Matt’s Mix Tape, Vol. 128

Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson, and this is Matt’s Mix Tape: essays + links on living a vibrant and creative middle life.

This week’s Mix:

• Here’s my fitness routine. But it doesn’t matter.

• Paul Simon’s creative assembly

• Shout out to the cold-weather warriors

• The replication crisis: disheartening or empowering?

• Florida photo

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Here’s my fitness routine. But it doesn’t matter.

Following last week’s newsletter, some readers asked me to share my workout routine.

I wrote it up. But it didn't seem useful.

So the essay morphed to include:

• Why my routine doesn’t matter for you

• The philosophies behind my workouts (hint: they’re from the 70s, like me)

• What I’m probably doing wrong

And, yes, it includes the actual routine. You can read my fitness routine essay here.

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Paul Simon’s creative assembly

How Simon slowly built the song “Bridge Over Troubled Water”:

Jeffrey Wright @jfreewright

I could watch this on a loop all night. (Yes, those of you, I perceive your appropriation troubles and am not bothered.)

Incredible to see the various influences Simon incorporated.

“That’s how songs happen. They piece themselves together.”

Everything is a remix.

Simon’s example reminds us to be mindful of the content we take in, because we will reflect it back out.

P.S.:

In the winter of 1991, I wore out this cassette tape:

On dark and frigid nights the album sounded like summer.

Here’s “Late In The Evening” from that show:

Love the way the brass section breaks through in this song.

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Shout out to the cold weather warriors

Some of you run and walk outside when it’s cold. Like, really cold.

Yikes.

I went for a walk last weekend when it was 46 degrees. Felt like this:

Nothing but respect for you all grinding your way through real winter.

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The replication crisis: disheartening or empowering?

Andy Kessler, in a piece on Sturgeon’s Law:

Mr. Andreessen starts with the replication crisis in scientific studies, especially in psychology—over half of studies can’t be replicated. I suggest “studies show” are the two most dangerous words in the English language. Mr. Andreessen quickly adds, “The corollary is ‘experts say.’ ”

There are two ways to view this.

1) Disheartening: No one knows anything. We’re toast.

This seems true the past two years. Even worse: the ones pretending they have the answers try to silence dissenting voices.

Or:

2) Empowering: No one knows anything. So try stuff.

Sometimes I don’t act because “I don’t have enough information.” It’s a nonsense story I deploy to keep from being bold.

We only get “enough information” by trying things. Learning comes through action and experience.

So: try stuff.

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This week’s Florida photo

Enough cold weather talk. Let’s warm it up in here.

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And thank you for reading. Reach out anytime!