the facebook phenomenon

Twitter, facebook, myspace etc. etc. etc. What's it all about? This struck me as one answer from
quotesoftheday " The easiest kind of relationship is with ten thousand people, the hardest is with one." -Baez, Joan

Perspective

If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep... you are richer than 75% of the world's population.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, or spare change in a dish someplace... you are among the wealthiest 8% of the world's population.

If you woke up with more health than illness... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week...

Source unknown, via Evelyn Rodriguez

More photos from the woods

In the woods

After a heavy weekend with my better half's family it's taken a couple of days to repay the sleep overdraft, but a good blast on the mountain bike and exploring on foot got rid of a few more cobwebs just before lunch. There's a ruined abandoned hamlet in the woods that i went to have another look at with fewer leaves on the trees. The owner might be persuaded to sell, but I wasn't sure about its siting on the hill when I first found it this summer, so I went for another look. It would need a lot of plantation trees cut down around it, but after that it could sit quite nicely, although it would get little morning sun.

Later on I passed a track that I seemed to remember headed down to a ruined mill complex alongside the Doulon. I was a bit out in my mental map, but found it anyway. It's more complex and fascinating than I first thought, and seems to have several layers of development and the remains of a small footbridge, maybe big enough for a horse but not a cart. I don't know what information I can find out about it (or water mills generally) locally or on the web. Worth a try. It reminds me of neighbours who have built their own house having failed to find a water mill in anything like restorable condition. It would be ambitious, but ...

Flickr Photos : French Landscapes Slideshow

Slideoo (found viaEmily Chang's ehub) have got this slideshow trick up and running, so I thought I'd try it here and let you see one of my photo sets from flickr; others are here.

Be yourself

It's always nice to come across another reminder to be yourself. It may be hard sometimes, but it's who you are, and if you're lucky you find a place to be yourself too. Aaaah! Should be a Friday afternoon post!

Gingerbread Haka

A fun turn on this traditional prelude to All Black rugby matches.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

My current reading. The language is dated, but there are themes that are very very current in debates I'm reading now about conservation, society and consumerism among other things.

These from an interesting passage about life and experience...

"Age is no better, hardly well, qualified for an instructor as yout, for it has not profited as much as it has lost."


"Man's capacities have never been measured; nor ar we to judge of what he can do by any precedents, so little has been tried."

"Whatever have been thy faliures hitherto, 'be not afflicted, my child, for who shall assign to thee what thou hast left undone'."

Walden: or life in the woods. Henry David Thoreau

New angle on photos

This photo is a new idea to me. What do you think?

Hang drum

These are great. I want one.

Ousmane Sow

What a guy. The sculptures are stunning. You look at them one way, they look not quite primitive enough. Another view, and the subtelty of the faces and postures is unbelievable. In the book I saw yesterday, some of the photos of his sculpures in African villages looked like folks were living with their departed spirits. I want to see more.

One the move

Another of my little expeditions starts tomorrow with a drive up to Caen-Ouistreham to get the ferry to Portsmouth.  After that I’ll be in Lincoln, Sheffield, Winchester, Farnham, and Newbury before heading to Stansted for a flight to Prague.  I’ll be at Europarc 2007 in Český Krumlov for a few days, and then heading back here to the hills of the Massif Central, and hopefully to some more Indian summer weather.  I think I’ve cracked blogging, tweeting and flickring away from base now, so keep your eyes peeled.

A little Carlinhos Brown to bring out the sun (No.3)

Along with a few others from my World Music Deezer Playlist ...

Evelyn

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." - Oscar Wilde From Evelyn on twitter

Pangea day

This looks like a great idea, spread the image.

Batala at Notting Hill 2007

Another clip, longer, with one of the new tunes for this year. Luvverly

Rhod Gilbert

I got a video clip sent to me of a wonderful luggage stand-up spot, and have now sleuthed enough to discover it's someone called Rhod Gilbert.

Li'l lamb and pig

Sounds a bit like that dozydotes an marezydotes an lilamsee divy etc. thingy.

In fact me an l'il lamb made a pig at the weekend. i think he turned out pretty well. Shame we can't animate him; he's got a future this guy...

Deezer

The more I use Deezer, the more I like it. Listen legally and free to streaming music.

Guerrilla eating out

A link from twitter's panmesa to this article from the San Fransisco Chronicle about speakeasy style restaurant experiences in California. The phenomenon builds on a kind of rave-like secret word of mouth network taking advantage of ad-hoc opportunities to eat together for a price. It's spontaneous, unpredictable, and seems to be getting popular. I like the idea and maybe it's worth a try here. I'll see what mrs francerant thinks.