...and now this [58]
Writer's block be damned!
Dear Patient Ones,
Hello again! Apologies for the break.
It’s been a complicated few weeks (it’s months but I’m in denial). I’ve been suffering from writers block and, as with all these things, it then becomes much bigger in your head than it actually is. Which doesn’t make it any easier to break out of. Which is frustrating. Rinse and repeat.
What I have found odd/galling/something is that I have written a couple of opening paragraphs of a thing that I am sort of working on (© Every Writer Everywhere Ever) and I am really happy with them. Indeed, it was literally as I finished writing those that I got blocked. Properly blocked.
The words came to me as I was driving. I pulled over, parked up and typed them out. When I got to my destination (a supermarket - not that that’s particularly relevant, but just a bit of local colour, you understand), I changed two words. The whole thing was lovely. Tight.
But it was as if those words were so good (IMHO) that that was my lot for creativity for a few weeks - much like a 100m sprinter might feel exhausted after… but, in my case, with less running and more cake… to be frank, I’ve not thought out that analogy… Actually, it’s probably best to move on and pretend that didn’t happen.
So, where was I…? Oh, I remember! I’ve come up with an idea - I’m going to write the newsletter in blocks (think TV series) of between 10 and 12 before taking a short break of a couple of weeks and then coming back for another block. Then I can get a break, recharge, think of new things and come back. Learning by doing and all that. Let’s see if it works…
In the meantime, here’s the latest edition including:
Croatian Eurovision
Brexit Delusion
AudioMo 2025
…and much, much more!
Have a great one, people! See you again soon!
James
Poison Cake
Regular readers of this irregular newsletter will know that, in the break, Croatia picked their Eurovision 2025 entry. The winner of this year’s Dora was Marko Bošnjak with Poison Cake. This was his performance on the night…
Now, for the past two years, I have been spectacularly wrong about our Eurovision entries - and, finally, I was right about this one… sadly.
There’s something about Poison Cake (I think it’s where he goes into the bubblegum pop bit) that I really did not like. Neither, did it seem, did anyone else, so he didn’t even make it out of the semi-finals.
A disappointing Eurovision? Yes. But, on balance, it would have been even more disappointing if this had done better than the fabulous Baby Lasagna from last year. In 2024, we were robbed. In 2025, not so much.
Here’s how it should be done…
I suppose there’s always next year.
#AudioMo 2025
Thanks to Christian Payne’s excellent newsletter (which you really should subscribe to), I found out about #AudioMo. AudioMo (who you can find on Bluesky here) is a month long event where audio addicts post a daily clip for people to listen to. There’s no theme and no particular form - just the opportunity to discover new people creating new stuff.
For me, it’s a good excuse finally to scratch the itch of recording more audio - something that Christian will probably be thrilled about because then I’ll stop going on about it every time we talk.
Anyway, here’s today’s first of the month #AudioMo …
You can find my new AudioMo recordings on my Bluesky account @james.barisic.fr There will be one a day and it’s not impossible that I’ll stick them somewhere else too for those who don’t do Bluesky… although, if you’re waiting for them to go on X, you’re in for a long wait!
To Cap It All
I made a trip to the UK recently. I decided that I’d go with an open mind and try to work out what, if anything, is going wrong.
When I was in a charity shop, I saw these…
On the top row, women’s baseball caps with a label reading ‘Ladies’ Summer Cap’. On the bottom row, men’s baseball caps with a label reading ‘Men’s Summer Cap’. The same colours were available with both labels. They were the same price and, having tried them both on, I can say they were the same size. And that you’ve all gone mad.
It’s All FINE
Eight and a half years ago, Dan ‘Hopium’ Hannan was asked by the BBC’s Newsnight programme to record a piece as if it were 5 years after the UK left the EU.
It’s aged like milk.
Here it is for your delectation…
Strong vibes of this earlier classic…
Lettuce Talk
The hot social media news that you may have, luckily, missed is that economic genius and pub quiz answer, Liz Truss is planning to launch her own free speech social network in the summer.
Truss, who greeted the news of the Queen’s death with the thought ‘Why me? Why now?’ has, since cementing her place in history as the Prime Minister who spent the least time in office while it simultaneously felt like the longest time, become an advocate for free speech absolutism*.
No prizes for being the first person to join her new network and post ‘Liz Truss killed the Queen’ and face no consequences.
*Free speech absolutism is where you can say anything about anyone - as long as it’s not that Liz Truss crashed the economy - which she did.
A shorter newsletter than normal while I try to get back into my stride - and, of course, so I click send on this one and break the hex of writer’s block!
Also, it’s getting dark as I type and I need to get the chickens and ducks in, such is life in the middle of a field.
Take care, everyone! See you next week! :)
James x
ENDPIECE
Welcome back, James. You were much missed