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alphabet

The alphabet does not go ‘A B C D What? When? How?’ but it does go ‘V W X Why? Z
― Douglas Adams


This year, or more precisely, at the turn of the previous year (if that phrase is indeed correct, maybe it is not), I resolved not to make any resolutions. Among the resolutions that I did not make, were to read more, and, maybe, to take more care of my health. Bizarrely, as far as the latter is concerned, a small collection of electrical components wrapped in plastic and connected to my wrist by means of a rubberised tangerine strap (yes, really, it seems red to me, but Fitbit deem it to be tangerine) have been pressing me to address this resolution (that I did not make, of course). So, when I saw that this week’s photo challenge from WordPress was alphabet, I recharged my Surge, stiffened my sinews, or (girded my) loins, or whatever, and set out to both become fit(ter) and capture the alphabet on the streets of Brussels. The results, largely unedited (apart from a tiny bit of cropping and lens correction) are below. And, if you are still with me, you will find (way down below) a map of my route, as recorded by my tantalisingly tangerine timepiece.


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The tangerine thing tells me that the walk that I took is as recorded below. I have attempted, from memory, to indicate where each shot was taken. All positions are approximate and may even be wildly inaccurate.

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And, if you are still with me, for which thank you, the book that I am reading (as part of one of my other non-resolutions) is Submission, by Michel Houellebecq, a particularly challenging read in the light of recent events and geography.


for wordpress weekly photo challenge – alphabet

and for lucile’s photo 101 rehab

*shot with nikon d700 and nikkor f/1.4 50mm lens with minor cropping and lens calibration in lightroom cc*

see also qwerty / azerty | andytownend

Audio

brussels takeaway

This morning I gave a ‘no holds barred’ interview, on the controversial “Brussels Lockdown’ to John Hockenberry, host of ‘The Takeaway’ broadcast on WNYC and across the USA.

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You can listen to the interview by visiting ‘The Takeaway’ or by clicking on the link below.

Share your views about this very complex and sensitive situation?

 

 

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the next day

‘The rain that fell on the city runs down the dark gutters and empties into the sea without even soaking the ground’
― Haruki Murakami, Underground

Day two of the lockdown in Brussel.

Security ever present although more subdued than yesterday.

But most people stayed at home.

Who knows what tomorrow holds.

It’s up to us, not the Government, not the Police, not the Military. It’s up to each one of us. In our own, however little, way to say no to terror, no to the terrorists.

Don’t look the other way.

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changing (seasons) #11 or, ‘change is the only constant’

‘life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes*
don’t resist them
that only creates sorrow
let reality be reality
let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like’

― lao tzu

(birminghamstraat, molenbeek)

(for the monthly photo challenge named the changing seasons, which runs from the 7th to the 15th day of each month throughout the year, hosted by Cardinal Guzman and also for Lucile’s photo101rehab)

shot with nikon d700 and nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens slightly tweaked in lightroom cc, change is the only constant** 

*eminem – going through changes (official music video) via youtube

**heraclitus of ephesos

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changing (seasons) #10; or, ‘what do i care’

‘and the trees are stripped bare
of all they wear
what do I care’

lyrics from october by U2

(birminghamstraat, molenbeek)

(for the monthly photo challenge named the changing seasons, which runs from the 7th to the 15th day of each month throughout the year, hosted by Cardinal Guzman)

*shot with nikon d700 and nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens slightly cropped in lightroom cc with added “punch”, oh, and i do care really, a lot* 

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changing (seasons) #09; or, ‘wake me up when september ends’

‘summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends’
– lyrics from wake me up when september ends, by green day

(birminghamstraat, molenbeek)

(for the monthly photo challenge named the changing seasons, which runs from the 7th to the 15th day of each month throughout the year, hosted by Cardinal Guzman)

*shot with nikon d700 and nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens slightly cropped in lightroom cc with added “punch”, oh, and wake me up when it’s over* 

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changing (seasons) #08

“a fellow is more afraid of the trouble he might have than he ever is of the trouble he’s already got”
― william faulkner, light in august

(birminghamstraat, molenbeek)

(for the monthly photo challenge named the changing seasons, which runs from the 7th to the 15th day of each month throughout the year, hosted by Cardinal Guzman)

*shot with nikon d700 and nikkor 16-35mm f/4 lens all at f/4, slightly cropped in lightroom cc, august already

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changing (seasons) #07

“summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance”
– yoko ono

(birminghamstraat, molenbeek)

(for the monthly photo challenge named the changing seasons, which runs from the 7th to the 15th day of each month throughout the year, hosted by Cardinal Guzman)

*shot with iphone 5, slightly cropped in lightroom cc, summer struggling

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changing (seasons) #06

“…the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind”
― friedrich nietzsche

(birminghamstraat, molenbeek)

(for the monthly photo challenge named the changing seasons, which runs from the 7th to the 15th day of each month throughout the year, hosted by Cardinal Guzman)

*shot with nikon d700, nikkor 70-200mm f/4 lens, tweaked in lightroom 5, summer coming*

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broken

“part broken – part whole, you begin again”
― jeanette winterson

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(derelict factory, birminghamstraat, molenbeek)

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(for wordpress weekly photo challenge – broken)

*shot with  nikon d700 and nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens using ISO200, f/5.6 and 1/125s, edited in lightroom cc and analog efex pro 2 with wet plate filer applied, no ball games allowed*

broken by andytownend

broken on belgradestreets