Trickle for Twitter

I recently downloaded a fab wee twitter app for my iPhone & iPad (it's universal) called Trickle for Twitter that displays tweets in your timeline... one at a time... full screen on the device. You can retweet the message or favourite it onscreen... and the app allows for multiple accounts... which will be of benefit to some.

It's fab for having on in the background... like a newsticker... where you can dip in and out of as you see fit.

Where I see further value is for this stream of consciousness to be projected in a social space. Obviously not *my* timeline as that's mine... and wonderfully so... more for a coffeehouse, bar, church etc to project their feed.

Moving forward, I'd love to see it incorporate hashtags... as this would significantly increase the utility in social spaces where everyone using the tag could have their message projected.

Real potential. Recommended.

Download it now for 59p

Tx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad -

Why man creates... a documentary from Saul Bass

Two parts from a very interesting and wonderfully thought-provoking documentary from Saul Bass... graphic designer and creator of a number of awesome title sequences including...



The Man With The Golden Arm and... North By Northwest.

Enjoy.

Tx

(via boing boing with thanks)


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People finding words for my thoughts part 2 - Appropriatism

I also found this blogpost by Frank Chimero fascinating... because within it he expresses an idea that I have been considering and, potentially, living for a wee while now :: the idea of "appropriatism"...

"...There’s no name for this way of thinking, but if I had to steal a term, I’d use Merlin Mann’s Appropriatism. It’s not minimalism, it’s not maximalist, it’s just-right-ism. Goldilocks was on to something. The idea sits somewhere in the middle, exactly at the crux of whatever works the best with the least amount. The core precept of all of it is this:

“Add things until it starts sucking, take things away until it stops getting better.”

We’re looking for that sweet spot, the thing that fits just right, plus or minus zero. With that said, this isn’t a zen, simple living blog post. By being an apostle for nothingness, we lose touch with reality. Philosophy is worthless if it is not practical. My intent is to be helpful and useful, not dogmatic. Your mileage may vary, if only because of differing needs.../

He then goes on to describe some of the precepts of this idea...

"...The main ideals of the Goldilocks mindset are not universal truths, but rather a way of thinking with which anyone can agree or disagree. There aren’t many core precepts.

Again: “Add things until it starts sucking, take away things until it stops getting better.” That applies to this list.

• Fit is paramount.
• Access trumps ownership.
• Matter matters. If things take a physical form, it must fill a need.
• If there’s a choice, tend toward beauty, both in aesthetics and utility. If it’s one or the other, tend toward utility.
• Optimize for steadfastness."

I would heartily recommend you read the article... rather than taking my interpretation as the original.

I like the idea that we need to ensure what we have fits... not just clothes but everything we have... does it fit into who we are?

I also like the idea that access trumps ownership. This is a principle that explains so much... from our public libraries to video rental to even bit torrents. Do I need to own it when I can borrow it or gain access to it?

The idea that if it takes physical form, it must fill a need and, if I can, this physical form should lean towards beauty and utility. Again, it needs to fit... it needs to work... and be meaningful.

Lastly, steadfastness is, in other words, lasting quality... it should be built to last... like the second hand Levi's I have on as I type this... they have many years left (as long as my belly doesn't get bigger).

This post has really helped me to put into words thoughts I have had. Consider this post or this one you will, hopefully, see that I've been on this journey for a wee while. I'm glad there is a third way... between rampant consumerism and unrealistic minimalism... and I am grateful that it now has a name.

Tx


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People finding words for my thoughts part 1 - photography, attention & contemplation

I found this post by Jonny Baker fascinating... because it helps to explain my love of photography - photography has increased my awareness. In the post, Jonny quotes from a book entitled Thomas Merton: a master of attention by R Waldron...

to become a contemplative one must develop the spiritual eye of attention and what in modern life symbolises more fully and exactly what the life of a contemplative life entails than the camera

solitude and silence are the sine qua non of being a contemplative. in fact a photographer is a contemplative in his own right: he too must become a master of attention

if we had to reduce merton's 'a vow of conversation' to one theme it would be 'learning to see'

for much of the world's beauty we have only one chance to look

This is really meaningful to me and I am grateful to Jonny for sharing it. Photography has helped me to "see"... and it continues to help me to "see".

I give this to the Lord and ask Him to help me see what He wants me to see... to see His hand in the ordinary as well as the extraordinary... the natural and the supernatural... and to help others see it too.

Thanks Jonny.

Tx

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Seven questions... with Rainer Straschill

I have gotten to know Rainer Straschill through the wonderful Twitter community that we both participate in for independent musicians on bandcamp. He is a unique voice in the community and his music demonstrates this uniqueness.

I am grateful that Rainer has taken time out to answer my seven questions:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?

A very philosophical question.

The short answer: I'm a person,residing in München (Munich), Germany, with a craving for the slightly odd things . I play music and have a day job in automotive chassis electronics.

The slightly longer one (from here: http://moinlabs.de/index.php?id=291):

*Rainer Straschill*, born in and resident of München, Bayern, took classical training in piano (programme for highly gifted children at Richard-Strauß-Konservatorium München) at the age of five and studied composition (also at RSK München) paralleling grammar school.

Apart from that, Straschill has learned to more or less master the trombone, alto and soprano sax, guitars and bass guitars as well as various devices and computer-based systems for the realtime generation and modification of sound.

Starting in 2000, Straschill has focused on the creation of freely improvised material exclusively. In his solo shows, Straschill combines the input of piano, synthesizers, drum machines, his signature "weirdbass" and saxophones and trombone with the processing of dedicated devices, computers and loop recorders (dubbed by Straschill as "komische Elektronik") to an output which defies any stilistic qualification. Audients at his shows found themselves confronted with a vast crossover of abstract experimental eletronica, singer-songwriter stylings, drum'n'bass breakbeats and minimal noise.

In 2010, composed material (both for solo performances and for ensembles) has started to establish itself again in Straschill's work.

In his other life, Straschill works as an expert for automotive electronics. He holds a red belt in Tae Kwon-Do and has participated in various competitions and tournaments in fencing, boxing and sailing.


2) What are you working on at the moment?

The second part of my "Akustik Kies" piano solo double album, entitled "Reflexiv Hören". The double album is a compilation of recordings from my MoinSound Studio Sessions (see below) in 2010. While the first part, "Transitiv Sehen" (http://moinlabs.de/index.php?id=288) includes material that's only unprocessed acoustic grand piano, the second part will include all of the usual "komische Elektronik" processing.

The MoinSound Studio Sessions do continue :: http://moinlabs.de/index.php?id=289 :: The MoinSound Studio Sessions is my bi-weekly series of virtual performances, transmitted (and open to the public) via internet video stream. Those sessions happen every even calendar week, Saturday at 1600 UTC.


3) Who inspires you?

- Name an artist who has inspired you.

Thomas Pynchon, for an unusual strategy in engaging with his fan base

- Name place that has inspired you.

Shinjuku station, Tokyo

- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.

I'm doing electronic music - the transistor, of course!


4) What drives you to do what you do?

I'm really really having fun doing it.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?

None, really. It's just art for its own sake.


6) What role does community play in what you do?

First of all, as a rather self-reliant artist not economically dependent on the success of his art, I'm luckily in a position that I don't need to get a lot of people to enjoy what I do to be able to enjoy it myself (or to make ends meet in any way). That being said, The community (in the widest sense) has greatly influenced what I do, and continues to do so. This is, in addition to my oldskool social surroundings (read: friends and/or musicians I know and have contact with in person), mainly based on two internet-based sources:

i), the Looper's Delight Mailing List (www.loopers-delight.com) to which I have been subscribed since 1997 (!), and which, in addition to being the number one info source on live looping, is also a very knowledgeable and musically diverse group of individuals.

ii) a lot of people I got in contact with directly or indirectly via twitter.

Generally, and taking into account the introductory statement above, the greater community gives inspiration (by pointing out, or by consisting of, great artists), tech recommendations, both for music gear/software and internet-based services interesting to musicians, and also suggestions as on what to work on next. I still lack a good source of high-quality constructive critizism, though.


7) What is next for what you do?

Undecided, as of yet... short-time:

• Performance of a music composition "Leinhos, Peter is out of the office" as part of the MoinSound Studio Sessions. 
• Work on some archived material - choices from Eclectic Blah, a freely improvised dance group I used to lead around 2001-2005: http://moinlabs.de/index.php?id=252; 
• An Ambient Manifold, a week-long series of sessions I did back last year with lots of nerdy gear: http://www.myspace.com/moinlabs/blog/525812431 
• Restructuring my live audio processing setup to allow for an innovative approach to composition (working title: "Leere Hüllen"), and 
• perhaps doing some more of realtime internet collaborations in the wake of my earlier kybermusik stuff: http://moinlabs.de/index.php?id=272.

And, as said before, the MoinSound Studio Sessions do continue.

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Thanks Rainer!

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My set up

Inspired by this post by Frank Chimero... I thought I'd share a wee bit about my set up... and a few other things.

My main computer is a 13" MacBook Pro... its where I create my stuff. Its the perfect size for me and doesn't weigh too much. On it, I have the following:

• Adobe Creative Suite 3 - I have only scratched the surface of this... mainly using Photoshop to create the images for album covers, posters and the like.
• Adobe Lightroom 2 - this app is what I use for my photography... mainly for colouring and cropping.
• Quicksilver - a tremendous free app for launching apps... you need to use it to understand it.
• Things - its my To Do app... syncing with both my iPad and my iPhone... and helping me to get things done.
• Reeder - again, an app that I have on my iPad and iPhone... that handles my RSS feeds along with Pulse on my iPad. I like the way it presents the feeds... and yes, I still use RSS.
• Twitter - I use the official Twitter app on my MBP. Its not ideal but it works for me.
• Yammer - I use Yammer for private convos with my Something Beautiful buddies.
• Skype - I use this mainly for convos for the Something Beautiful podcast... but I am known to catch up with pals for the odd off-the-record blether on there too.
• Google Chrome - I use Chrome as my main browser and am very pleased with it... albeit this may change with their recent announcement that they won't be supporting H.264 HTML5.
• Paparazzi - an app for screenshots. Works well with most pages but doesn't always like Bandcamp.
• Evernote - A fab note app that I have on my iPad and iPhone too.
• iTunes
• iPhoto - I use iPhoto for my 35mm photo scans and pics from my iPhone. I like the way it works with Flickr and Facebook.
• Camerabag - a fab wee app that allows me to filter my photos... give them a vintage feel etc.
• iMovie - not an app that I've mastered... but would love to.
• Garageband - for recording audio and creating my mixcasts.
• Silverkeeper - a back-up app that syncs folders on my harddrives.
• Microsoft Office for Mac - I tried Open Office but just couldn't get comfy. Office for Mac rocks and I'm not *that much* of a fan-boy to admit it.

I consume content on my iPad... which is something that I never thought I needed until I became dependent on it. The main apps I use on it are as follows:

• YouVersion's Bible app
• Minimal Folio - for presenting my photos to clients and, to be honest, anyone who stops long enough.
• Quickoffice - for reviewing and editing .doc, .xls & .ppt files on the go.
• Simplenote - a wonderfully simple app for notes that syncs with "the cloud" and runs on my iPhone to.
• Things - as mentioned above.
• Zenbe Lists - for my "life lists" like "things for Olly's Christmas" or "what's in my camerabag" for when I go on a shoot.
• Kindle, iBooks & Stanza - for books... and .pdfs. I have them on my iPhone too but only the Kindle app syncs between my iPhone and iPad (and MBP too). I like that and wish iBooks and Stanza did too.
• Instapaper - an app I love - you save long content on the internet (blog posts etc) for reading "offline".
• Pulse and Flipboard - for consuming blogs / websites. I prefer Pulse, if I am honest, and use it on my iPhone too.
• Twitter - I use the official Twitter app on my iPad and iPhone too. I like it.
• Reeder and Evernote - As discussed above.
• Friendly - For Facebook.
• Angry Birds, Words for Friends, Peggle, BeJewelled, Cut the Rope & Tetris are my fave games... on both my iPad and iPhone.

I use both my iPhones main for communicating... the iPhone 4 is my personal phone and my first gen iPhone is my "published" number at work. I won't go into the apps I have on them... I have mentioned the main ones above... other than to mention Instagram and Hipstamatic - two fab photo apps.

I have two iPods that I use too. I got to the point with the 80gb one... where I was deleting content to add new stuff... and I wanted to do the music justice. I love to be able to fulfil the need to listen to any album I want in my collection. Yes, I could subscribe to Spotify, but I like to have it there... in my hand. Oh and between the two iPods I have about 80gb free... and am actively looking to fill it.

Underpinning my MBP, iPad, iPhones and iPods are two external harddrives... 

1. A 1TB harddrive partitioned in half - first half is for my MBP's Time Machine back up... and the second holds my iTunes data and my "main" Lightroom catalog. It also holds the back-up for my "working" Lightroom (which is on my MBP).
2. A 500gb harddrive is set up to mirror the second partition on the first harddrive (using Silverkeeper).

I need to get some "cloud" storage... but I am talking approx 250gbs. 

Also pictured are...

• Sony MDR-XD100 headphones... unfortunately my AIAIAI's died.
• Bodum 12oz tumbler (25p off a coffee in Starbucks... if you bring a cup)
• A physical copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets... I have it on my iPad but prefer paper when reading at the end of the day... bright screens can keep you awake (genius of the Kindle is that it isn't backlit)
• My trusty Moleskine notebook with an Adam Howie and a Lowercase Noises stickers on the front.

Oh and my fave analogue camera... the Olympus Trip 35. Picked up cheap on eBay before they went up in price. The output is fantastic... especially with the sensor, ability to go to f2.8 and the wonderful glass lens.

So yeah... that's me. That's my digital (and analogue) life... all within a Gap Messenger that I picked up for a tenner.

What's in your bag?

Tx


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Found: Lost Pictures of New York Blizzard

I thought the photos Todd Bieber found and the sentiment of kindness that he expresses to be very inspirational. I hope he finds the owner of the film!

Tx

(via Laughing Squid with thanks)


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Seven questions... with Daniel Land

I have a real fondness for Daniel Land's riverrun project. The music on "pentimento" is simply glorious... my kind of ambient... and is on regular rotation on my iPhone/iPod.

Daniel is also the bassist with Engineers whose self-titled debut in 2005 was (and is) a fave of mine... for its interesting crossing of psychedelic rock and electronica (psychedeltronica, anyone?). I now need to check out their other two albums... as Daniel didn't feature on their debut. I have a feeling, however, that they will be on a parr with original, especially considering the awesome electronic artist Ulrich Schnauss is now part of the band too.

What's more... Daniel leads up another band :: Daniel Land and the Modern Painters :: whose version of love lies bleeding is just exquisite. Go here to hear it and other tracks.

I caught up with Daniel... and asked him my seven questions:

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1) Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Daniel Land and I'm the singer of the band Daniel Land and The Modern Painters. Recently I've also been working with the band Engineers, and releasing ambient records under the name riverrun.


2) What are you working on at the moment?

After the Daniel Land and The Modern Painters album came out in late 2009, much of 2010 was spent working with Engineers and helping out with Jayn Hanna's band The Steals. Just recently we've started working on the second Modern Painters album, which is the focus for 2011, and should be released later in the year.


3) Who inspires you?

- Name an artist who has inspired you.

Peter Gabriel. He's always growing and always changing, the very definition of an artist in my eyes.


- Name place that has inspired you.

Doniford Bay, in Somerset.


- Name some "thing" that has inspired you.

Relationships with attractive men.


4) What drives you to do what you do?

I can't speak for any other the guys in the Painters or Engineers, but I'm not sure why I do what I do. I just have to do it. Making music is all I've ever really wanted to do, since I was a child.


5) What values do you wish your creativity to express?

I think a lot of things I am involved with musically are very sensitive; the opposite of what you could call "macho" music, really. I've always taken a kind of pride in my sensitivity and in the music I guess I want that to come across; to express ineffable beauty in a way that connotes authenticity and credibility. It's a bit like that idea by The Blue Nile - solace in life doesn’t come from faking it, and music that is genuine and is based upon actual compassion for people is very consoling to the listener. That's all I think about, really.


6) What role does community play in what you do?

What we do is almost entirely community, whether it be about the community that buys our records, the community that comes to our gigs and talks to us on Facebook and Twitter, or the gay community that I sometimes sing about in my lyrics. In a smaller sense, bands and their social circles are mini-communities or sub-cultures too.


7) What is next for what you do?

This year I hope to release a couple more records by my ambient side project riverrun, and do some collaborative work with other people. It really depends how much time I have though; as I've said, 2011 is really about focusing on the Daniel Land and The Modern Painters record and getting that released. It's going to be a big year.

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Thanks Daniel!

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We Live Simply manifesto

My boy JD Blundell has a cool blog called We Live Simply where he writes and curates a ton of wisdom on how to live simply in today's super-hyper-giga-world of over-comsumption and media saturation.

He has released a manifesto that I am going to try to live by.

I'm sorry if that last statement has resulted in you spitting out coffee all over your PC or Mac... but its true... this materialist and lover of beautifully designed things is looking at how he can simplify his life. Ideas like intentionality, creating stuff, taking digital sabbaths, being grateful and even getting and being organised do resonate with me... so I'm going to give it a go... or should I say I am giving it a go and have been doing so for a wee while now. We'll see where it takes me.

Another thing that caught my attention with what JD is doing is his "copyright"... and I quote:

"This manifesto is Uncopyrighted. Its author, Jonathan Blundell, has released all claims on copyright and has put all the content of this manifesto into the public domain.

No permission is needed to copy, distribute, or modify the content of this manifesto. Credit is appreciated but not required."

I like that!

Go here to download the manifesto... and come with me on this journey.

Tx

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Visual Inspiration :: Montague Projects

My thanks to my adventure is your advantage for the heads-up to this fantastic collection of inspiring visuals from ullian Montague :: His Flickr stream (Montague Projects) is full to the brim with visually interesting book covers, album covers and posters. Well worth a donder through.

Tx







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