LIFESTYLE Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 10
Nick's Lifestyle Newsletter
EVERY DAY
THIS IS AN INTRODUCTION
Hello again everyone. It's been a few weeks. A long few weeks. Weeks of getting and giving fluids to a member of the household.
- No new game has been started to give a percentage on.
- Winner of the 20XX LIFESTYLE Newsletter Best Writer of Bound Lies and Other Fictional Matters Award, Mindy Meija, has a new book out. It is now available on presale: http://a.co/hf1HekH.
- If I have proof everyone has bought a copy of the above book, I will REMOVE THE BULLET. Until then, it stays. TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
- We are almost done with season 2 of our ST:TNG watching with Melonie. Set course to the good episode galaxy. Warp factor 8. ENGAGE.
- I got a new asthma inhaler that is not 2 years expired and had to take it due to my cold. I AM HIGH AS SHIT RIGHT NOW. WOOOOOOOOO! WOO! WOO!
THIS IS THE END OF THE INTRODUCTION.
3 THINGS THIS WEEK:
ITEM THE FIRST:
A few weeks ago I picked up a new podcast called Conversations with People Who Hate Me. The premise is that the host, Dylan Marron, makes left leaning videos and receives a lot of negative feedback so he invites these people to talk with him. After a few episodes, they expand this to other people and content creators. Episode 17 was especially poignant and one of the better things I have listened to in life because I can really relate to the stupid guy in it, unfortunately.
Episode 17: You are a Liar is about Emma Sulkowicz, who was sexually assaulted at Columbia University and was systematically ignored by the institution and law enforcement and as their senior thesis did a piece called "Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)" where they carried around a mattress during their time on campus to raise awareness. The other side is a person, Ben, that emailed Emma and wrote: "You are a Liar."
It is a fascinating discussion where Emma brings us through what happened in the assault, what happened with law enforcement and how it impacted their life. Ben asks a lot of great questions and you can tell he is really trying to understand where Emma is coming from. It is never heated, it is very well moderated, but at the end, Ben just can't agree with Emma that they were sexually assaulted. He needs proof. He needs it to be 100% solved before he can say that the assaulter was in the wrong. Everything he is saying is logical, and Emma and Dylan work through everything, but in the end, he is so scared to be wrong, that he cannot support Emma. IT IS SOMETIMES OK TO BE WRONG.
The thing is, is that I totally get it. I am a man of science, logic and rationality. I don't let feelings or empathy get in the way of that. THAT IS A TRAP. I could easily be a Ben. It is my instinct to be a Ben, but I know I have to do better. I have to work hard to have empathy and understand other perspectives. Probably harder than you. BUT I DO IT. I TRY MY BEST. Sometimes it is not good enough. This episode is a good reminder of why I try. HOW DO YOU EMPATHY?
ITEM THE SECOND:
A few weeks ago, the 31st anniversary reissue, deluxe, sell out, cash in version of Guns n' Roses Appetite for Destruction came out. This has always been one of my favorite albums, so I have been eagerly awaiting it. I made a value judgement that GNR did not need my money, so I happily downloaded the $200 4-CD version. I put it on at work, wearing my sweet ass headphones and listened to hear all the improvements and differences in the new mix...but there were none. I think a lot of people were calling this a remaster, but it was a reissue. The main album had no discernible difference then my CD from 1988. That is fine.
Anyways, while searching for more information, I came across a wonderful review for the album. I don't think it was until this moment when I realized specifically why this album means so much to me.
Musically, I love everything about it. I love Axl's voice, it is the unreal sound of a banshee luring you with tales of sex and violence. I love Steven Adler's punk drumming and quick snare work. I love Slash's guitar work. There are some great solos and he plays a lot higher on the neck, which is my favorite. Duff's bass work is intricate in some songs and fast punk in other. Izzy holds it all together. I got the music part on lock.
The review talks about how the author was introduced to GNR by his cousin and how it changed his life. I realized this was my journey as well.
When I was a child, I was occasionally babysat by my step-dad's daughter who was 5 years older than me. I distinctly remember us watching MTV and when Welcome to the Jungle came on, she turned it up. I had NEVER heard anything like it before.
I was a huge, HUGE, Michael Jackson fan. I had MJ shirts, books, stickers, trading cards, records all from the age of 3. My first record player was the classic Fisher Price model that everyone had and with it was Michael Jackson's Thriller album. I got a boom box and my first cassette was the same album. I went to the music store at midnight to get Bad. Yes, my mom took me to the music store at midnight when I was 8. Anyways, I still remember that moment. I remember seeing the debut of the Paradise City video, the Live at the Ritz show, the PPV concert. Most of all I remember my mother HATED GNR. She would take my dubbed cassettes of Appetite several times, and I would just get another one from my step-sister or I stashed some back ups around the house.
Thinking back, a lot of my early strife with her was over Guns. Of course, I wanted to grow my hair long and learn guitar, which were absolute NOs. I remember her being angry that Sean Larson got me G n' R Lies for my birthday. I remember her yelling at my dad when he took me to Musicland to buy Use Your Illusion I & II. The fights that would happen whenever I would play GNR and how her go discipline for a transgression was to take my GnR albums. Eh, whatever. Parents: THIS IS NOT EFFECTIVE PARENTING.
Reading the review made me realize what the appeal of it was to me and what the repulsion was for her. IT WAS DANGEROUS. Lyrically, musically it was dangerous. "I see you standing up, you think you're so cool. Why don't you just, FUCK OFF." It was a rallying cry against authority and order. It was a drastic break from the established comfort music of Michael Jackson and his safe lyrics and temperament.
I will listen to this album forever.
PS - If you want a remaster that changes the game, get on that Sgt. Peppers 50th. Fucking sick.
ITEM THE THIRD:
We are all doomed.
SHAME STATISTICS:
Wani Kani: Level 6
Apprentice: 47 (-29)
Guru: 221 (+74)
Master: 192 (+46)
Enlightened: 338 (+126)
Burned: 0
BunPro: N5: 5/10
GRATITUDES:
To my friends Doc and Godo for playing Pandemic Legacy Season 1 with us. I'm eternally hopeful that we can play more games with Doc and Godo and Pandemic Legacy Season 1 was a great experience that unfolded very differently than our last game with Tami & Wade. However, we still failed humanity. Onwards to season 2 (again)!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (please mark "ok to print")
None.
FAVORITE THING TO GO IN MY EYEHOLES THIS WEEK:
The news is mostly terrible and I really don't try to absorb too much of it, so I look forward to my daily summary of the world: What the Fuck Just Happened Today. I've been a subscriber since day 11. If you need to cut back on your news consumption to cope, I highly recommend it.
DON'T EVER LEAVE ME
SAY YOU'LL ALWAYS BE THERE
ALL I EVER WANTED
WAS FOR YOU
TO KNOW THAT I CARE
THAT IS ALL.