson on how to give a presentation.  His rules are common sense, I think, but it was good watch a refresher lesson.

Quote I’ve been thinking about

Well there’s a dark cloud rising from the desert floor

I packed my bags and I’m heading straight into the storm

Gonna be a twister to blow everything down

That ain’t got the faith to stand its ground

Blow away the dreams that tear you apart

Blow away the dreams that break your heart

Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted

– Bruce Springsteen, The Promised Land