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"Turns out the light on the ass voice party, as it were."

Tuesday 5/17/22

Sometimes, in a clout-y way, someone desperate to be right and notch some "score" against me and finally get up on the board, will attempt to imply that they know something I do not, because they've done whatever it is for X amount of years, when in reality all that means is they've sucked at something for a long time. I always think that they've been writing longer than I have. They've been reading longer than I have. They've been listening to the Beatles longer than I have. So? These things mean nothing, and they mean nothing to me.


Here is a radio interview I gave tonight about my favorite John Lennon vocals, what began as an entry in these pages and became an addition to Just Like Them: A Piece by Piece Guide to Becoming the Ultimate Thinking Person's Beatles Fan. I meant "Boys" by the Shirelles, by the way. My bad. The Cookies did "Chains." That sounds nice. Note the depth of the mix, the bottom to those drums.


People just say things. Wouldn't you rather know things? You can! It's allowed! A love-fest for Patrice Bergeron lately, who may or may not retire. Probably will, but who knows. By all indications, a good man. A good hockey player. But never anywhere close to a great hockey player. When the Bruins won the Cup in 2011, Milan Lucic tied for the team lead in scoring with Krejci. They had 62 points. That's anemic.


Bergeron was in his prime, and couldn't lead that team offensively. I saw someone post that he's the most underrated Boston athlete of their lifetime. He's quite easily the most overrated. Overrated doesn't mean bad. Doesn't mean not good. (You can be a Hall of Fame player and be overrated. Roberto Clemente is overrated.) Because, again, Bergeron was a good hockey player. His offensive game was not so hot, though, and when it got better, that was because of Mr. Marchand becoming a Hall of Fame level guy and elevating "Bergey." I saw someone else--with a job covering hockey, no less--post that Bergeron was the best two-way forward of all-time. This is extreme silliness. He wasn't even the best two-way forward the Bruins have ever had. Rick Middleton was comparable defensively, and a much better offensive player. I mean, like thirty percent better. Other players who are worlds beyond Bergeron in the two-way game: Sergei Federov, Jari Kurri, Bryan Trottier, Doug Gilmour, Bobby Clarke, Steve Yzerman eventually, Sidney Crosby. You know what? He's not even the best two-way forward on his own team. That's Marchand. The gap between the two offensively is big, and the defensive gap isn't as large as people want to think. Bergeron plays a more important defensive position, which results in a boost. But other than that, nah. Marchand is also a better penalty killer.


Like I said, people just say things. The people who just say things have no awareness of any of those players I mentioned. Again, we have a perfect example of the ass voice. Everyone wishes to speak from the ass. That is why experts are loathed, even though there are only like four real experts on anything in the world right now. Because the expert knows, and the expert stops the flow of the ass voice. Turns out the lights on the ass voice party, as it were. And the owner of the ass voice just wants to keep that ass voice rolling along, saying "literally" as often as possible, pretending that they're smart--I mean, look at Dave Portnoy--and their viewpoint matters, and it matters just as much as anyone's ever could, by gosh. People need to pretend, because there is no substance, there's no real credibility or knowledge or smarts. To face the truth would kill them, that kind of blow to the ego. Everyone is so insecure, and rightfully so, so what they want is to be lied to and to proceed unchecked.


Or, you could just learn something and be smarter. And keep learning things and becoming smarter still, and better at thinking. Then you'd have a smart person's voice, and not an ass voice. People would respect you, and you could respect yourself. You'd be more use to yourself and to others. You'd have actual mental health and be less broken and scared and angry and insecure. You would offer the world something. People have far more of a choice in this matter than they ever allow themselves to think, because to think that they do means they have to put forward some effort and take a little risk and have some personal accountability that, yeah, they can do a hell of a lot better, and what they've done to date really kind of sucks. But there's always time to get started, and getting started is a huge part of doing anything meaningful. As big a part as there is.


I'd like to see Bergeron come back, if that's what he wants to do. He has no business whatsoever being a Hall of Famer, but he will be, probably on the first ballot. Would like to see the Bruins make a play for Malkin.


Ran 5000 stairs.


My neighbor and former mentee had her first job interview today. For a stem job? I don't know what this means. She texted me shortly before it started because she was nervous.


C: Remember what I've always said to you: Be yourself, and that will be more than enough. That's all you have to do. Look the interviewer in the eye, talk to them like you talk to me or to anyone. Be prepared, be yourself. You'll be fine. I have every confidence!


The "you" employed in these pages is the general you, by the way. It's not you you, unless, well, it is. This is a book. It's a very long series of books. I create books, and every last one of them is unlike any book anyone else has ever written, and every book that I create always will be. And in this particular series of books a person is communicating. But they're not addressing you like someone would with an email to your inbox, even if general you is on a mailing list, which may or may not exist. I don't even know at this point. The alert emails stop coming, I believe, if you don't click on enough of them, or you let three go by without clicking. I also really don't care. Check back often. Very often. Know that that is the drill. These words will be written, and they will go up, because that is the format right now for this book, before it also ends up between hardcovers and as a series of downloadable volumes on the Kindle or what have you. And is read out--by me--on Audible. Or whatever relevant services are in place when the relevant time comes. I am not speaking to you. But I also am. In a different way, though. A different way.



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