Catfish
Volumes 41-45
©2015
Andrew Bushard
Catfish
Volume 41
Andrew Bushard
Reviews
Audio
Benzedrine Monks of Santo Domonica
1994:Chants Don’t Suck. USA: Rhino Records.
Weird Al’s parody of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” pokes fun at how it is hard to decipher what Nirvana is saying, thus, interestingly enough the chant version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” enables one to decipher the lyrics since it is slower and clearer than the original. Particularly ironic, and consequently enjoyable was the chant version of REM’s “Losing My Religion. Also great was the chant version of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” Perhaps, this version should be played at basketball games.
Cochran, Tammy
2000:Tammy Cochran. New York, NY: Sony Music Entertainment.
I was thinking it was going to be more countryesque than it was, but it was softer than I thought. In fact, it didn’t seem too country at all, but she is still classified as country. None of that honky tonky twang in here, really. Sometimes a little too soft, and I would have preferred more of the story telling type song like her hit “Life Happened” than the love song type.
Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.: read by Grover Gardner
2001:The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. Hampton, NH: Chivers North America.
Some fundamentalists suggest that all religions besides Christianity are evil tools of Satan. After listening to the benevolent Dalai Lama’s words, it’s laughable that anyone could conclude that the Dalai Lama is an agent of Satan. He is in fact the epitome of benevolence. Lots of good advice, and some I don’t really agree with. For example, the Dalai Lama argues that in almost any problem in your life, you are at fault to some extent or another. The feminist community has for years being trying to change the idea that women contribute to rape. Howard Cutler gave a weak counter example (lying) to try to refute the Dalai Lama’s notion that one almost always contributes to one’s problems. We don’t always contribute to our problems as even others have argued. Some conceptions of karma can be very dangerous. If the Dalai Lama (and Buddhism) has any fatal flaw it would actually be too loving and peaceful. Such is not ideal. I think hate and anger, (what the Dalai Lama considers to be horrible) are really positive when done right. Anton LaVey and others liked him argued that some hate is needed to be fully human and balanced. It seems that people who lack hate don’t have the much needed balance. There needs to be hardness. I do love the tolerance of the Dalai Lama and Buddhism. The Dalai Lama does not seek to push his religious views on everyone; in fact, he argues that Buddhism is not ideal for every last person, even suggesting that the other religions should stay in existence because they are so good. That type of tolerance is so utterly refreshing especially when contrasted to the mindless fundamentalist notion that only Christianity is right and everyone must convert. Buddhism like anything else to me is not perfect, but in many ways it is an admirable faith.
Dobson, James: read by someone else
1996:Love Must Be Tough: New Hope for Families in Crises. Dallas, TX: Word Publishing.
When I think of tough love, I think of it being used by parents; although there are parenthetical references to that here, Dobson focuses on marriage issues, particularity affairs. In graduate school, one of my classmates was researching biases. One day I told him I found a bias. I told him how so many people think that Dr. Laura is an extremist, yet I listened to one of her books on tape and found it to be sensible and not extremist in the least. He called the bias these other people have a “generalization bias”. He said “Every three months she’ll say something off the wall, and then people think that’s all she talks about”. I believe the same can be said for James Dobson, at least from this audio tape. There is really nothing offensive on here, and although I may disagree on particulars, this advice would be wise whether one is a Christian or otherwise.
Dyer, Wayne.
1998:Wisdom of the Ages: a Modern Master Brings Eternal Truths into Everyday Life. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
Dyer did bring forth some good wisdom, though I don’t agree with it all. Dyer has too much of the yin of the old yin yang; he’s too soft, too peaceful, too slow paced, too at ease. I find such softness such yinness hard to listen to for prolonged periods of time. He has no anger or hatred, something I don’t think is preferable. A good work if a little short.
Eagles
1994:Hell Freezes Over. Los Angeles, CA: Geffen Records.
Yes, some libraries still in 2005 lend tapes. A place here or there the tape quality was second rate (or maybe it was my sometimes quirky player). The hits were catchy as were a couple of songs that I had not heard of (though they very well could have been hits).
Eminem
2003:The Eminem Show. Santa Monica, CA: Aftermath Records.
I finally got an opportunity to become acquainted with Eninem’s music after hearing so much about him. This is surely one of the most suitable albums to jog to. There’s something about it that makes it conducive to running. It might be the beat. Other rap albums don’t seem to have the same effect on jogging, so there might be something special about this record. People like Bill O’Reilly are wrong, because there is substance in these lyrics as defenders have been arguing. Yes, there is the typical tough and macho posturing, but there is also a more vulnerable, humble side as well. Eminem in one lyric acknowledges his errors, and in another says “My insecurities could eat me alive.” These are not feelings you hear on every rap album. About the only song, I could really object to was “Superman”, which seems definitely misogynist, but then again Eminem says he is “tongue in cheek”. Eminem is frequently castigated for being homophobic, but on this album I heard only a reference or two slamming homosexuality. In condemning his adversaries, he makes profound points on the nature of art and the interpretation thereof. Whether you are a rapper or not, if you have ever had your misinterpreted, this is something you can relate to. One of my former classmates said that when opponents of rap talk about rap “they always talk about bad rap and not good rap.” I imagine this is exactly what happens to Eminem. Have any of these opponents heard “Hailie’s Song”? It is a noble expression of a father’s strong love for his beloved daughter.
Eugen, Herrigel: read by Ralph Blum
1990:Zen in the Art of Archery. Los Angeles, CA: Audio Renaissance Tapes.
I passed by this audio tape for more than one visit, but eventually decided to check it out on one visit. Sometimes old = dull, but such was not the case here. I wanted to learn more about Buddhism, and such was a great way to do it. It painted a fairly attractive picture of Zen.
Fry, Ron: read by Beverly Butler and David Cooper
1996:Improve Your Memory. New York, NY: Highbridge Audio.
I have been familiar with some memory enhancement techniques before particularly mnemonic devices; this one gave me a couple more. Plus even the examples were interesting and incidentally informative on their own account.
God Bullies
1994:Kill the King. San Francisco, CA: Alternative Tentacles.
A lot was rather unmelodic, and I really prefer melody. Though a couple of songs, like “Pretty on the Inside” included some dialogue with musical background. “Pretty on the Inside” seems to have the morale that if you engage in misconduct, it can backfire on you since a horrible consequence, worse than you can imagine, could manifest itself and your behavior will become public.
Good Charlotte
2002:The Young and the Hopeless. New York, NY: Sony Music Entertainment.
Having hea
rd only “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” and “Bloody Valentine”, both of which I liked, I thought I would check out Good Charlotte. I was afraid these songs would be hard to get into, but fortunately that didn’t happen as the songs were very easy to get into right away. “Riot Girl”, “The Story of My Old Man”, among the others makes this album one to listen to.
Hubbard, L. Ron
1980:Scientology and Effective Knowledge.
Hubbard, interestingly, compares Scientology to Buddhism. Instead of claiming Christianity is unique among all religions, Hubbard claims Buddhism is distinct because he says it tries to get to “knowing”. He even suggested that Siddhartha “was the first scientist”. However, Hubbard claims that what Buddhism has tried to do, Scientology actually does. A great line from this tape went something like this: “In order to better someone, you have to better him [or her]. You can’t better someone by worsening him [or her]”. Is that what we call wisdom? If so, I can give you plenty of it.
Ivins, Molly
2000:Shrub: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush. New York, NY: Random House Audiobooks.
Molly Ivins is a liberal, but still she critiques George W. Bush in a fair minded way. So many liberals point out and lash out about only Bush’s negatives, but Ivins is better than that. Her descriptions of Bush have only proven true since he has unfortunately become our president. I think it is also an asset that she lives in Texas as she can give a more insider first hand view of what Bush is like.
Keith, Toby
2004:Greatest Hits 2. Nashville, TN: DreamWorks Records.
I do not care for Keith’s political stances especially his stupid retaliation against criticism directed toward Bush, though his music is okay.
Keneally, Thomas: read by Grover Gardner
2003:Abraham Lincoln. Santa Anna, CA: Books on Tape, Inc.
Abraham Lincoln is one of the more banal American history topics, so one might not expect too much excitement, but this audio book was fascinating. It is a talent to do something well which has been done many times before. Some people may not have liked the end of this which was a detailed description of the author’s “sources” but I didn’t find it dull in the least.
Lieberman, David:Narrated by Richard M. Davidson
1999:Never Be Lied to Again:How to Get the Truth in 5 Minutes or Less in Any Conversation or Situation. Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, LLC.
Ironically, the title is a falsehood: it has “never” in it and as the saying goes “never say never”, so you’ll probably be lied to again, and I think the author mentioned how the techniques are not foolproof anyways. Also ironically, some of the author’s favorite techniques to uncover lies involve elements of deceit if not out right lies. It’s ironic that in order to get the truth you must lie (if you follow his suggestions). In his work, Instant Analysis, Lieberman, like many contemporary psychologists stresses the idea that you should give a person the “benefit of the doubt” (he even used this phrase) and be open to different interpretations than just what immediately comes to you. Very well and fine, but in this book, the author seemed to suggest, notwithstanding very cursory introductory remarks about other possibilities, that whenever someone exhibits these signs of lying, the person is lying. I know I have been truthful yet have exhibited some of the behaviors he considers to be automatic sings of lies. For example, I talk slower than average, and Lieberman says that a sign of deceit is talking slow. He also suggests the old notion that if you having nothing to hide you’ll gladly talk. I have refused to talk to police or allow a search not because I had something to hide, I didn’t, but because I wanted to assert my rights. There’s little worse than arousing suspicion when you are doing nothing wrong, which unfortunately is the cost of being assertive (some might say quixotic). So very very useful. The audio format was not conducive to going back and reviewing which is vital of a work of this nature. I hope to use this information often and I hope to remember a lot of it.
Meatloaf
1998:The Very Best of Meatloaf. New York, NY: Sony Music Entertainment.
I haven’t heard Meatloaf’s music for awhile. I remember liking it from my MTV days. Emotionally powerful music with deep lyrics.
Megadeth
1992:Countdown to Extinction. USA: Capitol Records.
In my younger days, metal was one of my favorite genres if not my favorite genre. Now it is no longer my favorite genre, but I still like some of it. I’m not ecstatic about this album, but I think it is just fine.
Morgan, Diane: read by Arthur Morey.
2001:The Best Guide to Eastern Philosophy and Religion. Los Angeles, CA: Audio Renaissance.
It seems to me that not that many books of this type would devote so much to tantric philosophy. I hadn’t heard much of it before so it helped to learn about it. This audio book acknowledged that it left out Jainism, Sikhism, and other eastern ideas. The audio book only ran for 3 hours, which was part of the problem; it didn’t need to be abridged so much. Jainism is rarely emphasized the way it should be, especially considering how it appears to have some of the best attributes of any religion or philosophy. This audio book was not too stiff, at times, colloquial words and phrases were even used.
O’Rourke, P.J.: read by William H. Macy
1992:Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind’s Struggle against Tyranny, Injustice, and Alcohol-Free Beer. New York, NY: Random House.
Despite the title, I don’t remember hearing anything at all about alcohol free beer (such as O’Doole’s), all he mentioned was how there was no alcohol allowed in Saudi Arabia. His profile of Dr. Ruth had me laughing more than I have for a while. He teed a fine balance: he was able to be humorous and witty and yet still report about the Gulf war in a patriotic way.
Reilly, Lee: narrated by Barbara Caruso
1997:Women Living Single: Thirty Women Share Their Stories About Navigating Through a Married World. Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, Inc.
The style is ethnography, except that it is not academic, but popular. Reilly argues that unmarried women are vilified, stereotyped, and treated cruelly in life. Reilly suggests being single is legitimate and women should be treated the same. I know the scope of the book could include women, but even though women may get the worst of it, men too face pressure to marry. When I ran for city board, I made a speech to the current city board. One citizen in said “Good speech, but you’re not going to get it. They’re such a traditional bunch, they like it that he [my opponent] is married.” There is a stereotype for men as well. Unmarried men are assumed to be uncivilized and less respectable than men who are married says society. Although this book reflects on the specific theme of single women, it makes profound points on a broader theme: be different in any way from the social norm that most of society thinks is indispensable. Thus, I would love to see the same theme of this book focused on topics such as living without a car, being a teetotaler, or even being a short man.
Shannon, Elaine and Ann Blackman: read by Barbara Daniels Korsen
2001:The Spy Next Door: The Extraordinary Secret Life of Robert Philip Hanssen: the Most Damaging FBI Agent in U.S. History. Hampton, NH: Chivers North America.
I only have one complaint about this superior work: the work did not focus much on Hanssen’s post arrest experiences, such as what happened at the arraignment, the sentencing, and how he is adapting to prison life. I heard somewhere that one of the deals he got in his plea bargain was the opportunity to operate a computer, though without internet access. Good heavens, I was sucked into this fabulous book. I loved the suspense. Indirectly, the work provided me more insight about the workings of the FBI. There was this dude I met in graduate school, who named Bob Hansen, and was a cop just like this Bob Hanssen, but the one I met pointed out the name was spelled differently. My life has become so much more exciting from listening to this work. One great deed the St. Paul public library, Sun Ray, branch did wa
s acquiring this work. I am so very happy I came into the library on the day I did. I was glued to this work. I stayed up past by bedtime listening to this fascinating tale; how could I not? Spy stories can give up bad dreams, but it is joy listening to something so very interesting. A great joy of life is listening to fabulously interesting tales like this one.
They Might Be Giants
1990:Istanbul Not Constantinople. New York, NY: Elektra Entertainment.
An EP. I heard “Istanbul Not Constantinople” many times before, so it was not a treat to hear it again, though I am still not really sick of it, because it is a pretty good song. I had never heard James K. Polk before and instantly was attracted to it, as it a wonderful way to teach a history lesson with style. How could the PMRC object to that song? I’m sure it could, but that song is a good history song. It’s also cool.
They Might Be Giants
1998:Severe Tire Damage. Hollywood, CA: Restless Records.
It seemed like a live album. The last song, “About Me” was like the form of “Fingertips” from Apollo 18, which included a song consisting of many different small musical bits. Having heard some of these songs before, in fact, many many times before, much of this was not as much of a treat as I would have liked. However, I did get to hear some new songs, like the very educational “Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)”
Various Artists
2005:Totally Country 4. New York, NY: Sony & BMG Music Entertainment.