Guess the photo, the reason for moving to Norway, the meaning of you talking too much, the food

And guess the reason that headline is so long!

Jan 30, 2023

Eschewing fame, embracing Trondheim

My guest on the podcast this week is Chris Walla.

In some ways, it makes no sense that Chris Walla has had a very successful career in music. Growing up, he had music teachers that were complacent at best, he dropped out of one college and failed at another, and he ultimately found himself working at a Starbucks in the not-really-a-music-hotbed of Bellingham, Washington. But it was there that he connected with Ben Gibbard, forming the band Death Cab for Cutie, which would go on to international fame.

And while Death Cab is currently on a tour that will take them to Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl, and Royal Albert Hall, Chris will not be joining them. He left the band in 2014 and has put down roots in Trondheim, Norway. Look, here he is in what looks like a fjord:

Here’s another picture where he’s looking out over a fjord:

Norway has won an award:

Anyway, so yes, Chris Walla.

In the interview, we talk about why, when you have a perfectly good job as lead guitarist for a hugely successful rock band, you just… quit. We also talk about stuff like, oh let’s do bullet points:

Perfectionism
Why it’s hard to accept that someone can love your art
Why not just keep the big time gig even if you’re not happy
Alcohol and why the “just a glass of wine with dinner” experiment failed
Becoming a producer who is kinder than the music teachers you have had
A baby!
Not just moving to Norway but planning to stay there

Prompt: 50 words on why people should donate to the podcast Depresh Mode and not murderers

From ChatGPT:

People should donate to the podcast Depresh Mode instead of murderers because supporting murderers goes against moral and ethical values, whereas donating to Depresh Mode promotes positive impact and well-being. Depresh Mode provides resources, education, and support for those struggling with depression and mental health issues, working towards reducing the stigma and improving overall mental health.

Is talking a lot an early indicator of depression?

Well, maybe. That’s according to some new research written about in a long article full of caveats.

Researchers analyzed each participant’s speech by asking them to talk about one negative and one positive event. Participants spoke for one minute on each prompt, and researchers recorded their responses.
Upon data analysis, 25 participants scored above the cut-off of relevant depressive symptoms, and 93 scored below the cut-off. For the participants who scored higher for depression, researchers found that the group spoke more than those who scored lower for depressive symptoms.

David Tzall, a licensed psychologist who was also not involved in the study, speculated as to the reason for this particular finding:
“Those with higher depression may talk more because they are experiencing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Talking may be a way to connect with others. Since this is a non-clinical population, it makes sense that a healthy group would use communication strategies when they feel down.”

How to use social media without losing your mind

I gotta give it up to Psychology Today because that’s a good headline for this article. A lot of the tips are pretty common sense, stuff like limiting your time on social media and filtering out stupid clickbait articles full of stuff you don’t need. I found this one to be a little more innovative:

Be Intentional
What exactly do you want from social media? Entertainment or amusement? A genuine place to connect or learn? A mental break from work? A means to build your brand? These are all fine goals but they should be kept in mind when browsing and interacting since it’s too easy to lose track of them and get sucked into digital (or virtual interpersonal) rabbit holes. Before opening a social media app, clarify your intention for your use of it to ensure you stay on track with any goals that its use is trying to serve. This can aid you in ignoring irrelevant information and interactions while increasing your sense of control and agency.

I’ve been doing this with other aspects of my own life lately, asking “what am I really after here?” It applies well to toxic people, toxic relationships, and toxic substances. And all three of those things exist in social media, so.

Photo game will suck up your time

But it’s fun. They show you five photos, you have to guess what year they’re from. One of the photos I got was this one from a time when Princess Di went to the movies with her friend, an ancient humanoid buffalo.