The Hello You Sunday Supplement, Issue 20
Better late than never ...
Hello, you. How’re you doing?
Sorry this is late. I’ve had a great week packed with lots of interesting things, but perhaps more interesting things than was entirely wise? Hence, when I attempted to write this at about 8am today and I was confronted by a minor technical issue whilst overtired and somewhat fraught about a few things, I didn’t handle it well (bin was kicked, verily) and, tbh I went back to bed. Drank tea, chilled, listened to Mozart. Feeling much better now, thank you for asking.
I hope your week was at least as good as mine, and I hope your Sunday’s going better!
Forthwith, some housekeeping:
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Something to listen to while you read
The best parts of this record are the first twenty seconds and the last twenty seconds, but the rest of it's fun. And if you play it loud, it'll annoy your neighbours. Phil Lovesey loves stuff like this, something which if you read Him, Her & the Hare (recommended!) you might find … counter-intuitive
What went right this week
A Gaza ceasefire deal was agreed, Indonesia launched a free meals scheme, and a ‘lost’ species thrived again in England, plus more good news from the good people at Positive News
On with the Good Stuff!
A lovely thing to do at this time of year, involving nature, tradition, toast and alcohol!
Eight ways birds beat bitter weather (I'm going to try the human forms of all of them)
I would rather quit than stick with something that I am not enjoying or no longer aligns with my values
Cycling across Europe taught me what it truly means to belong
Flight attendant passes a journal around on trips, and passengers pour their hearts out
Shimmying feet and broken hearts
‘You really don’t know until you get there how dangerous it is’
Your regular reminder to avoid AI when doing anything important (also, if you type a search query into Google then add '-ai' on the end, you're spared the annoying AI results)
'It made me feel less alone, and isn’t that the point of all art?' A brief, beautiful note about Twin Peaks. RIP, David Lynch
Become a walrus detective! Or a space walrus. Choice is yours
The UK will 'fail' unless what now?
Notes on the naming of a majickal-hare
This is … a: grim as all hell, b: horribly familiar
More of the good stuff in a moment, but first …
Hello You 82: Shropshire's Music Heroes
Anyone who brings other people into an understanding and enjoyment of music is, to my mind, a hero.
And anyone who does that whilst teaching them to play an instrument is a superhero.
So Gayle chose the right name for her organisation: Shropshire’s Music Heroes.
In this episode of my Shropshire podcast Hello You, recorded in their Shrewsbury base, Gayle tells me how Music Heroes came to be, and the surprising career change that led to it.
Hello You is about people, stories and ‘the complexities of life’. To make sure you don’t miss anything, whether it’s an episode of the Hello You podcast or the Sunday Supplement, why not subscribe? If you really love what I do, you can take out a paid subscription (and I’d be very happy and grateful) but you don’t have to. Hello You will remain free for everyone, for ever. You might just help keep it - and me - going, though
OK, back to your weekly good-stuff round-up!
Why arts organisations need to rethink their use of Facebook and X
Jobs don't need 'masculine energy', FFS
Have you ever scrolled past something upsetting, only to feel like you HAD to look?
Diaries out! Get ready for next month’s Birmingham Light Festival
The far-right phoney narrative of ‘protecting’ women
'I want the UK government to stop undermining the status of parents'
How the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman hid the darkest parts of himself for decades (NB the editor's note at the very top)
UK companies’ silence on DEI feels part of a much larger scaling back that’s more to do with white men having a moan that DEI is making them feel side-lined
Having a more diverse workplace does not make us more flammable
When was the last time you listened to a full album without any distractions whatsoever?
Dirtbags Through The Ages: King Charles VI of France, a deeply unfortunate man beset by Incidents
Microdosing the magic mushroom
If you read one thing this week, make it this
Eight ways of connecting that your wi-fi can't deliver
Final Thought, à la Jerry Springer
How was that for you?
I hope you enjoyed the Hello You Sunday Supplement, Issue 20. If you have thoughts, questions, suggestions, whatever then leave a comment
And I’m always glad to hear from you
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Thank you for being there
Take care of yourself, and take care of the people around you. I hope they’re taking care of you, too
