Brilliant.

Somewhere in the greater world, a picture of me has been used as a deterrent from distraction to a classroom that should be staying focused. I think that's pretty awesome.

The Church of the Lesser Herring

Ok, so I swore off founding religions at least once before, but you know, when it comes natural to you, it's hard to hold back the flood.

So, I present the First Doctrine of the Church Of the Lesser Herring:

Once, there was the Greater Herring, possibly an older sibling of the Lesser Herring, and thus uninmportant to this story, as it probably has a church of its own by now. Stupid greater herring.

But the Lesser Herring, being a cold-water fish, was supremely important in its place in the universe, whether it be pickled, kippered, fried, or shunned. The Lesser Herring was accustomed to all this, and watching its even Lesser Siblings (it was a large brood. Let me remind you not to hang around with the ilk of the Church of the Least Herring. Bunch of whiners)

The Lesser Herring knew of adversity, of icebergs, cold-water, global-warming, zombie attack. Supremely, the Lesser Herring knew that if one could get accustomed to eating Scandinavian Cuisine, one could surmount nearly any challenge.

It is in this light that we should all try to model ourselves under the steadfast Lesser Herring.

In Solvent See

Just got back from the Skinny Puppy show, they were, of course, still great (not bad considering they'll be in their 50's in a few more years)

Only picture that didn't come out super blurry on my camera phone. Maybe that extra cup of coffee was too much.

Opening bands were "The Alacrity" (meh.) and "Sonic Death Rabbit", who I liked a lot. May have to seek out some of their stuff.


And the back story behind calling it the "In Solvent See" tour is that SPV, Puppy's label, went bankrupt. So the album that this tour was supposed to support is being held in limbo.

Urgh

You know, the roughest moment of your life is breaking through that wall to realize that what you believed and what was real were disjoint.

Some of you have felt this, and I've got a bad feeling that will be the far from being the last time I'll have to deal with it.

In hindsight, knowing your eyes are open to some truth can be a consolation in a way.

So goodbye, nice belief, friendly myth, pleasant dream.

Story of my life

Bobby Fischer

Developing a bit of an affinity for this Martin Gardner

(via Roger Ebert)

I don't know how to feel about this

hooray

My OLPC just became a little more useful

Without

My past attempts at going internet-free have been varied and largely pointless.

Looking for the next big thing to cut out, suggestions welcome.

For the record.

Devon does follow me in her reader, so I don't need to send her each and every link. Just sayin' is all.

Finally.

I don't know how many times I referenced this, but the only version I could find on youtube cut out the audio a few seconds in.

So, here:

No, I'm real! No, really.

Ok, so it was a stunt, but pretty darn funny all the same

In case you didn't know...

The fastest way to get me listen to something is if it reminds me of Mike Patton. I think the first band that I listened to and liked independent of any outside influence was Faith No More circa 1990.

And I tells you, that man has some range.

So, like a gushing teenager, I'll post a short collection of why I keep an ear bent to that guy's work, but why my listening preferences tend towards something like his style.




Yeah, I posted this one before

And he's amusing.


I'll never be the rock star that I'd aimed for in high school, but as a guy that can sing on occasion, I think this man is brilliant.

There, it's down, never have to talk about it again.

-transiit

Ugh

Ok, that last one is still depressing me, so have some more Dog Fashion Disco instead.



I'm sure you fans of "some band" will appreciate this. (I can think of a half dozen bands that DFD reminds me of, sometimes more when I'm actually listening, so uh, let's stay generic.)

You can never go home again

*sigh*

This is where I lived from 1987-1992. I still think of it as home.

I don't know who ripped out most of the lawn, or who tore down the basketball hoop that was my 10th birthday present, or who ripped out all the juniper bushes that used to be in front of the place, or who ripped out the rest of the landscaping that my mother put in.

Granted, those that know me well know that there was some serious drama with this place, and I don't know how many owners have come and gone in the last 17 years.

But fuck all if I'm not a little heartbroken all the same.

Quickly, before the fog rolls in!

One of the things I didn't expect living much closer to the ocean is how much more abruptly the weather changes. Marine layer rolled in and you could see a distinct wall of fog.

This was leaving work.


This was the drive home from work. About to head in.

Archimedes and the Quest for the Theory of Everything

Oh, Science lecture season is upon us again. Good talk on Archimedes and axiomatic systems.

My favorite was a Martin Gardner quotation on one slide: “Biographical history, as taught in our public schools, is still largely a history of boneheads: ridiculous kings and queens, paranoid political leaders, compulsive voyagers, ignorant generals - the flotsam and jetsam of historical currents. The men who radically altered history, the great scientists and mathematicians, are seldom mentioned, if at all.”

Learned about Archimedes' Claw, Laplace's Demon, and that a Professor Emeritus from Drexel can give a compelling talk.

Oh, and there seems to be a hierarchy: Do a good thing for Science or Math, and they'll put you on a postage stamp. Next step up is on currency. Wasn't said if there were higher tiers.

(had I been smart enough to look the guy up beforehand and knew he'd written a textbook on Linear Algebra, I would've totally stayed for the reception to bug him about it.)

Equality

Ok, so last fall, California blew it. The fight goes on, and hopefully, in time, we'll get it right.

The same argument is now being fought in Maine, and my hope is they get it right.

But, maybe because California got it wrong, they know better how to meet that battle.

I'm not gay, I don't know anyone personally that is, but in my view, there's no reason why our government should treat anyone that is differently, afford them fewer rights, especially under the religion-heavy concept of marriage (I say abolish marriage politically, civil unions for any that want such an establishment, but hey, that's an argument for another time.)

I will say that this video (via Boing Boing) pretty much hits it dead on in my mind.

Satanic Cowboy

This is probably one of my favorite songs these days:



Satanic cowboy, demonic hillbilly
possesses country folk to nashville's southern rockabilly
The mans got problems...he ain't wrapped too tight
I've seen him trottin' around on his headless horse at night

He's known to hit the scene, he poses in the nude
He started his own cult of redneck biker dudes
...known irreverently to some as the overlords anxiety
...claims there's a reflection of what's wrong with society

Shit's goin' down so get the fuck out of town
Shit's goin' down so get the fuck underground

The root of all evil is the smile of a demon
an inebriated slob on gin and tonic, blood and semen
He'll spawn his seed until the town becomes a petting zoo
the voices in his head are singing, rock n roll's the devil's tool
Rock n roll's the devil's tool, that's what they always told you
now he reaps the benefits of the records that they sold you
We must confront the incubus and see that he dies
so the town people gathered and they planned his demise

Shit's goin' down so get the fuck out of town
Shit's goin' down so get the fuck underground

There's no such thing as evil
it's just a complex personality

There was a little boy whose daddy drank too much
and then he'd beat him up, I said he'd beat him up
There was a little boy whose daddy drank too much
and now he's all grown up, I said he's all grown up

Shit's goin' down so get the fuck out of town
Shit's goin' down so get the fuck underground

(original by Dog Fashion Disco, video by post DFD band Polkadot Cadaver)

Serious Business

Something I noticed this past weekend when I was on travel: The hotel's "Business Center" contained three vending machines, and nothing else. Curious who's idea that was.

Photographic evidence:

Speedy travel and more!

No longer must you travel disease-free. Have an infectious disease? Would you like one?

(found in the San Francisco airport)

Note: I'm not anti-vaccination, but I reserve my reservations about making medical decisions a convenience option. Sure, I've not seen a doctor in a good long while, but even when talking shooting up with the weakest form of this year's model, would you want to be doing so while on travel?

Baby Juggling

My baby juggling career was nasty, brutish and short.

This is what happens when adult supervision leaves the room.

Reverse Travel Day

In SFO, going home. Woke up too early, but in time for my flight. Someday, I'll sleep like a normal human. I kind of like how misshapen my face looks in this, it's like all artistic on how bent out of shape I was feeling or something. Damn, I am an iSight artiste.


Oh, and it appears I made a cameo in the Laughing Squid APE photos.
Full image here (Scott Beale / Laughing Squid)

On travel

Will be back soon. Forgot cable for real camera.

Higgs-Boson Pool

Ok, so I tried to read this article with a grain of salt, and not being a theoretical physicist, maybe I don't have much ground to stand on.

That said, I'll put $0.05 into the pool that the Higgs-Boson traveled back in time and made cheese possible.

(I feel compelled to say that the article is filled with mindless hyperbole, gives jack shit for any real reason to question the LHC, and makes me want to go read this (ahem, unpublished) paper to see if I can make any sense of this (ahem, really, unpublished?) claim that the LHC will magically undo itself.)

Oh, fuck it, what was last year's claim? It'd make a black hole?

That said, I'll put another $0.05 into the pool that the LHC spontaneously produces pickled herring. Read my soon-to-be published dissertation that lays out that explanation. Seriously.

You know what's the greatest thing about right now?

Nothing, nothing at all.

ow. ow. ow.

Ok, so I've spent the better part of this year eating better than I used to, and every time I've eaten at Denny's in the last 10 years has made me feel horrible afterwards....


But holy crap, this just hurts thinking about it.

End world hunger

Might be a touch NSFW.

Smash

It is not a past I wish to smash, nor any of those involved. It is the connection in mind of a past that's passed that I wish to see gone.

End of an era

Wow, didn't see this one coming, but I guess everyone moves on with their lives in their own times.

I know, this is going to sound a little cheesy in parts, but this was a band that was part of the foundation of my formative years (aka "the teens"), and always seemed to keep their business together.

but, as was said elsewhere:

BABYLAND 1989-2009
It needs to be said: BABYLAND is done. Smith quit the band in late August and I will not continue on with this project. I am filled with immense sadness about the loss, and this is in no way how I ever would have wanted this to end. Thank you to all who have supported and inspired me over the last 19 years with BABYLAND.

It will take some time for me, but there is more music to come.

This was a band I listened to in those misanthorpic teenage nights, met a couple times, had the occasional email exchange with, asked permission to use their music once (and got the go-ahead), and will miss.

Dan Gatto and Mike Smith, thank you for the time you put in, the recordings, the shows, everything.



These guys were people that inspired me to make my own music, which while it hasn't been reliable, is not a reflection upon them. I'm going to miss keeping an eye out for what they're doing next together, but if the world has to move on, I'm stupidly happy for what they shared in their time, and won't forget it.

-transiit

(p.s., their shows are the reason why I own a pair of welding goggles)

Impending Horror

I think this headline could've been a bit more specific. Just makes me think of a bad horror short story.

Just sayin'

My sketchy neighbor had me help her check her taillights and signals on her car a few minutes ago, so paranoia aside, if the car ends up getting reported stolen tomorrow, that's the only reason why my fingerprints are possibly on her brake pedal and indicators.

Just sayin'

Suspending the cynicism.

Well, momentarily suspending the cynicism, anyhow. A bit heavy-handed in a few places, but you know, I think the greater conversation would be served if you'd watch all five parts of this

Just sayin'

No Beer and No TV makes Homer Something Something....

So when I moved last year, I was looking at all of my regular accounts and trying to figure out how to transfer service. When I got to cable, I realized I hadn't really turned on my television in months, so paying for the option just didn't make any sense.

I've gone over a year without cable television now, and I can't say I miss it.

I bring this up because this seems like it may be a meme in the making

Nerd Boy Goes Out

Proof that I'm not a total cave-dweller, but unfortunately, something of a nerd. It was "Star Wars in Concert"