You gotta have a hype song

because closets are for hangers; winners use the door

Not Wrigley Field.

On Friday night, I joined just about all the middle-aged White people in Chicago at Wrigley Field to see Bruce Springsteen and the earth quaking, booty shaking E Street Band. I’m a long-time Springsteen fan. In high school, my friends and I decided that Rosalita was the perfect song for a bad day, as there was no way you could listen to it and feel bad. In college, I explained this theory to my roommate, and she and I started playing it very loud every morning during finals week. Our college was on quarters, so everyone who lived in adjoining rooms got to hear it 15 times that year.

I texted her from the concert when that song came on, and she texted back immediately. We did not really stay in touch and  pretty much contact each other once every five years or so, so this exchange has once again demonstrated the power of Rosalita.

More proof of its power: the band played for almost three hours on a hot, humid Chicago night. Bruce Springsteen is 73.

A while back, I heard a talk by the team psychologist for the Chicago Bulls. She said that her first bit of advice for all incoming players was to choose a hype song. Everyone needs a song that will cheer them up and get them moving through a tough day.

I still play Rosalita very loud whenever I need a boost, whether my family members like it or not. (Note: they don’t like it.)

Do you have a hype song? Tell us in the comments.

If you don’t have a hype song, go get one. It can be anything that makes you happy.

Things to Do

• Get kids out more: I believe that many of our differences will disappear if we all just get out more. It’s a big world; it’s also a big country, and most of us have only seen small parts of it. I’ve been to 45 states, but some of those visits were only for a few hours in a major city to call on a client or involved driving through on an interstate highway. A group called The American Exchange Project is trying to get high school students to spend a few weeks in another part of the country. Tell the high school students in your life to check it out. (American Exchange Project)

• Buy sunscreen at the duty free: In the US, sunscreen is regulated as a drug that prevents skin cancer. And it is! But the standards for approval of a new drug are high, and let’s face it, no insurance is going to pay as much for sunscreen as it would for a new cholesterol lowering drug, so there’s no profit in running clinical trials for new sunscreens. In Europe, sunscreen is regulated as a cosmetic, which means that a new sunscreen only must show that it is generally recognized as safe and effective. There is a movement in the US to change sunscreen regulations, but in the meantime, if you’re outside the US, you might want to stock up on a nice, non-greasy sunscreen that doesn’t melt and run into your eyes. (The New York Times)

Things to Read

• Badlands: Elizabeth Gomez has some great thoughts about the man his band calls The Boss. (Mixed Race Tape on Substack)

• Fromage futures: A Chicago foodie is trying to resurrect the ancient practice of fortune telling through cheese. It’s very strange, but also, very interesting. (Block Club Chicago)