Senses working overtime #495

1 Fund raiser for men;s mental health: Movember

Photo by Disney . on Unsplash

First week of the Movember fund raiser for men's mental health is ahead. You can support me and this cause during Movember, via this link.

2 Reading: The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday

3 Reading: The Bookshop - Penelope Fitzgerald

4 Listening: WTWMC - Beasties

We've now completed this playlist - 105 awesome songs. Do try it.

5 Listening: Jan & Dean - Drag City

Try Surfin' Hearse for a laugh.

Overtime: Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell - Bob Dylan

While reading The Obstacle is the Way, Ryan cites the 'Hurricane' Carter story superbly (Carter was falsely imprisoned, but retained his dignity and power of choice while in prison for 19 years) and Dylan's perfect phrase came to mind.

Senses working overtime #494

1 Maple Grove: The roses are in bloom

2 Listening: WTWMC - Beasties

It's a cracker! 90 songs on the playlist, 15 to go next week.

3 Reading: Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time

Thanks to Julie for the loan!

4 Watching: The Resident

A medical drama on Netflix - it's another one where I look away during the lurid operation scenes, but Jacky loves it.

5 Listening: Isis - Panopticon

Overtime:  Seymour Chwast

Graphic designer and illustrator Seymour Chwast reminds us that working harder may not be the answer:

"If you dig a hole and it's in the wrong place, digging it deeper isn't going to help."

(Courtesy James Clear)

Senses working overtime #493

1 Theme of the week: Slow recovery

Photo by Sofia S on Unsplash

2 Reading: Joan Baez - And A Voice To Sing With

3 Listening: Joan Baez - Diamonds and Rust

One of her best, try Hello In There if you just want one.

4 Watching: Macca doing Now and Then

Another view of The Beatles version here (but be warned - it gets emotional)

5 Listening: WTWMC - Beasties

75 songs now with two weeks to go.

Overtime: Kindness

Being kind to others is mostly about your actions.

Being kind to yourself is mostly about your thoughts.

James Clear

Senses working overtime #492

1 Item of the week

Yes, Jacky has a cold, now I also have a cold.

2 Listening: Human Instinct's Midnight Sun

Try their version of Dirty Creature!

3 Reading: Louis L'Amour's Last Stand At Papago Wells

4 Reading: Zen Flesh Zen Bones (A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings)

5 Listening: WTWMC Beasties

The three amigos are just over halfway through their latest playlist - sixty songs so far on all things animals. 

Overtime: Mark Manson

The person you marry is the person you fight with. The house you buy is the house you repair. The dream job you take is the job you stress over.

Everything comes with an inherent sacrifice—whatever makes us feel good will also inevitably make us feel bad.

Senses working overtime #491

1 Wellington

This week was largely spent in our capital city. It's getting a bad press at the moment with less foot traffic in the CBD but while Unity Books are on Willis and Arty Bees, Slow Boat Records are in or near Cuba St mall, I will still have plenty of reasons to visit on a regular basis.

2 World of Wearable Arts

Jacky's thing more than mine but I still really enjoyed the sensual experience.

3 Listening to: Jimmy Buffett - Living and Dying in 3/4 Time

One of my purchases from Slow Boat Records. Try Come Monday.

4 Reading: The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys

One of my purchases from Unity Books.

5 Tasting: Hot! Like a Mexican tacos

Overtime: Neil Finn

There's a certain good fortune in having a moderate amount of success.

Answering the 'How come you've avoided scandal?' question in Mojo magazine #367

Senses working overtime #490

1 Last week of term 3 is done and dusted - study break time for two weeks!

Meant my posts were often late this week, but what follows is a recap in case you missed them...

2 Baggy Trousers

3 Goo Goo G'Joob

4 Purdzilla Show

5 Wozza's Place

Overtime: 

Playwright and poet Sarah Ruhl on love as a creative force:

"There was once a very great American surgeon named Halsted. He was married to a nurse. He loved her—immeasurably.

One day Halsted noticed that his wife's hands were chapped and red when she came back from surgery. And so he invented rubber gloves. For her. It is one of the great love stories in medicine. The difference between inspired medicine and uninspired medicine is love...

[He] loved her to the point of invention."

(Courtesy James Clear)

Senses working overtime #489

 1 Quote of the week

Nature is merciful, and does not try her children, man or beast, beyond their compass. It is only when the cruelty of man intervenes that hellish torments appear. For the rest - live dangerously; take things as they are; dread naught; all will be well.

Winston Churchill


2 Reading: Dr. Brené Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection

3 Watching: The Rookie (season 1)

4 Reading: Anne Tyler's Morgan's Passing

5 Listening: WTWMC - Beasties

First week is done and dusted.  

Overtime: 

None of us own anything. Everything is constantly in flux. What we have today may be gone tomorrow—we ourselves may be gone tomorrow. Understand that. Appreciate everything accordingly. Be grateful and humble...or life will rebuke you.

Ryan Holiday