Do you sometimes worry that Djin will visit you in the night and hold a party inside of your dental cavities? you are not alone actually. Do you often wonder what a Spaghetti Western would sound like if it were filmed in Edo Japan, where cowboys and geishas mingled together? Someone did that for you. Read on for more… [please excuse the clickbait intro]
When you and your friends fall asleep after a long night looking for chestnuts
A little ditty about Jack and Diane
One of the most iconic pop songs of the 80’s is dissected and explored by the always fascinating culture blogger Robert Horvat.
“Here’s a little ditty ‘bout Jack and Diane / Two American kids growing up in the heartland / Jackie’s gonna be a football star / Diane’s debutante, back seat of Jackie’s car.”.
There is arguably no other opening verse that distinctively reminds us that we are listening to a John Mellencamp song than his 1982 hit single Jack & Diane. Originally Jack & Diane was in its infancy about mixed-race couples. But Mellencamp was steered away from that idea by his record company and reluctantly Jack, the black male protagonist of the song, was suddenly a white football star. This revelation of the song’s true origins was only touched on by Mellencamp more recently some thirty years after its release.
Jameela Jamil and her friend Poppy Jamie discuss how to tune into relaxed FM, not stressed FM
I just love Jamela Jamil, there is something unmistakably raw and real about her. I like that she’s not afraid to poke fun of herself and isn’t afraid to talk about her difficult childhood being poor, a fat kid, a brown immigrant and also being bullied at school – can relate to a lot of what she talks about with her early life. She is also outstandingly successful now, which is a great inspiration. I am hooked on Jameela’s podcast!
Upgrade Your Mind with Poppy Jamie – I Weigh with Jameela Jamil
What the Goths, Cure-Heads and Psychobillies were up to in Dublin in 1989
Vegan Takoyaki
When I was eating meat, I loved Takoyaki balls. Although watching documentaries like My Octopus Teacher and others that all changed as I realised the sentience and immense intelligence of all animals, especially squids and octopuses. Anyway, here’s a yummy vegan alternative to try, I haven’t done so yet but it looks great.
A Roman love letter immortalised in stone to Patricus, a beloved doggo
My eyes were wet with tears, our little dog, when I bore thee (to the grave)… So, Patricus, never again shall thou give me a thousand kisses. Never canst thou be contentedly in my lap. In sadness have I buried thee, and thou deservist. In a resting place of marble, I have put thee for all time by the side of my shade. In thy qualities, sagacious thou wert like a human being. Ah, me! What a loved companion have we lost!”
Hiromasa Yonebayashi – Characterising Surroundings | The Cinema Cartography
Studio Ponoc and Studio Ghibli are masterpieces of anime storytelling, and here, the great YT channel Cinema Cartography breaks down exactly what the recipe is for these magical anime films that are enjoyable for film lovers of all ages and all cultures.
Ben Wilson’s mission to beautify the chewing gum of London
Ben Wilson is also known as the ‘chewing-gum man’. He is a mainstay and legend of the London street art scene and creates chewing gum art. He has been turning pieces of petrified chewing gum into tiny and intricate street art since 1998 and to date has made over 10,00 pieces of mini street on pavements throughout London and Europe. He is well known for decorating a trail of chewing gum across the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern. Others have emulated this form and technique, but Ben remains the original creator.
He spends up to ten hours painting on the piece of gum and then this is heated with a blow torch and then sealed with a lacquer for posterity. I have never felt more like bangers and mash in my life, maybe this one would be a bit chewy though! Via Wikipedia
When you walk into a Tokyo sushi restaurant, leave your horse tied up out the front and ask for a “quesadilla por favor”…
This is a genre-bending album that blends together classic Americana, Asian instruments. The result is a bizarre and funky spaghetti western film soundtrack. It all just works very well together in my opinion!
A medically accurate X-ray of a tooth from the Ottoman empire
The ‘root’ cause of your tooth pain are Djin and serpents dancing around between your blood vessels and nerves. Via Twitter
Drum & Bass by Bike on Brighton Beach
A cool idea to cycle with turntables and a sound system blasting out drum and bass on a summer day, it seems that everybody else thought so too. I haven’t been to Brighton so it was good to see what it looks like from the street level, it looks pretty nice.
Judy Garfin’s larger-than-life exquisite blumes and tangled vines
Judy Garfin was born in 1945, in Edmonton, Alberta. She studied sculpture at the Art Students League in New York City and painting and printmaking at the Vancouver School of Art and in 1973, received her M.F.A. from The Maryland Institute College of Art’s Hoffberger School of Painting. She has lived in Israel, New York City, Ireland and Italy and has traveled widely throughout the world, which has profoundly influenced her artwork opening avenues into image creation that undermines western concepts of hierarchy and artfulness. She lives in Montreal where she paints in her studio and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Print Media as a tenured associate professor in The Department of Fine Arts at Concordia University. Via Twitter and Judy Garfin’s website.
I hope that you enjoyed these picks and that some of them rocked your world. Let me know below…
Content Catnip 
Those Judy Garfin paintings!!!! Superbe!!
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Yes they are just incredible aren’t they, exquisite detail I’m glad you enjoyed these my friend, hope you are well
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Yes, just so rich and an artists that I had not encountered, knowingly, before, so, thank YOU! 🙂
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I also love Judy Garfin’s paintings! Amazing! Also enjoyed an insight into Hiromasa Yonebayashi!
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I’m so glad Diana 😽💚
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Yes these anime by Yonebayashi are all amazing aren’t they
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Thank you for considering my blog worthy of your attention.
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Of course my friend, the feeling is mutual because I always find cool things to like and share from your blog too. I love the vintage music posts the best but I am biased because I like older music, also the historical posts…very interesting. I hope you are doing well, big hugs to you
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I think my upcoming newsletter needs Judy Garfin!
The Octopus Teacher was a beautiful surprise, wasn’t it? There’s actually a lot of intelligent animals out there. I think the world would be shocked if they knew and I know not much 😛
The bubble gum artist is also worthy of a great share. Thanks. You’re so good about finding these gems, xo
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I’m so glad you enjoyed this 10 Things edition and loved Judy Garfin, she is amazing isn’t she! Octopus Teacher, yes…I cried a lot watching that and because it was so beautiful. I hope that guy does another nature documentary he really did a good job. I will be using your newsletter insight from this week about ‘Ordinary is Special’ in an upcoming edition of 10 Things, what an incredible insight. I absolutely love your newsletters, food for the soul!
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