Matt’s Mix Tape, Vol. 128
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
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.
Paul Simon’s creative assembly
How Simon slowly built the song “Bridge Over Troubled Water”:
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.
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.
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.
This week’s Florida photo
Enough cold weather talk. Let’s warm it up in here.
Hello to 31 new subscribers
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And thank you for reading. Reach out anytime!