One of my very favorite music groups is a duo called Hammock. They’re of the ambient bend – with some amazing textures and creative musical designs. It’s an amazing compliment to visual design work – musical textures that help inspire colors, shapes, and images.
They’ve made a music video – and it’s gorgeous. It’s a bit repetitive toward the end – but as a whole it’s a fantastic piece of art. I thoroughly enjoyed it – I hope you will too.
Check it out on Vimeo - here.
My favorite comment on this clip so far –
“John Stewart blew up Jim Cramer. Period.”
Priceless.
This interview is not to be missed.
Stewart Vs. Cramer Uncensored at Comedy Central
“So, maybe we could remove the “financial expert” and the “In Cramer We Trust” and start getting back to fundamentals on the reporting as well; and I could go back to making fart noises and funny faces.”
Good man, John Stewart. Good Man.
So.
I’ve realized that with this blog (as it is with every other blog I’ve ever kept online) I’ve let fall behind in posting. It’s something that I do a lot – I start up something like this with the best of intentions and then just stop. It’s not for lack of desire, it’s just that I don’t do it.
Something else has hit me in recent times – my life isn’t nearly as interesting as I’d like it to be. My buddy PC turned me on to a comedian a couple of weeks ago named Mike Birbiglia. In his routine, he talks about blogs, and about how way to many people who have no business keeping a blog, keep a blog. Mike (he and I are on a first name basis now.) phrases it something like this:
I see this blog, and this is what it says -
“Today, I went to JC Penny”
That is not a blog. That is a text message.
Sometimes I feel like my life is that way – I have nothing to write about on here, so I don’t. Is it the fact that I’m not paying enough attention?
I’m going to go ahead and say a resounding “yes” to that question – and here’s why -
I live my life, and it’s completely full of amazing events, but I never take any notice of them. Nothing phases me, and I just kind of look at something, and say “Well hey – isn’t that nice.” and keep walking.
Here’s the thing though – usually the “something” that just happened is something like an evil orange shark with purple bats wings swooping out of the sky shooting lasers out of its fins, and locking in mortal combat with a truck that’s just transformed into a giant robot, turning out to be optimus prime living on earth defending us from the evil batsharks. During the whole of this whole event, Napoleon Dynamite is throwing marshmallows at Darth Vader.
I will walk by this extraordinary spectacle, quietly log it into my brain, and then keep walking as if the epic raging battle that just took place across the street was deserving of the the same interest level as I would regard a man sneezing into the arm of his jacket.
I will, however, remember that this event took place, and then proceed to bring it up at a social function a month later, usually in front of my wife. My wife, upon hearing this particular story, will then hit me on the shoulder and shoot lasers out of her eyes, and ask me why I never shared that story with her in the first place. I will apologize, tell her that I forgot, and then regard the fact that she just shot lasers out of her eyes at me as mostly unremarkable.
So. What does one do to remedy such a thing?
I think I first need to stop seeing the world as unremarkable, and then I need to stop seeing the things I do and experience as unremarkable.
I’m going to sleep on this.
Don’t Panic.
I’m growing and being challenged right now.
It’s been a long couple of months.
Here’s what happened between my last post and now: (Not necessarily in chronological order.)
1. I got married. It was spectacular, and my wife Amy is amazing, gorgeous, and 1245 other positive adjectives that would take up too much space to write here. Fortunately, there were pictures to record the wedding:
1.5 We had the best photographer, EVER. His name is Micah, and you can check his stuff here: Micah Albert Photography
2. My nephew Sam was born. He is the cutest thing, ever. Period. if you argue that point with me, I will fight you.
3. I discovered that taking notes while listening to the Mars Hill podcast is a good idea.
4. I discovered that taking notes while listening to any podcast is a good idea.
5. I discovered what a pain in the ass I am to live with.
6. The Miata went goodbye. I was sad.
7. The WRX came to live with us. I am happy.
8.We still don’t have a TV with a signal (broadcast, cable or otherwise) and we still don’t miss it very much.
9. I re-learned how great books are.
10. I FINALLY read all of the Hitchhiker’s Guide books.
11. I didn’t panic.
12. I never forget my towel.
13. Jamie and Vance got married, and it was an occasion to remember.
14. I remembered why I don’t miss Florida
15. I remembered why I miss Florida.
16. We got a Christmas tree.
17. I gave big Sam a hug. There are even pictures.
18. I still don’t have internet at my house, and the coffeeshop I’m sitting in with Amy is closing in 5 minutes. Time to go.
I found this on digg today, and it was so good I had to put it up here. I might have to do something to try and turn this photo into the new rick-roll.
Best caption wins.
Ready, go.
So. My friend sent me this article from “The Onion” over email yesterday.
For those of you who don’t know what “The Onion” is, it’s a news company entirely dedicated to satire. None of the news they post is actually real – it’s all made up, it’s all a joke, most of it is hilarious, and about half of it is totally off-color humor.
Sometimes a completely scary, crazy, thing happens.
The Onion predicts the future.
Remember, when it was written in 2001, this article was total satire. Give it a read, and then give a laugh, but remember -
It’s funny because it’s true.
It’s even funnier (and sad) because it’s true and it’s from The Onion.
Edit: A Friend Reminded me that I forgot to post a link back to an actual article on theonion.com. So. Make sure you click the link below and go check out/support the good people at the Onion.
Check The Original Article Here
So.
Read on, From The Onion on January 21st, 2001:
Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’
WASHINGTON, DC–Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that “our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over.”
President-elect Bush vows that “together, we can put the triumphs of the recent past behind us.”
“My fellow Americans,” Bush said, “at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us.”
Bush swore to do “everything in [his] power” to undo the damage wrought by Clinton’s two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.
During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.
“You better believe we’re going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration,” said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. “Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?”
On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.
Wall Street responded strongly to the Bush speech, with the Dow Jones industrial fluctuating wildly before closing at an 18-month low. The NASDAQ composite index, rattled by a gloomy outlook for tech stocks in 2001, also fell sharply, losing 4.4 percent of its total value between 3 p.m. and the closing bell.
Asked for comment about the cooling technology sector, Bush said: “That’s hardly my area of expertise.”
Turning to the subject of the environment, Bush said he will do whatever it takes to undo the tremendous damage not done by the Clinton Administration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He assured citizens that he will follow through on his campaign promise to open the 1.5 million acre refuge’s coastal plain to oil drilling. As a sign of his commitment to bringing about a change in the environment, he pointed to his choice of Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior. Norton, Bush noted, has “extensive experience” fighting environmental causes, working as a lobbyist for lead-paint manufacturers and as an attorney for loggers and miners, in addition to suing the EPA to overturn clean-air standards.
Bush had equally high praise for Attorney General nominee John Ashcroft, whom he praised as “a tireless champion in the battle to protect a woman’s right to give birth.”
“Soon, with John Ashcroft’s help, we will move out of the Dark Ages and into a more enlightened time when a woman will be free to think long and hard before trying to fight her way past throngs of protesters blocking her entrance to an abortion clinic,” Bush said. “We as a nation can look forward to lots and lots of babies.”
Soldiers at Ft. Bragg march lockstep in preparation for America’s return to aggression.
Continued Bush: “John Ashcroft will be invaluable in healing the terrible wedge President Clinton drove between church and state.”
The speech was met with overwhelming approval from Republican leaders.
“Finally, the horrific misrule of the Democrats has been brought to a close,” House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert (R-IL) told reporters. “Under Bush, we can all look forward to military aggression, deregulation of dangerous, greedy industries, and the defunding of vital domestic social-service programs upon which millions depend. Mercifully, we can now say goodbye to the awful nightmare that was Clinton’s America.”
“For years, I tirelessly preached the message that Clinton must be stopped,” conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh said. “And yet, in 1996, the American public failed to heed my urgent warnings, re-electing Clinton despite the fact that the nation was prosperous and at peace under his regime. But now, thank God, that’s all done with. Once again, we will enjoy mounting debt, jingoism, nuclear paranoia, mass deficit, and a massive military build-up.”
An overwhelming 49.9 percent of Americans responded enthusiastically to the Bush speech.
“After eight years of relatively sane fiscal policy under the Democrats, we have reached a point where, just a few weeks ago, President Clinton said that the national debt could be paid off by as early as 2012,” Rahway, NJ, machinist and father of three Bud Crandall said. “That’s not the kind of world I want my children to grow up in.”
“You have no idea what it’s like to be black and enfranchised,” said Marlon Hastings, one of thousands of Miami-Dade County residents whose votes were not counted in the 2000 presidential election. “George W. Bush understands the pain of enfranchisement, and ever since Election Day, he has fought tirelessly to make sure it never happens to my people again.”
Bush concluded his speech on a note of healing and redemption.
“We as a people must stand united, banding together to tear this nation in two,” Bush said. “Much work lies ahead of us: The gap between the rich and the poor may be wide, be there’s much more widening left to do. We must squander our nation’s hard-won budget surplus on tax breaks for the wealthiest 15 percent. And, on the foreign front, we must find an enemy and defeat it.”
“The insanity is over,” Bush said. “After a long, dark night of peace and stability, the sun is finally rising again over America. We look forward to a bright new dawn not seen since the glory days of my dad.”
__________________________________________________________
Again, a the link back to the actual article on theonion.com: Check It Here
So. Scary, eh? I thought so too. Again, it’s true, and the onion predicted it.
What also scares me is that more real, accurate commentary on the state of the world comes from satirical “news” than it does from actual media organizations.
I can get more honest commentary that makes actual sense from Jon Stewart (The Daily Show on Comedy Central) on any given night, than I can get from any other media/news outlet.
I’m serious. Jon Stewart makes more sense than CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, ASMBCMDNSBCRMNB, and all the other organizations you can think of combined.
Also. If you watch Fox News and believe what they tell you, please, please, stop now before they convince you and all of their viewers to go out and put every Arab-American male you find into jail without a trial because they’ve scared you into thinking that “those Arabs” are going to go out to your car, steal it, lace it with explosives and run it headlong into Disneyland.
I really wish that someone would take Fox News and just shut them down. Completely.
Anyway. Watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart sometime. You’ll see what I’m talking about. It’s the only news show that makes any real sense anymore.
Keep watching the onion. They might predict something else crazy.
Yikes.
So, I saw a political cartooon today that had one of the most poignant messages that I have seen in a while. Please. Take it in for a Moment:
So.
This cartoon makes a whole lot of sense to me.
It also frustrates the living daylights out of me, because of how true it’s ringing right now. It’s ridiculous that I should have to pay for their faulty business – and their greed. The reason why so many banks are in trouble is because of pure, unadulterated greed.
Companies like Countrywide go out, give out the sub-prime loans, and then gleefully crank up the interest rates and penalties to people who can fail to pay, shoving them further and further into debt and into the hole.
Now that they’re in trouble for being greedy, it suddenly becomes my (our) job to bail them out. Federal money gets tossed right their way – (IndyMac, FreddyMac, Fannie Mae) and suddenly all is okay.
So. Banks get greedy. People can’t pay their mortgages. In the end, it costs us more money to hold them up.
It frustrates me that they screwed up, and now it’s costing me money to bail them out, and I have no choice in the matter.
Well, crap.
On the other side of the coin, there’s the whole grace factor.
As a Christian, I’m called to be like Christ. I’m called to be in a place where my chief motivating factor is love – love for others, and love to the point where forgiveness is a natural thing. So, am I called to forgive the greed of the banking and mortgage industry, and do my part to help bail them out? I mean, if I think about myself enough, I can justify it and yell at the top of my lungs “Where’s the federal money to help pay my debt off?” Should I just stop paying down my student loans and expect a check in the mail when my loan defaults and my credit is in the tank?
So, it’s a frustrating place to be. I know there’s nothing I can do about it. I have no control over the situation, and getting upset and yelling about it isn’t really going to do a whole lot. It will do nothing but make me angry and make the people around me annoyed because I won’t shut up about it.
The reality of the situation is that I just need to grin and bear it, and choose to have a good attitude about all of it. I’ve chosen to live in this country, and for now, I need to abide by the rules of the house.
Even if I disagree with some of them.
The same with my faith. I am called to love, and to contribute to the community I live in – which includes helping out others in need. I feel like I need to see it that way right now. There are those in need of my help – even if it is an infinitesimal contribution to a larger whole – and I need to be serving them.
So. Micah 6:8 comes into play.
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
That’s all I can do…and live out the call that I have on my life at this time. To live as part of the greater whole, to live justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.
One of the things I do for a living is work with media. Audio, video, photography, all sorts of stuff. When you work with media, at some point the computer has to process, finalize and write all of the changes you’ve made to any given piece of media. This process is called any number of things, but usually something like “a render” or “a build” or “a compile cycle.”
It’s kind of a necessary evil in the world of digital media – it usually involves a whole bunch of hurry up and wait. You tell the program you’re in to start the render, and then a little progress bar comes up, usually with information on how much is done, and how long the computer has until it’s finished. Video stuff always takes the longest, usually about an hour or two for a big project. Audio is a lot easier – it’s generally never more than 5 or 6 minutes at a time. It’s kind of a nice excuse to go grab a cup of coffe…err…tea, use the restroom, start another project, or find new and exciting ways to play pranks on your co-workers. Regardless, a render period is something that HAS to happen for any major project to get finished.
So, is it bad when I go to start an audio render and the high powered quad-core Mac Pro I use for work shows me this:
Ouch.
Beers, anyone? Apparently, I have some time.
