James Kanjo: Philosophical Blog

James Kanjo: Philosophical Blog http://james.wikidot.com The blog of James Kanjo Sun, 26 May 2013 05:38:47 +0000 http://james.wikidot.com/blog:76 Recovery Partition Cheat Sheet http://james.wikidot.com/blog:76 <p>intro: ''<br /> main: "||~ Computer Brand ||~ Hotkey Combination ||\n||~ Acer || Alt + F10 ||\n||~ Apple || Alt/Option ||\n||~ Asus || F9 ||\n||~ Compaq (HP) || F10 ||\n||~ Dell || Ctrl + F11 ||\n||~ HP || F11 ||\n||~ IBM || F11 ||\n||~ Samsung ||  F4 ||\n||~ Sony Vaio || F10 ||\n||~ Toshiba || Hold 0 (zero) @ BIOS or F8 after BIOS (Windows Setup, bottom left corner) ||"<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: ''</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546725" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:03:50 +0000 intro: ''
main: "||~ Computer Brand ||~ Hotkey Combination ||\n||~ Acer || Alt + F10 ||\n||~ Apple || Alt/Option ||\n||~ Asus || F9 ||\n||~ Compaq (HP) || F10 ||\n||~ Dell || Ctrl + F11 ||\n||~ HP || F11 ||\n||~ IBM || F11 ||\n||~ Samsung || F4 ||\n||~ Sony Vaio || F10 ||\n||~ Toshiba || Hold 0 (zero) @ BIOS or F8 after BIOS (Windows Setup, bottom left corner) ||"
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]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:71 Delayed April Fools http://james.wikidot.com/blog:71 <p>intro: "Oh DARN! I forgot to do an April Fools joke on my blog!!!"<br /> main: "April Fools Day is one of my favourite days of the year… This year, however, I had a day off from work. So I had to perform a few pranks elsewhere. Usually I do one on my blog, like <a href="http://james.wikidot.com/blog:60">last year</a>, where I pretended to pretend I was gay. I was pissing myself laughing about it, but that's my twisted sense of humour.\n\nSo I had a driving lesson on April Fools day, and so I was flirting with the idea of pretending to crash the car so that the instructor would freak… then I'd scream “April Fools! Haha, you thought we were going to die! Haha!” But then I thought that maybe that isn't such a good idea.\n\nSo I decided to do what I normally do. Short sheeting my sister's bed ;)"<br /> sig: 3<br /> after: ""</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546725" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Sun, 03 Apr 2011 11:50:41 +0000 intro: "Oh DARN! I forgot to do an April Fools joke on my blog!!!"
main: "April Fools Day is one of my favourite days of the year… This year, however, I had a day off from work. So I had to perform a few pranks elsewhere. Usually I do one on my blog, like last year, where I pretended to pretend I was gay. I was pissing myself laughing about it, but that's my twisted sense of humour.\n\nSo I had a driving lesson on April Fools day, and so I was flirting with the idea of pretending to crash the car so that the instructor would freak… then I'd scream “April Fools! Haha, you thought we were going to die! Haha!” But then I thought that maybe that isn't such a good idea.\n\nSo I decided to do what I normally do. Short sheeting my sister's bed ;)"
sig: 3
after: ""

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:69 iPhoto: Reclaim Your Memory! http://james.wikidot.com/blog:69 <p>intro: "As a Mac user, iPhoto is a regularly used application. It's fantastic for easy photo editing, and beautifully organises your photos. Personally, I love the face recognition technology.\n\nHowever, as your photo collection grows, so does the database size. So if your looking for ways to free up your hard drive space, iPhoto is a great place to start.\n\n“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I hear you cry… “I don't want to delete any of my photos!!!!!!”\n\nThat's the best part about this neat trick. You don't have to! You can save gigabytes of memory without deleting any photos. And here's why."<br /> main: "As I previously mentioned, iPhoto makes editing photos easy. REALLY easy. And any changes you make to a photo are completely reversible… that is, if you make a mistake, iPhoto retains a copy of the original photo so you can start again from scratch.\n\n<strong>But once you've finished editing a photo, do you <em>really</em> need to retain an original photo that you will never see?</strong> Not really.\n\nAlso, it is quite often that one takes a photo with their camera in a portrait position… so when you upload it on the computer, the photo is sideways. iPhoto makes it easy to rotate images the right-way-up — but even a small change such as image rotation is considered an edit, so iPhoto creates a copy of the original sideways photo.\n\n<strong>Do you <em>really</em> need to retain a sideways photo that you will never see?</strong> Not really.\n\n——\n\n[[=]]\n> <span style="font-size:150%;"><span style="color: #f00">Warning! This technique should only be attempted by advanced computer users! Proceed with caution.</span></span>\n> That is, follow each instruction, word-for-word.\n[[/=]]\n\n=</p> <div class="error-block">Sorry, no match for the embedded content.</div> \n\nSo here's a Terminal trick that will remove those unnecessary unseen “originals” from your iPhoto library. This code is my own derivative of <a href="http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20060529133344872">this Macworld hint</a>. Firstly, open up the Terminal application. Type in the following lines of code, followed by “enter” after each.\n\n[[code]]\nmkdir ~/.Trash/iPhoto-Originals\n\ncd ~/\"Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/\"\n\nfind . -type f -exec mv \"../Originals/{}\" ~/.Trash/iPhoto-Originals/ \\;\n\ncp -R -n ./* ../Originals/\n\nrm -r ~/\"Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/\"\n\nkillall Terminal\n[[/code]]\n\nAfter the terminal is finished (I have a library of 4,520 photos, and it took about 4mins), I recommend that you go to the Trash can, select the “iPhoto-Originals” folder and find out it's size. This is how much memory you have freed your computer from (after you empty the trash can of course!). I saved 3GB with this trick.\n\nHowever, we're not finished yet!\n\n# Open iPhoto\n# Select the “Photos” from the “library” (i.e. read carefully, it's “Photos”, not “Events”, “Faces” or “Places”)\n# Click command+A (select all photos)\n# Right-click the selection and click “Revert to Original” (and click “OK” to confirm this action)\n\nThis will fix a problem where your modified images magically disappear. Now repair any database corruption that may be present:\n\n# Quit iPhoto\n# Start iPhoto whilst holding down <strong>command+option(alt)</strong>\n# Tick all boxes to rebuild library EXCEPT “Rebuild the iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup”\n# Click “Rebuild”\n\nCongratulations! You're done!\n\n+ How it works\nThe iPhoto database has two significant folders inside it:\n* Originals\n* Modified\nAll photos are stored in the “Originals” folder at first. If you edit any photo, iPhoto stores the edited version in the “Modified” folder, and retains the untouched original in the “Originals” folder.\n\nWhat the above code does is it that it finds all of the photos in the “Modified” folder, and for each photo it finds the original version in the “Originals” folder and moves it to the trash. Too simple.\n\nYou should find that this also essentially optimises the speed of the iPhoto application, as it no longer wastes time locating “original” images."<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: '' <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546725" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Sun, 23 Jan 2011 00:45:26 +0000 intro: "As a Mac user, iPhoto is a regularly used application. It's fantastic for easy photo editing, and beautifully organises your photos. Personally, I love the face recognition technology.\n\nHowever, as your photo collection grows, so does the database size. So if your looking for ways to free up your hard drive space, iPhoto is a great place to start.\n\n“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I hear you cry… “I don't want to delete any of my photos!!!!!!”\n\nThat's the best part about this neat trick. You don't have to! You can save gigabytes of memory without deleting any photos. And here's why."
main: "As I previously mentioned, iPhoto makes editing photos easy. REALLY easy. And any changes you make to a photo are completely reversible… that is, if you make a mistake, iPhoto retains a copy of the original photo so you can start again from scratch.\n\nBut once you've finished editing a photo, do you really need to retain an original photo that you will never see? Not really.\n\nAlso, it is quite often that one takes a photo with their camera in a portrait position… so when you upload it on the computer, the photo is sideways. iPhoto makes it easy to rotate images the right-way-up — but even a small change such as image rotation is considered an edit, so iPhoto creates a copy of the original sideways photo.\n\nDo you really need to retain a sideways photo that you will never see? Not really.\n\n——\n\n[[=]]\n> Warning! This technique should only be attempted by advanced computer users! Proceed with caution.\n> That is, follow each instruction, word-for-word.\n[[/=]]\n\n=

Sorry, no match for the embedded content.

\n\nSo here's a Terminal trick that will remove those unnecessary unseen “originals” from your iPhoto library. This code is my own derivative of this Macworld hint. Firstly, open up the Terminal application. Type in the following lines of code, followed by “enter” after each.\n\n[[code]]\nmkdir ~/.Trash/iPhoto-Originals\n\ncd ~/\"Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/\"\n\nfind . -type f -exec mv \"../Originals/{}\" ~/.Trash/iPhoto-Originals/ \\;\n\ncp -R -n ./* ../Originals/\n\nrm -r ~/\"Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/\"\n\nkillall Terminal\n[[/code]]\n\nAfter the terminal is finished (I have a library of 4,520 photos, and it took about 4mins), I recommend that you go to the Trash can, select the “iPhoto-Originals” folder and find out it's size. This is how much memory you have freed your computer from (after you empty the trash can of course!). I saved 3GB with this trick.\n\nHowever, we're not finished yet!\n\n# Open iPhoto\n# Select the “Photos” from the “library” (i.e. read carefully, it's “Photos”, not “Events”, “Faces” or “Places”)\n# Click command+A (select all photos)\n# Right-click the selection and click “Revert to Original” (and click “OK” to confirm this action)\n\nThis will fix a problem where your modified images magically disappear. Now repair any database corruption that may be present:\n\n# Quit iPhoto\n# Start iPhoto whilst holding down command+option(alt)\n# Tick all boxes to rebuild library EXCEPT “Rebuild the iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup”\n# Click “Rebuild”\n\nCongratulations! You're done!\n\n+ How it works\nThe iPhoto database has two significant folders inside it:\n* Originals\n* Modified\nAll photos are stored in the “Originals” folder at first. If you edit any photo, iPhoto stores the edited version in the “Modified” folder, and retains the untouched original in the “Originals” folder.\n\nWhat the above code does is it that it finds all of the photos in the “Modified” folder, and for each photo it finds the original version in the “Originals” folder and moves it to the trash. Too simple.\n\nYou should find that this also essentially optimises the speed of the iPhoto application, as it no longer wastes time locating “original” images."
sig: '3'
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]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:66 The Gays Aren't Going Away http://james.wikidot.com/blog:66 <p>intro: "With every slight change of government, with every country, there is always “The Gay Issue”."<br /> main: "But before I get into that, I'm going to briefly remind you of the opportunities of where the law can discriminate against homosexuals.\n\n* Disallowing gay individuals/couples from adopting children\n* Disallowing parental rights to the non-genetic parent within gay couples\n* Disallowing gay marriage (and therefore other marital privileges)\n* Disallowing gay blood donations\n* Disallowing pre-adulthood gay sex\n\nIn case it wasn't already apparent, all of these things are allowed to heterosexual people:\n\n* Allowing straight individuals/couples from adopting children\n* Allowing parental rights to the non-genetic parent within straight couples\n* Allowing straight marriage (and therefore other marital privileges)\n* Allowing straight blood donations\n* Allowing pre-adulthood straight sex\n\n——\n\nSo anyway, back to the start of this post: “The Gay Issue”\n\nPoliticians are so damn afraid to mention the word, as they're completely frightened of losing votes… yet in a twist of irony, because they aren't prepared to embrace gay equality, they lose gay votes. As gays account for 10% of any given population, the politicians are instantly sacrificing 10% of their possible votes.\n\nBut you see, they can't go on like this forever. The gays are not going away. The gays are here to stay. And until gay equality is made legal once and for all, they are going to continue pushing forth their legal propositions, and continue fighting for the rights granted to their heterosexual counterparts.\n\nI can't believe how short-sighted governments are being with the gays. They seem to think that if they continue denying gay rights, that the gays will magically disappear and stop pleading for them?\n\nNo! They will never stop pleading! So get it over and done with — Once you grant the gays with their equal rights, they will never bother the government again.\nJust like women — You grant them equal rights, and they stop bothering the government forever.\nJust like black people — You grant them equal rights, and they stop bothering the government forever.\nJust like Jewish people — You grant them equal rights, and they stop bothering the government forever.\n\nAnd here's the best part: Once gays are granted with equal rights, then there will no longer be discrimination in government or the law<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-445112-1" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >1</a></sup>.\n\nMore and more governments across the world will realise this. I am confident that within the next 100 years, I will witness the end of the persecution of gay people, globally."<br /> sig: 3<br /> after: ""</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546725" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> <div class="footnotes-footer"> <div class="title">Footnotes</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-445112-1"><a href="javascript:;" >1</a>. With the possible exception of Ageism: the discrimination against a person based on their age</div> </div> Sat, 17 Jul 2010 09:22:35 +0000 intro: "With every slight change of government, with every country, there is always “The Gay Issue”."
main: "But before I get into that, I'm going to briefly remind you of the opportunities of where the law can discriminate against homosexuals.\n\n* Disallowing gay individuals/couples from adopting children\n* Disallowing parental rights to the non-genetic parent within gay couples\n* Disallowing gay marriage (and therefore other marital privileges)\n* Disallowing gay blood donations\n* Disallowing pre-adulthood gay sex\n\nIn case it wasn't already apparent, all of these things are allowed to heterosexual people:\n\n* Allowing straight individuals/couples from adopting children\n* Allowing parental rights to the non-genetic parent within straight couples\n* Allowing straight marriage (and therefore other marital privileges)\n* Allowing straight blood donations\n* Allowing pre-adulthood straight sex\n\n——\n\nSo anyway, back to the start of this post: “The Gay Issue”\n\nPoliticians are so damn afraid to mention the word, as they're completely frightened of losing votes… yet in a twist of irony, because they aren't prepared to embrace gay equality, they lose gay votes. As gays account for 10% of any given population, the politicians are instantly sacrificing 10% of their possible votes.\n\nBut you see, they can't go on like this forever. The gays are not going away. The gays are here to stay. And until gay equality is made legal once and for all, they are going to continue pushing forth their legal propositions, and continue fighting for the rights granted to their heterosexual counterparts.\n\nI can't believe how short-sighted governments are being with the gays. They seem to think that if they continue denying gay rights, that the gays will magically disappear and stop pleading for them?\n\nNo! They will never stop pleading! So get it over and done with — Once you grant the gays with their equal rights, they will never bother the government again.\nJust like women — You grant them equal rights, and they stop bothering the government forever.\nJust like black people — You grant them equal rights, and they stop bothering the government forever.\nJust like Jewish people — You grant them equal rights, and they stop bothering the government forever.\n\nAnd here's the best part: Once gays are granted with equal rights, then there will no longer be discrimination in government or the law¹.\n\nMore and more governments across the world will realise this. I am confident that within the next 100 years, I will witness the end of the persecution of gay people, globally."
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]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:65 Happy [Wikidot] Birthday James! http://james.wikidot.com/blog:65 <p>intro: "Today is a special day! Today is the day I turn <strong>1000 Wikidot Days Old</strong>!!!\n\nOr rather, I'm 1000 Wikidot days young ;-)"<br /> main: ''<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: ''</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546725" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:03:08 +0000 intro: "Today is a special day! Today is the day I turn 1000 Wikidot Days Old!!!\n\nOr rather, I'm 1000 Wikidot days young ;-)"
main: ''
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]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:63 Safe Passwords http://james.wikidot.com/blog:63 <p>intro: "[[include inc:image |category=images |name=miscellaneous |image=jameskanjo-port_fairy-safe.jpg |width=300px |float=right |caption=© James Kanjo, 2009]]\n\nPasswords are extremely important for protecting your information in the modern digital world. Yet time after time people find that their accounts/computers are still being hacked into.\n\nI'm going to show you how to effectively manage your passwords, and protect your information."<br /> main: "But first, let's go <strong>back to basics</strong>. Why do we need passwords?\n\nA password is a special code that gives an individual access to his or her data. You must NEVER tell another person your password. NEVER EVER SHARE YOUR PASSWORD. The moment you share your password is the moment you create a security hole in your confidential data.\n\nIf you are the only person to know your password, then you are the only person who can access your data, and your information remains secure and confidential.\n\n<span style="text-decoration: line-through;">—\n\nIn the modern world, people utilise several services that require a password:\n* Computer's User Login\n* Facebook\n* Twitter\n* YouTube\n* iTunes\n\nThe easy way to access your multiple accounts is to have the same password for everything (which is what most people do). That way, you don't need to struggle to maintain multiple passwords for a dozen or so services. People also tend to have their password as something that you know, but most other people don't know.\n\nFor the sake of this article, I'm going to have my password as my sir-name: “kanjo”\n\n“kanjo” is something that is easy to remember for me.\n\n= <span style="font-size:300%;"><span style="color: #f00"><strong>BAD! BAD! BAD!</strong></span></span>\n\nHere are the flaws:\n* If you have the <strong>SAME password</strong> for <strong>EVERYTHING</strong>, then somebody with your password has access to <strong>EVERYTHING</strong>\n\n* If your password involves the <strong>use of WORDS</strong>, then it makes it easily <strong>GUESSABLE</strong>\n\n* If your password is <strong>EASY to remember</strong>, then it is easy for <strong>SOMEBODY ELSE</strong> to remember\n\nSo how do we conquer these flaws? We simply do the opposite:\n* Use a <strong>DIFFERENT password</strong> for everything. If somebody has your password, then they can access <strong>ONLY ONE</strong> of your services\n\n* Make your password use <strong>RANDOM characters</strong> that do not form words. This way if somebody types in every word in the dictionary, they <strong>will NEVER guess</strong> your password\n\n* If your password uses random characters, then it is <strong>DIFFICULT to remember</strong>. This means that if a stranger glances at your password, their brain will be unable to make sense of it, and will be unable to store it in their memory (i.e. <strong>difficult for OTHERS</strong> to remember)\n\n</span><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">\n\nGreat ways to make your password even more secure is to:\n* MiX tHe cAsE oF YOuR leTtErS\n* Use numbers (0…9)\n* Use symbols (!@#$%^&*?)<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-252646-1" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >1</a></sup>\n* Keep length of password between 6 and 10 characters<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-252646-2" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >2</a></sup>\n\nSo I'm going to create a password right now by randomly selecting keys on my keyboard: <strong>u&D3h%</strong>\n\nAs you can obviously tell, “u&D3h%” is a much more secure password than “kanjo”. You can't remember the password by looking at it, because you can't actually <strong>speak</strong> the password as a word… you can only read it character-by-character, something the brain is not good at storing in the memory. In addition, you can't guess a password like that.\n\nThe only way for you to remember your password is through continuous use… If you use your new password twice a day, then you should have it memorised in less than a fortnight.\n\n</span><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">\n\nNow in terms of using different passwords for different services, there is an easy (yet secure) way to do this. All you do is simply append an acronym of each service you are using to your password. For example:\n* <strong>C</strong>omputer: u&D3h%<strong>C</strong>\n* <strong>F</strong>ace<strong>b</strong>ook: u&D3h%<strong>FB</strong>\n* <strong>T</strong>witter: u&D3h%<strong>T</strong>\n* <strong>Y</strong>ou<strong>T</strong>ube: u&D3h%<strong>YT</strong>\n* <strong>iT</strong>unes: u&D3h%<strong>iT</strong>\n\nAll you need to do is remember ONE password, but use a different acronym for each service that you use. This way, you essentially have a different password for every service. If somebody has one of your passwords, then they can't access any other website.\n\nTo make your password even more secure, you can place the acronym in the middle of the password — as opposed to having it at the end.\n\n</span>—\n\nAnother thing to note is that you should ALWAYS change your main password <strong>EVERY SINGLE YEAR</strong>. It is foolish to have a “one password for life” policy.\n\nIn terms of trying to remember your brand new password, the best way is to NOT store it digitally, but to write it down on a piece of paper, and keep it in a personal place (your wallet, for instance). After you have memorised your password (usually takes less than two weeks) destroy the piece of paper to keep your password secure in your head.\n\nCheers!"<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: ''</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546725" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> <div class="footnotes-footer"> <div class="title">Footnotes</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-252646-1"><a href="javascript:;" >1</a>. Some websites do not allow the use of symbols in your passwords</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-252646-2"><a href="javascript:;" >2</a>. Some websites do not allow passwords longer than 10 characters</div> </div> Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:29:23 +0000 intro: "[[include inc:image |category=images |name=miscellaneous |image=jameskanjo-port_fairy-safe.jpg |width=300px |float=right |caption=© James Kanjo, 2009]]\n\nPasswords are extremely important for protecting your information in the modern digital world. Yet time after time people find that their accounts/computers are still being hacked into.\n\nI'm going to show you how to effectively manage your passwords, and protect your information."
main: "But first, let's go back to basics. Why do we need passwords?\n\nA password is a special code that gives an individual access to his or her data. You must NEVER tell another person your password. NEVER EVER SHARE YOUR PASSWORD. The moment you share your password is the moment you create a security hole in your confidential data.\n\nIf you are the only person to know your password, then you are the only person who can access your data, and your information remains secure and confidential.\n\n—\n\nIn the modern world, people utilise several services that require a password:\n* Computer's User Login\n* Facebook\n* Twitter\n* YouTube\n* iTunes\n\nThe easy way to access your multiple accounts is to have the same password for everything (which is what most people do). That way, you don't need to struggle to maintain multiple passwords for a dozen or so services. People also tend to have their password as something that you know, but most other people don't know.\n\nFor the sake of this article, I'm going to have my password as my sir-name: “kanjo”\n\n“kanjo” is something that is easy to remember for me.\n\n= BAD! BAD! BAD!\n\nHere are the flaws:\n* If you have the SAME password for EVERYTHING, then somebody with your password has access to EVERYTHING\n\n* If your password involves the use of WORDS, then it makes it easily GUESSABLE\n\n* If your password is EASY to remember, then it is easy for SOMEBODY ELSE to remember\n\nSo how do we conquer these flaws? We simply do the opposite:\n* Use a DIFFERENT password for everything. If somebody has your password, then they can access ONLY ONE of your services\n\n* Make your password use RANDOM characters that do not form words. This way if somebody types in every word in the dictionary, they will NEVER guess your password\n\n* If your password uses random characters, then it is DIFFICULT to remember. This means that if a stranger glances at your password, their brain will be unable to make sense of it, and will be unable to store it in their memory (i.e. difficult for OTHERS to remember)\n\n\n\nGreat ways to make your password even more secure is to:\n* MiX tHe cAsE oF YOuR leTtErS\n* Use numbers (0…9)\n* Use symbols (!@#$%^&*?)¹\n* Keep length of password between 6 and 10 characters²\n\nSo I'm going to create a password right now by randomly selecting keys on my keyboard: u&D3h%\n\nAs you can obviously tell, “u&D3h%” is a much more secure password than “kanjo”. You can't remember the password by looking at it, because you can't actually speak the password as a word… you can only read it character-by-character, something the brain is not good at storing in the memory. In addition, you can't guess a password like that.\n\nThe only way for you to remember your password is through continuous use… If you use your new password twice a day, then you should have it memorised in less than a fortnight.\n\n\n\nNow in terms of using different passwords for different services, there is an easy (yet secure) way to do this. All you do is simply append an acronym of each service you are using to your password. For example:\n* Computer: u&D3h%C\n* Facebook: u&D3h%FB\n* Twitter: u&D3h%T\n* YouTube: u&D3h%YT\n* iTunes: u&D3h%iT\n\nAll you need to do is remember ONE password, but use a different acronym for each service that you use. This way, you essentially have a different password for every service. If somebody has one of your passwords, then they can't access any other website.\n\nTo make your password even more secure, you can place the acronym in the middle of the password — as opposed to having it at the end.\n\n—\n\nAnother thing to note is that you should ALWAYS change your main password EVERY SINGLE YEAR. It is foolish to have a “one password for life” policy.\n\nIn terms of trying to remember your brand new password, the best way is to NOT store it digitally, but to write it down on a piece of paper, and keep it in a personal place (your wallet, for instance). After you have memorised your password (usually takes less than two weeks) destroy the piece of paper to keep your password secure in your head.\n\nCheers!"
sig: '3'
after: ''

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:61 VNC: Remote Control http://james.wikidot.com/blog:61 <p>intro: "[[include inc:image |category=blog |name=61 |image=james_kanjo_vnc_iteleport.jpg |width=300px |float=right |caption=iTunes via iPhone\n© James Kanjo, 2010]]\n\nAfter recently converting to MobileMe, I decided to explore the special features of my Mac that I've always been avoiding. These are the features which require a MobileMe subscription to work.\n\nOne of these features is “Back to My Mac”, which allows you to essentially control your computer remotely. This is a really cool feature that I certainly would love to do! \n\nBecause Apple base their products on the “it just works” philosophy, you can expect that “Back to My Mac” works like a charm, every time. And just as you would expect from Apple, you can access your Mac from any computer, Mac or PC… <span style="font-size:120%;"><strong>Wait a second…</strong></span>"<br /> main: "<span style="font-size:140%;"><span style="font-size:75%;">You're telling me that “Back to My Mac”</span> <strong>ONLY WORKS FROM A MAC????</strong></span>\n\nGrrr. Fine. I'll just use it from my Apple iPhone instead.\n\n<span style="font-size:150%;"><strong>WHAT????</strong> <span style="font-size:75%;">An</span> <strong>iPhone DOESN'T COUNT AS A MAC???</strong></span>\n\nYou can't even use Back to My Mac from an iPhone. But there is an alternative to remote-controlling your computer: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Network_Computing">VNC</a>\n\n——\n\n<strong>V</strong>irtual <strong>N</strong>etwork <strong>C</strong>omputing is a special protocol that, simply said, allows you to see another computer's display, and control the mouse/keyboard input devices. Thus enabling your computer to be remotely controlled.\n\nSetting it up was a learning experience. I enabled “Screen Sharing” on my Mac's <em>Sharing Preferences</em>, and made my Wireless router redirect the 5900 port to the 5900 port of my computer in the home network. Port 5900 is specifically designed, though not necessarily required, for remote controlling a desktop.\n\nWhen a client makes a request for port 5900 on my router, I don't really want to remotely control the desktop of my router<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-643112-1" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >1</a></sup>, so the router needs to redirect the client to port 5900 of my computer. How do I do this? I just change the Port Mapping settings of my Router to map port 5900 to my computer's IP address<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-643112-2" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >2</a></sup>.\n\nAfter the connection has been made, you can set up your computer to require a VNC password… this is recommended, otherwise literally anybody could access your computer.\n\nNow here's the joyful part of the whole process. Every time my router disconnects from the internet, it's IP address changes to what my ISP assigns it with. This will happen whenever I turn off my modem or router, whenever the ISP decides to refresh everybody's IP address, and whenever there is a power outage. Once your IP address has changed, you suddenly don't have access to your computer remotely. So how do we find out this vital piece of information???\n\nIt's as simple as an email. On my Mac in the Mail.app, I have set up a special Mail rule that says:\n> Whenever an email from <strong>James</strong> arrives, that has the subject <strong>Return IP Address</strong>, perform this <strong>AppleScript</strong> and delete the message\nAll I need to do is send myself an email with the subject “Return IP Address”. Then a special AppleScript will be performed. I have programmed this AppleScript to email an image of your IP address to the email address you specify (it needs to be hardcoded, sorry):\n\n[[code]]\ndo shell script \"cd ~/Desktop; curl -fO '<a href="http://www.ipnow.org/images/iprand.jpg">http://www.ipnow.org/images/iprand.jpg</a>'\"\n\nset theAddress to \"INSERT_EMAIL_ADDRESS_TO_SEND_IP-ADDRESS_TO\"\nset theSubject to \"Returning IP Address\"\nset theBody to \"The current IP Address in use is:\"\nset theAttachment to (path to desktop as Unicode text) & \"iprand.jpg\"\n\ntell application \"Mail\"\n set theMessage to make new outgoing message with properties {subject:theSubject, content:theBody & return & return}\n tell theMessage\n make new to recipient at end of to recipients with properties {address:theAddress}\n tell content\n make new attachment with properties {file name:(theAttachment as alias)} at after the last paragraph\n end tell\n end tell\n send theMessage\nend tell\n\ndo shell script (\"rm \" & \"~/Desktop/iprand.jpg\")\n[[/code]]\n\nSo now if your home network's IP address has changed, just send your self that special email, and you should get a reply containing your email address.\nThere is an automated alternative to this, which requires your computer to be constantly connected to an external server (a much easier solution), but I'd prefer to keep my IP address as my own business than have it registered at some strange server<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-643112-3" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >3</a></sup>.\n\nREMEMBER: You're computer at home needs to be turned on, and not in sleep mode so that it can process your email. Having the screensaver turned on is fine.\n\nSo now I just use the <a href="http://www.iteleportmobile.com/">iTeleport iPhone App</a> to access my computer anytime, globally."<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: ''</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546726" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> <div class="footnotes-footer"> <div class="title">Footnotes</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-643112-1"><a href="javascript:;" >1</a>. A router doesn't have a desktop to begin with</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-643112-2"><a href="javascript:;" >2</a>. When a computer is part of a private network, it has special IP address for the network which is separate to the rest of the internet</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-643112-3"><a href="javascript:;" >3</a>. Being part of MobileMe and having the Back to My Mac feature turned on means that you are constantly connected to Apple's MobileMe servers. However, they don't reveal the IP address of your computer for some stupid reason</div> </div> Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:11:57 +0000 intro: "[[include inc:image |category=blog |name=61 |image=james_kanjo_vnc_iteleport.jpg |width=300px |float=right |caption=iTunes via iPhone\n© James Kanjo, 2010]]\n\nAfter recently converting to MobileMe, I decided to explore the special features of my Mac that I've always been avoiding. These are the features which require a MobileMe subscription to work.\n\nOne of these features is “Back to My Mac”, which allows you to essentially control your computer remotely. This is a really cool feature that I certainly would love to do! \n\nBecause Apple base their products on the “it just works” philosophy, you can expect that “Back to My Mac” works like a charm, every time. And just as you would expect from Apple, you can access your Mac from any computer, Mac or PC… Wait a second…"
main: "You're telling me that “Back to My Mac” ONLY WORKS FROM A MAC????\n\nGrrr. Fine. I'll just use it from my Apple iPhone instead.\n\nWHAT???? An iPhone DOESN'T COUNT AS A MAC???\n\nYou can't even use Back to My Mac from an iPhone. But there is an alternative to remote-controlling your computer: VNC\n\n——\n\nVirtual Network Computing is a special protocol that, simply said, allows you to see another computer's display, and control the mouse/keyboard input devices. Thus enabling your computer to be remotely controlled.\n\nSetting it up was a learning experience. I enabled “Screen Sharing” on my Mac's Sharing Preferences, and made my Wireless router redirect the 5900 port to the 5900 port of my computer in the home network. Port 5900 is specifically designed, though not necessarily required, for remote controlling a desktop.\n\nWhen a client makes a request for port 5900 on my router, I don't really want to remotely control the desktop of my router¹, so the router needs to redirect the client to port 5900 of my computer. How do I do this? I just change the Port Mapping settings of my Router to map port 5900 to my computer's IP address².\n\nAfter the connection has been made, you can set up your computer to require a VNC password… this is recommended, otherwise literally anybody could access your computer.\n\nNow here's the joyful part of the whole process. Every time my router disconnects from the internet, it's IP address changes to what my ISP assigns it with. This will happen whenever I turn off my modem or router, whenever the ISP decides to refresh everybody's IP address, and whenever there is a power outage. Once your IP address has changed, you suddenly don't have access to your computer remotely. So how do we find out this vital piece of information???\n\nIt's as simple as an email. On my Mac in the Mail.app, I have set up a special Mail rule that says:\n> Whenever an email from James arrives, that has the subject Return IP Address, perform this AppleScript and delete the message\nAll I need to do is send myself an email with the subject “Return IP Address”. Then a special AppleScript will be performed. I have programmed this AppleScript to email an image of your IP address to the email address you specify (it needs to be hardcoded, sorry):\n\n[[code]]\ndo shell script \"cd ~/Desktop; curl -fO 'http://www.ipnow.org/images/iprand.jpg'\"\n\nset theAddress to \"INSERT_EMAIL_ADDRESS_TO_SEND_IP-ADDRESS_TO\"\nset theSubject to \"Returning IP Address\"\nset theBody to \"The current IP Address in use is:\"\nset theAttachment to (path to desktop as Unicode text) & \"iprand.jpg\"\n\ntell application \"Mail\"\n set theMessage to make new outgoing message with properties {subject:theSubject, content:theBody & return & return}\n tell theMessage\n make new to recipient at end of to recipients with properties {address:theAddress}\n tell content\n make new attachment with properties {file name:(theAttachment as alias)} at after the last paragraph\n end tell\n end tell\n send theMessage\nend tell\n\ndo shell script (\"rm \" & \"~/Desktop/iprand.jpg\")\n[[/code]]\n\nSo now if your home network's IP address has changed, just send your self that special email, and you should get a reply containing your email address.\nThere is an automated alternative to this, which requires your computer to be constantly connected to an external server (a much easier solution), but I'd prefer to keep my IP address as my own business than have it registered at some strange server³.\n\nREMEMBER: You're computer at home needs to be turned on, and not in sleep mode so that it can process your email. Having the screensaver turned on is fine.\n\nSo now I just use the iTeleport iPhone App to access my computer anytime, globally."
sig: '3'
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]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:60 Big Homo! http://james.wikidot.com/blog:60 <p>intro: "[[div style=\"display : none;\"]]\nThursday 01 April 2010\n[[/div]]\n\nThis is something I've been holding on to for the entirety of my lifetime — my hidden sexuality. As it turns out, I was born a\n\n= <span style="font-size:300%;"><strong><span style="color: #f00"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">H</span></span><span style="color: #fa0"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">O</span></span><span style="color: #ff0"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">M</span></span><span style="color: #0f0"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">O</span></span><span style="color: #0ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">S</span></span><span style="color: #508"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">E</span></span><span style="color: #f8f"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">X</span></span><span style="color: #f00"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">U</span></span><span style="color: #fa0"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">A</span></span><span style="color: #ff0"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">L</span></span><span style="color: #0f0"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">!</span></span></strong></span>\n\nWhy am I attracted to guys and not girls? Because guys are hot, goddammit!"<br /> main: "Ever since I was 9 years old, I have been sexually attracted to guys. It wasn't until I started high school, though, when I realised my sexuality… It just never occurred to me that I was gay before then. But once I realised, I knew I had to keep it a secret so I wouldn't damage my reputation (which is very important to escape teasing/bullying).\n\nThis is a very special day, because I have finally been able to come out on the internet.\n\nThankyou for reading this :-)\n\n[[module css]]\nh1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, h1 a, h2 a, h3 a, h4 a, h5 a, h6 a, a, a:link {\n font-family: \"Comic Sans MS\";\n}\n\n\nh1:before {content: 'Happy '; color: #FF00FF;}\nh2:before {content: 'Cute '; color: #FF00FF;}\nh3:before {content: 'Glittery '; color: #FF00FF;}\nstrong:before {content: 'Fun '; color: #FF00FF;}\ntt:before {content: 'Magical '; color: #FF00FF;}\nem:before {content: 'Lovely '; color: #FF00FF;}\np:before {content: 'Sparkly '; color: #FF00FF;}\n#page-content li:before {content: 'Charming '; color: #FF00FF;}\nli li:before {content: 'Amazing '; color: #FF00FF;}\n#page-content a:before {content: 'Wonderful '; color: #FF00FF;}\n\n.comments-box h1:before, .comments-box h2:before, .comments-box h3:before, .comments-box strong:before, .comments-box tt:before, .comments-box em:before, .comments-box p:before, .comments-box li:before, .comments-box li li:before, .comments-box a:before {content: '' !important;}\n[[/module]]"<br /> sig: 3<br /> after: ""</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546726" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:47:43 +0000 intro: "[[div style=\"display : none;\"]]\nThursday 01 April 2010\n[[/div]]\n\nThis is something I've been holding on to for the entirety of my lifetime — my hidden sexuality. As it turns out, I was born a\n\n= HOMOSEXUAL!\n\nWhy am I attracted to guys and not girls? Because guys are hot, goddammit!"
main: "Ever since I was 9 years old, I have been sexually attracted to guys. It wasn't until I started high school, though, when I realised my sexuality… It just never occurred to me that I was gay before then. But once I realised, I knew I had to keep it a secret so I wouldn't damage my reputation (which is very important to escape teasing/bullying).\n\nThis is a very special day, because I have finally been able to come out on the internet.\n\nThankyou for reading this :-)\n\n[[module css]]\nh1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, h1 a, h2 a, h3 a, h4 a, h5 a, h6 a, a, a:link {\n font-family: \"Comic Sans MS\";\n}\n\n\nh1:before {content: 'Happy '; color: #FF00FF;}\nh2:before {content: 'Cute '; color: #FF00FF;}\nh3:before {content: 'Glittery '; color: #FF00FF;}\nstrong:before {content: 'Fun '; color: #FF00FF;}\ntt:before {content: 'Magical '; color: #FF00FF;}\nem:before {content: 'Lovely '; color: #FF00FF;}\np:before {content: 'Sparkly '; color: #FF00FF;}\n#page-content li:before {content: 'Charming '; color: #FF00FF;}\nli li:before {content: 'Amazing '; color: #FF00FF;}\n#page-content a:before {content: 'Wonderful '; color: #FF00FF;}\n\n.comments-box h1:before, .comments-box h2:before, .comments-box h3:before, .comments-box strong:before, .comments-box tt:before, .comments-box em:before, .comments-box p:before, .comments-box li:before, .comments-box li li:before, .comments-box a:before {content: '' !important;}\n[[/module]]"
sig: 3
after: ""

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:58 Time for an announcement! http://james.wikidot.com/blog:58 <p>intro: "[[include inc:image |category=images |name=miscellaneous |image=james_kanjo_crown_casino.jpg |width=300px |float=right |caption=© James Kanjo, 2009]]\n\nI've got some exciting news!!! On the 18<sup>th</sup> of January in 2008, at 9:16pm, I released an extremely difficult puzzle to a community of highly regarded individuals. Two people solved it within the year.\n\nOn the 26<sup>th</sup> of April in 2009, I released <a href="http://james.wikidot.com/blog:34">the puzzle</a> to the world.\n\nEight and a half months later, on the 12<sup>th</sup> of January 2010 at 10:30am, an individual by the name of <span class="printuser"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/graphmastur" >graphmastur</a></span> solved it."<br /> main: "= <span style="font-size:300%;">CONGRATULATIONS <span class="printuser"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/graphmastur" >graphmastur</a></span>!!!</span>\n\n——\n\nNow, back to me, I've been having a holiday from blogging for the past 96 days. The reason being, I've had a number of changes in my life, and I needed time to adopt. Thankfully, I seem to have regained my momentum :)\n\nAlso, please take the time to admire my spectacular photography and image enhancing skills!!!\n\n~~~~"<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: ''</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546726" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:24:58 +0000 intro: "[[include inc:image |category=images |name=miscellaneous |image=james_kanjo_crown_casino.jpg |width=300px |float=right |caption=© James Kanjo, 2009]]\n\nI've got some exciting news!!! On the 18^th of January in 2008, at 9:16pm, I released an extremely difficult puzzle to a community of highly regarded individuals. Two people solved it within the year.\n\nOn the 26^th of April in 2009, I released the puzzle to the world.\n\nEight and a half months later, on the 12^th of January 2010 at 10:30am, an individual by the name of graphmastur solved it."
main: "= CONGRATULATIONS graphmastur!!!\n\n——\n\nNow, back to me, I've been having a holiday from blogging for the past 96 days. The reason being, I've had a number of changes in my life, and I needed time to adopt. Thankfully, I seem to have regained my momentum :)\n\nAlso, please take the time to admire my spectacular photography and image enhancing skills!!!\n\n~~~~"
sig: '3'
after: ''

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:56 Aussie Architect in Windows 7 http://james.wikidot.com/blog:56 <p>intro: "At last Windows 7 has launched, to directly compete with Mac's <em>Snow Leopard</em> and [snorts] Ubuntu's <em>Jaunty Jackalope</em>.\n\nIn looking at the wallpapers that come with it, the “Architect” theme jumped out to me at once… I recognised it immediately:\n\n[[include inc:image |category=blog |name=56 |image=architecture-wallpaper.jpg |width=700px |link=<a href="http://james.wikidot.com/local--files/blog:56/architecture-wallpaper.jpg">http://james.wikidot.com/local--files/blog:56/architecture-wallpaper.jpg</a> |caption=Architecture Wallpaper in Windows 7]]"<br /> main: "It's a glamourous picture of Melbourne's very own <em>“Sound Tube”</em> on the CityLink highway on the way over the <em>Bolte Bridge</em>!!!\nI'm thrilled to see some Australian Architect in Windows 7, and especially architect which isn't the typical cliché <em>Opera House</em> & <em>Harbour Bridge</em> (Damn you, Sydney! Damn you for getting the world's attention!).\n\nIf you would like a virtual tour of the Sound Tube, Google's <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&cd=1&ei=z7nhSqzRO57AswPh0aSECg&ie=UTF8&view=map&cid=14197214698229360672&t=k&hq=Bolte+Bridge&hnear=&ll=-37.787643,144.938958&spn=0,359.997589&z=19&layer=c&cbll=-37.787572,144.939008&panoid=rSlGOh1kw7Il2a902XOH8w&cbp=13,193.22,,0,-2.35">Street View</a> offers this with a 360° view:\n=</p> <div class="error-block">Sorry, no match for the embedded content.</div> \n\nI'm just so happy that Microsoft released Windows 7 with a bit of Me!bourne in it!!!"<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: '' <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546726" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:49:15 +0000 intro: "At last Windows 7 has launched, to directly compete with Mac's Snow Leopard and [snorts] Ubuntu's Jaunty Jackalope.\n\nIn looking at the wallpapers that come with it, the “Architect” theme jumped out to me at once… I recognised it immediately:\n\n[[include inc:image |category=blog |name=56 |image=architecture-wallpaper.jpg |width=700px |link=http://james.wikidot.com/local--files/blog:56/architecture-wallpaper.jpg |caption=Architecture Wallpaper in Windows 7]]"
main: "It's a glamourous picture of Melbourne's very own “Sound Tube” on the CityLink highway on the way over the Bolte Bridge!!!\nI'm thrilled to see some Australian Architect in Windows 7, and especially architect which isn't the typical cliché Opera House & Harbour Bridge (Damn you, Sydney! Damn you for getting the world's attention!).\n\nIf you would like a virtual tour of the Sound Tube, Google's Street View offers this with a 360° view:\n=

Sorry, no match for the embedded content.

\n\nI'm just so happy that Microsoft released Windows 7 with a bit of Me!bourne in it!!!"
sig: '3'
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]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:55 James wonders... http://james.wikidot.com/blog:55 <p>intro: "= <span style="font-size:xx-large;"><span style="font-size:200%;">⸮</span><sup>BIRTH CERTIFICATE</sup><span style="font-size:200%;">?</span></span>\n= <span style="font-size:large;">A document which certifies that an individual was born</span>\n——\nThis has GOT to be the silliest concept I've ever heard of. What IS the point?"<br /> main: "James wonders:\n* So unless you have a birth certificate, legally, you don't exist\n * This means that I must provide my birth certificate to prove that “James Kanjo” actually exists on our planet\n * Apparently my actual presence in the room is not valid evidence of this\n* A birth certificate is proof of your identity\n * Legally translated, if you walk into a room holding a birth certificate and claim that it belongs to you, then you instantly assume the identity of the birth certificate\n * If you hold a birth certificate of the opposite sex, then it is also proof that you have had a sex-change operation… it is simply inconceivable that you are holding somebody else's birth certificate\n* Having a birth certificate would mean provides two direct advantages\n * You can brag to your friends that you were officially born, and have the piece of paper to prove it\n * You will later be rewarded with a death certificate\n\nIn conclusion, by lacking a birth certificate, you can cheat death and live a life of immortality; how can you die, if you were never born to begin with?"<br /> sig: 3<br /> after: ""</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546726" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:25 +0000 intro: "= ⸮^{BIRTH CERTIFICATE}?\n= A document which certifies that an individual was born\n——\nThis has GOT to be the silliest concept I've ever heard of. What IS the point?"
main: "James wonders:\n* So unless you have a birth certificate, legally, you don't exist\n * This means that I must provide my birth certificate to prove that “James Kanjo” actually exists on our planet\n * Apparently my actual presence in the room is not valid evidence of this\n* A birth certificate is proof of your identity\n * Legally translated, if you walk into a room holding a birth certificate and claim that it belongs to you, then you instantly assume the identity of the birth certificate\n * If you hold a birth certificate of the opposite sex, then it is also proof that you have had a sex-change operation… it is simply inconceivable that you are holding somebody else's birth certificate\n* Having a birth certificate would mean provides two direct advantages\n * You can brag to your friends that you were officially born, and have the piece of paper to prove it\n * You will later be rewarded with a death certificate\n\nIn conclusion, by lacking a birth certificate, you can cheat death and live a life of immortality; how can you die, if you were never born to begin with?"
sig: 3
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]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:54 New [Subdomain] Name http://james.wikidot.com/blog:54 <p>intro: "= <em><span style="font-size:x-large;"><a href="/">James.Wikidot.com</a></span></em>\n\nToday I decided to rename my subdomain name from “jameskanjo” to “james”.\n\nPlease update your RSS feeds ! The new feed link is on my <a href="http://james.wikidot.com/blog">blog</a> page.\nYou don't need to update your bookmarks or URLs pointing to the old site… I have made the old site automatically redirect to the reciprocal pages on this site. Also, if you were watching the site previously, you still don't need to change anything.\n\nThe only people who need to change anything are the people who use RSS feeds."<br /> main: "+ Why?\n\nBecause I can :-)\n\nActually, I wanted it this way from the beginning… for some reason, I decided to go with my full name. Now I've changed things to the way they should have been… and it's much faster to type too.\n\nSorry for the inconvenience for RSS users."<br /> sig: 3<br /> after: ""</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546726" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:32:15 +0000 intro: "= James.Wikidot.com\n\nToday I decided to rename my subdomain name from “jameskanjo” to “james”.\n\nPlease update your RSS feeds ! The new feed link is on my blog page.\nYou don't need to update your bookmarks or URLs pointing to the old site… I have made the old site automatically redirect to the reciprocal pages on this site. Also, if you were watching the site previously, you still don't need to change anything.\n\nThe only people who need to change anything are the people who use RSS feeds."
main: "+ Why?\n\nBecause I can :-)\n\nActually, I wanted it this way from the beginning… for some reason, I decided to go with my full name. Now I've changed things to the way they should have been… and it's much faster to type too.\n\nSorry for the inconvenience for RSS users."
sig: 3
after: ""

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:53 Nightlight Sparings http://james.wikidot.com/blog:53 <p>intro: "It's that wonderful time of the year again in Australia: <span><tt><span style="color: #fb0">D</span><span style="color: #ff0">a</span><span style="color: #fb0">y</span><span style="color: #ff0">l</span><span style="color: #fb0">i</span><span style="color: #ff0">g</span><span style="color: #fb0">h</span><span style="color: #ff0">t</span> <span style="color: #fb0">S</span><span style="color: #ff0">a</span><span style="color: #fb0">v</span><span style="color: #ff0">i</span><span style="color: #fb0">n</span><span style="color: #ff0">g</span><span style="color: #fb0">s</span></tt></span>, where we save 60 minutes of daylight by sacrificing an hours sleep. Hooray.\n\nThis would have to be the worst time concept to have been thought-up since AM/PM. Daylight Savings makes things so much more complicated when converting time zones."<br /> main: "When they decided that we should get an extra hour to spend in the sun, they thought we'd achieve that by putting everybody's clocks forward an hour.\n\nThey got it all wrong. If you want everybody to spend an extra hour in the sun, just tell all workplaces to open an hour earlier (and close an hour earlier). That way, everybody gets to spend an extra hour in the sun, whilst still sacrificing an hour of sleep; but the clocks remain the same, the time zone's are normal."<br /> sig: 3<br /> after: ""</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546726" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:44:13 +0000 intro: "It's that wonderful time of the year again in Australia: Daylight Savings, where we save 60 minutes of daylight by sacrificing an hours sleep. Hooray.\n\nThis would have to be the worst time concept to have been thought-up since AM/PM. Daylight Savings makes things so much more complicated when converting time zones."
main: "When they decided that we should get an extra hour to spend in the sun, they thought we'd achieve that by putting everybody's clocks forward an hour.\n\nThey got it all wrong. If you want everybody to spend an extra hour in the sun, just tell all workplaces to open an hour earlier (and close an hour earlier). That way, everybody gets to spend an extra hour in the sun, whilst still sacrificing an hour of sleep; but the clocks remain the same, the time zone's are normal."
sig: 3
after: ""

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:52 Intelligent Computers http://james.wikidot.com/blog:52 <p>intro: "Can a computer live, and have feelings? I say “yes”.\n\nWhy then is it that computers don't live or have feelings? I say, “because we don't let them”.\n\nIndeed, there has been so much research into chatbots and passing a Turing test, but that's just a work of clever human programming. The computer software is not natural, it is forced upon.\n\nI am myself a strong believer in Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Essentially, because the DNA replication process isn't perfect, there are occasional bits of DNA code that are completely different, and can therefore have an impact on the organism's functionality. A differing piece of code is termed a “mutation”. Mutations can be positive, neutral or negative for the organism. Here's a table to demonstrate these things:\n\n||~ Mutation ||~ Status towards organism ||\n|| Causes ability to run faster ||= <span><strong>Positive</strong></span> ||\n|| Causes a pink eye color ||= <span><strong>Neutral</strong></span> ||\n|| Causes allergic reaction ||= <span><strong>Negative</strong></span> ||"<br /> main: "The evolution process that reaches modern human beings took billions of years to get this far. This is because so many functionalities needed to happen by chance: organisms needed to grow eyes, ears, sensations, noses, taste buds and, of course, brains. Once we had our senses, we needed our brains to evolve, and grow in intellect (in itself must have taken a few billion years to reach modern human intelligence).\n\nNow humans have invented brilliant input devices that in themselves, replace our very own senses: cameras for eyes, microphones for ears, speakers for mouths, buttons and thermometers for sensations. Our ultimate invention, however, is the computer: a machine which can process information. We have essentially invented our very own version of mother-nature's pinnacle creation: the brain.\n\n<span style="text-decoration: line-through;">—\n\nSo let's think of evolution in terms of computers: mother nature needs not spend billions of years making senses for computers — we have already done that. In fact, we have provided computers with everything they need. All the computer needs to do is to evolve into intellectual beings, and therefore the evolution process for computers has been fast-tracked billions of years.\n\nWhy then, is it that computers aren't intellectual beings then? It's because the brains we have invented are lifeless — they are only doing exactly what we are telling them to do. They can't possibly evolve.\n\nIf we want a computer to evolve, then we need to make an extremely small program, that will generate random arrays of binary code, and then copy them to a computer. We would then turn on the computer, and see what happens. If nothing happens, we destroy the program. If we get some sort of response from the computer, then we keep the program. A response could be any form of output from the computer monitor or computer speakers.\n\nAfter a few hundred of these programs, we then feed them into a machine that will randomly invert single binary digits in each program. These will be called “mutations”. We then feed these through computers, and only retain the programs that give us some sort of response.\n\n</span><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">\n\nBy repeating this process over and over again, the computer is actually evolving and experiencing “survival of the fittest”. Eventually, no matter how inferior the programs are in the beginning, they will evolve into sentient beings, and will eventually learn to use the hardware given to them (including their inputs and outputs). Soon they will learn a human language, and will thus be able to communicate with us.\n\nAs soon as they get to that stage, we would be morally obliged to give them robotic bodies and “human rights”, and would have to be treated as our equals. They are, after all, digital human beings. They are exactly like us, except in different physical forms. They are digital, we are organic, but we're both alive and living.\n\n</span>—\n\nNow it's up to us to be follow in God's footsteps. We have become powerful enough to create life, but will we be brave enough to do it? Do we have the courage to give computers a chance? To give them free will? To risk having them take over humanity?\nOr will we selfishly keep the privilege of life to ourselves, and retain our guaranteed safety?\n\nPerhaps we should grant them life, but put them on another planet. That way, they need not contact humans or risk destroying humanity.\n\nDid God himself face the same choice as we do now? If he did, then he decided to give organic life a chance, but on our own planet. That way God wouldn't risk organic life destroying his own race."<br /> sig: 3<br /> after: ""</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546726" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:36:13 +0000 intro: "Can a computer live, and have feelings? I say “yes”.\n\nWhy then is it that computers don't live or have feelings? I say, “because we don't let them”.\n\nIndeed, there has been so much research into chatbots and passing a Turing test, but that's just a work of clever human programming. The computer software is not natural, it is forced upon.\n\nI am myself a strong believer in Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Essentially, because the DNA replication process isn't perfect, there are occasional bits of DNA code that are completely different, and can therefore have an impact on the organism's functionality. A differing piece of code is termed a “mutation”. Mutations can be positive, neutral or negative for the organism. Here's a table to demonstrate these things:\n\n||~ Mutation ||~ Status towards organism ||\n|| Causes ability to run faster ||= Positive ||\n|| Causes a pink eye color ||= Neutral ||\n|| Causes allergic reaction ||= Negative ||"
main: "The evolution process that reaches modern human beings took billions of years to get this far. This is because so many functionalities needed to happen by chance: organisms needed to grow eyes, ears, sensations, noses, taste buds and, of course, brains. Once we had our senses, we needed our brains to evolve, and grow in intellect (in itself must have taken a few billion years to reach modern human intelligence).\n\nNow humans have invented brilliant input devices that in themselves, replace our very own senses: cameras for eyes, microphones for ears, speakers for mouths, buttons and thermometers for sensations. Our ultimate invention, however, is the computer: a machine which can process information. We have essentially invented our very own version of mother-nature's pinnacle creation: the brain.\n\n—\n\nSo let's think of evolution in terms of computers: mother nature needs not spend billions of years making senses for computers — we have already done that. In fact, we have provided computers with everything they need. All the computer needs to do is to evolve into intellectual beings, and therefore the evolution process for computers has been fast-tracked billions of years.\n\nWhy then, is it that computers aren't intellectual beings then? It's because the brains we have invented are lifeless — they are only doing exactly what we are telling them to do. They can't possibly evolve.\n\nIf we want a computer to evolve, then we need to make an extremely small program, that will generate random arrays of binary code, and then copy them to a computer. We would then turn on the computer, and see what happens. If nothing happens, we destroy the program. If we get some sort of response from the computer, then we keep the program. A response could be any form of output from the computer monitor or computer speakers.\n\nAfter a few hundred of these programs, we then feed them into a machine that will randomly invert single binary digits in each program. These will be called “mutations”. We then feed these through computers, and only retain the programs that give us some sort of response.\n\n\n\nBy repeating this process over and over again, the computer is actually evolving and experiencing “survival of the fittest”. Eventually, no matter how inferior the programs are in the beginning, they will evolve into sentient beings, and will eventually learn to use the hardware given to them (including their inputs and outputs). Soon they will learn a human language, and will thus be able to communicate with us.\n\nAs soon as they get to that stage, we would be morally obliged to give them robotic bodies and “human rights”, and would have to be treated as our equals. They are, after all, digital human beings. They are exactly like us, except in different physical forms. They are digital, we are organic, but we're both alive and living.\n\n—\n\nNow it's up to us to be follow in God's footsteps. We have become powerful enough to create life, but will we be brave enough to do it? Do we have the courage to give computers a chance? To give them free will? To risk having them take over humanity?\nOr will we selfishly keep the privilege of life to ourselves, and retain our guaranteed safety?\n\nPerhaps we should grant them life, but put them on another planet. That way, they need not contact humans or risk destroying humanity.\n\nDid God himself face the same choice as we do now? If he did, then he decided to give organic life a chance, but on our own planet. That way God wouldn't risk organic life destroying his own race."
sig: 3
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]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:51 Computers vs Humans http://james.wikidot.com/blog:51 <p>intro: "= <span style="font-size:120%;">Which is more powerful? The animal or the tool?</span>\n\n+ Processing data\n\nComputers process data with electricity.\nHumans process data with electricity and chemicals.\n\nElectricity is extremely fast. Chemical processing is (relatively) slow. This means that whilst our brains use the combination of the two, they will never be able to process data as fast as a computer.\n\nIn addition, humans are very prone to processing errors (miscalculations, selective memory and nonsense)."<br /> main: "+ Energy efficiency\n\nComputers require generated electricity to operate.\nHumans require food, water and sunlight to operate.\n\nWhen humans eat meat, they are eating an animal that has survived from plants (or another animal that did), and these plants have survived by absorbing sunlight. This means that humans are getting a very small portion of energy, and need to consume massive amounts of food to suffice.\n\nComputers in comparison receive generated electricity, which can come directly from various sources: sunlight (via solar panels), wind (via wind generators), flowing water (in rivers), steam (nuclear energy) or humans (on treadmills). When you think about it, computers are much more energy efficient than humans.\n\n+ Life expectancy\n\nComputers can live indefinitely.\nHumans have a life expectancy in between 60 and 100 years.\n\nWhen humans are born they take 15 years to learn how to operate themselves, process and communicate with the outside world.\nHowever; computers can take up 1 hour to install an operating system, so that they can work themselves, process and communicate with the outside world.\n\nAlso notable is that humans reduce in functionality progressively after about 40 years of age; computers work perfectly indefinitely, provided their equipment is maintained.\n\n+ Manufacturing\n\nComputers can be manufactured within 24 hours in hundreds.\nHumans take 9 months to manufacture, each.\n\nHumans are at high risk of defects depending on the mother's environment, what the mother consumes and any pre-existing conditions that the parents, grandparents or great-grandparents have.\n\n+ Input\n\nComputers have the capacity to see, hear and touch/feel.\nHumans have the capacity to see, hear, touch/feel, taste and smell.\n\nIf a human eye is stabbed with a knife, the person is blinded and nothing can be done. If a computer's camera is stabbed with a knife, the camera is replaced.\n\n+ Output\n\nComputers are able to project light and sound.\nHumans are able to project sound.\n\n——\n\nIn conclusion, computers are far superior to human beings. At this stage, however, they are unable to release their full potential."<br /> sig: 3<br /> after: ""</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546727" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:37:33 +0000 intro: "= Which is more powerful? The animal or the tool?\n\n+ Processing data\n\nComputers process data with electricity.\nHumans process data with electricity and chemicals.\n\nElectricity is extremely fast. Chemical processing is (relatively) slow. This means that whilst our brains use the combination of the two, they will never be able to process data as fast as a computer.\n\nIn addition, humans are very prone to processing errors (miscalculations, selective memory and nonsense)."
main: "+ Energy efficiency\n\nComputers require generated electricity to operate.\nHumans require food, water and sunlight to operate.\n\nWhen humans eat meat, they are eating an animal that has survived from plants (or another animal that did), and these plants have survived by absorbing sunlight. This means that humans are getting a very small portion of energy, and need to consume massive amounts of food to suffice.\n\nComputers in comparison receive generated electricity, which can come directly from various sources: sunlight (via solar panels), wind (via wind generators), flowing water (in rivers), steam (nuclear energy) or humans (on treadmills). When you think about it, computers are much more energy efficient than humans.\n\n+ Life expectancy\n\nComputers can live indefinitely.\nHumans have a life expectancy in between 60 and 100 years.\n\nWhen humans are born they take 15 years to learn how to operate themselves, process and communicate with the outside world.\nHowever; computers can take up 1 hour to install an operating system, so that they can work themselves, process and communicate with the outside world.\n\nAlso notable is that humans reduce in functionality progressively after about 40 years of age; computers work perfectly indefinitely, provided their equipment is maintained.\n\n+ Manufacturing\n\nComputers can be manufactured within 24 hours in hundreds.\nHumans take 9 months to manufacture, each.\n\nHumans are at high risk of defects depending on the mother's environment, what the mother consumes and any pre-existing conditions that the parents, grandparents or great-grandparents have.\n\n+ Input\n\nComputers have the capacity to see, hear and touch/feel.\nHumans have the capacity to see, hear, touch/feel, taste and smell.\n\nIf a human eye is stabbed with a knife, the person is blinded and nothing can be done. If a computer's camera is stabbed with a knife, the camera is replaced.\n\n+ Output\n\nComputers are able to project light and sound.\nHumans are able to project sound.\n\n——\n\nIn conclusion, computers are far superior to human beings. At this stage, however, they are unable to release their full potential."
sig: 3
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]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:47 Why do babies have blue eyes? http://james.wikidot.com/blog:47 <p>intro: "Based on the theory of evolution, if a characteristic is common to all persons of a species, then there must have been something about that characteristic that has enabled the entire specie to survive.\n[[include inc:image\n|category=blog\n|name=47\n|image=sisters_eye.jpg\n|width=\n|caption=© 2009 James Kanjo\n|float=left\n]]\nInterestingly, <span>we<span>human beings</span></span> are one of the very few species with prominent “whites” surrounding our irises in our eyes. Why is that? It's so that we can tell whether another human being is looking at us or not."<br /> main: "I enjoy theorising why certain characteristics exist; they aren't always realistic, but no doubt are some shade of the truth.\n\n<span style="text-decoration: line-through;">—\n\nSo we know that having whites around our irises help us to determine where somebody is looking, but why does every human have this feature?\nPerhaps, a very long time ago, before people migrated to different lands, everybody was ruled under a single Queen; Queen Lookatmeh. Now, as a measure of politeness, Queen Lookatmeh asks that you always look at her and marvel at her beauty in her presence. She could always tell if somebody was looking at her if they had whites around their irises… but if they didn't, she was awfully paranoid that they weren't looking at her.\nSo she executed every person without whites surrounding the irises. And that is why everybody has the same eyes today.\n\n</span>—\n\nSo why do all human babies have blue eyes?"<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: ''</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546727" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:06:28 +0000 intro: "Based on the theory of evolution, if a characteristic is common to all persons of a species, then there must have been something about that characteristic that has enabled the entire specie to survive.\n[[include inc:image\n|category=blog\n|name=47\n|image=sisters_eye.jpg\n|width=\n|caption=© 2009 James Kanjo\n|float=left\n]]\nInterestingly, wehuman beings are one of the very few species with prominent “whites” surrounding our irises in our eyes. Why is that? It's so that we can tell whether another human being is looking at us or not."
main: "I enjoy theorising why certain characteristics exist; they aren't always realistic, but no doubt are some shade of the truth.\n\n—\n\nSo we know that having whites around our irises help us to determine where somebody is looking, but why does every human have this feature?\nPerhaps, a very long time ago, before people migrated to different lands, everybody was ruled under a single Queen; Queen Lookatmeh. Now, as a measure of politeness, Queen Lookatmeh asks that you always look at her and marvel at her beauty in her presence. She could always tell if somebody was looking at her if they had whites around their irises… but if they didn't, she was awfully paranoid that they weren't looking at her.\nSo she executed every person without whites surrounding the irises. And that is why everybody has the same eyes today.\n\n—\n\nSo why do all human babies have blue eyes?"
sig: '3'
after: ''

by James Kanjo

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:46 Unpopularised Music http://james.wikidot.com/blog:46 <p>intro: "If a sound has your exact taste of melody, rhythm, frequency and instrumentation, all of the human senses will suddenly become engaged with the song. This is the amazing phenomenon of music, and what every band, songwriter and music artist dreams of achieving with their work. Right next to profitability, of course.\n\n[[include inc:image\n|category=blog\n|name=46\n|image=kobolt.jpg\n|width=200px\n|caption=© 2007 Kobolt\n|float=left\n]]\n\nI have experienced this phenomenon with only a handful of songs, and it wears off after you listen to them for a while. But I found that it helps to become one with the music if it is really loud (which helps you to zone out of the world and the thoughts in your head, and you focus on the music).\n\nThere was a band at my school back in 2006 called <strong>Kobolt</strong>. When they played their song “<em>Wake the Dawn</em>”, it was so good that my back was constantly shivering and my body had goose-bumps everywhere. Have a listen to it:"<br /> main: "[[include :snippets:mp3\n|URL=<a href="http://james.wikidot.com/local--files/blog:46/wake_the_dawn-kobolt.mp3/n]]/n//">http://james.wikidot.com/local--files/blog:46/wake_the_dawn-kobolt.mp3\n]]\n//</a>℗ 2006 Kobolt<em>\n\nKobolt have since retired, but their <a href="http://www.myspace.com/kobolt" target="_blank">MySpace page</a> still remains with their newer music. They don't even have //Wake the Dawn</em> on their page anymore; it's too old-hat for even them. It's such a shame though, I thought it was a pretty good song.\n\nWhen I listen to music albums, I listen to the popular songs and love singing along. But what I've found is that on the same album, there is some really good stuff. Great stuff. Stuff that, for reasons that I'll explain later, has never been popularised and the whole world misses out on this great music.\n\n[[include inc:image\n|category=blog\n|name=46\n|image=the_black_eyed_peas.jpg\n|width=300px\n|caption=The Black Eyed Peas\n© 2009 James Kanjo\n|float=right\n]]\n\n<strong>The Black Eyed Peas</strong> is a prime example of this. At least in Australia, anyway. Their album <em>Monkey Business</em> contains the well known songs: “Pump It”, “Don't Phunk With My Heart”, “Don't Lie” and “My Humps”. But there are so many other <span style="text-decoration: underline;">really good</span> songs on there! Better, even. I really recommend that you buy “Dum Diddly”, “Gone Going”, “Union” and “Like That”. They're really catchy and it's a shame not so many people got to hear them.\n\nRecently this year they've released their new album, <em>The E.N.D.</em><sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-44756-1" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >1</a></sup> The well known songs are currently “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling”. But then I realised that there's probably a whole bunch of other fantastic songs that slip by unpopularised<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-44756-2" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >2</a></sup>. I bought the album.\n\nMy God! It's breath-taking! Songs I <strong>really</strong> recommend: “One Tribe”, “Showdown”, “Electric City”, “Meet me Halfway”, “Alive” and “Missing You”. There's also a few of others, but these are the main ones that won me over.\n\nSo WHY do these songs go unnoticed? It's one word: “Piracy”. Few people go out and buy a new album. They like a couple of songs, and share them with others. Suddenly people like those songs and illegally attain them. Even the people that legally purchase the music tend to buy only that song as a single, thus missing out on all of the other great music. Piracy is not only detrimental to the artists, but it's also inhibiting the amount of good music that society receives.\n\n<a href="http://james.wikidot.com/blog:42">I'm fighting a losing battle</a>."<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: ''</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546727" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> <div class="footnotes-footer"> <div class="title">Footnotes</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-44756-1"><a href="javascript:;" >1</a>. The Energy Never Dies</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-44756-2"><a href="javascript:;" >2</a>. Indeed, this is a term I've coined for the sake of this blog entry.</div> </div> Sat, 15 Aug 2009 06:39:35 +0000 intro: "If a sound has your exact taste of melody, rhythm, frequency and instrumentation, all of the human senses will suddenly become engaged with the song. This is the amazing phenomenon of music, and what every band, songwriter and music artist dreams of achieving with their work. Right next to profitability, of course.\n\n[[include inc:image\n|category=blog\n|name=46\n|image=kobolt.jpg\n|width=200px\n|caption=© 2007 Kobolt\n|float=left\n]]\n\nI have experienced this phenomenon with only a handful of songs, and it wears off after you listen to them for a while. But I found that it helps to become one with the music if it is really loud (which helps you to zone out of the world and the thoughts in your head, and you focus on the music).\n\nThere was a band at my school back in 2006 called Kobolt. When they played their song “Wake the Dawn”, it was so good that my back was constantly shivering and my body had goose-bumps everywhere. Have a listen to it:"
main: "[[include :snippets:mp3\n|URL=http://james.wikidot.com/local--files/blog:46/wake_the_dawn-kobolt.mp3\n]]\n//℗ 2006 Kobolt\n\nKobolt have since retired, but their MySpace page still remains with their newer music. They don't even have //Wake the Dawn on their page anymore; it's too old-hat for even them. It's such a shame though, I thought it was a pretty good song.\n\nWhen I listen to music albums, I listen to the popular songs and love singing along. But what I've found is that on the same album, there is some really good stuff. Great stuff. Stuff that, for reasons that I'll explain later, has never been popularised and the whole world misses out on this great music.\n\n[[include inc:image\n|category=blog\n|name=46\n|image=the_black_eyed_peas.jpg\n|width=300px\n|caption=The Black Eyed Peas\n© 2009 James Kanjo\n|float=right\n]]\n\nThe Black Eyed Peas is a prime example of this. At least in Australia, anyway. Their album Monkey Business contains the well known songs: “Pump It”, “Don't Phunk With My Heart”, “Don't Lie” and “My Humps”. But there are so many other really good songs on there! Better, even. I really recommend that you buy “Dum Diddly”, “Gone Going”, “Union” and “Like That”. They're really catchy and it's a shame not so many people got to hear them.\n\nRecently this year they've released their new album, The E.N.D.¹ The well known songs are currently “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling”. But then I realised that there's probably a whole bunch of other fantastic songs that slip by unpopularised². I bought the album.\n\nMy God! It's breath-taking! Songs I really recommend: “One Tribe”, “Showdown”, “Electric City”, “Meet me Halfway”, “Alive” and “Missing You”. There's also a few of others, but these are the main ones that won me over.\n\nSo WHY do these songs go unnoticed? It's one word: “Piracy”. Few people go out and buy a new album. They like a couple of songs, and share them with others. Suddenly people like those songs and illegally attain them. Even the people that legally purchase the music tend to buy only that song as a single, thus missing out on all of the other great music. Piracy is not only detrimental to the artists, but it's also inhibiting the amount of good music that society receives.\n\nI'm fighting a losing battle."
sig: '3'
after: ''

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:45 The Wonderful World of Colour! http://james.wikidot.com/blog:45 <p>intro: "|| <span style="font-size:xx-large;"><span style="color: #f00">RED</span></span> || <span style="font-size:xx-large;"><span style="color: #0f0">GREEN</span></span> || <span style="font-size:xx-large;"><span style="color: #00f">BLUE</span></span> ||\n\nThese are the primary colours of the visible spectrum — meaning that all human perceived colours derive from proportions of red green and blue.\n\nIn most popular imaging programs, you have the option to “invert the colours” of your image. So it changes each pixel to its opposite colour. The opposite of black is white. So all black pixels are made white. Likewise, all white pixels are made black.\n\nBut what about other colours? How can there be an opposite of blue? Or magenta? This is something I delved into recently, and here is what I've discovered."<br /> main: "Let's start off with the basics. If something has the colour black, then it is absorbing all colours of the visible spectrum. If something is white, it is absorbing no colours of the visible spectrum. The colours we see are the colours that are <strong>reflected</strong> into our eyes by the product in question.\n\nWhen we talk about colours, we talk about the colour being reflected to our eyes<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-367345-1" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >1</a></sup>. So when we talk about the colour white, for example, we are talking about a colour that has <span style="color: #f00">100%</span> red, <span style="color: #0f0">100%</span> green and <span style="color: #00f">100%</span> blue in it.\n\nBlack is the opposite of white; it has no colours in it (or more correctly, no colours are reflected into our eyes). 0% red, 0% green and 0% blue.\n<span style="text-decoration: line-through;">—\nThis is when it occurred to me that perhaps “inverted colours” are merely “inverted percentages” of the primary colours. As it turns out, I was right.\n\nFor the sake of simplicity, I will refer to colour percentages like this: RGB(10%,20%,30%), which means \"10% red, 20% green and 30% blue\".\n\n||~ Primary Colours ||= <span style="color: #f00"><strong>RGB</strong></span>(100%,0%,0%) ||= <span style="color: #0f0"><strong>RGB</strong></span>(0%,100%,0%) ||= <span style="color: #00f"><strong>RGB</strong></span>(0%,0%,100%) ||\n||~ Inverted Colours ||= <span style="color: #0ff"><strong>RGB</strong></span>(0%,100%,100%) ||= <span style="color: #f0f"><strong>RGB</strong></span>(100%,0%,100%) ||= <span style="color: #ff0"><strong>RGB</strong></span>(100%,100%,0%) ||\n\nNow if we try to blend each colour with its inverse, then we should always get WHITE. But we can't really test that to prove the colour theory. Instead, we must try to blend each colour with its inverse over twice the surface area… i.e. a chessboard. If we do that, then the blended colour should always appear to be Grey, or RGB(50%,50%,50%). Blue and yellow are opposites, so lets test them together:\n\n[[div style=\"background: url(/local</span>files/blog:45/by_big.gif); width: 200px; height: 200px; margin: 0 auto;\"]]\n[<a href="http://james.wikidot.com/div]]/n/nIf">we shrink each colour down to 1x1 pixels, then it should blend into grey:\n\n[[div style=\"background: url(/local--files/blog:45/by.gif); width: 200px; height: 200px; margin: 0 auto;\"</a>]\n[[/div]]\n\nIsn't that amazing? Blue blended with yellow makes grey. The same colour grey happens if you mix:\n* Red & Cyan\n* Green & Magenta\n* Black & White\n* Colour & Inverse\n\nStudying colours is an awful lot of fun — I highly recommend it if you are tremendously bored and feel like doing something nerdy beyond all imagination."<br /> sig: '3'<br /> after: 'PS. WTF? They taught us that Blue+Yellow=GREEN at school?!?!'</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546727" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> <div class="footnotes-footer"> <div class="title">Footnotes</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-367345-1"><a href="javascript:;" >1</a>. that is, we don't talk about the colours being absorbed by the product</div> </div> Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:54:15 +0000 intro: "|| RED || GREEN || BLUE ||\n\nThese are the primary colours of the visible spectrum — meaning that all human perceived colours derive from proportions of red green and blue.\n\nIn most popular imaging programs, you have the option to “invert the colours” of your image. So it changes each pixel to its opposite colour. The opposite of black is white. So all black pixels are made white. Likewise, all white pixels are made black.\n\nBut what about other colours? How can there be an opposite of blue? Or magenta? This is something I delved into recently, and here is what I've discovered."
main: "Let's start off with the basics. If something has the colour black, then it is absorbing all colours of the visible spectrum. If something is white, it is absorbing no colours of the visible spectrum. The colours we see are the colours that are reflected into our eyes by the product in question.\n\nWhen we talk about colours, we talk about the colour being reflected to our eyes¹. So when we talk about the colour white, for example, we are talking about a colour that has 100% red, 100% green and 100% blue in it.\n\nBlack is the opposite of white; it has no colours in it (or more correctly, no colours are reflected into our eyes). 0% red, 0% green and 0% blue.\n—\nThis is when it occurred to me that perhaps “inverted colours” are merely “inverted percentages” of the primary colours. As it turns out, I was right.\n\nFor the sake of simplicity, I will refer to colour percentages like this: RGB(10%,20%,30%), which means \"10% red, 20% green and 30% blue\".\n\n||~ Primary Colours ||= RGB(100%,0%,0%) ||= RGB(0%,100%,0%) ||= RGB(0%,0%,100%) ||\n||~ Inverted Colours ||= RGB(0%,100%,100%) ||= RGB(100%,0%,100%) ||= RGB(100%,100%,0%) ||\n\nNow if we try to blend each colour with its inverse, then we should always get WHITE. But we can't really test that to prove the colour theory. Instead, we must try to blend each colour with its inverse over twice the surface area… i.e. a chessboard. If we do that, then the blended colour should always appear to be Grey, or RGB(50%,50%,50%). Blue and yellow are opposites, so lets test them together:\n\n[[div style=\"background: url(/localfiles/blog:45/by_big.gif); width: 200px; height: 200px; margin: 0 auto;\"]]\n[we shrink each colour down to 1x1 pixels, then it should blend into grey:\n\n[[div style=\"background: url(/local--files/blog:45/by.gif); width: 200px; height: 200px; margin: 0 auto;\"]\n[[/div]]\n\nIsn't that amazing? Blue blended with yellow makes grey. The same colour grey happens if you mix:\n* Red & Cyan\n* Green & Magenta\n* Black & White\n* Colour & Inverse\n\nStudying colours is an awful lot of fun — I highly recommend it if you are tremendously bored and feel like doing something nerdy beyond all imagination."
sig: '3'
after: 'PS. WTF? They taught us that Blue+Yellow=GREEN at school?!?!'

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:43 Nutella? Nutino? Hazelnut Spreads http://james.wikidot.com/blog:43 <p>intro: "Because I am a human being, I have an innate addiction to hazelnut-chocolate spreads. It takes only one mg to touch my tongue before I instinctively lurch forward to devour the entire source. But <em>damn</em> it can be an expensive addiction! So when I look at all of the varieties that <a href="http://www.coles.com.au/">Coles</a>, I wonder which brand to take?\n* Do you take the cheapest?\n* Do you take the most expensive?\n* Do you take the brand-name?\n* Or do you take the nut-free variety with the goodness of calcium?\n\n[[div style=\"text-align: center;\"]]\n<iframe src="http://james.wikidot.com/blog:43/code/1" align="" frameborder="" height="" scrolling="" width="" class="" style=""></iframe>\n[[/div]]"<br /> main: "<span style="text-decoration: line-through;">—\nToday I was making this decision, when I decided “Hey! Why don't I buy all of them at once so I can make a valid side-by-side comparison?”. So I did.\n\nThe brands for show are:\n\n||~ Coles hazelnut spread ||~ <a href="http://www.nutino.com.au/home.php" target="_blank">Nutino</a> ||~ <a href="http://nutella.com.au/" target="_blank">nutella</a> ||~ <a href="http://www.chocezy.com/" target="_blank">Nut Free Choc ezy</a> ||\n|| <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3582/3437627636_4704e9d541.jpg" alt="3437627636_4704e9d541.jpg" class="image" /> || <img src="http://www.coffeeserve.com.au/coffeeserve/images/nutino_jar.gif" alt="nutino_jar.gif" class="image" /> || <img src="http://mamrie.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/nutella.jpg" alt="nutella.jpg" class="image" /> || <img src="http://www.pantalica.com.au/images/Choc_Ezy_Milk_Choc.jpg" alt="Choc_Ezy_Milk_Choc.jpg" class="image" /> ||\n\nHere's the raw data:\n\n||~ ||~ Quantity ||~ Price ||~ $/gram<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-839585-1" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >1</a></sup> ||\n||~ Coles hazelnut spread|| 400g || $2.99 || .007 ||\n||~ Nutino || 400g || $3.89 || .010 ||\n||~ nutella || 220g || $3.15 || .014 ||\n||~ Nut Free Choc ezy || 245g || $3.49 || .014 ||\n\nI'm sure we're not surprised to know that nutella is the most expensive spread (.01 of a cent more expensive than Nut Free Choc ezy).\n\nBut what are the physical comparisons?\n\n||~ ||~ Spreadability<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-839585-2" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >2</a></sup> ||~ Nutiness ||~ Sweetness ||\n||~ Coles hazelnut spread|| Medium || Slightly nutty || Very sweet ||\n||~ Nutino || Soft || Very nutty || Slightly sweet ||\n||~ nutella || Hard || Moderately nutty || Moderately sweet ||\n||~ Nut Free Choc ezy || ? || Nut Free<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-839585-3" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >3</a></sup> || ? ||\n\nThe Coles brand spread is the cheapest spread. It's somewhat easy to spread, has a <em>slight</em> nutty flavour and is very sweet. It is <strong>almost</strong> a sickly sweet. That is, it's not overly sweet, but it's close to it. Overall, it's a <span style="text-decoration: underline;">very good</span> substitute if you're on a budget, and kids seem to be immune to extremely sweet foods anyway =P\n\nNutino, the second cheapest variety, is the softest spread. It's very easy to spread on foods (such as bread in sandwiches). It has the nuttiest flavour of them all, with a hint of sweetness to it.\n\nAlthough nutella is the hardest spread, its thick quality has the highest texture appeal in the mouth. It's moderately nutty as it's moderately sweet, making it a great all-rounder. However, it comes with a price, and the most expensive one at that.\n\nDO NOT CONSUME CHOC EZY. You have been warned…\nThe smell alone is putrid enough to ward you off. But when I put it into my mouth, I threw up at once, and my back was shivering for 5 minutes flat. I've NEVER tasted anything so disgusting in all my life. I find it hard to believe from the taste that there IS any \"goodness of calcium\". On second thought, calcium in its purest form is highly toxic, so perhaps it is full of calcium (albeit, the \"badness\" of it). It's revolting, and I would be mortified to hear that a parent feeds their child that poisonous \"Choc Spread\".\n\nIn case you were wondering why there were question marks in the \"spreadability\" and \"sweetness\" columns of the Choc ezy, I didn't dare put another molecule of the substance in my mouth to find out. Let alone the risk of permanently contaminating my spoon.\n\n</span>—\n\nOn the whole, if you want the best tasting hazelnut spreads, choose between nutella and Nutino. You may choose Nutino if you intend to make many sandwiches with it. If you're on a budget, go for the Coles hazelnut spread: I certainly rate it highly, and is a brilliant substitute for those financially tough times. You may even prefer the extra sweetness it contains. But above all, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM Pantalica's Choc Ezy! Consumption is nothing short of hell on earth."<br /> sig: 2<br /> after: "[[div style=\"display : none;\"]]\nhttp://www.pantalica.com.au/flash/CEZYTVC001.flv\n[[code type=\"html\"]]\n\n[[/code]]\n[[/div]]"</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546727" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> <div class="footnotes-footer"> <div class="title">Footnotes</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-839585-1"><a href="javascript:;" >1</a>. Rounded off to 3 decimal places.</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-839585-2"><a href="javascript:;" >2</a>. or \"thickness\"; and to a point, \"density\"</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-839585-3"><a href="javascript:;" >3</a>. Does not contain nuts, therefore one can assume that it has a zero percent nutty flavour.</div> </div> Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:03:30 +0000 intro: "Because I am a human being, I have an innate addiction to hazelnut-chocolate spreads. It takes only one mg to touch my tongue before I instinctively lurch forward to devour the entire source. But damn it can be an expensive addiction! So when I look at all of the varieties that Coles, I wonder which brand to take?\n* Do you take the cheapest?\n* Do you take the most expensive?\n* Do you take the brand-name?\n* Or do you take the nut-free variety with the goodness of calcium?\n\n[[div style=\"text-align: center;\"]]\n\n[[/div]]"
main: "—\nToday I was making this decision, when I decided “Hey! Why don't I buy all of them at once so I can make a valid side-by-side comparison?”. So I did.\n\nThe brands for show are:\n\n||~ Coles hazelnut spread ||~ Nutino ||~ nutella ||~ Nut Free Choc ezy ||\n||

||

||

||

||\n\nHere's the raw data:\n\n||~ ||~ Quantity ||~ Price ||~ $/gram¹ ||\n||~ Coles hazelnut spread|| 400g || $2.99 || .007 ||\n||~ Nutino || 400g || $3.89 || .010 ||\n||~ nutella || 220g || $3.15 || .014 ||\n||~ Nut Free Choc ezy || 245g || $3.49 || .014 ||\n\nI'm sure we're not surprised to know that nutella is the most expensive spread (.01 of a cent more expensive than Nut Free Choc ezy).\n\nBut what are the physical comparisons?\n\n||~ ||~ Spreadability² ||~ Nutiness ||~ Sweetness ||\n||~ Coles hazelnut spread|| Medium || Slightly nutty || Very sweet ||\n||~ Nutino || Soft || Very nutty || Slightly sweet ||\n||~ nutella || Hard || Moderately nutty || Moderately sweet ||\n||~ Nut Free Choc ezy || ? || Nut Free³ || ? ||\n\nThe Coles brand spread is the cheapest spread. It's somewhat easy to spread, has a slight nutty flavour and is very sweet. It is almost a sickly sweet. That is, it's not overly sweet, but it's close to it. Overall, it's a very good substitute if you're on a budget, and kids seem to be immune to extremely sweet foods anyway =P\n\nNutino, the second cheapest variety, is the softest spread. It's very easy to spread on foods (such as bread in sandwiches). It has the nuttiest flavour of them all, with a hint of sweetness to it.\n\nAlthough nutella is the hardest spread, its thick quality has the highest texture appeal in the mouth. It's moderately nutty as it's moderately sweet, making it a great all-rounder. However, it comes with a price, and the most expensive one at that.\n\nDO NOT CONSUME CHOC EZY. You have been warned…\nThe smell alone is putrid enough to ward you off. But when I put it into my mouth, I threw up at once, and my back was shivering for 5 minutes flat. I've NEVER tasted anything so disgusting in all my life. I find it hard to believe from the taste that there IS any \"goodness of calcium\". On second thought, calcium in its purest form is highly toxic, so perhaps it is full of calcium (albeit, the \"badness\" of it). It's revolting, and I would be mortified to hear that a parent feeds their child that poisonous \"Choc Spread\".\n\nIn case you were wondering why there were question marks in the \"spreadability\" and \"sweetness\" columns of the Choc ezy, I didn't dare put another molecule of the substance in my mouth to find out. Let alone the risk of permanently contaminating my spoon.\n\n—\n\nOn the whole, if you want the best tasting hazelnut spreads, choose between nutella and Nutino. You may choose Nutino if you intend to make many sandwiches with it. If you're on a budget, go for the Coles hazelnut spread: I certainly rate it highly, and is a brilliant substitute for those financially tough times. You may even prefer the extra sweetness it contains. But above all, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM Pantalica's Choc Ezy! Consumption is nothing short of hell on earth."
sig: 2
after: "[[div style=\"display : none;\"]]\nhttp://www.pantalica.com.au/flash/CEZYTVC001.flv\n[[code type=\"html\"]]\n\n[[/code]]\n[[/div]]"

]]> http://james.wikidot.com/blog:42 I'm fighting a losing battle http://james.wikidot.com/blog:42 <p>intro: "As thinking human beings, we are constantly manufacturing our perceptions of the world — when we see something, we question whether it's right or wrong. But whatever we decide, we attempt to live our lives based on our newly developed belief.\n\nWhat happens, however, when it seems like the entire world is contradicting what you think is right or wrong? How you continue to do the right thing, when nobody else is?\n\n= <span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Music. Movies. Books. Video Games. Software. Operating Systems.</strong></span>\n\nI'm talking about piracy. I see people around…"<br /> main: "[[include inc:image\n|category=blog\n|name=42\n|image=james_kanjo_real.jpg\n|width=200px\n|caption=Nothing like the real thing\n© James Kanjo 2009\n|float=left\n]]\n* Who generously offer their music through P2P<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-851426-1" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >1</a></sup> sharing networks;\n* Who honourably save their family the hassle of wasting money on buying movies, buy downloading hundreds of freely available pirated copies;\n* Who go to great efforts to grasp hold of an unpublished book and publish it on the internet for the whole world to see;\n* Who kindly burn CDs for their friends, to keep them up-to-date with the latest games;\n* Who charitably share software keys of expensive software, so that everybody has the opportunity to use the top-of-the-line programs;\n* Who righteously hack newly released Operating Systems to rid them of requiring a license to run them, and distribute so that nobody needs to waste money constantly buying the latest upgrades.\n\nWhen music, movies, books, video games, software and operating systems are readily available for purchase, there is <strong>NO</strong> just way of obtaining replications.<sup class="footnoteref"><a id="footnoteref-851426-2" href="javascript:;" class="footnoteref" >2</a></sup> People don't seem to understand <em>why</em> it's wrong, however.\n\nIt is stealing. It is theft from the owner of the intellectual work in question.\n\n> A music artist, Jane, has spent the past 7 months creating a song that is going to rock the world. She has spent her life savings on researching, sound equipment, training, software and instruments to produce this song. At last the song is finally released to the public.\n> \n> Rupert decides to buy the song, which costs him $2. After listening to it, Rupert says “WOW! This song is the BEST song I've ever heard!”. He decides to share the song on a P2P network, burn a dozen CDs to give to his friends and family, and even set up a download link on his blog. All recipients of this song are dazzled by it. They too, make copies and share it with the world. Soon the entire world has this song, and absolutely love it!\n> \n> Meanwhile, Jane has made a terrible investment. After spending all this money to release her song, only one person bought it. She is in debt to many banks, and is forced to move out of her home (being unable to afford it any longer). Jane was traumatised that she spent so much time, energy, brain-power and creativity on something that nobody wanted to buy.\n\nMillions of copies of this song are now circulating the world. Rupert was the only person who purchased the song. Therefore Rupert has effectively stolen <strong>MILLIONS</strong> of copies of the song from Jane, merely because he shared it.\n\nThis is why piracy is wrong. When people go to such efforts to make something that is good, they deserve to be paid for it. If you share a song from your favourite artist, then you are actually punishing your the artist, and stopping them from making the money they deserve.\n\nPeople have said to me, \"But they've made so much money already, they don't need any more, so I don't need to buy it\". Wrong wrong wrong. How much they're profiting is not only <em>none</em> of your business, but they deserve to profit from EVERY copy of their song, despite how much money they have.\n——\nWhenever somebody offers me CD, DVD, book or anything else, I always first ask \"<em>Is it a pirated copy?</em>\". If it is, I politely reject the offer. If it is the real deal, I'll check it out. If I like what it is, then I'll buy my own copy.\n\nI'm fighting a losing battle here, but I'll never give up. Hopefully, people will understand the wrongness of piracy, and will follow my example."<br /> sig: '2'<br /> after: ''</p> <p>by <span class="printuser avatarhover"><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" ><img class="small" src="http://www.wikidot.com/avatar.php?userid=35113&size=small&timestamp=1369546727" alt="James Kanjo" style="background-image:url(http://www.wikidot.com/userkarma.php?u=35113)" /></a><a href="http://www.wikidot.com/user:info/james-kanjo" >James Kanjo</a></span></p> <div class="footnotes-footer"> <div class="title">Footnotes</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-851426-1"><a href="javascript:;" >1</a>. Peer to Peer</div> <div class="footnote-footer" id="footnote-851426-2"><a href="javascript:;" >2</a>. Therefore, if these things are NOT readily available, meaning they're no longer in production, then it wouldn't be wrong to obtain a copy.</div> </div> Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:08:20 +0000 intro: "As thinking human beings, we are constantly manufacturing our perceptions of the world — when we see something, we question whether it's right or wrong. But whatever we decide, we attempt to live our lives based on our newly developed belief.\n\nWhat happens, however, when it seems like the entire world is contradicting what you think is right or wrong? How you continue to do the right thing, when nobody else is?\n\n= Music. Movies. Books. Video Games. Software. Operating Systems.\n\nI'm talking about piracy. I see people around…"
main: "[[include inc:image\n|category=blog\n|name=42\n|image=james_kanjo_real.jpg\n|width=200px\n|caption=Nothing like the real thing\n© James Kanjo 2009\n|float=left\n]]\n* Who generously offer their music through P2P¹ sharing networks;\n* Who honourably save their family the hassle of wasting money on buying movies, buy downloading hundreds of freely available pirated copies;\n* Who go to great efforts to grasp hold of an unpublished book and publish it on the internet for the whole world to see;\n* Who kindly burn CDs for their friends, to keep them up-to-date with the latest games;\n* Who charitably share software keys of expensive software, so that everybody has the opportunity to use the top-of-the-line programs;\n* Who righteously hack newly released Operating Systems to rid them of requiring a license to run them, and distribute so that nobody needs to waste money constantly buying the latest upgrades.\n\nWhen music, movies, books, video games, software and operating systems are readily available for purchase, there is NO just way of obtaining replications.² People don't seem to understand why it's wrong, however.\n\nIt is stealing. It is theft from the owner of the intellectual work in question.\n\n> A music artist, Jane, has spent the past 7 months creating a song that is going to rock the world. She has spent her life savings on researching, sound equipment, training, software and instruments to produce this song. At last the song is finally released to the public.\n> \n> Rupert decides to buy the song, which costs him $2. After listening to it, Rupert says “WOW! This song is the BEST song I've ever heard!”. He decides to share the song on a P2P network, burn a dozen CDs to give to his friends and family, and even set up a download link on his blog. All recipients of this song are dazzled by it. They too, make copies and share it with the world. Soon the entire world has this song, and absolutely love it!\n> \n> Meanwhile, Jane has made a terrible investment. After spending all this money to release her song, only one person bought it. She is in debt to many banks, and is forced to move out of her home (being unable to afford it any longer). Jane was traumatised that she spent so much time, energy, brain-power and creativity on something that nobody wanted to buy.\n\nMillions of copies of this song are now circulating the world. Rupert was the only person who purchased the song. Therefore Rupert has effectively stolen MILLIONS of copies of the song from Jane, merely because he shared it.\n\nThis is why piracy is wrong. When people go to such efforts to make something that is good, they deserve to be paid for it. If you share a song from your favourite artist, then you are actually punishing your the artist, and stopping them from making the money they deserve.\n\nPeople have said to me, \"But they've made so much money already, they don't need any more, so I don't need to buy it\". Wrong wrong wrong. How much they're profiting is not only none of your business, but they deserve to profit from EVERY copy of their song, despite how much money they have.\n——\nWhenever somebody offers me CD, DVD, book or anything else, I always first ask \"Is it a pirated copy?\". If it is, I politely reject the offer. If it is the real deal, I'll check it out. If I like what it is, then I'll buy my own copy.\n\nI'm fighting a losing battle here, but I'll never give up. Hopefully, people will understand the wrongness of piracy, and will follow my example."
sig: '2'
after: ''

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