A Wedding Group Photo

Photography


A Wedding Group Photo
Originally uploaded by feelinglistless.

Surprisingly the box of slides also includes a series of wedding photos which seem to be of an unrelated set of people. They're obviously not the official photos and have been taken just before or just after the moment the official photographer was looking for. Unlike the holiday snaps they're rendered in technicolor, with vibrant shades. My question here is who the man in the pale suit is when the other two men look so funerial. And how come all the dresses have their own individual styles when the tradition is for them all to have the same cut.

[The odd colour glitches cropped up even after a couple of tries at scanning even though they aren't in the original image.]

'It's oh so quiet. Shhh. Shhh. It's oh so still. I'm all alone....'

Life Mum and Dad are away for the weekend so I've had the run of the flat. Sometimes its good to spend time purely alone. I didn't do anything all that exciting -- watched some dvds, spent more time than I expected answering an email and ate some bolognaise for tea. But for the first time in ages, the only sounds I hear are the splash of water against the window, the fan from the pc, the ping of a kettle and the clack of my fingers across the keyboard.

It's a bit erie.

In fact it's too quiet.

Let's see what WinAmp has to say on the subject.

Suede's Trash. That's better.

Another circus tent has started its temporary stay in Sefton Park's parade field which backs onto our flats. It's a shame it wasn't here when Boris went for his walk around the park -- he might have thought someone was trying to send him a message and he could have conducted himself better. This time I'll be hearing the sound of 'The Circus of the Street' twice daily -- and I dread to thing what that will be like. Luckily the new windows we have in the flat are fairly well proofed so the impact won't be too much. I like circuses, but you usually only have to experience them once as a visitor -- having the excitement which goes with the people arriving and leaving and the show in between can become ... irritating after a while. Perhaps I should have been enjoying the silence while it lasted.

Links for 2004-10-22 [del.icio.us]

Links for 2004-10-22 [del.icio.us]

  • New York Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2005
    A retrospective photography of what looks for all the world like a tribal gathering
  • Lost in music
    Alex Petridis listens to every new cd release in October 2004 and goes slightly mad. With this kind of stuff on offer is it any wonder I'm listening to an old Lisa Loeb album right now?
  • Tanner 88 on BBC Four
    I wasn't old enough to care when this appeared first time, so it's really amazing to see BBC Four rerunning this over the next week, with the modern sequel to follow.
  • Errol Morris Election '04 Switch Ads
    In what increasingly feels like a global election, here are some campaign ads which documentarian Errol Morris directed. Dubya can't really win the next election. Can he?
  • Film of the Day: Nixon (1995)
    Who would have thought Paul Sorvino could make a more convincing Henry Kissinger than the man himself?
  • RollingStone magazine interviews John Kerry
    It's an extraordinary thing. And this is the thing. I couldn't imagine another politician just sounding so normal on this line of questioning, especially in the section about Vietnam films.
  • Is a 'real' Truman show a good idea?
    Yes, another link from The Guardian, but this a neat round-up inspired by a new German reality tv show. Although didn't we have 'Castaway' on a Scottish Island in 2000?
  • Pong Story
    Bing Bong, Bing Bong, Bing. Bing, Bong, Bing Bong Bong.
  • Portrait of a Woman at the Beach

    Photography


    Portrait of a Woman at the Beach
    Originally uploaded by feelinglistless.

    This is perhaps the most normal picture in the collection. Why should this portrait in particular be grounded in this reality? But it does demonstrate very well what has always been clear -- that how people look has changed dramatically over the years, even from the time this photo was taken.

    'Oh bugger this...'

    Life I've just spent the past ten or so minutes writing what I believe may be the most boring paragraph ever commited to keyboard. See if you can spot the moment when my critical faculties staged a partial coup and took over suggesting I might want to post it ironically instead:
    "I've spent some of the first day of what the French call vacances listening listening to Douglas Adams At The BBC (more of which elsetime). Since I like to do something mindless which I can do with only a little bit of concentration when I'm listing to these things I was also wading, with the help of WinAmp, through the now 17+ days of music on my computer. It's all legal, all my cd collection. The problem is that there is a mass of repetition in the files. I'm a bit of a compilation hoarder and since the same things keep cropping up on those discs, they're on my hard disk over and over. I found four copies of James' Sit Down alone. It's incredibly difficult to spot these. I've tried software which looks for repeats but it was horribly inaccurate and slow. So the only workable method is manual. Which means typing in a band name or title and see how many times it's in there. My efforts were eventually hand strung by be poor memory and also the way that the unseen volunteers who update Gracenotes list for said compilations, information which is downloaded when you rip a cd. The logical way would be to tag each track individually with title, artist and album name. Instead they bunch the first two in the title field, presumably because it's quicker to type, so it becomes 'Some Song / That Artist', with the actual artist field left blank, or more usually with 'Various Artists'. So now I'm in the slow process of going in and actually splitting the information out into the correct fields ... oh bugger this ...
    Did I spend a few hours this afternoon doing this? Yes. Was it worth writing about on the weblog? No. I've often wondered why I haven't ever gone into the ultra-minutae of my daily life on here. It's because it results in the 270 odd words which you've just snoozed through.

    Links for 2004-10-21 [del.icio.us]

    Links for 2004-10-21 [del.icio.us]

  • Calatrava's Classical Greek
    Behind the architecture of the Olympic Stadium.
  • 101 years in 101 words
    An interesting intellectual challenge
  • "I have a thing for girls who say aboot."
    Kevin Smith cameos on the unseen in the UK 'Degrassi: The Next Generation' "The episodes, which will air early next year, have Smith playing himself directing the next Jay and Silent Bob movie, "Jay And Silent Bob Canadian, Eh?"
  • HomeComputer.jpg 800x600
    The first computer was designed by Captain Nemo
  • Not Nick Nolte's Diary
    Oh well. "We always thought it was absurd enough and strange enough that it would be apparent to anyone who read it [that it was parody]," Newton said. The problem is that we all think that Nolte is strange enough to actually have that life.
  • BUSH KERRY BUSH KERRY BUSH KERRY BUSH KERRY
    Probably the most zen Metafilter post ever. Worth visiting for the comments of disbelief, the deletion reason and a rather odd picture of Jack Black at a Kerry rally with what look like the candidate's daughters.
  • Turner Prize Nominees
    True to form I haven't heard of any of them. Less interestingly women apparently didn't produce any interesting art this year. Which will be news to those who had work at the predominantly female Liverpool Biennial.
  • Joss Whedon posts to Whedonesque for the first time, and about the US Election.
    A hundred people get very excited. Including me. Shiny. Is it me or do more people seem to care about the outcome of this election than the last. I wonder what would have happened then if the same muck had been raked.
  • Film of the Day: 84 Charing Cross Road (1987)
    Film of a book which might not have existed in the email age
  • Qatar is going to substitute its camel race jockeys with robots
    I'm now imagining a remake of SeaBiscuit with C-3PO.
  • Remember this?

    The Road To Beijing Laura Baldwin in action at the third RYA Holt Ranking series 2004:
    "In the girl?s single-handed class, Athens Team GB sailor, Laura Baldwin was back on home waters. Having finished second and fourth in the first two races, she soon acclimatised to the cooler conditions of England by beating Lizzie Vickers by four points overall. In third was Andrea Brewster whose impressive first day awarded her a podium position from Chris Gill in fourth."
    Which I think means she did quite well.

    'One step lower on the list...'

    Site News Unfortunately FeedBurner is being a bit tardy with the compiled list of links so if you want to see what I added to Delicious yesterday, you'll have to go look at the site itself. In other news the top secret collaborative blog has gathered some enthusiastic participants but it would be nice to have a few more, and I know some people who read the site would be ultraqualified and it would be great to have on-board. I don't want to actually print what it is up here, because I like surprises, but it really is quite interesting. Finally, in a wierd bit of meta, one of my delicious links turned up at ReBlog, which is being run by the 'Six Apart' people at present. It's always fun to see your weblog listed at a site you really admire, even if on reflection the accompanying text I chose is a bit ambiguous.

    'Holiday. Celebrate ...'

    Life Finished work today and slipped into seventeen days of what Americans call a vacation As always, I feel myself relax, my shoulders lifting, my mind bursting with activity as I wonder abour all the things I can be doing. Then I feel the slight anti-climax as I realise that its really just the time I don't spend at work, only more so. Then I get the lift again when it occurs to me that this is a good thing, that I can get on with all the little projects I want to, get around to all the film and tv which has been mounting up, and of course the Christmas shopping. 10 days until I'm 30 though. Hmmm...

    Links for 2004-10-20 [del.icio.us]

    Links for 2004-10-20 [del.icio.us]

  • Little Britain meets the new Doctor Who logo.
    "Russell: That One." "Designer: Are you sure?"
  • Wired News: When War Games Meet Video Games
    "Would you like to play a game?"
  • Oh hell, he was sleeping within one square mile of me last night.
    "Mr Johnson even spent last night at a small hotel in the Sefton Park suburb of Liverpool, checking in under the pseudonym Mr Birkenshaw."
  • Monica Potter surfaces
    The girl who could have been the next Julia Roberts is playing second fiddle to Spader and The Shat on 'Boston Legal'. Oh and 'The Onion' says some other stuff about UStv some of which I'm never likely to see.
  • Gay Nazi Sex Vicar in Schoolgirl Vice Knickers Disco Lawnmower Shock
    It's a weblog. That's bonkers. Wha-hey!
  • Film of the Day: Dangerous Minds (1995)
    One of the few Ninties blockbusters I never got around to seeing. Until tonight. Grippingly bad. Except for the John Neville cameo, simply because it was so unexpected.
  • 'I'm Going Down To Liverpool ...'

    Life Yes, Liverpool is the centre of the universe again in media terms. As well as the visit by Boris Johnson (typical that he'd go to LIPA first -- what where you thinking? Oh right, you weren't, not at all), the council voting this evening to ban smoking in enclosed work places there is Taxi TV, the television station which is spreading spore-like through the city's cabs. It appears to be a small plasma screen plugged into a laptop running Windows Media Player on random and sits on the left hand side of the driver, the peaking through their window towards the passenger seats. The content is a mix of advertisements, informercials and advertisments.

    A similar concept was tried in the city's buses for a while. It didn't work then and doesn't work now. The problem is that the length of the average journey is such that the programmes need to be short and punch, which doesn't lead to much depth. Also because the sound is frequently inaudible it has to work much of the time in visuals and these tend to be quite bland. The only glimmer of life are presented slots in which a Liverpudlian girl getting her 'big break' who visits various shops and tourist attractions. She has an easy manner and in fact one of the slots I've seen in which she was shown about a museum by former-Everton manager Howard Kendall was quite poigniant. But in general, the only way this could work with a much greater variety and quality of programmes, possibly with a much bigger media partner such as the BBC.

    Links for 2004-10-19 [del.icio.us]

    Links for 2004-10-19 [del.icio.us]

  • Blogademia
    "This Blog relates to my academic study of blogs. It details how my experiment is going. It's my getting into the spirit of my medium."
  • A very good copy?
    My own experience of trying to enjoy the artistic merits of the Mona Lisa
  • The Mona Lisa experience
    Amelia Gentleman spent a day with the Mona Lisa. "She must be one of the ugliest women in the world," a teenager mutters.
  • Review of "The Last Starfighter: The Musical"
    By ASCII by Jason Scott.
  • Boris apologises
    "What on earth was I thinking of?"
  • Film of the Day: Electric Dreams (1984)
    "Because the friendship that you gave has taught me to be brave...." See you Fani.
  • Links for 2004-10-18 [del.icio.us]

  • 1001 Self Portraits
    For the self obsessed at heart.
  • The new Doctor Who logo
    I think it will look quite good animated. I'm assuming just the texty font bit (which I like) will appear on books and things. I'm not sure how it will work otherwise.
  • First Draft Script of 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'
    Seems to feature an even more pubishing structure. But interesting to see how much survived right through to the end.
  • Being Charlie Kaufman
    Why have I not been reading this more?
  • Look At Me
    Not the Geri Halliwell track (or Carla Bruni for that matter) but a much larger version of the daily holiday snaps which I've been putting about. This one feels more like Poliakoff's 'Shooting the Past'
  • C4 rebuked for Big Brother brawl
    Can you believe this only happened in mid-July? Feels like years ago ...
  • Rent a house on Montauk Beach
    You too can be David and Ruth Laskin.
  • Liberating Mary
    "The seeds of my rescue began in the late 1970s, when I visited the gallery but couldn’t find a painting of Wollstonecraft."
  • Film of the Day: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Couldn't really be anything else. Probably the film of the year. Certainly, like 'Groundhog Day' one which I'll keep returning to.
  • Suw Charman on The Ladder Theory
    I don't think you're a nutter.
  • The most predictable reaction ever?
    Perhaps when our election comes around, The New York Times should repeat the exercise and get a bunch of US citizens write to the residents of Henley (or somewhere). Take that Boris!
  • Marvellous interview with Jaime Hernandez of 'Love & Rockets' fame
    You can hear it too. Why can't more websites offer this option. It seems like the perfect extension of the medium.
  • Creep de Radiohead
    'Creep .... Creep .... Creep ....' (satisfied that only one person reading this will get that in-joke. Right, let's move on.
  • Jeffrey Zeldman Presents: The Ad Graveyard
  • Minnie Driver
    ... develops an official website. Mixed reviews so far for the album. I think they're just stunned by the largese.
  • 'What -- U2?'

    Who I haven't written one of these in a while. There is a lot of news knocking around anyway so I didn't think I could bring anything new to the console. But we're reaching the time that the Eighth Doctor drifts into past Doctor status as the novels, audios and comics all stop regular production. In the novels, although the ongoing plotline draws to a close, they'll be cleverly setting any new stories within the existing timeline. So we'll see some more of the amnesiatic Doctor on Earth during the century he was stranded here, or with his original companion Sam. The fourth season of Big Finish stories will be the final time he appears on monthly mass, but he will be appearing mixed in with Pete, Col and Sylv, with a stand alone booked for next July. I hope by the end of this run he'll return to normal space -- I'd like to see how the increasingly interesting Cr'zz copes with that.

    Finally, the comics are were some really exciting things are happening. They're currently running an epic piece in which London is overrun with some new form of Cybermen from the future -- it's all pretty dire and could run for months. Reading the message boards at Outpost Gallifrey they let slip that Russell T Davies will be writing the first adventure for the Ninth Doctor in the strip when the new series gets underway on tv. So here is my theory. I think the latest story is the last for the Paul McGann shaped timelord (sacrificing himself in a last ditch attempt to remove the Cyber-threat) and at the end he will regenerate into Mr. Eccleston. It would be a fairly audatious way promote what has been an unfairly neglected segment of the Whoniverse and also give the interested something extra to look at. It's like I always said. It's coming back!

    'Another repeat...'

    Idea Just a quick repost in case anyone missed it last time. I've had an idea for a collaborative weblog. Just a simple thing set up at Blogspot, easy to post to and quite interesting. I don't want to say what it is here (ideas currency and all that) so anyone want to know more should email rather than leave a comment. feelinglistless@btopenworld.com [I've had a few emails expressing interest with positive reactions so at least I know it's not a horrible idea].

    Woman in a red dress in front of a white house

    Photography


    Woman in a red dress in front of a white house
    Originally uploaded by feelinglistless.

    Like so many of these photos, the focus of the picture seems a little off -- what is the actual subject. Are we trying to sell the property? If so, there is a worrying fear in the eyes of the pensioners. What else lurks in there?

    'Meet me in Montauk...'

    Life I'm feeling fairly extant this evening. Given my new hours at work, and that today was the first day of those hours, it's as though everything should have changed. But here I am at 10:20 in the evening writing for the weblog having just sat through the audio commentary on the dvd for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (and wish Charlie Kaufmann would say more about the work and process). Perhaps I'm identifying with Joel (Jim Carrey's character in the film) a little bit, with his feelings of loss but not quite being able to put his finger on of what (at least at the start of the film). Like I used to one kind of person and I've become someone else, and I'd really like to return to being that person I was, and I know it's possible, but if I force the issue with myself it'll be false, a facsimile. I should be happier trying to the me I am now. Whatever that is.

    Links for 2004-10-17 [del.icio.us]

    Links for 2004-10-17 [del.icio.us]

  • Just give me a break. On second thoughts ...
    Geoff Dyer of The Observer tries to watch tv in the US.
  • Don't be cruel
    Gareth McLean somehow forgets to mention that Tom Baker narrates 'Little Britain' while trying to piece together why its a success.
  • Rudy was here
    Interesting because it shows which companies take the time to actually read the letter.
  • Film of the Day: In This World (2002)
    Road movie with a tragic conscience
  • From Zero To Hero
  • Family feeds seagulls at the beach

    Photography


    Family feed seagulls at the beach
    Originally uploaded by feelinglistless.

    The filter on the camera makes the reds in each photo pop out. The woman looking away has a very haunted look on her face.

    [Just a reminder that this is not my photo. I bought a box of slides at a car boot sale a few years ago and inbetween the art pictures and oddly enough images of Apollo 16 were a series of photos of holidays, weddings and family life. They have an unusual quality to them which suggests not only a different time and place but also reality as though they mean something other. I'm posting them in case anyone has any idea what that might be.]

    Links for 2004-10-16 [del.icio.us]

    Links for 2004-10-16 [del.icio.us]

  • 'Sefton Park' by Monomatik
    It isn't often you find an obscure German EP with the title of the area you live in, which doesn't seem to have any connection to the place. "warm-hearted and fluffy yet serious musical dramas within a delightful and savoury popsetting."
  • How to See the British Museum in Four Visits
    Text of an 1852 guide book. Very much a paper version of the audio guides which are becoming the norm in museums lately and which I love. I just wish the headphones weren't always so intrusive.
  • 'Wonderfalls' dvd cover
    Anything which can make you nostalgic about a owning a 'View Master'.
  • Fisher Price's 'View-Master'
    Now come in a range of designs and colours. There is even one which simulates a microscope. Lucky kids.
  • The Rough Guide to Superheroes
    I'd be interested to see what their definition is. Doctor Who, in or out?
  • luxo
    A blog dedicated to Pixar Animation Studios
  • Kevin Smith saw 'Shaun of the Dead' at Quentin Tarantino's house
    Post-modern.
  • Star Wars Technical Commentaries
    "They would have had independent contractors working on that thing..." The scene from 'Clerks' stretched to an extraordinary degree.
  • 'Superman IV: The Quest For Peace' Review
    "There’s more blather but it’s making my head hurt. Anyway, I think you’ve got a pretty good idea of my disagreements with the film’s philosophies by now."
  • 'Superheroes' by Gyles Brandreth
    Slightly undermined by including Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys.
  • The Claim (2000)
    One of the missed classics of the past five years. An update of Hardy's 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' at the dawn of the modern United States.