IPOD
RADIO
I had an epic post written to put up tonight. It was heartfelt, it was elegant and it articulated the conflicts and indecisions clashing in my head perfectly.
This is not that post.
But unlike so many posts that begin with "I had an epic post written..." mine wasn't discarded because of a site crash.
I was going to post about how stressed I was becoming with the happenings in my life. I was going to write about how I realised it was time I simplified my lifestyle and how difficult that was proving because, individually, I very much enjoy every aspect of the way I'm living.
You haven't heard me complaining before now about my life as I only recently took on the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. I recent;y enquired about, and was offered, some light blogging work. As excited as I was by this however, it didn't take long for me to realise I was going to find it difficult to devote the appropriate time to doing it well.
I was stressing about fitting everything in and, even though I knew I'd have to cut back on other things, I couldn't decide what. I felt I had to decide between my social life or my virtual life. And that was tough. So I poured my heart into a post about it, and then everything became clear.
In writing the post I was able to make the decisions that had been escaping me. In organising my thoughts about the morass of activity and endeavour that is my life, I was able to see more clearly what was important to me and what I had to do.
I've decided that there was no real decision to be made at all. Blogging, especially the kind of blogging I've been offered, is about as close to the perfect job for me as I can imagine. And to jeopardise that for a few nights out (or in, as the case may be) was stupidity in it's purest form.
This blogging isn't a lot right now. It's not going to pay the bills and it is certainly far from a new career, but it's a start. It may lead on to bigger and better things, I need to give it that chance.
It also may lead to nothing at all and fizzle out altogether. If that happens, the silver lining will be that I'll be able to resurrect my previous lifestyle and will have lost nothing in the attempt.
Whichever way it pans out in the long run. this is an opportunity that I can't afford to forego, half-ass, or abandon.
And so, from now until further notice I will have no week-night engagements (excepting for REALLY good reasons), so I get a good shot at this new gig.
So, yeah, this is not the post I had written, but it's something better.
Thank you
That is all.
This is not that post.
But unlike so many posts that begin with "I had an epic post written..." mine wasn't discarded because of a site crash.
I was going to post about how stressed I was becoming with the happenings in my life. I was going to write about how I realised it was time I simplified my lifestyle and how difficult that was proving because, individually, I very much enjoy every aspect of the way I'm living.
You haven't heard me complaining before now about my life as I only recently took on the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. I recent;y enquired about, and was offered, some light blogging work. As excited as I was by this however, it didn't take long for me to realise I was going to find it difficult to devote the appropriate time to doing it well.
I was stressing about fitting everything in and, even though I knew I'd have to cut back on other things, I couldn't decide what. I felt I had to decide between my social life or my virtual life. And that was tough. So I poured my heart into a post about it, and then everything became clear.
In writing the post I was able to make the decisions that had been escaping me. In organising my thoughts about the morass of activity and endeavour that is my life, I was able to see more clearly what was important to me and what I had to do.
I've decided that there was no real decision to be made at all. Blogging, especially the kind of blogging I've been offered, is about as close to the perfect job for me as I can imagine. And to jeopardise that for a few nights out (or in, as the case may be) was stupidity in it's purest form.
This blogging isn't a lot right now. It's not going to pay the bills and it is certainly far from a new career, but it's a start. It may lead on to bigger and better things, I need to give it that chance.
It also may lead to nothing at all and fizzle out altogether. If that happens, the silver lining will be that I'll be able to resurrect my previous lifestyle and will have lost nothing in the attempt.
Whichever way it pans out in the long run. this is an opportunity that I can't afford to forego, half-ass, or abandon.
And so, from now until further notice I will have no week-night engagements (excepting for REALLY good reasons), so I get a good shot at this new gig.
So, yeah, this is not the post I had written, but it's something better.
Thank you
That is all.
I figured it was time to put up a new post,
I heard today that the powers that be are looking for expressions of interest for trials of the the Great Barrier Filter. I'm a staunch opponent of this proposed measure but I'm thinking I might volunteer for the live trials. I'm considering it because I know the filter will be ineffective and have no impact on my (or anyone else's) web access. I'm thinking of boning up on screencasting and publishing video how-to's to show people how easy it is to bypass the filter AND I'll be doing it by showing content that the filter supposedly suppresses.
I'm not sure of all the details yet. Obviously I don't want to sign up to the filter while I'm house-sitting and using someone else's internet account. But I'm definitely going to look into it. Keep an eye on this space for more news about this little project.
Edited to add: Scratch all of the above. I just checked out some more info about the live trial and, at the moment, it's only open for ISP's to get involved. I'm currently having an internal debate with myself over whether it was stupid of me to think that the government would allow we, the people, to test drive something that's going to affect so many of us so much...
That is all.
I heard today that the powers that be are looking for expressions of interest for trials of the the Great Barrier Filter. I'm a staunch opponent of this proposed measure but I'm thinking I might volunteer for the live trials. I'm considering it because I know the filter will be ineffective and have no impact on my (or anyone else's) web access. I'm thinking of boning up on screencasting and publishing video how-to's to show people how easy it is to bypass the filter AND I'll be doing it by showing content that the filter supposedly suppresses.
I'm not sure of all the details yet. Obviously I don't want to sign up to the filter while I'm house-sitting and using someone else's internet account. But I'm definitely going to look into it. Keep an eye on this space for more news about this little project.
Edited to add: Scratch all of the above. I just checked out some more info about the live trial and, at the moment, it's only open for ISP's to get involved. I'm currently having an internal debate with myself over whether it was stupid of me to think that the government would allow we, the people, to test drive something that's going to affect so many of us so much...
That is all.
The big election has gotten me to thinking about the democratic process.
I've decided, (and don't much care if I'm the only person who thinks so) that in the end, regardless of what lengths you go to be informed, you vote for the guy you think put on the better show in his campaign.
You can research policies and listen to platform promises all you like, at the end of the day these things are not proof of character, they're just lines in the production. You'll never truly know, unless you elect him, if the character you're seeing in the campaign is the real candidate or just a facade.
You have something they want...your vote. Never be fooled into thinking that they won't do anything to get it.
Having said that...go Obama!
I've decided, (and don't much care if I'm the only person who thinks so) that in the end, regardless of what lengths you go to be informed, you vote for the guy you think put on the better show in his campaign.
You can research policies and listen to platform promises all you like, at the end of the day these things are not proof of character, they're just lines in the production. You'll never truly know, unless you elect him, if the character you're seeing in the campaign is the real candidate or just a facade.
You have something they want...your vote. Never be fooled into thinking that they won't do anything to get it.
Having said that...go Obama!
Lexiphanic and I hit town today to take part in the protests against Stephen Conroy's ISP filter proposal.
The rally was supposed to take place outside Qld's Parliament House. I say supposed to because, as far as Lex and I could see, it didn't happen. There was a protest alright, a well-turned-out and vocal protest for the 'Free Lex Wootton" campaign. But unfortunately, no free-netters were in evidence. I'm still not sure if I should be outraged or disappointed about this. I'm having trouble harbouring both emotions at the moment, so I'm kind of numb about it. Hopefully the rage will set in again in a few days. And, no doubt, you'll all hear about it. My apologies in advance.
In lieu of the protest Lex and I wandered around town looking at computers and discussing various topics of geekery. We visited DSE on Queen St, simply because we were there, and, lo and behold, they have somehow managed to get hold of a Toshiba NB100. Anyone reading my blog lately will know that the NB100 is Toshiba's entry to the booming Netbook, or sub-notebook, market. I've been intrigued by thoughts of the NB100 since I first heard about it, and have been wondering when it'll be released in Oz (it's only out in England and Japan atm). But somehow, DSE in the Mall have one! My poor heart nearly missed a beat when Lex pointed it out!
I waited patiently (actually it was pretty impatiently to be honest) for a browsing tourist to move along and then got to touch a machine that has been nought but the stuff of dreams for months.
And then my heart broke.
It doesn't matter that Toshiba is my favourite brand of computer, or that the NB100 has an option for a factory install of Linux Ubuntu, my OS of choice, or that the ultra-portablity and low cost of the NB100 make it a perfect fit for my lifestyle. Nevermind, in short, that on paper, it seems to be a match made in Heaven, because, in the flesh, I can't use it. Even though Toshiba have done their utmost to keep the keyboard as large as possible, the keys are still smaller across than my fingertips. I physically cannot type on that board without hitting multiple keys at once or tripping over my own fingers.
This is supremely disappointing. This machine has been a minor obsession of mine and now it's been shattered.
So today held two little heartbreaks for me. It wasn't a totoal loss however, as Lex stepped up like a true mate and made it possible for me to pick up another tech-obsession I've had lately; a Bluetooth wireless transmitter/headphones combo for my slightly damaged Gigabeat. I'm charging them now and am very much looking forward to using them for the first time.
I'll leave it there for now. I'm off to try to get over the NB100 by finding a new laptop to obsess over...ciao.
The rally was supposed to take place outside Qld's Parliament House. I say supposed to because, as far as Lex and I could see, it didn't happen. There was a protest alright, a well-turned-out and vocal protest for the 'Free Lex Wootton" campaign. But unfortunately, no free-netters were in evidence. I'm still not sure if I should be outraged or disappointed about this. I'm having trouble harbouring both emotions at the moment, so I'm kind of numb about it. Hopefully the rage will set in again in a few days. And, no doubt, you'll all hear about it. My apologies in advance.
In lieu of the protest Lex and I wandered around town looking at computers and discussing various topics of geekery. We visited DSE on Queen St, simply because we were there, and, lo and behold, they have somehow managed to get hold of a Toshiba NB100. Anyone reading my blog lately will know that the NB100 is Toshiba's entry to the booming Netbook, or sub-notebook, market. I've been intrigued by thoughts of the NB100 since I first heard about it, and have been wondering when it'll be released in Oz (it's only out in England and Japan atm). But somehow, DSE in the Mall have one! My poor heart nearly missed a beat when Lex pointed it out!
I waited patiently (actually it was pretty impatiently to be honest) for a browsing tourist to move along and then got to touch a machine that has been nought but the stuff of dreams for months.
And then my heart broke.
It doesn't matter that Toshiba is my favourite brand of computer, or that the NB100 has an option for a factory install of Linux Ubuntu, my OS of choice, or that the ultra-portablity and low cost of the NB100 make it a perfect fit for my lifestyle. Nevermind, in short, that on paper, it seems to be a match made in Heaven, because, in the flesh, I can't use it. Even though Toshiba have done their utmost to keep the keyboard as large as possible, the keys are still smaller across than my fingertips. I physically cannot type on that board without hitting multiple keys at once or tripping over my own fingers.
This is supremely disappointing. This machine has been a minor obsession of mine and now it's been shattered.
So today held two little heartbreaks for me. It wasn't a totoal loss however, as Lex stepped up like a true mate and made it possible for me to pick up another tech-obsession I've had lately; a Bluetooth wireless transmitter/headphones combo for my slightly damaged Gigabeat. I'm charging them now and am very much looking forward to using them for the first time.
I'll leave it there for now. I'm off to try to get over the NB100 by finding a new laptop to obsess over...ciao.
God Damn! It feels good to be angry about something again!
I don't know how many of you have heard about this, but there's a proposal bouncing around in Parliament to introduce an ISP level Internet filter in Australia. Basically this means that some factions of the government (the Family First Party, lead by proxy by Labor Senator Stephen Conroy) want to place immovable blocks on the service all Australian internet providers offer, banning any computer inside Australia from accessing forbidden content. Iran already has one, as does China (often referred to as "The Great Firewall of China").
Initially the proposition was intended to block Australian access to illegal content, child-porn and whatnot, but it's now been expanded to include a block on 'adult' content. This new proposal includes an option for over-18's to opt-out and regain access to restricted areas of the 'net (except, of course, the illegal stuff). Again, in basic terms this means that Internet porn will be banned from every house in Australia, and, if you want to exercise your right as an adult to view it you need to add yourself to a database to do so. Essentially you'll need to register with the government to look at online porn. Does this make anybody else's skin crawl?
To put it into context this very site; our beloved Suicidegirls, the site that brings so many of us so much joy, would be banned in our country. We'd all, every Australian member, have to register with the government to be allowed to visit SG.
THE RAGE, IT BURNS, IT BURNS!!!
If you want to see what life would be like behind such a filter, there's an addon available for Firefox that mimics China's Great Firewall. You can get it here. I tried it out last night and it's really scary. If you're not using Firefox (for shame!) another and equally as effective way of experiencing this kind of restriction is to reach down and unplug your ethernet cable or wireless card and then try to surf the 'net. Seriously, it's THAT restrictive.
Now, this proposal is far from becoming a reality. in fact, based on this article it sounds like it might already be beaten, thanks to the efforts of outraged internet communities (this article focusses on Twitter, but the same power, I think, can easily be ascribed to other online communities).
If this idea scares you and, honestly, it should, get involved and do something about it.
This website is a good place to start: http://nocleanfeed.com/
There's more info and opinions (as well as details about protests coming up) here.
There's also a bit of good insight in the comments of this article.
I swear by God and Lucifer fucking in Hades that if this thing goes ahead, I'm personally mobilising a door-knock army to teach people how to use international proxy sites to get around the filter without registration. I honestly cannot believe that in the 21st century, a western, first-world government is even entertaining the idea of making people register for internet freedom.
AAAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know how many of you have heard about this, but there's a proposal bouncing around in Parliament to introduce an ISP level Internet filter in Australia. Basically this means that some factions of the government (the Family First Party, lead by proxy by Labor Senator Stephen Conroy) want to place immovable blocks on the service all Australian internet providers offer, banning any computer inside Australia from accessing forbidden content. Iran already has one, as does China (often referred to as "The Great Firewall of China").
Initially the proposition was intended to block Australian access to illegal content, child-porn and whatnot, but it's now been expanded to include a block on 'adult' content. This new proposal includes an option for over-18's to opt-out and regain access to restricted areas of the 'net (except, of course, the illegal stuff). Again, in basic terms this means that Internet porn will be banned from every house in Australia, and, if you want to exercise your right as an adult to view it you need to add yourself to a database to do so. Essentially you'll need to register with the government to look at online porn. Does this make anybody else's skin crawl?
To put it into context this very site; our beloved Suicidegirls, the site that brings so many of us so much joy, would be banned in our country. We'd all, every Australian member, have to register with the government to be allowed to visit SG.
THE RAGE, IT BURNS, IT BURNS!!!
If you want to see what life would be like behind such a filter, there's an addon available for Firefox that mimics China's Great Firewall. You can get it here. I tried it out last night and it's really scary. If you're not using Firefox (for shame!) another and equally as effective way of experiencing this kind of restriction is to reach down and unplug your ethernet cable or wireless card and then try to surf the 'net. Seriously, it's THAT restrictive.
Now, this proposal is far from becoming a reality. in fact, based on this article it sounds like it might already be beaten, thanks to the efforts of outraged internet communities (this article focusses on Twitter, but the same power, I think, can easily be ascribed to other online communities).
If this idea scares you and, honestly, it should, get involved and do something about it.
This website is a good place to start: http://nocleanfeed.com/
There's more info and opinions (as well as details about protests coming up) here.
There's also a bit of good insight in the comments of this article.
I swear by God and Lucifer fucking in Hades that if this thing goes ahead, I'm personally mobilising a door-knock army to teach people how to use international proxy sites to get around the filter without registration. I honestly cannot believe that in the 21st century, a western, first-world government is even entertaining the idea of making people register for internet freedom.
AAAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
Bug reports for Life 1.0:
* GUI is inconsistant. Some windows and clients are gorgeous, however these are often obscured by ugly, focus-stealing bugs.
* Communication is buggy. Too many clients written in different languages or running on incompatible architecture makes communication between clients so unreliable as to be pointless.
* System behaviour is erratic and unpredictable. Crashes happen too frequently and upgrades rarely deliver on promised benefits.
* No 'Undo' function!
* GUI is inconsistant. Some windows and clients are gorgeous, however these are often obscured by ugly, focus-stealing bugs.
* Communication is buggy. Too many clients written in different languages or running on incompatible architecture makes communication between clients so unreliable as to be pointless.
* System behaviour is erratic and unpredictable. Crashes happen too frequently and upgrades rarely deliver on promised benefits.
* No 'Undo' function!
Anybody want a Rion Vernon SuicideGirl cutout for their loungeroom/bedroom/dungeon?
http://tinyurl.com/5u99go
Better hurry you have 12 hours!
http://tinyurl.com/5u99go
Better hurry you have 12 hours!
So, today's the big day. The assignment I've been working on for the past thirteen weeks is due in by 4pm.
Bleagh. I'm just venting frustration. Thanks for listening. Hearts.
Oh man!
I just found out that two financial windfalls I've been waiting on have hit my account at the same time. Normally this is a very good thing...but now I have enough hard cash to go out and buy a new laptop.
How the Hell am I supposed to concentrate on my assignment now!
I just found out that two financial windfalls I've been waiting on have hit my account at the same time. Normally this is a very good thing...but now I have enough hard cash to go out and buy a new laptop.
How the Hell am I supposed to concentrate on my assignment now!
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