Spring 2023 tiny letter
Hello friends,
I’d like to say I have a host of deep thoughts to share since the last newsletter, but I’m a bit short of those at the moment. I am grateful for:
Friendships old and new
A decrease in covid risk overall (it ain’t gone, but it’s just not as nasty, for most, for now.) Insert fingers crossed emoji.
The likelihood that Orange Man will be convicted for something. Anything will do, just to create some beginning of accountability for one of our greatest swindlers.
The impending joy of summer.
Fresh Thai basil and bulk kimchi from Hong Phat on 82nd. Yes, even white boys got to shout.
I’m looking forward to a May visit to Madison, my first since departing for Portland about a year ago. Do students still wear hoodies with shorts? Is Paul Soglin still the mayor?*
* Super deep cut…Amanda? Anyone?
Tim Ferriss with Professor John Vervaeke
I have followed Tim Ferriss’ work for some time, and his pivot to podcast interviews shows a great maturation. I think he has become a very good interviewer. I especially enjoyed this lengthy discussion with a University of Toronto psychology professor. It is wide-ranging, but what stands out is Vervaeke’s definition of intuition, to paraphrase: “the unconscious recognition of very complex patterns.” The example he gives: how do you know how close to stand to someone at a funeral? Of course, the answer depends on numerous factors: how well do you know them, what is a religion, what part of the funeral is it, what is their body language, etc. You unconsciously weigh all these factors and more when making your decision.
He also suggests that intuition, while utterly valuable, can also fail, just like logic can fail. So he cautions against relying on one's intuition for everything, while still acknowledging its value. This resonates with me after paying more attention to my own intuition, while remaining wary of excessively woo interpretations of it.
Professor John Vervaeke — How to Build a Life of Wisdom, Flow, and Contemplation (#657) - The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
Interview with John Vervaeke on The Tim Ferriss Show podcast
Teaching students to hit each other: stage combat
I teach and choreograph stage violence—kicks, punches, falls, rudimentary wrestling and judo, sword fighting through the ages, the occasional beheading, nose- and hair-pulling, and slaps—and have done so professionally for 35 years, sometimes with students as young as 14.
I’m a hit with young actors. As we begin a workshop, I tell them I’m going to touch them, that I might put my hands on their shoulders to position them, or gently kick their foot so they assume a broader stance. They know, coming in, that there will be physical contact, but I always introduce my methods. Actors are allowed to opt out of any exercise. However, what I rarely see among young actors is peer pressure to perform. I see hesitation; I see enthusiasm. I see encouraging teachers who are often the first line of defense for young people navigating the issues of their age: bullying, questions of gender and sexuality, family violence, peer relationships, identity. The theater, perhaps more than any classroom, is where many students first test their willingness to walk in someone else’s shoes.
I really enjoyed this article, specifically how it addresses the requirement that actors make their roles convincing, and how this may conflict with the sensitivities of students, and the sometimes political sensitivities of school leadership.
Teaching stage violence: I have decades of experience showing kids how to hit. Lately, things have changed.
I prepare them for discomfort. Is that enough?
An album from Juanita Euka, at last
I found this artist a while back on xray.fm, and am happy to report her album is out.
Originally from DR Congo and brought up in Buenos Aires, Juanita’s upbringing involved many different musical influences, not least her uncle, Congolese rumba giant Franco Luambo Makiadi. “In Argentina, I listened to a wide range of styles from African-American artists to Dominican stars like Juan Luis Guerra, the Congolese greats like my uncle and Papa Wemba and various artists from Argentina including Mercedes Sosa. Some of my main inspirations were (and still are) international Afro-Cuban artists like Celia Cruz and La Lupe.”
A Congolese-Argentinian artist singing in several languages. It’s quite a mix, and a good one!
A world where women rule, often by force
I loved the original novel “The Power,” and so far I am enjoying the series. It's long been a fantasy of mine to see what happens when fundamentalist dictatorships like Saudi Arabia confront a massive rebalancing of power. The series takes place in several countries, following different characters who develop an ability to shoot electricity from their fingertips. It's a great plot device, and it's used to explore politics, and what people do with power when they get it — hint: not everyone is responsible. On Amazon.
Making fun of Hollywood
There are myriad shows and movies that make fun of the industry from which they came, and I think this is at the top of the list. It also deftly skewers the up-to-the-minute, obsessive metrics-driven world of social media. And it's damn funny. Available on HBO Max.
Straight Male Friend, a parody
SNL has been hit or miss for many years, but some of their commercials are great, and occasionally they have a brilliant skit.
How to beat Tr*mp in a debate
I have mentioned the Gish Gallop before—a debating technique where you overwhelm your opponent with a “a torrent of incorrect, irrelevant, or idiotic arguments,” that simply cannot be fact checked in real time. I've said for many years, as have people far more tuned in and smarter than I am, that Democrats, overall, have weak and often terrible messaging. It doesn't matter that they are often on the right side of an issue, nor that a majority agrees with them, nor that they have the facts on their side—because enough people are still swayed by the Gish Gallop and the pervasive nonsense of our former president and his admirers and sycophants.
Articles like this are important because they’re not whiny, rather, they’re trying to be productive.
How to Beat Trump in a Debate - The Atlantic
Unprepared and weak-willed opponents continue to play right into his hands.
Closing quote
"You can’t fight the firehose of falsehood with a squirt gun of truth.”
— Rand corporation study
See you next time.