Janelle Monae and Art

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTjQq5rMlEY Watching this video I immediately knew that I am in no way qualified to deconstruct the layers of meaning packed into this video by Janelle Monae. There's so much. It's art. So I'm just going to be quiet and watch. Here's the video for your attention.

The Chinese Massage

Today I went and got a Chinese massage My shoulders were tight for weeks I'd had enough $20 for 20 minutes it was a reasonable price Nice lady soft hands OUCH this shop smells nice OUCH I should have come here sooner The pain is my muscles being stretched for the first time in days…

Dressing for Psychological Influence

'Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have' and 'People won't think you're the boss unless you dress like the boss' are phrases I've been told over and over throughout my retail and management career. Various uniforms, dress codes and modesty standards have also been a common part of my life…

Becoming a Plant Person

I made a series of tweets on this topic a while back, so here's my 'official' blog post. I never thought I'd be a 'plant' person. I was generally classed as a 'nerd' in my school years - and yet I somehow managed to peel myself away from a computer screen to become a green…

Kindness

Since I moved across the country (again), this time do conduct a residency term at university, I have been gifted with the kindness of strangers. People whom I only met hours previously have chatted, remembered my name, and invited me along to events. All it took was a kind word, an introduction, and the flexibility…

A Hard Emotion

I'm sure there's a German word for it The feeling Like you've been crying for hours Yet your eyes are dry When you wake The heavy dread that lies in your chest Every time you think About what you need to do I have to I've got to It's time It's time. What I would…

Need Some Vintage Music?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jwPqDVtsTU   If you enjoy the music of Fallout, or just want some old-timey music to accompany your writing, here it is! Found this gem the other day and it's just unobtrusive enough to allow for proofreading.

What Makes A Good Colleague?

Responding to this post by Tseen Khoo; http://redwritinghood.blogs.latrobe.edu.au/2018/02/what-makes-good-colleague-tseen-khoo.html When I read in Tseen's blog post that the concept of being a 'good team worker' gets a bad reaction because of its association with HR buzzwords, I knew I was on to something. Today's post is responding directly to the post that Tseen wrote about being…

Morning Coffee Mix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Os-F_l76g Want to know what mindless music I listen to in order to wake up? Try this mix! Disclaimer: Most of my family and friends hate this music, and when in a busy crowd I know why (it can be a bit 'much'). HOWEVER, when in a quiet office environment and needing something to wake…

Superstition

There are times when I can be quite rational, and diffuse silly notions with a wave of my hand. "That doesn't make sense," I can state confidently, "don't listen to people who say it does." And, yet, I can't help myself when I come across a 'what does the shape of your hand say about…