After being lost in the woods (actual and metaphorical), we have returned to the parasocial experiment that is Red Taped.
Representative democracy, separation of church and state, a system of checks and balances, and national independence form a very small sample of our forefathers’ legacy. However, the greatest gift they bestowed upon the American people is a national, common weird-uncle— Ben Franklin. When dealing with a weird-uncle, you must only call upon him when you are in desperate need. Red Taped was dying without a roar and only the faintest impression of a whimper. For better or worse, Uncle Benjamin saved us. His “feel-good juice" restored our vigor and his 13 virtues fortified our minds, bodies, and spirits. Today we explore the question: “Who has a better story than Ben Franklin, the tamer of lightning, the First American, and O.G. bad-boy MPA?”
Three of the authors we previously discussed on Red Taped – Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People; Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck— all reference and praise Franklin. These episodes are among our favorites, and it would be a truly virtuous act to check them out.
Did you miss us? Want us to go back to the woods? Please let us know: [email protected] , or leave a review on iTunes.
Book: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
Drink: Ben Franklin’s Shrub: https://www.thenest.com/content/go-back-in-time-with-these-historical-shrub-cocktails
References:
Drunk History vol 2.5: Ben Franklin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABFQ-T3uAVI
Shrubs: An Old Fashioned Drink for Modern Times by Michael Dietsch (Additional Shrub Recipes and history/ great summer drinks): https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18430105-shrubs
The 13 Virtues (America’s first excel table?): http://www.knowledgehouse.info/Ben%20Franklin's%2013%20Virtues%20Chart.pdf
The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon S. Wood: (How do you like them apples?): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6956.The_Radicalism_of_the_American_Revolution
History of Poor Richard’s Almanac: http://www.benjamin-franklin-history.org/poor-richards-almanac/
Summer Schedule:
Early July- State of the City by Scott Lazenby
Late July- The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
August- How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton
August- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Attributes:
Opening:
Simple Gifts by the United States Army Old Guard (CC Public Domain 1.0)
Closing:
Our homage to A Walk in the Woods, the book by Bill Bryson (2010) and film (2015) starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte that inspired our own adventures on the Appalachian Trail.
