Senses working overtime #36

This week's senses are devoted to Star Wars in general and The Force Awakens in particular because it is awesome. Beyond awesome. Whatever the word for 'beyond awesome' is - that's what describes The Force Awakens!

What a film! Perfect in so many ways.

1 The appeal
Why do we love Star Wars so much? This article aims to sum up some explanations.

2 The myths
I love the fact that SW taps into the rich history of myths and arechetypes. 

3 The review
Everyone seems to be saying the same things about the new film. Not sure if there's even one negative review out there. I particularly liked this one from The Guardian.

4 The biz
Disney own Lucasfilm and Star Wars now so the film's even more of a marketing giant than before.



5 The Greedo incident
I loved this one - analysis of Han Solo's preemptive strike against the bounty hunter, Greedo, in Episode 4.

Overtime
This guy is nuts (technical term!)

Great overview piece provides another bonus!

Senses working overtime #35

1 Scott Weiland
This is a sobering piece, written by Mary Forsberg, his second wife and the mother of Scott's two teenage children. He died on his tour bus but in reality he'd been busy dying for years. Sad.

2 Star Wars NFL mash up

Check out these great helmets in Star Wars themes.

3 Speaking of space
Loved this article in The Guardian about life on the ISS (that's International Space Station).

4 The Force Awakens

The Guardian review says it all and it's spoiler free!

5 Bowie
Like a lot of people, I enjoy watching how Bowie morphs his image.

6 London
My senses have been overwhelmed by being back in London this week. So many sights, sounds, body spam,  and mmm - smells to delight in. As for taste - who knew that you could get gluten free bread that tasted sensational?

The Artisan Gluten Free Bakery in Upper St (Highbury Islington where I'm staying) makes the most unbelievably awesome gluten free breads.

Senses working overtime #34

1 J.J. Abrams
The depth of my respect is well known. The man is amazingly awesome in his wonderfulness. He even managed to add some class to Jimmy Fallon's show!



2 Spectre
This is a cool article on British spelling vs Americanisation of film titles.

3 Macbeth
Looking forward to this one! Visceral is a great word!



4 Christmas

Those are real people!

We're heading to London for Christmas this year and I'm REALLY looking forward to a winter Christmas. Here's a cool place to begin stoking up the Christmas cheer.

5 LA smog
We've arrived for three days to visit Samantha and Jesse before heading to England. The smog haze over LA is NOT a good look - is this just a permanent thing now? Pity.

Loverley clear day yesterday at Venice Beach - more like it!

Overtime

I love overseas airports. The sounds and sights at the arrivals' gate at LAX were wonderful!!

Senses working overtime #33

1 Captain America
The next big Marvel movie looks the biznis - Captain America: Civil War (but then, I did think that about The Fantastic Four reboot promo).



2 Floating
I loved this selection of photographs by Nick Layton where people (and phones) float...

3 Puddings

Need a chuckle? Here's a triffic article explaining what Americans and Brits call 'puddings', 'biscuits' ; 'scones' and so on. A hoot!

4 Unsplash

More stunning photography from the good people at Unsplash for your sensual perusal (I think that's a thing).

5 Bill Murray

I've always been a fan - a National Lampoon record with Bill as a DJ was my hilarious introduction to his genius.

This is a pretty cool read - about the cult of personality that is taking shape around his public persona.

Overtime: Thought I'd keep with the Bill-a-thon concept for the bonus this week. 

My first Bill Murray movie experience was Meatballs. And, no apologies, I LOVE Meatballs.

Senses working overtime #32

1 Ringo Starr

The Beatles (White Album) #0000001

The great man is selling off a load of tat, I mean antiques and memorabilia. Some thoughts - where the hell did he store all this stuff? I bet there's more! Why did he keep it? Did he like all this stuff? How much stuff do you need? And so on...

Here's the news story but if you're like me and nosey - scan through the whole catalogue. It's an eye opener!

Wouldn't mind that first copy of The Beatles - expected to go for around $60,000!

2 Star Wars

These fan posters are pretty doggone awesome.

3 That did NOT just happen!
Watch this. It is freakish.



This kid solved a Rubik's Cube puzzle in under 5 seconds. Yep. Five. SECONDS.

4 Christmas 1991
I dug out this old photo to celebrate Jade's birthday today - she's four weeks old in the photo.

Funny looking back - I have a really strong sense of that time - new baby, living in Nelson NZ and how things looked, smelled etc. Senses were most definitely working overtime!

5 Overtime
Michael Jackson's Black Or White was number one 24 years ago...

Senses working overtime #31

1 Tina and Amy

I'm a huge Tina Frey fan! This is a cool little piece about Sisters - new movie featuring the immensely talented dynamic duo of Tina and Amy Poehler.

2 Whatley in

James Watley's Five Things (TM) alerted me to this amazing collection of photos - part of a National Geographic competition. They are all brilliant and as he rightly says - well worth a look. The one I've chosen is bizarre - a wedding couple heading into the surf - did they know about the rays? Incredible image!

3 Adele

She's about to reconquer the world with third album 25. This is a great piece from The Guardian that gets things right - the interview, the tone, the picture of Adele.

4 Jake Bailey
My Walrus Gumboot newspaper alerted me to this inspirational speech by CBHS Head Boy Jake Bailey who was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks before this prizegiving.

It's obviously made more poignant because of that but he makes a great series of points that regardless, are worth hearing. How refreshing to hear a young guy allude to his moral compass. Wonderful! 

He's doing well apparently and if youtube love has anything to do with things - he'll continue to do well.



5 Star Wars makeover of Disneyland

The acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney was bound to result in some amazing awesomeness at the happiest place on Earth. My wife and I will be there in December and I'm really looking forward to Hyperspace Mountain!

Overtime: Glen Hansard

Ever since Once, I've been a big fan. Here he is doing a cover of the Springsteen song (an obscure one from The River - half way up side four is pretty obscure). 

This Letterman Show version is without Eddie Vedder and Jake Clemons who appeared on the single but it's still full of Glen's wonderful soulful passion. 

Goodnight, and joy be with you all!

Senses working overtime #30

1 Spectre
Oh oh - doesn't look good for the latest James Bondathon - Spectre. This is a pretty cool review though - written by someone who knows their Bondage.

2 Noel Gallagher

I love Noel's music and he's always a great interviewee (if you can get past the obscenity laced braggadocio). This Esquire article is hilarious!!! It is a huge mega interview but well worth your diligence!

At one stage I wondered if Noel has any hobbies.

“This is my hobby!”

“You mean, music?”

“No! This: doing interviews. I fucking love it. I could do this all day long. It’s sick.”

“Why do you love it so much?”

“Because I get to be a gobshite, and I get to do that thing: to be the last of a dying breed.”

Much, much more in the interview - go read it!

3 GOAL!!!!!!

Adam sent me this link to a goals compilation. Check out Denis Bergkamp's audacious turn!

4 Burnt
This is a great article about film titles that either shouldn't or weren't used. Hilarious! 

5 Peanuts
Great read on the Peanuts cartoon franchise. Who doesn't love the Charlie Brown gang?

Overtime: Battlefront!
I tried not to include some Star Wars material in this edition, but genius cannot be avoided for long: Keegan sent me this link to a promo for Battlefront. As I've said before - if anything is to tempt me to the dark side of gaming it would be this...

Senses working overtime #29

1 The London Underground

Check out these great photos from the 50's and 60's.

2 Star Wars

Love these posters!

3 London

Counting down to when we fly back to London for the Christmas holidays and loving this photo - sums it up!

4 All Blacks

Senses have been boosted by our world champion rugby team who are now home and soaking up the celebrations and adulation. 

5 Cuba Mall

Yes we're back in Wellington for the weekend. Stressful traffic aside it's great to be back in a place with a decent bookshop and record store. First purchase from Slow Boat Records? Audience's Lunch album above, from 1972.

Overtime:

Senses working overtime #28

1 James Bond

Loved this interactive map showing all the places Mr Shaken Not Stirred has visited in his movies.

2 Star Wars tractor beam a reality!

This week's Star Wars related jewel explores how the tractor beam in Episode 4 A New Hope has become a reality. Awesome!! Literally!!

3 Star Wars in China
No apologies for another Star Wars moment: check out this story and video about 500 stormtroppers lined up on the Great wall. Freaking brilliant!!

4 Refugees
This interactive map was featured on Three Things On A Thursday (by my colleague Greg Semmens). It's damn scary!!

5 Moving movie posters
This clip animates the posters to brilliant effect!


Movie Posters from whoispablo on Vimeo.

Overtime: 
1 More Star Wars content for y'all. 
I loved this article speculating on the plot involving Luke Skywalker in the new SW movie (Episode 7).

2 These views from inside the International Space Station and outwards are stunning!!

Senses working overtime #27

1 Ta Prohm
Haunting, provocative, humbling - the ruins at Ta Prohm! 

2 Back To The Future II
Wednesday, the 21st October 2015 - that's the date Marty and the doc end up in during BTTF 2.

Loved this article about what the film (made in 1985 remember) got right (or not) in their 30 year into the future.

3 Malcolm Gladwell book titles

I loved this one - it reimagines titles to The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

4 The death of the death of books.
Cool article reaffirming the tangible! Books (and to a lesser extent - vinyl!)

5 Star Wars
The promo is awesome, so is this article about it (what other movie has its promo dissected forensically?), so is this poster!!

Overtime 1: Just something about this story - the title - Ahmed the clockmaker and that photo, makes me giggle. The unamused weight (literally) of authority, the look on his face - poor little guy stuff. Hilarious!!!

Overtime 2: So much great Star Wars stuff out there. I am not a gamer, but if anything (anything) could sway me to the dark side it's this ad for PlayStation and Star Wars Battlefront

Senses working overtime #26

1 Containerisation
Loved this clip from the good people at Vox on the world's LARGEST boat.

2 Star Wars sand sculpture

3 James Dean

Being born in 1957 means I'm not of the generation that worshipped James Dean - that's a generation just before mine, but I do understand the desire to get closer to myth surrounding a personality (mine is John Lennon). This longish read makes a human connection to what is mythologised increasingly with age.

4 The Scottish play

All hail! This looks great!

5 Bob

Been having a Dylan-athon lately in the Purdmobile. While listening to Highway 61 Revisited I realised that every song on there is like another artists best song of their career. What a stunning achievement it is.

Overtime: Bob too

Then there's this amazing song from Blonde On Blonde. Awesome.

Senses working overtime #25

My wife and I spent some of last week in Wellington on some personal business. While there we always love spending time in Cuba Mall- not an enclosed mall à la The Dubai Mall, but à la Haight Asbury - as in a street that has interesting stores and very interesting street life. 

Here are five sights sounds etc from my visit:

1 Slow Boat Records - great to see records making such a strong comeback, great to see people in different demographics (i.e. not middle aged white males like me) combing the bins! 

2 Unity Books - I love a great bookshop and Unity Books is that. I came away with an armful recommended by the knowledgeable staff.

3 Graphic Comics - wonderful place to browse and buy your youth back. The source of my Trigan Empire find. These guys will find ANYTHING!

4 Vanishing Point Records - lovely people and a great store. Go see for yourself up the top of Cuba.

5 + overtime

The Mall itself - the sights and sounds from buskers, tai chi exponents, an outdoor barber, the water bucket sculpture, the cafes, the restaurants, the tatted up and pierced, the retro fashion stores, the record stores. Cuba mall is like no other!

Senses working overtime #24

1 Weight loss - 4 secrets to share
This is a brilliant piece of writing! The surprise quotient is set at 100%

2 Richie
Speaking of brilliant - All Black captain Richie McCaw. Watch this and do a digital fist pump with THE MAN!



3 San Andreas
This is a laughably terrible film (Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock is beyond criticism but the money was spent on great special effects and not a cast that could act or a script that had any depth whatsoever) BUT the poster for it is fantastic!!

4 The Eels

Not the rugby league team, no, the brilliant band responsible for this:

5 The Beatles
Mojo have a new Beatles cover out! Wahoo!!! To celebrate - here's a great photo!

Which reminds me...

Overtime: Ringo!

Need to get this (as soon as the dust settles on some large vinyl purchases recently): Richie's own photographs. I loved his Postcards From the Boys collection and can't wait to get my hands on this -

Okay - all for this week. Enjoy.

Senses working overtime #23

1: Medium
This is a cool run down of the various things Medium.com has to offer.

2: Han Solo in carbonite
I mentioned the Han in carbonite fridge a while ago - here is the next installment: Han on pop tarts!

3: Abandoned

This is pretty cool - pictures of empty and abandoned buildings. Nice one...

4: I choose NOT to race

I include this video from vox on the myth of race for the way it's put together as much as the message (Marshall McLuhan you bloody genius!).

5 and overtime: It's the term holidays!

How can I NOT play these two songs (saving Alice Cooper for December). BTW - the Madonna version is from Live Aid in 1985 - always, always love watching this version!!

Senses working overtime #22

1 360 views
I have visited this site a few times and I always find something new that delights me. Try it if you haven't already and marvel at how great modern technology can be!

2 PLUTO!

No!! Not the Disney character...the planet. Apparently it is one again, as these stunning photos prove conclusively. It sure LOOKS like a planet. 

Again though - technology eh? Wicked!

3 Star Wars - the logo!
This week's Star Wars feature is pretty damn cool - how the logo was designed. I know, perhaps at first glance that doesn't SEEM like such an exciting thing but, believe me, this article is a veritable treasure trove for SW obsessives like me. Take a look! Go on!

4 Beach Boys - How 'bout that Carl Wilson?!
I've been listening to a lot of BB material this week. Here are two of my favourite BB songs with the mighty Carl on lead vocals. What a voice! And so good to see the three Wilson brothers playing together.




5 Bill Murray
I love Bill for the man he is and the man he doesn't want to be. This article lists a few other reasons why I love him.

Overtime: Go The All Blacks
The rugby World Cup is now on and among the many NZ products to hone in on a marketing opportunity is one of our milk companies. It's a pretty cool idea!

Senses working overtime #21

1 Writing

I've finished Murakami's Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki. It's a fantastic book. One of my all time Murakami favourites. Coincidentally I came across this quote about his writing regime. It deserves to be shared:

“When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at 4:00 am and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for 10km or swim for 1500m (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at 9:00 pm. I keep to this routine every day without variation.”

2 Speaking of morning rituals...
I read about Morning Pages recently and it made sense. I post on one of my blogs every morning before the daily grind kicks in. Since my wife gave up working nights I have had to adjust from night time writing to morning. 

Confession time - it's more of a struggle to get myself going there but I'm happy with the discipline involved.

3 London town
The current Mrs Purdzilla and I are planning a holiday back to London at Christmas this year. My juices are flowing!

The first thing we do after landing at Heathrow is grab a coffee at Costa, find that day's Guardian and plan our next move which usually involves putting on layers of clothes and heading to the Underground. 

I. Love. The. Underground!

It really opens up my senses - weird this - but I love the smell of the Underground! I also love that first moment when the train comes out of the journey into London above ground for a spell. It's like waking up in Narnia!

4 London sounds
Thought I'd throw this version of Chris Difford's immortal London tale Up The Junction into this edition on Jewels:




5 Star Wars Now

Loving this mash up style photo and link to Star Wars now photography sent to me by my favourite daughter-in-law. Cheers Ashleigh!

Overtime: I've been dipping into this article on habits all week - trying to do some self diagnosis!! It links to number two item above quite nicely!