Cygnet in the Rain

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

A few weekends ago I headed out for breakfast with my partner and my friend.

After eating we went to Centennial Park for a short period of time.
It was raining and it felt relaxing to be in the park as there was low amounts of both foot and vehicular traffic.

One of the ponds was overflowing which made it easy to get photos of some of the birds such as the ones below.

I feel I was quite fortunate in being able to get as close to the cygnet as I did. I don’t know as to how much of a risk it was, but I didn’t move closer than I thought was safe and I wasn’t approached too closely by the parents, so I think I was pretty safe.

This is my submission into the one hundred-and-ninetieth Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

The theme for this one is “Close and Closer“.

The host of the Lens-Artists challenges cycles weekly between the following people:

Week 1 – Patti

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya

Week 3 – Amy

Week 4 – Tina

This year three people are joining the Lens-Artists team:

John Steiner of Journeys with Johnbo

Sofia Alves of  Photographias

Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed

As such the above hosting order is likely to change.

This one is curated by Patti. The next one is curated by Leya.

I recommend participating in the challenges. They’re enjoyable and allow room for interpretation of the theme without straying too far. If you don’t participate, then I recommend that you at least check out what others of the Lens-Artists community are submitting.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1083: Listening to Some Music

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

Once more I’ve waited too late into the evening and now I need to do the revving of the up in order to get the words down and in an order that expresses what it is that I need to express.

I’m listening to some music and this music is somewhat bittersweet in that there isn’t going to be any more of this particular music due to the artist behind it passing. Still, there is this and in having this there is something to be happy about as it’s music done well.

Sometimes things just pass on by and drift along the shoreline and follow it until the waves can move them elsewhere, and that’s it. That’s that. You saw them for a brief time and now they’re gone. They’ve gone elsewhere and they’ll do whatever it is that they’ll do elsewhere, if there is indeed anything else to do.

I’m screwing up the metaphor so I’ll move on.

Anyway, this is good music and it will remain good music; I have confidence in that. However, I don’t feel enough people will hear it and so maybe I’ll write about it one day. However, before I do that, I need to digest it and work it all out. I need to find its intricacies and explore it and let it guide me on a journey to something within it. I want to know it and I want to understand it in whichever way I can, and that might take time. Many things take time. Trying to understand something is not always quick and now I’m rambling far more than I would have liked to have done so, so I’m going to try and stop.

There’s a certain sadness to the music, but it’s a sadness that I’m placing on the music rather than something coming from the music itself. It makes it more difficult to analyse, I think, as I’m already imprinting something on it that isn’t there.

Some of the songs are serious, though I imagine that a lot of them are serious and it isn’t actually just some. I imagine that there;s a lot of meaning and metaphor in the music that I need to be aware of and I’m sure I will be as I go through the songs and try and understand them better. However, that will all come later and for now I enjoy them on a surface level.

Eventually the songs will touch me in a way that I had not expected, though perhaps I had expected and was just deluding myself about the whole thing. Regardless, it is good music and I imagine it will stand the test of time. However, it will need more people to hear it so that they too can appreciate the sounds and the words and how they come together in a way that feels natural.

It’s wonderful stuff and it’s something I get to hear at this moment, and it will reach my ears again, I hope.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:36:79

This is one of the more coherent things I’ve written in a while.
I feel I need to get back on track.

Written at home.

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King Crimson: Waiting Man

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

One listen for this one.

I’m pretty sure I was looking to just describe the song which is what happened. However, I don’t think that quite worked out, which in a way sort of represents the song well enough, but perhaps not good enough.

King Crimson’s “Waiting Man” is from Beat.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Guitar flickers rapidly. Soon percussive sounds join in, as does extra guitar. Vocal lines stretch out, seeming to rush on past. What sounds like a chapman stick comes in and adds to the melody, weaving in and out and seemingly floating in parts.

The melodies shift, the vocals seem to rise and all inhabit this new space until there is a sudden shift. The percussion gains focus and shifts into something new. The guitar returns and plays cleanly and seemingly rapidly. The stick continues to inhabit a space for groove.

Soon another shift and all sounds seem to anchor themselves a bit more. Guitar plays something akin to a solo, but it seems more journeying and frayed, though also with a sense of calmness.

The original melodies return and the vocals continue in harmony. The beat plays steady and strong, but this does not last long and soon the percussion signals out a stop and the song ends.

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One Thousand Word Challenge 174: With Another Day

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

It is another day and with another day there is more opportunity to squander, and perhaps that is the best way to go about things in this particular day and age, as they say. With that being said, I don’t know what I’m going on about, which might not be different from usual, but I’m not overly fussed right now.

Right now what it is that I am trying to get across is… well, nothing. I have nothing to get across, but I’m still going to churn like my life depends on it, if my life didn’t actually depend on me churning out a series of words in an order that forms some sort of structural coherence and perhaps implies some sort of meaning. With that being said, I still am going to do what I can to get this out quickly. It might be meaningless and it might say too little using too many words, but I will still get it done in whatever way that I deem appropriate, assuming I am deeming any of this as appropriate, or something.

Anyway, I’m sitting here and I sit here and I write and I reflect on things that need no reflection. I know not what to do from here, but there always is a way forward and I need to consider that. I need to consider that there is a way forward that I can follow and in following that way I might just get all of what I want to get done done, and then when that is all done I just go from there, really.

Now sure, there are other things to consider. I need to consider that there is a way backward and I could also follow that, but where would the fun in that be?

Anyway, it has just rained and now the sun is out again and I sit here and I note this down and I try to think of things that are worth saying more than this, but I can’t help but appreciate the way the sunlight reflects off the wet footpath and the wet road. It seems to make things much brighter and I know that there is an explanation as to why it does, but I don’t want to get into that right now a… well, I don’t want to. It’s just something I want to appreciate, but I won’t appreciate it for too long as it is quite bright and I need to stare at other things that are less bright. My eyes need rest, as does everyone’s.

I can smell the rain, or at least the smell that arises from when it covers certain objects followed its evaporation. Maybe it is not the healthiest of smells, but it is one that is familiar to me, and a lot of other people I imagine.

Why am I writing this?

I think I need to rest some more, but I don’t want to rest as I want to get other things done. There are a lot of things and so on and so forth, but it’s one of those days. It is a day where I’m going to try and push through my slothfulness as that is something I need to get through more than I have been as it consumes a lot of time and prevents much in the way of anything getting done. Sure, it pays off pretty quickly, but there are other things that are worth indulging in that they pay off later and so I should probably pursue those more often than I don’t, but that’s something that’s not for here; at least, not today. Maybe tomorrow.

I also think that I need to get in with getting on and try and look at the bigger picture and all of those other things that make me sound great and profound, but alas, it is not the time nor the day for such a thing. This could change at any moment, but it doesn’t feel like it will change for a while and so I need to consider a few things if I am to continue with whatever it is that I am going on about at this present moment. I need to think of concepts and theories and I need to think of action and how to get to a point where action makes sense. Maybe there is no point, but that needs to be divined somehow.

If there is no divination, then am I really doing the things and following the paths? Maybe instead of all of that I’ll just push everything aside and go sit on a boat floating on the ocean’s surface for a while and push everything out of my mind so I can work out what is actually important to everything. I could do that and I could do other things and I would do that if I had the ability to do so. Unfortunately responsibility and duty and all of that stuff gets in the way and so I find myself bound by my words and actions and I feel as though there is no way to get around this and nothing can make me change my mind.

If there are indeed things that can make me change my mind, then I shall avoid them as much as possible. I will bury my head in the sand whilst I walk through forests of digressions and eventually I’ll find a way to be protected from that which could help shape me into being a better person.

I could also just let them in and become a better person, but where’s the fun in that? Why would I want to go through all of that? I want to be worse. I want to be a mean and terrible person who does nothing but hurts and spreads ignorance. That’s so much more fun than trying to do good and trying to improve the world. After all, something something and so on and so forth.

The time it took to write one thousand words: 10:41:73

I’m fine with the speed of this writing, but the writing leaves a lot to be desired.
Too often I’ve been overthinking these when the idea is to let the writing be stream-of-conscious and as such I’ve probably strayed far away from the intent.

Written at home.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1082: Scrapped Writing, New Writing

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

So earlier I was writing this thing about how I was writing and it didn’t really go anywhere and I had to get back to work so I ended up scrapping the whole thing. I’m not sure if this was a good idea or not, but it felt like the right thing to do and so what was written no longer is and now I write this thing.

I don’t know if I should have started again and I feel like it was a waste of time as now I have to do more writing and rather than do that, I want to be lazy. I want to put things to the side and not think about them but instead of that I am now doing this and I am writing as quickly as I can so as to make up for lost time, but once time is lost that is it; you don’t get it back, so you need to make the most of what time you have.

I don’t know if this is making any good use of the time I have, but this is how I am using it and so using it in this manner is how I will proceed. Besides which, I had this thing written and it was thrown away as I didn’t finish it and it is being replaced with something that, arguably, is worse.

Anyway, I’m sitting here and not there and I’m trying to think of witty things to say, but I’ve nothing right now. I’ve nothing witty to say, so I’m not sure as to what it is that I should be saying. Sure, I can try and think of things that are witty, but there is no wit here. One might say that there is a dearth of wit and this is an issue as a witless wittiness is not something that I was hoping to put forward. There are other things I’d rather put forward and so this is something I want to avoid, but this is what I am doing and I don’t know as to where I can go from here, really.

Now sure, I could make something up about some grand adventure to try and find what it is that would allow the wit to be here, thus making this wittier than one could ever hope. However, that would require effort and effort is in short supply at the moment. As such, there is little go on here but maybe over there, but then you’d have to make the journey and me as I don’t want to do it. I want to do other things and not worry about this journey stuff, but I fear it might be too late and so it is time to start kicking and screaming, for if I do not, then… well, I don’t know really.

I think that, with all of that being said, I might just take it easy and recline a little, but only in a while.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 05:00:34

I was trying to get whatever I could down and I don’t think it worked out for the best.

Written at home.

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Dull Light Seeps in

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

This was taken around the same time as the last photo I shared.

I took a few photos inside to try and capture how the sunrise lit up some of the place. This is the best result of those photos.

I like the low visibility in the photo as it cuts out a lot of distraction and keeps focus mostly on the window and its reflection. From there you can see a bit of the backyard which does little in the way of suggesting much of what is out there. Some things are visible, but they’re mostly structural.

This is my submission into the one hundred-and-eighty-ninth Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

The theme for this one is “Odds and Ends“.

The host of the Lens-Artists challenges cycles weekly between the following people:

Week 1 – Patti

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya

Week 3 – Amy

Week 4 – Tina

This year three people are joining the Lens-Artists team:

John Steiner of Journeys with Johnbo

Sofia Alves of  Photographias

Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed

As such the above hosting order is likely to change.

This one is curated by Tina. The next one is curated by Patti.

I recommend participating in the challenges. They’re enjoyable and allow room for interpretation of the theme without straying too far. If you don’t participate, then I recommend that you at least check out what others of the Lens-Artists community are submitting.

I hope you enjoy.

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Colour of the Sunrise

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

Here’s a photo I took a few weeks ago.

It was a bit of an interesting sunrise so I went outside and took a few photos.

I really like the colour in this one. Along with the shading, it feels really ominous. At the same time I find it rather pretty.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five Gulls

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

Flying away.

I can’t remember if I disturbed them, or if they flew for some other reason.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week.
I suggest checking out Leanne’s photography, as well as checking out what other people submit.

A lot of what people are submitting will likely end up here.

I hope you enjoy.

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The God Machine: The Hunter

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

Another one that was one listen.

This one was quite difficult. I tried writing it earlier today but had a lot of trouble getting started and so I stopped (though the stopping was also due to needing to head out). It came easier when I made another attempt.

I think it was also difficult due to my familiarity with the song. Maybe.

The God Machine’s “The Hunter” is from One Last Laugh in a Place of Dying….

I hope you enjoy.

—

Guitar plays an arpeggio as it fades in. A hum grows between the strings.
Bass and percussion come rolling in whilst remaining gentle. Soon the vocals follow, weaving words in a way that carries a sadness that matches the atmosphere from the instruments.

When it comes time the guitar starts reaching upward whilst the bass and percussion provide a base. Then the guitar becomes a little noisier, the bass starts rising and the percussion becomes livelier. There is a build as vocals stretch over this, but then it all pulls back to just the rolling bass and percussion.

Soon strings come in and move over the rhythm. They seem to flicker and emphasise for just long enough before they too pull back and guitar returns. The core builds again and this time continues its build. The sounds swell and roll and crash, and continue to expand. The vocals return and become more biting. Somewhere in it all the strings come forward and build on tone and intensity and the sounds all eventually hit a point. They stretch it out and let it envelope and wash over everything until they reach a point and pull back, and all is soft and gently rolling once more.

The strings return and move over the rhythm, flickering and emphasising. They draw out a light in a dark space, and seemingly look inward. There is a caress in their movement, and they keep on moving as the rhythm pulls away. It is almost as though they carry the song forward to something else, though before anything concrete is found they stop and the song ends.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1081: Too Many Days

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

Too many days with not enough writing for my liking, if I am to be honest. In a way that makes this feel like a breath of fresh air, but that is no reason to rest on my laurels, as they say.

So I sit here and there has been heavy rain and a lot of people are suffering due to said rain and I am sitting here writing. If I could help them out, I would, but due to being rather broke I cannot.

On a side note, as I’ve said before, I need money and anything you can provide will help, but there are a lot of people losing a lot of stuff and they need financial (and other) help far more than I do, so if you can help people dealing with the aftermath of heavy flooding, then please do so.

So I’m sitting here and I’m writing and it almost feels like a form of joy being experienced. Perhaps I am not feeling joyous enough for it to feel like a joy and if that is the case, then I am the one losing out at the end of the day.

Rain continues to fall and I can hear it, but I cannot see it as it currently is the period known as the evening, but in hearing it I don’t need to see it to know that it is there. I would rather it stop for a number of reasons, but I cannot stop it. I would also rather it move elsewhere when it stops as the rain is likely need further inland than here and so a lot of it seems like it is not falling where it would be most effective.

I think I need to stop doing things so late in the evening. It’s too much procrastination and all this procrastination is causing more issues than it could ever hope to solve. I think I need to get on with things and get back into gear and all that other stuff. There are plenty of things that I need to do, but getting back to working at times that are better to work at should be high on the list of priorities, I think.

Really, there are a lot of things that should be high on the list of priorities, but right now I sit here and I write and as I write I think of things that I should be doing but am not, so once I finish this I might just go and do them as there is little time in the day. However, instead of doing that I’ll probably just write something else, then go to sleep as there is a need for sleep and all that other stuff and so I need to get on with it so I can get on with that as tomorrow is a day where things are happening and they happen in a particular order.

Well, they will, but also they might not.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:44:48

Not a good bit of writing by any stretch of the imagination. Feels like shaking rust off, so to speak.

Written at home.

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