An occasional and inconsistent commentary on people, politics, communications, music, and technology.

Using YouTube and a Flip HD for internal communications

Posted: July 25th, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Communications | Tags: | 1 Comment »

The introduction of YouTube’s unlisted option really makes it a useful platform for those  internal communications videos where security through obscurity (you don’t know where the video is unless you know the URL) is enough.

At CIMA we have a number of UK homeworkers and staff in global offices who can sometimes miss out on HQ’s successes (and vice-versa). This video was one of our first attempts to use a Flip Mino HD camera to go behind the scenes at an event, there’s clearly work to do to get better, but I think the Flip has huge potential as an internal comms tool.

I filmed the main event on our Sony HVR-A1E camera (purchased with the aid of the excellent and knowledgable sales team at Calumet), and you can see those videos on my video page.

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Felixstowe Ferry

Posted: July 24th, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Froth and frippery | Tags: | No Comments »

I visited a favourite Suffolk haunt today. Just beyond North Felixstowe is the hamlet of Felixstowe Ferry, where the River Deben flows in to the sea, and you can see the Bawdsey peninsula. Felixstowe Ferry is well worth a visit – it’s often busy, but not overly touristy or developed. There is plenty of freshly landed fish for sale.

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More must-listen music: War Horse

Posted: July 24th, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Music | Tags: , , | No Comments »

More music sharing. The National Theatre’s War Horse is currently playing in the West End, and greatly deserves each of the five star ratings it has received. Music is an intrinsic character in the story, and the production includes stirring arrangements of hymns and traditional songs.

The soundtrack is well worth buying. I have included track four from the soundtrack CD above, found on YouTube accompanying a Disney-esque video which I have tried to squash out of view – hit play to hear the delicious Devonian sound.  The song is called The Year Turns Round Again on the War Horse CD, it is written by John Tams and he originally called it Snow Falls (click for lyrics).


Last.fm: A life diary, through music

Posted: July 23rd, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Music | Tags: | 1 Comment »

Social music service last.fm has been quietly making a note of just about every piece of music which I have played for nearly five years now. I recently realised that the week-by-week view of top tracks tell me as much as any diary, as all of the most popular tracks in my library tend to be played as a soundtrack to particular situations and emotions.

My taste in music is broad. Some would say eclectic. Some might very well say random. Most would say piss poor.  It falls in to four broad groups:

  • Early music, particularly renaissance polyphony
  • Classical and romantic music
  • Musical theatre
  • Pop music (particularly 70s/80s artists)

When listening to classical music I usually veer towards large, bombastic works – music for jolly times. The same is true of musical theatre (of course).

Early music and pop music are more polarised. Both contain pieces of  high elation, and also deep contemplation. Sometimes one piece is suitable for both.

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