Enjoy your iPad, I’m giving it a big miss.

April 4, 2010 in Web/Tech | Leave a comment

I have a reputation amongst my friends and family as an iGeek; an Apple fanboy. While it’s true that I use Apple hardware and software a true fanboy is a lobotomised zombie, incapable of listening to reason and believes Steve Jobs is Christ incarnate.

So because of this reputation I received, and I shit you not, hundreds of enquires wanting to know when I’m getting my iPad. Now pay attention to this very carefully; I NEVER EVER BUY FIRST GEN TECHNOLOGY, ESPECIALLY FROM APPLE!

I had the opportunity to buy an iPhone on the day they were launched in the US. My father was in New York staying at a hotel over looking the 5th Avenue Store. I even called him and asked him to line up and grab one for me. Then changed my mind. And very happy I was about that decision. My current iPhone 3GS is lightyears ahead of the prototype that was being sold then. The same will be true for the iPad too.

This flow chart explains my thinking perfectly.


I can’t imagine why anybody would want to be a beta tester for Apple. Especially when YOU’RE paying for the privilege. But I do appreciate all the fanboys who are going to part with their hard earned dollars (probably on their credit card) to help Apple out with their R&D. I might look buying iPad 2.0 which will be faster, lighter, cheaper, have double the GBs and look cooler.

Cute at 1000 frames per second

April 4, 2010 in Adnauseum, Photographer | Leave a comment

Earth Hour 2010

March 28, 2010 in Current Affairs, Media, Photographer | Leave a comment

Once again I ventured out to capture what was promised to be a spectacular demonstration of individuals and corporations proclaiming together that something must be done about climate change. Yeah, I know that doesn’t make much sense and neither does Earth Hour anymore.

Annual events like Earth Hour need to make changes to the patter every year tin order to remain relevant. I’ve now made a time lapse movie of Sydney during each of the four Earth Hours and it’s easy to see that this year had FAIL all over it. My interest is only because it affords Larso and myself the opportunity to blaze up on the only thing Cuba exports of any value; cigars!

For the event this year it appeared that the word didn’t get around too well. Most people I spoke to didn’t know it was on and those that did thought it started at 7:30. So did a few building managers by the looks. The Millionaires’ Factory did their best but forgot to come back on. Australia Square went off, came on to early and had to shut down again. Westpac went off way too early. And the harbour party boats had the festoon lights on overdrive.

So this is what the Coen Brothers do between making movies

February 24, 2010 in Film | Leave a comment

Best of Green: Culture & Celebrity : TreeHugger.

Getting Lost with Google Maps

January 24, 2010 in Annoyances, Funny Weird Stuff, Web/Tech | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

I love google Maps. And Earth too. Their app that is. Plus I’m a fan of the planet Earth too.

But sometime Maps doesn’t work so well. To wit, this pic.

Disregard the route taking me up onto the gutter and through someone’s garden via a power pole (they have’t been called telegraph poles for about 50 years when the PMG (Post Master General and the forerunner to Telecom and now Telstra) took their cables off the poles and put them under ground).

Quite clearly there are two fairly significant traffic laws I would be breaking by following this route; making a left turn contrary to signage and proceeding along a one way street in the opposite direction. I’m estimating about $500 in fines and at least 6 points of my unblemished license. Of course when approaching this intersection I would have proceeded straight ahead and found an alternate route.

But google Maps is free and in a market economy one get’s what one pays for so as my mother would say; ‘caveat emptor’. Then I would laugh and remember the Monty Python reference in ‘Life of Brian’ where the centurion, John Cleese, lectures Brian on his poor grammar after painting graffiti all over a significant public building. Hil-airy-ass!

Thing is, reporting these errors to google is almost impossible. One would have thought the cleverest guys around would have some sort of automatic feedback function which could be updated by someone in Mumbai. It’s not like you’re trying to fix the past participle of a proper noun. Is it?

Tropfest 2010 is just one month away

January 21, 2010 in Film | Leave a comment

The world’s largest and probably most prestigious short film festival, Tropfest is on Sunday 21st February.

As the end of summer approaches The Domain in Sydney is overtaken by thousands and thousands of short film makers, their friends, family and fans for this amazing annual event.

I was lucky enough to be asked to shoot stills for one of this years entries which has already been accepted into the Top 60. The director and producer are now waiting to hear if they made the Top 16 – these are the ones screened on the night.

It’s a spectacular event and typically very, very funny. If you haven’t been before, or haven’t been for a while, this is the year to go!

Evil doer doing good

January 19, 2010 in Current Affairs | Leave a comment

You may be surprised to learn I’m not a fan a pedophiles. Honestly, I hope you aren’t surprised. But an interesting benefit has emerged from the saga that is; where do pedophiles who have done their time live when released from the big house?

To date, Dennis Ferguson has been relocated no less than three times since being released from prison for doing the evil that he does. (As he was convicted by a court I have no hesitation reporting Mr Ferguson as guilty).

In his most recent digs the local community, as with the situation at his other addresses, discovered a convicted pedophile was living in their area and alerted the press who of course made it impossible for him to remain living their by shinning their spot lights upon him which fanned the flames of the tinder box mentality within the mob which quickly forming and gained momentum.

All mobs have a leader. This person is not elected or really even decided upon by the rank and file of the mob in any formal manner. S/he is usually the loudest and most opinionated, ie, the biggest dick head.

So this turn of events as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald is fascinating as it would seem that the pathetic little excuse for a human known as Dennis Ferguson won an AVO (Apprehended Violence Order) against the mob leader – some Aryan style  media man-whore who would have joined the Hitler youth as soon as the recruiting officers visited his school and probably turned his mother and father into his Nazi superiors.

This means that the mob leader can’t approach (legally) the pedophile. Although one may well ask; why would you want to?

It could be that the in some strange reversal of fortune that the law while protecting the lowest of low human forms may be protecting us all from the dimwitted mentality of the mob.

Chuck’s Lorre #137

January 17, 2010 in Television | Leave a comment

If you ever watched an episode of Two and Half Men (and thanks to Channel 9, who hasn’t) or The Big Bang Theory or CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or Dharma & Greg or Cybill or a bunch of other Emmy Award Winning TV shows you’ve seen the work of Chuck Lorre Productions.

But thanks to the deplorable way in which stations cut from the final scene of a TV show or movie and play promos for other programs, rarely do we see the credits as produced and originally aired. For example, over the credits of 30 Rock (produced by Lorne Michaels, not by Chuck Lorre) there is usually another gag or two – that we never get to see. Actually I do see them because I download 30 Rock because I hate watching FTA so much.

You also won’t see what is becoming one of the funniest ‘in jokes’ in TV; Chuck Lorre’s Laws. Firstly a ‘Vanity Card’ are the quick slides that flash past after the credits. Usually there is a single slide (a vanity card) for the production company or companies and the distribution company. Some times these are short animations with a sting (short music bit).

But Chuck Lorre Productions create a new vanity card for almost every episode of every series they make. Below is a sample which you won’t. And most of them are pretty funny.

The RIGHT picture is worth a thousand words

January 16, 2010 in Current Affairs | Leave a comment

Take a good look at the picture news.com.au used to illustrate their story about a United Airlines flight having to make a landing because it was low on fuel. That plane landed without difficulty, refuelled and took off. Why UA flights are running out of fuel is another matter. The image that has been used clearly depicts a UA flight that landed a couple of weeks back with a landing gear issue and made an emergency landing, with the starboard undercarriage failing to lock in position.

That didn’t happen in the story being reported. That some sub-editor or picture editor has picked a misleading image is sadly tyical of this publication. It is a rag in paper and equally so online.

On becoming a geek

January 14, 2010 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Just spent an hour doing what any real coder would have done in 30 seconds. My first iPhone app may be in beta by the time we’re embedding chips in our heads. But there is great satisfaction in figuring these things out for oneself.