Random cat with 3 dandelions

Random cat with 3 dandelions, originally uploaded by moclaydon.

Actually not so random, this is one of the senior cat's best buddies, they have a shared basking spot under the front garden hedge. Still ailing, seems like it's an infection on an imploded filling that's causing the problem, nasty feverish dreams last night when the painkillers wore off.....don't want to talk about it because I can't get a dental appointment till next week.......

SO.....MOVING SWIFTLY ON TO OTHER STUFF.......

A couple of arty farty free software downloads for your delectation

'Alchemy is an open drawing project aimed at exploring how we can sketch, draw, and create on computers in new ways. Alchemy isn’t software for creating finished artwork, but rather a sketching environment that focuses on the absolute initial stage of the creation process. Experimental in nature, Alchemy lets you brainstorm visually to explore an expanded range of ideas and possibilities in a serendipitous way.' You can even create art by talking into your microphone......haven't tried that yet though!
Versions available for Mac, Windows and Linux

MyPaint is 'a fast and easy open-source graphics application for digital painters. It lets you focus on the art instead of the program. You work on your canvas with minimum distractions, bringing up the interface only when you need it.' Versions available for Windows and Linux

Last link of the day.....I came across this interesting photography blog yesterday

They say '500 photographers is a weblog that posts 5 active photographers a week for 100 weeks. The photographers can be from any discipline within the photographic range, but they have to be worth looking at and have a certain level of quality. When we get to number 500, we will have a deep database of great photographers.' Today's post was for No 25.......worth a click and a bookmark maybe!

STOP PRESS.....BONUS LINK.....Almost forgot to post this one......Seeing as it's the day after election day, this is as close as I'm going to get to any political comment except to say it's suitably depressing.....just watch out for the soma spray people.....

Click to download mp3s of Side 1 and Side 2

Gratuitous quote.......

"No shoving there now!" shouted the Deputy Sub-Bursar in a fury. He slammed down the lid of his cash-box. "I shall stop the distribution unless I have good behaviour" 

The Deltas muttered, jostled each other a little, and then were still. The threat had been effective. Deprivation of Soma - appalling thought! 

"That's better'" said the young man, and re-opened his cash box.

......not that I'm a pessimistic old git......what me?......nah, no way!

Sunday already

Not sure where Saturday went to!

I'm not a huge fan of February.....it's neither nowt nor summat if you know what I mean, with winter hanging on by it's fingernails and spring not quite on the horizon. Plus, I've got sciatica so I'm feeling a bit grumpy (that would be an undestatement!) Having said that it was lovely down on the seafront this morning, still damned chilly though!

OTHER STUFF

Came across this site on Friday that looks like it might be fun for all you photographers out there.... "Noticings are interesting things that you stumble across when out and about. You play Noticings by uploading your photos to Flickr, tagged with 'noticings' and geotagged with where they were taken. Each turn is a day, and at 3pm GMT every day photos from the previous day are imported from Flickr and the scores calculated. Noticings aren't very transient things, like people, and you should only take one photo of each thing you spot."
Link to noticings

Another photography-based link for snappers on the move. I loved this because it's such a simple idea that actually works, a light tent made from 3 sheets of paper and some paper clips......

Find the instructions here

Then there's this online drawing application that runs in any browser.....really quite impressive, shame I can't draw!

Link to Sketchpad

Better get those dishes washed.........

Nearly the same....

Nearly the same, originally uploaded by moclaydon.

....as yesterday, except a bit later and slightly to the left. As you can probably guess, I didn't make it off-campus today, at least not until it was dark.........a bit of a noisily nothing day really

I rather like this one....'love is patient', it's mesmerising.....click and you'll see what I mean

And lastly a bit of annoyingly 'stick-in-your-head' christmas music......don't worry, you don't HAVE to click......


Get Your Own Free Hypster.com Playlist.

Mostly from yesterday

I had a computer-free evening last night.....very novel! (no particular reason except I felt as if I'd been staring at a flickering screen all day and needed a bit of a break) The above piccy was taken while on a quick trip to the local public library at lunchtime.....you need a good head for heights when you're browsing the vintage books like these ones.....

"Charles Booth's Inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People in London, undertaken between 1886 and 1903 was one of several surveys of working class life carried out in the 19th century. It is the only survey for which the original notes and data have survived and therefore provides a unique insight into the development of the philosophy and methodology of social investigation in the United Kingdom." There's an online archive (including maps) here if you fancy dipping in.

OTHER STUFF

A couple of photography links....

Liu Bolin 
Hiding in the City No.17 (No.2 of People's Policeman), 2006

Amazing stuff, unfortunately the images are quite small, must have a look for some bigger ones later.

Then I came across this site today that looks promising


Pictory


they say....
"Pictory is a showcase for people around the world to document their lives and cultures. Anyone can submit one large, captioned image to each of Pictory’s editorial themes. I’m editor, designer, and founder Laura Brunow Miner, and I will select a few dozen of the best items from each theme to appear in each showcase."

There's a "taster" to view and some categories open for new submissions.

Lastly the frivolous xmas link Elf Yourself. Upload up to 5 pictures of your friends (or enemies, it's even better with your enemies!) and watch them cavort. The granddaughter will probably kill me for this......

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

In the dark

The boy in the attic is still in full-on download mode....this post may take some time. Thought I'd try another couple of 'nightime in the city' shots tonight on the way home from work....mixed success. If I'm honest I prefer this hopelessly blurred one.....

(just so you know what it is.....lots of rain, cafe chairs under some particularly lurid lights, chap with a big bag, lime green shop awning, motion blur courtesy someone with an umbrella bumping into me just as I pressed the shutter...every picture tells a story!)

This track seems to fit the bill....



OTHER STUFF....

It's no secret that I love vintage images, don't know why, I just do...so Shorpy is a regular stop-off point, it's packed with thousands of hi-definition images (predominently from the US) But why 'Shorpy' you ask? It's named after "Shorpy Higginbotham, a 'greaser' on the tipple at Bessie Mine, of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Co. in Alabama. Said he was 14 years old, but it is doubtful. Carries two heavy pails of grease, and is often in danger of being run over by the coal cars." And that's Shorpy up there.....I can't help but wonder what cards the rest of life dealt him.

Wasn't sure whether to post this one....it's an alternative to 'the other place', works on the same basis (one post allowed a day, but because it's based in the US their 'day' starts at GMT -6), easy sign-up, with much the same features.....and it seems friendly (I posted a pic just to try it out, whoohoo, 2 comments so far!)

Interestingly they say "Is this site limited to photography?
No! We have been waiting for some creative people to come along with a neat idea we haven't thought of. A drawing a day? A poem a day? A news clip a day? We would be interested to see anything you can think of!"


Link to ShutterCal.....just in case any of you malcontents (you know who you are!) decide to give it a whirl.

And another photography link just because I rather like underpasses........

Laura Lean ' A project photographing the South Kensington tunnel that links the underground station with a number of museums.' (don't panic.....it's only 15 images!)

Roger Wilko, over and out!