The six o’clock news hums in the background With miles of numbers and a ton of stats Warheads are piling up like forgotten debts No need to worry ’bout the crime and the rats
I should be talking to someone who laughs It’s a paranoid mile of fear in my eyes Scared faces stop me from talking to girls While a billion Chinese are stuck in overdrive
Those billions of people I will never meet I clean my room and stare at the ceiling World War Three stares right back at me And the six o’clock news knows how I’m feeling
I took the lyrics from the Minutemen’s Paranoid Chant and asked AI to rearrange them into another poem and after some revision, it spat out some interesting non-rhyming phrases and I then mixed in the original with this to come up with this new poem. The theme is the same as the original and considering it is from 40 years ago, sadly still relevant.
Super tired again. Yesterday I managed to resist an afternoon nap and I got to sleep OK, until Cap kept crying to go in and out of the bedroom and then to be fed. Happy to know that he has his appetite but I just want to sleep more!
Today I’m grateful for:
Amy and her family deciding to go for a fish lunch out in the rice fields. It was good to do something different though it was funny that they decided on the restaurant that Bruno and I went and tried as we were riding by a year or two ago.
Also to Kru Karn who offered me her shelf space in the teacher’s room to keep my things. I’ll do that for now but may move it to somewhere more suitable later.
The best thing about today was:
Reading more about the British Empire in Africa. It was interesting to read that there were people who abhorred the colonial treatment of other human beings at the time. Interesting in that nothing much has changed, sadly.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I haven’t been able to do any more lesson planning as I haven’t been able to get more information from Kru Mai about my classes yet. It’s a little frustrating as it is what we are supposed to be doing this week and now it means I will have to do more in the actual holiday time.
When I went to school just before lunch I found lots of people cleaning out the office space for Kru Puu who will stay in there in future. Unfortunately, this means moving my stuff out from there and also not being able to use it for one-to-one speaking exercises anymore. A lot of student’s work that I was keeping to look at later was also missing, presumably thrown out. Oh well. Nothing stays the same.
Something I learned today?
I just got sent a video by Noey. It was of me riding the wrong way at the traffic lights (to save time) as I was out getting a tub of ice cream at the 7-11. She must have been on her bike at the traffic lights going in the other direction.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I messaged a few more students today and had little conversations of encouragement with them.
I took this picture because this was the view from our restaurant table at lunch time.
My rats, my rats, my little gutter rats We ran together, we released the bats Our bondage brigade marched ever on We instinctively knew who was the clever one With cider right beside her bag of glue Hellzapoppin as all the young savages dü On mattress castles, the princess and the pee And stinking dogs shit wherever they be No glamour in this clamour drenched in sweat We know we grow to be the best ones yet D. cried about courage, and soon he was dead If the man doesn’t get you, he’s always in your head Nuclear ghosts haunted all our youth Marching in millions seeking some truth The sham in 69 was still in 79 too We loved in vain but knew that love was true And so those glories now dare not be repeated Angry eyes glared, “ever feel like you’ve been cheated?” That revolution sparked is now a faded glory Who now to stop the world with their own story?
People’s opinions are mainly designed to make them feel comfortable; truth, for most people is a secondary consideration.
Bertrand Russell
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful Amy got back to Sydney safely and is happily amongst her friends there again.
It’s a sex diagram A time machine Program Annihilator A heartbreak scene Messages subliminal A Smith’s repetition Gimmick harmonies A metaphor competition Ambiguous lyrics A chaotic romance Banging the drum A community dance Disturbed facilitator A melodic personality Layered catalysts A concerted reality
I am so happy and grateful for the possibilities to keep my brain engaged other than the mindless use of social media.
Here I am again, safely tucked up in my corner at House – talking online with the good students and anxious if the other students are actually doing any work.
Amy is busy working out more details for her trip to Australia and I’m wondering what I’m gonna eat when she’s away! I’ll need to get organised with shopping and potentially – shock! horror! – cooking! I think any cooking will purely involve potatoes, cheese, onion and garlic!
After a relatively good period with less neck ache, it seems to be playing up again. I’m back on the abs workout and hopefully that helps a little. I think that when Amy is not here, I will try sleeping in other places, second bedroom, lounges, etc and see if they make any difference. My neck has been a problem for more than a decade now. Hopefully, my general fitness improvements all keep me going a bit longer. Like another 50 years if possible!
I was surprised at the happy ending to the Aladdin story. I’m uncertain if there was any moral to be learned from the story and curious if it was told for any more purpose that is culturally adjacent to its places of telling. I always thought of being able to wish for anything as a curse; that was my cultural context.
Reading some Rollins last night resonated with me a lot, particularly about doing things alone. I need to check out more of his more recent writing again.
It’s 11:11 today and I don’t think I can afford to buy anything on sale at Lazada this time. I looked at the new MacBooks in Central yesterday, considering buying one sometime but also clinging on to my current machine as it is still pretty reliable. I often get these compulsions to get things even though I perhaps have no real need for them. And even though I can afford them, I’ve noticed myself more recently talking myself out of things or delaying that gratification, perhaps to enjoy the anticipation for longer. Anticipation is usually more pleasurable and longer-lasting than gratification.
I think I’ve already talked myself out of the new MacBook Pros and could easily manage with the MacBook Air, which is about half the price. For what I currently use it for, it is more than capable.
I also want to get a big iPad and would be happy enough with an older one, so long as it can store books and comics on it. I just want it for reading. Still, my current iPad is adequate, though some comics can be tough on the eyes after a while.
I also note to myself my many first-world problems while surrounded by people with their third-world problems.
At my school I made friends with four university students doing their internships here. They are young and vibrant people and have a youthful idealism that I still seem possess, so it was easy for me to be drawn to them.
Today is their last day with us (unless they decide to stay here and work on the pitiful wages they would receive) and I made them each a special card. Unfortunately I forget to take a picture of each card but the front features the sketches attached. None of them are perfect but they should be recognisable to themselves I hope!
I really enjoyed the process of putting the cards together and having to come up with ideas for me, somewhat inspired by Austin Kleon’s artistic trials.
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful for all the movies I downloaded over the years. I can watch almost anything that I ever found of interest whenever I want. I can remember when the only option was to wait for the Friday night special of the Saturday horror double bills. That made movies more special but now I can find movies that I choose from anywhere in the world.
I usually do my drawings at House where the coffee is particularly addictive. I can taste it now – almost 6 hours since my last cup. In the mornings, I can’t wait to get there and take that first sip.
Anyway, Mei, who is a pretty lady who works there has seen me drawing every day and today she sidled up to me and in her best English, her vocabulary quite limited, asked if I could draw a picture of her. At first, I was a little surprised and then a little delighted – my first commission! I told her though, that she mustn’t be upset if she doesn’t like what I produce!
Subsequently, she added me in LINE and sent me a picture for me to use – I’m only at the stage of copying from pictures.
Doing all these face drawings has been an interesting challenge and I’m kinda excited to know that I will move onto other things to draw in the future and try to improve my skills all round.
I had another good online teaching lesson and I’m at home alone as Amy has gone with Takky for the weekend for a housewarming event. With no one else around I feel a lack of tension. I don’t need to think about any verbal communication unless I want to tell the cats something. Either Xbox, YouTube or comics in bed beckon.
Tomorrow I’ll be up at a reasonable time to take Dylan up to a hill tribe village for a morning walk. Good exercise.
Shut Down! Dead! Run out of town! Sheltering over the border, we bring this one last episode before fleeing the despots. One day we’ll be back! Look out for DJ Donut Trump – he’ll bring you the future of rock ‘n’ roll.
This week there’s all sorts of music – weird, noisy, experimental, fucked up strangeness, straight-up punk and pop all delivered with no compromise. Join our other 3 listeners to check out the end!
Incidentals taken from the Church of the Sub Genius Hour of Slack.
Listen right here or Mixcloud, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon…..all those cool places I guess.
Music from The Monkees, Midvale School for the Gifted, Future of the Left, Vibrators, Blackbyrds, P.K.14, Christian Death, Blast, Trumans Water, Dinosaur Jr, Chavez, Cows, Show Business Giants, Full Moon Band, Slang, lovers.tiff, Minutemen and Marc Thor.
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful that I can find Toblerone here in this small town in the mountains of Thailand. I can find almost everything that I need and many of the things that I want.
I am so happy and grateful for the help my co-workers give me.
17th Mar 2023 – Fuck me, Shaun! What was this help!? Sometimes I just have to pretend that I am good with words. Still, at least I got something down for the day! Perhaps there’s more information hidden away in another book somewhere.
The paradox of the internet has always been that the thing that’s connecting us all also seems to be driving us apart.
Mark Manson
To-do list
Shut your mouth! I know you want to speak – but DON’T!!! ✅
Pictures for Fern and Chinese teacher
Figure out 6 daily life topics ✅
AirAsia refunds
Stay calm and stay chill – sabai sabai ✅
I stayed calm and clear today and believe that I successfully did what was asked of me, without complaint.
I rewarded myself by coming home early and relaxing with TV – almost forgetting about having to teach Bruce. That was a bit of a shock to the system but again, I dealt with it quite well.
Tomorrow I need to start planning for next semester – working for my new masters!
I am so happy and grateful to have a lot of free time and not feel under pressure.
“How do I know that the wind should blow? It’s blowing!” She adds “I realised that it’s insane to oppose it. When I argue with reality, I lose – but only 100% of the time.”
Byron Katie
To-do list
Just Dance ✅
Again, yes again – think before writing and speaking ✅
Start grading if you can ✅
Meditate (Inner Engineering) ✅
Sort more CDs ✅
Watched the first Swans game of the year (not sure we’ll be in any contention this year – we have good players but not a good team for some reason) and taught Ellen, so the day has flown by.
Feeling good and positive again – maybe because I’ve been laughing at myself playing Just Dance in the morning. Going to do it again tomorrow.
12 Jun 2024 – The Swans finished 16th out of 18 this year. One of the only years they have not played finals in the last couple of decades. It was a time of rebuilding and if memory serves me correctly they made the Grand Final a couple of years later.
1994ever 