I just finished Cameron Crowe's memoir: The Uncool. It was great to leave these bizarre times behind, if only for 300 or so pages. Most of us came of musical age during the 70s and 80s so this was a delightful trip back in time when FM radio, its DJs, and record stores, played such influential roles in our musical coming of age. You will probably remember Crowe's entry into music journalism began at age 15 and it was brought to the screen in the truly memorable film, Almost Famous. The reader is provided with often intimate, behind the scenes views of the Allman Brothers, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell and David Bowie, Such a whirlwind of sounds, styles, egos, drugs, and talent! Upon completing it, I noticed several similarities between Cameron Crowe and DB: they each had two sisters, military dads and strong, wise, and educated moms, came of age in Southern California, had Sean Penn and Joni Mitchell in their lives, transitioned from one art form to another (CC went from journalism to screenwriting to directing) and you know about DB's various ventures. Both The Uncool and The Fire Agent ended with poignant portraits of their families. It took a little while to pick up steam, but then you're with Crowe on tour buses, hotel rooms, and concert venues. It's worth your time.
On the movie front, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed Rental Family with Brendan Fraser. It is set in Japan so a nice continuation from The Fire Agent, though far less geopolitical intrigue!
Additionally, I returned to two David Mamet films that I had enjoyed decades ago: the absolutely riveting House of Games, and an all too timely noir thriller, Homicide, which examines antisemitism. Joe Mantegna stars in both films and is terrific!
Finally, Brentlind, as you suggested, I have purchased Robert Sapolsky's "Behave" and skipped ahead to chapters 11 and 12 as you referenced them specifically. Here's the BIG TAKEAWAY thus far:
"Our brains form Us/Them dichotomies with stunning speed. Fifty-millisecond exposure to the face of someone of another race activates the amygdala..."
The amygdala is the threat-detection alarm system that evolution programmed us to have. So much is happening that we are unaware of, and though it surely served our species well back when we were in small hunter-gatherer tribes, it can lead to lethal outcomes in our frightening world of Us versus Them.
Peter the T.
