I has a video this morning! A short video of Lucky the cat, to be precise. She was outside sunbathing this morning, and came over to me when she spotted me. She "speaks" in this video, as do I. This is pretty similar to what she sounds like at feeding time.

( Cut for YouTube content )

So, what do we think she's saying then? I think it's probably something along the lines of "oh, do please go away and leave me alone!" I hope to capture Chica when she has one of her mad episodes, and charges up and down the stairs like a cat possessed.

I made a quick trip into Ashton town centre this morning, to pick up my prescription. I also popped into New Look whilst I was out, and purchased two new tops, and a purse. It came to £18.50 in total, but I paid £16.90. God bless student discounts. Top #1, and top #2. Top #2 is my favourite.

Would you look at this. Tickets are £20 advance according to the Academy's website. Decisions, decisions.

EDIT: I am getting my popcorn ready. I anticipate that this thread over on Digital Spy is going to be good. We've already got an "I've got gay friends, I can't be homophic" insinuation.

Hello, my new favourite photograph that I have taken. I went outside yesterday morning to take a few photographs of my dad's miniature M5. However, I soon forgot about that when I spotted this slightly peculiar looking orange insect on the leaf of a bush in our front garden. I have no idea what it was, but decided that it was more interesting. I took some photos of it and in several of them, this one being the best example, it definitely appeared to be looking at the camera. My mum thought it was cute, my dad thought it looked as though it was pissed off. Me? I am inclined to agree with my mum.

( +2 )

I have discovered, after two years¹, that my point-and-shot Canon camera records video. How had I missed this feature before? It is a lot better quality than the videos that my phone records, too. Coming soon to a YouTube near you: countless videos of Chica the cat. I am tempted to record Lucky when it's feeding time, so you can all hear the racket that we have to put up with.

Speaking of rackets, I keep hearing someone drumming. I wish that they would stop, as it is really rather annoying.

¹ -- it also took me approximately 18 months to figure out how to change the ISO settings on my old old digital camera. Slow, you say?

EDIT: after watching this week's Top Gear my dad has decided that we shall go to the Goodwood Festival of Speed next year. I said that I would hold him to this. I am putting this here so I do not forget.

Perseverance, and staying up until after 1am in the morning, paid off eventually.



It is nothing too brilliant, compared to some images that I've seen, but as first attempts go, it's not too bad. Well, I think it is anyway! Perhaps one day, when I've made enough money to buy a lens like this here beast¹, I'll be able to capture more detail of the moon. I am happy for now, though.

I made an earlier attempt at photographing the moon just after midnight, using my tripod and a long exposure, but that just made the moon look like a white blob, with no detail at all. I Googled it afterwards, "it" being photographing the moon, and the information that I found said that the moon is as bright as daylight. A quicker shutter speed would therefore suffice. Always research beforehand, people!


¹ - Like with the Canon EOS 5D MK II, I start drooling whenever I look at L Series lenses.

I forget which part this is, and by "lulz" I mean "OH MY GOD, YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS D:".

We'll start with this thread, shall we? It relates to this story, life term for hairdresser killer. Enter a user called c1888 who makes this post [#5 in the thread]

"He wasn't homophobic so why put gay killer in the title its irevlevant. Although I suppose you think that the gays lives or worth more then normal peoples?"

Normal peoples? NORMAL PEOPLES? Okay then. It gets better, though; check out c1888's next pearl of wisdom, further down the thread [post #9]:

"The Lad will be out when he is 30 odd a mistake he made when he was 19 we all made mistakes at his age and for most of us Life doesnt stop to begin again at 30 if we are lucky!"

That is a little on the incoherent side, but from what I can gather c1888 seems to be inferring that the killer "made a mistake" and that lots of people of that age do the same. I am willing to bet that a lot of 19-year-olds do make mistakes, though I don't think the majority of them will result in the death of another person through punches, kicks, and stamping on the head. I am at a loss trying to work out why c1888 is trying to make excuses for the murderer.

This thread has the potential to get pretty stupid as well, I think. Reply #6, from The Snakes, is pretty wtf-worthy:

"Sad to say, but the reason (white) people pay for their kids to go to expensive country clubs such as this is so they do not have to mix with black kids who might expose them to drugs and rap music etc."

Well, thank goodness that there are no white kids who are into drugs and rap music, right?

Will someone please remind me again why I use this site? The soap forum is not too bad, once you learn to ignore all the rabid Eastenders fans. The General Discussion is another story, though. A certain phrase including fish and barrels springs to mind here.

Yesterday I spent a good hour or two amusing myself with Photoshop, making graphics to use on my userinfo page, as well as icons. I feel like changing the banner that I am using at the moment. What I have made isn't anything brilliant, as I am by no means a graphic designer, but I am quite pleased with what I have done. I was going for a 3D-ish effect, and the trouble now is that I cannot decide which one to use. They're both similar; the first design was one I made for my Flickr information page, and on the second one I lined each text layer up more neatly:

Poll #1427249
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Which design do you prefer?

Giant Isopods FTW: on a scale of 1 to 10, how evil would you consider me to be if I used this as my default icon?

I have found myself checking the sky on a nightly basis over the past few days. The reason for this is that I am determined to take a photograph of the moon with my big lens. I should be able to get something decent, I think. This is what a photograph of the moon taken at 300mm looks like. It has been cloudy every night, though. This is quite disappointing. I did however spot the moon when I went to bed at 1:30am this morning, but I did not think that running outside at that time, armed with a camera and tripod, would be a very good idea.

I have also become quite enamoured with snakes over the past couple of days. I think the Rainbow Boa is absolutely beautiful. I am seriously considering getting one one day in the future, when I have my own place, plus the knowledge and financial means to care for one correctly, that is. I rather like Corn Snakes, too.

This is the latest addition to my camera family:

 

This rather cute little camera is a Golden Half. It uses 35mm film, and is a half-frame camera, taking two frames per exposure. It came with a roll of 24 exposure film, so I will get 48 exposures from the roll. I have taken a few photos with it, and I can't wait to see what they turn out like. In the second photo I was trying to show just how small it actually is, when compared with my Holga. I suppose this only really works if you know how big a Holga is.

So, Canon EOS 400D, Nikon F70, Holga, Olympus Trip 35, and now the Golden Half = five cameras. The Diana F+ Mr Pink will probably be my next purchase, when I have saved up my pennies again. This is providing that I do not win the lottery in the meantime, and will thus have enough money to buy the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Seriously, guys, I start drooling whenever I see that camera.

Whilst in Manchester city centre today I popped into The Real Camera Company. OMG, that is my kind of shop! Large format cameras, Mamiyas, Lubitels, and various other classic cameras as far as my little eyes could see. I went in there to enquire how much a small(ish) lens for a Nikon F70 would be. They start at around £60, which isn't so bad, it'd just be a matter of saving if I wanted one. I asked how much the Canon AE-1 goes for, too, and that was around £90+. I want one of those, too.

Am I addicted to cameras? I am beginning to think that I am. Better than being addicted to drugs, I suppose.

And now for something completely different: I happened upon this, via miss_s_b. Will someone please hold me and tell me that it's a sick joke?

I enjoyed last night's episode of Top Gear once again, although I don't think it was as funny as last week's, or the first episode of this season. I particularly enjoyed the "shouting at the government" bit, though.

My favourite part of last night's episode was the review of the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black. Bollocks to what Jeremy thinks, that is one drool-worthy car. I liked the bit where Jeremy was racing a McMerc in the SL, and he said this [about the McMerc]: "if my children made a noise I'd make them sit on the naughty step." I Tweeted this, because I thought it was funny. I later had visions of a rather dejected looking McMerc sat on a naughty step. I have decided that that is quite odd. I am not losing the plot, I promise you.

( Some photographs )

The first year of college, that is. I am still surprised at how fast it has gone. I now have 9 weeks off, and am at a bit of a loss for what to do with myself in that time. I am going to be having lunch with Leanne on Tuesday of next week, so expect a photo-spam of Manchester city centre some time in the not too distant future.

Our tutor told us yesterday that the first brief we will have when we return to college in September will more than likely be Experimental Photography, which I am quite looking forward to. From what I can gather it will involve using different cameras, so I can finally use my Holga for a college brief, and trying out things like painting with light.

Speaking of college, I took the following photograph on Thursday lunchtime, and I really rather like it. What I am most impressed with is the bokeh that I have captured in the background:



I had something of an Epic Brain-Fart yesterday afternoon, too. One which involved me leaving my iPod at college, and only realising this once I had walked into town and gotten on the bus to go home. Cue near-exhausting walk, in the rain, back to college to retrieve the bloody thing!

Finally, I bring you something staggeringly stupid. I was flicking through The Daily Mail (first clue there) yesterday afternoon, got to the letters page, and happened upon the following letter. I could not, and still cannot, believe that this was printed. The letter is, copied verbatim, under the cut. ( Hurr durr, hurrdurr )

Or: it's another photo post from refusion! These are photographs I have taken over the past week. ( I'm too tired to think of a decent cut title )

On the subject of photography, and related matters, I have today finished the roll of film that's been sat in my Nikon for god knows how long now. As it's black & white I will be able to develop it on Friday morning. I'll have time to myself at college on Friday morning, as I have finished and handed in Unit 1 [art, the most boring unit of work EVER], so that is how I shall spend it; in the darkroom. When our tutor said yesterday that we could use the studio/darkroom if we had finished the art work I said something along the lines of "I have a roll of film in my Nikon, so I'll try and get it finished tomorrow." My friend Mark then said "I thought you said I have a roll of film in my knickers!" Oh yes, I regularly keep film in my knickers. I wouldn't recommend it, though; it's terribly uncomfortable!

I have decided that the next camera I am going to add to my collection will be the Golden Half. I may order it online on Friday, or, if I am feeling adventurous, go into Manchester city centre for a while on Saturday and go to Fred Aldous [the shop itself] and buy it.

I can't believe it's July already. July! Where on earth has this year gone? I finish college for summer in two days time. This first year has gone so fast, September 2008 feels like it was only five minutes ago. If I do not get this job, I will potentially have 9 weeks to myself. Summer's not really the best time to go into hibernation, is it?

This week's episode of Top Gear was another cracking episode. Stephen Fry is an utter, utter legend. He seemed a little surprised that the Grindr stuff was not edited out, though. I found that rather funny.

I also think that this episode raised an important point:

Poll #1422500 Yes, it really is important.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Should crisis be used as a euphemism for orgasm more often?

Bugatti Veyron or McLaren F1

Personally, I would pick the McLaren over the Veyron any day of the week. I do like both cars [and have seen a Veyron up close, in real life], but I think that the McLaren is so much nicer looking, and makes a better noise, too.

• Bullet points ftw!

• So, Michael Jackson. I think it's such a shame that in the later years of his life, his talent was overshadowed by controversy and increasingly odd behaviour. I sincerely hope that he's found some peace now. momus sums up my thoughts really well.

• On the subject of music, La Roux have really grown on my over the past couple of days. I originally found Elly's voice quite annoying, but the album is really, really good. Especially "Reflections Are Protections", which I can't stop listening to, and "Armour Love".

• This month's Top Gear magazine came with more free Cool Wall magnets. I got hold of them and had to arrange them on our freezer. ( What was placed where )

• I applied for a job yesterday. The college that I attend is looking for call centre assistants to help with enrolments between the 6th of July and 4th of September. The work will involve answering course enquiries, booking appointments, and sending out letters regarding appointments (etc, etc). I emailed them my CV yesterday afternoon. Fingers crossed. This is me putting into action my plan to Get A Macbook.

• I am contemplating buying this. Strictly speaking I don't really need another camera. I already have two film ones that I inherited, and my Holga, but it's just so pretty, and PINK. The Snow Cat one is nice, too.

And that both of them are wrong.

I rather enjoyed last night's episode of Top Gear, and the revelation about who The Stig was for one episode. One thing is bothering me about it, though; the Ferrari FXX went to the top of the lap board, and it was left there. The FXX is not road legal, though. If a vehicle is not road legal it cannot have a place on the board [about the power laps]. I am presuming that this will be attended to on the next episode.

I did end up going to Stamford Park for a little while after I had finished at college this morning. I did not stay for too long, as I felt like something of a bag lady carrying both my camera bag and red bag [the one for everything else]. I may visit it again on Wednesday, and only take my camera bag with me. I took a few photos, though. I do hope that you're not sick of seeing them yet! ( Read more... )

Fancy getting your rage on this Monday evening? Try reading this thread and not end up wanting to punch something. Especially worrying are users like "Andy Carlton" who, later on in the thread, appear to be making apologies for grown men who have sex with 13-year-old children. RAGE. NO, JUST FUCKING NO.

With an extra added side of WTF and BBQ.

The Stig, the mystery driver who tests high-performance cars on Top Gear, will take his helmet off for the first time later, the BBC has confirmed.

Do we really think that The Stig's identity will be revealed? Now to me, it would not seem right living in a world where we know who The Stig actually is. It would take all the fun out of the mystery over who he [or she] is, I think. I wonder if this is just a clever ruse, though, by the BBC to drum up more interest for the series. Not that any is really needed, I think. Perhaps The Stig will remove his helmet and his face will be blank. Or perhaps we will indeed find out who he is. My dad think it's Michael Schumacher.

Been out in the garden(s) again this morning, taking photos with my new lens. It's amazing how interesting mundane, everyday things become when you're able to take photographs of them which show a lot of detail. ( Read more... )

I am going into college tomorrow (yippee) to shoot some more images for the brief. I have decided that when I have finished, and if it's a nice day, I am going to have a walk round Stamford Park for a little while. If I do I can see myself getting hopelessly lost, as I don't think I have been to Stamford Park since I was in single figures, age-wise.

After a brief period of indecision yesterday afternoon ["shall I, shan't I?], I went into Manchester city centre after college, and I purchased my new lens! I went to Jacobs as planned, but they did not have the Sigma 55-200mm lens that I wanted in stock. Instead, the very helpful gentleman who served me suggested that I try the Sigma 70-300mm lens. He said that more people had been choosing that one, and he let me put it on my camera and take a few shots with it. I was impressed with its capabilities. I also tried a Tamron 55-200mm lens, but I was pretty much sold on the Sigma lens as soon as I tried it, so that was the one I ended up purchasing.

I had a play with when I got home yesterday, and again this morning, and I can honestly say that I am so glad I bought this lens. It is BRILLIANT! When set between 200 and 300mm it doubles up as a macro lens, which I am really impressed with. Here are some photographs that I took this morning. ( Buzzz )

The lens is surprisingly heavy, for a lens anyway. If I use it often enough I can see myself developing some decent muscles on my arms!

As per the subject line, it would appear that I now have one these newfangled Dreamwidth things. Yeah, I know I am late getting on the bandwagon. To be honest I don't know what I am going to use it for at the moment. I might end up using it as a photography blog, or something like that.

Add (or is it "Subscribe to" ..? OMG CONFUSING) me if you wish:

http://refusion.dreamwidth.org/

As I am sure you may well know, the new series of Top Gear starts on Sunday. I am looking forward to this; Sunday evenings will have meaning once again. I found some apparent spoilers for the series here on PistonHeads yesterday. I am posting them just because. Here is a funny macro, one that I actually did LOL at, if you do not wish to read the spoilers.

( Here be spoilers )

In other news, I spent most of yesterday [at college] asking people whom I know own Macs what they thought of them, and what the best one to go for would be. The general consensus was to do it, and that if I am going to be editing photos/doing creative-type things, then an iMac would be the one to go for. I do like the iMacs a lot, but I just don't think I have the space in my bedroom for one. At the moment, the only place where I could fit a desk is infront of my window, and to be honest I don't really want to put one there. I'm still leaning towards the Macbook Pro, as I do not find editing photos too difficult on my laptop, and am swayed by the fact that I can take it with me if I am going somewhere/on holiday.

I am doing my research here! I am going into Manchester on Saturday to buy the lens¹ that I want, and I am also going to pop into the Apple store and talk to someone there.

I discovered the never ending source of amusement that is Photo Booth yesterday. I want a Mac just for this. Here are some utterly silly photos that I took of myself with it. (Ps, add me on FB if you want to)

¹ This is the lens that I am going to get, the Sigma 55-200mm f/4 - 5.6. It is almost £119 in Jessops. The very same lens is £79.99 from Jacobs. Guess where I'll be buying it from?

Whatever next?

The purpose of this entry is simply to let you know that I have now edited my layout. I am really, really pleased with it.

refusion refusion
refusion refusion

I did use the Expressive layout originally, but I got irritated by the fact that I could not customise it as much as I would have liked to, so I switched back to the Flexible Squares one. After a bit of fiddling about, and cutting and pasting bits of code, I have finally got it looking how I want it. Trying to figure out how to get the header to show up with the code I was using was a bit difficult. I chose header #1, as that seemed to be the most popular.

I also made a new default icon. I used this photograph for the base, which I had to flip round. Can you tell that the object in the thought bubble coming from Chica's head is a cupcake? I thought it looked a bit small.

Ps, this song is AMAZING.

I have decided that I am going to start looking for a part-time job. I have two reasons for doing this, and wanting to find one; one reason is that it will give me something to do on days that I am not in college/half-terms etc, and the second is that there is something that I want to buy. Something evidenced by this here Tweet.

Yes, I have decided that I am [more than likely] going to join the "Dark Side", as my dad calls it, and eventually purchase a Mac. I wanted to buy one a couple of years ago, when I was working, and had never actually used one before. When I started college and did get to use on, I was not too impressed to begin with. I put this down to the fact that our iMacs are on what is quite possibly the world's worst server. Over the past few weeks however, I have been completely and utterly drawn in, to the point where I have decided that I must have one. Do Apple have ways of subliminally influencing you? I am convinced that they do.

It's not just the fact that I think they're nice to look at, I have now realised that I really do prefer the OS X interface. I find it a lot nicer to use than Windows. Plus, the spinning rainbow thing that appears when a page/application is loading is a lot prettier than the egg timer is.

If/when I do eventually buy one, I can't decide between a regular Macbook, or the Macbook Pro. People on my friends list who have either, which would you recommend?

The only thing that would potentially stop me from getting one [apart from the monetary situation] is my current laptop. It can be slow at times, and does not switch off in a normal manner, and every so often likes to switch itself off every so often, but I have grown quite attached to it. It's like an old friend, and I would be quite sad to give it up. Oh dear, I can't believe I am getting this overly sentimental about a machine!

I've thought about this too much, haven't I? To save myself from waffling further, and you from having to read those wafflings, here are some photographs. ( Read more... )

I have been amusing myself in Photoshop this morning, making header images for an LJ layout that I am planning on using/editing slightly [it'll be one of the Expressive ones] some time later on today. I have come up a couple of headers that I quite like so far, they're nothing tremendously brilliant, but I like them nonetheless. The trouble is that I can't decide which one I like more. So clearly the only way to help me decide is to once again do a poll:

Poll #1415233 Green Apples
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Which one do you prefer?

I prefer #2. I love the Cooper Std font, too.

---

I shall be slightly richer thanks to college on Tuesday of next week. Our tutor mentioned to us a few weeks ago that the college had "excess funding" left over this year, which needed using up, and gave us forms to fill in so we could apply for funding for equipment. I filled in and handed in a form earlier this week. If you don't ask, you don't get, right? I received a letter this morning telling me that my application had been successful, and £300.00 will be paid into my bank account by Tuesday the 16th of June. Yay! I am planning on spending some of it on this lens. I've been itching to buy a new lens for some time now. I am also probably going to get a card reader, because I am tired of misplacing my camera's USB cable, and a bigger compact flash card.

Today I find myself wondering what on earth the point of the wisdom tooth is. This surely has to be the greatest evolutionary design flaw/fail ever. Almost two weeks after going to the dentist to have a filling done, my third wisdom tooth decides to start coming through. The top two caused me no problems at all, this one however, the bottom right one, is probably going to make my life a misery. It's not actually come through the gum yet, so I don't think there's an awful lot that I can do about it. Apart from periodically complain about it, and take painkillers.

I am just glad that I can't remember teething the first time. Right at this moment I have much sympathy for babies the world over.

I had my first dream featuring LiveJournal last night, which considering the fact that I've been using the site for six years now is pretty good going, I think . It was a completely and utterly stupid dream, too. I dreamt that bertiedav defriended me because I said that Macs were rubbish, and I was really upset about this. I have no idea a) where that came from, and b) what it was meant to mean (especially as I don't think Macs are rubbish). Too many jelly beans before bedtime again, perhaps.

Yesterday afternoon I spent a good couple of hours (or thereabouts) looking through all of the photographs in this group on Flickr; Older pics of Manchester. I was highly surprised to learn, from the group, that just ten years ago Piccadilly Gardens looked like this. I don't remember it looking like this at all! It now looks like this. This is what I know it as, with the fountain that's pretty much redundant throughout the winter months of the year. I think I definitely prefer the gardens as they were, even though I don't remember them. I just about remember the Cannon Street area of the Arndale, and its bus station, but that's about it.

So, what's happened over the past few days?

Yesterday me and my mother rescued a bird. It was approaching 7pm, and I left my room to go and fill up my glass with some more water. As I got to the bathroom I noticed what I think was a little sparrow on the landing. This is not something that I generally see on a daily basis, a bird in the house, so I was a little surprised by it. I then spotted a certain stripy cat to the left, on the stairs, looking rather pleased with herself. I shouted to my mother and she then came upstairs. The bird was still alive, but was stood very still and was just blinking. My mother picked it up, and ended up placing it in a little box in her room, and putting some cotton wool over it to keep it warm. She periodically gave it some water via a little bit of cotton wool, and kept checking on it every so often. The bird eventually went to sleep, and it did end up making it through the night. My mother let the bird go this morning, and it apparently flew quite low, and off into the long grass in our garden. I do hope it was alright afterwards.

I have now finished the Still Life brief that I had been working on, and handed it in. I am working on the next one now, which is a "live" one. Live in this instance entails working with another student to photograph a different area of the Creative Studies building at college. The area that me and my partner have been assigned is the Animation and Computer Games course. We're in on Monday shooting for that. I have borrowed a Metz 45 CL-1 flashgun from college, so that I can use it over the weekend and get a feel for it. I'll need to use it on Monday, so I want to be prepared.

I voted yesterday, for the second time in my life. The first time was to vote against the proposed Manchester congestion charge. I voted because the idea of the BNP gaining seats makes me want to vomit.

Here are some photographs, to end this entry with. ( A few miscellaneous images )

Inspired by an amusing and capslocky discussion that I had with bertiedav via Twitter last night, and the £1.99 tub of jelly beans I bought yesterday.

I am of the opinion that cinnamon flavour jelly beans are one of the foulest, most disgusting things to ever be inflicted upon the world as we know it. As far as I am concerned they spoil a perfectly good tub of jelly beans. Not even liquorice flavour matches cinnamon's level of sheer awfulness. My good friend Dav thinks differently to me. Clearly the only way to decide for definite is with a poll:

Poll #1407595 This is not a biased poll.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Are cinnamon flavour jelly beans are disgusting?

What is the best flavour of jelly bean?

If you don't like jelly beans tell me something interesting here.

The tub of jelly beans that I purchased is made by The Jelly Bean Factory. The nicest flavours in it are Caribbean Coconut, and Cherry. However, nothing could ever be as nice as Jelly Belly's Buttered Popcorn and Red Apple flavours.

I am completely unashamed to say that earlier on today, I spent about an hour watching episodes of the My Little Pony animated series on YouTube. I watched Bright Lights, and Sweet Stuff and the Treasure Hunt. I had both of these on VHS when I was a kid, and if I remember correctly they were given to one of my cousin's kids. Watching them again made me feel extremely nostalgic. My Little Pony: The Movie is also on YouTube, split into about ten parts. I AM going to watch that some time during the next week, too. I think I still have that on VHS, but we have not had a video recorder in this house for some years now.

I cannot explain where this sudden desire to watch things that remind me of my childhood has come from. A little nostalgia every now and again does you good, though.

( A couple of photos )

This brief (the photographs that I posted will be part of it) is due in on Friday. I've done a fair amount of work, aided by a to-do list that I wrote for myself on Friday. I do not, as of yet, have a book for it all to go in, though. I really need to get my arse into gear and buy one.

Let me tell you, internet, that the user "Moowg" is pissing me the fuck off in the Girls Aloud [shut up] shoutbox on Last.fm. I really, really cannot fathom why he, and people like him, Chris Moyles for example, single Nicola Roberts out as being the 'ugly' one in Girls Aloud. Especially when nine times out of ten it seems to come down to the fact that she has -shock horror- ginger hair. It just irks me, a lot more than it should.

As far as I am concerned, she is far from being ugly. I actually think she's pretty adorable. So I do think it is damn stupid to say that she's got "a face like a roadkill", and saying that you actually find her attractive is giving her the "sypathy [sic] vote". Is it really that difficult to understand that people have different definitions of what/who they find attractive?

It is probably time for me to go to bed, as I am thinking about this too much.

In a completely different topic: "the nation" as chosen Builder's Breakfast as the overall winner of the Walker's "Do Us A Flavour" competition. I am highly disappointed in "the nation" at the moment. I cannot believe that anyone would choose what was basically rancid egg flavour crisps! I clearly did not vote for Onion Bhaji enough. I'll be sad to see it go.

I shot medium format film at college again today, same model cars, and I am very pleased to say that the film turned out well. Very well, as it happens. Everything was correct, and I have a lot to choose from when it comes to making enlargements! That made me happy today. Photos will hopefully be forthcoming.

According to livejournal_uk's resident Trolly McTrollerson, I am a "cunt pixel". Cunt pixel? Is that meant to be an insult? Am I meant to be offended by that? What a bizarre choice of insult. What I am insulted by is the fact that dear old Eugene appears to be running out of imaginative insults. If you're going to chuck them about you should at least make sure that they make sense, right?

His post is as original as ever, too. Shame that there's not a tax on being a wanker.

In other news, I have been busy at college today. I shot a roll of film using a Mamiya medium format camera, and also used a Large Format camera for the first time ever. The Mamiya, an RB 67, was pretty easy to use. I used a colour film, so was not able to develop it myself. I hope that it turns out okay.

The Large Format was fun, too. As far as its operation went it too was as easy to use as the Mamiya. What is not as easy, though, and what requires a lot more thinking is working out the Bellows Extension Factor. I managed to work it out with a little help from the tutor, and got a few paper negatives done. I will hopefully be able to move on to using film in there some time next week. As cameras go, large format ones are fantastic. I decided to shoot model cars again, this time taking to college with me my Aston Martin model, and the BMW M5 model that I got for my dad last year. I was able to get in very close to each model, capturing a lot of detail. If I can get a print done tomorrow from one of the paper negatives I am going to scan it.

( Some photos from this afternoon )

On the subject of cameras/photographs: I dropped the roll of film that I shot using the little Olympus for developing in Boots on Monday. I will be able to collect it tomorrow. Fingers crossed that it has turned out okay!