I'm listening to a Re:Sound episode on Ewa Wisnierska, a German paraglider who was caught up in a thunderstorm that lifted her to 9,946 meters [32,631 feet]. She survived, frostbitten and unconscious at the highest altitudes. It was, in most respects, an unsurvivable incident. I think I may start searching for these and making a collection.
Social Networking with Grandma
I spoke with my grandmother this morning. She related a story about siting in a busy doctor's reception recently; everyone in the room except her was on a mobile (or 'touching their phones' as she put it). She said that, as an elderly person without the technology, it's often isolating in that kind of situation as there are people all around but nobody is present.
I considered as she spoke (note, distracted from the actual conversation with her and thinking instead about the technology), someone should make an app that connects mobile devices in close proximity with a peer-to-peer chat. People in waiting rooms or packed trains could then communicate about what's happening in that place, share pictures, link up on social networks, just generally get to know each other. It could work over WiFi as the devices can already call out and find each other in an ad-hoc network.
My grandmother, when I attempted to explain this to her, just said, 'or they could just...talk to each other.' Well, there is that; how quaint.
Busy weeks ahead
I'm just gearing up for these next few busy weeks before the Federal election in Australia. Education seems likely to become one of the campaign issues (though, at the moment, the waters are muddied by both main parties saying they are basically supporting the same reforms...but there are significant differences between the two agendas). I've been called on to start providing a lot more imagery for our publications as we begin distributing our Journal in an iPad app version (the headshot above is the president of the Teachers Federation, Maurie Mulheron; I did a quick headshot of him this morning. This is one of the out-takes).
Meanwhile, I'm reading a lot and will have some reflections on things...sometime. This weblog seems to be a 'best intentions' kind of outlet for me. Hoping to find some time to formulate some words in the near future.
Open Heart gallery
I've just posted up a gallery of images from my recent visit to the States; the photography is of my mother's stay in hospital and recovery following open heart surgery in July. She is doing fantastically well (her doctor said it was a 'textbook perfect' surgery).
I've more imagery from her time in hospital but some of it is rather confronting. I've a new compassion for people who have loved ones on long-term life support and know that their condition is critical or irreversible. Thankfully, Mom was only briefly on a ventilator and all the associated critical care machines. Click on the image below to go to the gallery.
Smaller Faith
A couple months ago I was visited by a pair of Jehovah’s Witnesses at the door (again). We had a conversation that really didn’t go where they wanted it to go (it rather dulls their efforts if the person they are speaking with has actually read and studied the Bible and already has some thoughts about its ramifications). However, they were pleasant enough and we had what seemed like the necessary dialogue. At one point, one of them asked if I was a person of faith. I said, “Yes, I’m a Quaker.” She paused with a bemused expression. It was a cross between now, who are the Quakers again? and we should probably make a hasty retreat down the street; he’s some kind of cult member!
As they left and I returned inside, I thought it must be a challenge to be part of a small marginalized religious community in secular Australia. Then the irony of that thought came to me; there are surely more Jehovah’s Witnesses in Australia than Quakers, yet I never really feel marginal at all. I think this comes from years of once being part of a church movement that placed such an emphasis on numbers in the pews. One sits in church surrounded by others who are of a similar mind and spirit; it’s reassuring to know that you are all there in an equal state of ‘rightness’ (I’m not saying that as a condemnation; it’s not just a ‘church thing’).
However, the Quaker focuses one down to the smaller confines of a very personal faith; back to the mustard seed. We are around others who share a common tone of the spirit; however it's not necessary to completely harmonise to one accord. On Sunday, one of the Friends spoke of singing in a massed choir here in Sydney. She said it is so uplifting to mix one voice with so many others and magnify it manifold (or, in my case, at least nullify my flat tonality). In Quaker Meeting, we sit in silence. Each silence augmented and shared by the gathered Friends; a quiet collective (I wonder how people would respond if we went door to door and just stood there silently when people answered...)
Teacher Portraits
I did a series of images yesterday for a direct mail postcard (teachers looking serious about something they are serious about...). I'm going to start a new gallery on the weblog as I hope to continue gathering portraits of teachers. Click on the image about to go to the gallery.
Full Video and Audio from PEF Awards
I excerpted video and audio from Tuesday's Public Education Awards in Sydney Town Hall today and posted up a YouTube playlist. It's great to see a system I built from scratch mixing and recording this kind of material (though there were a couple cutting mistakes live that were on me...have to get some more practice with further events at Town Hall!).
Have a listen to Anja Nissen, a year twelve student with an amazing voice in the first video below then explore the whole playlist at this link.
Then you can also have a listen to just the audio on the Soundcloud playlist as well:
Music from Public Education Awards
Last night's Public Education Foundation awards ceremony at Sydney Town Hall went off spectacularly (though my brain is always seriously overenergised when I do technical direction). I'll post up the video from the event tomorrow but here is the first of the audio recordings from the several bands and vocalists we had for the evening. This is the NSW Public Schools Symphonic Wind Orchestra. We had a very good audio engineer for the event who fed me a separate mix specifically for the live video feed and recording. I'll put all the music up here later as a playlist.
The Angle of Light
Just came across this clip from an upcoming album; it reminds me of a book I read in university about tracking light across the face in cinema. So much of our perception is based on the angle of our view and the light that falls upon us.
