By popular request (no one actually requested it, as such, but I could sense you all wanted it), the artwork Variation in Apricot by Meg Gibbs, donated to Parliament by the National Caucus Wives in 1981, critiqued by Chris Finlayson in a recent Herald piece.
Cactus Kate is gloating after an endorsement from Shelley, which reminds me that (a) I failed to highlight this opening paragraph from one of her recent columns:
On Thursday last week I was power walking about fifty-metres behind the Hosking-Hawkesby newlyweds, who were taking their grooms-dog for its morning walk, when up ahead I spied an obstacle.
And (b) I should take this opportunity to post my Shelley/Denis Glover inspired poem from the (sadly unjudged) Shelley Writes the Classics competition:
Tom and Elizabeth bought the farm
With their finance company bread
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family
Wikipedia said
Tom got an interest free third party loan
And Elizabeth’s Peugeot was red
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family
Wikipedia said
They didn’t spend much time there
They took fabulous European holidays instead
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family
Wikipedia said
The courts and the serious fraud office tried to take it away
But Tom’s clever lawyer stopped them dead
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family
Wikipedia said
The farms still there
Their kids go quad-biking out there most days
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family
Wikipedia says
I don’t have many deep thoughts on the London riots. The political situation is that the wealthiest sector of society wrecked their economy and the burden of paying for it is falling on the poorest, and there’s an obvious injustice there. But I don’t think the gangs of teenagers looting Footlocker stores are really motivated by issues of equity.
Also, I like this AP photo of a burning bus. If Turner painted pictures of 21st century looting epidemics I think they’d look like this:
Alan Moore, by Frank Quitely.
Yes, I planted tomatoes. An heirloom tomato and a cherry tomato, surrounded by basil, marigolds and mustard. We shall see.
I went into town to buy a book and passed by the Rally of Hope. Weird to see young children waving ‘We Love Warners’ signs. I picked up a copy of Franzen’s new book Freedom. Verdict after the first hundred pages: it’s a little like a modern version of Answered Prayers; not as well written but, you know, finished.
Tried to see the World Press Photo exhibit but we asked for directions at one of the waterfront sheds and a kindly gentleman told us the exhibit was on at Te Papa at the other end of the waterfront, which was not actually true: but they did have the Brian Brake exhibit, which I recommend highly – and if you like the pictures you can buy reproductions from Te Papa for as little as $1700 dollars. Really.
Thinking about Labour Day I thought of a cunning plan for the National Party: they could have an MP put up a private members bill revoking Labour Day – arguing that it no longer has relevance for the majority of New Zealanders – and replace it with Matariki in the mid-winter, asking the Maori Party to endorse the bill. Wedge issue, baby!
An internet found object: Tau Henare’s twitter feed approx 2:28 PM, Wednesday 13 October 2010.
Francisco Goya; Witches' Sabbat
I’ve never been to Madrid so I’ve never seen the original canvas but it popped into my mind reading Andrew’s critique of my Clayton Cosgrove post. Goya painted a series of Witchcraft pictures as a satirical attack on the Spanish Inquisition.
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