(sigh)mon

life's little simplicities_

2008-04-27T09:02:40Z

its a strange old world out there.

we're all rushing around, getting more and more efficient at things. this. that. everything.

we take great pride in working hard, in producing great work, in looking for the next big adventure.

i made a new years resolution to myself.

to start saying no, even when offers are seemingly wonderful.

just to say no for me.

for the selfish beauty of free time.

free time to sit on my couch, to sit and read, to sit and listen, to watch the rain pepper down all around me.

to spend time with friends.

to drink wine and talk about our understanding of string theory.

to eat chocolate and whisper sweet nothings to loved ones.

i haven't exactly entirely managed to stick to my brash resolution.

i've said yes to more things than last year, more little projects, more fun times.

so you'd think about now i'd be up to my neck, stressed and fidgety, fighting for freedom from the shackles of a self-imposed year of workaholism.

well yes, but no.

no?

i've found a little solution to stress and over-work.

that's to get no by saying yes.

saying yes to life's little simplicities.

i think i owe it all to a certain young beauty that's recently stepped into my life.

she works very hard, long hours, and often probono work.

so how do two young workaholics survive and not get eaten alive?

saturday mornings.

late sunday afternoons.

friday nights.

wednesday lunchtimes.

and occasionally monday evenings.

we share little moments, even 5 minutes at a time.

wading cross town to lock eyes.

brush cheeks.

and disappear.

meeting on street corners, heading opposite directions.

to interlock hands.

tickle.

bump.

giggle.

we do nothing.

which seems like everything.

the wind speaks more logic in a salty sea breeze.

but the little simplicities continue.

and before time catches up.

i see the present.

she sees me.

and we're completely free.

xxx

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16gb of loveliness_

2008-03-27T14:06:02Z

me and my iphone!

last week my mobile phone died.

so, i did what any good little apple fanboy should do and got a 16gb iphone.

sure i could have waited till june / july and got a 3G second generation, but.. well.. i don't have a landline at home, so i kind of need a phone. :)

it's a bit of a process getting it here, working & sexy. so i thought i'd share how i did things.

everything was run from my (old) PowerBook G4 1.33 GHz running Leopard 10.5.2

oh, and if ever you get into trouble any step of the way, google and hackint0sh are your friends. :)

-----------------

UPDATE 2: wow, no wonder the iphone-dev team has been so quiet.. pwnage! :D

-----------------

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UPDATE: or you could just use the newly released iLiberty+ & iLibertyX software. ;)

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bought from: http://www.ebay.com.au (user: littlenewbie)

paid: AUS$774 including international courier postage + insurance. full tracking is available on-line. :)

unlocked: using iNdependence v1.4 beta 5

i used iNdependence over any other solutions because it was open source and more importantly, it didn't make any permanent changes that couldn't be fixed by restoring the iphone in itunes to brand new out of the box state.

tricks:

* when you first plug in your iphone, itunes & itunes helper run. you need to close both.

* to do this run Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor.

* then scroll down to itunes helper and click quit.

* now you're ready to Activate / Unlock / install SSH.

* make sure the original AT&T simcard is in the iphone to start with.

* between each step, quit and restart iNdependence.. there's a bug which makes it hang if you don't.

* if the Unlock step hangs your iphone, DON'T PANIC.

* just let the iphone restart and Unlock a second time.

* now you'll have a fully functional iphone running 1.1.4 firmware, 4.6 bootloader & 04.02.13_G baseband.

installing installer.app to run cool apps on 1.1.4 firmware:

what's the use of a lovely iphone if you're stuck with apple's basic app pack (until they release 1.2.0 in june)?

to install installer.app run iNdependence.

* install SSH

* download the latest version of installer.app here: http://repository.apptapp.com/packages/System/Installer.zip

* make sure your iphone and laptop are connected to the same wireless network.

* find out your iphone's IP address by going to Settings > WiFi > click the little blue arrow next to your network.

* click the customize tab in iNdependence on your laptop.

* now select Applications > User > and click Add and select the unzipped installer.app

* enter the IP address of your iphone, and enter the SSH password, "alpine" is the default.

* next comes the trick to getting it working on 1.1.4 firmware.

* open Terminal on your laptop.

* SSH into your iphone by typing (without quotes): "ssh root@192.168.1.2" (where 192.168.1.2 is your iphone's IP address)

* enter the password, default being "alpine" again.

* next type "chmod 777 /Applications"

* next type "chmod 777 /Applications/Installer.app"

* next type "chmod 777 /Applications/Installer.app/Installer"

* next type "cd /Applications"

* next type "chmod +s Installer.app/Installer"

* next type "chmod 4755 /Applications/Installer.app/Installer"

* next type "exit" and you're done in terminal!

* restart your iphone.

* you should now have a working installer.app on your home screen!

* two things you should install first with installer.app are:

* > Sources > Community Sources

* > System > BSD Subsystem

getting SMS caller ID to match up:

this was my first issue with the iphone. the caller ID +61 numbers that vodafone network were receiving SMSs with wasn't matching my address book names. so i had no idea who was sending me messages.

* to solve this, start installer.app on the iphone.

* click Sources from the bottom right.

* click Edit (top right)

* click Add: http://wpool.com/iphone

* then back under Install tab (bottom) head to > Localisation > Aus +61 number support.

And there you have it! A fully functioning iphone for Optus, Telstra or Vodafone networks. :)

optional SMS backup software for your mac osx:

* syphone - SMS utility software to backup your messages on your laptop.

what doesn't work on my hacked iphone:

* visual voicemail. no AUS network supports this yet.. have to wait for an official release.

only things that annoy me so far:

* the iphone alarm doesn't wake the phone from complete OFF state. my old K750i did, so iphone can.. fix it apple.

* iphone doesn't sync with bluephoneelite (which is a nice little app for typing SMSs on your laptop)

things i love about the iphone:

* SMS / phone / ipod / calendar / photos / video / weather / maps / world clocks / alarm features. they all kick ass! apple obviously spent a fair bit of time on these, and they're fantastic to use. especially when you use everything on mac osx like Address Book / Calendar / Safari.. even your bookmarks / RSS feeds sync automatically with itunes! AND if you don't like the way iphoto or itunes order your files, then you can sync manually! hot.

* smartRSS app. it's not official apple, but it's an amazing portable RSS reader.

* MIM app. lets you set the carrier to your favourite name.. sighmon!

* Lockbox app. lets you save secret stuff on your iphone.

* Sketches app. lets you draw like an etch-a-sketch!!! yeeeahhh.

* MobileScrobbler app. links with your Last.fm account to scrobble all the music you play on your iphone!

* Stumbler app. to find all the wireless hotspots so you can use the beautiful features on the iphone.

* Safari app. THE MOST AMAZING mobile browser ever. period.

* zooming / pinching / customisation.. the interface is just so smart.

i probably could go on ranting about it for ages.. but, well, i'll stop now.

hope this helps you with your iphone purchase or drooling session!

hugs!

sighmon.

http://sighmon.com

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chasing little glimpses of dreams_

2008-02-26T12:49:13Z

dear vox,

i usually only come to you in times of need, when i have to get large mountains of blog off my back.

this time for a change i thought i'd write to you to tell you that things are starting to look rather good.

my day job is quite busily satisfying ( newint.com.au ), my night job is building very nicely ( home-slice.net ), and even my hobbies are going from strength to strength ( ex-a-sketch.com ) with three, yes 3 zines released to date.

plus, i've just been to the music festival of my life, yes, favourite EVER ( lanewayfestival.com.au ), which is quite a big call.. but if you ever get the chance to see bridezilla, then jump at the chance! their myspace doesn't come close to their live show.. but at least it gives you a taste.

and if that wasn't enough, it's fringe festival time here ( adelaidefringe.com.au ).

but what would all this fun stuff be without beautiful people inside and out to share it with? this is where my super awesome bunch of friends come in. they've been there to pick me up from my lows, and now they're here to enjoy the smiles with me. cheers peeps, you know who you are. special mention must go to a new person in my life. she's managed to make my cheeks hurt more often than not. no mean feat for a boy that smiles constantly.

so that's where i stand right now.

happy, smily, chasing little glimpses of dreams.

s. x

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a slice of home_

2008-02-14T13:39:04Z

home slice

i've been kind of busy this week working on a little something for adelaide peeps with a few friends.
its a monthly email of stuff that's going on.. where to frolic and get your party on, cool new shops for essential boys & girl stuff, exhibitions, music gigs and maybe even a little rewind back to the future. :)

we've just finished the first episode..
check it out here: home-slice.net/email

like it? sign up here: home-slice.net

maybe you know of some cool stuff happening in little adelaide that we've missed? well don't just keep it to yourself, share it with like minded kids, email it to us! homeslicemail@gmail.com

well, that's about all i've got for now.. but before i go, don't forget about the short shorts party this saturday at rhino room! it's going to be pretty awesome times.. organised by the same guys and girls that brought you the pimp-my-tshirt rooftop party. so it should be loads of fun.

right, sleep time!

hugs, s. x

http://sighmon.com

ps_ credits to those involved so far:

simon hunt - creator
simon loffler - creator
yasemin sabuncu - creative director & contributor
dan - music reviews
witness_1 - photos

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hello my name is sighmon, i am everything, i am nothing_

2007-12-18T13:25:23Z

the last few months of my life have been a strange gathering of excruciatingly beautiful* moments of happiness, thoughtfulness, fear, anxiety, loss, hate, pain, desire, need, bliss, anger, fucking, love, disbelief and escape.

lets face it. i'm a pretty privileged 30 year old. i live in a country that gives me the ability to feel all of these emotions, experience them in real time, in a safe environment to explore the whole spectrum of my being. to break down, cry to the point of choking on my body's sadness.. then walk, run, escape, think and level out to a spiritual bliss.

i live in complete luxury. i have enough money for food, shelter, clothes & water. so much so that i have enough left over to offer me the false protection of monetary savings.

all this and still i have more. my world offers me the privilege of hopes and dreams and the exploration of my darkest thought. patterned in full colour for the world to see.

so in all this beauty, luxury and privilege how do i still find myself depressed in a life i am so happy with.

it's my own stupid fault. preconceptions morph to fear. scared states leave me vulnerable, and easy prey for hungry carnivores.

yes those feelings of desire and need, must, now, greed. they're the motives that fuel my fire.

i'm learning to control them.
but it takes time.
my world is a world of electronic instances, that all pass in milli measurements of time.
so my path is long, winding and seemingly endless.

thank fuck for music and friends.
escape.

right, so i think my over-tired state has produced enough babble for one night.
but you get the picture, right??

i'm confused but happy.

hugs and love to the beautiful strangers out there reading.

xoxo

* borrowed from wedding vows of my best friends wedding..

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how green is your political party?

2007-11-23T01:35:33Z

how green is your political party?, originally uploaded by sighmon.

hey guys,

so if you're wondering exactly how green the party that you're voting for on saturday is, check some of the reports below.

On climate change the Australian Conservation Foundation rated the Greens climate change policies at the top with a score of 94/100, ahead of the Democrats on (90/100), Labor (58/100), Family First (34/100) and the Coalition (21/100). See:
tinyurl.com/2skxtm

The Big Switch website compiled by Conservation Councils, Greenpeace and Get Up! meanwhile was topped by the Greens (4.8 out of 5), the Democrats (4.4) and followed by Labor (1.9) , Family First (1.2) with the Liberal and National parties on a disappointing and sceptical 0.8. See:
tinyurl.com/2tg6pn

The Climate Institute meanwhile gives the Greens and Democrats a chart-topping 90 per cent for their policies on climate change with Labor on 60% and Liberal on 30%.
See:
tinyurl.com/3al4m9

hope it's useful!

best, si.

ps_ if you feel like copying and pasting this to your flickr stream, then do so!!! we desperately need a change! :)

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more flickr gallery toys_

2007-11-03T09:18:58Z

the lovely people over at airtight interactive have been working overtime again.
and they've produced another beautiful on-line gallery app!
yes, it hooks straight up to flickr, and yes it's gorgeous.

it's called tiltviewer, and its basically a beautiful flash gallery app that lets you rotate as you view your wall of images.

hot.

check it out, and build your own by adding your flickr user ID to the end of the link, for example mine is:
http://www.airtightinteractive.com/projects/tiltviewer/app/?user_id=83267414@N00

what's that? not sure about your flickr ID? well, sign into flickr, and then visit this page.

here's what the gallery page looks like:

tiltviewer - gallery home

and then when you click on an image:

tiltviewer - clicked on image

and then if you click the bottom right of the image, you get the details:

tiltviewer - click bottom right

enjoy!
si.

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my puddle of simple beauty_

2007-10-28T03:33:03Z

things i've noticed in my little puddle of simple beauty lately:

* sleep and relaxation really does seem to clean my head space

* washing the dishes is one of the most therapeutic tasks of my week

* i love vinyl cutters (i just bought a lovely rabbit HX 720 cutter!)

* admitting to things i don't like doing and places i don't want to be really is quite liberating

* my friends are quite possibly my most valuable possession

* feeling lost is my favourite feeling in the world

hugs to all my lovely friends and strangers out there.

simon. x
http://sighmon.com

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lost and found.. peace_

2007-09-21T07:59:28Z

happy peace day everyone!!!
hope you're enjoying this beautiful day wherever you are in the world.

for those of you who don't know about the international day of peace, have a look over at: www.peaceoneday.org

so what's this photo all about? well my friend has setup a lovely initiative for peace day, but having a photoblog for everyone around the world to upload an image of what they are doing at 11am on peace day.

check that site out at: www.11-am.com

this is my entry for 11-am:

lost and found - peace!

I was walking along the street in the sunshine, smiling at the wonderful day when out of the corner of my eye i spotted it.. the key to peace.

Peace is an amazing thing, it unlocks so many doors, unlocks so many smiles, unlocks so many hearts.

So why do we fight it so?

Happy Peace Day Everbody!

Hugs, love sighmon.
sighmon.com

www.peaceoneday.org
21st september 2007

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My iTunes by sighmon_

2007-08-14T00:19:24Z

so i wake up this morning and see a nice little snack from apple.
my itunes.
sure it smells a lot like Last.fm ..
but, we'll keen an open mind and see how it goes.
seems that it's a little web widget that shares all your favourite tracks with the world.
i'll see if i can embed it here to show you how it works.
:)
x

sighmon's itunes fave's

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