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A Not So Zen Slow Week

The format is still a work in progress, but I thought it’d be great to document my favorite reads, listens, and watches of each week.

Reads

Book: Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

I managed 36 books in 2017, from a goal of 30. In 2018, my goal is a book a week - 52 books. Week 1 is off to a perfect start, with Robert Prisig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I found it equal parts insightful and pretentious, and had to stop myself from skipping through certain parts of the book.  I enjoyed the exposition of the motorcycle journey itself and the exploration of the father-son relationship. The way Phaedrus was revealed and the Philosophy lessons were a hit and miss for me. I learned alot through the descriptions of philosophy and motorcycle maintenance as a corollary to life, but found the exposition on quality at times arrogant and self-important. Overall however, I understand why the book was popular. I learned a lot and clarified even more. I’m glad I read it. Some favourite quotes :

Sometimes it’s a little better to travel than to arrive….You look at where you’re going and where you are and it never makes sense, but then you look back at where you’ve been and a pattern seems to emerge.

It’s the sides of the mountain that sustain life. not the top, but of course without the top you can’t have any sides. its the top that defines the sides.

If your mind is truly, profoundly stuck, then it might be much better off than when it was loaded with ideas

RATING: 3 STARS

Other reads: I opened a lot of articles, mainly white papers of emerging crypto currencies and blockchain technologies, but I didn’t finish any of them. I have about 20 articles saved on Texture and need to get on reading those.

Listens

Podcast: Jade & XD

No one made me laugh this week more than Jade and XD answering questions that are posed by popular songs. When they yawned through a whole Anita Baker verse, I almost fell out laughing. Among the questions they answered:

Brian McKnight’s “Do I ever cross your mind, anytime?” drew out a great story on the one time Jade met Brian McKnight at a wedding.

Plain White T’s “Hey there Delilah what’s it like in New York City?” led to a treatise on expensive rents in parts of NYC super far from the center and it was hilarious. .

5 of 50 cents 21 questions, including “if I didn’t smell so good, would you still hug me?”

HONORABLE MENTION

The 2017 wrap up episode of Desert Island Discs was a great walk down memory lane. 2017 was the 75th year(!!) anniversary, and it was just lovely. My favourite was Judy Dench in agony at having to save only one of her discs, and Louis Armstrong selecting his own « What a Wonderful World »

Music: 24K Magic

I didn’t listen to much music this week. No new songs for sure, but on Friday, after gym, 24K magic came on shuffle and I just had to have a dance party, so its my selection of the week.

HONORABLE MENTION

6 Foot 7 foot. One of my life goals is to memorize the last two verses, brilliant rhyming. I mean, :Real Gs move in silence like lasagna” 

Watches

I watched ALOT of TV and movies this week. A lot.  blame jetlag and not being too busy at work yet:

3 Harry Potter movies (the books were better)

Rewatches of Grey’s Anatomy Season 12 (I miss Christina)

Dave Chappelle’s 2 new Netflix Specials (some funny bits, but overall preachy and forcedly bashful)

LoveSick Season 3 (BRILLIANCE)

I read a tweet that called Lovesick  the modern day romantic comedy, and I totally agree. The cast has great chemistry, with organic, believable friendships, and romantic threads that you can actually see happening in real life. I especially love watching Luke’s character develop with some help from a therapist. I watched all 8 episodes of Season 3 this the weekend and just, GAH. I might rewatch it because GAH, perfection.

I just started watching Black Mirror and OH MY GOD. I’m sure I’ll be posting about it next week. I still can’t get “White Bear” and “White Christmas” out of my head.

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I always wondered whether…

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Toronto Skyline. Picture 1/25 for the year :)

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