The morning after the night before

It is three o clock in the afternoon and I am having great difficulty getting going.  I have done a few chores and pottered around a bit but nothing too stressful.  In short I am knackered.   The only reason for this I can think of is that my creative centres have had an overload.  I will survive, I know, but there should be a government health warning on the RPS Contemporary group meetings:

Warning!  Attending this meeting can cause creative overload and burn out.  

Be prepared to have a sit down with a cup of tea afterwards.

I know I am being over dramatic but I really do feel drained.   Still, I've got 500+ images to edit this afternoon which should keep me quiet for a while.  I'm still not happy I have made anything interesting with my garden project - yesterday really hasn't helped!
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

First reflections on the RPS Contemporary Weekend.

I know I blogged from the seminar but that was too close to the proceedings - I suspect this is too close as well - but I did say first reflections so that is my get out jail card.   So first thoughts.     After much reflection, well not much reflection at all, I thought the weekend was an qualified success.   Everything seemed to work seamlessly, I suspect that this was far from the truth but I was never aware of this.   

The programme was a wonderful mix of different talks by a quite desperate practitioners of the photographic art.  Some of the photographs didn't work for me but that was not the point.   I have made copious notes - not about the photographs or talks but rather ideas and possible projects.  In short the weekend inspired me to be a better photographer which is the best praise I could give.   The only negative I had about the whole weekend was that the seats in lecture theatre were not very comfortable after a while - but then again they are not designed for continual use by one person for a whole day.  Next time I will take a cushion! 
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Lectures

Oh back to university! Still at least the subject is interesting.

I'm on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Interesting conversation

Lunch is over and now is the time to let the buffet and conversation sink in. Now for the afternoon.

I'm on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

3G rules

Having struggled with the free WIFI Ive gone back to 3 G and guess what it works. Not sure what that means.

I'm on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

We now have hot water

Relief all around - the hot water ern has arrived so we have all formed an orderly queue - how very english.

I'm on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Confusion at meeting

Great talks - great subjects - great confusion - no tea erns - what will do? Well as I write this talk. It wouldn't be art meeting without talking.

I'm on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

RPS Contempary Group - coffee break

Just sat through a talk by Brian Griffin. Apart from doing a great impersonation of grummpy old man it was brilliant. How can someone have so much talent and cofidence in what they are doing.

I'm on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Belton House - a great place to go if you have Coeliac disease

I know this is a bit of a naff heading but it is true - the restaurant at Belton House has a first rate approach to Coeliac disease.  In most restaurants you get blank expressions if you ask for gluten free food  or sometime down right hostility.   However, this is not the case at Belton House.  The staff were very knowledgeable about what is and what is not gluten free.  They always make sure that one dish is always gluten free and generally you are made to feel like a normal person rather than an outcast.   Well done Belton House. Simon Marchini LRPS Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/ Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

So it is nearly two weeks of the new politics - what have we learnt?

What indeed have we learnt?  Well if the truth be known not a great deal - it really is far too early.  What we have learnt is that the media haven't got clue what they are talking about.   Over the past two weeks much time has been spent going over the coalition agreement and comparing it to the respective parties manifesto.  And you know what there has been a lot of back sliding.  Shock horror.

The second thing that the media has found out is that there is a lot of disgruntle MPs.  Again shock horror.   The greasy pole has two states - going up or off - that is it.  If you are not going up then, well as far as a political career is concerned it is curtains.   Now there are plenty of MPs of whatever hue   are seeing their careers dashed and feel really miffed.   However, this is always the case - this especially so amongst ex leaders.  We have seen Lib Dem ex leaders, they seem to have more than any other party, bemoaning the coalition in many backhand ways.  The truth is that they would have done the same if they had been in Nick Clegg's position it is just that they weren't and so now they are bitter.

The final thing we have learnt is that the Labour party are taking their time selecting a new leader.  This again is something that the media cannot seem to get their heads around.   They seem to want a new leader now - sod the consequences.  The Labour party must take their time and not play the media game.  Whilst on the subject of the Labour leadership contest it was really great to see the lack of any leadership potential shown by Diane Abbott on the This Week programme.   Put on the spot by Digby Jones she clearly hadn't got a clue what she was talking about or perhaps more to the point had never ran any government department so could only come up with really poorly formed arguments.  Michael Portillo on the other hand batted away the points that Jones made with consummate ease.   This is not an argument against Diane Abbott - far from it - but it is important that the Labour Party take their time to listen to all the views before coming to a conclusion as to who the leader should be - this includes the no hoppers like Abbott.

And finally - the financial crises.  We are on the brink so we are told by the media.  Any second now we will fall over the edge and the country will go to hell in a hand cart.   Yet each auction of the government bonds are over subscribed.  In short if we are such a basket case why is it that the government bonds are so easy to sell?   This is not saying we haven't got a problem, we have, it is just that we seem to being feed synthetic hysteria all the time by the main press as opposed to detailed analysis.  Are it was ever thus.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

I've been spending my time today with blue titis

I have strange cloud of melancholia washing over me as I write this.   The MA course that I had started but couldn't finish has just ended.  I am sad about this but I know I made the right decision.  Anyway, may I take this opportunity to wish all of the remaining students on the course all the best.

Now on to the blue tits.   We have put up a number of nest boxes n the garden this year and to date only one has been used by a family of blue tits.  Over the past few days the chicks have become louder and louder as they demand more and more food from their parents.   The chicks are starting to pop their heads out into the wide world and so today I thought I would take sometime to record this.   

The blue tits are incredibly pugnacious.  They will tell you to get of the way whilst they go and feed their chicks and we have become obedient to their shrill demands.  This makes it sound that we are bothering the birds, nothing could be further from the truth.  The nest box is above the garden shed and so we have to go in and out with gardening tools.  However, when we hear or see the blue tits we get out of the way.

Over the days the parents have become more and more bedraggled - this is not uncommon amongst blue tits.   They work really hard - go in and out the nest box about every two or three minutes.  that kind of effort will take its toll.  However, they have nearly reached the end of this batch of chicks - within a day or so they will fledge.  The parents will continue to feed them for a few days before starting the whole process again.   Their will to survive is staggering but really it is a numbers game.  Out of a clutch of six perhaps only one will survive so they have to have more than one clutch just to maintain the numbers. 
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

More on M69.in

More info on  M69.in 

"....M69.in is the 4516:th largest site in India (within .IN). The site is using the nginx web server. The site was launched on Saturday, March 13, 2010. The server that hosts m69.in is located in Utrecht, Netherlands. The server is located on the WebaZilla European network...."

http://serversiders.com

If this is correct then it starts to fit in with the hits I have been getting for the M69 photograph.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

The M69 mystery answered - I think

Since the beginning of May I have had an increase of hits for a photograph of a bridge going over the M69 - see previous post.   Anyway, this has continued and now if you do a search for M69 on Google it is usually towards the top of the list - all very gratifying but I couldn't understand why all the interest.  I checked the searches and they all were for M69.in.  Now I assumed that it was something to do with some star chart or something and didn't give it any more thought.  But the hits kept coming in and this started to peak my curiosity so I searched Google for M69.in.  Once I did this all became clear. M69.in is a porn site (If you want to see the site then follow this link - however, remember this is a porn site) which I can only assume has recently been launched - hence the increase in hits.   

Whilst this explains a lot it still doesn't explain why my photograph has become so popular with people looking for porn.  Perhaps some mysteries are never meant to be explained.  
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Help I'm agreeing with Polly Toynbee

Well sort of.   Most of the time I feel that Polly Toynbee is a strange detached person whose views don't normally match up to mine.  However, having read her piece in Saturday's Guardian I find that I agree with much of what she wrote.    She is right to point out that the last Labour government was pretty illiberal given that they introduced the Human Rights Act.   She is also right that we are entering a much more plural political scene and that this in the best interest of Britain.  But the thing I really do agree with is that the Labour party shouldn't rush their leadership election.  

There appears to be a huge amount of bad blood within the Labour party at the moment and this needs to be treated.   The first step would appear to be an open and prolonged debate about the shape of party in the future.  This must be driven by leader who has been chosen after a period of reflection rather than steamrollered through.  David Milliband may the best person to lead the party in the coming years, he may not, but the last thing the Labour party needs right now is another coronation a la Gordon Brown.   They need to take time.

Here's an idea.  Why not put off the election of new leader until the new year.  Harriet Harman can soldier on until then - there really isn't any rush.   It is unlikely that current government will fall apart in the next six months,  there are too many political dangers for the Lib Dems for that to happen.   Even if it did the Labour party is in no fit state to fight another election, no matter who is the leader and will give them time to see how the coalition works.  If it appears to be working then the Labour party could then look at ways of trying to put together a stable partnership with the Lib Dems after the next election.  The worst thing is for Labour to assume that all they have to do is sit back and wait for all the Lib Dem voters to come running to them.  They won't.   You have to remember that coalition government is the way that the Lib Dems want to run the country and if they can do it with the Tories, their least favoured option, then this will make then a real force in the country.  The hot air at the moment seeping out from both the Tory and Liberal parties has more to do with political careers thwarted as any real force.   

There is no popular outcry for a against the coalition - after all as Dara O Briain put it "... We live in exciting times, where political pundits talk up coalition as if it was the most amazing thing that has ever happened in politics, even though it is the form of government used by just about every western democracy in the world...." .  Perhaps people just want to see what is going to happen.  

So don't rush the leadership election.  Think hard as to where the Labour party is going to go and then choose the leader to take them there.  

What is happening to me - quoting from Guardian columnists!  It must be my inner SDP coming out - are those were the days.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

M69 - a mystery search

For the past few weeks I have been getting a number of hits for one photograph I have on Flickr.   The photograph is of a track that goes over the M69 motorway.   Now for some reason this is now being viewed 10 - 20 times a day because people are doing searches for the M69.  I have no idea why the M69 is now so popular but it is generating quite a bit of traffic to my flickr site.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Achieving balance in a portfolio

The photo shoot on Wednesday had the aim of capturing some new small bird portraits to allow them to be used in my ARPS submission.   However, one of things that the assesses have said again and again is balance.  The photographs I made yesterday, whilst being technically competent, were far too bright.  The light was just too strong.  This is an important lesson to bare in mind as I try to make some more images over the next few months - the sun is only going to get stronger.   As in everything in balance is vitally important.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

So much for Great Tits - are well the best laid plans.

So the plan this morning was to try and capture some small bird portraits for the ARPS submission.  I knew just the spot in Calke Abbey  and so I set out with the best of intentions.   However, whilst I captured some interesting small bird portraits these were not the photographs that made the day.  No, instead it was the cowslips and great spotted woodpecker, hardly a small bird.  This is what happens when you go out into the real world rather than working in a studio.  You just have to go with the flow - long may that last.
 

One final thought about the title of this post.   Where I used to work they had a rather brutal filter system to internet surfing.  One morning I was looking up a web site about stolen working digs, a very legitimate search.  However this was blocked by filter as the site contained a banded word.  And the word was 'bitch'.  It is hard to see how a web site about stolen female working dogs could not use the word bitch.  In everything context matters.

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

What will really come out of the new government?

What indeed?   There is clearly a very caustic answer which may well be true  but I think all new governments deserve a chance before the carping started.  However, in a 24 hours news cycle this is unlikely to happen.  However, enough of this as I think there are two pieces of legislations that, if enacted correctly, will be one of the best things that has ever happened to this country.  The first bill is the Great Reform Bill.   This should remove so much of the authoritarian stain that marked the previous government's record - there.   3,500 new offences in 13 years is not a record that any 'progressive' party should be proud of.   So lets us hope that much of the nonsense that came before is removed from the statute book.

The second is the constitutional reform bill.   This will contain the proposal to move to an Alternative Vote (AV) system.  It is unlikely to be enacted as it will have to be authorised by a referendum - but it is a step in the right direction.   Perhaps the most important thing that will be included in this bill will be the reform of the House of Lords.  Hopefully we should do away with all the retired politicians having a guaranteed retirement home for life at the other end of the palace of Westminster.  A reformed and elected House of Lords would have a much better chance of acting in a democratic manner.  It should also see the end of the bishops of the church of England also having  a say on matters - surely it will only a matter of time before the Church of England is disestablished (although I suspect this will only happen once the current monarch has passed away.)

The great thing about both bills is that they have no cost implications to talk of - in fact the Reform bill will save money.  So there is a real chance they will come to pass and if they do then the face of British politics will have been changed radically and we might live in a more civilised country.    We can all hope.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Bangers and mash - you can't beat it.

Lovely spring morning photographing birds and bangers & mash for lunch - does it get any better?

Most of morning I have been at natipnal nature reserve at Calke Abbey. The plan was to try and capture blue tits and great tits. I am not too sure how that worked out. I then went a walk through the woodlands and it was devine. Well sort of. At the moment the bluebells are out and I am not a real fan. A lot of other people are. One wpmen asked me if I had come to photograph the bluebells? I suppose having a 700 mm lens on huge tripod over my shoulder prompt this - it seemed a little strange to me. Anyway.

So in the wpods I spent quote a lot of time following a greater spotted woodpecker. This is a wonderful bird and fills the woods at this time of year with the tell tale rattatatt as they drill holes in trees.

So fortified by lunch I may go and explore the gardens or maybe not. Decisions decisions. I'm on line at:

www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac
http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com
www.simonmarchini.co.uk

I hope you enjoy

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

We've sprung a leak!

We are having some building work done at the moment which entails having a couple of radiators removed.   They started to dribble yesterday but today one of them sprung a major leak.  Half an hour of frantic bailing out the water and the leak appears to have stopped - I am assuming we have emptied much of the system.   So we currently have no hot water.   Should be sorted out by this evening - oh I am the optimist.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

The greasy pole beckons

So sense appears to have prevailed and we have a the makings of a coalition government between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems.  During the day the proposed Labour offer appears to have evaporated for whatever reason.   Now we have the scramble for government jobs.

As I write this the Lib Dems have yet to formally agree to the deal and they may just decided to throw it out.  However, the lure of being in government will no doubt be too strong.  There will no doubt be some mumbling from the side lines but the thought of a ministerial car, pay and privilege is very appealing - especially to MPs who just 4 weeks ago didn't really expect to actually be in this position to actually enact their policies, however, changed they may be.

As for the Conservatives they have one really big advantage going for them.   Their MPs are going to be made up of a people who directly owe their seat to David Cameron.   They have no experience of working in parliament beyond this week and so are far less likely to cause problems.  There will always be some discontents but they will very quickly be voices in the wilderness and there is always a sweetener or two that the Prime Minister can push their way.

So what of Labour?   Who knows - I certainly don't.   They need sometime to recharge their batteries as well the party's bank balance so I would expect that they will be fairly subdued for the rest of this year.  They have, after all, to elect a new leader which may create some rather unseemly wounds they could well take a time to heal.  In short term  they are spent.  Their long term future really depends on the Nick Clegg.  If he is a success then they are in serious trouble.  If he fails then things might not be as bad.  However, it is worth remembering that the last time they got such drubbing at the polls it took the Labour party 14 years to get back in power - that was without a resurgent Lib Dem party.  Perhaps they might try to out Lib Dem the Lib Dems in an effort to be able to form the next coalition government.

This is all just speculation - the Lib Dems fail to ratify the agreement and the Conservatives will try to govern on their own.  If this happens then whole picture changes and it could really be RIP Lib Dem.  Events dear boy Events.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Lib Dem RIP? Maybe

I have had a night's sleep to mull over the coming and going at Westminster and I think I need to make a few points clear.  The first is I think this whole process is healthy.   I cannot see any reason why we shouldn't have a while to sort out which way the government will go.  Already we have seen significant changes in the Conservative stance which may well better reflect what the country wants.  The second is that a Lib/Lab coalition has the potential to be a game changer for the country - it really does.     These are all positives.   Another positive has been the ridicule that Lord Tebbit has exposed himself to.   He might have been a voice at one time but now he is just an old man ragging against the modern world.

Having said all these things I just cannot see what is going to be achieved by such a coalition.   I have just heard Lord Ashdown saying that he cannot see any circumstance  that such a coalition will be voted down by the Nationalist or Greens.  His argument is, I think,  if you think we are bad then look at the alternatives i.e. the Tories.    It is also based on the on the notion that there will be meaningful electoral reform - well here is the first thing that may well cause the thing to fall apart.  Where is the mandate for such a move?   There are many Labour MPs who are against this.   I think that the DUP might also have a thing to say about this as they got 25% of the vote yet nearly 50% of the seats.   How will they be persuaded that giving more power to Sinn Fein (which got slightly more votes) is a good thing?

Then we come to real issue - the economy.   It is all very well saying that the Nationalists are likely to vote with the Lib/Lab coalition but what about England in all this?  If it can be shown that England is being disadvantaged to help prop up a Lib/Lab coalition by pandering to Nationalist demands then the roof will fall in.  Nothing is more likely to cause real problems than this as MPs work out that they are likely to be voted out at the next election unless they do something to stop their constituents being disadvantaged.   It can be argued that this might only be one or two MPs but that is all it takes to bring a government down. I could go on. 

So having slept on it I still cannot see any real logic in a Lib/Lab coalition.   There is a huge amount empathy between the Lib Dems and Labour but they just don't have the votes to make it stick in any realistic sense.  The Lib Dem heart may wish such a thing to come about but surely the Lib Dem head will say that it is a none starter.  Which leaves us with a Lib Dem/Conservative coalition or Conservative minority government.  As things stand I would suspect that the latter is the most likely but you just never know.   

Is it Lib Dem RIP?   I think it really is in their hands or perhaps more likely their hearts.   

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Yet more twists and turns - but will this be the end of the Lib Dems?

I know I have been very critical of so called experts who claim to be able to see the future with 20/20 vision so I think it is important to state I have no idea what is going to happen.  I think it is also important to say that in principle I have no problems with a Lib Lab pact/coalition/merger.   

So given all those caveats I am totally bemused by the turn of events of the last hour or so.   Gordon Brown has resigned, well sort of.  He will be gone by September - probably.  this was no doubt part of a strategy to try and turn the Lib Dems heads away from the Conservatives.  In truth it wasn't difficult to do and it certainly makes far more sense for Labour and the Liberals to get together.  However, and this is such a huge stumbling block, even together they do not have a simple majority, let alone a working majority, in the House of Commons.  So there will have to be deals with the nationalist parties and possibly the single green party member.  In the best of circumstances this wouldn't be easy but with forthcoming need for significant, no the largest ever, cut back in public spending. How will this hang together?   I just can't see it.

I am old enough to remember when this was tried before in the late 1970s.   It stuck for over 18 months and then unravelled very quickly.   It could be argued that the economic circumstances were even graver then so the current mess, in itself, shouldn't be a problem.   But the Lib/Lab pact was able to provide a working majority between themselves - this is not the case.  Also the nationalist parties are so much stronger now in this potential arrangement that they will be able to block any changes that would effect their own parts of the UK.   This has disaster written all over it but I think it is what is going to happen - now I hope the financial markets are looking the other way and are being very charitable.    This whole thing could collapse within months and so the next election date may well be the 13th October 2010.  If this is the case I really think it will be RIP Lib Dems.   However, what the hell do I know?
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

So the markets haven't gone into meltdown afterall

We start day three of the great negotiation and guess what the financial markets are not in any real lather about the political situation in Britain.   This doesn't mean they wont it just means that all the 'we are doomed' na'sayers over the weekend perhaps have less faith in the position of Britain than the people whose job it is to make money out of the capital markets.  Now I wonder why they have been trying to scare us all?

This doesn't mean that there isn't a huge problem to sort out, there is, it is just that perhaps many of the commentators have their own or their paper's political agenda to put forward rather than any rational, balanced reporting.  Just a thought.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

What will the Lib Dems do?

The pressure is starting to mount on all the parties after the inconclusive election.  Who will do a deal with whom?  At the moment no one really knows but one thing is for sure.  If the Lib Dems make a mess of this then they will never get another chance to change things - Never.  All they will do is demonstrate to the electorate as a whole that they are incapable of being anything other than the people on the outside shouting.   Governing is a messy business and means upsetting many people.   Do they want to do this?  

I have not got a clue but what I do know is that there appears many within the Lib Dems who like their ivory tower position rather than the murky waters of real politics.  PR is about doing deals with whomever is in the best position to form a government.  No matter which way you cut it the Labour party are not realistically in that position form the new government - it really wouldn't have any legitimacy even if they can coble together what looks like a parliamentary majority.  A majority that would collapse at the first sign of the real cuts that will be coming in the next six months as these will fall disproportionally on Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland as they have a larger state sector than  England.   So the Lib Dems appear to be stuck between a rock and hard place.

One final thought - just how quick can a second election be arranged?  I suspect four weeks is the minimum.  If the Lib Dems fail then we could have another election by the end of June.   If this happens I wouldn't take any bets as to how many Lib Dems there would be left in parliament as they would be portrayed, rightly or wrongly, as putting their own sectional interests above the national interest.   

Oh I am glad I am not a Lib Dem at the moment.

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

My new friend - a Juvenile Collared Dove

Life can seem very strange when you are young, it's pretty strange when you're older but that is another story.  So back to the wide wonder that the world is.  This morning I spent some time with a very young, and certainly naive, Collared Dove.  He or she was sitting on our garden fence for what seems like forever.  At first I thought there was something wrong with it but as I watched I came to realise that it was just shell shocked.   Only a few days ago it had two parents to look after it's every need.  It was warm and dry in the small world he had known - now it was on its own wits to prevent it being someone else's breakfast.

So there it sat and just watched me.  Eventually it went to feed on one of our feeders and then returned to its previous perch where it just flopped.  Life can be really hard.  I couldn't resist the temptation and so out came the camera.  I only had my 180mm macro lens so the depth of field was always going to be very shallow even at a small f stop but that didn't seem to matter.  I just sat there and snapped away  

'..Just how trusting was this new arrival?'.  Well I decided to test it.  Slowly I walked towards the young bird.  Still no movement.  I got closer and all it did was look at me.   'This is going to be Sparrowhawk food if it doesn't shape up' - I stepped closer.  Eventually I was able to get to within a metre before it decide to fly off, not far just onto the pergola.   I just hope it gets a bit more street wise. 
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

So what will Nick Do? Or more to the point what will the Lib Dems do?

So the bargaining starts and no one knows the outcome.  Both sides are unhappy about any deal being made and are demanding purity of action and thought - both forgetting the result of the election.   So will there be some sort of deal?   Who knows but my feelings is yes.  The initial offer was just that and there will now be negotiations as to how to take this forward.  The slight complication is the Lib Dem party rules and structures and this could be their great undoing if they are not careful.  At the moment they have goodwill on their side but should the party start to bulk at some of the things that have to be done then it will be disastrous for them.   The key element of PR is that parties negotiate to form a government - should the Lib Dem party and MPs reject this then it will be the end of PR for a generation and we will return to more tribal politics of which the Lib Dems will have no part.  No pressure then.

The good thing is that they have quite a lot of experience of this process from Scotland and Wales so I would hope that some type of deal can be stomached with the Conservatives.   There is the option of trying to do a deal with Labour but I just cannot see parliamentary numbers adding up.  A deal with the Conservatives, not their natural allies, will be uneasy at best. A deal with Labour would be unwieldy.  So what to do?  I don't know but one thing is clear - the Conservatives had clearly thought about a deal with the Lib Dems before the election and so lets hope that the Lib Dems had done the same.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

David Dimbleby is a god

Well the coverage has now finished and I have say I have nothing but the utmost admiration for David Dimbleby.   he was on air for the best part of 17 hours none stop and held the whole process together with great style and aplomb.  I know it is somewhat in delicate to mention a person's age but I just hope I have his energy when I am 71.  Well done David.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

The election is almost over - now what?

Now what indeed.  I stayed up until gone 5am this morning to watch the election unfold and the first thing to say is that the exit polls were far more accurate than anyone, other than the polling companies, believed.  It appeared that there was far more Lib Dem support than there actually was - a chastening experience for all concerned.  The second thing is clear is that this is one of the worst performances performance by a Labour party in a generation.  The final thing is that the Tories couldn't do it, they might have the most votes and seats in parliament but given all their advantages they just couldn't pull off what would have been one of the greatest achievements in modern politics.   They don't have anything like a majority, let alone a working majority.

So now what?   Well the first thing that will happen is that all the parties will start to implode under their own internal contradictions.  Already the right wing are taking large swings at David Cameroon under what can only be seen as a very strange perspective.  A moderate Tory platform was not able to win then they must make sure that any deal strongly disadvantages any other party they may want to make a deal with and then no doubt go to the country in the autumn.  This may well happen and god help the Tories if this is the way it is played out.

The Lib Dems have similar voices but from the other end of the political spectrum.   No deal with Cameron will be their battle cry forgetting that they actually didn't do that well in this election.  Purity rather putting the country first.  Is this really the change that the country wants?

Finally the Labour party are making some very strange noises in a desperate attempt to hold onto power.  I have just seen Jack Dromey argue that the big losers last night were the Conservatives - even though they won the largest share of the vote and seats.  This sort of mindset beggars belief.   

The one scenario that hasn't been mentioned at the moment is a Labour/Conservative pact.  Crazy?   Never say never in politics but it would take a Greek style implosion of the financial position to force such a thing to come about and I don't believe that things are as bad as some in the media would like you to believe.  So not a likely outcome.

So now what?    I hope there will be a lot of deep breaths and time for some sleep.  The media will want to make a big fuss to try and make a story when there isn't one - not yet anyway.    The full results won't be known until the end of today, in fact not until the end of the month due to late death of a candidate.   All the leaders will make every effort not to commit themselves too much as they try and feel their way through this whole process.   It probably won't be until the mid part of next week when some form of government may start to really coalesce.  There will be a huge amount of macho posturing over the next few days but much of the hot air is coming from people who claim to speck on behalf of the ordinary party members/voters forgetting that the voters have just spoken and basically told the politicians to grow up and move on from clear majority politics. Even if there is another election in the autumn I doubt that the result will be much different than it is now.   However, what the hell do I know?
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Well I have voted

I am not sure what, if anything, you can read into this but there was a bit of a queue when I went to vote this morning.  I say queue there were three people in front of my wife and me.   However, if this is a trend then it means that there will be a high turn out which is almost as important as the proportion of the vote.   Whatever arrangement there is for governing the country after the election it must reflect the voters wishes - the larger the turn out the better.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Some good news - Short listed for a major wildlife photographic award.

I am trying not to get too excited but I have just received some encouraging news - I have just ' ...One ... of your pictures have been short-listed for the final round of judging...' of the very prestigious Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer.   Now I know there is a huge step between being short listed and actually being selected.  Never the less it is a real boast.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

More moans about windows...

The latest quirk - annoyance.  When the computer wakes up from going to sleep sometimes the sound doesn't work.  This can be very frustrating.  The only way around this is to log off and log on again.   I suppose this doesn't happen with Apple.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Walking around the most haunted place in Britain

I have to say I don't believe it but according to some source on the web Belgrave Hall is the most haunted place in Britain.  There are youtube videos and assorted stories.  Well I have been around the building at the dead of night and I can't say I didn't see any ghosts.  However, the gardens can be a bit spooky.  They are slowly being allowed to degenerate - now this might be due to budget cuts or for some other reasons.  Whatever the reason is when you are down at the bottom of the garden there is an awful amount of strange noises and rustling going on.   Now these tend to be wood pigeons squabbling amongst themselves in the over grown trees but it can be a bit unnerving.

Anyway I went to photograph the plants.  It is still too early in the season for many flowering plants but there was one cameilia   - cameilia x williamsii  - anticipation that really caught my eye.  Most cameilia  tend to have medium size flowers but this one had rosettes the size of adult man's hands.  They were an enticing salmon pink and when captured against a green background look great.   I will work on the rest of the photos over the next day or so but the cameilia is my favourite.

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Splitting hairs over the rules.

I know this is me being really pedantic but I have had to clarify the rules in the recently announced RHS Garden Photography Competition.   One of the first things I do when considering whether to enter a competition is to paw over the rules.   In this case it was Rule 11 that I felt the need to clarify what was meant:

Rule 11:   Digital prints must be clearly marked as such on the reverse...now I think you mean any print created from a digital file using a computer and printer.  Does this include film images that have been scanned into a computer and then printed?

Rule 11: ...if any digital enhancement techniques have been used they must be declared.  What does this mean?   Does it mean that I have to declare on each print  that I have corrected the colour in an image and removed any blemishes that might appear on the sensor of the camera?  Or does it mean that I only have to declare if a I manipulated an image if I have cloned out/removed items from the photograph?  Also what if I have only cropped the image - does this need to be added to the any declaration?

Now I think I know what they are after - if you have corrected the image with software, such as Photoshop, it needs to be declared.   However, I feel the wording is rather woolly and clearly open to misinterpretation.    And what about the category for 'abstract' which as their website says '...is open to interpretation...'.

It really can be a minefield setting rules for competition - especially know that the digital genie is out of the bottle.  However, many of the techniques that can be done with Photoshop can be done in a darkroom.  It is just easier to do with Photoshop.

My I am a pedant!

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Offers too good to be true - do these really work?

I have just been clearing out my spam folder and came across the usual emails offering riches...
 

I am ...., from United States of America, recently my Doctor diagnosed that i have limited days to live due to cancerous illness which i am suffering right now,as my late wife was renowned for her philanthropic grant,Mrs.Greer,i hereby bequeath you with my $5 Million USD to build .... to help the poor, destitute, less priviledged because the relatives of my late wife will use it in a worldly manner because we had no child,as my sole benefactor for charitable purposes.Please you may contact me via email as soon as possible.

I need your services in a confidential matter regarding money out of a beneficiary deposit for investment in your country as such I decided to establish contact with you for assistance. This requires a private arrangement, as you will receive these funds under legal claims; all legal documents will be carefully worked out to ensure a risky free claim.

I wish to notify you again that You were listed as a Heir to the total sum of (Three Million Six Hundred Thousand British Pounds) in the codicil and last testament of the deceased.(Name now withheld since this is our second letter to you). We contacted you because you bear the surname identity and therefore can present you as the Heir to the inheritance funds.

These are just a sample of the ridiculous scam emails sent to me over the last few days.  Do these things really work?  Are people so stupid to believe them?   Why am I asking this because their existence proves that somewhere someone is so desperate they will answer these emails and so will start the slow road to loosing their money.  Still I always like to read them as I always like a good laugh. 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

The problem with having a wildlife friendly garden

I was up early this morning and decided to walk down to the paper shop and collect the paper.  It was a wonderfully uplifting experience - the dawn chorus was in full swing and it was almost deafening but at the same time beautiful. It never ceases to amaze me how such small creatures as birds are able to produce melodious sounds that carry.  I was walking next to my local main road the other day, the normal traffic was roaring by and yet from the other side of the carriageway I could hear the song of a goldfinch.   

So this put me into a good mood and after breakfast I decided to make some photographs in our garden.  We had this designed and built last year with on of the key design features was the encouragement of wildlife.  To date it has been a real success and we have a wide variety of fauna visiting.  However, one of the down sides of this is that well, not to put too fine a point on it, they poop all over the place.   Now one good shower and this is usually washed away but none the less it is a problem.   So this morning out I strode, snapping away at the flowers and plants and then i noticed a strange foot print on the path.  At first I couldn't quite work it out and then it dawned on me - I had just walked into a freshly deposited pile of bird poo.  Great.   Still this is a price worth paying.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Blog: http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com/

Fotos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/Guthlac

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@simonmarchini

Posted via email from SIMON's posterous

Photo competition | RHS Gardening

I might just enter this...

Photo competition | RHS Gardening