Icarus Falls

Where is our privacy? (Quoted)

Icarus Falls — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:23:21 GMT

Bruce Schneier's latest Wired column is a stirring call-to-arms for a comprehensive data-privacy law:

Who controls our data controls our lives.
It's true. Whoever controls our data can decide whether we can get a bank loan, on an airplane or into a country. Or what sort of discount we get from a merchant, or even how we're treated by customer support. A potential employer can, illegally in the U.S., examine our medical data and decide whether or not to offer us a job. The police can mine our data and decide whether or not we're a terrorist risk. If a criminal can get hold of enough of our data, he can open credit cards in our names, siphon money out of our investment accounts, even sell our property. Identity theft is the ultimate proof that control of our data means control of our life.

We need to take back our data.

Our data is a part of us. It's intimate and personal, and we have basic rights to it. It should be protected from unwanted touch.

We need a comprehensive data privacy law. This law should protect all information about us, and not be limited merely to financial or health information. It should limit others' ability to buy and sell our information without our knowledge and consent. It should allow us to see information about us held by others, and correct any inaccuracies we find. It should prevent the government from going after our information without judicial oversight. It should enforce data deletion, and limit data collection, where necessary. And we need more than token penalties for deliberate violations.

Link

Yep.

Icarus Falls — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:41:07 GMT

So, who is this guy?

No Idea. He just sort of turned up one day.

Write a lot does he?

Used to - reams of the stuff: poetry, novels, fiction books. Even wrote a flamin' encyclopedia once.

But not much here.

Nope.

Why not?

Dunno, guess it requires too much effort.

So what changed?

Time and the pure essences of heaven, the sun and the moon all worked upon a certain rock throughout creation...

Um....that's the start of Monkey.

Oh yes sorry.

Are you skirting the issue?

Nope - he's a guy - it'd have to be 'kilting the issue'.

Stop it and answer the question.

Which, I can't do both!

Answer the question.

The ultimate question?

Don't you dare say Forty-Two or any combination thereof!

I wasn't going to!

I bet.

I mean it.

Ok.

forty-two

What?!!!

Only kidding. You want the answer right?

Yes. I mean, I have been coming here expecting to see more of the words of wisdom from this guy and, aside from one or two points, it's just been drivel.

Personally, I think he's afraid of writing.

What the f*ck for?

HIs words have been twisted before.

So, that happens to everyone.

You know he was broken and fixed up.

Yeah, yeah - so's my grandmother.

Really?

No, it's a saying - get on with it.

It's a fear of saying what is there - he's been in hiding too long.

What from.

Himself.

Who?

Him?

Me?

You?

Me?

Wow.

Yeah, wow.

Comments

Icarus Falls — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:38:46 GMT

Well, there you go. Apparently I had, in my explorations, set the comments to Moderate - which means I had to approve them before they appeared.

It's a pity the program didn't tell you when you submitted a comment (or tell me when I logged in). Sorry about that - it's been removed.

Hope no one go too frustrated!

There some new pages going up soon - all you never wanted to know about Queen but really needed. Just who were Tom and Jerry? Just what did John and Roger fight about on the Hot Space album, and which is the song with only one word?

Enjoy!

Biographers, get to the point!

Icarus Falls — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:39:09 GMT

Joan Baez
Babydaddy
Josephine Baker
Björk
Johnny Brandon
Gary Burton
Catie Curtis
Deborah Dyer
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Ferrick
Stephen Gately
Lesley Gore
Sophie B. Hawkins
Janis Joplin
Brian Kennedy
k.d. Lang
Kevin McDaid
Freddie Mercury
George Michael
Brian Molko
Sinéad O'Connor
Linda Perry
Pink
Madonna
Elton John
David Bowie ('renounced')
Sara Quin
Tegan Quin
Ma Rainey
Amy Ray
Will Young
Little Richard ('renounced)

What do the above have in common?

They all sang or sing, and they are all gay or bisexual.

So the question is, do we listen to them because of their lifestyle or because of their musical ability?

The answer is obvious.

Queen 'biographers', 'filmmakers' and ' writers' - LET IT REST!!!!

We want to hear about the music, the creativity, the wonder, the fun. We assume we know his sexual orientation. We know he died. Get with the life and tell us about Queen!

And all you who hate Queen because they are 'gay' - get a life, get some perspective and search for your favourite artist/star/musician/wrestler/footballer etc because the chances are .....

Queen and Me

Icarus Falls — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:27:39 GMT

Queen has always been an intensely personal thing to me. It was something I never really shared for many years (well, about thirty of them). This was because Queen's music was important to me and was my escape when needed, my support when needed, and something to just go quietly insane to on occasions.

It seems as if Queen in Australia was always a personal thing - I had no idea of the amount of Queen fans in this country until we started AussieQueens - and more come out of the woodwork every day. I have spent the last decade or so collecting every piece of Queen music I could get and have now got a good collection of commercial items and a fantastic collection of, shall we say, non-commercial items.

There's not a day when I don't have Queen music running through my head (much to the annoyance of my co-workers when I start rapping out the WWRY beat on the desk ) (I have converted two of them 'though). I enjoy listening to the music, watching the videos & reading about them (although I get TOTALLY PISSED OFF that every documentary & book concentrate on Freddie's sexuality rather then his musical genius or Queen's innovation & dominance of music. Last year I became so annoyed that I began my own Freddie site which looks at all his other qualities to the exclusion of his sexuality. I feel a little better - at least somewhere there is a record of Freddie without trying to work out exactly when he 'became gay' and how that affected everyone. The poor guy is dead - listen to his music, enjoy his wit and wisdom and leave his bloody private life to him and his memory. That goes for all the cash-in friends too.

A little off the topic, but I really irks me.

I am lucky my lovely wife also likes Queen (and it didn't take too long to convert her...) but I still find it a personal experience - personal to the extent that I can get jealous if someone gets something that I haven't got or want. Stupid really, but that's the price of fanatacism I guess.

I will admit, I am a Freddie fan uppermost, yet I prefer his Queen work to a lot of his solo work: I assume because of the sound difference and the feeling of life that is in the Queen works. This doesn't mean that I don't like the rest - I do, and respect them very much. Brian's guitar work is enveloping and takes me places that little other music does. Interestingly enough, I also enjoy and collect Celtic folk music and Brian's guitar work often has the same affect on me that the folk music does. I guess that it is one of the stated influences of the band (and one that is not commonly known).

Roger seems to be the 'boy toy' around this site, but personally I love his drumming style and much of his singing. As he says, there's nothing more boring then a long drum solo - but I can listen to his and enjoy it.

As for John, many people believe that he is not really a part of Queen - I think he is essential to the Queen sound and the Queen existence. His bass playing was perfect for the group it is instantly recognisable, and instantly binds the music together.

Off topic again. Oh well, I'll get back to it another night as it's late and I'm tired.

Good Night, My Dears.

Fan Clubs and Fans

Icarus Falls — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:34:03 GMT

Why I no longer subscribe to the Official Queen Fan Club, and a commentary on Fans.

This is not a justification, nor an apology, merely my thoughts and opinions: they are not intended as an attack.

I believe that any official fan club should represent the fans with the group in question, or at least supply information and events for the fans themselves. This is even more true if you are an International Official Fan Club. Not everyone lives in England, or London, yet every member pays the same fee even though international member are largely ignored. I have been a member of many international fan clubs, and each either offer a reduced overseas rate as they can’t attend gatherings etc, or they supply extra for those members, such as extra merchandise, or offering video streams of gatherings for their members, or even allow local chapters to be set up for localized events.

Apparently there is a local branch of the Official Queen Fan Club in Australia. I have been a fan for 31 years and I heard of them mid-2006. Hardly a well-documented or advertised group. The official fan site offers nothing that can’t be gotten elsewhere, there is nothing really in the magazine that can’t be gotten elsewhere and there are zero benefits for international members. So I spent my $70 odd Australian and got 3 magazines. I assumed that now, with a lot less overheads, the annual fee would drop – but it didn’t. So what would I pay for again? A card (non-personalised), three magazines at around $23 each – not much. Not that I’m saying that the OQFC isn’t good and hasn’t been good, just that it provides nothing for me, an Australian Queen Fan.

Indeed, for some reason, there seems to be a notion that we, the AussieQueen fan club are a threat? I don’t think our 140 or so members in any way threaten the OQFC, nor is there any intent to do so. We just want a meeting place for Aussie & NZ Queen fans where they can meet, greet, have fun and discuss Queen in a NON-THREATENING environment. No need to fear people will attack you, call you insane or swear at you for your questions or opinions – they are yours and you should be able to express them. I don’t get this elsewhere unfortunately, so I just tend to browse, not post on other boards. All we wanted from the OQFC was some recognition for what we were doing – promoting Queen in the antipodes and providing a place whereby we could be part of a Queen group, much like other fan clubs such as the Dutch, the Italian, the Greek, the Brazillian and many others; all of whom receive official mention. Unfortunately, all we got were putdowns and attacks on anyone who dared mention that we should be linked to.

Well, who needs them? We don’t have as many members as the OQFC (nor many other fan clubs), nor are we the size of the Official Forums etc. But we keep going, and will keep going to provide the services requested by our members for Free, for the love of Queen.

Personally, I believe that it is time that Queen fans stopped fighting among themselves, stopped attacking each other, and got together to support and promote Queen. No other group I have ever been a part of are so jealous, so petty and so bickering as Queen fans. The question is Why? Why do older fans who attended concerts believe they are better then the newer fans and put them down or have nothing to do with them? Why don’t they share their experiences and enhance Queen for these people, rather than turning them off or frightening them away? To say that you have to have attended a Queen concert to be a Queen Fan is just stupid! I guess you can’t be a fan of Chaplin films unless you met him, or was on one of his films either. Or can’t be a fan of your Olympic team unless you competed. The term ‘balderdash’ comes to mind. A true Queen fan is one who loves Queen and their music, one who enjoys them , whether personally or who is willing to share their experiences with others. There is no entrance exam, no ‘qualifications’ required. Accept this and then you can call yourself a fan. You may be the biggest collector, or trader, or have attended hundreds of concerts on your or other people’s money; you may be a hoarder of rare Queen, or have it plastered across your room; but unless you feel the love of Queen inside, unless you remember the emotions of hearing Queen for the first time, or of Freddie’s death, or fall in love with them each time you play their music and want to share that experience with others, then you are not a fan, just a collector, and – far worse – if you collect only for the value.

I am a collector, and a fan. I enjoy listening to Queen and have made this site and joined this club to share that joy. I did not attend the 74 or 76 concerts because I was too young (age limits on attendance) and could not attend the 85 one as I was too sick. That doesn’t mean I haven’t longed to attend each and every one of them for the rest of my life. That doesn’t make me less of a fan then any who got front row for however many concerts, perhaps it makes me more of one as I still love them without ever having the opportunity to see them: and that is harder then those who have had them given to them on a silver platter.

IF.

The vagaries of Human Existence...

Icarus Falls — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:33:39 GMT

Or not, as the case may be.

Just decided to write something here but as I don't have anything on my mind at the moment, who knows what will eventuate. Perhaps I should comment on the decision of Queen, but I haven't heard one yet so I won't do that. What can we say? "chin up?" "chip chip" all that? Nope - the simple fact is that the old boys aren't touring at the moment - they haven't got a 'band' as such (didn't seem to need so many in the old days) - and I guess they don't have a singer. My take on all this? They will tour again, but I don't think it will be as Queen. It may be time, in their minds, to let go of the past and to start again. (Perhaps they may even go into 2007's RockStar We-are-not-Queen-just-look-a-little-like-them-and-have-the-same-names. Only kidding - new look, new band, new songs - may be a little time before they tour again.

Of course, we could always do a Montgomery Burns if we REALLY want them down here soon....

Big debate going on at work - some want to bring in those little apple thingies - may publish my thoughts on this soon to create a bit of controversy. Got nothing against Macs myself - Macophiles on the other hand! (wild maniacal laughter accompanied by the only chords from Toccata & Fugue that people know and a few thunderclaps). Erm, sorry about that, Macophiles, on the other hand, are fair game for all computer users.....

Kudos to Isis and to all the others who never gave up Hope. (Please, send her home.... Faith and Charity miss her terribly) It was a huge task and, now that I've got my wife back again, I don't know what to do!!!! (And no furious waggling of eyebrows thanks folks!).

I did a wonderful piece on RIAA and Copyright - but unfortunately it went to the big blue graveyard of pieces that get lost when stupid programs time-out because you are too passionate in what you are saying to save and too stupid to copy before posting. Goddamn RIAA - must be their fault. Can't write about them in case they come creeping in your door at 2am, jack boots and all.

Did you know there is a webiste for cats that look like Hitler? (www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com) Talk about a specific audience.....

Is that reincarnation knocking on the door? Well, I guess he never got any during his life....

Whoops! Sorry, that just slipped out. (as he used to say.....)

AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH! Time to get out of here (no, too easy....)

Don't forget to watch the skies - you may see Bri's face reflected off the moon....

Mr FW (Fred) Roberts

Icarus Falls — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:33:11 GMT

This man, one of the truly great men of all time, died on Tuesday. None of you would have ever heard of him but he was, in his own way, the ultimate gentleman, an expert in his field and a totally unassuming, kind, friendly and passionate person. He was the only man I have ever known who I respected. I cared for and loved him as a second father which for some years of my life he was. He was my teacher, both in music and in life. At his kitchen table I grew up from a wild, disrespectful brat to a caring, considerate person who will give all and ask nothing: that is what he showed me and that is what he taught me. Even when too sick to get out of bed, he still taught me to play, to improve and to understand and feel the music. He taught me that it was not enough just to read the notes, you have to feel what is being played and play with your entire soul and being. He taught me the love of music and the love of teaching so that others could share in the wonder of this. I have never forgotten this and never will and if I am one hundredth the teacher he was I would be accounted fortunate.

I never used to care as a child, yet he made me. I play the bagpipes and he was my teacher. I once left my bagpipes in the back of the car all day in February 1978 - head and wood don't mix and when I went to his place and played, he knew and rounded on me with a 'You fag of a boy.' and wouldn't listen to my pipes that session. It was the only time I ever heard him angry at me, and it stopped me in my tracks and made me change. I vowed never more to disappoint him and tried my best to be the best I could in this and in everything. At that moment, I respected him and saw what he gave up for each and every pupil he ever taught, and taught for free. Not only that, but took each of them into his house, fed them and imparted knowledge and above all wisdom for all who cared to listen.

I was always a quiet person and would often sit on my chair between the fridge and the door – or occasionally the wall – and would listen as he taught others, and listen to each word he told me. Not just hear the words, but listen to them. I didn’t ask many questions because I didn’t have to – he knew and would pass on information. Sometimes I thought he was passing on his knowledge and skill to me to ensure that, when he died, his legacy would live on.

For six years I went to his house each Thursday night, learnt music there, ate meals there and slept there. For six years I never left without having learnt something, and without the feeling that I had disappointed him. Until one day in the last year of my time there when he was extremely sick and bed ridden. On that day I arrived for band practice and found that he was sick and was unable to go – but he and his wife, Val, wanted me to stay anyway. I did and was sitting on my own in the kitchen were we used to practice until my mouth was sore and my fingers about to drop off – good times! He asked Val for me to take my chanter and go and play to him. I did so and tried my hardest to make him proud. He lay back and closed his eyes, not saying anything. I played all the current tunes – about 40 minutes of work – for him and he just lay there. I didn’t know if he was asleep or not. When I had finished, he opened his eyes, turned to me, and said ‘Thank you’, then he went to sleep with a smile on his face. I felt as if I had won a Nobel prize. This was one of three times when he praised me beyond the normal ‘good’ or ‘that’ll do’ and each made the years of toil and all the heart break I have born worth while. The second time was when I played an air for him, long after I was his pupil. He stood there and listened and, as I finished, I saw a tear in his eye – the only time I ever saw him cry. He looked at me, shook my hand, and said ‘That was beautiful.’ The last time was the last time I ever saw him alive when I took a CD of my music composition around to him. He listened to it and smiled, then said that some of them were quite good. Mind you, some of them were not ‘my best’. He was sparse of his praise, but he also never criticized. If you played wrongly, he would ask you to repeat it, pointing out the part you did wrong and you played it and tried to fix the problem. If you didn’t fix it, you played it again. And again. I learnt to play well.

He went blind as he grew older, yet still taught. I went back to him on occasions to help me build up my confidence again and to bring me back into line and he was always the same patient, caring, considerate man whose love of Bagpipes was infectious – as was his smile and his wicked sense of humour. I learnt much about pipes and about people. I learnt patience, I learnt not tojudge people as many who came to learn under him were, to put it bluntly, not appreciative of him and I hated hearing how they belittled him behind his back. Yet he knew and with his ever-calm way, he kept on teaching them and never chastised them or blamed them.

Not that he didn’t have a temper - he did, yet it was over quickly and, after my episode with the hot pipes, I only ever saw it from outside. He never bore a grudge.

He loved Val, his wife, very much as he did his daughters. He was a proud father and would always share with me what his daughters were up to: I felt I knew Ruth, Helen and Joan before I ever met them. Val took me in, calling herself my ‘Bendigo Mother’ and made sure I was well looked after. She has a golden heart and it broke my heart today to see her as Fred was lowered into the ground. Fred used to stir her with a cheeky grin – like a young child – and she loved him the more for it. If he was patient with his charges, she must have been a Saint! I remember doing crosswords with her in the mornings before I had to leave for school. She even taught me to like potatoes. I have cooked them as she showed me ever since. I never properly said thank you to her for all her years of care: I thanked her each time she looked after me and ‘paid’ (to my mind) for their care by chopping wood and whatever else I could. It wasn’t until my last visit when I had written a tune for her and she cried as she thanked me with a hug that I realised everything that she had done for me and for others and she knew at that moment, how much she meant to me.

Every time I played my pipes in public I thought that Fred would be listening and always tried to play for him. When I made a mistake or something happened, I felt I had let him down. I guess he won’t be there behind me, waiting to catch me out any more. But he is still there, inside me, and I will not let him have worked for nothing.

He taught through love of the instrument, and love of the music, never charged, never complained (ok, he complained, but about other things), still kept playing until he was too sick to play any more. He was buried in the uniform he loved and, had I had my pipes there, they would have gone with him as a final tribute to the greatest man I have ever known.

Here’s to you Mr Roberts, tutor, Pipe Major, father and friend. Here’s to the years of happiness and joy you gave to me. Here’s to the skills you taught me and the care you gave me freely. I hope I can keep your legacy burning. Your place is impossible to take, but I will always stand guard by the door. I am happy that the pain you endured in the last years of your life is now ended and I know that your spirit will live on.

Davyd.

Just Here for a Testing Time

Icarus Falls — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:32:33 GMT

Just testing to see if this is working again before I go back and try to take over the world!!!

(Calm down Georgie Boy - it's not this one so you can keep your special forces stamping down on evolution and freedom of thought and speech (oops, now I'm gone!!!))

Yawns, Coffee and Headaches

Icarus Falls — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:32:02 GMT

So there I was, bounding out of bed bright and early (only 10 minutes late!) full of energy and vim raring to meet the day. Of course, that was in my mind. My body dragged itself out, told my mind to f-off and stumbled to the early morning ablutions while peering bleary-eyed in the mirror. I wonder why you have to get yourself ready while in this state? I mean, eyes blurred as you try to find your mouth, let alone clean the night's deposits from it.

Still, limping out of the room I head to the cheerful usual morning chorus of greetings and sit down at a cooked breakfast while surrounded by my loving family (well, ok, I grab a bowl of cereal and go and see if this site has somehow magically started working overnight). And it HAD! I could upload! But only little things. Damnit!

Oh well, off to work with a splitting headache, bleary eyed and yawning (which lasted until 7:25 pm). I even made my first cup of coffee for several weeks today and it's still sitting beside me going cold - at least some things never change!

The email is sending now from the Mailing List because I stopped fiddling and reset it - amazing what just leaving things alone can do! KFC for lunch and felt crook the rest of the day. Why do I torture myself? Just because I love the taste....

And I cut my thumb.

Hmmm, definitely felt some personal growth here. What exciting things does tomorrow hold in store! Rest assured, I'll met it head on and bleary eyed wondering why the hell I go to bed after 1 am when I feel ratsh*t for the rest of the day....

I.F.