(This entry is mostly a note to self, so I can find these specific links again, and cross reference them with a slightly shoddy shopping cart system.)
While I like XKCD, it is a very hit and miss comic. It’s often cloying, trite or sentimenal, or even just a little nerd-creepy at time. But when it hits, it’s superb. I note this, because yer man there is now selling signed prints, and specifically, it’s possible to buy three of my favourites. Exploits Of A Mom, Duty Calls and Cat Proximity. Of the three, the first two are definitely going on the “buy” list, and the third is a maybe, if I have the spare cash.
If only he’d do a print of my all time favourite, the only comic strip I have ever printed out and pinned to my space at work, Goto, I’d be a very happy man indeed.
I am quite capable of reading the blogs of any my friends who blog using any given set of popular blogging tools in a convenient manner without having to make a daily round trip of hundreds of sites, thanks to the magic of RSS readers. I use net netnewswire, others just use google reader or bloglines or some windows desktop app or other.
All of said alternative blogging tools offer, or can be set up with various privacy options. In fact, LJ is a bit stunted in it’s privacy tools, because it doesn’t allow authentication to enable reading of locked posts via RSS.
If LJ goes away (and despite the links posts that I have coming up later in the day, I am a long way from believing it will, and certainly not overnight, although the service might get a bit shoddier) then I will still be able to read and comment on the writings of any of my friends who care to set themselves up with any one of a number of free services in a a manner just as convenient as reading my LJ friends page.
Which is another way of saying: breathe the fuck out, everyone. There is no need to start screaming yet.
Or, in one sentence: the net interprets damage as censorship, and routes around it.
This is hardly the most original photo project in the world, but it’s something I think would be fun to do, and I want something a bit structured to force me to undertake a bit more photography this year, and realistically a 365 days type project is just setting myself up for a fail.
So, I live in this flat, see. And right outside my door, there is a bus stop.
So, I have these friends, see. And many of them like to dress up in interesting clothes and makeup. Fetishwear, LARP, cosplay, furries, goth gear, punk rock mohawks and ripped clothes, or even just really sharp suits. Not the sort of thing that one sees every day at a bus stop, anyway.
So the plan is: people turn up to my place at some mutually convenient time, with their chosen outfit and any required makeup, and I take two very similar pictures of them at the bus stop. One without makeup and in ordinary clothes – jeans and t-shirt, or whatever you’ve got as everyday wear that is distinct from the other look, and one all done up in their finery.
I am, of course likely to take rather more than two photos, as I attempt to get a shot I like.
Participants would receive my grateful thanks, tea/coffee/soft drinks and biscuits, and a full rez electronic copy of the published photos in whatever format they would like.
So, would anyone be interested in this?
ETA: The bus stop is quite a busy and public one, which is part of the appeal, that there is context for people to stand out of.
I will attempt to minimise the amount of time outdoors in more unusual attire for anyone who is uncomfortable with the idea of being in public in their finery, and to schedule times when there are likely to be less people about – evenings and suchlike. Plus, you will be accompanied by bloke-with-serious-looking-camera, which in my experience will provide context that will make anyone that might see you in your outfit suddenly become terrible blase about the whole thing.
