Julian Pistorius

Online Face Recognition: Machines are Looking for Michael Jackson

julian — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:57:40 +0000

This is a very cool bit of Flash ActionScript programming which uses a video of Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” to do real-time facial recognition. It can also pick out where the eyes are. If you have a web camera, select the ‘webcam’ checkbox, and it will try to recognise your face while you move your head around.

Click on the image below to try it out:

Black or White Face Recognition

You can read more about how this was done here:

play.blog2t.net » Machines are looking for Michael Jackson

REAL or FAKE: Can you tell which of these government spending projects are real or fake?

julian — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:01:46 +0000

(Hat tip: David Joffe)

CrossFit – What is it?

julian — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:36:37 +0000

I’ve started doing CrossFit. It’s bloody tough, but fun. This is what it is:

Inspirationz Motivational Posters

julian — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:29:41 +0000

I love this video. Watch it in high-def mode if you can:

“Inspirationz fine art motivational posters and prints are the perfect gift for anyone with a penchant for profound quotes and powerful art the kind that lifts your spirit and portrays man’s essential nature.”

The Land of Giants – Humanoid Power Pylons

julian — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:32:07 +0000

Choi+Shine Architects designed these beautiful, yet functional humanoid power pylons for Iceland’s electrical transmission system:

You can see more here:

http://www.choishine.com/port_projects/landsnet/landsnet.html

This reminded me of a quote from one of my favourite movies, The Castle‘s Darryl Kerrigan: “Dad, he reckons powerlines are a reminder of man’s ability to generate electricity.”

(Hat tip: teh_aimee)

What Have We Learned in 2,065 Years? (Updated)

julian — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:15:44 +0000

“The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”

– Cicero, 55 BC

Evidently nothing.

(Hat tip: my dad)

UPDATE: See the comment by Grant. It seems there is some doubt around the origins of this quote. Thanks Grant! I still approve of the sentiment, and wish more modern politicians would too.

Very Amusing Cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”

julian — Sun, 09 May 2010 01:01:43 +0000

On the Rocks – Bad Romance:

To really appreciate it, you’ll probably have to watch original first. If you haven’t seen it yet: Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”

(Hat tip: Noodlefood)

Petition: Help Suspend the Emissions Trading Scheme

julian — Sun, 09 May 2010 00:23:02 +0000

On July 1st National intends to inflict on New Zealand the world’s most comprehensive and expensive emissions trading scheme. It will increase the cost of power and petrol, forcing food prices to rise along with the cost of all other goods and services. Australia has just suspended their scheme until 2013. New Zealand should do the same otherwise we risk an exodus of businesses relocating to Australia to avoid the cost-burden on wealth creators that this scheme will impose. We want this petition to send the Prime Minister the strongest possible message to suspend the ETS. Please support this petition and get everyone else to do so too as the more people who sign, the more powerful our message.

To sign the petition please click here

Video: World’s Scariest Trail Ride

julian — Thu, 06 May 2010 02:59:53 +0000

OK. This is crazy. You need pretty strong nerves just to watch this.

(Hat tip: Leo B)

iPaws

julian — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:01:53 +0000

And in other news, the most amusing use for an iPad has been found: Letting a cat play with it.

[hat tip Not PC]

Kiwis Don’t Quack

julian — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:43:33 +0000

Yesterday I picked up a copy of the ‘Herald on Sunday’. I don’t normally read the newspaper, but Lindsay Perigo told me to have a look. Since I’ve last read it, the editors of ‘Herald on Sunday’ have aimed straight for the lowest common denominator, and gone down the road of tabloid dross. It seems that amongst all the celebrity gossip, astrology and other mind-numbing waste of paper, there was, however, an article worth reading; it was an article by Deborah Coddington on the appalling standards of speech of television presenters, politicians, etc.:

Yeah, no, we’d like totally label your diction airy

As Coddington writes:

Journalism is a craft, be it print or broadcast, and for television reporters pronunciation is just as important as all other skills, like investigating the story, getting the facts correct and looking tidy and presentable.

So why are we assailed night after night by journalists who say “ower” instead of “hour”, “ear-lifted” instead of “air-lifted”, “wow” for “well”, choowdren, Wallington, vunrable, New Zilland and alactricity?

If they were print journalists and wrote that way, they’d be taken aside by the sub-editors and retrained, so why are they cruelly shoved in front of the cameras by their bosses and allowed to make the same mistakes?

Hear, hear! It’s good to see that the overwhelming majority of the comments at the bottom of the article agree with her.

In the article she also mentioned Mr Perigo’s recently launched campaign – Kiwis Don’t Quack. You can read more about this laudable campaign to reclaim the English language here:

lindsayperigo.com

A while ago I put my money where my mouth is, and enrolled in Mr Perigo’s speech training course. My de-quacking is progressing well, and I am much more confident when speaking. The only problem is that I am now even more aware of the horrible English all around us, particularly from those who should know better.

I hope Mr Perigo succeeds in getting through to the gate keepers of New Zealand’s broadcast media. I might one day be able to watch the “sucks o’clock news” again without wincing. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to listen to a speech from John Key without wincing, but at least it shouldn’t be because of his pronunciation.

Blog updated

julian — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:24:43 +0000

Finally moved on from the election last year, and have done some major fiddling with my site. New posts to come regularly. In the mean time, check out the good stuff from Not PC

Vanishing Democracy of New Zealand

julian — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:51:30 +0000

Here is a short video by independent cameraman and journalist, Vincent Eastwood, on the marginalisation of minor candidates by the media and organisations who arrange candidate meetings. He interviews myself and Dakta Green (ALCP):

Vanishing Democracy Of New Zealand & NWO (MR NEWS)

Though he makes some excellent points, I don’t agree with Dakta about forcing organisations to invite all candidates.

Libertarianz respects the rights of media and other organisations to invite whomever they want.

Back in 2005, when Jim Anderton and Peter Dunne wanted to take TV3 to court for not having them on the leaders debate, Peter Cresswell and Bernard Darnton presented our case for supporting TV3′s rights, even though Libertarianz could have joined the whingers:

Not PC: Dunne desperate for the worm

Libertarianz objects to busybodying over Leaders Debate

So, if you want to see diversity of opinions and a challenge to the status quo, voice your discontent, and persuade the media and other organisations to give people other than the ‘usual suspects’ a fair go. Persuasion, not force, is way to go about it.

National = Liars

julian — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:09:42 +0000

Not PC takes on the National Party and their bare-faced lies:

They lied to you

“We didn’t see the economic collapse coming.” Yeah right.

Find out why you didn’t get your tax cuts.

The Hand Mirror survey

julian — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:47:04 +0000

My answers to a candidate survey about issues affecting women voters:

http://thehandmirror.blogspot.com/2009/06/mt-albert-by-election-survey-julian.html