Follow up to Live At The Zoo Recordings

Well, I took my time to edit up the audio I recorded, and I've gotten to the stage where I have put up all of Marianne's song and a few of Morgan's songs up on my deviantART site for listening to. Also linked to them thru Marianne's new message board.

So I've been given permission to put these legal bootlegs (not really bootlegs are they then...) onto the net. These three musicians don't have a record deal, no record label copyrighting all there stuff. So I'm allowed to put these on the net. They are ok quality, and yeah, small enough file sizes. Here's a few of them (all of course uploaded and edited with the express permission of the copyright owners, creators and performers):

Rainbow by Marianne Mettes

Jerk by Marianne Mettes

Madeleine Drive by Morgan Hann

Might contemplate trying to get some torrents up for these, get them a bit a distribution peer to peer-wise. Will have to ask Marianne about that.

Interest In Video Blogging/Trip to Japan

Ran across some interesting information on what has now been coined as 'vlog', or videoblogging. Still looking into it, here's one of the info sites. This may be one avenue for me to communicate while I am over in Japan the end of next year (from July). Not sure if I've put this up yet but I've been looking into doing a study period in Japan for 6 months to finish off my uni degree.

See, i have two units that could easily be done overseas, e.g. they don't require me to be located in Brisbane or anywhere around QUT. One's a workplace learning unit (e.g. work experience but at a higher level) and the other is an independent research report/project (e.g. mini-thesis). I've left these two units till the very end, and they are the only classes I have left to do to finish my uni degree next year. So, instead of doing them here, I intend to do them in Japan.

Originally the idea was to do it First Semester 2006 (e.g. from Feb) but that's out of the window for two reasons, 1) won't have enough money and 2) I want to get more experience in one field of work so I can 3) actually spend time working out a place in Japan to get work experience in. So the new plan is this, I spend the time from End of 2005 till June 2006 working my ass off to make money, and also find some low paid work or simply start doing my own work prob editing films. That's one of the things that has caught my attention recently, that I've actually enjoyed doing. Then I'll fly over to Japan on July the 1st till December the 31st, or so. I'll have organised a work experience placing in a tv station, radio station, film studio, animation studio, something along those lines well in advance, and also somewhere to maybe teach english for some cash to stay alive. The rest of the time I will spend doing my independent research report and travelling, and finally enjoying Japan!!!

I've been procrastinating on doing up a proposal to show to my course co-ordinator and upper uni management in the hope to get the go ahead, so I should really get onto that (after these exams :P). What I've written here is basically the main gist of it, I'll rewrite it, do up a well thought out and timed plan, include some CI jargon into the mix to appease the upper echelons of command (just kidding, was gonna add them anyways) and then finish with what a successful and positive ambassadorial note it will be in QUT's, Queensland's and Australia's universities collective pigeonhole in the world if I do in fact get to go over there.

So, any thoughts? My main problem will be accomodation over there and getting a workplace to go to. Other then that if anyone has done something like this before or has any hints on how I should write up this proposal?

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I have been to Japan and I can speak Japanese at a conversational level. Am endevouring to relearn what I've lost of it.

Live Recording at The Zoo

Just got back from doing some live recording of a friends performance at The Zoo (live music venue in The Valley, Brisbane). It was pretty cool. True, it was origin 2 night, so most people were at home or at the pub watching the game, but those that turned up got to listen to some very talented songwriters performing never heard before songs. That I now have on minidisc :P Yes, the recordings came out better then expected. This is mostly of course due to the fact that we also had control of the mixing desk, and I could simply connect the recorder up to the frontofhouse and get it directly from there :P so no real effort on my part, and the audio has turned out more then decent enough for radio play, or a live bonus track on an ep, or for an entire live ep. who knows. now i am off to do up a business card, cause I should make money for doing this stuff :)

Thanks goes to The Zoo for allowing us to use their mixing desk.

The three out of four performers I got recordings of were Marianne & Jonathan Mettes, Maxine McCabe and Morgan Hann (reverse order) and unfortunately I didn't get permission plus had battery problems so I couldn't record the first person on, Emma Dean (which sucked cause she was the second best on the night IMHO). So, in the very unlikely event of Emma reading this blog, I would be more then happy to do a live recording of your next gig to make up for this one :P

Well, I better be off, currently transfering the audio to my comp for postpro. ta ta.

Some More Personal Discussion...

My Sixteen Collective One

Just put My Sixteen Collective One (from my deviantART account) up on the net (need a better name, help!!!), got links to the people included and is all centered and black-like. thanks to everyone for their pictures and permission (not necessarily in that order =)). I'm starting to collect more for number 2 so if you weren't fast enough to get into the first collective, I am actively looking through the rest of my contacts galleries on devART for images to use =P but of course feel safe that I will ask for your permission before I edit and submit anything.

Onto the 'Oh Woe's Me' section.
It looks like I'll be doing this unit with this chick I'm really nuts for (like cookoo nuts for, The Shinning type of nuts) and we've more or less decided we'll be in the same group/tutorial (it's a film production unit, e.g. we have to make our own 5-6min doco style video in a group of 4 or so). Now, there are (as far as I can tell) only a couple reasons behind this decision to jointly be in a group together: 1) because I tend to understand her english better then most people, and have the added ability to converse in her first language, and 2) its really annoying to get into a film group and find out they suck, and this way we already know each others strengths (and weaknesses) in a group situation and have some resemblance of trust as friends. (Could there be something other then these two? hmm...I wish).

Now, the discussion topic I propose to you is this: should I bring everything out into the open now/during these holiday's (e.g. I have about a month before we start the class) so that I don't have to go through an entire units group work without knowing what we could possibly be or not be and obviously driving me crazy. if that makes sense. OR should I just keep my mouth shut and deal with it for an entire semester, forgetting about her and continue to receive my monthly magazine subscriptions.

Oh, and I've been neglected the gym so I'm getting pudgy...NOOOOOO!!! Though good news in that I am keeping up my daily sit and pushup regime. Don't worry gym dear friend, I shall visit you more regularly soon enough...

Well, talk people talk!!! =)

News on the Muppets!!!

It was in 1996 that 'Muppet's Tonight!' was first aired, and Kermit handed over the hosting responsibilities to Clifford (yeah, the purplish rastafarian muppet). I think that was a serious bad move, because if you go back and watch the earlier episodes of the original muppet show a good portion of it was based on kermits interaction relationships with the cast behind stage and with the guest for that episode. I just don't think they ever got that going with Clifford.

Here's a link to Disney Inc's thoughts on the Return of the Muppets.

A new version of the show should be brought back because people want it back, not because they can make it into a commercially viable product again (I am assuming that is what they are refering to when they say 'viable commodity'). My utopian vision would include a new version of the muppet show returning to fulfill a purpose, e.g. to fill in much needed quality tv spots already taken over with..ummm...*loosens tie*...rubbish shows.

It also scares me a comment on the page linked to by Disney CEO Michael Eisner "'They'll stay away from politics and religion,'' Mr. Eisner says. "The Muppets have a certain modicum of innuendo. They're not gratuitous.'" This was in reference to recent 'puppet' movies, such as Team America. But how far does this go? Will they be able to bring back Sam the American Eagle (who to me represented the 'Right' on the show at the time, or maybe he represented severe media regulations?). Or will they still be able to sing songs with lyrics such as '...the nation rising as one, to send their honoured son, to the whitehouse (the nation's only whitehouse) to voice their discontent, unto the president, upon the burning question that has swept this continent', (Ignore the fact the question was 'Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?') that was from episode 14, Jan 17, 1977. Will they not even be able to mention the President, or anything political? This...troubles me.

Technical emergency? CALL 311 (in NY, USA)

Yes, these interesting things keep popping up after the assessment is due. Oh well.

Here's an link to an article by my latest blog addiction Steven Johnson. It's on New York City's new '311' service, which allows you to dial anything in at any time, and they use that information to like fix potholes and work out new political strategies...er...I mean make the world a better place.

Read about it here.

I know its just another link to another blog, meh, interesting.

Really? I'm Smarter? Jump for Joy!

Very interesting new book by Steven Johnson titled 'Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter'. Saw him do two interviews within the last couple of days, one on The Daily Show with Jon Stuart on the 7th of June, 2005 (Torrent) and one on the NewsHour (broadcast on SBS at 5-6pm Australian EST mondy-saturday - delayed broadcast). Enough links for ya?

As usual TDS interview was classic, and I think Steven actually got across a decent overview of his book and the concepts contained within in both interviews. Although Jon Stuart's interview was slightly shorter and funnier (and Steve seems to be more at home, doesn't everyone seem more at home when you seem them actually laughing for real?), and the NewsHour was of course longer and more detailed (with no smiles that I can remember, which is...bad).

Do I need to explain what the book is about? Go read it...it'll do you good...but not as much as playing that brand new hot computer game! (racing games, counterstrike and pong DO NOT count).

Don't...hurt me because of this discussion paper.

Here is my discussion paper. It is too long. I will cut it down and upload a shorter version if i have time. If not, then well, I think its interesting enough to read through anyways. I am also sure you will get some really short papers sent in to make up for it :)
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Wow, I have finally reached what I feel like is a suitable time to write this discussion piece on my weblog, and weblogs in general, how they compare to traditional journals and how mine relates to others I have come across and all that Jaz (ßsee, that was my first ‘just in case that tutor looks over my blog’ gag).

Now, first of all I must state that my handwriting is pretty horrendous. It’s atrocious even (believe me on this one). As such, a weblog, or any way of transferring and holding my ideas out of my head for future perusal or for outside perusal WITHOUT having it in my handwriting is a godsend. So straight from the start, discovering a new way of keeping my thoughts in my writing, but not MY writing was a good sign. Anyone reading this should be thanking whatever omnipresent being they believe in that this is a typed-blog, not a written-blog (which I think is a possible future concept). That was my initial and is still my first personal reaction to weblogs; simply that I don’t have to write things down. How else can you compare a ‘paper’ journal with a weblog? Simply changing the input interface from handwriting to typing is more of a technical difference, which only has a limited impact on what content you include.

The obvious other difference is of course the fact that you can control exactly who sees your paper journal, whereas a journal produced through a weblog format at its foundations includes the concept of openness and sharing the content. With a weblog, you are uploading the content with the knowledge that it is open to anyone, and as such – even if it’s only subconsciously - the content will be altered from if you were writing it in a paper journal. I’m not saying this is bad or good, but that it’s fairly obvious that the different formats aren’t simply different ways of distributing your content, or different methods in input of information, but that they force a change in the content itself. If you were to try and write a paper journal entry as a weblog, you would find it altered significantly due to assumptions you make about the new medium (e.g. target audience, length, etc). So we have the weblog altering both the way we input data, the way that data is distributed, and the data itelf. All three.

Is there something between a weblog and a paper journal? (other then writing up your journal in a word document :P) For example, someone could use wordpress, and place the blog within a secure folder. I don’t believe you could then call that a weblog, as you would be able to selectively decide who saw it or not. This I believe would be a truer digital version of a paper journal (not that we were aiming for a truer version in this class). It really depends on your definition of 'weblog'.

Don’t get me wrong, a weblog’s main function in my eyes is to provide a way to communicate your own work, thoughts, ideas, concepts, rantings, plans for world domination, recipies for cheesecake to other people who happen to pass by your page - amongst a host of other uses - not just for a personal journal-style medium. But that’s how it seemed to turn out for me. Maybe it’s because I am boring, maybe it’s because the essential function of this blog was to record my thoughts and opinions on readings and lectures that only a sparse few people will have also witnessed or even want to read about. I did attempt to bring in other related discussion, and somewhat related topics, but in the end it seemed to be dragged all the way back to simply providing my opinion on that reading, or that tutorial group, or that lecture which wouldn’t be as interesting to an outside then what I had for breakfast today. True, it was interesting to jump around some other people’s weblogs (both in our tutorial group and outside), and we did have some form of limited comment giving and communication between us every so often, but nothing along the lines of what a weblog could potentially grow to be. Which is what I suppose is the purpose of this whole exercise, to get us started and to see what the format is capable of helping us do.

How can I compare my weblog to others (non-unit related), other then possibly looking at whether the blog has completed or is completing its purpose? I feel mine’s served its purpose for existing (culminating in this paper), while other ones have also continued to serve its purpose, whether to act as a communal confession http://postsecret.blogspot.com or to adverise up and coming games buy a great designer and concept creator http://www.americanmcgee.com/wordpress/.

What are my final thoughts on weblogs before I sign off (and go and get wordpress)? I think a well maintained weblog with a cause, a purpose, which requires the communication and linkage from other weblogs and provides original or even just well written critiques or analysis of anything that people would be interesting in, would be able to reach the full potential of the weblog format.

Adios Amigos, gracias senorita...umm...yeah.

Recent Questions

As you may have noticed I've been trying to explain or comment on a few random things lately, which have either been mentioned by visitors or I just thought needed talking about. I think this is partially to do with the fact that my reflection discussion paper isn't going to be able to fit random comments in it. It is already fat with discussion on paper journal vs weblog, and all the other things I'm supposed to be talking about.

So, the point of this little randomness? The site layout explained.

To be blunt, there is very little of an explanation. I tried out a few of the layouts available, and decided that rather then make my own (which would be nice) I would focus on the content and put it in the layout I liked the most. Why do I like this one? well, its clear cut, the colours separate well and don't shout out at the reader. and it has rounded corners...prevalent rounded corners.

Other then that, I don't have any more excuses...I mean explanations... :P

It's a gif people...

I've been asked by a number of people visiting my blog (its amazing, people might have actually visited this blog, can't you feel my pride shine thru the keyboard?) how i did my 'morphing' image, or that it was cool what have you.

Just to clear things up people, its a gif.

Done in imageready, with layers, and the animation tool.

But, how I got the image to that state, well, that is my, little, secret. As well as how to successfully (arguable say some people) use a coma many times over in one sentence.

The Beta Run is Ovaaaa

Finally, a good month + a week or so later the closed beta testing period is over. The game is out, and I still haven't finished it :P During the beta we were required to keep Jeff up to date with what was happening in the game, any suggestions, problems and bugs. We also had to at least try to install the game once it was in its final form, so that it was ok for release.

Now I am off to finish the game...oh, and to do up my final post...its a coming!!!

AND...here's some testing, ok, its for foreign languages so if Japanese comes up then I'll possibly be able to help, but yeah. There ARE jobs like this out there. paid by the hour, temporary, full-time entry level, true, but a job at that. Go HERE to see Blizzards Foreign Language Game Tester Page. Woo!