Camera Nerd with Gas

In the last month or so I've completed the transformation from from photography enthusiast to camera nerd. Buying new lenses, hoods, filters, tripods, and even a couple of vintage film cameras.


I've always loved photography, but only since getting a Digital SLR have I discovered just how much expensive stuff you can purchase which can then connect to the front end of a camera. I don't believe my picture taking skills have improved any noticeable amount, but I do love playing with all the toys, with the process of it all. Plus I'm excited by the acquisition of a new gadget, what ever it might be. Much as I was when I built my computer, drum kit, guitar rig, recording studio and my home theatre. And there you have it, I'm one of those guys... with GAS! (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).

My long suffering fiancé mentioned the other day (after yet another ebay delivery arrived from Hong Kong) that it might be wise if I went on a gadget diet. I thought about it and after weighing up the time, energy and finances available to me, I agreed. Nothing new. For a while at least. With each and every accoutrement acquired, and the time invested in learning it's every nuance, I have less and less time to enjoy the doohickies and whatsits that sit on my shelves and under my desks. Not to mention less and less money to purchase the serious dream gear I really want to play with.



So I'm going to re-discover some of my old discoveries, my old gadgets, my old cameras, old computer, old guitars and even my old VCR. Wish me luck.

Cooking with a Camera

Fresh ingredients...

Chicken bits...

Snow peas, capsicum, broccoli, an onion...

Finally some pineapple.

Sweet & Sour Chicken!

The Kebabbery

Every now and then my mind wanders. Earlier today it wandered into a world of possible names for a kebab shop. I wish to share some with you now.

• Kebab Attack
• Abra-Kebabra
• The Angry Kebab
  
• Kebabba the Hut
• 3-2-1 Kebab!
• Kebabalon
• The Kebabbery
• Mystery Kebabs
• The Kebabtron 3000
  
• Killer Kebabs
• Crikey, Souvlaki!
  
• Kebab-O-Clock
• Ultimate Kebab Warehouse
• Super Souva
• McKebab
• The Hungry Drunk
• Sexy Kebab
• Kebab Kingdom,

and lastly...

• Gangsta Wraps

Now I have no idea whether or not any of these shops exist, nor am I about to start googling them, but the fact that I've shared the inside of my head with you all makes me happy.

When I Grow Up...

When I grow up, I'd like to be a fire truck. Well at least that's what my little brother proclaimed at age 3. When quizzed as to whether he intended to say fireman, or at least fire truck driver, he maintained his previous statement wishing to become a fire truck. This desire was later confirmed when he was found standing atop the toilet bowl "extinguishing" imaginary fires one evening. He is now 22 and suffice to say, not a fire truck.

Which leads me to the point of this blog entry. Are you today, as an adult, the very thing it is you thought you'd become when you were a child? As children growing up in a modern western society we are told that we can be anything we want be. We simply have to invest enough of our minds and our hearts into any goal and hey presto, dreams really do come true.

One problem. While hard work pays off over time, laziness pays off now. We build everything around us to accommodate convenience, comfort and entertainment. Add to that the vast amount of information there is available on any given field of endeavour, which one much learn and process to gain entry to that field, let alone reach the top of it, providing of course that you managed to elbow past the sea of other humans looking to take your spot and it's not surprising that we, as fully functioning adults, find ourselves predominantly displeased with our current lot in life, individually speaking. It's called a bell curve and statistically speaking I'll bet most of us sit squarely on the mildly grumpy mark.

I propose a cure.

In the immortal words of Mr Bobby McFerrin;

"Don't worry. Be Happy"

Oh some days I'm such a simpleton.

Bombarded by Knowledge

or "Releasing the Valve on my Brain"

I'VE FIGURED IT OUT! "Figured what out?" I hear you ask. Well, why it is that we're all so stupid of course! Or at least why some of the seemingly intelligent among us occasionally feel so stupid. It's simply that there's too much to know. The average child is bombarded with more "facts" before they even reach high school than many of our great grandparents were exposed to in their entire lifetime. The human collective is accumulating phenomenal amounts of data and knowledge at an exponentially increasing rate. And yes knowledge and data are two separate things in my mind. Data is contained on that spreadsheet of consumer electronics prices detailing where one might find the best bargain on a new TV. Whereas knowledge is contained in the nugget of wisdom which says "don't bother, it's just the same old rubbish at a higher resolution".

Our hard drives and memory sticks are brimming with photos, videos, music and the odd document reminding us of that thing we weren't ever meant to forget but forgot anyway because we lost said document amongst the copious amounts of photos, videos and music we feel the absolute need to hoard. It is this need to collect and share information for all eternity that has seen mankind construct microwave ovens, land on the moon and upload hundreds if not thousands of youtube videos showing grown men (and women) igniting their own farts. We do it because we can. We do it because we want to share our experiences. We do it because we feel our world will somehow benefit from what we've discovered. And for the most part, we as humans feel the need to absorb as much of this shared experience as possible. After all, knowledge is power, right? (the fart videos don't count)

I'm beginning to realise that there is simply too much out there to know. Even about the areas of humanity, science and nature that I'm actually interested in. Which is why I suppose people become specialists. Am I only just working this out now? Bare with me as a press on. Every night I find myself staying up beyond any sort of reasonable hour trying to absorb some form knowledge or experience regarding our world and the creatures which inhabit it, but more often than not, I'm barely skimming the surface. As every area of human knowledge runs as deep as history will allow, how deeply should the casual passer by or inquisitive onlooker delve? Looking out across the the world, albeit remotely, through these LCD windows into the lives of others, I see three types of people. Firstly there are those whom I feel are certainly more stupid than myself and those who are only possibly more stupid than myself. Then there are others, whom I find rather witty, insightful and entirely necessary in the ongoing improvement of our society and planet earth. Unfortunately they are so completely in the minority I wonder if there's enough of them in the mix to see any benefit at all. And no, I do not believe myself to be one of them.

I feel as though we're getting a little dumber each day. Or at least the indecisive like myself. Unsure of where I should focus my curiosity. I try to learn as much as I can about anything and everything ultimately learning not very much at all. I'm one of those people that thinks they can do everything because no one told them they couldn't. Or shouldn't. I've decided to cut my losses and stop learning now. Brain full. I'll never become the world class musician I dreamt of, or hear every symphony ever composed, or every recording of each of those symphonies. I'll never see every beautiful painting, nor will I paint anything half as inspiring as anything hanging in a gallery today. The photos I take will continue to be mediocre at best. The food I cook will taste OK, but not amazing. The books I read will continue to.. who am I kidding? I don't read!

And the blog posts I write will continue to meander and fizzle out without quite reaching conclusion or point.

Just like this one.

What's going on here? (pointless ramble)

Ok, Ok.. I'm 30. Now what? Time to stop and take stock? Time to move forward? Slow down? Sleep more? Sleep less? Change direction? Stop fucking around? Fuck around a while longer? Or all of the above? Or something I've not thought of yet?

Too many questions, even more answers, all of them legitimate, none of them helpful.

Though there's one thing I do know at this very moment. I like having this blog. An online diary which at least one person out there in the wide black yonder which is the internet, is reading. So I can't entirely bullshit my way through life, someone out there knows that I'm making it up as I go along. Because I am. Making it up. ALL off it.

I wake up each day with an empty head. Deciding what I'll do next is simply a reactionary thought based on the event which most immediately preceded it. Me writing this blog post for instance, is purely a reaction, because I'd just read a far better blog, by a far more articulate writer than I. So indeed no matter what I write now, will simply feel inadequate in comparison to what I've been reading. Mainly because the blog I was reading seemed to have a point. Despite my lack of one, I'm compelled to complete this post, even if it is nothing more than a stream of consciousness.

But I will attempt to reach one. A point that is. Ummm.. oh yes, being 30 and making sense of it. Have I? No. Will I? Not until I'm in my late 30's I'd imagine. What reactionary step will I take now?

Sleep.

My 30th "I'm Older" Day Approaches

Gifts shall be unwrapped.

Chinese food will be consumed.

Music will be performed.

People will be hugged.

The prophecy shall be fulfilled.

Apart from the "Then I'll be dead" bit.

Hopefully.

No idea what I'm talking about?

Watch the video.

When is a good time?

I post so rarely these days. But not from a lack in things to say about the world. My opinion is probably best expressed through this medium than any other. Perhaps I simply require a timeslot, a schedule. In the evening when my day is done, and I can better comprehend the events which have transpired. Or in the morning when my mind is fresh and full of ideas begging to be brought to the forefront of my cognisant thought? Before transpired events have beaten the freshness from my tired eyes, fingers and feet.


One can feel tired at most any time. Ranging from "Oh it's too early for that" to "Not tonight, I've had an enormous day", I always have an excuse destined to halt my creativity, my productivity, my fulfilment of intention, my fulfilment of desire. Energy is what I need, or simply to feel energised. Are they one and the same? Is being energised and feeling energised equal states of being? Does my constant pondering of the situation only prolong my procrastination? Will these rhetorical questions ever be answered? Will they be answered meaningfully? Will they even be read?

Which leads me back to the original question of this post, "when is a good time"? Good time for what? I seem to asking an endless stream of questions to the invisible man only in view of my minds eye. In which case I'd best attempt to answer at least one of these questions before they all become rhetorical and circular and moot.




Action. When is a good time to take action? To be active? To not be inactive? We all constantly find ourselves sitting, pondering, contemplating (which, while very similar to pondering, is not quite the same) instead of taking action at many moments throughout our days. It's quite possible for us to be active in improving our lot on this spinning blue rock with every waking moment of the day. And every sleeping moment for that matter. Actively seeking out a better quality of sleep and then letting our bodies reap the benefits of that energising rest will make our waking hours far more productive. Simply by being mentally present in whatever task we are faced with will make us more actively involved individuals. Then leading by example, one by one, we can make the human race a less complacent bunch of monkeys.

So to the the invisible man I say, "all the time" is a good time.

Wow. Somewhere between deciding to make this post and finishing it, I went from armchair slacker to upwardly mobile human citizen. Perhaps there was something in the Chinese leftovers I reheated for lunch.

Keep it real... monkeys.

johnnyOnline