Image and Content

Posted on January 4, 2007 by Paul — No Comments ↓

Take a look at 13 pictures that changed the world. While I know there are others that are equally notable (see the comments there for some ideas), it’s a great trip through the history of photography. I was particularly struck by the split between great art (#7 being a particular favourite of mine) and great photojournalism (not so easy to have a ‘favourite’, but there are few images more powerful than #4, though the pictures of the monk ThÃch Quáº£ng Äá»©c burning himself to death, and the Vietnamese girl Kim Phuc running from a napalm attack would qualify.

I think I might have started the series off with the first photograph ever taken, as that did rather get the ball rolling.

(HT: FreeMacPhoto)

Weighty Matters

Posted on January 3, 2007 by Paul — 1 Comment ↓

If you’ve recently moved house, and in the process piled some weightlifting equipment in your garage, including some that’s leaning against a stepladder you need, and if the light in the garage takes 20 seconds to light, and if you’re wearing sandals, do remember to wait for the light to come on rather than just grabbing the stepladder, because if you did that a 50 pound weight might fall on your ankle., and you might swear a lot and go into mild shock from the intense pain. I’m guessing.

Florid

Posted on January 2, 2007 by Paul — 1 Comment ↓

I’m currently reading The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever, by Stephen Donaldson. It’s one of those classics of fantasy fiction that I’ve always meant to get to, and over the course of a year or so I’ve finally managed to get half way through book two. It starts off very drily, hence the extended reading period, but has picked up nicely and is proving an entertaining read.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a sentence I read as an example of the main downfall of the book, which is the horribly ornate language Donaldson uses. It’s rare when a book makes me longer for the simple conciseness of Tom Bombadil, but this may just be it:

Leaping to his feet, he shook his fists at the sky like a reefed and lonely galleon firing its guns in bootless defiance of the invulnerable ocean.

Not quite so fancy, but just as jarring (and perhaps my favourite line from the book):

Troy barely restrained an ejaculation.

And no, it’s not what you’re thinking. At least it’s not what you’re thinking if you have a mind like mine. You poor thing.