A Cautionary Tale

So...just a warning...if you use liquid nitrogen at work, don't get caught trying to freeze your mountain dew...it just makes you look craaaazy.

Mate

I almost forgot about the Mates of State/Ida show I went to last night.  It was such a good show.  We unfortunately didn't stay for all of it because we're old folks.  You know it's a great show when the band invites more than half the audience to get up on the stage and dance with them.  Did I dance on stage?  Oh no, no...how would I give you readers the tremendous objective reporting that you've come to expect?  Nope, just shoegazing in the back for me, thank you very much.  The Mates were alot of fun, as much fun as the last time....and luckily a few less of the doe-eyed glances at eachother like they did last time.  Ida was their usual low-fi self; I like them quite a bit but i think they were a little rusty (the tour started in madison last night).  Overall a good show, it'll make me drop the Mates cd in again over the next few days.

 

 

Photography and ghosts, an article in the NYT about the use and abuse of photography in reports of the occult

 

Cool art piece in the middle of the desert: a Prada store facade in the middle of nowhere....how long before somebody smashes the window to get at the real prada bags and shoes...i give it seven minutes

 

Oh hey, apparently the NYT has a review of Serenity

 

Big and very cool photoshop tutorial site

 

kickass toy amp is apparently the best thing all of these audiophiles have ever heard...pretty sweet...now i just need to think of a reason to buy one

 

So, to make my previous link defunct, here's an updated link about the MIT laptop and the Simputer.  If you can't tell, I really love this idea

My Time Has Come

I almost forgot....Today is National Geek Day....shouldn't I get the day off of work or sumthin?

Po Lice

So, there is the police officer here at work that is determined to hastle me as much as he can.  Not in a bad way...you know, the usual way that cops hastle you....don't even get me started on cops (friend with a recent traffic stop...jailarity ensued).  Anyway, this guy is really nice, but insists on pushing my buttons.  Like this morning, when I was walking down the hallway, some asshat decides to walk right behind me really close...so close that he clips the back of my knee...whatthef@ck?!?!?  Oh, hello officer...didn't see your gun there, have a nice day.  Harassment, I tells ya.

Caught fifteen minutes of Chris Rock's new sitcom "Everybody hates Chris", it was actually pretty funny, we'll see how it does.

 

Today is health site link day apparently:

-SARS came from bats maybe; article from the BBC about three areas in china with infected bats, and a nasty picture of a bat that I have no idea what is going on...is that it's face or ass?

-Google blog talking about a subject near and dear to my heart (hopefully not literally): blood clots

-Aww, crap...Mom, dad got arrested again

-I was supposed to link to this a few days ago; it's an ingeniously designed laptop from MIT that will hopefully be affordable for third world countries to provide their children to keep them up to date with the rest of the world....cuz everyone needs access to the Onion. (similar to the simputer but i think better executed)

-Yarr, I told you the giant squid was real

-google search tips

-Joss Whedon (Firefly/Serenity) and Neil Gaiman (Sandman comics) in a conversation from TIME magazine; I think both of these guys are talented

Ida Ho

What's up? (this was actually a post from last night, but blogger was down; jerks)

How has your day been?  Yeah?  Well, mine too.  Though I think today has been an overall pretty weird day.

I met a guy today that was with his ex-wife.  Is that strange?  Sort of, I guess, but not that strange.  What is strange is that he is testifying for her in court.  Still don't see how weird that is?  Well, what if I told you she was suing her own lawyer?  Yep.  Strange.  Her own DIVORCE LAWYER, cuz she didn't get enough money...and her ex-husband is testifying on her behalf.  Freakshows.

I also got a few strange looks today at the grocery store because I got caught singing a song from Kanye West's new album with shirley bassey on it; I was picking butternut squash singing "forever forever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever!" in the produce section...i can't get it out of my head.  Then I went to the hardware section and asked for Brasso cleaner.  There was only two bottles of cleaning supplies on the shelf that i was looking at and Brasso obviously wasn't one of them.  So I ask a passing employee if they have Brass cleaner like Brasso somewhere in the store.  He looks confused, then turns to the two bottles of cleaner I was staring at and stares at them....then gets closer to one of the two bottles and reads it even closer...and says "nope, doesn't look like it".  huh, guess after that thorough check, there was no other possible place that it could be.  oh well.

 

Oops, I'm going to an Ida show right now, better go.

 

Here's a link for the shining, redone as if it were to be released in 2005.  I've watched it four times and have laughed through each one.

Wash Your Hands Say Yeah!

This week is national hand hygiene week.  So this week we can all take a break from being the usual disease spreading dirt bags that we normally are.  Hooray!

Frio

Holy CRAP was it cold last night.  I think it dipped down to 35 degrees last night.  And our 90 year old lake cottage....not as windproof as one would like it to be.  That's it, if it remains this cold, I'm moving and/or turning on the heat.  Stupid northern climate.  I brought in all my plants last night, so my bedroom now is pretty crowded; and I didn't realize they were party animals...screaming all night with their techno music and whatnot.  jerks.  And I was going to go camping this weekend, but if it's this dang cold, you can just forget it, okay? 

Gramps

So I went to a show last night...i've been going to ALOT of shows recently...you know, filling my empty life with meaningless fluff. Yeah, well anyway, we were at this show that's kind of a strange venue since it's mostly seating but there is a standing section. And I distinctly remember thinking "well, we'll let the kids go up front and stand, I'll stay in my comfortable seat" Old man, dangit. Then, throughout the show, I'm sitting there nodding off, I just can't stay awake. Ugh, super old man. I remember making fun of my neighbor's dad during my birthday parties when I was like, seven, cuz he would invariably fall asleep whenever he sat down. I am sooo "that guy"...damn kids with their rock and roll music.

Lack Bog

So, I kinda disappeared for a while for reasons unbeknownst to me really.  Yes, it was likely that I was abducted by aliens.  It is for sure that I was probed.  Otherwise, here are some pictures that I meant to post.  I'm getting a new camera, so hopefully I will post a bunch more pics in the future

 

1) THE DISSECTION:  In my drooling over the new nanos, I had ipod envy.  However, due to the lack of disposable income and the recent purchase of the aforementioned D50, I decided to change out my battery so it lasts more than seven minutes.  Sure, I could have registered with the class action lawsuit against apple and got it done for free...but that was a big hassle....and i don't really trust giving out all my info to some law firm so they can "process" it...the next thing you know, you're picking yourself up out of a ditch alongside the turnpike at 4 AM, covered with scratches from what looks like a mongoose, the taste of copper and green Mike and Ike's in your mouth, the last three numbers on your cell phone call list are to a pizza place, 911, and a dude named Manny, the sole of one of your shoes pulled part off, with your underwear jammed into your back back pocket, and the shrapnel in your pocket adding up to only 86 cents.  Ummm....what was I talking about? Oh yeah, those hood rats and the PCP....wait, no...right, the iPod battery. 

Yeah, so like everything I care about and hold close to my heart; i shoved a sharp blade into it's side and pried it open.  I was pretty darn nervous, cuz if it was wrecked, i would prolly cry.  Luckily, as you can see below, the dissection went well and everything seemed to work!

In fact, as we speak, I'm listening to the new battery....it sounds alot like the shins.

 

 

IT STILL WORKS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darkness

Ugh, here comes winter. I woke up at the usual time I always do, but this morning it was pitch black still outside. Which made me want to stay in bed all morning.....oh, who am I kidding....i'm like that every morning.

links:

Crazy cool 3d chalk drawings.

very cool light transmitting concrete...I have trouble with blinds anyway

Funny: two concept art pieces at battle

Shyness explained

Don't know what to read next? Maybe this can help....

The new CDC survey Sex Survey: new surveys back to front, top to bottom. Okay, so my libido is going crazy right now, sorry.

Practical guide to the big cities....city folk, always needin guides.

Been traveling alot and have flipped through the skymall catalog far too many times; here's a funny parody of it.

If pirates ruled

goodnight.

You gotta dust that thing off once in a while....

Man...it's been a busy week. It seems that I've had one stupid project or another eating up my days. Yesterday I was supposed to catch up on some bloggin' but ended up changing out the washer and dryer with one of the roommates. And today, I'm sitting in the kitchen making raspberry streudel bars while my roommates sleep by the glow of the Dylan documentary. Idyllic.
Yep. I said streudal bars.....I'm living the bachelor dream. Woo. Woo, indeed.

So, i apologize for not updating this in forever, I have blogger guilt, I guess. Can I get medicated for that? Great.

Update....

Hello?....Yes, I'm still here...sorry I haven't updated this in a while....a little busy.  I seem to be having battery problems.  I replaced my iPod battery last night, which is exciting; but now my old laptop battery went kaput; i guess it's no longer a portable device.  Anyway, I'll try to post later; but to tide you over and in honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, here are some pirate tattoos.

Designage

So, I don't know what is up with me looking for design sites; it's probably that I'm working on some new compilations (just finished four last night...it's quantity, not quality, right?) and want to design new cover art.  Also, it may or may not be that I may or may not have just purchased a full copy of CS suite.  Yeah, I know I can't afford it.  HERE it is....and just to warn you, it's a side scroller....blech.

Pickled Tink

So, I'm distracted today....I went to bed late for the past two nights....I'm tired and annoyed that I actually have to work...go figure.  Anyway, I'm drooling over the Apple Nano...it looks so hot...I am such a sucker for gadgets.  And I'm back in the market for a new mp3 player since mine is full almost twice over and the battery life is down to about 2 hours max.  I think i'll wait to see what the next big iPod is going to be before I buy.  I like the interface too much on the ipod to switch out to another brand, I don't think "cool factor" has anything to do with it.  I don't think I've seen a better user interface and better software interface on any other brand.  The zen micro is pretty rad B, I agree; but i don't think i will switch out.  Damn pricey apple and their well designed products.  What happened to your Mac Mini special?  It lasted one day?  way to go.

 

One more thing....as soon as I buy a book about something, I find an awesome site that tells you better information FREE.  Here's a site on how to do cool CSS things for your site; one of these days, I'll have the time to do that here.  HERE is the site.  The rest of that blog is pretty rad too, guess I have something to do this afternoon. Later

I've arrived

Yes. It finally came. I was worried this day would never come...that I'd never reach this level. And all of a sudden, here it is.
The spammers have arrived.
Does this mean I'm legit now that I have spammers in my comments? Sweet. Zombie computers have taken dead aim at my site, soon the infestation begins. And what are they inferring from what they've read? "Hey, I like your site!" then there's a link for viagra. What the hell? I didn't even write about that, how the hell did they know? They must really get into my psyche, analyzing everything I've written. And Hydroponic Lettuce....DEAD ON! spooky.

Levity

So....just to add to the previous post on health care....PIRATES!!!!
(oops, forgot the link)

Wealth Care

Didja see that? It's a clever take on "health care"....it took me all day. So, recent events have caused a very local outcry about the state of the health care system. It's horrible. It's always been that way, but it's getting worse; it's out of control. I'm not saying that I have the answer, but it needs to be discussed. Malcolm Gladwell has an interesting article in The New Yorker about it....here.

Sabbatical

I'm going to a wedding this weekend....not mine....yeah, that's funny. Anyway, I won't be posting all weekend probably, I hope you all have a great weekend. Some links for your perusal:

Really creative and cute Korean Flickr group where somebody put faces on everyday objects; the one on the link is so cute, it hurts.

Steganography: the hiding of code into pictures...tremendously hard work in the past, is now remarkably easy with digital pictures http://digitalphotography.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000647052419

Photos of flying insects, but you have to click through all the frontmatter on how they took the pics

Japanese puzzle, Sudoku, popular in Japan in 1986, now spreading through the US

New site about street art, i love it.

Cats in sinks...it is what it is...so cute it makes me nauseated

A library in Sweden, you can check people out to ask them questions (like a lesbian, an Indian, etc)....where do we get the nymphos?

Math: I used to be great at math...this 8th grade math test brought me to my knees

Faces on everyday objects flickr group.

Genius

I haven't played Katamari Damacy in several weeks; and I miss it so. I was reading about an electronic/programming convention, and there was an article about the designer behind Katamari and his new idea. Talk about thinking outside of the box...a cat like controller for grandmothers....umm....okay dude, go with it:

He introduced the design of his new controller specifically tailored for
the Granny, and a picture of a cat appeared on the screen to great amusement. He
explained, "the shape of the cat and the heat waves that it gives out really
gets the old ladies going as they get quite cold. They like the cat shape. The
cat is designed to be rested on the old ladies knees." The cat controller was
met with rapture from the audience as Takahashi went on to explain the gameplay
concept.
The game would begin with the family suggesting to Granny that she
wear the cat because, for example, her knees looked cold. Embedded in the cat is
the capability for it to communicate wirelessly with other cat controllers (on
other Grannies' knees) in the neighborhood. When the cat connects to another
one, "..the onboard a.i. kicks in." This causes the cat to speak, paraphrased as
"meow, meow, grandma, meow". Takahashi explains that the family are required to
participate in the game by pretending that they haven't heard anything, because
of this – Grandma begins to build the perception that she is able to communicate
directly with the cat.
As the dialogue with the cat develops, it suggests
that Granny make some soup – but faster than the other granny down the street
who has also received the instruction. A competitive element emerges and
gradually the cat suggests more and more group activities that Grandma might
engage in, culminating in trips to the park. "..So they all go outside and
eventually they meet other old ladies with cats and they all become friends. So
it's a game that involves the participation and love of the entire family."
Takahashi ended the presentation by commenting on the possible production path
of the cat, "Namco and Bandai are merging so when I get home I will submit my
proposal."

Meow, Meow, Grandma, Meow, indeed.

Restraint

Arrgh.  So, in response to an email i had sent out to an email list, there was a reply today that piqued my interest.  The response was from a character that...oh, how should i say it....annoys the holy fucking shit out of me.  Her response was petty, whiney, snide, and takes cheap shots at a few people [namely myself].  And so I laid into a response, it was really, really good....it just flowed freely from my fingers like the keyboard was a natural extension of me....it was so easy.  It was too easy.  I realized that this response would have broken her probably, humiliated her in front of a huge group of peers and one of the boys that she is trying to woo (see below).  Ugh.  I'm supposedly bigger than that.  Delete.  I'll take it on the chin this time.  This time. 

 

Dangit, I shoulda posted it here, because it made me feel really good and reaaaaaaally evil.

Breakin'

Last night, B and I went to go "study" at a coffee shop.  While he flirted with a girl the whole time [kidding], I was writing diatribe after diatribe [see below].  But he comes back in after "taking a walk" and tells me that there's some dudes breakdancing outside.  Wha?!?  Here?!?  I gotta see this.  Sho nuf, there's three guys from a local dj shop poppin and lockin and a big piece of cardboard with a DJ and everything.  They were alright and it was fun to see their moves....or their attempts at moves.  But the real show stopper was one of the homeless women (arnd 38 years old) that usually hangs out in the space that they're dancing in, gets up on the cardboard and does all these crazy ass hip-hop and breakin moves.  I mean sure she had what looked like poop on her pants and part of her shirt was made of a plastic shopping bag....but, fuck, she could dance.  I figure if my roommates and I recruit her and watch "You Got Served" one more time, we could totally take those sorry dudes.  word.

Fatal Attraction

So, I went to the Record Store yesterday.  Yes, Yes, I know it's not the 15th yet, but I am trying to make a decent compilation and I cannot find anything I want to put on it.  So I went out to my favorite place in town and the guy that I like (not  like like) was working.  He's a really nice guy, isn't too pretentious unlike most record store employees, and is geniunely helpful.  So we get talking about new bands and then he asks "Hey, have you heard Clap your hands and say yeah?  They're coming in a few weeks.  Have you heard their album yet?".  So I say "Yeah, man!  I really like they're album, I'm listening to it right now in the car!"  And then.....he asks "You have the album?  Where'd you get it from?"....oh shit, do I tell him I cheated on him?....well I am not good at lying....so I say "ummm, I found a copy at my house, it may be roommates..."  What. The. Fuck. I'm almost thirty years old and the best excuse i could think of was "i found it".....for fuck sake. 

Splooge

So, my left eye has been burning for the past two hours.  I cannot see out of it.  I had to drive to work with one eye shut.  cuz my fucking shampoo got way too excited this morning and shot right into my eye, just great.

 

Now I get to work and get an email from my folks....they have found out how to forward emails....and choose to do this without mercy....it is painful.  Though, I clicked on the link this morning labeled "My favorite website this year" and the firewall at work blocked it, labelling it as "Porn".  Dear God.  Let's hope that's not true.  And at least don't send it to your kids.  I would have to rip my other eye out.