Day to Day
Blogger Where reason is lost
I hardly ever update this site, so you need to check out my blog for all the small things that pass the occasional dull/slow/quiet moment (there really aren't enough of those these days).
Photos
Flickr The place for shots and snaps
I tend to use flickr these days for everything, from family snaps to product shoots. Recent entries include a quick shoot for Cotic, some playful snaps using my old macro lens, test shots with some resurrected ancient lenses and of course my holiday snaps from Sedona and Moab in January.
In a hurry? Just check these few photos then:
Thanks
Bleeping marvelous Downloads the right way
Recently my laptop was liberated from me. With the hardware went a lot of music I've downloaded rather than ripped from cd. Music I thought was gone for good. I emailed companies I'd bought music from over the web, asking if I could re-download tracks that were lost, expecting little or no reply. How wrong I was in one instance! The good people at www.bleep.com emailed me straight back and offered to help, asking for the order numbers. They made the tracks available to download the same day, and I'm listening to them again already! Including ancient classics. Of course they're all super-high quality DRM free mp3 files that put all other pay for download services to shame.
Recommended from amoungst the music I recovered;
> Gescom - The Sounds Of Machines Our Parents Used
> Gravenhurst - Black Holes In The Sand
> Gravenhurst - Fires in distant buildings
> Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To (Erol Alkan's Glam Racket)
Rant
Robots Save Lives T-shirts and Bags
Unlike most of Britain I have a very utilitarian attitude to cars. They get me where I need to go, and I feel no need to live out any Formula1 or RAC Rally fantasies. This might go someway to explaining why I feel no antipathy towards speed cameras on our narrow dimly lit residential streets. I'd much rather have those cheery camera signs, or robots as our 3 year old calls them, persuading me to slow down than car and back breaking speed bumps. Despite, or perhaps because, no-one seems to share my attitude I've created a range of bags and t-shirts celebrating the speed camera sign. Available from the shop.
Soundadvice
Happy Songs... - Mogwai CD Album
This 'not quite a full album' collection of meandering instrumentals is a joy. Uplifting melodies barely poke themselves above the surface of a sea of beautifully created guitar soundscapes. Think of the hypnotic feedback of Spacemen3 with the melodic instincts of an experimental New Order. Good music that evokes the directness found in a good song, without resorting to anything as obvious as words. 5 Tracks - John Cale CD EP
Big sounds meet subtle song writing in this curiosity from former Velvet Underground member. The variety of moods and song structures to be found in this short collection of songs may be off-putting to many listeners. Despite the natural vocal delivery and acoustic sounding instrumentation used, you are never allowed to settle into the comfortable frame of mind you expect from such a traditional sound. It's the unexpected twists that follow every theme that makes this CD such an enjoyable listen.
Soundsnoop
Weekly Artists Chart
Who needs privacy? Here you can find out if I'm really spending all my time listening to classical music, or Kylie. Just think how useful simple tracking technology like this will soon be to the marketing engines of big business, or your employer? Johnny's been listening to anarchic music and visiting holiday destination websites again, should he be the first one out the door when the cut backs start? Thanks to last.fm for showing what's now possible, for better or worse.
Absolute Zero Mix
There'll be something new 'soon', but for now make sure you've listened to, 'Light Relief,' before it's gone. Expect fluffy party pop followed by shallow music to dance to, some mumbling rumbling noise to wind you down and then just a tiny bit of class at the end to lift the standard.
