An online commonplace book
Be Mercury, set feathers to thy heels,
And fly like thought from them to me again.
– King John
Though not a beloved Shakespeare play, King John continues to intrigue me. Quotable throughout. More to come.
Shakespeare, William. The life and death of King John. New York, Penguin Publishing Group, 2000. pg 81
What is the late November doing
With the disturbance of the spring
And creatures of the summer heat,
And snowdrops writhing under feet
And hollyhocks that aim too high
Red into grey and tumble down
Late roses filled with early snow?
Thunder rolled by the rolling stars
Simulates triumphal cars
Deployed in constellated wars
Scorpion fights against the Sun
Until the Sun and Moon go down
Comets weep and Leonids fly
Hunt the heavens and the plains
Whirled in a vortex that shall bring
The world to that destructive fire
Which burns before the ice-cap reigns.
Snow in Paris? What is November doing?
T.S. Eliot…
A snippet from East Coker.
Eliot, T. S.. The Complete Poems and Plays, 1909-1950. United States, Harcourt Brace, 1958. pg124,125
“There are some things which have no business being put into books for all the world to read.”
– Mr. Norrell
Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. United Kingdom, Bloomsbury, 2005. pg12
Some years ago there was in the city of York a society of magicians.
This sentence reads like a modern “Once upon a time”. Immediately after reading it I felt like yeah, I want to be part of this story.
Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. United Kingdom, Bloomsbury, 2005. pg3
He was a man of immensely strong faith. A faith that balanced well with his reason.
Malcolm Guite on Dr. Johnson
Once, for no reason other than intellectual curiosity, Adams rode to Windsor to call on the famous English astronomer Sir William Herschel, whose crowning achievement had been the discovery of the planet Uranus. Greeting Adams affably, Herschel was delighted to talk of his work, and Adams returned to Grosvenor Square elated. Nabby recorded that she had never known her father so gratified by a visit of any kind.
Lonely and isolated in London, John Adams took the opportunity to visit with Sir William Herschel.
Remember that today as you grill your burgers in celebration.
Happy Fourth of July!
McCullough, David. John Adams. United Kingdom, Simon & Schuster, 2001. pg 343
It holds a personal memory for me; for, back in the 1970s, my father took me to see my first ever test match there. I loved everything about it: the excitement of the day out, the presence of a crowd gathering with rising expectation, all intent on one thing: the match itself, with the lightning excitement of each ball played, set within the longer and more leisurely rhythm of overs and innings. But what I most remember, looking back, what set the day apart, was that for the entire day I saw my father completely happy.
– Malcom Guite, on the Oval
Seeing your father completely happy is a rare thing. One that should always be documented.
Perfect timing from Malcom’s Poet’s Corner with the US upsetting Pakistan in the Cricket T20 World Cup.
Guite, Malcolm. “Poet’s Corner.” Church Times, 31 May 2024, https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/31-may/comment/columnists/malcolm-guite-poet-s-corner. Accessed 9 June 2024.
They weren’t impressed by the ability to kill. Cowed by it, yes. But impressed? No.
They were impressed by the ability to live.
– John West
A moment of depth in the narrative. They continue to appear in John West’s observations of Wealdsig, Ealstan, and Sefawynn.
Sanderson, Brandon. The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England. United States, Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC. pp207
“New times?” Ealstan’s wife said. “Those come whether we want them to or not. And we shall bear them as we bear the changing of seasons — which bring friends and foes, men and spirits.”
pp 46
Some stoic goodness from the Frugal Wizards Handbook? A reminder that change is continual, and as seasons change we are to bear it.
Sanderson, Brandon. The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England. United States, Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC.
Tim Hunkin is a professional tinkerer. His YouTube videos series The Secret Life of Components are excellent primers to the hidden lives of machines – their components.
A few notes on chains:
For us engineering noobs, the chain is associated with the bicycle. But oh it’s so much more. Tim Hunkin demonstrates the variety of their uses. Old fashioned arcades. Pulleys. And even a giant metal clock.
Belleville washers are “dished” spring washers. They look a bit like Satellite dishes. These help with torque.
The advent of the “Bush” chain was revolutionary. Bush chains are the modern chain. Their pins are able to slot all the way through the bush. This allows the chain handle greater loads.
They were invented by Hans Renold who founded the Renold Chain Company in 1880. The Renold Chain Company is still in operation.
H/T Kevin Kelly
Floodlights and Goalposts 