November 29, 2005
Ten Rules for Web Startups
#11 (bonus!): Be Wary - Overgeneralized lists of business "rules" are not to be taken too literally. There are exceptions to everything.
November 28, 2005
Miz Vix on the Visual Mix
VJ Miz Vix joined us for a gig on Saturday at Oxygen. As you can see from the grin on her face, she had a thoroughly lovely time mixing up the eyecandy with Chelfyn.
On the lasers at were Michael and Marty from M2 Events with the lovely Nathan on the lights. It's great when other production crews at gigs are so friendly, as it can be hard spending 12 hours stood next to someone with an attitude. As always the Starzz crew were complete stars, and the club was rocking all night. My favourite set of the night was from Sample G, and DJ Phynn from Holland had me stomping. I also loved the first track of Nick Collins set, a storming number he's produced with Damnation who is fresh back from his NZ tour. I'm going to get them in on our show in the next couple of weeks and find out what else they have been making.
The next gig you can catch the Mohawk Media VJ Show at in Auckland will be Global Panic on December the 9th. There will be an all ages room upstairs at Bacios with R18 at Kiss downstairs. The headline act is Phil York from the UK (Tranzlation / HTUK / Bootech / Distinkt / Nuklearpuppy with DJ support from Terry Wizz, Justin Sane, Taz, Hoover Kitty, Mattboy Slim, CJ, Kam, Harri, and Crisis & Disorder from Nitrate in Christchurch. Tickets are $20 available now from Criminal Records, Symonds Street, Auckland.
Photo Gallery: City Vibes, NZ Rave.
VJ Miz Vix joined us for a gig on Saturday at Oxygen. As you can see from the grin on her face, she had a thoroughly lovely time mixing up the eyecandy with Chelfyn.
On the lasers at were Michael and Marty from M2 Events with the lovely Nathan on the lights. It's great when other production crews at gigs are so friendly, as it can be hard spending 12 hours stood next to someone with an attitude. As always the Starzz crew were complete stars, and the club was rocking all night. My favourite set of the night was from Sample G, and DJ Phynn from Holland had me stomping. I also loved the first track of Nick Collins set, a storming number he's produced with Damnation who is fresh back from his NZ tour. I'm going to get them in on our show in the next couple of weeks and find out what else they have been making.
The next gig you can catch the Mohawk Media VJ Show at in Auckland will be Global Panic on December the 9th. There will be an all ages room upstairs at Bacios with R18 at Kiss downstairs. The headline act is Phil York from the UK (Tranzlation / HTUK / Bootech / Distinkt / Nuklearpuppy with DJ support from Terry Wizz, Justin Sane, Taz, Hoover Kitty, Mattboy Slim, CJ, Kam, Harri, and Crisis & Disorder from Nitrate in Christchurch. Tickets are $20 available now from Criminal Records, Symonds Street, Auckland.
Photo Gallery: City Vibes, NZ Rave.
November 25, 2005
The Savemart Blues
I am ashamed to admit I behaved like a Diva today, during the worst shopping experience I have had in my entire life. Admittedly in Morocco my life may have been at stake, but no-one drew blood unlike today. Not only did I suffer an injury, I had my monthly treat taken away! As regular readers will know I loved pre-loved clothing. Savemart are pile them high and sell them cheap. So cheap they staple the labels to the clothes and sometimes they don't take care over it. Up until now I have had no complaints. I love a bargain and Savemart is 5 minutes away. However today was to be a whole new experience.
It started with a pair of jean. THE perfect pair of jeans. The ones that make your ass look like a peach and your legs like Cameron Diaz. I pulled them up, they slid over my thighs and as I buttoned them triumphantly, something sharp and nasty digged into my stomach. As I squealed and unhook the staple from my tender flesh the label came away, but at the time I was more bothered about the trail of blood and the pain.
With a lacerated stomach I proceeded to the checkout. I smiled at the lovely lady and handed her my haul, telling her that even though the jeans had bit me I was happy to buy them. Expecting profuse apologies for my injury, the smile was wiped off my face, when I was told that as with no label attached I couldn't buy them. Even though I had carefully kept the label in the back pocket and they were the same price of every other pair of jeans on the rails.
Not only did I receive no apology for my injury I was then told that I was overeacting when my perfect pair of jeans were ripped from my trembling hands and wheeled away. To be taken to the warehouse and put back on the rails - 'sometime next week'. SHAME you Savemart! With your stray staples and bad customer service. Most of your clients are poor families who can't fight back.
The Savemart Saga continues...
Now here's a novel new way to deal with an unhappy customer - accuse them of self mutiliation. This saga is starting to reach heights of pythonesque surreality. I called the Savemart manager this morning quite willing to accept a verbal apology, only to be accused of having caused the injury myself! Apparently the deep scratch in my stomach could not possibly have been caused by dodgy staple application. Therefore I must have done it myself! Then he hung up on me.
Attaching labels to clothes with staples is simply crazy, especially with children shopping there. It's not the first time I've been poked with a Savemart staple, and only last week Chelfyn put a deep scratch in his leg trying on a pair of boardies. I've often had one poke into my thumb while going through the rails and dread to think how many of those staples have already drawn blood. They are not only dangerous they are unhygenic, but as the Savemart management repeatedly told me this morning,
"We don't care".
Update:
I now have not one but two pairs of the perfect jeans found on Trade Me, both barely worn and without a staple in site.
I am ashamed to admit I behaved like a Diva today, during the worst shopping experience I have had in my entire life. Admittedly in Morocco my life may have been at stake, but no-one drew blood unlike today. Not only did I suffer an injury, I had my monthly treat taken away! As regular readers will know I loved pre-loved clothing. Savemart are pile them high and sell them cheap. So cheap they staple the labels to the clothes and sometimes they don't take care over it. Up until now I have had no complaints. I love a bargain and Savemart is 5 minutes away. However today was to be a whole new experience.
It started with a pair of jean. THE perfect pair of jeans. The ones that make your ass look like a peach and your legs like Cameron Diaz. I pulled them up, they slid over my thighs and as I buttoned them triumphantly, something sharp and nasty digged into my stomach. As I squealed and unhook the staple from my tender flesh the label came away, but at the time I was more bothered about the trail of blood and the pain.
With a lacerated stomach I proceeded to the checkout. I smiled at the lovely lady and handed her my haul, telling her that even though the jeans had bit me I was happy to buy them. Expecting profuse apologies for my injury, the smile was wiped off my face, when I was told that as with no label attached I couldn't buy them. Even though I had carefully kept the label in the back pocket and they were the same price of every other pair of jeans on the rails.
Not only did I receive no apology for my injury I was then told that I was overeacting when my perfect pair of jeans were ripped from my trembling hands and wheeled away. To be taken to the warehouse and put back on the rails - 'sometime next week'. SHAME you Savemart! With your stray staples and bad customer service. Most of your clients are poor families who can't fight back.
The Savemart Saga continues...
Now here's a novel new way to deal with an unhappy customer - accuse them of self mutiliation. This saga is starting to reach heights of pythonesque surreality. I called the Savemart manager this morning quite willing to accept a verbal apology, only to be accused of having caused the injury myself! Apparently the deep scratch in my stomach could not possibly have been caused by dodgy staple application. Therefore I must have done it myself! Then he hung up on me.
Attaching labels to clothes with staples is simply crazy, especially with children shopping there. It's not the first time I've been poked with a Savemart staple, and only last week Chelfyn put a deep scratch in his leg trying on a pair of boardies. I've often had one poke into my thumb while going through the rails and dread to think how many of those staples have already drawn blood. They are not only dangerous they are unhygenic, but as the Savemart management repeatedly told me this morning,
"We don't care".
Update:
I now have not one but two pairs of the perfect jeans found on Trade Me, both barely worn and without a staple in site.
November 19, 2005
November 18, 2005
Beatnick LIVE on the TMet Show
Podcast: Stream or download a podcast of Beatnick live.
Kiwi electronica act Beatnick is the special guest on this week’s TMet Friday Drive show on Twisted Radio. Beatnick aka Nick de Friez, is a sound manipulator/beat maker based in Auckland City, signed to Cosmic Conspiracy Records (Wellington). Fusing technologies and ideas, Beatnick brings the studio to the stage with a unique blend of electronic dub/triphop/hiphop.
Beatnick has recently performed alongside acts such as Pitch Black, The Black Seeds and COSM. He will be playing a live set during the TMet Show at Twisted Studio #3 in Waitakere City.For more information and musical treats please visit www.beatnick.co.nz or catch Beatnick LIVE this NY's Eve in Christchurch @ Tranzfer.
Podcast: Stream or download a podcast of Beatnick live.Kiwi electronica act Beatnick is the special guest on this week’s TMet Friday Drive show on Twisted Radio. Beatnick aka Nick de Friez, is a sound manipulator/beat maker based in Auckland City, signed to Cosmic Conspiracy Records (Wellington). Fusing technologies and ideas, Beatnick brings the studio to the stage with a unique blend of electronic dub/triphop/hiphop.
Beatnick has recently performed alongside acts such as Pitch Black, The Black Seeds and COSM. He will be playing a live set during the TMet Show at Twisted Studio #3 in Waitakere City.For more information and musical treats please visit www.beatnick.co.nz or catch Beatnick LIVE this NY's Eve in Christchurch @ Tranzfer.
November 16, 2005
Beach Bums Sploring in New Zealand Woman's Weekly
Another week at Mohawk Media and TMet Recordings. Drinking bubbly on a Tuesday night with Otis and Slave, and then filming on a beach on Wednesday. I hate my job. Having to go to Piha on a sunny day and being paid to run around and splash in the waves. It's a hard life, but someone has to live it. Oh and I'm in this week's issue of New Zealand Womens's Weekly to round off the weirdness.
Mohawk is making a TV ident to celebrate the upcoming summer holidays, so Monday started with a run to the op shop to find costumes. I love op shopping let alone being paid to do it. On Tuesday evening I rocked along to Galatos bar for the Splore launch party, with bubbles, sushi and a presentation from the irrepressible Slave & Otis. They seem just the same in real life as they do on radio & TV, open, friendly and very very funny.
Splore is a bi-annual outdoor arts & music festival which is held over 3 days in stunning surroundings. It's one of Auckland's best kept secrets and this year it will be taking place at Tapapakanga south of Auckland which has a beach 3 minutes walk away. The organisers are also the team behind the Trash to Fashion Awards held ever year in Waitakere, so I'm really looking forward to seeing their work in an outdoor setting. Splore runs from the 17th - 19th February 2006, and for more details check out www.splore.net
Today I got to run around on Piha Beach pretending to fly a kite. It was a beautiful, sunny day and after a week of rain we had perfect conditions for filming. Piha is one of the locations made famous by the cult Xena series, with its iconic Lion Rock and black sand beach. On the way back we put the top down on the car and cruised through the Waitakere Ranges, with an azure blue sky behind the rainforest canopy. I spent the whole day thinking that life doesn't get much better than this.
The other crazy thing to happen this week is seeing my mugshot in New Zealand Womans's Weely, the biggest selling weekly magazine in the country. With around a million copies shifted each week, it's read by almost a quarter of the population. On the cover is Susan Wood and her battle to keep her $450K a year paypacket. There's gossip about Jen and Vince, Courtney Cox's baby heartache and Kate Winslet's new body. Then on page 45 there's a piece on some mad chick who has purple and pink hair and runs a record label.
I'm really happy with the way the piece has been written as it gets across how lucky I feel to be doing what I love every day. Only a few years ago I was living in the UK, unfit, overweight and stressed out in a job I hated. Now I get to run around on beaches, and hang out in op shops for a living. The other woman in the NZWW article is an amazing chick called Jo Sutton, who survived a serious road accident and has set up her own business. It's so inspiring to read her story, and I hope telling my tale will encourage more Kiwis to follow their dreams.
Another week at Mohawk Media and TMet Recordings. Drinking bubbly on a Tuesday night with Otis and Slave, and then filming on a beach on Wednesday. I hate my job. Having to go to Piha on a sunny day and being paid to run around and splash in the waves. It's a hard life, but someone has to live it. Oh and I'm in this week's issue of New Zealand Womens's Weekly to round off the weirdness.
Mohawk is making a TV ident to celebrate the upcoming summer holidays, so Monday started with a run to the op shop to find costumes. I love op shopping let alone being paid to do it. On Tuesday evening I rocked along to Galatos bar for the Splore launch party, with bubbles, sushi and a presentation from the irrepressible Slave & Otis. They seem just the same in real life as they do on radio & TV, open, friendly and very very funny.
Splore is a bi-annual outdoor arts & music festival which is held over 3 days in stunning surroundings. It's one of Auckland's best kept secrets and this year it will be taking place at Tapapakanga south of Auckland which has a beach 3 minutes walk away. The organisers are also the team behind the Trash to Fashion Awards held ever year in Waitakere, so I'm really looking forward to seeing their work in an outdoor setting. Splore runs from the 17th - 19th February 2006, and for more details check out www.splore.net
Today I got to run around on Piha Beach pretending to fly a kite. It was a beautiful, sunny day and after a week of rain we had perfect conditions for filming. Piha is one of the locations made famous by the cult Xena series, with its iconic Lion Rock and black sand beach. On the way back we put the top down on the car and cruised through the Waitakere Ranges, with an azure blue sky behind the rainforest canopy. I spent the whole day thinking that life doesn't get much better than this.
The other crazy thing to happen this week is seeing my mugshot in New Zealand Womans's Weely, the biggest selling weekly magazine in the country. With around a million copies shifted each week, it's read by almost a quarter of the population. On the cover is Susan Wood and her battle to keep her $450K a year paypacket. There's gossip about Jen and Vince, Courtney Cox's baby heartache and Kate Winslet's new body. Then on page 45 there's a piece on some mad chick who has purple and pink hair and runs a record label.
I'm really happy with the way the piece has been written as it gets across how lucky I feel to be doing what I love every day. Only a few years ago I was living in the UK, unfit, overweight and stressed out in a job I hated. Now I get to run around on beaches, and hang out in op shops for a living. The other woman in the NZWW article is an amazing chick called Jo Sutton, who survived a serious road accident and has set up her own business. It's so inspiring to read her story, and I hope telling my tale will encourage more Kiwis to follow their dreams.
November 14, 2005
Tools to make your home business fun, easy and successful
Downloads and templates to help make running your home business fun, easy and successful.
November 08, 2005
Mohawk Media @ Mint & Intersect05 VJ Festival
We were back at Starzz on Saturday night as Mohawk Media, for the first in a monthly Mint series at this wicked new venue. The man behind Mint is Sample G who has been based in Sydney for the past three years. He's been involved in the dance scene since the late 80s, and has done everything from DJ, present a music show, and run a record store. Sample G was also a label manager at Universal Records until 2003 and produced the immensely popular Lagered CD releases. He's a thoroughly lovely chap to work with, as are the crew at Starzz nightclub.
We pitched up to the club at lunchtime on Saturday to set up the projector and back projection screen. We were doing a cut down VJ show so the set up was really cruisy and laid back. You can easily end up working 15 hour shifts over a gig, what with set up, take down and returning hire equipment the next day. As Chelfyn says as a VJ the hours are terrible, but the most of the minutes are great. Which is much better than a 9 - 5 job you hate.
I chatted with Sample G while he was up a step ladder about the early days of The Brain which started back in 1991. The Brain was the first club night many of our Kiwis friends ever went to, and is legendary in New Zealand. The Brain will be celebrating its 15th birthday next year with a gig in April. Sample G has been back in the country since the start of this year and said he had a fantastic time in Australia but he missed the whanau, and is really happy to be back in Auckland.
Mohawk Media will be back at Starzz with a full live 8 hour VJ show at Oxygen on the 26th November. With DJ's Phynn (Holland), SampleGee, Nick Collings, Kurt Erickson, Bennor, JayKay, General Lee, Jason Ng, Tim Richards, Andy Clayton, and Karn Hall.
If you're based in Auckland and are curious about this VJing lark, then head on down to the Moving Image Centre this Saturday for Intersect 05. The morning session runs from 11.00 to 13.00 and is an Introduction Workshop hosted by Simon and James from Lotech. The afternoon kicks off at 14.00 with a session on Analogue v Digital VJ Techniques followed by an Axis of Weevils talk about content creation. The final session is on Visuals and Stage design from Dnation. It's followed by an Intersect Afterparty at Galatos with visuals from all the crews.
For more info check out: http://www.mic.org.nz/intersect05.html
We were back at Starzz on Saturday night as Mohawk Media, for the first in a monthly Mint series at this wicked new venue. The man behind Mint is Sample G who has been based in Sydney for the past three years. He's been involved in the dance scene since the late 80s, and has done everything from DJ, present a music show, and run a record store. Sample G was also a label manager at Universal Records until 2003 and produced the immensely popular Lagered CD releases. He's a thoroughly lovely chap to work with, as are the crew at Starzz nightclub.
We pitched up to the club at lunchtime on Saturday to set up the projector and back projection screen. We were doing a cut down VJ show so the set up was really cruisy and laid back. You can easily end up working 15 hour shifts over a gig, what with set up, take down and returning hire equipment the next day. As Chelfyn says as a VJ the hours are terrible, but the most of the minutes are great. Which is much better than a 9 - 5 job you hate.
I chatted with Sample G while he was up a step ladder about the early days of The Brain which started back in 1991. The Brain was the first club night many of our Kiwis friends ever went to, and is legendary in New Zealand. The Brain will be celebrating its 15th birthday next year with a gig in April. Sample G has been back in the country since the start of this year and said he had a fantastic time in Australia but he missed the whanau, and is really happy to be back in Auckland.
Mohawk Media will be back at Starzz with a full live 8 hour VJ show at Oxygen on the 26th November. With DJ's Phynn (Holland), SampleGee, Nick Collings, Kurt Erickson, Bennor, JayKay, General Lee, Jason Ng, Tim Richards, Andy Clayton, and Karn Hall.
If you're based in Auckland and are curious about this VJing lark, then head on down to the Moving Image Centre this Saturday for Intersect 05. The morning session runs from 11.00 to 13.00 and is an Introduction Workshop hosted by Simon and James from Lotech. The afternoon kicks off at 14.00 with a session on Analogue v Digital VJ Techniques followed by an Axis of Weevils talk about content creation. The final session is on Visuals and Stage design from Dnation. It's followed by an Intersect Afterparty at Galatos with visuals from all the crews.
For more info check out: http://www.mic.org.nz/intersect05.html
November 04, 2005
Snapshot of Auckland's Creative Industries
Creative industries: "Snapshot: The economic impact of the creative industries on Auckland is significant. The creative industries have been identified by the New Zealand government as a business sector that is capable of generating a transformational change in New Zealand's economic performance."
This report from Auckland City Council gives a snapshot of the creative industries in New Zealand's largest city.
This report from Auckland City Council gives a snapshot of the creative industries in New Zealand's largest city.
Mistress Dirtbag Whips up a Resurrection Breakfast
New Zealand's naughtiest female breakfast host is back on the air waves. Join Mistress Dirtbag for the Resurrection Breakfasts, from 8am until 10am Week-days on Twisted Radio. Serving up a morning dose of Twisted news, musical interludes and rants & raves. Tune in to 107.7FM Auckland, 107.5FM Hamilton or listen live or to the Resurrection Breakfasts show archive at www.twisted.co.nz/radio
The Mistress is kicking off her re-launch with 2 fabulously Saucy Prize Packs thanks to Video Expo. There is one for the boys and one for the girls and they are definitely not safe for work. Check out the Resurrection Breakfasts blog for details on how to enter and win. The Mistress kicked off her first week back by supporting the Half Naked Thursday net campaign. She went topless for the last half hour of her show this morning, and there were 1200 hits on the Twisted webcam.
In seven minutes.
If you missed the Mistress supporting Half Naked Thursday then you're lucky that Jenza took a screengrab which is Not Safe for Work. It's a reasonable bet these marvellous breasts will be gracing the webcam again next Thursday from 9.30 a.m. on the Resurrection Breakfast on Twisted Radio.
New Zealand's naughtiest female breakfast host is back on the air waves. Join Mistress Dirtbag for the Resurrection Breakfasts, from 8am until 10am Week-days on Twisted Radio. Serving up a morning dose of Twisted news, musical interludes and rants & raves. Tune in to 107.7FM Auckland, 107.5FM Hamilton or listen live or to the Resurrection Breakfasts show archive at www.twisted.co.nz/radio
The Mistress is kicking off her re-launch with 2 fabulously Saucy Prize Packs thanks to Video Expo. There is one for the boys and one for the girls and they are definitely not safe for work. Check out the Resurrection Breakfasts blog for details on how to enter and win. The Mistress kicked off her first week back by supporting the Half Naked Thursday net campaign. She went topless for the last half hour of her show this morning, and there were 1200 hits on the Twisted webcam.
In seven minutes.
If you missed the Mistress supporting Half Naked Thursday then you're lucky that Jenza took a screengrab which is Not Safe for Work. It's a reasonable bet these marvellous breasts will be gracing the webcam again next Thursday from 9.30 a.m. on the Resurrection Breakfast on Twisted Radio.
November 03, 2005
Podcasts: The TMet Show 30/9/05, 7/10/05, 28/10/05
Thanks to the wonders of Twisted Timeshifting, if you miss my Friday Drive show on Twisted Radio, New Zealand, you can listen to archived streams or download shows to your portable media players. Here's three recent TMet Shows that were a little bit special:
30/9/05 - Nitrate Special
Stream or download this show.
The Nitrate boys were up from Christchurch on the second leg of their Tantrum2 tour. Focus, Crises and Disorder joined Chelfyn in the Twisted Central Studios to spin some hard dance tunes.
7/10/05 - Psytrance Special
Stream or download this show.
3 hours of psychadelic music from DJ Chelfyn.
28/10/05 - Xtensa (Live PSY with Didgeridoo)
Stream or download this show.
DJ Extensa & Al have been living and loving in London for the past 8 years, and have recently returned to New Zealand. They joined Ms Behaviour & Chelfyn in Twisted Studio 3 in Waitakere City on last Friday's show with DJ Extensa on the wheels of steel with Al playing live Didgeridoo. We're hoping to get them in on the once a month, so watch this space for more details.
Thanks to the wonders of Twisted Timeshifting, if you miss my Friday Drive show on Twisted Radio, New Zealand, you can listen to archived streams or download shows to your portable media players. Here's three recent TMet Shows that were a little bit special:30/9/05 - Nitrate Special
Stream or download this show.The Nitrate boys were up from Christchurch on the second leg of their Tantrum2 tour. Focus, Crises and Disorder joined Chelfyn in the Twisted Central Studios to spin some hard dance tunes.
7/10/05 - Psytrance Special
Stream or download this show.3 hours of psychadelic music from DJ Chelfyn.
28/10/05 - Xtensa (Live PSY with Didgeridoo)
Stream or download this show.DJ Extensa & Al have been living and loving in London for the past 8 years, and have recently returned to New Zealand. They joined Ms Behaviour & Chelfyn in Twisted Studio 3 in Waitakere City on last Friday's show with DJ Extensa on the wheels of steel with Al playing live Didgeridoo. We're hoping to get them in on the once a month, so watch this space for more details.
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