Be more like Buckethead. Do what you love, even if other people find it strange. Those same people might also find it beautiful.
Yes, many artists wear costumes on stage, but Buckethead, or Brian Carroll, clearly sees the world differently even when he's not performing. He's a soft-spoken, shy, reportedly very sweet man who sometimes gives interviews through hand puppets. He writes songs about robots and Michael Jordan and his love for his parents. He hands out toys and does nunchuck demonstrations on stage. He's said his greatest goal is to build a theme park, but he's also afraid to call others on the phone to talk business. All the while, he's one of the world's most skilled, creative, prolific, and underappreciated electric guitarists.
Here's one of his most well-known songs, “Soothsayer”. A lot of the songs on Colma are fantastic, and I'm currently enjoying “Padmasana”, which I forgot about until now. I also like the soundscape album Bucketheadland (remember how he wants to build a theme park?), but it's hard to find online, and that link may not work for long.
Be more like Buckethead. Be more brave in doing what you love.
“Irritability is not bad temper. Nor is bad temper irritability. Bad temper carries the heart into it. The bad tempered man really does delight to vex and torture. Irritability flames and is gone. But both ruin happiness.”
Carlin had a way with words. This is a great observation, and it's about much more than driving. Whether we're talking about politics, religion, work, hobbies, or anything else, it's easy to criticize those who don't behave exactly as we do, with exactly the same level of enthusiasm. It's easy to excuse our imperfections by making them out to be the bad guys.
“In the beginning, mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers; later on, mountains are not mountains and rivers are not rivers; and still later, mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers.”
I can't remember where I heard this, even though I heard it very recently. The speaker claimed it was a Jewish proverb. I can't find much information about the quote online, but this blog post (archived) similarly calls it a Yiddish saying.
I tend to dislike, at least on some level, movies like Bohemian Rhapsody, Elvis, and now A Complete Unknown. They're called “biopics,” but they're more hagiography than biography. Sometimes I call them “hero worship movies.” The acting is often exceptional, and they can be fun, but I dislike that they portray their subjects as perfect, saintly figures. It's too much. Watching them feels like developing cinematic diabetes.
New paperback copies are cheap on Amazon, and I was able to buy 9 before they cut me off. That's right, they won't let me buy any more. I thought about asking the publisher for a bulk discount or even a donation, but I'd rather vote with my money and send a signal to the market: publish more books like this!