Tuesday 21 February 2012

Bead for life....

Innovation is what seperates the spectacular from the ordinary. It requires someone to question the norm, the well trodden path many take and dont wonder if theres a short cut or even a scenic route.
Ive always loved the concept of turning something redundant into a Masterpiece, or turning nothing into something, like a fosil fuel for a creative outlet. It just takes that fleeting moment in the mundane Monday mind to change your world, maybe THE world or the world how weve all agreed to view it but certainly your own and how you interact within it.
Which brings me to Bead for life (  http://www.beadforlife.org/ )

The picture above is an example of the Jewelery they make, all colours, shapes and sizes, they make other products but here im focussing on the jewelry.
Beautiful you may be thinking and not give it another thought but the difference between these beads and the ones you can get in topshop are that theyre made from old magazines and papers. Innovation at its strongest and most charming.
I wont go into too much detail, as you can find out everything you need to know on the link in this blog but the beads are made in Uganda, in extreme poverty and sold on our shores independently by people hosting Beadforlife parties, where the host is encouraged to invite guests and sell the beads, sending the profits back to the people that made them. Whole villages have been built and lives changed because of one innovative woman named Millie, who discovered this creative outlet, little did she know how many lives she would be changing.
If the world had more Millies and everyone thats involved in this project, it would be a better more comfortable place to be.
Weldone http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/ and keep up the amazing work to basically save peoples lives.
Go have a beadforlife party!!!!

Monday 20 February 2012

What Direction will it go?

About 50 years from the frenzied crazy hysteria that was beatlemania, it seems it continues with any new boy band that emerges. Assisted by an intense media interest and growing popularity of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook where fans can now interact with their ‘idols’. It’s getting a little bit mental.



These images were taken on Salford Quays when One Direction from X Factor fame visited for a routine interview to plug their latest single.



Thanks to the coincidentally timed school holidays, the kids flocked in their hundreds just to catch a glimpse of this well manufactured group. My ears were pierced by squeals and screams before they even arrived, but when they did all hell broke loose. A human barricade was formed around the car park to keep them away from the group, security using megaphones to control the pack. As they were rushed into the radio station, tears fell from the faces of the young girls reaching out for a hoping in touching one of them. WHAT?



I have no doubt that the 5 lads in this boy band have a passion for music, and no qualms with their fame, but where has it come from. How has this intense attention for them emerged? Maybe I need to be a 14 year old girl to understand it. Or is it just flawlessly conjured PR work. 






Tuesday 14 February 2012

The pun ain't worth Jack Russell, when barking up the wrong Tree!

I met a little jack russell cross ironically named Tyson after the face tattoo bearing boxer. The basic story is whilst out for a routine walk, this little terror was off his lead and chased a squirrel up a tree unsuccessfully, and got stuck. This resulted in over 4 hours of fire fighters efforts to retrieve him down this hollowed out oak whimpering and yelping on the way. So when I met him we went back to said tree with the owners, luckily on his lead this time, because as soon as we got back to where this little dog was traumatised the whippet tried to shoot back up the centre of it like nothing had happened before. Below is Tyson in all his glory, falling back down after failing to climb again.


Theyve sewn his head on back to front...

How will he Carlos Tevez be remembered in the most public feud since....his last feud. The mixed up lad doesnt know what the frig hes doing but how much can city fans tolerate.
Since the Munich affair which broke the hearts of many-a-Blue, hes shown complete disrespect to the most loyal follwers any football club could dream of, the same followers that have been to the depths of footballing Hell, 32000 at Maine rd in Division 2 is what loyalty means in footballing terms.No FU**ING OFF home to play Golf.


 
 Cheering on such signings as LEE BrADBUrY and ANDY PIE MORRISON, turning SHAUN off the shin GOATER into a folk law legend is what theyre about.Theyve turned nobodies into somebodies through sheer passion mixed with a generous serving of humour, they invented the word banter.
 Man city fans have always had their tongues firmly, nervously pressed into thier cheeks but how can they forgive a 3month strike? how can they forget the whole reason for this was because of a so called argument with the Boss? Mancini took this snubbing as a fan would, personally. Most fans would have done the same.

  Now the reasons for his second chance make sense in my humble opinion, you hear United fans saying how it would never happen there...well it has, Best used to play pissed! more recently Rio tweetinand not taking the piss?? All was forgiven.  The thing is that the fans and Mancini both want more than anything is success, maybe for different reasons but (in true footballing talk) at the end of the day we want trophies.
So if that means temporarily forgiving one of the best strikers in the world whilst showcasing him to the world so that they can get a decent price then so be it.

BUT lets not forget how he made us feel and the position we could be in now if he had sorted his stupid head out.
He stated in an interview that it hurt his feelings seeing fans burning his shirt, so welldone to whomever was responsible as it probably stirred up something inside him that made him want to come back and prove himself.
So Carlos lets have a few goals and then you can go back and work on your handicap.
TA

Monday 13 February 2012

Weddings...

 I spent saturday at a wedding...turned out to be a really good day, a real winter wedding. Im not a fan of weddings usually, the build up is the worst part, the pressure and the stress takes its toll on everyone but they always turn out to be a privelage to attend, im still yet to go to one where i dont play a part, whether it be bestman, usher or photographer...i wouldnt be supprised if im a Vicar at the next one, anyway the one on saturday was no exception as i was asked to do some pictures after the official snapper had gone...which i gladly obliged, after all the serious parts are done everyone relaxes and has a drink, i ended up getting some nice images, theyve got an old fashioned feel to them, so ill exagerate this via the editing...yet to be edited.
 So congratulations to Gabby and William, it was a quality day and i wish you both the best of luck for the future...and youll have the pictures soon....heres a few...



























































first dance