Wanders through Identiland – Episode I
23
Aug
2010
This is the inaugural episode of a weekly series called “Wanders through Identiland” - thought twisters and cartoons that explore our ever shifting understanding of identity and all its twists and turns.
Subcribe above for a weekly dose of entertainment.
Does life start as a conversation?
06
Aug
2010
Found this quote today and it stuck to me:
“What was the promise life made to you the moment you were born?”
Now that one reaches back…will enjoy the journey.
How the World Has Grown
22
Jul
2010
An ode to modern times, the credit crunch, societal greed and the madness that’s driven western society to the point where we’re now classifying a massive section of the population whose buying power had created our ostentatious wealth as “The New Poor”. If the western middle class is history then this is an ode to what I believe were some of the best and worst of the middle class fragments, philosophies and traces that I absorbed, growing up in a time of unprecedented wealth and prosperity in the land of North America.
By the way, I penned this song a month before a faulty Honda air bag deployed and blew loads of shrapnel into my right arm. I received the recall letter for the airbag in this ten year old car in the mail, one month after my accident and surgeries. I’ve since recovered and can still thankfully tinkle on the 88 keys, with my nimble fingers of course.
How The World Has Grown
words + music by Deiren Masterson
I was born
In the 1970s
I believed in Big Bird
And Joanie Loved Chachi
And the life that came my way
Was pretty damn easy
Oh Mama, how the world has grown
To keep on changing just about everything we had known
Shopping malls
All those pretty things
If I can’t buy my way to heaven
At least I’d bring some things
And the greed that shook the day
For the anger that it brings
Oh Mama, how the world has grown
To keep on changing just about everything we had known
The liars den
How the hell’d it get so big
Fairwell to ol’ mass media
Control ain’t what you think
Live to breathe another day
In the hope that it will bring
Oh Mama, how the world has grown
To keep on changing just about everything we had known
I Ain’t No Francis of Assisi But The Birds They Sing With Me – “Butterfly”
21
Apr
2010
If you listen closely the duet starts at 1:10 min.
I wasn’t really aware of it at the time but I was actually singing a duet, with a wee little song bird who decided to join in. For my two cents I think we make a nice duo, and I never even got his/her name. Oh well, I’m sure we’ll sing again.
This is a little diddy I wrote a while back when my friend was losing his Mom to cancer. My 91 year old uncle died last week. I sent this song out as an ode to his life, and all of us I guess for that matter. Life continues. Glad to have had a wee little song bird with me on that one.
BUTTERFLY
Words and Music by: Deiren Masterson
What have become of those days that we knew?
And all those memories that I have of you
They’ll come again love
A love once lived will always be
A part of me
Butterfly
What have become of those smiles that we shared?
And all the laughter, it is still there
It comes again love
Your dear life will always be
A part of me
Butterfly
What will become of those tears that were shed?
And all those regrets of things that were said
They’ll have their place love
A life once lived will always be
A part of me
Butterfly
Oh life, for such a powerful thing,
You keep on struggling
You’ve lived so long
My bet’s you keep on living
What takes the place of a life when it’s gone?
And all that space where you once belonged
It fills the air love
And that full space will always be
A part of me
Butterfly
What lives forever, we scream at the air
Forever will always be there
It comes again love
The love we’ve shared will always be
It’s you and me
We’re Butterflies
Mind Control – Kevin Warwick
16
Apr
2010
Professor Kevin Warwick is one of the brains I’ll have the pleasure of encountering at tomorrows TEDxCam talks. Good Lord, this man is up to some slightly interesting things. The Human Cyborg as he’s been called, stemming from his successful experiment at linking his nervous system to the internet via a ‘little thing’ with 100 electrodes that he’d had ‘fired’ into his arm. In a later related experiment this hopeless romantic had his wife hooked up as well, where by they successfully communicated to each other through their nervous systems, sans mots, via the internet. What?!
Granted, it would or will be remarkable to have our brains directly linked to an omnipresent network (ie. Is that the day Google actually does become God? yikes at the thought). These then will truly be the days of “I Google therefore I am” but then the value of offline will sky rocket for me – if it even exists at that stage.
But looking at the promise of Professor Warwicks work for the disabled, granting the ability to control machines and mechanized limbs through the brain alone. This is outstanding. I think of my beautiful friend Michael Barrett, born with cerebral palsy, and unable to communicate with words or move any of his limbs (though Michael is an incredible communicator). The openings that this arena of bio-tech advancement offer are truly incredible. I still hold the strong caveat however to keep our eyes on the humanity and the human lessons and gifts that, through one of the great mysteries and paradoxes of life, are only available to mankind through our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. There are incredibly interesting and important movements at foot. I’m looking foward to his talk. Here’s a good video to give you a taste of Professor Cyborg in action.
Are you Shakespeare? Are you Jesus? Smile and say “yes”.
14
Apr
2010
As I strolled along the river Cam today I was addressed by a stranger, not dissimilar from the lady above. She was feeling very little pain as she wobbled in the midday sun. As I approached I caught the eye rolls of passers by whom she addressed before me. I kept on. I passed. Waiting. Cringing. Expectant.Then a warm and friendly tone and out came her query: “Are you Shakespeare? Are you Jesus?” I answered as any sane man would. I smiled and said “yes” – heck in a moment you can be anyone you like. Don’t worry, they won’t mind and you’ll always be yourself.
Save a High-Tech Start Up or Save the World: your choice.
14
Apr
2010
I’m heading to TEDxCam this weekend. In anticipation they held their Hackathon last Saturday. The Winners, “Ventropy” made this fine offering:
So which is it, help fund a poor failing High-Tech Start Up or make an impact, and take a shot at saving the world? Looking forward to more of this flavour at TEDxCam.
Miss Aniela – Layers of Meaning
07
Apr
2010
I love this photographer. I came across Miss Aniela’s photography a couple of years ago. Drawn by the colour, light and wild spirit in her pictures. Obviously the ‘multiplicity’ or cloning that she was playing with was a big part of the catch. The candy-like layers she delivers is so great – catching you with aesthetic and letting you get into the layers of meaning, emotion and time that can be played with. This is a concept I’ve really wanted to explore more in interactive storytelling. The layers of people’s stories, back, front, sideways etc. Will have fun at some point with it. Go to her Flickr account or http://www.missaniela.com/ .
This photo’s called “Their evening banter”
Playing for Change – School Build in Mali
07
Apr
2010
I’ve loved this group since I came across them a year ago on YouTube. They started out doing mash-ups of songs, uniting street musicians, awesome and eccentric, in amazing corners of the world, singing songs with heart and passion. ( After viewing this you have to check out Grandpa Elliott singing Fannie Mae in New Orleans).
The music and archive they’ve been building in this way alone is amazing, but it’s awesome to see them getting really practical in their hopeful vision as attention and money no doubt start to become more accessible. Here they are building a new music school in a village in Mali.
In their words:
“Baaba Maal dedicates a song to the Village of Kirina, Mali and the school being built there by the Playing For Change Foundation.”
The Silent Rave – they spoke in txt.
06
Apr
2010
It was a silent rave
Not much louder than my toe
They came quietly
iPods in hand
Their name was Saturday
They spoke in txt
And saved money on vowels
Lost on Earth, by Ports of Call from Deiren Masterson on Vimeo.
Lost On Earth…probably. “If you can hear me why don’t you answer when I call? When I’m in trouble why don’t you come?”
If you listen closely, you hear the waves of Ports of Call. (Greg Scott, Andrew Perrins, Chris Smeathers, Sandy Falconi, Deiren Masterson)
Footage I shot at Toronto’s first SILENT RAVE which took place during the LUMINATO Festival. In the heart of the city my former classmate from the New Media Lab at the Canadian Film Centre, Patrick Dinnen (Hogtown Consulting), put up this amazing interactive light/balloon display. Microphones were wired up around the square, dangling amongst the balloons and Patrick made a program where the lights changed in live action to the sounds that were being made in the square – one of the highlights being this Silent Rave that was held there – people downloaded the rave track from a website to their ipods/mp3s and at an agreed time showed up and pressed play – it was wild to be there and I must say a good time had by all.
It fit our song “Lost on Earth” perfectly, in tempo and meaning.
