Senses working overtime #589

1 The feeling this week

Photo by They CallMe ZEUS⚡ on Unsplash

2 Reading: Bill Bryson - A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

Over the years, I've read quite a few of his books but somehow I've missed this one until now (and Down Under which I'll get to eventually). It's great too - funny as all get out.

3 Listening: Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner

My favourite album this week. If you want just one track try Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson). First up is the hilarious intro, then the song.

4 Watching: Lawmen: Bass Reeves

5 Reflecting: Who am I, really?

I really enjoyed writing my Wozza's Place blog entry this week - the last in a series of self-examinations.

Overtime: Marcus Aurelius

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. 

Senses working overtime #466

1 Weather this week

Looks like a colour printing gone wrong right. Maple Grove today.

2 Watching: Pain Hustlers

Emily Blunt and Chris Evans on form!

3 Reading: Bleak House

Up to page 380. Over half-way!

4 Listening: Explosions In The Sky - Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever

And if you want just one track from this instrumental post-rock album by American foursome Explosions In The Sky, try final song With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept. But the whole album is great.

5 Reading: Seth Godin - The color-coded wires

Have you ever wondered what the wiring layout behind the control panels at Abbey Road studios was like?

Neither have I.

The Beatles recorded some of their best work there, and I have no idea if it was a rat’s nest of tangled wires, or if each wire was labeled, coded and perfectly aligned.

Just as I have no idea if Eliot Peper writes his novels in Scrivener or Word.

Yes, of course, for sure, it helps if your tools are properly arranged and maintained. Yes, it saves time and effort to embrace mise en place and get your workspace right.

But making it even more right, alphabetizing the pencils and making sure your servers all have the right names–that’s simply stalling.

Overtime: Marcus Aurelius

Never regard something as doing you good if it makes you betray a trust or lose your sense of shame or makes you show hatred, suspicion, ill-will or hypocrisy or a desire for things best done behind closed doors.

Senses working overtime #248

1 Artists at home with their vinyl

I love those generic shots (I collect them on my Pinterest Music page). For instance - here's Francois Hardy putting on some early Slayer. Kidding. Probably something cool and French.

2 Marcus! Love you!

That's Marcus Aurelius, not the character from About A Boy!

3 New respect

I have new respect for Mitt Romney. The only Republican Senator with the gumption and integrity to stay true to his convictions*. Shame on the rest of the Trump lapdogs.

*
“My promise before God to apply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and political biases aside,” he said. “Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me, for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history’s rebuke.”

4 Superbowl Ads
I missed this year's game - was at school leading the troops, pity, but in the end the great state of Kansas City (according to Donald Trump -hahahahahahahahahahaha, what an idiot) won the game that played around the adverts. I would have wanted the 49ers to win but the Steelers are my team.

Anyway, I enjoyed Dan Rockwell's wrap up of the best Superbowl ads of all time.

5 Ram Dass

Austin Kleon's blog lead me to this interview with Ram Dass who I first met/heard at a seventies music festival in NZ - Nambassa. My memory of the meeting was of a few people (maybe a dozen or so) sitting around Ram Dass (a.k.a. Richard Alpert) in a circle as he spoke to us about eastern philosophies. It was quite a moment!

Overtime: Beyond true and false
An appropriate article on Buddhist philosophy given my mention of Ram Dass.