David Johnson

Sometimes I need something to clear out the cobwebs. Listening to this rendition of Comfortably Number by David Gilmour live in Pompeii in 2016, did just that.

Dan Rather sadly, almost helplessly says it all, Awakening to Tradegy.

Harvested turmeric after being washed.

I was doing some reminiscing online a couple of days ago, checking in on some organizations that I use to be a part of when I lived in Portland, OR. Specifically I was looking through the pages of The Transition Network and Transition US, movements to build resilient communities reimagined by the communities themselves.

In doing so I came across this Flickr page of photos of the Northwest Transition Summit that took place in Seattle - when, I can’t remember now? - and which I was a part of. It was wonderful to look through the photographs and see people who I have not been in touch with for some time now. Happy and inspiring times.

Sean Heber has just published this post over at the Iconfactory website, following the pulling of Twitterrific from both the iOS and MacOS app stores. This was prompted by Twitter unceremoniously cutting access to the platform for third party apps. The ”End of an Era” indeed.

When I think of the early days of Twitter, I think of Twitterrific. I signed up to the platform within its first year, though I don’t think that I really understood what I had signed up for? But that didn’t really matter. Twitterrific made it a fun and enjoyable experience, and that is what really mattered to me back then.

With time I spent less time on Twitter, making strong use of lists to curate my experience, but bouncing between Twitterrific and Tweetbot (one of other victims of this purge by Mr Musk) became my game.

I left Twitter before Elon Musk bought the platform and have no plans on going back. However, I do treasure those early days with Twitterrific. Thank you The Iconfactory (and TapBots)….and old Twitter.

I am not sure where this was taken, except that the country is India. I believe that it’s either the Lilajan River in Gaya, or the River Ganges in Patna. Like other recent photos that I’ve posted, it was taken in 1989.

Photo capture of a slide projected onto a wall.

I was in bed by 8:30pm last night. Not far off Maui Midnight (9:00pm), but still very early for me. I slept well. I put it down to the acupuncture that I had earlier in the day. There is nothing like waking up from a deep, restful sleep.

It’s not the tools that you use, it is the content that you produce.

I’ve just subscribed to Craig Mod’s January pop-up newsletter Walking TOKIO TŌKYŌ TOKYO² — Winter Edition. Running from January 16th through to the 23rd. That’s it. Subscribe and enjoy the read and exploration.

Another photograph from my travels through the Indian/Chinese subcontinent between 1989 and 1990. This was taken near to Bodhgaya, Bihar state, India, possibly on the road on the way to the town. From the height of the photograph I wonder if I am sitting on the roof of a bus?

Photo capture of a slide projected onto a wall.

I’m sitting at home reading a book. Next door my stepdaughter is hosting a party. People are beginning to arrive. There is the sound of music. Voices are getting louder as they compete with the music.

As I sit here reading I find myself thinking, ”parties are so much work, not too host (through they can be a lot of work to host), but just to be at, to attend.” That’s the introvert in me talking.

This evening I am happy with my book. At least for now. We will be heading over to some friends’ house for dinner later. That could also feel like work, though not so much.

Kathmandu from across, I think, the Bagmati river. Like other photographs that I have posted this week, this was taken in 1989 during my travels through the Indian/Chinese subcontinent. Photo capture of a slide projected onto a wall.

Swayambhunath, on the edge of Kathmandu, through the mist. This photograph was taken in 1989 and is a photo of a slide projected onto a wall.

Well while I didn’t get out to see the Jaws surf break yesterday that I had spoken about, some people were surfing those monsters and others got to take photos of the day.

I did get to see some slightly smaller, though still big waves further down the coast. Plenty of people turned out to watch as well. No worth while photos of the waves though. An iPhone 13 Mini’s camera does not do them justice.

Sunset over a Tibetan monastery with prayer flags near Kathmandu, Nepal, taken towards the end of 1989.

This image is a photograph of a slide projected onto the wall and then cropped and straightened in order to correct the perspective.

Finished reading: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. A beautiful and tragic story. I was drawn back to the book. 📚

Last night I went back through some slides from my 1989/90 travels through Pakistan, China, Nepal & India. I have numerous slides, and they are in an ill arranged mess at the moment. As I loaded up the carousel to put into the projector, I had little idea as to what I would be looking at, even whether I would recognize the images.

My fears of not recognizing images were unfounded. The photos were mostly from the Solo/Khumbu (Everest) region of Nepal and my first forays into India.

This all happened towards the end of 1989, over thirty-three years ago. It was a time of great change for me. I had left home confused, lost, maybe angry, with many questions going through my head. I’m not even sure that I knew what those questions were? I just wanted some space, to get away from all that appeared to hold expectations over me and would not hear questions (or at least I did not feel comfortable going to them with questions). So, I threw a pack on my back and hit the road. This was my second trip and I felt that some pieces were beginning to fall into place, though I had fear around what I would do with those pieces once I was home. For now, I was in a safe place.

I spent a month in the Solo/Khumbu region. Two weeks trekking in, about a week in the area, and then a week or less trekking out. The walk out is mainly downhill, and my blood was pumping with oxygen due to all the red blood cells that it had produced in the rarefied atmosphere at the roof of the world. I found it hard to leave. I felt at home there, especially once I got up in the Sherpa region, dotted as it is with signs of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Something was seeding my growing interest in this faith.

So last night brought back happy memories for me. Memories of a sense of meaning being found, of self-discovery. Such I believe is always available to us, but there are times, such as those days for me at the end of 1989, when there is space to take time to explore, inquire, and look around. The incorporation of my discoveries into regular life were still to come, but at that moment I could take in, appreciate and start to reflect on what was beginning to emerge.

Below is a photograph of me with the Himalayan range, including Mt Everest, in the background. Mt. Everest is on the left of the picture, the triangular peak lying slightly to the left. The photograph is an image taken from a slide projected onto a wall, and then tweaked a little.

John Lydon’s, formerly of the Sex Pistols, band PiL (Public Image Limited) will be competing against five other acts to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest. The band has described the song as a

Love letter to Lydon’s wife of nearly five decades who is living with Alzheimer’s.

The song is called Hawaii. I like it. While I am not very knowledgeable about all of Lydon’s output, it is very different from many of the songs that he is more well known for.

When you hear the word, “Quiet,” what does it bring up for you.

• Home
• Fear
• Avoid
• A Refuge
• Your Nature
• Happiness
• Trauma
• Rejection
• Peace
• Noise
• Need
• Sensitivity
• Introvert
• Left Out
• Don’t Fit In
• other?

This list is not meant to be exhaustive. Just some words that came to me through watching my own and others’ reaction to quiet.

What does come to mind when you think of quiet, and why?

A big swell is on its way to the north shore of Maui. Surf of 40 to 50 feet is expected, with it peaking tomorrow. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pe’ahi Jaws Big Wave surf competition happens during this time. I am no surfer, but when these big waves come in I stand there in awe of this natural phenomenon.

I’ve got behind on my email over the Holiday period - yes, I know that that officially ended a week ago! - and am now playing catch up, and boy am I finding it frustrating. Last year was good for me and email management. I need to chip away at the backlog, do a few and then take a break. Trying to do it all at once is just too much. My mind looks for excuses to do something else!

😢 I'm feeling sad this morning.

🥱 Having another attempt at sleeping.

🌕 Up early this morning. The full moon lighting up the countryside.

💆‍♂ A massage that I was gifted for Christmas, I had this morning. I came home afterwards and fell fast asleep.