Visual Art, Music and Parkour

I found this video on http://good.is, a site that I just learned about today. Plenty of good stuff there, by the looks of it. I really have been letting this blog rot of late. I'd apologize, but at this point, I don't think there's anyone to read the apology. Microblogging via twitter and facebook has seemed to supplant my rants. Maybe that'll change.

parkour motion reel from saggyarmpit on Vimeo.

Following in the footsteps of the last post...

In addition to the Social Search function, Google has created Google Dashboard, which aggregates all of your Google-associated activities and accounts. It's my understanding that this information is for you, the user, to better understand what information the all-knowing google-eye has on you. That isn't entirely true though since it only aggregates the accounts you hold with them and doesn't resort to searching the rest of the web for your footprints. It serves as a reminder of how much of a presence one can have, even with a single service-provider.

Privacy in an online world

So much of our lives are online (whether by intent or not). For those of us active with social networks, that likelihood increases ten-fold. Well, like a good little social-network user, I just took a look through the proposed new facebook privacy policy and besides using the information there to help me lock-down my content being shared within Facebook and the applications that use the platform (think Scrabulous {now Lexulous}, Mafia Wars, and all manner of others) I also came across a means to (hopefully) opt-out of "behavioural" advertising from a number of advertisers including google, yahoo and microsoft. Just a note, the tool seems imperfect, but it will likely work better for you if you read this help page first.

Will it make a difference? Hard to say. Will I feel better for actively trying to control what of my information is shared with the world? Definitely.

Oh, and if you're not already a conspiracy theory seeing google as the next "Big Brother", check out Google's latest "Lab" ("opt-in"able beta test) tool: Social Search. Creeped out yet? Check out this perspective. What about now?

Viral before the internetz

An interesting article on social networking and the transmission of information without the use of phones, the internet or even major newspapers within the context of the fall of communism in Europe 20 years ago.

The key:

"A network of human relationships that conveyed information informally on a regular basis, and a population who were highly focused on only a few channels of information, both official and clandestine."

Have we lost or gained since that time? I think a reasonable argument could be made for both.

The World, she is a changin'

No, this is not a treatise on the lamentable way that we treat the planet (though there will be more on that later, I'm sure).

Instead, this "media counter" identifies the breadth of technological activities that are going on merely in the time that you watch it count. Considering that most who bother to read this blog have been around long enough to remember a time without a consumer-accessible internet and without portable phones, let-alone mobile phones, how things have advanced, and continue to do so right before your eyes, is pretty remarkable.

The Box

There's a new movie coming out shortly. The premise is:

Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger, delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don't know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

- IMDB.com

So, what would you do? Would you press the button? If so, how many times? Once? Twice? Two-hundred times?

I don't know that the movie will necessarily be all that good, but it does seem to circle an interesting premise.

Augmented Reality

This term is likely to become much more common in the near future. A topic of discussion this weekend and the subject of this article, augmented reality represents the additions that today's mobile technology can make to our experience of the real world.

One thing that's not mentioned in the article is the risk for a Big Brother-style (a la 1984, not a la current reality tv) misuse of the information that is created and made available when everyone carries a phone, or similar item, that can track exactly where the holder is. Instead, it appears that the greatest risk to the user is that our knowledge of "facts" will decrease as our need to know the information drops. I'm not sure that I agree with that. Of course you don't need to get an iPhone and load all the new augmented reality apps to risk that becoming a reality. The future is here today with the government's requirement for improved 911 service for mobile users. By early next year, you will be able to be tracked-down to at least a 300m radius by emergency services providers. :)

Saturday

Yesterday seemed remarkably out of place. I find that interesting since I hadn't felt like we were deep into autumn or that it had been unseasonably cool or rainy. It's just that yesterday seemed so particularly warm and sunny that I couldn't help but feel blessed. My apologies to those who didn't have the same weather-luck but I was very happy to take advantage of the weather with some quality outside time. It felt like a better choice than driving to Toronto in hopes that the weather would be good for Nuit Blanche. In the end, I think the weather was good for Nuit Blanche but I would've been too tired to enjoy it anyway. I guess I'll need to stick to enjoying other people's pictures and stories.

Death of the Blog

No, I am not writing an obituary for my blog (despite the fact that it may seem to be on life-support at this point). Rather, I am wondering whether facebook and twitter have stolen most of the mindless musings. I know they have in my case. It's sad to think that so many of my mindless musings seem to fall into the container of being no more than a couple of lines (as both are focussed in that area). Much of my other content included links which were easily accommodated by facebook. Suddenly, I'm forced to compose complete thoughts and sentences if I want to put anything up here. What a sad state of...

Crowd Control

If I was running an exercise in limiting traffic to a website without deleting the site altogether, I think I may have found the best practice: Not posting for almost 2 months!

Hi, my name is Justin. This is my (recently ignored) blog. Why has it been so long-ignored? Well, falling out of the habit is one thing. As a creature of habit, I continue to do (or not do) things because I let myself grow accustomed to doing (or not doing) so. You just need to look at the state of my house right now to note that I've grown accustomed to not tidying up. Sure, I was busy trying to make the most of my summer (especially before many good friends left the continent for extended periods abroad). I was busy too with welcoming new students from around the world. Still... Two months?!

I make no commitment to a return to regular updates. This may be, in part, due to trying to maintain a presence both on Facebook and Twitter but even those have seen me neglect updating (though I do stay actively in touch with people through them). If you're reading this, I hope you feel as though your time hasn't been wasted.

In other news, I managed to post around 500 photos on Flickr from my trip to Bhutan and have moved on to others (including some wedding shots from the two that I shot this summer).

#400

I bet you didn't expect me to take this long to post again (or maybe you did). I bet you didn't think this was the 400th post (but it is). I bet you think I've posted all my photos on my flickr site (but I haven't). I bet this theme is getting old (it is).

In any case, life, and all that goes along with it continues. I'm not quite sure why I've neglected posting for so long. Perhaps I am in the midst of a neglectful stage. That seems reasonable. What it doesn't do is encourage me to keep typing. So... Adieu.

I've been back for more than 2 weeks and I'm just getting my photos posted and just coming back to you here on the blog.

The travels were beautiful and interesting. In fact, the remainder of my time in Bhutan was interesting. Things got very active as I neared the end of my time there. Too bad I managed to lose a USB memory stick with hundreds of my photos. :( At least I didn't lose all my photos.

Being back has been interesting. There's plenty I could write about but I'm not sure where my thoughts are on everything so I'll be holding-off for now. Until next time.

Bumthang

I have my permits! I am well-chuffed about getting a chance to explore some more of Bhutan. :) As if it weren't exciting enough, I'll be travelling with a Bhutanese man who is both a licenced guide and photographer. He's published books of his photographs and most of the postcards I've sent have images that he took. I think it will be an enjoyable adventure (and one that comes just in time as I'll need to head to Paro shortly after returning). Paro is where the airport is and home to a number of other interesting sites which I'd like to see before leaving. It won't be all that long before I'm on a plane, and that means Canada doesn't follow long-after.

Just a quick note to let you know that all continues well here in Bhutan. Though volunteering has fallen by the way-side, I am still pursuing the experience as best I can. I am trusting that the in-country travel that I intend to do will show an as yet unseen (by me) side of Bhutan. I am certainly hopeful that that will be the case, anyway.

The adventure is half-way over according to the calendar. Have I reached goals that I may have intended for myself? Probably not, but who knows what the remaining time brings?

Thimpu and beyond

Apologies for any delays in writing but I am not physically connected to a computer here as I am at home. Shock of shocks, I went a couple of days without getting online!

I am writing from an artist's studio. I met one of the artists when I arrived as he helped friends find me a place to live. He and some of his fellow artists and I chatted about Bhutan, Canada and all sorts of things. Though I'm not an artist in the way they are, I have a genuine interest in the range of both fine art and commercial work that they do so that alone has been interesting (saying nothing for the conversation - which was also very interesting).

I'm planning to do some travel to other parts of the country as I've remained in Thimpu, the capital, since my arrival. I may join a couple of Canadians for some travel early next week or I may strike out on my own. In any case, I look forward to doing it in a way that helps me not just see more of Bhutan but to experience more of Bhutan.

I've met a wide range of people already and it's given me a number of insights into Bhutan that I would otherwise never have had. I have plenty more to learn (of course - since that is always the case, no matter where I am) and am looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.

Bhutan

Sigh... I'm here, but have exhausted myself catching up other folks directly. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for details. I can say though that in 8 hours or so here (and with the help of some great folks), I have an apartment, some groceries and maybe even a volunteer opportunity. :)

The Adventure Continues

It truly became an adventure yesterday when Druk Air (Bhutan's only airline) told me that they had no record of me and that I had a visa letter from the wrong government ministry. Funnily enough, it didn't strike me as a big deal. I knew that I needed to contact some people and get things happening, but it didn't really concern me greatly. I knew things would work out. Remarkably, they have worked out according to the original schedule. This is pretty impressive considering not only did I have the wrong documents, but tomorrow's flight was already full. It pays to have contacts, I guess. :)

Next you hear from me, I'll be in Bhutan. As if it weren't going to be a shock anyway, after a couple of days in Kathmandu, I think it will be a huge change. Bring on the change.

P.S. I saw monkeys today. :) For anyone wondering, I did not do my monkey impression for them (but I did feel right at home). ;)

And so it begins...

If you've ever wondered why those relaxing massage chairs that are often found in malls don't have a "turbulence" setting, I think I know why. After not the most restful flight across the Atlantic, I arrived in London all bushy-eyed and bright-tailed early this morning. Luckily for me, I had a date with a good friend for some quality time in London-town. The day has been great and has already found me thinking plenty about what has been and what is to come. I step forward with excitement and just a little bit of trepidation. But first, further visiting. That means no more typing.

By the way, if you're going on a multi-leg flight in the future, put your deodorant in your carry-on. Just sayin'.

Too x 4

Too few days to go. Too few details to go on. Too much to do. Too bad. :)

Me

I have let much time pass since acknowledging the thoughts that were floating in my head relating to my first experiences of hot yoga last month. I fear that the most substantial aspects have decanted leaving some nice clear (read: empty) space with all those great thoughts in the muck at the bottom of my brain.

Still, I do recall that much of my inspiration related to self. Self-awareness and consciousness of self (not to be confused with self-consciousness) were highs of the experience as I live a life full of distractions. Hot yoga saw me concentrating (almost) solely on my body and the pose. This was very refreshing, despite the 40-degree heat.

Though I haven't continued yoga in the past few weeks, I will continue the journey of self both literally and figuratively. In 9 days, I will be flying to Bhutan to spend 4-5 weeks learning, living and experiencing. This will encompass new cultural and physical experiences while including many opportunities for self-reflection. One of the things I look forward to most is the change in distractions. I hope to use my time to capture my thoughts and experiences across various media. If you know me, you know that photography will be a big part of that, but not the only thing. I look forward to writing more and think this experience will allow me to explore aspects of myself while I explore aspects of Bhutan and it's people.