Monday, December 28, 2015

¿Quién “ganó” las elecciones del 20D en España?

Here's another Spanish language article I wrote on Medium.com. This one follows the political discussion and analysis from my previous Spanish articles on Medium.com, and considering the result of the Spanish election on December 20th, 2015, I've asked the question, "Who "won" the elections?" and if 72% of the people didn't choose you, "Did you win?" Sorry, it's once again, only available in Spanish as it's Spain focused, but hopefully the translators will give you an idea. I hope y'all enjoy my pondering. You can click below or here.

¿Quién "ganó" las elecciones del 20D en España?

El 20 de diciembre se celebraron unas elecciones nacionales en España. Como suele ocurrir cuando hay elecciones, salen los partidos a celebrar que "ganaron", pero, ¿se "ganan" unas elecciones? "El único ganador o perdedor en la política es el pueblo" - F. Thomas Ferdinandson.

Siguiendo la discusión política y el análisis de mis artículos previos en Medium.com y considerando el resultado de las elecciones del 20 de diciembre en España, me he preguntado, "¿Quién "ganó" las elecciones?" y si 72% de las personas no te escogieron a ti, "¿Has ganado?" Espero que les guste mi pensamiento en "voz alta".  Para verlo, pueden hacer clic en el bloque o aquí.

#‎Elecciones2015‬ ‪#‎20D‬ ‪#‎PP‬ ‪#‎PSOE‬ ‪#‎Podemos‬ ‪#‎Ciudadanos‬ ‪#‎MarianoRajoy‬ ‪#‎PedroSanchez‬ ‪#‎PabloIglesias‬ ‪#‎AlbertRivera‬
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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Manacor Music Video



We've been asked to film Manacor musician Toni Leon's latest music video, "Manacor".
Here is Emma & crew filming music video at el Porrón bar in Manacor for the song Manacor by Mallorcan artist Toni León. ‪#‎manacor‬ ‪#‎musicvideo‬ #tonileon
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Friday, September 25, 2015

Apocalypse, The Doll Chronicles has begun shooting



I have begun shooting our next short film in The Doll Chronicles Series. It's called Apocalypse, The Doll Chronicles, and our fabulous actress, Charlotte March has braved some of the terrible terrain like a real trooper. It's all looking great! Keep watching this space!
(Photos: Emma Saura Woods)

Be sure to follow The Doll Chronicles on Facebook!
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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

A year of Consequence, The Doll Chronicles festivals

It's been a year since we started the Film Festival journey with Consequence, The Doll Chronicles, and what a great ride it's been. It's been shown in a number of places (hopefully near you) and at a special online event and festival. It's been recognized for its music as well as its story, and we are extremely honored and thankful for the recognition and support the film has received.

Franco Esteve filming the Doll ChroniclesIt's not all over yet, as there's still more to come, more showings, and hopefully more festivals. Stay tuned, as we hope to have a release event for our followers sometime this year. Also, as we've entered into production of Apocalypse, The Doll Chronicles, a new short film in the series coming when it's ready, there's a lot to look forward to and lots of work ahead.


Thank you for a great year, for loving this series, and for your wonderful support! 
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Sunday, August 09, 2015

Consequence, The Doll Chronicles Trailer

Trailer for Consequence, The Doll Chronicles from Franco Esteve on Vimeo.

Trailer for Consequence, The Doll Chronicles, the latest in The Doll Chronicles series of independent shorts about Doll, a beauty that stands on the edge of reality. It's the third in the series and explores the consequences of Doll's actions.
http://consequence.francoesteve.com
Trailer: 30s
Film: Consequence, the Doll Chronicles (3)
Created by: Franco Esteve
More at http://www.francoesteve.com
You can also watch it on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/72481543
(Don't forget to support us by giving a Tip on Vimeo if you like one of our films, Thank you!)

Produced, Written, and Directed by Franco Esteve (twitter.com/FrancoEsteve)
Associate producers: Emma Saura Woods & Núria Garcia
Starring: Marisa Reyes Durán & Bernat Pizà Galmés
Music: Written and Performed by Franco Esteve
Copyright©2015 Franco Esteve. All rights reserved.
No dolls were injured during the making of this film.
This film is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Don't do drugs.
Shot on location in Cala Ratjada, Mallorca.
Special thanks to Bora Bora Polinesian Bar in Cala Ratjada.
Copyright©2015 Franco Esteve. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication or use whole or in part is strictly prohibited and punishable by law.
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"Politicians" Art available on Imagekind

Hello again! Thank you for the great response to the latest photos for sale on Imagekind. I'm glad y'all have liked them so much. Some of you have been asking about the "Clase Política" article image, and so I've decided to also make it available for purchase on Imagekind. The illustration is called "Políticos" (Politicians), and you can find it here:
http://www.imagekind.com/Politicos-Politicians_art…
The original op article "La clase política y otras realidades construidas (only available in Spanish... sorry) is here: https://goo.gl/Qo8bbB
Thank you all again for your patronage and support. :)
---
¡Hola de nuevo! Gracias por la gran respuesta a las últimas fotos disponibles para la venta en Imagekind. Me alegro de que les hayan gustado tanto. Algunos de ustedes me han estado preguntando sobre la imagen en el artículo "La Clase Política y otras realidades construidas" y por esto he decidido también ponerla a la venta en Imagekind. La ilustración se llama "Políticos" y la pueden encontrar aquí:
http://www.imagekind.com/Politicos-Politicians_art…
El artículo original "La clase política y otras realidades construidas" lo pueden leer aquí: https://goo.gl/Qo8bbB
¡Muchas gracias a todos nuevamente por su patrocinio y apoyo! :)
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Saturday, August 01, 2015

"Birth" from the Explore Collection available on Imagekind

Hello everyone! I've made the final version of Birth, from the Explore collection, available on Imagekind for purchase for those that have asked about purchasing it for your homes. Thank you for your interest in my work.

Speaking of interest and requests, I've also made available for purchase on Imagekind, the rainbow flag version in support of gay marriage of the Explore bird from the Explore collection. I've included a flag version as well for those that would prefer a postered flag of it. I call them "Freebird".
As always, thank you for your interest and support. :) Enjoy!
You can find them in the Explore gallery on Imagekind here:
Franco Esteve Explore on Imagekind
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¡Hola a todos! La versión final de "Birth" (Nacimiento), de la colección Explore (Explora) está ahora disponible para comprar en Imagekind para aquellos que me han pedido poder comprarla para sus casas. Gracias por su interés en mis obras.

Hablando de interés y pedidos, también he puesto para comprar en Imagekind la versión de la bandera del arco iris en apoyo al matrimonio gay del pájaro de "Explore" de la colección "Explore". También he incluido una versión en bandera para aquellos que prefieren una bandera tipo póster. Les llamo "Freebird" (pájaro libre).
Como siempre, muchas gracias por su interés y apoyo. :) ¡A disfrutar!
Las pueden encontrar en la galería "Explore" dentro de Imagekind aquí:
Franco Esteve Explore en Imagekind
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Thursday, July 02, 2015

Supreme Court validates gay marriage (and Obamacare)!



I've been busy with my latest collection and with the next short film in The Doll Chronicles series, but a lot has happened this past week, with the U.S. Supreme Court decisions for Obamacare and for Gay Marriage dominating the airwaves. It's good to see the U.S. moving forward in the equal rights department. Let's hope the momentum continues.
In honor and support of gay marriage in the U.S. and of all my gay family members, I'm posting here a special edition of Explore. I hope y'all like it.  :) 
And as always, thanks for your support.
--
He estado ocupado con mi más reciente colección y con el próximo cortometraje en la serie The Doll Chronicles, pero mucho ha ocurrido esta última semana, con las decisiones de la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos a favor de Obamacare y del matrimonio gay dominando los medios. Es bueno ver a Estados Unidos avanzando en la igualdad de derechos. Esperemos que siga el momentum.
En honor y apoyo al matrimonio gay en Estados Unidos y a todos mis familiares gay, estoy subiendo aquí una edición especial de Explore. Espero que les guste. :)
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Friday, June 12, 2015

La Clase Política y Otras Realidades Construidas

Here's another Spanish language article I wrote on Medium.com. This one is about how our use of language affects our reality. It's specific to Spain and the Spanish language, but could be applied to other societies and to our reality in general. Read it by clicking below or click here.


La clase política y otras realidades construidas

Vivimos una realidad construida. Como sociedad hemos decidido unos parámetros sobre los cuales vivir nuestras vidas. Estos parámetros son definidos a través del lenguaje que utilizamos para definirlos. Por ende, nuestra realidad está definida por nuestro lenguaje.
---
Aquí tienen otro de los artículos que he publicado en Medium.com. Espero que lo disfruten. Es sobre cómo nuestro uso del lenguaje afecta nuestra realidad. Para leerlo pueden hacer clic en el enlace que aparece o aquí. :)
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Monday, June 01, 2015

Esto NO es democracia. ¡Esto es ESPAÑA!

As many of you know, I'm no longer publishing my Spanish language blog about life in Spain (and won't be for the time being), but that doesn't mean, I don't continue to write in Spanish. Here's a recent one about democracy in Spain, published on the Medium platform. If the link block doesn't appear, you can click here (or on the Spanish link below).

Esto NO es democracia. ¡Esto es ESPAÑA!

Esto NO es democracia. ¡Esto es ESPAÑA! Bienvenidos a la dictadura decretorial de la España moderna y "democrática". No nos equivoquemos señoras y señores de la nación que gran nación fue cuando gran parte del mundo se defendía con cuchillas de madera y piedra, pero España no es, ni nunca ha sido una democracia.


Para los que no pueden ver el enlace, pueden hacer click aquí.
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Friday, May 22, 2015

Happiness is discovering a jungle pool!


Rain often brings people down, but when it creates a temporary paradise, jungle pools like this, who can complain? :) Find a pool near you, and jump in! Enjoy!

F.
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Friday, May 08, 2015

Why the new Apple Watch isn’t better than the old Apple Watch… unless it is.

The Apple iPod Nano Watch, or as I like to call it, Apple Watch 1.0

The Apple Watch isn’t better than the old Apple iPod watch… unless it is.

Let’s start with the obvious. For those of you that don’t know or remember, a few years ago, Apple released an iPod nano in a watch sized version. It had a wonderful touchscreen interface which was simple and easy to use. Apple didn’t officially announce it as a watch even if it really was. It was an iPod Nano after all, yet, they included a clock app with multiple watch faces, including the Mickey Mouse face everyone loves. Let’s say it was a test, and as tests go, sometimes they’re just too awesome.

The fabulous Mickey Mouse watchface, designed
for a square watch to boot. Take that Apple Watch!


The clamp design on the bottom was perfect to create straps for and a few third parties jumped at that, creating some wonderful straps and turing the iPod Nano into the perfect iPod watch. The app selection was limited but perfect: Audiobooks, Clock, Music, Music control, Nike+, Photos, Podcasts, Radio, System Settings. Yes, you read correctly: Radio. Oh, sorry, yes, Nike+. We’ll talk about Radio later.

With its accelerometer, Nike+ on the iPod Nano Watch was plenty perfect, 
unless you needed more, in which case, you need more. Go figure. ;)

Nike+ for iPod Nano… no iPhone necessary… or Nike+ Sensor… or any receiver whatsoever. The iPod watch has an accelerometer built in, so it tracks like the old sensor used to and synchronizes the same as the Nike+ app on iPhone so you can share on Nike plus on Facebook or Twitter or whatever, except with a cable… of course. Sure, it doesn’t have GPS and doesn’t live-synchronize with the world through 4G, but you can workout without your phone and be comfortable with the fact that your battery won’t die. Oh, and the app still does a pretty good job of tracking your workouts accurately, of course. This leads us to:

The Apple iPod Watch is better than the new Apple Watch. Oh yes, and in so many ways.

  • Battery life: I’ve used my iPod Watch for 2 weeks without needing a charge, although when I use it heavily as an iPod and for workouts it doesn’t last nearly that long. I usually charge the battery about once a week regardless. The new Apple Watch won’t last more than 18 hours, and if you’re a cyclist, it won’t last your workout.

– Winner: iPod watch –

  • Clock: A watch by definition is a timepiece. It’s main job is to tell the time the same as a phone is meant for phone calls. It’s its most basic function. Both the iPod Watch and the Apple Watch tell the time perfectly, including the day and month like a lot of watches, and of course, there’s the stopwatch and other basic functions of a modern watch.
Why aren’t the faces square? They ARE here.

But despite the gorgeous designs of some of the faces Apple includes with Apple Watch, the iPod watch has an advantage. You see, both watches have a square design, yet, puzzlingly, Apple Watch includes only round, traditional watch faces along with the digital ones. I don’t get that. It’s stupid. iPod watch on the other hand has most faces designed for a square screen. They look great.


– Winner: Tie – They both tell the time perfectly, even if the square faces look better on iPod watch.


  • Radio: Let me get this out of the way. ALL iPhones have the capability to have a radio, but they don’t. WHY?! It’s built into it, yet it’s shut off and unavailable to the user. The Apple Watch suffers the same problem. But NOT the iPod watch. The iPod watch has its radio ON and you can easily find your favorite live, over-the-air and free radio station with the touch of the screen. The interface is simple and easy using touch and you can finally listen to the radio again without spending on data plans or premium paid radio programs. Who would have thought? Radio!!!

– Winner: iPod watch –

Radio and normal headphones equals lots of awesome.

Now, speaking of the radio, you might think, “How can this get good reception? Where’s the antenna? Does it work?” The answer is YES, YES, & YES! Oh, the antenna bit takes us to…
  • Headphones: The radio app uses the headphones as an antenna. Clever, right? Oh, wait. WHAT? Yes, you can actually plug-in headphones. IT HAS A HEADPHONE JACK! (cue celebratory fanfare). No energy sucking bluetooth to turn-on and no energy sucking, battery charging needing, bluetooth headphones to listen to music with. Just plug your favorite Apple white (or green or black or blue) headphones and you’re good to go. The Apple Watch doesn’t have a headphone jack. It requires yet another item to charge, and battery sucking bluetooth to boot, though to be fair on the bluetooth front, you need it to sync with the phone anyway. Did I mention the battery on the iPod watch lasts forever?

– Winner: iPod Watch –

Which one is better? They both are.

As mainly a music focused device, the iPod watch definitely delivers. It can hold quite a bit of music. Its battery lasts forever. It has a freakin’ real Radio! It has podcasts, audiobooks and what not. It’s an iPod… period. As watches go, it also delivers on its promise. It’s an awesome watch with all the basic watch features and looks damn good doing it, often better than the Apple Watch. On top of that, it has Nike+ workout tracking and you’re not constantly distracted during your workout by any of the following:

Battery dying, annoying notifications, headphone battery dying, disturbing vibrations, battery dying, did I mention battery dying? Ok, ok. I’m being unfair. That’s only happening to cyclists. Don’t you just hate them on the road? I’m only joking, but not about the battery and cyclists part, unless they fixed it already. What can I say, that’s just them apples. ;)
iPod Nano Watch with Lunatik Lynk Silver Watch Band ($129)

In many ways, the iPod watch was the perfect watch and yet, the Apple Watch is so much more.

The Apple Watch is NOT an Apple Watch

The Apple Watch, like most so-called “smartwatches”, is an inferior watch and therefore inferior to the Apple iPod Nano watch, but that’s ‘cause we’re trying to say we’re comparing Apples to Apples. The problem is we’re actually not. The Apple Watch is NOT a watch.


“Despite the name, the Apple Watch isn’t mean to be a watch. It’s really a controller for your iPhone.”

It violates the logic that if it looks like a watch, is worn like a watch, and acts like a watch, it must be a watch… except it isn’t. Despite the name, the Apple Watch isn’t meant to be a watch. It’s really a controller for your iPhone. Sure, it tells time and has many of the features you expect from a modern smartwatch, but it really ain’t that smart.

The smartwatch that isn’t smart

Unlike Smartphones, smartwatches aren’t at the level of a computer on your wrist the way a smartphone is a computer in your pocket. Sure they run some apps, but the apps are really controllers for apps on your phone. So the Apple Watch is basically as smart as a remote control. Actually, that’s what it really is: a really cool, bluetooth remote control for your iPhone.
Sure it has some gimmicky little apps and what not, but it’s the dependence on the iPhone in your pocket that I see as the achilles heel and the main issue. Oh, and the battery, of course, which is crap. It might be better than other “smartphones”, but sorry, it’s crap.

Life with an Apple Watch is not like life with an iPod Watch

Battery issues, missing radio, and bluetooth headphones aside, the Apple Watch is a freakin’ awesome remote control. The apps and complexity make me miss the old iPod Watch for its simplicity when it comes to interfacing with it, but thankfully, there’s Siri to the rescue. Now, you might be thinking of a Siri joke right about now, but the truth is, in my experience, it just works.
Once you start using Siri, you realize how good she’s gotten at understanding English. I haven’t tried it in other languages, so your mileage may vary there. No need to open apps or type things out when you can simply say, “Set up a date with my wife for Friday afternoon at seven at DiGeorgio’s on Hudson street.” Siri knows who my wife is and is smart enough to interpret the rest properly, setting up the event in my calendar. You can even tell it to remind you and it will set an alarm for that event. Once you go beyond the “Call so and so”, you realize how awesome Siri really is, and on the Apple Watch, it’s just natural. The fact that it works is awesome, but the fact that one feels like James Bond or Captain Kirk is a bonus. 
Notice I didn’t say Dick Tracy. If there’s no video, it’s not like Dick Tracy! Alright?!
Smart watch meets iPod Nano Watch with cool
controller sans forever battery = Apple Watch.

Also, the Digital Crown works quite well as well. It’s surprisingly clever and useful. It’s a nice take on an old theme. It does help as an interface device, especially because you can better see the screen while you navigate, which in the iPod watch was more difficult.
Oh, and The Apple Watch has an OLED, retina screen. Need I say more?
– Winner: Apple Watch – 


Ok, so there’s a lot more to the Apple Watch than one might expect, but I’m sorry, the vibrations are still weird and creepy even if I don’t have to look at the map and so is the heartbeat thingy even if my wife found it romantic. And 17,000 dollars, REALLY? WTF Apple?

Really Apple?… Really?

  • Price: The iPod watch was reasonably priced with a higher price for more memory. It was a beautiful device everyone could afford. It was a status symbol because it was beautifully designed and worked better than everything else on the market for the price. It wasn’t a status symbol because only the 1% could afford it. 
I get that Apple wants to take the cash that custom gold-dipping companies were getting for dipping the iPhones in gold, but come on. It goes against Apple’s original and Steve Jobs’ founding spirit of “The computer for the rest of us.” And when did aluminum become crappier than steel? It’s lighter and just as strong. I can only assume it became crappier when they started saying the gold Apple Watch was 18K gold when it actually uses a trick to have the name with less gold content.

– Winner: iPod watch Ok, it’s really a tie. You can get an Apple Watch for only $349 dollars, and it’s just as good and powerful as the $17,000 dollar one. It will also be just as obsolete in a year or two. So maybe the joke is on the 1%, and the rest of us are the real winners.

Conclusion

In the end, I love the Apple Watch, but I hate the battery. I’m not comfortable with the vibrations. The notifications are a lot more annoying on the watch than on the phone. And I hate that there’s no headphone jack. I miss the old iPod watch for that and for its simplicity while maintaining a high level of functionality and usability. But as remote controls go, the Apple Watch is just way too cool, with Siri, phone calls, messaging, and its health features… and it tells the time! ;)
Ok, I’m keeping the remote control and the old iPod Watch goes back to being just an iPod Nano, and that’s ok. Although, I do think I look a bit strange with one on each wrist.
Just pondering…

More to look at:
Nike+ iPod Nano website (for current iPod Nano):
https://secure-nikeplus.nike.com/plus/products/ipod_nano/
Lunatik iPod Nano watch bands:
https://www.lunatik.com/categories/ipod-nano
Here’s some iPod Nano Watch porn:
ipod nano watch Google image search
And the official Apple Watch website:
https://www.apple.com/watch/

Keywords: Apple Watch, iPod nano, iPhone
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Monday, April 20, 2015

iBoogie and The Doll Chronicles Music

A number of you have asked me about the music I created for the Doll Chronicles series of short films, and I’m here to tell you that when we finish the next short in the series, Apocalypse, The Doll Chronicles, I’ll be sure to release an album of the music from the series (before, if I can muster up some time for it).

As you may or may not know, music is an integral part of my creative process, creating it, listening to it, thinking about it. It is yet another expression of beauty that has been a part of my life since a very young age. After filming Reaction, The Doll Chronicles, I realized I had created much more than a theme, but music that served my idea of The Doll Chronicles quite well. So, I set out to create more music for the films, some of which ended up as the score for Paranoia, The Doll Chronicles and for Consequence, The Doll Chronicles. Some of it didn’t make the cut but I thought it would be fun to put it out there as you might enjoy it.

The first of these tracks I’m making available is called iBoogie. It’s a Boogie-Woogie style piece, created during the process of exploring musical concepts for Consequence, The Doll Chronicles. It’s played in a live, improvisational style, warts included. In the end, it wasn’t used in the film, and instead I used the original, loop-based piece I’d created as filler music during the editing process called Rockin’ Rolla. It just seemed a better fit for that first scene, with its slightly kitschier feel. Still, I fell in love with iBoogie, and I hope you enjoy it.

You can listen to it in the Bandcamp player here:



You can also listen to it or buy it using the following links:

Listen to iBoogie, a boogie-woogie style song by Franco Esteve on Spotify Get or Listen to iBoogie, a boogie-woogie style song by Franco Esteve on iTunes Apple Music Get or listen to iBoogie, a boogie-woogie style song by Franco Esteve on Amazon.com Listen to iBoogie, a boogie-woogie style song by Franco Esteve on Deezer Buy or listen to iBoogie, a boogie-woogie style song by Franco Esteve on Tidal Get Franco Esteve's Boogie-woogie music single, iBoogie at Bandcamp

Find out more about Franco Esteve here and about his music here.

Patrons get access to music previews, films, art and behind the scenes content, rewards and more. Become a patron on Patreon here.


Protect your privacy and support Franco Esteve by signing up for my favorite VPN service, NordVPN, using this link: https://goo.gl/Vuqm5v
It’s the one I personally use, and it’s the best in the world. :)

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Sunday, February 01, 2015

Franco Esteve on Facebook!


Franco Esteve is on Facebook! I have finally created a Facebook page for y'all to like and enjoy. Though I often communicate things through my twitter accounts as well (@FrancoEsteve, @bnowhereblog), each space has a different purpose and communication. Through twitter, I often tweet things I've seen that are interesting, on top of the announcements and direct communications and private messages, whereas on Facebook, I also often share images and things more directly related to my Franco Esteve work specifically, be it writings, photography, film, or music.

Thanks for liking, following, and overall support of my endeavors. I'm glad y'all are enjoying them. :)
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