As many folks have noticed, this space has been dormant for a while. But, if you noticed carefully, the little sidebar feeds have been chattering away. I've been in more of a microblogging state of mind, so for those of you inclined to follow the background noise of my brain, I'm at http://twitter.com/shreddd. If you are completely new to twitter, it is something of a cross between a blog (with a 140 character per post limit) and a message board. It only starts to make sense once you have a community of interacting twitterers tweeting together. Yes - the whole thing is silly and ridiculous, but it gets vaguely addictive over time.
I also show up occasionally in other random corners of the intarwubs - yelp, goodreads, flickr and offsprung being the places where I'm most likely to post something with any regularity.
OK - now you know where to find me if you are truly motivated.
Aug 18, 2008
Aug 14, 2008
whitespace, curly braces and other programming constructs
I've been toying with Ruby and Python lately. There are some very very nice features built into their programming ethos. /* If you don't care about programming, stop reading now */
However, there are certain syntactical vagaries that have been bothering me.
1. Using whitespace to demarcate blocks of code
This is a good idea in terms of readability. However, it is a *terrible* idea when trying to parse through diffs, or sorting out levels of nesting. In general, whitespace shouldn't matter when you do a diff. Except, now it does. Curly braces are a really nice way to differentiate levels of nesting and blocks of code. At least Ruby allows this, which is why I might migrate from Python to Ruby with braces.
2. Passing in function parameters without parentheses
Perl tried to create a programming language syntax that incorporated all existing syntaxes known to man. There are, like, 256 different ways to invoke a function. Which is completely unnecessary. C actually got this right early on. Function parameters go in () and are separated by commas like this: (param1, param2). This is clean and intuitive. While Python and Ruby support this form, they also borrowed a bad idea from perl - simply using whitespace to separate parameter names from functions, and from each other. You don't really want to sit and wonder as to whether something is a keyword or a function parameter or something else. You never want to borrow programming constructs from Perl. As useful as it is, Perl is the epitome of a hacky language. A bit like English - very versatile and robust, but extremely irregular.
3. Lack of strong typing
I go back and forth on this one. You might argue that Python/Ruby are in fact strongly typed. But anytime you can call a function and not be sure as to whether it returns a string or an int (unless by design) you have the potential for some crazy typecasting.
That having been said, I really like some aspects of these languages:
1. Iterables (yummy!)
2. Forcing code blocks to be indented at the same level. There are some good things about readability - I just think it should go hand in hand with the curlies.
3. No terminating semi-colons
4. Intuitive use of operands
5. Very powerful and simple parsing libraries
6. More to come ...
Like I said, I'm still a n00b with these languages, so call me out if I'm wrong here.
However, there are certain syntactical vagaries that have been bothering me.
1. Using whitespace to demarcate blocks of code
This is a good idea in terms of readability. However, it is a *terrible* idea when trying to parse through diffs, or sorting out levels of nesting. In general, whitespace shouldn't matter when you do a diff. Except, now it does. Curly braces are a really nice way to differentiate levels of nesting and blocks of code. At least Ruby allows this, which is why I might migrate from Python to Ruby with braces.
2. Passing in function parameters without parentheses
Perl tried to create a programming language syntax that incorporated all existing syntaxes known to man. There are, like, 256 different ways to invoke a function. Which is completely unnecessary. C actually got this right early on. Function parameters go in () and are separated by commas like this: (param1, param2). This is clean and intuitive. While Python and Ruby support this form, they also borrowed a bad idea from perl - simply using whitespace to separate parameter names from functions, and from each other. You don't really want to sit and wonder as to whether something is a keyword or a function parameter or something else. You never want to borrow programming constructs from Perl. As useful as it is, Perl is the epitome of a hacky language. A bit like English - very versatile and robust, but extremely irregular.
3. Lack of strong typing
I go back and forth on this one. You might argue that Python/Ruby are in fact strongly typed. But anytime you can call a function and not be sure as to whether it returns a string or an int (unless by design) you have the potential for some crazy typecasting.
That having been said, I really like some aspects of these languages:
1. Iterables (yummy!)
2. Forcing code blocks to be indented at the same level. There are some good things about readability - I just think it should go hand in hand with the curlies.
3. No terminating semi-colons
4. Intuitive use of operands
5. Very powerful and simple parsing libraries
6. More to come ...
Like I said, I'm still a n00b with these languages, so call me out if I'm wrong here.
Aug 5, 2008
Introducing Jay Smooth
I ran into the Ill Doctrine vlog a little late in the game (thanks Lil), but this man represents all the reasons why I fell in love with hiphop way back when. Smart, political and irreverent are all spliced together in this video blog. And he actually understands hiphop from the inside.
Check out this nugget:
"Science has proven that any meme becomes played out precisely at the moment when people start calling it a meme".
And if you want to delve deeper, here is a nice little clip on race:
http://www.illdoctrine.com/2008/07/how_to_tell_people_they_sound.html
Check out this nugget:
"Science has proven that any meme becomes played out precisely at the moment when people start calling it a meme".
And if you want to delve deeper, here is a nice little clip on race:
http://www.illdoctrine.com/2008/07/how_to_tell_people_they_sound.html
Aug 3, 2008
To ER and back
As the tinu would say - "Uh! Oh!".
We were walking over to a friend's when her eye started to swell up. Her lip started getting all fat. Puffy cheeks. Hives. We were in the midst of a full blown allergy attack. Neither of us had dealt with a massive allergy before, so we were a little confused. But we managed to make it to the E.R. (Thanks Mike). A bit of shouting, some benadryl and a nap later she seemed to be on the mend. But it was all a little freaky.
The scary thing is that we still have no idea what triggered the reaction.
Observation: The Kaiser E.R. doctors are incredibly nice! I feel very grateful.
Update: Post E.R. photo
We were walking over to a friend's when her eye started to swell up. Her lip started getting all fat. Puffy cheeks. Hives. We were in the midst of a full blown allergy attack. Neither of us had dealt with a massive allergy before, so we were a little confused. But we managed to make it to the E.R. (Thanks Mike). A bit of shouting, some benadryl and a nap later she seemed to be on the mend. But it was all a little freaky.
The scary thing is that we still have no idea what triggered the reaction.
Observation: The Kaiser E.R. doctors are incredibly nice! I feel very grateful.
Update: Post E.R. photo
Jul 16, 2008
Yes, I was mean ...
... in calling a friend out for sending me a forward, but alarmist spam really bugs me.
I guess I won't bother with a "top ten ways to identify a bogus forward" list, but I did find this bit of advice that I found online useful:
Take your time. Resist any urge to “act now”.
When you get a forwarded mail, your impulse should not be - ohmigodletmesendthistoeveryoneiknow. Instead, consider sitting on it. Don't ask yourself - could this be real? Ask yourself - could this be spam? If the answer is even maybe, then it is probably junk.
I guess I won't bother with a "top ten ways to identify a bogus forward" list, but I did find this bit of advice that I found online useful:
Take your time. Resist any urge to “act now”.
When you get a forwarded mail, your impulse should not be - ohmigodletmesendthistoeveryoneiknow. Instead, consider sitting on it. Don't ask yourself - could this be real? Ask yourself - could this be spam? If the answer is even maybe, then it is probably junk.
Jul 3, 2008
Jun 20, 2008
Jun 18, 2008
ff3 update
so i've been sampling the three different ports (win/mac/linux). one of the key developments with this release is the decision to "go native" with the UI. in other words, the browser is much more tightly integrated with the look and feel of the underlying OS.
the mac version is slick, and feels like a bonafide apple browser. the windows version is shiny and vistafied, but i'll probably get used to it soon enough. and then there is the linux version. the firefox people took the "go native" directive a little too seriously here, which means that the linux version looks like crap. yup - it has shitty icons, mismatched fonts, and poor anti-aliasing ... everything we love about linux based UIs. one of the nice things about the old firefox was that it had a clean simple design, and generally looked good, even under linux. i'm hoping i can reskin it back to the old look, and i'm hoping that mozilla realizes that they have better graphic designers than the bit bangers that work on linux (who are extremely smart people but a little command line happy). just because you can dereference a pointer doesn't make you a visual artist.
the mac version is slick, and feels like a bonafide apple browser. the windows version is shiny and vistafied, but i'll probably get used to it soon enough. and then there is the linux version. the firefox people took the "go native" directive a little too seriously here, which means that the linux version looks like crap. yup - it has shitty icons, mismatched fonts, and poor anti-aliasing ... everything we love about linux based UIs. one of the nice things about the old firefox was that it had a clean simple design, and generally looked good, even under linux. i'm hoping i can reskin it back to the old look, and i'm hoping that mozilla realizes that they have better graphic designers than the bit bangers that work on linux (who are extremely smart people but a little command line happy). just because you can dereference a pointer doesn't make you a visual artist.
Jun 17, 2008
ff3
I just got the new Firefox, and it is *blazing* fast. Slick looking too! Me likey.
If I ever get around to it, I will post a completely subjective, opinionated and non-comprehensive review pimping the Firefox. But a lot of the memory and speed issues that dogged the old version seem to have gone away.
If I ever get around to it, I will post a completely subjective, opinionated and non-comprehensive review pimping the Firefox. But a lot of the memory and speed issues that dogged the old version seem to have gone away.
Jun 16, 2008
Jun 10, 2008
bikes on board
i've been pretty good about riding my bike in to the oakland office when i can. but the berkeley site has always been slightly more challenging, because it is way high on top of a hill. ok - that is really just an excuse, because they have a shuttle where one could theoretically load one's bike on the rack, and simply bus it to the top. really this is all about my irrational fear of loading my bike on the rack. which translates to embarrassment at not knowing how to do it properly, and being slightly shy and afraid to ask someone for help in the middle of the commuting time crunch. so yeah - i've been too afraid to try.
UNTIL NOW!
i am happy to announce, that i successfully loaded my bike on the bus today. i even found a nice helpful instructional video, in case you've been grappling with similar issues:
http://www.actransit.org/riderinfo/bikes.wu
saving the world one irrational fear at a time. YES WE CAN!
UNTIL NOW!
i am happy to announce, that i successfully loaded my bike on the bus today. i even found a nice helpful instructional video, in case you've been grappling with similar issues:
http://www.actransit.org/riderinfo/bikes.wu
saving the world one irrational fear at a time. YES WE CAN!
May 27, 2008
May 7, 2008
Apr 17, 2008
From the hit new movie ...
"They're zombies.
No, they're strippers.
No, they're... zombie strippers."
I think Snakes On A Plane just got some competition!
No, they're strippers.
No, they're... zombie strippers."
I think Snakes On A Plane just got some competition!
non-conundrums
i guess most of our so-called ancient philosophical problems have been solved by science. think about it:
1. chicken and egg - umm - easy - egg - the evolutionary parent of the chicken lays an egg with a slightly mutated piece of DNA, and voila - we have the first chicken egg. Once you start using biological markers to differentiate species, this stops being interesting.
2. tree falls in the forest - NO - it does not make a sound, if there isn't a sound perceiving agent around. sound is a psychological construct, and simply how we perceive vibrations in a medium. no "we" - no sound.
3. one hand clapping - either bart simpson has already solved this one, or this is a semantic argument, and thus uninteresting from a philosophical standpoint. (As in, you've already defined a clap as the product of two hands striking each other, so you either have to redefine your original terms or eliminate your wankage. it's like asking what if 2 times 2 were 13 [assume base10 here])
1. chicken and egg - umm - easy - egg - the evolutionary parent of the chicken lays an egg with a slightly mutated piece of DNA, and voila - we have the first chicken egg. Once you start using biological markers to differentiate species, this stops being interesting.
2. tree falls in the forest - NO - it does not make a sound, if there isn't a sound perceiving agent around. sound is a psychological construct, and simply how we perceive vibrations in a medium. no "we" - no sound.
3. one hand clapping - either bart simpson has already solved this one, or this is a semantic argument, and thus uninteresting from a philosophical standpoint. (As in, you've already defined a clap as the product of two hands striking each other, so you either have to redefine your original terms or eliminate your wankage. it's like asking what if 2 times 2 were 13 [assume base10 here])
Apr 10, 2008
monster noises
can i just say that it is an absolutely sublime moment when you are finally able to go GNNHHRHHHR to your child, and she responds back with another GNNHHRHHHR. we are communicating!
just like that
we have a new look.
and just for being patient with my whims and fancies, i'll leave you with some gorgeous shots of ancient computer hardware: http://www.corememoryproject.com/main.php
and just for being patient with my whims and fancies, i'll leave you with some gorgeous shots of ancient computer hardware: http://www.corememoryproject.com/main.php
Mar 22, 2008
when duke is not duke
an observation - when duke is a #1 seed, it generally means that they've got a great record and are actually good. #2 or lower means that they've had a few losses but the committee wouldn't dare give duke a lower seed, because they have so much cachet. any time duke is a 2 or 3 is a good year to pick against them in the early rounds, since it screams overrated.
dammit
boredoms were playing last week and i just found out. i think i'm going to compile a list of awesome shows that i've missed this year. pre-boredoms, we've already got the mag fields, and the mountain goats.
Mar 16, 2008
/regex art/
i wonder if anyone has thought of creating literary art using regular expressions. i'm thinking of something along the lines of e.e.cummings but with regular expressions as modifiers instead of whitespace. ideally, it would still hold meaning for the casual viewer, while offering up hidden treats for the l33t.
hmm - now, i'm afraid to google it, because i'll find that someone has already stolen my genius idea before i even thought of it.
and yes - i know that examples would be nice, but it is still only in the concept phase. which means that this may not quite be the genius idea that i made it out to be, once i flesh it out a bit.
hmm - now, i'm afraid to google it, because i'll find that someone has already stolen my genius idea before i even thought of it.
and yes - i know that examples would be nice, but it is still only in the concept phase. which means that this may not quite be the genius idea that i made it out to be, once i flesh it out a bit.
Feb 24, 2008
telephone hunting
Who knew that buying a regular old phone - the kind that you use for your standard landline hookup - could be such a pain?!! Having only used hand-me-down units for the past several years, and given that my work-from-home schedule requires me to get something slightly less craptastic, I found myself in the market for a new phone. However, the people designing these phones would appear to have never used one before. Seriously, I went in looking for a pretty basic set of features:
- Mute
- Speakerphone
- Ringer on/off switch
- Caller ID
- Cordless handset
Unfortunately, modern phones seem to be chock full of useless features that are never the ones you need. For some reason cordless handsets are getting their design inspirations from cellphones. WTF?? Cellphones are getting smaller to make them easier to fit into your pocket, not because they feel comfortable to hold or talk into. I like the bulkiness of a large handset as you cradle it between your neck and shoulder. Cellphones are actually really cumbersome to use because they are typically the wrong shape and size for an ergonomically sound phone conversation. Now why would you make cordless phones increasingly smaller? Who the hell wants to carry a cordless phone in their pocket? Talk about misguided design choices!
In addition to making these things small and sleek, the manufacturers seem to throw in things like bluetooth and musical ringtones. But it doesn't occur to them to include a mute button or a fracking off switch. Grrr!
And you can't just get a simple phone any more without getting 4 additional handsets to decorate your house. In the end, I got the one phone that the customer rep was embarrassed to have in stock. The "grandma" phone as we like to call it:
Complete with a flashing visual ringer for when the baby is asleep!
Feb 3, 2008
James Joyce Predicts the Winner of the Super Bowl
Thusly and thricely slaked he uptrod the spiral staircase and fancied for himself only a briny frieze.
— Give out, Jesuit, or forever in peace may you lie.
Sardonic, sardonic was the smile then adopted. It can twist forever (if the vicars will allow, if the oxen pull the plow).
— Dearly beloved, he quipped through shut mouth, did not Rapunzel cry from on high?
She skipped with a slow whistle to the first stone slab. As at Young Colin's, on the eve of Fata Morgana, all rose quietly. How could it be remiss?
Thanatopsis. Requiescat In Pace.
Prediction: Unclear
JJ and other famous authors call the big game at McSweeney's.
Jan 28, 2008
if you has got pubes you can vote
I had an Ali-G moment, and totally couldn't remember the name of that pet detective guy or whatever.
Jan 10, 2008
And Finally - Top 10 records of 2007
Which really should have been Top 10 #2 albums of 2007, since all of these were very deserving records, and yet, I couldn't justify a #1 slot for any of these.
Reviews and other possibilities for this list (stuff I haven't had a chance to check out yet) to follow ...
- The Field - From Here We Go Sublime (Kompakt)
- Social Studies - This is the World’s Biggest Hammer (Homeroom)
- Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (Domino)
- M.I.A. - Kala (Interscope)
- Nathamuni Brothers - Madras 1974 (Fire Museum)
- Soundtrack - THE DARJEELING LIMITED (Abkco)
- Battles - Mirrored (Warp)
- Six Organs Of Admittance - Shelter From The Ash (Drag City)
- Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature (Mute)
- Radiohead - In Rainbows (S/R)
Reviews and other possibilities for this list (stuff I haven't had a chance to check out yet) to follow ...
Dec 28, 2007
Top 6 The Only Movies I saw in 2007
Which roughly translates to movies playing at the Parkway/Cerrito theatres during Baby Brigade night.
- Pan's Labyrinth
- Knocked Up
- Death at a Funeral
- The Darjeeling Limited
- Dan in Real Life
- Beowulf
Dec 27, 2007
Top10RecordsNotActuallyReleasedThisYear
Much of the music I ended up really digging this year wasn't actually put out in 2007. In fact, my 2007 list seems a bit underwhelming in terms of my relative enjoyment of the music. So this is really the list closest to my heart ...
10. Darc Mind - Symptomatic of a Greater Ill [Anticon] (1997/2006)
The lost hiphop album from 1997, this record finally saw the light of day in late 2006, thanks to the kind folks at Anticon. Dense and brooding, rich and intelligent in that mid 90s NYC kinda way. This is everything that I miss about hiphop.
9. Prince Rakeem - Ooh, I Love You Rakeem [12" Single - Tommy Boy] (1991)
Pre Wu-Tang era RZA kicking it, back in the halcyon days of hiphop. An insanely catchy riff (that sounds scarily like "Summer Nights" from Grease) with charming lines like "I've got too many ladies \ I just gotta learn to say no" - yes indeed - we love you Rakeem.
8. The Left Banke - I've Got Something On My Mind [12" Single - World United Studios] (1967)
I ran into this song via a sample in Jens Lekman's "Black Cab". One way to discover great music is to shamelessly track everything Jens Lekman has ever sampled. The man's taste is impeccable. This is a forgotten British invasion band (probably because they were actually from New York), doing a lesser known single (they are best known for "Walk Away Renee") - glorious pop in all its baroque sixties flavor.
7. Dirty On Purpose - Hallelujah Sirens [North Street] (2006)
Beautiful droney shoegazer indie-rock. I will always remember this record (and specifically the song "Your Summer Dress") as the soundtrack to the day Satya was born. It provided me with hope and confidence and meaning for everything that was to come.
6. Various Artists - Colours Are Brighter [Rough Trade] (2006)
This is what you get when indie musicians start breeding. Rough Trade released this compilation CD of kid's music featuring the likes of Belle and Sebastian, Fourtet and The Flaming Lips. This was designed specifically with a certain brand of hipster parent in mind - the kind that is trying to maintain their last remaining shred of indie cred, now that the days of drunken punk shows and 3am techno and dirty toilet sex are a distant memory. Or for people who never actually experienced any of those things, and used music as a substitute for their lack of a sex life. ANYWAY - this comp is good, clean fun with plenty of weird and a very strong cast of musicians. Also, your kid can now claim that the first record they ever listened to was something on Rough Trade.
5. Huun Huur Tu - The Orphans Lament [Shanachie] (1994)
Tuvan throat singing is fucking genius. And these guys are the best in the biz. We used this record and the low baritones of the kargyraa to soothe Satya in the early days. She still seems to have a special affection for deep rumbling noises. I'm so proud!
4. Mathematicians - Level Two [S/R] (2006)
This album is crazy and all over the place. The only coherent theme between the songs is math. Songs range from angular post-punk to synthy rap to soulful R&B. And yet every single song is good. And super dorky. "We'll be just fine \ when the number is prime" - Hell Yeah!
3. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee [4AD] (2002)
John Darnielle gives up his low-fi DIY ethos for a more full blown studio sound in this concept album. While some may argue that his newer work borders on saccharine and over-produced, this, right here, is perfection. Just enough production to really bring out the music, but still raw and earnest in keeping with his earlier stuff.
2. Jose Gonzalez - Veneer [Hidden Agenda] (2005)
We keep rocking gently on this list, thanks to Swedish boy#2. Lovely syncopated guitars, an angsty yet soothing voice, and a fantastic cover of "Heartbeats" (originally done by fellow Swedes, the Knife). Funny thing is JG seems to be at his best when he does acoustic covers of electronic music - maybe he should do an entire album devoted to this genre.
1. Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens [Secretly Canadian] (2005)
We have a Swedish meatball sandwich here at the top of the list. Ok - more like a Swedish veggie-meatball sandwich. Anyway - we played this album over and over and over again all year long. And then we played it some more. And yet, it never got old. Jens Lekman also has fantastic taste, and liberally samples the music he loves. You can definitely hear him channeling the Magnetic Fields throughout the album, but he also has plenty of other, more obscure influences (See #8). This is the kind of album you play while falling in love. And since this year has been all about falling in love with our little tinyness, this pretty much had to be the album of the year.
10. Darc Mind - Symptomatic of a Greater Ill [Anticon] (1997/2006)
The lost hiphop album from 1997, this record finally saw the light of day in late 2006, thanks to the kind folks at Anticon. Dense and brooding, rich and intelligent in that mid 90s NYC kinda way. This is everything that I miss about hiphop.
9. Prince Rakeem - Ooh, I Love You Rakeem [12" Single - Tommy Boy] (1991)
Pre Wu-Tang era RZA kicking it, back in the halcyon days of hiphop. An insanely catchy riff (that sounds scarily like "Summer Nights" from Grease) with charming lines like "I've got too many ladies \ I just gotta learn to say no" - yes indeed - we love you Rakeem.
8. The Left Banke - I've Got Something On My Mind [12" Single - World United Studios] (1967)
I ran into this song via a sample in Jens Lekman's "Black Cab". One way to discover great music is to shamelessly track everything Jens Lekman has ever sampled. The man's taste is impeccable. This is a forgotten British invasion band (probably because they were actually from New York), doing a lesser known single (they are best known for "Walk Away Renee") - glorious pop in all its baroque sixties flavor.
7. Dirty On Purpose - Hallelujah Sirens [North Street] (2006)
Beautiful droney shoegazer indie-rock. I will always remember this record (and specifically the song "Your Summer Dress") as the soundtrack to the day Satya was born. It provided me with hope and confidence and meaning for everything that was to come.
6. Various Artists - Colours Are Brighter [Rough Trade] (2006)
This is what you get when indie musicians start breeding. Rough Trade released this compilation CD of kid's music featuring the likes of Belle and Sebastian, Fourtet and The Flaming Lips. This was designed specifically with a certain brand of hipster parent in mind - the kind that is trying to maintain their last remaining shred of indie cred, now that the days of drunken punk shows and 3am techno and dirty toilet sex are a distant memory. Or for people who never actually experienced any of those things, and used music as a substitute for their lack of a sex life. ANYWAY - this comp is good, clean fun with plenty of weird and a very strong cast of musicians. Also, your kid can now claim that the first record they ever listened to was something on Rough Trade.
5. Huun Huur Tu - The Orphans Lament [Shanachie] (1994)
Tuvan throat singing is fucking genius. And these guys are the best in the biz. We used this record and the low baritones of the kargyraa to soothe Satya in the early days. She still seems to have a special affection for deep rumbling noises. I'm so proud!
4. Mathematicians - Level Two [S/R] (2006)
This album is crazy and all over the place. The only coherent theme between the songs is math. Songs range from angular post-punk to synthy rap to soulful R&B. And yet every single song is good. And super dorky. "We'll be just fine \ when the number is prime" - Hell Yeah!
3. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee [4AD] (2002)
John Darnielle gives up his low-fi DIY ethos for a more full blown studio sound in this concept album. While some may argue that his newer work borders on saccharine and over-produced, this, right here, is perfection. Just enough production to really bring out the music, but still raw and earnest in keeping with his earlier stuff.
2. Jose Gonzalez - Veneer [Hidden Agenda] (2005)
We keep rocking gently on this list, thanks to Swedish boy#2. Lovely syncopated guitars, an angsty yet soothing voice, and a fantastic cover of "Heartbeats" (originally done by fellow Swedes, the Knife). Funny thing is JG seems to be at his best when he does acoustic covers of electronic music - maybe he should do an entire album devoted to this genre.
1. Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens [Secretly Canadian] (2005)
We have a Swedish meatball sandwich here at the top of the list. Ok - more like a Swedish veggie-meatball sandwich. Anyway - we played this album over and over and over again all year long. And then we played it some more. And yet, it never got old. Jens Lekman also has fantastic taste, and liberally samples the music he loves. You can definitely hear him channeling the Magnetic Fields throughout the album, but he also has plenty of other, more obscure influences (See #8). This is the kind of album you play while falling in love. And since this year has been all about falling in love with our little tinyness, this pretty much had to be the album of the year.
listmania
Instead of simple list format, I will actually include a mini-commentary for my end of the year lists this time around.
Here we go ...
Here we go ...
Dec 17, 2007
17 months
Why do so many parents insist on giving out their children's ages in months? It always creates this dissonant pause in my head, while I quickly try to extract a remainder from the ensuing mental long division (in base 12 no less). See - it took you a while just to parse that sentence! That is what "Oh - she'll be 17 months in 2 weeks" does to me. They have units for a reason, people. Seriously, what is so hard about saying 1 year and 5 months? Gads ...
Dec 8, 2007
it's no rushmore, but ...
the darjeeling limited is still an entertaining movie. a little disjointed, and a little euro-centric in its depiction of india, perhaps, but still worth a dekho as they say in the desh.
i was a little confused by the signature track (where do you go to my lovely - peter sarstedt), but i just discovered that mr. sarstedt was born in india, as were his two brothers, and suddenly it makes perfect sense.
i was a little confused by the signature track (where do you go to my lovely - peter sarstedt), but i just discovered that mr. sarstedt was born in india, as were his two brothers, and suddenly it makes perfect sense.
Nov 21, 2007
Nov 10, 2007
WTF?
Umm - why have I had the pantsless leprechaun story headlining my blog for so long?
In other news, I'm back from Chile.
In other news, I'm back from Chile.
Oct 17, 2007
Leprechaun Opens Car Door for Pantsless Man
On BoingBoing:
This gentleman, Kim Leblanc, was arrested in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday morning sitting in someone else's car and not wearing any pants. According to an article on WLWT.com, Leblanc told police that "he had done drugs and believed that a leprechaun had let him into the car." [Link]
... and some featured comments ...
Comment #4
All right, sir. A leprechaun led you here."
"Yes, officer. That's correct. A leprechaun!"
"Okay, sir, now what about the pants?"
"The pants?"
"You're not wearing any pants."
"CURSE YOU MAGICAL IRISH BASTARD!!!"
Comment #12
I appreciate the guy's honesty. "Listen, officer. I was tripping balls and this leprechaun told me to drop trou and get in the car. What the hell was I supposed to do? Say NO!??"
This gentleman, Kim Leblanc, was arrested in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday morning sitting in someone else's car and not wearing any pants. According to an article on WLWT.com, Leblanc told police that "he had done drugs and believed that a leprechaun had let him into the car." [Link]... and some featured comments ...
Comment #4
All right, sir. A leprechaun led you here."
"Yes, officer. That's correct. A leprechaun!"
"Okay, sir, now what about the pants?"
"The pants?"
"You're not wearing any pants."
"CURSE YOU MAGICAL IRISH BASTARD!!!"
Comment #12
I appreciate the guy's honesty. "Listen, officer. I was tripping balls and this leprechaun told me to drop trou and get in the car. What the hell was I supposed to do? Say NO!??"
Oct 12, 2007
configure; make
i've been hearting technology lately.
i just discovered google's street level 3d view. holy crap - it is pretty fantastic. some scary ramifications w.r.t. the whole surveillance society thing, but it makes for a pretty nice navigation tool.
yay for subversion!
trying to scrobble my xmms playlists to last.fm has been a pain in the ass. and building the regular last.fm player has been an adventure in dependency hell. i think i finally have something working though. oh - wait no ...i hate linux. wait - i didn't mean that. linux is awesome. linux is like sliced bread. like butter. like butter on sliced bread. like ... forget it.
the real issue is that my playlists seem to get pushed out, but then end up somewhere in the void. the idea of the internet void is an interesting one - a place where forgotten bits end up. packets without a recipient. the informational equivalent of the dryer sock fairy. or entropy. hmm - should explore that idea sometime.
new radiohead - drm free, sliding scale and completely downloadable. this is the future. it is really special that the biggest band in the world is offering up a great big fuck you to the riaa. nice.
update:
i almost missed the nextbus (hurrr for the pun). yes - this is truly the way to ride. now i know exactly when to time my mad sprint for the bus stop to minimize rain soakage. what's YOUR bus?
i just discovered google's street level 3d view. holy crap - it is pretty fantastic. some scary ramifications w.r.t. the whole surveillance society thing, but it makes for a pretty nice navigation tool.
yay for subversion!
trying to scrobble my xmms playlists to last.fm has been a pain in the ass. and building the regular last.fm player has been an adventure in dependency hell. i think i finally have something working though. oh - wait no ...
the real issue is that my playlists seem to get pushed out, but then end up somewhere in the void. the idea of the internet void is an interesting one - a place where forgotten bits end up. packets without a recipient. the informational equivalent of the dryer sock fairy. or entropy. hmm - should explore that idea sometime.
new radiohead - drm free, sliding scale and completely downloadable. this is the future. it is really special that the biggest band in the world is offering up a great big fuck you to the riaa. nice.
update:
i almost missed the nextbus (hurrr for the pun). yes - this is truly the way to ride. now i know exactly when to time my mad sprint for the bus stop to minimize rain soakage. what's YOUR bus?
Oct 3, 2007
Less Than Zero
I must have gotten on a list somewhere, because I've now been part of two telephonic polls in the span of a week. The first one was survey on radio listening habits. The other one was a political survey of some sort, possibly related to MoveOn. In both polls I got to hand out zeroes - a zero for a certain new-country selection that made me want to rip my ears out, and a zero for one Mr. Bush that makes me want to rip out every other part of my body.
Speaking of opinion polls. It seems that these have effectively replaced the actual electoral process when big decisions get made by big people in between elections i.e. the other 363 days of the year. This makes its one's duty to take as many surveys and opinion polls as possible, since opinion polls seem to carry just as much weight as actual elections these days. Gotta represent!
Speaking of opinion polls. It seems that these have effectively replaced the actual electoral process when big decisions get made by big people in between elections i.e. the other 363 days of the year. This makes its one's duty to take as many surveys and opinion polls as possible, since opinion polls seem to carry just as much weight as actual elections these days. Gotta represent!
Sep 25, 2007
Sep 7, 2007
Kiddoes are unpredictable. One week it seems like they just fit into everything that you want to do ... you're eating out, seeing the occasional show, going to parties, yadda yadda yadda (My first yadda yadda yadda in writing btw). And then suddenly they are fussy and needy and catch colds, and even watching an hour of TV becomes impossible (or something you have to break down into 10 minute increments). Such is the life. She is pretty damn cute though.
Aug 15, 2007
twittering
I am playing with Twitter in an attempt to completely sell out to the Web 2.0 revolution. You can now follow my every single mundane micro moment (now conveniently located right *here*) as I twitter my way towards post-humanism. Once the web becomes sentient, my persona will exist into eternity. Whoa!
Aug 3, 2007
ugh
yesterday was a really crap morning. we were already spooked about having to take the babezorz in for a kidney test and didn't sleep much the previous night. then, on our way out the door to the hospital, i tripped over the stairs - HARD. as in badly twisted my ankle, rolled over twice and bumped my head hard. as in, passed out in pain while trying to get back in the house (and bumping my head again) hard.
which meant that poor e had to take the baby in by herself for the test. which meant that she had to try and console a 5 month old as they poked at her with an iv for half an hour. watching a strapped down, screaming infant will pretty much break your heart. e - i am so incredibly sorry that you had to go through that, and that i wasn't able to make it.
and now we have to deal with the very real possibility of surgery in the coming months. like i said - not a good morning.
which meant that poor e had to take the baby in by herself for the test. which meant that she had to try and console a 5 month old as they poked at her with an iv for half an hour. watching a strapped down, screaming infant will pretty much break your heart. e - i am so incredibly sorry that you had to go through that, and that i wasn't able to make it.
and now we have to deal with the very real possibility of surgery in the coming months. like i said - not a good morning.
Aug 1, 2007
os x-pert
so i'm getting a little better at moving around and manipulating things on the new macbook. adding a three button mouse was a life saver - i can right click again!
seriously though - i'm still looking for tips to create a more zen like state of flow in my computering. any specific tools / applications / hints are very welcome ...
seriously though - i'm still looking for tips to create a more zen like state of flow in my computering. any specific tools / applications / hints are very welcome ...
Jul 25, 2007
nostalgia
I'm writing this from my brand new MacBook Pro. It is very very sexy. Everything seems prettier on a Mac. Things just work. Magic seems to happen every time I push a button. Ah - the allure of design ...
And yet - I know, this will sound absurd but - I miss Linux.
As nice as the new BSD based Apples are, something feels a little odd and klunky when you try to operate from the command line. Aqua is totally awesome, but it was never meant to (with good reason) interface with the shell. I guess Linux makes me feel more godlike, while the Apple makes me feel more like a spectator. Still enjoying though ...
And yet - I know, this will sound absurd but - I miss Linux.
As nice as the new BSD based Apples are, something feels a little odd and klunky when you try to operate from the command line. Aqua is totally awesome, but it was never meant to (with good reason) interface with the shell. I guess Linux makes me feel more godlike, while the Apple makes me feel more like a spectator. Still enjoying though ...
Jul 19, 2007
jens + left banke
jens lekman does this great song called "black cab", where he samples the left banke's "i've got something on my mind" - also a brilliant number. both artistes are definitely worth checking out. the left banke is probably one of the most underrated bands from the 60s, and jens lekman is basically e's new swedish husband, in a manner of speaking. i had to share.
daydream nation
wow - somehow, surreptitiously, mysteriously my social life has crept up on me. as in, i suddenly have one. in the course of the past 10 days, we've ended up going to a movie, hanging out and drinking with peeps in cafe/bar like situations (twice), doing trivia night and finally going to a sonic youth show.
s.y. show was our first non-baby social experience ever, which was both terrifying and liberating.
speaking of trivia - did you realize that hyphy doesn't have any of the standard vowels (a-e-i-o-u)? weird!
s.y. show was our first non-baby social experience ever, which was both terrifying and liberating.
speaking of trivia - did you realize that hyphy doesn't have any of the standard vowels (a-e-i-o-u)? weird!
Jul 7, 2007
Jul 2, 2007
we were so hype. or was it fly??!!!
- slightly askance trucker hat - check
- fanny pack - check
- wispy stache - check
- moppy hair - check
- disaffected stare - check
if only i hadn't tucked that shirt in ...
yes - that is indeed me!
"back in the days when i was a teenager /
before i had status and before i had a pager"
Jun 24, 2007
Trying Not to Sweat the Details
Since when did I become such a pedant? Why, not so long ago, I was talking about wanting to lead a less regimented, more organic existence [see old slackers site, 2003.03.19 entry ... hmm - i guess that was a while ago]. These days I seem obsessed with internal consistency, to the point of, well, pedantry. I almost sound like the spelling bee kid sometimes:
Mmm ... my first YouTube link. I am now officially entrenched in Blogosphere 2.0.
Mmm ... my first YouTube link. I am now officially entrenched in Blogosphere 2.0.
Jun 15, 2007
Bike2Work
Well - after years of agonizing, I finally rode my bike to work.
While I'm super excited about the personal and environmental benefits of this choice, it brought to light some interesting societal divisions among bicyclists. On the one hand you have your gear heads (we'll just call them hedz, shamelessly borrowing from RPM culture). The hedz are your hardcore bike nuts - they will often own several bikes (where several can span double digits), will pretty much *only* ride in spandex, and have several miscellaneous bike parts just floating around their garage to fuel what is now an obsession that easily costs them a few thousand dollars a year. Oh - and they're predominantly male. To these people I say, more power to you. Why, some of my best friends are ... ok - forget it. I will almost certainly never be one of them. There are things I get obsessive about - bike gear is just not one of them.
Which places me in the other camp. Utilitarian commuters that understand the ecological and economic benefits of riding, along with the loads of sexy indie cred it carries. Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I've always found hipsters on bicycles terribly attractive. So yes - I'm riding to boost my cred. This is actually not dissimilar to vegetarianism - it just felt like a good idea on a number of different levels, even if there was a girl involved in the initiation.
While I'm super excited about the personal and environmental benefits of this choice, it brought to light some interesting societal divisions among bicyclists. On the one hand you have your gear heads (we'll just call them hedz, shamelessly borrowing from RPM culture). The hedz are your hardcore bike nuts - they will often own several bikes (where several can span double digits), will pretty much *only* ride in spandex, and have several miscellaneous bike parts just floating around their garage to fuel what is now an obsession that easily costs them a few thousand dollars a year. Oh - and they're predominantly male. To these people I say, more power to you. Why, some of my best friends are ... ok - forget it. I will almost certainly never be one of them. There are things I get obsessive about - bike gear is just not one of them.
Which places me in the other camp. Utilitarian commuters that understand the ecological and economic benefits of riding, along with the loads of sexy indie cred it carries. Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I've always found hipsters on bicycles terribly attractive. So yes - I'm riding to boost my cred. This is actually not dissimilar to vegetarianism - it just felt like a good idea on a number of different levels, even if there was a girl involved in the initiation.
Jun 5, 2007
Gossip
So apparently, The Arcade Fire stole this guy's basketball.
No wait ... they didn't.
Such is the blogosphere.
No wait ... they didn't.
Such is the blogosphere.
Jun 4, 2007
kiddie cred
you know the hipsters are breeding when rough trade puts out a kid's record.
and yes - satya has a copy (thanks shal) - duh!
and yes - satya has a copy (thanks shal) - duh!
May 27, 2007
Managed to get out to Club 6 last night to check out Badawi. Dark freaked-out dubby stuff - quite nice. This was my second show post-Satya. Caught up with some folks at the show, showed sissy around the "scene" (whatever that even means these days), lost my voice trying to talk over the music, and heard an Egyptified version of Walk Like an Egyptian. Overall - a good time.
We are overflowing with stuff in the house. If there is anything that you want to take off my hands, let me know. It doesn't even matter what that something is. We desperately need to purge - At this point I'm perfectly happy giving away stuff we may not even possess.
Satya owns two monkeys now - We've named them Fibonacci and Roadkill. She appears to like teh monkey brainzzz.
We are overflowing with stuff in the house. If there is anything that you want to take off my hands, let me know. It doesn't even matter what that something is. We desperately need to purge - At this point I'm perfectly happy giving away stuff we may not even possess.
Satya owns two monkeys now - We've named them Fibonacci and Roadkill. She appears to like teh monkey brainzzz.
May 12, 2007
Oaklandish
Baron Davis is a G.O.D.! Did anyone see the Warriors last night? Ohmigod they pummeled the Jazz. Firebombed them, even. And that dunk ... mmm mmm ... that DUNK!
I have never seen a team having this much fun playing ball. They had no business even being here. These are the Golden State Warriors, fer chrissakes. They haven't been to the playoffs in 12 years. Eliz didn't realize that Oaktown even had an NBA team until now. But yes - these same Warriors are playing with a fuck-you attitude and swagger. Don Nelson doing interviews with a can of beer. B. Davis and Stephen Jax acting like the baddest mo fos in the world. And the beard! This is how we do it, Oakland style.
I have never seen a team having this much fun playing ball. They had no business even being here. These are the Golden State Warriors, fer chrissakes. They haven't been to the playoffs in 12 years. Eliz didn't realize that Oaktown even had an NBA team until now. But yes - these same Warriors are playing with a fuck-you attitude and swagger. Don Nelson doing interviews with a can of beer. B. Davis and Stephen Jax acting like the baddest mo fos in the world. And the beard! This is how we do it, Oakland style.
May 8, 2007
funny thing - this has never happened to me
Why is it that I have never woken up in the morning thinking, "I am a shadow dancer"?
Apr 14, 2007
daily dump
I just realized that this blog thing is more rewarding when I'm updating regularly. The idea being that the more I write, the more I will have to say. Even if I don't have anything to say.
Speaking of which (not really, but it was a convenient segue), Google now lets you blog in हिंदी। If the Hindi text does not render properly on your machine, you may need to turn on multilingual support, as described here. For some reason, the default rendering messes up the little ई मात्रा, and does strange things with compound letters. If you cannot read Hindi, then just admire the roundy-ness of the letters.
Speaking of which - and this time we actually have a sequitur - I have this weird recurring nightmare where I find myself having to take a Hindi test the next day (or sometimes a Gujarati test, in a variant of the same dream) and I cannot seem to remember anything other than a few basic words. My life somehow depends on this test, but I can never find the right words for anything. I've actually been having this dream for years now, and is the closest thing I have to a recurring nightmare. And yes, my hindi has probably deteriorated to the point where I have a pretty hard time not reverting to English semi-regularly. For example, I cannot remember the word for "baby". Looks like someone will be joining Satya in her Sunday Hindi school lessons. Gads - then I might actually have to take a Hindi test. Noooooo .....
Speaking of which (not really, but it was a convenient segue), Google now lets you blog in हिंदी। If the Hindi text does not render properly on your machine, you may need to turn on multilingual support, as described here. For some reason, the default rendering messes up the little ई मात्रा, and does strange things with compound letters. If you cannot read Hindi, then just admire the roundy-ness of the letters.
Speaking of which - and this time we actually have a sequitur - I have this weird recurring nightmare where I find myself having to take a Hindi test the next day (or sometimes a Gujarati test, in a variant of the same dream) and I cannot seem to remember anything other than a few basic words. My life somehow depends on this test, but I can never find the right words for anything. I've actually been having this dream for years now, and is the closest thing I have to a recurring nightmare. And yes, my hindi has probably deteriorated to the point where I have a pretty hard time not reverting to English semi-regularly. For example, I cannot remember the word for "baby". Looks like someone will be joining Satya in her Sunday Hindi school lessons. Gads - then I might actually have to take a Hindi test. Noooooo .....
Apr 12, 2007
no cat no cradle
When the last living thing
has died on account of us,
how poetical it would be
if Earth could say,
in a voice floating up
perhaps
from the floor
of the Grand Canyon,
“It is done.”
People did not like it here.
Kurt Vonnegut - you will be missed. Dearly missed.
Apr 11, 2007
Flashback
Six months ago I was in Austin, TX. I rented a little red Chevy Aveo, which pretty much screams cheap-o economy rental. I peeled out of the parking lot and drove down the drag, windows rolled down, volume cranked up to 11, with the radio blasting: "You are tuned into Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR".
Stephen Elliott
I read this little piece in last month's Believer and it made me cry. And it made me happy to think that beauty is alive and well.
http://www.believermag.com/issues/200703/?read=article_elliott
http://www.believermag.com/issues/200703/?read=article_elliott
Apr 6, 2007
My Friend
My friend is very nice. He comes over and does the dishes for us sometimes. He has brown hair. My friend has two cars that don't run. I am glad that my friend is not a brain surgeon. My friend is very good at many things like bicycles and dogs. My friend has a very nice girlfriend. He writes songs about his girlfriend. He also writes songs about me, like the Shrey Doggie song and the N. Shrey Dawg song. I like my friend very much. My friend is 34 years old.
Written by Shreyas D., age 30
Written by Shreyas D., age 30
Mar 31, 2007
cell division
At the risk of turning this into a running baby blog, which has never been my intention, I have to say this - we reached a significant milestone yesterday. Satya outgrew her newborn diapers. This means that she is probably growing.
Mar 21, 2007
Alive
Satya just slept through the night for the first time. That was my first contiguous 6 hour block of sleep in 37 days. Yippee!
If I had one of those tardoid mood icons, a la livejournal, it would say: "Current Mood: Awake"!!
If I had one of those tardoid mood icons, a la livejournal, it would say: "Current Mood: Awake"!!
Mar 8, 2007
Food, Sex or Cars
Ok - not really, but the old SNL skit, did some pretty funny stuff with Hobson-esque choice, where each alternative is equally attractive (or unattractive). My version from last night:
- Guinness, Gordon Biersch Pilsner or low-fat organic yogurt.
We also used to play this idiotic game in college that went along the same lines, but with a "who would you rather bang?" bent. It was mad fun. For example, who would you rather bang: Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jesse Ventura?
I'll occasionally bring this feature back, as I think of better examples.
- Guinness, Gordon Biersch Pilsner or low-fat organic yogurt.
We also used to play this idiotic game in college that went along the same lines, but with a "who would you rather bang?" bent. It was mad fun. For example, who would you rather bang: Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jesse Ventura?
I'll occasionally bring this feature back, as I think of better examples.
Feb 24, 2007
TV Funhouse
One of the perks of early babyhood (the catch-all term for the baby experience from the perspective of all concerned parties) is the amount of unstructured free time you must spend at home. Don't get me wrong - there is a lot of work involved (diaper changes, feedings, keeping everything else in the household at least minimally functional), but there is also a lot of down time, given that babies tend to sleep for around 16 hours a day. This is the perfect excuse to catch up on all the useless pop culture that you've missed out on in the past several years since you've sworn off television. And Netflix makes this available to you in convenient, easy-to-digest chunks. In glorious Technicolor*. Commercial free. Without the annoying inter-episode cliffhangers that leave you irritated and unsatisfied for weeks, possibly months. TV on DVD, here I come! Now watching:
**Yes - I could look it up in Wikipedia, but that's not the point, is it?
- Lost - Season 1
- Dr. Who (The new BBC series) - Season 1
- The L-Word - Season 3
- City of Men
- The Office - Season 2
- The Office (BBC) - Series 2
**Yes - I could look it up in Wikipedia, but that's not the point, is it?
Feb 20, 2007
Feb 16, 2007
demographics
In about 4 hours, I will be 30 years old. Approximately 68 hours ago, I became a dadzorz. Somehow I don't feel old or anything. The hype around 30 is overrated. In my mind, 34 is a far more significant milestone. That is when I will no longer be a part of that crucial 18-34 demographic, that the media and marketing folks adore. Four years from now is when I'm going to be truly freaking out.
Feb 14, 2007
satya marjane
we'll be uploading more pics on flickr
thanks to everyone for the wishes. we're all doing fantastic!
-satya, elizabeth and shreyas
Feb 5, 2007
2cm and counting
2cm this past Thursday. Contractions started coming and going this weekend. And still we wait. I realize that this part is slow, and could last for days. I want to meet our baby, but it is probably best to wait. Allow it to get a little bigger. I promise there will be pictures when the time comes.
Jan 27, 2007
now reading
Not that you really wanted to know, but I like keeping these little notes, so that I can look back and nostalgificate.
- The Schematics of Computation - Vincent Manis, James Little. Oddly enough, this seems to be fulfilling my light, recreational reading quota. I'm trying to rediscover Scheme and functional programming, from a more advanced and mature, post-CS degree perspective.
- The Shuttered Room - H.P.Lovecraft. This is currently my bathroom reading. It is kinda fun to get all turn of the century spooky, while in the loo.
- The Birth Partner - Penny Simpkin. This is what I spend every free moment absorbing, in, what is bound to be, a valiant but essentially impossible attempt to be "prepared" for childbirth.
Jan 24, 2007
Jan 19, 2007
Eanie Meany
This song has been stuck in my head for over SIX months now. Literally!
Jim Noir - Eanie Meany [Video links at the bottom]
Yes, this is the song from that Adidas World Cup commercial: Jose 10+ ... remember?
Jim Noir - Eanie Meany [Video links at the bottom]
Yes, this is the song from that Adidas World Cup commercial: Jose 10+ ... remember?
Jan 15, 2007
Best Records of 2006
I've posted my list on the KALX website. After the jump, we replicate the list here, for your convenience.
1. The Knife - Silent Shout (Rabid/Mute)
2. Boat - Songs That You Might Not Like (Magic Marker)
3. Jose Gonzales - Veneer (Hidden Agenda)
4. Islands - Return to Sea (Equator)
5. Motohiro Nakashima - I Dreamt Constellations Sang (LOAF)
6. Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Etiquette (Tomlab)
7. Juana Molina - Son (Domino)
8. Two Gallants - What the Toll Tells (Saddle Creek)
9. Daniel Johnston - Welcome to my World (High Wire Music)
10. Barbara Morgenstern - The Grass is Always Greener (Monika)
11. Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL)
12. Various Artists - CD86: 48 TRACKS FROM THE BIRTH OF INDIE POP (Castle)
13. Herbert - Scale (K7)
14. The Trucks - The Trucks (Clickpop)
15. Dirty on Purpose - Hallelujah Sirens (North Street)
16. DJ Shadow - The Outsider (Universal Motown)
17. Chin Up Chin Up - This Harness Can't Ride Anything (Suicide Squeeze)
18. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (4AD/Interscope)
19. Chirgilchin - Will Teach (Pure Nature Music)
20. soundtrack - STRANGER THAN FICTION (Columbia/Sony Music)
And I'm doing a "Best of 2006" show, which will feature selections from the above list and more. Tune in tonight 9pm pacific. We even have a live mp3 stream these days.
1. The Knife - Silent Shout (Rabid/Mute)
2. Boat - Songs That You Might Not Like (Magic Marker)
3. Jose Gonzales - Veneer (Hidden Agenda)
4. Islands - Return to Sea (Equator)
5. Motohiro Nakashima - I Dreamt Constellations Sang (LOAF)
6. Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Etiquette (Tomlab)
7. Juana Molina - Son (Domino)
8. Two Gallants - What the Toll Tells (Saddle Creek)
9. Daniel Johnston - Welcome to my World (High Wire Music)
10. Barbara Morgenstern - The Grass is Always Greener (Monika)
11. Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL)
12. Various Artists - CD86: 48 TRACKS FROM THE BIRTH OF INDIE POP (Castle)
13. Herbert - Scale (K7)
14. The Trucks - The Trucks (Clickpop)
15. Dirty on Purpose - Hallelujah Sirens (North Street)
16. DJ Shadow - The Outsider (Universal Motown)
17. Chin Up Chin Up - This Harness Can't Ride Anything (Suicide Squeeze)
18. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (4AD/Interscope)
19. Chirgilchin - Will Teach (Pure Nature Music)
20. soundtrack - STRANGER THAN FICTION (Columbia/Sony Music)
And I'm doing a "Best of 2006" show, which will feature selections from the above list and more. Tune in tonight 9pm pacific. We even have a live mp3 stream these days.
Jan 14, 2007
The sum of the internal energy of the system plus the product of its volume multiplied by the pressure exerted on it by its surroundings
We even fight dorky, as is apparent from this recent interchange:
S: Hey Elizabeth, what is the exact definition of the term enthalpy?
E: I really don't want to have this conversation right now, Shreyas.
:)
S: Hey Elizabeth, what is the exact definition of the term enthalpy?
E: I really don't want to have this conversation right now, Shreyas.
:)
Jan 2, 2007
This Blog is a Mess
The New York Times did a piece on this a couple of weeks ago, but you need to have a paid subscription to view this. Instead, listen to this wonderful segment on NPR, extolling the virtues of clutter and mess. Mess creates a kind of randomness that may lead to forming unexpected connections ... intuitive leaps ... fresh perspectives ... new discoveries ... apophenia ... pattern recognition ... William Gibson ... cyberpunk ... umm, wait, how did I get here anyway?
Anyway, this is your new year's resolution. Embrace your mess. Let it guide you. Do you really want to argue with Einstein? (“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk?”)
Anyway, this is your new year's resolution. Embrace your mess. Let it guide you. Do you really want to argue with Einstein? (“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk?”)
Dec 31, 2006
twosies
Bloggers are compulsive list makers. Why, some would say, the world wide blogosphere is built on the idea of lists. While there are no definite rules governing the semantic or syntactic structure of lists (other than ye olde <li> tag), a good list generally has at least five elements. This has me in a bit of a tizzy (or perhaps, the kids call it "thizzy" these days, with all the hyphy hype). I'll often think of two or three fabulous list items, but then I'm left scrounging for filler to reach that magic number five. Well, no more! I'm going back to first principles - coredumpin' is all about regurgitating the raw data sitting around in your brain. If the stack trace only has two elements, so be it.
Here we go:
Halloween costume ideas that only Don and Shrey would find funny
Why 2006 was the year of the d**k meme (NOT SAFE FOR WORK)
Here we go:
Halloween costume ideas that only Don and Shrey would find funny
- Pliny the Younger (or Don talks in a faux Cockney accent as "Pliny the Younger" - inspired by, but completely unrelated to Greek philosopher, Pliny the Elder. No really! Don thought Pliny was this dead British guy, which makes this whole thing even funnier).
- Raider Nation (or Shrey ironically dresses up as Raider fan, complete with psycho regalia)
Why 2006 was the year of the d**k meme (NOT SAFE FOR WORK)
Dec 29, 2006
damn irritating yaar
an all new things that hella bug me ...
- using hecka instead of hella - this is California people, not PsychoChristianLand.
- talking on the telephone. This is an odd one, but weirdly true. Telephonic interchanges don't allow for natural lulls in conversation. Half the time, I feel pressured to fill in the void, with awkward, meaningless comments. The other half, I am trying to make a graceful exit (which never happens). The only conversations that I seem to enjoy are with folks that allow me to abruptly cut things off with a "Bye Dude - Gotta Go" mid-sentence. No hard feelings.
- the term "winningest", often used in sports writing or commentary. Winningest is NOT a word, people - it sounds completely retarded. The only thing that bugs me more is that Bobby Knight is about to become the winningest coach in NCAA Division I Men's Basketball. Which is a perfectly appropriate place to use the word, since it allows me to disacknowledge (also not a word) the record by describing it with words that don't exist.
Dec 20, 2006
breech
the widget is upside down. i mean it is right side up. which is really upside down. for a fetus.
so it looks kinda like this:
as opposed to:
confused?
me too!
all i know is that it complicates a few things. poor eliz. we're in the last few weeks though.
soon, my dear. soon.
so it looks kinda like this:
___
/ O \
|-| |
| / |
\___/
as opposed to:
___
/ \ \
|-| |
| O |
\___/
confused?
me too!
all i know is that it complicates a few things. poor eliz. we're in the last few weeks though.
soon, my dear. soon.
Nov 24, 2006
Actual Content
Clearly, four day weekends are an excuse to pontificate. So the Yakov Smirnoff question of the day is "does you create your politics, or do your politics create you?" (and let's just ignore the Soviet Russia angle for now).
I was in the shower, wondering about my pacifist ideals (don't ask), and I began thinking - is pacifism merely a convenient veil for someone that has basically always been smaller and wimpier than the other guy? I probably couldn't win an honest to god fist fight, so is pacifism merely my cop out? The easy way to avoid dealing with violent situations?
Along similar lines, am I attracted to feministy women because they are most likely to be attracted to wimpster boys like me? Am I a leftist because I am a minority? Did I become a vegetarian to merely "fit-in" with the cool kids? Ok - scratch that last one. That was mostly because of a girl I liked.
Anyway, in some sense, the answer doesn't matter anymore because I've drunk the proverbial kool-aid, and I pretty much solidly believe in everything that I believe in. How I got there may be up for questioning, but I'm here and I'm, well ... here!
Also - I know the answer to the question - probably a bit of both. Personal predilection combined with environmental influences. Think feedback cycles and chaos. Yeah - lame, I know. But true.
I was in the shower, wondering about my pacifist ideals (don't ask), and I began thinking - is pacifism merely a convenient veil for someone that has basically always been smaller and wimpier than the other guy? I probably couldn't win an honest to god fist fight, so is pacifism merely my cop out? The easy way to avoid dealing with violent situations?
Along similar lines, am I attracted to feministy women because they are most likely to be attracted to wimpster boys like me? Am I a leftist because I am a minority? Did I become a vegetarian to merely "fit-in" with the cool kids? Ok - scratch that last one. That was mostly because of a girl I liked.
Anyway, in some sense, the answer doesn't matter anymore because I've drunk the proverbial kool-aid, and I pretty much solidly believe in everything that I believe in. How I got there may be up for questioning, but I'm here and I'm, well ... here!
Also - I know the answer to the question - probably a bit of both. Personal predilection combined with environmental influences. Think feedback cycles and chaos. Yeah - lame, I know. But true.
why thanksgiving is a rubbish holiday
this is beautiful. i've always wanted to expose the cloying blandness that is thanksgiving comfort food.
Nov 21, 2006
Nov 8, 2006
House Music
Whoa!!! The previous post, written several weeks ago, WORKED! We won!
Current list of changes in my life, in order of importance:
So, I'm not convinced that the new Congress (or anything, really) can solve the mess we've created in Iraq, but I have slightly more faith in The People now, and the fact that they voted for change. If nothing else we got Rummy to step down, which is huge, even if we're looking at two lame duck years.
Current list of changes in my life, in order of importance:
- new baby (forthcoming)
- New House (as in congress)
- new house (as in home)
- new job (as in work)
- new hair (as in hair)
- new radio gig (hair before radio - hmm ...)
So, I'm not convinced that the new Congress (or anything, really) can solve the mess we've created in Iraq, but I have slightly more faith in The People now, and the fact that they voted for change. If nothing else we got Rummy to step down, which is huge, even if we're looking at two lame duck years.
Sep 30, 2006
insomniac
i was reading this little bit about the decline of rough trade records in the late eighties, as it related to the general political climate. the thatcher tories appeared to be undefeatable and completely entrenched. the socialist ideals embodied by rough trade, nme et al seemed to be nothing more than fruitless idealism, which ultimately led to the rise of acid house and electronic dance music as the dominant music of the kids. hedonism as a reaction to the bullshit capitalist/rascist machine, since attempts at social justice didn't seem to be working. and then the nineties happened!
somehow this gives me hope. maybe, it is time to just say fuckit, and to just create as much ... stuff ... as possible. indulge. maybe, we just need to wait this thing out. and while we're waiting, we might as well have fun.
somehow this gives me hope. maybe, it is time to just say fuckit, and to just create as much ... stuff ... as possible. indulge. maybe, we just need to wait this thing out. and while we're waiting, we might as well have fun.
Sep 28, 2006
elsewhere
i have this nice little idea that should bear fruition in a few days. art. an idea. content transposed to "non-traditional" media, then reinterpreted and retransmitted through the "lens" of the original. oh dear. too many quotation marks. trouble!
in the meantime, i've been munching on this delicious little novel. have a little taste ...
Propositions: Meaning must be arrived at obliquely, through hints and feints. It must be suggested through the figurative rather than explicitly stated through the literal. Any attempt to capture meaning by direct approach will result in its death, and - like certain shellfish - meaning must not be killed prior to ingestion lest it be rendered poisonous or, at the least, unpalatable. Meanings that can be contained in words are not worth discussing. Nothing need be passed over in silence, yet some things may be merely implied through circumlocution. Absence as a defining characteristic. Subjects defined by negative space.
in the meantime, i've been munching on this delicious little novel. have a little taste ...
Propositions: Meaning must be arrived at obliquely, through hints and feints. It must be suggested through the figurative rather than explicitly stated through the literal. Any attempt to capture meaning by direct approach will result in its death, and - like certain shellfish - meaning must not be killed prior to ingestion lest it be rendered poisonous or, at the least, unpalatable. Meanings that can be contained in words are not worth discussing. Nothing need be passed over in silence, yet some things may be merely implied through circumlocution. Absence as a defining characteristic. Subjects defined by negative space.
Sep 21, 2006
coffee shop blogging
since i'm working from the nomad today, i feel obligated to post a blog entry or two. i haven't written much lately, mostly because i've been hella busy. but a lot seems to have happened in the past few weeks.
- we've moved. our new place is ... well ... magical. now i don't use the word magical very often, being more of a science and reason kinda guy, but seriously, the old antiquey fixtures, the dense overgrowth of plants all around, the old hardwood floors, the ginormous kitchen ... magic.
- i've interviewed for a new position at work. this is centered around my general open=good feeling about software. the interviews went well, and everyone seems to think this is a good idea, so i'm getting warm and fuzzies all around.
- i'm going to be in england next week for a conference.
- been going in for several doctor's visits in conjunction with the little widget. it has hands. and a head. and legs. and a nose that vaguely resembles mine. and it wiggles!!!
- needless to say, i haven't had time to breathe (see previous bullets).
- guilty pleasure: e and i have blazed through a whole season of veronica mars in a week and a half. again, i refer you to the previous bullets.
Sep 4, 2006
fragment
I had something clever to say earlier - now, all I have left are thought fragments. Something about "the kids" being really young, all of a sudden. My sub-culture has been invaded. It used to be that hipness was the province of fashionable twenty-somethings. For some odd reason, people watchees (as opposed to watchers) have dropped in age. Eighteen year old tots preening around like they just got back from snorting lines with Lou Reed. Something is off here. I told you that this wasn't going to be coherent. I'm just a little weirded out being ten years older than "the kids".
Aug 31, 2006
do the tootsie roll
currently hearting music by
- <artist> (<song>)
- the knife (heartbeats)
- dirty on purpose (your summer dress)
- monster movie (vanishing act)
- boat (quickly and quietly)
- uffie (pop the glock)
a word about uffie. yes, it is a completely ridiculous song. but when pitchfork starts to dissect it, and analyze the use of faux gunshot samples, and take potshots at the lyrics, they just end up looking bad. i mean, really guys - what is the point? don't you have anything better to write about? did you run out of unreleased sufjan stevens bootlegs to review? the song is called "pop the glock", fer chrissakes. just admit it - you haven't stopped singing it in over a month. resistance is futile. listen and love it like a ... umm ... pop. or better yet, watch the video of scantily clad brooklyn hipster girls getting down to it (nsfw).
- <artist> (<song>)
- the knife (heartbeats)
- dirty on purpose (your summer dress)
- monster movie (vanishing act)
- boat (quickly and quietly)
- uffie (pop the glock)
a word about uffie. yes, it is a completely ridiculous song. but when pitchfork starts to dissect it, and analyze the use of faux gunshot samples, and take potshots at the lyrics, they just end up looking bad. i mean, really guys - what is the point? don't you have anything better to write about? did you run out of unreleased sufjan stevens bootlegs to review? the song is called "pop the glock", fer chrissakes. just admit it - you haven't stopped singing it in over a month. resistance is futile. listen and love it like a ... umm ... pop. or better yet, watch the video of scantily clad brooklyn hipster girls getting down to it (nsfw).
Aug 23, 2006
memetic
Pretty much everything good that I find on the intarwubs (how soon before this term makes it out into the lexicon?) these days, seems to come via the prolific web surfing talents of my dear Lil. In keeping with the fine tradition of biting, and the even finer tradition of hating on certain subcultures, here is her latest find - Ode to Burning Man.
"OMG! Look how totally crazy we're being!"
"Seriously! I'm dressed like a bear & you have stilts on! This is nuts!"
Nuf said.
"OMG! Look how totally crazy we're being!"
"Seriously! I'm dressed like a bear & you have stilts on! This is nuts!"
Nuf said.
Aug 10, 2006
Aug 9, 2006
thump thump
so the little parasite (that is what we are calling it for now) has a little 160 bpm heartbeat! we got to hear it thump today. the first trimester is also officially over, which means that i no longer have symptoms like sympathetic nausea, sympathetic headaches, sympathetic tiredness. i guess, i'll have to find new outlets for my hypochondria.
Aug 1, 2006
loose edds and onds
bonus points to all zero of you that got the new order reference in the last post.
raiders of the lost ark in the park with 3000 other people was pretty surreal. and free! free is good.
saw goblin cock last night, and well, they are the most unconvincing metal band ever. this was basically pinback, putting on monkish robes and carrying skulls and turning up the distortion pedals. i found it impossible to get past rob crowe's vocals (perhaps the most un-metal nasally-whiny-indie voice in the world) and the very pinback-esque song structures. goblin cock is forever doomed to be a failed indie rock side project. in some sense metal is the opposite of indie rock, and when the twain attempt to meet ... well ... you get goblins, you get cocks but i kept wanting to shout "pinback rules".
the new battlestar galactica is pretty awesome in the space drama department, and while it is light years better than the campy 70s original, it still has some nits that need picking. in attempting to go for a gritty realistic feel, they ended up with sets that appear to be set in the not-so-distant future (in my estimation 73 years from now), for events that are several hundreds or thousands of years removed from modern day earth. it is rather odd to see bulky phone handsets, and hum-vees, and champagne bottles everywhere. and they commit the cardinal sci-fi sin - the sound of explosions in a vacuum. luckily for the creators of the show, they have some fantastic plot lines and some incredible actors, so i can easily forgive these relatively minor transgressions.
raiders of the lost ark in the park with 3000 other people was pretty surreal. and free! free is good.
saw goblin cock last night, and well, they are the most unconvincing metal band ever. this was basically pinback, putting on monkish robes and carrying skulls and turning up the distortion pedals. i found it impossible to get past rob crowe's vocals (perhaps the most un-metal nasally-whiny-indie voice in the world) and the very pinback-esque song structures. goblin cock is forever doomed to be a failed indie rock side project. in some sense metal is the opposite of indie rock, and when the twain attempt to meet ... well ... you get goblins, you get cocks but i kept wanting to shout "pinback rules".
the new battlestar galactica is pretty awesome in the space drama department, and while it is light years better than the campy 70s original, it still has some nits that need picking. in attempting to go for a gritty realistic feel, they ended up with sets that appear to be set in the not-so-distant future (in my estimation 73 years from now), for events that are several hundreds or thousands of years removed from modern day earth. it is rather odd to see bulky phone handsets, and hum-vees, and champagne bottles everywhere. and they commit the cardinal sci-fi sin - the sound of explosions in a vacuum. luckily for the creators of the show, they have some fantastic plot lines and some incredible actors, so i can easily forgive these relatively minor transgressions.
Jul 30, 2006
Jul 29, 2006
the medium is the massage
mmm - input
i've actually finished a couple of books this past month -
londonstani by gautam malkani (rudeboys in suburban london, getting into all sorts of trouble, confronting both culture and the question of manhood; the indian diaspora's version of trainspotting, with the entire book written in "proper" rudeboy patois. the whole punjabified english thing works quite well in this book as a unifying element; the book is both amusing and scary, and makes for a rather entertaining read. the biggest downside was its lack of a proper ending - it was a bit "ali g" ... i'll say no more.)
adverbs by daniel handler (this is the book that i want to write someday, but d.h. beat me to it. it is a bunch of short stories and it is a novel. which is a little bit like love. it is about love, or rather how love is done. the adverbs instead of the verbs or nouns or adjectives. and i'm totally lifting his style here, while doing a piss poor job of it. have you ever listened to 69 love songs by the magnetic fields? well, this is 69 love songs reimagined as a book. make no mistake - it will happen choppily, unevenly, frustratingly. but also beautifully and magnificently and adorably and lovely-ly. which is what love is and which is why i fell in love with this book and its writer, who sometimes calls himself lemony snicket. go forth and love this book.)
also digging juana molina's new album "son" (argentinian weirdo-folkpop goodness), battlestar galactica 2.0 (sci fi meets political thriller meets human drama), dollar vinyl at garage sales, douglas coupland's microserfs (horribly dated, but i love coupland), and, of course, lots of pregnancy books.
i've actually finished a couple of books this past month -
londonstani by gautam malkani (rudeboys in suburban london, getting into all sorts of trouble, confronting both culture and the question of manhood; the indian diaspora's version of trainspotting, with the entire book written in "proper" rudeboy patois. the whole punjabified english thing works quite well in this book as a unifying element; the book is both amusing and scary, and makes for a rather entertaining read. the biggest downside was its lack of a proper ending - it was a bit "ali g" ... i'll say no more.)
adverbs by daniel handler (this is the book that i want to write someday, but d.h. beat me to it. it is a bunch of short stories and it is a novel. which is a little bit like love. it is about love, or rather how love is done. the adverbs instead of the verbs or nouns or adjectives. and i'm totally lifting his style here, while doing a piss poor job of it. have you ever listened to 69 love songs by the magnetic fields? well, this is 69 love songs reimagined as a book. make no mistake - it will happen choppily, unevenly, frustratingly. but also beautifully and magnificently and adorably and lovely-ly. which is what love is and which is why i fell in love with this book and its writer, who sometimes calls himself lemony snicket. go forth and love this book.)
also digging juana molina's new album "son" (argentinian weirdo-folkpop goodness), battlestar galactica 2.0 (sci fi meets political thriller meets human drama), dollar vinyl at garage sales, douglas coupland's microserfs (horribly dated, but i love coupland), and, of course, lots of pregnancy books.
Jul 23, 2006
thizzle
Y'all really need to get some of this hyphy shit. Bay area hiphop, that is retarded good. Fat synthy hooks, heavy basslines, stunna beats - this stuff is the real deal! West coast crunk, yadadamean? Ok - so I am way too college radio to actually spout the slang with any kind of authenticity, but I'm loving the stuff. Nice to see the bay getting some recognition, too.
Couple of quick hyphy links to get you guys into the mood:
Yayarea reprezizzle!
Couple of quick hyphy links to get you guys into the mood:
Yayarea reprezizzle!
Jul 22, 2006
mercury
... rising. blast this heat. it feels familiar, comforting and oppresive. yum, yum, bum, bum. incomprehensible is my middle earth. shut up.
Jul 20, 2006
gratitude
Having Elizabeth away, and then back home has taught me gratitude. In the past year or so I have strayed away from some of what got me here in the first place. Stuff like "Be nice to people", "Be incredibly fucking grateful", "Create small positive eddies of good in the world". I wasn't actively hurting other people, but I wasn't actively helping anyone either. I had forgotten how good it makes me feel to help people out. Given all the madness, it is really all we have left.
Kristin played live on my radio show. This is the first live performance that I've hosted on KALX, and it was supafun. And it felt great to be supporting independent music in a very active way. Hopefully Kristin gets a bit of exposure, and hopefully people will come out to see her play at the Mama Buzz tonight.
Speaking of which, if you are reading this, come out and see Kristin Allen Zito, tonight at the Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland. Email me (shreyas AT slackers.net) for deets.
Kristin played live on my radio show. This is the first live performance that I've hosted on KALX, and it was supafun. And it felt great to be supporting independent music in a very active way. Hopefully Kristin gets a bit of exposure, and hopefully people will come out to see her play at the Mama Buzz tonight.
Speaking of which, if you are reading this, come out and see Kristin Allen Zito, tonight at the Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland. Email me (shreyas AT slackers.net) for deets.
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