tomorrow >> porth

this is a picture of the view from where I will be tomorrow, no not on a surf trip but at conference/meeting for work and the forecast is for cold NW winds with snow showers across bodmin moor which I will be driving over.
so I will be taking a sleeping bag (rather than surfing stuff) in case I get stuck. strange you might think; but cornwall seems to stop for snow as it is so rare. strong winds, rain, floods are all normal but a few flakes of snow and the place seems to stop.
perhaps because there is only a few gritting lorries and the last major snow fall saw two of the local lorries collide blocking a major local road for most of the day. oh well hope for a good day.

blue juice + josh tambini + duffy

strange perhaps to link the 1995 cornish based surf film blue juice, (staring amongst others sean pertwee & ewan mcgregor) and a character from that film josh tambini played by steven mackintosh to the singer duffy. (the tambini character was a dj that re-mixed old northern soul records).
the thing is I have heard the new duffy release 'mercy' all over the place and the link to the northern soul scene is plain to see. carol has just come in from work and mentioned that she had heard the record and liked it. so its good enough for me to have this train of thought. as well as show the video.

mark everett >> parallel worlds, parallel lives >> susans house

after missing the first showing november (07) I managed to get to watch a re-run of the parallel worlds, parallel lives (BBC 4) last night and then again just now on BBC i-player (only available to watch for the next 5 days and very well worth it).
I found it extra-ordinarily interesting. I am still trying to get my head round it but I am enjoying the thought process. it also gave me an added reason to put up this great eels song.

to design stuff >> or just come back to what you know?

it has been a while since I really had to think hard about a new design related exam for students. I have been looking at course to run with the education situation of my 'real life' within a product design situation. so was very pleased to find that the way certainly OCR 'A level' & OCR 'GCSE' are thinking is more in line with the way the design & technology of the 2000's is moving. (or perhaps it is just my opinion)

as so many people keep saying much of the work current pupils & students will be doing does not exist yet. so how can we plan for them never mind teach them.

the more design based curriculum of some is actually starting to address the fact that design and designers in whatever discipline play a continually important part of what ever the future has to bring. creativity is something that is part of the human rather than computer input and it seems that exam boards have realised that now. it just needs the education system to make sure we can deliver what the current generation need, in my view a fresh look at being able to consider as well as dream using the progress in technology to be creative.

after a difficult week >> relax a little

well after a difficult week for me anyway, I thought I would end it (the week that is) with this in my mind cool version of goldie's 'inner city life'. both songs I think are brilliant and in a way uplifting.
it has only been difficult as far as motivation but as always next week will be better.



see you back here next week. I should have regained some drive to fuel more ideas again.

a bit better >> more radiohead >> ellie's haven

well almost another day of non achievement, starting to feel a bit better so should be able to be part of the important fund-raising rainbow day for ellie's haven tomorrow.
on the rainbow theme I happened to find this video while having a look at drob the blog.
thought it was well worth posting here.

not a good day >>

picture from here

not a good day it started with one of these, so I have spent the day doing very little. it is rare that a whole working day is wiped away but tomorrow will be ok I am sure.
perhaps I didn't have enough coffee?

hot foot >> gabeslogo >> skate

well it's just simple relaxed and stylish, yeah nice!

most depressing day of the year, equation?

I actually didn't realise that today is supposed to be the most depressing day in the uk this year. I heard it at work & on the radio, even read about it in the paper when I got home. I have had better days but I didn't feel that bad at all today other than the usual apprehension felt at the beginning of any working week through the year.

I wanted to know more so I had a look about to see the how the date is decided to search about for the equation used to work it out. it seems to have been developed by dr. cliff arnall (who specializes in seasonal disorders) at the university of cardiff, wales. his calculations show that the misery peaks on a monday.

I actually like equations and enjoy working stuff like this out, so perhaps I am lucky as it has given me something of interest to ponder today.
that said the wind and rain that is battering my little house in south cornwall tonight, doesn't sound that nice.

- 1/8W+(D-d) 3/8xTQ MxNA.

where:
- W: weather
- D: debt
- d: money due in january pay
- T: time since christmas
- Q: time since failed quit attempt
- M: general motivational levels
- NA: the need to take action

more links
moneyhospital
beatbluemonday.greenblog
skynews

friday again >> time >> hergest ridge

I can't remember a week going by this quickly and yet as I have talked about before on this blog individual parts of the day seem to pass by at different speeds, time shifting (1), I think it is fascinating.
I am steering clear of the shape shifting scenario, though the celtic ideas are interesting.
to be able to dwell on a momentary thought is something that I have always strived to be able to do.

cover design photography by trevor key

which brings me to 'hergest ridge' & mike oldfield. in the middle years of teenage hood I really believed that I would be a famous musician. so much so I used to practice guitar long in to the night most days, I was lucky enough to meet the engineer tom newman who worked with mike oldfield on both albums. even recording guitar layers for a piece of music called travelling with mr newman, thought it was never released (to long a story).

mike oldfield had already released and had world wide success with tubular bells when this second album 'hergest ridge' was released.
I recently added hergest ridge to my mp3 player and have found my self listening to it over the last few days quite a lot. musical wallpaper perhaps? but good quality wallpaper none the less. probably rushed I like it better than tubular bells for me. the records were released in 1973 & 1974 respectively and to be still thinking about them perhaps time isn't moving that fast after all.

missed a classic surf last night >>

well apparently I missed one of the best surf sessions of the winter at my (best) beach last night. when I got in to work first thing I was instantly surrounded my those who had either surfed watched or photographed the session.
oh well another day I suppose I have to prioritise, these days. but I found a nice picture that made me feel much better. when I turned my machine on to searched the hard drive for a piece of software that I had mislaid. this picture (taken by moby in the summer) was on there all alone, (I had forgotten) so I thought I would add it. taken on the north coast. makes me think of warmer days, it won't be long until it gets like it again down here.

what has scrabble got to do with it?

picture from teaandcakes

well nothing really the last couple of days have been rather busy with normal work as well as the ellie's haven marketing push so if I am really tired and really busy I have to say that I do like a good game of scrabble not very 'rock & roll' I realise but still. have to say as well I hate to loose, but find it relaxing in an alternatively stressful way. I was lucky enough to be given a travel scrabble set for christmas, so as well as using it when travelling I can also play it in bed, even less 'rock & roll'.

so now it is back to more emailing of people and more planning for some staff training tomorrow, just hope I manage a few triple word scores before I get to sleep tonight.
I won't be loosing any sleep over the fact that the application written for facebook 'scrabulous' has been asked to be removed from the facebook social network site. there is a time and a place for a computer, perhaps. however even I agree with the ruling.
night, night.

Ellie's Haven update >>

it is very difficult to measure the effectiveness of any awareness campaign after only one day as far as the film clip posted on this blog yesterday. especially as it coincided with uploading the video on youtube, in its full version and broken down into clips all these can be viewed here.
the ellies haven website as well as many other things have been active for a while now.

the awareness campaign is to be added to by way of email (a few hundred have been sent already) all the emails will be sent through person to person.
although it has been time consuming, we are actively trying to reach as many people as possible without spamming.

ellies haven as a project will last hopefully for many years. if you want to help simply pass on the a link to the ellies haven website, or to the youtube link even to this blog. so that as many people as possible get to see the work that is hopefully being done down here in a small cornish town.

Ellie's Haven >> 'The Film'

A film made by students at Looe Community School, Cornwall (January 2008).

If you have found this video through chance or been directed here please take time to watch.

Thank you.

To find out more & to help please visit ellies-haven.org.uk

email: info[at]ellies-haven.org.uk or dgeorge[at]looe.cornwall.sch.uk

echo beach >> cornwall >> surfing

I never thought I would ever be writing on this blog about a television programme, especially on ITV1, but as it is based in cornwall and has a link to surfing I thought I had better get in early. (echo beach & moving wallpapers).
I have watched the first two programmes (of echo beach that is) and I think that though it is really not very good at all, I will probably watch many more. much like neighbours (the australian soap) is not very good but I seem to have watched it for 20+ years, (that's embarrassing).
it was the talk of work today as half of it is filmed very close to where we are based, and the rest about 40 miles away. so it is very funny to see familiar places seeming to be very close to each other. of course it is all in cornwall and it looks very english/cornish except that it seems sunnier and far less crowded than we are used to down here.

tata >> a new peoples car? >>

after post the stuff about the fiat 500 yesterday I was caught in the car mood and had to put something here about the 'new peoples car' or so it has been called.
manufactured by tata. looks a bit a like a smart car gone a bit cheaper.
mass sales followed by more pollution? that's just a theory.

Fiat 500 >> car of 2008 >> I like it

I have always liked the fiat 500, maybe it is because as a small child I thought that italy was cool, and every one at school liked the mini.
many years have passed and I probably like the relaunched fiat 500 for the same reasons. strange perhaps coming from some one who drives a land rover (and likes it as well) but still. I like the fiat 500 very much indeed, small and sensible for short city based journeys as well as being cute.

seems others do as well as it has had many good reviews since it was let loose on europe early last year. the closest I will probably get to having one of my own I expect is to make the paper model below. incidentally you can find plan drawings for many other cars at grumlt.citrina.it it's well worth a look if you have some time.more fiat 500 links
fiat 500
fiat showroom

morocco >> winter >> moby

moby (he of the moby-cam), loyal photographer to the surf site surf98 was lucky enough to get some winter water time in morocco at the end of last year.
I will be updating as well as adding some of the many pictures he came back with on the surf site but I thought it would be good to just give a little taster here first.

bit late back >> happy new year

just a short post to let you know I am back, from a holiday I suppose.
I didn't get in the water as I had planned but still I did get as far as the beach and it looked good. the picture below taken by my good friend moby, on the north coast yesterday morning.


I was down west after watching ben play rugby, sorting out the correct size for a new set of fins (for kneeboarding) thanks to the guys at the surf shop at portreath. excellent service and friendly as well.