LEGO!

I guess you have heard that lego is now 50 years old! I know! but with such a simple and productive item you knew it would kick off. And in many ways is the start of the consumer age, with plastic beating mechano... sigh. I wasnt born at this time, lets get that straight. I did get a big bucket of lego from older cousins though. that was AWESOME>

To commerate (he says, straightening his tie and getting back to the subject) the anniversary they have a cool art deco set going. I want that cinema!



and because lego is not all about gimicky cheap shots at an audience who will buy anything just because it reminds you of your child hood


and just because I get a bit carried away sometimes

a way of life that calls for another way of living.

Toast. Is there anything that smells as good in the morning? Its like Leonard Cohen for the nose.

Anyway, there comes a time whenever I do things like this that I begin to doubt myself, begin to think,- well why update when I haven’t done anything? Well I think the reason is only to document, and when life doesn’t involve bigger happenings, there’s no need to belittle, the already little happenings.

So, lets see. Would have blogged about Morrissey, had he not suffered from a throat infection, postponing our concert. But better pulling out than giving a substandard performance I say, but imagine if you travelled in? We checked in the morning what time it started, and found out that it wasn’t on. Good old internet! In the dark old days we would’ve just turned up for a big sandwich of disappointment.

I went to the Tate the other day, but missed the LB exhibit because there were three of us and the card will only let two in. I saw the crack though. And its pretty cool! As mentioned earlier Juan Munoz starts this week, so cant wait for a bit of that.

I don’t like to finish books on the tube. You are left with a finished book weighing down your man bag, and it doesn’t feel that you are giving the words the attention they deserve. So I had two books I had to finish as well as two 2000AD comics I hadn’t finished (but for lack of time, I don’t mind finishing comics on the tube). So on Sunday I sat down and finished Lords of the Bow and Mister B Gone both quite great, but ultimately unsatisfying books. The first is foremost an in between book, that so often happens in a trilogy. It’s a stepping stone between the page turning excitement on the first one and is full of presentiment of the third instalment, which I fear is going to be a sad story. Oh its about Ghengis Khan if you didn’t know. Cool. And the second, though a nice neat little story, lacks the bite that say “the yattering and jack” welds – a random example of how Barker has handled the life of a demon before.

So the end of one book only means a start to another, so I have indeed started two books! They both have started off with intriguing but dry ideas. The one I have bought with me, (and is noted at the foot of the blog) is about one mans forty *(warning- pun alert) plus career at the Natural History Museum. I am enjoying the first few chapters, and makes me want to go again! So look out for some photo shoots in the summer.

Anyway I will leave you here with one of the greatest scenes of 80’s Cinema.

Tate Visit

here is the famous crack in the floor for the uni lever series. will they keep it? or fill it back in?

Here is a sneaky picture taken. I know they are too dark, but thats a part of the new style.
dont you know.

FRIDAYYYYYY!

Ok, so I am sure I am not alone with this feeling of excitement of another day of work passing. And of course there are two whole days off as well. oh yeah!

so still no photo of the week. instead I shall leave this video with you!
I am amazed that there could be a tiger in the long grass scary! and then the jump of that tiger is like 12 feet plus! mean.
oh back story is this is the gvt who have been told there is a tiger lurking around and has killed. They blunder in with the dart gun but miss! Which pisses off the tiger....

Link Tag.

Ever find a good blog, and then follow the links with blind faith because the source site is good? Then continuing through? It can be good fun, a great way to find new music (something I am sorely in need of), new artists, cool sites and gifts (don’t tell me you don’t remember Valentines day?).

I thought I would try one out and record all the interesting things I find. Yes I know this is a way to fill my own blog by using other peoples content, but hey- its about coverage!


First stop,Fabulist is always worth a visit. Nothing stands out though so I use this as a springboard, and arbitrarily choose the last link…

I haven’t seen this blog before, nice format and layout, but I am here on a content caper, so I look around, its like a radio station idea with play lists etc. I check out The Deirdres who are pretty awesome, in a kind of moldy peaches cutesy way, and I feel it might be 2 months too early for this kind of musical colour. A far more wintry sound are bye!
But on with the treasure hunt…
Although the site is in Spanish the best blogspot name so far is fuck me I'm twee
Continuing with following the last link I find
Who introduce me to a London based label… Forward marching onto another great named blog Alex loves you and your silly pop songs, although suffering from blog name envy, I am pleased to see a NZ link to the flying nun label, and even some Verlaines, (a NZ band who were a few years ahead of my own uni times, when being a student seemed… cool… in a sardonic, flirting with heroin, “oh its always grey in Dunedin” kind of way…
Ok- after that nostalgia, which was actually a pretty good record and video, I find
unpopular which lived up to its name, because I didn’t like it! Not only that but it was a dead end, with no external links! How rude. But that’s lucky coz even I was getting bored with this post.
Bugger, seemed like such a good idea to begin with.

art attack overcompensates for no photo of the week

It’s a wet and grey Tuesday, for all that’s worth.
Its hard to maintain enthusiasm for anything more than snuggling into a bit of dvd action. Talking of which I watched some of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the lost Ark on the weekend. Quality. Getting ready for the release of the latest Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Skulls are cool. And so is Indy! Bring it on.

So you will notice again I have failed to do a photo of the week, but I have you may have also noticed, re designed the blog! So its kind of a picture as well. Very good.

Lets have a look about town hey?
Five days left until the end of the Louise Bourgeois exhibition at the Tate Modern.

I must say I haven’t seen it yet, so will have to go this week. It also means I have not seen that famous crack yet either. But soon come.

Even though its sad to see LB go, 2008 is an exciting year for the tate. We have the Duchamp, Man Ray, Picabia exhibition opening from 21st Feb-26th of May.



Spanish artist Juan unoz 24th Jan- 27th April is really exciting! Hopefully there are the eerie Chinese laughing men…


So I drank last night, but it was for good reason, at "aint nothing but" bar in Kingly street, which is really nice. especially since I am looking for guitars, and it gave me a chance to listen to the sound of les paul, fender strat and fender telecasters, which helps a bit. I must say the les paul tone was quite cool, and the telecaster muffled sound was great also. But I think *(as I cant afford a real les paul) I will stick with the jackson-ibanez option. but I am going to test drive the epiphone anyway.

a splash of colour, a dash of sound.

Maybe its because I have relatively small ones, it doesn’t take long before the pain of my last tattoo fades and I start thinking about the next one. The way I have set them out leaves my left arm as the most likely spot for it, and ideally I think it should have a little colour, and be on the triceps area. I am liking this young ladies work from Romford.(!).


She also makes jewellery


Do you know I am also in the market for a guitar? Well I am. I actually aim to have an entire bands worth of equipment. I will get my bass from NZ in March, and this guitar and amp, then next year the drums and a keyboard. I know! Like whitesnake, except, due to my ethnicity it might be blacksnake. … Anyway, here are my top guitar



Well this week has given us the welcome news that some UK airports are relaxing their hand luggage rules. Frankly I think this rule, and the liquids rule are knee jerk reactions to some flaky “intelligence” which may or may not be relevant in air security. Anything can be used as a weapon these days. I was travelling through Singapore last year and the security made me throw away my bottle of Laphroaig because it was not in a sealed bag. I tried everything, checked if they could put it in a sealed bag at Changi airport, tried unsuccessfully to post it “we cant post whisky”, but nothing was doing. So I stood with the customs officer drinking the whisky from the bottle chatting to him about how could they not let me take it, when the seal wasn’t broken (until now), and they can see its whisky because I am drinking it! Oh well.

Arsenal V Tottenham tonight! Always a good game. But slightly worrying for Arsenal fans because we always field young players (think Randall, Fabianski and Traore. But its good news that old RVP is back on board, and our not so secret weapon Eduardo cant be in any better form. My pound is on 3 nil to the arsenal, Eduardo first goal. (66 to 1 at Paddy Power).

God it’s a nice day out there isn’t it?

pic of the week

Here is a pic I did for NBOT which is a good start. so though not strictly a photo, its a good start hah.

January is a funny month

They took down the Christmas tree in Hammersmith today. It lay on its side already looks like gutter trash. I wonder what they do with it. “they shoot horses don’t they?”

January is a funny month isn’t it? The enthusiasm about the holidays is over, the year rears up at you, until it can look a bit daunting (I am thinking like a woolly mammoth staring down from atop its two hind legs), and nothing really to look forward to until easter comes, and the ground softens for harvest.

But fret not! There are still cool things about the start of the year. One can begin planning all the fabulous things that one can do in winter and beyond.

Yesterday I added that Klimt site, did you check it out? Well that got me thinking and I have found this photographic interpretation of his works.

How cool is that?



ok, so not really drinking this month. And tonight is the biggest test of them all a Friday! Then tomorrow is an even bigger test! A Saturday! Then Sunday is the hugest test of a Sunday with an Arsenal game!

Ok, I know I haven’t made a photo of the week, but I guess I have some time.

Ice Cream Season is Over

So L and I were talking last night about the price of the cinema.
Now she loves to go to the cinema, and I am not so keen on it. Not because I don’t like film, I really do, but I am not a huge fan of blockbusters, with their explosions and lame one liners, and if you go to these multiplexes its so expensive and when people are on their cell phones or what ever I get irate! So we rarely go, unless of course there is something L really wants to see, or there is something at the ICA or what ever.

However it is a bugbear for me the cost of the cinema for families in London. I mean I know you have to shop around, but at worst events- if we were a family with more dollars than sense and paid cash fares from our house into Leicester Square £4 an adult, and 2 pounds a child, lets imagine we have three. So that’s 14 pounds to get there. The best seats for 2 adults and 3 children at Leicester Square Odeon are £80:25 (incl. £3.25 handling fee). And we all know how expensive coke and popcorn is at the movies? About £6.25 for a large coke and popcorn? Now I know I have gone to extremes to prove an obvious point, but that’s over a hundred pounds to see “I am legend” and with this sort of outlay families today are better off buying their coke in sixpacks, their popcorn unpopped and sitting around the computer where they just downloaded it for free.

Oh well, who would have kids anyway? People who recycle and worry about the airmiles of their wine, and then have children?

Now for some art
Contemporary



Traditional and perhaps website of the day.



and a fellow blogspot colleague, who I admire greatly and really wish I could make one of my journals look half as good as these ones!

Buy less, Drink less.

I shall join the lines of fresh faced people, armed to the teeth with good intentions and resolutions. The above being number one and two and the third being "Do more".
As always there is a list of things I want to do, both small and big, and I am a bit afraid of writing them down, lest I get to the end of the year and have not done them…

But one of them that I can write and put out there is to tidy up this blog somewhat. I will write more, and have at least one photo of the week up here. I will link more often and be slightly more personal about things- don’t worry! Nothing ridiculous just a record so at the end of the year I can look back and think- this is what I did, this is who I saw etc.

So with this in mind I will do a quick list of highlights of 2007.
Going back to NZ was a massive highlight. The best gig I saw was a tie between Prince and Against Me! Which are impossible to distinguish between as one is the music of my youth and one is a completely new phenomenon that I have been lucky enough to discover. I didn’t see enough films to have a best of other than the white diamond by Herzog, which though old, I saw it this year. Best Art exhibition could be Gilbert and George or How we are :Photographing Britain. The best book I read was (historical) Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson, and (contemporary) Wolves of the Plains – Conn Iggulden.

But I have to really struggle to remember these things, that’s why I am going to be more vigilant on this thing.

Things I want this year. More money! A promotion; to get fit; become an artist; print out photos; cook a duck; bike to work more; get my license; get my jeans fitted; go camping.

All easy things to do I think you will agree.

Ok, that’s the first one of the year. Happy 2008 guys! Year of the rat
A leap year. And despite the doomsayers from the city with their miserly bony handed predictions, you can read it here first that it is going to be an awesome year full of life, being grateful for what we have, enjoying what has gone before, and making the first steps in ensuring the future is as we would want it to be.