Blog Marco

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

One of Sydney's Western suburbs, Blacktown, is out of phone, internet and EFTPOS services this weekend after vandals cut a Telstra communications cable around 8am this morning (Vandals are awake so early these days?!?!). The vandals severed two fibre optic cables affecting these telecommunication services in Blacktown, Rooty Hill, Erskine Park, Arndell Park and Shalvey. Sort of similar to the very recent episode of SouthPark called "Over Logging" when the whole town lost their Internet. Of course it wasn't from vandals, but rather, the Internet was lost because of too many people using the Internet and the network simply gave up.

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").

Here are some more sexy Mandy Moore photoshoots. Previous blog posts with Mandy photos include: Mandy Moore showing cleavage, Mandy Moore and paparazzi photos and a classy photoshoot. Enjoy!

Mandy Moore - Frank W. Ockenfels Photoshoot

Here is a photoshoot of usually conservative dressing Mandy Moore showing cleavage. Photography by Marc Baptiste. If you look here, you'll find a classy styled photoshoot of Mandy Moore. You can find Mandy Moore's Bio here.

A screengrab of Chef Ramsay swearing his face off on Hells Kitchen. (A previous post about Gordon Ramsay.)

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

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"

Mandy Moore singing at the Beautiful Girls Ladies fashion launch in Melbourne on March 5 2008. Have a look at a Classy photoshoot of Mandy and Mandy with no makeup.

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.

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.

We had a previous look at Mandy Moore with no makeup. Now here's a photoshoot by Jonathan Skow in High Resolution, shot in black and white and with Mandy Moore all dolled up and classy:

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?

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.

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Submitted by Marco on Tue, 29/04/2008 - 9:24am.