welcome
Welcome to the latest issue of shipping news, my occasional newsletter of things of interest. Typical headings include analog, apple, ‘cool tools’, film and TV, in the garden, history, vinyl, nature, pen and paper, reading and writing, localism and technology. And the interplay between them all.
Thanks to everyone’s who been reading, and liking, and a special thanks to Marcus who took time to respond and send me a photo of his favourite Opinel knife (below). He bought it in a shop at Mount Beauty and it has a stainless steel blade and features a trout. Much appreciated; I have never seen this one before. Thanks everyone who’s reading. Subscribe for free to receive new posts.
film and tv - justwatch
If you've ever felt confusion about just where that latest show might be available for you to watch, then the app JustWatch might be for you.
There’s a pro version but I’ve been using the free account and it works fine. You create an account, tick the streaming services that you are currently using and you can do a quick search for any show and it will let you know where it is currently streaming or available for hire or purchase.
Also handy if you’re already halfway through a series and just can’t remember where it was showing or want to find out whether that movie you’re about to rent might just be available for free, buried somewhere on one of your streaming services.
There’s more information online HERE, and the app itself is on the App Store. Some screenshots below. The little list of icons at the bottom of each entry shows where it’s available.
pen and paper - field notes
If you’ve ever bought a Moleskine notebook and been too scared to start writing in it because it’s too good to wreck 🙋, then maybe the smaller and humbler Field Notes brand might suit you.
Field Notes was established in 2007 and features a compact notebook format based on vintage agricultural memo books issued in the USA. They sometimes release special sets with themed covers but the appeal is definitely in their old fashioned simplicity; they’re small enough to fit in your back pocket and plain enough to fill up with anything from shopping lists to sonnets. You can buy them in packs of three, or subscribe (boo) to all their new offerings and the paper quality is surprisingly good, holding fountain pen ink better than the some of the more recent Moleskines.
When we worry about the state of America at the moment, it’s worth remembering the strength in some of the history and traditions that underpin that country and hope that the ‘better angels of their natures’ prevail.
Field Notes write:
Field Notes in general, and the National Crop Edition specifically, owe their existence to a tradition of promotional memo books distributed to American farmers over the last hundred years by seed, tractor, and other agricultural companies.
Field Notes co-founder Aaron Draplin has been collecting these for years, “rescuing them” from obscurity.
Here’s a link to some terrific high-res scans of vintage images like the gorgeous ones below
poetry - three poems in text and audio from me
As some readers will know, my first love in writing is poetry. I’ve had three books published and lots in magazines over the years. Still, it always feels good to have some new work accepted, and I was delighted this month to be included in the latest issue of iamb poetry magazine, an online magazine based in England that features poems being read by their authors alongside the text of that poem.
iamb is curated by Mark Anton Owen and the site states that iamb is:
Part library of poets, part quarterly journal, iamb is where established and emerging talents are showcased side by side. Not just their words, but their readings of them. Expect new poems, every three months, free to your device of choice.
I’ve always thought that there was something nice about hearing a writer read their own work, a new way into the poem sometimes, so the idea of an online magazine that places the written text of the poem alongside an audio recording, is appealing.
I’ve got three poems in the latest issue: Hands, Spider-Crab and at the edge. Click through and have a listen if you have time. The direct link to my page is HERE. Thanks to Mark for including me; and thanks to all editors for supporting new writing.
tek - boat watch app
And, in that rare case here of a topic actually matching the title of this newsletter, a recommendation of the Boat Watch app for instant information about a ship you might see crossing the bay into Melbourne one winter afternoon.
They say:
Ever wanted to know more about ships and boats, or track a vessel around the globe? Boat Watch lets you spot and identify boats and ships in an instant.
An optional In-App purchase even sends you alerts when a boat you track sets sail or arrives - perfect for people with loved ones at sea, for tracking ferries and rescue vessels - or following cargo across the world!
Boat Watch is a free app, which offers...
* Spot any boat or ship via real-time AIS network
* See the name, type and destination of each vessel
* Set any boat as a favorite, and track it on the map
* Search and find boats and places
I’ve found that it can be a little hit and miss, and I wouldn’t want to rely on it to safely navigate the shipping channels of the world, but it is fun to look at that ship on the horizon and find out what its name is, how long it is, how fast it’s going and where it’s heading. A couple of screenshots walk along the clifftop below:
Good tip! Thanks Phoebe. I'll mention it in the next issue.
Can also recommend Sofa Time as a good TV tracking app with great list and filter functions!