Another source of Wiimote related projects can be…

Personally I didn't have any problems with the DRM (which is not to say I won't in…

russell, did you do anything about getting the spore people to address the difficulties in installing their legitimately purchase software? I'd like to hear how they respond.

Unofficially and apologetically. EA are new to the download thing and they've got it crazily wrong. It's just stupid to take $100+ for…

but it's hardly a name to conjure with

but it is accurate,or more to the point not misleading, if that counts for anything.

I personally like the sound of the Loxene Golden Disc Awards,

vodafone gold disc awards?
Vodafone silver disc awards
Vodafone 5 meg data file awards?
vodafone golden…

it should be the rianz music awards.

It used to be called that, but it's hardly a name to conjure with. And unlike ARIA it's not even a word.

Before that it was the RATAs and before that the Loxene Golden Disc Awards. That was a good name ...

To what earthly end, though?

I'll take that as a yes please.

the earthly end being an awards system that focuses on acknowledging greatness across all artists. is that really so offensive to you? its a simple, basic concept. if you're not doing that then don't use the term new…

That statement my statement is ridiculous is in fact ridiculous.
b nets? nominated by stations, artists are not part of that process? ring a bell?

Or try the Qantas Media Awards, the Montana Book Awards, etc, etc. The idea that it's a "fault" that people have to enter to be…

That's a ridiculous statement. It's the way that all industry awards of any kind operate. And if it wasn't that way, I'm sure you'd complain about that too.

That statement my statement is ridiculous is in fact ridiculous.
b nets? nominated by stations, artists are not part of that process?…

http://www.youtube.com/v/QgKCrGvShZs

How's Leo enjoying Spore?

He's storming through it: last seen designing a spaceship, which isn't bad considering that yesterday he was just a little protozoan.

Nice feature: he was playing yesterday and then saw a creature that he'd made with the Spore Creature Creator when it was released a while…

artists and their labels nominate themselves for award recognition. That 'feels' weird man, just wrong. its someone elses job to say you're good, not yours.

That's a ridiculous statement. It's the way that all industry awards of any kind operate. And if it wasn't that way, I'm sure you'd complain…

Is there anything at all stopping any musician in NZ joining RIANZ?

It's a label's organisation, not musicians. To join one needs to be a recording label or distributor or something related. People don't join as such. You apply and if you fit the criteria you get to join, usually…

If that's standard now it's jumped 100% since the last time I manufactured in NZ in 2004.

$1750 is one of the best deals going for 500 at the moment. price goes down the more you press as you know but print runs have dropped hugely since the good old…

Maybe the lower level musician could add 10c per head to their door price to cover it...lets face it if they can't pull enough punters over a year to cover that then they may be too lower level to seriously take part

so now you're judging greatness on income? you…

I know I'm going to regret asking this but what club do you speak of, Robbery?

of course you are jackie but try reading it with a warm caring and informative voice, kinda like a kindly school teacher, and understand that i'm just interested in the facts of this, not…

In a country as small an nz where many artists make an impact purely from their own initiatives, independently this always seem like the awards were a promotional exercise for the bigger players who had decided to form a club and give themselves awards.

also noting that a lot of…

I would think a national music awards could and should be organized, supported and funded by a govt arts body

not at all, it's a celebration of success and a PR opportunity. That's all. A government funded thing for worthy lower level musicians would last about ten minutes before the…

$3.50 per disc cost to manufacture

If that's standard now it's jumped 100% since the last time I manufactured in NZ in 2004.

So the real cost is $100 plus $60

Maybe the lower level musician could add 10c per head to their door price to cover it...lets face it…

It would also have no one to fund it or organise it.

well they're doing quite a bit of sponsorship (vodafone, nokia, steinlager, warehouse, etc) so that sorts a bit of the dosh,

I would think a national music awards could and should be organized, supported and funded by a…

I'd imagine the twelve CDs probably cost more than the $100.

wholesale wise they're worth about $200 if they were sold instead of contributed to the cause of getting award recognition but its about $3.50 per disc cost to manufacture
including entry fee its not nothing to a lower level…

You mean like this crap from Fran O'Sullivan? She already seems to be foaming at the mouth as the election approaches, like last time's hysterical rantings.

She even throws in "clean coals" for good measure! Two words that should never be spoken together (and using the plural for "coal" doesn't…

Or if they tried to run the kind of palpable untruths that Palin trotted out in her speech.

You mean like this crap from Fran O'Sullivan? She already seems to be foaming at the mouth as the election approaches, like last time's hysterical rantings.

Have the Herald let all their fact-checkers…

I was engaged in my usual commuter stroll up Queen St yesterday with Hornblower when he deadpanned "oh look, we're in a Bravia ad". And sure enough, hundreds of purple sphere were rolling across the Queen/Victoria intersection.

Shall we blame Steve Crow?
Obviously Auckland city streets are fair game for advertisers…

After reinstalling the download manager and then downloading the Spore installer all over again (at the cost of the second of three permitted activations — grr), Leo is playing the damn thing as of five minutes ago.

What a relief.

I'd imagine the twelve CDs probably cost more than the $100.

at cost..depends on the packaging but no..about $30 max. The rest of the price of a CD is royalties and margins

quickly found out who some of the other judges are and they tend to be fairly well chosen.

which would add legitimacy to the whole package, but its more the selection and entry process I find amusing.

I think you hit the nail on the head of their real value though,

...........drunken parties

the 3 drunkest times in my life have all been RIANZ awards after parties..dear oh dear....there was the party at the nice lady from CBS' house, with a couple of (still) major pop stars…

it would be decided by a panel of knowledgeable judges versed in the many corners of this countries music,

I know when I've been a judge I've (and I wasn't allowed to but it's a small country and a smaller industry) quickly found out who some of the other judges…

God, it's a hundred bucks..either you believe that much in the record or you don't

its a club where you nominate yourself :)

I think you hit the nail on the head of their real value though,

...........drunken parties

if they were really interested in rewarding outstanding achievement in all…

Apparently there's a way around it

hahaha good one, :)
but apparently they shut that loophole down, although the band say they didn't fudge they system, just asked their friends to vote, very strongly

I think the token thing is there to ensure that you are a serious entrant, if you will. It's only $100. Hardly a barrier

Apparently there's a way around it

p.s., A Canadian colleague assures me moose meat is great.

A Møøse once bit my sister ...

so who decides the arbitrary 'you have sold too many records to be indie' level?

you? :)
I'm not making an argument for the term of indie, merely saying it wasn't what I meant by it. When you're representing the guy who topped the charts for months you're moving a…

on a nz scale that's not the lower level I was meaning by indie.
I mean on a local level. Indie has kinda shifted a few steps to the left these days with your typical a low hum type band, really doing it all themselves as in everything. highly successful…

Tiki's 100% indie too: Dirty Records via Rhythmethod

you mean p money and scribes label?

on a nz scale that's not the lower level I was meaning by indie.
I mean on a local level. Indie has kinda shifted a few steps to the left these days with your typical…

so he or his label paid the hundred and something fee per catigory to have his works considered in the 'new zealand' music awards then. cos unless they've changed the rules you can't play if you don't pay.

the last time I submitted something, a few years back (2002), we…

Looking at the list it's pretty much all indies. The Dick Johnson album for example was, I'm pretty sure, non-RIANZ

Tiki's 100% indie too: Dirty Records via Rhythmethod.

And check out his website. When you mouseover the navigation it switches to Maori. That's cool.

Because we must be strong. Because if we are not strong, then we will be weak. And if we are weak, we will not be strong....

Rich, you sound like the Sphinx.

Meanwhile, those interested in Spore might want to check out Will Wright and Brian Eno giving a seminar…

The Dick Johnson album for example was, I'm pretty sure, non-RIANZ

so he or his label paid the hundred and something fee per catigory to have his works considered in the 'new zealand' music awards then. cos unless they've changed the rules you can't play if you don't pay.

@Rob: You'd think so.

I would think so, so what is the actual story? maybe its complicated if you buy from no local people. ie people you can't go round and insist you get satisfaction from.
that's an interesting part of the net economy worth digging up a few legal…

In a country as small an nz where many artists make an impact purely from their own initiatives,

Looking at the list it's pretty much all indies. The Dick Johnson album for example was, I'm pretty sure, non-RIANZ

Re: Spore.

what's the story on purchasing this game russell. you did a piad download making you a legal owner of the game which was allowed to be activated at a certain time.
it didn't go etc.
whats your fall back for tech support. surely you paid for a item…

If you are a successful independent artist who is not a member of rianz then it doesn't matter how much the people like you, you are not eligible for an award.…

The Tuis' lineup is the strongest it's been in many years IMO.

For sure. To take one example, I'm not personally a fan of Tiki Tane's music, but I have real respect for the integrity of what he and his management have done. It's nice to see that recognised.

Feleti works as community liaison

Ssshhhhhh...don't tell Ms. Palin.....

Yeah, I think it's great to see the Nesians back in there. They are part of a great tradition of lazy, soulful, urban, reggae-ish pop that goes back to the likes of the wonderful Herbs all those years back and is…

Bring back Trip Hawkins!

Shh. You're not supposed to know about him.

I'm of the view currently that EA needs to be crucified over this. They've released broken software and made it very difficult to fix because of the way they've applied their DRM.

Wankers.

Bring back Trip Hawkins!

p.s., A Canadian colleague assures me moose meat is great.

And people used to criticise Paula Yates for so much less.

BTW, wouldn’t moose meat be pretty rubbery and horrible?

After running a registry cleaner, updating drivers, etc, we decided we'd have to try a reinstall — and use up one of our activations in the process.

So we found the SetUp app (not obvious) and uninstalled the game. Which uninstalled the SetUp app itself.

Leo had already…

Imagine the hilarity if John Key or Helen Clark tried the equivalent.

Or if they tried to run the kind of palpable untruths that Palin trotted out in her speech. They'd be rightly crucified the next day. It's weird all right.

It's like it's randomised or something

Because we must be strong. Because if we are not strong, then we will be weak. And if we are weak, we will not be strong....

Imagine the hilarity if John Key or Helen Clark tried the equivalent. I doubt they could even mouth the words without cracking up.

It's just so ... preposterous.

And speaking of the environment, Green party campaign launch today:
..
http://www.greens.org.nz/election08
..
Why would you not?

It said to me: "Won't somebody think of the children!!"

Personally I think they should be targetting new voters in the 18-21 age group (4% of the electorate). If they could get a…

"I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth"

Sweet Jesus you couldn't make this shit up.

Good grief. It's like it's randomised or something. People buy…

"I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth"

Sweet Jesus you couldn't…

Len Lye would've loved it.

Cheers,
Brent.

Full screen video, source code, schematics and more at: http://www.linusakesson.net/scene/craft/

Is this open source – like is there code and circuits?

My microcontroller art project is Dance Dance Decoration which uses a PICAXE to drive the paint sprayer motors.

because of the way they've applied their DRM.

Is that the same EA who screwed up my daughters computer so completely on a dozen different levels with their securom on The Sims 2 that I had to demolish the hard drive and reinstall everything to get it working again(she lost…

And the download site has been stuck in some hell loading-loop for two days

Very disappointed girl..

And there's a three-activation limit on the game purchase, and if we we try and reinstall to restore the missing DLL file, we use up another one of those.

We're not the only…

So the news is that Spore crashes at launch, reporting an "access violation" and a missing DLL — after, of course, deciding it needs to update. Very disappointed boy.

And the download site has been stuck in some hell loading-loop for two days

Very disappointed girl..

Windows sucks balls.

a programmable microcontroller

Species? pic/avr/arm/8051/other

I show people this with great enthusiasm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNCqrylNY-0

Mostly I get confused looks and a few patronising smiles. It's a special kind of cool, Leo might get it.

Mind Lego.

six hour Led Zeppelin shows

No Stairway

BTW, thanks for the pointer at Purple Spheres.

a brass section with loud guitars is hard to beat.

Does that mean The Spelling Mistakes are gonna use The Newmatics brass section for a live take of Feel So good?

Hunters & Collectors encored their last Powerstation show back in the 90's with a version of "Know your Product" which was nothing short of stunning

I gather they played an "epic" three hours in Dunedin.

Without chemical enhancement, that's my particular version of hell. I say get in, get out, leave them gasping.

I wonder how I would have fared at all those six-hour Led Zeppelin shows in the 70s...

"May make children susceptible to ravings of crazed creationists".

"Animated blood. Comic mischief. Fantasy violence."

Comic mischief!? What is the world coming to!?

I wonder if they slap the same warnings on the front page of Shakespeare's more light-hearted plays?