busy

I know we all think we are busy I am no different. just got back home in cornwall from a meeting in bristol, it has been a long day. have to say what little I saw of bristol today was quite inspiring as was a small section of the meeting today which was a surprise.

I realise now that for so many reasons I should perhaps have gone by train but I never really considered it as I am so used to driving everywhere these days.

france again >> back in a week or so

well I only have one more meeting (an important one) tomorrow, then by the evening all being well I/we will be on the way to france again. driving to dover and the ferry, then driving through northern france to spend a week in the burgundy area.

I have to say I feel really tired and more than ready for a little break. so plan to be away from this blog for a few days at least. I have to get some work done so I am taking stuff with me. and I might just feel the need to update, if not I should be back here on monday the 3rd of november '08.

its back to roads and signs again>> must be spring

this is taken from the guardian yesterday, full text.

Too many road signs could be making driving more dangerous, according to a new study. Psychologists said that the amount of advertising and signage typically present in a city centre could be pushing up the number of accidents. (Alok Jha)

I have mentioned before in this blog about the way some signs can sometimes be not just difficult to see and read but they don't look good as well. I realise that safety is second to aesthetics but shouldn't they follow each other? over the last few days I have driven many miles in and around the south west. as usual it seems that the yearly road works in the west country (cornwall) where I live have come back with some incredibly difficult signs understand. especially singnal s for a contraflow and the many often over use of cones and confusing directional arrows.

taken from the british driving theory test

I am in no way suggesting that signs shouldn't be used but feel that there has to be a better way, most of the signs were designed (I realise that they are constantly revised) in a time when there were fewer cars on the road and far less congestion and most cars weren't as powerful (or had the acceleration).

I am a simple observer rather than a militant anti- sign campaigner I just think we could do it so much better and still use signs.

indulgence >> the editors

I make no apology for my indulgence with this post. I have made rather too many trips to hospital in the last few months and more visits to come in the next weeks.

anyway for a while now I have found the music of the editors so good. (perhaps it's a little reminiscent of quality very early 80's stuff but that is a meant as praise) but this song especially becomes real when you arrive to park at the hospital only to see people standing in a tiny shelter in the rain all for a cigarette. not that I am saying people shouldn't have choices but simply the knowledge to make them.

enough, just enjoy the music (and the video) the editors are permanently on my mp3 player and on the car CD at the moment. I can really recommend their new album.

driving >> good things

it seems that since getting back from france I have spent just as much time driving about on different errands and family visits as well as crossing from coast to coast to get to the beaches. one of the many good things about cornwall is that even in the middle of the busiest week as far as holiday visitors there is still space.
when you have views like this one an area of bodmin moor (for a change it is not a picture of the sea) it is no time to complain about anything.

safely back >> I have to go away to realise how lucky I am?

we had a great few weeks in france, driving more than 2000 miles. we went chasing the surf and found some good waves south of biarritz, as well as thunderstorms and unusual conditions for the time of year. as the french coast, like the californian coast is experiencing some strange weather conditions. california suffering the coldest summer on record and south west france not fairing much better as well as having some strange tidal conditions, said to be caused by climate change probably because people like me are driving 2000 miles just to go surfing!! at least it is better than flying to bali as far as carbon footprint.


I thought I would put this picture in taken yesterday after surfing very near where we live in cornwall & wonder why we travel so far looking for something that is on our door step. all that said I would move to the basque area of france if I had the chance!

a little self indulgent >> more france stuff

yes I know you are probably a bored of france but it is one of those days, it has been sunny and warm. so late this afternoon we got the camping stuff out to make sure it was all ok and pitched the two tents we are taking in the front garden.
I know we are not going to france for over a week but carol is getting excited, she still only has a few shifts left.
I am on summer break but still have to write the september's surfing article for Go2 magazine, before we go as it has to go to press early-mid august. the august issue is out and a good one .
I am also playing around with another project a complete re-design of an academic web site, the deadline is september so still early, and I am still thinking about it.

any way these three pictures will hopefully sum up a part of our next surf trip to south west france (basque country).

+

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vw camper >> for me surely not!

I know that I have mentioned vw campers negatively before and as I child I spent hours and hours in one touring around europe. I must have been through france countless times on the way to spain or italy before I was even old enough to drive never mind leave home. for that experience I am extremely grateful to my parents. but sleeping in one even as a small child for any length of time is not that comfortable.
found an interesting article on guardian unlimited detailing the vw campers that I know about.

the vw camper is still inextricably linked with both surfers and surf wannabes. as an adult I have never really wanted one, preferring to have a big car with the idea that a big car will probably be more fuel efficient, time effective, and more comfortable on all the long journeys we actually do than a vw camper, however looking at these pictures I could change my mind! well I would have to be very rich as well, and that is hardly likely.

anyway carol pointed be in the direction of this website verdier really worth a look if only for the flash work and the music.

sunshine >> good to see gabes >> a bit like summer

it felt like summer today as we drove across cornwall on a trip to sort out some quite important stuff, we were running late as I had all off a sudden started working on the surfing article this morning (has to be done by the 5th) and carol was waiting for the post.
then over to dhl in north cornwall to pick up a new body glove wetsuit courtesy of surfgirl magazine for carol.
then back down to the city (in devon) for me to sort out my broadband account with orange and pick up a new phone. sorry people but its a blackberry I know probably more than half the people reading this will be waiting for the i-phone (from apple) to reach the uk, but I have to think about the service I use and what I need.
in cornwall if I want to get information from the beach by email I need a phone that I can do that with. I know that blackberry work predominantly with a windows user in mind and the rim technologies are again set to work with microsoft. I got the 8100 so a small phone, and to my eyes at least a nice looking phone, be interesting to see if it is any good?


the indulgence of the day was another visit to mcdonalds for the second time this year, it was my son ben (8) who wanted to go. I was surprised that they accommodated my strange dietary needs, I am vegetarian and don't eat cheese anymore, as you can see from the picture it looks a little odd but it tasted fine, I just can't help fueling the all these american monsters.

then towards evening we went to met gabes another of my sons from his coach journey. he had been on a coach since 9 in the morning and had pretty much seen the whole of the south coast of the uk on route to cornwall. all things considered it was a successful day. that's better much better.

what a day >> designing for mobile communities

what a day, I really have to mention carol, first she left early this morning to drive to an interview, probably the most important in her working life to date. then she is back home after lunch when she received a call to say that she didn't get the job. next she called me very disappointed and I promised to get home as soon as I could which I did.
next early evening they were on the phone again offering her the job, quite rightly in my opinion she excepted, and got a good deal.
and there I was thinking the design/academic world was fickle.

I spent some valuable time on designs for 'the hub' today which is coming together a bit better than last week. I did take some pictures very quickly before I had to get home, but in my haste I had the camera set on macro which obviously meant that whilst the pictures are interesting they do not mean anything, I will try to get more pictures on tomorrow.

whilst looking at more stuff on the internet I again was drawn to cati's blog because I remembered a link to jeff axup who finished his thesis on 'methods of understanding and designing for mobile communities'. it sounds a bit heavy but I took it upon myself to read a large part of it. I am famous for not really liking reading a huge amount of text on screen. so as bad as it is if I have to consider an examination criteria for a new exam course I will be teaching I print it off to read it in a quiet corner somewhere at home, usually because the text has not been specifically designed for reading on screen so doesn't work.

however looking at jeff's thesis or the sections of it that I have considered and read, make it different and easier to see on screen.
the understanding of the first user seems to have been thought through in a way that suits me at least.

It would be silly of me to try and explain all that jeff axup has considered and written about but I will show a couple of screen shots and explain a little of way I think it works. obviously splitting the thesis up for download is nothing new, (the complete thesis can also be downloaded).
I like the way jeff has done this because for me anyway it makes the most important part the subject matter easier an clear to grasp.

I would be very interested to see what you think.

one of those days >> thinking too much?

I have been so unproductive today, I can't think it was just because the clocks moved forward or we had to get to falmouth for ben's rugby match (his team won again). we were a bit late as well as had to relying on the sat-nav to get us there which in its self quite interesting.

all the time I was involved and watching the game but thinking about the ideas I have for the hub again as well as trying to work out why the mp3 recordings I have been gathering for the podcast dgthekneelo.podbean aren't working properly. since I have been not getting round to doing stuff by finding other things to do that don't really need to be done, so as you can imagine I haven't got anywhere. in a way it has been an OK day though, I can't expect every day to be the way I want it to be.

I have had one of the least creative days for ages. I did manage to achieve something I found a nice place for coffee in truro. I also bought a nice new cup to drink it from when I got home.
oh yes I bought some good coffee as well.

sunday >> thought & consideration is not a weakness

strange really that I should feel guilty about not writing the blog I had planned for first yesterday and then today, I am afraid that one will have to wait for another time probably when have just returned from a heavy teaching day and feel fresh from presenting (good or bad).

I must just thank micky from france for the love of the sponge bob character. micky has been chasing me around the internet today, through my flickr, this blog and my surf web site never quite meeting me. but we will sort it.

any way to todays post, sunday and mothers day so a called to my mother in sussex (luckly the cornish flowers had arrived), after ben had presented his card to carol and some freshly picked flowers from the garden we (ben & me) had made a special vase from a powerade bottle!
then as usual I was off to rugby with ben he (I hope) loves it, I am still terrified that I am one of those pushy parents who because I liked something expect my children to like it as well.

I wanted to document the weather we had in pictures but to be honest I found it difficult to get it the wind was so strong as was the sun and then the hail I hid in the car when that came down.
I just really appreciated today what a fantastic place I live in when I can see all these things in one day never mind four seasons in one day it was more like a weather show with a rugby training match going on a bit of reading the sunday paper nice cd today (love the thom yorke songs) and trying to get my shoulder less painful (another story, seeing hospital consultant tomorrow). so apart from the last bit a really good start to the day.
even at the end when ben got the ball full in the face he was still happy, though a little disappointed that he wasn't going to have a back eye!



ok matey! what is this ramble all about well I was ready to be all academic and try to explain how through two days of concentrated teaching the way of education in this country should and will change. I am still firmly committed to this. but I had forgot that we have to have time to think, go outside feel the hail! the cold of a NW wind and enjoy the big sky, in order to except differing opinion and actually think.

that said it made me realise I am coming from a position of enormous privilege so before putting my thoughts to the blog I should for once make a fundamental change in me and consider much like I should do all the time with ben (not just in rugby), so that he is not in the position of having a ongoing problem with his shoulder also.

long day >> blog - presentation >> myearthdream

it's been an interesting day, seems that I could have actually introduced a whole new (small) group of people to blogging. in a short presentation I gave this morning I used dgthekneelo (blog) to illustrate a form of communication (blogging). the reaction that it got actually surprised me as I was presenting to the bebo generation for whom myspace, youtube, (msn) instant messaging are part of daily life. they went very quiet and became very interested while I was speaking and within minutes of being able to log on to the computers in the teaching room where creating their own blogs. I genuinely had no idea that a brief mention of blog-land would have this effect.

mike who is working with me on this two day enterprise education project I think was equally surprised at the speed of which blogging was received almost as if it were new. for me I was surprised that they weren't doing it already.
having said all this I have to refer back to davidthedesigner's blog of a few days ago questioning why people stop blogging in remains to be seen how long their newly created blogs last?


I had originally meant today's blog to be about
myearthdream I have for along time been a fan of F1 cars and motor racing (many years ago while at art school my friend ham would drive up and we would go to thruxton in hampshire to watch motor racing) but in the last years I have felt uncomfortable about liking it. even though have I always watched the grand prix on the TV and will be getting up in the middle of the night to watch the australian GP this weekend. I feel a little guilty, as even watching people driving very fast in cars that cost millions of pounds (to develop) round and round for an hour and a half does seem a little silly especially as I can't see it being very carbon friendly. however myearthdream have come up with a nice idea to help me think that it is not so bad and I would image thousands of others feel a little less worried about liking motor racing. I have made a pledge.
N.B.I am not fanatic I just like the way the cars look!

sky >> I like big sky >> art?

I have always been interested in the weather especilly the effect it has on the sky and the sea. tonight we had a really excellent sky I watched too long and actually forgot to take pictures, well until it was a bit late but still you get the idea from the images posted. the one on the right is taken standing on my front door step.
it is such a shame I am often so disappointed when I search for good landscape/skyscape pictures across world of digital land to use in project with my students. so many the web sites you come across tend to be too text happy and if not just want to sell you an art print!

art print I am really unhappy with that term it is almost suggesting that the photo prints they art selling are art just because they are pretty. tell you what a simple look through any number of flickr accounts (of supposed amateurs) will show you more 'art' and a some (most) of them you can download and use for free, obviously following creative commons rules.
I like creative commons I know on this blog I withold the use of my work for others to make money from I think that is fair enough, however on my flickr I will happily allow (use as long as it is credited) to make as much money as they can.

I had to post this last image (sunday afternoon on the A30 near bodmin) just because I love the neat arrangement of safety cones, but it is an image it isn't art is it?

special note: I do realise that art is a definition I am not really feel qualified to make. having never considered my self an artist I do feel qualified to make judgment on what I see, and think about what I am looking at.

a walk to the shop >> then I noticed the signs

it is funny that I genuinely have no idea what i am going to add to this blog for day to day.
today I was at home with my 8 year old son ben it was a lovely sunny day in cornwall. ben decided it would be nice to go out for a walk in the sun, good idea.
we walked along the road, very near where we live the road I drive out of every working day. strange that you notice different things when you walk, as soon as I saw the first sign a real cast metal sign (top left) that is probably older than me I thought of davidthedesigner he would have approved.
we went to the shop and bought some lunch and ice cream I even had a milk shake as it was buy 1 get 1 free (won't be doing that again) at least ben loved his strawberry milky thing.
we left the shop to be met by the second photo (top right). already i was thinking again of david and also ben of noisy decent graphics.
when we turned into the road we live in another sign greeted us (bottom left) I was amazed that I have driven, sometimes walked by these signs nearly every day and not really noticed them before (& I consider my self visually aware!). at least as I walked towards my home I was reassured that my chimney that I really like (bottom right) I know many in the area don't like delabole slate used in this way and regard it as is ugly, but ugly or not the craftsmen that made it as the craftsmen who made the first sign actually cared. the same can't be said of the other signs.

coastal journey

after rugby beautful trip from Penzance up to Perranporth checking all the beaches for surf, good solid clean waves (not big) enough to get the crowds out. Cornwall can be so scenic, plenty of daffodils, ocean & blue sky.

my car is so dirty. picture (dg 2007)

sunny sunday

doesn't it make a difference when the sun shines. early start and off to Penryn 3 games of rugby to see. ben played in the first 2. they won both. it got a bit hectic, but they will have to get used to powerful teams.

picture (dg 2007)