Heading away for a much-needed break – spending a week by the sea, with very little internet at best, quite possibly none. (If I really am internet-free, this will be the longest period I’ve been without the intertubes in about ten years.) In any even, I wouldn’t expect any blogging, or anything much in the way of email responses. I might manage the odd twitter. Look after yourselves, and I’ll see you all in a week.
Links For Thursday 9th September 2010
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My mate Budgie has completed 100 of his fast fiction challenges in 100 days. Firstly: give him a round of applause. Secondly: go read some of them – they're bloody good. Thirdly: Leave him a new four-word-or-less title, and a word to use in that story. Because I want to see how long he can go on doing this for. Fourthly: buy his book!
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Dave pointed me at this, and yes, it is a fascinating light in which to consider the publishing and creative industries, and their approach to history.
Links For Wednesday 8th September 2010
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Alan Moore's latest audio work (a reading of his piece in London: City of Disappearances scored by some very clever electronica wizards) is available via iTunes. It is two hours of the good stuff, and thoroughly recommended.
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Testing this out as a better (and yes, much nicer looking) calendar/todo app for iphone.
Links For Tuesday 7th September 2010
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Again, relevant to the interests of a number of parties I know, I imagine. Absolutely excellent argument for why the censorship of Craigslist is *not* a good thing, and will not help in the fight against sex trafficking and exploitation of women.
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I may be developing an addiction to iphone cases. But tell me this isn't awesome. You can't can you?
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Dave Gorman demonstrates remarkable sanity, as per. In fact, here's a quote that basically runs my entire life: "Either way, there's no value in wasting energy in getting upset. The next thing is always more exciting than the past."
Links For Monday 6th September 2010
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This makes my blood boil. What kind of shitehawk can think that is is a fair or reasonable way to do business? The level of contempt that US business interests, and worse, politicians are showing for consumers around the world is staggering. Large chunks of the world are about to be shafted by people who they cannot hold accountable. US-resident chums, I would take it as a great kindness if you would write and call your representatives, on the issue of ACTA, and make their responses as public as possible.
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Mr Jones is at the clever again. Good metaphor for designing better human computer interaction.
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I've just signed up to beta-test this, turning better habits into a game, although I just missed the deadline for the September game. So, for the month of October, I must: go to the gym twice a week. Do productive work (outside of the dayjob) on three days each week. Drink only one alcohlic drink per week. If do this, I will buy myself an ipod shuffle. If not, I'll donate price of the same to charity. (And if I find it helpful, I'll up the requirements in November.)
Links For Sunday 5th September 2010
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Andrew's back writing about comics again, and specifically, about the (lack of) representation of those who are not straight, white, or male in the medium and the industry. I will follow this with interest, and I imagine a substantial number of my friends will as well.
Fountains
Spent an extremely agreeable afternoon yesterday in town with friends. Saw the Ernesto Neto + The New Decor exhibitions at the Hayward gallery, and was struck but the difference between the two of them, in that one permitted photography, and one didn’t. Now, I know that the Neto was intended to be very interactive, but it struck me that the families were all at that one – it was well populated with kids playing, and lots of parents taking photos. They weren’t the only ones, I hasten to note – there were loads of people there taking photos. I know there are people who look on the prevalence of cameras at artistic events as a plague, but I think it’s great (within the bounds of not spoiling the enjoyment of others) – I see people with cameras out as a sign that people are building memories, or making art in response – that what they’re looking at is something they consider it important to remember, or something they want to respond to. The Neto space was one where people were playful. It was ace.
Meanwhile, The New Decor did not permit photos, and staff swarmed towards those they thought might be taking photos crying injunctions against such behaviour. There were a few kids going through here with their families, but even surrounded by lots of really very interesting design/sculpture/stuff, they didn’t seem half as interested or engaged. Now, obviously, this wasn’t entirely, or even mostly the fault of the prohibition on photography, but I’m sure it didn’t help. The whole space was much more serious, despite the fact that the ideas it was working with were equally, if not more, playful, yet the exhibition was clearly sending out signals that this was not an appropriate space to build emotional memories, or to respond to art as you saw fit.
I understand (I don’t like, but I understand) the prohibition against photography of paintings, or other photos. Copyright blah blah etc. But these were 3D objects – a photo is an intrinsically different thing, and I fail to see how it can violate the copyright of a 3D object.
I understand that unlike Neto, they didn’t want people actually climbing on the art, but that doesn’t mean that could have allowed a bit more interactivity with the work – they might have been able to get the kids (and indeed, some of the adults) much more engaged.
(The photo is not of the exhibition, it’s of the temporary fountains on the South Bank. It seemed thematically appropriate.)
Links For Friday 3rd September 2010
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This appears to be the coffee maker of my dreams. One day…
Variation On A Celestial Theme
I was thinking of one of my old photos as I took this one, and it’s come out as quite a nice companion piece, really.
Links For Tuesday 31st August 2010
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Good, if possibly depressing, article on what happens to partners when their other half has a famous career, covering sexism, being left at home and as a coda at the end, the Yoko factor, containing this quote. I've always had a soft spot for Yoko (despite loathing "Imagine" with all my shrivelled black heart)…
"Yoko was, and is, interesting in her own right. She's a remarkable artist and a unique thinker. All of the things you think of John Lennon doing in the late-60s and early-70s were inspired entirely and directly by Yoko: the avant-garde art, the politics, the whole peace and love thing. She is responsible for the Lennon we remember and love today, and yet she is at best ignored and at worst vilified… For what, exactly? Being loved by him?"