23 Nicotine Withdrawal, Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, Abelard and Heloise & The Ending of World War I

Posted on September 18, 2023 by observationblogger — 21 Comments

Welcome to Monday’s News on the March – The week that was in my digital world.

72 hours of Nicotine Withdrawal
Presentation at Addiction Mindset

Until last Tuesday morning (12 September) at 1048am I battled nicotine addiction since I was 18 years old. That means I spent 31 years consuming 3 nicotine products: cigarettes → e-cigarette (vaping) → Nicorette chewing gum. I probably spent 100 thousand dollars (on all these) and that’s being conservative. During those same years I had also been consuming alcohol ranging from binge drinking stints in my early adulthood to in later years – full-blown 24-7 monthly drinking bouts (the latter I have referred to as being ‘in the cave’). I consider I have spent at least 200 thousand dollars on alcohol products in my lifetime. I wrote a ‘reflections’ post in March this year called ‘I Won’t Forget‘ during one of my latest, but brief sobriety spells.

Since last Tuesday when I went cold – turkey I also haven’t drunk alcohol. I wanted to use this opportunity to pay tribute to the Addiction Mindset channel and other subject related video channels since they helped me to understand what I would be facing with nicotine withdrawal and provide some motivation. I hope without nicotine cravings I will be averse to consuming alcohol. I found that both usances went hand in hand. Any-hows I am about to enter my seventh day of Nicotine abstinence and I can say I no longer suffer cravings for nicotine. It makes me feel sick even to think about Nicotine and alcohol or contemplating how I wasted – what should have been the best and most productive years of my life. For instance, the realisation of not being able to provide a family home for my kids because of my self-indulgences is not nice; because if anyone deserved a home of their own, even a room for themselves – it was them.

Regarding my current mindset and outlook; it’s a strange sensation to no longer be craving any addictive product. It’s as though I’ve been reset to before the day, I first drunk my parents’ cheap cask wine from the refrigerator and washed off the vomit (with a garden hose) from my mattress out the front of the family home.
I can’t explain why I went cold turkey last Tuesday (apart from being broke, bored of it all and feeling like sh/t) or how I endured the challenges of 3 – 5 days of intense nicotine craving, but I can say:

I won’t forget your amazing grace.

UTMB: Up close and personal at the biggest, wildest trail race in the world
BBC Sport Article:

Welcome to Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, a race so epic it has been described as the World Cup, Tour de France and Super Bowl of running. None of those does it justice.

UTMB covers 106 miles, starting and finishing in Chamonix and passing through three countries – France, Italy and Switzerland – as it circumnavigates Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe.

The distance is only half the story. Runners must tackle 10,000m of elevation gain – comfortably more than the height of Everest – cope with temperatures ranging from below zero to 30C, and handle any conditions thrown at them by mountains which are normally the preserve of skiers. Helicopter search-and-rescue insurance is compulsory. (Read entire article here)

Abelard and Heloise: Medieval Romance and Philosophy
Centre Place Lecture

Abelard and Heloise are among the great scholastic philosophers of the 12th century. Their affair led to their secret marriage, which was discovered with terrible consequences for them both. Nevertheless their letters have kept the romance alive for centuries, and Abelard’s philosophical ideas helped change the course of Western thought.

The Ending of World War I: The Road to 11 November
Gresham College, a lecture by David Stevenson

This lecture will re-examine how the First World War ended, anticipating the centenary commemorations in 2018. It will discuss both why Germany requested a ceasefire, and why the Allies and America granted one. It will argue that the German army was near collapse, and that Germany was not defeated by a ‘stab in the back’ at home. None the less, the Allies had good reasons not to press on to Berlin.

Tagged with: Abelard and Heloise, addictions, nicotine withdrawal, The Ending of World War I, Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc
Posted in News, Reflections, Sport and Adventure

Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now (1987) – Starship

Posted on September 17, 2023 by observationblogger — 5 Comments

[Pre-Chorus: Grace Slick]
Let ’em say we’re crazy
What do they know?
Put your arms around me
Baby, don’t ever let go
Let the world around us just fall apart
Baby, we can make it if we’re heart to heart

The above Pre-Chorus by Grace Slick after Verse 2 of Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now gets me every time. How the song works up to this point and her delivery of it in the video below is spectacular. This song video is what you might have watched curled up on a rainy-day Saturday catching the Top 40 on Rage (where it reached No3) in Australia. Not that it rained often where I lived in Western Sydney, but it helps conjure the mood I wanted to convey. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now is not likely a song I would have run to school saying, ‘you must hear this guys‘, but at least I had this song to pass down to my daughter and she’s a huge fan. Even I had to tell her to watch something else. Ok, I’ll admit the song video is feel-good, catchy and entertaining.

This is another one of those countless pop songs where I prefer the sound in the verses and pre-chorus´ over the chorus which saturates the listener. This song just has two verses! Give me at least another verse and pre-chorus and remove (at least) one chorus. So, let’s look at the timeline here; Verses 1 and 2 (including pre-chorus’) take us up to 2:10 min of a song which lasts 4:27min. The majority is filled with a repetition of the Chorus. So less than half the song contains the meat in the sandwich (if you like). Any-hows, what do I know? Starship made a megahit with Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.

[Verse 1: Mickey Thomas]
Lookin’ in your eyes I see a paradise
This world that I found is too good to be true
Standin’ here beside you
Want so much to give you this love in my heart
That I’m feelin’ for you

[Pre-Chorus: Grace Slick]
Let ’em say we’re crazy, I don’t care ’bout that
Put your hand in my hand
Baby, don’t ever look back
Let the world around us just fall apart
Baby, we can make it if we’re heart to heart

[Chorus: Both]
And we can build this dream together
Standing strong forever
Nothing’s gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers
We’ll still have each other
Nothing’s gonna stop us
Nothing’s gonna stop us now
Oh, whoa

Excerpts from the Wikipedia article below:

Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now is a song co-written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond and recorded by American rock band Starship for their second studio album, No Protection (1987). It is a power ballad duet featuring vocalists Grace Slick and Mickey Thomas and is the theme to the romantic-comedy film Mannequin.

The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, Warren’s first single to do so. Elsewhere, Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now topped the charts in Canada, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, where it became the second-best-selling song of 1987. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 60th Academy Awards.

In a radio interview, Hammond said that the idea for the song came from his impending marriage to his live-in girlfriend of seven years after his divorce from his previous wife was finalized. He had said to Warren, “It’s almost like they’ve stopped me from marrying this woman for seven years, and they haven’t succeeded. They’re not gonna stop me doing it.”The song has been considered “feel good” propelled by a strong synthesizer beat.

References:
1. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – Wikipedia

Tagged with: mannequin, no protection, Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, starship
Posted in Music

Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby (2012) – Cigarettes After Sex

Posted on September 16, 2023 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

Greg Gonzalez of Cigarettes After Sex performing at Positivus Festival in July 2017

I first heard Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby in follower’s House of Heart‘s blog. This was back in 2018, so it has taken 5 years to get here in the Music Library Project. The band’s debut extended play (EP), I., was released in 2012, with today’s featured track eventually becoming a sleeper hit. It received little fanfare but went belatedly and unexpectedly viral 4 years after its release.
The silky vocals stand out against the moody, synth-driven production. I also enjoy Donna Missal’s version which I have presented below.

Whispered something in your ear
It was a perverted thing to say
But I said it anyway
Made you smile and look away

Nothing’s gonna hurt you baby
As long as you’re with me, you’ll be just fine
Nothing’s gonna hurt you baby
Nothing’s gonna take you from my side

From the Wikipedia reference below:

Cigarettes After Sex is an American dream pop band formed in El Paso, Texas, in 2008 by Greg Gonzalez. The band is known for their ethereal, limerent and often dream-like musical style, lyrics often based on the themes of romance and love, as well as Gonzalez’s voice, which has been described as “androgynous”. While marketed as an ambient pop band, Cigarettes After Sex are also considered to be shoegaze, Slow core and indie rock.

Referrring to the band’s name Cigarettes After Sex, Gonzales said:

“I think the music had to catch up with the name, almost,” he says. “The name was based off a moment where I was, you know… having what the name says. It was autobiographical, like a lot of the songs. I found that the more I thought about the name, the more the sound of the songs started to match it. The music became this kind of soothing comedown, but also a kind of euphoria.”

Reference:
1. Cigarettes After Sex – Wikipedia
2. Hear Donna Missal Cover Cigarettes After Sex’s ‘Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You’ – Discover Music

Tagged with: Cigarettes After Sex, Donna Missal, Greg Gonzalez, Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby
Posted in Music

Reality Bites (1994) – Ben Stiller (Friday’s Finest)

Posted on September 15, 2023 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

Reality Bites captured the zeitgeist of the early 1990s grunge scene among young adults. I was about their age when this movie came out. I could relate to the philosophical musings and desire to make a difference but not knowing how to go about it in world where young people feel anonymous and disenfranchised and dealing with modern day issues. I saw it again on cable just the other day after decades not seeing it and the memories came flooding back. I think it held up pretty well and I know it has achieved some cult status.

IMDB Storyline:

In this study of Generation X manners, Lelaina Pierce (Winona Ryder), the valedictorian of her college class, camcords her friends in a mock documentary of posteducation life. Troy Dyer (Ethan Hawke) is her best friend, a perpetually unemployed musical slacker. Vickie Miner (Janeane Garofalo) is a manager at the Gap who worries about the results of an A.I.D.S. test, while Sammy Gray (Steve Zahn) has problems grappling with his sexuality. When Lelaina meets Michael Grates (Ben Stiller), an earnest video executive who takes her homemade video to his MTV-like station, she must decide what she values – the materialism of yuppie Michael or the philosophical musings of Troy.

I had a bit of a crush on the actress Winona Ryder and think this is my favourite role by her. Steve Zahn and Janeane Garofalo were solid and and Ben Stiller (who also directed) is good despite being an atypical role for him. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $40.9 million worldwide against an $11.5 million budget. Critics highlighted the performances of Ryder, Hawke and Garofalo in particular.

The writer Helen Childress wrote and rewrote Reality Bites (70 drafts) 9 over the course of three decades. Ben Stiller signed on to direct it in 1992 and worked with Childress for nine to ten months developing the script. Childress and Stiller had a script that was ready to be filmed for TriStar Pictures, but the studio put it into turnaround. They received a phone call informing them that Winona Ryder had read the script, wanted to do it and that Universal Pictures had agreed to finance the film.

After completing several period pieces, Ryder was drawn to Reality Bites because she was looking “for something a little more contemporary because I really wanted to wear blue jeans for a change“. She read the script in one sitting and “found it very true to life.” She further speculated in an interview, “I think my character is very close to what I would probably have ended up as if I hadn’t become an actress“.
Ethan Hawke was at this point unhappy with the direction his career was taking. He recalled that his career was in a lull after the buzz from Dead Poets Society had faded. Winona Ryder was a fan of his work and stipulated in her contract that her involvement in this movie was dependent on Hawke starring opposite her. She chose Hawke after seeing him in A Midnight Clear (1992).

References:
1. Reality Bites – Wikipedia
2. Reality Bites – IMDB

Tagged with: benstiller, reality bites
Posted in Movies and TV

Nothingman (1994) – Pearl Jam

Posted on September 14, 2023 by observationblogger — 7 Comments

2 Nothing Men in the space of two days, which has gotta mean something.
Nothingman is one of my favourite songs by Pearl Jam. It is the second song to feature here from their third album Vitalogy. Their previous entry from the record is another one of my all-time favourites: Better Man. Nothingman features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music by bassist Jeff Ament.

Vedder on the song: Nothingman was written in an hour, and so I like listening to that ’cause it just happened and somehow captured a mood there, at least for me in the vocal. Any time I can nail down a song, a thought, in a half hour, that feels really good. Vedder also stated, “The idea is about if you love someone and they love you, don’t f/&k up…’cause you are left with less than nothing.” Discussing his attitude toward his first wife, Vedder commented, “But I just know that without her, I’d be a kite without a string, a nothing man.“

Once divided, nothing left to subtract
Some words when spoken can’t be taken back
Walks on his own with thoughts he can’t help thinking
Future’s above, but in the past he’s slow and sinking

[Pre-Chorus]
Caught a bolt of lightning
Cursed the day he let it go

[Chorus]
Nothingman
Nothingman
Isn’t it something, nothingman

[Verse 2]
She once believed in every story he had to tell
One day she stiffened, took the other side
Empty stares from each corner of a shared prison cell
One just escapes, one’s left inside the well

Upon its CD release, Vitalogy became the second-fastest selling album in history, behind only the band’s previous release Vs., selling 877,000 copies in its first week and quickly going multi-platinum. The album received critical acclaim from critics and has been certified 5x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of at least five million copies in the United States.

More information about the album from the Wikipedia reference below:

Tensions within the band had dramatically increased by the time they were working on Vitalogy. Producer Brendan O’Brien said: “Vitalogy was a little strained. I’m being polite—there was some imploding going on.” Bassist Jeff Ament said that “communication was at an all-time low”. Drummer Dave Abbruzzese stated that the communication problems started once guitarist Stone Gossard stopped acting as the band’s mediator. According to Gossard, Vitalogy was the first album for which lead vocalist Eddie Vedder made the final decisions. At the time, Gossard thought of quitting the band. Gossard said the band was having trouble collaborating, so most of the songs were developed out of jam sessions. He added that “80 percent of the songs were written 20 minutes before they were recorded.” During the production of Vitalogy, lead guitarist Mike McCready went into rehabilitation to receive treatment for alcohol and cocaine abuse.

References:
1. Nothingman – Wikipedia
2. Vitalogy – Wikipedia

Tagged with: nothingman, Pearl Jam, Vitalogy
Posted in Music

Nothing Man (2002) – Bruce Springsteen

Posted on September 13, 2023 by observationblogger — 7 Comments

You can call me Joe, buy me a drink and shake my hand
You want courage, I’ll show you courage you can understand
Pearl and silver resting on my night table
It’s just me Lord, pray I’m able

A bit like how Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young did their own versions of Philadelphia for the movie soundtrack which will feature here sequentially, also Springsteen and Pearl Jam did their respective songs (but pure coincidence) of Nothing Man in 1994; well technically the title of Jam’s is Nothingman. So, guess which song will feature after this?

Springsteen has commented that Nothing Man was originally completed in 1994 but re-recorded for the 2002 Rising album. I have written a lot about Springsteen’s resurgence record The Rising in the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy:

Springsteen said he got the inspiration for the album a few days after the 9/11 attacks, when a stranger in a car stopped next to him, rolled down his window and said: “We need you now”.

This is the third song to appear here from Bruce Springsteen’s 2002 The Rising record after my previous entry – Lonesome Day. I once wrote an autobiography and titled it Nothing Man which is a homage of sorts to this and Pearl Jam’s song. Although the book is not something I look back now on with much admiration, I have included here countless ‘reflection‘ posts which serve as ‘greatest hits’ of the book.

[Verse 1]
I don’t remember how I felt, I never thought I’d live
To read about myself in my hometown paper
How my brave young life was forever changed
In a misty cloud of pink vapor

[Chorus]
Darling, give me your kiss
Only understand
I am the nothing man

[Verse 2]
Around here everybody acts the same
Around here everybody acts like nothing’s changed
Friday night club meets at Al’s Barbecue
The sky is still the same unbelievable blue

[Chorus]
Darling, give me your kiss
Come and take my hand
I am the nothing man

[Verse 3]
You can call me Joe, buy me a drink and shake my hand
You want courage, I’ll show you courage you can understand
Pearl and silver resting on my night table
It’s just me Lord, pray I’m able

I have added a fan version of the song where the girl adds her voice to the song. It’s so sweet. I love this album and the live version in Barcelona remains one of my favourite live presentations of anything. Don’t quote me but supposedly Nothing Man in Bruce’s words is a “soldiers song” written in ’94 about a soldier returning from the gulf war. Of course, transposed into The Rising it could easily be about a fireman post-9/11.

Reference:
1. The Rising – Wikipedia

Tagged with: Bruce Springsteen, nothing man, The Rising
Posted in Music

Not Strong Enough (2023) – boygenius

Posted on September 12, 2023 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

boygenius (stylized in all lowercase) is an American indie supergroup formed in 2018 by Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. I liked this song and the playful video from the first moment I heard it. Not Strong Enough is the fourth single from their debut full-length, the record (stylised in lowercase) released on March 31st, 2023. I would recommend there other three singles releases as well: True Blue, Emily I’m Sorry and $20. In a Rolling Stone profile, writer Angie Martoccio describes Not Strong Enough as “the most communal” song on the project, and indeed, it gives seemingly equal space to the trio of singer-songwriters.

[Verse 1]
Black hole opened in the kitchen
Every clock’s a different time
It would only take the energy to fix it
I don’t know why I am

[Chorus]
The way I am
Not strong enough to be your man
I tried, I can’t
Stop staring at the ceiling fan and
Spinning out about things that haven’t happened
Breathing in and out

[Verse 2]
Drag racing through the canyon
Singing “Boys Don’t Cry”
Do you see us getting scraped up off the pavement?
I don’t know why I am

[Chorus]
The way I am
Not strong enough to be your man
I lied, I am
Just lowering your expectations
Half a mind that keeps the other second-guessing
Close my eyеs and count

If this song doesn’t rub you right the way, all I have to say is drop all tools now if you haven’t heard boygenius in this KEXP performance. The Record received critical acclaim and was awarded perfect scores by the likes of DIY, NME and Rolling Stone. It went on to top the charts in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, marking the first number-one album for all band members, and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200.
Boygenius say that today’s breezy rock track Not Strong Enough is about “paradoxically experiencing self-hatred while having a God complex.” The chorus: The way I am, Not strong enough to be your man‘ was inspired by the Sheryl Crowe hit – Strong Enough.

The music video below features Bridgers, Baker, and Dacus having a lovely day in Southern California. They hit the amusement park, the art museum, and the mini-golf course before enjoying a bonfire on the beach.

Reference:
1. The Record (Boygenius album) – Wikipedia
2. Boygenius Explore Conflicting Mental States On New Song “Not Strong Enough” – Genius.com

Tagged with: Boygenius, Not Strong Enough, the record
Posted in Music

The Lord of the Rings (Return of the King)

Posted on September 12, 2023 by observationblogger — 1 Comment

I saw ‘Fellowship of the Ring‘ with my father in Mornington and it was the last movie I would see with him. It remains my favourite of the three from the trilogy. But I must say how impressed I was at this ‘breakdown’ of the aftermath of the third movie and its release. I can’t imagine the hours and years many worked on it. It kind of gives J.R.R’s novel justice and holds up.

The video doesn’t appear for me here due to copyright restrictions, but you can search: LOTR: The Appendices – Return Of The king Premiere – Cast reacts to winning the 76th Oscars.

Tagged with: the lord of the rings, the return of the king
Posted in Movies and TV

Not Dark Yet (1997) – Bob Dylan

Posted on September 11, 2023 by observationblogger — 6 Comments

It is befitting Not Dark Yet is the first song to appear from Bob Dylan’s 3-time grammy award winning Time Out of Mind since for me it is the highlight of the record and in my top 20 all – time from him. When I looked at the album listing to doublecheck I hadn’t overlooked a song I noticed Make You Feel My Love should have already been included in the music library project. So, I will need to backtrack and add that later. Others coming from the record are Standing in the Doorway and Trying to Get to Heaven.

I remember distinctly where I was when I first heard Not Dark Yet for the first time. I was flat mates with with an old Academy buddy Kevin in a run-down house in Canberra’s suburb called Dickson. One day I was just ‘lamping’ as Leon referred to on Curb Your Enthusiasm and as soon as I heard this song, I knew it would be the soundtrack for me during my time there. I ended up leaving it in there on repeat. No young person could have written this song . . . not even a young Bob Dylan . . . There are years of hard living in this amazing song.

Dylan’s version will always reign supreme, but I like Eric Clapton’s version a lot and I have presented it at the bottom of this post.

[Verse 1]
Shadows are fallin’ and I’ve been here all day
It’s too hot to sleep and time is runnin’ away
Feel like my soul has turned into steel
I’ve still got the scars that the sun didn’t heal

[Chorus]
There’s not even room enough to be anywhere
It’s not dark yet, but it’s gettin’ there

[Verse 2]
Well, my sense of humanity has gone down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing there’s been some kind of pain
She wrote me a letter and she wrote it so kind
She put down in writin’ what was in her mind

[Chorus]
I just don’t see why I should even care
It’s not dark yet, but it’s gettin’ there

[Verse 3]
Well, I’ve been to London and I’ve been to gay Paris
I’ve followed the river and I got to the sea
I’ve been down on the bottom of a world full of lies
I ain’t lookin’ for nothin’ in anyone’s eyes

After producer Daniel Lanois success’ with Dylan’s 1989 Oh Mercy album he rejoined Bob again on Time Out of Mind.

From Wikipedia:

“Not Dark Yet” was recorded in the early sessions for Time Out of Mind in a version that featured “a radically different feel”, according to Daniel Lanois. “[The demo of ‘Not Dark Yet’] was quicker and more stripped-down and [later during the formal studio sessions], he changed it into a civil war ballad”.

In their book Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track, authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon describe the album version, recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami in early 1997, as one where Lanois “uses multiple instruments to fuel a sonic vision that he alone has the talent and skill to create. All the musicians contribute to this sound: Augie Meyers’s organ is scored; the two drummers provide a heavy, haunting tempo; and Tony Garnier on bass moves in the depths of the sound spectrum. The guitars confer a rock-music atmosphere on the piece, but also contribute to its dreamlike ambience. Dylan delivers one of his best vocal performances on the album, touched with sincerity and resignation”.

“Not Dark Yet” has been prominently featured on the soundtracks of many films and television shows, including Wonder Boys, The Passion of the Christ: Songs Inspired by The Passion of the Christ.

Reference:
1. Not Dark Yet – Wikipedia
2. Time Out of Mind – Wikipedia

Tagged with: Bob Dylan, Not Dark Yet, Time Out of Mind
Posted in Music

Plato’s Republic – John Hamon (Centre Place)

Posted on September 10, 2023 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

Exploring Plato’s Republic
Lecture at Centre Place

Exploring Plato’s Republic is the second lecture to appear here from John Hamond at Centre Place (the Toronto congregation of Community of Christ). The first lecture entailed The Flood Myth which I wrote about back in July.
‘I have been going on a John Hamer – Centre Place binge for at least a month‘. It’s now September and my bender hasn’t moderated. It’s neat when you know you have this page available at your fingertips which houses more than 100 lectures on history, theology, philosophy, religious studies, comparative religion, neuroscience, and more.

I am less familiar with Plato’s works than some other ancient philosophers like Plato’s teacher Socrates. So, I was looking forward to watching this. I found it fascinating, and I know I will need to revisit this lecture multiple times to grasp the meaning of many of the concepts that went over my head the first time. I feel grateful towards Centre Place for their imparting this information in an illuminating and well spirited manner which has only enhanced my curiosity of learning about those subjects previously mentioned.

The Republic is one of the most influential works of philosophy and political theory. John Hamer of Toronto Centre Place looks at the ideal state Plato outlines in its context and consider its ongoing relevance for understanding society and individuals today.

Tagged with: Centre Place, John Hamer, plato's republic
Posted in News

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