Virtual Joint

I'm loving Firefox as a browser. I particularly love that it's Open Source and has been built collectively. For free. I love the way you can add extensions if you need them, and adding extensions and themes is really easy. Unfortunately Virtual Joint is only a fantasy, but they do have a Scribblies theme where the back arrows are magic mushrooms.

MsB's Friday Blog Bits

Tattoo stolen from new Auckland artspace - A cheeky bloke waltzed out of the Ataia tattoo studio (Monmouth Rd, Newton, Auckland) with $300 of Chinese dragon on his arm without paying. He is stocky with short, dark hair, and also has a dragon on his calf. If you see this man then call 021-TATTOO.

Buffyology - Everything you always wanted to know about Buffy. And more. As well as being a huge Buffy fan I've also been enjoying Firefly, Joss Whedon's Sci-Fi Western. Shame the series was cancelled just as it was getting really good. I currently have a huge crush on Inara. Hubba hubba.

Woman Promotes the Right to Go Topless - not that I'd get any work done but I'm all for it!

Jailed for using a text based browser - while attempting to donate to Tsunami relief. I'm so glad I left the UK!

Spongebob Squarepants is an Evil Gay Heathen - it must be so hard to be a right wing Christian these days. Hehe.

Save the Endangered Gizmo!
To highlight the danger of legislation killing innovation, the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) had brought out a list of Extinct and Endangered Gizmos. Extinct are such groundbreakers as Napster, with technical advances such as Firewire drives and virtual soundcards on the Endangered list. The hot tip for digital music this year is mobile music, with more tracks being downloaded to mobiles in some parts of Asia than to PCs. It opens up a new piracy medium but also some exciting possibilities.

As reported by Digital Music News, at the recent Midwestern conference Martin Mills (Beggars Group Chairman) called for the music industry to embrace P2P. He pointed out that the fixation with a price per unit model means that it is ignoring alternative income streams. The majors are finally climbing off the fence, and it's obvious that legal downloads are here to stay. Dance giants Tidy Trax have started releasing some tracks as MP3 only and Nukleuz have just signed a deal with audiojelly.

Now the phrase 'I got it off the net' can be said in public, and it's time for all those people who said they'd support legal downloads to put their hands in their pocketses. Good places to buy New Zealand music online are Amplifier and of course my dance download label TMet Recordings. Amplifier are also now streaming some cool Kiwi music videos.

Feral Factor NZ

Long before Fear Factor plumbed new depths of culinary nightmares, New Zealand has had an extreme food frenzy - the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival which is now in its 16th year. The event on March 11th will also feature a 'Feral Factor' competition with contestants munching their way through seven items of unsavoury fare: cow udder, wild goat testicles, pig snout, frog legs, offal (possibly liver), live snails in the shell, and kina. Some will be cooked, and some raw.

The organisers of the festival promise a veritable smorgasbord of 'innovative food such as pigs ears, grass hopper, earthworms, scorpion, hare testicles, chicken feet, magpie pies, stuffed seaweed, bull semen, fish eyes and huhu grubs washed down with rhubarb champagne'

Yum.

Bez Best Big Brother
Bez from the Happy Mondays has just won celebrity Big Brother in the UK. The household was truly amazing. They had John McCririck, the racing pundit with the lamb chop sideburns and a penchant for tweed, Germaine Greer (who walked out citing 'bullying'), Lisa I'Anson (Radio 1 DJ and popbitch princess), boy bander Kenzie and professional blonde Caprice.

Add to that Bez, Brigitte Nielsen and then chuck in her ex-mother in law Jackie Stallone who she hasn't seen in 17 years. That's just twisted! Now I'm normally allergic to televised Celebrity Twatfests, but may have to track some episodes down on the net. It will be worth it just for some classic Bez. The last time I saw him was my wedding reception. With a vial of liquid cocaine and his head stuck in a tap.

My (almost) Ian Pooley interview
Bloody minidisc. I had a last minute call on Friday from Josh at the New Zealand Dance Chart, to see if I could do a quick interview with Ian Pooley. I rocked up to the George studios for a chat, before heading over to the Twisted studios for my show with Chelfyn. When I listened back to check how it had come out - no interview. I really need some new recording gear.

Anyway from what I can remember, Ian has a new album out called 'Souveniers' some of which was written in NZ. He has been over here five times now, and stayed out at Piha for a while writing tracks for his last album. The track 'Stonyridge Terrace' (out on his label Pooled) was inspired by the famous Stonyridge Vineyard on Waiheke Island.

I think Stonyridge Terrace is the best track on the album with its fat beats and dubby undertones set off to the sound of cicadas. The rest of the tracks are nicely produced house grooves and world rhythms as Ian has been listening to lots of Brazilian music lately. Ian's favourite NZ artists are Soane, Bevan Keys, and he's also partial to a bit of Goldenhorse. I would have more to tell if it wasn't for that pesky minidisc!

Big Day Out Online
Cathy Aronson is out and about in sun today, blogging her way through the Big Day Out for the Herald:

"You could spot the festival goers a mile-away. Little Paris Hilton clones, short skirts, boob tubes, caps and big sunnies. Most of the guys on my train were wearing jeans and metal t-shirts. Maybe they were maggots - heading in for heavy band Slipknot."

For more read the Big Day Diary.

MsB's Blog Bits


What Kind of 60s person are you? - I am a Hippie. What a surprise.

Fuck for forest - Eco-porn to save the planet.

Extreme Naked Gymnastics - I particularly like the very lovely (and very bendy) Linda.

From Freudian Slippers my quote of the week: "Those who dance appear insane to those who cannot hear the music"

I also love this quote from a 90 year old lady in a wheelchair, sent to prison for a week in New Jersey for taking part in an anti war protest & refusing to pay her fine: "I've been arrested before but have never spent time in jail. This is the start of a great adventure."

Channel Z goes 100% Kiwi
From Waitangi Day Channel Z will be going live as Kiwi Fm, and broadcasting all Kiwi music. I think it's a fantastic idea. The more New Zealand music that gets airplay the better it is for independent artists. Add some legal dowload sites like amplifier or TMet, and Kiwi artists can be selling globally. There is huge interest in New Zealand right now from overseas. Just imagine if A&R people can start listening to Aotearoan Artists on a 100% Kiwi webstream.

I'm already a huge fan of Channel Z, as they were the first radio station to play The Evil Plans of George W Bush IIIrd way back in 2002. It was the support from Bomber and Clarke Gayford (now of C4), and the listeners who kept ringing up to request Evil Plans that inspired us to go online with TMet Recordings.

The Joy of Siestas
Now that I'm guesting on Mistress Dirtbag's breakfast shows, I've rediscovered the afternoon snooze. It eases the pain of having to prise myself from my doona at dawn, and I also get to stay up late. It's such a shame that the Spanish are losing the siesta to business, just as the rest of the world is discovering the health benefits of afternoon naps. I've learned a lot from hanging with my cats.

Alternative Energy Blog
We have to get away from this one size fits all thinking. Why do we have to have one religion, one brand, one culture? Why not something for everyone, which ever fits best. Here's a great Alternative Energy Blog written by James in London. It's heartening to read of all the places round the world that are slowly weaning themself off the grid. While arguments rain over which single energy source will replace oil, people are out there implementing all of them before it's too late. Please keep the emails coming as I'm really enjoying them. just drop me a line at msb@tmet.co.nz

Is the Kiwi rave scene commercial?
I love getting missives from people who have stopped off at my little pocket of Cyberspace. I was sent this from Birds who asked:

"Is the rave scene still alive & kicking in Kiwiland? As an brit expat in Yankland, it's all a bit (very!) comercialised here compared to what I was weened on in the Summer of Love etc."

There is a rave scene in New Zealand but it's small, underground and most outdoor parties are off the beaten track in the South Island. I miss the European festival circuit and the UK free party scene, but something very special is growing right now in New Zealand. It feels like it did around the Summer of Love in the UK. Lots of little party crews clustering into networks, pooling resources and cross pollinating ideas. I've especially noticed it happening in the D&B & Psytrance scenes.

The most amazing thing for me is being at the forefront of it musically. Some of the demos given to us at the Full Circle are very exciting. I can't believe how lucky I am to be in the position to give them radio airplay and online distribution. Is the scene commercialised? Maybe in Auckland a little, but the further south you go the more Kiwi it gets. It's like moving back to a time where people were more laid back and cared less about money.

Probably the coolest (and most ethical) trainers in the world



I am so excited. My blackspot sneakers have arrived. I am now the proud owner of the worlds first ethical trainer which comes with a red dot on the sole for Kicking Nike's Ass. They are really comfy and that little red dot makes me feel really good.

With every pair you get a shareholder certificate:

"BLACKSPOT ANTICORPORATION SHAREHOLDER CERTIFICATE

Dear Blackspotter,

You are now the owner of a pair of blackspot sneakers. I hope you feel a
sense of empowerment as you slip them on and, like so many others before
you, embark on a life spiced up with a pinch of social activism.

The anti-logo hand drawn on the side of your blackspots is a symbol
of resistance against multinational hyper-branders like Nike that, over the
past few generations, have come to dominate so much of our lives. The red
tip, hand painted on the nose of your sneaker, is for kicking Nike ceo Phil
Knight’s ass. We will cut into his market share. We will uncool his tired old
swoosh. And we will transform the sneaker industry into a more diverse,
grassroots affair.

By buying this pair of blackspots you also receive one share in the blackspot
anticorporation. When you log onto you can use your shareholder number as your password and vote on how we run our anticorporation. Your feedback and input will determine the direction of this ongoing experiment in democratic capitalism. Collectively we will decide the style of future blackspot sneaker designs, what materials to use, where to make them, how to market them and how the pro? ts will be used. The ultimate goal? An exciting shareholder-driven enterprise with our own co-op factories and retail outlets around the world.

If we can make this work, then we will have set a precedent that can be
used to transform other industries. Just imagine: a blackspot music label that
is truly independent; a chain of blackspot restaurants that kicks McDonalds’
ass by serving only locally-produced food; a network of individually-owned
biodiesel outlets that cuts deeply into Big Oil’s market share. The possibilities
are limited only by the desire for change.

There is no copyright on the blackspot anti-logo. Take it and use it. Let
us know how you are participating in the experiment, and how you envision
the unfolding of this open-ended plan for creating a more ethical, green and
user-friendly future. Together we have the power to create an authentic,
noncorporate cool and change the way the world does business. We can and
will transform capitalism into a much more bottom-up system, driven by
people, not corporations.

kalle lasn
CEO

blackspot anticorporation

It's nice to be a shareholder of an anticorporation. You can buy yourself a pair of blackspot sneakers from the adbusters crew. Only US$60 (including international P&P) which is about NZ$85.00. I particularly love the customised blackspots found on Sorry Everbody. Class.

Stay thin by sleeping more?
I like to have 9 hours sleep a night, and have always had to defend this to people, but I'm not lazy. I'm laid-back. And according to this new study, I'm not snoozing - I'm slimming!

See also How to be Idle, and Quitting the Paint Factory.

Are dance pills doomed?
I hate to say it, but we may be hearing the first death knells for the New Zealand legal high industry. Having set up a herbal high company over 11 years ago, and watched irresponsible cowboy merchants cause the industry to be shut down in the UK, I'm feeling an incredible sense of deja vu. The worst thing is that responsible manufacturers like Matt Bowden (of dancepills.com & Angelcare), the pioneers of the industry may lose their livelihoods, because of people diving in to make a fast buck. Now some bunch of muppets have brought out monster strength pills with 250 mg of BZP in them. I wait with baited breath for the first deaths.

The only time I ever took more than a quarter dose of these things (a 'normal pill' contains around 40mg) I was really ill. I'd taken 4 pills at the start of the night and then another 2 just before I left the club, making it a dose and half (around 240 mg). By the time I got home every time I tried to stand up my legs were going out from underneath me and I kept blacking out. Bear in mind that I've taken some pretty funky substances in my time both herbal and chemical (I used to test smart drugs, and herbal highs) and I have never been affected like that. The comedown was incredibly nasty (worse than speed) and lasted until the next weekend.

At the last Big Day Out the St John's ambulance crews were dealing with idiots taking ten times the recommended dose. I shudder to think what ten of these things will do. Interestingly all the feedback on the dance boards has been resoundingly negative. Their dreadful commercial spamming of the boards hasn't helped, and their attitude seems very clear. I quote from a new dance commuty that has popped up suspiciously just after this company has been told to go away by everyone else:

"Well usally (sic) most of us are munters... I have a feeling that BZP is going to be banned anyway..."

Oh dear. Here we go again.

Shark scare at Pakiri Beach



The last time we went to Pakiri beach we missed seeing Gwyneth Paltrow. This time it was a school of sharks. While Chelfyn, the Mistress and I were paddling around in the shallows and building a supersized scandcastle (with moat and shark pond), everyone was running out of the surf like a scene from Jaws. Luckily our very own action journo Cathy Aronson was on hand with her groovy pxt phone and scooped the story: Sharks stalk lone kayaker

MsB's Fake Tan Test



One of the joys of working from home is you can take advantage of lovely sunny days. Now that most people have gone back to work, the weeks of grey skys and rain have cleared and summer has kicked in. The smell of honeysuckle and buzz of cicadas has filled the balmy air. I've dug out the Factor 30 as the UV index is off the scale, and I'm getting my bod ready for the beach with a healthy dose of fake tan.

One of the joys of blogging is that you can say exactly what you think. I've always wanted to test beauty products but magazines rely on advertisers. If a product is crap most beauty editors just don't write about it. You never know whether to believe the hype. So I have decided to test things out for myself and write my honest opinions. Here's my round up on fake tans:

Nivea Moisturising Self Tan Spray $14.95
From: Supermarkets and Pharmacies. http://www.nivea.co.nz/
Smell: Toffee/caramel
Colour: A natural golden glow.
Coverage: Good, though rub in well on ankles and knees.
Rating: 3/5
Verdict: My favourite budget tanner. It’s easy to use, doesn’t streak if you are careful and smells lovely. I always keep some in the cupboard for top ups, and travelling and you can buy it pretty much anywhere. Nivea also sell a well priced suncreen range.

Piz Buin Foam (comes in Mid or Max) $29.95
From: Farmers and Pharmacies. http://www.pizbuin.com
Smell: Very light.
Colour: Mid is golden brown, Max is a rich bronze.
Coverage: Easy to apply but keep washing your hands, as it dries fast!
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: I love the foam texture, the Max colour, and how long it lasts. Rub in well as it’s colourless, so you can’t see where it has been applied. Not safe for diy tan virgins.

Ambre Solaire ‘No Streaks Bronzer’ $19.95
From: Supermarkets and Pharmacies.
Smell: Apricot
Colour: Streaky orange
Coverage: Dreadful.
Rating: 1/5
Verdict: Definitely does not do what it says on the tin. I hated the sickly apricot smell, and the aerosol dispenser was unpleasant to use in my small bathroom. It streaked badly and made me look orange.

Fake Bake Dark Tanning Crème $59.25
From: www.boddz.co.nz or Unichem Pharmacies.
Smell: light caramel.
Colour: A natural golden tan.
Coverage: Excellent. No streaks even around ankles & feet.
Rating: 4/5
Verdict: Time consuming to apply but completely foolproof and the best natural result. The colour that lets you easily see where you’ve applied, makes you look muddy so it’s best applied before bed. It washes off in the morning to leave a streak-free golden tan. Perfect for beginners or occasional tanners, it also comes in a foam.

A great place for no holds barred beauty reviews and price comparisons is Dooyoo.. Here's a lovely review on Immac Cold Wax Strips.

Official New Zealand Dance Music Chart to be launched on January 28th



A new nationally syndicated radio programme, bringing together the top 10 tracks from the New Zealand club scene will be launched on January 28th through a network of 16 stations around the country. The show is being made by independent radio production company 'Media With Attitude' and will be presented by Josh Webb and Nik Barrett. It will also feature editorial content such as interviews, news and reviews, as well as a strong focus on New Zealand artists, with regular spots for new locally produced music to be showcased.

"For the first time ever, a definitive national dance chart is being compiled in New Zealand, aiming to be an expression of what’s hot in the clubs right now by getting it’s statistics from a selected 'academy' of independent record stores, club and radio DJ’s.

The goals of the show are "to showcase and grow the New Zealand dance music scene, to encourage participation, and to ultimately be the best dance music show on the radio in this country" said Josh Webb, the shows producer.

The statistics gathered will also help to form the basis for the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) to allocate funds collected in royalties from nightclubs, dance parties and events, providing an additional benefit for the dance music scene. "This will give fairer representation to electronic musicians and hopefully alleviate a point of contention where event promoters have often been reluctant to contribute to the funding pool in the past, due to the lack of a reliable system to get their money to the intended artists" Webb said.

The show will run weekly, commencing January 28th. A list of participating radio stations and further information is available at www.nzdc.co.nz"

TMet are looking forward to supporting Nik and Josh in this. It's fantastic to see people putting so much effort into support the Kiwi dance scene.

The Full Circle 05



Am I too old for this shit? A question I ask myself every time I pack up my tent and head off to party in the wilderness. You’d think after 15 years of dancing in fields, forests and on farms that I’d have had enough by now, but the beat goes on. This year’s trek was down to The Full Circle near Golden Bay, Takaka in the South Island of New Zealand. After a wild and wet Wednesday night we were considering bailing especially after hearing that a severe weather warning had been issued for that area and that the West Coast had received over a metre of rain. Reassured by the Met Office’s promise of rain turning to showers with sun for New Year, we caught a flight from Auckland to Nelson getting in around 2 p.m.

By 5 p.m. we suspected that the promoter had forgotten about picking us up, so decided to hire a car and make our own way down to the site. There we found a little tent city with everyone camped out in the main marquee, as the weather had been so severe. The crew had managed to put up a big top in gale force winds and the river was rising so fast that they’d got everyone camped together for safety. We pitched our tent up on a ridge well away from the river and spent a night in torrential rain with rain dripping into my ear. New Year’s Eve however brought sun and blue skies, drying out the site and lightening everyone’s mood. Some of the crew had been on site since before Christmas, which must have been gruelling but we never heard complaints.

It seems that most people at psytrance parties are off duty journalists. Our neighbours were an interesting mix of journos from TV3, a nurse and a pharmaceutical engineer. It was mainly an older crowd and a refreshing break from club kids off their heads on hormones and BZP. It was great to catch up with friends from Welly like Mr Oz & Siobhan, Yetimon & Pip and Paul from undergrounddancemusic.com with his Jolly Lolly rave tunnel, the perfect place to chill.

Chelfyn’s first set (as Psychelfyn) was in the Psy Zone from 8 – 10 p.m. Then we had a couple of hours in the Jolly Lolly before heading up to the main zone for his headline slot to see in the New Year. As Chelfyn dropped the first track of 2005 the crowd went wild. He played an epic set covering all genres, and when he played One Ring everyone was transfixed by the Orc noises coming out of the 35K Rig. To top it all a lovely lady came running up to the DJ booth and gave Chelfyn a bud of local homegrown that was the size of a baby’s arm. He handed over the decks to Justin Sane before running out onto the dancefloor and being mobbed by the crowd.

Unfortunately the rain started again during Justin’s set but it was warm and wet, and he kept the dancefloor grooving right through to the end. I didn’t make it to the house tent but apparently it was packed all night and there was always a fair number of people in the Psy zone and chilling out in the Dub cafe. Mr Oz saw in the sunrise to an appreciative crowd, and even through the rain no DJ ever played to an empty dancefloor. South Islanders are hardy folk, it must be their Scottish roots. They were happily stomping around in the mud with even more people turning up for the second night of Psy on the main zone.

There is nothing more decadent than dancing outdoors, and I’ve always found clubbing a bit like having a shower with a coat on. Am I too old for this shit? Obviously not. Chelfyn has been booked again for a party in Takaka in March and I can’t wait to head back down again. As someone said on The Full Circle forums, yet again this party is testament to how fantastic the New Zealand psytrance scene is. I’d like to say a huge thanks to Dean and the Full Circle crew for putting on an amazing party against all the odds. Respect.

You can check out our Full Circle pics in the Twisted Gallery.