Thanks Lynch

If there's a silver-lining to waking up to a newsfeed talking about the death of a hero it is the opportunity to read more about them

So this morning I'm looking forward to reading about David Lynch for coming weeks!

I was 16 when I read about Wild At Heart and convinced my cousin that we should see it rather than use a fake ID to buy alcohol.

Lynch's use of sound and looping narratives, as well as the deeply romantic ideals espoused by the characters -- so wonderful.

The terrors in Lynchian nights were so dark, yet somehow you get to walk away from those dreamy scenes feeling like everything is going to be okay.

Sacrificing children

Hard to believe that we're in the fifth year of a global pandemic 

(That might be because people seem to be in denial about it!)

One of the things that worries me about becoming a teacher is that Australian children are mostly unvaccinated against Covid-19. 

It seems ridiculous given they're immunised against a range of illnesses that aren't as deadly and, in some cases, parents find they have no choice with all those 'no jab, no play' type rules for services or even to receive financial support.

When you hear people describing this potentially fatal disease as a "spicy cough" it shows we're not taking it seriously. 

As the long-term implications of this Coronavirus are being documented, 'long Covid' is known to have a range of potential impacts and little prospect for remedy.

I feel the Australian government has failed its 'duty of care' by using commissioned reports to drive policy decisions, rather than basing decisions like "living with the virus" on the advice of medical experts.

We might be on the cusp of a generation of young people with higher rates of dementia.

Thanks to Nick for sharing this information.

Kojo yakei

One of the things I like about my suburb is the industrial aesthetics mingling with gum trees

Every now and then I'll go out on my pushbike at night and come home with photographs.

So I'm excited by the Japanese term ‘kojo yakei’ meaning "factory night view" that has become a tourism phenomenon:

"The trend all began in 2007 when a book called Kojo Moe, meaning ‘factory passion’ was published. It featured photos of Japan’s factories, and gave details of the best places to go to see them."

 This could be a project for me in 2026, I think.

Emily Dickinson

They named the Em dash after her!

Each blending is a new beginning

Being a reformed wine wanker has made me a coffee snob

These days I can’t buy a takeaway because it hurts too much to pay for an unsatisfying brew.

The result is that I experiment with blending beans and find that the lesson of complementing hard and soft characteristics holds as true for coffee as it does for wine or microphones.

Tan lines

Each year I embrace the swimming season more

My tan lines are one measure that might be regrettable, but I did two consecutive lengths of butterfly today and feel that satisfying swollen tenderness.

Floral pedals

When I tried to ask Google how did floral pedals become a thing, it led to "petals" and it made me appreciate there's some kinda pun happening here

Anyway, I'm a fan. It's great to see this idea blooming!

For a long time I didn't buy the Melee pedal because it has an angry skull on it, but I've been playing with it again recently and it's fun.

Christopher Haworth Strictly Plein Air

Looking forward to seeing Christopher Haworth's solo exhibition

He's a plein air painter who spends a lot of time in the Riverina landscape, which leads to many observations about regional life.

The video above shares some of his creative practise and was part of the Ngurrambang exhibition that I curated at Griffith Regional Art Gallery, where he's now holding his first solo show.