I am terror

Thought I would have a quick look at the Terrorism Act...given I was searched under it!

Wikipedia has a thingy on the Act here so go have a read if you want to know more about it.

Section 44 is the part I was stopped and searched under (I think it may be the same act and section that I was stopped and searched under in Aylesbury when I was then given a caution for possession of cannabis).

here is a transcript of Sections 44 and 45:

Power to stop and search
Authorisations.	44. - (1) An authorisation under this subsection authorises any constable in uniform to stop a vehicle in an area or at a place specified in the authorisation and to search-
	(a) the vehicle;
	(b) the driver of the vehicle;
	(c) a passenger in the vehicle;
	(d) anything in or on the vehicle or carried by the driver or a passenger.
	(2) An authorisation under this subsection authorises any constable in uniform to stop a pedestrian in an area or at a place specified in the authorisation and to search-
	(a) the pedestrian;
	(b) anything carried by him.
	(3) An authorisation under subsection (1) or (2) may be given only if the person giving it considers it expedient for the prevention of acts of terrorism.
	(4) An authorisation may be given-
	(a) where the specified area or place is the whole or part of a police area outside Northern Ireland other than one mentioned in paragraph (b) or (c), by a police officer for the area who is of at least the rank of assistant chief constable;
	(b) where the specified area or place is the whole or part of the metropolitan police district, by a police officer for the district who is of at least the rank of commander of the metropolitan police;
	(c) where the specified area or place is the whole or part of the City of London, by a police officer for the City who is of at least the rank of commander in the City of London police force;
	(d) where the specified area or place is the whole or part of Northern Ireland, by a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary who is of at least the rank of assistant chief constable.
	(5) If an authorisation is given orally, the person giving it shall confirm it in writing as soon as is reasonably practicable.
Exercise of power.	45. - (1) The power conferred by an authorisation under section 44(1) or (2)-
	(a) may be exercised only for the purpose of searching for articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism, and
	(b) may be exercised whether or not the constable has grounds for suspecting the presence of articles of that kind.
	(2) A constable may seize and retain an article which he discovers in the course of a search by virtue of section 44(1) or (2) and which he reasonably suspects is intended to be used in connection with terrorism.
	(3) A constable exercising the power conferred by an authorisation may not require a person to remove any clothing in public except for headgear, footwear, an outer coat, a jacket or gloves.
	(4) Where a constable proposes to search a person or vehicle by virtue of section 44(1) or (2) he may detain the person or vehicle for such time as is reasonably required to permit the search to be carried out at or near the place where the person or vehicle is stopped.
	(5) Where-
	(a) a vehicle or pedestrian is stopped by virtue of section 44(1) or (2), and
	(b) the driver of the vehicle or the pedestrian applies for a written statement that the vehicle was stopped, or that he was stopped, by virtue of section 44(1) or (2),
	the written statement shall be provided.
	(6) An application under subsection (5) must be made within the period of 12 months beginning with the date on which the vehicle or pedestrian was stopped.

So unpacking that a bit it means:

1) They had the right to stop and search me
2) Some ranking officer has given authorisation for this section of the act to be used anywhere in London
3) They felt it was expedient to the prevention of terrorism to stop me
4) My camera constituted a possible item that could be used in connection with terrorism!

How daft are they?

Anyway, as is my right, I am going to apply for a written statement of the stop!

Don't come near me...I may use my camera to document what I want to blow up!

The surveys...

I have chatted about surveys a bit for my project, so will share them with you.

The first I was going to work from was a list I compiled, based on tourist board reports, of the most visited tourist spots/locations in 2005, based on visitor numbers. However, the list wasn't great, not quite what I was looking for.

After a rather great tutorial with my tutor Mark (see his work here), I went away to do more research. Trying to find reports about the most photographed locations in the UK as they would be more appropriate to what I was trying to do.

I found to very applicable reports. Here they are:

A) Lexmark survey - They commisioned a survey to ask people what their favourate UK landmark (presumably to photograph) was and the results were:

1) Edinburgh Catstle
2) Stonehenge
3) Blackpool tower
4) White Cliffs of Dover
5) Hosues of parliament
6) Eden project
7) Millenium stadium
8) Angel of the North
9) Roman Baths
10) Brighton Pier

B) Fuji survey - they commisioned a similar survey of 3000 people asking them to identify the UK landmark they most wanted to photograph. The results were:

1) The london eye
2) Big ben
3) Bullring, Birmingham
4) Edinburgh Castle
5) 30 St mary Axe (The Gherkin, London)
6) Peterborough Cathedral
7) Spinnaker Tower
8) Tower Bridge
9) Roayl Liver Building (Liverpool)
10) York Minster

My decision now is which survey to use...or both. Any thoughts on which you humble readers prefer?

I might put a few of the images online soon...but I might not! Don't want anyone to steal them!

Diaries of a photographer...part 7

14/12/06

11.44 - The first day of the rest of my project...I hope!

Another change in direction has sought me looking into the top tourist spots and landmarks to photograph in the UK. So I am sitting under the chimes of Big Ben to start shooting the London landmarks that made the lists I have found.
I am excited by the lists and plan to do my subversion idea explored in Brighton. Taking the unconventional shots of those monuments rather than the expected tourist shots. ~this has to work as I am running out of time!

12.39 - Just been talking to a lone protester outside parliament (parliament square...check their website) campaigning for peace. maria, a really interesting and calm person who believes in what she is doing and seems amused by authority.
Her colleague has been protesting at this spot for 5 and a half years! Truly outstanding. What incredible dedication and courage for what they believe in, I only hope that I would have it in me to do something similar if the cause demanded it and my passion was strong.

They are constantly in court, battling for their rights to be there and constantly get challenged. It was exciting too as it was one of the first times I have ever asked to take a portrait.
Onwards...

13.25 (according to Big Ben!) - Round the other side of parliament eating my lunch by the river. This area is great - tourist heaven and all of them snapping the same images! This project is kind of about that - what the tourist takes and how they are the same shots from the same angels. Its funny taking photos from 'abnormal' spots...get some funny looks. Feeling confident though and this new direction has certainly got me quite excited. I have said that a few times but hope it pans out well this time when I get the negs back. Feels like a more holistic approach though and generally a more sophisticated concept to the issues I have been thinking about.
Its funny the presence of parliament. Makes me feel passionate about our history and democracy and at the same time dismayed at how contained in that building are the decision makers for 60 million people.
Feels historic.
Gunpowder, treason and plot!

13:50 - Just been stopped and searched under the terrorism act! Given the seize of my equipment (ha ha!), they were obliged apparently! Bit of a joke really and they were friendly enough but what happened to civil liberties? My details are once more to be entered into a police database!

The interesting bit is they as good as told me it was due to number crunching! Due to the report on the Stephen Lawrence enquiry - the MET were criticised for who they were stopping and now they have to stop a wider range of races etc so their stats look better!
This country.

15.43 - Winter light fades too quickly! Hence I am heading to London Bridge and home after what feels like a most productive day.
Whether the photos are any good or not remains to be seen, however, I am confident this is the right approach and its now persistence and confidence that's needed. I think repeated visits to the locations should prove worthy as people may play a big part. Those I come across and what people do around the landmarks etc.
Shot the London eye and was heading to Tower Bridge but light let me down. Depending on which survey I work from, I still have the Gherkin and Tower Bridge to shoot.
Onwards and upwards.
Hurrah!...hopefully!

Diaries of a photographer...part 6

7/12/06

14.00 - Started my new approach by returning to the pier armed with the Mamiya and good intentions!
After the promising success of trying my idea of shooting landmark buildings etc I researched the top English tourist attractions, the pier being the third biggest draw in the country.
Today the pier is hostile. Huge gale like winds, rough uncompromising seas, dramatic skies and intermittent bouts of driving rain.
Yet the odd tourist still makes it to the pier. The pier itself looking like a deserted playground on a rainy day. Those who venture on don't stay long and many of the rides are shut due to the weather.

This is what I want - major tourist attractions on non tourist sit friendly days. I tried to capture that against the sunny optimism the pier promotes all year round. I also continued in trying to subvert these areas that are meant to be picturesque or attractive by highlighting that which is normally missing from the visitors holiday snaps.

Instead of cropping put signs
of modernity or the 'rough sides' of the pier, I am trying to embrace them

Diaries of a photographer...part 5

Been a while since I wrote up my diaries of photographic truth...so here goes with a multi post catch up session.

29/11/06

13:50 - Staying loco down in aca-Brighton today. Had an idea for the project involving subverting images of popular landmarks etc and so wanted to try it out.
Doing digital images for ease to see how it works. The idea is to take ugly shots of things and places etc which are considered to be picturesque, historic or symbolic or beautiful and all that Jazz.
What better subjects to test it on than the pier and the pavilion? I was getting bogged down in my project and not feeling many images were conveying what I wanted and so wondered how this would work out.
ALso I am thinking that a multitude of styles may be the way forward? Had a talk by Stephen Gill this morning and he got me thinking about the traditional aesthetics of photography and how bodies of work can be made. perhaps a multi tacked approach with images of different styles might form a more holistic vision of my concept.
The problem may be maintaining some form of consistancy so it fits together as a piece, but that may be more an issue when editing.

Blown my christmas fuse

The Guf was suffering from a lack of internal lights.

The lights were there, but no light would be omitted from 'em.

My first instinct was to suspect a fuse had gone, so I went through the manual to look up where the fuses were, which fuse it would be and all that jazz. This in depth research highlighted a problem...the fuse that ran the internal lights also ran the radio - which was working fine. So it couldn't be the fuses.

When me and H went to the New Forest, she noticed the lack of lighting and commented on how annoying it may prove to be. She then suggested it might be a fuse and I explained my in depth research.

Given the fuses were a no go, I checked the bulbs, but they were all fine. Therefore, I ignored it as all good car owners should do when either an odd noise starts to occur or something not too major all be it a tad annoying goes wrong.

Today I went to B&Q to get our Christmas tree. HURRAH! Its a fine tree as far as I can tell, a good 5 foot or so and bushy, so it should fit snuggly into the corner of our living room. Now we are all set to jazz the place like their aint no tomorrow and make it glisten with festive joy. (there will be no Happy Holidays signs though...I promise you that!!!)

After loading Guf with said tree and chatting to Will about noting, whom I happened accross in the car park...I thought:

"Sod it"

Yes they were my actual words. I decided to pop the bonnet and check the fuses. Popping the bonnet is a task in itself as its a little battered and doesn't seem to open or shut proper. Perhaps Guf is ashamed of bearing all to me? Once the bonnet was open I made a small WD40 squirt to all parts bonnet opening in the vain hope it would resolve the open/shutting fiasco, this decision was based on my knowledge that WD40 can solve anything if the problem concerns a moving part. Would you believe the bonnet now works much more dandy than before!

Anyway, the fuses. I checked them and what did I find? A blown fuse thats what. So a quick naked jog to Halfords and I aquired a replacement. In it went, in to the Guf I went, press went I on the illuminators and I HAD LIGHT. I felt like how God did on the first day...joy to the world and peace to all men.

So, Guf is a lit beast now...there is no stopping her.

I was hoping the fuse would also solve the other problems, namely no dash board lights and the emergency I am in trouble blinker button doesn't do owt.

I dunno if the dash lights are sorted as I haven't been in her at night, but the blinkers are even worse than before! I smugly pushed the button thinking I could solve anything mechanical and no blinkers came on, instead, the Guf screamed. Literally screemed, like a muffled horn noise! Its a bit strange to say the least. I think I need to check that everything else is still working in case putting the fuse in has triggered all sorts of other technical problems.

I don't understand electronics...they make it up as they go along.

Man down.

Here I am sitting in the library in my massive orange computer helper T-shirt.

But I can't help.

The systems are down, or some bits of them are anyway and many a student is frantic as they have a deadline tomorrow.

What the problem is, nobody knows. Its one of those mysterious 'our servers are experiencing problems' things. Now I may be pesamistic, but thats always what they say, nobody ever gets more information as to the cause and it takes them a billion geek hours to fix. Why do servers go wrong so much and what causes it? I reckon Gates should investigate that and if he solves it he will then own all the money in the world as apposed to 3/4 of it.

Mac's never go down.

Oooohhh contraversial. Thought I would throw that in there as a new man to the Mac world and thus far the Mac is quite reliable. But I don't buy into that which is more reliable nonsense as EVERYONE knows computers just sometimes decide to break. its a bit like cars, one day they just can't be fucked and so sit there doing nothing and nobody can work out why. Turn them off an on again...well its like magic.

Anyway, the point being, isn't it funny how much it screws up modern society! The computer - the power house of all education, business and such like are fucked! They grind to a halt. Students miss deadlines, workers spend an afternoon cleaning their desks. Shambles. What I find funny is that nobody can do anything. There are no fail safe's or back up procedures. It's computer or nothing.

Glad I don't work in IT!

So?

So I seem to be starting many blogs with the word so...

...

...SO?

Texticles

So, I have a new way to gage popularity.

I stumbled accross the text counters on my mobile and the results are in...

Sent messages = 1109
Received messages = 1136

Therefore 25 people like me more than I like them...FACT!

Now for some fascinating stats! I have had my phone, I reckon about 15 months. Therefore I have sent an average of 92.41 texts per month (23.10 per week) and received 94.66 per month (23.66 per week).

So we can summise that an average of half a person likes me more per week than I like them.

Hurrah for me.

The genius of my age is that it is equadistant between 25 and 30...

So I turned 27.

The day after the blog turned 100, what a double celebration whammy!

Had a good birthday all told. Wasn't in the mood initially but ended up doing this and that as I felt like it and it was most enjoyable.

Whats it like to be 27 I wonder? Hopefully I should be vaguelly approaching maturity in some aspects of my mind (yeah right!). As you approach 30 the biggest challenge I reckon must be to keep changing and apapting yourself. 27+ years of conditioning is a lot and ultimately if there are things you want to change...I guess now is the time to get serious as its only going to get harder!

Had a funny week or two really, wasn't sure what to do with myself. Got full end of termitus at the moment and just want it to be Christmas. But at the same time, term can't really end for me this Friday as I have to try and stay on top of stuff over the holiday, yule understand (get it? Christmas joke #1 there.

Speaking of Christmas, its time to have Christmas moan #1, there will be many moans as I have many rules about Christmas and I take them seriously! What I hate though is the fact a new term has started to creep into Christmas, it sounds American but I can't be sure. The term is: holidays. "Happy holidays" you see written on stuff. Happy holidays a card might say. Happy holidays says a sign in a shop. WHAT? Its not happy holidays its happy Christmas. The reason it bugs me is because I bet its being done to not offend people. If they are not a Christian then perhaps they don't hold Christmas. Well, tuff! If you get offended then shut up or get out to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I am not a fascist (well not about anything serious!) and I respect all people's beliefs. I am not a Christian and I am not religious, I am Johnist. However, I choose to celebrate Christmas in my own way, but I don't try and pretend its not a religious Christian festival because it is! Idiots. Why can't we still say happy christmas and just not be offended if we are not Christian? If you ask me you must have very insecure beliefs to get offended by such a statement. However (sorry the rant is almost done), I suspect its the corporations who actually care, not the people, as they want to make sure everyone feels its something they can hold so they will spend money at this the most economically productive of times!

So, the Shit is back on the front burner. Kept it in a draw for a while, locked in chains. I occasionally let it out for exercise, but always gave it a beating after so it wouldn't get too cocky. As you will recall, it was a beast and refused to get under 10,000 words. So I waited for my feedback from the draft to work out what to do and that feedback was on Friday. So, now I am rearing to go again and no exactly what to do...do I bollox! The tutorial was rubbish and told me nothing I didn't already know! I am somewhat irked now as I should have just continued working on it the last few weeks, but now its gonna be hanging over me right into January.

This is turning into Whinge Station 2.0 this post aint it? I apologise, its the time of year and feeling a bit stressed from school. The major project is ticking along at an alarmingly slow rate. I have a new direction now, which is good, but I jsut need about a billion free hours to get on with it and race round the country!

Speaking of which, me and H started to plan the fit out of the Guf on Saturday. Its going to be amazing (I hope). The plans are great anyway, its just a matter of taking saw to wood now and sticking it all together with NO MORE NAILS.

Yeah, peace out and good tidings to all men. I shall be back later after another bout of shit bashing (that means working on my essay by the way, nothing perverted).

....

Before I go though, I just did a google image search for Shit Bashing as I was curious as to what the norks would come up. Here is the first 5 things Google provided me with:

1) Aisha the Child Wife of Muhammad

2) Welcome arch, Fairfield, CA

3) President Bush leaves after ...

4) Enter the Cheddar 36 Yankee-bashing ...

5) The Radio Hall of Fame

BRILLIANT! Thats my new best game. All those are strangely appropriate for shit bashing, well kind of! My fave is the appearance of T.V's Deal or no Deal...Noel 'Blobby' Edmunds!

HURRAH FOR NOEL AND HURRAH FOR SHIT BASHING.

I really am out of here now.

To do some shit bashing.

This could end up as a continous loop now.

OH JUST GO

WE ARE 100!!!! ITS A PARTY IN A POST AND EVERYONE IS INVITED!!!

Happy blog day to me, happy blog day to me...


Happy blog day dear Without material body...


Happy blog day to me!!!


HIP HIP...HORRAY!!!!


Big up yourselves on this momentous occasion of my 100th post!!! Its crazy but its true.

So, Grab a drink



Get chatting to the stangers in the room (blog)



And relax whilst I make my special 100th post announcement speach!


I think I should rename the blog, how to change the world in 100 posts. A bit rash you may say, nay say I, for what else can be read from the huge international significance that my blog has created? They said Salam pax's blog was good and he ended up presenting for Newsnight, but thats nothing compared to the life changing information this moderate blog has enforced on the world.

One Without Material Body blog fan sent in this image to demonstrate how amazing she thinks I am:



We have had some memorable moments over the time the blog has existed, I have educated you all on my fascist ways, my unflinching views and insights into my war torn personality.

Some of the comments have been fantastic too, remember my rant about shit, actual shit that is not just something I think is shit? Its here if you need a memory jogger, the comments made on this post were:

"Nice idea with this site its better than most of the rubbish I come across."

and

"Great site lots of usefull infomation here."

Someone tried to suggest these were stealth comments made by some automatic programme so I would follow the link they left. RUBBISH I say. I definately think someone thinks my comments on poo is useful information and my chats on passing a stool a nice idea thats better than most of the rubbish they come accross.

HURRAH FOR ME, time to get the cheerleaders out perhaps?

So the blog started on 4 April 2006, now a national holiday. That means in 8 months 100 posts. 12.5 posts per month! 3 per week on average. How prolific am I?

EVERYONE OUT I AM BORED!

Sorry, the party is over now.

I did have grand things planned for this post, but it was holding me back from posting anything else until I got through 100. Damn it. Now it comes to it, I can't think of anything snazzy party post things to have and I can't really be arsed to do it. Typical of my initial enthusiasm colliding with my uncomplicated impatience!

I hope you enjoyed the party anyway and be sure to come back soon for the next 100 posts, which promise to be bigger, better, brighter and alltoger more 'er.

Big up your pants, keep reading and remember a blog is for life not just for a few months of boredom whilst you are working in an office. I am proof if proof be need be of that!

I leave you now with a quote by Dr J F Gooblehowseir, that seems appropriate to my 100th pen to blog entry:

"Someone once asked me where my material body was...what material body I replied...I am without material body."

We can all learn something from Gooblehowseir's words.

Good night.

Rain = umbrellas. Post = 99

Alright.

Haven't posted for a while, I think its the pressure of where I am at! This is post numero 99, which means the next one is 100. I am not sure I can do a hundredth post without it being a little bit jazzy and have been holding back planning what to do. I shall think on. Anyway, in the mean time here is 99. I like to think this post will be like the 99 ice cream, but the one without the flake. Nice and enjoyable, but altogether a bit unsatisfying because there is no chocolate treat rammed into it. Post 100 will have the flake, oh yes, it will have a flake.

So rain. Its a bit shite. To be fair, the winter has crept up as slowly as a paraplegic ninja, and for that I priase Jah. However, the rain has started and that leads me on to umbrellas.
I hate umbrellas, I hate them a lot. There are numerous very well rounded reasons for this and I will explain them below so everyone can agree with me (which is how I like it!).

1) Dangerous. People with umbrellas are often twats. They wander along with said umbrella low over their head, so low, they can only see the ground and so don't look where they are going. As such, its like running the gauntlet in T.V's The Gladiators. You have to dodge the spikes, avoid the deadly metal jutty bits and be super alert whilst trying to walk at pace to avoid the rain. To be frank, it scares me! They could have an eye out easy and most umbrella users seem oblivious to the dangers.

2) Umbrella gangs. I hate groups with an umbrella each. Should they be walking at a rejects pave (which oft they are) its hard to navigate round them as umbrellas are about twice as wide as a person. Earlier today, whilst walking the narrow lanes, I had to circumnaviate three umbrella users and it was a trial. I almost knocked into a stand trying to do so. They should be made to walk single file. In fact, I have a brilliant idea for slowness in general. Pedestian lanes. Carve the pavement up like a motorway and idiots can go in the slow lane and let the speedy gonzalis of this world use the fast lane. Thanks.

3) They are rubbish. Umbrellas don't work. Your head may stay a bit dry, but unless the rain is vertical, you are going to get wet anyway. Also, a slightest gust of wind and they turn inside out and you almost get blown away. In this age of progression, surely someone could re-design the umbrella to actually work effeciently?

4) Multiple umbrella use. If two people share an umbrella, calamaty ensues. fitting two people under one is hard enough and if you are the carrier, you feel so concious of keeping your fellow shelterer dry, you ineviatbly are half in and half out the umbrella and so get drenched. Plus if the other person is a different height to you, keeping the umbrella aloft at a satisfactory height is near impossible. Don't share.

I say banish the things. Get wet or get a hat.

By the way, I was asked the other day what Asomatous means. It means Without material body...hence the name of this blog. It seemed an appropriate and brilliantly protentious name to have as an internet identity and so has stuck with me for some years now.