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Quirky Internet Wunderkammer
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Comforting Thought
Bite-sized comfort and spirituality in a turmultuous world
Comforting Thought: Whistling in the dark
“Art would not be important if life were not important. And life is important. Most of us, no matter what we say, are walking in the dark, whistling in the dark.” James Baldwin #quote #philosophy #art
Comforting Thought: The Light that Burns Bright
“There is something in the human spirit that will survive and prevail; there is a tiny and brilliant light burning in the heart of man that will not go out no matter how dark the world becomes.”
~ Leo Tolstoy #Tolstoy #writing #books #bookquote #quote #philosophy #hope #healing #psychology #humanity #philosophy
Comforting Thought: Sunrise by Mary Oliver
“I thought how the sun blazes for everyone just so joyfully as it rises under the lashes of my own eyes, and I thought I am so many!” – Sunrise by Mary Oliver
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Ancient Word of the Day
Words dredged up from the pelagic zone of language
Ancient Word of the Day: Stravaig
Stravaig derives from eighteenth-century Scots extravage, meaning ‘wander about; digress, ramble in speech’, in turn derived from Medieval Latin extravagari ‘wander, stray beyond limits’. Stravaig, in various forms, is found in a wide range of Scottish texts from the late eighteenth-century onwards. Read more
Ancient word of the day: Athene Noctua or Athena’s Owl
The Greek goddess Athena had as her sacred animal familiar the owl, also known as the Athene Noctua in Latin. The Romans, fond as they were of stealing from the Greek pantheon, renamed Athena to Minerva. Athena and her owl are considered to be symbols of wisdom, in both cultures. Athene Noctua Athena’s owl or…
Ancient Word of the Day: Adsum
From Latin: “Adsum” – be here now
The life, in a form, that we all live. Adsum abandons hopelessness and blind hope and even rational hope.
Hope is that virtue by which we take responsibility for the future and a quality that gives our actions special urgency.
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10 Cool Things I Found On the Internet
A weekly palate cleanser of quirky wonder
10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #122
Learn about twin souls and mystical connection, an exquisite stained glass window, encouragement for your creative spirit, funky house music and much more. It’s edition #122 #InterestingThings #ContentCatnip
10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #121
Learn about a mysterious #Egyptian goddess, the worst names in history of give to a child, comforting Lo-Fi music, baroque church pulpits in the same of dragons and much more, it’s edition #121 of interesting things.
10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #120
Did you know that Mars was once coated in a green magma ocean? This week you can read love letters that never reached their destined recipient, learn how to make a Zen waterfall in your loungeroom, Jetson’s-style futuristic bubble cars and much more – it’s edition #120 of interesting things!
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Book Reviews
Mind-expanding fantasy, quirky history books and more
Book Review: To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
Eowyn Ivey is a master craftswoman and her sentences are smooth and flowing like treacle. Her debut the Snow Child was one of my favourite novels. It told the magical tale of a child that emerges out of the icy Alaskan tundra and provides an ageing couple yearning for a baby, with the promise of…
Book Review: ‘Industrial Scars’ The Beautiful Toxic Scars of the Earth
What happens when humans burn too much waste and destroy the planet? Modern Art. Photographs of the aftermath of environmental devastation aren’t normally considered art. However photographer J Henry Fair has reimagined the decaying and suffering environmental landscape in the aftermath of human abuse in his mesmerising book entitled Industrial Scars. Fair wanted to poignantly…
Book Review: The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow
The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity” by David Graeber and David Wengrow offers an awe-inspiring, surprising and dizzyingly beautiful rethink of human history. It is an mellow ode to ancient human experimentation, creativity, fun and how before there were rules and hierarchy – people just had of a hell of a great…
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Artists, Writers & Musicians In Their Own Words
Unique and inspiring art by interesting people
Artists and Writers In Their Own Words: Jane Cornwell
Jane Cornwell creates soothing and emotional art that speaks to the soul I was accepted for Glasgow School of Art age 16 and I loved it… I have a notebook from school, age 5, with a little drawing of me standing at an easel. I’ve always had a compulsive need to draw, paint and make…
Artists and Writers In Their Own Words: Wayne Wolfson
Northern Californian artist and writer Wayne H.W. Wolfson is completely self-taught and has had an expansive career. He has amassed a large body of work in a riot of colours and eclectic styles. This makes him one of the most striking, interesting and chameleon-like artists around. I have written and compulsively doodled since my earliest…
Artists & Writers in their Own Words: Monica Olivia
Introducing my poetic, spiritual, wise and beautiful friend from Norwegian Lapland Monica Olivia. She is a self-taught Sámi artist who makes art of mind-blowing beauty using a palette of vivid hues found in the most northerly regions of the earth. Monica also has a spiritually nourishing and beautiful blog ‘Ask the Mountains’ where she writes…
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The Natural World
Organisms, real, imagined, extinct and extant.
Exploring the Spiritual Wisdom of Japanese Wildlife: A Journey Through Shinto and Zen Buddhism
The fauna of Japan, rich in diversity, is intricately woven into the tapestry of Shinto and Zen Buddhist traditions. Each animal is not just a part of the ecosystem but a bearer of profound spiritual messages and teachings. This article delves deeply into the shamanic symbolism of eight Japanese animals, revealing their roles in folklore,…
What is your favourite animal? Crows and ravens
What is your favorite animal? Their iridescent black and purple feathers are like midnight sky cloaks given by impatient gods. Their glances from electrifying ice blue eyes that cut like a knife through my soul. I pay tribute in the form of grapes and old bread and they grace me with their presence and it’s…
Embracing the Shamanic Spirit of Australian Wildlife: A Journey Through Australian Power Animals of Land, Sky, and Sea
Australia’s diverse wildlife offers a rich tapestry of shamanic wisdom, insight and power, with each animal embodying unique spiritual teachings. Recognising these creatures as sentient beings of unique intelligences and lives quite apart from our own, in this article we will explore the profound spiritual symbolism and strengths of eight iconic Australian animals. These represent…
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Te Ao Māori
All about the indigenous culture of Aotearoa, New Zealand
Dolphins as Taniwha in New Zealand
Dolphins are mystical beings full of intelligence, compassion and consciousness. For different Māori iwi, dolphins hold sacred significance and they are known as taniwha. They are considered tapu (sacred) and possessing a powerful mauri (lifeforce). What are Taniwha? Taniwha (pron. tan-ee-far) are mysterious creatures that dwell in the sea, rivers, lakes or in caves. They…
Short Story: Awhiina finds her orb
In the heart of the Pacific, there lies an island so remote it is whispered about like a myth. This island, cloaked in lush greenery and bordered by the endless blue, is home to Awhiina, a woman of quiet strength and profound connection to the natural world around her. Awhiina lived in a small village,…
Words and Music: Earth the slumbering pūriri
In the Beginning Earth Breath on me Earth the cool breath of life Earth the slumbering pūriri Earth the misty valley Earth the departed sun Earth the tingling blue sky Earth the dark sheen of a woman river Earth the mottling tides tumbling ashore Earth the sweeping godwits Earth our home Earth the giving land…
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Content Catnip TV
Transportative videos made by Content Catnip
Travel: Kolejcowo is a cute and creepy version of Poland in miniature
When I was in Poland in 2019, I didn’t hesitate to visit the Kolejcowo in Świebodzki Station in Wrocław. This is the largest model railway in Poland, but also a rather amazing depiction of how life in Poland actually looks. Everything, right down to the petrol stations, graffiti, and the shops actually exists in real…
Content Catnip TV: Team Lab Borderless, Tokyo
TeamLab Borderless in Tokyo is a remarkable audio-visual attraction in Tokyo and a must-see in the city if you ever visit. It’s on expansive, harbour-facing area of Odaiba which is encircled by the very scenic train ride, along with excellent shopping centre Diver City, which features a showcase level of award-winning ramen restaurants from throughout…
Enoshima Dreaming on Content Catnip TV
This surfy, ultra chill and slightly magical island was more amazing than we imagined.
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Travel Tales
Nostalgic travel from the time before ‘you know what‘ happened
Travel: Wellington’s Chinese New Year Lantern Festival
#Wellington’s annual #Chinese New Year Festival went ahead in early 2020 despite COVID-19. The waterfront became a sea of dancing colours with luminous koi fish, red dragons dancing, and illuminated Māori wahine and much more #travel #NewZealand
Tea for Peace in Shibuya farmers market
On November 1st 2023, PB and I went to Tea for Peace in Shibuya. At UNU towards the back of the weekly farmer’s market, was a showcase of dozens of passionate tea makers from across Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. Each tea producer was friendly and eager to tell the story of their teas and…
Summer Travel: Mushroom Reef Sanctuary, Flinders, Mornington Peninsula
The Mushroom Reef Sanctuary is home to a gigantic mushroom shaped basalt reef near Flinders in Westernport Bay. Located 86 km from central Melbourne, it’s a fantastic day trip for beach-combing, sunbathing, snorkelling or bushwalking. As an added bonus it’s hidden away from the hoards that gather on popular beaches on the opposite side of…
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Obscure Music
Unusual little-heard music to inspire creativity
Underground Resistance: Detroit Techno as a Personal Revolution
Underground Resistance subverted the racist stereotype of the “black trouble-maker” and turned it on its head. Through their provocative, uplifting and joyful techno, Underground Resistance gave young black people with a different way of being and living: an empowering, positive, uplifting and autonomous way of seeing oneself in the world. This is perfectly expressed in…
Moondog: The enigmatic jazz wizard of post-war NYC
I came across Moon dog on one of those long and meandering trips through obscure music on YouTube. He was a true innovator and an avante-garde enigma. For one he looked like Gandalf or Hagrid. Aside from this, he also invented several new musical instruments including a small triangular instrument he called the Ooo and…
The art of Kulning: Night-scented stock are called in for the long summer evening
Kulning is an ancient, sweet and sorrowful form of Scandinavian music used to herd cows and goats back down from their high mountain pastures in parts of Norway and in certain provinces of Sweden, Jämtland and Härjedalen. In practical use since medieval times, the mysterious tones were also thought to be a deterrent to potential predators like wolves…
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Quirky History
Lesser-known morsels of olden day stuff
Here be the Viking Hoard: The Mystery of the Lewis Chessmen
The Lewis Chessmen are a treasure of Viking and Scottish history and have elicited awe and wonder since they were first discovered. They were likely to have been made in Trondheim in Norway from walrus ivory. This kind of bone was hard to come across at the time (1150-1200 A.D). The craftsmanship of these tiny…
The heartwarming story of Hachiko, Japan’s most loved dog
Born in 1923, the #Akita #dog named Hachiko became a living symbol of unwavering love and devotion. His story began as a tiny pup in a quaint town in Japan, quickly evolving into a life intertwined with his owner, Professor Hidesaburo Ueno. #history #Japan #Hachiko #Shibuya #Tokyo
Vegetable ekiben on the Tokaido shinkansen
Just a quick postcard from my current trip to Japan. I had to jot this down right now while the exquisite flavours swirl in my belly and the remnants of enjoyment are in my mouth. I am on the fast train between Tokyo and Osaka known as the Tokaido shinkansen. I wasn’t aware that vegetable…
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