"I'm like the city of Gloster you can't get in unless you bring a pig." - Josie Long.
Sunday 24 June 2012
Saturday 23 June 2012
the Stories of Ray Bradbury
Golden Apples of the Sun & The One Who Waitshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/i/tf7b6/
Dear Reader.
I once said to my dad that I wanted to be like this writer when I grew up.
The second one of these "the one who waits" is absoloutely brilliant.
Such an old and often over done idea but done in a way that is so origional.
Dear Reader.
I once said to my dad that I wanted to be like this writer when I grew up.
The second one of these "the one who waits" is absoloutely brilliant.
Such an old and often over done idea but done in a way that is so origional.
Thursday 21 June 2012
The Plimoth Train
Dear Reader.
Someone killed themselves by throwing themselves in front of the train I'm on.
The train was late by twenty minutes and some people spent the entire train ride complaining about it.
Someone killed themselves by throwing themselves in front of the train I'm on.
The train was late by twenty minutes and some people spent the entire train ride complaining about it.
Tuesday 19 June 2012
A parradox.
Dear Reader
Sometimes I really can't be bothered to sleep because I have no reason to be awake the next morning.
Sometimes I really can't be bothered to sleep because I have no reason to be awake the next morning.
The Girl of Your Dreams.
Dear Reader.
Someone once told me that in dreams, our brains aren't quick enough that they can make up a face and a body on the spot so instead it has to remember faces. This means that our dreams are entirely occupied by people we have seen during our life time, they are all memories.
Well you may be thinking so what, but what you have to realise is this also means if you ever meet "the girl of your dreams" in your dreams then that means you've already seen them in real life and never actually got to know them.
Isn't that sad?
Someone once told me that in dreams, our brains aren't quick enough that they can make up a face and a body on the spot so instead it has to remember faces. This means that our dreams are entirely occupied by people we have seen during our life time, they are all memories.
Well you may be thinking so what, but what you have to realise is this also means if you ever meet "the girl of your dreams" in your dreams then that means you've already seen them in real life and never actually got to know them.
Isn't that sad?
Monday 18 June 2012
The Man in Black
Dear Reader.
my grandma almost hurt herself thanks to the Man in Black. Once when she was a girl, she was listening to the radio in the bath she heard the Man in Black's voice she jumped up out of the bath to turn it off and she slipped and fell.
Here's an Episode from the Edward de Suza era. I didn't know where to start, there are so many on YouTube if you care to look, hidden in the dark places. Let us then with no other sense of direction, start at with at the very beginning. Episode one.
Here's an Episode from the Edward de Suza era. I didn't know where to start, there are so many on YouTube if you care to look, hidden in the dark places. Let us then with no other sense of direction, start at with at the very beginning. Episode one.
Good night. Sweet dreams. Muhahaha!
Here's Some Stories.
Dear Reader
By sheer coincidence that the first eppisodes these three series all start this week and god help you I will post the following eppisodes every time I spot them come round.
Undone (series 2)-Ben Moor
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/7jwq5/
Night Watch-Terry Pratchett
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b010ns71/
The Man in Black (series 2)-Mark Gatiss
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/nlyg9/
I should tell you that series two of Undone might make slightly less sense to you because its one big story (series one is missing),but I should also tell you that Ben Moore and everything I've ever heard from him ("Elastic Planet" and "Undone" - radio series and "Ceolacanth" - one man show and short story) is impossibly charming and funny.
The Man in Black eppisodes however, stand compleately on their own. I also recomend the orrigional series called "fear on four" (featuring Edward de Souza as the Man in Black).
By sheer coincidence that the first eppisodes these three series all start this week and god help you I will post the following eppisodes every time I spot them come round.
Undone (series 2)-Ben Moor
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/7jwq5/
Night Watch-Terry Pratchett
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b010ns71/
The Man in Black (series 2)-Mark Gatiss
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/nlyg9/
I should tell you that series two of Undone might make slightly less sense to you because its one big story (series one is missing),but I should also tell you that Ben Moore and everything I've ever heard from him ("Elastic Planet" and "Undone" - radio series and "Ceolacanth" - one man show and short story) is impossibly charming and funny.
The Man in Black eppisodes however, stand compleately on their own. I also recomend the orrigional series called "fear on four" (featuring Edward de Souza as the Man in Black).
Product Placement
Dear Reader.
You know that point in the evening when the impotence adverts come on? Why is that? is that what impotent people do? They sit around late at night watching Dave, waiting for the Viagra to kick in.
You know that point in the evening when the impotence adverts come on? Why is that? is that what impotent people do? They sit around late at night watching Dave, waiting for the Viagra to kick in.
"I'm Here" 2010 a short film by Spike Jonze FULL
Oh there is nothing that I could say about this short Film that could make you watch it or explain why I like it so lets just say "WOW!"
Pre-apocolyptic Culture
Dear Reader.
Do you ever get the feeling that stuff has just started to stagnate recently in culture and music and tv and stuff? When was the last time you saw something that was nothing like anything you've seen before? Compleatly new, not derogative of anything else that came before it.
How about this, when was the last time there was a new movement? Like punk or jazz or blues or glam or rock or new-romantics or anything like that, or even a new pollitical movement.
Do you ever get the feeling that the human race has kind of sensed it's own death and knows there isn't much it can do about it so it's just sitting round untill it finally wipes itself out?
Do you ever get the feeling that stuff has just started to stagnate recently in culture and music and tv and stuff? When was the last time you saw something that was nothing like anything you've seen before? Compleatly new, not derogative of anything else that came before it.
How about this, when was the last time there was a new movement? Like punk or jazz or blues or glam or rock or new-romantics or anything like that, or even a new pollitical movement.
Do you ever get the feeling that the human race has kind of sensed it's own death and knows there isn't much it can do about it so it's just sitting round untill it finally wipes itself out?
Tea Pot
Dear Reader.
At nine o'clock this morning I thought this tea pot was too big now I'm finished.
Sunday 17 June 2012
Five Lines.
Dear Reader.
I have spent a whole day writing and re-writing the same bit of a story the same story trying to get it to the point where I could even bare reading it without the problems grinding in my head and all I have to show for it is five bloody lines.
This is the annoying thing about the way I write. I know that people don't really care about the things I obsess about but I know the problems are there and I know there's probably someone who's going to notice it, no matter how subliminally they do.
I've changed the italics in this post ten times now and the first line was completely different when I started.
I have spent a whole day writing and re-writing the same bit of a story the same story trying to get it to the point where I could even bare reading it without the problems grinding in my head and all I have to show for it is five bloody lines.
This is the annoying thing about the way I write. I know that people don't really care about the things I obsess about but I know the problems are there and I know there's probably someone who's going to notice it, no matter how subliminally they do.
I've changed the italics in this post ten times now and the first line was completely different when I started.
Does the Matrix Have a Screen Saver?
Dear Reader.
You know the old philosophical question what if our entire existence is just part of one big computer simulation? Like in the matrix? Well I think what is a much more compelling and even disturbing question is what if we're just a screen saver?
What if instead of being part of some really big computing equation we're actually just a decorative little moving image to pass the time before the computer goes on standby?
What happens when the technician wiggles the mouse and the computer really wakes up?
You know the old philosophical question what if our entire existence is just part of one big computer simulation? Like in the matrix? Well I think what is a much more compelling and even disturbing question is what if we're just a screen saver?
What if instead of being part of some really big computing equation we're actually just a decorative little moving image to pass the time before the computer goes on standby?
What happens when the technician wiggles the mouse and the computer really wakes up?
Vincent and the Doctor.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00spgsf/Doctor_Who_Series_5_Vincent_and_the_Doctor/
Dear Reader.
This is my favourite Doctor Who episode ever, ever. Really just beautifully sad. I cry every time.
Dear Reader.
This is my favourite Doctor Who episode ever, ever. Really just beautifully sad. I cry every time.
Sintel - Third Open Movie by Blender Foundation BlenderFoundation
Watch the film first!
Dear Reader.
I loved this video I don't know why I'd never thought of the idea of using a dragon to hunt birds but it was done really well here.
I knew what was going to happen at the end. That's the problem with studying creative writing is allot of the time I can spot a supprise ending a mile off. My dad is possibly the worst spoiler ever he can't help but ruin the ending to a story (probably why he became a vicar) but even when he's trying really hard I can usually guess the ending of the book even before I start reading it.
Dear Reader.
I loved this video I don't know why I'd never thought of the idea of using a dragon to hunt birds but it was done really well here.
I knew what was going to happen at the end. That's the problem with studying creative writing is allot of the time I can spot a supprise ending a mile off. My dad is possibly the worst spoiler ever he can't help but ruin the ending to a story (probably why he became a vicar) but even when he's trying really hard I can usually guess the ending of the book even before I start reading it.
Saturday 16 June 2012
Bad Day.
Dear Reader.
I had a terrible day yesterday. I didn't have any external reason to be unhappy or angry or to have a bad day its just I spent almost every moment on the edge of throwing something. It was probably some kind of chemical I had or hadn't consumed or some hormone that was or wasn't present in my blood or just lack of sleep, because I felt terrible and irritable all day. Do you ever have days like that, Reader? When everything's horrible and annoying for no particular reason? The main reason I'm posting this is if I had any contact with you yesterday, I am really sorry.
I had a terrible day yesterday. I didn't have any external reason to be unhappy or angry or to have a bad day its just I spent almost every moment on the edge of throwing something. It was probably some kind of chemical I had or hadn't consumed or some hormone that was or wasn't present in my blood or just lack of sleep, because I felt terrible and irritable all day. Do you ever have days like that, Reader? When everything's horrible and annoying for no particular reason? The main reason I'm posting this is if I had any contact with you yesterday, I am really sorry.
Friday 15 June 2012
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
I may have just found my idea of heaven.
The Great Distraction.
Dear Reader.
I really need to get off the internet at the moment. YouTube is too distracting. I once heard about a writer who once got so destracted by his internet that he destroyed his wi-fi conector and broke the internet cable on his work laptop just so it wouldn't bother him anymore.
I really need to get off the internet at the moment. YouTube is too distracting. I once heard about a writer who once got so destracted by his internet that he destroyed his wi-fi conector and broke the internet cable on his work laptop just so it wouldn't bother him anymore.
Thursday 14 June 2012
Rich by Rob Bell
Dear Reader.
THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS THEMES OF A RELIGIOUS NATURE! THOUGH ABOUT SOCIAL AND PERSONAL CHANGE (like all religions should) IT DOES CONTAIN REFERENCES THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN GOD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Though as with most of these videos I saw this this evening and I thought it was interesting and I thought you might want to look.
I'll try my hardest reader not to make this blog about christianity (I'm not going to try to convert you or anything), but your just going to have to accept that I'm a vicar's son and I'm a christian and I'm going to find things like this that are from Christian thinkers.
by the way you know the story I told a while ago from a man called "Peter Rollins" he's a Christian theologen and infact this guy is one of his friends.
THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS THEMES OF A RELIGIOUS NATURE! THOUGH ABOUT SOCIAL AND PERSONAL CHANGE (like all religions should) IT DOES CONTAIN REFERENCES THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN GOD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Though as with most of these videos I saw this this evening and I thought it was interesting and I thought you might want to look.
I'll try my hardest reader not to make this blog about christianity (I'm not going to try to convert you or anything), but your just going to have to accept that I'm a vicar's son and I'm a christian and I'm going to find things like this that are from Christian thinkers.
by the way you know the story I told a while ago from a man called "Peter Rollins" he's a Christian theologen and infact this guy is one of his friends.
A long short story
Dear Reader.
This is a story I heard quite a long while ago. It isn't mine and I can't remember who told it me but it goes like this;
It was a dark, cold and rather miserable night in the trenches and the soldiers were gathered round the fire huddled together for warmth telling stories and singing songs, until eventually it was the turn for their captain to tell a story. The captain had been a soldier almost all his life and his body and mind had been worn away by the years, and the things he'd seen, but they asked him with all his experience of war to tell them of a story heroism and comradeship, something that'll give them hope for the battle that was to come. The commander thought for a while then smiled and agreed and began tell his story. this is what he said;
"This is a story I heard quite a long while ago. It isn't mine and I can't remember who told it me but it goes like this;
It was a dark, cold and rather miserable night in the trenches and the soldiers were gathered round the fire huddled together for warmth telling stories and singing songs, until eventually it was the turn for their captain to tell a story. The captain had been a soldier almost all his life and his body and mind had been worn away by the years, and the things he'd seen, but they asked him with all his experience of war to tell them of a story heroism and comradeship, something that'll give them hope for the battle that was to come. The commander thought for a while then smiled and agreed and began tell his story. this is what he said;
'This is a story I heard quite a long while ago. It isn't mine and I can't remember who told it me but it goes like this...'"
This is a story I heard quite a long while ago. It isn't mine and I can't remember who told it me but it goes like this;
It was a dark, cold and rather miserable night in the trenches and the soldiers were gathered round the fire huddled together for warmth telling stories and singing songs, until eventually it was the turn for their captain to tell a story. The captain had been a soldier almost all his life and his body and mind had been worn away by the years, and the things he'd seen, but they asked him with all his experience of war to tell them of a story heroism and comradeship, something that'll give them hope for the battle that was to come. The commander thought for a while then smiled and agreed and began tell his story. this is what he said;
"This is a story I heard quite a long while ago. It isn't mine and I can't remember who told it me but it goes like this;
It was a dark, cold and rather miserable night in the trenches and the soldiers were gathered round the fire huddled together for warmth telling stories and singing songs, until eventually it was the turn for their captain to tell a story. The captain had been a soldier almost all his life and his body and mind had been worn away by the years, and the things he'd seen, but they asked him with all his experience of war to tell them of a story heroism and comradeship, something that'll give them hope for the battle that was to come. The commander thought for a while then smiled and agreed and began tell his story. this is what he said;
'This is a story I heard quite a long while ago. It isn't mine and I can't remember who told it me but it goes like this...'"
Wednesday 13 June 2012
Light Bulb.
Dear Reader.
You have no idea how many goes it took for me to get the picture at the bottom of this post. Its a picture of weird light bulb my dad bought in Barcelona in a habitat shop. Its a shop which used to exist in Britain that fed my rather weird obsession with modern design (I know how posh this sounds but I didn't go anywhere, I didn't buy any computer games, books were cheep and I hadn't yet discovered the ukulele. What else am I supposed to do with my saved up pocket money on? I found design fascinating and I did have a strong interest in "resistant materials" at school, so it kind of made sense) and unfortunately it went out of business in Britain (I don't quite get why the rest of Europe still gets it ).
The Flower's quite pretty isn't it? Even when its not turned on, I still look at it.
Amos.
Dear ReaderThis is how my nephew Amos plays with his cars. I think its so everything in the right kind of proportion to real life. The best description to what I'm actually doing when I'm "watching" him is actually probably closer to "studying".
I like Amos now, he can talk and run about and stuff. No one admits it to new parents but babies are incredibly boring, they sit around in a blob and eat, sleep, cry, crap and vomit.
Not only that but they make conversation incredibly dull. In general they always become the centre of the attention and loud things like laughter or heated conversation are completely out of the question, because they spend so much time sleeping that everyone around them takes up the kind of nervous caution used by the bomb squad. If he wakes up you will pay.
Whereas now Amos is kind of fun. At the very least he seems to be a person, he has a sense of humour, of sorts, if he wants things he'll either ask or go get it himself, he can speak and he has opinions about things, even if its about whether there's such a thing as a "tram" (they don't exist, they are all buses apparently).
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Another Bedtime Story.
Dear Reader.
This is a retelling of a modern parable I first heard in a YouTube video from a man called Peter Rollins.
'There once was a vicar who was woken in the middle of the night by someone banging frantically on her front door, so she went down stairs and opened the door. Standing there was a man. His hair was scraggy and he still was in his pyjamas and he’d clearly had trouble sleeping and before she could say anything the man interupted and started talking;
“We’ve got to do something!" he said hurriedly, “there’s this couple I know who have two children, a son and a daughter, and the other week the man lost his job and his wife is terribly sick and if they don’t pay their rent they’re going to be thrown out of their home, onto the street and I thought that if the church could organise some sort of fund raiser we might be able to get enough money together they might be able to keep their home until the man can find a job.”
Now fully awake and getting her coat ready to go out into the town and rally the troops, the vicar answered, “this sounds like an excellent idea, these people are so clearly in need, but there’s one thing you haven’t explained. How do you know this family? Are you a relative?”
The man looked surprised.
“Oh no” said the man, “I’m their landlord.”'
“Oh no” said the man, “I’m their landlord.”'
We Are Now LIVE
Dear Reader.
I've finally shared the fact that I have a blog on my Facebook profile (oh dear god what have I done) so I suppose its official now. Now I really don't know what I'm doing...
...
...err...hello?
I've finally shared the fact that I have a blog on my Facebook profile (oh dear god what have I done) so I suppose its official now. Now I really don't know what I'm doing...
...
...err...hello?
Toddling Art Critic
Dear Reader
I went to the Barbra Hepworth museum/gallery today with my dad. I'm quite glad that my parents took me round modern art museums when I was little (most of them are FREE), it does remove some of the snobbery and preciousness of galleries when you've been round one as a toddler. for example Barbra Hepworth's sculptures are mostly a fairly boring series of shapes and use far too much turquoise bronze. You do find yourself thinking "oh good another oval shaped bit of bronze with a hole in it".
The best thing about being used to galleries is you realise sometimes artists are actually trying to be funny and sometimes they aren't really trying to make a point but are just trying to make a good mix of colours (like wall paper).
Often really it comes down to how you feel when you look at a piece of art even if it annoyance when you realise anyone could have made it (and with the case of Damian Hurst someone else has made it).
I went to the Barbra Hepworth museum/gallery today with my dad. I'm quite glad that my parents took me round modern art museums when I was little (most of them are FREE), it does remove some of the snobbery and preciousness of galleries when you've been round one as a toddler. for example Barbra Hepworth's sculptures are mostly a fairly boring series of shapes and use far too much turquoise bronze. You do find yourself thinking "oh good another oval shaped bit of bronze with a hole in it".
The best thing about being used to galleries is you realise sometimes artists are actually trying to be funny and sometimes they aren't really trying to make a point but are just trying to make a good mix of colours (like wall paper).
Often really it comes down to how you feel when you look at a piece of art even if it annoyance when you realise anyone could have made it (and with the case of Damian Hurst someone else has made it).
Monday 11 June 2012
A Short Horror Story.
Dear Reader.
The shortest horror story I know goes like this.
"The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door..."
Goodnight.
(Extract from Fredric Brown's short story "Knock".)
The shortest horror story I know goes like this.
"The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door..."
Goodnight.
(Extract from Fredric Brown's short story "Knock".)
Sponsored and Aproved by, Billy Bragg.
I got to hear about her through Billy Bragg's FaceBook page actually, I just remembered. He posted the song below (not on Spotify) which is also good.
Billy Bragg's good also too but I'm not posting any of his music yet.
If you haven't heard of him just look for your self...
...
...and frankly you should be ashamed if you haven't.
How To Be Alone By Tanya Davis
By now I'd imagine most of my friends have already seen it but we may have just met, Dear Reader or you may be one of my friends who've ignored this every time I posted it or you may like it and may want to see it again, either way I hope that you'll watch it and think about it because it might help.
That's why everyone shares things on the internet, isn't it? It creates a shared world.
Blog Virgin
Dear Reader
I should warn you that this is my first Blog and I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm not even particularly sure why I called it a "Holliday Blog", I'm not going to be on holiday for a long while (though I suppose I am on uni holiday). I'm not even particularly sure who's going to read this (I haven't told anyone on Facebook yet) I'm just going to keep writing this as a writing exercise, see what happens and hopefully avoid embarrassment.
P.S. I may just change the name of this thing (probably too generic don't you think?). Since I keep starting with "Dear Reader" I might just change to that.
I should warn you that this is my first Blog and I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm not even particularly sure why I called it a "Holliday Blog", I'm not going to be on holiday for a long while (though I suppose I am on uni holiday). I'm not even particularly sure who's going to read this (I haven't told anyone on Facebook yet) I'm just going to keep writing this as a writing exercise, see what happens and hopefully avoid embarrassment.
P.S. I may just change the name of this thing (probably too generic don't you think?). Since I keep starting with "Dear Reader" I might just change to that.
High School Bullies
Dear Reader
I went to my old High School today. My dad runs this lunch time group every week which I used to go to called "Crunch" (short for "Christians who lunch". He's a vicar.) as a kind of hide out for some of the kids there and as an excuse to eat biscuits. So I went along and I found just walking through the corridors of the place, I felt myself shrink back and all my self-esteem drain from me. How is it that even now when I'm nineteen years old and at university pretending to be an adult (because let’s face it everyone is just pretending to be what they think is "grown up"), I can still end up being put down by a bunch of fourteen year olds?
I miss Sheffield "where no one knows your name". When you live in a city you can do and dress whatever way you want because no one gives a damn whether you live or die and there's something incredibly liberating about that invisibility.
The Glasses Conspirisory
Dear Reader.
I woke up this morning to find I'd completely lost my glasses and in an empty house, there's a point where you just start to think "well that's it I'm going to be blind forever".
I must've been really tired because at one point I started thinking it was actually part of an evil plot to keep me inside the house.
I don't know by who...but what's the point of a still dreaming half-awake mind if it can't make up an interesting story every now and then?
Found them on my bookshelf. Black rimmed glasses, on a black bookshelf, seen through blurry eyes, in relative darkness. I'm surprised I found them at all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)