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.
Sep 28, 2006
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.
Jul 13, 2006
Dadzorz
Ohmigod. I'm going to be a Daddeee! The timeline so far:
- E takes pregnancy test.
- S is incredibly composed; takes E out to lunch and provides the initial "of course everything will be fantastic".
- This is promptly followed by two weeks of complete and total freaking out.
- Denial Week.
- E starts feeling the morning sickness. Reality begins to take hold. This is fo' rillz.
- The news starts leaking as friends start to question "unusual" behavior.
- Doctor's visit. There really is a little embryo in there, complete with pulsing heart.
- Pregnancy books arrive in the mail.
- E and S go to Washington; we start telling peeps. Everyone is super excited. Everyone is convinced that we would make swell parents. We are both starting to feel really excited.
- S is back in the bay. E is still up in Washington and will be back next week. S starts to feel the pangs of loneliness (Hey, I'm not used to this week by myself thing). I miss Elizabeth, and want you to come home soon!
- February 3rd is when they tell us it will become a people.
- E takes pregnancy test.
- S is incredibly composed; takes E out to lunch and provides the initial "of course everything will be fantastic".
- This is promptly followed by two weeks of complete and total freaking out.
- Denial Week.
- E starts feeling the morning sickness. Reality begins to take hold. This is fo' rillz.
- The news starts leaking as friends start to question "unusual" behavior.
- Doctor's visit. There really is a little embryo in there, complete with pulsing heart.
- Pregnancy books arrive in the mail.
- E and S go to Washington; we start telling peeps. Everyone is super excited. Everyone is convinced that we would make swell parents. We are both starting to feel really excited.
- S is back in the bay. E is still up in Washington and will be back next week. S starts to feel the pangs of loneliness (Hey, I'm not used to this week by myself thing). I miss Elizabeth, and want you to come home soon!
- February 3rd is when they tell us it will become a people.
Jul 12, 2006
Sigh
Mumbai seems to be holding on after the horrible attacks yesterday. People want peace and normalcy more than anything else, and have been very nice about helping each other out. At least this is what I gather from talking to my Granddad.
Of course, this sort of thing makes me wonder about the rationality of bringing a child into this world*. But then I realize that the only way to ensure lasting good is through good old fashioned breeding. The notion of breeding has been virtualized to some extent (memes and viral ideas), but there is nothing wrong with allowing complex systems to evolve in the old fashioned, physical way. Sprinkle in a few simple memes (People reluctant to kill for an abstraction). Push start. Hopefully there will be enough like-minded breeders (and I use the term breeder in an all-inclusive, non-discriminatory, queer-friendly way) out there to help foster in the revolution. My child as a social experiment. Hah!
*Yes, the rumors are true. There will be a little D running around early next year. And I will have plenty more to say about this in the near future. More on this soon ...
Of course, this sort of thing makes me wonder about the rationality of bringing a child into this world*. But then I realize that the only way to ensure lasting good is through good old fashioned breeding. The notion of breeding has been virtualized to some extent (memes and viral ideas), but there is nothing wrong with allowing complex systems to evolve in the old fashioned, physical way. Sprinkle in a few simple memes (People reluctant to kill for an abstraction). Push start. Hopefully there will be enough like-minded breeders (and I use the term breeder in an all-inclusive, non-discriminatory, queer-friendly way) out there to help foster in the revolution. My child as a social experiment. Hah!
*Yes, the rumors are true. There will be a little D running around early next year. And I will have plenty more to say about this in the near future. More on this soon ...
Jun 13, 2006
Footblog
It takes me back, every single time. May 23, 1990. Thirteen years old. We are spending the weekend at a beach house outside of Bombay. I get up at 2 a.m. to watch the finals of the European Cup-Winners Cup (yes - that is really what it was called). AC Milan vs. Benfica. We didn't have cable at home, but these fancy corporate guest houses - they've got da hookup. That is when I fell in love with football and with the Orange. AC Milan with their brilliant dutch triumvirate of Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. Funny thing is that the clubs in the match weren't even Dutch. They were from Italy and Portugal respectively, but in a way, it was portentious of the state of things to come - the internationalization of club football. In any case, the rebirth of the Clockwork Orange was in full effect, and I was there to witness it. In the end, the match was probably disappointing (Milan won 1-0, on a penalty by Rijkaard), but the allure of star power, of possibility, had me hooked. Love is inexplicable like that.
Even now, as I get up at 6 a.m. to catch the World Cup fixtures between, say England and Paraguay, I am still really in the same place as I was back in 1990 on Madh Island. It is all child-like adulation and wonder. I am thirteen going on thirty.
Can you tell I've been reading the book?
Even now, as I get up at 6 a.m. to catch the World Cup fixtures between, say England and Paraguay, I am still really in the same place as I was back in 1990 on Madh Island. It is all child-like adulation and wonder. I am thirteen going on thirty.
Can you tell I've been reading the book?
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