my all time favourite gadget: creature speakers

I’m not really into gadgets, which is strange considering I’m a guy who works in I.T.

JBL Creature Speakers are one exception. We got our first set about three years ago and have since purchased another set. At least we’re not as bad as Karl Lagerfeld who apparently has a set (and matching ipod) in every room in his house.

I can’t express how much I love these things. They are elegantly designed: small yet powerful. The sub woofer is awesome, and they only cost about $150. We have one set plugged into the ‘puter and another as our sound system in our lounge room. They’re used every day and have never failed us.

sunday night music

I don’t think there’s a nicer way to finish a good weekend than listening to some uplifting tunes. I find it gives me energy to tackle the coming week, something that 60 minutes won’t do.

Today I picked up Supreme Beings of Leisure‘s new(ish) album strangely titled 11i. Although it sounds quite similar to their debut album from 2000, I think it still sounds fresh so it well worthy of Sunday night entertainment.

I was browsing through my music library tonight and I noticed an album my brother gave me a few Christmases ago called Radiodread. It’s a reggae/dub cover album of Radiohead’s amazing OK Computer where the Easy Star All-Stars recreate the whole album, in their unique way, without even using a single sample of the original album.

I had another listen to the album tonight and I can’t believe how much I like the Karma Police cover. The whole album is really good actually. I imagine you’d like it even if you aren’t into dub that much. Well worth a listen.

wired is rethinking what it means to be green

Wired Magazine has just released a very thought provoking article titled Inconvenient Truths: Get Ready to Rethink What It Means to Be Green, accompanied by ten green heresies:

  • Live in Cities
  • A/C Is OK
  • Organics Are Not the Answer
  • Farm the Forests
  • China Is the Solution
  • Accept Genetic Engeering
  • Carbon Trading Doesn’t Work
  • Embrace Nuclear Power
  • Buy Used Cars — Not Hybrids
  • Prepare for the Worst

Wired Magazine Article On Being Green

It’s well worth a read, if you’re into that sort of thing.

world press photo 08 is coming to the brisbane powerhouse

I was disappointed that we didn’t have enough time in Sydney last weekend to visit the World Press Photo 08 collection at the State Library of NSW. I was really excited then yesterday, when flipping through the Brisbane Powerhouse booklet, to see that it’s on display here next month.

world press photo 08

If you haven’t seen a World Press Photo collection before you really should this year. There’s no excuse not to, it’s on from 12-30 June 2008 and it’s free.

You can get a taste of things to come at the World Press Photo site, but I must warn you that viewing the site’s tiny images on a potentially uncalibrated, slightly dirty computer screen is nothing like seeing them in real life.

a day in sydney

We spent a fun filled Saturday in Sydney. It was a beautiful autumn day with clear skies. We had brekky In Paddington and then walked to Bondi Junction, calling in at the Paddington markets on the way. We did lunch on Bondi Beach and spent the afternoon in the city.

The Australian Centre for Photography is excellent. The subjects and the styles of work displayed in the Head On: Alternative Portraits collection was amazing.