Highway Robbery

Went to Jessops this lunchtime to see if they could fix my camera. They could, but they'd have to send it to Fuji (the company, not the mountain), and their standard repair rate is...

£114.95.

I only paid £129.95 for the camera in the first place. I said no, and the charming German youngster (with great muttons) behind the counter referred me to an independent camera repair shop around the corner. I went along there and they said that they could open it up and check what was wrong with it. It'd take two-three days, cost £10 and not be deductible from any subsequent repair bill. I told the woman that I know what's wrong with it, the zoom mechanism is broken, can you let me know a ballpark figure for fixing that? No. Well then, you're not getting my custom either.

So, alas, it's goodbye to my Fujifilm Finepix f440. I've had the little blighter just over two years and we've been everywhere together - New York, Old York, Paris, Prestatyn, Brighton (twice), Bedford Beer Festival, Berlin, Birmingham, Bolton, Brussels, Bristol, Clacton, Colchester, Chelmsford, Canberra, Dublin, Southend, Los Angeles, Sydney, Rarotonga, Tenerife, Edinburgh, Skye and, errr, Gateshead, and a few other places too. Not to mention 94 consecutive commutes to work. And I was looking forward to adding Portsmouth and Manchester to both of those lists over the next week and a half as I have to go to both of them on business and am staying overnight a couple of times.

But I suppose I can learn to love another camera. I have a few irons in the fire and will let you know of any progress in finding a replacement. It's too late to stop now!

Catastrophe!

Bugger bugger bugger.

I dropped my camera on the pier at Brighton on Saturday and instead of it falling on the solid metal casing it fell on the extended zoom lens, thus breaking it. I'm not sure whether it's worth getting it fixed but I shall see what Jessops say tomorrow.

I don't have a camera phone (I know, I'm so 2003) so I have no alternative source of pictures until either my main camera is fixed or I have to bite the bullet and buy a new one. I'll keep you posted, so keep checking back here for updates.

Day Ninety-Four - Anerley Road, SE19

Well, blow me down with a feather - Make Me A Princess has closed down, barely three months after it opened. That's pretty amazing. Could it have been that it wasn't, as I originally thought, an outpost of the bridal accessories shop I linked to in that post, but just a dodgy hairdresser stealing a name and a logo, with dire consequences? Or does the fact that that link to said bridal site no longer works have anything to do with it? The clot thickens.

For a close up of that repossession sign (how can any business not be able to afford rent after three months? Did they have no capital at all?) cliquez ici.

Day Ninety-Three - Great Russell Street, WC1

After work diversion to Gosh!, my favourite comics shop. Calvin always makes me happy when I see him outside.

Pity their website, other than the front page, is so out of date.

Day Ninety-Two - Victoria Station, SW1

The view from the Wetherspoons pub as commuters wait for trains delayed by a broken rail in the Sutton area. I find a pint often helps to relax the tension.

Day Ninety-One - Anerley Hill, SE19

Aftermath of a motorbike-meets-van collision. Louise left for work about twenty minutes before me and heard the crash happening behind her. We both hope the motorcyclist makes a full recovery.

Day Ninety - Crystal Palace Park, SE19

An odd sign to see at the entrance to a firework display. Mind you, given the poor quality of the display we could have done with bringing our own.

Day Eighty-Nine - Crystal Palace Station, SE19

The way Southern are "making London safer" is by putting more CCTV cameras on trains and stations. Just when you think they can't put more CCTV cameras in public places they go and put some more...

On the discman today: AM - My Bloody Valentine You Made Me Realise EP, Feed Me With Your Kiss EP, Glider EP PM - My Bloody Valentine Tremolo EP, Glider (remix) 12" Seefeel Time To Find Me Afx remix 12"

Day Eighty-Eight - Spenser Street, SW1

I'll bet you do.

On the discman today: AM - My Bloody Valentine Loveless PM - R/S One (Snow/Mud/Rain)

Day Eighty-Seven - Wood Lane, W12

As the nine-to-five shift at BBC TV Centre go home, I'm going in to meet my chum Julian for a farewell drink in the BBC Club before he goes off travelling for three months. We were joined by several other beer-drinking friends and I only just made the last train home. Hic.

On the discman today: AM - Fond Of Tigers Release The Saviours

Day Eighty-Six - Castle Lane, SW1

The clocks went back at the weekend, so my journey home will be dark for the next few months. Time to really check out what changing the ASA setting on my camera will do...this is the best of a dozen pictures I took of the tree/lamppost combo at different settings and from slightly different angles. It's a learning process.

On the discman today: AM - John Lennon, Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band with Elephant's Memory Sometime in New York City PM - Unrest Perfect Teeth

Day Eighty-Five - Crystal Palace Station, SE19

The wind and rain which put the kibosh on my trip to Brighton yesterday has covered platform one with leaves and stems (insert drug joke here). Everywhere had a slightly bedraggled look today, but by lunchtime the sun was out and it was a lovely autumnal day. Why couldn't it have been like that yesterday? Grr.

On the discman today: AM and PM - Various Monterey International Pop Festival 1967 Discs 3 & 4

Day Eighty-Four - London Bridge Street, SE1

Final day of the I Ching Fortnight here at Commuted to Life and I threw 24, Returning, with transforming lines at 1, 3 and 4. "This is a time of re-birth and returning energy after a difficult time. Go back to meet this returning energy in order to begin anew".

Very appropriate for the end of the fortnight and spookily accurate as, before I asked the I Ching the question (the same one I have asked it every day, "how should I approach my journey to work/home") I had decided to go to Borough Market to get some nice beer for the weekend, the very same thing I did two Fridays ago, the last working day before I started this I Ching thing. By minute twenty-four of this journey I'd got to Utobeer, made my selection (a couple of beers from Bamberg and a Czech dark lager) and was on my way back to the station. I've always liked this air vent for the Jubilee Line tube - it looks like a ocean liner has been buried underground.

Just before I finish with I Ching Fortnight, I'd like to recommend to you Philip K Dick's The Man In The High Castle as both an excellent work of dystopian science fiction but also for its use of the I Ching as a captivating plot device. It's available from Amazon and all good book shops. Probably from a few bad ones too.

On the discman today: AM and PM - Various Monterey International Pop Festival 1967 Disc 2

Day Eighty-Three - Somewhere between Streatham Hill and West Norwood Stations, SE27

Today's hexagram was 35, Prospering with transforming lines at 1 and 3. 'twas a successful journey as I had four seats to myself (very unusual at this time of day) and caught the bus without having to wait at Crystal Palace station so that I could go up to the triangle and pick up some chorizo for dinner. Sergio's had the one I wanted and I only had to wait about 30 seconds to get the bus back to my door. Nice.

On the discman today: AM - Van Der Graaf Generator The Box Disc 4 PM - Various Monterey International Pop Festival 1967 Disc 1

Day Eighty-Two - Crystal Palace Station, SE19

Today's hexagram was 50, The Vessel, with transforming lines at 2 and 4. Today's picture sees the ghosts of Crystal Palace's Victorian past ascending the stairs from platform 4.

On the discman today: AM and PM - Van Der Graaf Generator The Box Disc 2

Day Eighty-One - Petty France, SW1

More spooky mirror-imaging bought about by I Ching indeterminacy.

This afternoon I threw 12, Obstruction, with a transforming 5th line. So what was I doing in my office 12 minutes into my commute? Well, I left my overcoat there. By the time I realised (first day of the winter that I'd needed to wear it) I was three-quarters of my way to the library so I went in, returned my book, and then headed back to the office. As you can see, I was on my way back to my desk during that twelfth minute.

The transforming line changes the hexagram into 35, Prospering. so after the initial obstruction of forgetting my coat, "the obstruction is disappearing. That is the right place for you. it will correct the whole situation".

On the discman today: AM and PM - Van Der Graaf Generator The Box Disc 1

Day Eighty - Clapham Junction, SW11

It's week two of I Ching Fortnight and, like last Monday, we find ourselves at Clapham Junction station, only this time it's on the way home. It's getting dark and the reflection on the window causes a nice "double exposure" effect.

This evening I threw 34, Great Invigorating. "Great drive and great power manifest themselves. Focus this strength through a central idea...you are not allowed to completely retire. Accepting this lets you use Great Invigorating".

On the discman today: AM and PM - Various Love Is The Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970 Disc 4

Day Seventy-Nine - near Battersea Park, SW8

The I Ching must have been giving me a second chance or something, as I threw 42, Augmenting, again. The train was late so rather than being near Little Ben I was still in transit, just on the south side of the Thames and opposite the QVC building, formerly the ON/ITV Digital building and before that the home of British Satellite Broadcasting. It's called Marco Polo House and I'd never want to work in it for two reasons: it's a horrible example of eighties toytown architecture and is obviously jinxed. Sell your QVC shares now!

On the discman today: AM - Oranger Shut Down The Sun PM - Jesus Lizard Bang

Day Seventy-Eight - Victoria Street, SW1

I forgot my camera this morning. I'm going through a very forgetful phase and seem to leave one different thing at home every day. This is a picture of what I was walking past during the forty-second minute of my commute, borrowed from here via Google.

I had thrown 42, Augmenting. "This is a time of increase, advance and development." It was also a time for me to augment this blog with someone else's photo.

On the discman today: AM and PM - Various Love Is The Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970 Disc 3

Day Seventy-Seven - where SW2, SW12 and SW16 meet

On the map it's hard to tell exactly which area I was in as the train line flits between the three in a very short distance.

Today's hexagram was 29, Repeating The Gorge. "This is a time of danger that you must confront. Take the risk without holding back. You cannot avoid the obstacle. It will repeat itself again and again. Practice, train, accustom yourself to the danger...you have a connection to the spirits and they will help you...a danger confronted is both a accomplishment and a defence. Now is the time to concentrate and take risks."

Well, I didn't narrowly escape death on the way in, or home. This one puzzles me. What is the danger? Something tangible, or my attitude towards something? I decided to look at the hidden possibility, the inner hexagram using lines 2-5 of the original. This is 27, Jaws, and suggests that "Confronting danger and taking risks contain the hidden possibility of providing nourishment for yourself and others". This chimes with my longer term plans, as they certainly are a danger - giving up my safe job and going to the other side of the world. And the book I was reading on the way to work is about Australia...

On the discman today: AM - Francois Tetaz Wolf Creek OST PM - Tisha Mukarji Miscellaneous Recordings from 2005 (show 20 - scroll down)