Red horizon?

In other news, an Irish property investment company is advertising for the Martian colonies. Seriously.

Cool or what?

“It’s mine - you can’t have it.”

Very interesting interview with Dr Tim Berners-Lee (the-man-who-invented-the-internet) on the BBC website today, regarding the data grab being planned by some of the world’s largest ISPs, using web usage monitoring software.

The creator of the web has said consumers need to be protected against systems which can track their activity on the internet.

On the subject of web usage statistics and personal information regarding where we shop, what sites we visit and other patterns of online behaviour:

He said: “It’s mine - you can’t have it. If you want to use it for something, then you have to negotiate with me. I have to agree, I have to understand what I’m getting in return.”

I couldn’t agree more.

State of the musical nation

Alan Wilder (ex Depeche Mode) has written a very interesting pulic letter on the state of the music industry that makes for some good reading for anyone who loves music:

We live in a world of technology - exponentially increasing breakthroughs in all things scientific. So fast that we can’t even keep up with it. So why is it that the audio quality of music is degenerating? Music ’sounds’ worse. We have stopped listening, we don’t have time. We only have time to be smacked in the face by the loudest, most attention-grabbing blast of souped-up noise imaginable until ear fatigue sets in and the desire to ‘change the record’ takes over. Why are the adverts on TV twice the volume of the regular broadcasts? It’s the only way to get our attention in the VOLUME WAR.

In recent years, a revolution in processing technology has instigated a change in the way albums are mastered. In order to compete, A&R men, producers, even the artists are demanding that mastering engineers, via digital compression, crank up the level so high that all dynamic range is callously sacrificed.

You can read the rest of this here on the Sideline website.

Pictures of you

I got sent this link earlier today by a friend who knows I’m a big fan of The Cure. It’s a newly released advert from Australia about the dangers of driving too fast that uses a version of a song by The Cure called Pictures of You to show the effects on people left behind. I clicked casually on the link and watched the commercial, not really caring but just wanting to hear a new version of a song I like.

It stopped me dead in my tracks and is a very powerful powerful piece of film making - perhaps the most powerful I’ve seen online. Everyone who drives a car should be required to watch this.

It’s very sad, and to my mind much more effective than the shock ads that are shown on TV here depicting people torn up in accidents. I don’t know about you, but I just change the channel when those come on TV. The truth is that the carnage of a road accident is temporary and is seen by very few people, whereas the emotional aftermath is long-lasting and devastating. Road safety authorities all over the world should watch this and re-examine how they try to build awareness of the dangers of driving too fasts.

www.picturesofyou.com.au

Dog leash goths ‘hounded off bus’

I know it’s cruel to laugh at the afflicted, but I nearly fell off my chair today when I read this story.

Dog leash goths ‘hounded off bus’

And yes, it is exactly what the headline sounds like it is. The photo is the best bit.

A goth who leads his girlfriend around with a dog lead and collar was stopped from getting on a bus amid fears for passenger safety, a bus firm confirmed.

Dani Graves, 25, and his fiancee Tasha Maltby, 19, of Dewsbury, West Yorks, claim they have been discriminated against by bus firm Arriva Yorkshire.

Seriously, you should read the story for full effect. Fantastic - the world needs more people like Mr Graves and Ms Maltby. (I’ve only just noticed this guy’s second name as I type this - it gets better! ha ha ha!)

Why you’ve got no chance of making a living out of music

Because statistically it’s a non starter, and as soon as you want to make a living out of it, you start sucking dick and the music turns crap. Usually - but not necessarily.

Most people who do make a living out of music often labour under the misapprehension that their success is due to their own talent, insight, intelligence and good looks. Whereas they usually just happened to coincide with a dip in the social fashion continuum and got thrown off on one. There is success among the genuinely talented and emotionally powerful, but it is all subject to the unpredictabilities of chance, market positioning and industry bribery. There is no formula or helpful foresight, other than knowing that if you don’t get off your butt, you ain’t gonna get that gold disc. It also helps to be good looking, have an attitude, a great voice, corking songs with a good hook, a rich well-connected manager, a good PR company etc etc. But these are neither necessary nor sufficient conditions for achieving anything.

If it’s millions you’re after, the statistics get even worse. Wait until Elton, Michael, and Billy retire or die.

If it’s TV theme tunes you’re after, move to London, get matey, and prepare to kiss your health, your life and your girlfriend/boyfriend goodbye in favour of shrinking budgets, deadlines measured in minutes, and plummeting programme quality. Again, you may avoid all of these pitfalls, but don’t bet on it.

If you want to get rich selling your precious art, remember that in order for a song to be popular, lots of people have to like it. Just because a song is popular doesn’t mean that it’s not good art or that it’s crap, and just because a song is unpopular doesn’t mean it’s great art or a great song. In the same way that a fat ugly woman is not necessarily really nice, loving and interesting, and a beautiful model is not necessarily shallow, boring and manipulative. Equally, if a song is not popular but you like it, it doesn’t mean that it’s a good or bad song - it just means that you like it and others don’t. If you want to sell records, people have to like your song(s). That shouldn’t be the prime consideration in writing the songs - just be aware of it when selecting the songs to offer for sale. Some art should definitely go into private collections. Before the auction.

Taken from Rationale & Rhyme & Reason

Long time no . . . blog?

Just noticed it’s been almost two months since I updated the blog. Been lots busy with travel and christmas stuff. Needless to say, there’s bloggage coming this way, but it will take a little while.

The role of the Sunday

As a journalist that works primarily with Sunday newspapers and mostly always has, I have a soft spot for the things that make Sunday newspapers different from their daily cousins. Roger Alton - editor of the Guardian - has written an excellent piece on the ongoing role of the Sunday that’s worth a read:

 Something for the weekend

Quality Sunday papers remain in rude health, even as their daily counterparts struggle for circulation in the face of the web and freesheets. But can that continue? By Roger Alton

You can read it here.

Festive cheer

This is an authentic press release put out by the Garda (Irish police) press office in Dublin this afternoon. I didn’t receive it personally, but obviously every journalist working on a news desk today immediately forwarded this to all their mates.

Gardai from Kevin Street Garda station, Dublin are investigating the theft of 180 Kegs of Guinness, 180 Kegs of Budweiser and 90 Kegs of Carlsberg from the Guinness Brewery on Victoria Quay, Dublin 8 yesterday. A man drove into the yard in a truck and took a trailer containing the drink which has an estimated value of 64,000 Euro. Any person with information is asked to contact Kevin Street Gardai on 01-6669400.

On one hand this isn’t at all funny and a real crime has been perpetrated. On the other . . . well, you’d never guess it’s Christmas party season in Dublin, would you? Only in Ireland . . .

Are you hot or cold on climate change?

Like a lot of people I don’t know what to think about the issue of climate change. This is what happens when a public debate continues for some time but you weren’t paying attention at the outset. People are now arguing about the data without presenting a ‘beginner’s guide’ style of introduction. It’s hard to form an opinion. I’m heavily inclined towards thinking that it would be stupid to ignore the risk of climate change, but some people I know and respect argue against it.

Hmm.  Someone sent me this video this morning and it presents an interesting case.