It took me a while (and heavy persuasion) to join the popular social network, Twitter. I honestly didn’t see the value in using it in my personal capacity and thought it yet another time waster on the net. I’m singing a different tune now.
Here’s my current list of some of the musicians I love who are on Twitter (will update regularly):
Twitter has not only meant that I get first-hand information from the artists themselves but that I can also get to communicate with them directly should I wish to do so (well, not always). I figure this may even lessen the influence (and imaginative ‘truth’) of celebrity gossip blogs. It’s just so cool to get a feel of their personalities beyond what their publicists would have you think of them. Oh and they sometimes provide links to download tracks for free, w00t w00t!
Btw, I’m @palesa08 on Twitter. See you there!
Share it!
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in music, web.
I love a lot of things on the internet but one of the most amusing bits that have stood out to me in the past year is the Rick Roll.
Rick Rolling on the net is basically tricking people through linking them to a tasty topic only for them to be presented with a Rick Astley video of his hit song “Never Gonna Give You Up”. The most interesting time that I fell victim to this was at the height of talks about Sarah Palin. I was just trying to see her latest faux pas on Youtube when out of nowhere this dated song starts playing. I was a little irritated at first but eventually appreciated the joke. There are other ways that people Rick Roll such as on images or text messages but haven’t been tricked like that…yet.
If you want to know a bit more more about the infamous Rick Roll, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT–CsBh5TM (not a Rick Roll, I promise).
Share it!
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in web.
Tagged with internet, meme.
You may have noticed (probably not) that I’ve moved my blog from Drupal 6 to Wordpress 2.7. I’ve done this for a few reasons:
- WP doesn’t require as much attention (read: time) to setup and maintain. It’s the king of one-person blogging without frills.
- Drupal is very powerful and would have been overkill in my case for what I have planned for the blog.
- I use Drupal on many other projects and thought it wise to learn something else as well.
I hope to present my own custom theme in the next few weeks as a challenge to myself but for now it’s mighty fun to trawl through WP’s themes by thousands of contributors.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that I’m a lazy blogger; well on my own blog, anyway :/
Share it!
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in general.
Marcus Miller Jazz Bass
I’ve owned quite a few musical instruments, many of which I don’t own today (guitars, amps, basses, etc.). As much as I would have liked to keep them, it was near impossible to buy a new one without trading another to get the cash. Right now at the top my wishlist is a 4-string Fender Jazz bass (US or Japan, I’m not choosy). If you’ve ever held one of these babies you’ll understand my desire for this fine piece of craftsmanship.
Before I’d tried out the Fender I was adamant that I wanted a Lakland (apparently this is pronounced “Lakeland”) after trying it out at Andy McGibbon’s Guitar World. Me’Shell Ndegéocello, Concord Nkabinde and Pino Palladino play these so yeah, artist endorsements work wonders 
The price tag quickly put me off the Laklands but they sure do make mighty fine instruments. Actually, the Fenders aren’t that much cheaper but I think that they have a good range from the Squires to artist signature models. Continued…
Share it!
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in bass.
Tagged with Instruments.
I absolutely love gaming. I’ve loved it for many, many years and with time game prices have gone up, sometimes to a ridiculous level. R700 for a game is just way beyond what I’m willing to spend. I’m not one to spend lots of cash on entertainment and it just so happens that most of us are feeling the Credit Crunch so there really is no better time to keep my pocket on lock.
Here’s a list of how I still manage to play lots of titles on a budget:
- Buy on sale. I’m a woman so “Sale” signs immediately ring bells in my mind and I have to look at what I can get cheap, cheap. Ok it’s a terrible generalisation but the fact remains that I’m a bargain hunter (usually for games!). Non-specialist stores are usually the cheapest when they want to get rid of stock. The Xbox Live Marketplace often has good specials but I have yet to buy MSP (Microsoft Points), especially with the deathly exchange rate.
- Game trading through a retailer. I’ve traded games with complete strangers before and it’s worked out ok but it has safety risks, being Jo’burg and all. Retailers such as Budget Technologies and Zaps eliminate that problem as well as provide you with peace of mind that the game will definitely work and isn’t fake. They also have a great selection of AAA titles. Of course it may cost a little more than what your mate or some guy on the internet would offer but it’s my most preferred option right now.
Continued…
Share it!
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in gaming.
Tagged with Games, Xbox 360.
I’m a big fan of the Symbian s60 (series 60) platform. This has been the case since I first got introduced to it via my Nokia 3650 yonks ago. What I love the most about it is its flexibility and the power it gives the user to customise a phone, from looks (on-screen, that is) to functionality. Handy Shell is what I’m currently raving about.
Handy has released some of the best s60 apps around, many of which I’ve demo’d. I got bored of demoing things on mobile but when that s60.com newsletter popped up in my inbox last week I thought I’d give it a shot. So glad I did! Continued…
Share it!
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in mobile tech.
Tagged with app, mobile, S60.
No matter how much I experience it, I simply can’t get used to bad sound at live music events. It just spoils the entire thing for me. Add a mediocre venue to the mix and you’ll understand why I even pass on events where my favourite musos play.
Everytime there’s a jazzy/soulful artist they seem to get booked for Bassline (in Newtown). When I think of Bassline I think of stifling smoke in a crowded room and city centre/town (it’s close enough). It’s a pity because they book some amazing bands.
And how the hell do bad sound engineers keep getting regular gigs? In some countries, reputation is everything so sound engineers and musicians alike try to maintain a high level of professionalism. Not in Jozi. Sometimes the acoustics of the venue share the blame. If you’ve ever played at Roxy’s you’ll know what I mean.
I really wish that someone would build a venue that is 100% built for live music from the very first brick that is laid.
I guess that would also mean the bands would need to step up their game, too. Not a bad thing.
Share it!
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in music.
Tagged with live music.
Can’t tell you how many blogs I’ve started and bailed on so no introductions this time around – I’ll get right to it.
I love to record things that I find interesting and a few weeks ago while making a beeline for the exit in Sandton City (in my experience, malls are best experienced in short spurts), I saw a tap dancer.
I love tap dancing. Goodness knows I wouldn’t actually start to learn yet another art discipline to quit as soon as I get bored – I’m content with being the audience. Gregory Hines and Savion Glover are well-respected tap dancers whom I regard very highly and have contributed to my deep appreciation of this dance style.
Anyway, I recorded Dinkie Sithole’s performance on my mobile to produce what you see in the attached video. It’s just so refreshing to experience performance art in a most unexpected place and a rare one at that. Kudos to Sandton Central’s Open Street Sessions for bringing raw (can’t use “street” without “raw”, right?) talent to the fore.
Continued…
Share it!
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Posted in general.
