• an electric can opener
• an old vacuum cleaner
• a blender

Maybe it’s just because there was a bunch of smoke, but I actually enjoyed tonight’s interpretation of John Cage’s Variations VII.  Apart from the smell of some really hideous perfume on a woman standing nearby, the room smelt like melting plastic and burnt out motors.  It was a bit like guitar strings breaking, but still not quite rock and roll.

I’m probably still suffering the negative associations of a past relationship, but my back gets incredibly tense at the thought of much noise related art practice.  Then again, don’t even get me started on the terrible things that can be done with visualisations.

It would be easier to say that I just don’t get some types of media art , but something must fascinate me about it, because I keep on thinking about it and what I want to do as a practice within the greater new media field.   Nothing elaborate, but damn it, if I am to do anything I at least want to do it well.

Maybe one day I’ll actually work on one of my ideas.

Homework from battlecat on Vimeo.

In a shout-out to both Stubby and Pete I do some video blog homework.

“On the ground” in Austria from battlecat on Vimeo.

In 2007, my friend Jess and I would meet up almost every Tuesday evening to drink wine and eat tapas.

Our favourite venue was the Richmond Hotel on Rundle St. There was a hot bartender with amazing hands, but I think the main reason we kept going back was for The Cheese.

The Cheese is tasty morsels of haloumi, cherry tomatoes and mint, all wrapped up in a filo pastry parcel and then shallow fried.

I was speaking to Jess today on Skype and she somehow dropped the word Cheese into conversation where it normally wouldn’t have been.

And then I realised… I had almost the right ingredients for Cheese Production in my kitchen. I had some cherry tomatoes, just on the edge of being too ripe. No haloumi or mint, but feta and basil would work just as well. I’d been saving some filo pastry for another baking opportunity after a spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) became more pie than spinach.

So in honour of Jess (and occasional Tuesday night associates Ellie, Simon and Simon) I made some replica Cheese.

While we may be separated by distance, Skype and Replica Cheese can help bring us together in spirit and stomach at least.

#2 On Friends and Mindapples from battlecat on Vimeo.

My latest vodcast – as recorded on May 29th, 2009.

I only just realised that I could have included links to bands, projects and friends using the amazing power of titles.

Oh well.

My friend Marc, is the writer behind http://www.un-understand.co.uk.
The Australian band I mentioned was Brillig http://www.brillig.com.au.
And my friend Andy Gibson http://sociability.org.uk is the founder of Mindapples http://mindapples.org!

#2 On Friends and Mindapples from battlecat on Vimeo.

My latest vodcast – as recorded on May 29th, 2009.

I only just realised that I could have included links to bands, projects and friends using the amazing power of titles.

Oh well.

My friend Marc, is the writer behind http://www.un-understand.co.uk.
The Australian band I mentioned was Brillig http://www.brillig.com.au.
And my friend Andy Gibson http://sociability.org.uk is the founder of Mindapples http://mindapples.org!

As part of my 100 Things I Want To Learn list I’ve made my first video blog post. I learnt how to export from iMovie and how to wait patiently while videos compress, get uploaded and then converted by Vimeo. So I guess I did learn more about 64. Video recording and editing to the level required for good vodcasting

the first battlecat vlog post… from battlecat on Vimeo.

Self-centered personal blogging ahoy!

I’m playing with my gifted video camera and the idea of different levels of honesty, intimacy and immediacy afforded by edited text and unedited video.

Also, I’m in the middle of trying to work out what happens next in my crazy life. Writing hasn’t worked so far. Maybe talking to an inanimate object will help?

So anyway the challenge is to know (with more certainty) by August, what I do next in my life. I’m not sure if I make much sense in the video.

I am having a marvellous time.

This week I’m overwhelmed with visits by half a dozen lovely people primarily from Adelaide band Brillig. It’s an absolute pleasure to be showing the first arrivals, Matt and Elizabeth around my new city.

I’m almost shaking with excitement for Thursday when some of my most absolute favourite people in the entire world come to visit. I think I’ll need to visit some more fotoautomats so that I can record their visits too!