August 01, 2008
A Campaign of Persecution A Campaign of Persecution Against a Faith of Tolerance
A good article about the situation of the Baha'is in Iran:
“It is difficult to imagine a purer strain of religious intolerance than the fanaticism that pervades Iran's leadership class. It is just as difficult to conjure a purer essence of tolerance than that which distinguishes the Bahais, who recognize Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad as divine messengers; who preach pluralism, equality between the sexes, universal education and the harmonization of secular and religious knowledge; and who stress the oneness of humanity, to the point of explicitly encouraging interracial marriage.”
July 30, 2008
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Joe's Cocker's voice is impressive. His enunciation not so much. (props Huntsman)
Written while groovin' to 2 Brothers From The Gutter (feat. Diamond D) from the album “Perseverance” by Percee P
Grado SR-60
My Grado SR-60 headphones (hereto for “cans”) have been faithful companions for the past nine years. They sound pristine for under $70 but, and perhaps more importantly, they have a very sophisticated bio-feedback mechanism that alerts me to get up from my desk at least every hour and stretch my legs. You see, because of their old-skool design the cans make my ear cartilage ache something awful at just about the hour mark. Kudos Grado. Ku. Dos. hese really are the best cans....for me to poop on! No, seriously, they are terrific and I highly recommend them though they aren't the most comfortable pair you can find.
Written while groovin' to Theme From Paris from the album “Welcome” by James Pants
July 24, 2008
Ballmer on Apple
Ballmer : “In the competition between PCs and Macs, we outsell Apple 30-to-1. But there is no doubt that Apple is thriving. Why? Because they are good at providing an experience that is narrow but complete, while our commitment to choice often comes with some compromises to the end-to-end experience.”
Written while groovin' to KCRW Music
July 16, 2008
¡unɟ ƃuıddılɟ
lɯʇɥ˙dılɟ/ɯoɔ˙pɐɟʌǝɹ˙ʍʍʍ//:dʇʇɥ ˙ɹǝʇʇıʍʇ ɐıʌ ɹǝʇuıod ǝɥʇ ɹoɟ qoɹ oʇ sʞuɐɥʇ lɐıɔǝds ˙ʇɐǝɹƃ sı sʇuoɟ ƃuıddılɟ
July 14, 2008
July 11, 2008
Wireless Music Bliss
Happiness is: My entire music library streaming from my laptop to multiple Airport Expressi especially when they're connected to the Audio Engines A5B powered speakers. Oh, and all controlled via iPhone thanks to Remote.app for the iPhone/iPod Touch.
July 10, 2008
Fake Speed Bumps
As a parent who lived on a street that some used to drag race down I can appreciate the positive effect fake speed bumps are having in some metro areas. Do they, though, like bacteria-resistant strains encourage a kind adaptation we'd rather not see? Discuss.
California is Burning INdeed
No need to look further than this map to see why.
Written while groovin' to Replica from the album “Modern Guilt” by Beck
July 02, 2008
Radiohead's In Rainbows Streaming for Free
If you haven't heard Radiohead's newest album, In Rainbows, you have no excuse now. It's streaming for free @ Last.fm. It really is quite a remarkable album.
June 30, 2008
The Power of Hospitality
I read Danny Meyer's “Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business” last year when it was given to me by Phil Terry. I have to admit I was skeptical about the relevance about a restauranteur's book having much relevance or applicability in my own life. After reading it, though, I realized that it confirmed many of the same principles I hold so near and dear to my heart...most significantly the fact that a kindly tongue can act as a magnet to people. Danny Meyer's success in the highly-competitive New York City restaurant business is the proof in the [ahem] pudding. This is not to say that the food at, say, Union Square Café isn't terrific (it is) or that the locations he picks aren't inspired (they are). But there are plenty of restaurants with great food and a great location that don't make it. I think Danny's principled approach to managing his business is the reason why he's been so consistently successful. Oh, and his book has done much better than other similar business books.
June 11, 2008
A Few Music Sites
Muxtape is amazing but I'd been itching to search the mixes when I was itching for a particular song. Ffffound! Muxfind.
The Rock Hard Times is a great place to get lost in musical information. I've been itching for something close to this for a while. Downside? They don't have The Replacements in their DB yet?!
Written while listening to http://usvsthem.muxtape.com/
June 04, 2008
The Cool Kids
Saw them last night and this morning saw this description of the genre which I was having trouble describing...
Hipster-Hop : An extension of the “skurban” (skater meets urban) fashion movement, one of the latest trends in music is a new breed of hip-hop that targets hipsters rather than the traditional “urban” audience. Artists such as Kid Sister, Cool Kids, and Santogold mix hip-hop sounds with hipster-approved retro influences and clubby electronica and are winning over ethnically diverse audiences of influencers by playing venues such as Brooklyn's Studio B and happenings sponsored by tastemaker events website Flavorpill.These artists tend to share a “geek chic” sensibility that fans can relate to rather than the flashier images of radio hip-hop artists.
May 23, 2008
Inner city snail - a slow-moving street art project
I have had a love/hate relationship with snails ever since I found them destroying our plants. I feel a little less aggression towards them now that I view them more as canvas...Inner city snail - a slow-moving street art project.
Written while groovin' to Gold and a Pager from the album “The Bake Sale” by The Cool Kids
May 15, 2008
Great idea.
presenting, apple logo. for you. (up there)
Originally uploaded by RazielPanic.
One of many more higher quality ones I assume. Nice work Raziel.
Two Different Companies
Written while groovin' to Dragon's Blood Resin from the album “Metal Fingers Presents: Special Herbs Volumes 3 & 4” by MF Doom
May 09, 2008
iWant
An R2-D2 DVD projector and wireless webcam with a Millenium Falcon remote control? Yespleasethankyouverynice.
Written while groovin' to Honeydew (feat. Fi) from the album “Keep It Unreal” by Mr. Scruff
May 05, 2008
High-End Video Equipment
The beauty of high-end video equipment is that you can do stuff like this.
Written while groovin' to Beside You Through The Wires, Forever from the album “XLR8R - Incite 59” by Phylum Sinter
April 06, 2008
April 04, 2008
Orange Peel Teeth
Yeah sure, I did it as a kid but not with nearly as much style or panache:
Written while groovin' to the tourist from the album “Live at the BBC Radio Theatre, London, April 1, 2008” by Radiohead
April 03, 2008
Shopping :: Hubwear
Sneakers, original denim and t-shirts are material weaknesses of mine (the fact that they're appropriate for work should give an indication of why I'm so happy where I am). Check Hubwear, get your favorite route printed on a shirt. Simple, cool. Here's my choice:
And for the few folks who asked about my new kicks, here they are...Air Force 1 Charles Barkley specials:
Written while groovin' to Situations from the album “11th Hour” by Del The Funky Homosapien
March 31, 2008
IT Hates the iPhone
When I worked at walmart.com and was traveling to the home office once a month I found it amusing that I was not allowed to bring in a laptop made by Apple into the David Glass Technology Center. Seriously, the Security folks were advised to not allow them in the building. I understand that as a company gets bigger they tend to become more conservative; what annoyed me was that the argument against letting the machines in was based on “security concerns” that are baseless. At the risk of inciting a religious war (seriously, I tried using Vista this weekend...asking the customer '“are you sure?” more times does not make your OS more secure) I point you to the following Wall Street journal article from today's paper...
“[...]Indeed, the iPhone, which maker Apple Inc. says has captured 28% of the U.S. smart-phone market, seems to be loved by everyone -- everyone, that is, except those who work in corporate information-technology departments.
Designed with the consumer in mind, the iPhone is less secure than business-oriented smart phones such as those from Nokia Corp. or Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry, according to IT professionals. But that isn't stopping people from using the device for work-related tasks such as checking email, managing sales contacts and getting information about prospective clients. In fact, market researcher Nielsen Co. estimates that one-quarter of iPhone owners over the age of 18 pass their phone bills on to their employer, suggesting significant use of the device for business.
Many IT groups have banned the iPhone from their workplaces, complaining that there is no way to force employees to protect their iPhones with passwords and that they can't erase sensitive corporate data from remote locations if the device is stolen or lost. Additionally, they say the iPhone doesn't support the software many businesses use and that it only works on one cellular carrier's network.
But keeping the iPhone out of the office may be a losing battle. As a result, some technology experts say the iPhone could usher in a change in the way businesses adopt new technologies.”
“[...]Whereas software vendors and other tech suppliers traditionally pitched their products to high-ranking executives and IT managers, some are now paying closer attention to the technologies workers actually use.”
The iPhone has changed the way I work and has made me more efficient in general. I wait with eager anticipation for the software updates and the fruits of the SDK that are forthcoming. The IT organizations that figure this out will be more successful overall. Here's an investment strategy: find those companies willing to let their people have a say in what device they use and put your money with them. The company that invests in people first and customers second will win. I think.
Written while groovin' to Dusty Kid - Tsunamy
March 30, 2008
March 10, 2008
Top n Albums of 2007
I've been working on this for a couple of weeks and rather than continue bogging I thought I'd get it out there and refine/add as time goes on. Please enjoy a few of last year's favs...
“In Rainbows” (Radiohead) :: Radiohead more funky than you've ever heard them. This time with industry-shocking business model where they make everyone except the record labels happy and make themselves a boat-load of profit in the process. But don't let the distribution mechanics distract you from wrapping this album around yourself and being warmed by it. I was lucky enough to see them play many of these songs live in Berkely last year and was pleasantly surprised at how good they sound on wax (yes, I did buy the vinyl disc box set...it's beautiful).
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“Fur & Gold” (Bat for Lashes) :: When my friend KS listened to this she said it inspired her to change. Mysterious hand-claps with string-arrangements that aren't spooky for spookiness' sake. Hooky, inventive melodies give this one staying power. It was stuck in the car CD player for weeks and the kids are asking for it by name now. Kinda like Feist and Dead Can Dance's love child playing violins.
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“Graduation” (Kanye West) :: As a bedroom hip-hop producer there's little Kanye touches these days that doesn't make me shake in my seat and think at the same time. “How does he do that?!” I find myself saying to myself as beats that I didn't think could get any more creative and layered tickle frequencies I didn't realize my Passat wagons stock speakers could reach. His hip-hop swagger feels contrived at times but given his talent for creating sounds that move the genre in new directions he's forgiven.
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“Out There” (The Heliocentrics) :: There's is little that the Stone's Throw label puts out that I'm not digging immediately. Their commitment to real hip-hop combined with their love of the digging for vinyl to find quality almost-forgotten music make them audio philanthropists of the highest order in my book. This release by the UK-based Heliocentrics combines Hip-Hop, Funk, Jazz, Psychedelic, Electronic, Avante-Garde and Ethnic sounds on one record.
“Chromophobia” (Gui Boratto) :: A multi-colored album cover for an album called Chromophobia. This is electronica that, rather than grating, uses repetition and not-entirely-originalsounding synth pads to create an other-worldy landscape. High production values round this one out as a work favorite...the soundtrack to Silicon Valley life.
