Christmas Diversions and Detours (2)
It's the calm between the storms. (The Bus 4.28)
Welcome aboard The Bus!
The Stop
Continuing on from Monday’s Stop, this is the second day The Bus is running a reduced schedule composed of a few diversions and detours I’ve been holding onto. Today’s links are to videos which - despite being shorter than the ones on Monday - are nevertheless just as engrossing. Enjoy - they’re all great! And remember: full service resumes from 1st January!
Four (More) Diversions and Detours
Chopin’s ‘Nocturne (Op. 9, No. 2)’ soundtracks this ‘experimental dreamlike video rocking … smoothly through circular moves’ (4:32). Made entirely out of paint, oil and soap liquid - and not a touch of CGI, AI or any other form of digital artistry - this ‘brownian-motion ballet’ is both hypnotic and relaxing. And really cool, too.
Chopin - Nocturne (Op.9, No. 2) Colorful Liquids in Motion
Mabel’s Free Solo (4:08) is footage of a man and his dog on a wintry - and beautiful - expedition into the Scottish Highlands, while the older dog, Olive, remains behind for the first time, snoozing on the couch. It doesn’t sound like much, but the otherworldly landscape and the relationship of the filmmaker and Mabel make a great pairing. Especially when you know Olive won’t be doing this trip again.
Motion Extraction (7:00) is a demonstration of a video-filtering technique which allows only the moving parts of filmed objects to be highlighted and isolated as they move. It’s an amazing technique which uncovers the presence of motion in footage where everything looks still. The explanation on how to do this is very clear - and while it could have been packaged as a paid tutorial, here it’s given away for free. I haven’t tried it yet, but intend to before school resumes in the new year.
Finally, check out this session (30:08) from NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, this time featuring the legendary Nile Rodgers and Chic. You know these songs - but, for me, it’s the sheer musicianship on display (and by people who look a lot like middle-aged me!) which is most striking. A great diversion.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is a selection of five great tracks I’ve chosen as downbeat antidotes to the holiday music which has been ubiquitous over the last month or so: ‘Look What You Do’ (Downes Braide Association, 2023), ‘Home Again’ (Michael Kiwanuka, 2012), ‘Youth’ (Glass Animals, 2016), ‘I Need My Girl’ (The National, 2013) and ‘Mountain at My Gates’ (Foals, 2015). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from the American poet, memoirist, actress and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou:1
‘Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
For more about Maya Angelou, see: Maya Angelou (Britannica).