Saturday.

Gah! I'm all sappy!

After looking through my blog-stalking list, I found the following entries. And thewy made me feel all clucky and broody and sappy and emotionful:

"Zoe" by Neil Gaiman (from his Journal on neilgaiman.com)

"The Owl of Bryant Park" By Kevin "Johnny Johnny" Gamble (from Naked Sponge)

"In My Own Image" by Annika Barranti (from Through The Looking Glass)

And just a cute one, "Eight Months" by Stephanie Whalen (from Four of Two)

Apropos is a good word.

Apropos and as a follow-on to my previous post about Photography and people blocking shots with their hand (Oh, I'm not going to link to it, just look two inches down the page), I add this: On Thursday, Gonzo, while sitting on the other side of the pod from me as I was trying to organise something at my desk, held up his fancy schmancy digital SLR and started snapping photos without looking into the viewfinder. I, being extremely busy as well as annoyed by other things, held up my hand to block him. He then cited the blog entry, saying "Don't you hate people who do that?" This gave me pause, but in my head I can up with an answer. He was not taking photos because he found what I was doing interesting. He did not think I looked good. He was not even looking at the pictures he was taking. He was using the camera simply as a tool to annoy or provoke a reaction from me. This then gave me the right to block with my hand.

"Oh, don't take a photo!"

I’m finally taking a stand.

 

I hate, hate, HATE people who:

 

1.   A) flinch away, or try to block their face with their hand when you try to take a photo

 

-or-

 

2.   B) people who, upon seeing a perfectly fine-looking photo of themselves that you just took, will exclaim “Oh, God! I look ugly/fat/stupid! Delete that!”

 

Seriously, I’m over it.

 

As someone who takes a lot of pictures (nearly 4000 this year alone), nothing frustrates me more. This is especially bad when I’m trying to take a candid photo to actually capture a funny or interesting moment that I feel would make a good and well-composed picture. That candid photo is ruined when the person becomes a cringing blur as they exhibit behaviour A. Yes, I know that everyone’s image is their own business and that I shouldn’t be taking photos without permission, but come ON. Behaviour B seemed to be more of the ingrained body-conscious insecurity that’s drilled into people (of which I myself am an occasional victim) in which we must automatically downplay ourselves as ugly for fear of being considered arrogant and conceited (or worse, actually believe that we are unattractive and dismiss ourselves out of hand).

 

In any case, it comes down to this:

 

1.   I am a photographer and therefore (for better or worse) am an artist (of some sort).

2.   The pictures I compose and attempt to compose (for better or worse), are art (of some sort).

3.   Therefore, the people and objects in the picture (for better or worse), are part of that art (of some sort) and are worthy/interesting.

4.   Therefore, shut your face about it. I think you look good/interesting in this photos and that’s that.

 

These thoughts were kicked into action by a farewell I was at last night, and two friends of whom I took a candid photo of two people I know sitting by a wall and laughing at what a person standing nearby had said. The candid photo was natural and looked great. They then noticed I was taking photos and got quite embarrassed saying “Oh, delete that, I’m sure it looked terrible.” Despite having not seen the photo. I tried to downplay the situation by saying “Well, if you don’t want me to take a bad photo, let me take a good one.” (my mantra of sorts), and they posed. Then viewed the picture. “I look terrible in that one,” one said. “Take another.” They posed again. Repeat times 5. In the end, I just walked away. When I looked at the results, the two best-focused and best-looking photos were the first two I’d taken. Also, after putting the photos on Facebook, I got a narky comment about the candid one, stating “When did you take this, how dare you, I’m going to kill you when I see you next OMG.”

 

I can’t win. Frankly, I miss my old camera-phone, where you could take a picture without making a shutter sound, so people wouldn’t know (though, the camera was no good, and I know they auto-enabled the noise to stop locker-room shots and such).

 

So yes, if you’re one of the people like Craig and Stevie and Ted, of whom I can take many many photos and just love the attention, then I salute you.

 

 

Lucas Brown | Proxy Champignon
Master of Brainthinking

 

Ain't no "good parts" version.

I've been thinking about TV lately.

A comment has been leveled at me that I don't like shows that take "a long time to develop". To a point, this is true. Just off the top of my head, I can think of several shows where I attempted to get into them, and failed:

[-]Neon Genesis Evangelion: Craig lent me his big honking box set, and before Christmas, when Tanja was in the mountains visiting her Mom, I cracked the box and a beer and gave it a shot. I hated it. I found the storyline silly, the voice acting over-the-top, and it all seemed like the average Giant Mecha show, but with added wierd phychological undertones. After the first disc, I stopped watching.

[-]Heroes: I had heard big things about this series when it had started, but missed the pilot due to work. I did, however, catch the second episode, which I later learned was the direct continuation of the pilot. I was so confused (although, since it was a two-parter, it was partially my fault). I didn't know why Ali LArter was running away and looking worried/pensive/hungry into the camera, I kind of like Hiro, but then didn't know what he was about, apparently, this Mohinder guy is important and intelligent, but not very bright on a practical level, the chick's dad is acting sacary for no reason... I didn't finish the episode.

[-]Dead Like Me/Arrested Development: both things I got the first disc of from Bigpond movies and both comedies where I barely laughed. I thought Arrested Development had a bit of potential, but I found it tried too hard to be zany and wacky, and though David Cross is a funny, funny, man, I hated his character (no, not in an "I'm supposed to not-like-him" way, but in that "I-don't-want-him-onscreen-anymore" way). Dead Like Me seemed to be trying to be deep, but missing the point and just being depressing.

Now, that being said, there have also been shows I've watched that grabbed me, sucked me in and took a major break to get me out:

[-]Lost
[-]The Sopranos
[-]30 Rock
[-]The Wire
[-]Band of Brothers
[-]Family Guy
[-]and one for Tanja, Nip/Tuck

With all of these shows except 30 Rock, I was hooked in good and tightly because I started watching them on DVD. By watching three or four 1-hour episodes per evening, I really got a chance to follow the big story of the characters and their arcs. However, these DVD darlings had their break moments too (except the Wire, and Band of Brothers). For Lost and Sopranos, it was when I caught up with what they were showing on TV and started to watch one show per week. Suddenly, the characters were acting in unexplainable ways, everything seemed obtuse and confusing and I stopped caring. The Sopranos remedied this once I got the last season on DVD and could watch it together in one go. Lost still hasn't won me back. With Nip/Tuck, which originally got Tanja's attention due to the focus on hard topics and not shying away from having their characters do horrible things, the show/characters eventually got so horrible that we didn't give two fucks about what happened. We've had the last two episodes to go of Season 3 (in which a big reveal is meant to happen) for nearly two years now. We couldn't care less. I read the Wiki for the reveal and boy was it stupid. Family Guy, well, when you get Season 5 as a gift, watch 5 episodes and don't get one laugh? It's time to quit.

Recently, Craig has been twittering that he started watching Buffy and that it sucked. I felt for him, because yes, those early episodes can be a real slog. Then a lightbulb went off. How come I slogged through Stone Age Buffy and didn't give up? Why was I able to coach Tanja through the first two seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation without one of us throwing tomatoes at the screen? How can I watch the first series of the Muppet Show, with celebrities I've never heard of, except in jokes on Pinky & the Brain (Ben Vereen, Ethyl Merman, Paul Williams, Connie Stevens, Avery Schreiber, etc)? What's the difference?

I've thought a little and I think the answer is that I came to all three of those shows on TV myself (Buffy, with one or two Season 1 eps, then the most of Season 2; Star Trek, through reruns when I was 10 or so, ditto the Muppet Show) and so had made the decision to like them before I watched them in order. That way I know it'll be good once I get through the bad stuff. Maybe I've just grown to expect more from shows that people tell me are great and then lend/encourage me to rent.

In any case, I currently have waiting for me on the living room shelf:

[-]Half of Frasier, season 10
[-]the last half of Season 3 Seinfeld (having watched the seasons in reverse order)
[-]Season 5 of the Wire (just ordered from Amazon)
[-]Season 2 of 30 Rock (which Tanja was unhappy to discover consisted entirely of episodes we'd already seen because I'd downloaded them)
[-]the tail-end last episode of Season 5, then Season 6 & 7 of Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
[-]Seasons 2 & 3 of the Muppet Show
[-]Season 1 of Heroes, which Tim lent to me.
[-]The rest of Craig's Neon Genesis box.

So I think I've got enough to watch for now.

Inconvenient Weather (reposted from The Lucas Letters)

"Dear All and Sundry:

The weather was very disagreeable today. Early this morning, it was overcast and misting lightly, but did not either rain, or stop misting. Then the sun came up more, but the low overcast cloud made it hot, but stuffy. And just bright enough to make you squint, but overcast and dark enough that if you wore sunglasses, it'd be impractical. Then a wind would come up and it would feel cold enough to need a jacket, but if you had the jacket, you'd be too hot when the wind wasn't blowing. And the wind was JUST hard enough to blow your hair in your face. Something must be done about weather like this. Perhaps some sort of committee. In any case, I'm chucking a crateful of hateful at this weather.

Had a bunch of people over for a Halloween movie marathon/dinner. Ted, Craig & Mel, Adrian & Tommy, Casey & Ryan all came and showed support for my addiction to having people over and hosting. Was fun. We watched Shaun of the Dead, and Scream, and Ghost Ship and Deep Blue Sea. Tanja made an Asian pickled salad and honey-and-soy chicken, and I made Szechuan beef and an apple cake (styled a "Granny Pudding" in the recipe) for dessert. It was proper marathon length, too. First guest arrived at 6:30 pm, last guest left at 1:50 am.

Less than two weeks until the big day!

-Lucas"

Computer names

As we are now a household with 5 computers, I’ve been reflecting on computer names. The PC, which we keep in the spare room, I originally named Hex. The iPod Mini I got around the same time was christened Hex Jr (and when its battery died, its replacement was Hex III, on to my current iPod Video, which is Hex IV). Despite this moniker, the PC is constantly referred to as “The big computer” since the introduction of laptops to the house, even thought it’s not that big. It’s predecessor, Tanja’s original huge clunky silver NEC laptop (which both of us used as the primary PC until the CD drive died, the spacebar stopped working and we got very mad at it) was nameless, except for “the laptop” or, “the old clunker”. After Dad visited, he left me the largish laptop that work had given him, which, though problematic-to-downright-useless with anything internet-based, was great for playing Command and Conquer or Age of Mythology. This one, even 9 months on, is still referred to as “Dad’s laptop”. Tanja has her sexy little Vaio laptop (which is currently being fixed for a battery fault, and she’s suffering from the lack), which she’ll refer to as her “little one” or her “Vaio”. My eeePC’s name, assigned when I booted it up for the first time is “The Guide” (inspired by a custom designed eeePC I found a picture of, which had been laser-etched with “Don’t Panic” on top and rigged to open and work like a book). I thought it fitting, considering I take the bloody thing everywhere and most often use it for reading comics.

 

So. To tally up, we have

 

• The Big Computer/Hex
• The Clunker
• Dad’s Laptop
• Tanja’s Little One/Vaio
• The Guide

 

And to think, I used to think a house with two TVs was extravagant.

 

Lucas Brown | Team Senior - 42

Using the Force in one to one communication

 

So!

[-]Saw Iron Man. Loved it loved it. Missed the scene after the credits, though. And La Premiere is the only way to see it.

[-]New TV delivered! After a lamentable purchase of cheap coaxial cable, got a good one and can now get all channels (including HD and digital ones). Have so far watched Hot Fuzz, Stardust, Lord of the Rings and *sigh* The Devil Wears Prada.

[-]Played drums for the first time in weeks on Saturday. Wrist held up, but started to hurt once I stopped. Played D&D briefly as well. Don't feel I was very productive in either arena (35 minutes of drumming and killing one wolf in D&D in an hour and 45 minutes).

[-]Got a good book of comic strips called Roasted by Andy Riley, a former Black Books writer. Very good. Dooga, there's one guy who IS you.

[-]Got a Crumpler backpack today. It also has a removable laptop sleeve which fits my laptop. So one-the-go gaming. Now only if I can get a battery that lasts more than 20 minutes.

[-]Aiming to get 30 Rock Season 1 this week. I was going to pick it up today, but it was $50 at Hum, and I know I can get it at EzyDVD for 34.95. Patience.

Lost Highway of Dooooom

After getting a $20 iTunes voucher from Maxine Kauter for taking pictures at her gig (which was really nice of her), I made a bunch of iTunes purchases. About 90% were from the pages of two issues of Mojo and one issue of Q that I've bought over the past month or so. Most of the ones from the magazines I'd never heard before, so I was downloading blind. I just got the ones whose descriptions sounded like something I'd enjoy.
And I learned something.
I'm a moody atmospheric bugger.

I learned this because I listened to the list on the way to work today. Here's the playlist, for those of you who care:

• Gloria - Patti Smith
• Tangled Up In Blue - Bob Dylan (in honour of Maxine, who covered this beautifully at her show)
• Fiery Crash - Andrew Bird
• Chills & Fever - Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers
• Dirty Nails - Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers
• Herculean - The Good, The Bad, and The Queen
• Smells Like Teen Spirit - Patti Smith (which is actually really cool)
• Weapon of Choice - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
• Ghosts of You And Me - Soulsavers
• Knocked Up - Kings of Leon
• No Pussy Blues - Grinderman
• Get It On - Grinderman
  

God, played all together like that, it sounds like the soundtrack to a David Lynch movie.

Inspiration Blogging.

Found the sheet with all the things on it. In no particular order:

:: Our cat is a heater whore. She flattens out, pancake like in from of it. It's embarrassing.

:: I actually used the phrase "Out on the piss" in casual conversation. I'm being influenced by Aussies, damn it!

:: The Holiday:
-->Halfway through the film "The Holiday" I suddenly and shockingly wanted pub-style fish and chips.
--> Jem (the singer from the Holiday soundtrack, not the cartoon from the 80s) has purchasing influence. I can recall having that album playing for two weeks at Borders, at the end of which, the entire female population of the shop staff bought a copy of the CD. Uncanny.
-->Awww. In "The Holiday", there's a hobbit gate. We don't have a hobbit gate! I want a Hobbit gate.
-->Jude Law is a young Michael Caine. And Jack Black is adorable (and loves Ennio Morricone).
--> "Why do I always go for the bad girl!"
"You didn't know she was bad."
"I knew she wasn't good!"

:: Custard and Almond together taste of butter. I'm not sure why.

:: We bought a dining table from IKEA. I guess that makes us grown-ups now. We still haven't used it yet.

:: Cheat codes in video games. I don't like them. I might use them once, for about two minutes, but I never save a game with them on. I burned myself out with the DULLARD code for Mortal Combat II.

:: Australian and English children articulate a ridiculous amount more than their parents do. It's astounding.

:: Magazines. I buy them and rarely finish them. Nor do I ever like them that much either. And yet I buy them. The music and video game ones are all about things I can't own, and the movie ones are 90% speculation and the rest snarky reviews. If I want snarky, I'll ask Adrian.

And that's it.

Dictionary-style Quizzes.

"Lucas --[adjective]:
Pretentiously academian.

Loki --[adjective]:
Smelling like turnips at all times

Tanja --[adjective]:
Having the texture of congealed cheese

Craig --[noun]:
A hermit living in the big city

Taqwa --[adjective]:
Similar to butter in texture and appearance

Ted --[noun]:
A person with a sixth sense for detecting the presence of goblins

William Hesketh --[adjective]:
Tastes like fried chicken"

Quizzes! Fun for the whooooole family.

Shenanigans.

Argh. i'm sick. I have a stupid cold. Which is worse than a smart cold.

My Flogging Molly CD ran out of tracks, and the stereoo switched over to Tanja's Aqua album. I'm too lazy to go change it.

Ok, next few weeks will be busy ones. Well, ok, just the week after next. For shenanigans have been planned!

(have decided just now to burn CD of Crystal method, Lemon Jelly, and Beastie Boys remixes to combat Tanja's Aqua)

October 28th: I drag Tanja to go see Magic Dirt and the Spazzys at the Metro Theatre, after convincing her that yes, it will be fun, and no, these bands aren't way too loud. Hurrah for persuasion!

(CD finished. Playing "Acetone" and annoying neighbours)

October 29th: Halloween Shenanigans! Yes, ok, I know it's not actually going to be ON Halloween, but Halloween is on a Monday, damnit. I put up a poster at work, to let people know about the arrive-at-our-place-watch-cheesy-films-while-drinking-then-hit-the-town-thing. Was told by doom-and-gloom Assitant manager that apparantly, American music boss is having yearly Halloween party on same night, and that no one would come to mine. Bint. Spoke to American music boss, who said that he gets like 5 work people out of everyone he invited, but if the people at mine want to swing by his later, the more the merrier. Very decent of him, no sarcasm at all. Yes. So that is the plan. People arrive here. Watch film. Drink heavily. Get costumed. Go to this guy's party. Apparantly his theme this year is "come dressed as a song (and you're not allowed to come as Nirvana's 'Come as you are'. Heh)". Craig, you could be "Don't Fear The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult, or "Crimson Ghost" by the Misfits. Ted (if he wants to be a pirate again)can be the "Last Saskatchewan Pirate" by the Arrogant Worms. Catherine can be... Well... Catherine. By PJ Harvey. Or whatever. I don't know. Do I have to do all the thinking around here?

October 30th: Plan to be hungover.

And now I feel like a moron.

I called Insight, because the bastards hadn't sent me my group certificate so I can do my tax (well, so Tanja can do my tax, but still). I think about it all morning, trying to remember the exact dates I worked there (I think May to early November) and my ID number (2399? 2398? Anyone? Bueller?), and what their number was. I finally check the white pages, get the faxline, check again, finally get the number. I get a female voice I don't recognize who identifies herself as "Leer", and I run down the situation (without mentioning my name, I add), finishing with "...and I'd like my group certificate, so how would I go about getting that?" The voice goes "Well, we could send it to you, or, if you're Lucas, you could always come pick it up." It's Leah. Former hanger-outer with the rest of us idiots. I didn't recognize her. I still don't recognize her. So I tell her to send it to me, and then give my address, and get the hell off the phone. I stand still for ten seconds, before realizing that it was Leah, and then I feel like a schmuck, as I was rude and abrupt to a former aquaintance I haven't spoken to in months. Bugger. So now I'm here. A moron.