can you see the...

can you see the the ghostie booooook?!

He he, Poppy and I are hiding under a blanket tonight when mummy comes into the room, the only thing poking out is a floating booooooook!



The excellent "and the train goes..." by William Bee.

well!

Well! That's that then!

Last day of the coast festival - it was peeing down this morning, no visitors and pretty darn cold. Suddenly, as if by magic, every cloud disappears and with that, the tent is hit with hoards of festival goers (550 yesterday, 470 today!) - the buzz is fantastic, so many happy people loving the opportunity to meet adn speak with artists, interact and produce artworks... and as all good things do, it comes to an end, and it feels like it lasted 5 mins... great weekend, great people - and I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to show the north east of scotland a little insight into digital art... I'll post some outputs later... Big thanks to the friends of Duff house for inviting me (and gabi) to show with them.

Is that how a fly...

Is that how a fly can see then?

I'm showing an interactive digital installation at the coast festival and having a fantastic time speaking to many people whom have never experienced digital art... one old guy approaches, rather sceptically, "fit 'is then?"... I give him the minimal intro - "I'
m interested in input and output"... he stands arms crossed, watching pixels dance as he sways from side to side... I leave him to have a play, and come back a few mins later..."Is that how a fly can see then?" - fantastic - probably one of the best comments all weekend!

So, what happens when...

So, what happens when you burn sequestered carbon?

you know, the usual Friday night argument you have with your right wing dad when staying in his house after he's had one and a half bottles of red wine... Man of science? Apparently only when science tells him not to care or that we're too far down a line to do anything about it, so go out with a bang! Sheesh... Poppy, I hope you don't have kids, white grandad doesn't give a stuff about them...

I don't like it...

I don't like it, it's rubbish

Poppy is a little grumpy today, bad cold... so not a good idea to travel to Dundee and visit the degree show at Duncan of Jordanstone... or was it? The show itself has some good, and some banal elements - the older you get, the more you become critical, with a wider frame of reference and context to judge work on... seen the peeling wallpaper kid this year? seen the girl who uses damaged dolls to express angst and the female position? (I could go on)... ANYWAY!... Poppy is getting tired, grumpy and sweaty, thanks to her bad cold... so, she's decided to get all Brian Sewel on the unsuspecting graduates... "this, is rubbish"... "I don't like it"..."I don't like any of this"... ho ho... defend your practice graduate! this is the truth, through the eyes of a grumpy three year old. my only worry is, when she's not tired, she's going to end up reading the sun... and agreeing with the turnip prize.

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/djcad/degreeshow/

every time you say you don't like daddy...

every time you say you don't like daddy, you get an ulcer on your tongue!

Poppy's going through another "i don't like daddy" day... so I thought I'd drop her some tall tales... I just want to be liked by my own daughter... is that so bad? boo hoo...

The wriggly pinky

The wriggly pinky handshake club

I'm working on a script for a group of friends that are in a super tight gang and get up to hi-jinx upsetting the local softies. There will be lots of crazy characters, from an old snooty rich kid that greets and gets rather nasty if he doesn't get his way, his bumbling lummox of a sidekick friend who'll say anything he's told, the aggressive bully with a fat face and a sharp tongue, a few brainless girls that hand around and tell people lies and don't actually know what they are doing behind the bike sheds... and a visiting cousin from Glasgow who doesn't have a clue but pretends he does.

hilarious... now, all I have to do is write it, it's probably too much of a crazy imagination, but, that's fiction, and it makes it all the more fun, knowing (thankfully) that a gang like this couldn't exist in reality....fewee!

have you got two...

have you got two Chimpanzees I can buy?

"no, I've only got two monkeys"..."err, they are chimpanzees"..."no, they are monkeys"..."no, they are chimps"..."no daddy..." etc.


some time later...

Start the morn' watching...

Start the morn' watching snail porn!

I was "lucky" enough to catch two dirty hermaphrodite snails at it on poppy's slide this morning, how calcium spike action and everything...fwoaaarrrgh.

He made me put a bean...

He made me put a bean up me knob!

Just come back from the live cinema broadcast Q&A with Chris Morris and the cast, hosted by Charlie Brooker at the Belmont Cinema of "Four Lions"... John Rutherford and I had seen it 2 weeks ago, but the draw of hearing Chris Morris discussing his work was too good to pass up. It's a superb film, hilarious, challenging, horrific, moronic - I'd advise anyone to go see it. (Support British film if anything!). Have a squizz at the rather moronic BBC questioning - it's just they type of crap you'd expect Morris to invent himself! Anyway, go see the film...

Ding Dong!...

Ding Dong! the boys are at the door!

Poppy is trying on some of mummy's make up, I've told her that all the boys will be queuing up for her! We then get a dab on our eyes!....ALL the boys are at the door now! *tweet-twooo*

Rent-a...

Rent-a-mob

That's what the Lord Provost called the citizens of Aberdeen that bothered to go to a meeting in the Council about the future of their city Vs the future of a city owned by business.



shocking allegation from a City official! (but that's ok - they have the facts, it's us morons that don't get it and tell lies*)

*SARCASTICBASTARD

Well, that was...

Well, that was a load of Shit.

Can't really say anything more. Anyone Rich enough reading, if you want publicly subsidised purchase of real-estate, I know a little place for sale - usually goes through, no bother - don't worry about the locals, just ignore them. The ones that don't care outnumber them, so you'll have plenty of invisible / imaginary support.

Compromise is not a word...

Compromise is not a word in his dictionery.

You've got to chuckle at the anonymous crazies that go off on one on the PnJ comments page. some of the Smelling Stimakes are just Genious.

can I go on...

can I go on your shoulders all the way to school?

This week is "walk to school week"... I don't think poppy knows that it's her that has to do the walking! So, we give her the 3 wheeled scooter and she's happy with that. So long as her left leg doesn't end up like Kermes, the Persian's arm.

that's the standard £200...

that's the standard £200 to the god of IKEA

We're doing that oh so joyus Sunday thing when in Edinburgh... flocking to the church of Blue and Yellow... but as always, we're a sect, a break out faction of followers, we do the bad thing, go round the isles backwards... that is...in the opposite direction of the.....ARROWS! I've no idea how we do it, but we end up spending an obligatory £200 - I expect the cashiers to be in sparkly suits, perfect smiles and hands upraised in praise of £££ and minimal design.

Do you want...

Do you want a bag with that?

Poppy was helping mummy and Daddy at "made in the Shade" - a craft fair in Edinburgh. She was being suer cute (he he) - and asking all the customers if they needed help with their purchases. She had a fab day, made lots of friends and was mesmerised by the band "Piney Gir" playing - I think she seriously wants to be a singer - she's said so many times.

Sometimes I hate Potatoes...

Sometimes I hate Potatoes, sometimes I love Potatoes

Today, we have a cranky, tired and hungry poppy, after her sickness bug. We're down in Edinburgh preparing for Gabi's "made in the shade" show tomorrow at the ROXY art house... so we head to the ace tattie shop on the top of Cockburn St... but Poppy, decides to get a bit tricksy... we all have a bit of a falling out because someone wouldn't eat her tattie. Later on tonight, driving to the apartment, Poppy announces that her love for potatoes is rather transient. We couldn't help but laugh.

Can we go for a walk...

Can we go for a walk, so we can go to a charity shop?

yes, poppy the toy collector calculates that when mummy goes out for a hair cut, daddy could buy another toy for her one day after she got one from mummy... Devious.

Is that Bananas...

Is that Bananas and rice cakes and crisps and water?

Poppy has been ill all day, she woke up being sick at 3.30 am - and we didn't really get much sleep - spewing every hour, just as we're drifting off after cleaning up the last lot... So, she's been lying on the sofa all day, and drinking water, and eating some bits and bobs. Things are looking up. well... until a banana is thrown into the mix...literally. Groo. Poor wee toot.

this is obviously not poppy. but, we feel for him...

What are you going to do?

What are you going to do? Put plasters on my teeth?

poppy was naughty today, she bit mummy's hand, as she didn't want help crossing the road - mummy said "I'm going to have strong words with you when we get to the other side! And poppy snaps back with this! What would you do? Ah, hello the next 17 years. I hope it's not a metaphor for Tory rule!

It all changes...

It all changes today...or does it?

Wow, a historical day, political developments a-hoy! Gordon Brown makes a "game changing" statement with the Lib / Lab / Con governmental mashup today. I'm secretly relieved, and saddened...even thought I've never voted labour. Glad that "not the Tories" is back on the cards, Sad that a tragic character has done the right and noble thing (I still don't think the world's economic problems are his fault, whether he rubbed shoulders with the Lehman Brothers or whomever!). Nick Clegg must still be having some sleepless nights... I certainly don't envy his position!

Thread...

Thread Assassin!

Last post Killllllah!

It's Buffo...

It's Buffo - not Rana!

I was digging at Claypots again today, when I saw another stone get up, and walk off! (this time I didn't accidentally stab it with a garden fork!). "Ace!" (I shout to Gabi)..."look what I found!" - "ooh, is that another frog?"... I got all Latin on her ass cos I'm a supercilious zealot... or something.

it's all a big Con...

It's all a big Conservative worry

Well, there you have it - the people have mumbled. Yay! A hung parliament... well, not quite the one a lot of us were "hoping" for. I myself wanted to see a Lib / Lab parliament - experience with some fresh ideas (and checks and balances) - But, we're now in that worrying position that the Tories got a lot of seats and the Liberals are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Side with "the most popular" (or unpopular, depending on how you read such a split vote) or the least popular, "defeated" previous government... I'm guessing (and seeing from faceBook) that not a lot of Liberal Voters are happy at all, with the entertainment of the idea that Nick Glegg would consider sharing power with "the Tories"... difficult times for the UK indeed. A worrying development is the idea of another general election in the autumn ... groo.



thanks to Ryan Roberts for posting this image on facebook.

Subliminal desperation?...

Subliminal desperation? I don't like the look of those mints!

I jokingly asked at the polling station today, if the BLUE glacier mints (Liam FOX anyone? helllo!) were a bribe, shipped in by the Tories to influence voters... "we didn't even notice that" said the ladies at the desk...(no, you wouldn't, I'm an artist, dahlink, I notice detail and re-contextualise it)... oh, I had an argument with a man on the PnJ comments page today, he called me a pompous artist... the cheek!

you make beef by...

you make beef by Chopping a cows ears, eyes, legs and head off, then it is beef

Some real understanding of the connection between animals and sausages going on in that dark, stark head of our 3 and a half year old.

"is it safe? IS IT SAFE?"

Why can't I see Mummy's...

Why can't I see Mummy's hair?

We're driving back from Claypots in two cars (I was in Aberdeen and met the ladies there)... and Poppy wanted to leave with me... seeing Mummy in the car in front, Poppy was fascinated that she couldn't see her hair... I said "It's because mummy goes bald in that car"..."nawww, it's because the inside of the car is dark, and so is mummy's hair"... I like the way Poppy thinks.

Shall I put on the Shrinking...

Shall I put on the Shrinking Crap?

He he, Gabi got a bit tongue tied today, when pretending to be "granddad" when Poppy was "Jason Mason"... now she thinks it's a shrinking crap too.

I'll have the tuna...

I'll have the tuna, that's if everyone else has got enough?

Poppy gets some tempura tonight, Broccoli, mushrooms, salmon, cauliflower and peppers, the tuna was particularly nice, and was being scoffed by her... "hey!" we said!..."oh..."... What a thoughtful young lady... after a fashion!

Prawns from a previous tempura session. Nom Nom.

We could be under...

We could be under 4 floors of concrete just now!

We joined the May Day picnic in Union Terrace Gardens today (despite the weather, but, you've got to use it or lose it, apparently...) anyway, we joined many friends there, chatting, playing and just having a fine time in the lovely gardens... John Rutherford came out with this quote... I urge you, get to the gardens, get into the amphitheatre space, and think about the depth - then the concrete / steel superstructure needed to make ACSEF's plans a reality. Scary.



http://iheartutg.tumblr.com