A Food Court Flashmob sing "the Hallelujah Chorus"

I love these flashmobs... they seem to get more inventive with everyone I see.

Genius. Thanks to Neil for the heads-up.

Tx

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Win a copy of So Elated's latest EP :: peace, here

My friend Ben Thomas with his band So Elated have a three track EP out now on Bandcamp for Christmas... entitled "peace, here".

I've been a huge fan of Ben and So Elated's since I got their first album - the bewildering light - for free on noisetrade. This EP is a fantastic continuation of their sound... but somehow more joyful and vibrant, and less downbeat... maybe its that time of the year?

The EP contains their wonderful cover of Radiohead's "Creep" that has a wee Christmassy feel to it.

I would recommend this EP. Go here to download it for $3.

That said, thanks to Ben and the band, I have THREE download codes to get the EP for free. The first THREE commentators who answer correctly the following question (and leave their email) will win.

The question is...

Where was "the Bewildering Light" recorded... in six short days?

Please check out this release and support independent music.

Tx

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More snow in Motherwell... pt2

I got the photos from my Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim developed today and am delighted with the output.

See the rest of the set here.

Tx



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More snow in Motherwell

I walked up to Motherwell's shops to get some penicillin for Olly. I took a few pics with my iPhone4 and my Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim ... the film hasn't been processed yet but the ones taken on my iPhone came out nice.

See the rest of the photos here

Tx

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My thoughts on "Complex Silence 9 - Fresh Landscapes" by Cousin Silas

Complex Silence 9 - Fresh Landscapes by Cousin Silas is now out there for you to download and enjoy.

I have been so eager for this release... having worked on the artwork and had a pre-release to listen to for a few months... it truly is an awesome album and I am so proud of Cousin Silas for the work he has put into it. I'm also proud of the artwork and photos that accompany the release... some of my best work to date, if I do say so myself.

When I was working with Cousin Silas I sent him some initial thoughts on the tracks. I think its appropriate to post them here... to give you a flavour for the album.

1) "... and memories fade" - just like drips of rain after a rainstorm... memories fade. Beautiful Eno-esque ambience at its very best. Simple but effective. This track makes me think of the morning after a horrendous sleep... a sleep punctuated by terrible nightmares. You are slowly wakened to sunlight and the realisation that it... whatever "it" is has gone.

2) "Fresh Landscapes" - the idea that we can see something new in the ordinary. Wonderfully melancholic electronica (melancholica???)... lush synth waves that remind me of the bittersweet sensation of climbing a hill or finally arriving at an anticipated space... you have the elation that comes with seeing the new space but you also have that sense of it being over and you will have to find something new to chase.

3) "golden contrails" - I love this track. The sequencer really stirs my soul. I find it so uplifting and bright. This track is full of anticipation... the yearning of nearly being there. I see an open top jeep driving in a hot, barren landscape... the people in the car share the excitement of nearly arriving at their destination... their holiday home in the middle of nowhere. The passenger looks up and sees the contrails, bathed in sun, of the plane they were on leaving the island. The anticipation builds.

4) "Pollards Moor" - subtle and melancholy synths... reflecting the barrenness of an open moor, sparsely populated with trees. The sense of freedom and openness pervades... a quietness that is only interrupted by birds. A genuine sense of wonder.

5) "Stanedge Tunnels" - a well executed sound picture. Underground exploration. The stuff I dream about doing with my camera. Finding something abandoned and full of abandoned decay. The soundscape evokes the claustrophobia of an underground space. It is sparse... almost hidden... with sudden shocks of sound. Love it.

6) "Star Nursery" - there is a real sense of hope in this tune. a wonderful freshness. it reminds me of morning and of new life. I love when the sequencer comes in then goes almost as quickly as it arrives... almost like birdsong. Beautiful. My kind of ambient.

7) "The Tarn Cairn" - is another wonderful sound picture... very desolate and windswept. A real sense of isolation. That said... I don't feel hopeless isolation. More solitude. More well deserved space.

8) "Complexities in silence" immediately grabbed me for its haunting ambience... my kind of ambient music... lovely!

9) "Northcoates Point" gives a sense of place... a sense of being somewhere... a thin place... a place of mystery.

10) "Something landed in the forest" is just pure joy... a soundtrack to a sci-fi film. Very Delia Derbyshire in places. The atmosphere created by this track is wonderful... and a fitting last track, if indeed it is the last track.

I truly hope you will gain as much as I have from this album.

Tx


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December 2010's calendar

December's calendar is based on this pic that I took and processed today. I really appreciated the snow today... helped with the whole winter theme for December.

As before... the flavours are as follows:

• 1920x1080 (left) :: (for my dad's iMac)
• 1680x1050 (left)
• 1280x800 (left)
• 1024x768 (left) :: (for my dad's iBook)
• iPhone4
• iPad
• PSP

If you have any other sizes that you would like... please give me a shout.

Stay curious.

Tx

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first fall of snow in Motherwell

Lovely is...

• watching the snow blizzard last night from the warmth and comfort of my home last night... then
• going for a walk this morning to capture images in the snow.

The rest of my photos are here.

Tx

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a walk around the City Centre and Anderston

It was a real blessing to nip out at lunchtime for walk around the City Centre and Anderston with a couple of mates. Had the opportunity to take some abstract shots of architecture (including the ones above which would make fab album covers imho) as well as some shots representing daily life.

The rest of my pics are available here.

Tx

*U*P*D*A*T*E*
Here's the pic my dad mentions in his comment...

Scriptural Symbolised through Stylised Art > my fifth guest post from Adam "Lurch Kimded” Howie

...aka I look up a thesaurus for Illustrated Bible


"Road to Emmaus" by Adam Howie

A couple of years back someone asked me, after seeing my art, if I had ever thought about creating an illustrated bible. The idea rattled around for a while and eventually I decided that it would be a interesting project. So, for almost two years now I have been slowly working, in a roundabout sort of way, on an illustrated bible. With the hope that at some point I will have amassed enough creative output to either output an art book or even somehow make a bible with the artwork inserted.

As for why I would be so interested in creating one, well, first off I believe that art can enhance a text, be it scripture, or poetry, or whatever. It can also detract is not done correctly. Secondly the bible is a rich tapestry full of sumptuous stories, tales, poems, and powerful images and words that forge intense images in our minds and hearts. Which makes it perfect for artists to be inspired by and have their own views on the words and the powerful imagery.

There are of course people who prefer words over images, they are drawn to and love the power and prose of the written word. For me however, certainly increasingly, it is the image that draws my heart and mind deeper, a single image can be as complex as a essay, as intricate as an novel, and as enthralling as the best prose.

There is a proud tradition thankfully within the christian world of creating beautiful illustrated, and illuminated, bibles. The skill and craft of countless people through the ages has produced beautiful collections, and standalone, works of art. For me one of the most beautiful artworks of Christ isn't from an illustrated bible, rather its Dali's “Christ of St John of the Cross”, which is an odd choice I know, but there is something intangible about it,

In some way thats what I think is important about art (and all creative works). That is that you can't always explain why something moves you, or how it is you can spend all day looking at, listening to, reading, something. For me its because there is that part of us that seeks creativity, it is, for me, a part of the “made in the image of God” we all share. God is a creative being, God loves to create, and God shared that love and passion with us, we are a creative species, be it in the arts, technology, philosophy, whatever, we are driven towards creativity.

So as I work, slowly it seems, creating images, sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident, I am always in need of new ideas for what parts of the bible people would enjoy seeing created as art? What piece of scripture would intrigue you to see in illustrated form? If you have any ideas, please share them. Perhaps there are some illustrated/illuminated bibles or individual works of art that you find powerful, please share them as well.

You can keep track on my progress here on my home blog:
http://www.realityofdreams.org.uk/illustrated-bible/
Or my artwork in general through my work site:
http://www.illusionaryconstructs.com/

Thanks to headphonaught for the use of his blogspace :)

Adam “Lurch Kimded” Howie

Pass it on :: a youth gathering

Was delighted to see my latest poster in the foyer of the Salvation Army in Bellshill... nice to see Miriam on the wall.

If you are free on the 5th of December... and in the Airdrie area... check it out.

Tx

DJ Walkman's "Varpa" mix for headphonecommute.com

DJ Walkman from sutemos has created a mix for headphonecommute.com that covers some fantastic Warp Records tunes. Its going on my iPhone for tomorrow's headphone commute ;-)

Tx

Varpa by DJ Walkman

My artwork on 4th alternative's "phade"

This afternoon... 4th alternative contacted me to say he had a new track out entitled "phade". He mentioned, in his message, that the track didn't have any artwork... so I volunteered. Its my way of giving back to a community... the ambient electronic netlabel community... that I love and cherish so much.

So here it is:



Hope you like it? What do think it is of?

Tx

My Project365-8 :: 261 - 296

I still continue on in the vain hope I will finish my current Project365 (which is now "Project365-8")... and I still haven't missed any more days to date.

Below are the direct links if you want to see one of the pics in more detail... enjoy.

Tx

1. 180910_ Olly #1 (261/365),
2. 190910_ four cameras (262/365),
3. 200910_ Captain (263/365),
4. 210910_ medication (264/365),
5. 220910_ sticky (265/365),
6. 230910_ my Apple kit (266/365),
7. 240910_ bridge over the River Tweed (267/365),
8. 250910_ strathclyde park #5 (268/365),
9. 260910_ Cumbernauld #3 (269/365),
10. 270910_ Nathan #1 (270/365),
11. 280910_ keep hope within, keep doubt without (271/365),
12. 290910_ mug (272/365),
13. 300910_ comin' down #5... from the Citizens Rose Garden (273/365),
14. 011010_ Water (274/365),
15. 021010_ Eilidh #3 (275/365),
16. 031010_ elastic love (276/365),
17. 041010_ under my feet (277/365),
18. 051010_ noise to his signal (278/365),
19. 061010_ on my desk (279/365),
20. 071010_ apple (280/365),
21. 081010_ in the disused railway tunnel #10 (281/365),
22. 091010_ Motherwell Fire Station Open Day #10 (282/365),
23. 101010_ at 1010 on 101010 I was in my bed reading "zero history" on my iPad (283/365),
24. 111010_ the Heritage Centre (284/365),
25. 121010_ Roses in Beveridge Park #3 (285/365),
26. 131010_ Brobee (286/365),
27. 141010_ Alex's cornet #1 (287/365),
28. 151010_ autumn #2 (288/365),
29. 161010_ Miriam & Dayna #2 (289/365),
30. 171010_ pass it on (290/365),
31. 181010_ the enemy (291/365),
32. 191010_ Colours of Autumn (292/365),
33. 201010_ if FaceTime & Instagram met (293/365),
34. 211010_ scary cupcake (294/365),
35. 221010_ my new work PC (295/365),
36. 231010_ Saltcoats Salvation Army (296/365)

It has been abandoned ever since...

According to the details on YouTube:

Six Flags New Orleans was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
It has been abandoned ever since.
This film was made in October 2010 by Teddy Smith.
The park is scheduled to be demolished in January 2011.

Beautiful cinematography with a haunting soundtrack by Godspeed You! Black Emperor... makes me want for my next urban exploration.

Tx

(via Human Resources with thanks)

My thoughts on "for r" by Leonardo Rosada

"Dedicated to life, the sun, the rain, noise, passion, all instants that are imprinted in my memory and Rita"

Leonardo Rosado

I was given a copy of "for r" to listen to and review... and I have undertaken this task with great gusto this morning. I am lying in bed... Olly is away doing other things and the we'ans are entertaining themselves in relative peace and harmony. As such... I am geeking out in a blissed out reverie that most music-lovers will appreciate... the state of listening and musing on the music itself.

The soundscapes created on this recording are intriguing... and make me dream of hearing them live. I can envisage standing in the Hamilton Mausoleum... immersed in their dissonant creativity... but they also add to what I have been reading of late. I have discovered with joy the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and it is to his writings that I am compelled when I soak in the soundscapes created by Leonardo.

The first track - "how the rain fell that day" - has two layers to it. The top layer is a simple, haunting, almost child-like melody with the bottom layer being some fantastically glitchy found-sound. The two layers come together in a sort of harmonious disharmony until approximately 2 minutes in when the bottom layer evolves into this wondrous rhythm track with some additional effects reminiscent of dub. This eclipse of the layers is such a joy to hear... its like participating in the moment of creation... where you witness the coming together of various disperate forces... and participate in the conception of the idea. This joining-together is a moment to be savoured and cherished.

The second track - "smiling or why i fell in love" - is a spacial found-soundscape that reminds me of the H. P. Lovecraft story "The colour out of space"... it brings to mind the point in the story where Ammi Pierce walks around the Gardener's farmhouse. There is a sense of unease... of disquiet... of movement beyond comprehension... the same is true in the ambient atmosphere created by Lenardo. By no means is this "easy listening ambient"... it has a level of dissonance that jars but, with further exposure, the value and worth of the piece becomes apparent. It is a piece that needs to be experienced and treasured for the pictures it creates in the mind's eye.

The third track - "the sun still rises everyday" - is underpinned by a deliciously dark drone that is present yet not quite... as if it is coming from a distance... like the echo within the whispering walls of Hamilton Mausoleum. More immediate are the sounds... the movements of glitches, starts and steps... that are close at hand. These sounds are both familiar and ominous in equal measure.

In addition, there is a real sense of two worlds... the natural and the man-made... haunting organic sounds play off of the rational metallic and electronic to create a wonderous piece of ambience that I will, most definitely, return to.

The soundscapes Lenardo has created are food for the imagination... they transport and they engage. They demand your attention and reward your loyalty... by giving you time to dream and the real space to see beyond.

"for r" by Leonardo Rosado (Relaxed Machinery 0012) is available for €5.55 on bandcamp.

Tx

A roll of film from my Olympus [mju:] zoom 70

I got a roll of 200ISO AGFA film processed tonight... taken on my Olympus [mju:] zoom 70.

I'm delighted with the majority of the roll... I think I deleted 3 out of the 27 I got back. The full set is available here.

I love analog... and will keep snapping.

Tx

alight here vol 0004

Click here to download alight here #0004 ( approx 136mb and 59mins )

I hope folks don't think I'm doing a Cook's Source thing here... but my mixcasts are not about me but the fantastic artists on them. I'm just trying to do my bit to bring attention to the wonderful tuneage out there on bandcamp. These musicians need to be heard... its as simple as that... and, as independent artists, they need our support... so please after you've listened to the latest volume of alight here, check out the links below.

• Hand In Hand Into The Ocean Blue by Good Weather For An Airstrike from the album "Signals"
• Everything Will Change by Over the Ocean from the album "Paper House"
• Mayday by Leaflog from the album "Mayday"
• Renaissance by Ancient Mariner from the album "Darkness and Light"
• Build Your Kingdom by Over the Oceanfrom the album "Paper House"
• Falling Down by The Lanterne Rouge from the album "The Last Place"
• Shadows (Ambient) by The American Dollar from the album "Ambient Two"
• I Blame The Weather! by The Northern Hemisphere from the album "Everest"
• We Fall Back Into The Ocean by Good Weather For An Airstrike from the album "Signals"
• What Remains of Our Chalk Road by Circadian Eyes from the "Rain EP"
• (Fin d'Hiver) Beautifully, It Was Cold by M E M Ó R from the compilation "Hawk Moon Records: Volume I"
• As We Drove... by ...And The Earth Swarmed With Them from the album "The Fading Voice Of The Old Era Speaks To Us, But Where Are The Ears Left To Hear It?"

Enjoy... and please support the artists featured.

Tx

Loving... "Say Goodbye" by Liz Janes

I've been really lucky to get a preview copy of Liz Janes' new album Say Goodbye on the Asthmatic Kitty record label (home to Sufjan Stevens)... and have to say... its pretty awesome.

To be honest... I haven't heard that much on the label other than Sufjan... so I was kind of expecting banjos

The album is a collection of the most deliciously soulful, relaxed and downbeat songs with a real hazy, late-night vibe about them. Liz's voice has an intimacy and sensuous quality that belies her age... and draws you in.  With a fab "less is more" backing... this album doesn't sound like a 2010 release but has instead a timelessness about it that, in my opinion, adds to the appeal.

Here's what the label had to say...

If you ask Liz Janes about her new album, Say Goodbye, she'll tell you she wanted to make a soul record. Now, before you start gettin' any James Brownian ideas, let's let Liz explain. Says Liz she loves noise and experimentation far too much to make it straight and, “Besides, I'm not a real soul singer. I wanted to make music with real meaning, that would be nourishing and comforting to the listener. I wanted the music to be inspirational and full of light—without ignoring life's violence.” And now we present Say Goodbye. A wholly new thing. A departure from what came before and an adventure story and hard luck tale all in one. It's a coming of age record, a record about the loss of innocence and the insistence on staying soft, of keeping the meanness of life from ossifying your heart. This is Liz fighting to make sense of the world and offering up a goodhearted, unpretentious experimental pop record.

I recommend this album... especially for those late nights in the company of that special someone... preferably with the flicker of naked flames.

My thanks to Todd at Love is Concrete for the hook up.

Tx

In uncharted territory we cannot use facts to persuade...

There is an interesting article on PSFK.com about the world’s first virtual storytelling conference: The Reinvention Summit.

In the article... Michael Maslansky, the author of The Language of Trust: Selling Ideas in a World of Skeptics, is asked the folllowing question:

(PSFK) Everybody is in the midst of reinvention. What is the role of storytelling in this process?

(Maslansky) Reinvention means finding a comfortable place to operate in a changing world. It means learning new skills and breaking new ground. In uncharted territory we cannot use facts to persuade; we must create a vision of who we are, where we fit, how we can help. Storytelling communicates this vision by creating a credible narrative that prompts people to buy what we are selling (literally and figuratively).

I found Maslansky's response very interesting... and The Reinvention Summit an exciting proposition.

Tx

My thought from Saturday night

On Saturday, I had the privilege to lead a church gathering at my Mum and Dad's old church in Blackburn.

Olly, Caroline and Daniel provided some wonderful musical content... with Dayna and Miriam singing a song too... and Vanessa and Lewis providing a couple of poetry readings.

I recorded my thought and wanted to share it with anyone who is so inclined to hear me talk on what we can learn from Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan Woman at Jacob's Well in Sychar.

Click here to download it. Approx. 16 mins and 8mb.

Tx

Five from bandcamp #6

Its been a wee while since I did a round-up of what's floating my boat on bandcamp... so inevitably, I have a ton of good stuff to pass on.



First off is an album that has grasped me and not let go... "Paper House" by Over The Ocean is almost too good for words. It is a collection of wonderfully engaging rock and post-rock songs with deeply spiritual lyrical content delivered with a passionate rawness that is just simply enthralling. I can see myself singing these songs... I feel them... I connect with them. Truly awesome. I feel so blessed to have found them on bandcamp. I hope you will think so too.

Pay what you want



Next up is a complex and wonderfully layered slice of imaginative electronica from a twitter friend :: "2359" by artificial sun project is a great example of what is possible... and where electronic music can be taken. Blending dark synth drones, sparse beats and dissonant bleeps with uplifting ambience, found sounds and the odd guitar to create a synergistic soundtrack for now that is beyond claustrophobic classification. It just all comes together and sounds fab.

Pay what you want



"Miles Away" by Jus Wan is something different for me... something electronic and dubby with a vibrant, crisp techno flavouring. I find it moving headphone music that is truly hypnotic.

Pay what you want



Changing moods to something more romantic... is "G. 1888" by Stéphane Horeczko. The majority of this album contains the most delightful solo piano playing that is engaging, bright and sensuous. The addition of the saxophone on two tracks takes the romantic notion to a greater level. I know that probably sounds corny but it does. It empowers this slice of neo-classical expression with a warmth... that reminds me of the great soundtracks... but recontextualised with the passion and immediacy of a pair of star-crossed lovers. Truly wonderful.

$5 or more



Last up but by no means least in this five is "Everest" by The Northern Hemisphere which has a majesty of sound and imagination evocative of the highest mountain in the world. The soundscapes created by another of my twitter friends are wondrous indeed... they engage me, as the listener. There is a sense of intentionality that comes through the music... more ambient than post-rock... no theme is over-used nor is there overt noise for the sake of a climatic ending. This is different... splendid ambient subtleties with, at times, the spatter of percussion. Recommended.

Pay what you want

Pulse is now free

Pulse Reader is my fave RSS reader on my iPad. I have Flipboard & Reeder but Pulse is my "goto" app ... it holds my "must read" feeds.

I didn't mind paying £1.79 for it ... it never let me down.

Now it's free and on my iPhone as well as my iPad.

Love it ... albeit ... if I could have something I'd have syncing between the iPad & iPhone versions.

Oh & I'd have the "pulsememe" functionality for the iPhone too.

Great app. Check it out, if you have the means to do so. If you don't have the means... don't worry, you are probably out there having too much fun to worry about an RSS reader ;-)

Tx

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Open Our Eyes: Seeing the Invisible People of Homelessness

Kevin Hendricks has a new book out... its called "Open Our Eyes: Seeing the Invisible People of Homelessness" and it tackles the subject of homelessness and tells the stories of real homeless people, interspersed with reflections from social media experts, nonprofit heroes, technology executives and more (such as Chris Brogan, Jessica Gottlieb, and Scott Monty).

As Kevin puts on his website...

these are the gritty, unfiltered voices of America’s homeless. This epidemic is putting families, children, veterans and executives on the street. While their stories are often ignored, they’re not invisible, thanks to the efforts of InvisiblePeople.tv founder Mark Horvath. He travels the country collecting and sharing raw, unedited videos and gives voice to the nation’s homeless.

These are the stories of real homeless people, collected and retold from InvisiblePeople.tv videos. Interspersed with those real life stories are reflections from social media experts, nonprofit heroes, technology executives and more, sharing their connection to homelessness and how the inspiring example of invisiblepeople.tv has impacted them. You’ll also find common misconceptions about homelessness and suggestions for how you can get involved.

It’s time to move beyond the stereotypes and stop looking away. It’s time to open our eyes.

I have a great deal of respect for Kevin and for Mark... and jumped at the chance of supporting this project. I am working my way through the ebook and have been inspired by what I have read so far.



I caught up with Kevin on email and asked him some questions...

(Thomas) First off... what was your motivation for writing the book?

(Kevin) I wanted to help Mark Horvath. In the fall of 2008 he was facing homelessness for the second time in his life. Instead of giving into despair, he launched invisiblepeople.tv. He started interviewing homeless people and sharing their stories online in raw, uncut videos. It was incredible. Since then he's crisscrossed the country twice, spoken at loads of major conferences and received press coverage from CNN, NPR, the Huffington Post and international outlets as well. And that's just the fancy sounding public effort. Mark's actual work has been helping all kinds of homeless people--everything from getting an RV out of the impound to giving someone a clean pair of socks.

My motivation for Open Our Eyes was seeing all the work Mark was doing and realizing he had no support. He's still on the brink of homelessness himself. He lives in a cockroach apartment in Los Angeles and his fridge is so empty he eats at the shelter with the homeless people he serves. That's insane. I wanted to create something that would serve as a dedicated funding stream for Mark. It's probably going to be more like a trickle, but at least it's something.

(T) How did you get to know Mark Horvath and what was the catalyst for seeking to help him? Was there anything (a vid etc) that particular sticks in your mind?

(K) I first met Mark (well, connected online) in the fall of 2008 when he was first starting InvisiblePeople.tv. My church was taking part in a 'sleep out to help the homeless' event that benefited the overflow shelter my church hosts every June. I was finally getting involved and I reached out online asking for donations. Mark was one of the few who donated--and this is when he'd been laid off and was facing homelessness himself. So that got my attention.

When he started InvisiblePeople.tv I wanted to do everything I could to help him. So since then I've been spreading the word every chance I get. What he's doing is amazing and he has such a heart and passion to help. It's an incredible story. I can't think of anything in particular that triggered it all. Just watch Mark's videos and follow his Twitter stream--it's hard. Sometimes I don't want to watch because I know it's so brutal. But those are the stories Mark tells. That's what it's like out there and we need to steal ourselves and be prepared to help.

(T) You seek to dispel the misconceptions of the homeless within the book... which of the misconceptions iritates you the most?

(K) I think the idea that homeless people are lazy and that it's their own fault really irritates me. People say 'get a job,' and it's just clear they don't know what they're talking about. Any of us could be homeless--so many of us are just one tragedy away from being on the streets. It's not laziness that makes people homelessness, it's a confluence of circumstances that conspire against them. And once you're down it's hard to get back up. Try getting a job when you sleep in your car. Try landing an interview when your address is a shelter. People quite honestly need to open their eyes and get past that misconception.

(T) Of the folks featured in your book, like Drew or Jennifer, which one struck a chord with you the most?

(KH) It's hard to pick just one. I think the stories of families with kids are especially brutal. David and Tish come to mind. Cecilia, Gypsy, Tracy. There are also stories of people who had that one tragedy. Tom's wife left him and he went on a bender and got fired the next day and that was it. Yong had her apartment burn down and the insurance check didn't come through and now she lives in a tent in the woods. Drew's family was killed by a drunk driver and he found himself on the streets. There was a pregnant girl in New York City--Jennifer--thankfully Mark talked to her on a day she was getting housing. That was a good story.

There are just so many. I think getting to know their stories and learning what it's really like can move us past our indifference and help us to act.

(T) Lastly, if you had three wishes, like the folks featured, what would you wish for?

(K) Oh geez, that's a hard one. I guess I wish people would help one another. I wish people had what they needed--whether that's homeless people in the U.S. who need a job or people around the world who need clean water. And selfishly, I wish I had the provision I need--it's been a lean year.

So here's where I ask you to do your bit... please go here ... buy the book and support the work of Mark Horvath and invisiblepeople.tv.

Thanks,

Tx

Photosafari to Glasgow's Necropolis

Spent yesterday lunchtime with four of my photogeek colleagues... up at Glasgow's Necropolis. I had a wonderful time walking about... talking and shooting interesting imagery with them.



One of my chums commented on the atmosphere at the photosafaris... she spoke of how it was great for her... it allowed her to go take photos in places she wouldn't otherwise get to. Whilst I thought it funny to consider the group as a gang of "big, tough men"... I got her point entirely... and was proud that I had, in someone way, facilitated this.



It was a wonderfully dark and "contrasty" day... and I hope my pics do the space justice. Will need to go back there... its a treasure trove for a photogeek like me.

The rest of photos are available here.

Tx

This is way cool :: "Double Edge" by Emika

Every-so-often I hear music that makes me go "wow" ... to be fair, this is becoming more of a regular occurrence of late with the fab music on bandcamp ... but tonight I was like "omgoodness" when I heard this track.

Don't know anything more about Emika other than this listing. I think I will change that.

Was pointed towards it by a twitter friend (@allenwentz).

Tx

Dayna's Rememberance Day Poem

Never forget.

Tx

Posted via email from headphonaught's posterous

Preview of Cousin Silas' new album :: Complex Silence 9 - Fresh Landscapes

Cousin Silas' new album :: Complex Silence 9 - Fresh Landscapes :: is due to drop imminently... and Phil Wilkerson, the chap behind the album series, has created a 15 minute preview video. Watch it and you'll see the artwork I created for the release.

Soak it in... its a truly awesome recording that I am proud to be associated with.

Tx

Lego Star Wars :: Bombad Bounty

Slightly surreal revisionist retelling of Jar-Jar Binks involvement in Episodes IV - VI. Fun.

Thanks to @myopicaardvark for the heads up.

Tx

Derek Webb's "Feedback"

Derek Webb's new album... Feedback... really appeals to me. From what I've heard of it... it sounds fantastic... and the video above really alludes to some fantastic potential.

I really like what Derek had to say about his album:

Worship is a complicated idea. Arguably, it’s what we all do, 24 hours a day (regardless of what we’re worshipping). And I’m aware of a lot of “worship product” in the marketplace I sometimes occupy. So I was cautious when I first started receiving the coordinates that would lead me to make ‘Feedback’. It was immediately conceptual and ambitious, so much so that I genuinely wasn’t sure I could do it. But this seemed to be the perfect posture in which to create something worthy of being called a “worshipful” piece of art. So I studied, meditated, struggled and prayed my way through this creative process, and it’s easily the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career. But I believe it’s been worth it, even just for the ways it’s stretched both my creative process and my faith as a follower of the Way.

I hope Santa reads this... because I'd love the tier 3 bundle in my stocking on the 25th Dec.

Tx

All Scotland Youth Councils 2010

All Scotland Youth Councils 2010... where the Young People in the Salvation Army from across Scotland get-together to worship and share with each other... was a real blast. I was there as the "official" photographer and was very privileged to be invited to participate in this manner. My photos from the day are available here.

It was a real honour to spend time with so many truly wonderful people... especially over lunch with Tim and Andrea Reynolds, Jo Moir and Katherine Sonntag... and my brother-in-law Daniel in the afternoon session. I also got to see Laura and Adam... as well as the Midwinters and Jen Clement, to name but a few.

I made some new friends too... such as Matt, the officer at City Centre Corps; which is always good.

The main theme was "the big dig" where Tim & Andrea encouraged the young people to dig deeper in their faith and seek to live authentic lives.

It was an inspiring day... all in.

Tx

alight here #0003

There is so much genuinely great music on bandcamp and various Netlabels right now... and the latest volume of alight here is only scratching the surface.

This one is more a downtempo affair... focussing on wonderful post-rock and ambient soundscapes to create a cohesive soundtrack to now.

As before, its all about supporting and promoting the best in truly independent music... and I think I have found some keepers here.  If you agree, do your bit... follow the links and support the artists by downloading their music and, where appropriate, giving a few quid to keep them making awesome music.

Thanks to the artists featured... you light up my life and, I hope, the lives of the nanolog community.

alight here #0003 - 113mb

Tx

• The Clouds Marched by Circadian Eyes from the Rain EP
• Father Xavier by Tundra Vole from the album Epictorials
• gateway 2 by Seabright from the album Shimmer
• You Look Like A Religious Man by Inachus from the album Inachus
• The Distant Beacon by Arboretus from the compilation Hawk Moon Records: Volume I
• Where The Wild Things Are (Murya Remix I) by Ruxpin from the album I Wonder if This is the Place
• Eyes Closed by Mind over MIDI from the Thru EP
• Qinah (Lament) by Russ Sargeant from the EP Beats in Rhythm
• Empty Coastline by Cousin Silas from the album Adrift off the Islets of Langerhans
• Fractal by The Echelon Effect from the album Mosaic
• The Force Below Lion Lullabies by Lowercase Noises from the album Seafront
• Burnt Out Car by Matt Stevens from the album Ghost
• The Slow Decay Had Already Begun by ...And The Earth Swarmed With Them from the EP The Fading Voice Of The Old Era Speaks To Us, But Where Are The Ears Left To Hear It?