New Short Film: NES Arnold

SBT promo for DSC

 

A review: 2010

This month (somewhat predictably) meant I turned to the last page of my Leonard Smith calender. Who Leonard Smith is, is irrelevant, more important is that this is now the last month of the year. That means it is time to take stock of what has been, and dream of what is to come.

In such a vain, I have found these 10 questions that The Invisible Mentor, Avil Beckford recommends asking to keep motivating yourself in business. As has been pointed out by various 15 year olds, I do not have such a career, and if it was to be described as one, spending one third of a week cleaning toilets and folding next weeks service sheet is nothing to write home about. Still the questions are what they are, and I will endeavour to answer them.

(1)What did I accomplish over the past 12 months?

Looking back through posts, it would appear that my biggest accomplishment was growing a beard. There has been much introspection on this front, but for me it has marked the movement through life: boy to man.

(2)What were my biggest disappointments?

a. On a trip to the Trafford Centre, I had a double scoop of chocolate ice cream instead of my usual blackcurrant because it was on BoGoF; was truly disgusting and I had twice the amount to scoff. This was a few years ago, perhaps over a decade, but the pain of it makes it seem like only yesterday.

b. Spotify adverts.

(3)What did I learn?

a. I’m now over 90% pretty sure Bernard’s Watch was not a documentary. Two evidences; the watch I bought of eBay claiming to be the watch was not; after re-watching an episode, now no longer five, experiencing the incredibly wooden acting raises suspicion.

b. I also learnt by watching the above linked episode, that had I actually acquired Bernard’s watch, I would not have been able to use it for dishonest gain. I remember one particular episode where Bernard bought something from the shop and paid for it even though time was frozen; I thought that Bernard’s leaving the money was due to his moral excellency. With the new information this episode gave me, I now wonder if he did it through fear of the Postman and the watch being taken away.

I know I said there were 10, but they get a bit inane after number three.

American office

Various factors have contributed to my not blogging. Lack of internet at the Monastry being a premium reason. We do have a place to sit, seasons 1-3 of American Office and an irregular supply of Beef and Tomato Pot Noodle; today I combined these three to great effect. Best quote of Wednesday’s sitting:

Micheal Scott: ” negotiations are all about controlling things. Make one mistake, you’re dead. I made one mistake… I wore woman’s clothes.

When relationships break up

This has been doing the rounds but thought it was quite interesting. Particularly in my time at RUCU I noticed the particular seasons that pass with more incident than others. Now because of facebook (which I love) we can have stats which back up my theories. The graph charts the number of facebook break-ups over a year.

I have not written much this week because I have been busy on the DSC blog. Written a couple of posts there since last Wednesday (I say Wednesday because that delineates one blogging week to the next).

DSC blog revised, edited and to be written in

A fresh Church website means that the DSC blog is back. I would like to say with avengance, yet I am not sure that a vengeful tone is quite necessary.

Sam.

Sir, I salute you (or do I)

I may have never known you, though we have shared a county and though I may never have laid eye upon your mighty frame, Emperor I salute you. To awake on Tuesday morning and hear that you had been cut down in your prime, bought a tear to my bleary eye. I salute you sir.

Or do I?

My sentiment is echoed by Brian; I am aware the beast was never named Gordon.

I salute then, with all the more vigour.

Class of ’09

Duke Street Trainees 09-10. An afternoon photo shoot; this is some of the fruit of our labour.

facebook: in praise of

Not at odds with my last post on this topic, but a way of appeasing my conscience for not leaving facebook. Watching the Social Network stirred my thinking on the subject further. The reasons and the ethos of the creators (who ever they really where) seem pretty crass ans uninspired. The film was not marked by some glorious speech about uniting humanity as the internet was spoken of; it seems rather more realistic and ordinary: how can a guy meet a girl? How can I create virtually what is not true in reality. This is the way the film comes across at least. But there is something about creating a virtual mirror of reality.

My qualm is that often that reality is not presented; rather a taste of the reality we wish we had. In fact people do not mirror themselves but, rather take use a picture of themselves and doctor it so that it is presentable in a way that they think they should be presented. Beyond the presenting of non-reality, the distortion of proper relationships is a danger to social interaction away from a computer. One is free to say whatever one wishes with out the consequences. People can turn to virtual cowardice to vent frustration, hurt or sadness which are only appropriate when related to a real person and not a broad section of a non-delineated group of ‘friends’. The particular concern is for those who have not known anything other than the digital age. Those raised with social media as the norm, and those who would without question use such medias.

Now that sounds all very negative for a post about the positives of facebook. I am not sure though that I can express my support without these large caveats.

I have recently done a facebook cull. I am sorry to anyone who reads this, looks me up and finds we are no longer friends. You will find this for one of the following reasons: (a) we were not friends to start with and I indiscriminately accepted your friend request, (b) we have lost contact in reality and our facebook ‘friendship was a charade, (c) it was a genuine mistake and I most sincerely apologise for deleting you.

The aim of this cull, I hope, has been successfully achieved, that is to have a group of people who I can keep some kind of meaningful contact with, rather than an unplanned sprawling mass of people who I cannot differentiate between. In this context the benefits of facebook, I think can be much better enjoyed; although I say that still with caution. For example, my friend Pedro has just returned from a trip to Latin America. He returned to Church on Sunday, in high spirits and after telling me a little about it advised me I should look through his photos on facebook. I have now abliged and am thankful to been able to share a little something about his trip without having to rifle through a load of polaroids. I am happy to have been able to see a picture of my second cousin Harrison after his recent birth, even though he lives hundreds of miles away. I am pleased that I can keep up to date with people who I see at the weekend but, because of busy city life, rarely get chance to see in the week; and indeed people who I wish I could see more often but can’t. Perhaps I can keep up with too many people now, and I need to be discerning, but that seems better than not having the contact. I like that in the vast maze of the internet there is a place where I can in some way share what those who I know have found. Like so many adverts play on, I am able, to laugh, cry, despair or enjoy the same things that friends have done the same with; and in some small sense share an experience with them.

This is not friendship. One cannot have a meaningful friendship exclusively virtually. Sure people who meet on the internet get married, but the point is, they do meet. A friendship has to have interaction and the reality is that those which are deep rooted in reality, will need little virtual supplement; that is not to say that supplement cannot be good.

Perhaps this is more balanced. Forum open… what do you think Gareth?

video: Fry and Wagner

I have not, nor intend any futher investigations, into this.