leonardcohenforum.com

continuing the never-ending series of computer art portraits

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2024 1:33 am its4inthemorning wrote:

>you asked why I had not been viewing the forum of late; the answer is no more complicated than I have just been busy with other things I enjoy doing.

reading between the lines here one can sense an air of mystery, but i will not pry into what these important other things that you prioritise might be - unless of course you wish to be open about it.

>

Your usually keen perception has failed you here, G. Sadly I have not taken up a mistress, nor have I been spending time in any house of mystery. The past 4-6 weeks have been mostly filled with "real" work (I am lucky enough to have worked in a field that I enjoy enough to continue to generate income during retirement) plus some gardening, cooking (a skill I have acquired late in life to give Joann--who did most the cooking for 35 years--a well-deserved break), and still trying to golf without embarrassing myself.

Your "Queen" drawing prompts me to mention that there are excellent videos on youtube of the band's iconic Live Aid performance in 1985.

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its4inthemorning wrote:
>Sadly I have not taken up a mistress, nor have I been spending time in any house of mystery. The past 4-6 weeks have been mostly filled with "real" work (I am lucky enough to have worked in a field that I enjoy enough to continue to generate income during retirement) plus some gardening, cooking (a skill I have acquired late in life to give Joann--who did most the cooking for 35 years--a well-deserved break), and still trying to golf without embarrassing myself.

thank you so much. you write much that could be delved into, but i resist the temptation. suffice to say you give the impression of being a well-balanced gentleman with a healthy and pleasant disposition. i do not understand the point of playing golf, and even less so why people watch it on television, but i guess it is a form for relaxation. isn't it mostly for rich people? anyway, it was good of you to tell me these things

>Your "Queen" drawing prompts me to mention that there are excellent videos on youtube of the band's iconic Live Aid performance in 1985.

yes, i have seen it more than once. exciting and dynamic footage of an iconic, creative figure in action - inspiring music!
below is another individual who made good music. writer e m forster wrote (and i can't be bothered to find the exact quote), that he believes beethoven's 5th symphony to contain the most sublime sounds ever to reach one's ear. some people say that beethoven's 9th is the best, but disagreement encourages discussion.
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remember me? i used to live for music!

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Thu Oct 03, 2024 12:03 am ...below is another individual who made good music. writer e m forster wrote (and i can't be bothered to find the exact quote), that he believes beethoven's 5th symphony to contain the most sublime sounds ever to reach one's ear. some people say that beethoven's 9th is the best, but disagreement encourages discussion...

Yes, Beethoven wrote a few good tunes! Of couse, you know that he's my favourite composer, and I think that his music is absolutely awesome and amazing -- he wrote so many of the most sublime sounds to reach anyone's ear!

I couldn't possibly pick a favourite piece of his, I love so many of them pretty much equally, and they are all very different from one another. That is one of the hallmarks of his music -- and of his genius -- the fact that each piece is quite distinct. Regarding Beethoven's Symphonies, it depends on my mood as to which one I listen to, but the 3rd, 5th, and 9th get played the most overall, at least, in more recent years. I couldn't even begin to discuss why -- words cannot express the way his music makes me feel!

As far as I'm concerned, if people are listening to Beethoven and loving it, being moved by it, finding it sublime, etc., then I genuinely don't care which piece they think is best -- it's all great!

Oh, and, I love the picture (and the quote!). Cheers!

LisaLCFan wrote:
>Yes, Beethoven wrote a few good tunes!

ha ha ha!!!

>Regarding Beethoven's Symphonies, it depends on my mood as to which one I listen to . . .

i can understand that. mostly i am in a good mood, and like any music that has a lot of energy, be it classical or whatever.

>I love the picture (and the quote!).

thank you. i have made several sketches of that fellow (and others), that have not appeared here. that no one has commented on freddie's missing finger is strange and encouraging. by the way, i read through the freud links you provided. they really put him through the wringer, especially harriet hall. quite convincing articles. disagreements and controversy can certainly be entertaining
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a couple of additions to the same computer series, plus a sketch.

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Thu Oct 03, 2024 2:44 pm ...that no one has commented on freddie's missing finger is strange and encouraging...

Oh, my goodness, I didn't even notice that, but to be honest, I didn't pay very much attention to the picture.

Glad you found the articles on Freud to be "entertaining".

I do like your latest series of colourful computer portraits (even if I don't examine all of them closely!).

LisaLCFan wrote: ↑Fri Oct 04, 2024 3:16 am I do like your latest series of colourful computer portraits

thank you. they're fun to make. with computer art, anything can be easily changed

Oh, oh, does this now mean that G is going to embed little nuances in his drawings to test us on? What will follow Freddie's missing finger, maybe an artist with a missing ear? I will echo Lisa about enjoying the colored computer art, I find it much more interesting than the b&w ones. I also 2/3 concur with her about favorite symphonies by Ludwig B. My top two are his 5th and 9th, but I now find myself at a loss regarding the 1st and will need to listen to it post haste. Better yet, maybe make this a Beethoven Weekend and listen to all nine.

G, I just knew you would have an unkind word to say about golf. You are a bit behind the times, golf has bridged class warfare for quite some time. Of course there are still exclusive country clubs, but at least here in the States the vast majority of golf is played on courses open to the public. Half a century ago such public course were woefully undermaintained and frequented by unserious people, today most are reasonably well manicured, and the golfers one encounters are mostly pleasant and well-behaved. Golf is a good competitive outlet, but frustrating because one is essentially playing against himself. It also gives folks an opportunity to spend time with nature, although a walk in the woods would be cheaper and consume less time. Interestingly, in the US golf play had been trending downward, even to the point that economics was forcing courses to close. That all changed with covid; with time to kill and indoor activities curtailed, many, many people took up golf, and play at many public courses is now at all-time highs.

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will write when back home. just been invited to meet friends at the international cafe - and i'm starving!

its4inthemorning wrote:
>I will echo Lisa about enjoying the colored computer art, I find it much more interesting than the b&w ones.

thank you. one can often glean much information from knowing a person's preferences.

>G, I just knew you would have an unkind word to say about golf.

well, there is never any intention to be unkind, and i do follow current affairs. it's just that i know an awful lot of people living here, and not a single one of them play golf. i don't think there are any golf courses anywhere near here, at least i've never seen or heard of one. it's not really a part of the norwegian culture - i can't remember anyone in my circle ever talking about it even. leonard didn't play golf, not beethoven either, they were never ones for killing time, far too creative for that.
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pretty and intelligent young girl who made a big impression on the world.
at the tender age of 15 died at the hands of the nazis. begging in the street. amazingly talented person. imprisoned for two years for homosexuality.

https://youtu.be/TaLrBgfqWRo?si=SsY2AsCskTumnYsz

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2024 8:48 pm ...i know an awful lot of people living here, and not a single one of them play golf. i don't think there are any golf courses anywhere near here, at least i've never seen or heard of one. it's not really a part of the norwegian culture - i can't remember anyone in my circle ever talking about it even. leonard didn't play golf, not beethoven either, they were never ones for killing time, far too creative for that...

According to the Visit Norway website, there are more than 160 golf courses in Norway, including the Solnør Gaard Golf Course, which is the home golf course for the Ålesund Golf Club (they have 1000 members who play golf). The latter also has a "6 hole practice facility in the middle of Moa shopping area" -- isn't that shopping centre one of your hangouts? Whatever the case, it sounds like quite a few Norwegians play golf!

https://www.visitnorway.com/things-to-d ... ties/golf/

https://aalesundgk.no/english/about-the-club

https://aalesundgk.no/english/about-sol ... olf-course

I play golf, and I find it to be very enjoyable. For a lot of people, including me, one of the pleasures of playing golf is the social aspect: people are put into groups of four to play -- either with people they know, or often with strangers -- thus, it's a great way to meet new people, or to spend time with existing friends and acquaintances, all while enjoying the outdoors and getting some exercise. Those who choose to walk while they play (I am one of them!), rather than ride in a power cart, can get up to five hours of constant exercise in the fresh air, which is very beneficial for the body and the mind (walking has been proven to improve brain function, including increasing creativity)! Many golf courses have very lovely surroundings, with a lot of natural beauty, including the landscape itself plus an assortment of wildlife, and I and many others find spending time amongst those things to be very enriching and relaxing!

And, not least, the game of golf itself is fun for many people -- it's a bit of a physical challenge, good for hand-eye coordination, and one also has to make mental calculations for distance and environmental conditions and obstacles and trajectory before they hit the ball, and then hope that it goes where they want it to go, and there is a weird sort of thrill when it works perfectly! Whenever one hits the ball, there is some element of risk, creativity, chance, skill, and it is different every single time -- no two shots will ever be the same, thus there is built-in novelty that keeps the game interesting. Some people play golf as a competition with others, joining a league and trying to win, but many of the golfers I know, myself included, just play for personal enjoyment (for all of the above reasons), often not even bothering to keep score!

Thus, golf is a multifaceted activity that can be a really lovely way to spend part of one's day, being far more than just pointlessly killing time! Some creative people most certainly engage in golf and other activities that are not purely creative, allowing for rest and relaxation and recharging, as well as making for a well-rounded and balanced life that includes a variety of things.

Cheers!

LisaLCFan wrote:
>According to the Visit Norway website, there are more than 160 golf courses in Norway, including the Solnør Gaard Golf Course, which is the home golf course for the Ålesund Golf Club (they have 1000 members who play golf). The latter also has a "6 hole practice facility in the middle of Moa shopping area" -- isn't that shopping centre one of your hangouts? Whatever the case, it sounds like quite a few Norwegians play golf!

lisa. you would make an excellent defence barrister. 1000 members? what a lovely round number! it is common practice to exaggerate membership numbers; everyone does it, even churches, because the more members they claim to have the more financial support they receive from the state. i can assure them that such blatant untruths guarantees they will never enter the gates of heaven - if there is such a place. i had never heard of solnør until you mentioned it, but yes - it is there on google maps. i will concede that it might have three or four members, overweight menfolk, probably architects, lawyers, doctors, police chiefs - 'freemasons' in other words.

one should be careful not to swallow everything one reads in a newspaper or on a webpage, there are a lot of lies and propaganda about, especially when money is in the picture. the fact is that golf is simply knocking a little ball into a hole in the ground with an L-shaped stick. of course one can dress it up and talk about how enriching, relaxing, beneficial for the body, etc. it is - but i can get all of that without going anywhere near a golf course, and in a much more social setting. a walk through moa shopping centre from one end to the other is a kilometer in length, and is far more than double that if one enters and goes around some of the huge supermarkets or cafes, and one doesn't even need an umbrella!

if it is nice weather and one is hell-bent on getting some fresh air all one needs do is go outside and walk around. there is ample nature to enjoy. sometimes juanita and i walk from moa to the gallery or shops in spjelkavik's main street. we talk to friends (and strangers) we meet on the way, feed the ducks at nearby lillevatnet with crusts of bread that she brings. one cannot compare such a wonderful afternoon to a lonely, anti-social, time wasting pastime where the object is simply to feel superior to one's partner.

playing golf is exactly that, it is playing. there is a children's play area outside moa, also a skateboard facility, but i have yet to see anyone playing golf. for that, apparently, one has to drive all the way to solnør, a far off desolate area in the middle of nowhere. don't forget that there is no record of either beethoven, leonard cohen or myself of ever having played golf; there is a good reason for that.
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i draw a lot of faces and hands is because people say they are the hardest to do. that is quite true, but only in the beginning.

"to all of my architects, let me be traitor"

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2024 12:18 pm [an amusing treatise against golf and those who play it]

That was really funny!

I think I shall call that "The Geoffrey Defence": when presented with evidence and views that contradict your own opinions and unsubstantiated beliefs, the best tactic is to disregard what you've been told, accuse people of being liars, and belittle and devalue both those with whom you disagree as well as the things that they do and enjoy!

You are a tad predictable in your obstinacy. Cheers!

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2024 12:18 pm we talk to friends (and strangers) we meet on the way, feed the ducks at nearby lillevatnet with crusts of bread that she brings.

Hi Geoffrey,
You should discourage the feeding of bread to ducks, it is not good for them!
https://friscolibrary.com/blogs/post/th ... d%20grapes.

Alan