Author: Dan Wild

Digression after Bruce Acotyledon’s Seminar – Intellectual verse

The dear reader will forgive me, first if I address him as “dear”, when his acquaintance I probably have not made nor ever will. Secondly, for assuming that my reader is a ‘he’. The fact is, women do not read my work, and if they did, they would be too embarrassed to admit it and …

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Percy the Pianist: A Byronic Poem

Take heed: nothing below is spoken seriously:No lasting harm has come from poetryExcept to the self-proclaimed poet’s dignity. 1Meet young Percy: our aspiring pianistWhose name has been sufficiently amended:He’s in his prime when all life’s finestPleasures should arrive and wounds intended,Dismissed or put aside. Confidence Should permeate his every move and showA man of influence. …

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The Temptation of Merlin: A Pre-Raphaelite composition

Legend has it that one of Merlin’s protégés was Nimue, or Viviane, Lady of Lake. Merlin and Viviane were instrumental in King Arthur’s ascent to the throne and the formation of Camelot, gathering place of the Knights of the Roundtable. It was the Lady of Lake who bestowed the sword Excalibur on King Arthur. Without …

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My Pet Insects, or Life without Cats

I grew up with cats. Don’t get me wrong, I like dogs too. But my family was a cat family and I guess that makes me a catman. Our first cat was Oscar. My Dad called him Oscar because … look at my last name! Then there was Lucy and Chloe, two very sociable cats. …

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Living with Hearing Loss, the Invisible Disability

My hearing loss has had a profound effect on my life. The vast majority rarely encounter people under the age of sixty who have this disability. Those who live with it face a daily struggle. Others do not notice the struggle. They might see a slightly vague person who they have to repeat things to: …

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An Overture To His Coy Mistress

My composing sessions extend to eight hours, with plenty of breaks for coffee and stretching, which is why I don’t compose when on contract. The title, To His Coy Mistress, entered my head because I’m a mid-forties bachelor who love has not yet called to her bedside, or fireside, or beachside. I can’t think of …

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Becoming a full-time composer

A month has passed since I last posted. I’m still learning Chinese and pondering the deep well of life, so 2021 should see more TV shows reviewed and more random posts from the fringes of consciousness etched onto this virtual stone tablet that is my blog. Lately I’ve been occupied by music. I’ve never devoted …

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Bountiful Blessings review – Quirky Chinese Singaporean sitcom

Year: 2011Rating: MEpisodes: 20 x ~43minCountry: Singapore Bountiful Blessings has lost none of its charm on a second viewing. Learning Mandarin led to an unexpected attachment to the Singapore-Malaysia drama scene, starting here. I would not otherwise have encountered such underrated shows as Mind Game and Justice in the City. When Netflix partnered with Singapore’s …

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The Dream Job review – Singapore drama

A lot of effort has gone into this show, reflected in its high production values. The messy family drama pulled me in but the constant toxicity wore me down. Its greatest sin though is its ending: simplistic and maybe morally questionable. The Dream Job 绝世好工 starts well with a device reminiscent of notorious Japanese film …

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Left out of the Federal Budget, still no job and a Centrelink catastrophe

The Federal Government’s 2020 budget released in October has a particular segment of the population worried, and I am in this segment: people over 35 years old. The government has incentivised employers to hire people under 35, subsidising those who hire in the 16-30 age bracket $200 a week, and $100 a week for 30-35s. …

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