Matt's Mix Tape, Vol. 109

Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson, a guy who reads, writes, and works out. This is Matt’s Mix Tape, a weekly Mix of ideas for the creator and athlete in all of us.

This week’s Mix:

• This week’s Mix Tape logo

• “What do you do to stay in shape,” is the wrong question

• Malcom Gladwell’s “The Bomber Mafia”

• Owen Wilson, storyteller

• This week’s Florida photo (at The Trop)

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This week’s Mix Tape logo

It’s iPhone 13 launch week, and if you are a normal functioning human, you probably have no idea that is the case. Congratulations.

I know, though.

This week’s logo is a play on the stock wallpaper from the iPhone 4 series, my favorite iPhones of all time.

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What do you do to stay in shape?

This week in Write of Passage, our task was to write about a question people often ask us.

But, “What the hell is wrong with you?” didn’t seem like much fun to write about. So I picked a different one: I’m also often asked for fitness advice.

It turns out, I’ve been answering the question all wrong. Describing my workouts and eating habits is often unhelpful. So I wrote a better answer here.

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The Bomber Mafia: Malcom Gladwell

Malcom Gladwell is criticized for some inaccurate conclusions. In “The Tipping Point,” he popularized the Broken Window Theory, which states New York City’s tight policing of minor infractions drove historic crime decreases in the 90s and early 2000s. In fact, that decrease began before the city’s efforts were underway.

But Gladwell is master storyteller. It’s on the reader to draw their own conclusions and, if so inclined, do further research with other sources.

“The Bomber Mafia,” a tale of competing air war strategies during World War II, is another interesting and important work by Gladwell.

General Haywood Hansell believed wars could be won quickly with precise and strategic bombing campaigns. General Curtis Lemay also believed air power could shorten wars, but only with merciless and indiscriminate bombing of both civilian and military targets

LeMay’s strategy prevailed during the war. But today, Hansell’s vision guides America’s bombing strategy. The technology wasn’t available in the 1940s to achieve Hansell’s aims. It is today.

You can read my review and see Kindle highlights here.

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Owen Wilson, storyteller

We are in an Owen Wilson renaissance. He has a movie coming out with Jennifer Anniston soon. And he was excellent as Mobius in Loki:

And as Wilson’s star ascends anew, we inevitably get an old-timey, long-form magazine profile, like this one in Esquire, by Ryan D’Agostino.

Owen can’t surpress his storytelling urge. Throughout the piece, he tries to shape a narrative, like he’s editing a script while filming a movie:

look at him. All along he’s been trying to write my story, or at least describing an alternative story. Mine is a magazine profile. Something good and a little revealing, I hope, but a magazine profile. Owen is after something else, something more fascinating, or fun. Something different, and yet something that’s a thousand years old. He loves nothing more than a good story, I think.

The interview centers around Wilson’s perspective on storytelling. Wilson keeps highlighting little details, things he thinks D’Agostino could use to liven up the piece. He’s being playful, but I also sensed Wilson didn’t find himself interesting enough to be the focal point.

Mostly, though, I just liked reading all Wilson’s quotes in Owen voice. Very soothing.

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This week’s Florida photo

Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is routinely reviled as baseball’s worst stadium. Sure, it’s a bit dark. The roof, and its bizarre catwalks, smother some of the sport’s airy summertime feel.

But I’ve been to lots of ballparks. Some great (Petco Park, Oracle Park, Fenway) and some horrendous (Oakland Coliseum).

The Trop is a great place to watch a game. Friendly staff, relaxed vibe, comfortable, and clean. Florida’s summer storms rage outside with no effect. It’s easy to get in and out.

I like going there.

And the product is excellent. The Rays extended their divisional lead to 8 1/2 games last night, beating Detroit 5-2. They have the American League’s best record despite a minuscule payroll.

The Rays are fun, scrappy, pain-in-the-ass franchise. And the stadium is better than the common wisdom.

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And thank you for reading.

Please reach out and say hi anytime!