Wee update type post, so where are things…

Well the “Atheism For Lent” series went well, it was a challenge but fun to do, so I have decided to do similar “30 day” challenges each with its own theme. The first being “the human figure” which is a subject I really need to improve on, the next I am not sure but my hope is that these intense periods will help take my skill up a notch.

The Final Roots has been and gone, I was very pleased with the digital work I created at the two youth sessions (here and here), and the three pieces I created in the final united celebration were ok but at the end of a tiring couple of days not my best, but still happy that they portray the weekends challenges and themes, celebration and a call to social action (here, here, and here).

It was also my first real gig doing digital work and although it worked well, taking my beast of a PC is not practical, however it appears that an iPad may be a viable solution looking at what I see in the art mags I read. Using something that portable would mean it could be alot cheaper for me to get around the country if people wanted to hire me as I would not be stuck to using my car.

What else, not a lot really, haven’t managed to do much else with RPG setting had a few ideas here and there but its really just a side project at the moment. Still the world is more formed and I even have ideas about the systems, so little steos .

So yeah… until next time… laters

So, 2012 has gone (well, is going) to the place where ever the past is.

Been an interesting year, worked at various summer camps/events, been doing more work for LThan3, and various other little bits and pieces here and there, still not enough to “live” (i.e pay all bills, food, etc) but enough to keep me busy at least. Still really enjoying the times I get to live artwork, hopefully have more opportunities for that this coming year.

Anyway, thats 2012, what about 2013?

Well, I have some plans, which is really why I am writing this in the vein hope that by making it public I will actually do them , so in no order what-so-ever, what I have planned for 2013…

• Start streaming 2-3 times a week for at least a couple of hours
  • got some software I can use now in conjunction with new PC
  • also new stream channels:
    •  Illusionary Constructs for art
    • Kimded for any gaming streams
  • mix of practice and actual artwork
• Get adverts out to places to try and get more business in
  • Will need to think about how best to advertise
  • Want to promote live art and “instillations”
  • as part of this try and use my Facebook and Google+ page more?
• Try and get an exhibition or two (may be more possible with funding from this?)
  • Will need more traditional artworks to really do this as too many still dont accept digital work
  • so will need to experiment with physical and digital art techniques
  • Trying out oils, different surfaces etc
• Work and try and get initial version, of the setting at least, of my sci-fi rpg done
  • Initial idea has formed and basic framework for universe
  • Need more detail and drive
• Timetable my days a bit better
• Restart diet
  • not really gained much in last few months but need to start losing again
• Read more
  • Got a new book on the go, and a couple others I want to read

Think that about covers it, just a small list, I am not calling these “resolutions” or any such rubbish, simply these are things I have been working on/towards for a while and just need to write down to make sure I am more focused.

Anyway, hope you all have/had a blessed Christmas/Holiday Season/New Year/End of December/whatever

Laters

What follows is an open letter, about the Uganda anti-gay bill (info: Amnesty & CNN), I would hope that no matter your view on homosexuality you will see that this bill as the act of darkness and oppression that it is and would urge the leaders of The Salvation Army to action, their silence so far speaks volumes.

 ————————————

To the leaders of the Salvation Army, in particular General Linda Bond.

RE: Uganda Anti-Gay Bill, a request for a public deceleration of opposition.

General, and the leaders of the international Salvation Army, as I am sure you are more than aware there is an increasing cry of opposition to a bill about to be voted on in Uganda. This bill would make being homosexual at least punishable by life imprisonment and I have been dismayed that my own spiritual home, an Army raised to fight injustice and darkness, would stay silent on this issue.

This is not an issue of theology, it is not a matter of wither the Salvation Army accepts homosexuality, for the call to love our neighbours as ourselves, to spread the love and peace of Christ trumps all other arguments and this bill is spreading hatred and darkness. It is a matter of human dignity and social justice. Lay aside issue of doctrine for they matter not here, when men and women will be put in prison, for who they are.

We must, as an Army rise up, as we have done so many other times in the past, and declare this bill as the act of oppression  injustice, and evil that it is. It is true that it may cost the Army but the rallying cry this year has been to echo the words of the Founder, “I’ll fight”, yet have we backed away from this fight? We we ignore his words in this case while men and women will be put in prison? Will hatred is allowed to reign? Will we be silent and so being condemned by our silence? For, if I may paraphrase, all it takes for evil to flourish is for the good to say nothing.

We are an Army fighting for social justice, who have before stood against great powers of darkness throughout this world, let not our silence condemn us, may we stand with Christ and spread peace and understanding.

So, as a solider in your Army, I implore you, shine a light on this darkness, raise the Armys voice against this social injustice.

In His Service,
Adam Howie

Ok, I wasn going to “rant” on this but I must vent… hopefully I will be able to put into articulate words why this annoys me so that discussion can take place… anyway, its all because I read a friends status where they shared something from ArmyBarmy, a site which I usually avoid as I disagree with some (probably many) of their attitudes and beliefs as they are part of the “Primitive Salvationist” movement (which I have previously raised concerns about many years ago – LINK).

This view was reinforced with the some of statements from the following section of a post entitled “Controversial? To slackers and sinners”:

 ”Now, for some reason, some people seem to think that we are controversial here. I’m not sure why keen Salvos would think nearly anything we say is controversial. What are we on about here?

Well, we’re harping on about winning the world for Jesus. So if you don’t like that you don’t like William Booth, Catherine Booth, George Scott Railton, Booth-Tucker, Samuel Logan Brengle, and the rest of the primitive Salvationists.

We’re on about holiness (google armybarmy and holiness or Journal of Aggressive Christianity and holiness to prove it; or, yesterday’s post threat).

We are big on covenant. So is God.

You might hear us mention Primitive Salvationism now and again (charismatic-flavoured, mission-focused heroism). We have concluded that it is historically and currently the most effective strain of Salvationism. The facts back this up. Check out the facebook group with that name.

We’re into Aggressive Christianity (lining up behind Catherine Booth). We named the oldest SA online journal after it.

So we’re pro-SA. We beleve that we’re the fist of the Body of Christ – that we are a revolutionary movement of covenanted warriors exercising holy passion to win the world for Jesus.

We’re pro-doctrines. We believe them. We aim to live them. We teach them (our recruits all memorise them). And so on…

We’re pro-militant Salvationism (“We are not a metaphor” – Anthony Castle – www.armybarmy.com/JAC/article11-56.html).

We’re pro-Bible – we believe it is God-breathed (like Paul does),

pro-holiness – we’re solidly with Brengle on this one (read THE UPRISING, HOLINESS INCORPORATED, BOSTON COMMON for evidence),

pro-life – we believe God loves life and wants to protect it, even unborn babies!

and pro-soldiership (read Salvationism 101, 201, 301, ONE ARMY, ARTICLES OF WAR and other books for evidence)

in a time when it is trendy to question this whole list (well, except for the things the trendists have already discarded).

And so on. There is nothing controversial there to a keen Salvo.

Slacker Christians might find it controversial.

Sinners might find it controversial.”

… erm, now I know I may be reading into this but it certainly feels like if I find any of that controversial I am not a “keen Salvo” so I must either a sinner or a slacker? Also that asking questions about what we believe and why we believe it and asking if its relevant (something I believe is fundamental to anyone’s belief, be they christian or not) is “trendy”, which judging by the tone and in this context is a horrendous wrong?

These statements, these definitions, seem to imply that if you dont hold to these you are not a proper salvationist, not a fully functioning member of this part of the church. Reading through these statement I can see elements I agree with but I cannot actually fully put my name to any of these statements… I am obviously a bad salvationist.

I believe in questioning, I believe in doubt, debate, discussion. If we accept things “just because” we are fools. We must ask ourselves always is this relevant to today, why do we believe this, why do we do this, where did this believe come from? Just like taking the bible literally and ignoring its metaphorical and allegorical interpretations is foolishness so is the idea that questioning is wrong. We should be willing to question, seek answers, and then change/add/remove as needed.

There is so much to get me annoyed in this, the assertion of “pro-life” especially after the tragic and avoidable death in Ireland recently, this is a complex issue and one I am not fully up to speed on but its safe to say I am “pro-choice”, this of course does not mean I do not somehow believe life is sacred. This also highlights my dislike of presuming that because someone identifies themselves under a particular banner that they are all the same. Its a fallacy and shows up the stupidity of presumption and prejudgement because of a label that has either been chosen or forced upon a person. Just because I am a Christian does not mean I believe what the Westbro do, just because I am a Salvationist does not mean I believe what these guys do, do you see what I mean?

To be honest I could rant for hours dissecting the above, if you want to know what I believe my “creed” is on the website. Its safe to say that I do not believe what they believe and if that means I am not a salvationist in their eyes, then so be it. I am my own person in Christ and what others think I am like or wither or not I “believe correctly” is not their concern its between me and the big guy.

One last thing I don’t know why but the original site doesnt seem to allow comments? So feel free to comment here (at least until wordpress autoshuts them down after a time to stop spam ). Just keep it civil, I understand if this post annoys some from any background.

I have started seriously looking at getting a much needed upgrade for my PC, having looked at costs I think my best option is to build my own. This PC has to cope with not just gaming but more importantly the massive CPU and RAM heavy applications I use for work.

After some hunting I have come up with the following…

CPU: i7-3930X LGA2011
Motherboard: Asus P9X79 Deluxe
Memory: 32Gb
Graphics: GeForce 670GTX (from what I can see the difference betweeb 670 and 680 is not much for the price)
Sound: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme
CPU Cooler: Coolink Corator DS LGA2011
SSD: OCZ Agility 120Gb SSD
OS: Windows 7 Pro

On Hold:
Optical drive: Asus BluRay Reader
Powersupply: 850W
Case: CiT Vantage Type-R

(EDIT: Updated, put some stuff on hold as I dont currently need a blu-ray player, also changed down some options, saving a wee bit)

(EDIT2: Meant to update to say I finished the build, you can see more here: LINKY)

Just a quick update, the next three weeks are going to be interesting… and busy… definitely busy… its going to be three residential’s in three weeks, two of which I am leading art lessons, something I am learning how to do myself:

Monday 30th July to Thursday 2nd (should have been Friday)
I will be with the Granton peeps at their camp in Ratho.

Saturday 4th August to Saturday 11th August
I am at East & West Scotland Summer School leading the art elective, which is 4 sessions for about 35 pupils.

Sunday 12th August to Saturday 18th August
Its down south to the East Midlands & Anglia Summer School where I am leading the art stream, which is 7 sessions for about 10 pupils.

I saw on a friends timeline a campaign to block porn at an ISP level enforcing an opt-in system for access to such things. This is done under the auspice of preventing access to such things by children.

Now, I want to be as careful as I can with my wording here, so people do not leap to the wrong conclusions…I firmly agree, without reservation, that children/teenager should be kept from such things as it is harmful to their healthy development. I can understand why many would support such a move, however I dont think that blocking at the ISP level is the way forward, for the following reasons:

• the technology used to block such sites is variable in its effectiveness and can be easily bypassed by very simple methods, the recent ISP blocking of PirateBay being a prime example that within moments of the block being initiated (a block much like the one being called for), numerous workarounds popped up and quickly became known about… you cannot stop the flow of information on the internet, or at least not easily.
• there are already blocking software solutions that can be run in the home that are reasonably (if not wholly) effective, but the best way above all is that parents  take more responsibility for the way their childrens use of the internet (such as keeping PC in living room, safety software locking google search functions etc), There is a ton of information out there to help, BUT more should be done to make these options more widely known about and perhaps advice/software offered from an ISPs website or on any install disk
• many sites could be caught in the crossfire including some art sites which are already caught by many of the aforementioned blocking softwares
• how would sites be identified for blocking (and cleared if maliciously put on the list), who would monitor the list, enforce its control, and pay for the cost of such matters? Such actions do not come easily nor for free and someone will have to pay.
• censorship is a difficult issue as without clear and well defined guideline it can lead to unintended consequences, so any legislation’s would need to be very well written and clear about what is and what is not blocked

In short, I have been online for over 18 years I have seen the best and worst that the internet has to offer, and after all that I still believe that the best way to control what you access is in the house and not by the isp, and especially not the government as they have shown they cant be trusted with much of anything.

But anyway, hope this came across ok, I do not wish to start a flame war…

Shalom

I am a Salvationist.
I am a follower of Christ.
I am an imperfect image reaching out towards perfection.
I am unashamed of who I am and what I believe.

I stand against the darkness in this world.
I stand against the fear, the mistrust, the hatred.
I stand for equality. for love, grace, and peace.
I stand no matter the cost.

I am sorry for the fear those who claim to follow my God have spread.
I am sorry for the inequality some still try and enforce.
I am sorry that we cant change over night.
I am sorry doesnt seem enough,

I will fight until all are equal.
I will fight until all are free.
I will fight until all know love.
I will fight until all know peace.

I am Salvationist,
and despite what you may have heard,
We believe in love.

I love Science Fiction… which to those that know me is about a surprising as finding out that water is wet.

Why do I love it? Apart from the obvious of because I find it enjoyable, its because it offers hope, even at its bleakest and darkest, sci-fi is about hope. It shows us where we are going, both in the best and the worst ways. It extrapolates humanity into an unknown future and shows what we are capable of, and what challenges we must face to become better.

Sci-fi, in many ways, explores humanity, its potentials, its failings, and its strengths, not always through the humans themselves but reflected in the aliens/robots/etc that become extensions of elements of ourselves which when removed from the complexity of human nature allow us a better opportunity to examine how itis a part of us.

It challenges us to become more than we are, to become better, to examine ourselves more closely… of course all genres should do this, all literature, films, TV, should in some way, when they are their best, inspires us, challenge us, cause us to think and grow. Entertainment should not always be empty of all meaning like it is the vast majority of times at the moment.

I know to many fans of sci-fi my knowledge of the subject is lacking (especially as I do not read as much as I aught to), and my tastes may be questionable, but that does not dent my enjoyment of my favourite “genre”, but still may I offer some fine examples of sci-fi for you try, mainly movies as they are the easiest to digest .

• Bladerunner (director cut)
• The Fountain
• Moon
• 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatcher (my personal fav of the versions)
• Voices of a Distant Star (or The Place Promised in Our Early Days)

There are many more I could suggest (District 9, Dune, Enemy Mine, the myriad of deeply dark 70/80s sci-fi), many that are more action heavy (Pitch Black, Aliens, Star Wars, Star Treks) but that list should be an interesting start at the more thought provoking sci-fi out there… of course feel free to suggest others…

(This page has a good Top 100 sci-fi movies, the order is infinitely debatable the list seems good though – LINK)

EDIT: Thought this would be good here, not only as an awesome example of game engine tech but its actually a rather good sci-fi short story…