Mine and Anthony’s last meeting ended in us pondering whether light is the key to our project; I think it’s certainly a strong element of the direction my explorations are taking. Light and History.

I am working from the premise that time and light are one and the same thing and by interrupting or manipulating the straightforward path light takes to reach me (the beholder) I am metaphysically connecting with the past – it’s not the most scientific theory; it holds no water in the physics department and certainly needs some work in the way I’m wording it all but I like this theory and I feel like it’s working. (Going with my feelings about my explorations is part of remaining engaged with the metaphysical theme of our project).

So – before I try out some of my more ambitious ideas involving nasty chemicals and hugely time-consuming hand telecineing – I have made a few pinhole cameras as a simple way of interrupting light on its course to the beholder.

I decided to start making based on the few principles I remember about camera obscuras without looking up the best methods of going about it. This way I become discoverer and scientist (as well as irritated struggler) of optical instruments. After much tungsten and daylight testing with different sized apertures I have come to the conclusion that there are all sorts of ways to view these upside-down worlds and each one is as exciting as the other.

More tests and hopefully photos of the projections to follow…

Short sales are becoming more and more prevalent in the Twin Cities real estate marketplace.   More and more of the banks are starting to come around that a short sale might indeed be a good option for them to consider.   It may also be a good option for the homeowner to consider.

At this point it’s still a somewhat laborious effort and it takes some time, but there just is no easy way out from underneath a mortgage when the home is upside down and the homeowner is having financial difficulty.   I do envision at some point that this process will be sped up, but for now, it’s likely to take 90-120 days to see a short sale through to completion.

I’ve created a site dedicated to helping homeowners avoid foreclosure in the Twin Cities.   There is also a page entitled, Short Sales Explained.

Calculated Risk just posted a story based upon a national home buyer financing survey conducted by Campbell Communications.   There are some interesting data points highlighted in this post.  It confirms much of what I have seen in the Twin Cities marketplace mainly:

• Declining REO (bank owned) inventory and transactions
• Total dominance of FHA loans for purchasers
• Big uptick in short sales

In case you missed my earlier post, the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors has published their latest Foreclosure and Short Sales Report for October, 2009.

Once upon a time, individuals lived freely, constrained by their Christian moral code and relatively few Federal laws. Conversely, the federal government was severely constrained by the U.S. Constitution, state governments which asserted their sovereignty, and elected federal officials who respected the cornerstone principle of limited government. Today, the balance of power is completely upside down.  The “giant sucking sound” you hear is not Mexico as Ross Perot suggested in 1992.  It is coming from bloodthirsty politicians and bureaucrats in Washington D.C.  and their pawns in state and local governments.  Citizens have become modern day serfs.

While America cannot become any more upside down, things can get worse. If we don’t turn this around, government at every level will become so big, powerful, and corrupt that “We the People” will drown in regulation and taxation. It’s not too late.  As Earl Pitts would say, “Wake Up America!”

Not much to say besides, “Why is this man sitting on an upside down horse??”
That and, “Uuuupppppsssth!”

After last year’s successful debut, Soundtrack, Cardiff’s international film and music festival returns this week for another ambitious programme exploring the relationship between sound and celluloid.

Proving that sequels can be a good thing, the 5 day festival kicks-off this evening with an opening night screening of Powell and Pressburger’s sublime and tragic masterpiece the Red Shoes. Ravishing, sweeping and utterly powerful, the Red Shoes tells the story of a lead ballerina, torn between her Mephistophelean impresario and the young, ambitious composer of the prophetic The Red Shoes ballet. It’s an explosion of grace and colour and a perfect opening choice for a festival that aims to reveal the symbiotic relationship between film and sound.

And nicely done too: fresh from winning an Oscar for Powell and Pressburger’s previous classic Black Narcissus, the Red Shoes’ cinematographer was Jack Cardiff.

The rest of the festival programme lives up nicely to its opening night promise. On Thursday Cineworld hosts the world premier of Separado!, Gruff Rhys’ psychedelic western musical in which Gruff takes us on a pan continental road trip in search of his long lost Patagonian uncle, the poncho wearing guitarist Rene Griffiths. The Premiere of Separado! will be followed by a Q&A featuring Gruff Rhys, co-director Dylan Goch and Guardian journalist and author Will Hodgkinson.

Gruff Rhys returns on Friday with Super Furry Animals at the Coal Exchange as part of ‘Recreation’, an evening dedicated to Creation Records, the legendary independent label and subject of Upside Down, which is to be released in February 2010. The film’s trailer will be unveiled at ‘Upside Down: A Creation Records Evening’ at Cineworld earlier in the evening, as well as exclusive clips. The event will be hosted by Director Danny O’Connor and Ride frontman Mark Gardner, who will discuss the movie and Creation’s lasting impression on the modern musical landscape. Gardner will then join Super Furry Animals at the Coal Exchange – I am literally hanging out for Leave Them All Behind.

Friday also feature’s a special screening of American Psycho, Mary Harron’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ killer satirical novel. Special in that the writer of the film’s score, Garnant’s John Cale, will discuss his career as a composer before the screening. Cale then returns the following night for an exclusive performance of his haunting, cerebral masterpiece Paris 1919 at the Coal Exchange – the absolute highlight of this year’s Soundtrack.

Preceeding John Cale’s concert will be a screening of Beautiful Mistake, Marc Evan’s ode to a period of Welsh musical history that saw several bands cause so much fuss that the music press cobbled together a make-believe scene and condescendingly dubbed it ‘Cool Cymru‘. Made at the turn of the century Evans’ film portrays these artists  - Catatonia, Super Furry Animals, Gorky’s and the much-missed Derrero among them – more as the serious and meaningful musicians they were, stubbornly staying put in their homeland and refusing to run, as Cale did himself: to New York, John Cage and the Velvet Underground. Performing alongside Cale in the film, Evans’ sets the emergence of so much quality new music at one time against Cale’s early move away from his homeland; both beautiful mistakes in their own way.

Sunday sees the action stick mainly to the projector and the sound on the screen. Kicking off with the first showing in Cardiff of All Tomorrow’s Parties at Chapter. Shot on Super 8, camcorder and mobile phone, the film feature’s performances by many of artists that have played ATP over the last 10 years, including Belle And Sebastian, Daniel Johnston, Boredoms, Slint, GZA, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Shellac and Patti Smith.

Later in the afternoon director Julien Temple, who has delivered great insight into several complex musical subjects through the Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle, the Filth and the Fury, Glastonbury and Joe Strummer: the Future is Unwritten will unveil his latest film, Oil City Confidential, at Chapter.

Concentrating on Dr Feelgood, “four men in cheap suits who crashed out of Canvey Island in the early ’70s, sandpapered the face of rock ‘n’ roll and left all that came before a burnt-out ruin, four estuarine John-the-Baptists to Johnny Rotten’s anti-Christ,” the film explores the strange cultural vacuum which existed before the coming of punk rock . The screening of Oil City Confidential will be followed by a Q&A with Julien Temple.

Soundtrack’s closing night film is Bunny and the Bull, the first feature film from Mighty Boosh director Paul King. Bunny and the Bull follows Stephen (Ed Hogg) and Bunny (Simon Farnaby) as they leave the dull routine of life in England behind and embark on an extraordinary odyssey, journeying from the industrial wastelands of Silesia to the bull fields of Andalusia and bringing them into contact with a Polish dog farmer (Julian Barratt), a moustachioed matador (Noel Fielding) and a hot-tempered crab waitress (Veronica Echegui) who soon tests how far their friendship really goes.

Paul King will introduce the feature as well as joining producer Mary Burke for a Q&A following the screening.

These are just a few of my must-sees at this year’s Soundtrack. Other highlights include Let Him Be, about two undergrad film students who discover a long thought to be dead rock icon living in a remote part of Canada; Mugabe and the White African, an extremely powerful and intimate feature-length documentary film charting one family’s extraordinary courage in the face of a relentless campaign of state-sanctioned terror; and a Hammer Horror double bill with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Dr. David Huckvale delving in to the history of the men whose chilling scores raised the hairs on the necks of a generation of classic horror fans.

There are also a series of workshops and seminars, including a look at Warp films at the Norwegian Church tomorrow.

Soundtrack runs from 18 – 22 November. Full event information and ticket prices are available at www.soundtrackfilmfestival.com

btw – if you don’t fancy the Red Shoes (seriously, it’s a great film) get over to Gwdihw at 7pm tonight for a free showing of The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T. Not sure if this is part of Soundtrack, but it should be

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The good things in life.
Essa foto me lembra tanta coisa..
haha

I’m not talking about a six pack of coke or beer either!  LOL!  I’m talking about six pack abs!  Believe it or not, this was supposed to be the most awesome exercise to obtain those defined muscular abdominals back 20-30 years ago —> the “Teeter Hang-ups” on an inversion bar with gravity boots!  The boots hold you to the bar while you hang upside down vertically doing crunches and oblique twists!

What do you think?  Is this crazy or what!?!?  I’m currently doing a Rachel McLish workout and getting my new journal workout sheets ready for my next phase with her.  This is one of the exercises she suggests for the abdominals.  I was flabbergasted!  LOL!  I was wondering how she actually got into the vertical position before the boots were strapped into the inversion bar.  Hmmm!  I could see myself falling on my head before I got my first crunch in… especially after all the blood rushes to my head popping my eyeballs!  LOL! 

This crazy inversion exercise has been around for quite some time.  It’s actually  ancient and has been around thousands of years to 3000 B.C.!  Even Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine,  hoisted up his patients with a ladder and a series of ropes and pulleys to harness the force gravity in an effort to stretch his patients and relieve their ailments.

In the United States, Dr. Robert Martin (a California osteopath, chiropractor, and medical doctor) introduced the “Gravity Guidance System” to the country in the 1960s.  The movie, “American Gigolo,” starring Richard Gere in 1980, helped to sell over $70 million in gravity boots!  And… get this!  These insane boots are still being sold!  That’s right!  They weigh a little over a pound per boot and sell for around $100 for a pair.  Don’t forget to ask Santa for a pair!  (Yikes!)  LOL!

Over the last couple of years, the silly seeming boots have made a come back.  It seems that there are loads of benefits by hanging upside down, but I was most curious about the vertical crunches.  It seems that they are 20 times more difficult than doing the usual horizontal crunches.  Though this may sound great in getting those six pack abs, cardio still needs to be done to release the fat covering those beautiful muscles!  :d

So… the question is, “Will I do the odd exercise for better abs?”  Hmmmm… what do you all think???  LOL! 

Eu e meu saco biodegradável!
ô vida… tá difícil sair daí.
hahahhaa

Saw a recent link on Facebook about a Creation Records documentary in the works. You can check out the ‘Upside Down’ trailer here. Indie labels come and go, but rarely do they define a movement, and influence generations of new music makers.  Alan McGee is forever connected to the people.  Even today, Creation’s  revered founder pings the world when he finds something worth sharing.  Dig some timeless Creation releases below.  True soul.

I have been dealing with many people over the past year who are facing foreclosure or are “upside down” in their homes. As a financial service rep usually I can help my clients in the following ways:

1). Debt Stacking: Paying each credit card in a way that actually pays off the credit card rather than just keep paying the minimum. I have seen folks who pay just $25.00 per month extra and they save $1,000’s on interest and truly get out of debt YEARS earlier!

2). Stop giving uncle SAM a FREE loan each month. Look at other ways to increase your revenue stream using the rule of 72 and escrow your own homeowner’s taxes so YOU earn the interest, not Uncle Sam!

3). Find a Pre-foreclosure specialist who can help you get out of the foreclosure before the bank sells your house. The BANK can’t negotiate with you, however, they can negotiate with third party. Use the third party to your advantage. You may have to lose some equity in these deals however, you will retain your credit to find your own good deal on a house. These Pre-foreclosure specialists can help you also find low cost housing as either a rent to own or an outright purchase at hundred’s of thousands less interest dollars than you were paying on your existing house. Stop bemoaning your situation and email me at pattisoutherland@hotmail.com for more information or call 206.999.5640 and ask for Patti

4). Get a financial needs analysis done so you REALLY know if there is something you can do to fix you finances. Just becasue you can’t think of a solution, you can go to an expert for FREE and get an analysis done.

5). Look at ALL options. If you are afraid of losing your home, look at a Mortgage modification as a LAST resort. Remember, the BANKS do NOT want to modify unless they are forced to. Pay for Pre-Paid Legal (one month is only $30.00 with administration fee) to have an attorney assess your current situation for very little expense.

My thoughts:

1. Do an Financial Needs Analysis (FNA)  to find out where you stand.

2). Talk with an Pre-paid Legal attorney after the FNA is complete.

3). Look at all your options including loan modifications and Pre-foreclosure specialists.

Need help? Just email: pattisoutherland@hotmail.com

KNOWLEDGE is Power.

 GET MORE INFO but don’t get STUCK in paralysis by analysis!!!

Download – Snoop Dogg ft. Nipsey Hussle & Problem – Upside Down

Track 9 off Malice N Wonderland 8th December.

Não foi assim que eu planejei.
Quanto desperdício. Quantas noites em vão. Quantos pensamentos perdidos.
Tudo se virou contra a minha vontade, e eu nem posso dizer que foi de repente.
Não foi. Você já vinha me avisando, me alertando, desligando o celular, esquecendo de retornar, se ocupando com a vida que não me incluia, que era sua. E só. Você é todo no singular.
Eu deixei o campo de batalha. Eu perdi mais uma.
E eu que nem queria lutar contra você, mas com você.
Você tomou de mim o meu sorriso. Agora tudo o que eu penso me dá vontade de chorar, e eu prefiro o silêncio, eu prefiro não falar o seu nome e nem coisa alguma. E mesmo não querendo te chamar em voz alta, em cada frase que eu ouço, traz você implícito nela.
Eu não te responsabilizo pelo fracasso. Eu sei que ele é meu.
Você não merece esse título e eu sofro de descontrole emocional.
Eu quero demais ou eu não quero mais.
É isso que me fez cair. Esse medo que eu sinto em te encarar e te dizer cada palavrinha que eu ensaiei. No final, só sai uma meia dúzia de palavras desajeitadas.
E ficou tanta coisa por dizer…
E que agora não importa mais.
Eu vou continuar sentada aqui, esperando a chuva passar, olhando pro seu nome a cada 3 segundos de intervalo e oscilando entre o arrependimento e o orgulho.
Porque eu vou continuar não te respondendo e ao mesmo tempo me rasgando por dentro com a falta que você me faz. E vou continuar pedindo pra que os dias corram rápido e sem muitos sobressaltos e continuar dizendo na frente do espelho que vai passar, vai passar, vai passar, vai passar…
Fechei o playground.

i triangulatered

wut kind of triangle r u?

Picture by: dunno source Caption by: Robbie_L via Our LOL Builder

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é tudo o que eu queria…

upside down.

Ich lasse mich ein

trüge mein besseres Ich

und kann plötzlich sehn

Manchmal  musst du die Seiten wechseln

hinuntertauchen in das Land des Vergessens

einmal nicht aufmerksam sein

und allzeit bereit.

Denn lässt du ab

von der fixen Idee

wie die Dinge sein sollen

erschließen sich Welten

von denen du nie

zu träumen gewagt hättest.

Gib auf.

Jederzeit.

Bild

The summer is gone and the darkness has taken over. Flashing streetlights, swinging in the hands of the will of storm, cast randomly their amber light, painting ghostly shadows on the walls of ancient city as I stand on an old bridge. Wind, rain and stray leaves beat my face but I don’t mind. I just stand there, hands pressed deep into my pockets and watch the blackness of the river which is cramped into a deep channel. Banks covered with granite don’t let streetlight touch the surface of the water and so it seems abysmal. The river is down there, I feel it, I hear it, but I can’t see it.

The storm grows wilder.

I turn and slowly merge into the shadows.