Welcome to my creative outlet. A place to share ephemera I’ve collected online and offline,
along with some writing.
I’m currently reading through a collection of poems from Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk who was a prolific writer and social activist.
This excerpt from Figures for an apocalypse (Part V) really resonated, contrasting the promised future of unbridled capitalism with the stark reality of it’s environmental cost and human toll.
I stumbled upon this photo of me from years ago and it made me laugh.
I miss that amazing vintage Raleigh, however the wine box wasn’t the best way to transport fragile items!
Funny story about that wine box though … I was biking to work one morning and a guy in a Bentley (I believe) pulls up, opens his window – cigar smoke pours out, and asks if I have any Sassicaia left.
Given that the price of a bottle was much more than my bike, it clearly was in his league. I’ve never tried anything nearly that expensive, but if you want to share a bottle, I’d be happy to try 🙂
One of my pet peeves is when a designer has clearly not thought through how the product will actually be used.
This lotion bottle has a two (almost) identical sides, but the lotion only comes out one of them. In low light or without your glasses on, it’s always a gamble!
This also brings to mind the (in)famous Walkie-Talkie tower in London that concentrates the energy of the sun so much you can cook an egg in the heat
I spotted this Quidditch broomstick on Halloween in Vancouver years ago and appreciate how someone actually locked it up 🤣
Thanksgiving is such a good reminder to stop and reflect on the many blessings in our lives. In difficult seasons (and sadly in good ones too) I can so easily focus on what I don’t have, or what I’d like, rather than seeing the display of God’s abundance all around me.
So today, I’ve been trying to see everything that I can be thankful for; while making breakfast it looked something like this:
Gathering ingredients from the fridge...
Lord thank you for refrigeration!Picking a pear from the fruit bowl...
Lord thank you for fresh fruit!Washing the pear...
Lord thank you for indoor plumbing & clean water!Eating breakfast...
Lord thank you for the ability to taste and enjoy food!Child persistently requesting more cheerios...
Lord thank you for the blessing of children!
I will admit that this didn’t continue for too long, but it was amazing how many things I found to be thankful for, and the number of sub-blessings within each. May your thanksgiving remind you of the good giver of every gift.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
Psalm 136:1
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Flâneur
- One who strolls aimlessly
- An idle, gossiping saunterer
- An affluent urban male walking the city without agenda
- Connoisseur of the street
I was introduced to the idea of a flâneur by Nassim Taleb in his book Anti-fragile (and his subsequent tweets about flaneuring around New York).
Although I am by no means a flâneur, I am trying to do this more, walking without an agenda or destination; it is quite a challenge for my type A personality.
I’m practicing this dance, it’s almost as good Napoleon Dynamite
Since I can remember I’ve always enjoyed music videos. Not all of course, but those that take the power of the song and add an extra dimension to it; where you just have to watch, and where you are left with a certain feeling and maybe more questions than answers.
I discovered Nation of Language recently, and this video nailed it. Lo-fi shots of a deserted New York City in the summer, odd dancing robot, sad love story with friends – what more can you ask for?
I was browsing through my notes recently and found this satirical version of Hush Little Baby that I drafted early last year, but never finished or published.
My thought process was, what would this poem sound like if papa was a ruthless capitalist?
Hush little baby don’t say a word,
papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird don’t sing,
papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring don’t shine,
papa’s gonna buy you a diamond mine
And if that diamond mine don’t produce,
papa’s gonna cut every employee loose
And if those employees try to unionize,
papa’s gonna hire scabs that don’t sympathize
And if those scabs ask for a raise,
papa will acquiesce if they sing his praiseAnd if profits decrease and he’s in a rage,
papa’s gonna lobby for lower minimum wage
And if papa gets away with this fraud,
he’ll still have to answer directly to God
I’ve been slowly working my way through Wendell Berry’s collection of Sabbath Poems called Another Day.
As a nonagenarian with deep connections to farming and care for the land, he has witnessed significant changes in how we extract from the earth for profit at unprecedented scale.
Berry advocates for connection to the place we live, both the people and the natural world, and pushes back against the dehumanizing effect of technology and the raw exploitation of capitalism – arguing that the benefits don’t outweigh the costs.
It is well worth a read. The poem below, from 2014, captured me with its prescient view that technology will both replace our work (AI) and bring division rather than peace (social media etc).
The expert on resistance to torture
Wendell Berry, Another Day, IX (2014)
becomes an expert torturer.
The machine that helped a woman
to do her work replaces her at work.
The machine that helped a man to think
ticks on in absence of the man.
The communications technology that was
to become the concourse and meeting
of all the world, bringing the longed-for
peace to all the world, becomes
a weapon to break the world in pieces.
We have a few grape vines in our front yard that were planted over 30 years ago, and produce a decent amount of white and red grapes.
Over the past few years I’ve tried my hand at making natural wine. As it is something I enjoy drinking, making it was a logical next step.
I won’t say that it is amazing, but each year I learn more and try to improve the results, though much that happens is beyond my control (mold, low yield etc).
This year I put my boys to work, helping to pick and stomp the grapes. It was a messy (and fun) experience.
Give me a year (or two), and I’ll share the results.
I drank this in 2012. Seems to be working.
Spotted this slightly modified sign on a ferry years ago. I always appreciate a subtle grammar change that gives a new meaning.
Update Oct 2025 … my son was on the ferry and noticed this was still there, almost 20 years later!
One of the core instructions throughout the Bible is to wholly trust in God. This instruction gets to the heart of following him; do we believe that God is good and that he can (and will) do what is best – or can we make a better future for ourselves?
Continue readingTrust in the Lord with all your heart,
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Poor Richard’s Alamanck was an annual publication by Benjamin Franklin from the mid-1700’s. An enduring legacy of the almanac is a large number of sayings and maxims, many still used today.
I was able to borrow a compilation of these sayings from the library and found it quite a fun read. Some sayings have not aged well, but many contain timeless life advice. I’ve included a few of my favourites below.
After crosses and losses, men grow humbler and wiser
How many observe Christ’s birth-day; How few his precepts!
O! ’tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.
The poor have little, beggars none;
the rich too much – enough not one
Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead
He does not possess wealth, it possess him
Good heals and the doctor takes the fee
Words may show a mans wit, but actions his meaning
A wise man will desire no more than what he may get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully and leave contentedly
I love a good sign, especially a handmade one. This was spotted in my neighbourhood the other day. I do hope the owner and chickens were reunited 🍗
My son attacked me with this epic mashup costume. Darth Vader meets ninja warrior (with a wooden shield to top if off)!
I don’t recall where I found this poem, but it resonated with me, as its both funny and true (though I’m not sure if we use rags for paper any longer).
Rags make paper
Anonymous
Paper makes money
Money makes banks
Banks make loans
Loans make beggars
Beggars make rags
I’ve always loved plants, and have been a semi-serious gardener for the past 10-12 years. Though still a beginner in many ways, I am well acquainted with weeds.
I’ve been a Christian for most of my life, but have been serious about my pursuit of Christ-likeness for the past 20 years or so. Though I still have far to go, I’m well acquainted with sin.
These two pursuits have made me realize how similar sin and weeds are, and as I garden, I’m tangibly reminded of the battle against both.
A small section of the garden, before and after weeding
Rat head duck neck*
- When an official group (government, corporation etc.) proclaim that one thing is the truth, despite the fact that everyone knows it not to be true.
I learned about this phrase when reading about Chinese internet slang (sadly I can’t find the article). In 2023 a student at a college in China found a rat head in the cafeteria meal, but officials announced that it was actually a “duck neck”.
This phrase is most relevant when an organization or group tightly controls the dissemination of information – so sadly, we may be using it more.
* Yes, its more than one word, but “Word of the Day” sounds better than “Word or Phrase of the Day”
Over 20 years ago this was the quote I used in my high school yearbook. I’m not sure how serious I was, but it is a good one.
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day.
Unknown
Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
Recently I heard a variant of it, and think it’s better – but I may just have an odd sense of humour.
Give a man a fire and he’s warm for a day,
Terry Pratchett
but set fire to him and he’s warm for the rest of his life.
