AAA Restaurant, US 287, Palestine, TX 75803
It was empty and insecure. The temptation was too much.
Beer On Demand. US 281, Alice, TX 78332
So, I was in Alice, TX. I stayed at a Best Western and ate at a rather nice Mexican restaurtant with a Mexican waitress who would melt your heart. I feel odd saying she was Mexican, but, she was. She asked where I was from and told me she wanted to travel and would love to nurse. I told her that we were screaming out for nurses in England and that if she did some basic training she would get a job real easy in the UK. She was just delightful and so when she was next at the table I asked her if she might like my email address and then if she wanted any information or help she could email me and I’d try and help. She said to me – “I’m not sure how I would do that.” I could have wept. I gave her my email anyway and she said she’d find out how to email.
I fear I may never hear from her, but, she sure made my day.
Micah P Hinson – Seems Almost Impossible
Ford Galaxie 500, US 37, Butterfield, MO 65625
Message from Midway Atoll
Taken on Midway Atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the North Pacific, more than 2000 miles from the nearest continent. The nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking. To see more of the series click the photo or follow this link.
Thunderbird Motel, US 67, Marfa, Texas
This place seemed to access a part of me that I thought was off limits.
Ben holding the number 4
Alternative Means Of Communication
You can see this cross for miles at night. It is lit and at the top of a mountain, I have been trying to find out how you get to it for years. Finally this year I stumbled up some mountain track and after climbing for what seemed like for ever I arrived at it. A mass of wires and aerials – all surrounding a tiny church which I would imagine was there long before there was any need to transmit using radio waves – prayer was enough, I guess. I suppose they light this cross because they can – the power for the transmitters has brought power for the church and so the cross. My measurements may be way off, but, my GPS told me I was 5,800 feet up and it felt like it!
The Belly of the Machine
Dear Clusterflock: How does your emotional attachment to music work?
I’ve been pondering this for a while, so I guess the best way to ask is explaining mine.
Music that reminds me of people and incidents past and present: Mostly this does only that, it reminds me of them but I rarely feel emotional when I listen to this music. I’ll be honest there ain’t much of it. I don’t have special tunes that remind me of when I was doing this or that or in a relationship with that person or this. I sometimes feel this is odd, but, I’m 52 and it still doesn’t happen. Even if there is a tune that remindes me of something, I seem to be able to separate the emotion of the incident and not let the song crank it up.
Music that I use to feed my emotions: Oddly, they are not tunes that will make me unhappy or happy, but, I use them to confirm how I feel. I am much more attached to these tunes. Also, I never use these tunes to change my state of mind just to confirm it. So a spiralling pit of depression is always fed with tunes that will send me deeper into it and happy tunes are only used to make me happier. I guess being equally comfy in either state of mind helps.
I have looked at the tunes and they have no relevance other than they are mine and I use them how I need them. The beauty of these tunes is that I can share them easily because they don’t relate to anyone other than me and so don’t feel I am crossing some dodgy line.
Does any of this make any sense?
So, how do you use music dear flockers?
Perhaps you just listen
Jacques Brel – Ne Me Quitte Pas
I found this the other day on Youtube. It really cut through me. Unfortunately they have the embedding switched off so I had to find it elsewhere. I hope it hits the same nerve as it did with me.
Deconstructed & Abandoned Olive Oil Factory.
Derelict Olive Oil Factory, Crete.
Dear Clusterflock: Do you keep drugs that you no longer have a use for?
I do.
I have no idea why. I have an extensive range of anti-depressants that I have no use for and a pot of Valium® that were prescribed to the dog when she had the canine version of alzheimer’s. I also have a box full of potions, creams and pills that have long lost their power to heal and always get in the way of current stuff when I need it and yet, I keep it!
How about you?
The Bedroom
Another from my attempt to document my ageing mother-in-law’s home. I don’t see her often, the house is spartan, clean and very tidy and yet the silence of the house often fills my head with screams. I have only been able to find the words during the processing. The previously posted photos can be seen over at Flickr.
Dear Clusterflock: What piece of old (electrical) technology are you still using?
I guess I mean by this, something like an old video, calculator and the like that was cutting edge at the time, but, as it still works you still use it. I guess we could also include as a side discussion what did you buy into that you still have that you never really used.
Okay, I still use on a daily basis a Casio CQ-81 Calculator. I’m guessing that I bought it in 1980 or 1981. I’m constantly reminded of its age by teeth marks on the case made by my son when he was teething, he was born in ‘81.
As for stuff kicking about that I bought that I never really used because technology moved on at a pace!
Casio SF-7500 This was going to change my life. It didn’t! Then I tried again with the Handspring Visor that didn’t work either. I also have numerous mini disc players kicking around in perfect condition.
I just can’t get rid of these things, but, it is the calculator I love best!
Okay, what are you still using?
Dear Clusterflock: Is there a period of your life that makes you shudder when you think of it?
I don’t necessarily mean bad stuff, just perhaps what you used to wear, what you looked like, you know that kind of shit – the sort of time that you look back on and would prefer to forget and would certainly not show photos of yourself.
Mine was, if my memory serves me correctly (I have been trying to forget this), early to mid 90s. It more or less coincided with me losing my mind or perhaps it caused me to lose my mind. It was a whole style thing – I got terribly thin at the time for reasons that are tedious, but I then decided that I would grow a goatee beard and moustache. I have never been able to grow facial hair but I didn’t let that stop me. I then decided to take it a step further and attempt to cultivate a twirly moustache to the point that I sent off for moustache wax, and I used it. I also at this time started to look older than I actually was – difficult to explain, but, I started wearing clothes that I would have associated with men 15-20 years older than I was – sensible cords, flat cap – I have no idea why.
Thought of that period really makes me shudder and if I spend too much time thinking how others saw me I can make myself feel ill. I remember being that thin people apparently thought I had cancer – they didn’t tell me! Oh, I also wore glasses that I didn’t need. I now need them and curse every time I have to use them.
One day I had a moment of clarity and shaved the bloody facial fuzz off, binned the cap and glasses and somehow reverted to my juvenile ways.
I’d love to post a photo, but, it would mean I would have to leave Clusterflock.
So, how about you? What period of your life has that kind of effect on you? Or is it just me?
Saul Leiter: Pioneer of Colour Photography
Though photographic art historians consider that William Eggelston’s legendary colour show at the MOMA in 1979 was ground-breaking for the acceptance of colour photography, Saul Leiter is one of the true pioneers of colour and abstract photography. He started shooting in colour in 1948.
Saul Leiter treated the use of color in his photographs of the street and his surroundings as a painter of his time (1940s) would have done, and he helped lay the foundations for the development of the abstract notions of a photograph in the US.
And of course Blue In Green by the wonderful Miles Davis from the album Kind of Blue.
(via altfotonet)
Sorry, the Baby Jesus did a runner!
Regardless of what this holiday means to you, I hope you all have a peaceful one.
This Summer – Hayden
Another attempt to mess with video and music. Most of this footage is from the 1983 Andrei Tarkovsky film, Nostalghia. The music is by Hayden from the beautiful Elk-Lake Serenade album.
94 Years Young. Annetta Ruth Lea. Taunton, Somerset.
Netta is my mother-in-law. She lives alone and pretty much cares for herself. Her home has always been sparse and yet spotless. I’m always amazed that she still has all her own teeth! I decided a while back it would be nice to try and take a series of photos of her house. This is one of many from a recent visit.
Red House Painters – Song For A Blue Guitar
I post this because it makes me ache – I put this footage to it today and wanted to share it with my friends.
Une Very Stylish Fille
I am a very stylish girl. Not me, obviously!
One Room Living At Its Finest
Not much to say about this really other than I really like it and wanted to share it with my friends. It’s from my last trip to Crete and it was the most delightful room, full of voices and spirits.
Dear Clusterflock – What revelation from your childhood changed everything?
I have two but will start with this. I must have been younger than 11 because of where I was living at the time and being so young girls were just, well, girls. Anyway, the younger brother of a friend one day laid at my feet the revelation that girls had more holes than guys! I remember looking at this boy and asking “What!” He then explained how other than the holes we pee and shit out of there was another one. I asked him where it was and he explained it was down there with the other two. I then asked him what it was for to which he answered “I have no idea.”
As far as I remember that was all that was said – I was confused and had no-one to ask for fear of being thought stupid. Jump forward a few years, I think I was about 12 – I was friendly with a girl at school who seemed a little more worldly wise than I – we were on a school trip, caving! We were several hundred feet below ground when I decided that I would run this theory past this girl – I have no idea why I hadn’t explored the notion further in the years before, probably too busy kicking a ball or poking things with a stick. Anyway, she answered to the affirmative, it was indeed true and did I want to touch it? Naturally I said yes to which she said it would cost me 50p! I obviously coughed up the money and slid my hand down there and all I could find to say was “It’s very wet and warm!”
Thank you, Marion.