A friend of mine suggested I throw together a list of suggested listening in order to turn my readership onto some new, as-yet-unheard-of music. Off the top of my head, here's a few...
Fleet Foxes, Rogue Wave, The National, The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and The Black Keys.
I briefly browsed the library today, and came across a collection of essays by G.K. Chesterton, it was titled All is Gist and besides the fact that gist is a word fallen out of use of late (as is any word that can't be reduced to a combination of letters and symbols) it's an excellent collection. He has a way of exposing the intellectual childishness of almost any idea or position without sounding capricious or dogmatic (i.e. like an asshole).
If self-deprecation is the new irony I'm ahead of the curb, having moved on to self-aggrandizement: a tasteful melding of the two. the humor of which, nobody seems to get, much to my chagrin. Or maybe I'm just not funny...
...In case that sentence meant nothing to you, pick up a dictionary, reread it and then google the indie movement, will ferrell, and trends in humor. Or just get to know me, and you'll probably come to understand (after the dictionary reread anyway).
Not exactly the arts, but may I take a brief (pun coming) commercial break to talk about Michael Phelps?
Is he humble? Does he self-deprecate with the best of them? Has he got an unknown sensitive humanitarian side? Does he listen to The Shins?
The answer to all of those questions is (in the tradition of Will Smith) a resounding "Hell Nawww"
This guy makes Christian Bale in American Psycho look humble, he has no sense of humor, spends all his time training, and listens to a playlist of Pantera, ICP, and Slipknot.
He's probably the most type A human being I can think of right now, but you know what? I can't help but love the guy. He crushes the competition almost effortlessly. He breaks world records like they were toothpicks, even more impressive, the world record holder before he broke them? Himself, Michael Phelps is not only the greatest, he's better than the greatest, because he even breaks the records set by the greatest. When you are the best at what you do, and you do better than you did...you've reached some plateau of human existence I can't even comprehend.
But you know what I didn't see yesterday when he won his 4th and 5th gold medals? Satisfaction. For all his strength, there is nothing that can appease him, all the training in the world and in his moment of triumph not even the slightest sign of excitement?
Of course you'll say he'll be excited when he breaks Spitz's record of 7 gold medals in one Olympics. And he probably will, but I would almost guarantee you that even afterwards, there will still be something lacking.
Michael Phelps reminds me of the rich man, trying to squeeze through the doorway to heaven, which for him, is as wide as the eye of a needle.
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4 comments:
Good reading! Not sure if I'll get to the playlist...New music terrifies me, you know.
Don't forget Phelps also is a big fan of lil wayne, emenim, and G-Unit that should up his cool points! ha I cannot help but like him too, but I also understand what you mean, he never does seem satisfied; he always seems to have something else to prove
Bloody brilliant swimmer though.
I like what Dr. Munns said in Bible class on Sunday..."one day every knee will bow, even Phelps...they just don't know it yet."
Find some free air waves, I miss hearing from you!
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