Journalism

Daily Mail ⟶ The Telegraph ⟶ The Irish Independent

context: https://twitter.com/oioiiooixiii/status/687309005983760384

Moribund Firefox

I never understand why people try to limit themselves to one web browser that does it all. I use ten, they each have a specific purpose.

— oioiiooixiii (@oioiiooixiii) January 3, 2016

My primary browser is still Firefox, even if it does feel like something from the stone-age at times.

— oioiiooixiii (@oioiiooixiii) January 3, 2016

I'm sticking with Firefox right the bitter end. It's just, that end always appears to be looming on the horizon pic.twitter.com/DF4oDxJ6rm

— oioiiooixiii (@oioiiooixiii) January 3, 2016

But hey, at least Mozilla's CEO doesn't exercise free independent thought; that's the main thing, right?

context: http://www.cnet.com/news/mozilla-under-fire-inside-the-9-day-reign-of-fallen-ceo-brendan-eich/

Illusive Chimera: Swarovski 'Runway Rocks' 2008

In June, 2015, I happened upon a video of the most fantastic costume. I spent an entire day searching for more information and imagery. The footage was taken from the Swarovski "Runway Rocks" catwalk event in 2008. The crystal-encrusted bodysuit, "Chimera", was designed by Spanish designers "Collado Garcia". No information was given on the model, and no better quality video was found.



There is a photo available on Getty, but it provides no clues. The description claims it is "a model"; "a model" is no help to anyone. [a small reminder that models are often expendable; mere frames for the "genius" fabric to sit upon; an argument for another day.]



My immediate suspicion was Anna Jagodzińska, but I didn't want to rest on assumptions. Model identification can be tricky. Lighting, makeup, age, (and in the case here) the structure of the garment may alter the shape and size of the model's features. I found no confirmation on whether this is Jagodzińska or not. However, after many hours of searching, I came across a model listing, that proved Anna Jagodzińska did indeed appear at the event, which may be enough to confirm her identity.



Until I find further information to the contrary, I am going to let it rest on my initial assumptions.

Along the way, I found the costume worn by other models, but since it was the specific 2008 video that arrested my attention, I found little interest in pursuing those other avenues.



context: https://twitter.com/oioiiooixiii/status/615264887867080705
video source: http://www.colladogarcia.co.uk/index2.html
image source: http://www.gettyimages.ie/detail/news-photo/model-walks-down-the-runway-at-the-swarovski-runway-rocks-news-photo/81532508
info: http://forums.soompi.com/en/topic/177992-swarovski-runway-rocks-fashion-show-0_0/
info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Jagodzi%C5%84ska
further context: https://twitter.com/oioiiooixiii/status/615200018853699585
further study: https://youtu.be/Gcf5y9pEmCA

Cellar Dweller (1988)

imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094850/

Biathlon - Ruhpolding - Women's Mass Start - 10th January 2016

info: http://www4.biathlonworld.com/en/press_releases.html/do/detail?presse=2689
results: http://biathlonresults.com/?RaceId=BT1516SWRLCP04SWMS&view=schedule_race

2016 Predictions

2016: Snowden will release his own GNU/Linux distro. Stock Fedora, but with a set of wallpapers; him doing sexy poses in front of US flag.

2016: A significant event of active pushback against the term "GNU/Linux"
2016: Linus will be forced to step down from Linux
2016: Linux 5.0 will be released under a non-GPL licence

2016: Raspberry Pi 'Xtreme Pro' will be released, featuring 8-core 2.4ghz cpu and 4GB ram. RRP £56.78 [packaging to include "Windows 10 Ready" sticker]

2016: Pope Francis green-lights the canonisation process for Steve Jobs

* unpublished Tweets
related: http://oioiiooixiii.blogspot.ie/2016/01/reviewing-2015-predictions.html

Reviewing 2015 Predictions

@JoeRessington systemd shuts down North Korean nuclear reactor. Microsoft open-sources Notepad. Richard Stallman wins the x factor.

— oioiiooixiii (@oioiiooixiii) January 1, 2015

Even though they were snubbed by @JoeRessington I think we can all now see how correct my 2015 predictions were.. pic.twitter.com/O584GC86y4

— oioiiooixiii (@oioiiooixiii) January 5, 2016

Instagram is worse than technological retrogression

Since its conception, Instagram has modeled itself on reviving the aesthetics of earlier periods in photography; with its references to Polaroid "instant" cameras, square image format, and choice of lo-fi filters. The problem is: the format is actually inferior to the "antiquated" period it's mimicking, as demonstrated in the image above.

I appreciate that Instagram is "Social Media", but for many people, Instagram is their only form of photographic record.

Since creating this image, Instagram have now increased the maximum resolution to a 1080x1080 (one whole megapixel!) but continues to hobble local storage to 2MP.

see also: http://oioiiooixiii.blogspot.com/2014/09/viewing-instagram-in-different-web.html
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrmorodo/8152007106
image source: https://instagram.com/p/uskcq7jnPk/
*images referenced without prejudice

Rambo 5: Perhaps this is how it will end?

context: http://original.antiwar.com/Dan_Sanchez/2015/11/23/they-sow-the-cyclone-we-reap-the-blowback/
context: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihadi_John
context: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1206885/
context: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1206885/ 
context: http://www.idigitaltimes.com/rambo-5-plot-wont-pit-stallone-against-isis-maybe-skip-real-execution-footage-time-457906

FFmpeg: Creating sterographic video from a 2D source / Witchboard (1988)

This is further study in the creation of depth information based on two-dimensional source material http://oioiiooixiii.blogspot.com/2014/02/an-experiment-in-creating-three.html

By slighting delaying the video entering one eye, the interference created can reveal a sense of depth to parts of the scene.

This video above loops between two versions of the same two scenes. One has a three frame differential (24/8 = 0.125) and the other, eight (24/3 = 0.3). Depending on content and movement, the greater the time difference, the clearer the effect works.

The video was created with FFmpeg, and the ffplay command, with filterchain, is given below:

# 'setpts=PTS+0.3/TB' delay video start by 0.3 seconds

ffplay \
   -i witchcraft.mp4 \
   -vf \
      "scale=320x180,split [a][b];\
      nullsrc=size=640x180[base];\
      [a] setpts=PTS-STARTPTS [left];\
      [b] setpts=PTS+0.3/TB [right];\
      [base][left]overlay=shortest=1[x];\
      [x][right]overlay=x=320:shortest=1"\
   -loop 0

The source video was taken from "Witchboard", a cheesy, but enjoyable, 1980's horror film (big hair, and all that).



ffmpeg setpts: https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#setpts_002c-asetpts
imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090327/