Thursday and the news is fun!

Muahahahahahaha

Bush ally faces criminal charge

The Republican majority leader in the US House of Representatives Tom DeLay has been indicted with criminal conspiracy by a grand jury in Texas.

Sorry, but the Dems have been trying to do this for years and it finally happened to the bastard in his home state! Great... Absolutely great.

I like how they're saying that the district attorney, Ronnie Earle is a Dem, and it's all about messing about with the Republicans. But... HERE is a nice little story... Enjoy.

Sorry... But I was awoken this morning by my M.I.L. to be pounding on the caravan door, and Fiona's confused fist in my face. She did it by accident, obviously, but she did a nice number on my lip! "Don't wake up the wife early in the morning without being at least two feet away from her." is a new rule that I'm going to try to follow.

Anyhoo... It was a bit of a rude awakening, and when I turned on BBC 24 on they satellite tv... And the story was "leading" the BBC news... I was just so excited! I really dislike Tom Delay. He's crooked, and a bastard... And he deserves to go DOWN.

He won't. But it's been a fun morning.

We're off to do, um... Stuff. I don't really know. The Lady has her diary (planner, for you Yanks) and tells ME what we're doing every day.

On a final note... The tattoo is almost all done healing. It's lost most of it's scabs, and except for two little spots of scab, it's almost there! It's been nice. For the past four days, it hasn't hurt! Yay!

I'm off... She's the boss.... And I have to follow the commands of my glorious goddess.

Ta!
Tuckmac

Mid week... Thank the GODS!

Greetings fine readers...

Okay.

I haven't complained about this one yet. So... Please, if you're surprised by my vitriol, just click HERE and be done with it.

Anyhoo...

Okay.

Okay.

What in ALL of the god's names do you fricking son-of-a-bitch NON-FUCKING-smokers have against us?

Hmm?

What?

Gah.

Shite.

Caca!

Mierda!

Merde!

SKITA!

Seriously?

What?

Well... I know one reason. It's people like David Hockney, the Brit artist, trying to defend smoking.

What an idiot. Check this out. Oh... Before you do. There's a little "video clip" in the upper right-hand corner that REALLY makes him look like a fuck. LINK.

No... The moron is actually correct a "few" times in his rather moronic ramblings. When he speaks about new Café's opened on Kensington High Street. Where there's four cafés, and two are non-smoking. You STILL get people walking past the place "coughing."

Oh... That's another thing. Okay... So I'm sitting in the hotel bar (the only place to drink in St. Boswells) and I'm sitting in the smoking section.

Everyone that walked past me that WASN'T a smoker did the "cough" thing.

What's with the cough thing? What is that all the FUCK about???

I HATE the cough thing. I hate it. It's the most juvenile stupid fucking comment available.

Look... If I'm sitting in a designated smoking area (while they still FUCKING last) then I'm allowed to smoke.

If you don't want to breathe in my smoke.

DON'T come INTO THE FUCKING SMOKING SECTION!

And DO NOT fucking "cough" like I'm going to FUCKING kill you in the FIFTEEN FUCKING SECONDS that you walk through the area.

YOU FUCK.

FUCK.

T

Tuesday in Scotland... Wow.

Okay,

For some of these, you're going to want to use the "Bug Me Not" link over on the right-hand column.

I'm really starting to like her.

Another example of how strangely "P.C." and spooky Britain is getting, us Yanks have nothing on them!

Oh... Wait... We have THIS. Okay... America is definitely more weird... Why does this even have to go to court?

Gah...

I love the world, really.

In my own little world... The wedding is now only 11 days away. I'm getting pretty psyched. I think both myself, and my lady are slowly sinking into a strange sort of giddy madness. We're both happy, and tired, and goofy, and occasionally pissy.

But that's to be expected.

That's it for today. Greetings and good-bye to all my fave readers!

Slànte - T

Hmm...

I've never been a big one for introspection. I'm not saying that concentrating on your interior thoughts, and trying to find meanings hidden behind your normal consciousness is a bad thing. NOT at all. My friends are extremely talented at writing down their thoughts. Quite often, I'm struck by the profound nature of their words.

I think it comes from me being a visual artist. My profundity comes from the imagery that I create, not from the words that I write or speak. It was something that I struggled with throughout my graduate training in Fine Art. Consistently and daily, we were asked as visual artists, to write about our work. My "inner artist" used to quail at the necessity of this strange change in media. I would often rail against the course, angry in what I perceived as a fallacy.

Writing is a strange beast. To paraphrase a quote by Robert Heinlein, written through one of his characters, "A writer should always wash his hands after performing his trade." Or something along those lines. Anyhoo... It's actually rather true. There's something rather strange about writers. (Don't get angry Mick or N8) I'm not saying that writing isn't something to truly aspire to do well. I do envy both of these people for being able to write things that can touch a human's soul. I hope that in some small way my visual art can do the same thing. It's quite often more difficult to get my point across to others, but I find it strangely satisfying in my own way.

Now that I've rambled quite a bit...

Although I pretend that I'm not able to write... I'm not half bad at tickling the metal-keyboard.

Something struck me today, that I'd love to share... I'm now living in Scotland, the "home" of my ancestry. Now, I'm living in the Scottish Borders, in the very far South of Scotland, so... It's not exactly the same place from whence my ancestors stomped about, but... Heck, it's the same country.

I woke this morning in the caravan that where my fiancée and I are currently living, the temperature was around 12°C, and yes... That's freaking cold. I had to get up, and get "going" early working on making the caravan more "homey" and attempting to get my fiancée out the door to spend the day with her family.

I'm sitting alone in the house now, attached via WI-FI typing away on my laptop, enjoying the silence that surrounds one, out in the country. I enjoy this feeling.

I'm very, very happy that I'm getting married in two weeks from today. I can't wait. Fiona truly IS a gift of the gods, and I consider myself to be truly one of the most blessed of men. I like people, I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the human race flowing around me.

However... There are times in which the quiet that comes from being alone is very satisfying. I find myself missing my introspective moments. It's very busy at the moment... I've just graduated, my wedding is in two weeks, and my time alone is prescribed. I understand that... I really do. But I hope that my enjoyment of my alone time is not taken the wrong way. I love being with my fiancée, and although I'm not terribly fond of my future in-laws, I don't mind being around them. Though, on days like this, I'm extremely content. Content to listen to the breeze in the trees. Content to view the mountains and rolling fields of Southern Scotland. Content to listen to the sheep laying, and the lorries driving past, occasionally, on the road.

It's sunny.

It's beautiful.

And I'm content.

-- T

Wow... Scotland

Okay...

Sorry it's been so long.

First, as one of my friends so eloquently asked...

"Post some pictures!" or something of that nature...

You can go HERE and see some private view photographs of the fun event of my MFA show, if you haven't yet done so.

Other than that...

I'm afraid, I'm a bit pressed for time today. I DID however figure out how to log-on to my in-law's wireless network, so... I'm finally 're-attached' to the cyber-world.

Yes... I've missed it.

I'm fine up here... Bit uncomfortable with the in-laws, and living in a caravan. (That's a "camper" to my Yank friends). But... It's okay. My lovely lady and I are fine... And the move was only SEMI-horrific.

I'll tell you all about it in tomorrow's or the next day's post.

I have to go, unfortunately. My access is assured... But my time is not.

To my Canterbury friends, I miss you already. To everyone coming to the wedding... It's only a few weeks away! Thank the gods!

Smiles,
T

Hello Folks.

Well, today is the first WHOLE day of me being all fancy-schmancy and having an MFA after my name.

Haven't even thought of it once.

You know why?

Moving.

Yep.

Moving.

It's by far, one of the MOST stressful things that a person can do... And with BOTH Fiona and myself trying to sort out our lives...

Which things get shipped to the States now? Which things are going up to Scotland? Which freight company should we use? How much is this going to cost???

Well... I've had better days.

All of my stuff from my studio has moved out. It amazing that two years of my life ended up being three boxes and some artwork in a big bubble-wrapped mess.

Gah.

Wish me luck friends. I will be posting on Monday, hopefully... Baring so unforeseen circumstances. It should be one of the last posts from Canterbury.

Next place? St. Boswells. Scottish Borders.

Wow.

I'm off... Lot's to do. Wish me luck.

-- T

It's official

I now have a Master in Fine Arts (International Practice).

Yay.

-T

Okay... You asked for it!

Hello folks...

Since it was requested by certain readers of this space... I've been convinced to put my scabby tat up on the web.

Here you go:


Hey Mom, look... I have a tattoo!


Close-up "scabby" tattoo.

Okay... There you go.

Now...

I don't know how much my friends back in the States have heard about this... But...

Riots reveal deeper resentment

That's right folks... It's actually been said (by crazy media folks trying to start a panic) that the "Troubles" are close to returning to the peoples of Northern Ireland.

Instead of it being the IRA versus the No. Irish Police, this time it's the Loyalists.

Why does this have to keep happening? What things are so inured in that society that violence keeps coming to the fore?

Why?

As what an American would call an "Irish-American" by ancestry... I have always felt very close to my "ancestral roots" in Ireland. I feel sickened by what is occurring in Northern Ireland, and I hope that peace can be brought back to that troubled place.

Now... If the fucking Orange Order would just GET OVER THEMSELVES perhaps things could be better.

Sectarian violence is, by far, the most stupid type of hatred.

Ger.

Okay... I'm off to pack up my studio. Results are meant to be in today at 12:00 NOON!

Wish me luck.

-- Tuckmac

Yippee

After sixteen years... I finally have a tattoo.

It hurt.

Alot.

Like ouch.

I mean... REALLY ouch.

Not a pleasant experience... But... The artist was very good... He was funny, and did it as quickly as he could. And...

Sixteen years is a long... LONG time to wait for something.

Um.

Yeah... Nothing much else to report there... Still waiting on the results from the course. Supposedly I'll know by Thursday the 15th at noon. Hmm...

My friend Emily gave everyone on the MA and MFA courses pictures that she's made throughout the last year, and I found this one:


The photographer and his lady"

I think it's kinda funny... Not because I'm making a photo (I do that alot) but because of the weird bald guy in the lower right corner of the photo.

Anyhoo... That's it for today folks... Smiles and kittens!

-- T

I'm back, for now, anyhoo...

Hello readers, sorry that I was away so much in the past few weeks... MFA, exams, wedding stuff... etc... You get the deal.

Anyhoo... I should be able to keep up a bit this week... But then, I'm moving to my "soon-to-be" in-laws house... And I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this site. My "soon-to-be" step father-in-law has WIFI installed in his house, so it shouldn't be 'too' horrible for me to get on-line, but... As my friend Mick has been going through "internet woes" so too will I be.

But, well... Deal. Okay?

Anyhoo... Happier times.

Bush's ratings down to 38% according to the most recent Newsweek poll. Hmm... Wonder why he's back in Louisiana?
Bush Makes Third Hurricane Visit

Came across this article, France Bares All For Sake of Art and just had to go check out the artist's website and look around. The guy was recently in London, and I have to admit (since I go to an art school not far from London, yes... They've changed their name.) I was tempted to go. Sort of sorry I didn't.

And finally... There's been a whole heck of a lot of funny crap happening in Europe due to Political Correctness, but this one takes the cake... Based on the Swiss flag, meaning "neutrality" and it's still NOT a good thing. Talks on new emblem for Red Cross

There... A happy little fun-time post.

For those of you who are interested...

The Private View on Friday evening was really, really... Um... Interesting..

I don't really know how to explain.

I did have a nice time. But it was just sorta strange, you ken? I mean... People that I invited came to the event, I'm fairly certain they had a nice time. I know my fiancée had a nice time... Perhaps they all had a great time...

I had an interesting time, because there was an element of surreal-ness to the evening. I was done. I think that that was the primary feeling that I had. Two years of poverty, pain, work, crap, and uncomfortable lecturing... And I was finished. To be honest... I'm still in a state of shock.

The party was good. I did drink too much... (Not as much as a few of the lecturers did... Tee hee.) but not too much. I danced... I spoke with nice people, evil people, grasping and annoying people, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed new people....

Yeah. Good night.

I took the rest of the weekend off... And I really needed it.

I'm back tomorrow... So please check again... I'm almost positive that I'll be able to get into it.

Okay... That's it for now... Have to do some photo-stuff.

Smiles,
Tuckmac

The day after...

Greetings fellow readers.

Tuckmac has returned to a "semi-normal" life... I say that, 'cause if you actually KNOW me (I mean, outside of the blog) you would know that there is nothing about me that is what a relatively average person would call "normal." I'm not saying I'm weird... But I'm implying it.

Anyhoo... As I stated in yesterday's blog... I'm finished.

At least... With the "school" sorts of stuff. Tomorrow is the Private View (or Opening Reception for my Yank friends) and that's pretty much just a party... Oh... One is meant to schmooze a bit... But in general... It's pretty much just a really fun party. After that... We have the exhibition running until the 15th of September... And so we all have either a day, or more to "invigilate" for the show...

invigilate in·vig·i·late vti
U.K. See proctor
Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.ng Plc.

proc·tor n
1. somebody who supervises students at an examination.
U.K. term invigilator

2. at certain schools and universities, a supervisor in a dormitory
vt
to supervise an examination, especially in order to prevent cheating.
U.K. term invigilate

Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.ng Plc.

I threw those in there, as I don't think that invigilate is the right word for what we do... But that's what they all call it here in KIAD and in the "art scene" in Britain. Which just goes to show that you never really learn a language, unless you actually LIVE the language.

Anyhoo... I'll also be doing some darkroom assisting for a friend of mine and working (sort of) for the Turner Contemporary in Margate, here at the KIAD campus.

I really wanted to put up my normal "ranting" and happy fun-times... But... I was looking through all my normal sites, and the news is basically all about Hurricane Katrina, and the LACK of the proper response by the U.S. Government.

Okay... It's been done. Other people (well, ok I did a bit too) but... Other people better qualified to "rant" have done quite a bit of it, and to be honest... I'm just not going to go there today. It's just getting as much coverage as it really should.

So... I'm putting in a fun picture of Fiona and myself down at the park by our house, just a month ago... You know... Before my life went completely mad with university and examinations, and exhibitions... Gah.



Okay... That's it for today.

I'm not sure if I'll be here tomorrow... As have a tonne to do... But I should actually be able to update sometime this weekend... So....

Watch this space.

Smiles, friends...

-Tuckmac

Well

I haven't really slept since last Friday.

The MFA examinations are done. The examiners are now meeting and discussing the results.

I'll know next Wednesday...

I'm tired.

Will try to write tomorrow when I'm not falling asleep on my laptop keyboard, and risking electrocution from the drool coming in contact with the computer.

Smiles,
Tuckmac

Friday and I'm feeling rather strange.

Greetings nice people that read my blog.

Tuckmac here.

Okay, so.

I've been reading my friend's blogs... N8 and Mick.

They, somehow have been able to get their anger up about the responses to Hurricane Katrina, much more so, than I.

I find that strange really. I mean, yesterday I did link to articles suggesting my president is continuing to be an idiot, but... I put it in more as a "chuckle" comment, rather than an outraged one.

I don't want to come off as not outraged. But I really am no more outraged than normal. I don't know what to say. I apologise to my readers, and friends. I should be just shaking in rage about the response by my government towards it's own bleeding people. But... I don't really know how to put this...

Mr. Bush is a shit president. I have said this before... I'll continue saying it. There's tonnes of evidence of his shit out there, and I've already linked to only 1% of his culpability. The man is, as far as I'm concerned, pure unmitigated evil.

I honestly think that I'm starting to feel sorry for the guy. I mean... Lord knows in his reaction to the attacks at 9/11, that he had no idea what to do! He doesn't understand enough to actually get with the programme. He was a puppet put in power by his puppet masters, and he just doesn't get it. His response to 9/11... His attack on Iraq... His handling of angry mothers of dead vets... His handling of this current crisis with Hurricane Katrina... All of these things and more point to a really confused little 12 year-old boy who really just wants to go home and curl up in his "blankie" and suck his thumb.

I am angry folks. I really am.

But I am NO MORE angry than I was.

I do want to say sorry ONE more time, however. Please go check out N8 and Mick. and get the real feelings that we all should actually have right now.

I'm off. I will see you all next week, where hopefully things will begin to get better. Our hopes and well-wishes to those poor people suffering from Katrina.

-- T

The Prints are up!

Greetings...

My title says it all... The prints are up on the walls... And the space looks nifty and I'm excited.

I'm still messing with the "research" in my studio space, but I've taken all the shite off the walls, and thrown away a tonne of stuff, and so... It's happening.

I had to help my lady with her sculpture today. Since she's graduated from KIAD, and no longer a student... Insurance won't allow Fiona to use certain facilities here on campus. She can BE here, but she's not allowed to use stuff like ban-saws or the big metal cutter. She's been able to get pretty much the whole thing done without needing to use those "big" sorts of things... But the final element of her sculpture is wood cut in a "toothed-pattern" so it sort of looks like a crazy saw from the side. She's tried hand-held jig-saws, and actually went and bought a scroll-saw... But nothing was working. She tried to get around the insurance thing by fluttering her eyelashes at some of the KIAD technicians, but even her most salient features seemed to fall on blind eyes, and deaf ears.

Thus comes the Tuckmac... That's right... I'm still a student here... So I walked on down to the workshop and turned on a big ol' ban-saw and spent an hour and a half today cutting her wood stuff for her.

I'm great.

Anyhoo... On to Tuckmac's political ranting... I know you were starting to wonder...

I was reading the BBC On-line and found this link:
Bush under fire from Press. And I just had to go to the NY Times and check out the editorial that the Beeb was talking about... (Use BugMeNot, if you need to) Waiting for a Leader. It had the marvellous beginning:
"George W. Bush gave one of the worst speeches of his life yesterday, especially given the level of national distress and the need for words of consolation and wisdom." And also has this great line:
"And nothing about the president's demeanor yesterday - which seemed casual to the point of carelessness - suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis."

I love the NY Times... They're a good ol' Liberal-slanted newspaper with all sorts of good things to say about my president.

{evil chuckles}

Finally... From the Twin Cities Own City Pages:
Divine Intervention Okay... So, why is it that anti-abortion campaigners can't seem to campaign against abortion without resorting to evil tricks and misrepresentations? Why? Look... I'm one of those really annoying people that says that I'm against abortion, but pro-choice. This tends to drive people from both sides of the metaphysical wall mad. But it's true. Morally, and spiritually, I find abortion to be a horrible thing. It IS. I'm not one of the "life begins at conception" bullshitters, but... No matter what... You're ending the possibility of life. Okay... It's just not a good thing.

BUT!!!! I do not think that it should be illegal... I do not think that anti-abortionists are right, and I will stand up with any woman fighting for her right to choose.

Why? 'Cause I'm a firm believer in the separation of church and state. I am getting exceedingly tired of religion poking it fucking head into my country's democracy.

If you don't want an abortion, 'cause you think it's a sin, then... Don't FUCKING HAVE ONE! You, however, do NOT have the right to enforce your values onto someone else! It's just that simple. Your sin is someone else's medical procedure, and that's just the way the world works.

Fucking bastard Christian-right blowhards!

Ger...

Okay... Rant over... On to work.

Slànte!
T