Monday, November 03, 2008

PULL UP A CHAIR - MONOCHROME ODDSHOTS

Yes this is the famous abandoned chair in the nature reserve, but a different shot. It's monochrome and it's odd. Simple. The text is very hard hitting today.

We've had far to many pretty pictures on this blog recently that I thought we'd get back to reality and have the uglier side of life again. The photographer in me knew straight away that this was going to be snapped as an example of the odd shot concept. The other side of me though,
well got really angry about this.

On so many levels this image is wrong! The image was taken yet again in the nature reserve. The reserve as I have often stated is a haven for wildlife. It is not a landfill site, dumping ground, or recycling bin. Obviously some idiot out there blatantly disagrees. Now, I know I spend a lot of time over here, but that does not give me the right to pull up a abandoned chair to study the wildlife. This really angers me! For a start, if you want to get rid of it hire a skip and dispose of it.
Why would you go to the trouble of dragging the chair through the brambles onto a designated wildlife area. The other thing is, the chair itself seemed in not to bad condition. What was wrong with donating it to a local charity to get it cleaned and refurbished. I'm sure a poor soul in need of
such an item would gladly give this poor chair a home. As for the child's toy buggy, the same applies. How do we know that wouldn't have made some kids day to receive that, which another had so easily discarded.

We live in a very selfish age. There really is no need for this kind of unsociable behaviour. These abandoned items are a danger to wildlife and a missed opportunity on the recycling front. Charity is supposed to begin at home. So maybe next time you have a item you no longer need try your neighbour, charity shop, homeless centre, or recycling plant. Whoever you are that did this, I hope you and your new shiny sofa are siting very uncomfortably right now!

This is as much Ramsey as the sunsets. Some people are scared of the truth appearing on their own blog so I know I can print this in the knowledge this will not be ripped off as it's not pretty. Some people too would prefer to gloss over these issues. No, we need to address them in order to recognise what is wrong so we can correct it. Like many of the other Isle of Man problems, like the economic downturn, rising unemployment, dwindling tourist industry and yes the nepotism.
The right people for the right job. Improve what is poor, do not ignore it. Helping each other, not hijacking their ideas. Enough said. Bad day, very disappointed with certain quarters, and have learnt the hard way not to help others, and it really is who you know, not merit talent or work ethic that is the way to get on. This I needed to say in order for me to get back into blog mode and indeed picking up the camera.

Want to join the weird world of Odd Shots Monday? Then see KATNEY

Want to join the beautiful and creative world of Mononchorome Monday? Then see Aileni at LOOSE ENDS

62 comments:

marley said...

Blimey. You are pissed off, and I agree with you! I think you should stand for Office. People would soon sit up and listen, if not...God help them!

I hope you feel better about things as the day goes on :)

marley said...

I've just seen you've got 249 followers - enough to start a political party!

Anonymous said...

That is terrible to use a nature preserve for a landfill. Before you explained though my initial reaction was, what a comfortable looking chair to sit outside in. Then of course it dawned on me that rain, and insects, mold, etc. would make it quite awful. I hate it when when people are selfish and I agree about the need to address problems to improve the situation. Wearing blinders doesn't help anyone. Good post.

Gerald (Ackworth born) said...

don't get me started - I should have gone to bed ages ago but thought I'd just check out my favourite blogs - with you 100% about being p***d off - good night, sweet dreams, see ya tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

You will never change the way the island works. Sorry, but that's life here. I can only say I like your blog and read it every day. The photography is too good for a blog though. Be careful where you share your ideas. I agree about the chair. I never comment normally but I am adding my support.

Gaelyn said...

You have every right to be pissed off. Some lazy SOB didn't want to pay to have it dumped and didn't care enough to give it to someone.
Too many times while visiting the forests have I seen dumped appliances and furniture.
It's an outrage.
Good post. Hope you feel better now.

Sterl the Pearl's Daily Pics of Boulder said...

This is the kind of pic i would think an english teacher could show a class of creative writing students and say, "write a short story around how this chair ended up there." :) i like it.

Anonymous said...

LB,

Chill. What gives? Is this absract or journalism photography? What would you call it? LB, keep on. This garbage drop bugs the hell out of me too.

Louis la Vache said...

The dumping of that chair reminds "Louis" of how Albany Point was used builders to dump construction waste for so many years. As you know from your frequent visits to "Louis's" blog, enterprising artists have used this construction waste to create some interesting Urban Art, which in turn has given "Louis" a rich vein of topics for his blog, particularly for Odd Shot Monday. Be that as it may, your rant is justified and we do indeed live in an extraordinarily selfish age. It often seems to "Louis" that we aren't, after all, so very civilized despite all our modern comforts.

Layrayski said...

very odd, I agree. And I get your anger with this phenomenon. Very wasteful. I get this way now and then. the urge to interrupt the flow of the pretty pictures and post reality. Ugly it may be.

Anonymous said...

I know you upload low res, but can you upload a high res on red bubble to buy? What is the largest file size you have? Many thanks.

Debbie Courson Smith said...

That chair sure gets around. I swear I saw it in a park in my part of the world this summer. It was next to a busted TV.

Unknown said...

definitely a weird place for a chair!

Greyhound Girl said...

What an absolutely horrible thing for people to do to. I agree with you so completely. I live in apartment completely furnished with other people's cast offs and I'm grateful to have them. People have no respect for things or nature.

magiceye said...

Bravo!!

Gemma Wiseman said...

I share your anger whole heartedly!

I live right next to an National Park, and only the other day found bags and bags of rubbish dumped just off the track in the Park. The amount of trouble to get such large bags there in the first place is mind numbing. There are far better ways, and the environment and those who have to look at such rubbish will thank you for it!

Fantastic post! Definitely awakens a real awareness that we are caretakers of this world and at times make a pretty poor fist of it!

Tash said...

Bad place for an abandoned chair. Best place is a street corner in a well-to-do neighborhood & everything gets picked up by someone who needs it or can sell it - one good thing about LA - a lot of recycling going on.
PS - loved the spooky Bates Motel (I know you said it's some flats or something, but you can't fool me).

Leslie: said...

I agree with everyone that this is a terrible situation. And you're right to bring it the attention of all...

Anonymous said...

Stupenda!

Hilda said...

I completely agree with you, especially about living in a very selfish age! I'm glad you gave vent to your rage here — someone has to every now and then.

Anonymous said...

My sentiments entirely.It's an utter disgrace that this goes on and don't get me started on the people who let their dogs mess in the street or on the beach without clearing it up!

GrandAnglais said...

Agree with all you say but well, at least it was a photo opportunity and is a great odd shot in itself.

b. luis grey said...

I think that it being there gives a story to tell. I agree with your complaint to a degree but its all ranting if the sofa is still there at the end of the day. I kind of like the irony of a sofa in a nature preserve. Don't necessarily think its right but gotta love it.

Olivier said...

une très belle photo, de solitude et d'abandon.
a beautiful picture of loneliness and abandonment.

Anonymous said...

The topic needs the starkness of B&W. The pests will dump stuff anywhere - why should they be concerned. What makes you boil is that they would laugh in your face.
To put an end to this sort of behaviour would be a more important campaign for the Goreacle than CO2.
But there are no Nobels for that.

Keith said...

Whoever would dump a chair like that is beyond ignorant. It's a true character flaw.

Pat said...

Agree, agree. You don't have to go into the woods here to find abandoned things just about everywhere. The up side is that if someone were to put out a usable item, the gypsies would haul it off, since they would either need it or resell it; recycling all the same. What's trashed here is really junk, but it litters just about everywhere, a remnant of behavior from Socialist times---the "If a place isn't mine, I don't care how it looks" attitude

Anonymous said...

Wow! Crabby Monday. Hope whoever stole from your blog got the message. maybe you could put a Hop-tu-naa curse on them.
Dumping of ones off casts in a reserve defies logic really. It requires some effort to do that. I would have thought droping off at the local charity would have needed less effort. But hey what do I know. Just look at the streets of London, or the tubes or any public place. The city is a rubbish tip.
having said all that, the chair in the wild does make a great photo.
Hope your week improves.

Jan said...

Fun photo, good rant. Hope you feel better, now.

marley said...

Hi B, just thought I'd drop back and see how you're doing? Keep smiling :)

Tanya Breese said...

Great post and I totally agree. I like the photo though, it is quite odd, and sad too.

laxeylass said...

You seem a little out of sorts? More island life than abandoned rubbish? All I can say stick with it. Someone out there has to see what is happening soon.Watch your back!

Liz Hinds said...

Well said, babooshka!

MumbaiiteAnu said...

Nice odd shot in monochrome.

Shravan Vijayaprasad said...

nice shot..:) Congrats on reaching the blogs of note!

And don't get pissed off with such things! There are even worser things happening in my place:(:(

Anonymous said...

Can't argue a word you said, nor would want to. I believe you've nailed it with one word: selfish. If more folks would think of the needs of the many before their own...

Anonymous said...

Well said B. I'd like to know who you are? Chin up. You've a following on the island we just aren't bloggers. You tell it like it is and you have amazing photos.

Mame said...

I'd be pissed too but I doubt I'd be able to get such a great shot out of it! Great image - I agree with the post above that said it looks like an image a creative writing teacher would ask students to write about. It's evocative.

Am I getting it wrong or is there some pressure on you to only post smiles and singing birds? To hell with that.

Good for you for getting the momochrome AND the oddity in the same shot.

Rock on.

Profile Not Available said...

The last time you posted this, I didn't notice the trash sitting on the chair. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was?

I agreed with your sentiments last time, and still do!

Rune Eide said...

Hear - hear!!

Anonymous said...

nice photo though!

Anonymous said...

Hey its good to know you like photography too. Visit my blog , you'll find some close-to-reality-kinda pictures therein too.
This one is cool..though it looks very deliberate.

Eki said...

There is an eerie feel about this black and white photo of a thrown away sofa in the nature ... Perfect choice for the Odd Shot Monday, Babooshka!

Daryl said...

Oh I love abandoned furniture photos .. one can spin such back stories for them ..

:-Daryl

Melania Szinger of WEALTH-INSPIRED BOOKS blog said...

That abandoned sofa in the woods picture certainly looks unique. Wonder how it ended up there, like that..

Melania Szinger
http://wealth-inspiredbooks.blogspot.com/
...inspiring wealth into your life

Virginia said...

You go girl! I love it when you get your panties in a wad and let it rip! You say what the rest of us think but don't have the wherewithall to say it. About the photo, odd for sure, well composed absolutely, a shame some dork left it there, certainly!

Anonymous said...

Spot on. I agree with Marley - I'd vote for you!

Poopsie aka Blue said...

LOL!
I've posted old B&W's today!

Webradio said...

Très surprenant ce post !!!

Brian Miller said...

Nice pic! Love the post and the emotions you let fly, agree whole heartedly.

Ming the Merciless said...

I understand your sentiments. We live in such a wasteful world.

I wonder what the future archeologist will say about our generation? Conspicuous consumption comes to mind.

Roan said...

This is a cool odd shot picture, but the back story is truly awful. BJ

raf said...

Whether it's ranting or raving you do Baboosh, there are many of us out here who love a straight shooter and you do that well! Is it any wonder you have legions at your call? Many thanks for many great posts!

Max-e said...

I share your sentiments on this. My feeling is that litter louts should be made to do community service, cleaning up litter.

Dragonstar said...

Excellent photo Babooshka, but the reason is disgusting!
They do it here, too.

jaaalyn said...

I definately agree with you. The picture looks neat and differently beautiful, but when you think about what it actually is, somebody's trash, it's a shame

Tanchi said...

nice shot here..i was hopping around..and found a nice shot here..keep8up

if you have time visit my photoblog too.

Monkey Monitor

Katney said...

The image is powerful. As are the thoughts and the comments shared. With so many in aggreement, you would think there would be no one left to be so crass.

Fiona said...

I love this picture, in colour it wouldn't be as striking.

Desain-in said...

Great imagination on ur photo...great capture!

Becky said...

Wow, your thoughts really spurred a lot of comments today! Well-done! :o)

I am in 100% agreement with you on the dumping issue. My husband and I were enjoying a drive in the countryside last winter - we found a dirt (by then it was mud) road and just wandered around, making sure not to accidentally wander onto private property. Around one curve and down a hill we could see down into a deep ravine where during the spring a creek probably runs. That winter, however, the only thing filling the creekbed was old furniture, tires, garbage bags, and other odd bits and pieces. It riled me up just as much as this nature reserve problem did you. So I totally understand!

My guess for this chair's abandonment, however, is that it was a prank. Whether it was stolen from a house and left here as a joke or taken there for some "fun," it's still wrong for the culprits to have left it, but I think this is the explanation.

Keep sharing the ugly, dirty, bad side of life. That's part of our homes, as well as the beauty.

Every Photo Tells A Story said...

Love this image. Let me know if you'd be interested in posting it on my site. All the details are listed there.

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