Showing posts with label Midnight Oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Midnight Oil. Show all posts

Wednesday 10 November 2021

DeepFake - Bellingcat Move Forward


 I have now finished  "We Are Bellingcat" by Elliot Higgins and in the final chapter it brings up the actuality of Deepfake . This is how video can be amended to show and prove that something happened when it didn't. Apparently there is video of Barrack Obama insulting Donald Trump aggressively and vehemently whish he never did. There are shallower versions in which speech can be altered to make it seem as though the subjects were drunk or maybe had some illness.

We are in a world where anything can be altered to suit the narrative of who has the technology, but luckily organisations like Bellingcat are countering this with lots of forward thinking initiatives but it requires commitment and dedication. You can check out their interesting resource page here but if any of this interests you get yourself a copy of the book.

Music is Midnight Oil's latest "Rising Seas" and my next read is "The House On The Borderland" (Once More) by William Hope Hodgson.

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

  1. The Never Ending Story - My Directory
  2. The Never Ending Music - My Music Directory
  3. The Never Ending Poetry - My Poetry Directory
  4. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
  5. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag

 

Sunday 7 November 2021

The Problem With Attention To Detail: Bellingcat


On the final chapter of  "We Are Bellingcat" by Elliot Higgins and it has just been dealing with the pressures on the organisation and individual members in investigating crimes using their open source method. The nature of the work is incredibly intense , and because it involves war crimes, images and videos on social media and a lot more this can result in PTDS for some investigators.

I wont go into the details and would suggest you read the book to see what this incredible team are doing.

The final sentence in the "Mice Catch Cat" is very pertinent , not just to Bellingcat  , but to other organisations and teams that I know are developing.

"While it's true I could do little to stop an attack, our opponents can do nothing to stop what we are becoming"

Bellingcat are a force for good as are the people that I speak of, and I have just found there is a film here

Appropriate music is Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning" , Peter Garrett being an active ecological politician as well as still fronting the band.

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:


  1. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle
  2. Keep Me In Your Heart For A While - Warren Zevon
  3. Five Funny Facebook Friends - Stalwarts of The Stand In Newcastle
  4. Become A Vocal Facebook Group Member And Bathe In The Positivity
  5. A True Folk Hero - Nic Jones


Tuesday 28 August 2018

Seventeen Hundred


I thought I would post this just to hit seventeen hundred posts since I started posting, breaking the #August50 target, and sharing another #SongsYouveNeverHeard to make it worth reading and listening to.

There is a hell of a lot of great Antipodean music and my favourite band from down under are The Saints, but I also love Split Enz, Crowded House and Midnight Oil. I completely missed out on AC/DC in my teens / early twenties but they are a perfect example of how to last while staying exactly the same. Similar to the UK's Status Quo who really lost it when they tried to change their twelve bar sound, although my favourite two Qho songs are "Mystery Song" and "Accident Prone" which do deviate slightly from their normal formula.

The #SongsYouveNeverHeard that I am going to share with you is the excellent "S'cool Days" by Stanley Frank which was backed by the equally excellent "On A Line", one of those perfect singles like The Beatles "Paperback Writer" backed with "Rain". All I know about Stanley Frank is that he is Australian (I think ... and yes I know how silly that sounds) and that is about it.

Another for you to enjoy.



Friday 30 October 2015

Colouring Outside The Lines - #33 - 1989 - Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning


Colour
I don't know what brought this phrase to mind , but it seems that lots of people are enjoying colouring in some fairly complex and difficult colouring books. It's a great way of relaxing , but I would not be able to do it at all. I would stray outside the lines , not be able to match colours and eventually get bored. It's just that we are all different and different things stimulate and relax us. Free form drawing and playing is incredibly relaxing, but in 60 years I have never been able to find any non musicians to jam with . Of course as soon as you start then you learn to play better and I can play bit's of stuff , but sometimes I am naturally collaborative and other times I have to be on my own. Maybe something will happen maybe it wont, but we never know what tomorrow might bring.


Anyway the musical journey continues into year 33 , 1989 and although Guns 'n' Roses hit the charts with some fine songs and an idiot frontman , the vote has to go to Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil great music , a political conscience and a great frontman. Could Peter Garrett front  Guns 'n' Roses , now there's a thought.

Anyway enjoy your Friday , the weekend is coming and great things await us all.


Sunday 21 June 2015

You Can Always Find Something Good


There's a few things over that last couple of weeks have happened to me that have not been good experience, and too often that often leads to people blowing their top , feeling miserable , getting angry. Sometimes , for some people they deal with it by doing whatever they want to do , the worst examples being red top readers and daytime television viewers. I tend to be exasperated, and find something more positive to focus on. It's not the answer for everyone , but it's the way I deal with it.

There's been loads of good things happening , including getting some nice presents for Father's Day , of course i couldn't get in touch with my dad as he tends not to answer his phone , but I saw him last week and sent him a card.

The sun is shining and weather is good , and a good friend turned be on to Eddie Skiba, sounding like a more muscular Crowded House with a touch of Midnight Oil , with some interesting videos available on Youtube. You should really check this guy out , the music is great and he definitely has social messages for everyone.

SO although the weekend is coming to an end there's just another great week coming up to enjoy.  And when you see things like the image below , you just gotta smile .

Crime Fighting Minions