Lyon Public Bikes Segment

We are still alive and thanks to Journeyman Pictures, you can see a great segment on Lyon's public bike program "Velo'V". Unfortunately we can't embed but here is the direct link.

- RV's Girl

Suuunnnnnday Morning:-)

Slept well last night after watching a disposable flick on google video, it was called "The Core" the tag says it all, this is a science fiction movie. Thats enough to let you know that the world is in crisis it has something to to with the earths core and nuclear weapons will solve the problem as they do in all modern sci-fi movies, see Armageddon, Sunshine, Deep Impact the list goes on.


After this I watched a fascinating documentary on the Lomo camera and the cult of photographers or lomographers that has grown up around this quirky device. I actually discovered this a few years ago and fell in love the idea of taking pictures with the four or eight lens version but I was at college at the time and and couldn't even afford the 40 or 50 Euro it cost. Cant actually remember where I originally heard about this device like so many other thinks probably due to the several years of substance abuse that went hand in hand with college life in Ireland but my interest in this has been revived by the documentary that you can watch in its entirety here. The whole film was done in the lomo style and has great music accompanying it all the way through. It charts the history of the Lomographic society and the history of the Russian factory where it was produced. My girl tell me I take crap pictures but maybe thats due in part to the embarrassment of being made lineup for family photos while holidaying with my parents which I think fostered a sort of impatience involving all things photographic when you have to interrupt what you are doing while dad takes several snaps of everyone deliberately posing. I think this is what appeals to me about the lomo philosophy.


The pictures all seem to capture movement in a spur of th emonent sort of way and the four lens version is designed to show the progression of the target over a period of time.

On the bike front I haven't been doing much cycling lately partly due to me being a bit lazy and the fact that I generally rise from bed between 12:00 and 14:00pm every day. Actually my girl decided to drag me from the bed at nine the other day so we could shop at the market and I felt physically ill for about 6 hours. Heres an interesting cycling blog my partner in crime discovered the other day which I have not yet completely explored but looks to be packed full of cool arty bike stuff for your perusal. He also has a show somewhere on Londons ResonanceFM another thing I've been meaning to get into. Their high tech low tech orientated circuit bent art house drone music is right up my street as you will know if you read my previous post. Heads up ill be putting my first DIY optically controlled sine wave noise maker thingy up for auction on Ebay soon, wish me luck as this is going to be my primary source of income for a while.



Oh I nearly forgot the little one turned me on to this dude who makes the most awesome bamboo bikes the other day. Totally cool in my opinion both in terms of design and sustainability.

And also lets not forget to mention the case of that poor dude in the states who was tasered (Or however you spell it) and arrested at an airport for pointing out the to a police officer (Actually I think he was airport police those guys are even worse) that he could cycle on the particular road he was on. Note to self never argue with a cop just tell them you'll comply and when they are not around just continue doing whatever it was you were going to do anyway. There is no point trying to talk in a logical fashion with most cops (I say most because there are exceptions to all rules) they are hand picked to be resistant to logic. You can read more about the story here.

Anyhow that enough from me din dins is almost ready and the smell is making me hungry...

Summer is truly here and so is my HAYFEVER...

I love the outdoors but at this time of year it is with trepidation that I venture outside. Normally I do not like to take medication on a daily basis but right now its a necessity. Lyon is quite beautiful at this time of year and as someone who loves the outdoors its pretty horrible to fear leaving the confines of the flat.

You may have noticed that we haven't been blogging here for the past few months and it has to be said that in my case anyway there is really no excuse for this. My girl on the other hand has other blogs to maintain so its not her fault. I think a mixture of procrastination and a lack of inspiration are to blame.

On the cycling front I haven't been doing as much as I would normally do except the odd trip to the workshop I say odd because my visits have become more and more infrequent which is something I hope to remedy quite soon as I am starting my second custom guitar (Another project proceeding slower than expected). Will post pictures of the first on one soon, I promise.

That aside my creative projects are going well, well the design side is going strong but the realization is a bit weak right now. I suppose ill just have to get off my ass and really push myself to bring these things to life. The project I have been concentrating most on lately is the one which we hope will provide us with a small but necessary income and so making it real is very important. It consists of a small box of electronics that I'm calling a photo controlled synthesizer. When you turn it on it produces a tone typically 700 or 800 Hz depending on the level of ambient light. By interacting with the three light dependent resistors either with your hand or a light source a wide range of effects can be created from sliding , Theremin like scales to a ten note graduated scale. There are and a few other modes where you can mix and match modulating effects and create sounds ranging from techno beats (With a flashing Bike light) to weird droning sounds or crazy high pitch beeps and bips. Once you throw in some delay/reverb things really get interesting. Actually the amount of fun Ive been having playing with the prototype have probably cut into the point of this exercise which was to build these things for sale. There are some other functions too like signal paths that become active at various light levels and an optically controlled tremolo and something which is missing on all other optical instruments a setting which keeps the device silent until it is interacted with. When I finish this ill post on it. Maybe this blog can be a record of my work online?

The only other thing I want to post on is this cool open source DJ'ing software I found the other day. It was a necessity as we have volunteered to play a party for a friend in this month. Ive DJ'ed before a couple of times at private parties but never on a laptop. The software is called Mixxx its multi platform, free and really easy to use with enough functionality to get by with.

Bye for now, more posts soon...

RV

Spring is already here!

Warm weather is creeping up on us already and February has just started...I am weary of RV having to go through a flashback moment with the heat wave that scorched us heavily a couple of years back.

What this sunshine is doing is making me have to re-adjust to sleeping on some common time zone and wanting very badly to begin preparation for our tandem biking.

So many beautiful parts of France surround us and I can't imagine a more pleasant awakening then cycling with RV to find some peaceful spots we can retreat to when needed. I want to smell nature and bring our tasty picnics along, I want to draw and write then take an afternoon nap in the sun...



-RV's Girl Listening to France Musique

Two Years Ago...

Two Years ago, I was a mess. I felt that so many choices I had made were turning me into an alcoholic zombie, a wandering heart with too much love given and taken and I felt very alone despite.

Had it not been for a wonderful friend and confidante, I don't think that I would be sitting here content, calm and so sure of who I am and where I am at.

This special person became my boyfriend. His naive wisdom captivated me and his obvious intelligence, way beyond the norm of someone his age, gave me a voice to work out my bohemian thoughts I had collected so hastily along the way. I admit, I felt very strongly against our partnership and tried thoughout our first year to deter him from me. I was dangerous and seeing how friends and acquaintances had taken claim on their interpretation of me, he was undeserving of a life or first love with 'someone' like me. Yet, something deeper was always there, a notice, a sign that even if just platonic, we would have gotten together somehow anyway.

The first awkward moment of intimacy was catapulted by innocent drinks, good conversation and the dreaded early last call of Dublin bars. We walked to my temporary rental and after great discussion, I asked him to leave for fear I would take advantage of him, he stayed. For a week.

Neither of us understood what this meant be we remained, we truly respected eachother as friends. We continued in a hazy mix of exploratory sex, talk and drink.

I finally said goodbye after a shared taxi ride on the way to the airport. He dropped off and the taxi sped forward. I turned back, not knowing why, and there he was smiling as I was. Our shared moment was the beginning of what began a sweet and torturous realisation that indeed we were a good couple.

A year ago we swayed in eachother's arms at one of the best concerts of my life. We celebrated by living together for the first time and discovering from a non long distance trial that relationships can be simple, that adventure can be found without chaos and that we loved eachother for who we were and nothing changed except out growing affection, imagination and trust.

With all the mistakes and hard times I have made RV encounter along this journey, I realise now that fear and uncertainty took reign; that I was so scared of giving myself completely and scared of who I really was. Silly Girl. Who would have thought this young man would teach me a thing or two. RV you did teach me so many things and I know that now.

RV is an incredible person and lover. He never rejects any idea or emotion and only makes me want to be a better person. I still look out for him like a protective older sister (he is too nice!) but never will I underestimate his knowledge and capacity to love, to love me.

Through all these hard times, you were there for me because you believed I wasn't so bad. Baby, thank you...RV I am so proud to be with you for two years and I hope that there are many more to come.


Happy Anniversary! Many, many kisses from your 'Mogwai'.



-RV's Girl Listening to UNKLE

Canadian Environmentalist Tim Harvey on CBC

An interesting and thought provoking segment (originally aired in Nov.2006 on CBC) on Tim Harvey who biked, canoed and tried to make his way around the world, emission free.

This feature documents the many obstacles Harvey faced including losing his initial partner and having to find a way out of various situations that could have deterred his plight.

See the video here via Google Video.

"It began as a dream to adventure by zero-emission means: Vancouver to Moscow by human power. The dream then grew - how to make it home, and circle the world, without fossil fuels? It took two and a half years on bicycles, by foot, in rowboats, canoes, wooden raft and under sail, on a route across five continents and two oceans."

To learn more about the trip click here to see the official site.



-RV's Girl

What Happens When...

You make a barter 'ad deal' with someone and they don't do their share?

It's gone! Sorry!

(Anyway, I'm not that much of a bitch so here is the direct link to them)



-RV's Girl listening to RV watching Aeon Flux

Monday Morning...

Been up since six this morning due to mogwai interference but I overcame my tiredness as soon as it was light out, its funny how your body tells you your not tired simply because there was a transition from dark to bright.

Anyway this gives me a chance to do a little blogging as the mogwai is sleeping and I have the computer to myself for another hour or so and so I can impart onto you the wonderful things my journey through the internets has thought me this morning.

First up is a great bike related project from Trondheim Norway that I caught on Rocketboom and thought was worth a mention. Trondheim has the highest bicycle use in Norway, maybe even the developed world (90% of people claiming it is their primary means of transport) and one of reasons for this is the cities investment in an infrastructure that includes dedicated bike paths and this fantastic invention. Its a bicycle lift that transports you and your bike to the top of what I assume is a very steep hill. You can see a youtube video here.

And now another innovative transport solution found on BoingBoing earlier, its called Train and is was created by the French design duo HEHE. I love this idea.

Still thinking about that tandem design and no one has been forthcoming with any solutions as to how to create a DIY tandem bike that can be broken down and carried which means one of two thing either no one has any solutions or no one reads this:-)

Ok its bye bye from me, stay tuned...

Hello Friends...

Ok, this is my first post of 2007, its a little late I know but the WiFi signal that was so graciously left unsecured by some wonderful person who probably lives not more than one hundred feet from me suddenly vanished. And so I got a little lazy not wanting to hog my favorite girls laptop for too long because she has things to do to and also because I have to surf for at least four to five hours before I overcome the static friction, open blogger and build up the speed necessary to write two hundred words or so. Its not easy for me, this is why I quit my job to begin with, so I could work when I wanted to not when I had to.

Well enough of my ranting, its the new year and my special lady friend has taken her new years resolution to heart and started smoking rolling tobacco as part of of cost cutting exercise, and she is pretty good at rolling to. I also think this is better for her than the French cigarettes she was smoking before as well as the fact that she saves about fifty Euro a week.

On the bike front Ive been thinking about our dream to go biking together in the spring and trying to figure out how we can make or get a tandem that can fold up so we can take it on trains easily. I'm all ears in terms of suggestions. Stay tuned.

The Begininng Of A Slow Week...

And, it's Thursday! Rv & I had an awesome holiday weekend with ALOT of food and drink AND good sex! We amused ourselves and ended up making a funny Christmas meal on Monday. Normally when you make stuffing it's supposed to be with Turkey but we created the Holiday Stuffed Ham Roll!

Here's a glance at the beauty. Ta-da!


The Turkey we purchased turned bad on the 24th and RV said that 'normal people' usually eat on Christmas day so luckily we enjoy improvisation.

We finished off the stuffing properly though the day after for Boxing Day after a match of chess with chicken filets as the Turkey stench never left us and we were too scared to try again and be disappointed. We weren't. Yummy. It was the first time in my life I made a Christmas dinner.


We finished the evening with a viewing of 'Shortbus'. Surprisingly this is a great film to see as a couple, or maybe more appropriately, for the kind of couple we are. John Cameron Mitchell made a film so warm and human that the fact of real sexual acts being performed is relevant without it being 'porn' or awkward or whatever it was/is negative responses have deemed. Don't follow the sheep, see it for yourself. If you haven't seen JCM's Hedwig yet, watch that too and make it a double feature.


I'm kind of surprised the end of year is already near. RV picked up our key for the workshop yesterday, on bike, and now we have to load up on champagne, supplies and get the place running. I can't wait. We have been slowly leading up to bigger and greater things and like it always feels, some things are worth the wait.

Hope your Christmas was wonderful, no matter what shape or form.



-RV's Girl Listening to Trente Moller Essential Mix

Our DIY USB Powered Mini Christmas Tree

Video

About

Happy Holidays!!

-RV's Girl Listening to SomaFM

Happy Christmas Everybody:-)

Well its that time of year again and its my first Christmas away from home but its ok I have my girl to keep me company. We basically plan to eat, drink, smoke and watch a vast array of televisual delights which I'm sure will be beamed into our telebox.

Anyway, my special lady friend found this wonderful website somewhere on the net the other day and I've been itching to post about it since she dropped it in my inbox. Millegomme is a site which specializes in the creation of a range of objects which utilize old bike and car tyres in their construction. There is very little information on the site that describes Millegomme but I think their primary mission is to put on workshops that teach children and adults about recycling by focusing on the reuse of tyres which are a cheap and abundant material.



Today Make magazine has a link to a site which supplies kits that can turn your modest bike into a crazy pedal powered snow mobile. I don't know what sort of ride this would be but it looks like a barrel of fun. Just add snow.

So its bye bye from me, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the rest of In the Actors Studio with Eddie Murphy. Have a great holiday everyone.