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matthew henry john bartlett

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Monday 01 December, 02003

Angela’s Pumpkin Soup

by Matthew Bartlett @ 7:50 am

Yesterday Angela gave me the recipe for her pumpkin soup. It’s easy to make, and tastes supergreat. My flatmates seemed to enjoy it:

a pumpkin
some water
a can of coconut milk
some curry powder
some salt & pepper

Slice peel boil pumpkin in water till it’s softilicious
Drain off water
Add coconut milk
Add spices till it tastes good
Simmer away for ages
One small to medium-sized pumpkin made enough for four people

You could also chuck it in the blender after the pumpkin is soft for velvety-smooth soup, but alas flat 4b has no blender at this point. Shannon recommended adding fresh coriander at some stage, and i think a parsley garnish would look pretty. I think perhaps some tiny bits of bacon might make it a bit less homogenous also.

Tuesday 02 December, 02003

Premier

by Matthew Bartlett @ 7:30 am

What a great day yesterday. Got up early, worked till noon. Walked into town and met David, Angela & Richard for lunch at Higher Taste the Krishna place. Wandered around town looking for cheap jandals and sunglasses. Happened upon Casey, and a The Blackseeds street gig. Boogied so hard. Sunburn city. Wandered around a whole lot more. Saw dark riders, orcs, elves, Orland, Viggo and Liv. Joined a fourth-floor party yelling obscenities at Kerry & Helen. Wandered on home.

Find me a better premier gallery.

Oscar Wilde

by Matthew Bartlett @ 10:52 am

Am reading his Lady Windermere’s Fan at the moment. It feels a little like a vehicle for Wilde’s epigrams, but is none the worse for that. Lord Windermere says at one point

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

Autoban

by Matthew Bartlett @ 11:01 am

I realised on saturday that i hate car. except for road trips with good buddies. stuck in traffic, no chance of happening across friends or friendly strangers. petrol smell parking registration warrant of fitness repairs rust smoke noise. the freedom to see the world rush past on four TVs with broken remotes. the freedom to not feel the softness of the grass, or sunwarm concrete, or sticky asphalt. the one arm tan.

of the year

by Matthew Bartlett @ 4:50 pm

The year is practically up. Of the years are fun. Here are some of mine:

Movie Mystic River
Book Headlong by Michael Frayn, with The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco a close second.
Band Goldenhorse
Album Sea Change by Beck
Song Sulfur Man by The Doves, with I’m With You by Avril Lavigne a very close second.
Voice Hope from Mazzy Star

Tell me yours if you like.

Thursday 04 December, 02003

by Matthew Bartlett @ 8:50 am

Catholic vs Protestant food
The Lego Bible

Frigate

by Matthew Bartlett @ 10:03 am

Man i love living here. My flatmate Dave and i heard big booming noises, so went and had a look out the lounge window. The NZ frigate Te Kaha was cruising into harbour. Supposed to be able to track it here but i couldn’t find it.

Reith Lectures 2003 – The Emerging Mind

by Matthew Bartlett @ 11:04 am

Dr Vilayanur Ramachandran spoke at this year’s Reith Lectures. He a neuroscientist, very interesting, perceptive and funny. I particularly recommend Lectures 3 (on Art) & 5 (on Philosophy) particularly. You can read or listen to them in RealAudio format here.

D.McC’s Movie Marathon

by Matthew Bartlett @ 12:33 pm

Daniel McClelland is holding another Movie Marathon from December 12 – 14. Consider coming along for some of it. The lineup this year is amazing. Read more [25k PDF]

Music Review: Relient K – two lefts don’t make a right…but three do

by Tim @ 5:09 pm

After declaring that I’m not going to download any christian music, today I bought my first cd for ages. I’m not the most avid punk fan in the world, but I find it’s the only genre in which christian music can realy compete. Here’s the review.

Take Blink 182, remove all the swearing and convert them, and you are pretty close to Relient K. Two lefts don’t make a right… is full of youthful exuberance. I guess that would explain why the only other Relient K fans I know are sixteen years old. If I was a skater I would love skating to this album. It’s just got that skatie feeling. The sort of album that makes you feel four years younger, as a result, it’s quite relaxing. Matthew Thiessen has a slightly annoying American whine, but hey, like I said…it’s punk.
My favourite track is probably Mood Rings. It’s so insightful. ‘We all know the girls that I am talking about, well they’re time bombs and they’re ticking…play it back in slow motion, so I may understand the complex infrastructure known as the female mind’. Buy the album, listen to the song, and you’ll agree that this song sums up that funny creature called the female, beautifully. A title that made me chuckle was Hoopes I did it again. You’ve got to love Britney piss-taking.
Reading the album sleeve shows that these guys do have a real love for the Lord, which is always good. Musically, they seem on par with most other punk bands on the charts these days. They are more uplifting than somebody like Blink 182 though, so if you’re a punk fan, buy the album.

Friday 05 December, 02003

by Matthew Bartlett @ 8:44 am

Huffer make h0t NZ clothes, man

Monday 08 December, 02003

Weekend

by Matthew Bartlett @ 8:55 am

Everything is lovely. So many happy things i’m thankful for. Sarah-Kathryn down in Welly for a bit. Yesterday’s lunch at the Steenhof’s. Saw the boys, who i’ve missed. Mrs S fed ~50 people; she has twelve times more energy than the average person. Last night’s dinner (Veggie curry, fish, naan, fruit salad & ice cream all paid for by Aaron). Meeting amazing new people every few days. Playing trumpet at the end of this week at a Christmas in the Park-type thing. Stylus 77 & Trinity Roots on Saturday evening, complete with insane drumming (Riki G is a triplet machine), endless tunes and a friendly girl. Upgraded drum machine from a carpy Boss DR-110 to a relatively swish Casio RZ-1 for $50. I’ve been thoroughly broke for two weeks, but it’s been a stand-out two weeks. Aware of God providing constantly. As you were.

Movie recommendation

by Matthew Bartlett @ 9:13 pm

I recommend avoiding the film Morvern Callar.

Tuesday 09 December, 02003

by Matthew Bartlett @ 4:30 am

GK Chesterton on Science
Belle & Sebastian/Stay Loose
Matt Baird/Highbeams
Genesis 1 in Egypt
Superlatively lovely blogs [via Antipixel]
Trouble with parenting for independence [via DnA]
Eco on the future of books

A leaf in the wind

by Matthew Bartlett @ 9:13 pm

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.

Wednesday 10 December, 02003

Distant sister

by Matthew Bartlett @ 7:08 am

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.

Liturgiflat

by Matthew Bartlett @ 7:18 am

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

by Matthew Bartlett @ 7:49 am

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

Harbour

by Matthew Bartlett @ 9:50 am

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:

Thursday 11 December, 02003

Why i don’t care about heaven & hell

by Matthew Bartlett @ 9:42 am

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

Monday 15 December, 02003

Imagithon

by Matthew Bartlett @ 8:01 am

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.

Tuesday 16 December, 02003

Wishlist

by Matthew Bartlett @ 9:02 am

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

by Matthew Bartlett @ 9:18 pm

PowerPoint Remix
J M Coetzee’s Nobel Lecture

Thursday 18 December, 02003

Muffin

by Matthew Bartlett @ 8:06 pm

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.

Friday 19 December, 02003

Pressies

by Matthew Bartlett @ 3:40 pm

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!

Artificial and natural cities

by Matthew Bartlett @ 4:18 pm

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

Monday 22 December, 02003

A joke

by Matthew Bartlett @ 9:08 am

Saturday at the liquor shop a guy goes

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

“Not many, if any”

ahaha

Tuesday 23 December, 02003

Nice

by Matthew Bartlett @ 12:59 pm

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!

by Matthew Bartlett @ 5:20 pm

poems from matthew baird
paintings by john currin
The Plug