August 31, 2004
GNOVELISTIC BREAKTHROUGH plus AN IDEA FOR NEW YORKERS THIS WEEK
It seems that I
have broken through the barrier which was blocking progress
on the gnovel. I couldn't see how to tie together smoothly
the two different strands, Augustine/Ottoline, but this weekend
I think I got it. Yes I really think she's got it.
Go see whether you agree. Here are mini-versions
of part of the new layout.
Good old New Yorkers
are out in force on the streets showing the RepubliConVenting what
they think of their Madison Square Garden circus. My love
and blessings to all those biking and
walking and blogging and
talking and signing and singing their protests.
Here's an idea for them - I know it's naff but it would be fantastic.
Playing at top volume out of every non-Bushite New
York apartment window, every office, every car, every store, every cafe,
every bar, every stereo system and radio carried along the street, just one
tune: John Lennon's IMAGINE.
Every day, all day, for the whole of this week. Or Beethoven's
Ninth if you prefer.
August 26, 2004
August 24, 2004
LIFE & DEATH, MOVING AND KEEPING STILL
On a more serious and quieter note: on August 19th it was three years since my mother died. I didn't post anything that day but visited her grave and spent some time cutting back the thorny brambles that keep fiercely growing back on that little plot of ground no matter how often we clear it. And I suddenly realised that my desire to protect her from harm, so strong in those last months of her life, foolishly seems to be still working. I've posted some notes I wrote at the time, My Mother Going and Gone .
August 23, 2004
FAST AND RANDOM MOVIES
My Fuji digital camera has a movie option which I've never tried. Somehow it turned itself on when I was trying to photograph a girl playing a keyboard, sweetly singing old favourites on Lyme Regis promenade. In the bright light the little screen was invisible and I didn't think I'd got anything but on my computer back home I was amazed to see a few seconds of moving image - in fact 4 minimovies, different scenes.No sound, unfortunately. Does anyone know how I can combine the 4 scraps into one minimoving collage? First let's see if these scraps will play here...........Hey they do! Please remember I didn't know I was shooting the shortest film ever made. It only plays if you have Quick Time plug-in. Double click when the sequence ends so they will play again. And again. Me and Andy Warhol we like repetition. I don't know, there's something fascinating about stillness suddenly becoming animated then quickly still again. Like life and death innit?
Later: The little movies were causing all sorts of havoc with browsers so I'm removing all of them. There goes my film directing career.
August 19, 2004
HOLIDAY SNAPS, FOSSILS ETC.
We're
back and I am commanded to post N's traditional birthday
self-photo which was not posted and not even taken on
the relevant date but 10 days later. Don't ask me what
this tradition means - something about thumbing the nose
at capital T Time by keeping track of how little one
changes with the passing years. It's OK by me since I
will look the same forever & ever. But N on her umpteenth
birthday? Don't make me laugh. Anyhow here is another
one for the time-defying album which can be put into
a time capsule whenever they become available.
No doubt you want to see our holiday snaps from Lyme Regis yes?
Begin with these
beautiful pebbles from the Jurassic beach. These particular
pebbles are probably not Jurassic but the whole Dorset coast
most definitely is - it's called the World
Heritage Jurassic Coast because it's chock full of million
billion year-old fossils of every description. They seem
to have mostly ended up in the tourist shops and museum as
we didn't find any. But then we weren't seriously hunting
for fossils, a worthwhile pursuit if you are not already
well advanced into fossilization yourself, as it were.
Then there are the
gulls. I know these creatures are noisy, greedy, messy and
will take the ice cream cone right out of your hand but I
still love them. I love their cries, their shape, their colour,
their walk, their flight. Gull the Gorgeous.
Lyme was lovely. Small, friendly, unpretentious, easy to fit into like a
comfortable pair of old shoes. Not spectacular, not breathtaking, just plain
lovely. The air fresh and breezy and in between light showers the sun would
burst out, lavishing tender caresses on every body, turning even the oldest,
sallowest, flabbiest human specimens into caramel fudge splendour.The rest
of the photos are here.
August 9, 2004
We're off early
tomorrow morning and I've got a lot to do but the big G has
kept me chained to table and screen all day today. It seems
he wants to give you some food for thought while I'm away.
It's a fairly large meal; apologies if you have to wait for
service. I still can't find the way to reduce the file size
and still keep everything as sharp as it is on the original.
Will try to make some of the words more readable when I get
back next week.
AUGUSTINE INTERVIEWS GOD - Part Nine
August 5, 2000
SUMMER IN THE CITY
Rain,
thunder and lightning of epic proportions have not succeeded
in cleaning the air and we are laid low with massive headaches,
blocked sinuses and pervasive brain fog.
N's birthday is imminent (August 7th) and this does not help to lighten matters. We will be off to the seaside next Tuesday for a week so good wishes, kisses, propositions, compliments and large cheques (checks accepted too) are expected before then.