Yesterday*, or was it the day before?, K and I went to the AT&T store near us to get a hands free device to comply with the law that will be coming into effect July 1st. Being the law abiding citizens that we are, we want to comply. So we purchased two of those clip on blue tooth hand free gizmos. Went home charged it up, synced it with the phone. Carried it around with me. After returning home, I promptly put it back in the box and returned both the devices today.
Returning them in SF cost me 20 cents as the sales tax is greater in Oakland than in SF by .25% Go figure. Maybe lower taxes really do stimulate the economy. Ha ha ha.
I must say those blue tooth things are lame...one more thing to keep track of, one more thing to charge, one more thing to lose and have to buy again. And I question the findings that people who talk on phones are as bad as drunk drivers. I mean, will the hands-free devices enable people to drive better? They will still be engrossed in a conversation with someone who is in another location. And as for the argument that hands-free will prevent people from looking at their phones and pushing buttons while they drive...the radio!! Hello, who doesn't look at the radio while driving or the A/C, pushing buttons and not paying attention to the road.
I think it's just a scam foisted upon us by phone company lobbyists so that we have to buy more s#$t.
Reminds me of the switch to digital TV broadcasting.
"What is the TV Converter Box Coupon Program?Congress created the TV Converter Box Coupon Program for households wishing to keep using their analog TV sets after February 17, 2009. The Program allows U.S. households to obtain up to two coupons, each worth $40, that can be applied toward the cost of eligible converter boxes."
Why are we wasting tax payer money on coupons for people to convert their TVs? TV is not a right, it is a privilege. Maybe if people watched fewer hours of TV, they wouldn't be so fat. Less of a drain on health care.
I guess what it comes down to is that I do not want to have my tax dollars going to coupons so people can buy TVs.
*if there is a yesterday, is there a noterday?
6.28.2008
5.27.2008
Is McCain trustworthy?
Can John McCain be trusted to be in charge of the nation's checkbook? I say he is not to be trusted with money. His own wife of 28 years does not trust him with money.
from Wikipedia - "they made a prenuptial agreement that kept most of her family's assets under her name; they would always keep their finances apart and file separate income tax returns."
So if John McCain is not trusted by his own wife with her money (estimated to be $100 million), can the American people trust him with their money ( estimated to be a lot more than $100 million)?
from Wikipedia - "they made a prenuptial agreement that kept most of her family's assets under her name; they would always keep their finances apart and file separate income tax returns."
So if John McCain is not trusted by his own wife with her money (estimated to be $100 million), can the American people trust him with their money ( estimated to be a lot more than $100 million)?
5.24.2008
The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways
Could this be the work of Satan, or the Lord's punishment for homosexuality? Well, since no one died, maybe just punishment for a fleeting homosexual fantasy. Or maybe someone in the van said abortion. Who knows? Lord knows!
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A mishap involving a church van during rush hour on Friday evening injured five people and shut down the highway.The wreck happened between Taylorsville Road and Interstate 64. Sources told NewsChannel 32 one of the van's tires had blown.The 15-passenger van was from the South Jefferson Christian Church in Louisville and showed it had flipped onto its side on the northbound Gene Synder Expressway.Vince Luney of MetroSafe said the injured passengers were taken to University Hospital. Officials said the wreck closed the two northbound lanes and forced the closure of one of the southbound lanes.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A mishap involving a church van during rush hour on Friday evening injured five people and shut down the highway.The wreck happened between Taylorsville Road and Interstate 64. Sources told NewsChannel 32 one of the van's tires had blown.The 15-passenger van was from the South Jefferson Christian Church in Louisville and showed it had flipped onto its side on the northbound Gene Synder Expressway.Vince Luney of MetroSafe said the injured passengers were taken to University Hospital. Officials said the wreck closed the two northbound lanes and forced the closure of one of the southbound lanes.
5.22.2008
US strike on al-Qaida kills children
So, how is Iraq better off now than it was when Saddam was in power?
Instead of Saddam's henchmen making folks disappear, and holding them indefinitely while torturing them, the CIA or some contractor outside the rule of law (whatever that means now!??!?) does that. We have stepped in and filled the power vacuum...
Instead of Saddam's henchmen making folks disappear, and holding them indefinitely while torturing them, the CIA or some contractor outside the rule of law (whatever that means now!??!?) does that. We have stepped in and filled the power vacuum...
Officials say Obama looking for a VP
"Likely Democratic nominee Barack Obama has begun a top-secret search for a running mate..."
Anything wrong with that statement?
Anything wrong with that statement?
5.14.2008
Outdoor Stop Motion Animation
A friend, V, sent me a link to this video. Don't know much about it other than it is #@$@!! cool. Can't imagine how much work it took. How many hours and gallons of white paint. What pigments did they use? Interesting obsession with heads opening up. How much was set beforehand and how much did the idea evolve as the film was made?
MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
5.07.2008
Classifications
Thought of a way to classify dance companies into classical, modern, post-modern:
Classical - named after a place -> Ballet Russes, American Ballet Theater
modern - named after a person -> Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company
post modern - named after anything else -> Lower Left, Body Cartography
Is this true for every case? No, but I think there is some truth to it. Takes us back to the question of what defines classical, modern or po mo. Is it the tool, the aesthetic or the logic? See picture below for relationship. Much work done now is still modern in terms of logic but the tools are different than the tools of traditional modern. Maybe that is what contempory work is - modern/classical logic with post modern tools.
Classical - named after a place -> Ballet Russes, American Ballet Theater
modern - named after a person -> Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company
post modern - named after anything else -> Lower Left, Body Cartography
Is this true for every case? No, but I think there is some truth to it. Takes us back to the question of what defines classical, modern or po mo. Is it the tool, the aesthetic or the logic? See picture below for relationship. Much work done now is still modern in terms of logic but the tools are different than the tools of traditional modern. Maybe that is what contempory work is - modern/classical logic with post modern tools.
5.02.2008
4.28.2008
Writing Prompt
The other day, K and I were near Counterpulse in SF. Parked in a side street off Mission between 9th and 10th, one that functions a bedroom and bathroom for some of the denizens of SOMA. On the sidewalk next to where we parked, lay a pink pair of underwear and black sweats. From the arrangement of the clothes, it looked as if they had been worn and taken off in haste. There was no bare bottomed individual in sight, so either she ( I am assuming she because the underwear is pink, but in SF you can never tell) ran away bare bottomed or put on another pair or pants. Not being in the market for used pink underwear and sweats I let sleeping dogs lie, or sitting pants lay or...The next day we parked on that street again. The sweats were gone, but the panties still there.
4.23.2008
Mom and...
Here are some photos and a videoclip of a performance installation K and I did on Monday the 21st of April, 2008. It took us over 14 hrs of set up time. Blowing up balloons took a lot longer than I had imagined. Especially when you only have one hand pump. I bought a second one to use in the last few hours before the piece ran. The location of the performance was the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery @ 155 Grove Street. I was asked by the group Kunsole to do something there. One of the members of Kunsole, Roddy, created a sound piece he played during our performance. He places mikes in contact with the tape wall to pick up the sounds of the balloons, which were integrated into his score. The music was then piped out to the sidewalk.
Initially I purchased 2500 balloons online, but they arrived a day late, so I had to find enough balloons in town to do the piece. Turns out I had more than enough. The limiting factor was time. And because time was limited, we had to limit the space that we could fill with balloons. Further evidence of how time and space are inextricably linked. Next time, and I hope to do this or a version of it again, we will use an electric air pump.
Popping balloons is a very satisfying sensation!
Initially I purchased 2500 balloons online, but they arrived a day late, so I had to find enough balloons in town to do the piece. Turns out I had more than enough. The limiting factor was time. And because time was limited, we had to limit the space that we could fill with balloons. Further evidence of how time and space are inextricably linked. Next time, and I hope to do this or a version of it again, we will use an electric air pump.
Popping balloons is a very satisfying sensation!
4.22.2008
4.21.2008
4.18.2008
The Damned Don't Cry
The clip above is from the noir film "The Damned Don't Cry" starring Joan Crawford. It's an okay flick, kept waiting for the titular line, but it never came. The clip above is from the end of the movie when the shit hits the fan. The bad guy kills the other bad guy. There's a great roll and flip over a staircase.
Who says parkour started in France?
4.16.2008
The Torch Relay is stupid
The torch is winding its way to Beijing. It was recently in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
"Instead of being paraded down Islamabad's leafy main boulevard from the presidential palace and other streets, it will now circulate around the Jinnah sports stadium in the capital, watched by 8000 handpicked guests."
How fucked up is that?
Hand picked guests!?!!?! I thought the point of the relay is to share the joy of the Olympics with everyone, not just a select few. Why have the torch relay if no one can see it?
Even worse was in New Dehli - "...the relay [was] virtually closed off from public view except for the estimated 15,000 policemen who will line the road leading from the presidential palace to India Gate."
Doesn't anyone think that is retarded? Again I ask - why have the torch rally if the public cannot see it? How can China not think something is wrong if so many people are wrecking havoc or at least trying to? And why are people trying so hard to keep the tradition of the torch relay alive?
I say drop the relay. Why keep a tradition started by Hitler alive?
"Instead of being paraded down Islamabad's leafy main boulevard from the presidential palace and other streets, it will now circulate around the Jinnah sports stadium in the capital, watched by 8000 handpicked guests."
How fucked up is that?
Hand picked guests!?!!?! I thought the point of the relay is to share the joy of the Olympics with everyone, not just a select few. Why have the torch relay if no one can see it?
Even worse was in New Dehli - "...the relay [was] virtually closed off from public view except for the estimated 15,000 policemen who will line the road leading from the presidential palace to India Gate."
Doesn't anyone think that is retarded? Again I ask - why have the torch rally if the public cannot see it? How can China not think something is wrong if so many people are wrecking havoc or at least trying to? And why are people trying so hard to keep the tradition of the torch relay alive?
I say drop the relay. Why keep a tradition started by Hitler alive?
4.15.2008
Berkeley Animal Rights Activists or Bomb McDonalds
"University seeks restraining order against protesters who rally outside of homes of researchers"
Animal rights activists have gotten rather rowdy lately, harassing professors who use animals in their research. I can't say that I am for using animals in research, not sure if it always that effective. But I am pretty sure that the protests are just further alienating the public from their cause.
The two most effective protesters to date - Gandhi and M.L.K. - were both non violent.
Look at Palestine and Israel - continual violence and no progress. Didn't the change happen in Ireland once people stopped bombing each other.
And maybe some good comes from animal testing. I am sure some vaccines and medical procedures have been discovered/invented as a result of animal testing.
Where the animal rights activists should put their energy is in fast food. No good comes out of that and the animals are treated far worse in industrial food making than in labs. Attacking professors in labs in too removed from the everyman. If activists put smoke bombs in fast food "restaurants" driving people away from KFC etc, they would get more of a reaction. People would begin to fear going to buy fast food.
Animal testing, while is such for the animals does some good. Fast food does no one any good. It just creates trash and type 2 diabetes.
Animal rights activists have gotten rather rowdy lately, harassing professors who use animals in their research. I can't say that I am for using animals in research, not sure if it always that effective. But I am pretty sure that the protests are just further alienating the public from their cause.
The two most effective protesters to date - Gandhi and M.L.K. - were both non violent.
Look at Palestine and Israel - continual violence and no progress. Didn't the change happen in Ireland once people stopped bombing each other.
And maybe some good comes from animal testing. I am sure some vaccines and medical procedures have been discovered/invented as a result of animal testing.
Where the animal rights activists should put their energy is in fast food. No good comes out of that and the animals are treated far worse in industrial food making than in labs. Attacking professors in labs in too removed from the everyman. If activists put smoke bombs in fast food "restaurants" driving people away from KFC etc, they would get more of a reaction. People would begin to fear going to buy fast food.
Animal testing, while is such for the animals does some good. Fast food does no one any good. It just creates trash and type 2 diabetes.
Mission Accomplished: anagrams
Should have made these when this photo first came out. Timing is everything. Some of these make sense, some don't.
4.14.2008
Learned Phrases for Social Interaction
Yesterday, I was at a friend's house working in his garage on a bench. The bench is almost done. Won't turn out as well as I had hoped, but that is another post. The house next to my friend, A.'s house is for sale. As I was grinding the bench, a man approached. Couldn't hear him as grinding is very loud and I was wearing hear plugs. Turns out he was the real estate agent for the house next door. He wondered if I was the owner of the truck that was in the driveway. Truck belonged to the pool guy, who was fixing A.'s pool. As the agent and I bumbled through the conversation about the truck driveway etc, he mentions the earplugs I was wearing-
"Smart idea to wear those. I used to be in a rock band and should have worn something like than when I was playing"
As the pool guy approached the agent asks him to move his truck and compliments him on his sunglasses. That compliment stuck out to me. Seemed forced, a concerted effort - Oh, now is when I insert a compliment to make this exchange smooth
It was as if the agent had learned a method of exchange with strangers - Engage, add compliment, get what you need. As if he were following a script he learned in a seminar.
Seemed like a dorky guy who somehow ended up in a social line of work. I would guess he is better at the paper work side of his job than the people work side of his job. Hope the seminar was worth the money.
"Smart idea to wear those. I used to be in a rock band and should have worn something like than when I was playing"
As the pool guy approached the agent asks him to move his truck and compliments him on his sunglasses. That compliment stuck out to me. Seemed forced, a concerted effort - Oh, now is when I insert a compliment to make this exchange smooth
It was as if the agent had learned a method of exchange with strangers - Engage, add compliment, get what you need. As if he were following a script he learned in a seminar.
Seemed like a dorky guy who somehow ended up in a social line of work. I would guess he is better at the paper work side of his job than the people work side of his job. Hope the seminar was worth the money.
4.10.2008
Bones
Yesterday as I was on the roller and applying Traumeel, trying to fix my right knee, I was watching Bones on hulu.com. The show is okay, realizing that the earlier episodes are better than the later seasons (why is that with every show? Do the original writers get hired away? Do they run out of ideas?) Anyways...I was watching episode 104 - The Man in the Bear, which take place in Eastern Washington State. At 27:50 in the show is a shot of the forest and in the distance is a mountain that looks very similar to Half Dome in Yosemite, which in California.
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