Long ago and far away - back - WNP, Best Man Clay, Margo, Chris. Front - LOML. New Plymouth, April 21st 1984
Apologies, this week contained the sudden death of a close friend and doing this weekly summary of stuff I looked at or read on the interweb paled into insignificance. Instead I offer something else, dedicated to Margo Buchanan-Oliver's memory, and designed to lift my spirits. 2 Auckland University, 1981, English Department
The Masters students perform a play - Wozza left, Margo second right
The Light Of My Life and I got ourselves hitched at 4pm 21st April 1984. You can join us in the celebrations by enjoying this snap from 34 years ago (with my dad - Graham Purdy). 2 The Rock
He's a great guy is Dwayne Johnson. Hey, he's the rock! He's now saving the day in a new flick - Rampage. It could be terrible (San Andreas anyone?) or it could be great. Actually LOML and I saw it last weekend and it's great dumb fun! 3 How to find new music you'll actually like
Lifehacker published this article and it's very comprehensive - exactly the guide you need to find new music of quality and distinction that you didn't know existed. 4 Poetry corner Afterlife
There is no life after death. Why
should there be. What on
earth would have us believe this.
Heaven is not the American
highway, blackened chicken alfredo
from Applebee’s nor the
clown sundae from Friendly’s. Our
life, this is the afterdeath,
when we blink open, peeled and
ready to ache. Years ago
my aunt banged on the steering, she
insisted there had to be a
God, a heaven. We were on our
way to a wedding. I would
have to sit at the same table as the
man who saw no heaven
in me. Today I am thinking about
Mozart, of all people, who
died at 35 mysteriously, perhaps of
strep. What a strange cloth
it is to live. But that we came from
death and return to it, made
different by form, shaped again back
into anti–, anti–. On my run,
I think of Jack Gilbert, who said we
must insist while there is still
time, but insist toward what. Why we
must fill the void with light—
isn’t that our human insistence? But
we drift into a distance of
distance until proximity fails, our
name lifts away with any
future concerns, the past a flattened
coin that cannot spin. I am
matter spun from death’s wool—and
I bewilder the itch, I who am
I am just so happy to go.
Natalie Eilbert (2017)
5 Forests and books
Continuing the literary connection - Austin Kleon's newsletter alerted me to this excellent essay by Rebecca Solnit considering a childhood of reading and wandering. Overtime: Disneyflix
Like almost everyone on the planet where Disney had a presence, I grew up with the movies and TV show (Uncle Walt). Excellent overview of the media giant's current standing.
Here's to you kid - it's my best girl's birthday today!
2 Yosemite Sam
Reading this makes me want to visit Yosemite National Park and follow Ranger John's advice and travel tips. Great images here too. 3 Hurrah for Warren Ellis
This guy is the full whack. His omelette bit on his newsletter was killer, and then he ended with this: Still weird out there, isn't it? And getting weirder. 2018 is a dark ride, and, yes, it's going to get darker. But you're still here. Even if you're hanging on by your fingernails -- you're still hanging on. It still counts. Quit judging yourself. It might not feel like you're on top, but you are. Hold on tight. Believe me, we're all right here holding on next to you. 4 Poetry corner This recurring item seems to have slotted nicely into the number 4 slot of the last few JFTTs. The poems arrive into my inbox daily from Matthew Ogle's Pome newsletter. They make for a great about shift to my day. Here's another I liked: from Seven Poems
Poets of Facebook they follow you. You don’t know them they don’t know you. It would be a mistake to publish this. You love mis- takes.
Anaïs Duplan (2017) 5 Email advice from Steve Jobs Hopefully this link takes you to Thrive Global's newsletter and a great article about an email from Steve Jobs. Well worth your time if you want to improve yourself. Overtime Views from above. Way above! Some stunners in this collection. More here if these two strike you as amazing.
My wife loves taking photos as I drive. She's good at it too. This was her view riding the north Wales to south west England A roads on a holiday visit to blighty. 2 Rubik's Record Pretty cool - world record Rubik's Cube solve is 5.25 seconds. Check out the world record holder!
3 Best retreaded education news story of the week Finland, oh Finland! You lead the way and the rest of us eventually get there. I love this concept of no subjects and I may just go to Finland to join in the fun! I may have missed this when it was originally published a year ago but this 'news' is still encouraging. 4 Poetry corner P.S.
I close my eyes and see a seagull in the desert, high, against unbearably blue sky.
There is hope in the past.
I am writing to you all the time, I am writing
with both hands, day and night.
Franz Wright (2001) 5 Blogging is hard man! Enjoyed this piece from fellow blogger - Victoria Corriere
An excerpt:
[Blogging]’s not one job, it’s many jobs all masquerading as one.
I’m the idea person, the researcher, and the interviewer. I’m the writer and the editor.
I’m the art director, the designer, the web developer, the SEO person, and the social media manager.
I’m the analytics manager and the affiliate manager and the marketing manager.
