Latin v. delinquere: "to lack, to fail In 1836, Francis Baily travelled to the Scottish Borders to see a solar eclipse. He witnessed a macabre and beautiful phenomenon. A row of lucid points, like a string of bright beads of irregular distance and size from each other. These suddenly appeared around the circumference of the…
Two great appetites of the soul – the urge to independence and self-determination and the urge to self-transcendence – were fused with, and interpreted in the light of, a third – the urge to worship.~ Aldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception and Heaven & Hell Entrance to the Night by Michiel Schrijver We live together,…
Continue reading ➞ Comforting Thought: The appetites of the soul by Aldous Huxley
Self Portrait by Sylvia Ritter German Artist Sylvia Ritter has made a name for herself and gathered a dedicated following in the open-source IT community with her funky and psychedelic animal art. Ritter is best known for her astonishing digital paintings that coincide with all of the releases of the Ubuntu Linux operating system so…
Continue reading ➞ Artists and Writers in their own Words: Sylvia Ritter
This week it's going to take some intense eye-bleaching and palate cleansing to get the gross taste out of your mouth. So here are some things to hopefully brighten up the rooms and windows of your mind. Future Imperfect by River Crow The future may be hopeful. The future may be fearful. The future will…
Continue reading ➞ 10 Cool Things I Found on the Internet #24
Uisgebeatha: n Irish Gaelic uisce "water", and bethu "life" or Water of Life. Another variation is the Scots Gaelic Uisge beatha. Pronounced Ish-ka ba-ha. This was a Gaelic name given by Irish and Scottish monks in the early Middle Ages to describe distilled alcohol. It's a translation of the Latin aqua vitae 'water of life'.…
Kenyan conservationist and activist Cheche Winnie believes that humans are the custodians of nature. Hence it is our duty to protect nature not destroy it. Her work in conservation, education and awareness is essential to conserving the native animals and the landscape in Kenya. She is one of many brave and bold Kenyans who are…
Continue reading ➞ Change-Makers in Their Own Words: Cheche Winnie
Does your brain need to be plunged into icy-cold water? Consider this weeks picks to be a refreshing and brief dunk into a frozen arctic pool...when you know that a sauna will be waiting for you afterwards. Where the river begins A look at how linguistics, word origins and paleo-climatology are linked. "If you pause…
Continue reading ➞ 10 Cool Things I found on the Internet #23
Infused with the vast and never-ending love of a mum for her unborn daughter, The Pregnancy Diaries Volume 1 is an absolutely hilarious, witty and enjoyable romp through pregnancy from conception to birth. Any woman who has given birth (or any supportive man who has gone along for the journey) will be able to relate…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Pregnancy Diaries Vol. 1 by Googie McCabe
Greig Johnson creates epic, surreal and downright bizarre musical comedy on YouTube. He is a one-man meme generating machine who writes, films and designs all of his sets, costumes, VFX and songs to satisfy nobody else except for himself. His pitch black memes are dredged up from the depths of the internet and underneath of…
Continue reading ➞ Artists and Writers In Their Own Words: Greig Johnson
I hope these things cheer you up or make you smile. They certainly made my day better when I found them. Bulgaria's Kooky Kukeri Festival Each year, people across Bulgaria gather in Blagoevgrad to partake in the annual Kukeri Festival. Draped in elaborate costumes made from long goat hair, participants dance away the evil through…
Continue reading ➞ 10 Cool Things I Found on the Internet This Week #22
A compelling, rich and lush blend of essay, poetry, reflections and personal stories by one of New Zealand's most preeminent Māori writers. I have to admit that I didn't know much about Haare Williams before picking up this book in Te Papa Museum in Wellington. This is a definitive collection of Māori wisdom that is…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Words of a Kaumātua by Haare Williams
Although the wind Blows terribly herethe moonlight also leaks between the roof planksof this ruined house ~ Izumi Shikibu, 10th Century Japanese poet Izumi Shikibu More inspiration Remember that if you wall up your house too well you will stay dry, but you will stay moonless. We should strive to let the world into our…
Continue reading ➞ Comforting thought: A 10th century Japanese poem about courage
This post was inspired by a music producer whom I greatly admire. On Twitter he was asking how to get more engagement with people. I thought it a good moment to give out my tips and ideas, based on my own experience in what works. 1. Find your audience across multiple disciplines Your audience is…
Continue reading ➞ 16 Self-Promotion Tips for Artists and Musicians on Twitter
Samhain is a pagan religious festival that originates from the archaic Celtic spiritual tradition. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the time to usher in the dark half of the year. For us antipodeans, it's the other way around and we welcome the light with open arms. Here in the unterland, we welcome flowers, frolicking…
Continue reading ➞ 10 Creepy Things I Found for Spooky Samhain
Hell Kettle: n. A deep abyss or bottomless pool The deep pools in Darlington, Co. Durham in England are a part of fearsome local legend. These mysterious pools are said to have inspired Lewis Carroll's endless rabbithole, where Alice tumbles into another world - in his classic book Alice in Wonderland. They are known as…
*Contains no spoilers Right from the start I was hooked on this novel by the celebrated author Michael Ondaatje who wrote the classic The English Patient which won the Booker Prize in 1992 and was turned into an equally successful film. His follow up, Anil's Ghost failed to hit the mark, at least for me.…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
Cuneiform: n. The oldest known writing system that originated in Mesopotamia circa 3400BC. It was etched onto wet clay tablets using a wedge-shaped stylus. Cuneiform is the original ancient written language that underpins all modern forms of written communication. Many languages throughout a vast geographical span over thousands of years were written in cuneiform, including…
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. Summer's Last Dusk by Wayne HW WolfsonA Million Ways…
Continue reading ➞ Artists and Writers In Their Own Words: Wayne Wolfson
As though she was speaking about the boogeyman, Easter Bunny or Santa. I am baffled as this is a normally intelligent, coherent and sane person who gives sound advice to me. She (along with everyone else) has been living in a place (Melbourne, Australia) which has been under one of the world's most harsh lock-downs…
Continue reading ➞ A friend of mine told me that she doesn’t believe in COVID yesterday….
If the internet is making funny sounds and has crapped itself a few times in your house, well then perhaps it's time for a reboot.... Mountains, Cass, 1936 by New Zealand painter Rita Angus Mountains, Cass, 1936 by New Zealand painter Rita Angus Dead Can Dance- ACT II The Invocation video filmed in Bulgaria Dead…
Continue reading ➞ 10 Interesting Things I found on the Internet #21
I remained where I was, standing with one hand in my pocket and the other around the handle of the pram. The triviality of the ketchup and mustard bottles, the blackened hotdogs. The camping table where the soft drinks were lined up, was almost inconceivable there beneath the stars, the dancing light of the bonfire.…
Continue reading ➞ Comforting thought: The World of Terrifying Beauty By Karl Ove Knausgård
Talented Polish/British artist Googie McCabe creates lush vintage inspired illustrations steeped in Polish folklore. Her art is brimming with timeless wisdom and she harnesses the pleasures and pains of being a mum to create beautiful and often hilarious paintings, illustrations and books. I have always drawn, painted and doodled. My first pregnancy somehow unlocked it...…
Continue reading ➞ Artists and Writers in Their Own Words: Googie McCabe
*contains a few spoilers (sorry I couldn't resist) Iceland has always held a unique fascination for me. Driven by a love for Sigur Rós and Björk, along with the vague romance of going to a remote and icy place. In Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss, you get to actually explore the nuts and…
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss
Hooly or Huly: Adv. 'To proceed gently or softly, with steadiness or caution.' Scottish/Irish The word Hooly first appeared in English in the 14th Century. It was found in the Scottish expression Hooly and Fairly, meaning 'to proceed slowly, carefully and cautiously.' Over time, the word came to have negative connotations and hooliness or hulinesss…
If the internet is leaving you with a funny taste in your mouth, prepare for a little palate cleaner... Freddy Mercury really loved his cats He worshipped them, which goes some way to explaining his feline prowling presence on stage. He wrote the song Delilah for his cat 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEYRoXWmWYU Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday…
Continue reading ➞ 10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #20
You shouldn't want it all by Piet Hein You shouldn't want it all You are only one part You own a world in the world You need to make it whole Choose just one path, and be as one with it. Other paths must wait. We always come back. Don't hide from troubles. Confront them…
Continue reading ➞ Comforting thought: You shouldn’t want it all
Immensely talented Irish composer and musician Gareth Quinn Redmond reinterprets and pays homage to Japanese Environmental Music or Kankyō Ongaku in his music. A genre inspired by the conceptual genius of Erik Satie's Furniture music, which then found fertile growth in Japan in the 1970s and 80's. [Kankyō Ongaku] leads the listener into another world,…
Continue reading ➞ Artists and Writers In Their Own Words: Gareth Quinn Redmond
These amazing diagrams showing a medical cross–section of Godzilla along with other Japanese monsters such as Mothra, Gamera and Agurius. These illustrations were created in 1967 by Shogo Endo for a book called 'An Anatomical Guide to Monsters'. This cult book was crafted by Shoji Otomo (writer) along with Shogo Endo (illustrator) (1967). An Anatomical…
Continue reading ➞ An Anatomical Guide to Godzilla and other Gigantic Japanese Monsters
If you have been living on a diet of fast food for your five senses, then here is a little palate cleanser for you... Snuggly, cosy Peregrine falcon parents look after fastly growing chicklets on a Melbourne CBD live stream Expect sleepy eyed roosting for many hours, pierced by sudden absences for dive-bombing murders. Later…
Continue reading ➞ 10 Cool Things I Found on the Internet This Week #19
Lacuna \ lə-ˈkü-nər a little lake. Or a pause, gap or break in a text, painting or musical work. Latin lacūna: “little lake”. Word of the day: “lacuna”- in a manuscript, an inscription, or the text of an author: a hiatus, blank, missing portion (OED n.1) A word borrowed from Latin in the 17th Century…
