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Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
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12:37 am - Innerpartysystem = AWESOME SHOW!
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I am trying to recall the last time I rocked out owned a dance floor (well, not that the House of Blues during a rock show is much of a dance floor...). Has it been that long since I danced my pants off and rocked out to good tunes? I guess the last time I got my legs moving to some beats was at Metronome in Burlington when we still lived in StJ... over two and a half years ago. Maybe the last Wicked Sky I went to (but I barely danced at that one, weird vibe and not my type of tunes). Stopped dancing at Defmatch pretty much when it got moved to the Phoenix and that was when I still lived in MA. So I would have to guess it has been almost three years since I danced to tunes and longer than that since I owned a dance floor. Pretty crazy.
Another thing that is pretty crazy is driving back into Boston on auto pilot and realizing too late that some lanes have changed. Oh yea, and doing my normal 10pm Lansdowne parking routine at 7pm. Oops, that did not work.
So I grabbed a Long Island for old times sake and to get my mind into things. Opening band was kind of soft spoken. Innerpartysystem was second out of four acts. Got a nice clear spot on the floor, looked around, and realized I would pretty much be the only one dancing from the looks of things. Ah well, fuck it. I used to have no problem getting a dance floor going from scratch in clubs. I loved it actually... being the first one out there. But it is not unexpected to see someone dancing in a dance club, even if they are the only one doing it. It would seem different to have full on dancing at a rock concert, I would think? I don’t know. There was one other dude having a good time out there, so I was not completely by myself.
Any ways, the situation sure did not phase me as much as I thought it might. It only took one song before my body said “MOVE!!!” Which was fun as normally it takes me at least a few tunes to get into the mind set... or rather lack thereof... and just FEEL and stop thinking. To just let go of it all and not see or feel or think. Innerpartysystem crushed it to start things off with really heavy beat driven stuff before getting into a few of their “rockier” tracks that were not quite as danceable and finishing it off with Don’t Stop which ruled. The lights were friggin fantastic and were nailing me just the way I enjoy them while dancing and a lot of good strobe action... right in the face, great sensory experience. Everything was just right, the music, lights, atmosphere, etc. I just wish they got more than a 40ish minute set and it would have been a lot cooler in a smaller venue with more people familiar with the band.
Speaking of the venue. Ugh. I was actually surprised by how much of the old infrastructure still existed. For some reason, I was expecting the place to have been scraped and rebuilt from scratch. But the concert hall itself just didn’t do it for me. Too wide, tall, open, etc. Also, the crowd was small so the venue made the turn out look pathetic. I guess the place might work for a big name on the weekend. But the decor was just so.... well... I am sure it wouldn’t look very different at any other House of Blues.
And the kids. Oh my goodness, the kiddies! I have finally reached the age during which I see people 10 years younger than me and it is clear cut, absolutely no connection what-so-ever, that is SO a different generation. Which shouldn’t shock me, I work on a college campus! The sense of style, the hair, the clothes, etc. We are starting to see the first round of GenX offspring coming of age. I guess I shouldn’t be judgemental... but fuck it I am going to be judgemental. They all look like they are auditioning for being a model in some trendy mall store without “trying” to look like they are doing so. I like ironic angst much better than ironic fashion. Hair that has that “just rolled out of bed” look that probably takes a half hour to get just right.
I need to do that more often. 4+ hours round trip on a work night is NO PROBLEM to take part in something that refreshing and rejuvenating. Thinking about it on the drive home, it was way worse when I used to drive to Burlington from StJ for Metronome.
For a long time, I have had this thought that music and dancing in combination is an important part of our collective and universal human culture. There is something primitive in it that is important. Which is why that combination was (is) attached to some religious beliefs--due to its natural effects on the mind, it evokes spiritual thoughts in certain cultures and contexts. It touches off something in your mind, something special. Something that takes the breath away as well as tedious thoughts and worries and concerns. And replaces those by products of our difficult experiences with a clear mind that is electrified and energized.
Or at least that is my experience. And that is an experience I dearly miss.
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| Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
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6:45 pm
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If any one is interested, just wanted to throw it out there one more time. Innerpartysystem in Boston next Tuesday December 1st.
A couple of Innerpartysystem mixes are available on their web site at http://innerpartysystem.net/forum/. You have to register. One of these mixes is sick, the other one is kind of bland. Total mash up of pop tunes, breaks, DnB, etc. Creative and interesting.
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| Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
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9:32 pm - David Eller
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Just finished David Eller’s latest “Atheism Advanced” and it has reinforced my consideration that Eller is the best current author writing on the subject Perhaps Eller has written the best texts on non-belief in publishing history. It is such a pity that these books receive so little press due to their publisher (American Atheist Press - also a pity that this publisher can not afford a quality editor, lots of typos, usually two letter word typos). Eller’s books put to shame the works of Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, et al who were all published by major publishers with significant marketing war chests. Perhaps the publisher does not matter as much as the content with Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris being lightening rods due to hostile diatribes they were guaranteed to sell copies, like them or not, pro or con. Eller suggests these titles do no favors to non-believers as a culture due to their hostile and arrogant tones, ad hominem attacks, and focus on the “big three” while being especially focused mostly on Christianity.
Eller on the other hand could and should be read by theists, even and especially those of unwavering and unquestioning belief. If not simply to consider a different perspective, than just for the amazing lesson on religion from an analytical level. Having a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology and having extensive knowledge and understanding of comparative religions, one of Eller’s main topics is thrashing the notion that religion is limited to the “big three”. Well, of course, we all know that. But Eller suggests that the big three have hijacked the collective culture, especially language, in a way that has limited perspective and understanding. That we all “think” in terms of our native religious culture even if we are a part from it. In the USA, we “speak Christian” without even realizing it. That the west tends to dismiss as “myth” non-Abrahamic religions outright, but never consider their own belief as myth because of the linguistic indoctrination through culture seems tied into the linguistic issue as well.
The book opens up by challenging the accepted definition of atheism. That A-Theism is “without gods” and any religion that does not have god worship is atheistic in nature. Huh, never thought about it that way. So one could be an atheist and also religious. That atheist being defined as “without gods” leaves open the vast majority of religious belief that exists or has existed in human culture. Seems limiting. Though it is not how the word is traditionally used, that definition was an eye opener.
( Read more... )
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5:54 pm
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| Friday, November 20th, 2009
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11:14 pm - Camus
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Every once and a while, I reflect upon all the fantastic literature and works that I have yet to read but really should. Then I turn my head towards the left and gaze upon my bookcase full of unread volumes that I once purchased meaning to read but never did read. And then there are those books that I think I should purchase to read but never have done either. The authors and titles change but the thought always remains the same, “I have to read...” And today the author which best completes that sentence is Camus.
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| Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
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6:16 pm - Going For It
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Sometime this fall, I rededicated myself to skiing and have decided to “really go for it” this season. Last year was a tremendous disappointment with only 19 days. There were many hurdles such as an injury in February that left me sidelined for a month and then a reinjury in April that took me out of late season skiing, and having a new puppy kept me closer to home. But that does not account for 30 days or more less skiing. I got too picky and only wanted to ski in good conditions. My technique has radically suffered over the past few years as more and more I skied in exclusively good conditions, powder almost half the time, spring corn about one third, and generally either packed powder or early season “ribbon of death” during the rest. Essentially, I was not pushing myself and I started getting sloppy. And I just was not getting out as much as I should.
Suffice to say, I amped up for the coming season and have big plans. I have ditched my season pass at Jay Peak and purchased new touring boots at substantial expense to ensure I am getting my butt out there and hiking for turns far more often than ever before. I have plenty of pre-purchased tickets which should bring my average day of lift serviced skiing in at or below the $40 mark for the season. I will still hit Jay about 10 times but I will not feel obligated to ski there to maximize my season pass value. Thus, I can follow the snow storms where ever they go.
Additionally, we are completing a mid-year inventory at work this month instead of historically in February. And no shrink busting in March following the PI (or at least, very little). So I am going to have a huge green light for last minute vacation days when the storms roll in. I have already requested a day off and plan on booking a trip to Saddleback/Sugarloaf, ME in March (and I have NEVER prebooked a weekend trip for skiing, ever). I already got three days out, etc. etc. etc.
I am really excited for the season right now. More excited than I probably have been since the year we moved to Vermont. Its time to step it up.
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| Sunday, November 1st, 2009
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11:13 am - Project for the Week: Add an Online Aggregator to My Site
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Completed. What a royal pain in the butt this was to find a solution for! Once I identified the best solution for my needs (including least learning curve), it was fairly easy to implement. I went with another installation of WordPress on my site. The second version is strictly dedicated to being a feed aggregator for New England skiing related feeds. So I have two versions of WordPress with essentially the same stylesheet running side by side and integrated in a very rough form. This project has been on my mind for about a year since my Sage plugin for FireFox stopped working. Sage always bothered me because I had to click a bookmark for each feed whereas I just wanted to see everything at the same time on one page. Its demise pushed me in the right direction. Now, not only do I have a one stop shop bookmarked online (much better than client side on my desktop since online is viewable everywhere) but I have also added an interesting piece of content to my web site, especially for those that can not be bothered or do not know how feeds work.
Site: http://www.thesnowway.com
Feeds: http://www.thesnowway.com/feeds
Ah, now I feel better.
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(comment on this)
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| Saturday, October 31st, 2009
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7:56 am
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| Thursday, October 29th, 2009
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7:00 pm - Innerpartysystem in Boston on December 1st
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At the House of Blues. Have not been there since the big change (well, have not been there except driving down Lansdowne last time I was in town).
Any one interested? About $25 a pop counting the rape charge and shipping. Missed them last time they were in town and still pissed about it... but I am glad they tour hard and are back in town!
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(comment on this)
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| Friday, October 16th, 2009
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9:57 pm - YEA!!!
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| Thursday, October 15th, 2009
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9:24 pm - HAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!
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| Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
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7:22 pm
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| Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
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7:17 pm - Silversun Pickups in RI on Saturday October 17th
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| Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
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8:48 am - Focus and Perspective
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I have had a lot on my mind lately. Not all the right things either. Or at least, I have not been thinking about the things on my mind in the right way or from the right perspective. Its like I lost an entire life philosophy sometime earlier this year without even realizing it. At some point, I began thinking that I deserved more than life had allotted to me. That I had a good plan and it just wasn't right that not only were things not going according to plan, but the plan had been seriously derailed.
Somewhere along the line, I lost my true appreciation (and even enjoyment) of the fact that life is not fair. That the curve balls that we get thrown may not be the pitches we would prefer, but we still need to appreciate them for what they are and make due with what happens regardless.
Perspective.
Lately I have been trying to put the square peg into the round hole and getting all WTF when it does not fit. A complete lack of appreciation through the lens of how I used to see the world. Perhaps that is older age and experience creeping into an unidealistic ideal... that I could view imperfection and challenge and difficulties and problems as wonderful. How Nietzsche. If it is experience causing the change in perspective, then I have experienced too much. Where did those sources of wonder go? The perspective of wonder? I know the answers to these questions. But the asking of them is the first step because you can not find answers without having asked the question first.
And that is perspective.
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| Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
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8:47 pm - Movies
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Slumdog: Amazing. Check it out if you haven’t. I still can’t believe this movie not only lived up to, but exceeded the hype. Worst sub-titles ever for the non-English scenes.
Richard Gere: Has this turkey done anything redeeming in Hollywood besides being second fiddle to Ed Norton in Primal Fear? (that was random...)
Funny People: Would have been better named as “People are Funny”. You would expect a LOT more laughs from a movie about stand up comedians. Though to be honest, I have rarely found stand up comics to be that funny, so go figure. Seth Rogen is about as not funny as funny people come. The movie actually had its good parts, length aside. Sandler had me convinced he could seriously act every once and a while... and then he told a dick joke. Again. And again. Which is fine in its place. But it did not gel as a whole. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon your perspective and take on his career), I am not sure I will remember Sandler for anything more than Happy GIlmore and Lunch Lady Land. Worth watching but this movie left a LOT on the table. Best scene was James Taylor dropping the funniest line in the movie, IMO.
Gran Torino: Worthy of its acclaim.
Random, I guess. That is about it for notable movies I have seen lately. Couldn’t resist a plug for Slumdog if you haven’t see it yet.
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(comment on this)
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| Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
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12:21 pm - Christopher Hitchens
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I will never forget the moment that I "discovered" that I was an atheist. En route to class circa the seventh grade in a mini van driven by my best friend's mom, Adam asked me about my religion. Unbeknown to me at the time, most people in this world believed in supernatural powers based on the word of books penned, re-penned, translated, and adjusted by fallible men (and always men). Having been free of childhood brain washing and afforded the most wonderful of gifts by my parents, that to be able to choose my own believes instead of having them force feed to me, I was puzzled when my friend pronounced me into the category of an atheist (much to his credit, that had no effect on our friendship, which amazes me looking back in hind sight).
It was not long before I started puzzling about the beliefs of others from as neutral a point of view as is possible given society's effects and influences on the individual. After noticing a complete lack of literature on the subject of Atheism (at least that I could find), sometime in High School I thought it would be magnificent to put everything I thought about the subject into writing. No less than four people over the course of the next few years had suggested I write a book. I got started but never wrote more than a few pages of very bad scholarship, as I was lacking in the most basic of logic and rhetorical skills.
It would have been a worthless endeavor because folks like David Eller and Christopher Hitchens have done a far better and more eloquent job than I might ever have done. Finally, I have a copy of God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens and tore into it last night and this morning to the tune of its first 100 pages. Despite not having finished the book yet, I can not help but comment on Hitchens sensational flowing prose and wonderful literary and historical references. Hitchens has so many wonderfully juxtaposed points that result in a bluntly fierce slam at the end of many of the sections. This is not scholarship without loopholes and perfect logic but rather scathing criticism and indictments of the most horrible kind.
Whereas David Eller's Natural Atheism laid out the philosophical and logical refutation of religion specifically and belief in general, Hitchens takes us on a roller coaster ride through history detailing a list of faults longer than even I had thought possible, and I am not even halfway through the book yet! Eller handles the logic and Hitchens runs down the facts and aims for emotional response of aghast co-mingled with comedy that would make you cry if it didn't make you laugh first. These books are a perfect complement to each other and are far and above superior to other efforts by folks such as Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, David Mills, etc. who regularly have their arguments boil down to diatribe and name calling. With Hitchens, it does not get personal because the facts stand for themselves... Hitchens just enhances the presentation with literary genius. Hitchens has also addressed another short coming of other so called "New Atheist" authors in that Hitchens is equal opportunity and not limiting his commentary strictly to Judeo-Christian (and occasionally Islam but generally only in relation to terrorists) but rather documenting offenses the world over.
On a related note, I just noticed that David Eller has a new book available. I will have to snap that up sometime soon.
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(6 comments | comment on this)
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| Friday, August 21st, 2009
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7:41 pm
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The Facebook experiment has been the biggest fail. How on Earth this become the most well known and most used social networking site around is beyond me. So much potential but so much utter and complete fail at the same time. The really interesting thing is how companies, corporations, businesses, and organizations have taken to marketing and promotions through Facebook. I made the mistake of watching one of my favorite Ski Resort’s Facebook and I am essentially getting spammed everyday with pictures and marketing. It is the ultimate opt in email campaign and people eat it up. I can’t even seem to make a second post on my own “wall” (WTF type of name term is that) for fear I will exceed the maximum word count or post something far too deep and personal for people looking for sound bites and photos.
Its just not my cup of tea. But I can understand why it is other peoples’ cup of tea. And I find the co-opting of friends by business’s and having captive marketing towards its target audience is a masterstroke of eCommerce guerrilla marketing. Despite admiring it from a business perspective, it turns my stomach on a personal level.
On the flip side, it would be nice for LJ to be dragged kicking and screaming out of the early 2000s and into the modern realm as it seems not much has happened with this fine platform since all hell broke loose on the corporate level. At the very least, something I can appreciate, LJ is nothing if not consistent and has yet to jump the proverbial shark.
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| Monday, August 17th, 2009
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8:19 pm
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I feel terribly sheltered and ashamed to only now be hearing tracks from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Ditto for Metric.
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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| Thursday, August 13th, 2009
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7:39 am
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090813/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_clunkers_not_so_green
When did 25 MPG become "fuel efficient" LOL. In my opinion, that should be the bare minimum consideration for this program. It is surprising to learn that buyers only needed a 2 MPG improvement over their so called "clunker" to be eligible. Our tax dollars hard at work. Good program in spirit but looks really bad in execution.
It will be interesting to see on the macro level if the move to so called "fuel efficient" vehicles will have a major effect on gas purchases which could translate into price. Even though the above link cites the exception, clearly more and more people are ditching SUVs in favor of more fuel efficient vehicles. And the auto industry is tripping over themselves to translate the truck based SUV into a car platform based crossover with the crossovers getting slightly better MPG while avoiding the dreaded SUV brand which is SO 1990s and unfashionable at this point. "I wouldn't be caught dead in a SUV.... goodness, what would the Jones think if we still drove one given all this talk about fuel efficiency and green. I am SO glad we have a crossover that looks 10% smaller and gets 15% better MPG."
In the next year or two, we'll probably be trading in my 99 Saturn for a new car and we are thinking wagon due to the puppy and space considerations for camping trips and other gear intensive outings. We both have sub-compacts so a wagon would REALLY help. The wagon market SUCKS right now. Everything is going cross over. The new 2010 Subaru Outback is a whale. They increased the height by 4" and the width by at least 2" and it looks down right portly. "Wagon" seems like a dirty and uncool name and "crossover" is "IN" right now. Yuck. Looks like the best wagon option from a practicality stand point right now is the 40 MPG diesel Jetta Wagon. Kinda plain looking and it has that ugly VW logo on the grill. I wouldn't mind an AWD option but I have never truly "needed" it with snow tires. The coolest looking wagons all cost way too much in the Volvo, BMW, Audi, etc. markets. But even Volvo's AWD wagon option got hit with the ugly crossover stick. It seems like every car on the market has become more and more portly with every passing new release/update. Even sub-compacts like the Civic look twice as big as they were a dozen years ago. I give that trend a BIG thumbs down. And the auto industry STILL is not taking non-hybrid MPG seriously. But the Jones do think bigger is better. *Sigh*
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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Monday, August 10th, 2009
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11:51 pm - Haphazard Circumstance
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While much of my life has relied upon willful direction and forethought, so much has been nothing more than haphazard circumstance. It is supremely ironic that an atheist that abhors the notion of fate would find himself moved towards certain life course directions and corrections due to the bizarre occurrences of happenstance. Furthering the irony is my disposition towards well thought out and calculated planning and researching and incessant pondering for the best action or response. No one should be more directed in their life direction than me given my background and disposition.
Yet, I have an unwavering dedication to go with things that fall into place. It is not even a case of serendipity because that would imply discovering the opposite in good fortune. But rather it is completely haphazard. Triangulating my direction by the juxtaposition of two chance circumstances or occurrences. How would such a logic based mind arrive at this method (or lack thereof) as the best way to approach life? It brings a smile just thinking about it. And I look back into my past and can’t help but think that this approach has never done me wrong. If I were to fear one thing more than anything in this world, I think it might be that my thoughts on this subject could ever be changed.
“I’m reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.” -MJK
Damn song still gives me goose bumps every damn time I hear it. Fully embracing this view on life, it is impossible not to feel spectacularly bewildered on a regular basis. Though lately my bewilderment has been substantially less than in the not so distant past. I can not help but feel that there is something I am not embracing despite realizing that it is just at the tip of my grasp.
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