It's all good.

About three hours ago I was in a stuffy office someplace updating Yellow Pages ads, and decided to just go out for a bit. Just for some air. Got in the elevator, down eight floors, and out the front. I just make it to the footpath when, through tired eyes, I think I recognise someone. I think I notice him recognise me. I turn, he turns.

I'm crap at names. Really really crap. But I remembered this guy: Darius Mendoza. 3-4 years ago I lived in St Kilda East and he worked as a barista there. We got talking once, on his last day, and swapped life stories.

It turned out his two sisters made up that group Jackson Mendoza. You might remember them from a few years ago if you're Australian. When I last saw him Darius was headed to London to work on an album as a new act with his sisters, having gotten a producer with clout onboard. Also he had penned a book of poetry and was working on a novel. Anyway, there he was, walking past just as I exited. So we shook hands and talked. He remembered me, I remembered him, he got my details. Turns out he managed to get his novel into the hands of Harper Collins without an agent, so hopefully something'll come from that.

It was a weird and timely coincidence. There are some people I just don't forget: he was one and Jenny's another. So we'll probably catch up and shoot the breeze. London sounded like a rollercoaster but he's rolling with the hits so that's all good. To walk out of a crappy job and into a reminder of possibilities like that... and right on cue...just brilliant. Three minutes later I was back inside but Helsinki felt like it was just next door.

(no subject)

gmskarka says:

Fede Alvarez, a guy from Uruguay, uploaded a short SF video he created to YouTube a month ago. It cost him $300 to make.

Within days, he was being flooded with emails from Hollywood, and now he's been offered a $30,000,000 contract.

Not a bad return on investment.

This did not take three-hundred bucks. Between the gear required, wrangling the extras, taking care of them in any respect, getting the angles, organising people to be at certain places at certain times to catch the light, coordinating with weather, transport, SFX, licensing the music... no way. Fun clip though.

Also, does anyone know what the music is? The way it rises in urgency toward the end... I know it and it's driving me nuts. Couldnt spot anything in the credits to give it away, but I'm thinking something like Mogwai, UNKLE or maybe even Radiohead?

Oh ho, you vicious fucker.

An interesting article about google's approach to your search history and the thoughts of its CEO.

-- http://www.findmysoft.com/news/CEO-Eric-Schmidt-s-Comment-Spurs-Google-Privacy-Concerns/

"The Mountain View-based search engine giant announced earlier this month that even if you’re signed out of your Google account, your browsing habits will still be tracked - to provide a personalized search experience of course."

And Eric Schmidt said "I think judgment matters. If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." 

I've said it before, I'll say it again, Google needs to be reined in.