Village Idiot or Rural Genius?

This is my submission for this week's Photo Friday Challenge which is "Rural". It was taken in our village at the bus stop outside of the Church (now only open Sundays). It seems you can take grafitti out of the city but you can't the city out of the grafittist. What did I expect - an airbrushed combine harvester? I think it looks like Quentin Tarantino.

I am beginning to really love Stencil Graffiti. I'm starting to capture more and more of it to create a good set at Flickr. There are some good sites around now too including www.stencilgraffitti.com which supports Tristan Manco's book of examples published by Thames and Hudson. Stencil Revolution, "collectively reconstructing the urban canvas" is a fantastic resourse including online tutorials, artist profiles, gallery, stencil exchange, downloadable fonts and a forum.

January 2005 Highlights

So that I don't forget anything, here's the January '05 Highlight Reel.

tunes to remember jan '05

No Cities Left - The Dears

Fabric Live 07 - John Peel

Rockrap - Aspects

Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen

flicks to remember jan '05

Team America: World Police

Colateral

The Hours

Elf

Chronicles of Riddick

Bowling for Morgan

books to remember jan '05

John Peel - A Life in Music

100% Cotton - T-Shirt Graphics

200% Cotton - T-Shirt Graphics

In January I was also into:

Reviewing retro-vintage Vegas and planning my forthcoming trip.

Flickr

Photo Friday

The Dears

Hall of Hate

Things Magazine

Wheaty Flakes of Goodness - Gone.

It's officially over. The cereal diet is no more. Long live the cereal diet.
I lost 6lbs and 2½ inches in two weeks. Not bad, although I fear that the curry on Friday night and the one-off stop at the Hard Rock Cafe last night did a fine job on all my hard work. And I haven't even stepped foot in Las Vegas yet. Maybe North West airlines should consider chartering a separate plane for my return journey. I'm going to need at least two seats.

Finally finished Douglas Coupland's All Families are Psychotic. Not sure what I made of this one. I liked the characters but not so much the plot. Much preferred Girlfriend in a Coma, Miss Wyoming and Microserf's but it was entertaining nonetheless. Not having a great memory, especially for words rarely used in everyday language, I thought it would be interesting to corner the pages of Coupland's book that contained a word I didn't know or couldn't remember the meaning of. He also uses a lot of words out of normal context that throws me a bit e.g., "mobile sarcophagus" and "joyless stucco mayonnaise" but they don't count.

You're never too old to learn, so here we go:

Pg 116 - Milquetoast

n. One who has a meek, timid, unassertive nature.
n. A timid man or boy considered childish or unassertive

Pg 123 - Seropositivity

adj. Showing a positive reaction to a test on blood serum for a disease; exhibiting seroconversion.

(note: neither seropositivity or seroconversion come up in my UK dictionaries although seropositive is there. Must be a North America thing - will ask Lando C).

Pg 160 - Invective

n. Denunciatory or abusive language; vituperation.
n. Denunciatory or abusive expression or discourse.
adj. Of, relating to, or characterized by denunciatory or abusive language.

Pg 220 - Neophyte

n. A recent convert to a belief; a proselyte.
n. A beginner or novice: a neophyte at politics.
n. a) Roman Catholic Church. A newly ordained priest.
b) A novice of a religious order or congregation.
n. A plant that is found in an area where it had not been recorded previously

They say the best way to learn a new word is to use it. Can't see getting Milquetoast into any conversation but then perhaps I'm pronouncing it wrong in my mind. Invective is a goer.

Lesson over.

Blast through the Past

I used to love listening to Talk Talk and collecting their back catalogue when I discovered them late in their career. I think it was their wispy orchestral manoeuvres and sentimental musings that burnt through the hedonistic music scene of the early nineties that I liked. Some of it was a bit dark and dated by the time I got to it but the artwork by James Marsh has stood the test of time.

The Cutter Gallery has a great collection of his work amongst other great artists such as David Cutter himself and Paul Slater. I particularly like the Fish and Crustaceans part of the gallery. Here's a Monty Pythonesque game for the 21st Century.

Lemmings was the first and the best game we ever got for our third home pc - the 486. And now you can play it in your browser! Wow!


Movie Update:

Today I watched The Ladykillers and unlike most of its critics I loved it. It took me about ten minutes to acclimatise to the accents and Tom Hanks perplexing performance but the black comedy was right on. Last week we watched Collateral where Tom Cruise plays an unusually scary character in his over-confident style as usual. I enjoyed it although it was complete popcorn. And finally last weekend everything just out was basically just out. There was nothing at the village video store worth watching or that we hadn't seen that had arrived in the last 3 months. We caught up with America's Sweethearts with my favourite John Cusack alongside Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It was written by and also starred Billy Crystal who had decided to reward himself with all the best one-liners. Good for him. It's not that bad.

The Dears at the Rescue Rooms

Last Sunday Lando C and I went to a long awaited gig and despite the technical difficulties it was great. The Rescue Rooms is a terrible venue for short people so I battled my way to the front after a disappointing performance from another band I like - Ambulance Ltd (they should consider sacking their sound guy). When the lead guitarist from The Dears box of wah-wah tricks finally did gave up, the whole band did lose some of the power in their performance. It was fantastic though and I look forward to their next album.

Before we went to the gig, Lando C and I went to Wagamama's for some booster juices, health food and also to spot the famous person. Although we didn't spot any tennis stars or thespians from the Royal Theatre on this occasion, we did bump into a frisbee buddy. Waga also managed to clutch a gold customer service star from the jaws of the Hall of Hate after it was spotted that Lando C had finished his main course before our side dishes or my main course had arrived. I was too weak and withered to complain following three dull days on the cereal diet and I know that's how Waga works sometimes, but the manager kindly came over to apologise nevertheless and offered me my main course for free. Now that is customer service! Good job Wagamama! Read it and weep Ha! Ha! Bar.

Bottom of the Barrel

A week last Saturday, I took a trip to West Bridgford centre to rummage around the three or four charity shops alongside all the other hopeful bargain hunters. I was looking for a cribbage board for Lando C and I as we had realised that watching the pegs race each other around the board is more exciting than counting gates of five on a piece of paper. Sadly I wasn't able to find one there but there are a few lovely ones on Ebay. I like this one and this one but I think they are beyond my budget.

Even though I didn't get what I went out for, I did find a couple of unusual bargains. It's amazing what you can find at the bottom of a forgotten box in a charity shop.



This is a box of eight rubber stamps mounted on clear 4cm plastic cylinders representing British coins from about 1983-84. The only coin stamp with a date is the 20p piece with 1982 but the pound coin, also in the collection only came into circulation in 1983. This set also includes the ½ penny piece that went out of circulation after 1984 and the larger 50p, 10p and 5p pieces that were shrunk in the early 1990's. I think they may have been designed for teachers to devise monetary problems in school math lessons, but I don't remember ever seeing such things when I was a child. I like them though because they remind me of the era I grew up in. They were a bargain at 99p.




My other 99p bargain from the bottom of the box is this medium sized wooden flower press. I don't know how old it is but it's in good condition. I had hoped to find some flowers still in it when I opened it up although I am content with the used blotting papers instead. I already have a miniature flower press ideal for travelling but it has limited capacity and this one will help press some of the larger flowers in our garden.

Cereal Killer

Where have I been for the past seven days? Last Thursday, I nursed a pretty severe beer injury - or should I say Banrock Station assault, all from drinking at home. I wasn't home alone but I may as well have been because the next day I felt a similar kind of embarrassment and self-loathing.

So, Thursday I vowed to give up the booze and go on that diet I've been wafting around the past month and a half. At least until Vegas (did I mention I'm going to Vegas?) when I can go on a feeding frenzy and not feel too bad about those extra pounds. So, the next day, Lando C and I started the Kelloggs Two Week Challenge even though I hate cereal and he doesn't need to lose any weight. He hasn't given up the booze like me - he feels that's a bit militant. I on the other hand am just about ready to kill someone.

So far I have gained two pounds and then lost two pounds. I've got one week and one day left to go and in the meantime I have to live with the fact that I can barely concentrate, I keep going deaf in one ear and I feel a nauseous buzzing sensation from time to time. I am debating whether the Kelloggs Two Week Challenge is going to make it into the Paradise Circus Hall of Hate but I should wait up for a few days and see if my body has any intention of giving any of itself up.

Political Knitting - An Act of Rebellion

As reported in the Guardian yesterday, "If more people knitted, the world would be a more peaceful place." Sadly, I'll be off to Vegas when the Knit 2 Together exhibition opens at the Crafts Council Gallery, London N1, on February 24. In the meantime though, I can knit my own Purse Hand-Grenade with this easy to follow pattern.

Last night we watched one of the flicks I missed in the cinema from 2004 - Dodgeball. There wasn't as many one-liners as I'd hoped for but visually it was hilarious. I do now wonder if Justin Long is capable of having children anymore. The movie reminded me of Ultimate so much, the ADAA (UKUA? WFDA?UPA?), the random team names, how everyone gets excited about getting team shirts made and going to indoor practise in a stinky gymnasium. I would be suprised if Ultimate had been covered in Obscure Sports Quarterly.

Tonight we're going to the Broadway to see Sideways and catch a bit to eat in the Mezz.

Another Discovery!

Not mine this time. It doesn't matter though! Fortune Cookie's street art gallery is a great find. She has some other cool stuff too!

Urban Art - Roadside Rose

Today I was able to take the image I'd hoped to take at the weekend were it not for the Sunday lie-in calling me as usual. This metal rose is bolted to the railings at the bottom of Huntingdon Street outside the petrol station on the corner. I spotted it last week although it hides itself well from passers-by being fixed so close to the ground.

I've been wondering why it's there, thinking maybe it was a piece of uncommissioned urban art. I liked that idea, especially as I've been thinking of drawing together a series of photographs capturing random acts of art that seem to be pop up in urban areas, and then swiftly get removed by the council.

Now though, looking at it again and where it is situated, I think maybe it is a permanent wreath dedicated to someone caught in an accident at the pedestrian crossing there. There is another crossing a bit further down the road outside the ice-stadium that constantly has withered flowers tied with sellotape and string to the railings. It makes me feel sad every time I drive by them.

This roadside rose is a little bit rusty and looks really out of place, and whatever it is there for, it must be very personal to someone. I think it is quite beautiful. I've put a couple of other images which show its colours and how it is fixed to the railing at Flickr.