For everyone's inner engineer - conversation - Oxford

Here are 2 videos which my son T has just shown me:

Dyson - Air Multipliers and the blue balloon

Honda - The Cog sequence

He and I have discussed the summer, internships, travel to Scotland, money (all conversations get to money eventually), petrol, the tiring and unsuccessful trip to Henley to pick up his father this evening and a holiday invitation.

I typed out my cv this afternoon and gave it to the person I have wanted to give it to for months. So all in all a successful trip to Oxford for me this evening. Plus bumping into someone I know, who I bought a hot chocolate for. I hope it helps in some way. At least we can chat about stuff in an almost normal sort of way. He may be homeless, but I met him in better circumstances and we have mutual friends. His dog always recognises me and likes having his nose stroked.

A Bird Is Not A Stone

A Kickstarter project bringing to the UK a book of new Palestinian poetry called 'A Bird Is Not A Stone'.

http://sarahirving.wordpress.com/2013/08/17/poetry-from-iraq-and-scotland/ The video is of Sabreen Kadhim performing in Edinburgh. From 5 minutes English translations are given.

Reel Iraq Festival from 2013 More videos, I assume all in Arabic, so try to recognise a word here or there, start small.

Badminton on the front lawn - Videos of artists talking

Badminton

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/inshaw-the-badminton-game-t03189

This used to be on a particular wall in the Tate. It was just there, I don't remember looking at it carefully ever. I just walked past it and liked it as I walked past. No trying hard.

We are back to playing badminton in the late afternoon when it is cloudy and there is no wind. The birds sing happily around us. The grass is slightly damp. Mainly I play in thick socks, just in case I stand on an acacia twig or a bird poop. It is out in nature after all.

Videos

http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/video/tateshots-artist-rooms-vija-celmins

http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/video/tate-britain-commission-phyllida-barlow

http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/video/tateshots-kiki-smith

I particularly enjoy watching and listening to people discussing what they are passionate about. It's all true, nothing made up or hard to understand, just how things are for them. I don't have to read between the lines.