Saturday 31 March 2012

I may never have to visit a shop ever again

College term finished two weeks ago and I have been busy catching up on my to do list and other projects. 






It struck me just how little I had had to visit shops to get the items I need for my art, DIY and technology projects - using the internet for research and purchasing, with next day deliveries, is now the norm. This leaves me with more time to be messing about with wax, running to get fit and stretching canvas onto trampolines ...






Here is a list of the new stars of the retail world and those few still lagging behind


Mac Book Air from Apple - delivered the next day
I Phone upgrade from Vodafone - delivered next day
Ping pong balls from Amazon - delivered next day
Turpentine, acrylic gesso primer and beeswax pellets from Cornelissen and Son - delivered the next day
Outside tap fitting from Amazon - delivered the next day
Lawn mower service from Mower Magic - picked up the next day
Trollhunter dvd from Love Film - arrived the next day
Some Super 8 film from Amazon - delivered next day
Several Ocado deliveries - arrived as scheduled
Typewriter ribbons from Inky.co.uk - delivered the next day
9 volt batteries for old Roberts and Bush radios from Amazon - delivered the next day
Books and CDs from Amazon - delivered the next day
Casual shoes from Camper and Clarks - delivered the next day
Plants from Crocus - delivered the next day
Curzon Cinemas for tickets to Headhunters - all done on line
Black T-shirts from Gap - delivered the next day
Calvin Klein underpants from ASOS - delivered the next day - I will never have to visit an M & S ever again ...


The laggards include


Richmond upon Thames council tax office - two months to date in resolving a query.
GE fridge freezer repair by Independent Service - 6 weeks since first visit.
Coopers Electrical Store - 4 days to deliver new washing machine (this was my only shop visit and the salesman did know all about washing machines)


I am left with a small number of shops where the service is excellent or there is no choice, ie Nom de Plume in East Sheen for clothes and petrol stations for fuel - when will this be delivered to your home ?


http://www.petroldirect.com/


Just don't store it next to your gas cooker ...

Monday 26 March 2012

In flight videos



Stanford university professor won a academic prize and bought 30 high speed video cameras - 1200 frames per sec - and lent them to members of the public - 1400 films of natural flight was the result.
I particularly like the dove and red admiral films in recommended section

Friday 23 March 2012

Waxing cubical

Played around with wax this week - filled a wood box full of old dolls house pieces and  a significant quantity of molten wax - may put it on a stand or integrate it with my steel panel boxes - there again I may cut it in half ....














Wednesday 21 March 2012

David Hall - 1001 TV Sets (End Piece)

David Hall's 1001 TV Sets is at the Ambika 3 gallery near Baker Street. These TVs are all receiving analogue TV signals from the Crystal Palace mast and between 4 and 18 April 2102 will gradually lose their signal, following the great analogue switch off  - the TVs will then emit a terminal audio hiss and the screens will become a visual sea of white noise. The noise is deafening and after a while you understand why they use heavy metal music in torture chambers.














Tuesday 20 March 2012

Song Dong - Waste Not (want alot)

Song Dong is a Chinese artist - Waste Not is an exhibition at the Barbican Curve Gallery, of his mother's collection of 10,000 household items - here are some of my favourite images.