The new XML Blogger templates have been out for quite a while now but I hadn't implemented it as I always knew how to code the other one. I guess there are there are pros and cons to both. I feel as though I had more control over the old templates as they were regular CSS. I guess if I spend more time with it, I might be able to figure out more of the details of how they work.
Lately, I've been in the 'coding' mind frame. Been spending a lot of time learning how to accomplish a whole lot of web coding. Though it always feels like a never ending learning experience. I've been meaning to spend more time with JavaScript and will as soon as I get sometime. After next week I'm going to be busy again working on another play production. Though time flies really fast when you're working in the day and working on a show at night. Good thing is a whole bunch of my friends are in that cast, so it should be quite enjoyable.
Since I've been in the coding mind frame, I thought it was time to revamp this blog. So here is the new skin (which I like to call 'Blood Stained Newspaper') with Bloggers advanced navigation of there new (well they have been around for a while, but new to this blog none the less) templates.
On a different note, the other and I played an awesome game last night. Fat Princess. Its a game that you can buy at the Playstation store on the PS3 and it is awesome. How can a game where you have to feed a princess pieces of cake to make her fat not be awesome. Its cartoony, funny and a lot of fun. Imagine a strategy game like warcraft, with 32 characters on the map and everyone controls one character. It is a brilliant redesign of the classic strategy game interface.
On that note, I'm going to get a game in before I go to sleep. Its going to be a hectic couple of days. Our Season launches on Wednesday, so all the loose ends have to be tied...
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Double dip...the taste of you on my fingertips
Haha I just had to get another one in there for today before I forget, or become too slack tomorrow.
I had a most funny dream - and before you start whingeing, yes I am aware that I had to consciously stop making this a dream diary a few months ago. However, this one is just too funny not to write about.
I dreamt that I was at home being bored out of my mind with something. Then I went out somewhere, then saw a girl who I used to work with just walking around in a swimsuit (?) - haha alas, I was not complaining as she's quite the fit one. Anyway, I got back home and I was even more bored out of my mind. So I decided to just get a bottle of cranberry juice and just drink it upstairs. However, the taste was not tart, it was extremely sweet. Then after I'd gotten through about a quarter of the bottle, I looked at the bottle - it was extremely weirdly shaped and it said that it was wine!! Hahaha, not having had any alcohol since 2007, it of course hit me (I don't know how my subconscious was aware of this though), and I was utterly wasted. I'm not even sure if it was a real wine, as all the wine I've had in my life has tasted like distilled filth. Maybe it was a dessert wine? But even then, how would I know what it tasted like? Regardless, I woke up and I felt extremely hungover! Hahaha, how could getting wasted in my dreams result in me being hungover in real life?? Ahh gold I say.
Red Dwarf Series 5 is pretty scary! I like it! Anyhow, I have some songs to write. Enjoy.
I had a most funny dream - and before you start whingeing, yes I am aware that I had to consciously stop making this a dream diary a few months ago. However, this one is just too funny not to write about.
I dreamt that I was at home being bored out of my mind with something. Then I went out somewhere, then saw a girl who I used to work with just walking around in a swimsuit (?) - haha alas, I was not complaining as she's quite the fit one. Anyway, I got back home and I was even more bored out of my mind. So I decided to just get a bottle of cranberry juice and just drink it upstairs. However, the taste was not tart, it was extremely sweet. Then after I'd gotten through about a quarter of the bottle, I looked at the bottle - it was extremely weirdly shaped and it said that it was wine!! Hahaha, not having had any alcohol since 2007, it of course hit me (I don't know how my subconscious was aware of this though), and I was utterly wasted. I'm not even sure if it was a real wine, as all the wine I've had in my life has tasted like distilled filth. Maybe it was a dessert wine? But even then, how would I know what it tasted like? Regardless, I woke up and I felt extremely hungover! Hahaha, how could getting wasted in my dreams result in me being hungover in real life?? Ahh gold I say.
Red Dwarf Series 5 is pretty scary! I like it! Anyhow, I have some songs to write. Enjoy.
Conspiracies and legacies
Yeah yeah, I know I was meant to blog about women being objectified, but I will get to that when I'm actually awake.
Saturday was brilliant. Spent most of it at the other's place, playing guitar, getting into some games and walking around town. It saw some brilliant ideas. One example being the other tuning his guitar, and then playing a strange riff which we developed and then turned into a fully fledged song, with a fantastic breakdown and brutal bassline.
I got my butt handed to me in Fifa 10 several times. I think I may have to retire from that game in order to save some face now!
Also saw the brilliance of a game called Fat Princess! Hahaha it is a strange cross between a 3rd person strategy game, capture the flag, and RPG. It is simple on the face of it, but beneath the surface lurks an incredibly engaging and deeper game. It reminds me of the brilliant multiplayer madness of Super Bomberman and Super Smash Bros. However I think this has the potential to be much better. I must get rid of my old old computer, desk and tv and make way for a HD TV and new consoles.
The other has introduced me to this website called Dropbox, which is a cloud file sharing system, which can be accessed from anywhere. I have to say I'm loving it! I've seen these things before, even since I was on a dial up connection. But I gotta say, this is the cleanest interface and easiest to use by far. I am aiming to have all our song ideas on there and then start finalising stuff.
I have just been getting into stacks and stacks of Red Dwarf. I am now up to Season 5 (which I have never seen before) so I am looking forward to that.
Anyway, that's it for now folks!
Saturday was brilliant. Spent most of it at the other's place, playing guitar, getting into some games and walking around town. It saw some brilliant ideas. One example being the other tuning his guitar, and then playing a strange riff which we developed and then turned into a fully fledged song, with a fantastic breakdown and brutal bassline.
I got my butt handed to me in Fifa 10 several times. I think I may have to retire from that game in order to save some face now!
Also saw the brilliance of a game called Fat Princess! Hahaha it is a strange cross between a 3rd person strategy game, capture the flag, and RPG. It is simple on the face of it, but beneath the surface lurks an incredibly engaging and deeper game. It reminds me of the brilliant multiplayer madness of Super Bomberman and Super Smash Bros. However I think this has the potential to be much better. I must get rid of my old old computer, desk and tv and make way for a HD TV and new consoles.
The other has introduced me to this website called Dropbox, which is a cloud file sharing system, which can be accessed from anywhere. I have to say I'm loving it! I've seen these things before, even since I was on a dial up connection. But I gotta say, this is the cleanest interface and easiest to use by far. I am aiming to have all our song ideas on there and then start finalising stuff.
I have just been getting into stacks and stacks of Red Dwarf. I am now up to Season 5 (which I have never seen before) so I am looking forward to that.
Anyway, that's it for now folks!
Monday, November 02, 2009
Any way the wind blows
The rumours are true, I have turned 25 today. More on that later.
You know what I'm really looking forward to? On Wednesday (my first day back at work - after my second consecutive four day weekend) at lunch I will walk down to the pub and buy myself a slushie. A lime one, an extra large one. It's gonna be hot and I have not had one in years. Literally. Years! My problem is compounded by the fact that only one place in this city sells them. I remember years ago, there was a place right near my house that sold them (this particular type of slushie) but they sold out and they got rid of the machine. Then there was a place in the mall that sold up shop and disappeared. Now it's only available in this pub in the city - though they do usually put vodka in, but I like mine straight up thank you!
It's a good feeling to have such a craving for a simple pleasure that has been denied to you for so long, but then finally getting it.
Ahh yes, I did mention in my last post that I would mention something about the objectification of women, but I will now get to that in a later post.
Now, on to less optimistic news. As mentioned above, today was my 25th birthday. I'm not a materialistic person, but I have to say, gifts such as shirts, suits, trousers, wallets, or any other type of clothing or accessory is NOT FUCKING APPRECIATED. I have clothes. I work 5 days a week. I wear my suits there. Then on the weekend I will just wear my night clothes. If I need to go anywhere, I have plenty of casual clothes. My parents bought me a suit, trousers and a shit load of shirts and ties. This is horrific. This is stuff I can only wear to work. I figured (and have been told by superiors) that work is just a means to enjoy the stuff you want to do outside of work!
As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I would much prefer a card with a well written message. I can buy my own shit if I need it, thank you very much. Frivolous material possessions which have had no thought put behind them are not appreciated. Then the icing on the cake; I was forced to buy presents for my other relatives who have birthdays in November. There was 200 bucks down the drain on my birthday. Fucking wonderful. I live a frugal lifestyle, and I don't enjoy unwilling deductions to the bank account, especially on my birthday. These fucking birthdays are just getting worse and worse I tell you. No wonder I haven't celebrated them since I was 12.
When I was in Sydney, I realised that I don't like my family. I don't like talking to them, or having them talk to me. It's not good for my mental health. I was just going to work, then on weekends I was just watching movies and playing games. That was the fucking life I tell you. I had a sweet apartment, I was self sufficient. I was in fantastic shape. I got on well with the people who were worth getting along with at work. I didn't need anything else. Now I'm back here to be a glutton for punishment. Just for more pay and less hours. Why the fuck did I come back here??! I know previously I said that I won't live to see another 2 quarter centuries. At this rate, I don't know if I want to make it a few more birthdays!
I don't know if I've ever been depressed. Sad, in despair, despondent, yes. But depressed? Nope, I don't think so.
I hereby pass Resolution #3 (don't ask me what the fuck happened to the first two - I don't think they exist). I will try to get out of here, and I will no longer talk to, or associate with my family. Done and done.
Joaquin out.
You know what I'm really looking forward to? On Wednesday (my first day back at work - after my second consecutive four day weekend) at lunch I will walk down to the pub and buy myself a slushie. A lime one, an extra large one. It's gonna be hot and I have not had one in years. Literally. Years! My problem is compounded by the fact that only one place in this city sells them. I remember years ago, there was a place right near my house that sold them (this particular type of slushie) but they sold out and they got rid of the machine. Then there was a place in the mall that sold up shop and disappeared. Now it's only available in this pub in the city - though they do usually put vodka in, but I like mine straight up thank you!
It's a good feeling to have such a craving for a simple pleasure that has been denied to you for so long, but then finally getting it.
Ahh yes, I did mention in my last post that I would mention something about the objectification of women, but I will now get to that in a later post.
Now, on to less optimistic news. As mentioned above, today was my 25th birthday. I'm not a materialistic person, but I have to say, gifts such as shirts, suits, trousers, wallets, or any other type of clothing or accessory is NOT FUCKING APPRECIATED. I have clothes. I work 5 days a week. I wear my suits there. Then on the weekend I will just wear my night clothes. If I need to go anywhere, I have plenty of casual clothes. My parents bought me a suit, trousers and a shit load of shirts and ties. This is horrific. This is stuff I can only wear to work. I figured (and have been told by superiors) that work is just a means to enjoy the stuff you want to do outside of work!
As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I would much prefer a card with a well written message. I can buy my own shit if I need it, thank you very much. Frivolous material possessions which have had no thought put behind them are not appreciated. Then the icing on the cake; I was forced to buy presents for my other relatives who have birthdays in November. There was 200 bucks down the drain on my birthday. Fucking wonderful. I live a frugal lifestyle, and I don't enjoy unwilling deductions to the bank account, especially on my birthday. These fucking birthdays are just getting worse and worse I tell you. No wonder I haven't celebrated them since I was 12.
When I was in Sydney, I realised that I don't like my family. I don't like talking to them, or having them talk to me. It's not good for my mental health. I was just going to work, then on weekends I was just watching movies and playing games. That was the fucking life I tell you. I had a sweet apartment, I was self sufficient. I was in fantastic shape. I got on well with the people who were worth getting along with at work. I didn't need anything else. Now I'm back here to be a glutton for punishment. Just for more pay and less hours. Why the fuck did I come back here??! I know previously I said that I won't live to see another 2 quarter centuries. At this rate, I don't know if I want to make it a few more birthdays!
I don't know if I've ever been depressed. Sad, in despair, despondent, yes. But depressed? Nope, I don't think so.
I hereby pass Resolution #3 (don't ask me what the fuck happened to the first two - I don't think they exist). I will try to get out of here, and I will no longer talk to, or associate with my family. Done and done.
Joaquin out.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Cutting aliens in half, I don't consider that daft - Blog intro/retrospective (Part 2 of 2).
Yes, it's finally here! After many weeks of promising, I have decided to get off my butt (or should that be sit on it?) and finally finish the blog intro/retrospective. For those not familiar with my original idea, the second part was to address any points of interest in the other's posts throughout the years. Basically, if the other had brought up a conversation point that I had not addressed, or if I had addressed it, my opinion had changed since then.
However, before I get to that point, I would like to continue with my original rantings first.
The other is back with a vengeance, and I gotta say it's good to have him back! He's had some fantastic posts.
So yes, I will be 25 soon. Just another year, another birthday I guess. It's dawned on me that on the balance of probabilities, I won't live to see another two of these (quarter centuries that is, not birthdays). I'm ok with that. Let's see what the future brings.
See me. Be me. Experience the things I have. Know how I think. See my world. Experience me.
You know what really irks me? When people have things called photographic essays! Essays require the use of words! Yes, I am well aware of the adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" but that is just the height of snobbery. A picture is a picture! It is not a photographic essay. How about a musical essay?? An essay of smells perhaps??
The other just has an amazing talent for sticking these weird riffs and chords together which just sound magical when put together. And then when we get together to jam, it all falls into place so well. I can layer my knowledge of theory and obscure chords (that I've probably just used once - when I was learning the mofo) and it is a well oiled machine.
My early 20's have been a good experience in terms of gaming. I have probably gotten into first person shooters more than I had in the past. But also in terms of non computer games, I learned how to play poker. I never had any idea in the past, and it was something I really wanted to do. I remember in High School I played some friends and just bluffed every hand, as I had no idea what cards I had. But now I am quite adept at it, and that did fill me with a sense of accomplishment.
However, another thing that stems even further back than high school was chess. I had no idea how to play, and I didn't even know how to set up the board. But all that changed last week. I had some free time at work, and I loaded up Chess Titans (which can show you how the pieces are meant to move). So of course, I became hooked, and despite losing at least 20 matches to the computer (on easy), I have been reading up on this and am now completely obsessed. I have to beat a human opponent at least once in my life. What an interesting game.
I have also been getting into some good console co-op. My friend has been inviting me over to play some Xbox360 coop. We played Halo 3 which was bloody fantastic. Many a good time was had with that and we ended up finishing it. We recently got into Gears Of War 2, which I found to be absolutely wonderful. People may think it's just a third person shooter, but I think it is quite tactical in terms of pinning and flanking. Ahhh many a chainsaw lancer death was had, I can't wait to play some more of that.
I was going to examine the phenomenon of women being treated as objects. But if I went into that, I would be here for a while. So I will save that for another time, as well as - in a shocking segue, update the Joaquin Rate List (JRL)!
So without further ado, may I get on to part 2 of the blog intro/retrospective!
September 14 2004
It has to start somewhere
The other mentioned a point about English being a flawed language. Where some words are spelled completely differently to how they sound and so on. You don't get these issues with Eastern languages, but it does seem a bit of a theme in Western/Germanic languages. I wholly agree with the other's point. Words should be spelled more phonetically, or we should extend the alphabet to incorporate more sounds.
The other also makes a note about girls in Bangers. He said the good ones were engaged and the others are just plain bitches. Hahah, 100% agreed! That's probably why the good ones are all gone early - to live their unfulfilled lives.
September 17 2004
Disconnected!!! Damn
The other first blogged about the "11" phenomena. It is still everywhere!! Though not in the same abundance that I used to get, especially when I was in Sydney. I've been reading up on it, and it has some interesting numerological properties. For those interested, it's well worth a look, as it has several meanings.
The other had also been reading up on "ladder theory" and I gotta say, now that I'm older I believe that it is 100% true.
19 October 2004
Time machine
The other started this theme of not having enough time to get things done. And I agree with him, a holiday somewhere nice with no technology would be nice on the cards.
27 October 2004
Can't make up my bloody mind
The other made an excellent point about too many guitarists relying on tabs to play songs. Most tabs are incorrect, and it results in guitarists not using their ears, and failing as musicians in the long run. I agree with this point 100%, but I have to say that I'm hypocritical, as I am guilty of this. When I first want to learn a song, I will turn to tabs before anything else. I won't even play along with it. I'm sure my musicianship has suffered as a result, and I have not bothered to properly read music as a result. Once we break the bonds of the way we have developed this internal paradigm, we can begin to express ourselves properly.
19 November 2004
And only wrappers were left
The other made a statement regarding auras. This has been regarded as a pseudoscience by most in scientific circles, but I have to say that I believe there is some truth to it. Some people's energy you can just totally pick up. Sometimes you can just "feel" other people.
4 December 2004
Coz this shape was made to sink
The other made a point regarding people in arranged marriages not being in love. I disagree with him on this point. While of course people like this aren't in love at the start, I think that it can grow into love over time. But is that artificial? Forcing people into a situation where either hate or love can blossom? It may seem contrived (obviously), but whether this love is the same as those in "love" marriages may need to remain to be seen. But I think love is love, and that is that.
24 January 2005
More means good or more means bad??
The other made an excellent remark concerning exchange rates and the near arbitrary way that they are determined. Having worked in a field where we relied on exchange rates to determine favourable outcomes for clients, the idea of the value of a currency being based on the loose and vague notion of a "market" is just beyond belief. The other also offered a solution of a unified world currency. I agree with this, but I don't think the world will go for this, as obviously some markets would like to be better than others, which in turn benefits some corners of the market, and various countries. If we did go to a unified currency, I bet that there would still be some "market" ideal that would mean that the value of the SAME currency would be more in poor countries, so that they kept getting screwed over. Ahh Wall Street was such a good movie, I can't wait for the sequel, but I'm not keen on Shia LaBeouf being in it!
22 March 2005
Look at what I can do
The other made an incredibly valid point regarding custom things being made for famous people. While this obviously can be a far reaching statement which runs the gamut of objects, I think the most obvious (and pertinent) example relates to musicians and musical instruments. Being a guitarist, I am inundated with signature guitars, amplifiers, picks, guitar straps, strings and the list just goes on and on. Just like the other, let me say, you don't need ANY of that shit. Be unique, make your own mark on society! Nobody got famous from playing someone elses signature instrument! You know what's funny? The people who made these instruments also got good/famous by NOT playing that signature item. It is made for them - for their specifications. Just cause it's good for them doesn't mean it's good for you. If you buy signature stuff, I hope it's just for fun, not cause you want to sound or look like someone.
27 April 2005
Strategy
The other made a great point concerning plagiarism being encouraged in universities. I 100% agree with this. As the syllabus refers to only a small number of books/sources, obviously a lot of the material produced for assessment pieces will be reproducing what's in the stuff listed in the syllabus. When you add in the factor of pressure being placed on students to do well (especially given how universities rank people along the standard bell curve), obviously a lot of people are going to plagiarise stuff. Universities should be like they were when they first began. A bunch of people discussing various ideas and LEARNING. Not just getting degrees to work jobs that they're going to hate. No empiricism needed. Giant steps to help humanity, not slow ones.
2 September 2006
Untitled
The other made a good point about journalists being unethical. I agree with this statement - to a point however. I think the main issue is gatekeepers, editors, programmers, producers etc. These stakeholders tend to go on sensationalised news, blood, death and so on in order to earn ratings, and the big bucks etc. Obviously journalists are not clean in all this, as they are either turning a blind eye, or being obedient to some of these new ideals of "if it bleeds, it leads" (a tenet I learned in journalism). I mean what sort of bloody world are we living in where REAL journalists, who tell the news with integrity, research the facts and present them are regarded as being alternative or groundbreaking, and offering news to only a minority of people? That is truly a fucked situation. People need to care what's going on, they need to question the world around us.
4 September 2006
Lies get tossed and the truth is spoken
The other made a brilliant quote that I shall put here for your viewing pleasure (excuse the formatting, Blogger's block quote feature sucks):
"The mall on Mondays is a hilarious sight, there are mostly
old people
just hanging out, or a bunch of teenagers who obviously can't
figure out
what to
do with their lives, and then there is the
interesting sort.
The sort that
dresses up nicely, and walks
really fast, and pretends they
have a shitload of
things to do, and they
are so busy. I ask you, why
would a person who is
busy be
at the mall for hours on a bloody
Monday?? I guess sometimes
you have to cut yourself some slack and
pretend you are someone else,
it's quite
sad I tells ya"
Ahh the funniest and most accurate quote ever I say!
15 July 2009
To geek or not to geek
The other made a fantastic point regarding generalising vs specialising in a particular field. This is a HATED discussion of mine. I heard it stacks at my previous work. They said in order to get ahead, you had to specialise in a certain field, and in doing so, you would be indispensible. This is not how I fucking operate. I LIKE knowing little bits about everything. If I need specialist knowledge, I'll ask someone else. The thing is, these specialists only know about their field, nothing else. You NEED people who know the stuff about other things, or else management of processes just becomes a massive failure. It's encouraged to a fault these days, and I am not down with it. I'm reminded of an episode of Lizzie McGuire (as I usually am), where she realises that she's not particularly awesome at anything, but she's good at heaps of different things. Of course this is ruined later on when she realises that she's an awesome rhythmic gymnast. However, ignoring that point, I will never specialise, I refuse to be pigeonholed. And therein, I become unique and indispensible and ME!
25 October 2009
Agencies are scum
The other made a note about advertising/net agencies being scum. I had no idea things like this were even occuring! I had a discussion with the other regarding this the other day, and he enlightened me to the goings on in this business, and I was utterly horrified that this was going on!
26 October 2009
Tech companies are mostly capitalist scumbags
Haha without even telling you what the other said, I can bet you'll know what he was on about. And I know you agree with me in supporting the other's view. I hate how these companies take your dollar, deliberately withhold updates until the next model and so on. It's one of my pet hates. This is why I do not have a lot of the new new technology. I really hate that feeling of having something that is rendered obsolete only a few months later by the same bloody manufacturer! Can we just have something converged which has everything, and the only updates are software, and the only occasional hardware update when required?!?!
Ahh so that brings us to a close, and I gotta say, it's been a fantastic ride so far. Wow, that was a long post! I hope you enjoyed it. Anyway, that's it for now folks. Joaquin out, have a nice day!
However, before I get to that point, I would like to continue with my original rantings first.
The other is back with a vengeance, and I gotta say it's good to have him back! He's had some fantastic posts.
So yes, I will be 25 soon. Just another year, another birthday I guess. It's dawned on me that on the balance of probabilities, I won't live to see another two of these (quarter centuries that is, not birthdays). I'm ok with that. Let's see what the future brings.
See me. Be me. Experience the things I have. Know how I think. See my world. Experience me.
You know what really irks me? When people have things called photographic essays! Essays require the use of words! Yes, I am well aware of the adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" but that is just the height of snobbery. A picture is a picture! It is not a photographic essay. How about a musical essay?? An essay of smells perhaps??
The other just has an amazing talent for sticking these weird riffs and chords together which just sound magical when put together. And then when we get together to jam, it all falls into place so well. I can layer my knowledge of theory and obscure chords (that I've probably just used once - when I was learning the mofo) and it is a well oiled machine.
My early 20's have been a good experience in terms of gaming. I have probably gotten into first person shooters more than I had in the past. But also in terms of non computer games, I learned how to play poker. I never had any idea in the past, and it was something I really wanted to do. I remember in High School I played some friends and just bluffed every hand, as I had no idea what cards I had. But now I am quite adept at it, and that did fill me with a sense of accomplishment.
However, another thing that stems even further back than high school was chess. I had no idea how to play, and I didn't even know how to set up the board. But all that changed last week. I had some free time at work, and I loaded up Chess Titans (which can show you how the pieces are meant to move). So of course, I became hooked, and despite losing at least 20 matches to the computer (on easy), I have been reading up on this and am now completely obsessed. I have to beat a human opponent at least once in my life. What an interesting game.
I have also been getting into some good console co-op. My friend has been inviting me over to play some Xbox360 coop. We played Halo 3 which was bloody fantastic. Many a good time was had with that and we ended up finishing it. We recently got into Gears Of War 2, which I found to be absolutely wonderful. People may think it's just a third person shooter, but I think it is quite tactical in terms of pinning and flanking. Ahhh many a chainsaw lancer death was had, I can't wait to play some more of that.
I was going to examine the phenomenon of women being treated as objects. But if I went into that, I would be here for a while. So I will save that for another time, as well as - in a shocking segue, update the Joaquin Rate List (JRL)!
So without further ado, may I get on to part 2 of the blog intro/retrospective!
September 14 2004
It has to start somewhere
The other mentioned a point about English being a flawed language. Where some words are spelled completely differently to how they sound and so on. You don't get these issues with Eastern languages, but it does seem a bit of a theme in Western/Germanic languages. I wholly agree with the other's point. Words should be spelled more phonetically, or we should extend the alphabet to incorporate more sounds.
The other also makes a note about girls in Bangers. He said the good ones were engaged and the others are just plain bitches. Hahah, 100% agreed! That's probably why the good ones are all gone early - to live their unfulfilled lives.
September 17 2004
Disconnected!!! Damn
The other first blogged about the "11" phenomena. It is still everywhere!! Though not in the same abundance that I used to get, especially when I was in Sydney. I've been reading up on it, and it has some interesting numerological properties. For those interested, it's well worth a look, as it has several meanings.
The other had also been reading up on "ladder theory" and I gotta say, now that I'm older I believe that it is 100% true.
19 October 2004
Time machine
The other started this theme of not having enough time to get things done. And I agree with him, a holiday somewhere nice with no technology would be nice on the cards.
27 October 2004
Can't make up my bloody mind
The other made an excellent point about too many guitarists relying on tabs to play songs. Most tabs are incorrect, and it results in guitarists not using their ears, and failing as musicians in the long run. I agree with this point 100%, but I have to say that I'm hypocritical, as I am guilty of this. When I first want to learn a song, I will turn to tabs before anything else. I won't even play along with it. I'm sure my musicianship has suffered as a result, and I have not bothered to properly read music as a result. Once we break the bonds of the way we have developed this internal paradigm, we can begin to express ourselves properly.
19 November 2004
And only wrappers were left
The other made a statement regarding auras. This has been regarded as a pseudoscience by most in scientific circles, but I have to say that I believe there is some truth to it. Some people's energy you can just totally pick up. Sometimes you can just "feel" other people.
4 December 2004
Coz this shape was made to sink
The other made a point regarding people in arranged marriages not being in love. I disagree with him on this point. While of course people like this aren't in love at the start, I think that it can grow into love over time. But is that artificial? Forcing people into a situation where either hate or love can blossom? It may seem contrived (obviously), but whether this love is the same as those in "love" marriages may need to remain to be seen. But I think love is love, and that is that.
24 January 2005
More means good or more means bad??
The other made an excellent remark concerning exchange rates and the near arbitrary way that they are determined. Having worked in a field where we relied on exchange rates to determine favourable outcomes for clients, the idea of the value of a currency being based on the loose and vague notion of a "market" is just beyond belief. The other also offered a solution of a unified world currency. I agree with this, but I don't think the world will go for this, as obviously some markets would like to be better than others, which in turn benefits some corners of the market, and various countries. If we did go to a unified currency, I bet that there would still be some "market" ideal that would mean that the value of the SAME currency would be more in poor countries, so that they kept getting screwed over. Ahh Wall Street was such a good movie, I can't wait for the sequel, but I'm not keen on Shia LaBeouf being in it!
22 March 2005
Look at what I can do
The other made an incredibly valid point regarding custom things being made for famous people. While this obviously can be a far reaching statement which runs the gamut of objects, I think the most obvious (and pertinent) example relates to musicians and musical instruments. Being a guitarist, I am inundated with signature guitars, amplifiers, picks, guitar straps, strings and the list just goes on and on. Just like the other, let me say, you don't need ANY of that shit. Be unique, make your own mark on society! Nobody got famous from playing someone elses signature instrument! You know what's funny? The people who made these instruments also got good/famous by NOT playing that signature item. It is made for them - for their specifications. Just cause it's good for them doesn't mean it's good for you. If you buy signature stuff, I hope it's just for fun, not cause you want to sound or look like someone.
27 April 2005
Strategy
The other made a great point concerning plagiarism being encouraged in universities. I 100% agree with this. As the syllabus refers to only a small number of books/sources, obviously a lot of the material produced for assessment pieces will be reproducing what's in the stuff listed in the syllabus. When you add in the factor of pressure being placed on students to do well (especially given how universities rank people along the standard bell curve), obviously a lot of people are going to plagiarise stuff. Universities should be like they were when they first began. A bunch of people discussing various ideas and LEARNING. Not just getting degrees to work jobs that they're going to hate. No empiricism needed. Giant steps to help humanity, not slow ones.
2 September 2006
Untitled
The other made a good point about journalists being unethical. I agree with this statement - to a point however. I think the main issue is gatekeepers, editors, programmers, producers etc. These stakeholders tend to go on sensationalised news, blood, death and so on in order to earn ratings, and the big bucks etc. Obviously journalists are not clean in all this, as they are either turning a blind eye, or being obedient to some of these new ideals of "if it bleeds, it leads" (a tenet I learned in journalism). I mean what sort of bloody world are we living in where REAL journalists, who tell the news with integrity, research the facts and present them are regarded as being alternative or groundbreaking, and offering news to only a minority of people? That is truly a fucked situation. People need to care what's going on, they need to question the world around us.
4 September 2006
Lies get tossed and the truth is spoken
The other made a brilliant quote that I shall put here for your viewing pleasure (excuse the formatting, Blogger's block quote feature sucks):
"The mall on Mondays is a hilarious sight, there are mostly
old people
just hanging out, or a bunch of teenagers who obviously can't
figure out
what to
do with their lives, and then there is the
interesting sort.
The sort that
dresses up nicely, and walks
really fast, and pretends they
have a shitload of
things to do, and they
are so busy. I ask you, why
would a person who is
busy be
at the mall for hours on a bloody
Monday?? I guess sometimes
you have to cut yourself some slack and
pretend you are someone else,
it's quite
sad I tells ya"
Ahh the funniest and most accurate quote ever I say!
15 July 2009
To geek or not to geek
The other made a fantastic point regarding generalising vs specialising in a particular field. This is a HATED discussion of mine. I heard it stacks at my previous work. They said in order to get ahead, you had to specialise in a certain field, and in doing so, you would be indispensible. This is not how I fucking operate. I LIKE knowing little bits about everything. If I need specialist knowledge, I'll ask someone else. The thing is, these specialists only know about their field, nothing else. You NEED people who know the stuff about other things, or else management of processes just becomes a massive failure. It's encouraged to a fault these days, and I am not down with it. I'm reminded of an episode of Lizzie McGuire (as I usually am), where she realises that she's not particularly awesome at anything, but she's good at heaps of different things. Of course this is ruined later on when she realises that she's an awesome rhythmic gymnast. However, ignoring that point, I will never specialise, I refuse to be pigeonholed. And therein, I become unique and indispensible and ME!
25 October 2009
Agencies are scum
The other made a note about advertising/net agencies being scum. I had no idea things like this were even occuring! I had a discussion with the other regarding this the other day, and he enlightened me to the goings on in this business, and I was utterly horrified that this was going on!
26 October 2009
Tech companies are mostly capitalist scumbags
Haha without even telling you what the other said, I can bet you'll know what he was on about. And I know you agree with me in supporting the other's view. I hate how these companies take your dollar, deliberately withhold updates until the next model and so on. It's one of my pet hates. This is why I do not have a lot of the new new technology. I really hate that feeling of having something that is rendered obsolete only a few months later by the same bloody manufacturer! Can we just have something converged which has everything, and the only updates are software, and the only occasional hardware update when required?!?!
Ahh so that brings us to a close, and I gotta say, it's been a fantastic ride so far. Wow, that was a long post! I hope you enjoyed it. Anyway, that's it for now folks. Joaquin out, have a nice day!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Technology companies are mostly capitalist scumbags...
There are a few things in this world that to me is just a little annoying. The over capitalization of the technological sphere is one of them. All these companies are out the to make as much money as they can, however they can. Its quite annoying if you ask me. Today, Apple and Adobe are the annoyance factor for me.
Every year, Apple releases new products. First there was the iPhone and now the 3gs and before long there will the next generation. This will happen without a doubt. I bought 2 ipods and an iPhone in the last year. I for one am going to be quite annoyed when the next iPhone come out, as I love the thing, but will have to miss out on that model. Sometimes I wish they would stop making new models daily and instead make one every other year, so that I could at least wait for my contract to run out. But then again Apple will always be Apple. Other than the iPhone, I am not sure why people bother with Apple laptops. For the level of power I expect from my machine, only a macbook pro will suffice. But I can't justify a 3k spend on a computer when I can spend 1/3 of that amount and still get a machine that works just as well. Sure macs look really good but I don't use my computers as an accessory. Maybe thats where the difference is, I look for performance over look. Sure I own an iPhone but there isn't another phone out there that plays music like an iPhone or run as many applications. With Windows 7 out now, which is truly an amazing operating system, I can no longer see any reason to bother to switch to a mac. For a while I considered it but could not see any justifications for one. I can do a lot more things on a PC, just because I've been using one for much longer. If you guys are thinking of switching, try Windows 7 first.
Adobe are the other culprits. Don't get me wrong, I live and breath their products. I probably think they have more merit when it comes to software than Apple, but their development calender is again an annoyance. Firstly their Creative Suites cost so much money. I don't understand why they feel that they must make a new creative suite every year! Why can't update their software for their users for a few years at a time? Why can't they have a membership, where you pay for the product once, and you get updates for the next 5 years. This forking out more money for a new CS is just a money making scheme. So thats what I think of CS5. I'm looking forward to it but it annoys me all at the same time.
In this world where everyones just trying to profit maximize, I am glad that we have a company like Google. I hope they take over the world and provide us with more freeware and opensource development that is actually good! I am happy for them to make money through advertisement. I am indeed waiting for an android phone that has a fantastic music player and then I'd throw away my iPhone as well. Sometimes I wish I lived in the stone age...
Every year, Apple releases new products. First there was the iPhone and now the 3gs and before long there will the next generation. This will happen without a doubt. I bought 2 ipods and an iPhone in the last year. I for one am going to be quite annoyed when the next iPhone come out, as I love the thing, but will have to miss out on that model. Sometimes I wish they would stop making new models daily and instead make one every other year, so that I could at least wait for my contract to run out. But then again Apple will always be Apple. Other than the iPhone, I am not sure why people bother with Apple laptops. For the level of power I expect from my machine, only a macbook pro will suffice. But I can't justify a 3k spend on a computer when I can spend 1/3 of that amount and still get a machine that works just as well. Sure macs look really good but I don't use my computers as an accessory. Maybe thats where the difference is, I look for performance over look. Sure I own an iPhone but there isn't another phone out there that plays music like an iPhone or run as many applications. With Windows 7 out now, which is truly an amazing operating system, I can no longer see any reason to bother to switch to a mac. For a while I considered it but could not see any justifications for one. I can do a lot more things on a PC, just because I've been using one for much longer. If you guys are thinking of switching, try Windows 7 first.
Adobe are the other culprits. Don't get me wrong, I live and breath their products. I probably think they have more merit when it comes to software than Apple, but their development calender is again an annoyance. Firstly their Creative Suites cost so much money. I don't understand why they feel that they must make a new creative suite every year! Why can't update their software for their users for a few years at a time? Why can't they have a membership, where you pay for the product once, and you get updates for the next 5 years. This forking out more money for a new CS is just a money making scheme. So thats what I think of CS5. I'm looking forward to it but it annoys me all at the same time.
In this world where everyones just trying to profit maximize, I am glad that we have a company like Google. I hope they take over the world and provide us with more freeware and opensource development that is actually good! I am happy for them to make money through advertisement. I am indeed waiting for an android phone that has a fantastic music player and then I'd throw away my iPhone as well. Sometimes I wish I lived in the stone age...
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