Jumping train cars snuck by me in the last session in the person of Grace Jones. So we’re going to play on that name at least one more time, because soon enough you will be Jones-ing for another post from me : I’m going out of town next week, back to the States on business and I don’t know if I’ll have time for full posts. Try to manage. Meanwhile, this isn’t the best Psychedelic Furs song, (and, no, that would not be “Pretty in Pink”, either, ugh) but it is catchy and it dropped into my lap unexpectedly. It does have some surprises in it if you listen carefully. The lyrics are wrong, at least on Apple Music.

Maria Bamford is one of my favourite comedians. She has a way of twisting the genre in new and unexpected ways. Once she had a pay-per-view special in which the only members of the live audience were her parents. And, I must admit, being a psych major, (BS in rats, not a BA in humans, so calm down), I’m fascinated by the way she publicly processes her mental health issues. It’s a brilliant, profound act that makes me laugh out loud every time. And she’s a seriously smart woman. Look her up. Big fan, me.

This cornerstone is, I think, my favourite Roman artefact. It’s hidden in a tiny alley, catty-corner from one of my favourite buildings, a mini Roman flatiron. The carving is upside down and, I once thought, backwards. It’s not backwards, but it’s one of those things, you know, one of those mysteries you don’t want to solve? I’ve never flipped the photo to try to read it. It’s the lock screen of my old iPad and every time I try to read it, the image flips! I do know that when it’s upside down the letters look embossed instead of engraved, but I don’t want to break the spell beyond that. Ever felt that way about something? Keep the mystery alive one time.

And, finally, the Japanese ikigai. This concept floated to me the other day and I thought I would share it with you. Here is the text, but first look at the diagram explaining it. I’m kind of scared to map my life to it, and I haven’t done it for that subconscious reason, but also I think I need to devote a block of time to work it out and I don’t have that time now. I think it could be a worthwhile exercise for all of us, though. Take a look and if you ever need a tool to shake you up, fill in the blanks.