Senses working overtime #15

1 Chuck Jones
I defy anyone to actually stop watching this after you've started: a great run down on Chuck Jones' genius while directing Looney Tune cartoons.

2 e e cummings
James Whatley featured this article on e e cummings and modernism recently which I figured was worth re recommending via this blog. It's more the comments on modernism per se that really struck a chord with me.

3 New James Bond 
The new trailer for the new James Bond movie is a master class in using music and editing to convey excitement in a trailer.



4 Zen and the art of drawing maps
This cool site was provided by a colleague (cheers Greg). It traces road journeys on a geographical map of north America. I love stories involving road journeys (I know - you do too) and this site is pretty cool, although I have done my own mapping the story version in my latest (up to number 3) copy of Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, this site has not only given me something to check but other road trip stories to check out as well. Nice!

5 Vandelay Industries
My eldest son sent me this awesome T shirt. Awesome! Awe. Some!! If you don't know about Vandelay Industries you need to read my next Wozza's Place post. Until then - feast yer eyes on this...

Overtime - The Rabbit of Seville
My favourite Bugs Bunny cartoon of all time


Bugs Bunny - Rabbit Of Seville by bugs-bunny1

Senses working overtime #14

1 Calvin and Hobbes
I love it when writers find deeper meaning from popular culture icons along the Tao of Pooh lines. This piece is quite cool and I love the Thai master story of the broken goblet.

2 Batman
This is a fun picture. I was pretty good at picking who was behind each mask.

3 Success feels better but doesn't necessarily make you better

I really enjoyed this excerpt. I'm a sucker for movie war stories by writers. I've been spoiled by William Goldman's great books on the subject. This piece by screenwriter Susannah Grant hits the mark.

4 Soundspel
This is cool - a way of rationalising and reforming spelling: try this soundspel version of Keats' Ode to a nightingale or, rather, "Oed to a Nietingael" -

Mi hart aeks, and a drouzy numnes paensMi sens, as tho of hemlok I had drunk,Or emptyd sum dul oepiaet to the draensWun minit past, and Lethe-wards had sunk:'Tis not thru envy of thi hapy lot,But beeing too hapy in thien hapynes,That thow, liet-wingèd Dryad of the trees,In sum meloedius plotOf beechen green, and shadoes numberlessSingest of sumer in fuul-throeted eez.

5 and overtime: Three Cool Cats
Just finished Mark Lewisohn's first volume of The Beatle's history - Tune In. 

To celebrate - The Beatles did a great (to my ears) version of this song by The Coasters - here are both versions. You be the judge (Beatles is better right - George does a great vocal). 

The Beatles version was part of their failed audition tape for Decca. John's pisstake (hey man, save one chick for me) is way cool.

Anyway...

Senses working overtime #13

This week has been all about moving house. 

Not only that - we moved from a lifestyle block to a lifestyle block so...horses, sheep (in the middle of lambing), dogs, cat, aviary birds, farm equipment AS WELL AS household stuff. Yikes.

So ALL my senses really worked overtime this week.

1 Smells (mainly of the excrement variety - farms are basically big toilets).

2 My body is sore all over from lifting, pushing, pulling stuff.



3 Sights - various spectacular views of Central Hawke's Bay countryside.

4 Food - Matt Oliver gave us a fantastic hamper, a friend bought over a wonderful chicken pie and McCauley's cheese scones were a delish treat.

5 Sounds - I listened to a lot of Sounds FM in the Purdmobile as I moved stuff using a horse float or a large trailer. Amazing how many times I heard Billy Joel's Anthony's Song

Senses working overtime #12

Busy packing up Red Phoenix Farm this week (first week of the term 2 holidays) and so these jewels are the best of a frantic week:

1 BBC infographic
The awesome Greg Semmens posted this great Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (literally) link from the BBC. I read this entire infographic - I was hooked!!

2 Donald Trump
What an idiot - long may he stay in the race for the Republican reptile nomination!

Here's a great series of maps satirising this plonker.

3 Jim Carrey
I did read this piece on Jim Carrey and wonder what all the fuss was about. Meh! Doesn't everyone think that?

4 Anxiety
I read this and snorted a few times - some of it was so me (and so much like members of my family)! I have suffered from anxious moments in the past and still can - given the right situation. This article had me nodding my head, laughing and... yes - those snorts!

5 Black Knight
Love this full page comic book image of Black Knight battling super odds, a.k.a. Dragon Man.

Overtime: The Beatles at the Cavern
Mark Lewisohn's GREAT first Beatle volume (Tune In) had me returning to this early footage of the fabs at the Cavern. What a tiny space. I've visited the replica at Albert Docks' Beatle museum and it's amazingly small.

Senses working overtime #11

1 In celebration
Here's the Guardian's picture of the day - sunrise over the Lake District. Superb. Spellbinding. Those were just words and they don't do justice to the beauty of this photo. Love it!

2 Technology and storytelling
This long read by John Lasseter contains a lot of wisdom that can be applied to many fields - including teaching.

3 Star Wars wisdom
I LOVE the Star Wars films. I use them and their wisdom as examples in my daily life and in my teaching (ask my students!) and so I was a sucker for this article. I can't believe he didn't use the greatest line from Phantom Of Menace - your focus determines your reality, but the rest is pretty spot on!

4 Back To The Future
Speaking of great movies. I loved this OTT piece on Robert Zemeckis' great film. Just as a great article should - it made me want to watch the film again (my kids also loved it growing up so it's definitely a Dumbo movie at our house).

5 Gene Vincent 1956
Reading Mark Lewishohn's great great great (times a million) first volume of Beatle history (Tune In) has moved me go back to those songs that inspired John, Paul, George and Ringo. 

The subversive Gene Vincent clearly made an impression. He's one scary dude!!


Overtime
Jacky and I have just discovered Fringe. It's from J.J. Abrams. The genius. It's. AMAZING.