Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Friday, March 8, 2019
Senses working overtime #202
1 Women power
After ditching the James Patterson novel (what was I thinking?), I've been reading Viv Albertine's Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys. Required reading for everyone on the planet!
2 John and Yoko
Fantastic to read that Viv was and is a big John and Yoko fan. Yoko has written many great female-centric songs (Women Power below and others) but in a week that had International Women's day, I've gone for Women Is The Nigger Of The World (even though it cuts off before the end of the song - the message is still relevant!)
3 Yoko
We didn't hear much from Yoko in the above clip, so here she is on her own...
4 Safety cycles
Did not realise the power that safe movement had for women.
5 Captain Marvel
Brie and Captain Marvel deliver the goods!
Overtime Ending with Viv
Great article on her second volume of autobiography (To Throw Away Unopened) - now I need to find a copy of that to take home.
 |
| The cover version I'm reading |
After ditching the James Patterson novel (what was I thinking?), I've been reading Viv Albertine's Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys. Required reading for everyone on the planet!
2 John and Yoko
Fantastic to read that Viv was and is a big John and Yoko fan. Yoko has written many great female-centric songs (Women Power below and others) but in a week that had International Women's day, I've gone for Women Is The Nigger Of The World (even though it cuts off before the end of the song - the message is still relevant!)
3 Yoko
We didn't hear much from Yoko in the above clip, so here she is on her own...
4 Safety cycles
Did not realise the power that safe movement had for women.
5 Captain Marvel
Brie and Captain Marvel deliver the goods!
Overtime Ending with Viv
Great article on her second volume of autobiography (To Throw Away Unopened) - now I need to find a copy of that to take home.
Friday, March 1, 2019
Senses working overtime #201
1 Vinyl Easy Rider record covers
Records are not like books - getting regularly updated with new covers to tempt the punters, but there are exceptions - especially if they are released in different countries via different record companies.
I bought the American yellow ABC-Dunhill version in NZ way back in time and then lusted after Europe's blue EMI-Stateside version for many years. So when I spotted a mint copy in Chaldon Books and Records for 5 quid...
I hadn't realised that the blue version was both a photo (the blue tinged cityscape) and a painting (inside the Easy Rider letters), I'd always believed the whole thing was a photo.
It's a gorgeous cover!
2 Eric Idle
I've started this one this week, so I'll finish: LOL on each page for a start but gets bogged down in name checking all the parties and all the famous (yawn) friends! Still - there's The Rutles stories and the George pictures to keen me interested until the end.
3 Seth on feeling incompetent
At some point, grown ups get tired of the feeling that accompanies growth and learning.
We start calling that feeling, “incompetence.”
We’re not good at the new software, we resist a brainstorming session for a new way to solve a problem, we never did bother to learn to juggle…
Not because we don’t want the outcomes, but because the journey promises to be difficult. Difficult in the sense that we’ll feel incompetent.
Which accompanies all growth.
First we realize something can be done.
Then we realize we can’t do it.
And finally, we get better at it.
It’s the second step that messes with us.
If you care enough to make a difference, if you care enough to get better–you should care enough to experience incompetence again.
4 Colour!
Some amazing colour shots bring WW2 to life.
5 Imagination
Normal objects reimagined (thanks to JW for the alert)
Overtime Ballad Of Easy Rider
We started here, so seems a good idea to end here. The lyrics are very apt for me at the moment:
Records are not like books - getting regularly updated with new covers to tempt the punters, but there are exceptions - especially if they are released in different countries via different record companies.
I bought the American yellow ABC-Dunhill version in NZ way back in time and then lusted after Europe's blue EMI-Stateside version for many years. So when I spotted a mint copy in Chaldon Books and Records for 5 quid...
I hadn't realised that the blue version was both a photo (the blue tinged cityscape) and a painting (inside the Easy Rider letters), I'd always believed the whole thing was a photo.
It's a gorgeous cover!
2 Eric Idle
I've started this one this week, so I'll finish: LOL on each page for a start but gets bogged down in name checking all the parties and all the famous (yawn) friends! Still - there's The Rutles stories and the George pictures to keen me interested until the end.
3 Seth on feeling incompetent
At some point, grown ups get tired of the feeling that accompanies growth and learning.
We start calling that feeling, “incompetence.”
We’re not good at the new software, we resist a brainstorming session for a new way to solve a problem, we never did bother to learn to juggle…
Not because we don’t want the outcomes, but because the journey promises to be difficult. Difficult in the sense that we’ll feel incompetent.
Which accompanies all growth.
First we realize something can be done.
Then we realize we can’t do it.
And finally, we get better at it.
It’s the second step that messes with us.
If you care enough to make a difference, if you care enough to get better–you should care enough to experience incompetence again.
4 Colour!
Some amazing colour shots bring WW2 to life.
5 Imagination
Normal objects reimagined (thanks to JW for the alert)
Overtime Ballad Of Easy Rider
We started here, so seems a good idea to end here. The lyrics are very apt for me at the moment:
The river flows
It flows to the sea
Wherever that river goes
That's where I want to be
It flows to the sea
Wherever that river goes
That's where I want to be
Flow, river flow
Let your waters wash down
Take me from this road
To some other town
Let your waters wash down
Take me from this road
To some other town
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Senses working overtime #200
1 Okay - here we are at the 200th edition.
Wow - they mount up.
What does this mean? Well, it means that for the last 200 weekends I have posted on this blog. pretty cool huh!
Here's where they all started, 199 posts ago, with the very first one.
2 James Russell Lowell
American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat, James Russell Lowell would have been 200 years old on March 22. Clearly, no one lasts forever!
No, I hadn't heard of him either. So here's some bio, and one of his poems: The First Snowfall.
3 Peter Tork
One of my BFFs alerted me to the passing of Monkee Peter Tork. Like The Fabs, there are now only two Monkees left.
4 James Acaster
Love JA on Would I Lie To You, so snapped this (Classic Scrapes) up from Waterstones. I'm annoying Jacky by reading it as I laugh out loud all the time and want to read out bits to her. It's a blast!
5 Three Amigos
 |
| Heidi Allen, Sarah Wollaston and Anna Soubry |
I was buoyed by the news of Tory defections and Labour defections this week - great to know that a whiff of principle and integrity still appears to have a place in British politics.
Overtime Private Universe
I love this Neil Finn song (done when he was a Crowded Housemate), reminds me of growing up in Auckland and sums up what this blog is all about in its own way.
I came across the Farewell concert CD at Flashback Records and lapsed into full on childhood nostalgia while listening to it this morning. Can't think of a more appropriate place to end the 2ooth JFTT post than in my Private Universe!
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Senses working overtime #199
1 The Tracey Thorn-a-thon
It all started with reading an excerpt from her third book in The Guardian a week ago. Great writing that I could relate to, somehow, given I'm male, from New Zealand, and was at university when punk broke out. But I grew up in a happy family in superbia (sic) and have a masters degree in English like her so we do have a few things in common. Plus, like her, I've been happily married to one person since 1984.
My previous experience with her was a copy of the Everything But The Girl version of the Crazy Horse song - I Don't Want To Talk About It and a copy of their album The Language Of Life (given to me by Roger Marbeck with a written thanks to Roger from Tracey and Ben on the cover).
A trip into Foyles and they had a display of her three books by the counter at the music section (you know I frequent that section a lot). So I bought...
2 Bedsit Disco Queen
Being someone who likes to begin at the beginning I needed to buy her first book first - Bedsit Disco Queen and read it in a few sittings.
3 Marine Girls
Greenwich Market has a record booth/stand thing and I had a browse while Jacky went for a wander amongst the 'antiques' and jewellery stands.
Found some Everything But The Girl albums and this one by her early all female group of keen amateurs. Kurt Cobain was a fan!
As I said, I like to start at the beginning. I'm very linear!
It all started with reading an excerpt from her third book in The Guardian a week ago. Great writing that I could relate to, somehow, given I'm male, from New Zealand, and was at university when punk broke out. But I grew up in a happy family in superbia (sic) and have a masters degree in English like her so we do have a few things in common. Plus, like her, I've been happily married to one person since 1984.
My previous experience with her was a copy of the Everything But The Girl version of the Crazy Horse song - I Don't Want To Talk About It and a copy of their album The Language Of Life (given to me by Roger Marbeck with a written thanks to Roger from Tracey and Ben on the cover).
A trip into Foyles and they had a display of her three books by the counter at the music section (you know I frequent that section a lot). So I bought...
2 Bedsit Disco Queen
Being someone who likes to begin at the beginning I needed to buy her first book first - Bedsit Disco Queen and read it in a few sittings.
3 Marine Girls
Greenwich Market has a record booth/stand thing and I had a browse while Jacky went for a wander amongst the 'antiques' and jewellery stands.
Found some Everything But The Girl albums and this one by her early all female group of keen amateurs. Kurt Cobain was a fan!
As I said, I like to start at the beginning. I'm very linear!
4 Naked At The Albert Hall
Her second book is a companion to Bedsit. This one is about singing and so I dilly dallied over it until a few days ago. Shouldn't have worried. It's engrossing on a different level!
5 Another Planet
Got a signed copy of this from Waterstones (Foyles have them too so be quick) and looking forward to getting stuck into it next!
Overtime Everything But The Girl - Missing
Picked up a greatest hits CD from a local charity shop and been thrashing this song this week.
Overtime bonus Warren Ellis
I've said it afore and I'll say it agen - Warren is the man! He speaks to me. Here is a recent sign off from his newsletter:
Her second book is a companion to Bedsit. This one is about singing and so I dilly dallied over it until a few days ago. Shouldn't have worried. It's engrossing on a different level!
5 Another Planet
Got a signed copy of this from Waterstones (Foyles have them too so be quick) and looking forward to getting stuck into it next!
Overtime Everything But The Girl - Missing
Picked up a greatest hits CD from a local charity shop and been thrashing this song this week.
Overtime bonus Warren Ellis
I've said it afore and I'll say it agen - Warren is the man! He speaks to me. Here is a recent sign off from his newsletter:
It might be a long year. But I know you're resilient - you've had to be, to live this long. Look after yourself first, do something good for yourself today, tell someone else you like them, put some music on and find some peace. You deserve it.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Senses working overtime #198
1 February! Thank goodness!
It's off to a flyer. Literally. I'm in Vienna. Lovely spot! British Airways got us here safely out of Heathrow's Terminal 3. No frills (have to buy a cuppa fer goodness sake), and the cabin attendant had a cold and looked bored according to the current Mrs Purdy. but all up, it was okay for a short 2 hour flight.
2 Vinyl
Been a great few days vinyl wise as I rebounded from the HMV debacle (all three of the HMV's close to me - Bluewater, Croydon, Oxford St., have all lowered the shutters. Grrrrrrr.
Still Fopp is operating where I picked up a Howlin' Wolf picture disc and a Blackberry Smoke EP.
3 HMV
Some great photos of the 1960s HMV.
4 Vienna
5 Walking
I really enjoyed Austin Kleon's lovely post on walking.
Overtime Wack! I was made up seeing Macca had retweeted this story.
It's off to a flyer. Literally. I'm in Vienna. Lovely spot! British Airways got us here safely out of Heathrow's Terminal 3. No frills (have to buy a cuppa fer goodness sake), and the cabin attendant had a cold and looked bored according to the current Mrs Purdy. but all up, it was okay for a short 2 hour flight.
2 Vinyl
Been a great few days vinyl wise as I rebounded from the HMV debacle (all three of the HMV's close to me - Bluewater, Croydon, Oxford St., have all lowered the shutters. Grrrrrrr.
Still Fopp is operating where I picked up a Howlin' Wolf picture disc and a Blackberry Smoke EP.
3 HMV
Some great photos of the 1960s HMV.
4 Vienna
5 Walking
I really enjoyed Austin Kleon's lovely post on walking.
Overtime Wack! I was made up seeing Macca had retweeted this story.
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Senses working overtime #197
1 Oh January - boy did you suck!!
Good riddance. And I'm not the only one out there feeling like that. So here's to February! Thanks to Austin Kleon.
2 Groundhog Day
Hail to you Bill! Yes, it's rolled around again. celebrate with the movie.
3 Woody
I ordered a book online recently. It arrived. And along with it was a free copy of Woody Woodmansey's autobiography - Spider From Mars. It's not that great. I never would have read it but, hey - it's a free book!
Half way through and it's okay - the usual and averagely written at that. No fault of Woody - he's a drummer. It's mostly about Bowie obviously. More particularly - a band member's take on Bowie and that has limited appeal to me. But, hey, it's a free book! It's a harmless drudge.
4 On yer bike!
I've been very disappointed by the decision not to back the Mayor London's plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street. Oslo hasn't looked back and the fact it hasn't happened in London is a profoundly short sighted decision.
5 Rejection
James Whatley recommended this Ted Talk on dealing with rejection - good enough for me! Spend a great 15 minutes!
Overtime Airport!!
Another JW link (chur bro): the new airport in Beijing in a photo essay. Yes, that's a person on the roof in the middle of that picture. As Bill Murray would say: Raz-zil Daz-zil.
Good riddance. And I'm not the only one out there feeling like that. So here's to February! Thanks to Austin Kleon.
2 Groundhog Day
Hail to you Bill! Yes, it's rolled around again. celebrate with the movie.
3 Woody
I ordered a book online recently. It arrived. And along with it was a free copy of Woody Woodmansey's autobiography - Spider From Mars. It's not that great. I never would have read it but, hey - it's a free book!
Half way through and it's okay - the usual and averagely written at that. No fault of Woody - he's a drummer. It's mostly about Bowie obviously. More particularly - a band member's take on Bowie and that has limited appeal to me. But, hey, it's a free book! It's a harmless drudge.
4 On yer bike!
I've been very disappointed by the decision not to back the Mayor London's plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street. Oslo hasn't looked back and the fact it hasn't happened in London is a profoundly short sighted decision.
5 Rejection
James Whatley recommended this Ted Talk on dealing with rejection - good enough for me! Spend a great 15 minutes!
Overtime Airport!!
Another JW link (chur bro): the new airport in Beijing in a photo essay. Yes, that's a person on the roof in the middle of that picture. As Bill Murray would say: Raz-zil Daz-zil.
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