i-Anya

Sometimes I think my posts are tooooo long and dull and I’ve been wondering how people code it to give a little excerpt and then give you the option of clicking for the rest if you are interested… so here is my experiment with this. If you click you will read a secret.

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This is just such fun that I had to blog it! Technology, art, the environment - it defies categorisation! Is this the future of cyberculture? An interactive environment? I love it - can you imagine being serenaded by a bench? I wonder what songs it is programmed to sing? I’m glad that its the bins that laugh and not the bench. It would be embarrassing to sit down on the bench and then have it start to laugh at you (or worse, make a rude noise!).

Singing benches let loose in city

Robotic bins that move and chuckle, benches that flock together and sing when the sun comes out, have been unleashed in Cambridge.

The Junction, one of the city’s arts venues, unveiled the public arts display in the Plaza on Thursday. The “interactive” technology will allow the street furniture to respond to members of the public. The six bins and six benches - which are solar-powered - were created by London artists, Greyworld. Andrew Shoben, from Greyworld, said: “At first glance it may look like nothing has changed at all but the bins and benches all have unique personalities.

“They are what’s called “generative” so that over time they develop more and more personality.
“You’ll find that one bench may be particularly attracted to a particular bin. They will chuckle and giggle sometimes or make rude noises.”

Artistic and executive director of The Junction, Paul Bogen, said: “They’re great because they’re fun and art should be fun and it should be something people enjoy and not just stodgy and theoretical.”
Mr Bogen hopes the cutting edge technology would help keep the bins and benches safe from theft.

The Junction has a three year maintenance contract with Greyworld and plans to name all the bins and benches individually to make carrying out repairs easier. The project cost £110,000 and was funded by the Arts Council and the National Lottery.

I want to visit Cambridge now!

from this flickr group - stunning photographs.

building5

Originally uploaded by Anyaka.

At the base of this building are two delicious restarants: Cicciolina and Splash!. Cicciolina is divine Italian food and on one of the restaurant walls is a rather huge art relief of la Cicciolina’s breast. Splash! is a seafood restaurant - a bit more casual with a take-away section as well, but absolutely delectable melt in your mouth seafood. One of the few places in Sydney where the scallops are OK (nothing beats Tasmanian scallops though. When I was in Tasmania in January I made Matt eat seafood LOTS because I really miss scallops!)

building

Originally uploaded by Anyaka.

My grandmother always used to say “Angela walks around with her head in the clouds (or buried in a book)”

Can you blame me! Look at this detail in this gorgeous building facade.

wales 2004 032

Originally uploaded by kekett.

where this flower is from…

Another one of those crazy days today - and added on top of the stress I left the office at 7:15pm without my umbrella and was caught in a dastardly storm :/ It took me hours to dry off and feel warm again!

Anyway, I was preparing my lecture for next week on Spelling. Usually for me this lecture is the most boring to prepare but seems to be the most exciting lecture of all for the students - they do love a lot of practical examples!

I found some fabulous images of children doing different types of spelling activities so I have made the slides 100% visual to be starting points for several ‘what’s happening here and why’ moments in the lecture.

I also have the infamous text messaging esay that caused a furore a couple of years ago to bring the focus out of the activities and back to the issues of the changing nature of language, the cultural aspects of language, and the politics and panic of language. It’s more interesting for me to include these ideas, and I hope the students will see the relevance of it.

MrBig

Originally uploaded by Anyaka.

Well, my secret is now out! Here’s a picture of the man that greets me every morning before I go to work and every evening when I return: Mr Big.

IMG_7348

Originally uploaded by jorke.

Bewts-y-coed, Wales.UK

Originally uploaded by Paula Parker.

Isn’t this picture divine!

teddywalkstheplank

Originally uploaded by Anyaka.

I was invited to join the flickr group “Pirates” (there seems to be a group for everything on flickr!). The only pirates I had to offer were from children’s books. This one is from Robert Ingpen’s: Age of Acorns.

PICT0018

Originally uploaded by Peter.

What lies at the end of the path? Who dareth trodden that path?

DSC_0863

Originally uploaded by junku.

Wow!!

DSC_4619

Originally uploaded by junku.

Whoever took this series of photos (you MUST go and look!) is either seriously sadistic or seriously brilliant. I haven’t decided which. But I want a cat of my own to play with!

Look Essie, our favorite book!

Originally uploaded by zenera.

A review of this book (about grassroots journalism) is here.

I wonder message what the photographer was trying to convey exactly? *chuckle*

1k-5784 Magnolia

Originally uploaded by creativity+.

Aren’t these magnolios just amazing! Yet another of the photographic delights of creativity+.

snack

Originally uploaded by Anyaka.

fruit and nuts to cheer me up and shift my brain into productivity. *laugh*