Photography - Cheap & Cheerful

Cheap & Cheerful 01

I mentioned in my previous post, I've gotten a little behind with posting my photography challenge pictures from Delightful Aberrations, here over the last three weeks. So today I've decided to do something of a catch-up and will be posting weeks 12, 13, and 14. This is the last of the catch-ups, week 14, for which I used the prompt "cheap". The wider theme I decided upon was "Cheap & Cheerful", which is why I used bright colours, pennies & one yen coins.

Cheap & Cheerful 02

Cheap & Cheerful 03

Cheap & Cheerful 04

Photography - Candlelit Horrors

Phobia

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've gotten a little behind with posting my photography challenge pictures from Delightful Aberrations, here over the last three weeks. So today I've decided to do something of a catch-up and will be posting weeks 12, 13, and 14. This is week 13, for which I used the themes of "candle" and "frighten". 

The set of pictures was vaguely supposed to represent different types of fear. There's not much else to say about them, except that I used a candle that faded from reddish-purple at the bottom to white at the top as a light and that they're self-portraits.

Candlelight Grin

It's Disgusting

NO!

Shock

Photography - Biotecnology

Biotechnology

I've gotten a little behind with posting my photography challenge pictures from Delightful Aberrations, here over the last three weeks. So today I've decided to do something of a catch-up and will be posting weeks 12, 13, and 14. This is week 12, for which I used the prompts "grass", "hole", and "interactive". 

The original photo I took was this:

I darkened the veins and added some more, plus drew on the blades of grass/tubes going into the "holes" in my hand. Then, I took some photos of some computer components that my friend had lying around:

And added elements of them to the picture. I then changed the levels and colour balance of the overall picture and the photomanipulation was complete! The result wasn't particularly wonderful, but at the same time, it was a quick experiment and so I'm not that disappointed with it either.

Music Музика 音楽 Musik Musique Musica Музыка

Spot who's missing...

I haven't done one of these "music surveys" here before and probably won't do one again. However, as I rarely post about music at all, I thought I'd do this and give a little window into the kind of thing I spend my time listening to. The title of the entry is the word for "music" in the language in which each of the bands/artists in I listened to sang. In case you're curious, the order goes: English, Bulgarian, Japanese, German, French, Latin, and Russian. One of the groups, Sui Generis Umbra, is actually Polish, but their vocals are usually in either English or Latin, so the Latin represents them.

Rules: You shuffle your music player and answer the questions!  (I skipped repeated bands/artists, because as some of you will know, I have a lot of music by certain bands and hardly any by others).

Ladytron

Song #1: Black Cat - Ladytron

What’s the first line in the song?

“Слушай ме / Мненията забрави” 

(Slushaĭ me / Mneniyata zabravi // Listen to me / Forget your despondancies)

How long has this band/artist been around?

Um, since 1999 or 2000 I think.

Do you have a specific memory associated with this song?

Not really.

Can you relate to any of the lyrics? 

Yeah, I really like the lyrics actually. You can read a translation of them here.

On a side note, this band usually has a different lead vocalist, and their lyrics are normally all in English, but this song has their backing vocalist, Mira Aroyo, on lead vocals. She's Bulgarian and the lyrics to this song are are as well; she sounds good!

Do you like any other songs by this band/artist?

Yeah, I like a lot of their songs. I was actually listening to another of one - 'Evil' - before I started this.

MALICE MIZER

Song #2: 白い肌に狂う愛と哀しみの輪舞 (Shiroi Hada ni Kuuru Ai to Kanashimi no Rondou / The rondo of sadness and love driven crazy by the white skin) - MALICE MIZER

Does any part of this song make you laugh?

No, unless I'm remembering the film it's on the soundtrack to. (It's essentially a very cheesy silent vampire film, set to this band's *very good* music. I still love the movie anyway too though! :D)

What is your favorite lyric in this song?

"The life breathing in the pitch-black darkness / The limbs sized by the transient sleep /  And, these shadows are overlapping each other / Tonight, the peal of thunder invites you to the new encounter"

Strangely enough, I just happen to like the only lines that are in English the best, on this occasion.

Have you ever seen this band/artist live?

No, sadly not, and they've disbanded now so I'm not likely to now either. I've seen a few of the other projects (DALLE and Eve of Destiny) of their ex-guitarist before though.

What is the first song by this band/artist that you remember hearing?

I think it was 'Illuminati'? (Note: They had a different vocalist at this point. Also, this PV is definitely NSFW. It's much different to the song & PV I linked to above! You've been warned :P However, I love both).

What kind of mood does that song put you in?

Well, I love this song, so it puts me in a good mood. Also it puts me in a silly, ridiculous horror movie kind of mood too. But more an 80's kind this time.

Grausame Töchter

Song #3: Glaube Liebe Hoffnung (Faith Love Hope) [sort of NSFW, I guess?] - Grausame Töchter

Does this song make you think of a certain person?

Grausame Töchter's music in general always reminds me of my friend Rina, because she's really the only other person I know who likes this artist. That probably sounds weird now though, haha.

Where is this band/artist from?

Germany.

If someone just randomly said the lines from this song to you, how would you react?

"I like that song" ...I guess? Depends who it was and how/why they were saying it, to be honest! 

Are any of the lyrics in this song suggestive in any way?

Yeah, sort of, but not as much as on some of their other tracks. (It doesn't matter to me either way, I'm just making an observation :P).

Mylène Farmer

Song #4: Regrets - Mylène Farmer (with Jean-Louis Murat)

What is the 7th line in this song?

“ L'amour cachait” ("Love hidden")

Does the above line have any special meaning to you?

No.

Would this song be suitable to play at a wedding?

I guess if someone wanted to come and interrupt the wedding because they were in love with the bride/groom & regretted not being with them or something? Maybe?

Have you seen the video for this song? If yes then describe it.

Yes, I've seen it. It's shot in black and white and Mylène Farmer & Jean-Louis Murat are walking around what looks like a park, arm in arm. They look sad at first, but then start to be happy and sort of "playful", then it cuts to a scene of them sitting together on a gravestone, because they're actually in a cemetery. After a while, they stand up and hug and then Mylène disappears off into the distance, since she's dead, and Jean-Louis leaves with some flowers she gave him/he brought for her grave.

merry go round

Song #5: 注文の多い料理店 (Chuumon no ooi ryouriten / The Restaurant of Many Orders) - merry go round

Would you be embarrassed if someone caught you singing this song out loud?

I'm not sure "signing" is the right word to describe it on this song...it's more speaking very quickly most of the time (not rapping). But no, I probably wouldn't be embarrassed. Depends who it was though I suppose.

What is the 4th line in the song?

”「銃と弾丸は持ち込まないようにしてください。」”   ("Juu to dangan wa mochiko nai you ni shite kudasai" / "Please do not bring a gun and bullets")

If you had to give this song a rating, what would it be: G, PG, PG13 or R?

For this song, PG I guess? But I think I want to say PG13 or R just because it's this particular band and I know what they were usually like. On second thoughts, G. :P (The ratings we have over here are different anyway).

Would you be shocked if your parent(s) liked this song?

My mother likes some of the music I listen to, but she doesn't like anything by merry go round at all. So I'd be surprised if she liked it, yes.

Do you find the singer of this song attractive?

Yes, their vocalist, Kazuma (真) (I think he still goes by that these days; this band are no longer together), had/has an aesthetic that I appreciate.

Bauhaus

Song #6: Stigmata Martyr - Bauhaus

Can you play this song on any instrument?

No, but then again, I've never tried to either.

Have you ever seen anyone that looks like the singer of this song?

I've never really noticed anyone looking like Peter Murphy, no.

What is the funniest or most clever lyric in the song?

I don't think it's particularly funny or clever, but it's very descriptive and conveys the story using only a short amount of lines. So, there, that's what I think is most clever about it.

Has this song been in any movies?

It was in 'Night of the Demons' (1988).

Sui Generis Umbra

Song #7: the leprosies of sin [kind of NSFW as it's a fan video set to the film '300'. It was all I could find for this song.] - Sui Generis Umbra

What kind of mood does this song put you in? 

It gives me a lot of energy, for some bizarre reason. It's a track I really enjoy.

Replace the 4th word of the song with the word “Beaver”…..

“It's your fault. Beaver” (Okay then?)

Does this song make you think of someone?

Not really, no. That's a good thing I suppose!

Do you know anyone that hates this band?

No, I don't. I know a few people who like them though.

Roman Rain

Song #8: Пентаграммы (Pentagrams) - Roman Rain

Is there a certain memory that you associate with this song?

Actually, this song reminds me of flat-sitting my sister's old flat in London for a few weeks, with Miseria, a couple of years ago. The single this song is from had just come out, so I listened to it a lot whilst we were there. Of course, Miseria is not really into Roman Rain, but they didn't mind me listening to it...at least, I don't think so! Anyway, lots of the memories I have of that trip, I associate with this song, which is a little strange because of the lyrics, but oh well!

What is the 12th line in the song? 

“Гудбай любовный герой!” (Gudbay lyubovnyy geroy! / Goodbye, romantic hero!).

If this band/artist came to a town near you, would you go see them?

Absolutely, this is one of my favourite artists/bands! But he's/they're from Russia and he's/they're not that popular, so it's not ever likely to happen, unfortunately. On another note, Roman Rain's current support backing vocalist is an artist called ElisaBat Muse, whose solo music is also very good. You should give her a listen too!

Have you ever kissed anyone when this song was playing?

No.

Is there anything political about this song?

I'm pretty sure there's not, but my Russian isn't great, so don't take my word for it.

IAMX

Song #9: I Come With Knives [vaguely NSFW] - IAMX

What is your favourite lyric in the song?

I really like all the lyrics actually. But maybe:
"The monotony / And the rising tide / Is under my skin, is crawling inside / Adrenaline to rewire my mind / I'm only human, I come with knives"

or

"Kinder und sterne küssen und verlieren sich / greifen leise meine hand und führen mich / die traumgötter brachten mich in eine landschaft / schmetterlinge flatterten durch meine seele / in der mitternacht" (Children and stars kiss and lose themselves /quietly grabbing my hand and leading me. / the dream gods brought me to a landscape / butterflies fluttered through my soul / at midnight).


Is this one of your favourite bands/artists?

Yes.

Have you ever sung this song out loud?

Yes, but only the bit in German. (I get that bit stuck in my head a lot; it sounds like a nursery rhyme or something).

When is the first time you ever heard this song?

I don't really remember. Whenever it came out. A few years ago, I guess?

Dernière Volonté

Song #10: Les rêves de dorian (Dreams of Dorian) - Dernière Volonté

Replace the last word of the song title with the word “Sparta”…..:

'Les rêves de Sparta' ('Dreams of Sparta' ...okay then...)

Does this song get played a lot on the radio?

I don't listen to the radio, but even so, I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

Where is this band/artist from?

France.

Would this song be appropriate to play at a funeral?

It depends what kind of person you were, I suppose...

Walking with Bats

Sunset at the bat walk

On the 17th of June, my friend Miseria, my mother and I went to Berry Head National Nature Reserve to take part in a bat walk, which was organised by the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust. The event began at 8:15pm, but we arrived early, so we decided to walk along the coastline and take some photos of the surrounding area beforehand.

The view of the coastline

Guillemots

My mother

At around 8pm, we went to the visitors centre to meet with the guides and the rest of the group before the beginning of the event. We got to see into a bat cave on a night vision camera, whilst we had a talk about horseshoe bats (greater & lesser), including where they live, what they eat, how they behave (they're apparently the only species of microbats that hang upside down!). We were also given the opportunity to ask questions. 

The main guide told us lots of information about bat conservation as well, including the fact that all bats are protected in the UK. Apparently, there is a really large population of horseshoe bats in Devon, comparatively, so it's an important roosting area for them. We were also given information leaflets about both species of bats, which went into a little more detail into some things. 

After telling the group that we would probably see greater horseshoe, lesser horseshoe, and pipistrelle bats, the guides explained that we'd be listening to the bat echolocation ultrasound through "bat detectors". Each type of bat emits a different frequency of ultrasound and so the detectors are tuned into one type at a time. Although Horseshoe bats do use echolocation, they use it in a different way to any other type of bat, using their famous "horseshoe"-shaped noses to disperse the sound in a different shape and direction than other bats do. 

Following this talk, we headed to a nearby cow field in order to look for some dung beetles, as this is what horseshoe bats mainly feed on. The Coast and Countryside Trust manages the fields and hedgerows in the local area, so they can make sure that the wildlife have the best environment possible. Also, the grass is kept a reasonable length because of the grazing cows, so there's no need to bring potentially harmful machinery into the fields.

The friendly & curious cows

A dung beetle in a specimen pot

As soon as we arrived in the field, the cows approached us and we got to pet them for a little bit, which was a nice bonus! Then the two assistant guides put on gloves and went to gather some cow dung and started looking for beetles. Whilst this was happening, the other guide told us more about bat habitats, land management, the types of beetles (and other things) that the bats eat, and the life cycles of those things.

Once the two assistants had found some beetles, they took them around the group in specimen pots and showed us them individually, up close. They also answered any questions we had, too; it was really interesting to learn more about the bats and beetles. 

Next, we walked to a path/road near the hedgerows where we were going to watch the bats. We were told some last minute extra information about bats and given another chance to ask questions. We were then told the guidelines for how to behave once we got to the area with the bats, in order both not to disturb them and also to get the best result out of the bat-watching.

We all went and sat in a line, on the grass verge of a roadside, with hedgerows bordering the front and back of us. The guides gave some of us, including Miseria, bat detectors. They set some of them to detect pipistrelles and some to set greater horseshoes and explained that later during the evening they would set all of them to greater horseshoes, as the pipistrelles would probably stop appearing then.

Miseria's bat detector was set to pipistrelles and they began to appear almost immediately, flying in and out of the hedgerows around 1-2 metres above the ground. Their ultrasound frequency sounded like high-pitched clicks/beeps and they flew really close to us, almost bumping into us sometimes!

After around half an hour, the guides changed the bat detector frequency to the greater horseshoes and they started to appear around 10 minutes later. They had a completely different sound to them; much deeper and more like a pulsing sound, compared to the clicking. They flew very close to the ground and swooped upwards towards the end of each flight pass (it seemed like they did, at least). Even after the detector had been set to greater horseshoes, there were still a few pipistrelles flying back and forth too.

The bat watching concluded at around 10:30pm. Altogether, we saw approximately 20-25 bats that evening, which was apparently really good because sometimes they don't see any at all! It was a such an informative and interesting evening and seeing so many bats was wonderful!

Miseria, my mother, and I stayed around the area for a little longer, as Miseria and I wanted to take some more photos. We left at nearly 11pm in the end, haha.

The Moon

Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust are running bat walks at Berry Head until late August, so if you're interested in going to one, check their website bat walks page for more information. (You don't need to be a member, but you do need to book a place in advance!).