I decided this year I will try to do as many new things as I can. I’ve made a list of places in the UK that I haven’t been as part of that resolution and I will also be on the look out for new activities.

My first challenge, to break me in gradually, was something I’ve never done with snow before..and that’s to build an igloo. I’ve done snow men and snow sculptures before but never attempted an igloo.

I also decided to record the building of the igloo photographically and then shoot the built igloo at night with an inner glow. I’ve uploaded the result in my portfolio and the rating is favourable, so I’m pleased with that.

I’ve also written how to do it on my foliopic site blog Building an Igloo so you can get an idea a) how to build an igloo, b) how to photograph one and c) view one of the strengths of a foliopic site’s article system.

If you like the humour of Monty Python,  Mitchell and Webb, Reeves and Mortimer etc you may find the site of Australian David Thorne brings tears to your eyes…well it did mine. An incredible mix of mad/daft/silly pieces pulled together in a brilliant web site.
Follow this link: 27bslash6 and click the logo on the right to enter. Prepare to laugh out very loud!

Personas is a component of the Metropath(ologies) exhibit, currently on display at the MIT Museum by the Sociable Media Group from the MIT Media Lab.

You simply enter your name, and Personas scours the web for information and attempts to characterize you by fitting you into to a predetermined set of categories that an algorithmic process created from a massive corpus of data.

The computational process is visualized with each stage of the analysis, finally resulting in the presentation of a seemingly authoritative personal profile.

I tried it to see how the internet sees me.

Here’s the result – click on the photo to enlarge the detail.

In Worksop!

A series of events led to a night at the theatre.

As I walked in to town a few weeks ago a car stopped and the driver asked for directions to Acorn Theatre. I’d never heard of it, and didn’t think twice. I shrugged, said “sorry, no idea” and she went on her way. A week later, on my daily “heart exercise” walk, I passed the theatre on a back street.

When I got home I looked it up on the Internet and one production caught my eye: Pathway to the Red Sun. A striking image did it, because poetry, music and acrobatics, inspired by Madame Butterfly, are not exactly my cup of tea. But the image of a gothic woman, looking like the lead in the Japanese Horror film The Grudge, and the mention of influence from Pans Labarynth tempted me to “take a risk”.

And it was incredible, from the moment I walked through the theatre doors to the end.

Two Soldiers stand guard at the front of the theatre. On stage a guitarist to the left plays using an E-bow, his skills with that gadget were brilliant -the notes droned out harmonically, creating a sonic ambience.

Then the play begins and we see the Grudge influenced character (turns out she’s Angelina Boscarelli, the woman founded the company in 2005) appear from under the floorboards. The make up was excellent and simple, but effective lighting.

The story unfolds – a tragic love story based around a soldier and a samurai’s daughter.
Through out we hear the talented musician Andrew Bate play guitar and keyboards and add the occasional vocals. It all ended too soon.

This was my first taste of the Acorn Theatre…and maybe beginner’s luck, but it’s certainly not my last. I’d recommend this play to anyone, although it’s only a short tour but there are a few shows left.

You’ll find details on their web site here: Rogue Theatre

Andrew Bate has a Myspace page here: Andrew Bate

After coming up with the concept over two years ago we finally got around to launching our one million face concept – addyourface. It went live to an ePHOTOzine audience today. Adyourface is a mosaic grid with at least one million spaces available to be filled by people uploading their portrait. the idea is we intend to break world record for the most face in a mosaic but also create a huge directory of people who use the net to network via social network sites or blogs. Currently you are in a maze trying to find people. addyourface lets registered users link to their many interactive sites, bringing all the networks into one portal. We’ve also got games so you can play too.

check it out and addyourface

It’s quite funny looking around at blog posts from photographers who let slip the next model from Nikon or Canon etc. It doesn’t take a genius to work out the route of most manufacturers, yet the bloggers pump out some fluff about the XXX or YYY, some even go to the trouble of spoofing up a design from an existing model.

Well here you are. No need to go anywhere else – here’s the rest of the cameras that will be launched at Photokina 2008.

Canon EOS1 MkIV
Canon EOS 500
Canon 50D
Nikon D90
Nikon D4
Olympus E4
Olympus E-530
Olympus E-430
Pentax K300D
Pentax K30
Pentax K5 or Pentax K1
Sony Alpha 400
Sigma SD16
Samsung GX30

It’s going to be a busy Photokina…wonder how many I can tick off my list at the end of the year. Anyone want a bet?

Wow I cannot believe it Peter Bargh has reached the dizzy heights of being considered for inclusion into the 2008-2009 Princeton Premier Business Leaders and Professionals Honors Edition section of the registry.

The what?????

After a quick Google search it seem that half the internet has also been considered for inclusion into the 2008-2009 Princeton Premier Business Leaders and Professionals Honors Edition section of the registry.

Oh well it sounded good for about as long as it does to hear you’ve won the European Lottery, a holiday in two to Nigeria or a deluxe penis enlarger.

Walks off singing a well know Monty Python song…

This office dares email has been doing the rounds for years, so just in case you missed it. Here it is again. See who can score the most point in your workplace.

ONE-POINT DARES

1. Ignore the first five people who say ‘good morning’ to you.
2. To signal the end of a conversation, clamp your hands over your ears and grimace.
3. Leave your fly open for one hour. If anyone points it out, say, ‘Sorry, I really prefer it this way’.
4. Walk sideways to the photocopier.
5. While going in an elevator, gasp dramatically each time the doors open..
6. When in an elevator with one other person, tap them on the shoulder and pretend it wasn’t you.
7. Finish all your sentences with ‘In accordance with the  prophecy…’
8. Don’t use any punctuation.
9. Interrupt your conversation with someone by giving a huge dejected sigh.
10. Use your highlighter pen on the computer screen.

THREE-POINT DARES

1. Say to your boss, ‘I like your style’, wink, and shoot him with double-barreled fingers.
2. Kneel in front of the water cooler and drink directly from the nozzle.
3. Shout random numbers while someone is counting.
4. Every time you get an email, shout ”email”.
5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has got over his or her caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
6. Keep hole punching your finger. Each time you do, shout, ‘dagnamit, it’s happened again!’. Then do it again.
7. Introduce yourself to a new colleague as ‘the office bicycle’. Then wink and pout.
8. Call I.T. helpdesk and tell them that you can’t seem to access any pornography web sites.

FIVE-POINT DARES

1. At the end of a meeting, suggest that, for once, it would be nice to conclude with the singing of the national anthem (extra points if  you actually launch into it yourself).
2. Walk into a very busy person’s office and while they watch you with growing irritation, turn the light switch on/off 10 times.
3. For an hour, refer to everyone you speak to as ‘Dave’.
4. Announce to everyone in a meeting that you ‘really have to go do a number two’.
5. After every sentence, say ‘Mon’ in a really bad Jamaican accent. As in: ‘The report’s on your desk, Mon.’ Keep this up for one hour.
6. In a meeting or crowded situation, slap your forehead repeatedly and mutter, ‘Shut up, damn it, all of you just shut up!’
7. At lunchtime, get down on your knees and announce, ‘As God is my witness, I’ll never go hungry again!’
8. Repeat the following conversation 10 times to the same person: ‘Do you hear that?’ ‘What?’ ‘Never mind, it’s gone now.’
9. Present meeting attendees with a cup of coffee and biscuit; smash biscuit with your fist
10. During the course of a meeting, slowly edge your chair towards the door.
11. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
12. Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.
13. Hump the photocopier. When someone spots you, stop and cough embarrassingly, then lean in to the machine and whisper loudly, ‘I’ll call you tonight’.