Matthew Henry John Bartlett

poems from matthew baird
paintings by john currin
The Plug

My friend Lynton won tickets to the Big Day Out. He’s giving me one of them, which is awfully nice of him. Am particularly looking forward to Muse, The Mars Volta, Black Eyed Peas, Aphex Twin, Gerling and Fat Freddy’s. Yeeoar!

Saturday at the liquor shop a guy goes

“How many Scribes does it take to change a lightbulb?”

“Not many, if any”

ahaha

The playground, asphalted and fenced in, is nothing but a pictorial acknowledgment of the fact that ‘play’ exists as an isolated concept in our minds. It has nothing to do with the life of play itself. Few self-respecting children will even play in a playground.

from A City is Not a Tree

People got me fantastic thoughtful gifts. Badges, cK watch, knives, measuring cups, ticket to Turin Brakes, Belle & Sebastian CD, fitted sheets, muffin trays, cactus arrangement, blender, handmade sketch book ink block & brush, Staple magazine subscription!

Tonight i made oat bran muffins from this recipe. They were pretty yum with butter and jam, but could probably do with something extra, like dried apricot or sultanas.

PowerPoint Remix
J M Coetzee’s Nobel Lecture

It’s me birthday tomorrow. Twenty-four. When Dad was twenty-four he was waking driving pacing waiting for me to be born. I shall make a list of things i’d like:

• a purpose
• a girlfriend
• a new job
• a drumkit
• a xmas mug
• a santa sock
• a snow globe
  o wait, i already got those at our work do
• a big cross tattoed on my chest
• to be a Proverbs-man
• to make everyone who meets me happy
• a deep, even tan
• a way to coordinate xians to accomplish worthwhile tasks

My friend Richie and i recently lamented the fact that our imaginations appear to have atrophied as we’ve grown older. Stories that used to be gateways to fantastic universes now seem narrow and ordinary. Still, there are things around that fire my imagination. Recently – that huge ship; the Star Princess, the black riders in the LOTR ROTK parade, the Nazgul perched atop the Embassy and Reading cinemas, low cloud/mist hiding the tops of the hills around Upper Hutt.

If the righteous is repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!
– Proverbs 11:31

In case you’re interested (of course you are) the Star Princess is currently in harbour. It’s an unbelievably huge ship. Looks about twice the height of the Westpac Stadium. They have a webcam on the bridge, and today it’s pointed directly at our house:

Kevin Bush’s NT Wright resource
Ben Folds/All you can eat
Christmas, 1914 [via ald]

It would be cool if there were a lectionary/liturgical calendar thingummy designed for flatting. I’m inspired by Gideon Strauss.

My sister Anna is currently in Japan on a missions trip of some description. She is writing about her travels at a shiny new blog, and it’s interesting reading.

The trumpet i was supposed to use for tonight’s rehersal for Porirua Christmas at the Park didn’t show up. That’s a shame because it means i miss out on what would have been my first stint as a Professional Musician. I think there will be other opportunities in the future.