Confessions of an English Opium-Eater
We had a cultural studies lecture not so long ago on Romanticism and something that came up which amongst other things i found intriguing was a book called Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. Written in 1821 Confessions of an English Opium-Eater is an autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his laudanum (opium and alcohol) addiction and its effect on his life. The Confessions was "the first major work De Quincey published and the one which won him fame almost overnight... It was first published anonymously in September and October 1821 in the London Magazine, and secondly the Confessions were released in book form in 1822, and again in 1856, in an edition revised by De Quincey.
Seemed like a pretty interesting title for a book so i went and set up a Libary account and ordered it into my local libary, think it should of arrived a while ago now, just need to go pick it up! Something that interests me even more is that the original book cover was used by Babyshambles for the cover of there second album "Shotters Nation".
Seemed like a pretty interesting title for a book so i went and set up a Libary account and ordered it into my local libary, think it should of arrived a while ago now, just need to go pick it up! Something that interests me even more is that the original book cover was used by Babyshambles for the cover of there second album "Shotters Nation".
Birthday Present!
A while back me and Kirsty were watching a film the fam called 'Gone Baby Gone' which is a 2007 American crime drama/mystery film directed by Ben Affleck. It wasn't my personal choice of film but it turned out to be pretty ok. Anyway the whole film the main character Patrick Kenzie (played by Casey Affleck) is wearing this cool necklace which i'd never seen before? It was like a cross necklace with a St. Christopher pendant below it. After the film finished i mentioned it to Kirst and she had noticed it too! We both thought it was really cool and i looked all over the net to find one and so did she (she wanted to get me it for Christmas) turns out it's actuatlly insanely hard to find that combination of a cross and pendant together. So we kind of gave up on it and just thought it must of been a one off necklace of something... Until this month when Kirsty was determined to find it me for my Birthday on the 22nd we looked around town in a couple of shops and couldn't see anything that even mildly represented it. Finally on our way home we stopped at one last store, i think it was called Andrew Lampett? The guy we spoke to said it sounded really unique but he promised he could make us something like it. Kirsty got a phone call today and we went into pick up the finished product! Looks identical if not better haha.
Got to wait till the 22nd for it now haha!
Got to wait till the 22nd for it now haha!
Vintage Racing Bike
Went into a re-conditioned bike shop today and purchased a real nasty vintage looking racing bike haha! Was supposed to be £75 but managed to haggle it for £65 after pretending i wasn't really interested. Not sure if it was just an impulse buy that i'm going to live to regret or a good investment for traveling to Uni, i guess i can always ebay it if i get bored!
Will add pics tomorrow when i pick it up!
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Will add pics tomorrow when i pick it up!
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Just picked up beauty or the beast, doesn't actually look as bad as i remember!
On a more random but sort of linked note...
Also bought some lights for my bike on the way through town, took a pic of them with my Phone cam whilst turned on simply shining the light into the camera lens, took some pretty abstract pics some which might work for a current Graphics project we have titled 'Electronic Frontiers"!
Front Light & Back lights!
Also bought some lights for my bike on the way through town, took a pic of them with my Phone cam whilst turned on simply shining the light into the camera lens, took some pretty abstract pics some which might work for a current Graphics project we have titled 'Electronic Frontiers"!
Front Light & Back lights!
Cameras!
My Girlfrind Kirsty got me a Lomo Action Sampler 35mm camera for Christmas and i got the pictures developed a couple of days back, in all honesty the pictures came out pretty awfully! There seems to be a problem with the flash firing on the 3 and 4 frames due to it not being fully recharged. I think it's a common problem with Lomo cameras (them being a bit crap) but apparently thats what it's all about! Shame it means my 36 exposure film only gets around 4 or 5 half decent images! Oh well first roll of film.. hopefully things will turn out better as i get smarter with taking the pics! My interest in Photography has been rekindled haha !
10 Golden Rules Of Lomo
10 Golden Rules Of Lomo
1. Take your Lomo everywhere you go
This I always do along with an extra roll of film.
2. Use it anytime - day and night
3. Lomography is not an interference with your life but a part of it
It will soon feel natural to take Lomographs of everything.
4. Get as close as possible to the objects of you lomographic desire
I still don't get this right half the time.
5. Don't think
Once you start thinking about composition, the unexpected qualities start to go.
6. Be fast
As fast as you can take you camera from your pocket. For instant reaction, use the supplied wrist strap.
7. You don't have to know beforehand what is on your film
8. Nor afterwards
You will figure it out eventually.
9. Try the shot from the hip
Or from the ground.
10. Don't worry about (golden) rules
Be unique and find your own way.
http://beta.lomography.com/ Such a cool site!
Also when i linked my uncle to this site he realised he had one of the cameras on here! I now have this Rollei 35 to mess around with and my Grandads old light meter!
I Also found a Nikon F75 and Olympus OM10 knocking about the house which i'm goig to get some new batteries for and stick some film in!
http://beta.lomography.com/magazine/cameras/2008/11/24/rollei-35-the-friend-in-your-pocket
Also when i linked my uncle to this site he realised he had one of the cameras on here! I now have this Rollei 35 to mess around with and my Grandads old light meter!
I Also found a Nikon F75 and Olympus OM10 knocking about the house which i'm goig to get some new batteries for and stick some film in!
http://beta.lomography.com/magazine/cameras/2008/11/24/rollei-35-the-friend-in-your-pocket
Last Apple of Winter
Solemnly strung on the tatters of a crisp winters morn,
The wind licked and taunted,
Stubborn but beaten it hung,
Light bled through the tangled weave, malignant the weather
Skelton and heart,
Anticipation of chance, hope that hope would bear
A soldier? A prisoner?
To surpass brothers and sisters prior to ones self, clutching thy nurse or a mother latched to a child?
Delayed negotiation.
The last apple of winter, died before baptism ambivalent of the gesturing soil, life will first perish then flourish, providence waits.
The wind licked and taunted,
Stubborn but beaten it hung,
Light bled through the tangled weave, malignant the weather
Skelton and heart,
Anticipation of chance, hope that hope would bear
A soldier? A prisoner?
To surpass brothers and sisters prior to ones self, clutching thy nurse or a mother latched to a child?
Delayed negotiation.
The last apple of winter, died before baptism ambivalent of the gesturing soil, life will first perish then flourish, providence waits.
Cocaine Tales
Snow had fallen once again, light glistening flakes sunk through thin air to sit loosely on an even surface, the boy sat bemused and In ore of what fell before him, it wasn’t often that weather conditions permitted such a glorious sight. Now settled there became an emmence urge to touch and feel the snow spread beneath his un-orthodox rectangular foot. It was tread smooth and now lay in a beckoning form, Elizebeth called from a near distance, she asked the boy to lend her a hand she wanted to be rolled now that the snow glazed the woodland, the boy set about as to what she wished and once set into motion they both felt a gust of air, a blizzard began, she felt the snow pass her face it soothed her anxiety and her excitement began to grow, the blizzard however was short lived. The boy now felt numb, the weather had made his nose tingle and his hands were clammy beneath his winter gloves. There was something in the air that day his heart began to race, not for the girl she was but an aid, a vessel. He was aware that like many things snow didn’t and doesn’t last forever but caught amongst it’s aura and occupied with conversation his fears of the short lived wonder were masked.
The sun began to shine, light shall always prevail over darkness and warmth over cold the snow began to subside slowly melting and with it the will to converse wilted. The amourous flakes of white on white began to vanish and so did the boys obsession, he asked himself why it was so that many people find themselves caught in fascination of something so cold and disappointing?
He felt the cold and seeked a cure he was unable to sleep. Hot flushes came and went his fingers found letters center to white squares and allowed himself to express his feelings through a child like story in hope it would exhaust him and help him sleep.
A light shone before him mantled to his stomach was the source. A decision was made to cease it’s source to engulf the flame, to shut it’s lid. A restless night was about to begin.
Metaphoric Meaning
Snow had fallen once again, light glistening flakes sunk through thin air to sit loosely on an even surface, (CD case) the boy sat bemused and In ore of what fell before him (Coke), it wasn’t often that weather conditions permitted such a glorious sight. (Expensive) Now settled there became an emmence urge to touch and feel the snow spread beneath his un-orthodox rectangular foot. (Credit Card) It was tread smooth and now lay in a beckoning form, (Cut up into lines) Elizebeth called from a near distance, (A note) she asked the boy to lend her a hand she wanted to be rolled now that the snow glazed the woodland, the boy set about as to what she wished and once set into motion they both felt a gust of air (Snort, snort), a blizzard began, she felt the snow pass her face it soothed her anxiety and her excitement began to grow, the blizzard however was short lived. The boy now felt numb, the weather had made his nose tingle and his hands were clammy beneath his winter gloves. There was something in the air that day his heart began to race, not for the girl she was but an aid, a vessel. He was aware that like many things snow didn’t and doesn’t last forever but caught amongst it’s aura and occupied with conversation his fears of the short lived wonder were masked.
The sun began to shine, light shall always prevail over darkness and warmth over cold the snow began to subside slowly melting and with it the will to converse wilted. The amourous flakes of white on white began to vanish and so did the boys obsession, he asked himself why it was so that many people find themselves caught in fascination of something so cold and disappointing?
He felt the cold and seeked a cure he was unable to sleep. Hot flushes came and went his fingers found letters center to white squares (Keyboard) and allowed himself to express his feelings through a child like story in hope it would exhaust him and help him sleep.
A light shone before him mantled to his stomach was the source. (Laptop) A decision was made to cease it’s source to engulf the flame, to shut it’s lid. A restless night was about to begin.
Brackets maybe a little bit too literal? But i'm not sure it would of been clear enough without them. The things you write on drugs hey?!
