harmless? bananas!

What my friends think of me

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:37:00 +0000

According to Facebook's Superlatives application, my friends think that i am most likely to...

1. get arrested for streaking
2. end up in prison
3. achieve nirvana
4. live happily ever after
5. save the environment from global warming
6. have the best personality
7. have the best pick up lines
8. become famous
9. see the good in (almost) everyone

however, they do not think that i am most likely to...

1. succeed
2. have the best laugh
3. sing in the shower
4. say something perfectly innocent and sound dirty
5. have every facebook application
6. love puppies
7. need therapy
8. take entirely too long to get ready to go out

mmmmmmmmm... pretty insightful, hahaha.. guess i'm one of those 'nice guys' who finish last.

Blog title...

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:17:00 +0000

Back to moblogging on a regular phone that surfs WAP. Remarkably simple and backwards compatible which is what i'm all about even though i'm a technology freak. How do we empower the every voice? Technology that benefits mankind should be as simple as possible, but have maximum results. Only then will it become ubiquitous. Service that is ubiquitous, then new markets are created, and then hopefully providers will start selling us what we need, then it involves to what we want.. And then everything gets saturated and then something new comes along.

the pairing of twins in the twilight

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:15:00 +0000

it's creeping somewhere in the dark corners of my heart, this discontentment that life is more than material posessions, packed out crowds and the emotional tingling of fancy and fleeting companionship

no, this is the void, the blatent scream for a love that does not fail, does not disappointment, and gives life. offers rest to the weary, puts a new song in your heart, makes you fall in love over and over again

love is a powerful thing, it's more than an emotion, it's more than a state of being, it's more than i love you's and wedding rings.

love is a sacrifice that you will be heartbroken, that the more you love, the more it might cost you, and yet... love exists

a new day, another brick in the wall

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:10:00 +0000

it's september. eight months since the start of the year, and we're starting the ninth month from now on.

it was gestation, the seeds that were sown at the start of the year are now in their last month before birth. is this what it's like? to have life growing inside of you?

i gave birth to stillborn dreams

My Band Is Playing At The Esplanade Tonight!!!

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:45:00 +0000

If you've heard of Baybeats, good for you! It's the region's largest indie rock festival, and my band's playing there tonight!

Where: Esplanade Outdoor Theatre (Nokia Arena)
When: Tonight! 29 August 2008, 8pm
Why: You and Leeson, we make HAPPY FUN TIME!
Web: www.leesonband.com

I've been playing in this band for about four years now, and I'm just really stoked that we're getting a chance to play at Baybeats this year! We're playing a killer set of all originals which you can sample at our myspace, www.myspace.com/leesonsg. It's really easy poppy music, and you can download music there. If not, you can also buy our EP at our show tonight at only $2!!!

It's called Speed Dating:

Here are some pictures from our soundcheck yesterday:

View of the stage

My side of the stage

Kickass drum platform to show the drummer

Some stage banter, telling everyone to come for Baybeats!!

If i looked down, this is what i'd see.. also the most awesome bass pedals in the world!

Hope to see you there, and come say hi! -)))
Peace and Rocks! \m/

oh sleep the light away

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:50:00 +0000

i'm still awake. not that it matters, i'm on leave tomorrow. or rather, i'm on leave today. i'm content. playing a big show tomorrow, having people around me that matter, i am not in debt, slightly hungry but i'm already dreaming of kaya toast for brekkie and a good lunch.

it's not that i've arrived, but the joy that all your hard work these past twenty six years have somewhat paid off.

it's been ten years since we formed the band, four years since we formed Leeson and we're finally playing baybeats. it's an achievement four years in the making, and then what next? i don't know.. it feels great to be here already, let me savour this for a bit more -)

the future can scare and delight all at the same time, what lies in store? yet we give in to our fear most of the time instead of living each day as a gift. all we have is now, rings true then, rings true now, probably rings true tomorrow. i'll be glad if i wake up tomorrow, please don't let it rain

What is your art?

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:15:00 +0000

Counter-Terrorism
Originally uploaded by folkstar.

I'd almost forgot about motivational posters, so i did one of my own with the first thing that came to mind.

Xbox Xperts Yes, But Social Media No?

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:27:00 +0000

I'm just doing my rounds around the web, and came across sheylara's latest foray as a gaming blogger. i'm glad for her and proud of her that's she's worked (and blogged) hard to be given the title as an Xbox Xpert. (if you must know, i do approach her for some PlayStation stories as well. - and she's been ever so kind)

here's the thing i don't understand though, she has a successful blog, and blogs about gaming on her blog many times, in some sense, that's sort of what you go to www.sheylara.com for. so why go through all the hassle create a brand new Xbox blog and in some sense, fragment both Sheylara and XBox's media channels?

i understand that xperts.com is meant to be a help channel for Xbox n00bs to ask Sheylara for help, but all i see on that blog are game reviews and contest details. No real help-line there.

so far, i'm guessing they're only doing this for brand enhancement, perhaps adding organic relevancy to searches.. but those are rather long term goals. in the short term, all i see is further fragmentation of the gaming channel to convey messages.

here are some key points.

1. I agree that having a page dedicated to help newbies is important, i think it serves as education and breaks down barriers to entry. just look at get satisfaction - however -

2. i don't know if this blog (or even using a blog as a channel) is the most effective way to communicate the message. here's what i mean, blogs tend to spark conversation, but the newbie needs information. shouldn't the proposed new media channel be somewhere along the lines of direct communication or customer service?

3. i'm also concerned about continued fragmentation of new media channels to a point where there is no longer a critical mass that makes social content.. well, social at all! (ie. if you're a digital strategists, blogs aren't your only answer, or the only product you can sell to clients who need a communications solution)

4. lastly, i think they've identified the need. i don't think they've met it by starting a blog, would a forum have better sufficed?

5. -update- i stand corrected, there are dedicated help channels, but feedback from XBOXers tend to come from comments. i think threaded conversations ala forum archtecture better serves the purpose of getting up-to-date help.

overall, i guess i was hoping for better use of a blog. as it stands now, i think Sheylara is more popular than the Xpert blog, it'd be interesting to see if one supercedes the other.

well, what do you think?

We're launching our new EP!

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:45:00 +0000

local music fans rejoice!

it is my distinct pleasure to announce that you'll soon be able to take a piece of Leeson home with you!

After two internet-only releases available on our Myspace, we will now be selling a 3-song EP entitled 'Speed Dating' at our live shows! this EP will feature two crowd favourites, 'Absolute Beginners' and 'Some Girls' and also a brand new single, 'Mr & Mrs' that we recorded with the very brilliant Kamal from Sound Advice

i think we've only played 'Mr & Mrs' twice, but people are already starting to like it, and we hope to do a lot more with it.

everything's in it's early stages, but i'm really psyched for baybeats which we're playing next Friday @ The Esplanade and that there'll be more opportunities to share our music with everyone -)

Thanks for all your support thus far! I hope you like the music.

you can listen to it all here: www.mysapce.com/leesonsg, and do check us out next friday!

it's not the night that cleanses your soul

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:10:00 +0000

i'm out! out of reservist and back to work in about 7 hours time.

what a massive three weeks it's been, literally unplugging myself from Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, Blogging and the like.

and you know what? it was good. there's more to life than social media.

i think i got lost somewhere along the way after being hired to do public relations around social media. i think i had overburdened myself somewhere along the way with trying to do too many things at once, trying to add a large number of tools at my disposal so that i could reach out to influencers.

but they're just tools. at heart, it's not the constant state of being 'plugged in' that keeps me in touch with the bloggers i've met. nope, rather it's the friendships and interactions with them that make this part of the job worthwhile. i've gotten to know more people, and it's not just inviting bloggers and journalists to make up numbers, but getting to know them, what their interests are, and what their publication's interests are.

i'm also not saying that that it's because of relationships that i do more job, i think as professionals, it's important to do a professional job that is somewhat devoid of pulling favours from your contacts, but letting your outreach and events speak for themselves. that way, no one's keeping score, and no one should need to feel awkward in a social media situation -)

being away from media has also started me thinking about a lot of other things, namely the balance between work, life, hobbies and spiritual health. i've come back to the corporate world, hopefully with more zeal, excitement and perspective. the things that are important to me, and the things i can let go off.

Local Band Leeson Makes 'Some Girls' More Popular Than Others

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:31:00 +0000

Local Singaporean band, Leeson (www.leesonband.com) have been making music since 2004, releasing a critically acclaimed EP 'Hero Music' in 2005 and have continued to wow audiences with grittingly fun pop music playing in venues such as the Esplanade, Stasis and Home Club.

By early 2008, they shifted gears by releasing their first single 'Absolute Beginners' on their myspace (www.myspace.com/leesonsg). This was the first inkling of new material by the band and was praised as wonderfully poppy by fans and would-be passer-bys.

After more than four months, Leeson releases its latest single "Some Girls"

Download the single by clicking here

Already hailed by fans as 'swirling melodies and choppy rhythms with a life of their own' and having evident 'britpop jauntiness', Leeson sets itself apart from her counterparts by writing songs that will only seem to cast the warm sunshine on your carefree face. Yes, all is right with the world when you're bopping along to music like this.

Upcoming Gigs
Leeson will be playing the very splendid Baybeats indie music festival! Catch us on te 29th August from 8pm at the brand new Nokia Arena! Join us and other stalwarts in local and indie music! (www.baybeats.com.sg for more details)

Official 'Making Of' Video

Reviews
Waking Up To by Morgan C. Hoax
Power of Pop by Kevin Matthews

For more information:
www.leesonband.com
www.myspace.com/leesonsg
www.twitter.com/leesonband
Facebook: Leeson Page
Email:info@leesonband.com

Reservist: The Other Story

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:56:00 +0000

Going for reservist is like getting shingles. They are both 2nd stages of a dreaded disease (in the case of shingles, it's chicken pox). Nobody tells you that at the end of your Full Time National Service Liability, you still have to complete 3 low-key in camp trainings and 7 high-key in camp trainings.

i'm currently in the middle of a high key ICT, and i've just spent 6 days out in the field with no electricity, telecommunications, basic amenities or sanitation. the only thing i had to accompany me through idle moments were a book by Loren Cunningham and my journal.

i guess being away from modern life's creature comforts made me painfully aware about how dependent we are on today's modern conveniences.

not that there's anything wrong with clean, running water, or electricity at the flick of a switch or even a toilet that flushes. but we have set these as the standards of the basic necessities of life in an sprawling urban city or developing sector of town.

without them, we complain, jeer, start thinking about the better life.. i don't know, but life without modern convenience seemed like such a horrible scenario that i wondered how anyone could live without it.

but you know what? people do live like this everyday. i don't know if it's up to me to say if what they're experiencing is acceptable or not, but it did make me think of something else.

sometimes people worry if they'll even have the most basic of these necessities, but i worry so much more about privileges, rights and other luxuries, while others worry about tomorrow, i have long term financial concerns.

and also, not that we should any problem, regardless of social status, but i think we can all learn something from a lesson of the things that really matter, perhaps the things that could make our community a better place.

oh man, i know im not making much sense, but being away from so much has actually made me re-think and re-look a lot of the things i've currently been doing. it wasn't a life changing moment, but it was a welcome juncture in an otherwise on-going life that was losing direction.

Outfield was still tough though, i did not enjoy being unwashed, eating bland rations and not having any contact with the outside world for six days and nights.

Absence Without Leave

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:39:00 +0000

I will be away for reservist from now till 20 August 2008. Hence the lack of updates.. but the Internets will be fine without me. -)

me and the fly

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 04:21:00 +0000

was sitting at pool deck of my estate, and i was looking at this fly on the table. flying around from point A to point B, and i thought how cool it would be if us humans could be granted the same privilege.

but then it started walking, and it wouldn't travel very far. but we could, with our bipedal biological design, we were designed to walk vast and great distances.

and there was a purpose to everything, the way it was designed, to do certain things, and perhaps certain things alone.

What humour are you?

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Your result for The 3 Variable Funny Test...

Your sense of humor is off-the-cuff and kind of gross. Is it is also sinister, cynical, and vaguely threatening to the purer folks of this world. You probably get off on that. You would cut a greasy fart, then blame it on your mom, and then just shrug when someone pointed out that she's dead.

Yours is hands-down the most outrageous sense of humor; you like things trangressive and hardcore. It's highly likely (a) you have no limits (b) you have no scruples and (c) you have no job. Ironically, it's your type of humor that can make the biggest bucks in show business.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Howard Stern - Adam Sandler - Roseanne Barr

the Shock Jock

(57% dark, 50% spontaneous, 53% vulgar)

your humor style:
VULGAR | SPONTANEOUS | DARK

go do a test now. like this one!

SPREAD IT! (ideas that spread are like an STD)

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:21:00 +0000

okay, so what makes a piece of content shareable? almost everyday, i reach out to influencers, but is my content influencing? or even spreadable?

marketers like to call ideas that spread, the viral effect. it's like a disease, and then it becomes an epidemic. scary init?

but it still doesn't address that magick that makes you wanna go tell someone else, or in this case, infect.

let's look at the disease analogy more closely. in fact, let's look at it imagining it to be a sexually transmited disease like say.. syphyllis. (or genital warts)

so you suddenly find yourself with gential warts, you have an itch that needs scratching, and you don't sign yourself into rehab, in fact, what you still want to do, is sleep around regardless of the consequence.

okay, i exaggerate, but what i want to drive at, is this desire to fulfil your own needs, and in the process, you spread your disease. (unknowingly perhaps?) and your infected victims unknowingly spread it to someone else.

see, the idea is not genital warts (no one would sleep with you if you had them. note: make sure your ideas are not genital warts), the idea is desire.

you're sharing the desireability of your idea, that could be:

1. making someone else laugh
2. helping someone solve a problem
3. making someone more money
4. lifehacking someone else's processes
5. making myself / someone else extremely popular

we all have an itch that needs scratching, and that's what makes us want to spread it.

Trivia: how many times i've said "genital warts" in this post - 5

Inane MSN conversation with Nadnut

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:34:00 +0000

so sue me if i'm borrowing nadnut's awesome star power to draw some more attention to my blog. but this was rather cute and i had to share it:

nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
actually i think most men are scared of me
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
weird
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
hahaha, srsly?
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
yeap
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
lol
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
hahahaha, this is a potentially trapping question
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
if i say you're not.. you might think i dont give you enough credit
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
if i say you are.. then you might so im spineless and can't stand up for myself
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
lol this isnt a trapping question
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
im just wondering some men are scared of me
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
aside from squeezing manboobs, i think im rather harmless
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
even more harmless than your bananas

hevaens no! nadnut, you are absolutely adorable -)))

nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
but seriously, do i seem fierce
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
nono.. heaven's no
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
you're adorable
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
o.O
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
that's new
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
lol
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
hahaha
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
i have a wide vocabulary
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
and i try to choose my words carefully
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
lol
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
damnit
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
adorable is like cute = ugly but adorable
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
eck
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
lol
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
AHA!
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
but in the equation
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
cute = ugly + adorable
brian. firing solutions to the main batteries. says:
adorable = cute - ugly
nadnut™ [save some trees! have a blog!] says:
lol

Touching Is The New Secks

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:14:00 +0000

You see it everywhere these days, many mobile devices are moving toward touch interfaces, from the Apple iPhones, HTC Touches and Samsung (I can't remember).

Design-wise, i think this is a good thing. handheld devices and touch technology go hand-in-hand, because i think it's intuitive. check out this video of firefox mobile for the iPhone if you need any more evidence that touch is more than just a fancy marketing gimmick, but it changes the way you interact with your tools:

Firefox Mobile Concept Video from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

So imagine my eyes-widening when uniquefrequency and melvin invited me to their HP TouchSmart Blogger event. Now, this is interesting, i've always been organising Open Room events for bloggers, now it was a chance to finally be a blogger. And a tech event no less!

this is what we all came to see:

I hope I'll be honest and objective here. I do like the HP Touch Smart, i think HP have gone a long way to design a desktop that is intuitive to use, is a speaking point in any home or as a living room feature. this is a very sexy lifestyle product.

it runs on a special version of Windows Vista, so the aero interface goes very well with the physical black aesthetics, and it has the main entertainment features in play, coverflow for your music and videos, 22" HD screen to enjoy your digital photo albums, all at the touch of your fingertips. it literally causes you to rethink the way you approach a personal computer, especially when you're brought up using a mouse or keyboard. HP have included these peripherals, but i think if you want the true experience, you'd be touching. *ahem*

but i think beyond that, it's a regular PC with some touch technology (which in itself interesting, i learn there are cameras all over the screen that track the movement of your fingers - it aint pressure sensitive though.)

for something that looks like an apple imac (which starts at 24"), sustainable graphic cards, wireless mouse and keyboard, and in itself a space saver, yet offers enough power to edit videos and images without much hassle, the HP TouchSmart has found itself a worthy competitor.

But you can't touch an iMac, and i think that is enough of a unique proposition that might sway your decision. Could this be the first step toward new desktop based products that will be more intuitive to use, not just in terms of aesthetics and usability, but the backend programming that makes using such touch-focused products easier rather than more difficult?

as i maintain, i'm a big fan of the aesthetics, i'd get it if i had money to burn, but it ain't no desktop replacement. not at this point at least.

Apart from that, it was nice to see how other agencies approach blogger engagement. my personal experience was that I was well attended to, met up with old and new friends, and it was social, not some marketing babble schpwel. if any, it was kept to a bare minimum.

if I can refer any client executives to the way the HP reps conducted themselves in blogger-produced vodcasts, check this example out from the fine folks at the Geek Goddess Show:

intelligible, simple, clear and articulate. and use of visual aids! anything to help us understand your product or service better -)

of course the food was stellar, and the beer was *muackz*

i'll leave you now with some pictures because i'm too lazy to fit them contextually into this post:

Bloggers are not an unruly bunch! they listen to what you have to say!

bitbot streaming live to Qik:

bitbot and me

now with the incredible nadnut

clicktokill is another rock grrl

Nicole always smiling when i see her

and my homies, beatmastermark and uniquefrequency

More photos at: social media misadventures

Other posts:
uniquefrequency
nicole
clicktokill
clauds
bitbot

All Your Livejournal Are Belong To Us

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:00:00 +0000

Here's a funny Error 404 page from the folks at www.livejournal.com

And to put this in context, here are a couple of videos to help you with your sense of humour.

all your base are belong to us

zero wing rhapsody

thank me later.

Jean.SG Says She Was Molested, And We Say She Deserves It?

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:43:00 +0000

"seems to me there's somethin' you don't know about men, an' that's we can't help this shit.

i mean, i dunno if it's genetic, or if it's to do with what we get taught, of if it's just 'cause it's expected of us -- but it's what we DO, ok?

'cause to help a girl when she's in trouble, or stop her gettin' into trouble, is just the right goddamned thing to do.." - jesse custer, preacher #17

it's just the right, goddamned thing to do.

i don't know why this post link here is bothering me so much, or i think it's more the comments from anonymous pass-bys that irks me more. link here

Before we go any deeper into this, please read these links to get some context to what's going on.

the girl's account
a local tabloid's report
asiaone's news story
and countless other people who have spoken for and against this girl for either leading the guy on (accepting a $48,000 'gift'), putting herself in an awkward situation (sharing a bed together) and inviting trouble.

Yes. Yes. and Yes.

but still, what gives the guy ANY RIGHT to snuggle up next to her in the dead of the night, start stroking her back with his fingers, and when she was too terrified to do anything, whip out his big dick (it must be big if his brain was there and not in his cranium) and stroke it at her buttocks?

No seriously, what gives him the right to assume the stage has been set, the gift ($48,000 mind you) has been given, the circumstances were ideal (what? he thought she planned the 'one bed' dilemma?) when there is no clear sign of consent?

i'll admit, i think sex is a special enough act that you remain faithful to your partner to, even before you are married. but that's just me, and even for people who don't share the same view and are more versed in this act of sleeping with anyone they wish, isn't there some sort of 'teasing' or acknowledgment that they want to have sex with you?

i hardly think a dead log not making a noise to your stroking fingers is communication that screams out 'YES! TAKE ME NOW!'

i think i've made my point, who was clearly, more in the wrong for assuming too much.

the final thing that irks me, are all these anonymous people who leave comments behind saying that she had brought it upon herself, saying money had changed hands, justifying this course of action. well if it does, it clearly shows how you treat women, they're nothing more than things that can be bought.

women are humans just like us. i think it sorta shows what kind of person you are. the selfish type who looks out only for his/herself, or you respect your peers, regardless of where they come from, and their well-being is of concern to you.

it's funny how such anonymous commenter's can say such things, and although www.jean.sg has chosen to remain anonymous, at least she has a source blog and is contactable via email and willing to go public. how many of these other unverified commenters are willing to be spotlighted by public opinion, and actually broadcast what they really want they say and put it on record, while taking full responsibility for the words they use.

not many i can imagine.

big empty words. forever resigned to anonymity lacking any credibility.

my identity on this blog is public and transparent for a reason. i'm taking responsibility for anything and everything i say here, and i cannot speak for anyone but myself.

in closing, the blame that we heap on www.jean.sg will come full circle. if we are unwilling to give her quarter and benefit of the doubt for such a hideous action, when it happens to one of your loved ones, or to yourself and you are powerless to do anything about it, we have only wrought the hurt upon ourselves, because we allowed and justified such a thing to happen in the first place.

why am i speaking out about this? i'll share two of my favorite quotes, because it's pushed my buttons and these quotes belly my own principles as a man, and mortal.

'cause to help a girl when she's in trouble, or stop her gettin' into trouble, is just the right goddamned thing to do.." - jesse custer, preacher #17

once a man has seen, he can never turn his back on it. never pretend it doesn't exist. no matter who orders him to look the other way. we do not do this thing because it is permitted. we do it because we have to. we do it because we are compelled." - rorschach, watchmen issue vi

Brian Morgan Productions Pilot Vodcast: The Muxtape Episode

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:01:00 +0000

without much fanfare, production values and a brand new blackbook, i present brian morgan productions a first look at music you should be listening to and all the other cool DIY things you could be doing.

who we are: brian leery, bassist & inquisitive social media practitioner and morgan c. hoax, indie music guru, photographer & brains behind the skinny fists

why we started vodcasting: we're both recently mac-enabled. i wanted to show how easy it was to begin vodcasting. for content, we both love music a little too much, and we hope that through the use of video, we can share the cool things you ought to be listening to and what's out there in the world of music + intertubes

links mentioned
muxtape
morgan's muxtape
brian's muxtape
pitchfork
morgan's blog
brian's blog: you're reading it now!

songs and/or albums mentioned
1. Follow The Lights (EP) by Ryan Adams
2. The Greatest (LP) by Cat Power
3. He War (Single) by Cat Power

dashing all your hopes and dreams

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:30:00 +0000

it's been awhile since i last stepped into my blog. it's scary, knowing that it's there and i should type in it ever so often. but really, sometimes i'm human and i don't really know what i want to say.

but oh well, we all have to grow up sometime right?

EXPOSE what's all this fuss about Plurk anyhow?

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:55:00 +0000

by now, some of the more active new media movers in Singapore have tried out the latest web application, Plurk.

what exactly is Plurk? well, if you aren't even using Twitter, this post might not make much sense to you.

Twitterers jumped onto Plurk when Twitter kept having outages that really made following conversations a hassle. While Twitter and me have not parted ways, i am sort of having a friend with benefits, if that is my relationship with Plurk.

So let me share step by step, what's working out for me and Plurk, before i add a wishlist of what would perhaps, make it even more plurking awesome.

1. Plurk iz pretty

the timeline user-interface (UI) takes a bit of getting used to. but once you do, following conversations and taking part in them is insanely easy.

2. Plurk makes it easy to participate in conversations of interest
see a post that you like? click on the drop down option, and plurk a response instantaneously! it reminds me of the way people post replies to threads on forums. in fact, it's like "threaded conversations" if i may quote @uniquefrequency or @yuhui. i cannot remember. in one of my more popular plurks i got 43 responses, although more than half came from @uniquefrequency and myself, it proved the ease in starting a conversation on any topic, and anyone can join in.

here's an example of that Plurk's permalink. the fantastic thing, is that you can now join in that conversation by just registering yourself and continuing that conversation!

3. RSS Feeds
this was rather overlooked. or didn't appear in any of my current conversations. but i've started subscribing to various Plurkers on my GReader, if i see anything that interests me, i can click on that link in my RSS Reader that takes me straight to a Plurk's Permalink, and i can take part in the conversation without needing to go thru the hassle of checking my timelines.

it's a bit of a hassle, but this will help manage updates if and when Plurk becomes too busy for its own good.

you can also try subscribing to Plurk responses, but i think that's overkill.

[Note: you can only subscribe to public plurks, plurkers that are private will not produce a feed. My feed is in this link if you wanna follow me: link]

wishlist
1. SMS integration like Twitter. but that might not be necessary if WIFI becomes ubiquitous for mobile internet devices, or if you have a good 3G data plan. i hear good things about their mobile site.

2. convulated timeline will have to be addressed sooner or later.

3. easier UI to keep track of conversations that are happening. as someone suggested, plurks with responses should perhaps be aggregated to a sidebar for you to comment on. by doing so, this might render the RSS+GReader method unnecessary and require a shorter learning curve to using Plurk.

4. more 3rd party apps or blog widgets to make Plurk more integrated to a lifestream.

closing thoughts
Plurk and Twitter are different animals. Plurk has made it great to start and follow up on conversations. but it doesn't have the ubiquity of Twitter that truly excels on an SMS platform. you probably won't see someone using Plurk to plurk a cry for help when he/she gets arrested in Egypt. SO don't throw away Twitter yet! Twitter might be quiet for awhile as more of us play with Plurk, but i think Twitter will be back with a vengence WHEN it sorts out its backend engineering.

if you'd like to see it for yourself, take part in the conversation and join my Plurk network here: link!

my life in point form

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:15:00 +0000

1. played with plurk.com

2. left work

3. listening to matthew good

4. discovered fail blog
- what is the culture of "fail"? [please watch video]

5. ate durians at geylang

6. met friends from perth whom i've not seen in a year

7. still hearting oceansize
[please watch videos]
women who love men who love drugs
[emo spaz moments at 1:58 and 4:17]

Serial killer
Lifeus Exitus
So don't dare
Kill her
It's on me
It's on you
Yeah

So Don't You
Believe
Women
Who Love
Men Who
Love
Drugs
Yeah...

unfamiliar
[love the arrangement of this song, mindblowing vocal melody at 3:40]

During the laceration all you wanna do is cry
At last that realization how quickly fresh blood dries
Needs little explanation, 'sgonna take a lot of time
Ideas above our station are below the fog in my mind
When I see I see my signs
It's the same face presenting the same lie
If you keep walking sideways, if you keep changing your mind
When i see i see my signs
And obsolete your voices are
They say that silence it sometimes pays
In war silence it sometimes pays
Souls and windows stops existing
And holes where his eyes used to be
Needle and thread hold together his love for the dead
And all who sail in her
Saw the seashore, unfamiliar
The water and oil, unfamiliar
Success and toil, unfamiliar
Unaccustomed, unfamiliar

8. playing a gig with Kevin Matthews and the Groovy People on Saturday 930pm @ Timbre for Rock The Sub!

why you need a social media strategist like me

noreply@blogger.com (brian koh) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:48:00 +0000

okay, purely off the bat, i'm not moonlighting my services, but this is an example of how being rather connected helps your cause.

it all started with this:

direct link here

An innocent tweet about the new socialite, an upcoming blog that seems to be covering the new media scene / blogosphere / twittersphere around singapore.

and they quoted me! linked my blog. AND! deemed my friend @ambarvalia crush worthy -)

oh, the wonders of having me as your friend will do wonders for your brand!

you can read the article here.

well, in my defence, i never "accused" anyone. for further evidence, please refer to above image and notice the tone of my "non-accusing" tweet. i mean, how harmless is that? -)

anyway, i don't think the new socialite means any harm, and i've already subscribed to its feed. if someone else has got the pulse on singapore, you've already got me hooked as a reader.

i've also yet to join the Facebook group that nadnut invited me to for sweets.sg. i saw the trailer, and looking forward to what these new players in the vodcasting scene are gonna show us!