AndyBlog

Thoughts By The Sea

The back story to this is that I just took delivery of a portable field recorder.
This is my first field recording. Insert joke of your choice.

One point: The music - a bit too much?

Thoughts whilst waiting in a car park.

It's the first bona fide hot day of the year for us up in NBTS, and yet here I am stuck in a car park waiting for the noble and lovely TL to do the tiny bit of shopping we now require.

At times like this I think - 'Where could we go today?'

The trouble is, my mind then goes blank - and everything I might imagine is tinged with all the practical difficulties associated with it.

'Is there far to walk?'
'Where can we get a drink?'
'What if it's packed with people?'
'Will my stomach burst?'
'Were Duran Duran ever really good?'

Ah, too many questions. Maybe better to just go home, drink water and gently mend a guitar.

I mean, it's not like there's any food to look forward to.

Nice car park, this...

Kite Steak Door

It's my kite. But I didn't fly it.
Liz ran with it into the breeze.
Triumphant it rose to the skies.
Vanquishing the other kites
Which scurried away, ashamed
And outclassed

At Hanahana the steak
Was delicious
Firm, juicy and
Utterly tasty
If only I was
Not so full

Meanwhile, back at home
The previous night
Or nights
Someone has been busy
Relieving themselves
Completely.

I wonder if the postman thought twice
Before touching our box?

I want to express something

I feel something inside - something quite strong. There's very little doubt that I want to express it - because I generally express everything as soon as possible, often earlier.

Sadly, I have a major problem with this particular issue, because I have no idea what it is.

Bummer, eh?

So here's a toast to those out there who feel something quite strongly inside, but who have no idea what it is or how to deal with it. Let's form a club where we can express almost nothing and yet appear impressively earnest.

The Edge Of Nowhere

This is where the gatekeeper of nowhere lives, or at least she/he should.
(Amazing picture, click to enlarge to really big and smashing size)

The Gatekeeper's Lament

Here I stand, or sit

Waiting for lost souls to approach

Sometimes I watch TV, but the reception is terrible

And the satellite man can never find my little shack

He has no idea where he's going

And I know that I'll see him soon

Because he is really going nowhere.

I see what is happening down there

And I never closer the gate.

Dirk Benedict: Philosopher

I have learned to enjoy it when I get surprised by someone. For one thing, it doesn't happen too often and for another it is one of the few things that stops me feeling jaded and cynical.

Such a surprise came from Celebrity Big Brother's Dirk Benedict, who held forth on the subject of “Letting Go” in a delightful and engaging way yesterday. I'm not sure I have ever listened to something on Big Brother which I found directly interesting before, previous Big Brother learnings have always revolved around things to avoid at all cost, or maybe what not to throw at any given time.

So what did he say that so enchanted me? It was this:

[Talking about life and love and death]

“It's all about getting and letting go. when we breathe in, we breathe out - if we don't, we die. The more graceful you get in letting go, the higher you get. Letting go is what it's all about, letting go of your children, letting go of broken love, letting go of success, letting go of money and eventually letting go of your life and moving on.

When you really love something then you're willing to let go immediately. It's new relationships when you cling and cling and you don't wanna let go because they bring you something that you need and you don't want to lose it. When you love them, you don't need them [in that way].”

Awesome, Dirk - plenty of food for thought there. I can't help but like him, and I thought I would hate him with a passion. The diametric opposite of Leo Sayer, who rarely fails to be a bore.

[Bore, n.: A person who talks when you wish him to listen.
Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914)]

So am I enjoying celebrity Big brother? Well, maybe. The thing is, I am watching it, so they have kinda won anyway.

Sage Words

If you want to catch something, running after it isn't always the best way.
   
Lois McMaster Bujold, “Borders of Infinity”, 1989

Lovely quotation

“Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening.”
Barbara Tober

Twitchers & Clouds

The light was beautiful this afternoon as I stepped out of the house to seek inspiration by the sea. Some bird watchers had beaten me to it - no doubt in search of the Lesser-Spotted Crotch-Tailed Herring-Gull. Or something.

I decided to take these shots in my “Car's eye view” series, so I just pulled my car into the car park at church point and shot from out of the sun roof. I'm pleased with the results, and wonder if these may even be good enough to go into the community theme in the arts forum. It seems that bird-watching, much to my surprise, is part of the scene here in this endlessly intriguing town.

As for me, I am facing decisions that may cause me to change things about me that I have kept locked away inside for years. That's enough to make anyone look wistfully at the sea, or maybe have a sleepless night or two.

How much have you really changed recently? Do you find change scary? I know I do. So much so that I usually prefer it to be forced upon me, rather than to welcome it. I tend to think that many of us pay lip service to positive change, always intending to do the right thing, but rarely actually achieving much.

On the other hand, I change in other ways without even trying. So, are we what we are, should we just be blown along by the changes of life - or can we actually choose to change and can that change be permanent?

Some tiny questions for you and me to consider today. Have a nice one.

Such beautiful light. NBTS seems to attract such wonders.

X-Factor and unfairness

OK, I admit it. I watch it and find it compulsive viewing.

Although this year, having been attracted by the initial auditions I feel a bit like I've been suckered into a mock-auction.

I don't know whether Simon Cowell has picked the eventual winner yet, but I bet he has a final three in mind. His comments are often very fair, even if negative. But then, we see him “go for the jugular” after beautiful performances like Nikitta's tonight.

I can only assume that the judges agreed it was time to clear her out. As for me, I'm disillusioned. We seem to have a highly glitzy programme that bears little resemblance to a hard-fought competition.

So, we have the contestants who look good an have a great potential image - a nice commercial look. These people seem to get praise whatever they do. Then there are the great singers who do not have a good commercial look - these people seem to get insulted no matter how well they perform.

There is a lack of honesty at work, and a relentless search for safe commercialism. I sense a fear that someone will win who does not have ongoing success, and that this will reflect badly on the programme.

This whole talent search thing should be careful lest it disappear up it's own pert bottom.

Here's someone cleverly cashing in on the theme. Not.