Garageband. internet. music production.

Allow me to expand on a few things; Music in the 21st century is so easy to make, promote, and find an audience that likes it, thanks to the giant community bill board known as the internet, and the ever impressive computer age. recording facilities like Garageband come as a bog standard program on a Mac laptop computer. In the days of the bands we now accept as being both pioneers and part of the Canon of 20th century music, recording was expensive, required expertise and was limiting. Now, "With the touch of a button" one could record a plethora of music, multitrack, mix, master and burn onto a C.D. Not to mention show it to the rest of the world.

Often when drearily watching a music documentary, I see someone like Rod Stewart husking about how revolutionary the 60's were musically. Perhaps the silent revolution of music in the 21st century will become more exposed, maybe people will be saying that the revolution was not fifty years ago, and the future of music is now.

The first person to be given the honour is Spencer Tunick, a photographer famous for getting thousands of people together in a public place, getting them to strip, pose and then photograph them in interesting positions naked. 

His artworks are dramatic and unforgettable, showing the beauty of the human form and breaking many of the taboos we have with public space. 

For Sydneysiders our salute is particularly relevant. 

Tunick is coming here for a shoot on March 1st on the steps of the Opera House to coincide with Mardi Gras. 

The shoot, supported by the Opera House, the City of Sydney and the Botanic Gardens Trust, will be amazing.

Doubly so as his website says that anyone 'under 18 year[s] old must be accompanied by a parent/guardian'.

So be prepared to see some naked kiddies. 

So Spencer Tunick, hats from HomepageDAILY. Because as you're about to find out, we're a country that has gotten itself in a ridiculous kerfuffle over depictions of children's bodies, making it great to see an outsider come in and challenge our stupidity. 

So in lieu of that, I have to say, Amazon's Kindle is amazing.

It is ridiculously easy to use, looks good and for Australians who suffer with extremely overpriced books, it is a very tempting little item.

So watch out Australian publishers and printers, the future is coming and unless you start talking to Apple's ipad and the Kindle, your whole industry will be thrown out like yesterday's (soon to be non existent) newspapers.

Well according to the data apparently not, for a highly motorized and developed country we have a relatively low ranking by comparison, 81 per million population, less than most other countries.

So why do we portray ourselves in such a poor light?

Is it a strive to always better ourselves?

Or is this a morbid way to justify government road revenue?

The article read ‘Al-Qaeda to attempt US attack soon’.

You know, like any other thing that we’re all anxious to see – ‘Roger Federer back in action in 2 months’ and ‘Lleyton Hewitt has vowed to shut his mouth in 3 weeks’.

Are you serious?

This isn’t news!

At best it is spreading fear of something that has absolutely no foundation whatsoever; at worst it’s a waste of space.

What’s this meant to warn us about?

Everybody knows about terrorists attack, and there’s nothing provided that we don’t already know.

Does it help us cope with anything?

Nope.

Does it prepare us?

No, all they say is Al-Qaeda’s “going to try”.

So what’s the purpose?

Start reporting some real news and stop spreading the fear. Because not all of us are so anxious to keep track of our favourite terrorist band.

During the first half of the Cold War, Taiwan (or the Republic of China) was a symbol of resistance to Communism.

Now it exists as one of many states- separate but not too separate from China- that will rely on outside support for its defence and independence.

Yet, for foreign policy experts the test in relations has existed since Nixon's detente with China, and the more recent honeymoon in Sino-US relations. The problem has come from trying to balance US desires to support a 'free' people in Taiwan and being pragmatic to not offend a vital trading partner in China.

Today, as in forever, China is huffing and puffing with anger as the US sells weapons to what they can consider a dangerous domestic separatist movement- breaking the sacred bounds of state sovereignty.

For us though the next few months will be a fantastic study of realpolitik, how far China's political tentacles spread and how much they are willing to use them to strange the US into submission.