[...]

Now I have to personally admit that
I send text messages quite alot [text
messages if you didn't know are also
called SMS's] and I find it useful for
having a conversation when I’m
busy doing something else.

But there is a slight piece of textual
etiquette that I dislike. it’s the three
dot system. When your having a
conversation with someone this
little example below may happen:

You: “You alright, how’s you? x”

Them: “I’m ok, I guess… x”

Now, this is what bugs me because
it’s really not needed. If you have
a tale that you want to tell then
tell it. You have this opportunity
when the first person [i.e me] texts
you.

In the instance of the three dot
terror occurring to me, even by
those of whom I may already be
in a deep conversation with I
feel the strong urge to not indulge
them and not text back.

This occurs in text messages,
instant messages, email, it even
occurs in books and other print,
but thats the thing. The three dots
is made [in my opinion,
exclusively] for books and print.

It’s there to add suspense but in the
case of conversation, it just adds
unneeded time and needless responses
to something you could have mention
outright.

Although the three dot system can
be used for comedic effect. And in
my mind is not always associated
with things being drawn out. This can
be shown in the example I’ve shown
below [which is from a message today]

“Richard… camera … bluewater…
Do you know a girl steve?”

It’s a message I got from a friend I
haven’t seen in like over a year
I believe.

So, to summerise, the three dots
in a written message should only
be used for comedic effect or to
show a slight shock like that
previous message did.

[photo of square.brackets]

[just in case you were wondering what
it is that I looked like] x

[photograph taken by James Molloy]

[what you could have done]

Standing at work.

“Richard?”

“Yeah”

“How much did you holiday
cost you?”

“Um, flights, hotel and what not,
about £171″

“Wow, think what you could have
done with that money?”

“Yeah, I did it”

=]

Coversation between me and my boss.
[My part of the conversation in bold]

Jessops Bluewater
19th January 2009

[pet hate# 5]

Now as alot of you may know. I do
photography, constantly. I find I
actually can’t turn the photographic
side of my mind off. It’s always
looking around for the next thing
to take a photo of.

And in this I have developed a
sort of [let's say] extreme annoyance,
actually I’ll be honest, it totally
fucks me off when people take my
camera [or I pass it to them, because
they want to see the picture I just
took] and they delete a photograph
without permission.

REALLY PISSES ME OFF.

[note the use of capitals, look all
you want that hasn't happened in
this blog]

[the old yellow rolls royce]

I love travelling, have done so my entire
life. As a kid, I remember mum taking
me and my little brother for long drives.
We didn’t even have a real destination.
We just drove.

And this love grew, the whole experience
of seeing somewhere or something that
I hadn’t before excites more than most
things these days.

I think it’s in my blood. I mean my my
mum and dad moved to England from
Barbados. Which makes me British but
of Caribbean descent. Or on most forms,
Black Other.

My sister moved away also, she now works
on a cruise ship and goes all around the
world.

The family curse as we sometimes refer
to it. An inside family joke as it were.
So, I’m next. And I’ve been doing it.

In November last year me and my
friend Tommi went to Norway, it was
awesome. It wasn’t that planned. I
didn’t even book time off work, but,
did it on the two days I had off.

So Tommi and I went to Oslo [Norway],
which like I said, was awesome. And me
and Tommi decided that we had to see
the world.

And so this month was the time for
the adventure. Although this was to
be done by myself [because Tommi
couldn't make it this time]. This time
I went to Italy [Pisa to be exact]. The
reason for this is that I had been
wanting to go there fro some time.

Travelling on my own was a strange
experience, I mean really. There actually
used to be a time where I wouldn’t go up
to London by myself. And here I was, in
a foreign country where I spoke close
to none of the language. At first scary,
but you nkow what being by myself wasn’t
too bad. It gave me time I don’t usually
have.

Like, for instance, I started writing a short
story whilst waiting in the departure lounge
of Gatwick Airport and in the Airport in Pisa.
But I’ve got a feeling that this story won’t
get finished.

I may get one of those european train tickets.
And by may, I mean to say if the summer
road-trip doesn’t happen. I will.

Next month and the month after that promise
to be interesting in terms of travelling. I say
this now, I need to see the world. Alone if I
have to, but I will see it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/squarebrackets/

[has photos of Italy and Norway and alot of other
stuff in all honesty]

http://www.interrail.net/english/index.php

[the train ticket I mentioned]

[octopus]

“An octopus has got three
hearts. Three hearts! You
can break its heart and it’ll
still love you twice more”

Billy Connely

[summer]

Just a little note about summer. The
only thing I miss is sitting in a field
on a sunny day with my trainers off.

Over the summer I did this on many
occasions and I’m not sure why but it
just popped into my head.

[drinking and waking up alone]

With my hands in my pockets,
And my heart on the floor.
My brain five miles behind,
Feeding me words,
That lack value anymore.

My love is astoundingly generic,
or so I believed this is what she said.
With nothing new to add to the
mix, I drink till my liver feels dead.

As I awake the next morning,
not sure how I got home.
With yesterdays words and memories returning,
I remember that I am now alone.

[time for the quarterly update]

Here we go, below is a list of things that I
will [emphasis on the will], achieve by
the 31st March 2009, this is much like a
new years resolution, but, transformed
into a set of goals and placed in a much
shorter timeline.

The reason for this and probably the reason
behind most new years resolutions failing is
that a year is too much time and between
the first and last day of the year things will
happen.

And that promise you made to yourself
will fall into the deep dark part of your
brain only to be remembered when
December rolls around and someone asks
what your resolution was.

Shorten the time, up the deadline. Make
December, March. You become more dedicated
and there’s less chance of it all going to hell.

The List:

1] To have achieved at least one photographic
exhibition, as one person or in a group.

2] Write and then start recording on a short
film.

3] To have read at least 5 novels.

4] To have completed at least two of my
photographic projects.

5] Copy all outstanding photographic ideas
into the project book.

6] Write down all the lyrics and chords for
[Little Green Book] all in one notepad.

7] To see at least one more foreign country
that I have not seen before.

And there we are. My list of goals. I have every
intention of completing every one of these goals.
And seeming that each one of these goals is an ‘at
least’ I also intend of taking each one further.

On anther note, my absence from my blog, hasn’t been
my absent mind wishing for far away lands, but for the
sheer fact that to blog, I need a trigger, a feeling if you
like and I just haven’t had one recently but the I started
thinking about this years [well, three months] list and
boom there we go.

If anyone wants to help with these goals feel free,
but realise that I can be arse when I have a particular
vision in my head. As bad as that [rather long]
sentence sounded, it’s also the truth.