2010

Mon, Jul 26

<16:58 EEST> Project Gus presents a nice roundup of the not so nice state of Free software on tablet computers. It is one thing to simply take open source software and package it into a closed appliance, as has been done in the past. IMHO worse is the more recent practice of using an open source basis as a marketing tool: look at us, we are so open, we use Linux... except you cannot really make any use of the openness. If this isn't hypocrisy, I don't know what is.

Of course, a lot of this has been said before, but Project Gus also explains what it all means to a typical customer choosing their next tablet or mobile phone. For example, continued support and updates are much more likely for devices using truly free software.

Tue, Jul 13

<14:50 EEST> It is scorching hot in Finland, to the questionable delight of outdoor theatre enthusiasts. Sakset kivi paperi premiered last Wednesday, and the subsequent performances so far have taken place in record temperatures around 30 °C. Right now in Jyväskylä it is 30.5 and the peak forecast for today is 34. I have just rigged a computer fan on a table behind my back, and I am drinking well-cooled tea.

Last summer, I came up with an alternative notion of Student's t-test. To test whether the weather is too hot to be comfortable, see if you can drink tea (or any hot beverages) during the entire day. It is far from scientific rigour, as you can prepare tea in a wide range of temperatures. Thankfully, white tea and many varieties of green prefer to be steeped well below the boiling point, and for a longer time for extra cooling. In fact, I have got the impression that many people in the Middle East and Northern Africa prefer tea to ice-cold drinks for their cooling needs.

SKP is my first foray back into theatre music after a two-year break. During the rehearsal phase, it took me a while to regain my confidence, and I am still not sure if I am truly back to my usual levels, but at least the general experience of doing a theatre production has been nice, with great support from the director and the rest of the group. I think a lot of the music turned out improvised during rehearsals, partly due to environmental and equipment constraints. At home it was hard to consider all of the limitations and possibilities, and the distractions from inside and outside my building are occasionally quite overwhelming. I have lost the joy of listening to music a long time ago, mainly due to neighbours forcing me to listen to their choices. At least some fun remains in making music, and being part of a theatre group is a great motivator.