Friday Five

In this edition of five interesting things that I've recently seen, read, or been reminded of:

I love stories about entrepreneurial kids, more so if they're also about contributing to their community or society in general. This is another old one from 2016. A 14-year-old boy, Campbell Remess from Tasmania, spends his free time sewing teddy bears for charity. He’s been doing this for years, and last year was flown to the US for a special on CNN’s Young Wonders. He founded an organisation called Project 365 where people can request and sponsor bears for kids in need.

David Tennant Does a Podcast With… a bunch of very interesting people. Not going to lie, he’s my favourite Doctor, and the casual conversations he has with his colleagues, friends and other notables are just fascinating and in some cases, quite revealing.

I first heard about the Tweed Run when I was in Stockholm a few years ago. People dress in traditional cycle garb, tweed preferred, and ride bicycles, vintage encouraged, through the city. It was a lot of fun to watch, and I happened to be passing by their finish line where they were taking tea (fika!) and picnicking. This gentleman was kind enough to pose for me as well. Very exciting.

The race/themed ride takes place all around the world. Stockholm’s is called Bike in Tweed, and there used to be one in Fremantle, but that sadly doesn’t appear to still be running.

Ever wondered how watch parts are made? The Naked Watchmaker has a very detailed post on how wheels and pinions are manufactured. Such beautifully precise work.

Lastly, something thought-provoking. Stanley Kubrick is undoubtedly a master in his field, but I also happened upon a Kubrick quote, oddly enough from Playboy, which I found particularly poignant.

The very meaninglessness of life forces man to create his own meaning. Children, of course, begin life with an untarnished sense of wonder, a capacity to experience total joy at something as simple as the greenness of a leaf; but as they grow older, the awareness of death and decay begins to impinge on their consciousness and subtly erode their joie de vivre, their idealism — and their assumption of immortality. As a child matures, he sees death and pain everywhere about him, and begins to lose faith in the ultimate goodness of man. But, if he’s reasonably strong — and lucky — he can emerge from this twilight of the soul into a rebirth of life’s elan. Both because of and in spite of his awareness of the meaninglessness of life, he can forge a fresh sense of purpose and affirmation. He may not recapture the same pure sense of wonder he was born with, but he can shape something far more enduring and sustaining. The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent; but if we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death — however mutable man may be able to make them — our existence as a species can have genuine meaning and fulfillment. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.

• Stanley Kubrick

There are a few ways you can choose to interpret this, but I find it quite motivating, particularly after a rough couple of weeks work-wise.