Still 25, clever bears and dumb people.
Hate cannot drive out hate...
The Saturday Compendium is where I round up a few of the things that have interested me in one way or another this week. Some cool, some not so cool, some that have made me think, some that have inspired me to action, some that have shaken me out of a rut. Some old, some new, all borrowed, some possibly blue. But whatever else, they’re all things I think you might find interesting too.
Do you want more? Do join up as a reader-supporter. You’ll get all my posts, past and future, including essays, humour, fiction, behind-the-scenes publishing gossip, and much more. All for about the same price as a monthly cold brew coffee.
Most people enjoy Compendia for free, and it’s great to have you on board. But it’s the handful who do pay who allow me to continue writing here, so please consider it. ***FLASH SALE***
You need a routine. I know I do.
I read a since-deleted Instagram post about the need for a routine, especially around getting up in the morning. The advice was, pick a time, doesn’t matter when, but still to it. The theory is that without this regular time, we dysregulate our circadian rhythms, and they regulate our mood.
A while ago I wrote this post, in which I talked about my difficulties in finding just such a routine, and resolved to do something about it. Friends, it worked for a while, but I’ve slipped back into my bad habits and yes, I feel dysregulated and my mood is definitely suffering. So, I’m going to try again.
How about you? Do you struggle to maintain a regular schedule?
What I’m (still) reading: 25 - the anthology
“To celebrate Goldsboro Books' 25th birthday comes a brand new collection of short stories, carefully curated to showcase a range of storytelling from some of our favourite authors.."
I’m still reading this — not because I’m not loving it (I am, in the main) but because I’m taking my time, and also I’m busy writing. Well, actually, not writing. Planning.
Anyway, here’s a link if you want to get a copy. And last time I mentioned it I playfully suggested that one of the stories wasn’t great (it isn’t, it’s utter shit). But then I worried that some of the featured authors also read this Substack. So rest assured, the author of the stinker doesn’t, and if you think I might’ve been talking about yours, I wasn’t. And PLEASE be aware that the other stories more than make up for it.
What I’ve been musing on
I read that in America they tried to design a bin (‘garbage can’) with a more complex lid system to tackle the problem of foraging bears getting into the trash.
It failed, because ‘there’s a significant overlap between the cleverest bears and the stupidest people’.
What I’ve been watching: Not that much…
For the same reason I’ve been reading ‘25’ for over two weeks now. Not much time for TV, with everything else.
What have YOU been watching?
What I’ve been listening to: Songs of a Lost World
I mean, what else? I explain why here:
How about you? What are you enjoying at the moment?
Just watched Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’, fun, broad and scary.