Sensei Wednesday - June 25, 2023

What I'm watching, reading, listening to, tasting, and thinking about.

Hello friends! We’re halfway through another week. Today is Wednesday June 21, 2023 and here’s your sensory snapshot.

I’m watching: The West Wing on Max (formerly HBO Max). I’ve never seen it before and watching a political show that began its run in 1999 and lasted seven seasons is an interesting look at the changing political landscape of the turn of the century. Its a breath of fresh air in the increasingly divisive atmosphere we find ourselves in today and shows that the problems we wrestled with twenty years ago are still being debated today. Sorkin dazzles with his now famous walk and talk style of dialogue which makes this workplace drama anything but dry.

I’m listening to: Episode #677 of the Tim Ferriss Show podcast. The episode tracks a new format in which his well qualified and diverse group of guests each bring a “heresy” to the discuss. The “heresies” are well thought out opinions they have come to hold that are either counter intuitive, or are things that they believe other people will disagree with. The result is an interesting conversation about a wide variety of topics, from whether written constitutions are overrated, to whether or not we should be prohibiting human cloning. Check out the episode here.

I’m tasting: They had a 2 for $5.00 sale for spices at the market I go to and I picked up McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning, among other things. I’m more of a spicy guy, but this rub packs a punch and hits a good balance of sweet and savory. Great for skinless chicken on the grill. You can get it on Amazon or wherever you get your groceries.

I’m reading: Like a Rolling Stone: A Memoir. Despite being a bit long winded, the book penned by the Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner is an intimate romp through some of the more pivotal moments of the music, the politics, and the lifestyle of the Baby Boomers. The work takes us into the life and work of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen. Its an interesting depiction of a counter culture rebel who finds himself going from ink splattered hippie, to weekly coffee with Jackie Onassis. You can find it on Amazon or wherever you get your books.

What I’m thinking about: When we go under general anesthesia, we don’t have any sort of conscious experience. In fact we wake up, perhaps a bit groggy, but with no sense of any time having passed. But we are very much alive during that time. Same holds true for when we black out due to excessive alcohol consumption. We had sensory experience for hours, but those memories are lost in time like tears in rain. The body can operate without the conscious experience of the mind. Does it stand to reason that our consciousness can operate without the bonds of a body? Check out this article from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for more on the mind-body problem.

Have a great rest of your week everyone! And remember to be a little kinder than is necessary.