A tale of Bink

Following on from the same idea last year, I present:

Chisel's Top 20 Artists for 2009!



You might argue that I shouldn't post this until tomorrow but I'm not listening to anything today that will change these results. I'm having a non-top20 day

If you're on windows and followed my instructions you will also benefit from:

mkdir %USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Get_iPlayer
mkdir %USERPROFILE%\Videos\Get_iPlayer\tv
mkdir %USERPROFILE%\Music\Get_iPlayer\radio

Otherwise you'll get failures when it tries to save to directories that don't exist.

Sorry - I forgot to put that in yesterday's post.

In the past I've posted about the "easy" way to regularly fetch things using get_iplayer.

I've been playing about with get_iplayer again recently and I've refined my process.

Obviously you'll need to install get_iplayer. I've installed it on both Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.10.

Windows:

Download and install: http://linuxcentre.net/get_iplayer/contrib/get_iplayer_setup_latest.exe

Ubuntu:

wget http://linuxcentre.net/get_iplayer/packages/get-iplayer-current.deb
sudo dpkg -i get-iplayer-current.deb

Once installed, run get_iplayer and set a few default preferences.

Common:

get_iplayer --prefs-add --modes="flashaachigh,flashaacstd,flashaudio,flashhigh,iphone,flashstd,flashnormal,realaudio,flashaaclow"
get_iplayer --prefs-add --versionlist=default
get_iplayer --prefs-add --nopurge
get_iplayer --prefs-add --nocopyright

Windows:

get_iplayer --prefs-add --output=%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\Get_iPlayer
get_iplayer --prefs-add --outputtv=%USERPROFILE%\Videos\Get_iPlayer\tv
get_iplayer --prefs-add --outputradio=%USERPROFILE%\Music\Get_iPlayer\radio

Ubuntu:

get_iplayer --prefs-add --output=$HOME/get_iplayer
get_iplayer --prefs-add --outputtv=$HOME/get_iplayer/tv
get_iplayer --prefs-add --outputradio=$HOME/get_iplayer/radio

Use the PVR to record the Christmas Doctor Who and the Friday Rock Show:

get_iplayer --type="tv" --fields=episode --search="The End of Time" --pvradd "DrWho_EndOfTime_Episode_TV"
get_iplayer --type="radio" --fields=name --search="Friday Rock Show" --pvradd "FridayRockShow_Name_Radio"

You can start the PVR manually:

get_iplayer --pvr

It's likely to be more useful to have it run itself automatically (Ubuntu only):

# add the following to your (personal) crontab
13 * * * * get_iplayer --pvr 2>>$HOME/get_iplayer.log

Communism falls in 1991, the Soviet Union comes to and end . Freedom ,horrible freedom!

In 2006 this film was made to see how life in the new Russia was working out for the people...



I will wet your appetite by telling you part 4 is entitled "Return of the Cossacks".

On a couple of remote machines I like ssh-agent to be automatically set-up when I log-in. It saves me some cursing later down the line.

I used to use:

eval `ssh-agent` && ssh-add

This has worked well until I had reason to edit and 'source' my ~/.bashrc:

. ~/.bashrc

It quickly gets boring seeing:

Enter passphrase for /home/someuser/.ssh/id_rsa:

Not to mention all the surplus ssh-agent processes it starts up.

With that in mind, I've come up with the following:



As always I'm sure willmate will point out stupid, long-winded idiocies for me :-)

I'm bored, so why not! You can ask me anything here, anonymous or not. Clickity

Sometimes this happens, if I don't write this, it will keep me up all night although I should be sleeping.
Its funny ignorance is bliss, unawareness , denial, the capacity to walk around with your eyes shut may
Provide a quiet lull until the house you lived in is gone. I feel often my eyes were stapled open, my friends
often worry and ask me to rest, of course that seems like a nice idea but when I rest I only remember
all I can or could do and the fact I am only here once for sure and every moment I dont use is one that could
have been used.

At dinner the conversation went into the deep waters it often does and despite the fact it is LA it seems
the awareness that we are in a situation and when I say we I mean the human race that floating down
the river aimlessly and while sleeping will not end well. Yet what decides who lives who dies who eats
and who starves on a global level has nothing to do with ethics or morality much less religion but rather
who will profit at the end. The effects of this are visible if you look but many of us dont look we are too busy
Watching some reality show or caught up in some drama that has nothing to do with our lives. The media
is a powerful tool, and as an artist its one that I have a love hate relationship with. For it seems the messages
I get if I turn to the mainstream only become more and more superficial and shallow, I keep seeking
Messengers and all I get is people trying to sell me something, be it a life style or a perfume. I get it though
as an artist eating is nice, but isn't there a way to find that balance.

If you stay in the underground you "may" make a living, not a huge one but you can eat, if you become
king of the underground then you can eat more, but then how do you reach the masses if you're living underground.
The system, is global it works in ways, I can go to bali and find american music and movies, not independents
not the underground kings but whatever the system or gate keepers opened the gate for. It leaves me sitting here
wondering how can we reach them, without going through, and if we go through how can we not become
watered down and or torn apart for saying things which we want to say. There were those who said what they wanted to
but its been a moment since I have seen a rage, or even a nin for the matter come through the pipe line.
Then in the underground or the crossing over or the doing well but not U2 level I see lots of talent lots of potential
hope, be it because of artist who are saying something, or promoters who actually are trying not only
to connect artist with people but also education and empower the people while trying not to kill the planet.
That gives me hope, that something can be born from all the energy, but it's not fluffy, its not about just love and peace
and being green. We aren't going to get anywhere without doing it and actually fighting for it, I am not into the denial
thing..... love is good, peace is good being green is good, but what is it? what does it mean cause now we have
lots of people who see green = money and so now even if its "green" doesn't actually mean its green.

The underground or independents have to find a way to actually work together and build something as a
culture or community , its happened before, and I see it in pockets again, but it's a mentality, its not what has been
Taught by the standard media and it's not what many are doing in LA. There are many here playing some sort of game
but the goal isn't building or creating anything its about if I sleep with him I will get x if I date her I will get x, if I get
this then I will get that. No real bigger vision, no butterfly effect connection, it's a zombie chess game and granted
as an artist I am always meeting people and networking, but whenever I meet people often my head starts seeking
Through my files thinking about how if I interconnect them with this or that person ahh it can open this or that up.
Of course I always look at how could we create, or work together, or support or co create, but thats where my head is at.
It always has been, I like to make art, I like to nurture things and since I don't have kids my art and community and friends
get the overflow.

I like to build things, connect people and see things blossom out of it, be it a song or connecting two people.
I feel like we all have to work like that and let go of whatever fear and or insecurity we have because really
none of us are the same and none of us will make the same art, festival, party, song, or movie, anymore then we
look the same... Not to be cheesy but we are all unique and have something different to bring to the table
and we can either work together and build a really dope thing or we can waste our time and energy blowing
each others sand castles up, and end up empty handed.

Los Angeles is the city which now controls the worlds media, It influences more people then almost anything else
Including religion, I would dare to say what comes out of here has more influence in some way on the youth. That being
said this is ground zero. If we want to do anything as artist we have to go to the heart and start there. If we waste our time
Getting sucked into the traps here with are like quicksand sinking and doing nothing is easier then actually doing something.

( You are about to view content that may only be appropriate for adults. )

New Hello kitty and anime products on Etsy : all pink and girlie with a slight hint of medical .It isn't because i dress in black now with black hair that i don't like pink anymore ;).

The Hello kitty queen of the pink corset is a limited edition of 3 : 2 ready made size 24 and 22 ( click on the picture below ) , made to measure here

anime neckties
 
 

Remember that you are welcome to pay in a few time for pieces more than $150=£100.I also accept to reserve items for 3 months with a 15% deposit up front.

If you want to purchase one of those items  but don't want to go trough Etsy just contact me to freyagushi(at)googlemail(dot)com or ask for collection if you are in London xx

Photography:
December has been a something of a let-down. While I'm really happy with the last two shoots I posted about, they were the *only* ones that came to fruition :\ I was hoping to be able to shoot a concept based around one of noxenlux 's hats, and about 3 different sets for RetroscopeFashions, and get them done THIS month because I don't foresee there being as much "free" time in January/February.
After all, I have to put together prints for two different showings in Jan., AND, Jessamyn is going to be traveling over to shoot with me on the 17th/18th (collaborating with her is going to be fucking EPIC, btw: we've got sets in the works featuring hurtmeso 's latex, blasphemina 's designs, and something new by Eirik Aswang). February brings RadCon and its associated madness. And that's just the fun stuff- I've still got to work in privately commissioned shoots and deal with tax shit. Merp :{ 
noxenlux, I'll probably be able to fit you in somewhere in January if you're up for it. The new garments from Retroscope will probably have to wait until February to be shot, provided the manufacturer stops being a cockblock and actually gets them shipped out (they were SUPPOSED to do so last October! Fuckers. I am peeved on Retroscope's behalf.).


Personal:
Oh! I can't believe I never posted about this. About a month and a half ago we adopted two cats. They're half sisters (same mum, a pureblood bengal. Don't know what the fathers were). This is Sheba:
She's my favourite :3 Loves attention, and has the most beeeautiful russet spots. Sheba's also a bit of a perv: likes to roll around and rub on Kory's socks/shoes. Vaguely creepy, but amusing. Never knew there were cat foot-fetishists, lmao!

And this is, well, I never could figure out a suitable name, so this is Kitten:

She can be a bitch. She knows when she's doing something she's not supposed to, but won't stop if you yell at her: you have to physically come knock her away. That, and she mislikes being pet, though I'm teaching her to tolerate more than she did originally. But, she's got the softest fur, keeps Sheba company when we're not around, and will curl up next to you to sleep (awww!).

Outside of playing with the cats, I've been making a concerted effort to practice more with my tarot cards and actually DOING energy work with the basic Feri exercises (including writing the respective points of the iron pentacle on my hands/feet to keep them straight. Ugh, I know it's a crutch, but hopefully that'll kelp until my kinetic memory is better). It's somewhat difficult for me: I can't always *feel* the power. I mislike that, as I endeavor to experience, not believe. Am going to try a course of mugwort tea to see if that'll help remove the sensory block.

Apologies for the terrible pun in the post's subject line.

Tonight's plan was to: go to a bar, have a drink.

I'd searched for an interesting sounding venue, within walking distance.

I found the interesting sounding Szimpla, described as:

Szimpla is part of the city's thriving Bohemian/grunge subculture. Girls in Gypsy skirts and mascara-aided rings under their eyes do actually hook up here with haggard lads in pullovers and leather for intense, bitter chats about philosophy. Fun to watch, cheaper drinks, tango and other folkdance events downstairs, but not for the cigarette-averse.

It sounded interesting and met the walking distance criteria.

I planned two routes to get there: one from each end of "Honeypot Street".

The walk was simple, direct and event free.

As expected I walked too far, hitting my "you've walked to far" unmissable landmark about 50 metres after the turning I should have taken.

A short backtrack and I was outside the bar.

Yay! I'd done it I'd gone to a semi-random bar in a foreign country!

Unfortunately, my inbuilt yellow streak, or last minute nerves/anxiety kicked in. I couldn't, or wouldn't, make myself go inside.

Ever since my first batch of anti-depressants I've had a massively reduced interest in beer and alcohol. The desire wasn't strong enough to overcome the negative feelings.

I walked away, taking a meandering detour back towards my hotel.

I came to the conclusion that my depression has almost totally cleared but that I have a few anxiety issues that I wasn't aware of.

You won't be surprised if I tell you I walked back along "Honeypot Street". Madame Chatty and sidekick were talking to another poor solo traveller.

I was once again stopped by a "come to my club" street guy. He didn't seem to want to take "no" for an answer. He even tried to entice me in with "they have big boobs" line, accompanied by some indication that "big" is about the size of something Jordan might be carrying.

That made it even easier for me to say "no" and carry on walking.

Guys, rule number one: know your customer's needs.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Petőfi Sándor St,Budapest,Hungary

Tonight my plans were simple: get food, go to pre-determined bar.

I got side-tracked, then I failed.

I took my usual route to the Christmassy Market, looking for a tempting eatery.

I'd made my initial assessment run and was about to go back to evaluate the shortlist ...

I realised that there were a couple of women I'd been walking at roughly the same pace as along the street. I'd had no interaction with them but they set my Spidey-Sense tingling.

"I wonder ..."

I decided that the best way to find out if they were honeypots was to head back on my planned shortlist evaluation but to take my time.

Less than ten metres after setting off I saw a blonde jump up from a nearby bench and approach a nearby man; the universal "got a light?".

Could it be ... ? Yes! Madame Talky from last night. But where's her sidekick?

I decided to carry on up the street a little further.

A minute later and I was approaching the first location on my shortlist. Two moderately attractive women approached me. I've no idea what they said; I had my music playing and had no intention of stopping it for them. These two gave up straight away and carried on towards the market I'd just left.

My mind was buzzing. I saw one "old friend" and two potential new pairs. Surely I was just making it all up.

I decided there was only one way to find out: hang around a bit longer and see if any of them reappeared.

I was able to see Madame Chatty from where I'd stopped at that time. Looked like she was on the phone.
Organising the troops?

I double-backed, taking a slow stroll to the edge of the market allowing me to pass at a safe distance, mingle in the crowds a bit more and prepare myself for my next U-turn.

Heading away from the market, again, and Madame Chatty was on the move. Her sidekick was back ... and she briefly walked along the street with tonight's first new suspect pair (honeypot2)!!

They soon separated to allow Madame Chatty and sidekick (honeypot1) to befriend some poor sod out on his own.

Honeypot2 continued along towards the hotel end of the street. I decided they would be the more interesting to tail.

The details get a bit muggy after this. I remember honeypot1 buying some food from a street stall.
I remember honeypot2 walking back towards the market *again*.
I remember honeypot3 walking at least once more in each direction.

I stopped for a quick bite to eat; found myself a window seat so that I could continue my observations.

Honeypots 1 & 2 had both vanished. Honeypot 3 walked past, saw me, saw me smile at them, then sheepishly smiled before continuing down the street.

I finished up my food, dithered for a while, didn't see any of them for 10-15 minutes and decided to continue my plan for the evening [which is likely to be written about separately].

In conclusion, it appears to me that the whole "befriend a loner" act is very common in the area between my hotel and the Christmas Market.

Combined with the numerous "come to my club, we won't con you" workers I did stop to wonder if I was in a bizarre version of The Truman Show.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Petőfi Sándor St,Budapest,Hungary

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

Morning Bell
(RadioHead)

The morning bell
The morning bell
Light another candle and
Release me
Release me

You can keep the furniture
A bump on the head
Howling down the chimney
Release me
Release me
Please
Release me
Release me

Where'd you park the car
Where'd you park the car
Clothes are on the lawn with the furniture
Now I might as well
I might as well

Sleepy jack the fire drill
Round and round and round

Cut the kids in half
Cut the kids in half
Cut the kids in half

I wanted to tell you but you never listened
You never understand
I wanted to tell you but you never listened
You never understand
Cos I'm walking walking walking...

The lights are on but nobody's home
Everybody wants to be a
The lights are on but nobody's home
Everybody wants to be a slave
Walking walking walking...

The lights are on but nobody's at home
Everybody wants to be a
Everyone wants to be a friend
Nobody wants to be a slave
Walking walking walking...

My Spidey-Sense just went all tingly. Twice.

I've just been out for a meal recommended by the Lonely Planet guide that I have on my phone; it's slightly outside the area I've explored since I arrived but close enough for me to walk there and back without any trouble.

As I tend to to when returning to my hotel, I headed back along the main pedestrianised shopping area. It's well lit, interesting, and it's one minute away from the left turn at the end.

Medium-close to the end I was stopped by two moderately attractive women with the universal sign-language for "got a light?"

"No, sorry" was not enough.

"You have fire?". Universal sign-language again.

Coincidentally I was listening to Electric Six's album, Fire. I took the executive decision not to mention that; I figured it would only confuse things.

At this point most real smokers are so desperate for their next nicotine fix they'll pinball along the street until they find a fellow addict or passing pyromaniac.

Not these two.

"Where you from?"
"You sound British."
"Why you can't get anywhere after midnight?"
"London is very mixed. It has Blacks."
"Why English women always wear [universal-sign language for short skirt]?"
"They use bad language."
"I think they are alcoholics."

I added a few replies where required. Said my name about three times. Any outstanding goodwill immediately evaporated the second she said, "Cheese...??"

I clocked The Talker glancing behind me a few times. I'm not certain why but Spidey-Sense says someone else from the dodgy club they wanted to entice me in to was monitoring their (lack of) progress.

I told them I had to go and apologised again for being neither Filthy Nicotine Addict nor Pyromaniac.

I had just taken my first step away when The Quiet One realised this hadn't quite gone to plan and squeaked out, "Would you like to go for beer?"

I let my Spidey-Sense decline on my behalf and continued my walk back to the hotel.

Twenty-five more metres.

Guy in puffy winter jacket stops me, skips straight past the Got A Light gambit to the, "Want to see topless and naked girls dancing?"

Of course I do! I just don't want to die! Or have the price-list switch scam pulled on me! Or pay £20 for a friendly girl's drink - most likely a rum & coke ... without the rum!

Again, Spidey-Sense said no.

"There's no catch. No mafia, no terrorism, no cons."

Riiight, well since I know you so well, that must be true then

"Come and look through the window."

Do what?! If I can see through the window I've no need to go in have I?

Also this would have led to:
"You can just stand in the doorway."
"You can move a little closer if you like."
<fx:door closing />
<fx:door locking />
<jukebox>
Welcome to the Hotel California
You can check-in any time you like
But you can never leave
</jukebox>

Once more I let Spidey-Sense do the talking.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Petőfi Sándor St,Budapest,Hungary

Have sobered up somewhat since my last entry. haha. Mulled wine seems to create a special kind of drunkeness that comes with incredible lethargy and inability to move. I promptly passed out on the sofa on Christmas morning and didn't wake up until Alyssa and ynl arrived around 5pm for dinner. I did manage to make my vegetable soup shaped contribution to the Christmas meal before the passing out. And Alyssa made us a great dinner, extra specially impressive as she'd just flown in from LA!

So much good food was consumed and even more mulled wine imbibed. I can't quite recall what was done with the rest of the evening, except that Love Actually was on TV. I'm pretty sure I passed out on the sofa again and didn't wake up until the early hours of the morning. Upon crawling into actual bed I didn't get up again till almost 1pm this afternoon. Doh!

The day isn't entirely wasted though - got the last tickets at our local cinema to go and see Sherlock Holmes in an hour. Love Robert Downey Jr! Hope it is as good as I'm expecting..

Also just found out I have 2 full pages in the latest issue of Marquis Magazine for a feature on Phantom Orchid photography. The images are from our shoot for Bibian Blue. Hair/makeup by Angela Holthuis.



Thanks to hurtmeso for the scans :)

So my cousin Lidia convinced me to get up early and watched the sunrise Christmas morning. I am a pushover after 4 cups of Gloog. Lid wants to be something of a photographer.

( You are about to view content that may only be appropriate for adults. )

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

The holidays often tend to be a time for me to reflect maybe because since I left home its been one of the few times when the industry sleeps at least more then usual and many go home often leaving me a bit more space then usual.

I enjoy this space, silence, solitude, nature, walking in the canyon, connecting to the divine being filled to the point of bursting and reminded of things which bring tears out of love to my eyes. Places which have always been there and are always there places where nothing matters, nothing can touch me, nothing can take away the joy and love that is.

Of course the challenge is not to be able to connect in solitude, in nature or in settings which plugging in seems to come without even trying but to stay that way all the time in a world which can sometimes challenge that connection in one way or another. What amazes me is I see things have dreams years before and then one day sometimes a decade later I end up there and its one of those experiences that leaves me without words and yet sometimes its those dreams and visions that keep me putting one foot in front of the other.

For many out there these are difficult times for one reason or another, and I know if I didn't have my connection and dreams and visions there have been times and places which would have been very difficult to walk through. Which is why I feel is so vital to have dreams, visions, and stay as connected as possible through the soul, granted there are many ways to do it, to each their own for really the rest of this is like water, it flows moves changes at the speed of light and we cannot hold onto it....

Over the years the dreams remain the same for me, but how it happens and who I share them with is something I learned I have to not hold onto . There were times when for one reason or another someone I was sharing a dream with was no longer there, or I couldn't stay there without it actually killing me or the dream spiritually or otherwise and in those situations it involved having faith in the unseen the unknown and letting go of everything and finding myself in a space where all I had was a dream and a connection.

This has happened to me so many times now and each time with a greater intensity it has taught me that the more I just open up and let go the more room there is for growth. I have embraced loss as much as gain, and suffering as much as bliss for I learned that they all only teach and expand and to try to not embrace them only leads to a slow death for what is , is and to deny it is to cut a part of yourself off.

Granted this doesn't make it easy, it doesn't mean you wont find me crying , if you know me well enough there may have been a time you have seen it, but crying or working through something is needed in order to remain here...

Yesterday I got a suicide notice, its the second one in three months, from people I know in the industry. I did what I usually do which is all I can to prevent and that usually means sending others over including those who could actually drag someone to a hospital and hook them up to machines. Both times they failed, and yet I get it, its dark out there and if you just stare in the dark it can make you feel that way and I get it...

But there is always hope and always love out there, we have to chose what we believe in what we do and what we feed, we may not have the lover, house, cars, money, power, fame, or even a home or a job at the moment. But we have tomorrow and tomorrow is whatever we make it, and whatever was happened to teach us bring us show us something. I've had everything in a worldly sense and I have lost it all too, Be it with my work, love life, or regarding money and things I owned, I am kinda used to being stripped to the bone and having to start over, at first it hurt like hell, then I got used to it, then I learned for all I lost I gained ten times more in other ways...

We have our lives, most of us have food a home a family, friends, if not we have tomorrow in which to create and bring dreams into reality....

Its up to us, to make this world a beautiful place, its up to us to bring beauty and love into this world in whatever way we can... don't wait for someone else to do it, if we all do that we are never going to see it, be it, be the change don't wait around for anyone else to do or give it too you...

Flashback...
I remember somewhere it hit me I was really young in one of my many isolated walks in the woods, I could never run out of love, so I could give it away all the time to everyone and would never run empty , I was never without love, love was always there in its endless supply, that allowed me to love people or at least treat people with love even if they didn't ever give anything back , often we become hurt or bitter if we love and are not loved back, but if you love only to be loved back its not love...

Of course I have learned sometimes I have to not stand in front of someone with a machine gun saying i love you as they shoot me, and to allow someone to harm me is to enable the pattern of harm and so I have learned when to remove myself from situations with as much love as possible without ending up getting completely demolished. Thats been the hardest lesson for me to learn for often I would just stand there until there was so little left that even leaving became difficult.

Granted the machine guns usually come from years of heartbreak and hopelessness which leads to anger and or loss of ones connection for I believe if we are really connected it makes it hard to just hurt each other because if we are connected we know we are all in this together . Love is good at refusing connections but its a battle if someone has a machine gun pointed at you while your trying to offer them a cable to jump the engine.

Love real love can do that, but its like gold its not commonly carried sadly as a currency . When I see it find it or find people who still carry it, It inspires me, for so many lose it, and love isn't about love at all its about control, use, games, or gain.

Hollywood has its fair share of game players, its fair share of people with very pretty very well crafted mask, the games usually have to do with what can I get, and love is used as a currency. I detest this game, I always have and always will, love is not a game and if you try to make it one and I see it I will have no problem going for the heart . We reap what we sow, if you treat love that way you not only will leave burned buildings behind you but eventually your own will no longer be standing.

I hope for the sake of humanity the world and our future for us and our children we collectively find the end game button....

I suppose I should be more holiday spirit, but for me holiday spirit is all about love and reflection awareness dreams and visions, its a time to reflect and dream as well as visualize the future. Not to mention sharing love with your loved ones or yourself...

So that being said... love as if there was no end, no tomorrow and without strings,
:)
Then we can build beautiful things which will remain through any storm, not burn with the fire or be washed away by the water...

Jillian