Many Aspects





Local men and children fishing at the Panmure jetty by the Yacht Club - here -later - we saw waka being launched by Maori.




This great image is by Bruce Kingsbury of Hamilton. It is a view of a Hamilton Power Substation.

I worked at many power substations as a Communications Tech in 1986 -88 I was based at King's Wharf. We were setting up and maintaining radio, batteries for 50V DC, telephone, cable, PCM, Power Line Carriers, and microwave links etc to the main control centre at Otahuhu.






Trimaran at Panmure. A a beautiful machine of the sea.








Image by me at night - Art.










I love machines and flowers -all things of life...





Guess what this is .... ?!






A medley of images - myself - an old French book - my book about evolution and Darwin - my daughter - a painting on a postcard by Brent Wong (who I once met briefly).






Coffee and chess at the Panmure Basin - games are analysed and enjoyed during our walks . The book (Rubinstein's 100 Great Games) is one I (or in fact my father) had since I was about 15. The Pole, Akiba Rubinstein, was perhaps the greatest chess player of his time (the war prevented etc him playing Alekhine or Capablanca in matches)







Nature's infinite carress. James Joyce didn't like flowers. His language forgives him.


Room 6000

This is to say - re EYELIGHT - that I am still here! I am constantly rethinking what I am doing here. I had a system whereby I (roughly described) began each set of "rooms" with a poem and then (or simultaneously) introduced material from various areas of thought or experience - e.g. the personal, the philosophical, art and so on there was no theoretical limit to the topic.

EYELIGHT was originally conceived well before I had a computer and well before I had any intention of using the internet or even a computer - in fact I started it in a book by writing down information learnt from a book about the huge history of New Zealand - I mean starting from its geological history - I however had other subjects and where an interesting word or idea came up I put in a "box" - the idea being that that was to link to further research of ideas and so on - so my "project"was a learning one for myself and something I could do - a hobby if you like - these links eerily I found actually already existed in cyberspace as what are called Hyperlinks...but I didn't even own a computer and I was intending to do the art and writing all by hand and so on.

But I really wanted to get a project of some kind going as all my poems were written so quickly and easily in fact - I saw - still see - a poem as kind of construct - a machine made of words yes but also something approaching the condition of music (to 'quote' two poets in one sentence) - a beautiful and complex machine perhaps.

The word 'machine' is much in my writing - as much as references to flowers - I love machines AND flowers! Hence the images above. But EYELIGHT as a Blog project so-called began in fact by mistake I was wanting to make a comment and found myself starting a Blog! So I wrote something and began.

To cut this short - please if you have time scroll back through my earlier posts and see some of the things I have been doing or trying to do.

Also - click on the images - they usually are very large.

What I have decided to do now is not to be concerned about any strict program - in fact I have abandoned any "program" per se and entries from now on as far as I know will be as I am urged to enter them - much as I have been working but not in any order per se...much as life is. Life isn't ordered (or it is less ordered than we think... I don't separate art and whatever other activities from life - to me all is life... How can it be else?

The room numbers? O.K ... Wittgenstein - and other reasons - but really because I like being contrary and also I need distinct numbers so I can refer back - that is the main reason.

Not time for the more "clever" reasons... this cleverness in any case is a bit dubious...

CHESS

I have been playing a lot of Chess -in tournaments -in the A Grade and getting quite good results against some of NZ's best players. Also my Blitz rating (usually I play 3 0 games - that is each player has only 3 minutes to complete the game) has improved (on FICS lately) and my NZ Rapid rating, and my FIDE and Local "standard" rating) is now quite high as I have had success in number of tournaments - "Richard Taylor, who is never far from the prize money" - as well as adopting a wider repertoirre including the English, 1 d4 (with or without 2 Nc3) and my staple 1 e4, keeping to either the Nimzo or the Modern Benoni - both openings of Fischer and Tal and others of course - (as well as studying master games daily) - but there is no question of "mastering chess"- fascinating game as it is, it is too difficult); taking extra vitamin B tablets and multivitamins and keeping fit seems to have helped me as well as........

........... my reduction of usage of diazepam (benzodiazepam) which I have been addicted to since I was 19. Paradoxically the reduction of tranquilizer use has meant I am more relaxed and happy than I have been in much of my life...with the odd 'dark' moment.

TIME

While I am 61 and death is approaching with his sharp but rusty sickle! - I feel life is wonderful as long as I am happy and healthy and busy and my children are well etc

WE CAN MAKE IT

The economy and so on are of little concern for me - I have never been good at saving money and have never had much so it doesn't concern me - we can all make it through - the working people can club together and start communes and so on. Whatever. Revolution in fact - whatever it takes.

My last car (the car I have now) cost me NZ$800 - "touch wood" as my English Grandmother (in fact all my grandparents were English) used to say - it is still going!

But main thing - no necessary program here.

Also I want to perhaps in my next two posts - to talk about the awesome readings of David Lyndon Brown and that of Murray Haddow*. Both are writers and poetic performers and actualisers of incredible ability.

Saw my old mate Bob Orr - the unofficial Poet Laureate of Auckland - in a second hand book shop the other day and he concurred with me on Murrray Haddow's genius - but referred to him as a performance poet but he is much more than that - he is incredible.

And David Brown's poetry is and was quite extraordinary. Subtle, moving, beautiful, intriguing.

There will be book launch of his latest book and that of Ted Jenner shortly - I will advise dates in posts soon... Jenner is also an original... I first came across his work in Michael Morrissey's great book "The New Fiction" (1985 I think that came out).

But more anon...........................

* And may others of great interest and ability.