Tema's Blog

Social Networking

temageorge — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:03:33 +0000

Following my recent frustrations with my digital television drama I was resigned to using my PC monitor to watch a film on the BBC’s Iplayer that I really wanted to see. You see as fantastic as the service is you can’t playback all their pre-aired programming due to a rights issue. Now I am rather blessed with a lovely 24inch screen that I use to do alot of my digital artwork but the thought of watching a film on it despite its fantastic resolution has been dismissed in the two years I have had it due to my own psychological barriers; a TV is for watching, a PC to work, surf, email, blog, etc. It was an amazing experience but I haven’t been in a hurry to do it again even though I have another film to watch that won’t play on my all singing all dancing DVD player.

I went on an animation course recently to get Flash firmly under my belt so I can develop my largely print based portfolio and learnt so much about the program, myself and other people. So many people learn a lot about multimedia, new software and developments via the web and for this it is fantastic to join the multitude of forums and communities to resolve your hardware and software problems, and share innovations and new concepts. However it doesn’t quite bring the old-fashioned invaluable experience of meeting new people, having real conversations and exchanging a business card. For me this is real social networking.

It was fascinating engaging with a range of different people from different backgrounds and experiences, some of who shared similar interests, whilst observing others for who the thought of this was clearly cringing (no eye contact to other members of the group, no sharing of biscuits let alone conversation at coffee break and certainly no willingness to share the projects we had produced when encouraged by the tutor). For them the course was simply a means of learning something new and perhaps something just to take back to the privacy of their personal space and computer. Now I understand this totally as I too have been this uptight creature before, thinking that I am not going to meet anyone simply learn something new as I have loads of friends and really don’t need to broaden my social circle any further, but this time around by letting my guard down I have enjoyed a short course perhaps more than any, and met some lovely new people I am genuinely keen to keep in contact with to share ideas, inspirations and work. I met up with one (who happens to live minutes away from me) this weekend gone to visit the Hackney Wicked Arts Fest and we enjoyed the art and each others company to deconstruct and admire others work and interpretations.

I think what I am trying to say is that the digital media is a fantastic means for broadening one’s options and personal sphere, but it can also be limiting and prohibiting when meeting real people as opposed to who may (or may not) be behind a pretty picture trying to be more appealing behind words. Getting out and meeting people, having real conversations where you can see people’s expressions and hear their tones without the need to enter any matrimony or bosom buddy commitment is as equal to having someone explain something to you or instruct you rather than trying to mystify it from a poorly written handout/book or constructed video post on you tube. For me it is and probably always will be even more valuable.

Digital Devolution

temageorge — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 17:58:55 +0000

Ok its been a while since I checked in but have had to, to make written confession of my addiction. I am a self confessed CD addict! Now I never got the whole vinyl bug some of my friends had and indeed still have; sure I spent my fair share of pocket money on a few 7 and 12inches, but my real collectors possessions have been for sometime and remain found in the humble Compact Disc. You see I became a music collector at the rise and boom of the CD, as you will know if you read my last post (BTW still love a cassette – dug one out last Sunday in search of a track collabo with R Kelly and Jay Z to, you guessed it, trace on CD). CD singles quickly replaced the Big black shiny awkardly portable indiscreet disc which required too much precision with a needle, and were welcomed fully by my carefree heavy handed approach; just insert and press play! Anyway I bucked up on a friend recently who is a vinyl junkie and asked if he could do me a CD his response “I don’t do CD’s no more – I’ve gone digital”. Now there’s much to be said about this digital revolution; for starters I wouldn’t have this platform to share my sins without it but when it goes bad (your computer crashes, services go down) or you just can’t get the quality, its not very exciting. Point in case this same friend comes to pad out his digital music library using some of my CD’s also gaining some extras high rated downloads don’t always lead you to find (the hidden gems LP’s hide). Well needless to say I was unimpressed and rattled even further as to questions of why I don’t go digital when I know full well he won’t be selling all of that vinyl in a hurry. I also recently got some new music to sample on CD and whilst I have it in my Itunes library would rather have the original than a burn – the fact that music is so much cheaper due to downloading makes my anorak activity even more exciting and affordable even if I have to build another shelf to fit it all. So to go digital or not remains the question. Also recently my cable services have been weakened due to the other flats riding off of my cable, which has left me with poor reception through some of the most crucial games in the World Cup, this evening after playing technician and spending half an hour reading my digital manual for my digital TV with built in Freeview just to work out how to access the service til the real technician shows up next week to fix the problem gave me my answer – into the bedroom to watch the spare analogue set, one twiddle of the aerial with a clothes hanger and I caught the final whistle;-)

Cassettes call for a come back…

temageorge — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:24:31 +0000

For the last couple of months the top news institutions have been reporting about the renaissance of the humble cassette. After nearly doing myself some damage last month on my “really useful boxes” that store my tapes I promised to have a tape session in place of no longer having a record player. Time passed, days and months went by where all the music I consumed was with mobile vehicles, cd’s in the car, ipod, phone with integrated radio whose reception resembles that of an old school pirate radio station most of the time despite it being a 3rd generation surely analogue wasn’t this bad??

Fed up with listening to LP cd’s and not being arsed to sit and arrange a playlist from my vast cd collection I decided it was time to rummage through the first of my tape boxes. Ok the sound is not as crystal as a cd but many of my tapes were either made for me from vinyl or by me just pressing the record button on a pirate radio station when the dj was in a zone.

There is something special about the tape that the dear old record or cd just doesn’t have, perhaps it is the sheer range of memories encapsulated in the quality music that only tapes could capture in a cheap way at the time; as I write this Usher’s ‘Penny for your thoughts’ bangs from my speaker, maybe its the recognition of time that the producer took to arrange the tracks before giving tapes away as presents or selling as mixtapes, or just simply being able to have the skill to record the right radio show with the soundtrack of the time whilst cutting out the commercial breaks! With this the knowledge of their delicate nature as with vinyl, if the tape splits or gets chewed up in a dodgy player (thoughts of my first car emerge) adds to their value.

Of all my music formats each one of my tapes represents some of the most nostalgic moments of my life and the best part of it is after I get through this box of numerous 90 minute goodies I have another box to re-discover. It’s going to be a long summer…

My faith in the human race restored by a retro moment

temageorge — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:25:49 +0000

No community, each man for himself – the state of London today? absolutely not……Yesterday I had my faith in the human race restored. Whilst on my way home a man entered my train carriage and sat opposite me with a packet of tootie frooties. I was intrigued as I hadn’t seen them since I was a child. Clearly my interest and intrigue was not discreet; he promptly offered me one. Taken aback but pleasantly surprised I smiled at his gesture (which was I must add not a cheap chat up line!) I thanked him no and responded “I didn’t know they still made them!” I looked on as he selected the little gems into his mouth with the delight of years passed, he said they still tasted the same – the golden seal of approval. Alas shivalry is indeed still alive, as well as individuals smart enough to green light a come back to a childhood favourite .