wednesday newstrip

T.®ump praises Russia's military record in argument to stop funding Ukraine's fight · Murk Suckerbug says Meta AI has nearly 500 million users · fatal stabbing of Japanese schoolboy in China sparks debate on the country's patriotic education · Israeli politicians across spectrum praise assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah · Just Stop Oil protestors arrested after Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers splashed with soup · Australian Broadcasting Corporation crew becomes subject of Russian criminal investigation for crossing border from Ukraine · thousands attended Auckland's Eden Park in an attempt to reclaim the Guinness World Record for the largest haka. The attempt was successful, decisively beating the previous official record of 4028, inexplicably held by France since 2014.

wednesday newstrip

Tupperware files for bankruptcy as its colorful containers lose relevance · ex-porn star tells cops in 2018 he’s Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ alleged sex slave in resurfaced video · sugar prices surge as Brazil's drought & fires tighten global supply · man arrested in Italy nearly 50 years after two Melbourne women found dead in their home · Israel struck a building in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil & at least 30 other people, & wounding 66 · a US Secret Service probe found communication gaps & complacency before the July assassination attempt on DoNuts T.®ump · can mouth-taping lead to a better night's sleep? · former Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed a 'monster,' victims' lawyers say · US public schools banned 10,000 books in most recent academic year.

wednesday newstrip

Leader of the Australian Federal Opposition, Putrid Dustbin, to take axe to green groups, turbocharge mining, if his coalition wins the next election · thousands of protesters disrupt Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition, an industry-only trade expo for the defense sector, in Melbourne's CBD · the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church changes the political landscape of the Philippines · Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters says he has become father of baby girl born ‘outside my marriage’ · Australian breaker Raygun is currently ranked number one in the world · an estimated 67 million viewers across 17 networks watched the Trump-Harris debate according to Nielsen data · Bungie says Destiny 2's future lies in "unusual formats," like "roguelikes or survival shooters."

wednesday newstrip

During his visit to Indonesia, the Pope may have subtly hinted how sin can enter 'through the pocket' · investor who risked it all on Black Myth: Wukong now minting millions · Putain, with a wry smile, says Russia backs Kamala Harris in US election · Hollywood legend Michael Keaton is going back to using his real name, Michael Keaton Douglas · China to build first-ever thorium molten salt nuclear power station in Gobi Desert · Aotearoa New Zealand's next Māori monarch named as Kiingi Tuheitia is buried, placed beside generations of family · Japan may join US marines in northern Australia, strengthening military ties · thousands of Australians are being asked to pay membership fees to general practitioner (GP) clinics to access bulk-billed medical care.

wednesday newstrip

“The growth of Parkinson’s across the world has been called a pandemic — it’s the world’s fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease,” a visiting neurologist tells a crowd of potato farmers. “Many people are under the misunderstanding that it’s a genetic condition. But for the most part, it appears to be mostly environmental.” · Australia's 3G network is shutting down · Surcharges — which cost Australians about $960 million a year, according to a March analysis of Reserve Bank of Australia data by the ABC — are becoming increasingly common across Australia. Some retailers add them to cover the cost of processing a transaction. Surcharges are banned in the United States, Canada, Europe, & Britain · neighbor of nudist resort couple arrested after duo's disappearance · The Pacific Islands Forum has removed references to Taiwan from a communiqué issued on Friday after the region’s annual leaders meeting, after complaints by China’s envoy · Army confirms T.®ump staff 'pushed' Arlington cemetery worker · New Zealand's Māori King Tuheitia dies at 69 after heart surgery.

An introduction; though when finished will be an afterword.

During my trawling through past posts & pages for 100 Titles From Tom Beckett, I rediscovered a January 2013 entry on Tom’s l’amour fou blog. He posted:

Anyway, in a section of Appearances that I'm working on now I list titles of imaginary songs that appear on an imaginary jukebox in an imaginary bar called the Cave, a very special club house for the legendary performance art group Vaudeville without Organs.

A jukebox is a treasure trove of information about the sort of establishment it exists within. Herewith a list, alphabetically sorted, of a few of the song titles in the Cave’s jukebox,

followed by a list of a list of sixteen titles, & a closing message:

Mark, you're welcome to any of these titles if you're looking for some.

I can’t claim not to have seen this post since, in the comments box, is the following:

(from) mark young January 2, 2013 at 2:52 AM
You been a peepin at my wurlitzer again!

Jukeboxes are a shared pleasure. On my side, I’ve lost track of how many times — posts & poems — I’ve referred to those songs that rise unbidden to the surface of what I call my juxebox of the mind. In what is admittedly a very belated response, I’ve begun pushing the buttons on this refound Wurlitzer to see what wonders we can wring from it.

Starting tomorrow, the first poem in the series. The remainder will follow at irregular intervals.

wednesday newstrip

Dying Light: The Beast has way more guns than we expected · Olympic breakdancing controversy ignores sport's cultural roots · ISIL claims responsibility for stabbing attack in Germany’s Solingen · Transgender woman's exclusion from female-only app was unlawful, Australian Federal judge finds · Lily Allen branded an 'awful person' by fans after returning rescue dog · NASA unveils plan to return stranded Boeing Starliner crew to Earth · almost 70,000 Japanese people will die alone this year & with the populaiton rapidly aging it could become much worse · Jackson Hole gathering reveals fresh concern for central bankers · first prisoner swap since Ukraine incursion into Russia sees 115 prisoners released on each side.

wednesday newstrip

A charity in New Zealand has mistakenly distributed pineapple sweets laced with a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine · Israeli leaders condemn settler attacks in West Bank in rare rebuke of violence · Google just released the newest version of its AI image generator · Tasmanian paramedic sacked after callout to woman with ping pong ball stuck in body · Chinese experts have called on Beijing to begin preparations to take over Taiwan "as soon as possible" in the face of a potential DoNuts T.®ump presidency · first case of polio confirmed in a 10-month-old child in Gaza, Palestinian health officials say · brawl erupts in Turkish parliament during debate — leaves at least two lawmakers injured · woman posed as three different people in brazen plot to extort millions from Elvis Presley's family & auction off Graceland.

geographies : Manangatang

She left the train at a station whose name now escapes her ;

wednesday newstrip

Israel's far-right finance minister suggests that the starvation of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million Palestinians "might be just & moral" · New Zealand unlikely to have megaquake, but dangers exist — seismologist · around 100 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strike on school in Gaza, local authorities say · DoNuts T.®ump's campaign says some of its internal communications were hacked, blaming the Iranian government without providing direct evidence · pro-Israeli lobby group United Democracy Project spent more than $14 million on TV advertising targeting the primary of one Democrat Israel critic in Congress & $8 million on another Congress member's primary & succeeded in having them replaced as candidates in the next election · Winda Woppa locals stunned by 'devastating' coastal erosion at Jimmy's Beach.

The Camembert of Time (an early draft from 20 years ago)

To demonstrate the persistence of memory Dali took an ice cube out of the freezer & closed his fingers over it. When he opened them there was a small pool of water in his palm. He said: you remember the piece of ice. I feel its retained coldness & recall some frames from a movie I made with Buñuel. A man’s hand. A hole in it. Ants.

Time is plastic, just like these watches. Why we remember some things & not others is because they come closer to us. The cliffs of Catalonia are static but the ants will eat away at them & eventually they’ll decay. I lie here, unable to remember what I looked like. The painting is about the impermanence of memory, & yet most people who’ve seen it always seem to remember what it looked like.

wednesday newstrip

Iran vows 'severe' revenge after announcing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed by short-range projectile · Windows 11 24H2 WDDM 3.2 ships with big upgrades for GPU, NPU as Microsoft bets on Copilot · US deploying F-22s to Middle East as Iran seeks revenge on Israel · T.®ump pulls out of debate with K.Harrismatic, wants them to face off on Fox News instead · most chatbots inherently 'left-leaning,' but have capacity to 'learn' bias, study finds · beyond the elation, Putain's prisoner swap has ominous implications · AI is already straining electricity systems – & we’re just at the beginning.

wednesday newstrip

DoNuts T.®ump tells Christians they ‘won’t have to’ vote again after election · French UFC star claims 'Christianity was humiliated' in Olympic opening ceremony · two children killed & nine injured in stabbing attack at Southport, in England's north-west · Intelligence service says Kim Jong Un preparing daughter Kim Ju Ae to lead North Korea · Victorian mother jailed for forcing daughter to marry man who murdered her six weeks later · Apple TV+ reportedly has spent $30 billion on original films & shows, but gets fewer views in one month than Netflix gets in a day · the Australian Olympic Committee has issued a statement in response to frustration & controversy over its "vegan" focus at the athletes' village · can Kamala’s knitting-obsessed, topless-modeling stepdaughter help her to the presidency?

geographies : Garvoc

 

wednesday newstrip

Penis cancer cases are surging around the world · Chinese authorities say they are investigating contaminated cooking oil issues after local media reports found a major state-owned food company used the same trucks to ship fuel, chemical liquids, & food products to cut costs · T.®ump vows to end Ukraine war in call with Zelenskyy · [2.23.22: T.®ump calls Putain 'genius' & 'savvy' for Ukraine invasion] · the United Nations has released its most recent analysis of world population, which now estimates there will be 700 million fewer people in 2100, 6 per cent less than anticipated a decade ago · RNC booth hosts AR-15 giveaway, days after T.®ump assassination attempt · scammers will pounce on global outage caused by CrowdStrike bug, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil warns · International Court of Justice rules Israel's presence in occupied Palestinian territories in Gaza, the West Bank, & East Jerusalem is illegal & should end.

wednesday newstrip

Intense winter storm to bring heavy rain, gales, bitter cold, & snow to eastern Australia · report reveals 100,000 Melbourne homes were vacant in 2023 in the midst of a "housing crisis" · JoeKing BidenMyTime reassures supporters 'I'm OK' as Democrats remain split over US election prospects & JKBMT continues on with gaffe after gaffe · DoNuts T.®ump has brutally mocked JKBMT after the President’s gaffe-ridden day at the NATO Summit in Washington · Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case dismissed in middle of trial & cannot be filed again · T.®ump's critics point out that many psychiatrists believe schadenfreude is a mental illness · Rudely Jeweliani’s bankruptcy case dismissed by NYC judge, clearing way for debt collection & lawsuits · meanwhile, Rudely claims that DoNuts T.®ump owes him about $2 million in unpaid legal fees for helping try to overturn the 2020 election · registered Republican identified as DoNuts T.®ump's potential assassin.

wednesday newstrip

He’s derided as dull but Care (not to) Stammer becomes UK prime minister with a sensational victory · Canberra couple awarded damages after wife awoken by a real estate agent in her bedroom conducting an inspection · 100 feral cats caught in Queenstown Lakes' Rees Valley; group steps up trapping efforts · One Million Checkboxes, a simple online game that invites visitors to click or unclick check boxes, has become an unintentional case study in human behavior · steamy 'Overwatch cabaret club' where you can pay to have women fall asleep on voice chat with you gets obliterated, is immediately replaced by even steamier Apex version · Machete actor Danny Trejo in nasty July 4th brawl after being hit by water balloon.

wednesday newstrip

Israel's bombs flatten parts of South Lebanon village amid fears of wider war · driver hit with $387 fine after mobile camera snaps her holding — a piece of banana bread · US Supreme Court ruling allows cities to ban homeless people from sleeping outdoors · tests show Paris' Seine River still has unsafe E. coli levels with Olympics less than a month away · BidenMyTime crashes, T.®ump lies: a campaign-defining presidential debate · Australia's weather heading off the rails — cold, snowy change followed by possible record 'blocking high' · Internet shocked to hear Paris Hilton’s real voice · & no, (sigh) BidenMy Time didn't fall asleep during debate · was DoNuts T.®ump a king during his presidency? The US Supreme Court thinks so.

wednesday newstrip

MAGA granny admits to grooming teen grandson to believe Democrats worship Satan · nuclear plan put forward by Australian Opposition leader, Putrid Dustbin, could cost as much as $600bn & supply just 3.7% of Australia’s energy by 2050, experts say · Israeli forces tie wounded Palestinian man to a military jeep in an incident a UN expert said amounted to using him as a human shield · a man who terrorised South Australia in a 10-year bank robbing spree has been sentenced to 35 years jail, but will instead take his own life under voluntary assisted dying laws · Philippines says it won't start a war, but won't yield 'to any foreign power' after clash in South China Sea · lost continent 'unlike anything found today' discovered off the coast of Australia · the Museum of Old & New Art (MONA) in Tasmania was found to have discriminated against a man who was refused entry to its women-only ‘Ladies Lounge’ in April 2023, despite paying the museum entry fee · Israel's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the state must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary into the military, a decree with the potential to divide Prime Minister Beenjammin' NotJustAnyYahoo's governing coalition.

wednesday newstrip

China-Australia relations 'back on track', says Chinese Premier Li Qiang · a remarkable group of Aussies stationed in Antarctica will celebrate the Winter Solstice in a very bold way, by swimming in freezing waters between -5 & -25 degrees celsius · Internet could be worsening our fear of small holes, psychologists say · ‘I need your help saving koalas’: Australians band together to build wildlife corridors · new Australian market research suggests the so-called 'bank of mum & dad' could be closing for business … despite its best intentions · old fools caught raiding Groper Creek for mud crabs.

wednesday thursday newstrip

Australian Opposition leader, Putrid Dustbin, is to pull Australia out of the Paris Agreement, & bring in nuclear power if his right-wing coalition wins the next election · Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has suffered a light whiplash injury after she was assaulted by a man in central Copenhagen, her office has said · grim scenes at Aldi as snow gear overflows "Special Buys" shelves bedcause it appears there's little snow this year · security experts have raised alarm over the vulnerability of older iPhone models, warning users with "outdated" tech are now more vulnerable to cyberattacks · survey reveals Australians distrust China & are losing faith in United States · don't know much about the clitoris? The International Cliteratti will help.

Now out from Otoliths

Otoliths has just released 100 Titles From Tom Beckett — Poems by Mark Young, Paintings by Thomas Fink, & with an Afterword by Tom Beckett.

Mark Young & Thomas Fink
100 Titles From Tom Beckett
full color
152 pages
ISBN: 978-0-6455483-3-4
$US37.75
Direct URL: https://www.lulu.com/shop/mark-young-and-thomas-fink/100-titles-from-tom-beckett/paperback/product-nvwzp98.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Tom Beckett's list was challenging. Sure there were some straightforward titles; but when you're confronted by 'Some of America’s Finest Malapropisms Stagger into a Bar' or 'He hadn’t Always Wanted to be Somebody’s Girl' or 'The Nine Stages of the Decomposition of a Corpse.' it's definitely time to kick into overdrive.

Add to that a common comment on my poetry is many of my titles have little relevance to the poems that accompany them. That is something I could not allow to happen here. Instead, the poems had to pay their respect, homage even, to the title that gave them birth.

I think I have done that successfully. &, helped along by the paintings from Thomas Fink, given me a collection of which I am most proud.
— Mark Young


Mark Young’s insightful, laser-sharp new poems in 100 Titles From Tom Beckett invite paradox and chance to dance with the sparks and echoes of Tom Beckett’s hilarious, downtempo titles and Tom Fink’s paintings of spreading fractals and swirling ropes of color. Young’s humor and pathos sprinkled with inkblots of bathos illuminate this book. His magnetic fields tease the push/pull levers of constraint and release. “I seem to be attracted / to things that do not exist, no / beginning, no end. Non-end - // ities, if you like, until negated / which then creates them.” Young’s poems often playfully reflect upon their own development and diversion as they proceed, exposing an openness to process at each turn of phrase. It is a pure delight to see Young, Beckett, and Fink – three master poets in their own right – join hands in the creative adventure of this marvelously generous work.
— Charles Borkhuis, author of *Rearview Mirror*


Reading 100 Titles From Tom Beckett makes me recall something I’ve sometimes thought about Mark Young’s poems: if all words created a block, the poet made poems by chiseling some of them out to fall randomly on the floor; the poet then assembled the words into lines and poems surface through a music created by breath and syllablic rhythm. These poems then are unique in that Mark volunteers that he actually tried to make his poems relate to the titles given by Tom Beckett. And yet the leap between title and text is not (always) linear, might be considered opaque in some cases, so that the reader's freedom of response is not diminished. What’s relevant to me is seeing how Beckett’s titles are such strong muses for Young’s poems. These poems present the play of brotherhood, as affirmed by Thomas Fink’s paintings where colors and shapes effect a harmony that couldn’t have been anticipated by each individual element before the painter joined them. Poems can be created through a multitude of ways and these results indicate the generative effect of affectionate brotherhood, while affirming that poetry succeeds by creating relationships and connections.
— Eileen R. Tabios


[Lulu has a 15% discount — promo code BOOKGOALS15 — running this week until Friday night. Promo codes for future weeks can be found each Monday at the Lulu Press Facebook page.https://www.facebook.com/Luludotcom/]

wedneday newstrip

Speaking outside the court after being convicted on 34 charges of falsifying business records, DoNuts T.®ump said he had been subject to a "rigged trial" by a "corrupt" judge, without providing any evidence to back up those claims · idiotic man fined for trying to 'body slam' orca off New Zealand coast · breast implant removals on the rise in Australia as researchers study health issues · Hellblade II tips for mastering the game’s visceral combat · accusations that DoNuts T.®ump has taken advantage of taxpayers by overcharging for lodging & travel for his Secret Service detail are once again being raised · ABBA receive Swedish knighthood for pop career that started at Eurovision · the ANC party that freed South Africa from apartheid loses its 30-year majority in landmark election.

The Wizard of Idiosyncrasy

 

wednesday newstrip

Kid Rock pulls gun out, praises his "bestie" DoNuts T.®ump, & uses ‘racial slurs’ in trainwreck interview wuth a Rolling Stone journalist · Singapore Airlines flight hits severe turbulence with multiple injuries & a death reported. Turbulence, which has already increased by 55% in the past 40 years because of the impact of climate change, is projected to increase even further in the future · Norway, Ireland, & Spain say they are recognizing Palestine as a state · Google has updated its search engine with an AI tool — but the new feature has reportedly told users to eat rocks, add glue to their pizzas, & clean their washing machines with chlorine gas · a 16-year-old who overdosed after receiving three prescriptions for addictive drugs in the days before his death had received 64 prescriptions from 31 doctors in the preceeding months · an Australian mother of five is facing the death penalty after she was accused of smuggling 7kg of drugs into Taiwan.

wednesday newstrip

Chinese zoo's 'panda' display found to feature dogs dyed black & white · swarms of noisy bugs are now starting to cover parts of the United States · Rudy Julie's Aunty claims he was booted from radio station because of 'trailer trash little creep' Joe BidenMyTime · a softly-spoken former bank clerk has become Putain's new mouthpiece, three years after she was released from a Virginia jail for drug smuggling · conscription is back on the cards for millions of teenagers in Germany · video portal allowing people from New York City & Dublin to interact in real-time goes horribly wrong · 'Hinky septic tank' of 'skeezeballs': devastating NY Times attack skewers T.®ump hangers-on.

65,000 years of history at the Venice Biennale

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-12/archie-moore-venice-biennale-up-close/103789292

recently, at Series Magritte

Les Pierreries

So much alike as 
we peer from the
box we could 
pass as brothers. 

But what’s in a 
box is often more 
than just contain-
ment, what reso-

nates can be more 
than beauty is. Gems 
we might some-
times be referred 

to as; but what 
other facets will
be displayed when  
the lid is lifted?

wednesday newstrip

Hellblade II is very nearly upon us, & the system requirements have just been rereleased. You'll need, as per the table of specs, at least an Intel i5-8400/AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or equivalent CPU coupled with a NVIDIA GTX 1070/AMD RX 5700/Intel Arc A580 with 6GB VRAM to play the game on its “Low” preset at 1080p as a minimum experience, while pushing the game to its limits on “High” settings at a full 4K will require in the ballpark of an Intel i5-12600K/AMD Ryzen 7 5700X & NVIDIA RTX 4080/AMD RX 7900 XTX · new SARS-CoV-2 KP.2 variant defies vaccines with higher spread, study warns · a Queensland mother has shared her shock after finding a note about her newborn baby in her letter box that “left her in tears”.

a couple of recently released free downloadable pdfs,

one old work, one new.

eNumerations

I have just completed the preliminary draft for a forthcoming book, 100 Titles From Tom Beckett, & preparing the introduction led me to 'A List for Tom Beckett,' a poem I had written in 2006, & which had first appeared on this blog.

The surrounding text indicated that I had decided to include this list poem in a then-current project, Enumerations or eNumerations — it seems like I hadn't yet decided on a final title. So I sought out what else I could find from this project, & this pdf is a result of that search.

Only a fraction of it seems to have since seen the light of day. 'A List for Tom Beckett' later appeared in Word For/Word; five of the poems were included as 'New Poems' in my 2008 selected Pelican Dreaming: Poems 1959 – 2008; & I'm fairly certain that something may have appeared in one of Jukka-Pekka Kervinen's zines. Apart from that . . .

It's a bit of a mishmash. Visuals that seemed aligned to what I was trying to do, found spam, straight poems, code, output from the late Leevi Lehto's poem generator. But I find what I was trying to do at the time, & how that has since been refined, informative.

So, with thanks to harry k stammer for hosting it at Sandy Press, I present what I hope will be an interesting piece of past.

https://www.sandy-press.com/blog/enumerations-mark-young/


to your scattered bodies go

A collection of 50 poems from the past 12 or so months.

Because I've got two "big" books coming out later this year — the aforementioned 100 Titles From Tom Beckett, & the 600+ page The Magritte Poems — I decided to do a free downloadable pdf instead of my usual annual collection of recent poems. It's published by Scud Editions, who are also home to the companion Scud, one of my favorite journals to publish in, but not as well-known as it should be.

https://scudlit.blogspot.com/p/editions.html

wednesday newstrip

Sumatran orangutan becomes first wild animal seen using medicinal plant to treat wound · a neighborhood fish’n’chip shop in a small Manawatū town in New Zealand, trading as Popeye’s for at least 20 years, has bowed to the legal threats of US fried chicken giant Popeye’s, forsaking its name · Mexican authorities say three bodies have been found in an area where two Australian brothers & their American travel companion are missing · ex-DoNuts T.®ump aide Hope Hicks tells court the former US prissygent asked her to deny affair with Stormy Daniels · undercover police lured businessman to New Zealand before $1.5b cocaine bust · Bruce Willis 'is doing OK' amid dementia battle.

Today the post-
woman brought
me a serious
dose of para-
noia. I thought
long & hard 
about leaving it
at room temper-

ature, but finally
decided to keep 
it chilled until I
could celebrate
people stopping
talking about me.

wednesday newstrip

Plastic surgeons warn 'Ozempic face' has taken over Hollywood · scientists have finally discovered whether the chicken or the egg came first · Sky News host Liz Storer has praised DoNuts T.®ump for being a "jolly good" president & a "walking, talking comic" · Nancy Pelosi calls for NotJustAnyahoo to resign as she slams his "terrible" actions in Gaza · more than 150 pilot whales have been saved from stranding on a beach in Western Australia's southwest, but 31 have died · Putain ditches victory parades over fears soldiers will be hit by kamikaze drone · Monicker Lewinsky trolls Bill Clintoris with a Taylor Swift reference · Karen the adored ostrich dies after swallowing zoo staff member’s keys.

wednesday false news trip

BidenMyTime said he would leave office if he can't pass cognitive test · a deadly contagion known as Disease X is emerging · the number of voters registering without a photo ID is skyrocketing in 3 key swing states: Arizona, Texas, & Pennsylvania, evidence that migrants who entered the country illegally are registering to vote · Israel said that the deaths of seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen in the Gaza Strip were caused by a roadside bomb planted by Hamas · Washington state passed a bill that will incentivize people to report hate speech & bias on a 24/7 hotline with a cash reward · a Fargo, North Dakota, man was arrested for clearing snow with a flamethrower · former US president DoNuts T.®ump faces criminal charges for taking out a loan & paying it back.

wednesday newstrip

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims New York City's recent earthquake was God telling America to 'repent' · Fox host vexed by BidenMyTime’s good job numbers finds a solution – give the credit to T.®ump · McDonald's to buy back 225 franchised outlets in Israel after it was criticized for giving away thousands of free meals to Israeli soldiers · Robert F. Kennedy Jr. retracts false statement that no J6 rioters carried weapons · Italian island giving away its goats after numbers overwhelm human population · army of ladybugs deployed in Darwin to combat exotic papaya mealybug infestation · former president DoNuts T.®ump has privately said he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine by pressuring Ukraine to give up some territory.

wednesday newstrip

DoNuts T.®ump believed Nepal was part of India — & he thought it was pronounced 'nipple' · US firm AT&T says data of 73 million customers leaked on ‘dark web’ · India bans Australian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts on Sikh separatist killing · ex-T.®ump adviser says former president 'hasn’t got the brains' for dictatorship · 2022 video shows California police fatally shooting teenager who was reported kidnapped · Truth Social shares go into freefall after investors learn how much money it really makes · Botswana offers to send 20,000 elephants to Germany · Helldivers 2 players finally liberate Malevelon Creek, aka 'Robot Vietnam'.

wednesday newstrip

At least 12 Palestinians drown trying to retrieve 'useless' aid parcels dropped into sea · family group charged with stealing $16,000 worth of groceries from an Auckland supermarket, walking out with six trolleys full of goods · a viral video is claiming to show the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse from a large explosion; the video actually shows an explosion on Kerch bridge between Crimea & Russia in 2022 · also in New Zealand, Gisborne's rainbow crossing has been restored after a protest group linked with Destiny Church covered it over in white paint in protest of a drag event · Moscow has vowed to build two entire new armies before the end of the year amid fears President Putain is planning an eventual strike against Europe · Prince Harry named in $30m sex abuse lawsuit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

Today the post-
woman brought
me the macaw
I'd ordered

off the internet.
Caveat emptor —
I got sent a
Scottish crow.

geographies: Longerenong

 

wednesday newstrip

Man dies after falling from hot-air balloon in Melbourne’s north · Putain has no successor, no living rivals & no retirement plan – his eventual death will set off a vicious power struggle · Uber to pay Australian taxi operators $272 million in class action settlement · Sharon Stone names co-star she was told she had to sleep with to ‘save’ a movie · billion-dollar deal to supply Australian-made Boxer military vehicles to Germany signed · first patient of Elongated Muskrat's Neuralink brain chip implant demonstrates playing online chess with his mind · DoNuts T.®ump has promised to "root out" what he called "radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie & steal & cheat on elections".

headline & response

Whatever, Thor.

wednesday newstrip

Swept away: $500,000 sand dune built to protect US homes in Massachusetts disappears in days · McDonald’s restaurants hit by technology outage at outlets across Australia · vote against T.®ump, former supporters urge in $50m video campaign · Pandemic PPE: how Australia entrusted a small-time retailer with $100m & got 46m unusable masks · Covid-19: U.K. Government writes off £10bn on unusable, overpriced, or undelivered PPE · fury as waste disposal firms are given £35million of taxpayers' money to burn unused PPE · the Australian Tax Office is reviving old tax debts totalling billions, threatening some taxpayers with bankruptcy · Love Lies Bleeding stars Kristen Stewart in a blood-splattering revenge tale that is already queer heart-throb canon.

wednesday newstrip

South-east Australia to bake in near-record heat while cyclone threat returns to north · as Gaza teeters on the brink of famine, Israeli girls drink water & try to block aid trucks at the border · Tasmanian dumpster divers tell supermarket prices inquiry about 'massive' food waste · Irish referendums: voters reject changes to family & care definition in the constitution · ‘Not good enough’: Australian Federal Minister lashes Meta as losses rise from scams on Facebook · a video of three children with their wrists cabled-tied together was taken in Broome, Western Australia, earlier this week, & sparked national outrage.

rare bits

wednesday newstrip

Out-of-control wildfires scorch Texas Panhandle, prompt shutdown of nuclear weapons facility · T.®ump's claim of being a 'prophet' appears to be a sign of his 'mental disorder' · University of Florida terminating all diversity, equity & inclusion positions · changes around Māori language come into focus as New Zealand government approaches 100-day milestone · thousands defy Kremlin to attend Navalny’s funeral · Haiti violence: gangs free 4,000 inmates in mass jailbreak · new RMIT, CDU study finds cannabis has 'deadly' effect on melanomas in laboratory · proposed class action lawsuit accuses Apple of monopolizing cloud storage for its devices · controversial pro-life society at University of Manchester founded by a male president who 'opposes abortion' shares photo of its first official meeting after the event was met by thousands of protesters · DoNuts T.®ump suffered his first loss in a GOP 2024 primary on Sunday, & he didn't take it very well.

Ruby Tuesday

A couple of notices.

Have a chapbook, Melancholy, out from SurVision Books.

(Cover image by Victoria Chernyakhivska)
Available at http://www.survisionmagazine.com/jamestateprizewinners.htm.
Price €7.50 plus postage.

*
At Dichtung Yammer, Thomas Fink has an exchange with me about "A line from Mick Jagger," a poem included in my recent Ley Lines II, out from Sandy Press & available through Amazon.

Mick Jagger seems quite excited about it.

Don't ask why

because I have no idea, but Ogden Nash is running around in my head this morning.

I think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree.
Indeed, unless the billboards fall
I'll never see a tree at all.

(&, in passing, I never knew, or perhaps had forgotten, that Joyce Kilmer was a guy.)

wednesday newstrip

Kilt-wearing pervert is arrested after going into antique stores & shoving items up his rectum before placing them 'back on the shelf for display' · Victorian man vanishes after receiving about $500,000 in cryptocurrency account error · DoNuts T.®ump wins South Carolina Republican presidential primary beating out the state's former governor Nikki HailMary · Australia is condemned as a 'police state' after Americans notice unusual detail at Taylor Swift's sold-out concert in Sydney · China's new patriotic education law targets its people living overseas, but is law possible to be enforced in Australia? · Ukraine war: Zelensky says 31,000 troops killed since Russia's full-scale invasion · NotJustanyahoo: Cease-fire would only delay Rafah invasion 'somewhat.'

Now out from Otoliths

Otoliths has just released my un saut de chat.

Mark Young
un saut de chat
b&w
118 pages
ISBN: 978-0-6455483-2-7
$US17.45
Direct URL: https://www.lulu.com/shop/mark-young/un-saut-de-chat/paperback/product-v8k9n2k.html?page=1&pageSize=4

“I’m a couple of years into my ninth decade, & have decided it’s time to tidy a few things up, specifically creating some trope-based collections, rather than collections of recent work.

“Retrospectively, my Ley Lines II that came out in November 2023 from Sandy Press should probably be considered the first collation: a single trope (‘A line from . . .’), a significant number of poems (just under 100), & written over a number of years (2014-2021).

“un saut de chat is composed primarily of prose poems, with some found poems & a few ficciones included. There are around 140 pieces in the book, from the past twenty years. I feel, displayed this way, that it gives greater insight into thematic aspects of my work that are not so easy to discern otherwise.

“The next book in this loose grouping will be my entire Magritte poems, all twenty years of them. It will probably come in at around 600 pages, & be ready for printing around the end of the year.”


[Lulu have discounts running during the week. Promo codes for the current week can be found each Monday at the Lulu Press Facebook page.]

wednesday newstrip

DoNuts T.®ump must pay $US355 milllion in penalties, barred from NY business for three years, judge rules · key event in Sydney Mardi Gras calendar scrapped over asbestos mulch concerns · fake alligators at Riverview Park in Mesa, AZ., fooling people into calling emergency services · Federal politicians pass motion urging US & UK to allow Julian Assange's return to Australia · Kristen Stewart stripped down for the most recent cover of Rolling Stone last weeek, posing with her hand inside a jockstrap · getting the brush-off: First Nations artists walk away from Brisbane Portrait Prize over AI · jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dead at 47, region's prison service says · DoNuts T.®ump again threatens to sacrifice NATO allies to Russia.

wednesday newstrip

Israeli prime minister rejects Hamas cease-fire offer, vows to fight until 'absolute victory' · Woolworths responds to mud cake outrage after ‘final straw’ for Aussie shoppers · Pink is partnering with PEN America to distribute 2,000 banned books at her shows in South Florida, CNN reports · Taylor Swift has issued a cease & desist to a Florida college student who uses public data & social media to track her private jet · Sydney motorist ordered to surrender 'OCT7TH' personalized number plates · World Surf League spits on greatest ever surfer Carissa Moore after Lexus Pipe Pro exit · Notjustanyahoo tells Israeli army to prepare to evacuate Rafah before invasion to destroy Hamas — but where can 1.5 million Palestinians go?

Today the post-
woman brought
me a fart in a

jar. Damn that
voice recognition
AI software—I'd 

asked for a jam 
tart to go with my
morning coffee.

wednesday newstrip

A woman wearing what appears to be leather lingerie has been charged with drink driving following a collision with an e-bike in Sydney’s Moore Park overnight · BidenMyTime called T.®ump the 'sitting President' during January 2024 speech · Lowitja O’Donoghue, celebrated campaigner for Aboriginal Australians, dies aged 91 · Victorian police chief labels protesters who confronted police taking part in a Pride march 'an ugly rabble' · King Charles has reportedly given his blessing to Prince Andrew & Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, to remarry each other · rallies held in support of offshore wind farms as Newcastle, Wollongong residents hopeful of job opportunities · Australian academic Yang Hengjun given suspended death sentence by Chinese court.

Waitangi Day

https://theconversation.com/waitangi-day-2024-5-myths-and-misconceptions-that-confuse-the-treaty-debate-221973

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/has-this-years-waitangi-day-reached-flashpoint-maori-voices-speak-out/qr5ct96je

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-06/maori-protesters-nz-clash-with-nz-prime-minister-waitangi-day/103421202

wednesday newstrip

Australia must consider bringing back conscription as ‘all-out war’ with Russia looms, expert says · NotJustAnyahoo is defiant after UN court ruling, says Israel presses offensive for 'complete victory' · Rip Curl joins Australian swimwear companies in heavy pivot to growing trans market · women over 50 are the new gamers · Pram Minister Anthony Overeasy has been booed by the crowd at the Australian Open tennis men's final · North Korean leader Kim supervises tests of cruise missiles designed to be fired from submarines · activists throw soup at Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa in the Louvre in climate protest.

What AI is up to these days

aka The six-fingered demon who wants to rule the world.

Today the post-
woman brought
me Tropical Cy-
clone Kirrily. I
was blown away.

wednesday newstrip

Israeli Prime Minister BeenJammin’ NotJustAnyahoo rejects US calls for Palestinian state after Gaza war · Māori leaders & others in New Zealand attend a rare national meeting called by the Māori King due to concerns about the new government’s policies on indigenous rights · ex UK Prom Minister Bore-us Johnson says T.®ump back in White House is ‘what the world needs’ · Microsoft discovers state-backed Russian hackers accessed emails of some senior employees · Palworld, aka ‘Pokémon With Guns,’ is tearing up the steam & twitch charts · Jodie Foster is showing us all how to age naturally.

waiting in the wings

We're the red X.

Today the post-
woman brought
me a leporidae
farm. It had

been beautifully
maintained,
not a hare
out of place.

wednesday newstrip

Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern ties the knot with Clarke Gayford, as anti-vaxxers picket the wedding · Australian students handed ‘wellbeing shots’ made by subsidiary of British American Tobacco · DoNuts T.®ump returns to court for new E Jean Carroll trial – & it could prove costly · recovering the ‘Aryan worldview’: the Western Australian book publisher under scrutiny over far-right texts · console owners played more Fortnite than GTA V & Call Of Duty combined · “Chicest” is not a proper word, would not even be the best word to suit your intended meaning &, most of all, it's just such an ugly word · UN says Gaza war 'staining humanity' on eve of 100th day as Houthis vow to retaliate against US strike.

Now Out From Otoliths

Otoliths has just released David Jalajel’s Snapshots from the Ark.

David Jalajel
Snapshots from the Ark
b&w
illustrated
138 pages
ISBN: 978-06455483-1-0
$US17.95
Direct URL: https://www.lulu.com/shop/david-jalajel/snapshots-from-the-ark/paperback/product-655yzjy.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Until midnight this Friday, Lulu have a 10% discount running. Promo code: SNOWDAY10. Promo codes for future weeks can be found each Monday at the Lulu Press Facebook page.

Here is a bestiary with a weird taxonomy of “Dead Ducks”, “Dead Dinos” and “Dead Bugs”, describing the bizarre relationships people have with the animals it catalogues. Partially inspired by player mechanics involving video game animals, the relationships portrayed are exploitative, often abusive and always focus on people’s needs and concerns.

Snapshots from the Ark takes John Shoptaw’s maxim that “[h]uman interests cannot be the be-all and end-all of an ecopoem” and turns it on its head by taking human interests as the “nature” poet’s single-minded concern. Each poem zeroes in on a different way people act as if their interests are all that matter. The animals are opportunities to present unflattering and painful portraits of our worst anthropocentric tendencies.

So are they ecopoems? By holding a mirror way too close to our noses, they show us the ugliness of acting with indifference to the creatures who share the world with us. In this way, the poems raise our awareness about the consequences of our actions. Yet, they do so while being zany and fun, like when people clear-cut a forest using a giant crab that whacks down trees with dinosaurs clasped in its claws.

These poems unsettle us, make us uncomfortable, challenge the way we think, and hopefully inspire us to change the way we behave.

     — Flamur Vehapi, from his review on Otoliths

Blurbs

We live in a post-Ark world. And said world’s a bit (or more) messed up. But why would we think the messed-up world that caused the flood would be different after the floodwaters recede? Humanity is… humanity, nothing more and nothing less. David Jalajel’s Snapshots from the Ark is but a metaphor for that comprehension, except that it contains humour. The poet is wise to understand how one of the most effective weapons against evil is humour, and such is also what makes these poems worthwhile:

It has the dead-eyed stare of someone
who’s seen death and lived to tell the tale —

Plus it’s Scottish. And it grins up at you
like a little boy seeing his first pair of boobs.

     — Eileen R. Tabios

Imagine that David Jalajel were in Noah’s shoes, receiving instructions from the deity to form an ark of “gopherwood” covered “inside and outside with pitch” (Genesis 6:14) in which to place pairs of species. We would soon learn the who’s who of beings to be rescued from the ensuing flood: survivors, sea monsters, dead dinos, dead beasts, dead ducks, dragons, and dead bugs. How fitting that David Jalajel employs couplets mirroring the pairs. Each poem speaks to the reader in conversational tone with clarity, caveats, and hilarity. “Ammonite” begins:

That sucker’s
a total crybaby

Just give it
a good slap—

And from “Pegomastax”:

If you see one of these, aim it at
the nearest national bank and run.

They say the perfect pegomastax
can steal your credit card details.

Snapshots from the Ark is a brilliantly envisioned work encompassing all manner of life lessons from observing each being.

     — Sheila E. Murphy

Today the post-
woman brought
me a mid-
life crisis

& a Ferrari
in a color that
matched my
blood’s hot eyes.
  

wednesday newstrip

Israel's Prime Minister BeenJammin’ NotJustAnyahoo says military seeks full control of Gaza-Egypt border · heiress to the L’Oreal cosmetics throne becomes first woman to amass $100 billion · Kanye West’s Aussie wife Bianca Censori ‘laid the smackdown’ before his shock apology after a series of anti-Semitic tirades · Australia went to war in Iraq based on ‘oral reports’ to cabinet from then Pram Minister John Howard · new Queensland dangerous dog law won’t have enough bite, claims RSPCA · nearly 200 names linked to Jeffrey Epstein expected to be made public · the phallus on a prominent Māori sculpture in Te Āpiti – Manawatū Gorge has been cut off by vandals, shocking the stakeholders of the popular reserve.

wednesday newstrip

Apple has been barred from selling one of its best known products amid claims it stole the technology from a much smaller company · Israeli minister hints at retaliatory actions taken in Iraq, Yemen, Iran · Chinese chess champion stripped of title after defecating in hotel bathtub, alleged anal beads cheating · The New York Times sued ChatGPT-maker OpenAI & Microsoft in a US court on Wednesday, alleging that the companies' powerful AI models used millions of articles for training without permission · a frustrated regional council in Western Australia has erected signs warning drivers against using Google maps after GPS-based directions repeatedly sent travelers down unsafe roads · Maine bars DoNuts T.®ump from ballot as US Supreme Court weighs state authority to block former prissygent.

wednesday newstrip

Police appeal for information after barnacle-covered parcels of suspected cocaine wash up on Sydney's coast · 20 flights delayed at Sydney Airport as flash flooding sweeps through city · Joe BidenMyTime says he did not ask BeenJammin’ NotJustAnyahoo for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Iran threatens to block the Mediterranean Sea · Queensland home's Christmas light display so bright it needed Aviation Authority approval · Russia moves Putin opposition politician Alexei Navalny to a prison in the Arctic · “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, Band Aid’s 1984 charity anthem, has come under fire online for continuing to perpetuate “racist” & “patronizing” stereotypes about Africa nearly 40 years after it was released.

wednesday newstrip

Israeli armed forces killed 3 hostages who were waving white flags “by mistake” · family of four-month-old baby say they found him in a fallen tree after Tennessee tornado destroyed home · Australians are eating more ultra-processed foods amid the rising cost of living · Rudy Giuliani must pay more than $148 million in damages to two former Georgia election workers he defamed through false accusations · debate over race relations rages in Aotearoa / New Zealand as new government repeals key social policies · flights stopped & crocodiles seen roaming streets as severe floods hit Australia’s North Queensland · U.S. affirms support for Israel as calls mount for Gaza ceasefire.

occasionally YouTube has some unexpectedly good suggestions

"St. Andrew’s College is independent and co-educational, with facilities for both day and boarding students from Pre School to Year 13. We have approximately 1350 students, and are the only independent co-educational school in the South Island of Aotearoa / New Zealad.

"We are situated on 13 hectares in the heart of Merivale, a suburb which is only 5 minutes from central Christchurch. Strowan Stream runs through the grounds, and serves as a picturesque backdrop to the historic Strowan House and our Memorial Chapel.

"Our facilities include a purpose built Senior College, a Fine arts and photography centre, a Music performance centre, a professionally equipped film and television studio, gymnasium, the Castle Hill Outdoor Education Centre and the College farm.

"Key features at all levels include:
• a challenging and extensive academic curriculum
• outstanding performing arts, including drama, musical groups, Pipe Band
• a wide variety of sporting teams with committed and highly talented coaches
• an extensive pastoral care and student welfare network.

"We are a Christian school with a long Presbyterian heritage, and are committed to enhancing the spiritual, physical, emotional, cognitive and social development of our students."

wednesday newstrip

U.S. vetoes Gaza ceasefire vote at U.N. Security Council meeting · U.S. is running out of money for Ukraine, Biden administration says · U.S. bypasses Congress to approve sale of 14,000 tank shells to Israel · Europe reaches a deal on the world's first comprehensive AI rules · the current memorandum of understanding commits the U.S. to $3.3 billion in annual Foreign Military Financing to Israel, the largest routine FMF package the U.S. provides on a yearly basis and which alone represents approximately 16% of Israel’s defense budget · Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Notjustanyahoo was forced on Wednesday to deny a report his government had approved a shipment of weapons to Palestinian security forces after hard-right ministers in his coalition expressed outrage · Avril Benoit, head of the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity, described the U.S. veto as a “sharp contrast to the values it professes to uphold.”

wednesday newstrip

8 Israeli soldiers killed by friendly fire in northern Gaza Strip in 1 week: Israeli media · high-fat flight is the first jetliner to make fossil fuel-free flight from London to New York · video of 50 Cent concert frenzy in Norway falsely linked to Israel-Hamas war · Russia's Supreme Court effectively outlaws LGBTQ+ activism in a landmark ruling · Shane MacGowan: The Pogues frontman dies aged 65 after eight-year long battle with brain condition · Tesla makes first deliveries of long-delayed Cybertruck, with lower range & higher prices than Elongated Muskrat first announced · Israeli offensive shifts to crowded southern Gaza, driving up death toll despite evacuation orders · at least four people have been killed & dozens wounded by an explosion at a Sunday mass service being held in a university gymnasium in the Philippines · drunk car thief in Aotearoa / New Zealand returns stolen vehicle with apology note & gifts for the owner.

Now out from Sandy Press

Now out from Sandy Press.

Mark Young
Ley Lines II
Sandy Press
ISBN: 978-1-7368160-8-0
100 pages
$US19.95
Available through Amazon

‘As far as I can tell, my first “A line from…” poem used as its prompt words found in a Ron Silliman piece. Jackson Mac Low, Charles Mingus, Paracelsus, Gunter Grass, Friedrich Durrenmatt, & Calvin Coolidge weren’t far behind. But three years before them came “A poem beginning with a line from Foucault” & “A poem ending with a line from Pablo Neruda.” & before them all — in my multiverse, at least — was Robert Duncan’s “A Poem Beginning with a Line from Pindar.”

‘There is a history which is there to be taken advantage of. Chance meetings, long associations, stochastic processes. Google as partner on the dance floor. Out of it, along one — dare I say it? — line, have come more than 500 of these “A line from…” poems, prompted by a random quote from poets, musicians, politicians of many persuasions, scientists, painters, actors, philosophers, as well as all of the U.S. Presidents & some of the sycophantic staff of one of the more recent.

‘So who’ll have the next fangoogle with me?’
–    Mark Young

A sampler is available here.

Today the post-
woman brought
me a walking
frame. I couldn't 
keep up with it.

wednesday newstrip

Musician Post Malone is on tour in Australia & has been spotted swanning around in his pyjamas · still ‘searching’: Hamas yet to track down dozens of hostages · New Zealand's upcoming government to scrap law curbing tobacco sales · overwhelming majority of Australians support a First Nations voice despite referendum defeat, Australian National University survey finds · Indian army digs by hand to free 41 trapped tunnel workers · Nasa reacts to reports about an asteroid hitting Earth in 2024 · Elongated Muskrat preaches peace: "Those who are intent on murder must be neutralized. Then the propaganda must stop. They're just training people to be murderers."

wednesday newstrip

How did Israel know there was a ‘bunker’ under the Al-Shifa Hospital? Because they built it 40 years ago when they controlled Gaza · Texas woman convicted of killing pro cyclist 'Mo' Wilson sentenced to 90 years in prison · baking sorted: yoghurt is the secret to a moist, fluffy, tangy bake · SpaceX launches its giant new rocket but a pair of explosions ends the second test flight · digital curator Giulia Carla Rossi: ‘there is a misconception that if something is on the internet it will last for ever’ · Taylor Swift fan dies at concert in sweltering Rio de Janeiro heat · Eyad Al-Zaeem told Reuters he lost his aunt, her children & her grandchildren in the air strike in Khan Younis, & that all had evacuated from north Gaza on Israeli army orders only to die where the army told them they could be safe.

wednesday newstrip

Gaza health authorities said on Friday that at least 11,078 Palestinians, including 4,506 children, have died since Israel launched its retaliation for the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas · will rise in COVID cases spark the return of masks? · is a US senator's blocking of hundreds of military appointments as an abortion protest threatening America's national security? · U.K. supermarket chain axes almost all self-service tills after backlash from shoppers · Israel is bombing hospitals in Gaza with Israeli doctors’ approval · the moment I knew: I learned he had a new girlfriend & flew across the world to win him back · Iceland evacuates town as concerns rise a volcano may erupt · a self-driving pram? The new technology that will change the way we live.

Today the post-
woman brought
me a brochure
from Monsanto

that claims the
use of genetically-
modified crops
will break the cycle 

of poetry that is
endemic in some
third world 
countries. Should

that happen, I 
can see the entire
world becoming a
much poorer place.

wednesday newstrip

Adobe is selling artificially generated, realistic images of the Israel-Hamas war which have been used across the internet without any indication they are fake · T.®ump reacts to his sons' testimony in fraud trial: 'So sad to see them persecuted' · Israel has called up 360,000 reservists as it goes to war with Hamas. But Benjamin Netanyahu's son is not one of them · how is decaf coffee made? & is it really caffeine-free? · Australian trade minister hopeful lobster, beef sanctions to end by Christmas after Prime Minister Albumen Overeasy completes trip to China · inside Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc, the alleged doomsday cult under investigation in the Philippines · Al Pacino, 83, ordered to pay $30k a month in child support to 29-year-old girlfriend.

John / Geraets Zooms / in on me

at https://johngeraets.com/countertop/.

The poems I read at the beginning are both from 100 Titles From Tom Beckett. They can be found on line at:

#7 Omniscient Narrators get it on in the Bois - Offcourse
#8 de Boulogne - Scud

Now out from Otoliths

Otoliths has just released karl kempton’s portraiture: oceano dunes to tide line.

karl kempton
portraiture: oceano dunes to tide line
full color
157 pages
ISBN: 978-0-6455483-0-3
$US34.95
Direct URL: https://www.lulu.com/shop/karl-kempton/portraiture-oceano-dunes-to-tide-line/paperback/product-m2d5wdv.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Until midnight this Friday, Lulu have a 20% discount running. Promo code: PREVIEW20. Promo codes for future weeks can be found each Monday at the Lulu Press Facebook page.

portraiture: oceano dunes to tide line, volume 11 of discourses, is a collection of photographed forms and objects presented as individual portraits from the oceano dunes to oceano beach tideline on the southern portion of california’s central coast. the discourses series documents poetically and photographically kempton’s insights into his local environment.

*

When I first was introduced karl kempton’s work he was doing a series of visual poems called “runes.” The runes were highly textural in nature, and amazing because they were so carefully created on a typewriter. I see the same care in these new works, although since they are photographs the care is in karl’s perceptive eye defining these stunning images. For these portraits of how the sea paints the shore are also runes in the sense that they have the magical quality that some people ascribe to runes - certainly they have the ability to change how one perceives the world. The images captured here transcend mere visual poetry or photography and their simplicity / complexity invites us to contemplate the ineffable.

— K.S. Ernst

*

Most pieces in Karl Kempton's beautiful and intriguing collection of untitled photographs are close-ups of tiny things solely or mostly made of sand by the wind. They are frozen in their unfinished gestures, which communicate with us. I mean they are in the process of starting a new, more abstract and ideogrammatic life, morphing from nameless constellations into barely recognizable quasi-symbols of trees, birds, flowers and human shapes, especially faces — in our imagination. At the same time, a simultaneously strong impression of their uniqueness and material vulnerability remains with us and contribute to the effect of seeing them animated. They have anima. The intensity and ambiguity of the images also calls into mind Henri Michaux’s memorable ink blots. But in Portraiture, background and foreground, "canvas" and composition are written by the same undulation of the sand dunes. So a third, concurrent impression might be that there is no separation at all.

— Márton Koppány

karl kempton (b. july 1, 1943, chicago) lives with ruth, his beloved wife, in oceano, california. he is a poet, visual poet, editor, publisher, writer, photographer, curator, archaeo-astronomer, and environmental activist. they are retired micro-green growers of sprouts and wheatgrass using biodynamic additives. their daughter, amy franceschini, a widely respected and influential international artist, is the founder of futurefamers.

his lexical and visual poems and photography have been widely published nationally and internationally with over 45 print and over 15 web titles. He is considered the architect of the chumash heritage national marine sanctuary currently in designation process protecting over 7,000 square miles of marine environments and oceanographic features along the southern portion of the central coast of california.

wednesday newstrip

Israel is killing almost 1,000 children a week in Gaza. Can that be called self-defence? · Maine mass killing suspect had mental health issues, purchased guns legally, authorities say · Australia’s free trade deal with EU collapses as both sides accuse the other of being unwilling to compromise · a Korean man has died after choking on a ‘live octopus’ dish, going into cardiac arrest after a tentacle became lodged in his throat · journalists in Lebanon were 'explicitly targeted' in deadly strike near Israeli Border, report says · ex cyclone Lola brings more rain for North Island of New Zealand, yachts damaged in Auckland, roads flood in Northland, Coromandel · Israeli ground operation pushes deeper into Gaza. They’re calling them “ground incursions” — sounds much nicer than “ground invasions.”

one from the past

periphery / to carry around

Melbourne, Australia 8 July 2011
nzepc video project

the Otoliths cover images: a compilation

I have put together a compilation of all the images used on the covers of Otoliths. It's called Threescore and Ten, & is available as a free PDF viewable on screen or downloadable from Sandy Press with the direct URL of
https://www.sandy-press.com/blog/threescore-and-ten-the-images-of-the-covers-from-otoliths-may-2006-to-august-2023/

Well worth a look!

wednesday newstrip

Supercharge your kale juice: fermentation ramps up antioxidant & anti-inflammatory powers · Marjorie Taylor Greene received $10K from McCarthy ahead of vote to keep him as speaker · officials say at least 189 bodies were found decaying at Colorado funeral home · granny flats could be the answer to Australia's housing crisis · a Perth nurse who engaged in a threesome with two vulnerable patients & gave them tips on how to self-harm has been banned from practicing for five years · US rejects UN resolution to condemn violence against civilians in Israel-Gaza war · City of Sydney's first Aboriginal councillor calls for public statue overhaul, amid 'truth-telling' push following referendum defeat · Sydney Opera House marks half a century on the harbor.

wednesday newstrip

From selling deodorant to running the country: New Zealand votes in a new Prime Minister, center-right Christopher Luxon, who will work in a coalition with an even further right party, ACT (Association of Consumers & Taxpayers) New Zealand · a driver in the UK thought using double-sided tape & autumn leaves to obscure a number plate was the perfect way to avoid speed camera fines. They were wrong · Microsoft officially owns Call of Duty as Activision Blizzard takeover is complete · thousands turn out for pro-Palestinian rallies in Melbourne, Sydney, & Adelaide · Indigenous Australians call for ‘week of silence’ after referendum failure · Elon Musk congratulates National’s Luxon on N. Z. election win. “Congratulations & thank goodness!” Seems like he still has trouble with Jacinda Ardern.

Racism writ large

Australia votes No to Voice to Parliament, with all six states rejecting change.

Due in a great measure to the rantings of Mr Potato Head, aka Peter Dutton, aka Putrid Dustbin, the right-wing Opposition parties leader, who followed the DoNuts T.®ump playbook & turned a moral question — should the original inhabitants of the continent be recognized in the Constitution with the creation of a body that would have the ability to advise the Government on matters that related to their culture — into a political blitzkreig based on lies & misinformation.

The Referendum question was a simple one:

129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice

In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:

there shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
the Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.

recently, at Series Magritte

La Bonne Aventure



The clichés, which should
have been here in numbers, 
are nowhere to be seen. Have
fled, some further down the
seaside cliffs, some gone on
board that passenger liner
which is now full steam a-
head for the open sea, all
struck dumb by a sensory
perception of the androgy-
nous eroticism inherent in 
this oversized nose, at once
both phallic & feminine. Only
that synecdoche sycamore re-
mains, certain that, at some 
time soon, the equivalent of a
fig leaf might just be needed.

wednesday newstrip

Israel will want to examine very closely, over the next few months, its intelligence & military failures that allowed Hamas fighters to run rampant around southern Israel · Mum brutally mocked by thousands after posting ‘ridiculous’ babysitter advert which included among the conditions, if you have tattoos, get them removed · an Australian reality TV star has been busted offering sex to a woman at a Melbourne bar in exchange for drugs. “Turns out he only wanted coke from me” she said after he couldn’t perform because of ‘coke dick’ · a woman in the US has recalled her shock when she discovered she was experiencing a rare superfetation pregnancy – when you conceive while already pregnant · thousands dead as earthquake ‘turns Afghan villages to sand’ · the most popular dog’s name in Australia is Luna.

Today the post-
woman brought
me an aspidistra.

*

George Orwell
once told me 

I had to keep 
them flying. I'm 

trying, George, 
I'm really try-

ing. But it's very 
hard to do when 

there isn't that 
much wind about.

wednesday newstrip

Man hailed by T.®ump admin as a victim of #MeToo hysteria charged with dismembering his girlfriend · Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp doubts that DoNuts T.®ump will face trial in his state before the 2024 election · T.®ump may have violated terms of release during Glock stunt · yet another T.®ump ally loses bid to move Georgia case to federal court · it has been revealed that the husband of a controversial pro-T.®ump mayoral candidate for Franklin, Tennessee, who has built her campaign on her opposition to a Pride event in the city as harmful to children, once rocked American flag Speedos — & nothing else, save for a gold chain, glasses, & shoes — to a Pride event in Chicago · T.®ump's fraud defense so bad it is 'defying the very laws of physics' · first T.®ump co-defendant to plead guilty in Fulton County election interference case · DoNuts T.®ump calls for shoplifters to be shot.

Today the post-
woman brought
me a delicate blue
& white porcelain

vase. Ming, I thought 
as I gently flicked a
fingernail against the 
rim. Qing, it replied.

wednesday newstrip

Russian foreign minister attacks West as 'empire of lies' · Australia’s former top brothel still looking for a buyer after more than two months on the market · iPhone 15 launch buzz is off the hook with long retail lines for Apple’s new bauble · Chris Evans’ secret Marvel fears revealed: ’I was worried about making shitty movies’ · dog-walker cut to the bone in samurai sword road rage attack in New Zealand · Australia set to produce lowest amount of milk in 30 years · Report Merdeox retires — with a $220 million golden handshake.

Today the post-
woman brought
me the denom-

inator I need
to solve the
Great Divide.

wednesday newstrip

T.®ump calls BidenMyTime 'cognitively impaired' in gaffe-filled speech · climate scientists say they have "never seen anything" like this year's emerging El Niño, as the major climatic event inches closer to development · the All Gender Games in Melbourne is a place for everyone to participate in a safe & judgement-free space · thousands rallied in Australia on Sunday to support recognizing the country's Indigenous people in the constitution, a proposal that is struggling ahead of a referendum next month · video of an analog TV from year 2000 goes viral as people react to the shocking $5000 price it then cost to buy · Gold Coast man fined after taking his pet snake for a surf.

recently at Series Magritte

La Victoire (2)



Winning opens a
door; & shows that

nothing at all has
changed. The same

sand, the same sea.
A fresh cloud, per-

haps. But that will
blow away shortly.

wednesday newstrip

Apiarist Tractor Ferguson worries the ancient art of beekeeping is dying in Thargomindah · New Zealand couple demanding refund from Singapore Airlines after stuck next to farting dog for 13 hours · G20 summit ends with India, Brazil, & Russia boasting success · DoNuts T.®ump booed at Iowa vs. Iowa State football game · DoNuts T.®ump is surrounded by huge cheering mob as he attends Iowa football game · Australia Indigenous referendum set to fail as support dips, poll shows · Kim Jong Un Deux Trois traveling to Russia on his luxury armored train · Mustafa heard his son yelling for help almost two days after Morocco's earthquake struck — then the calls stopped · thousands feared dead, entire neighborhoods 'swept away by water' as storm floods Libya.

Today the post-
woman brought

me a square peg
& a square hole.

It's a kind of
security blanket.

wednesday newstrip

India launches space mission to the sun a week after moon landing · a 98-year-old former Nazi concentration guard has been indicted on charges of aiding & abetting the murder of more than 3300 people during the Holocaust, German authorities said on Friday · Victorian Pride Center's NO to ‘lesbian born female’ only event · man convicted of murder in Pennsylvania & wanted in Brazil remains at large after jail escape · a New Zealand dairy farmer says he has lost tens of thousands of dollars after a technician failed to get a significant portion of his cows in calf through artificial insemination · U.K. TikTok influencer & her mother sentenced to life for double murder · SpaceX sending iPhone Emergency SOS satellites to space for Apple partner Globalstar · Burning Man festival-goers trapped in Nevada desert as rain floods the site.