The Jamjar

Aus GoKarts

Spent the afternoon at AusCarts in Port Melbourne as a celebration of Willo's birthday last Tuesday.

Music: The Black Hundred

My first visit to The Tote Hotel won't be my last. 10 minutes walk from home to live music is another reason living where I live is so chock full of awesome.

Bart's good friend James' band The Black Hundred were playing the 11pm to midnight slot, and they where who I'd come to see. I unsteadily (as you will see if you are seeing) recorded the last song, but the whole set was really good.

Mighty Vodafone Warriors!!

Warriors vs Sydney Roosters

First Flip! Friday!!

I am the proud owner of a brand spanking new Flip Mino. Not sure how this sexy new gadget will be used yet, but it will impact this blog and your bandwidth.

My first day with it was spent recording all sorts of carry ons, including a quick and dirty tour (for want of a better word) of the Kent Street bathroom. Barto (whose permission to post this video has not, at this time, been obtained) was on the hunt for my contribution to the graffiti which was made some time ago on a very late, and very drunken evening with little care and no attention.

Hopefully, the production values will improve as I bond with my mino. If you have any ideas of what you’d like to see via my video lens, let me know.

Encounters

“What do you like to take photos of?”
I turned to the man I had passed as I was walking to work this morning. It’s a wonder I’d heard him at all, he was behind me quite a way.
“Anything that catches my eye.” I said, knowing it was a stupid answer as soon as it was out of my mouth.
He walked back towards me, looking at the Nikon dSLR I had cradled in my arm.
“I’ve not got into digital,” he said “too thin, in my opinion.”
“Everyone’s a bit different,” I said “I like shooting with film too.”
“What sort of film camera do you use?”
“I have a Holga, a Pentax, a pinhole and a rangefinder.”
“Oh,” his eyes lit up “what sort of rangefinder?”
“I don’t know,” I felt stupid, I couldn’t’ remember the name of my Canonette “Canon, I think. I bought it on eBay a long time ago and I can’t recall it’s name right now.”
“I’d love a Zeiss or a Leica,” he said “pretty expensive, though.”
I nodded, he asked me “Are you a professional photographer?”
“No.” I said “No!” I repeated, surprised at the question.
“No? not published? You don’t exhibit?”
“No, no. No I just shoot for myself.”
“Oh,” he said, beginning to turn away “Have fun, enjoy that camera.”
“You too,” I said, turning the opposite direction “have a good day.”

The woman crossed the street, and as she was passing me she stopped and asked, “Did you just take a photo of that dead rose bush?”
I looked back at the dried foliage I’d just photographed. I hadn’t realised until then that it was, in fact, a dead and drying climbing plant, quite possibly a rose “Ah, yes?” I replied.
The woman barked a loud, sudden laugh at me, then walked on her way.

Thinking

How do you think?

Wednes Day Links

• Website: Movie title sequences
• Video: On English Spelling
• Data: The Words US Politians Used
• Graphic Design: Arte Subtilissima, por la Qual se Enseña a Escreuir Perfectamente
• Food: The muppet show cake
• Memory Lane: Teeny Super Guy
• Memory Land: Yeti Olympics
• Website: Periodic Table Videos

The world won't end on Wednesday and other reasons why it's ok to have your winter coat dry-cleaned this week

It's a real shame Guy Don LaFontaine died last week, not least because he would have been perfect the perfect voice to lead us up to the powering-up of man's most ambitious experiment: The Large Hadron Collider.

[Guy Don LaFontaine*]
"10,000 scientists from all over the globe.."
[cresting mist covered mountains]
"gather 100 metres below the borders of France and Switzerland..."
[green pastureland fly over shot of Geneva]
"to spend 30 years and millions of dollars to build the world's largest particle accelerator.."
[dropping below ground]
"the world's greatest minds..."
[silence]
"...prepare to know God"
[high speed camera hurtling around the 27 km tunnel]
[camera zooming in on Atlas - one of six particle detectors]
[strobing lights]
[sun elipsing]
[mother clutching a child]
[expolsion]
[empty space where our solar system was]

but in reality, it will be more like:

[Dr Brian "you can collide with me anytime" Cox]
"We're preparing to power-up the LHC"
[flicking a switch]
"This is really excitin-ga"
[sound of powering up]
"ok, that's all juiced up, lets circulate a beam"
[button pushed]
"right, that worked, power down"
[sound of powering down]
"how cool was that?!"

In fact, the scientists at CERN don't even intend to circulate an opposing stream until 10th October so there will be no collisions that may produce these allegedly catastrophic mini black holes** so we have at *least* another month before the end of the world. That makes it totally okay to put your winter coat into the dry cleaners - you'll still get a good three weeks wear - and probably more - because even if a mini black hole is created on or after October 10th, it's gonna take months to suck the entire planet into it - and with any luck, one of those super fat dudes will get jammed at the event horizon and save our sorry asses.

*10 Replacements Audition
** don't worry, Stephen Hawking will save us!

PS: if you are at all interested in tuning in to this historic event, it's happening between 6am and 9am GMT (approximately 5:30pm, Australian Eastern Standard Time) on Wednesday 10th 2008. You can read more about it on the BBC Radio 4 website.

PPS: This video does a way better job than my intro script - can you hear Guy Don LaFontaine as you read the text? (note, this video was made a few years ago - I'll be adding more links as I find them)

PPPS: My coat will be ready for pickup from the Dry Cleaners on Wednesday.

[TORCHWOOD LHC EPISODE] Torchwood comes to Radio 4 thejamjar.com in a specially-commissioned snaffled drama. Martha Jones, ex-time traveller and now working as a doctor for a UN task force, has been called to CERN. Download mp3.

[DISCOVER SCIENCE TECHNLOGY AND THE FUTURE] Nevermind The Black Hole Hoopla: Here's How the LHC Could Blow Up the World (of Physics)

[UPDATE 11 SEPTEMBER 2008]

Sing-a-long Friday

Wednes Day Links

Here're a few diversions for your week:

• One Word – get those creative juices working
• One Word One Colour (if you prefer)
• The Chemical Elements Explained Socially
• The Breeders Interactive Video
• Space Shuttle Atlantis
• Check out Google's browser: Chrome. Read more on their Blog.
• TED Talks: Sugata Mitra: Can kids teach themselves?