Senses working overtime #342

1 RIP Robert Bly

My favourite poet of the 20th Century has died aged 94. I fell in love with his deep image poetry while studying at Auckland University under the tutelage of Wystan Curnow and Roger Horrocks. 

His legacy is immense.

2 Twenty bad movies, that are actually good (apparently)

3 Poetry corner

In the Discount Lot

Angela C. Trudell Vasquez

Outside the grocery store laden with the sweat of tanned field workers we stand          little girls in winter coats our hands hold signs leaflets our dark long hair waist length one straight, one curly we say to the people who walk up to the glass door don’t buy the lettuce here— they aren’t good to their workers I don’t recall anyone said anything back or who stood with us I remember my sister next to me,      us in our Sunday velvet best she     beret and red plaid jacket me     white rabbit skin muff little brown girls with picket signs rosy cheeks, big black eyes legions of ghosts above              behind angels wing over us ancestor feathers beat in the invisible breeze each time someone enters or exits the building— with a bag full of groceries oranges and eggs celery and grapes.

4 Return of Seth's wisdom

Pushing, pulling and leading

Tug boats don’t usually tug. They push.

That’s because pushing is more mechanically efficient than pulling. When we pull, there’s tension and slack in the ropes, and the attachment between the puller and the pushed keeps changing.

But the metaphor gets far more interesting when we think about leading instead.

One bird at the head of the flock can lead 100 others if they’re enrolled in the journey. That bird would never be able to pull (or push) even one bird, never mind all of them.

5 George Harrison on the true experience

Overtime: Perfecting the New York Street

Senses working overtime #211

1 Cool Uncle George

Great image of the cool fab with his sister Louise in America, 1963. Rest of the story is here in The Immortal Jukebox.  

2 Bill Murray

...is appearing in The Dead Don't Die, Jim Jarmusch's zombie film. Reason enough to see it!

3 The curse of genius

Photo by Mike Fox on Unsplash

Really was absorbed by this article looking at how genius happens.

4 Lazarus - Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree
Speaking of genius - played this non-stop in the car this week.




5 The Lyrics
Interesting discussion about what the song means. I'm still trying to work out my own version.

Overtime: Warren Ellis
I love this sign off to his recent newsletter. I always wonder if it's a gee up for him and/or a message to us - his faithful hangers on to his every word.

Whatever.

I love it!

You are not bad or stupid or wrong, and you get to walk away from any idiot who insists otherwise. You are your own damn person and you get to run your own damn life. You're good. Hold on tight. See you next week. 

Senses working overtime #107

1 Wonder

I have a file in my brain labelled 'Wonder'. It's a miscellany of images, memories, books, poems, films, sounds. Wondrous-ness is very much a valued commodity in my brain. So I enjoyed reading this piece about how wonder works.

2 Stunning interactive mini-sites

My colleague, Greg Semmens, at Woodford House, would love this one from the creative BBC people.

3 Big Big Train
I'm a big big fan of Big Big Train - take a listen to their brand new song, and you will be too.




4 Marvel movies ranked
I'm a sucker for these kind of lists. Here are the 15 Marvel movies (so far), ranked from worst to best. 

5 Star Wars
Interesting analysis of the Rogue One and Force Awakens screenplays. I know, but this guy delivers his messages well and loves Star Wars as a thing, so...hang in there.




Overtime
1 Hari Georgeson and Slowhand play Taxman. Sharp!



2 Macca on one of my fav Beatle solo albums - Ram.



3 Blade Runner 2049 

Senses working overtime #94

1 Do the Bartman

Nifty list of predictions made on The Simpsons that...gasp...have come true!

2 The Donald vs California
Yikes - fascinating article from the Washington Post on how California and the Trumpet are at war with each other.

3 Histography
WOW!! This site is AMAZING. If you like history, cool infographics, stories (who doesn't huh?) you will LOVE this! Hours of fun!

4 London!

I love London and these photographs are fantastic!

5 Reflect, medicate, take some time

I include this photo to remind myself that these moments are important. I haven't had too many of them lately...

Overtime 
This popped up in my YouTube alert from Abbey Road. Great song, song video and a message for the ages!

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...