Today I found this video that makes new use of the Wii Bowling by chopping up screenshots and reassembling them to remake a scene from the Big Lebowski. Enjoy!
warning! strong language
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wii Bowling
One thing I can count on doing when I go home for the holidays is getting into some Wii Bowling. Nearly anyone who's played a Wii knows this game. It has universal appeal to all age, skill, and experience levels. Plus the game comes with the system, so nearly everyone who owns a Wii owns this game. It used to be that my sister had a Wii that made it over to my mom and dad's place for the holidays, but now I've discovered that they have their own. They love this game.
Today I found this video that makes new use of the Wii Bowling by chopping up screenshots and reassembling them to remake a scene from the Big Lebowski. Enjoy!
warning! strong language
Today I found this video that makes new use of the Wii Bowling by chopping up screenshots and reassembling them to remake a scene from the Big Lebowski. Enjoy!
warning! strong language
Monday, December 14, 2009
SOF - Bill McKibben
Yesterday I caught this show on the radio. It's an interview with Bill McKibben. He's an author, activist and most recently the head of 350.org. This is an agency that is "dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis--the solutions that science and justice demand." The 350 refers to aiming for atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations of 350ppm. The radio piece is not heavily focused on faith but touches on the spirit of environmental activism as it relates to humility, and what realignments the movement and society could benefit from. I am probably messing that up so listen for yourself.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Humility
It's a important characteristic to have and one that comes to mind when you think of our lives on the scale of earth and climate. I think it's a good reason to advocate for changes, or rather less (climate) change. In the same vein, this frightening and prophetic advertisement from the ironically named Humble Oil company found in a 1962 issue Life magazine made me think of it. 
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
COP15 - Google Earth Outreach Showcase
Yesterday the COP15 talks were kicked off in Copenhagen, Denmark. I took a break from writing papers to follow some links on some of the many sites devoting some time and space to this huge conference. [banner from Grist]One of the coolest things that I found was a series of tours, demonstrated on Youtube here. It's also a bit funny because you can hear about climate change from Ted Danson. From there you can download some of the demonstrations you watch on Youtube for real interaction within Google Earth, including full IPCC climate scenarios. It's so cool because it easily combines modeled changes with satellite data that portrays information about land use, population and land cover. You can add and remove layers and scroll through time too (not sure how much satellite imagery will change with time). It also puts you directly in contact (with hyperlinks) with organizations and documents that back up or expand on the data. This eventually took me to their Earth Outreach page. They have a number of tools available to help non-profits visualize problems and projects using Google Earth. Below is one that I found pretty cool.
Now I'm thinking about how I can use this in my class next semester. More to follow on this and COP15.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving
Still pretty busy and not much new. Spent the holiday in Atlatna and went to a Liz and Derek's house for dinner. Pretty standard Thanksgiving. Great food, ate too much, Lions lose. Then on Friday I went climbing at Foster Falls, TN with Derek and Lauren came up to meet us after work along with Ben and Caity. We camped in the cold on Friday night and did some more hiking and sport climbing on Saturday. I really liked Foster Falls. The camping is free, the hike in is easy, they allow dogs, there are great views, climbing and you can swim in the summer. This was my first time sport climbing and it took a little getting used to after so much time in the gym and on boulders. It is much slower, much more footwork intense, and much headier. I was glad to get on the climbs I did but needed some motivation to get started.
In other news I happened upon this tonight. I love good graffiti and thistakes it to a new level. Bogota had some really good stuff and from the collective's website I am guessing this is in South America somewhere as well.
In other news I happened upon this tonight. I love good graffiti and thistakes it to a new level. Bogota had some really good stuff and from the collective's website I am guessing this is in South America somewhere as well.
MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Hip Hop
I started this post in response to a recent post on a friend's blog about some required listening since 2000. Here is his original post
I noticed you he had no hip hop in there. This is a shame. Despite a marked falling off there were a some huge albums in hip hop since 2000. While Outkasts best work came before 2000, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below came out in 2003. I would say Andre's piece is a work worth mention. Also, Jay-Z's Black Album came out that same year. It was supposed to be his farewell to the game. This turned out to be a Favre-ian move, but led to the seminal hip-hop mashup album; Danger Mouse's The Grey Album. Most recently I've seen Sufjan's Illinois mashed up Finally, the prolific Lil' Wayne must be mentioned (like the Ryan Adams of rap). His 's Tha Carter III signaled the end of hip hop, according to a recent piece on trends in the genre.
Here are some more relevant comments on the direction of hip hop from Matt. They should be on his blog but they are here instead.
I have several 2-cent coins to toss into the discussion of "the death of rap music." My main thesis is: we want new rappers to emerge, but industry change prevents them from emerging.
Barrier to Entry 1:
NO PROFITS. Only the rappers who gained a toehold right before the death of the CD are able to afford to rap for a living (Jay-Z, Wayne, Kanye, T.I., 50 Cent). The internet killed all motivation because there's no money in it any more and therefore no incentive for young rappers to pursue it. To put out an album now, you've got to be willing to distribute free mixtapes while you keep your day job, or have plenty of money in the bank from your previous albums. Back in the day, the labels were signing guys up left and right.
Barrier to Entry 2:
MARKET SHARE. Only the old heads listed above are currently relevant because they're the only rappers that transcend the young and old (us) generations, thereby benefiting from a fanbase that is hip (young folks that guide trends) AND long-standing (loyal old folks). The new rappers leave the old folks scratching their head. All the classic rappers from like '87 to '02 are simply unknown to the young folks. So this leaves the market in 2009 really top-heavy.
Barrier to Entry 3:
CRITICAL RECEPTION FROM THE CRANKY HIP-HOP FANS. This top-heavy nature of the market further suppresses new talent because there are so few benchmarks for "good" rap. Everything new is compared, critically, to only these few legends and inevitably gets dissed because it can't measure up. But not everything has to be THAT good to be on the ipod. Back in the day, there were a bajillion great 2nd-tier rappers and rap groups (speaking of, whatever happened to the rap duo??). Now there are none. You are either one of the few at the top, or you're nothing because the internet critics say you're nothing.
Barrier to Entry 4:
SUBSTITUTE GOODS. In the meantime, we listen to cheap-to-produce knock-off stuff made from guys who went to Skidmore (Ratatat), which luckily sounds great, but only stokes our fears that rap music is dying. And of course prevents us further from spending our time and money on new rappers.
I noticed you he had no hip hop in there. This is a shame. Despite a marked falling off there were a some huge albums in hip hop since 2000. While Outkasts best work came before 2000, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below came out in 2003. I would say Andre's piece is a work worth mention. Also, Jay-Z's Black Album came out that same year. It was supposed to be his farewell to the game. This turned out to be a Favre-ian move, but led to the seminal hip-hop mashup album; Danger Mouse's The Grey Album. Most recently I've seen Sufjan's Illinois mashed up Finally, the prolific Lil' Wayne must be mentioned (like the Ryan Adams of rap). His 's Tha Carter III signaled the end of hip hop, according to a recent piece on trends in the genre.
Here are some more relevant comments on the direction of hip hop from Matt. They should be on his blog but they are here instead.
I have several 2-cent coins to toss into the discussion of "the death of rap music." My main thesis is: we want new rappers to emerge, but industry change prevents them from emerging.
Barrier to Entry 1:
NO PROFITS. Only the rappers who gained a toehold right before the death of the CD are able to afford to rap for a living (Jay-Z, Wayne, Kanye, T.I., 50 Cent). The internet killed all motivation because there's no money in it any more and therefore no incentive for young rappers to pursue it. To put out an album now, you've got to be willing to distribute free mixtapes while you keep your day job, or have plenty of money in the bank from your previous albums. Back in the day, the labels were signing guys up left and right.
Barrier to Entry 2:
MARKET SHARE. Only the old heads listed above are currently relevant because they're the only rappers that transcend the young and old (us) generations, thereby benefiting from a fanbase that is hip (young folks that guide trends) AND long-standing (loyal old folks). The new rappers leave the old folks scratching their head. All the classic rappers from like '87 to '02 are simply unknown to the young folks. So this leaves the market in 2009 really top-heavy.
Barrier to Entry 3:
CRITICAL RECEPTION FROM THE CRANKY HIP-HOP FANS. This top-heavy nature of the market further suppresses new talent because there are so few benchmarks for "good" rap. Everything new is compared, critically, to only these few legends and inevitably gets dissed because it can't measure up. But not everything has to be THAT good to be on the ipod. Back in the day, there were a bajillion great 2nd-tier rappers and rap groups (speaking of, whatever happened to the rap duo??). Now there are none. You are either one of the few at the top, or you're nothing because the internet critics say you're nothing.
Barrier to Entry 4:
SUBSTITUTE GOODS. In the meantime, we listen to cheap-to-produce knock-off stuff made from guys who went to Skidmore (Ratatat), which luckily sounds great, but only stokes our fears that rap music is dying. And of course prevents us further from spending our time and money on new rappers.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
It's All Good
I am out of town for a software training and was having dinner at a local bar/restaurant the other night when I overheard the older couple next to me talking about this New Yorker cartoon which I had remembered seeing and liking. Here it is. Feel free to comment, or not. It's all good.
Friday, October 23, 2009
ASL study
I am currently taking part in a study to test a new way of teaching basic sign language vocabulary to adults. The study was developed by the American Sign Language Group within the Contextual Computing Group at Georgia Tech. Each day for a week I follow a link from a text message to a mobile website where I go through my ASL lessons for the day. I can complete up to 80 lessons in the week of the study. and each lesson takes about 4 minutes.
During the lesson I watch 4-5 short videos of this guy signing a word. Then I click on "continue" and am shown 4 choices for the meaning of that sign, along with a button for "Don't Know." Finally you are told whether or not you chose the correct meaning for the sign and you move on to the next movie. Over the course of several lessons you see words multiple times and reinforce your knowledge. A week after completing my week of lessons I go in to take a test and wee what I've learned.
Not only do I get to learn some basic sign language, I get Amazon dollars too ($0.625 per lesson, plus time in the lab). I'll end up with around $60. I am asking you, the reader to post interesting and unusual things from Amazon that I could buy with this money. Provide links in the comments section of this post. Nothing vulgar please. I may end up purchasing your suggestion.
During the lesson I watch 4-5 short videos of this guy signing a word. Then I click on "continue" and am shown 4 choices for the meaning of that sign, along with a button for "Don't Know." Finally you are told whether or not you chose the correct meaning for the sign and you move on to the next movie. Over the course of several lessons you see words multiple times and reinforce your knowledge. A week after completing my week of lessons I go in to take a test and wee what I've learned. Not only do I get to learn some basic sign language, I get Amazon dollars too ($0.625 per lesson, plus time in the lab). I'll end up with around $60. I am asking you, the reader to post interesting and unusual things from Amazon that I could buy with this money. Provide links in the comments section of this post. Nothing vulgar please. I may end up purchasing your suggestion.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Cumberland Island
For the Columbus Day weekend we had a trip planned to Cumberland Island, GA. Fresh off finishing the Ken Burns' National Park Series I was ready to see some preservation in action. I went to Cumberland Island expecting to find no cars, no people, and wild horses; a semi-tropical setting in prime season.
We drove down to Blythe Island State Park on Saturday with a stop in Savannah for lunch. This trip followed a weekend in the mountains of Boone and so I was not ready for the heat that south GA still possesses in October. Temperatures hovered close to 90 most of the time we were there. We slept in tents; a euphemism for sweat torture chamber. Regardless of the heat we still purchased firewood and built a fire to stand around. The threat of storms kept the rain flies on our tents and made it hotter. Luckily though we didn't get any rain while were out there. I'd much rather deal with the heat than be stuck in the rain all the time.
To get to Cumberland you take a small ferry for about 40 minutes from the small town of St. Mary's. The ferry ride was one of my favorite parts of the trip. While we were on it, the sun was out, the wind is blowing in your face and the scenery is nice. I took some time to contemplate the nature around me (save the chemical plant silhouette in the distance) and compare it to the mountains. The coast always seems much more delicate to me, like it has so many more moving parts. That also makes it seem more dynamic. The mountains seem like they are forever unchanged. The views also have differential impacts. In the mountains one can get to great vistas and see the expanse of the landscape as well as stand at the edge or base of a cliff and feel how small you are. On the coast you only get the expansive views that go on forever and make you feel so small in time. I think a lot of naturalists write about each morning in a natural place feels like the first morning; the morning of creation. Like every thing in that place was like it had always been. For me looking out on the ocean and watching the waves gives me that feeling.
Nonetheless, most of my time on Cumberland Island was spent wishing I was in the mountains. I was surprised that there are still occupied residences on the island, and that the horses weren't out running on the beach like something out of black beauty. It didn't help that the rangers on the island give you a run down of everything that can go wrong on Cumberland Island before you head off into the backcountry. We had planned to head in about 7 miles to Yankee Paradise but found out it was occupied and went to the closer (4 miles) Stafford Beach camping area. The spot was very cool. Tons of old live oaks, plenty of room to spread out and keep the kitchen away from the tents, close to the beach, and it even had bathrooms.
The ticks and bugs were still pretty bad but we didn't have any problems with raccoons or mice or gators or snakes or horses or armadillos. The beach was great and in fact my favorite part was heading there in the morning to watch the sunrise and spending time playing in the tidepools.
I'm not sure if I'll head back to Cumberland right away but maybe someday I will revisit the place. I think for now the next barrier islands I try to see will be off North Carolina and maybe we can make a stop by some mountains while we're up there.
Friday, October 09, 2009
This bridge over a highway is cooler than your bridge over a highway
I can't remember if I have written about it before (when commenting on Tech construction) the Fifth St. Bridge over the connector is an incredible conversion. When I started at Tech it was a two lane road with immediately adjacent sidewalks and high-reaching chain link fence that kept you from throwing stuff into the mess of traffic below. Now it's a park where you have no idea that 10 lanes of mayhem are pulsing below you. This weekend the piece of road solidifies its transformation as it hosts the annual Taste of Atlanta event. This will be a formal acknowledgment of the bridge's role as a place to gather and for leisure and not just a path between destinations. The transition has been progressing for awhile now (see flag football above).
Two days ago I noticed a Robert Mondavi faux chateau set up on the grass, and yesterday when i was walking to the train the tent city was in full swing. This morning on my way in the setup was continuing and in front of the main stage there was a cooking segment being shot for the local news stations. This weekend hundreds, if not thousands, of people will be standing on it, enjoying foods, and taking in the view of the skyline, with no immediate cognition of the speed, noise and power beneath them. Pretty cool.Belw is the satellite image during the construction (the original width is the street plus the red sidewalk).
I wondered about other such bridge projects. A quick google search provided nothing much. Innovative bridge improvements apparently entail "Positioning slabs above the piers to protect from water the “expansion joints” that adjust to bridge movement" and not "throwing a culinary party on the bridge." Of course this one in Florida is pretty cool. Please let me know if you have knowledge of anything better. Until I hear otherwise this bridge over a highway is cooler than your bridge over a highway.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Hound Ears 09
This past weekend I headed north with some friends for the beginning of the 2009 Triple Crown Bouldering competition, with some climbing at Hound Ears near Boone, NC. Ben and I were climbing but we were joined by Katy, Ajay and Christa who explored the cultural and natural beauty of Boone while we were wrestlin' pebbles. We arrived late on Friday night with some rain freshly fallen, but things cleared up on Saturday and provided PERFECT weather all day.
The competition went pretty well for me. My only goal for the event was show some improvement over last year when I tallied 1893 points and
finished 10th in the novice/recreational category. Most people assume that there are specific problems that are attempted and then you are judged and given scores on your climbs. In actuality, all the problems in the crag are given a point value and you do what you can and total your ten highest problems. Each successful climb is verified by two witnesses with signatures. All the climbers are given a guide with a map and lists of all the problems. The recreational category is for competitors completing problems rated V0-V2, with scores ranging up to around 230 points.
This year I finished 14 problems including a V3, a V4 and a V5. This meant that I had to bump up a category into the intermediate. Consequently, I did not finish so well within my group but I was proud to improve over last year (and by a whole category). My score this year was 2497. The V3 I sent was a classic problem called the Heretic (shown in the picture). It is a great problem because it has good holds that are far apart (so big moves), and it's high (so you have an intense mental component to it). It was incredibly fun and the rock looks really cool. Ironically, the 'hardest' problem I sent, the V5, was one that I did on the first attempt.
After the comp, we met up with the rest of our friends, had some great food, great drink and a great time. You can read more about it here. We took the Blueridge Parkway from Boone to Mount Mitchel, the highest point in the US east of the Mississippi. Then we went to Asheville. Everytime I go to North Carolina I leave with a little more appreciation for the place.
The competition went pretty well for me. My only goal for the event was show some improvement over last year when I tallied 1893 points and
finished 10th in the novice/recreational category. Most people assume that there are specific problems that are attempted and then you are judged and given scores on your climbs. In actuality, all the problems in the crag are given a point value and you do what you can and total your ten highest problems. Each successful climb is verified by two witnesses with signatures. All the climbers are given a guide with a map and lists of all the problems. The recreational category is for competitors completing problems rated V0-V2, with scores ranging up to around 230 points.
This year I finished 14 problems including a V3, a V4 and a V5. This meant that I had to bump up a category into the intermediate. Consequently, I did not finish so well within my group but I was proud to improve over last year (and by a whole category). My score this year was 2497. The V3 I sent was a classic problem called the Heretic (shown in the picture). It is a great problem because it has good holds that are far apart (so big moves), and it's high (so you have an intense mental component to it). It was incredibly fun and the rock looks really cool. Ironically, the 'hardest' problem I sent, the V5, was one that I did on the first attempt. After the comp, we met up with the rest of our friends, had some great food, great drink and a great time. You can read more about it here. We took the Blueridge Parkway from Boone to Mount Mitchel, the highest point in the US east of the Mississippi. Then we went to Asheville. Everytime I go to North Carolina I leave with a little more appreciation for the place.
Monday, September 28, 2009
The National Parks
I am completely caught up in the new Ken Burns' series about The National Parks. The weather is cooling and all I needed was another reason to want to get out of town and spend some time in the woods. A 12-hour documentary featuring some of awesome footage of the country's best landscapes is more than just another reason. The documentary actually proclaims that theses places belong to us, that be visiting them we're going home and that they are 'America's best idea.' The statement is worthy of debate but the park's role as a symbol on democracy is indisputable.
Watching all these amazing places and learning the stories of their pasts and the people who have played a part in their preservation has activated my latent urges for adventure and wilderness, but also led me to revisit my past journeys. Allow me to share a bit of them with you.
Yosemite December, 1997
Redwood July, 2002 (find the person)
Acadia August, 2006
Yellowstone (Lauren) June, 2008
Canyonlands June, 2009
Arches June, 2009
Watching all these amazing places and learning the stories of their pasts and the people who have played a part in their preservation has activated my latent urges for adventure and wilderness, but also led me to revisit my past journeys. Allow me to share a bit of them with you.
Yosemite December, 1997
Redwood July, 2002 (find the person)
Acadia August, 2006
Yellowstone (Lauren) June, 2008
Canyonlands June, 2009
Arches June, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Miller Lite Chili Cookoff
This weekend is the Miller Lite Chili Cookoff at Stone Mountain. Hundreds of booths are set up in Stone Mountain Park, teams camp there on Friday night and wake up early on Saturday to being cooking their chili. The chili must be cooked on-site and you must prepare at least 5 gallons. Ticket-wielding patrons of the event are entitled to all the samples they can stomach. We attended last year and Lauren and her friend Liz have been planning on entering ever since. Now it is upon us.
In order to enter, a team name had to be created and Slammer Chili was selected as our entry. Depending on your motivation, you can get way into themes and presentation, in addition to chili. Have the battle is branding yourself and creating a memorable experience for tasters who are meandering among hundreds of similar teams. So we have put significant effort into creating an identity. Black and white stripe shirts were created by Lauren using tape and spray paint on new undershirts. Also, a wooden span of prison bars were constructed for us to serve chili behind. This is not to say that we've forgotten about the chili. A couple weeks ago a team meeting was held to sample various recipes and choose the competition chili. What does it taste like? You'll have to stop by and find out.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Beatlemania
Recently Paul McCartney came to Atlanta to perform a charity concert for our flagship park, Piedmont Park. While he is a Beatle I just could not pay all the money for the ticket, but still I headed down to the park and volunteered parking bicycles right behind the stage. I could hear pretty well.
But last week I got the chance to hear it really well, maybe better than it's sounded before. I came into the new remastered version (stereo) of the complete Beatles catalog that was released in tandem with the new Rock Band video game. (I really want to play it so please call me if you can make this happen)
During the last two weeks of the most recent Beatles blitz, I have found that I really like talking to people about the band and the music. It's refreshing to talk about a band that everyone knows, everyone has heard, and that composed clearly popular songs. Too often, conversations of music turn to the band you don't know. Plus I had a whole career staring me in the face. Not to mention, one of the most fabled and influential careers in music. I reset my iPod and loaded it full (1/6 full) of Beatles.
I began by revisiting some favorite tracks in their new remastered form. However, for the first time, I was beginning to associate the tracks with the albums names that I could recite but not fully comprehend. Aside from Sgt. Peppers, I have not given single Beatles albums thorough listenings and relistenings. I thought that to get a better idea of the band's much-talked-about evolution, I should go through the entirety of their work in chronological order. Sometime in the middle of Tuesday I made an on-the-go playlist of the 13 albums in order of release (only in reading later did I find that Abbey Road was recorded after Let It Be but released before it).
I finished tonight but continue to listen to tracks and read about them. I am constantly humming one tune or another and driving Lauren mad. Having finished their complete catalog, I have a better of idea of what Rubber Soul means as a departure for them (hint: they stopped singing exclusively about girls) and how their Indian experiences fit into the music (for example with Sexy Sadie). I'm only beginning to fully comprehend their studio processes and the innovations they contributed to. Now I'm reading through the maze of Wikipedia entries related to the band and their albums. I also need to revisit my older recordings and see the difference between these new releases and the old ones. I have been listening to them with nice headphones so I am not sure if that is why they sound so good, but the bass is really coming in clear.
This little experiment has made me want to pay more attention to the album as a collective work, and, to a larger degree, the chronology of artists' complete collections. I would like to go through some of the careers of other artists and try to match up the music with the world around them at the time; catch up on what I originally missed in the music. With the iPod and massive collections of music at our command, it's easy to neglect the album in totality and even easier to get lost in a single band for a day or a week at a time. Maybe it's time we rethink the iPod into a monoculture where intense scrutiny of the music becomes possible once again.
I'm accepting suggestions for the next band to run through.
But last week I got the chance to hear it really well, maybe better than it's sounded before. I came into the new remastered version (stereo) of the complete Beatles catalog that was released in tandem with the new Rock Band video game. (I really want to play it so please call me if you can make this happen) During the last two weeks of the most recent Beatles blitz, I have found that I really like talking to people about the band and the music. It's refreshing to talk about a band that everyone knows, everyone has heard, and that composed clearly popular songs. Too often, conversations of music turn to the band you don't know. Plus I had a whole career staring me in the face. Not to mention, one of the most fabled and influential careers in music. I reset my iPod and loaded it full (1/6 full) of Beatles.
I began by revisiting some favorite tracks in their new remastered form. However, for the first time, I was beginning to associate the tracks with the albums names that I could recite but not fully comprehend. Aside from Sgt. Peppers, I have not given single Beatles albums thorough listenings and relistenings. I thought that to get a better idea of the band's much-talked-about evolution, I should go through the entirety of their work in chronological order. Sometime in the middle of Tuesday I made an on-the-go playlist of the 13 albums in order of release (only in reading later did I find that Abbey Road was recorded after Let It Be but released before it).
I finished tonight but continue to listen to tracks and read about them. I am constantly humming one tune or another and driving Lauren mad. Having finished their complete catalog, I have a better of idea of what Rubber Soul means as a departure for them (hint: they stopped singing exclusively about girls) and how their Indian experiences fit into the music (for example with Sexy Sadie). I'm only beginning to fully comprehend their studio processes and the innovations they contributed to. Now I'm reading through the maze of Wikipedia entries related to the band and their albums. I also need to revisit my older recordings and see the difference between these new releases and the old ones. I have been listening to them with nice headphones so I am not sure if that is why they sound so good, but the bass is really coming in clear.
This little experiment has made me want to pay more attention to the album as a collective work, and, to a larger degree, the chronology of artists' complete collections. I would like to go through some of the careers of other artists and try to match up the music with the world around them at the time; catch up on what I originally missed in the music. With the iPod and massive collections of music at our command, it's easy to neglect the album in totality and even easier to get lost in a single band for a day or a week at a time. Maybe it's time we rethink the iPod into a monoculture where intense scrutiny of the music becomes possible once again.
I'm accepting suggestions for the next band to run through.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Labor Daze
Once i took off the hoodie revealed the face
Cop patrol couldn't control the place
I got groupies backstage lined up at the gate
The signs up yellin' "we love your tape!"
I'm sorry i took so long didn't mean to make y'all wait
But good things take time to create
- Streetlife, Silent Lyrics, (Gza)
School has started, summer has ended and I have not blogged. Using school as an excuse for my absence would be semi-legit, but honestly it doesn't keep me that busy. Other things have. One project that I recently finished and got off my desk was a proposal to fund PhD students looking at climate change and health. More on that soon, especially if I get it. The most important project that's been going on around here has been the painting of the exterior of the house (and football beginning).
While planning our Labor Day activities we had to make a choice between accepting an offer from my dad to have him down here and paint the house, going to Cape Cod with some friends from Atlanta, or stealing away for a anniversary trip. Noting the importance of a new and thorough coat of paint on our house, and recognizing the value of the sweat equity in my dad's offer, we decided to paint the house. We started this project about a month before, renting a power washer to try and remove some f the loose paint. We had it for the weekend, but were surprised when some friends dropped by on a 20-hour Atlanta layover on their way to Brazil for their honeymoon. Thus we scrapped our work plans for that Saturday and had fun with them. Sunday we washed. Turns out the powerwasher wand had a hole in it so, though we used it, we could have had more pressure. We returned it and received a refund. We were successful in cleaning the siding and identifying some problem spots.
The east and west sides of the house were in the worst shape. They get hammered with the sun and the paint was peeling off. We spent significant amounts of time scraping and sanding in preparation. A concurrent project was repairing some of the window framing and adding some molding to their tops. This involved a lot of miter box sawing, gluing, nailing, and caulking. I realized that I am a big believer in the superficial healing properties of the generous application of caulk. I ruined several shirts in the process.
When my dad finally arrived he seemed a bit shocked by the size of the job. Nonetheless, he dove right in. Without his prodding we might still not have picked out a color. I have no idea why it is so hard, but it is. He finished two coats on the front within the first day (Thurs). On Friday he aimed to take on the worst side (the east face). I was working on the proposal most of the morning and by noon he was feeling down about the solitary painting. In the afternoon I came to assist and we were able to finish the side and the back. Saturday we had the full team assembled with my dad on the trim and Lauren and I on the west side. Lauren was also subjected to Lowe's duty with several trips a day to pick up who-knows-what-we-would-forget-to-buy-next. Sunday we finished the trim, the brick of the steps and the concrete around the bottom of the house. Several more trips to Lowe's ensued.
Satisfied with his work but not the totality of his trip my dad set off on the next leg of his journey on Monday morning. He went to spend a few days with his brother in Tennessee. Lauren and I spent our Labor day sealing the deck and painting the chimney.
Now we're done with the house, it looks great and we can focus on the next project. As of now I think it pertains to the house to the west. The owner has been renting it out but is now selling. We share a driveway with this house and we're wondering the best way to handle the fencing situations. We're also hoping that our new house-look will help with the sales process.
On a sadder note, we've also had to attend a funeral in the last month. Lauren's Grandmother passed away in Rhode Island. She was a constant beam of optimism, especially to her grandchildren, and we miss her.
To conclude with some brightness I want to pass on my congratulations to Susan for finishing her first triathlon this past weekend in DC. Way to go!
Cop patrol couldn't control the place
I got groupies backstage lined up at the gate
The signs up yellin' "we love your tape!"
I'm sorry i took so long didn't mean to make y'all wait
But good things take time to create
- Streetlife, Silent Lyrics, (Gza)
School has started, summer has ended and I have not blogged. Using school as an excuse for my absence would be semi-legit, but honestly it doesn't keep me that busy. Other things have. One project that I recently finished and got off my desk was a proposal to fund PhD students looking at climate change and health. More on that soon, especially if I get it. The most important project that's been going on around here has been the painting of the exterior of the house (and football beginning).
While planning our Labor Day activities we had to make a choice between accepting an offer from my dad to have him down here and paint the house, going to Cape Cod with some friends from Atlanta, or stealing away for a anniversary trip. Noting the importance of a new and thorough coat of paint on our house, and recognizing the value of the sweat equity in my dad's offer, we decided to paint the house. We started this project about a month before, renting a power washer to try and remove some f the loose paint. We had it for the weekend, but were surprised when some friends dropped by on a 20-hour Atlanta layover on their way to Brazil for their honeymoon. Thus we scrapped our work plans for that Saturday and had fun with them. Sunday we washed. Turns out the powerwasher wand had a hole in it so, though we used it, we could have had more pressure. We returned it and received a refund. We were successful in cleaning the siding and identifying some problem spots.
The east and west sides of the house were in the worst shape. They get hammered with the sun and the paint was peeling off. We spent significant amounts of time scraping and sanding in preparation. A concurrent project was repairing some of the window framing and adding some molding to their tops. This involved a lot of miter box sawing, gluing, nailing, and caulking. I realized that I am a big believer in the superficial healing properties of the generous application of caulk. I ruined several shirts in the process.
When my dad finally arrived he seemed a bit shocked by the size of the job. Nonetheless, he dove right in. Without his prodding we might still not have picked out a color. I have no idea why it is so hard, but it is. He finished two coats on the front within the first day (Thurs). On Friday he aimed to take on the worst side (the east face). I was working on the proposal most of the morning and by noon he was feeling down about the solitary painting. In the afternoon I came to assist and we were able to finish the side and the back. Saturday we had the full team assembled with my dad on the trim and Lauren and I on the west side. Lauren was also subjected to Lowe's duty with several trips a day to pick up who-knows-what-we-would-forget-to-buy-next. Sunday we finished the trim, the brick of the steps and the concrete around the bottom of the house. Several more trips to Lowe's ensued.
Satisfied with his work but not the totality of his trip my dad set off on the next leg of his journey on Monday morning. He went to spend a few days with his brother in Tennessee. Lauren and I spent our Labor day sealing the deck and painting the chimney.
Now we're done with the house, it looks great and we can focus on the next project. As of now I think it pertains to the house to the west. The owner has been renting it out but is now selling. We share a driveway with this house and we're wondering the best way to handle the fencing situations. We're also hoping that our new house-look will help with the sales process.
On a sadder note, we've also had to attend a funeral in the last month. Lauren's Grandmother passed away in Rhode Island. She was a constant beam of optimism, especially to her grandchildren, and we miss her.
To conclude with some brightness I want to pass on my congratulations to Susan for finishing her first triathlon this past weekend in DC. Way to go!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Double Dippin'
For two weekends in a row we've made it up to northeast GA for some relaxation and fun. First we went to Dillard to stay at a friend's house and enjoy the local Bluegrass and BBQ festival (warning site plays music) on Saturday. It's actually more a of a competition for the BBQers and some of them let us sample the goods. Just when we thought we were too stuffed to move we all decided to head out on a country bike ride. That got us in the mood for dinner. I should also mention that we attended a lecture on GA snakes at the lovely Hambige Creative Center for Arts and Sciences. On the day we visited they were also beginning a day and half long session of managing a once-a-year wood-fired kiln bake. They get the temperature up to over 2000F to bake their pottery. When they do a 'charge' the smoke billows out the chimney at the back of the kiln. This last weekend we headed up near Clayton for a day trip to two absolutely perfect GA swimming holes. Neither of them made the list in the most recent Blue Ridge Outdoors but should be checked out. The whole day was really planned around making it to Tallulah Gorge. Since we would be able to leave Mali at home we'd finally be able to make a trip to the bottom of the gorge to the famous water slide rock for some fun in the sun. Besides no dogs there are other restrictions you should know about before driving up there. First you have to get there early. They only hand out 100 passes each day to get to the bottom of the Gorge (where the fun is) and we saw a group of people get ticketed for not having passes ($100 each). Second, no flip flops. They consider the hike to the bottom serious effort and thus mandate serious footwear. A member of our party had to return to the car and put on her Chacos before we could get on the list for a pass. Keens and Chacos are approved and good idea since you can hike in them and wear them in the water. Finally if there is a drop of rain they shut it down. It must be completely dry for them to allow people to hike down.
Before I get to far I should tell you about the first spot we hit. Actually first we stopped at The gorge to get our passes but did not hike down. Instead he drove down the road to Panther Creek. We did this to avoid the early crowds at Tallulah. At PAnther Creek we enjoyed a easy/moderate hike in and were rewarded with a waterfall and pool next to which we ate lunch. There were a few people there who had camped nearby the night before. It seems like a good spot to get to and chill out. 
After Panther Creek he hiked out and headed to Tallulah. I had heard so much about the place, I was pretty excited to experience it first hand. Plus the 90+ degree heat made the water at the bottom all the more rewarding. Leaving the visitor center you descend more than 500 stairs and reach the permit only section. Here you begin the scrambling over rocks and across creeks to the final destination. It's a long rock slide that you can ride down in several places into the final pool. As was stated, the only thing missing from this place is a high platform from which to dive in. We all swam for a bit and then relaxed on the rocks as we pretty much had the place all to ourselves. Some of us dozed off for a bit, the last thing on our minds were those 500+ steps that awaited. Finally we headed back to the cars. From there we hit up Manriques in Clayton for the second week in a row (a must try little Mexican joint).This week end Lauren heads to New England and I'm trying to figure out ways to make it three in a row.
Friday, August 07, 2009
Free Dogs
If you've been to my house you know we have neighbors two doors down who chain up their dogs and leave them outside. They never let the dogs off the chains or inside the house, or outside of the yard. The code for Atlanta says that you can't tether your dog with less than 30feet and the yard is must be closed off, but our neighbor's yard is open and the tether does not look that long. Dogs from the neighborhood can get into the backyard if they want to. Every year one of the dogs gets pregnant and has a litter. Sometimes it happens more than once a year and sometimes the puppies don't make it. They, too, live outside all the time but are not on chains.
In the latest litter there were five puppies that made it. The kids who live on the other side of us found out about the puppies and went over to have a look at them. A day later, the puppy owner brought a puppy over to them and then left one of them under the kid's house in the crawlspace without their permission or their knowledge. They've decided that they will keep the puppy and they got it shots and dewormed. A second puppy also went somewhere else so now there are three left. They're about 3 months old and they're mutts. They need some attention but I'm sure they'd be free to a good (or any) home. I assume the owners would give them away since they've taken to leaving them under other people's homes. Anyone interested can get in touch with me.
In the latest litter there were five puppies that made it. The kids who live on the other side of us found out about the puppies and went over to have a look at them. A day later, the puppy owner brought a puppy over to them and then left one of them under the kid's house in the crawlspace without their permission or their knowledge. They've decided that they will keep the puppy and they got it shots and dewormed. A second puppy also went somewhere else so now there are three left. They're about 3 months old and they're mutts. They need some attention but I'm sure they'd be free to a good (or any) home. I assume the owners would give them away since they've taken to leaving them under other people's homes. Anyone interested can get in touch with me.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Atlanta: Top 3 City
Atlanta finished third in Outside Magazine's most recent listing of the best city's in America. The article in Outside says they kept coming back to the notion of healthy cities with regard to, not only fitness, but economic stability and quality of life. They started with the 100 largest cities in the US and whittled it down from there. There are also listings for best small towns, Ely, MN is one of note. Not sure how I feel about this ranking but glad to see Atlanta up near the top. Here's the list:
1. Colorado Springs, Colorado
2. Seattle, Washington
3. Atlanta, Georgia
4. Austin, Texas
5. Boston, Massachusetts
6. Albuquerque, New Mexico
7. Portland, Oregon
8. Minneapolis, Minnesota
9. Cincinnati, Ohio
10. Charlotte, North Carolina
I looked at a few quick stats on some of these cities that I thought I would report here. Atlanta, Cinci, Boston and Charlotte all have air quality problems in the form of ground level ozone, which make it hard to be outside some times. Charlotte and Cincinnati are in the American Lung Association's 20 Most Polluted Cities for Ozone (Cinci and Atlanta in top 20 for particulates). Cincinnati was the highest ranked on Forbe's 2007 list of the most Obese Cities at 11. Also on the list were Atlanta (16) and Austin (18). The Portland (11.7), Charlotte (12.4), Cincinnati (10.1) and Atlanta (10.7) areas all have unemployment above the national level (9.7). Median home prices were used to assess affordability.
I think Atlanta and the southeast have great access to tons of interesting spots, including mountains and coast, but Atlanta certainly lacks its own body of water to enjoy. However, one of the first things mentioned in the Outside article is the presence of the Chattahoochee River in the city, though most people couldn't tell you where it is. Proximity to skiing, which Atlanta definitely lacks, was also in the magazine's multisport rating.
My recent fascination with the West and disenchantment with the Midwest may explain some of my surprise at the relatively even distribution of the top ten throughout the US. (and my shock of seeing a city from Ohio in there) The more I think about this ranking and all the info going into the final scores, the more I think Atlanta is going to be near the top of a lot of lists of cities in America; good and bad. Any publicity is good publicity?
1. Colorado Springs, Colorado
2. Seattle, Washington
3. Atlanta, Georgia
4. Austin, Texas
5. Boston, Massachusetts
6. Albuquerque, New Mexico
7. Portland, Oregon
8. Minneapolis, Minnesota
9. Cincinnati, Ohio
10. Charlotte, North Carolina
I looked at a few quick stats on some of these cities that I thought I would report here. Atlanta, Cinci, Boston and Charlotte all have air quality problems in the form of ground level ozone, which make it hard to be outside some times. Charlotte and Cincinnati are in the American Lung Association's 20 Most Polluted Cities for Ozone (Cinci and Atlanta in top 20 for particulates). Cincinnati was the highest ranked on Forbe's 2007 list of the most Obese Cities at 11. Also on the list were Atlanta (16) and Austin (18). The Portland (11.7), Charlotte (12.4), Cincinnati (10.1) and Atlanta (10.7) areas all have unemployment above the national level (9.7). Median home prices were used to assess affordability.
I think Atlanta and the southeast have great access to tons of interesting spots, including mountains and coast, but Atlanta certainly lacks its own body of water to enjoy. However, one of the first things mentioned in the Outside article is the presence of the Chattahoochee River in the city, though most people couldn't tell you where it is. Proximity to skiing, which Atlanta definitely lacks, was also in the magazine's multisport rating. My recent fascination with the West and disenchantment with the Midwest may explain some of my surprise at the relatively even distribution of the top ten throughout the US. (and my shock of seeing a city from Ohio in there) The more I think about this ranking and all the info going into the final scores, the more I think Atlanta is going to be near the top of a lot of lists of cities in America; good and bad. Any publicity is good publicity?
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Derailed
Last night I attended a class on derailer installation, tuning, and maintenance put on by the local bike co-op. All in all it's a pretty ingenious design but the more I learned about it the more complicated it sounded and the more I began to understand the appeal of the simplicity of the fixie. I also found it ironic that I went to learn about derailers at a shop where maybe half of the people who show up regularly are on bikes without them.
I can't wait to try my new skills with my own bike. It needs a quite a bit of work to get everything going smoothly. Luckily one of the hardest parts (making sure all the components are designed to work together) is already taken care of.
You can learn about derailers for yourself here.
derailer FAIL pic curtosy of theoelliot
Monday, August 03, 2009
World Science Festival
Today I have been wasting a lot of time on the internet watching stupid videos and laughing at pictures, etc. But I wanted to pass on this pool of interesting videos captured at the World Science Festival. I guess it's from a discussion of music and neuroscience which featured Bobby McFerrin. If you go to the conference's video highlights three of the four videos feature McFerrin. Watching the videos, his talent and knowledge of music is evident but his creativity to experiment with how we react and interact with music is the reason he's on stage. Interesting stuff.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
What is it about Bacon?
I have been hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting a lot lately about bacon. It seems that there is a certain something about bacon that appeals to a lot of people. It's a unexplainable feeling that's visceral and which convinces us if bacon is good, more bacon is better. Similarly we also like to think that everything is better with bacon. I'd like to present a few examples.
First, Tony's side of bacon. On our trip up to northern MI we stopped at a Brich Run restaurant staple known as Tony's. It is known for the huge portions and, in particular, their sides of bacon. Matt and I had heard about it all the way there from my mom and dad and it sounded too interesting to pass up. I think I have eaten there before but have no memory for these anecdotal events and a different taste in my mouth from those days to these. As we ordered I waited for the famous bacon to be added to someone's meal or picked up as a side but everyone shied away from what had been the talk of the trip up there. I had to do it so I added a side of bacon to my order of french toast (see photo). It's effectively a basket full of bacon, and by bacon they mean huge cuts of fried pig (no thinly sliced strips here). I got help from some of the others but we could not finish it.
Second, Camp Bacon. On the same trip we also visited Ann Arbor and stopped by one of my favorite place to eat, Zingerman's. It's more than a deli, more than a bakery, it's a mailorder, publishing, olive pressing, cheese aging, explosion of taste. Anyway, they are celebrating the release of their newest book, Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon with a bacon extravaganza of sorts. They're offering a number of bacon-enhanced recipes at their various shops and encouraging people to try them all in what they call the Tour de Bacon. This includes bacon scones and reduced price bacon add-on for any ice cream order. I trust their appreciation of food to do right by bacon but it's still a shock to see it on some of these dishes.
Finally, the Bacon Explosion. I have only posted a teaser picture, please visit the website and look at it in all its bacony glory. I found out about it from a series of tweets by a friend of mine, Chad. He has recently come into a new smoker and is busy experimenting with the limits of what meats can do. The Bacon Explosion appears to be the epitome of bacon exuberance. Glutony is too simple a description, it's the gastronomical equivalent of a Bernie Madoff-size ponzi scheme. Average people can only begin to imagine the limits of its wealth. You bring home a lot of bacon and then you bring home more and more. You revile it but you also want it. I imagine I could take about 2 bites but I have no idea what to expect with them.
I'm anxious to hear other bacon experiments and eccentricities as we continue to search the mysteries that are bacon.
First, Tony's side of bacon. On our trip up to northern MI we stopped at a Brich Run restaurant staple known as Tony's. It is known for the huge portions and, in particular, their sides of bacon. Matt and I had heard about it all the way there from my mom and dad and it sounded too interesting to pass up. I think I have eaten there before but have no memory for these anecdotal events and a different taste in my mouth from those days to these. As we ordered I waited for the famous bacon to be added to someone's meal or picked up as a side but everyone shied away from what had been the talk of the trip up there. I had to do it so I added a side of bacon to my order of french toast (see photo). It's effectively a basket full of bacon, and by bacon they mean huge cuts of fried pig (no thinly sliced strips here). I got help from some of the others but we could not finish it. 
Second, Camp Bacon. On the same trip we also visited Ann Arbor and stopped by one of my favorite place to eat, Zingerman's. It's more than a deli, more than a bakery, it's a mailorder, publishing, olive pressing, cheese aging, explosion of taste. Anyway, they are celebrating the release of their newest book, Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon with a bacon extravaganza of sorts. They're offering a number of bacon-enhanced recipes at their various shops and encouraging people to try them all in what they call the Tour de Bacon. This includes bacon scones and reduced price bacon add-on for any ice cream order. I trust their appreciation of food to do right by bacon but it's still a shock to see it on some of these dishes. 
Finally, the Bacon Explosion. I have only posted a teaser picture, please visit the website and look at it in all its bacony glory. I found out about it from a series of tweets by a friend of mine, Chad. He has recently come into a new smoker and is busy experimenting with the limits of what meats can do. The Bacon Explosion appears to be the epitome of bacon exuberance. Glutony is too simple a description, it's the gastronomical equivalent of a Bernie Madoff-size ponzi scheme. Average people can only begin to imagine the limits of its wealth. You bring home a lot of bacon and then you bring home more and more. You revile it but you also want it. I imagine I could take about 2 bites but I have no idea what to expect with them. I'm anxious to hear other bacon experiments and eccentricities as we continue to search the mysteries that are bacon.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Fate of Many a Tomato
Not a BLT or a homemade sauce, this is the fate of more than 20 of the ripening tomatoes in our backyard. The cause: squirrels. They are systematically picking apart the tomato plants and trying each fruit. If it's not ripe they make a few bite marks and move on to the next. The picture was of the specimen I found today, one I had hoped they would continue to passup due to its size. It used to be a ripening bradywine variety, but now it's compost. I have not mentioned much about the garden this year but it has, until now, been a fairly successful followup to our foray last year. We added a bed and a more substantial fence and even planted some flowering plants for decoration and maybe bees. Also we tried lettuce and started most of our vegetables from seeds. The first setback was the now annual attack of the squash vine borer. This moth lays eggs on squash which hatch inside the stem and eat the plant from the inside. We found them last year and they struck again on our best squash this summer. Next year I think we'll definitely go with the easier and more consistant cucumber. Also, the peper plants have taken forever to come in from seed. They may just now be getting there. Now the squirrels have moved in and they are tearing up the tomatoes. The good news is that the compost is going gangbusters and we should be able to greatly improve our soil over the winter. We're slowly grwoing our GA clay into noteworthy soil.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Day Michael Jackson Died
A lot of press has been devoted to the King of Pop's passing and it will probably be one of those events where people remember where they were when they heard the news (at least for a while). On the day Michael Jackson died I was attending another monthly meeting of The Dirty South Beer Club over in local Decatur. Indeed I will remember for some time how I was greeted at the door with the news that Michael Jackson had died. However, lest I forget some other events of the night they were documented in the lesser known, but still important, journalistic endeavors of Creative Loafing's Jeff Holland. This bit of news aired online six days following the now famous events of June 25th, but you may not have seen them between all the MJ coverage. Read it here!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Let's Blow Up the Moon
Back when I was a kid blowing up the moon was only a dream, but this weekend I heard a story on the radio confirming that NASA was indeed planning to create an explosion on the moon to blow some of it up. Here's an article talking a bit about their plans. It also says that there are people collecting signatures to actually blow up the whole thing. The story immediately reminded me of one of my favorite Mr. Show sketches, seen below. Regardless of what happens with this it is worth 10 minutes of thought and a laugh. I wonder if we'll be able to see it.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wedding Season (road trips)
In the last month we've been on the road a lot. We spent a week in Utah, heading to National Parks and hanging out Salt Lake City. But we've put some miles on the car attending some destination weddings throughout the south and east.
The first was in Asheville about a month ago. It was the union of two friends I met while at Emory. We headed up to one of our favorite mountain towns early on Saturday and spent a few hours eating and walking around and hitting up a great store in town. Before I get too far ahead, I should mention that we had a brief shopping spree at the outlet malls on the way up to outfit ourselves. Dress codes have varied for these events and we're always feeling less than certain in our attire. For this wedding Lauren picked up a new dress that turned out to be the same as the bridsmaids' only in a different color. The wedding was on a farm outside Asheville in Weaverville. It was a beautiful setting and very laid back. The ceremony was in a field surrounded by hills and there was an old barn where we ate and outside of which our dinner was smoked for hours. There were also tons of activities like a big soccer game, horseshoes, smores-making, and even game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals (and that's all I'll say about that). It was a great event.
Two weeks later we set off for Kiawah Island, outside Charleston, SC. Pre-trip emails confirmed that this would again be a semi-casual affair, no jacket or tie required. We carpooled with another work friend of Lauren's and were staying in a condo on an adjacent island. Both islands were operated like compounds with restricted access and we felt like VIPs. The ceremony was held on the green of a country club and looked out on the sunset over the reeds. The wedding had a live band and excellent food. 
I, unfortunately was one of three people to be without a suit. On the short ride back to the condo, my glasses fell off the dashboard and out the window. They were run over by a car. The lenses are fine but one of the arms fell off. Then we nearly hit a road-crossing alligator. In the end we got to spend some time on the beach and had a good time with some new friends.
Next we headed to Utah for a week, but more on that in another post. This weekend we drove up to West Virginia for the wedding of two other Atlanta friends. This one was on the family farmhouse in the countryside. We stopped somewhere on Friday night to break up the drive. We had picked out a backcountry site at Crowder Mountain State Park, NC but decided to keep driving and find a car spot further north. We were able to land the last available spot at Claytor Lake State Park in Virginia. The weather and setting were perfect for the wedding yesterday and it was great to see a lot of friends we haven't seen in awhile. We all wondered if Michael Jackson songs would be played and of course they were. The dance floor got packed when they came on. Nothing too crazy happened, we enjoyed ourselves and had a long drive back to Atlanta today.
View Road Trips in a larger map
I haven't grown tired of all this traveling yet. It's fun to have new destinations and things to do and seeing your friends get married and helping them celebrate is always fun. I have yet another couple weekends of roadtrip left in me, as I set off to MI next weekend and drive back to Atlanta the week after that. I'll be sure to post more about the trip once it happens.
The first was in Asheville about a month ago. It was the union of two friends I met while at Emory. We headed up to one of our favorite mountain towns early on Saturday and spent a few hours eating and walking around and hitting up a great store in town. Before I get too far ahead, I should mention that we had a brief shopping spree at the outlet malls on the way up to outfit ourselves. Dress codes have varied for these events and we're always feeling less than certain in our attire. For this wedding Lauren picked up a new dress that turned out to be the same as the bridsmaids' only in a different color. The wedding was on a farm outside Asheville in Weaverville. It was a beautiful setting and very laid back. The ceremony was in a field surrounded by hills and there was an old barn where we ate and outside of which our dinner was smoked for hours. There were also tons of activities like a big soccer game, horseshoes, smores-making, and even game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals (and that's all I'll say about that). It was a great event. 
Two weeks later we set off for Kiawah Island, outside Charleston, SC. Pre-trip emails confirmed that this would again be a semi-casual affair, no jacket or tie required. We carpooled with another work friend of Lauren's and were staying in a condo on an adjacent island. Both islands were operated like compounds with restricted access and we felt like VIPs. The ceremony was held on the green of a country club and looked out on the sunset over the reeds. The wedding had a live band and excellent food. 
I, unfortunately was one of three people to be without a suit. On the short ride back to the condo, my glasses fell off the dashboard and out the window. They were run over by a car. The lenses are fine but one of the arms fell off. Then we nearly hit a road-crossing alligator. In the end we got to spend some time on the beach and had a good time with some new friends. 
Next we headed to Utah for a week, but more on that in another post. This weekend we drove up to West Virginia for the wedding of two other Atlanta friends. This one was on the family farmhouse in the countryside. We stopped somewhere on Friday night to break up the drive. We had picked out a backcountry site at Crowder Mountain State Park, NC but decided to keep driving and find a car spot further north. We were able to land the last available spot at Claytor Lake State Park in Virginia. The weather and setting were perfect for the wedding yesterday and it was great to see a lot of friends we haven't seen in awhile. We all wondered if Michael Jackson songs would be played and of course they were. The dance floor got packed when they came on. Nothing too crazy happened, we enjoyed ourselves and had a long drive back to Atlanta today. View Road Trips in a larger map
I haven't grown tired of all this traveling yet. It's fun to have new destinations and things to do and seeing your friends get married and helping them celebrate is always fun. I have yet another couple weekends of roadtrip left in me, as I set off to MI next weekend and drive back to Atlanta the week after that. I'll be sure to post more about the trip once it happens.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The State
I have been MIA for a bit and there is a lot to catch up on but I am writing a quick post to let you know (if you don't already) that The State is finally coming out on DVD on July 14th. Here's a classic sketch to whet your appetite.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Objectified
On Wednesday night I went to see a screening and director Q&A for the new documentary about industrial design, Objectified. This is the second film from director (design junkie) Gary Hustwit. The first was an exploration of graphic design centered around the film's namesake typeface,
The film interviewed several designers of yesterday and today while showing well placed and positioned images of the objects they design. In some cases they showed the process by which these products came to be. Jonathan Ive of Apple talked a biit about how designers can not effectively design and produce the final form without designing elements of the production process. One of the most important things that the film helps you realize is that everything has been designed. A lot of the designers also talked about the evolution of an object's design as we use it. Particularly interesting was the idea of trying to design something that wears in and become better the more you use it. One critic from the New York Times suggested a marketing campaign to rediscover the things we already own.
While the designers talked about form vs. function, the film did not examine the intense focus on function that we assume engineers to use when designing. Another way to explore that would have been to discuss how the 'creative' design types interact with the engineers. I think they touched a bit on this in one portion that discussed office layout but it may point to something more important. That is, that design may be ever more connected to technical skills and today's designers really need to be both technically proficient and creative. This is probably something that those in the field have known for a long time while the rest of us have been keeping the segregation of tasks alive in our heads.
I still haven't seen Helvetica but I interested to catch it, especially since most of the stuff I do is graphic. If you have seen it let me know what you thought (take the bait, Katy) and if you see Objectified tell me what you think. Remember that almost everything has some design that goes into which makes each of us designers as well. Take on your tasks with a new sense of responsibility.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Okefenokee
This past weekend I took a trip with some friends down to South Georgia for a couple nights of camping in the wilderness. The trip involved a night at Stephen C. Foster State Park near Fargo, GA and then a 9 mile canoe trip through the Okefenokee Nation Wildlife Refuge to camp on a platform, with return to the park and our cars the next day. Nerves were high for this trip because of the isolated nature of our destination which lies in the middle of 700 square miles of intact ecosystem. Complete with alligators and black bears. Also worrying was the prospect of being eaten alive by mosquitoes given that South Georgia had recently declared a health emergency because of booming mosquito populations following this springs' rains. Still the weather looked good and we had already put money down for the reservations so we headed south with extra DEET and sunscreen.
The first challenge of the weekend was to make it into the state park before 10PM when the gates closed. In total we were a group of eight in two cars and despite a few necessary stops and a missed turn we made it to the park in time. We set up camp and had some time to socialize before heading off to bed in preparation of the next day. One thing that was completely perfect about the timing of the trip was its coincidence with the peak of the lunar display. Both nights we were there we had a nearly full moon. This made for poor star gazing but afforded us a glimpse of the swamp at night without the use of headlamps.
Friday night when we arrived at the ranger station to pick up our camping permits they were waiting for us outside but oddly the door to the ranger's office was unlocked even though they had left for the evening. The next day when we packed up camp and headed down to the pier/dock/livery/ranger station we encountered more of the same relaxed, if not negligent, work ethic. We paid our money for the canoes, were given a canoe number, and told where to find cushions, life jackets and oars. That was it for the orientation, no instructions on how to handle alligators, no emergency procedures for snake bites, no supervision getting the canoes in the water. It was all surprisingly informal. We turned the canoes over, loaded them up and launched them ourselves.
At the beginning of the trip my nervous curiosity around alligators and snakes was high. The water is the color of tea, so much so that you expect the smell of tea to get stirred up each time you move the paddle through the water. You can't see anything below the surface and you wonder what you're gliding over and how deep it is. After we went through the first narrow canal and got out into more open waters we spotted our first gator basking on the edge in the lilly pads and some of the tension was nervous tension was released. When we saw the second one, we were already talking about moving in for a closer look.
We stopped for lunch at a platform about halfway between the launch and our final destination. There we saw some other folks canoeing and got our first taste of what our digs would look like. The day was clear and beautiful so we were making use of all the sunscreen we brought but were only beginning to realize that the bug spray and DEET weren't all that essential (of course it was only the middle of the day). We forged ahead through the second half. It seemed a bit longer and tougher as we were going against the current and the sun became more intense.
We arrived at the small turnoff for Big Water at about 3:30. The platform was another 100 feet down a narrow inlet. We set up our tents and began to adjust to the new space we'd be sharing for the next half-day. At first I found myself moving around a lot, not sure where to settle an trying to get out of the sun. The other thing that kept people moving around a lot at first were the huge spiders we were finding. Like the alligators our initial nervous energy subsided. We continued to pass the time with conversation and pretzels until we spotted a visitor in the water just off the platform. It was an alligator that would continue to lurk back and forth in the canal the whole time were staying there. Nick named him (for some reason, everyone refers to all alligators using the masculine pronoun) Nubs because of his characteristic short, nubby limbs.
At night we played games by lantern light and listened to the chorus of frogs. Behind all the different frog noises you can also begin to hear a low and long bellow that belongs to the alligators that you realize are all around you. (see video here) Unfortunately we couldn't really see anything around the platform because it was located in the middle of trees and other brush. I was thinking it would be something with more of a vista, where we would be able to see for a mile in every direction and get a great sunset but it was a lot different. Even when you're in the canoe you can always see what you think is the shore and it becomes very strange to think that the 'ground' at the edges is hardly ground. When we got closer to the forested edges you began to understand that it was under water as far as you could see into it.
The trip back to the park entrance was much easier on Sunday when we were heading with the current. By the time we arrived at our cars the surprise absences of mosquitoes that had only begun to set in by lunch on Saturday was fully realized. While on the platform I did not even have to use bug spray, there just weren't mosquitoes. We had mosquito coils set up and smoking around the platform but I really credit the biodiversity of the place with keeping the mosquitoes under control. The trip was forecast by everyone to be a swarming nightmare with regard to bugs yet it was anything but. The number of predators like dragonflies, snakes, spiders and birds in the swamp must help tremendously in keeping the pests under control. Or we somehow hit a spell of fine timing.
South Georgia is still a venerable mystery to me, but a trip to the swamp is a great way to introduce yourself to the area, even in May. That is not to say that I wouldn't also consider booking a trip in the winter months when the water is lower, the bugs are guaranteed to be low and the sunsets may be better through thinner vegetation. regardless I recommend taking along some friends. Spending hours confined to a platform in the middle of an alligator-infested swamp (it's like your childhood fantasies come true) is a great way to bond.
more pictures here
The first challenge of the weekend was to make it into the state park before 10PM when the gates closed. In total we were a group of eight in two cars and despite a few necessary stops and a missed turn we made it to the park in time. We set up camp and had some time to socialize before heading off to bed in preparation of the next day. One thing that was completely perfect about the timing of the trip was its coincidence with the peak of the lunar display. Both nights we were there we had a nearly full moon. This made for poor star gazing but afforded us a glimpse of the swamp at night without the use of headlamps.
Friday night when we arrived at the ranger station to pick up our camping permits they were waiting for us outside but oddly the door to the ranger's office was unlocked even though they had left for the evening. The next day when we packed up camp and headed down to the pier/dock/livery/ranger station we encountered more of the same relaxed, if not negligent, work ethic. We paid our money for the canoes, were given a canoe number, and told where to find cushions, life jackets and oars. That was it for the orientation, no instructions on how to handle alligators, no emergency procedures for snake bites, no supervision getting the canoes in the water. It was all surprisingly informal. We turned the canoes over, loaded them up and launched them ourselves.
At the beginning of the trip my nervous curiosity around alligators and snakes was high. The water is the color of tea, so much so that you expect the smell of tea to get stirred up each time you move the paddle through the water. You can't see anything below the surface and you wonder what you're gliding over and how deep it is. After we went through the first narrow canal and got out into more open waters we spotted our first gator basking on the edge in the lilly pads and some of the tension was nervous tension was released. When we saw the second one, we were already talking about moving in for a closer look.
We stopped for lunch at a platform about halfway between the launch and our final destination. There we saw some other folks canoeing and got our first taste of what our digs would look like. The day was clear and beautiful so we were making use of all the sunscreen we brought but were only beginning to realize that the bug spray and DEET weren't all that essential (of course it was only the middle of the day). We forged ahead through the second half. It seemed a bit longer and tougher as we were going against the current and the sun became more intense.
We arrived at the small turnoff for Big Water at about 3:30. The platform was another 100 feet down a narrow inlet. We set up our tents and began to adjust to the new space we'd be sharing for the next half-day. At first I found myself moving around a lot, not sure where to settle an trying to get out of the sun. The other thing that kept people moving around a lot at first were the huge spiders we were finding. Like the alligators our initial nervous energy subsided. We continued to pass the time with conversation and pretzels until we spotted a visitor in the water just off the platform. It was an alligator that would continue to lurk back and forth in the canal the whole time were staying there. Nick named him (for some reason, everyone refers to all alligators using the masculine pronoun) Nubs because of his characteristic short, nubby limbs.
At night we played games by lantern light and listened to the chorus of frogs. Behind all the different frog noises you can also begin to hear a low and long bellow that belongs to the alligators that you realize are all around you. (see video here) Unfortunately we couldn't really see anything around the platform because it was located in the middle of trees and other brush. I was thinking it would be something with more of a vista, where we would be able to see for a mile in every direction and get a great sunset but it was a lot different. Even when you're in the canoe you can always see what you think is the shore and it becomes very strange to think that the 'ground' at the edges is hardly ground. When we got closer to the forested edges you began to understand that it was under water as far as you could see into it.
The trip back to the park entrance was much easier on Sunday when we were heading with the current. By the time we arrived at our cars the surprise absences of mosquitoes that had only begun to set in by lunch on Saturday was fully realized. While on the platform I did not even have to use bug spray, there just weren't mosquitoes. We had mosquito coils set up and smoking around the platform but I really credit the biodiversity of the place with keeping the mosquitoes under control. The trip was forecast by everyone to be a swarming nightmare with regard to bugs yet it was anything but. The number of predators like dragonflies, snakes, spiders and birds in the swamp must help tremendously in keeping the pests under control. Or we somehow hit a spell of fine timing.
South Georgia is still a venerable mystery to me, but a trip to the swamp is a great way to introduce yourself to the area, even in May. That is not to say that I wouldn't also consider booking a trip in the winter months when the water is lower, the bugs are guaranteed to be low and the sunsets may be better through thinner vegetation. regardless I recommend taking along some friends. Spending hours confined to a platform in the middle of an alligator-infested swamp (it's like your childhood fantasies come true) is a great way to bond.
more pictures here
Monday, May 11, 2009
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Cleveland Part II
As if things couldn't get worse for Detroit, the Pistons just got swept out of the playoffs by our old/new nemesis, Cleveland. You may recall that two years ago I also released some steam on Cleveland after they knocked Detroit out of the playoffs. Only that time it was teh Eastern Conference Finals and this year it's in the first round. Plus Lebron and company are favorites to win it all, adding insult to injury. Plus, Detroit has surprised even its critics by becoming an even bigger target for anyone trying to paint a picture of depression or trying to make their city feel/look better. Just listen to this guy.
That said, I was happy to be sent this video which makes fun of another city for a moment (especially since that city is Cleveland). This is version 2 but there is also a version 1. I include version 2 for one simple reason (watch til the end).
It shows exactly what I was referring to earlier, Detroit is the punching bag of even the worst-off of our cities. At least, for the time being our hockey team is still better than theirs.
NPR's recent week-long feature on Detroit
Recent Planet Money podcast about Detroit and Auto makers
SI article about Detroit's Courage
That said, I was happy to be sent this video which makes fun of another city for a moment (especially since that city is Cleveland). This is version 2 but there is also a version 1. I include version 2 for one simple reason (watch til the end).
It shows exactly what I was referring to earlier, Detroit is the punching bag of even the worst-off of our cities. At least, for the time being our hockey team is still better than theirs.
NPR's recent week-long feature on Detroit
Recent Planet Money podcast about Detroit and Auto makers
SI article about Detroit's Courage
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Quercus nigra
The HUGE and beautiful tree across the street from us is coming down and I thought I would write it an obituary.
The awe-inspiring Water Oak (Quercus nigra) in East Atlanta is being fallen this week. It is an exceptional specimen with an estimated height of more than 120 ft and diameter near 6 ft. Despite some rot (found during autopsy/murder) in an upper limb, the water oak appeared(s) to be in perfect health. Sprouted circa 1900 the centenarian was one of the original neighborhood tenants to be annexed into the city in 1915. Having survived the Great Depression the tree will now fall in the New Depression (paradoxically at very high cost). The tree saw two world wars and Haley's Comet twice. It also served a role in WWII as a plaything for the children of GIs in the neighborhood. This oak played a part in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, increasing the property values of the nearby homes in an exemplary neighborhood for new black homeowners (see footnote). The majestic oak even withstood the Tornado that struck the area in 2008, but could not withstand the worries of its current owner. Despite its best efforts not to fall on the home with which it shares the lot, the tree could not dismiss the fears of Miss Merriam of East Atlanta and will be taken down. In its presence we were gifted with shade and only in its absence will we be shown the light of its worth.
Facts about the Water Oak
In the 1960s, the civil rights struggle was at its peak across the country. Because the Grand Dragon of the KKK lived in an adjacent neighborhood, East Atlanta was targeted by civil rights groups to be an example of racial integration of housing. Under the protection of the Fair Housing Act, middle class black families were assisted in efforts to purchase houses in the area. Some real estate agents seized the opportunity to fan the flames of fear and racial prejudice. At their urging, many white families fled the area selling their homes at a loss (as low as $1,500 for a 3 bedroom). The new Interstate 20 highway that cut through the neighborhood removed some houses and allowed easy access to areas farther out. Slumlord investor bought many of the available houses.
During this time many hardworking black families achieved the dream of homeownership in a nice neighborhood with yards for the children and good schools nearby. Many white families remained refusing to give-in determined to live in harmony with their new neighbors. Twenty years after the first blockbusting integration in East Atlanta, their neighborhood, unlike others that had resegregated entirely, remained integrated with a 60% black and 40% white/other racial mix.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
When Pigs Flu
Anyone else on edge about this Swine Flu thing? I dare say that nowhere does such an event carry more gravitas than in the home of CDC epidemiologist in respiratory viruses. Lauren was telling me about these cases last week and when she noticed that I was only half paying attention she asked "is this sinking in?". I guess it hadn't until I put down what I was doing and imagined The Stand. Is anyone out there stockpiling food and water yet?I did go back to Google Trends, the service that everyone was heralding back in November. Turns out we may still need public health surviellance. Google Trends barely showed a bleep on swine flu until this weekend. What's more it shows nothing about the historic CDC swine flu 'mishap' in 1976 that pushed swine flu vaccine on the public with claims of a coming plague. The story needs to be retold today. Goolge trends did pop up with this story about the Chinese trying to get out a swine flu vaccine three and half years ago.
Regardless of investigating the history the event is a bit sureal. It's interesting to think about the prospects of a global event that instantly puts everyone on edge, redefines stereotypes, and changes your routines (especially when you hear someone cough on the bus). I've provided links on the right-side banner and at the bottom of this post to info from the CDC.
CDC info on swine flu
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