Senses working overtime #475

1  The feeling this week

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

2 Listening: Rory Gallagher - Check Shirt Wizard (Live in '77)

3 Watching: Euros 2024 

Sadly, Germany dispatched Scotland easily enough this morning NZ time. Be interesting to see how England shape up. They always promise a lot but don't deliver the trophy (speaking of the men's game here).

4 Reading: Richard Osman's The Last Devil To Die

5 Listening:  Rory Gallagher - Top Priority

Yes - more Rory!! My favourite studio album by him, from 1979. Influenced by the punk sound of the late seventies, Rory wipes the floor with them. Try At The Depot, and see if I'm not right.

Overtime: 

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

Walt Whitman

Senses working overtime #394

1 Qatar's stadiums for the World Cup

2 New Beatle videos

I'm Only Sleeping and Taxman get stunning new animated videos.

3 Why we love the music we love

4 Walt Whitman and what makes life worth living

He would have added the FIFA World Cup every four years if it was around back in the day.

5 What happens to spelling bee champions when they get old (a.k.a. the story of Brad Williams, now 62 years old)

Brad age 12

Overtime: All of those controversies around Qatar's World Cup laid out for you here

Senses working overtime #288

1 Drive - James Sallis

I'm reading this novel this week. I love the way the cover changes as editions are released.

It turns out, the cover of the edition I'm reading (above) isn't the most interesting one.

2 Music shows of the seventies by Austin Kleon

3 What makes a life worth living by Walt Whitman

4 Faking optimism is hard. But Then. It works!

5 The Thing Is - Ellen Bass

 

to love life, to love it even

when you have no stomach for it

and everything you’ve held dear

crumbles like burnt paper in your hands,

your throat filled with the silt of it.

When grief sits with you, its tropical heat

thickening the air, heavy as water

more fit for gills than lungs;

when grief weights you down like your own flesh

only more of it, an obesity of grief,

you think, How can a body withstand this?

Then you hold life like a face

between your palms, a plain face,

no charming smile, no violet eyes,

and you say, yes, I will take you

I will love you, again.

Overtime: Rick Wakeman - The Red Planet

Enjoying this one - the instrumental latest from prog giant - Rick Wakeman.

Senses working overtime #231

1 Follow Warren's advice (see Overtime)

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

2 Ginger Baker

The old school ginga poly-rhythmic drummer passed away this week (you probably thought he died years ago - he wasn't a healthy guy!) 

A contrary character, there is no doubt. But all also agree - he was a freakishly gifted musician. Watch him in action here.

3 Uncle Walt's advice on living a rewarding life

4 Don't buy cheap chocolate!!
So says Seth. Here's why.

5 English

Our weird language discussed in an interesting way.

Overtime: Sign off from Warren Ellis:

Relax, put on some music, read a book, sit outside and breathe.

Senses working overtime #223

1 Travels with my father

We finished watching all seven seasons of Doc Martin. So this one loomed up next.

2 When Ralph met Walt

It was 1860. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman hung out. Here's what happened.

3 From a certain point of view

Obi-Wan! Was he right to tell Luke a porky about Darth Vader?

4 Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee 

I'm a big fan of this show. What's not to like - it's Jerry Seinfeld. It's relaxed (lovely shots of coffee and cars; lovely cafe style relaxed music). It's funny in a gentle way and it's short enough - roughly each episode is around 15 minutes long.

5 Wild By Nature

My current reading matter, borrowed from Jade's bookcase. It's okay but not especially well written.

Overtime: Missing - EBTG

Senses working overtime #217

1 Brain mush

Jewels is again slightly late this week - my brain was mush on Friday night (when I usually compile this thing). By Friday my brain had reached overload and it's a thing people! Here's the science behind that idea!

2 Viv Albertine

Wow - she's one bad motorfinger. Great seond hander though after Clothes etc. Recommended but not for the faint of heart - Viv is honest. About everything!

3 Sleep

Excellent design but not a pillow you'd want to speep with.

4 Yesterday

Is here. Gonna make an effort to see this one! It's currently playing in Waipukurau!

5 Sarah Bernhardt

The world's first celebrity was born 175 years ago.

Overtime: Walt
Time for some Song of Myself 4. As Austin Kleon says - 'a good poem for battling the onslaught of social media'.

Senses working overtime #131

1 Mmmm

Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash

2 It's Jacinda Time

Personally, I'm thrilled to have Jacinda Ardern as our new PM. Great choice Winston! She's a breath of fresh air and after nine years of no creditable opposition to the National establishment, we have a new leader. Let's do this!! Rock on!

3 Evil - call it!

Evil happens when good people do nothing. Tarantino should have spoken up against the Harvey Weinsteins!

4 Sonder
Seth Godin explains all.

5 Crossing Brooklyn Ferry
Now that you know about Sonder - read Walt Whitman's great poem - Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.

Overtime: Real life Up In The Air

It's been 43 exhausting weeks since Ben Schlappig slept in a bed that wasn't in a hotel, and he spends an average of six hours daily in the sky. He has a freewheeling itinerary, often planning his next destination upon hitting the airport. Just last week, he rocketed through Dallas, Dubai, Oman, Barcelona and Frankfurt. Yet for all his travel, it would be a mistake to call Schlappig a nomad. The moment that he whiffs the airless ambience of a pressurized cabin, he's home.

Read more about him here!

Senses working overtime #97

1 Uncle Walt

It seems the great Walt Whitman wrote a novel called Life and Adventures of Jack Engle. This is the story of how it was eventually found. In 2016!

2 World's first flying car!
Here it is - the world's first commercial flying car goes on sale. The road to the future!

3 Ar McCain...
I'm no fan of John McCain but I love this rebuke and warning for Donald Trump.

4 This week in geography
The wonderful people at National Geographic have done it again! Great multi room look at the week in geographic terms.

5 The Knights of Ren

The big reveal about the mysterious group in The Force Awakens.

Overtime
The creative habits of some great creatives (Einstein, Picasso, Mozart)