Will’s View

Whilst out enjoying a few beverages with mates a couple of nights ago, a friend and I decided to have a digital photography duel. Our weapons were nothing special, and the rules were simple, cameras at 5 paces - the fastest to draw wins. The results of this horiffic duel have been classified, due to their inane and unattractive nature.

On the walk back to the city we had opportunity to take some experimental photos of the misty Yarra-side scenery (the results of which can be seen in the photo gallery) and compare results. Being someone that thinks they know everything, I had my camera on the manual setting, playing around with ISO settings and exposure times (my dad’d be proud), while the other camera was on ‘Best Shot’ mode. The results speak for themselves: seems I don’t know as much as a roomfull of engineers and photography experts - who’da thought?

So now I pose the question, is it worth fiddling with settings, when the electronics can do a better job? And where can I get a decent photography book?

--> Whilst out enjoying a few beverages with mates a couple of nights ago, a friend and I decided to have a digital photography duel. Our weapons were nothing special, and the rules were simple, cameras at 5 paces - the fastest to draw wins. The results of this horiffic duel have been classified, due to their inane and unattractive nature. On the walk back to the city we had opportunity to take some experimental photos of the misty (More...)

I have made the editorial decision to leave the previous post despite a range of comments I recieved on it, which most of you didn’t see.

I’m sorry to have offended those of you who I did: what I wrote was unacceptable and unneccesary.

The post was somewhat reactionary, and those of you who know me or who have read other content on the site will understand that it was a mis-directed rant, and not intended to be taken seriously, or as a personal attack.

I agree that one has to be careful with what one places in the public domain, and in my case I have to be careful with the tone and intent of my pieces. In this case the post was intended to be a comment on the state of the world’s communication, and the way electronic communication has changed the way we interact. Instead of writing a dissertation about politics and the world in general, I started a more personalised rant, which was taken as a personal attack.

--> I have made the editorial decision to leave the previous post despite a range of comments I recieved on it, which most of you didn’t see. I’m sorry to have offended those of you who I did: what I wrote was unacceptable and unneccesary. The post was somewhat reactionary, and those of you who know me or who have read other content on the site will understand that it was a mis-directed rant, and not intended to be taken seriously, or as a personal attack. I agree that one has to be careful with what one places in the public domain, and in my case I have to be careful with the tone and intent of my pieces. In this case the post was intended to be a comment on the state of the world’s communication, and the way electronic communication has changed the way we interact. Instead of writing a dissertation about politics and the world in general, I started a more personalised rant, which was taken as a personal attack.

In between the slew of assignments I have been working through lately, I’ve had a little time to investigate the University of Melbourne Transition Program’s blog called First_year@UniMelb. Now I know it’s a rather uninspiring name, but I’ve found a couple of funny things on/about it.

Firstly, I really don’t know if the post is serving its intended purpose. I think the creator/visionary saw the blog as being a place where students could tell of their daily exploits, and show other/potential first years how great first year really is. D’oh! It seems the people they’ve chosen to do the blogging either break mirrors for fun, or are generally looked down on by lady luck. That, and they’re a pack of whingers. This isn’t the sort of depressing thing I’d like to be reading if I was a potential Melbourne University first year. It really seems that some of them need to grow up, and remember that they’re not in year 10 at a private school. For example, the title of this post comes from a most extensive and depressing essay about someone’s life. This person got blocked on MSN by a boy she liked, and by all reports this seems to be the worst thing that could ever happen. It gets more air-time than the fact she’s dropping out of uni. It’s a sad world.

Next, while talking to a couple of guys in one of the labs I take for computer science about some of these amusingly depressing posts, I hear someone complaining (loudly) about their crappy weekend. Then I put 2 and 2 together, and realise that I am privileged enough to have one of the first year posters in my class! After originally reading his post, it almost made me want to laugh. The theme of the jinxed and over-zealous male is one that is by no means new, and really gained nothing by its telling. I think it was the part where he waited outside the house of the girl he was hot for (read “stalking”) for a couple of hours. Because what else does one have to do with one’s weekend, than pursue a clearly stationary relationship by sitting on a step. Please! The high point was the reaction to the email. Sure being pseudo-dumped over email isn’t a new thing, but trying to wrest some self-respect from the train-wreck that was the weekend by saying that she is a “nice person underneath” was just too much.

Moving on from complaining about other blogs, my blog is now indexed by google search. This may seem like a relatively minor thing, but hey, one has to take the small victories in life.

I’m sure that I have far more to rant about, but it’s best for everyone if I stop now and go to finish my Heat Exchanger lab report, yay.

--> In between the slew of assignments I have been working through lately, I’ve had a little time to investigate the University of Melbourne Transition Program’s blog called First_year@UniMelb. Now I know it’s a rather uninspiring name, but I’ve found a couple of funny things on/about it. Firstly, I really don’t know if the post is serving its intended purpose. I think the creator/visionary saw the blog as being a place where students could tell of their daily exploits, (More...)

Have you ever had someone try and schmooze you? It was a new experience to me, maybe it usually happens and one doesn’t know that it’s schmoozing. The story goes: last night I was at a small doo for the end of our production, Working. It was a cool party, in a warehouse-style place in Northcote. Some ways into the party one of the members of the cast, approached me and decided to schmooze. Now I’m not the best techie that even I know, but this lovely cast member had figured I could help out UMMTA by aiding their technical crew in setting up venues and operating sound or something for them. Now I spose I should be flattered, but truth be told the whole schmoozing thing threw me off! What is one meant to say while being schmoozed? And to be honest, you have a far better chance of catching my attention or getting me to help if you ply me with alcohol or food.

Also in the weekend was my inaugural IKEA venture. I was prepared for a revolutionary concept in furniture retail, but even as such it was a rude awakening …. these stores are seriously huge! It almost felt like I was walking around someone’s house, inspecting the sturdiness of their drawers, and testing the spongyness of chairs. It’s not hard to see how people can get obsessed and spend hours in there. Even though there are arrows on the floors, maps, and many information stations, we still managed to lose one of our number after he went off on his own to investigate a chest of drawers. But we stayed around and waited, for the rules of IKEA are similar to those of war: Never leave a man behind.

--> Have you ever had someone try and schmooze you? It was a new experience to me, maybe it usually happens and one doesn’t know that it’s schmoozing. The story goes: last night I was at a small doo for the end of our production, Working. It was a cool party, in a warehouse-style place in Northcote. Some ways into the party one of the members of the cast, approached me and decided to schmooze. Now I’m not the (More...)

Well, after much farting around with transferring files and such (seems that the university doesn’t like us using their computer systems for file transfer) I’ve finally managed to transport my blog to the new domain, willmidgley.com! Thanks must go to Sinuous Design for the web hosting, and to those who click on ads to help me pay the hosting fees!

Life continues as normal outside of the blog-centric world. The wind-up to the end of semester starts, and assignments are flowing like South Australian goon at a St. Mary’s College floor party. For those of you who I haven’t seen or talked to in ages, my apologies. As usual I’ve been snowed under with uni work, and lately I’ve been busy with this production being undertaken by the Union House Theatre. If you’re in Melbourne definitely come and see it, it’s a great show!

Feel free to leave comments and let me know what’s going on in your life, I hope to update this blog every now and then, and I check it often! It should be especially interesting when I travel around Europe for a month in June … stay tuned!

--> Well, after much farting around with transferring files and such (seems that the university doesn’t like us using their computer systems for file transfer) I’ve finally managed to transport my blog to the new domain, willmidgley.com! Thanks must go to Sinuous Design for the web hosting, and to those who click on ads to help me pay the hosting fees! Life continues as normal outside of the blog-centric world. The wind-up to the end of semester starts, and (More...)