Composition

I was looking at the history of the Ableton Live composition software and ran into a few other items. Here's a dump of Flock's shelf.

Ableton Live was "originally sketched in Max/MSP". Max was developed in the 80's but turned into a commercial project in the 90's. It is used by names such artists such as Autechre to build software based synths. Pictured right is a patch of theirs in Max/MSP. (Max/MSP patch db.) Abelton Live is not used for creating synths (though the Operator adds this ability). It has two basic sets of instruments: Impulse for drums or strictly rhythmed sounds and Simpler for wav based imports.

While looking at Max/MSP I learned that its author later produced a similar tool with an open source license called Pure Data. The difference between the two is that PD does not offload processing to an analog synth as Max/MSP can. Instead all sounds are generated locally (PD resources: 1.) Additionally another open source tool similar to these is jMax, pictured left. Perhaps some day in the future I will have time to evaluate them all. Doubt it.

Dacryphilia

"Dacryphilia is a fetish in which one gains sexual arousal through the tears of one's partner."

I've had reference to this word on 3 occasions today. The first was in learning the word this morning while reading Phrack 58-0x05 for my research log where the author describes a set of tools for encrypting binaries. The idea being a tool created by hackers for the sake of making it more difficult for hackers (causing tears in their eyes, or something to this affect). The second was in a meeting with a client. We had a short discussion about creating a secure system only to have it hacked, only to fix it and have it hacked again, and this endless cycle of mutual dacryphilia. The 3rd and final was while listening to a NPR interview with Dr. John Marburger (scroll down, click listen button for Marburger interview), President Bush's Science Advisor. I'm getting the feeling that the white house has an unknown dacryphilia fetish. Forget the fact that Marburger laughed after every serious question he was asked, or the fact that he said science didn't equal politics and yet he argued that science could deal with social issues. I agree with him that politics is not solved nor should it be an issue for scientists (professionally). However, there are cases where such rules must be dispensed, especially when the facts that science present are being ignored or watered down. Case-in-point was made when he was asked about the issue of global warming. You know... maybe it was just his freakin fake laugh to every serious question that I'm really having a problem with.

2nd life

Lawrence Lessig gives talk in virtual word

I really was hoping that I'd get to avoid 3d virtual worlds for a bit longer but it appears this will not be the case. I'd like to note I was an early adopter of the virtual worlds idea. In the late 90's there was a 3d world system build on MS Netmeeting. Heck, one of the first languages I learned was VRML, which was supposed to bring 3d interfaces and 3d worlds to the http sphere. But they both died for different reasons. VRML because total immersion in 3d interfaces does not work on a 2d plane (computer screen). And the early 3d worlds such as those that ran on top of netmeeting died because bandwidth simply didn't support it.

The question is will 2nd life and other modern 3d worlds thrive now with saturation of better high speed internet or will it die as a fad. I'm not certain the answer but over the past year I'm giving it more and more a chance. That increase in chance means that I will be setting up shop there at some point in the next year. uhg.

IP, (c) and "free culture"

Lawrance Lessig is a professor at Stanford Law School and author of various books on IP and (c) technology issues. In this unique 40min presentation he gave in 2002 at the Open Source conference OSCON he convincingly argues that society is less free to "create" today than it has ever been in history. He presents proof that fair-use and unregulated use are increasingly falling off the map due to technological advancements and laws such as the DCMA, leaving a society dominated by regulated use.

Also, regardless of your opinion on the topic he has a unique presentation style to make note of. It forces the audience to pay attention to the speaker by using the slide to emphasize verbal points instead of showing bullet lists.

Maybe congress isn't just fat cats?

I just assumed that power, comities at the likes, in US Congress is dictated by who you know and to question those with power would certainly mean your never attaining it. Hence you will never see Ted Kennedy removed from the comities he is on, he's been around too long. It is interesting when you see a senator go against the grain and challenge everyone:

Senator George Allen (R-VA) [announced] a three-point plan to force fiscaldiscipline into the federal budget process including a call for a“paycheck penalty” that withholds salary from members of Congressunless all appropriations measures are passed by the start of thefiscal year, October 1.

“It is absurd that full-time legislators can’t get their job doneon-time by October 1—then several months later—all kinds of unknown,unchecked spending occurs. They pass it in the dead of night, thinkingnobody will notice what’s in these appropriations bills,” [Allen said.]

And now I realized why I always identified myself as republican when I was younger... Allen was the Governor VA when I was a youngen and still lived in the US. Whereas, these days I'm disgusted by the feeling of unrestricted corruption that the republican caucus appears to represent.

what ever happened to calander.google

... well, while waiting for google to get their calander up (I swear, it's as if they float subdomains to see if people will go crazy for the idea) 87 Degrees has one upped it with their 30 Boxes AJAX calander.