Author: dalecooper57

dalecooper57 may or may not necessarily be my real name, although I couldn't swear to it. An aging hippy living in Devon, I do all this stuff (and I do mean everything - blog, animation, music, photography, the lot) on my lovely smartphone because I started like that, and now I'm too stubborn to get a computer. I don't have a theme, because I don't see why I'd want to talk about the same thing all the time, so why only write about one thing? So if you like eclecticism, humour, nonsense, opinionated ranting, and occasionally educational stuff, you've come to the right place. Any and all feedback is welcome, both positive and negative, on the content, style and overall look of the blog. You keep following me, I'll keep telling you stuff, ok? Cheers, dalecooper57

Seasonal musings.

Here’s something I posted on Facebook yesterday, which I thought I’d share with you, along with a photographic seasonal greeting.

Audrey, Rhonda and I would like to wish you and yours the very hippiest and most preposterous new year…oh, wait, I mean…

…you know what, that’ll do.

I’d like to wish all the people I disagree with a very Merry Christmas.

To be honest, there aren’t too many people who I agree with on EVERYTHING, I’m way too much of an argumentative bastard for that, but there are some friends with whom I disagree on a more fundamental level than why I’m right that Genesis are shit, or why it’s bloody obvious NOBODY should put anchovies on pizza.

It’s often the case that friendships, alliances and relationships are impacted by differences of opinion on religion, politics, sex, social issues, sports, gender identity/equality and just about anything else we’re capable of being offended about; but the last couple of years or so have tested those bonds of friendship to breaking point and in some cases those relationships haven’t survived.

Which is very sad and can only go further to separate us into little bubbles of one-sided information and prejudice, a self-perpetuating cycle of distrust and suspicion which only makes any future reconciliation that much more difficult.

This is doubly true in a world where a total stranger from the other side of the country might pick a fight with you on the internet for no reason other than you put a cross in a slightly different place on a piece of paper…or they may just be an asshole, of course.

So although I am eternally grateful for the old, lasting friendships which have coloured my view of humanity since childhood, I’m increasingly appreciative of those of you who I may have only known a relatively short time and who stick with me, despite (or because of) our differing views and opinions.
Because it is only with that balance and continual questioning of the “accepted facts” in our own personal universe, that can help us process any opposing worldview and move toward a more peaceful understanding of each other.

So thanks again to those of you who go the extra mile to remain my friend, I wouldn’t be without any of you.

Have a great Christmas and may 2019 be awesome in all the ways that make you happy in your world, just as long as it isn’t at the expense of someone else in theirs.

Peace.
X

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K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.

I gave you all carte blanche for your ideas on this week’s K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge, leaving the field open for whatever creative images you wanted to showcase in our Christmas Eve post.

I knew I’d just end up mucking about with something for fun and I was right; I went for some festive abstraction.

I took a selection of shots of the decorations on our tree…

…and did some terrible things to them, to create these bespoke works of art.

K’lee will show you his random selection HERE, soon.

Now, it’s late, let’s see what you have to offer us…

*****

To get involved with the challenge, post a photo to your blog on Monday, add a pingback to this post (or to K’lee’s) and don’t forget to tag your post #CosPhoChal.

Alternatively, add a link to your blog in the comments of either mine or K’lee’s post and we’ll come and check out your entry.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

#CosPhoChal

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Cosmic Photo prompt.

The penultimate prompt for K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge is rather late again, but that’s not a problem because I’m giving you free rein this week.

For this, the first of our end of year posts, we’d like to see whatever you’d like to show us. It could be your favourite shot of the year, a new composition you’re especially proud of, a bit of mucking about which will impress us or anything else that takes your fancy.

So freestyle to your heart’s content and we’ll see you back here on Christmas Eve.

*****

To get involved with the challenge, post a photo to your blog on Monday, add a pingback to this post (or to K’lee’s) and don’t forget to tag your post #CosPhoChal.

Alternatively, add a link to your blog in the comments of either mine or K’lee’s post and we’ll come and check out your entry.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

#CosPhoChal

0

K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.

K’lee chose the theme for this week’s K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge, picking another prompt which could be seen as topical for the upcoming festive season; Sacred spaces.

Now I’m not the least bit spiritual or religious, but I do like a nice church and graveyard when it comes to atmospheric photographic subjects. So, since the weather was apocalyptically dreadful at the weekend, I raided the archives to find some suitable material for today’s post.

Here are pictures from three churches, a couple of graveyards, the tower at Glastonbury tor, an ancient monument and a stone circle, along with an imaginary stained glass window I created.

You can see what K’lee came up with by going HERE.

But now it’s your turn to show us the fruits of your labours.

*****

To get involved with the challenge, post a photo to your blog on Monday, add a pingback to this post (or to K’lee’s) and don’t forget to tag your post #CosPhoChal.
Alternatively, add a link to your blog in the comments of either mine or K’lee’s post and we’ll come and check out your entry.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

#CosPhoChal

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Cosmic Photo prompt.

Here we are on yet another Friday and I’m actually on time for this week’s prompt on K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge, today with a theme set by K’lee; Sacred spaces.

Feel free to use your imagination, your instinct and your power of interpretation to conjure up something creatively inspiring for Monday’s post, it’s easy when you know how…

*****

To get involved with the challenge, post a photo to your blog on Monday, add a pingback to this post (or to K’lee’s) and don’t forget to tag your post #CosPhoChal.

Alternatively, add a link to your blog in the comments of either mine or K’lee’s post and we’ll come and check out your entry.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

#CosPhoChal

0

K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.

It’s time to start getting in the festive spirit on today’s edition of K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge, because I set the theme of Christmas lights on Friday.

I braved the crowds of seasonal shoppers with Audrey on Saturday, so we went for a wander around town and across the square, where I took advantage of shiny paving provided by the recent rain to add a little something to my shots of the sparkling trees.

I also had a little muck about with one of them, because I can’t help it.

And here’s a gif of our groovy black fibre-optic Christmas tree in all its colourful glory.

See what glittering delights K’lee has to show you, HERE.

Now it’s your turn to dazzle us…

*****

To get involved with the challenge, post a photo to your blog on Monday, add a pingback to this post (or to K’lee’s) and don’t forget to tag your post #CosPhoChal.

Alternatively, add a link to your blog in the comments of either mine or K’lee’s post and we’ll come and check out your entry.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

#CosPhoChal

7

Cosmic Photo prompt.

This week’s slightly late prompt for K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge is brought to you by my choice of theme and it’s a topical one; Christmas lights.

Simple, succinct and unambiguous for a change, so see if you can find something to illuminate Monday’s post over the weekend.

*****

To get involved with the challenge, post a photo to your blog on Monday, add a pingback to this post (or to K’lee’s) and don’t forget to tag your post #CosPhoChal.

Alternatively, add a link to your blog in the comments of either mine or K’lee’s post and we’ll come and check out your entry.

Any and all effects, editing, Photoshop, Instagram, morphing, collages or whatever other post production techniques you fancy are permitted, (in fact, they’re actively encouraged!) so get creative and turn your photos into artworks for the Cosmic Photo Challenge.

#CosPhoChal

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