Passion in the Moments: January 2011

Monday, 24 January 2011

I-Heart Faces Photo Challenge: Innocent Wonder

Sunday, 23 January 2011

The Weekend in Black and White: Big Ben

Big Ben, London, UK

Friday, 21 January 2011

Six Word Fridays: Warmth

Warmth is;

A comforting smile across the room,
A hug when we are down,
A kind word lifting us up,
A generous soul seeking us out.

Warmth is;

The joyous laughter of inocense child,
The rush of excitement ushering hope,
The restoring grace of genuine care,
The love that flows from children.

Hi I'm Rue, the artist and voice behind Passion in the Moments / E:thos Photographic. This weekly posting is essentially an opportunity to share tid-bits, rants and observations that I have come across in the course of the week that are not really worth writing a whole article about but are interesting nevertheless. These coupled with that odd picture I have taken that doesn't really fit in anywhere, news about what's going on @ E:thos and a review of something interesting, put together in one post makes up what I call Rue's Friday Fragments. There is humour, righteous indignation, sad truths and a little of me, so something for everyone...enjoy!

10. Picture of the week

Reclaimed and recycled...see more here

9. Tunisia

'If you wont give us some rights and democracy, we will take it!' - what a powerful message the Tunisian people are sending which is resonating throughout Africa and beyond. It is indeed possible for a peaceable people to reach their breaking point and say enough is enough! No one has to suffer a tyrannical form of oppressive leadership indefinitely and Tunisia has proven to us that there is always a choice, you just have to be willing to fight for it...

8. Carlina White

Carlina White's story is simple insane yet fascinating. She is a young woman who suspected being adopted as she and her family seemed to be too different with her not reassembling any of them. When she started digging she found she had no birth certificate and so she employed the online database, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited children and to investigate her past and found she was actually reported kidnapped at age 4. Now 23, Carlina has been reunited with her parents, a sad story that has a happy ending.

7. Can White People Be Africans?

I saw this title for an article on Global Voices, an online group for writers / bloggers who have a keen passion for human rights and justice. My opinion is simply this, if you are born in a country and live there all your life, and there are traceable generations of our people being settled in that place you are a part of it. The best example of this is the United Kingdom peoples. In the UK, the native peoples are referred to as English, those who have settled in the continent are called British, because it is recognised that they are a part of the continent though not native. The problem we have in Africa is that we do not have this secondary term for those who settle on our continent. We used to call such peoples colonialists however that term is no longer appropriate and I can imagine for most peoples, there are still scars of colonialism generations later that cause indigenous native Africans to identify white people with colonialism. I think that there is room for a new term for African white people that is equatable with the term, 'British', a term that will give a genuine and positive identity to the descendants of white settlers that still live in Africa today as many of them have never known any other home.

6. Selena Gomez working with UNICEF

It is encouraging to see young Hollywood with a social conscious. Selena Gomez is one such example. She has recently started working with the UN in their battle to protect children from poverty, hunger, disease and human rights violations among other issues. They have good examples to follow with the likes of Angelina Jolie who champion the social responsibility of the celebrity world and genuinely knit their hearts with important causes that affect the majority of the worlds population of people in developing countries. I think that there can never be enough done to highlight the plight of disaffected peoples around the world and if celebrities lend their profiles to draw attention to theses issues and educate the world in the process, I think it is a very good thing.

5. Sarah Palin

Good old Sarah Palin has been in the news this week for one thing or another. The moral of the story is that she is not too popular right now, honestly I wonder when and why she was popular in the first place. She is great at making noise but I dont really subscribe to her politics. However you have got to love the American way where anyone can rise into politics and be given a platform and a voice and I guess what Sarah is learning is that it is what you do with that platform that matters...

4. Film: The Black Swan

I recently watched Natalie Portman's movie, 'The Black Swan' and I must admit I was somewhat disturbed by it. The storyline was deep in terms of Natalie Portman's character the lead ballerina. She was totally nuts by my reckoning but her mental struggle to overcome herself; her fears, her inhibitions and self imposed 'glass ceiling' was a display of the internal struggle we all go through daily. The ballerina's self-destruction leading to death at the end is much like the emotional / spiritual death that many people allow themselves to be subjected to because of their fear predominantly. Natalie Portman's portrayal of the Black Swan is outstanding and I would vote for her to get the Oscar for her performance.

3. Food for thought...

2.Quote of the week

Words to live by;
"This above all: To thine own self be ture,
And it must follow, as the night, the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man..."
Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Act One, Scene 3

1. Video of the Week

Ray Charles - Georgia on my mind
I heard this song this week and it reminded me of the sad movie of Ray Charles' life beautifully portrayed by Jaime Foxx and I thought that this would be a good choice for this week's video, enjoy...
[Click here for video]

And that's it for this week folks! Remember you can get in touch by commenting or emailing me atethosphotographic@gmail.com

Saturday, 15 January 2011

The Weekend in Black and White: Print Works

Friday, 14 January 2011

Six Word Fridays: At this Moment

At this moment;

I'm where I want to be,

At this moment;

I have never felt so secure,

At this moment;

Nothing can take away our joy,

At this moment;

Everything in the world is right,

At this moment;

True peace has become my bedfellow,

At this moment;

My life feels so very complete.

I - Heart Faces Photo Challenge: Smile

Monday, 10 January 2011

Sea shells and pebbles

Pebble beach, Havant, United Kingdom

Saturday, 8 January 2011

ShutterDay: First of 2011 - Reclaimed and Recycled

Reclaimed...Recycled..

This collection of images are some of the best so far this year because they bring with them an incredibly positive story out of what should be a dire situation. The images are of reclaimed old iron parts, mainly from homes. The three gentlemen who own the trolley declined to be in the images as they were shy but they did explain why they had collected the metal. They told of how they went door to door collecting old metal pieces, often having to pay for it. They then take the metal to a recycling company that pays them for the metal. This has become a form of income for these men who would otherwise be struggling to provide for their families. It is encouraging to see that there is an emerging market for environmental jobs from a small scale in Zimbabwe, a country that has been so economically unstable that it has been difficult for many to gain and maintain any form of employment over the last decade. This is an encouraging indigenous entrepreneurial project though the men may not have in mind the environmental benefits of recycling, their ability to gain an income from reclaiming metal is contributing to the overall environmental efforts in Africa... a good news story indeed.

Friday, 7 January 2011

Rue's Friday Fragments #15

Happy New Year!!!

A new year brings a new day, an opportunity to make right the wrongs of yesterday, to forge ahead with plans that promise a brighter tomorrow. A sunrise is just like a new year... When the sun sets the failures of the day are layed to rest and as the sun rises we have a new opportunity to make a fresh start, right wrongs and take on new challenges. The sunrise above is our gift to you, to remind you that every day brings a fresh start, a new beginning...change... From all of us at E:thos Photographic we wish you a very happy, prosperous and productive year! And we encourage you to start the way you mean to go on!

6. Picture of the week

We started the year with a BBQ!

5. The end of Facebook

So the week ended with a rumour that Facebook is on its way out...I'm not so sure that is a bad thing...

GOOD BYE....

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4. Paramedic went shopping while responding to 999 call

This is unreal right? Imagine making a 999 call because you are in labour, or are bleeding profusely or your appendix burst...then you are kept waiting because the paramedic on duty has some personal errands to run down town? This is what happened in the UK an enquiry heard. Esther Thomas, went shopping in her ambulance at a local store instead of letting controllers know that her ambulance was available to respond to an emergency. She was suspended pending the enquiry that is currently taking place. I think she should be fired because her job is not just a job, the availability of emergency services and timing from when an incident / accident occurs and a call is made is crucial, anyone who does not take the responsibility of first response seriously should not be allowed to carry out that role.

3. Starbucks re-brand...but why?

Starbucks is apparently spreading its wings and as such it is changing its logo to allow more flexibility as they move into new markets it is reported. Starbucks Chief Executive, Howard Schultz said in a webcast that they are removing the wording in the circle (see image to the left) to leave just the Siren / nymph like figure which Starbucks believes will give them the freedom to move and think beyond coffee...sounds like the coffee house is making major changes, only time will tell what those changes are and if their loyal following will be on board...I for one love Starbucks coffee and may be inclined to try some of their new products out of loyalty, depending on what they will start selling.

2. Escheresque Images

The artist Josh Sommers creates amazing escheresque images using his own mathematical formula it has been reported. I dont know much about the method but his images are intriguing and pretty amazing. You can see some here.

1. Song of the week

A collaboration of Zimbabwean Urban Groove Musicians - We keep rolling...

I heard this song at the end of last year and thought it fitting for the start of this one. Some of the lyrics are in Shona, a Zimbabwean language but you will get the gist of it if you hang in there for the English verses. The reason I chose it is that it reviews the struggles, trials and issues faced by a couple throughout last year and at the end the conclusion is...we keep rolling...we keep moving forward...together...