phocks

Like fish in the pond, only moderately aware of the mysterious goings on just above the surface we all solemnly swim. In the blinding light of the unknown, the complexities of human drama, emotion, aspirations, expectations, hopes and dreams, loves and passions, the fish swim blissfully unaware, day in and day out. They live out their lives and serve the perpetuation of their kind as though they are the centre of their little universe, and they marvel at their ingenuity, while looking to the stars.

Who goes there, watching from above?

“It’s not especially private, but I still don’t want you reading it.” — My brain, Me

Yesterday I dug up the GNU Privacy Guard email encryption software again, inspired by a recent wave of news about the possibility of employers being commissioned by the Australian government to monitor our emails, the old take the people’s liberties by saying you’re protecting them from ‘terrorist threats’ trick. O what insult to intelligence. My only assumption on their reason for going to the public for help in cyber-snooping is that they are too incompetent to be ‘up for the job’ themselves — if you know what I mean.

I’m unsure of what we the people have demanded in regards to secrecy of correspondence in this country. It seems, from these articles, that email spying by government agencies is just fine and dandy, but for employers it would seem to be illegal, which personally I find to be a little back to front. Perhaps it is strange to think that the government should stay out of privacy for the main part, to hold the that government be restricted in passing any law denying free access to any information, to put privacy not in the hands of any bumbling third party, but in the power of he who values it most, the individual.

I think you’ll find that although I’m not an especially private person, I do respect privacy, and am vehemently against forceful invasion of privacy, particularly by government organisations, or dangerous cults. Working the machines in an office though, I can divulge that it is extremely easy to track electronic correspondence and especially email, though I think the person I’d keep an eye on is the IT guy and not the company administrators, who most likely wouldn’t have a clue. So to those concerned about their own privacy, don’t rely on ineffectual totalitarian control — which doesn’t work from what I can tell anyway — and take your privacy into your own hands.

That’s my little rant over anyway. This post is really just about the creation of a contact details page that I made. Included on that page is my PGP Public Key so that anyone can encrypt an email to me and it would take anyone else about a hundred million years to crack. Also, if anyone does have a public key, could they send it to me, or leave it in the comments here, so I can add it to my keyring.

Human contact is a valuable thing in this age on inhumanism.

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32)
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S/eLxLuaCMIzhYnQkYTlZJC8HMxxzGAmNOjrM3NalAagJqSui669zfHBuJ9Nk7xZ
4KXvAAMFB/4noEzVYeLXEWz4uxtIt2+bLAK5pdoB9JEtxpekXmNzqVGe5OU8v3Ie
fHPELLxHWxvXd8A2qDS6n5SiySjcO/oxihutw6JKkFHHs1mP+uzGrCdCw7PSWm4q
Ipxd7Gsv336nMutb+zZM1dFh1iyWql8zkEX6donkqiao9PqSqvPTtYDcDWCjm08H
H/nY2UE9YE1MfwrRD65XFKNkNplBrZDsrOzIlcTROWXWl/5TXxfF/7Oz6TmE8wQK
dUskKv4ajHL91gRDLWzzlLjuEI7X/xQdRiR8sm9qsDyC3RSDjEN6K3UOXwxKFCc7
Js/rkmOpmnRvuOaMCH/fi8IDkuXvkjOXiE8EGBECAA8FAkaTEzQCGwwFCQlmAYAA
CgkQ4+k/c8RCFvHq6gCg5wyxtele6HhHfu98E0nxUZAxfPUAnRprFQfG6uwOBqRb
Qf618/wX5Xwd
=umby
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

That’s my public key anyway. I use a Firefox add-on called FireGPG to add encryption to emails.

“Then, my dear Herbert, I cannot tell you how dependent and uncertain I feel, and how exposed to hundreds of chances. Avoiding forbidden ground, as you did just now, I may still say that on the constancy of one person (naming no person) all my expectations depend. And at the best, how indefinite and unsatisfactory, only to know so vaguely what they are!”

–Pip, Great Expectations, Volume II Chapter xi

This dialogue of Pip’s struck me, scanning my eyes over it once more on lunch down at the sushi bar. That it would strike me so is yet another matter to ponder. Identification, as it exists between reader and subject is most certainly beneficial to the survival of a story. This very reposting is testament.

Infefinity, as opposed to indefiniteness, I would define as the state of being presented with a plenitude of potential outcomes, bombarded by choice and chance, so as to make any certain action or decision a virtual impossibility. Some would say the word is in regard to something vague or poorly defined, nearing the indefinite. Fair enough. I’m sticking with my definition as well though.

Here I stand, pure in my indefinity.

I do sometimes miss the good old days, days still early in the evolution of the consumer camera. A trip to the corner shop for a roll of film, loading it up and away you went with 24 or 36 chances to achieve perfect momentary photon capture. No instant review for the impatient snapper, and no willy-nilly shots aided into existence by the thought of a quick and easy delete. Wind and snap, wind and snap ’till the film’s exposed its last, then it’s off to the shop for development and the waiting game begins. The feeling you used to get when you got to see your photos for the first time was hard to top.

There is no question that digital cameras have revolutionised photography in the hands of the people, but in some ways it has also reduced the value and merit in hitting that shutter button. We’ve become a global community of trigger happy snappers, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but as I said before, I do sometimes miss the good old days.

So I propose a new feature for the digital camera, a feature I thought of when trying to deflect the volleys of “can I see it?”s and “let us have a look”s, not so much a feature but a way to alter the photographic experience, an emulation of the way things were back in the days of film. It would simply be a new mode that could be activated.

Film mode could include:

1. A limit to the number of shots available, thus making the photographer think about each shot taken.
2. No review available after an exposure, and no way to review shots until all the shots are used up. This could be handy if you’re sick of having to show people the photo after every shot.
3. Limits to the automatic focus and shutter speed could be optional.
4. For the real hardcore types the photos could be encrypted in a way that only photo print shops could decode, forcing you to get them all developed in one go.

Ok, I’ll see if I can think of some more and add them. And yes, I’m aware of the seeming silliness of placing such restrictions on cameras capable of so much more. It is meant to be a little tongue-in-cheek.

Optional “film mode” on a new digital camera design could be a handy marketing gimmick though. I’d buy one, or maybe I should just dig out my old 35mm right now.

Just because you can, doesn’t always mean you should.

Flickr’s incorporation of video within their site was quite a shock and surprise. Will be interesting to see if their experiment will be a success. Glad to see it being pushed not as a simple YouTube rival, but as a creative outlet for what they term a “long photo”, up to 90 seconds, an attempt to get people thinking about their videos. Skepticism is creeping in though.

Personally I think they should have avoided the word “video” altogether, keeping their site just about photos and “moving photos”, because now all through the site they’ve had to append “and videos” throughout.

I naturally wanted to try it out for myself so during lunch I went out to the pond and took a minute thirty of the fishies swimming around. Ashley and Mick came out and wondered what the hell I was doing. That’s the reason I took out the sound. I uploaded it at full quality, just over 100 MB, but it took almost all day due to it cutting out in the middle the first three tries, no resume feature. I’ll compress more next time and resize to 500 x 375 I think.

Sit back and enjoy anyway… for 90 seconds worth of motion photo gold.

A preemptive effort at playing reverse fashion victim. The attractive boys have a little preview show down at Barsoma next Thursday. Even though it’s not their own show, best there be a decent breed of flyer to deliver into the hands of the people.

A good chance to hone some design skills with ill conceived ideas of criticism deflection and sensual suggestiveness. Sent out into the network ether just yesterday asking what people thought, and already some responses have rolled in.

Some favourites include:

“I think it’s hot!” –Ben

“Mmm… lollipop. It’s amazing how as innocent as lollipops can be so saucy. I like it.” –Jimi

“Hot… I need a moment…” –Leesa

“A very interesting look Josh, perhaps an unfinished symphony…?” –Jim

“That’s hot! …really like this one Josh. It’s an enticing look for your show & maybe time for me to get off my butt and come along…” –Stacey

“Its cool dude, I like your image! Type is in good place too.” –Kadir

“i dig. it’s stylish and funky, with a little bit of “we’re sexy” thrown in there.” –Nara

“Hi Josh, That’s really cool. The colours are awesome – really different to stuff you normally see in the Valley. It will really stand out.” –Danika

“Heh, sweet. Looks cool man.” –Maggie

That’s about it for now. It’s 3:20am and I have work tomorrow… Nite.

To fill that canyon void between true quality, sometimes there must become a little bit of junk. This is the first of the experiment with junk posts on this quasi-blog type thing. No real aim, but to create and fill. Oft times it is the mass of filling that makes the other so good.

I am not talking automatic writing here, and will leave that to another day.

Anyway, what did I do today? Not much, just working mainly. Thinking back, thismorning Jasper awakened me with her meowing. For lunch I headed down to Sakura Sushi. Still failing in my attempts to get Jerry to try it. I finished chapter twenty-nine of Great Expectations, experiencing Pip’s first adult falling for the now-fully-grown Estella.

Had a call from The Strange Attractors‘ prospective bass player. Things seem almost to be coming together.

Unsure of where all this junk will lead me tonight.

Shyla said she had two spare tickets to see AIR play that night. Somewhere in The Valley she said, the Tivoli maybe. Some quick googling proved her right. The tickets were in her name, so she handed over some non-photo id and we prepared for some undercover work, only to have our cover crumble when we got to the ticket counter and saw the familiar face of an old acquaintance staring back. The girl at the ticket counter obliged us, thankfully.

New Buffalo supported the night, glitz girl with certain somewhat subtle masculinity, supported to the side by feminine transparent red showing of two more supported showings. Ocean had sprung up a conversation with a girl called Liz of whom she remarked had a nice dress only moments before. She became part of the group as more and more friendly faces arrived and gathered for the show. Surprising there would be so many there, known in the mind.

After the song and dance, the pretty photon show, a migratory path to Ric’s was pursued. Only stayed there a short while, time enough for one game of Galaga. Perhaps it was the effect of the show on my senses, or some other stimulant, but I played like never before, trance-like, focused to the gills, reaching a never before achieved, level 17, and breaking the 100,000 point mark. First on the machine by a long shot, surprising not only those watching, but myself as well.

Sometimes all it takes is to come up for AIR every so often. See you there.

AIR playing at the Tivoli in Brisbane

Days workin’ for the man, a breezy little gig in midtown, pushing pixels, and redirecting electrons, rarely do thoughts of far off lands evolve far past the subconscious.

Word of a protest rally in the heart of the city however had broken out amongst the workers, and with Karuna being more than a little based upon the Buddhist tradition, it was decided by the leading powers that we should be in attendance. And so it was, that at 12:30pm one sunny Monday in this southern land, there organised a collection of humans, sacrificing their lunch, or otherwise taking time out, to gather collectively, to come together in public space.

It was a reaction, this collective sharing of sentiment, part of a knee jerk response to the figurative, repeated kicks in the face that this cultural entity has been turning the other cheek to for decades. Ancient cultures – at least those surviving today – are of a highly adaptable breed, that when threatened with extinction, will evolve new methods of survival.

Though the body seems somewhat submerged in raging waters, tendrils of cultural buoyancy reach far and wide; they encircle the earth, and take up residence in the hearts and minds of those free to assemble and with a purpose to attain, symbolic silhouettes in hand.

Life, through life, finds a way.

Seems I had WordPress 2.5 final already last night, but just didn’t know it yet. It was simply masquerading as a late revision of release candidate 3. This morning when the news came through the usual update channels to my awareness, I immediately went to upgrade from the subversion repository. I found that the only file that was updated to be one wp-includes/version.php which seems to just tell WordPress what version number it is running.

Actually now that I look at it, mine now says “2.6-bleeding”. I guess that’s what comes of this whole subversion beta testing thing, not ever really getting to try the release versions for very long. Probably in essence, it is like always running a broken, un(der)tested version. It is like a fleet of horses and carriages, with the newly designed carriages up at the front. Sometimes their new fandangled modifications will result in a wheel falling off, and as such, the rest of the fleet would probably not adopt that new modification.

You can obviously draw parallels between software development and the evolutionary process, especially with open source development, with each application being a separate species that slowly adapts over time. There is no one single designer, and indeed it would be impossible virtually for any single person to design and code something so complex as the WordPress base code. But with so many contributors building upon and changing the design to better suit its environment, the species plods along on its evolving path.

The audacity to speak only in the singular when referring to any creation so complex astonishes me.