Content Catnip
Quirky Internet Wunderkammer
Comforting Thought
Bite-sized comfort and spirituality in a turmultuous world
Comforting Thought: there is joy to be found in being really bad at something
Here’s a great quote from the inspiring, wise and enriching book by Mary McEvoy ‘Ordinary Beauty’. Revel in your mediocrity at doing certain things! There is a joy to be had at being really bad at something. I love to draw and paint. I am a terrible artist. I made one mistake however. In anContinue reading “Comforting Thought: there is joy to be found in being really bad at something”
Comforting Thought: The mirror is trying to mirror and become aware of itself
Why is it that we in the modern West seem to know so much about the Cosmos but very little about consciousness? I think the answer is simple. The material cosmos is studied as a collection of observed objects “out there.” These objects in space are measured, and their behaviour can often be controlled andContinue reading “Comforting Thought: The mirror is trying to mirror and become aware of itself”
Comforting Thought: You are not too reflective or too quiet – you are just a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)
In our culture, we are not just a minority, but one that is considered to be far from the ideal. It might seem that we need to go to the other end, from feeling weak, flawed and victimised to feeling strong and superior. I consider this to be a necessary compensation. But for many HSPs,Continue reading “Comforting Thought: You are not too reflective or too quiet – you are just a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)”
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Ancient Word of the Day
Words dredged up from the pelagic zone of language
Ancient Words of the Day: Week Days
Why are there seven days in a week? A week is a cycle of seven numbered or named days most likely due to the Jewish calendar. However things get complicated as early medieval Europe inherited the idea of the week from imperial Rome, via Christianity. Name days are similar across all European languages: English, German,Continue reading “Ancient Words of the Day: Week Days”
Ancient Word of the Day: Gibbon / Kebong
The word gibbon entered European languages through French in the 18th century. The French adopted it from the Malay word, kebon. However etymological research shows this Malay word originally came from a group of languages called Northern Aslian, spoken by indigenous communities in peninsular Malaysia. In Northern Aslian, it was probably pronounced kebong. Gibbons are a type of apeContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Gibbon / Kebong”
Ancient Word of the Day: Lavender
If you think that humble fragrance of lavender is only loved by aromatherapists and older ladies with a penchant for scented drawer sachets – think again. Lavender was officially the scent of elicit medieval sex, according to History of Sex author Kate Lister! Unlike exotic and expensive perfumes, lavender grows wild and plentifully all overContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Lavender”
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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 #84
I hope this edition of 10 things takes you into a sparkling lunar landscape of soaring birds and long-lost but loving fireflies, that’s what anybody would want or need in life…enjoy edition #84. ‘Tawai’ Dreamy, jazzy intelligent Drum N’Bass by Džiunglių Dvasios Here is some cruisy, uplifting drum and bass by one of my favouriteContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #84”
10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #83
Welcome to the cosy cabin of your collective fantasies, featuring Aphex Twin’s serene ambient music, snow globe creatures encased in pure sugar and a softly-spoken Japanese woman whispering compliments to you, frozen ghost apples, post-partum pomeranians, African samurais and more. It’s edition #83…indulge it’s sugar-free and palm oil free. Richard D James AKA Aphex TwinContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #83”
10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #82
This week we learn how to love ourselves for being neurodiverse, we visit a cosy Tasmanian cottage, chomp down on a calming train ticket, enjoy a cute Polish claymation and hear some medieval Japanese tidbits of wisdom. Jump on cowboys and cowgirls we’re riding side-saddle through your imagination. Learning and seeing the world differently comesContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #82”
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Book Reviews
Mind-expanding fantasy, quirky history books and more
Book Review: Islands of Mercy by Rose Tremain
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Islands of Mercy is a masterful book by the author of other historical fiction classics such as Restoration, Music and Silence and Merival. I have loved all of these books so I had a feeling (and rightfully so) that I would really enjoy this book. Set in Victorian eraContinue reading “Book Review: Islands of Mercy by Rose Tremain”
Book Review: The Flip: Who You Really Are and Why it Matters by Jeffrey Kripal
Publisher: Penguin Genre: Non-Fiction, Psychology, Parapsychology, Spirituality, Science, Epistemiology Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Prepare to have your mind blown a few times in a delightful way by this book. It’s really refreshing to read something science-y that is not afraid to delve into the ‘Twilight Zone’ so to speak. It’s difficult to put this book into theContinue reading “Book Review: The Flip: Who You Really Are and Why it Matters by Jeffrey Kripal”
Book Review: The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Dr Elaine Aron
Publisher: Penguin Genre: Non-Fiction, Psychology, Spirituality. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 This is the quintessential book about the trait of high sensitivity in people’s personalities. Beautifully written, engaging and informative, it has become a classic of psychology since it was first published in 1996. In case you are unaware of how this personality trait looks, here is aContinue reading “Book Review: The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Dr Elaine Aron”
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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 makeContinue reading “Artists and Writers In Their Own Words: Jane Cornwell”
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 earliestContinue reading “Artists and Writers In Their Own Words: Wayne Wolfson”
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 writesContinue reading “Artists & Writers in their Own Words: Monica Olivia”
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The Natural World
Organisms, real, imagined, extinct and extant.
The Anatomy of Fantastical Creatures
Do you know what the juicy interior of a Kraken looks like? Have you ever seen the inside of a unicorn’s magical horn? What about the biochemical transformation of a man into a a werewolf? Here are some marvellous anatomical figures from French Chimerologist Camille Renversade who in 2014 combined zoology charts, anatomy boards andContinue reading “The Anatomy of Fantastical Creatures”
Six Quirky Facts About Red Pandas
Red pandas are sweet looking, unobtrusive and stunning mammals that live in the mountainous forests in the Himalayas. With their lustrous and vibrant reddish brown fur and round sweet faces; they have the vague appearance of a fox rather than a Giant Panda. Here’s more about a mysterious animal that my boyfriend and I fellContinue reading “Six Quirky Facts About Red Pandas”
The Sky Bastard Who Ate My Ancestors in New Zealand
Here is another rough diamond plucked from the caverns of Content Catnip’s vault, this post from 2014 and resuscitated for your enjoyment. I still love megafauna just as much, even now. Introducing the Sky Bastard who once sparked universal terror in the hearts of my Māori ancestors. Common Name: Haast’s Eagle Scientific Name: Harpagornis moorei (DiscoveredContinue reading “The Sky Bastard Who Ate My Ancestors in New Zealand”
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Te Ao Māori
All about the indigenous culture of Aotearoa, New Zealand
Comforting Thought: Saying sorry will go a long way
Kuoa rongo ake au… Akakoa iti noa te kuru pounamu He taonga tuku iho kia kaha, kia toa, kia māiai, kia mataara kia manawanui I have learned… A thoughtful note to someone you’ve avoided Saying sorry will go a long way
Phone someone today and say, ’I care…’
Kua rongo ake au… I tēnei rangi tonu toro atu Tōu ringa ki tō tamaiti, whāngaia tōu hinengaro Patua he waea ki tetahi atu, ki atu, ’Ko au e whakaaro nui atu nei, kia kaha’ I have learned… Today reach out Hug your child Pat a cat, appreciate our country, Phone someone today and say,Continue reading “Phone someone today and say, ’I care…’”
Words and Music: Call on a karakia
Kua rongo ake au… Mā te karakia mā te īnoi, mā te noho puku Ka taea e au ngā mea katoa I have learned… That I can call upon a karakia When I look for solutions to the Challenges that face me.
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Content Catnip TV
Transportative videos made by Content Catnip
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 throughoutContinue reading “Content Catnip TV: Team Lab Borderless, Tokyo”
Enoshima Dreaming on Content Catnip TV
This surfy, ultra chill and slightly magical island was more amazing than we imagined.
Travel: Arashiyama boat ride, Kyoto
This is a nostalgic trip down memory lane for me and the Polish Bear, we went on a boat tour in Arashiyama in Kyoto in 2019, it was unforgettable. I took a lot of footage from my Canon and used a gimbal to smooth out the rocking on the boat and put it together asContinue reading “Travel: Arashiyama boat ride, Kyoto”
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Travel Tales
Nostalgic travel from the time before ‘you know what‘ happened
Travel: The Beautiful Terrace Windows of Triana, Sevilla
Back in 2010 during a particularly sweltering summer, I visited Andalucia and soaked in the beautiful architecture in Sevilla. The best way to see all of the charming neighbourhoods and historic monuments was going the tourist routes with an open-top bus. This also afforded me excellent views onto all of the terrace houses with theirContinue reading “Travel: The Beautiful Terrace Windows of Triana, Sevilla”
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 realContinue reading “Travel: Kolejcowo is a cute and creepy version of Poland in miniature”
Cuba Dupa Wellington 2021
Each year at the end of March there is a street festival in Wellington. Cuba Dupa is always vibrant, vibrational and brings out the wild and vivacious side of the little city. Even though I’m a total introvert, strangely enough I really like loud concerts and street festivals where I can dance and have aContinue reading “Cuba Dupa Wellington 2021”
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Obscure Music
Unusual little-heard music to inspire creativity
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 andContinue reading “Moondog: The enigmatic jazz wizard of post-war NYC”
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 wolvesContinue reading “The art of Kulning: Night-scented stock are called in for the long summer evening”
Awesome low-fi / house / ambient / psychedelic artists from New Zealand
Skip to the end for an amazing playlist of these artists on Youtube Aldous Harding From Christchurch, Aldous Harding is known throughout the world for her strange, unnerving stage presence and her delicate and yet raw brand of folk. She’s quite enigmatic and unlike any other artist. You may take a while to warm toContinue reading “Awesome low-fi / house / ambient / psychedelic artists from New Zealand”
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Quirky History
Lesser-known morsels of olden day stuff
Netsuke & Gashapon toys Ancient Japanese treasures and modern collectibles
Netsuke are uniquely Japanese and sublime in their beauty. They are tiny objects carved of ivory, ceramic, wood, tortoise-shell, gold or many other materials. They tell the story of the culture of Japan during the old Edo period and before. Netsuke featured fishermen and farmers, who rubbed shoulders with scholars, samurai warriors, royalty and evenContinue reading “Netsuke & Gashapon toys Ancient Japanese treasures and modern collectibles”
Ancient word of the day: Twankle
Twankle To twang your fingers on a musical instrument or absent-mindedly strum or play an instrument without thought. Other concatenations include: Twiddling, twandling, tootling, plunking, noodling, thrummling or tudeling. Tudeling (origin) German dudeln – to perform badly. The crappiest song that almost everyone can play on the piano Chopsticks was invented in 1877 by composerContinue reading “Ancient word of the day: Twankle”
Map Porn Part 2: The Most Beautiful Geological Maps on Earth
Where Art Meets Science Scientific visualisations often can look just like objects of visual art. The previous installation of this series, there were topographical surveys visualised on both our moon and Jupiter’s moon. This time, we are focusing on our own Pale Blue Dot. These maps are not only utilitarian and functional, they are worksContinue reading “Map Porn Part 2: The Most Beautiful Geological Maps on Earth”
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Content Catnip 