Today's pick: Chris Walla's new tunes
Today's punk: Another dude on Capitol Hill. Go figure....
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Fred Thompson's company
Today, in step with Fred Thompson's announcement, my stepfather dropped out of the City of Beaverton mayoral race. See the full story in today's Oregonian.
Bruce cited problems relating to his health as being the main reason for stepping out. I believe he would have made a good mayor. That aside, I am actually relieved I didn't have to hear about the race antics, hob-knobbing, administrative drudgery, fundraising events, uninvited photo-opts, and all the related angst entailed in a typical municipal election.
I have a sense that the prospect of avoiding any one of those things would improve one's health...
Bruce cited problems relating to his health as being the main reason for stepping out. I believe he would have made a good mayor. That aside, I am actually relieved I didn't have to hear about the race antics, hob-knobbing, administrative drudgery, fundraising events, uninvited photo-opts, and all the related angst entailed in a typical municipal election.
I have a sense that the prospect of avoiding any one of those things would improve one's health...
Friday, January 18, 2008
I like it when my truck's balls get noticed....
There is a line of vehicle accessories available for purchase that allow you to give your truck or motorbike a pair of big silicone balls. Who ever came up with this shit amazes me....I'd love to meet her/him. In any case, the state of VA is considering banning those balls as they constitute a real distraction to drivers.
The add-on accessory of a pair of lipstick prints on the ball-sack of choice resolves the question of why the Muslims hate us.
But before the Muslims blow us away, they should consider these fine set of special-edition balls as an indicator of American virtue....link to video.
The add-on accessory of a pair of lipstick prints on the ball-sack of choice resolves the question of why the Muslims hate us.
But before the Muslims blow us away, they should consider these fine set of special-edition balls as an indicator of American virtue....link to video.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Best new thing to eat
This yogurt is the most delicious. It isn't diet food, but it's not full fat either. Too bad only one store I know carries it...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Wire-tapped
TV status: Tonight marks my completion of Season 1 of The Wire. At least for this viewer. Could I get through Season 2 before next week?? It's possible, but I should probably save it for the hard times I'll see over the next few months.
Neck and headache discomfort status: worse than ever....will seek professional advice..
Work status: progress comes slow....meaning I can't take off after sunset anymore
Computer status: new keyboard, hibernation button, and right speaker. This thing is actually looking real good!
New roommate status: Arrival TBA, but this weekend is the best guess. She is quiet, and doesn't seem to answer emails. Ever. It's weird.
Neck and headache discomfort status: worse than ever....will seek professional advice..
Work status: progress comes slow....meaning I can't take off after sunset anymore
Computer status: new keyboard, hibernation button, and right speaker. This thing is actually looking real good!
New roommate status: Arrival TBA, but this weekend is the best guess. She is quiet, and doesn't seem to answer emails. Ever. It's weird.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Happily wired
...starting episode 10 of season 1 of The Wire. I am content with this broadcast addiction.
Mavericks, couch chicks
This Saturday was the amazing annual event for the surfing world, Mavericks. I've never actually attended the event, but I usually spend a good day or two marveling over the photos that result from the competition. Here are a couple I swiped of the Chronicle.
Friday, January 11 (1/11/08) was an event for Mr. ??? at 111 Minna Gallery. It was a free event, which was nice, but it also got rather crowded. Some of the pieces I thought had more entertainment value than others....but it is all very subjective.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Hope for Hil yet
Hillary's unexpected victory in NH disrupts Barak Obama's hopes for an early sweep. I am very glad the race is still head to head. Leave it to those New Hampshire-ites to go against the popular grain.
Live free or die, you dirty Iowan scum!!! Or at least I imagine that's how it might go down in a state to state faceoff.
The next primary (So. Carolina?) will be full of tension, as it should be.
And, of course, the Republican primary in NH also delivered favorable results. The most favorable.....Still, that's not saying much!
Live free or die, you dirty Iowan scum!!! Or at least I imagine that's how it might go down in a state to state faceoff.
The next primary (So. Carolina?) will be full of tension, as it should be.
And, of course, the Republican primary in NH also delivered favorable results. The most favorable.....Still, that's not saying much!
Fun at the slide library, Apple style
Since about 1pm, I've been in the slide library. It's a somewhat dreary place. Full of old fashioned slide drawers with dusty tops.
I haven't been pulling sildes from these drawers, per se, but I have been getting some practice on an Apple computer they have in here as the patron workstation. I can't say the thing has a ton of advantages in terms of navigation. The mouse can hardly do a damn thing. So much for scroll capacity. It takes twice as much mousework to move files around as it does on an IBM computer. I have no idea why they don't incorporate a more dynamic mouse.
In other news, it is raining hard.
Update to come.
I haven't been pulling sildes from these drawers, per se, but I have been getting some practice on an Apple computer they have in here as the patron workstation. I can't say the thing has a ton of advantages in terms of navigation. The mouse can hardly do a damn thing. So much for scroll capacity. It takes twice as much mousework to move files around as it does on an IBM computer. I have no idea why they don't incorporate a more dynamic mouse.
In other news, it is raining hard.
Update to come.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Making mom proud on the New Year
My final grades for Fall 2007 are below. My name isn't on the readout, but trust me, they are mine. And no, that is not an A- for the drawing class. It is an A+.
I slipped marking the New Year. Since I had this blog, I think I've mentioned the New Year regularly. As it stands, I am one week late to do so. But better late than never.
Here is to an exciting 2008. Looking forward to early November, when things really start to get shaking!
Until then, I will be a slave-student and shall continue to eat most of my meals out of plastic containers.
I slipped marking the New Year. Since I had this blog, I think I've mentioned the New Year regularly. As it stands, I am one week late to do so. But better late than never.
Here is to an exciting 2008. Looking forward to early November, when things really start to get shaking!
Until then, I will be a slave-student and shall continue to eat most of my meals out of plastic containers.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Oh dear, my tea is moving.
Ants. Ants tend to invade Bay Area homes during spells of wet weather, seeking a dry refuge and perhaps a snack. Since I've lived on Grove Street, we've suffered a couple ant attacks after seasonal rains. This weekend, the entire Bay Area has experienced more than a few days of downright damp weather. Fittingly, the ants returned to our abode, uninvited, and in great numbers.
I first noticed something awry from a distance when the cup of tea I'd left full on my nightstand appeared to be moving. Inspecting it closer, I found about 50 drowned victims inside the mug, with at least 25 comrades circling the perimeter of the cup edge. Those guys got flushed.
Along my wall, a trail of several 100 strong was homing in on my small bedside trash can. No food was in there to speak of, only some empty Reese's wrappers (Halloween candy leftovers) and a damp tea bag or two. Despite the lack of adequate food, the ants had invaded the trash bag without any hesitation to note.
The rest of the devils were given the ultimate ant treatment. Sprayable bleach. So now my room smells like Clorox, but at least it is ant free. Ants die immediately upon bleach treatment. However, it is unclear whether hardy survivors may later breed to create a super generation of ants that withstand most chemical assaults. It is the risk you take, I suppose.
I will continue to monitor the source of invasion (a crack in my wall) until I am confident the ant warriors are disbanded and in full retreat.
I first noticed something awry from a distance when the cup of tea I'd left full on my nightstand appeared to be moving. Inspecting it closer, I found about 50 drowned victims inside the mug, with at least 25 comrades circling the perimeter of the cup edge. Those guys got flushed.
Along my wall, a trail of several 100 strong was homing in on my small bedside trash can. No food was in there to speak of, only some empty Reese's wrappers (Halloween candy leftovers) and a damp tea bag or two. Despite the lack of adequate food, the ants had invaded the trash bag without any hesitation to note.
The rest of the devils were given the ultimate ant treatment. Sprayable bleach. So now my room smells like Clorox, but at least it is ant free. Ants die immediately upon bleach treatment. However, it is unclear whether hardy survivors may later breed to create a super generation of ants that withstand most chemical assaults. It is the risk you take, I suppose.
I will continue to monitor the source of invasion (a crack in my wall) until I am confident the ant warriors are disbanded and in full retreat.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Thursday, December 27, 2007
An evening with friends
Tonight I attended a very pleasant post-holiday gathering. It took place at friends of my sister's, just down the street near NE 40th and Skidmore. The theme was, specifically, "Port, wine, chocolate and cheese."
The hosts supplied a hefty amount of all promised menu items. The favorites were these homemade dipped caramel-filled peppermint chocolates, with crushed candy cane garnish. We also sampled a tempting white port (more light brown than anything) directly from Portugal that our hosts, Brett and Jessica, picked up in Lisbon this past fall.
There were only four other guests at the party apart from the two hosts, my sister and myself. Two couples, both residents of the same neighborhood, provided intersting stories and commentary.
The first couple operate a high end office and accessories store on NE Alberta.....they were responsive when I asked them if they were planning to carry any of the Freitag line. They responded that this Spring was the launch date, given some delays to shipping and product line agreements....I am not particularly fond of the Freitag line, but I do recognize its current market potential. To set the record straight, I am not a fan of the line because I find it panders to a crowd of snobby status-seeking design types who pay too much for a semi-decent product line. In any case, the brand promises a lot of profits to upscale retailers and apparently it was of current interest to these guys. Perhaps it was the port?.....
The next couple was a nationally known band member and his girlfriend, who also works in the music production biz. Chris W. of Death Cab is an easygoing and relaxed dude and his girlfriend is equally or more as engaging and interested in all things ranging from academic to domestic. It was fun to hear about their on the road stories. I really like the fact that Portland breeds of an atmosphere where rock star profiles find time in their (post-holiday) schedules to fraternize with locals in their neighborhood, talk about things outside their sphere of knowledge (or interest), and do it with amazing success and clarity. I could hang out in Portland on a permanent basis with great happiness with friends of a similar caliber....
Aside from the great party, I leave for Berkeley tomorrow night. For the next several hours I am supposed to figure out how to feed 16-18 people over three days....
The hosts supplied a hefty amount of all promised menu items. The favorites were these homemade dipped caramel-filled peppermint chocolates, with crushed candy cane garnish. We also sampled a tempting white port (more light brown than anything) directly from Portugal that our hosts, Brett and Jessica, picked up in Lisbon this past fall.
There were only four other guests at the party apart from the two hosts, my sister and myself. Two couples, both residents of the same neighborhood, provided intersting stories and commentary.
The first couple operate a high end office and accessories store on NE Alberta.....they were responsive when I asked them if they were planning to carry any of the Freitag line. They responded that this Spring was the launch date, given some delays to shipping and product line agreements....I am not particularly fond of the Freitag line, but I do recognize its current market potential. To set the record straight, I am not a fan of the line because I find it panders to a crowd of snobby status-seeking design types who pay too much for a semi-decent product line. In any case, the brand promises a lot of profits to upscale retailers and apparently it was of current interest to these guys. Perhaps it was the port?.....
The next couple was a nationally known band member and his girlfriend, who also works in the music production biz. Chris W. of Death Cab is an easygoing and relaxed dude and his girlfriend is equally or more as engaging and interested in all things ranging from academic to domestic. It was fun to hear about their on the road stories. I really like the fact that Portland breeds of an atmosphere where rock star profiles find time in their (post-holiday) schedules to fraternize with locals in their neighborhood, talk about things outside their sphere of knowledge (or interest), and do it with amazing success and clarity. I could hang out in Portland on a permanent basis with great happiness with friends of a similar caliber....
Aside from the great party, I leave for Berkeley tomorrow night. For the next several hours I am supposed to figure out how to feed 16-18 people over three days....
Sunday, December 23, 2007
It's gift giving day
Concert wrap up:
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks played on Friday night. From what I did hear, it was a fine performance. However, circumstances required a rushed departure. Pre-performance we visited Ron Tom's, also on Burnside, where my sister and I met a couple of annoying dudes whose version of mingling to us seemed more like medieval torture.
Saturday I was a shopping drone.
Sunday it is very wet here. I am going to go food shopping with Sarah and then I am off to Vancouver for an annual gift exchange tradition.
Shall I return not bearing candles or themed socks.
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks played on Friday night. From what I did hear, it was a fine performance. However, circumstances required a rushed departure. Pre-performance we visited Ron Tom's, also on Burnside, where my sister and I met a couple of annoying dudes whose version of mingling to us seemed more like medieval torture.
Saturday I was a shopping drone.
Sunday it is very wet here. I am going to go food shopping with Sarah and then I am off to Vancouver for an annual gift exchange tradition.
Shall I return not bearing candles or themed socks.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
It's a holiday tradition
Shopping for the holidays is an annual rite of passage. I tend to try and do all my shopping in 1-2 days, sometimes with favorable results, sometimes the opposite. Today was a decent attempt. Several gifts were procured:
1. Pirateology - gift for nephew Everett, age 7
2. Life of Pi - gift for nephew Alex, age 15
3. Pacifica lotion - gift for exstepmother Stephanie. This particular one smells like Chai. It is amazing.
4. Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolour set - gift for sister Sarah
1. Pirateology - gift for nephew Everett, age 7
2. Life of Pi - gift for nephew Alex, age 15
3. Pacifica lotion - gift for exstepmother Stephanie. This particular one smells like Chai. It is amazing.
4. Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolour set - gift for sister Sarah
Monday, December 17, 2007
Fin.
The semester is over. I haven't slept since Saturday night and I am still rolling although I am about to fall asleep in my keyboard any minute. I think it is actually pretty dangerous for me to be handling graphics files in this state...my hand is likely to slip and delete a lot of fine line work.
The only chores I really must do today are 1)look busy while I am sitting outside of Peter's office (if I am in front of a computer he assumes I am working, when in reality I am reading celebrity blogs) and 2)clean off my studio desk. The janitors are rolling in tomorrow morning and have promised to take anything remaining with them, so it's up to me to clear off the altar.
Here's to tonight's sleep.
The only chores I really must do today are 1)look busy while I am sitting outside of Peter's office (if I am in front of a computer he assumes I am working, when in reality I am reading celebrity blogs) and 2)clean off my studio desk. The janitors are rolling in tomorrow morning and have promised to take anything remaining with them, so it's up to me to clear off the altar.
Here's to tonight's sleep.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Post review sleep session
Hours of sleep consumed between Dec 7 - Dec 10: 12
Hours of sleep consumed evening of Dec 10: 14
There is something wrong about the above sleep data. Entirely wrong. However, on the bright side, today I am feeling great and looking even better. My skin no longer resembles that of a haggard 50 year old. My eyes are not (completely) blood shot. I am better hydrated, too. The long days and nights in this building literally take all the moisture and life outta ya.
Herr Bosselmann showed up at our review today. A gem of a phrase he uttered at one point was, "You know, slime is an extremely fascinating thing for 10 year-olds...think about it."
December seems like it is almost over. I will be home in a week. However, there is still much work to be done. I have an exam on science and ecology things on Friday and another design project due on Monday. Which I haven't even begun to think about yet...
Hours of sleep consumed evening of Dec 10: 14
There is something wrong about the above sleep data. Entirely wrong. However, on the bright side, today I am feeling great and looking even better. My skin no longer resembles that of a haggard 50 year old. My eyes are not (completely) blood shot. I am better hydrated, too. The long days and nights in this building literally take all the moisture and life outta ya.
Herr Bosselmann showed up at our review today. A gem of a phrase he uttered at one point was, "You know, slime is an extremely fascinating thing for 10 year-olds...think about it."
December seems like it is almost over. I will be home in a week. However, there is still much work to be done. I have an exam on science and ecology things on Friday and another design project due on Monday. Which I haven't even begun to think about yet...
Friday, December 07, 2007
Two days on the job and you kill someone
Breaking news from Berkeley's big box neighbor....the irony of the situation is ludicrous.
Emeryville Mayor Kills Pedestrian
Emeryville Mayor Kills Pedestrian
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
It's official. Countdown begins.
Mental state: apprehensive & aware, not shaking
Dehydration scale (1-10): 7.8
Coffee intake in past 24 hours: <10 oz.
Beer, wine & spirits intake in past 24 hours: >12 oz.
Hand residue factor: ink and wash stains
Craving status: New York strip steak
Current desk display: 2 bananas, 1 Blue Moon Lager, 8 pieces of battered trace, laptop, desk brush, Elmer's glue, ipod, engineer scale, 1 eflute 100 scale topography model, drafting tape, various pencils and pens
Most recent sleep period: 230am-830am (sleeping in!!!)
Dehydration scale (1-10): 7.8
Coffee intake in past 24 hours: <10 oz.
Beer, wine & spirits intake in past 24 hours: >12 oz.
Hand residue factor: ink and wash stains
Craving status: New York strip steak
Current desk display: 2 bananas, 1 Blue Moon Lager, 8 pieces of battered trace, laptop, desk brush, Elmer's glue, ipod, engineer scale, 1 eflute 100 scale topography model, drafting tape, various pencils and pens
Most recent sleep period: 230am-830am (sleeping in!!!)
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