The Kit Is Here!

Ok, the wait is over. Finally got my new set of tattoo machine. Yes, I still have the machine given to me by Ritchie but I do need 2 more guns to be able to get started. ( Yeah I know. I'm full of excuses.)

To be honest, it's the confidence thing. Having only 1 tattoo gun means there are possibilities of stuffing up. What if the only gun stop working when I'm half way doing a piece? On top of that, I need more colours and needles and getting the whole kit only cost a bit more, complete with colours and needles.

These might not be the best tattoo guns but they certainly do what they suppose to do. Don't know why I say they are not the best either. Maybe it's because they are from China. But then 1 in 3 products nowadays is from China. Who am I to judge.

Anyway, stay tune for more post on my tattooing expedition.

So this is Christmas...

So this is what Christmas is like in Melbourne. I must say, this is a very different from the other Christmas I'v had in NSW or Sydney. To start, I received 3 presents from work. A BBQ starter pack hamper from The Good Guys marketing manager, a box of chocolate from someone (was left on my desk when I wasn't around) and a bottle of champagne and some chocolates from The Good Guys Marketing department. The joy of working with a big company... :)

Next, got a booklet of movie posters from the 40's. It's interesting to see many of the style used back then is being used now. There is indeed a cycle when it comes to design styles.

The best Christmas present was definitely the studded belt with the space invader buckle and a pair of Carhartt jeans. I'v had my eyes on those jeans for ages... and ages... and ages. Now it's MINE!!! Thank you, thank you!

Presents aside, it was nice to also have a few days off work. Had a nice traditional Christmas lunch with Drew and her grandparents, Tom & Jan, Kristen & Eilis and Peter.

Going to the city for Boxing Day was a big mistake. I did manage to get some good bargains but not worth the stress. There were queues to get in the stores. And it's almost every stores. I did however found a pretty cool music store though. It's called Basement Disc and it's located at one of those lane way in the city and it's sort of underground. A lot of cool music titles can be found here.

On 27th, I was invited to go to the Knight's family picnic at the zoo. beautiful day, cool breeze, nice sun and great food. What more could I ask for?

All-in-all it was a good Christmas even though I miss my family and friends back in Malaysia. Hope all of you had as good a Christmas as I did.

My Christmas presents.... Mmmmm.

Basement Disc

Face painting. I think Drew might grow up loving ink on her skin...

Relaxing at the zoo.

Drew with her Christmas presents, Dora the explorer gears.

The Knight Clan.

Work ethics

An extract from David Thorne's blog. His words, his thoughts.

I used to get up after hitting the snooze button a minimum of six times.

I will make coffee, then sit in the loo drinking it and smoking cigarettes until the initial agony of knowing I have to spend another day with my coworkers dissipates. I generally spend this time trying to calculate the pros and cons of just not turning up. I know they will bitch but their opinions mean little to anyone so sometimes I will go back to bed.

If I do decide to go in, I sit in an office the size of a wardrobe and temperature of a kiln prostituting myself by spending the day making poor products look appealing so that people will be tricked into buying them. This pretty much sums up the entire design industry. Sometimes I grumble and whine out loud so that people think I am working but I will be on the internet instead. It has lots of things on there I like.

As I am possibly the laziest person I know, the design industry is only field I can survive in. I would last less than an hour doing manual labour of any form and I often cope on less than two hours sleep a night so anything requiring alertness or intelligence is out of the question.

It still does happen every now and then though when my medication wears out.

First harvest of the season

Strawberries. Hope to have more if the bloody fruit flies don't destroy them before they are ripe.
Cherry tomatoes. Need more of these...

Pen + Paper

The past week has been a bit cruisy at work, giving me some free time to sketch up a tattoo. This will be the biggest and most intricate piece I'm gonna do on someone. Don't know when I'm gonna do the real thing yet so stay tune for updates.

A Designer's Dream....

From: Simon Edhouse
Date: Monday 16 November 2009 2.19pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Logo Design

Hello David,

I would like to catch up as I am working on a really exciting project at the moment and need a logo designed. Basically something representing peer to peer networking. I have to have something to show prospective clients this week so would you be able to pull something together in the next few days? I will also need a couple of pie charts done for a 1 page website. If deal goes ahead there will be some good money in it for you.

Simon

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 16 November 2009 3.52pm
To: Simon Edhouse
Subject: Re: Logo Design

Dear Simon,

Disregarding the fact that you have still not paid me for work I completed earlier this year despite several assertions that you would do so, I would be delighted to spend my free time creating logos and pie charts for you based on further vague promises of future possible payment. Please find attached pie chart as requested and let me know of any changes required.

Regards,

David.



From: Simon Edhouse
Date: Monday 16 November 2009 4.11pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Logo Design

Is that supposed to be a fucking joke? I told you the previous projects did not go ahead. I invested a lot more time and energy in those projects than you did. If you put as much energy into the projects as you do being a dickhead you would be a lot more successful.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 16 November 2009 5.27pm
To: Simon Edhouse
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

Dear Simon,

You are correct and I apologise. Your last project was actually both commercially viable and original. Unfortunately the part that was commercially viable was not original, and the part that was original was not commercially viable.

I would no doubt find your ideas more 'cutting edge' and original if I had traveled forward in time from the 1950's but as it stands, your ideas for technology based projects that have already been put into application by other people several years before you thought of them fail to generate the enthusiasm they possibly deserve. Having said that though, if I had traveled forward in time, my time machine would probably put your peer to peer networking technology to shame as not only would it have commercial viability, but also an awesome logo and accompanying pie charts.

Regardless, I have, as requested, attached a logo that represents not only the peer to peer networking project you are currently working on, but working with you in general.

Regards,

David.

From: Simon Edhouse
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 11.07am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

You just crossed the line. You have no idea about the potential this project has. The technology allows users to network peer to peer, add contacts, share information and is potentially worth many millions of dollars and your short sightedness just cost you any chance of being involved.

From: David Thorne
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 1.36pm
To: Simon Edhouse
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

Dear Simon,

So you have invented Twitter. Congratulations. This is where that time machine would definitely have come in quite handy.

When I was about twelve, I read that time slows down when approaching the speed of light so I constructed a time machine by securing my father's portable generator to the back of my mini-bike with rope and attaching the drive belt to the back wheel. Unfortunately, instead of traveling through time and finding myself in the future, I traveled about fifty metres along the footpath at 200mph before finding myself in a bush. When asked by the nurse filling out the hospital accident report "Cause of accident?" I stated 'time travel attempt' but she wrote down 'stupidity'.

If I did have a working time machine, the first thing I would do is go back four days and tell myself to read the warning on the hair removal cream packaging where it recommends not using on sensitive areas. I would then travel several months back to warn myself against agreeing to do copious amounts of design work for an old man wielding the business plan equivalent of a retarded child poking itself in the eye with a spoon, before finally traveling back to 1982 and explaining to myself the long term photographic repercussions of going to the hairdresser and asking for a haircut exactly like Simon LeBon's the day before a large family gathering.

Regards,

David.

From: Simon Edhouse
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 3.29pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

You really are a fucking idiot and have no idea what you are talking about. The project I am working on will be more successful than twitter within a year. When I sell the project for 40 million dollars I will ignore any emails from you begging to be a part of it and will send you a postcard from my yaght. Ciao.

From: David Thorne
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 3.58pm
To: Simon Edhouse
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

From: Simon Edhouse
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 4.10pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

Anyone else would be able to see the opportunity I am presenting but not you. You have to be a fucking smart arse about it. All I was asking for was a logo and a few pie charts which would have taken you a few fucking hours.

From: David Thorne
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 4.25pm
To: Simon Edhouse
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

Dear Simon,

Actually, you were asking me to design a logotype which would have taken me a few hours and fifteen years experience. For free. With pie charts. Usually when people don't ask me to design them a logo, pie charts or website, I, in return, do not ask them to paint my apartment, drive me to the airport, represent me in court or whatever it is they do for a living. Unfortunately though, as your business model consists entirely of "Facebook is cool, I am going to make a website just like that", this non exchange of free services has no foundation as you offer nothing of which I wont ask for.

Regards,

David.

From: Simon Edhouse
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 4.43pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

What the fuck is your point? Are you going to do the logo and charts for me or not?

From: David Thorne
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 5.02pm
To: Simon Edhouse
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

From: Simon Edhouse
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 5.13pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

Do not ever email me again.

From: David Thorne
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 5.19pm
To: Simon Edhouse
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

Ok. Good luck with your project. If you need anything let me know.

Regards,

David.

From: Simon Edhouse
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 5.27pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

Get fucked.

Extract from www.27bslash6.com

Lomography with iPhone

As you all know, I recently bought an iPhone. It's 16gig with a 3mp camera. Before I bought it, everyone was telling me how shitty the camera is. Couldn't agree more. However, over the weekend, I found a few cool apps that will improve the quality of the pix taken with your iphone. When I say improve, I meant it automatically correct blur and enhance the colours of the pic. I personally love vibrant colours in photos, stylised like lomography. (what is lomography click here)

Anyway, here are some of the pix taken over the weekend in Melbourne city with Ritchie, a mate visiting from Sydney.

The app for this is QuadCamera. There are a few settings you can play around with, for example 4x4 shots up to 16x4. This is not a free app though, cost $1.99. To get this app click here.

This is MoreLomo. This app automatically correct blurred images and enhances the colour, with a pin-hole like effect. There are 2 version, a free and a paid. I'm using the free version, so I'm not sure if there are settings you can muck around with the paid version. To get this app click here.

More pix with MoreLomo.

MoreLomo. Oh, my new kicks.

This is another app I found. Any pix taken with this app is converted to a Polaroid. Photo quality is pretty good and it's easier to take pix when it's a little dark. Of course like any typical Polaroid photos, you get to add whatever description at the bottom. And it's free! Pretty neat eh? To get this app click here.

Joining the Dark side

Those who has experienced it say it's evil. It suck every minute of your spare time out of you. You won't have time for your lover, partner, employer, pet, homework, sex etc. You will try to convert everyone around you to join you. YOU WILL BE OBSESSED. The only way is to just go with the flow. Let it destroy your life. Embrace it.

p/s : Going for a crap has never been this much fun.

My latest threadless expedition

The package is here. Finally! 2 weeks wait is a little too long for me, especially when you buy something you thought you would get to wear the following weekend after the purchase.

Got home after work last night and there it is, in a brown box, label with my name on it and at the bottom right corner, I saw the little threadless logo. Excited much? Fuck yeah!

(P/S : Didn't get to take any pix of the t-shirts that I got but the following images are the designs I got. Oh, I'm pretty sure there's gonna be more purchase cos threadless seems to be doing the $9 per T sale all the time. *evil grin*)

Title : Rock is Dead

Title : I be Au Sum (Don't ask me why but this is the title of the T)
Title : Halloween Food
Title : Rock Concert
Title : This was supposed to be the future

Couldn't find the image on threadless. Sorry, maybe it's out of stock after my purchase. If you have to know, the title for this one is CTR + Alt = ME.

Björk - Dancer in the Dark

Morning lads. I have heard of this movie (Dancer in the Dark) a while back when I was with Generic Publication and last night, I managed to watch it. It started off as a little slow (nothing new when it comes to art film). But after about 10 minutes in, I was glued in. It has been a while since I watch anything this powerful.

What I love about it was...

• 1 The movie started off as a pretty light drama, gradually intensify. Unlike most mainstream Hollywood films, the visual and cinematography creates the film without the help of soundtracks and fancy graphics. It's kinda like a film stripped bare. Of course the performance from Björk was fantastic.

• 2 It shows the horror or human nature without showing much violence. It also touches the everyday issue we all face. A mother's love, strength, desperation and loyalty - all these characteristics were portrayed in the most interesting way. I'm not surprised if this movie make you cry in the end.

• 3 The ending was unexpected. Guess this is life... not everything got an ending we all hope for.

Critical Response of the Media. (clipped from Wikipedia)

Reaction to Dancer in the Dark was extremely mixed. For example, on The Movie Show, Margaret Pomeranz gave it 5 stars while David Stratton gave it 0—the only time this has happened. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said it was "one of the worst films, one of the worst artworks and perhaps one of the worst things in the history of the world." The response is reflected in the film's official website, which posts both positive and negative reviews on its main page. The diverse reviews result in an overall "Fresh" rating; 68 % grade on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

The film was praised for its stylistic innovations. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times stated: "It smashes down the walls of habit that surround so many movies. It returns to the wellsprings. It is a bold, reckless gesture." and Edward Guthmann from the San Francisco Chronicle wrote "It's great to see a movie so courageous and affecting, so committed to its own differentness."

However, criticism was directed at its storyline: Jonathan Foreman of the New York Post described the film as "meretricious fakery" and called it "so unrelenting in its manipulative sentimentality that, if it had been made by an American and shot in a more conventional manner, it would be seen as a bad joke."

Sculpture by The Sea - Bondi

Howdy fellas. Was in Sydney a month ago and it happened to be the weekend where Sculpture by The Sea exhibition on.

Scultpure by The Sea is an art exhibition sponsored by National bank, showcasing local and oversea artists' work. It is staged along the Bondi to Tamaram coastal walk. The use of recycle paper, hay and coffee cups or bottles for the sculptures were pretty amazing. Some were really good. Some, let's say I don't quite get it. Guess this is art.

Location = Bondi. Day = Glorious. Sunny + cool breeze. Managed to snap some pix.... check them out.

Local skater boy, showing off to the camera.

My favourite graffiti at Bondi. Artist unknown. I should find out.

Kill Bill... doing that whistle thing....



Had to take this pic... local surfer boy chills by the beach with a broken leg.


Bondi Beach


I'm not 100% sure but I think this ocean bath beside Bondi Beach is for members only.
Tamarama walk.
These are made of sand. I think the artist apply glue to the sneakers then rub sand all over it. Not sure... it's a guess.These are made of cardboards out of coffee cup lid. Or something similar. It's pretty cool.
I love this one. I can easily think of so many title for this artwork. To name one... "Lover awaits".
Some nests made out of rattan.
Notice the eyes?
Made of plastic tubes.
Love this. The detail of the artwork was just amazing.

This is pretty interesting. When the wind blows, every knob rotate to a different direction. Looks as if they were helium balloons.

At the indoor exhibition where the artist showcase smaller sculptures for sale.
Made out of bottles.
Road kill.