Everybody's doing the Woodland Bop (T Rex)

Whanau members Margo and Clay sent us a great card (below the San Francisco magnet) from Ontario where they are visiting. The card reports on a visit to a show at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) with fellow whanau members Chris and Lil.

They went to see a David Bowie retrospective (not sure of what at this stage but keep reading) and an exhibition by Ai Weiwei. The card reads Respect Life. Never Forget. Ai Weiwei.





Eh, what? Who?

And, okay - I was captured!

Ai Weiwei, it turns out, is a Chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. He's run himself foul of the Chinese government officials over the years as well it seems.

The crew have been to his According to What? exhibition running from August 17 to October 27 at AGO.

A quick google reveals a variety of formats that Weiwei has been involved in.

I love this, labelled Aiflowers:

 

Youtube is home to Weiwei creations as well:

He goes for a relatively subtle approach in this one - his new single/video. The scene reminded me of the gardens we used to visit in Wuxi!

And so to David Bowie.

The AGO site has this to say about the David Bowie is... exhibition: Spanning five decades and featuring more than 300 objects from Bowie’s personal archive, this totally immersive multimedia show celebrates the groundbreaking artist’s collaborations in the fields of fashion, sound, theatre, art and film.

Apparently it's visiting Toronto first on a world tour. Cool!

Thanks for the card Margo/Clayto. Much appreciated.

Love and peace - the Woodland Bopper

Everyday seems a little closer, going faster than a roller coaster (James Taylor)

Because my birthday is always really your day DMP.

...he allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez (love in the Time of Cholera)

Love always and forever - WNP

Oh, my special little guy has a sweetheart (Marge Simpson)

Big special congratulations to Adam and Ashleigh who have just announced their intention to ratify their nuptials. Yes they are engaged.

Being 2013 they announced via Facebook rather than the old school notice in the paper. I sent them a message back and used the word fiancé and my brain immediately went into Seinfeld mode.



I've discussed this with Jade before - Seinfeld has relevancy for EVERY situation and I'm not even kidding.

Any relationship, any shopping expedition, any human endeavour - there is a phrase or a line, a joke or a situation from the show that will fit.

Like The Beatles. You'll have long noticed that I use lines from songs (or pop culture in general, like the Simpsons) to title my posts. I could easily just use Beatle lyrics every time. they are often the first things that come to mind.

But anyway...I digress.

Seinfeld.

I was having a discussion with some students this morning about how randomness may have gathered negative connotations.

What pops into my mind?

This.



Love and peace and hurrah to A/ A - Wozza

You are someone else, I am still right here (Nine Inch Nails)

Another first of Roctober has rolled over and laid down. I had another great birthday thanks to all the social media messages, and thoughts from the family. Bosker!

I have spent my holidays profitably. I have marked and I have prepared. I have mowed and I have chopped. I have read (new Jack Reacher was great - birthday gift from DLG and SWMBO) and I have danced (down tiger - twas in the privacy of ART).

But most of all I've been mildly frustrated by mechanical breakdowns. Yes I know that this is a curse of modern life but why do they all have to go belly up at the same time?

1 The mower - the starter cord thing pulled out of its housing thing. Off to the mower repair shop it went.

2 Car failed its warrant - two new front tyres required thank you.

3 Chainsaw stopped half way through putting down a branch. Wouldn't start. The grinding noise as I tried to restart it was not good.

4 Tractor overheated after half an hour - water coming out of the hose from the radiator seemed like the likely culprit.

Stands to reason I guess - these days we have more and more devices and gadgets and things to help us so the odds are much greater that minor gumption traps will come along to unsettle us. Yes gumption traps - google it and you should be taken to Robert Pirsig's wonderful book.

On the bright side of things -  the fridge is fine (cold beer and coca-ramas - YES), the stereo blasted out for two weeks solid (I'm up to Status Quo on my personal run through all my Greatest Hits sets), the car got us to Tauranga to get Jade to her nursing interview and mysky didn't fail to record all the NFL games, Arsenal TV (bless you Arsenal TV), Cheers reruns on Jones and Wipe Outs (why oh why I love this? Something deeply primordial in that).

My holiday is rapidly coming to its end - back to school on Rocktober 14. Been gear fab gnarly rad bad phat sick groovylicious to the max.

Love and peace - Wozza