Meditation & Stress: Scientific Learnings from Monks (BBC Witness)

I listened to an interesting podcast from BBC’s Witness regarding meditation and its impact on the human brain. The study in question evolved from a discussion between a researcher at MIT and the Dalai Lama who suggested that traits such as calmness, clarity, and kindness would have discernible results evident in brain scans. Conversely, people prone to worry, boredom or pessimism also have altogether different patterns in their brain imagery. The results of this study have not only taught us about the value of meditation but may also shed light on psychological disorders and diseases, such as Alzheimers.

• As a leader in the workplace, I do my best to fight the ever-present shadows of boredom and pessimism from infecting my team and keep them motivated to do their best work. Now, science (and Buddhists) have proven that these negative thought patterns can have long lasting impact on the human brain.
• As a human being who tries to have a life outside of the office, this study has speaks to my ability to deal with stress and how to encourage kindness and calmness within my own family. At a particularly chaotic stressful time in my life 7 years ago, I sought clarity via the Shambhala Meditation Center in Boston and it helped (no, I’m not Buddhist; just resistant to therapy). I need to make sure I maintain some level of control because my thoughts have been known to run like unbridled horses and this podcast gave me some direction.

Surely, there are more ways than meditation to achieve the same type of positive results. The key takeaway is to stay positive and calm.

Meet Me in the Bathroom

I snagged this Lizzy Goodman book from my bookshelf on my way out of the house yesterday morning to fill the open role as my “train book” during my commute. I got Meet Me In the Bathroom: Rebirth of Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011 back in November of 2017 and read the first few chapters but promptly put it down and forgot about it – no fault of the author or subject matter as my interests and spare time are skittish at best.

Meet Me in the Bathroom focuses on the New York Music scene in the ten-years of the new millennium, namely the Strokes and Interpol, but touches on a number of bands and figures from that scene. It’s fraught with tales of promiscuity and drug-fueled fun all stitched together with the thread of indie music that ruled the city for a decade. Aside from the bands and locations being of interest I have personal connection to a couple of figures who come up in the book:

• Anthony Rossomando won an Academy Award last year for co-writing the song Shallow from the soundtrack to A Star is Born, but Anthony is in the book for playing with the Damn Personals and his work with the Libertines as fill-in for Pete Doherty who has not been welcome state-side in quite some time (ever?). Prior to all of this, I met Anthony as part of the Boston Mod/Ska Scene and interviewed him twice for the zine I made as a tween / teen: first as a member of JC Superska in 1994 at 7 Willow Street in Port Chester, NY and a couple of years later at the Middle East in Cambridge, Ma as his band had morphed into Lo-Fi Big Band. I knew Anthony in-passing through Saturday Matinee shows at the Rat in Boston over 94-95.
• My other connection is stronger if more nefarious and was a key selling point of this book; I highly recommend you all read the section where my old friend Bushy sells Interpol drugs while wearing high-top sneakers and not much else (shout out to Bushy’s 4 years of sobriety). Bushy was a fixture in the NY Indie scene on which the book focuses, but also a stalwart within the punk and hardcore scene in the 90’s where we both cut our teeth. You can see him stagediving to American Nightmare in this clip from 2002)

It’s 600+ pages and needs a soundtrack so, while maybe larger than ideal for a commute, it pairs well with headphones and some music. I’m 1/10th of my way through the book and, off the top of my head, they have already touched on jams like Interpol’s Turn on the Bright Lights, the Go, the Rapture, AC/DC, Suicide, Can, Jonathan Fire*Eater, Liquid Liquid, Massive Attack, Dusty Springfield, and dozens of others.

Chubby and the Gang – Speed Kills (Static Shock Records)

Charlie and the boys put out their first album and played two sold out gigs in Brooklyn within the last month. For me this evokes memories of sped up street-punk / thug-rock guitar tones similar to the Count Bishops, with shouted, double-tracked, yob vocals a la the Members. A friend of mine recently compared it to At the Drive In which didn’t make much sense to me… but whatever. It’s a novel approach to the stagnant swamp that the punk genre has become and, personally, it’s a breath of fresh air. This album also wins for best cover art of the year – the bar has been set high.