Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
what we are not
most days i like to peek in to gatochy's blog ... she provides a great resource for image seekers, the blog is full of fun and ideas, and some serious stuff
today she gave some thought to hal, the computer in kubrick's 2001, a space oddysey
i have two disconnected thoughts to add ...
first, that like a lot of great art, 2001 tells us quite a lot about what we are ... by depicting what we are not
second, in retrospect, hal's voice sounds rather camp to me, which is probably something that kubrick was aware of
Sunday, February 03, 2008
"I'll be President of Europe if you give me the power" - Blair
... if you thought starting a catastrophic war "in good faith" looks good on his c.v. ... then why not ?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
shaun's birthday
our senior and best-loved driver is retiring today ... vic and rod do the honours
and then vic and glen see that shaun leaves the building on time and that his feet don't touch the ground
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
10 free writing courses wiv a lotta potenshul
located via the excellent metafilter website
http://education-portal.com/articles/10_Universities_Offering_Free_Writing_Courses_Online.html
http://education-portal.com/articles/10_Universities_Offering_Free_Writing_Courses_Online.html
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
a bargain from the excellent oxfam bookshop in reigate ... and a very short true story
i met a girl in a little country town who wanted to become a nurse and couldn't wait to leave school
to gain some experience, after taking her exams, she worked part-time for two weeks during her final summer term, at a local home that provided sheltered accomodation for the elderly
before catching the bus home to her village that afternoon, she ran around to my place to describe how, on her very first morning, she was quite startled when they asked her to go and bathe an old lady who was no longer able to leave her room
what did you do ?
i rolled up my sleeves of course !
.... and as she was undressing her, so she discovered that the old lady had a multitude of beautifully drawn tattoos ...
what did you think when you saw them ? i asked
i said to her ... blimey, i bet you could tell me a few stories ! where did you get them tattoos ?
and the old lady's reply began ... i was a dancer in paris during the nineteen twenties, my dear ...
next afternoon, same time, the girl came back to see me again
she had reported to the matron for instructions that morning
i'm afraid your old lady has died in the night ... could you go in and bathe her again ?
did you ? i asked
of course ! said the schoolgirl
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
turkish gun ... on a posh english gun carriage
i'm not fond of guns, but this one has some charm, and illustrates the peculiar vanity of those who bear arms ... made in 1524, "captured" ( does that mean looted ? ) by the british in egypt in 1801 .... when it was already two hundred and seventy something years old ...
the gun itself is said to have been made by murad, son of abdullah, chief gunner in 1524 for "the Solomon of the Age, the great Sultan Commander" ...
the carriage which supports the gun was "executed by mr. ponsonby" c.1804 and constructed in the royal carriage department, founded by J & E Hall, Dartford.
captain scott ... of the antarctic
and sterna suggested this link
which is exquisitely appropriate ... thanx
life's little ironies ... sooner or later, what goes around, comes around
an ukrainian restaurant has opened in one of the buildings that face the crimean war memorial
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