Marco's blog

Potty Training - Japanese Style

Sun, 11 May 2008 22:46:32 -0700

Watch the video as this Japanese cartoon shows how a kid tiger gets potty trained. Hilarious!

Video: Comedy; Japanese Anime; Made up Subtitles.

Slow Motion Lighter

Sun, 11 May 2008 01:50:04 -0700

It's always interesting to watch these slow motion videos... This one is a cigarette lighter being ignited. Watch as the many sparks ignite pockets of liquefied gas in slow motion video...

Photography Studio Jobs

Fri, 09 May 2008 15:19:28 -0700

Still surfing the photography employment pages. This time I found some jobs in a Photography Studio which aren't photographer jobs. These are support staff positions that would get people in the door to the studio. One is for a telemarketer (Nooo!!! Not those annoying telemarketing callers!) and the other is a sales consultant. The photography business, is after all, a luxury item. No one needs photos - its a luxury to take photos, and its a luxury to charge hundreds of dollars for one studio photo. Sounds vain doesn't it? Here is a list of previous jobs I've previously recorded: part time digital photographer for a studio, another job here, freelance photographers job, a job for an assistant to a photographer job and finally a job at Starshots studio.

Part Time Digital Photographer

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:09:56 -0700

Another photography job - this time a part time digital photographer. I went to their company website, and I found it absolutely annoying. They have one of those "cleverly" (aka awkward and hard to navigate) website where you need to put your mouse over an arrow on the webpage to make the text scroll down. Talk about ANNOYING! Anyway, job sounds okay... doesn't say how much you'll earn but since you need experience and a diploma in photography I'm guessing the pay is around $40 to $60K? Anyway, if you want to scope out photography jobs you can look: here, this one, another job and finally here for other jobs I previously wanted to observe... and no, I'm not applying for any of these jobs.

Vacuum Dustbin

Wed, 07 May 2008 21:11:42 -0700

Useless gadget of the day: Vacuum Dustbin. Instead of sweeping up the dust into a dustpan and throwing it into the bin, have a bin which as a vacuum inside it suck the dust into it? Sounds like a good idea but really, its a waste of electricity and a waste of space. Just use the good old dust pan and broom. OR why don't you just use a vacuum cleaner? They were trying to sell this crap on http://www.catchoftheday.com.au/ today. I've actually bought junk from that website - novelty items that aren't worth a penny. RRP $150 for the vacuum, but they're having a fire sale and are selling it at a bargain basement price of $20.

ThinkPad pwned MacBook AIR

Sat, 03 May 2008 17:36:53 -0700

I love the Thinkpad line... MacBook Air may look sexy but on a practical level, perhaps its a little ahead of its time.

Video details: Viral Video parody of the MacBook AIR commercial sales pitch of having the whole laptop into a yellow envelope, but then having to contend with various USB connections - a little over the top, but nowadays USB connections are used for Mice, Keyboards, Printers, external Hard Drives, Cameras, Memory stock readers... Thinkpad 1 vs. Mac Air 0

Yet Another Photography Job

Fri, 02 May 2008 14:28:26 -0700

There seems to be a steady stream of Photography jobs in Sydney. I guess if you want to be a photographer, there is plenty of employment opportunities. Recent jobs I've looked at and found interesting (not that I'm looking for a job - just interested in their pay rate and what photographer positions are available out there) were this, here and here. This position seems to be an entry level photography position. No note on how much you'll be paid, but you'll definitely get a foothold within the fashion industry. The employer is Pacific Magazines for Famous magazine who require a full time studio photographer. The scope of the position seems to revolve around the very boring side of photography - shooting still life (products and stuff). But the exciting thing is that you'll definitely get a media pass if there is some event or celebrity interview/promotion ("occasional on-location celebrity portraiture").

Why do you participate in Outdoor activites?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:34:18 -0700

Why do you participate in Outdoor activites?

I like to participate in outdoor activities because...

I feel more in touch with myself then
It helps me to relieve stress and refocus
It’s an escape from routine & gives a sense of freedom
It gives my family bonding experiences and an opportunity to grow closer
I enjoy facing the challenges that outdoor activities pose
It’s an opportunity for me to enjoy some time to myself
I enjoy competing against myself more than competing against others
I really enjoy socialising and meeting new people
I feel I share a common bond with others who participate
I enjoy competing against others more than competing against myself
I crave excitement and to get an adrenaline rush
I enjoy exploring places and having new experiences
Of the “natural high” and feeling good
I enjoy experiencing nature and it’s beauty
I’m motivated to test my skills and push myself

Music Piracy

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:19:33 -0700

Read this about Music and Piracy today:

Record labels are seen as the big losers from music piracy. While artists benefit from having their music distributed to as many people as possible and are able to reap significant returns from merchandise and concert ticket sales, record label revenue is dropping rapidly as people buy fewer CDs.
-- from "Musician 'duped' into anti-piracy video"

Australian School Statistics

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:26:48 -0700

Number of school pupils in Australia: 3.3 million; number of schools: 9600; number of full-time teachers or equivalent: 230,000.

Proportion of male Year 10 pupils in Australia who continue to Year 12: 72 per cent; of females: 82 per cent.

Facebook Video Parody

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:27:48 -0700

Have you used Facebook? Then you'll definitely relate to this Facebook parody video.

Video details: Parodies Facebook features and concepts in reality such as "The Wall", "Poke", "Add Friend", change status and Sharing questionable photos.

Sydney Freelance Photographers Job

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:18:25 -0700

I've been on a lookout for photography jobs here and here but for no specific reason. I guess to scope out my competition. This time they're advertising a freelance photographer position. I am assuming that this business is like an agency - they get work for you and in turn pass on the job to you while getting a commission from the whole process. They claim to pay $30 to $75 per hour. If the jobs are daily and consistent $30/hour is reasonable to pay for a freelance photographer but the question to ask them is if the equipment provided and if there is a transport allowance (petrol is so expensive!) and if other expenses are covered. Also you are looking at the quality of photographers that you attract at those prices? Does the company have a training scheme to train the photographers to output a certain standard of photos or are they simply put to work?

Junior Photographer's Assistant

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:24:13 -0700

Last week I saw this Photographer at Starshots, which is one of those shopping mall/centre studio setups. This week there's this "Photographic assistant" junior position which pays $25K to $30,000... which is not bad provided your career is to become a professional photographer. BUT is really cheap labour since you are only getting paid about $480 a week (not including taxes) or about $12 an hour.

Photographic assistant - junior position

Work Type: Full Time
Sub-Classification: Photography
Area: Sydney - Inner

Advertiser: Studio Commercial
Salary: $25K - $30K + super and bonus
Modern city based photographic studio is looking for a full time junior assistant.

The applicant should be energetic, creative, trustworthy, have initiative, drive, be a team player, well presented, keen to listen and learn, and can carry heavy photographic equipment.

Skills
A basic understanding of photography, computer savvy. Must have current drivers licence.

Internet Marketing Employment

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:21:03 -0700

I was browsing the web and I found a couple of jobs relating to Internet Marketing. Some of their employment responsibilities are quite interesting... Jobs listed below include: Social Network Administrator, Internet/Media Sales Guru, Social Network Content Writer, Account Manager-On-Line Merchants, Web Designer-Flash. These are the jobs of tomorrow. These jobs didn't exist a decade ago... and only started appearing when Flash was invested and affiliate and social marketing took off in recent times.

Photographer at Starshots Bankstown

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:52:24 -0700

This photograhy position opening at Starshots Bankstown looks interesting. I wonder what their pay rates and commissions are? These guys charge anywhere between $200 to $400 per photo including the whole makeup and photoshoot session.

STARSHOTS Bankstown is an established business that has been operating successfully in Centro Bankstown for the past 10 years. We are part of a growing franchise that now has 17 studios throughout the country.

Our Bankstown studio requires an experienced portrait photographer to join our friendly team of photographers and makeup artists.

Photographer - Job Responsibilities:

Using lighting, props and poses to take photos that will wow! our clients

Being able to sell our product to prospective clients

Answering phones and attending to enquiries

Working with a team to help produce a great experience for our clients

Photographer - Essential Skills Required:

Experienced in portrait studio photography (2+ years minimum)