Flickr Photostream

Photo: Twilight Over the Lake

Twilight Over the Lake

I like taking pictures and sometimes I get one that I think is worth sharing. So, I have finally set up my own Flickr photostream!

I’ve been inspired by Nina Paley and groups like Tryad to share my photos under a Creative Commons – Attribution – Share Alike license. Creative Commons – Attribution license. That means you are free to use them for pretty much whatever you want, as they are “free as in freedom.”

If you use one of my pictures, for anything, please include a note saying who took it. “Photo by Stig Rudeholm” will do nicely. If you include the address to this website (http://stigrudeholm.roll2dice.com/) as well, that would be greatly appreciated!

Photo: Angel in Sunset

Angel in Sunset

I’m currently looking for a good place to host the full-size .png’s. If you know of a place, please tell me. In the mean time, if you want one of the pictures for a project, let me know and I will get it to you ASAP, in the highest quality I have available. Usually, that means 3872 x 2592 pixels, 300ppi, but sometimes they are smaller. For instance, the image Angel in Sunset is smaller, as I have rotated it slightly and trimmed the edges a bit.

Please visit my photostream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stigrudeholm/

UPDATE on 7 Feb 2013: I have changed the licensing on my photos to CC-BY, an even more open and free license!

Going to Church on Sunday

The Book of Mormon

Tomorrow morning, I’m going to church. And not just any old church, either. I’m going to visit the local church of “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” more commonly known as the Mormons.

Have I suddenly found Jesus and become religious? No, but I am very curious to know more about this very young religion. Well, surely I can just stay home and read about it on Wikipedia? Well, I could, but for some reason I would really like to see it from the inside. Talk to some actual Mormons and hear what they think, what they believe.

Gävle has had Mormon missionaries for as long as I can remember. Pairs of young men with nametags and backpacks, often sitting away from each other on the bus, in the hope of someone sitting down next to them so they can strike up a conversation. This summer, a pair of young women with nametags showed up on the bus, and I was quite surprised. I thought only the men went on missions.

Just a few days ago, I happened to sit next to them on the bus and we talked a bit. We had a nice chat about this and that and I mentioned that I do not believe in any god, but that I am very interested in religion. I said I would like to know more about the Mormon faith, and they invited me to come to their church on sunday.

So, tomorrow I am going to church. I can’t even remember the last time I was in a church, when it was not for a wedding or a funeral. It will be interesting.

Sunday Comic: Incentive to Create

The Sunday Comic is back!

Here’s another favourite Mimi and Eunice comic strip from the archives of Nina Paley!

no one would create without monetary incentives / nonsense people create for all kinds of reasons / who paid you to say that

I love this one because it touches on a very important part of the whole Copyright issue. Many proponents of Copyright argue that without it, no new cultural works would be created. This is wrong, and it should be obvious to everyone. But, of course, it’s not.

The thing is, artists have always created art. Without Copyright, artists would keep creating art. Do you actually think that if Copyright was taken away, writers would stop writing, painters would stop painting, and photographers would stop taking pictures?

Ashamed to be human

Today I saw a video on YouTube that made me cry. It made me feel dirty. It made me feel like Leeloo in The Fifth Element, researching war.

Ten military police officers beating two protesters

In the video, captured within the last couple of days, you can see Egyptian military police, armed with riot gear, savagely beating protesters. Beating them with their sticks. Kicking them while they are down. Stomping a woman in the chest while she is being dragged across the ground.

Military police officer stomps a woman in the chest

At one point, one of the “law enforcers” jumps, stomping down with both feet, on a man lying on his side.

Military police officer jumping on protester

These people are psychopaths, but I still wouldn’t want anyone to do to them what they are doing to these protesters. There are NO extenuating circumstances for these actions. There is NO excuse for beating someone like this. There is NO way to justify jumping on another human being!

How is this even fucking happening?!?

Today I am ashamed of being a human being…..

 

Update:

It’s been a few hours, I’ve calmed down a bit. Rationally, I know that shit like this goes on all the time. But reading or hearing about it just isn’t the same as seeing moving pictures. Seeing it happen makes it real on a whole new level. And it’s still so fucking wrong….

Truth is the first casualty of war

Today marks the beginning of the first hearing in the case against Bradley Manning, the US Army private who is accused of leaking almost half a million documents and two videos to WikiLeaks, including the horriffic video dubbed “Collateral Murder“.

A couple of days ago, The Huffington Post published a very moving piece by Graham Nash titled Bradley Manning Is “Almost Gone”. I highly recommend it.

“Regardless of whether you think that Manning is right or wrong, innocent or guilty, hero or villain, saint or sinner, he is a human being and should be treated as such.”

What really brought tears to my eyes, though, was the song “Almost Gone” (The Ballad of Bradley Manning) that Graham Nash and James Raymond has recorded. Together with the accompanying video, it paints a very sad picture of the U.S….

Tell the truth and it shall set you free….. Yeah, right….

Please go read, watch, and listen.

And please show your support for Bradley Manning in any way you can.

I just paid for some free music!

Cover: Heartbroken by One DiceAs part of my Sharing is Caring initiative, I just bought the extended version of Heartbroken by One Dice. Listening to it right now and loving it! I’ve just had a quick look through the included 24-page PDF and my initial reaction is very positive. It contains some very nice photos and appear to include some notes on the songs, not just the lyrics. I will have a closer look when I have a little more time.

I also donated some money to LukHash through Jamendo.com.

I’ve pledged some money to Tryad and will probably do the actual donation tomorrow as I’m on my way to bed right now.

I’ll also be buying the latest video from Louis C.K. Through Techdirt.com I found out that he’s doing an experiment with selling downloads directly to fans. I won’t write more about it right now, because, as I just said, I’m on my way to bed. But you can check out these links:

I love that stuff and I hope more performers follow his example.
Good night!

Sharing is Caring / Christmas Cash

Hand Heart - Photo by Krystal T

People who know me know that I talk a lot about copyright reform, free content, open culture, and alternative funding. I’ve thought about sending some money to several people and groups for quite some time, but I’ve just not gotten around to it. And frankly, I am a bit disappointed with myself. It’s time for me to start putting my money where my mouth is.

This christmas, I’ll be donating to, and buying from, some of my favorite artists and causes. I will start with pledging amounts here on my blog and on Facebook. Then I will initiate the actual transactions. By pledging the money publicly, I’m hoping to inspire you to do the same.

Personally, I’m planning on spending about €50. I’ll just take a few days to think about how I’ll divide the money. A fiver here and a fiver there is not much, I know, but that’s why I’m asking you to take part!

Please, join me and show the world that sharing is caring. Share some money with the people who share their works with you.

I’m not trying to guilt or force anyone into anything. If you want to join in, that’s great! Give whatever you want to whoever you want. If you don’t want to join in, that’s fine too. I just ask you to be sincere. If you pledge an amount, please go through with it.

Here are some suggestions on how you can support your favorite creators and causes:

  • Donations
  • Buying merchandise
  • Paying for premium content
  • Buying songs or ebooks from iTunes, Smashwords, or wherever, where the creators get a fair slice of the pie

Give as much or as little as you want, to whatever artists, groups, causes, or random people you want!

Sharing is Caring

/Stig Rudeholm

Photo by Krystal T on flickr.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/krystalt/
Licensed under a “Creative Commons – Attribution” license

Album of the Week: Heartbroken

Cover: Heartbroken by One Dice

Download and listen for free!

This week’s soundtrack is a really nice goth album called Heartbroken by One Dice. It is brand spanking new and is the band’s first full length album. If you want to support One Dice, you can buy an extended version of the album, with 13 tracks, at their bandcamp site. You can listen to all 13 songs there, and if you decide to buy the album you can pay as little as €1 or as much as you want. Included in the purchase is a 24-page booklet (PDF, I guess) with lyrics and photos. A very nice way of adding value for those who pay for the downloads.

I find the music very moving and the female singer’s voice sothing and hypnotic. I am seriously considering buying the extended version, as I really like this album.

Have you found an album at Jamendo.com that you would like to share? Please tell me!

Sunday Comic: Watermark

A Sunday Comic on an actual sunday? Surely not!

Yes! It’s true, I am actually posting this sunday comic while it is still sunday. :)

Here’s another favourite Mimi and Eunice comic strip from the archives of Nina Paley!

try my new cake / gah it smells like pee! that's because i peed on it / why? i don't want anyone to steal it

This is pretty much what Watermarking and DRM are all about. You take a perfectly good product and make it less usable and less enjoyable for the people who actually paid for it. In other words, you punish your paying customers.

In case you didn’t know, pirate cake generally comes without the pee, thus tasting a lot better. So, is it any wonder that a lot of people prefer pirate cake?

Album of the Week: Seismograph

Cover: Seismograph by Philos Deploys

Download and listen for free!

This week’s pick is Seismograph by Philos Deploys. It is listed as “dark electro”, and it will not be to everyone’s taste, I’m sure, but I think it is really, really good.

Someone once said that there’s a music for every mood, and a mood for every music. I agree. This is not what I listen to every day, but when I’m in the mood for some dark german electronica, this fits the bill perfectly. It’s got a bit of Rammstein in there, as well as a bit of Depeche Mode. I love it.

As always, you can download and listen to this album free of charge at Jamendo.com!

Enjoy the music!