think native

You’ve got to love the Monty Python boys, apart from being madder than a box of frogs and funny as hell, they’re also pretty savvy guys.

In a rather amusing video, they’ve announced that pretty much the full library of Monty Python skits will be posted to a dedicated YouTube channel, in high quality video. So you’ll be able to watch Monsieur Creosote eating that last wafer thin mint, or the rapid demise of the killer rabbit via holy handgrenade as many times as you like, gratis.

And by offering such a smorgasbord of free content, the team hope to generate more sales of their DVDs. They, like many other content owners have realised that you can’t beat ‘em, so you might as well join ‘em, taking advantage of free distribution and brand building to generate sales.

Read Chris Anderson’s theory on Freeconomics here

A friend of mine recommended this producer out of Finland who creates beautiful ambient and downtempo electronica - here’s his bio:

“Planet Boelex is an electronic music project originating from Finland, started in 2004, consisting of only one member. Self-taught, learning music by experimenting on computer-based “tracker” softwares. Planet Boelex released the first freely downloadable EP “Sinking in the soup” in Janurary 2005, on one of the oldest netlabels in existence, Monotonik. This five track release shaped the sound of Planet Boelex, which could be defined as soft, melodic electronica, fused with influences from ambient and IDM. Still faithful to the style, continuing with new EP releases on the netlabels Ogredung, Monotonik and Kahvi Collective, all freely downloadable under the Creative Commons -licensing. During the years 2006 and 2007 Planet Boelex has performed live in Finland, Estonia, Italy, Croatia, United Kingdom, Russia, Latvia and Lithuania.”

All his music is free and available to share under the Creative Commons 3 license (attribution and no commercial uses, with no derivative works), so click on over and enjoy!

http://www.boelex.org/

For one reason or another, over the weekend I was taken back to my time growing up in Sydney, and in particular that perennial summertime of childhood.

I have no idea why I was remembering all of this, my mind makes full use of its opportunities to meander on Sundays over the papers and a bacon sandwich, but nonetheless I was recalling all the various games we used to play in the playground at school.

We played the same kind of games that kids have been playing, I suspect, since time began; marbles, yo-yos, Top Trumps, toy cars.

But the best games were the ones where everyone could play together. ‘Tag’, ‘British bulldog’, ‘Catch & Kiss (or Kiss Chase if you’re from Blighty)’.

It got me thinking: isn’t the Internet just one big playground? Don’t all the same rules apply?

In the playground, everyone gravitated towards the kids who could tell the best stories, the kids who had stuff to give away, the kids who suggested games that everyone could play together.

And the last thing anyone wanted was for the adults to come to the playground to just ‘hang out’, because the adults always spoiled the fun by trying to make you do things, by always being so serious.

So, what kind of kid are you? Are you the kid who tell funny or entertaining stories? Do you ask your Dad for sweets you can give out to your friends? Or even better, do you come up with games that everyone can play, like this, this, this or this?

Or are you the serious adult trying to control the fun, telling the kids not to sing that song or run so fast, or climb on that? Or worse, interrupting the fun to try and get you to do something?