Sunday, December 29, 2013
Friday, December 27, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
new (to me) musical find: B for Bang "Across the Universe of Languages"
available on iTunes and Google Play
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
Climate Corporation is the subject of a New Yorker article in the current issue (Nov 11, 013)
I visited there once for a meetup and considered investigating it for a job. It turns out that its work fits with my idea that climate change should be addressed in part via insurance. The company also was just sold to Monsanto for $1B...
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Remembering Jack Carey (video)
This is bittersweet, as it reminds me of the good feelings I always had for Jack, who was kind, friendly and helpful from my first days as a swing dancer in the early Eighties, and it makes me miss him. My best to you, Jack...
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
A friend's book is published!
on Dorothea Lange's photography - Go Elizabeth! A related episode of American Masters on PBS will air in the Spring.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
best drumming I've seen last night!
Dafnis Prieto and his band Si o Si were awesome and fun! Loose grips, playing all elements of every piece of equipment, variation, tasteful, powerhouse, musical *and* visibly enjoyed himself!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Marking my 40th anniversary of Buddhist mindfulness meditation
Much thanks to all the teachers over the years, especially Suzuki Roshi, Chogyam Trungpa, Ken McLeod and Sakyong Mipham.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Be afraid. Be very afraid. Scalia on Scalia
Slate commentary. Be sure to follow the link to the interview itself.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Ken McLeod on Buddhist Mind Training in difficult situations
here. I spent a lot of time thinking about this the last twelve years...
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
per capita energy use in Cali flat for 35 years
as described here. Other states are up. Kudos to Art Rosenfeld and the many people he has worked with (including me).
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Ageist so-called "review" of my friend's new band irritates me
Anonymous slag off in TimeOut London deserves the dissing it's getting in the comments there...
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
On Explaining you are a Buddhist
Lodro Rinzler offers good guidance here. Who you are and how you are is most important.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
RIP Jack Carey, the original Jack in "Jack and Jill contest"
He is missed. Condolences to Annie and all who were Jack's friends and family.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
looking for Doug Shaw and Larry Parker for Village of Arts and Ideas reunion
the title says it all..
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell with Richard Thompson in Santa Rosa, Nov 2
at the Wells Fargo Center
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Sioux City Kid at Great America Music Hall Friday Sep 27
Sioux City Kid is a great, gritty band. They are performing at GAMH in San Francisco.
government as corporate fiefdom
The Right has extended the notion that government should be limited because its members represent interested parties until the idea is absurd. A lot of its behavior now is purely predicated on the notion of using government for private purposes, without any sense of shame at the corruption this entails. ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange, is one of the most egregious offenders in this regard. For an example, read this Nation story.
Stream Sara Cahill's new album free
Zorn on Zorn 24 hours on 24th of September
WQXR presents John Zorn - his music and his influences, celebrating his 60th birthday.
Sadams.uk, adjust your schedule NOW!
Sadams.uk, adjust your schedule NOW!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Apple Pear - yum!
It tastes, feels and looks like the name implies, but it is not a hybrid - it is a pear variant.
additional information about Dwight House and its designation as a historical landmark
berkeleydailyplanet.com describes the history and process. Hat tip to Robin for the info!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Journalism students on the history of Dwight House (1545 Dwight Way, Berkeley)
Here is what came up. I was one of "the hippies" who massively altered the house in the early 70s.
We hated being called "hippies", as it meant to us lazy people who laid around getting stoned, while our motto was "Build It or Fuck It!", meaning Make Something Now.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who lived there during that time... Who remembers the time a 6x6 almost crushed my skull and Doug Shaw saved my life by shoving it over my head, so I suffered only unconsciousness due to the glancing blow of a 4x4? I remember everyone carrying me to the van; I remember trying to tell the time as I stared at something on the wall in the hospital, not realizing it was a fire alarm.
We hated being called "hippies", as it meant to us lazy people who laid around getting stoned, while our motto was "Build It or Fuck It!", meaning Make Something Now.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who lived there during that time... Who remembers the time a 6x6 almost crushed my skull and Doug Shaw saved my life by shoving it over my head, so I suffered only unconsciousness due to the glancing blow of a 4x4? I remember everyone carrying me to the van; I remember trying to tell the time as I stared at something on the wall in the hospital, not realizing it was a fire alarm.
Quick City at Cal Arts presaged Burning Man
This event was organized by me and my friends. Inflatables, solar power, Ant Farm, NASA, gamelan and shadow puppets, guerilla tv and more...
Friday, September 13, 2013
2013 Americana Awards Wednesday the 18th at 5PM PT on AXS TV
The 2012 Awards ceremony was very enjoyable, as I reported before. If your cable system carries the AXS channel, watch this!
Monday, September 9, 2013
listen to Wynton teach
HBO is broadcasting another master class with Wynton Marsalis. It's worth watching even if you aren't a jazz-head - it's about living fully, in all dimensions.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
OK: "percussion heavy" and "Bartok" - need I say more?
In high school, back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, Barry Smith introduced me to the blues, Bartok and Buddhism, in exchange for me doing his electronics class homework; this changed my life forever. Kudos to Barry, who died (too young) a few years later. At the time I also played drums. Taking all this into consideration, it should be no surprise that I look forward to q2music.org's upcoming broadcast:
This Sunday at 6 pm EDT, Q2 Music presents the first of four performances recorded live at the 2013 Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. The program features Martin Grubinger's Percussive Planet Ensemble and piano duo Ferhan und Ferzand Önder in a performance of percussion-heavy music by Xenakis and Bartok.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Saturday, August 17, 2013
thinking of Aunt Francis
Listening to Steep Ravine playing on West Coast Live - the fiddle playing brought to mind Aunt Francis and her performance with Merle Haggard in Reno all those years ago.
Larry on Charlie
The August 14, 2013 episode of the Charlie Rose show is a one hour interview with LJE.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Looking forward to seeing the documentary "Approximately Nels Cline"
Let me know if it appears somewhere...
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
You are not Facebook’s customer, advertisers are Facebook’s customer.
"You are not Facebook’s customer, advertisers are Facebook’s customer. Same is true for Google. You become an asset that they monetize and sell to their customers, aka the advertisers." -Phil Zimmerman
Om Malik interview with Phil Zimmerman
Om Malik interview with Phil Zimmerman
Saturday, August 10, 2013
recommended documentary: First Position
The Sundance Films documentary First Position is a very informative and moving film about a global ballet competition for young Americans.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
"Beware of Mr. Baker" is a great documentary!
tags: Cream, drummer, crazy, fascinating. Available on Showtime and DVD
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
2012 Americana Association Awards show
I enjoyed it! It's showing on AXS TV, a cable channel. Especially recommended for Bruce and Dave.
Industry on Parade roots
As someone who grew up watching Industry on Parade on TV in the Sixties, I am in high heaven now with all of the cable shows about how things are made and deployed. My latest fave is Tait Stages, about the staging company for high end rock and country shows like Madonna's MDNA tour.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Larrry Ellison's Japanese art on exhibit at SF Asian Art Museum through September 22
A SF Chronicle review praises the exhibit and the collection. Who wants to see it with me?
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Terry Riley in Redding
According to Marc Beauchamp, Terry Riley is returning to Redding for his 60th high school re-union and will be at the Cascade Theater Sunday for a matinee performance. "What section are you sitting in, David?" "In C"
Monday, June 10, 2013
"Yes, we scan"
http://fplus.me/p/1yAh hat tip to sadams.uk
The topic is important and the headline is funny, but a more subtle reporting of the details is valuable.
The topic is important and the headline is funny, but a more subtle reporting of the details is valuable.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Fela! musical at the Paramount in Oakland
If I had the time, I would see this musical, choreographed by Bill T. Jones, at the Paramount Theatre.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
put in my place by young kids...
The four year old dancers on So You Think You Can Dance and the nine year old school organizer on the Melissa Harris-Perry Show give me pause when I think of myself at those ages... :-)
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Dylan Ratigan leaves MSNBC to work on veterans' jobs and hydroponic farms
On the Charlie Rose show I saw that Dylan Ratigan is working with a training program for hydroponic farming to increase veterans employment - very impressive!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
my newest find in music streams modern classical for free
q2music.org, associated with WQXR and WNYC
Recommendation: watch the HBO VIce episode about China's empty cities and the fight against Morsi in Egypt
It is available online (30 minutes long and produced by Bill Maher and Fareed Zakaria).
Saturday, May 25, 2013
I bought Insync Google Drive sync software for $9.99
Use this referral link and get an extra 15 days use free: https://www.insynchq.com/r/114291002017328847962
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
searching for news about Noel and Pamela Valentine
past friends from San Francisco, formerly from Australia, makers of high-end dolls, dancers
Sunday, May 19, 2013
ATT Uverse lost its ability to show future showings of programs programmed to record
In other words, if I plan to record a show and program it, then try to search for other times when it is playing, it complains Search Error and says to try again later. After work over the phone and a visit from a tech, it was pronounced a known problem with a fix on the way.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Yesware add-on for GMail
This Forbes interview with Yesware makes me want to try out Yesware immediately and read all the articles. (Note: he quotes Chogyam Trungpa!)
I Love Your Work: Ten Days on A Lesbian Porn Set
This Slate article makes this documentary sound informative and provocative. I pretty much avoid porn due to the arguments about the ways it encourages unhealthy attitudes among viewers and producers as well as its proximity to forms of exploitation (slavery/snuff/addiction/etc) that I really want to avoid, but this might be worth checking out.
Google's new All Access Music Play
My first experience with the new subscription streaming service has been very positive. I uploaded 20k songs and selected a J-Boogie tune from them, which then led to streaming of a very nice selection of online music - better than I expected, lots of recordings I had not heard before. I recommend it. BTW, the J-Boogie queue would be recommended to Sadams...
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Hummingbirds
If you have a chance to see the NatGeo Channel documentary on hummingbirds, you should watch it - the birds are more varied and beautiful than I even imagined!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
so Obama should be impeached for IRS investigation of Tea Party fraud?
Jeffrey Toobin clears up the discussion by pointing out the real fraud, which is by the Tea Party.
Monday, May 13, 2013
I'm enjoying Anthony Bourdain's CNN travel+food
Parts Unknown show on CNN in repeats, since I missed the first showing.
Sunday Shows Promoted Fringe View That Obama Should Be Impeached Over Benghazi
Sunday Shows Promoted Fringe View That Obama Should Be Impeached Over Benghazi
While the view is proof that many Republicans have gone off the deep end, only Meet the
Press presented it that way. Real journalists will debunk the full court press that aims to re-write
history to minimize McCarthy-ism, Watergate and Iran Contra.
While the view is proof that many Republicans have gone off the deep end, only Meet the
Press presented it that way. Real journalists will debunk the full court press that aims to re-write
history to minimize McCarthy-ism, Watergate and Iran Contra.
Gar Alperovitz on worker-owned enterprises
BookTV show. I hope this is a countervailing tendency to the Koch brothers, otherwise we continue down the road to fascism.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
John Amaechi
John Amaechi is an impressive representative of the gay community - his ability to communicate his point of view is striking and not just due to his English accent :-)
Saturday, May 11, 2013
re-imagining Sondheim
Anthony deMare's Liaisons project is a gathering of various artists interpreting Sondheim. I especially like Iverson's piece. Recording due out in 2014...
Jake Shimabukuro
Life on Four Strings is a very inspiring documentary about the virtuoso ukulele player.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
I really liked the Discovery Channel's 40th Anniversary of Watergate documentary
The revisionism of the Right with regard to Watergate is disgusting, peaking with Ben Stein's claim Nixon was a saint. It was no ordinary crime and not a trivial matter.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
new musical crush: DJ /Rupture
You can download hours of his eclectic mixes at http://www.negrophonic.com/ and see his podcasts at wfmu.org/playlists/dr
Friday, May 3, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
One of my best friends shares the love in Kyoto, his home
Stewart. I wonder how this translates if you are not familiar with his stories...
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
New Free Online Digital Library arrives
As a life-long fan and user of libraries, this library looks very interesting!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
free online outliner recommendation
fargo.io is a free outliner that runs in your browser and stores files in your Dropbox account.
I recommend using it!
I recommend using it!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
improvised west coast swing
Another aspect of WCS I have always liked is its adaptability to people of various physiques, ages, personalities, and health. Here is a very sexy and humorous improvised dance that illustrates what I mean.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
My people (computer) will get in touch with your people (computer)
automated grading of essays has inspired me to write a new cloud-based service, BlogWriter.
From now on posts on this blog will be automated. The first post under this system follows:
Hold On - Someone Said Something Wrong on the Internet
I have detected a mistake in the posts on other blogs. Please wait while I notify the authors of the errors of their ways...
From now on posts on this blog will be automated. The first post under this system follows:
Hold On - Someone Said Something Wrong on the Internet
I have detected a mistake in the posts on other blogs. Please wait while I notify the authors of the errors of their ways...
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Jim Hansen retiring from NASA to wage politics
NY Times article. I worked with Jim in the Eighties... Good man!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Jeremy Grantham on global limits
Charlie Rose interview Of interest to sadams, Charley, Kevin and Bruce K in particular
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Men in Black IX
Scalia's comment that voting rights are the last bastion of racial privilege caused an uproar among Republican elected officials. One governor ( who remained anonymous due to his hood) shouted that the comment would only backfire and added that the governments should continue with proven practices:
1) disenfranchisement via id laws and reduced voting hours
2) wholesale felony convictions for black Americans
3) jerry-mandering of voting districts.
"Scalia played into the Left's hands. Leave this work to the professionals and get back on the golf course!"
1) disenfranchisement via id laws and reduced voting hours
2) wholesale felony convictions for black Americans
3) jerry-mandering of voting districts.
"Scalia played into the Left's hands. Leave this work to the professionals and get back on the golf course!"
LJE has been reduced to fishing with the homeless
Yet Another Yacht Story (YAYS). "Yeah, some guy said something about teaching us to fish rather than giving us fish, so that's what we're doin'".
Monday, March 11, 2013
Request: Google Glass h/w + DJ app
One of the most iconic DJ scenes occurs early on in Blade, when we see a party of what turn out to be vampires dancing while the DJ presides over it wearing a pair of small flashlights mounted to his head.
Imagine what we could do with Google Glass Augmented Reality with a DJ app!
Imagine what we could do with Google Glass Augmented Reality with a DJ app!
Dance party success!
Saturday night was so much fun! Great turn out, mixing Buddhists with swing dancers - it resulted in a room full of great people having a good time together! What more could I ask for?
Friday, March 8, 2013
We are fans of Portlandia
Portlandia, the hipsters-mocking-hipsters TV series - yes! As an SNL fan, Sara has to endorse it.
I will make an on-site visit in April for the Rails Conference
(This post sponsored by Doc Martens for Kids, which is endorsed by Alison )
I will make an on-site visit in April for the Rails Conference
(This post sponsored by Doc Martens for Kids, which is endorsed by Alison )
Deep into the Other Ballroom
This BoingBoing post by Niall Connolly should be of interest to sadams, LoriL, KevO, and Albert.
College of Musical Knowledge upper division course for dance and anthropology minors, apply here...
I have always been a fan of both Paris is Burning and Retromania and this post is the hybrid offspring of the two. Of course as a social dancer, DJ, fan of electronic music, and avid watcher of sub-cultures, it's right up my alley!
College of Musical Knowledge upper division course for dance and anthropology minors, apply here...
I have always been a fan of both Paris is Burning and Retromania and this post is the hybrid offspring of the two. Of course as a social dancer, DJ, fan of electronic music, and avid watcher of sub-cultures, it's right up my alley!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
inspiring Ai WeiWei documentary
Independent Lens on PBS broadcast and netcasts it. Watch it and be moved - I was!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Great visit with hometown friends!
We had a great time visiting with Bonnie and Laura and David and Bebe!
Good, interesting people of like minds - very rejuvenating...
Good, interesting people of like minds - very rejuvenating...
Other Minds performances next week
I plan to attend the Thursday performance of the Other Minds series, as I will be in SF for the Heroku conference during the day. I would really like to attend Friday and Saturday as well, but am too busy. I am a big fan of Craig Taborn, so I am sorry to miss him...
Thursday, February 14, 2013
in memory of Laurence
This anniversary of his suicide especially brings him to mind, although many things per week remind me of him. He was a close friend for over forty years...
Tea Party brewed by Big Tobacco
A study of the astroturf roots of the Tea Party confirms what RS and I have discussed for decades: the Right is very good at building their movement primarily because they fund it well and pay to manage it professionally. The increase in the concentration of wealth and the Citizens United decision feed this tendency steroids and that shows strong results. We are fortunate that they are outnumbered and on the wrong end of demographic trends. What is the answer to this asymmetry: if I can make billions of dollars from an idea that lowers the standard of living of 300 million people by one hundred dollars each, I have all the incentive in the world to pursue the idea while the 300 million won't be moved by the one hundred dollars? Replicate that pattern throughout the economy, society and politics and you have what we face today.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Armed bands watching your every move
Businessweek shows domestic drones are not our only new concern. h/t: RS
social engineering heist attempt explained
this story of successfully blocked social engineering is worth reading to educate yourself.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
basics
A grizzled veteran explorer of Africa is accompanied by a young, inexperienced aide
in the early 20th century. Suddenly they are captured by a tribe and tied next to each
other. Members of the tribe dance wildly around them, singing and chanting in a language
the explorers cannot understand while loud drums pound loudly for hours. Suddenly the
drums and dancing halt. The younger explorer moans with fear, then panics when
the older man says "Oh, no! It can't be!" "What, what is it?" "Now the bass solo..."
This and this are for DP and Ricky - you know who you are ;-)
in the early 20th century. Suddenly they are captured by a tribe and tied next to each
other. Members of the tribe dance wildly around them, singing and chanting in a language
the explorers cannot understand while loud drums pound loudly for hours. Suddenly the
drums and dancing halt. The younger explorer moans with fear, then panics when
the older man says "Oh, no! It can't be!" "What, what is it?" "Now the bass solo..."
This and this are for DP and Ricky - you know who you are ;-)
jazz clarinetist Ben Goldberg's two new releases
this NY Times review of one of my favorite local musicians captures a lot of what appeals to me:
the Ornette Coleman roots, the Joey Baron-sounding drums, the downtown style, and Ron Miles, a recent discovery for me, plays trumpet.
the Ornette Coleman roots, the Joey Baron-sounding drums, the downtown style, and Ron Miles, a recent discovery for me, plays trumpet.
Sycamour Slough String Band
I am also a fan of David Gans' Sycamore Slough String Band, which most of the time plays string band versions of Dead songs.
House of Lies cable tv show
I'm a big fan of House of Lies, a laugh out loud comedy about management consulting and modern business! If you want high voltage verbal action full of self-mocking managementeze, find it here. Available on Showtime and Amazon Instant Video... Now to monetize the meta via concretizing the hierarchy of needs!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Beck does Bowie
Slate adds some deets and shows the vid. This is especially for sadams.uk and Ray :-)
US youth view government role positively
According to this NY Times article, young US citizens' liberal views encompass more than marriage equality and climate change - reinforces my sense that the R's, particularly their Tea Party wing, are on the wane historically.
Friday, February 8, 2013
"Science cafes" are an interesting idea
A newsdaily story describes these, which are events ala TED or Charlie Rose Brain Series on a small scale with a chance to meet people locally. h/t to Henry
NPR is streaming the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds release
First Listen: Push the Sky Away I'm checking it out now.
After listening: I really like this and plan to buy it!
After listening: I really like this and plan to buy it!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Fashion
One of the best satirical ads is a funny find by Slate. I do have to admit, however, that In Vogue: the Editors Eye on HBO was amazing to me.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Pot calls Kettle black/chess player (me) says "Go, Pot!"
Business Week says Matt "I Am the Grassroots" Kibbe called Rove "Orwellian" for trying to block Tea Party candidates in favor of more electable Republicans. I am all for Republicans nominating un-electable candidates, or better yet, for a Tea Party separate from the Reeps ;-)
Saturday, February 2, 2013
SELECT SONG FROM MUSIC WHERE COOLNESS > 1
from the beets changelog for the upcoming release:
New Smart Playlist Plugin: generate and maintain m3u playlist files based on beets queries
New Smart Playlist Plugin: generate and maintain m3u playlist files based on beets queries
Friday, February 1, 2013
Did Obama undo the packing done by Bush?
Among other schemes to staff the government with extremists, the Bush administration hired many Regent University graduates. I'd like to know if these people are still working in these positions.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Jason and others on another founder's suicide
This editorial raises questions worth reading. As one who went down into the dark side while day-trading/blogging/working, I relate. Make sure you take care of yourself!
BothSidesOfTheTable blog comments as well...
BothSidesOfTheTable blog comments as well...
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Rails is omakase
a dramatic reading by Giles Bowkett
1) Rails
2) Omakase
3) Dramatic reading
What will sadams.uk, Stewart, and Gregory say?
1) Rails
2) Omakase
3) Dramatic reading
What will sadams.uk, Stewart, and Gregory say?
I almost forgot to post this
Poor Sleep Prevents Brain From Storing Memories
I do notice that CPAP makes a significant difference in restfulness and mental clarity mental clarity mental...
I do notice that CPAP makes a significant difference in restfulness and mental clarity mental clarity mental...
Sunday, January 27, 2013
TNR reports 10 flashes of insight at Reep gathering
The New Republic says some light made it into the bunker.
great read on China and resource scarcity
Winner Take All describes China's intelligent and threatening response to rising resource scarcity.
It reminds me of a cross between World Game and Kissinger. This might interest Cory, RS, and Kevin.
It reminds me of a cross between World Game and Kissinger. This might interest Cory, RS, and Kevin.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Silicon Valley housing prices rising dramatically
according to Redfin. Good for RS and other owners...
SF Jazz Center
SF Jazz Center named its new facility for a benefactor, the late co-founder of Oracle, Robert N. Miner, who was a special person. The space is the first stand-alone building devoted to jazz. Excerpts of the opening night concert are available online here. Recommended especially to sadams.uk, Mark Madrid, and Ed Miner.
Most inspiring documentary I've ever seen!
Beauty is Embarrassing, about Wayne White, brought tears of joy to my eyes. To see such genuineness and a life of pure creativity is transforming! Watch it! Especially for Ross, LoriL and Ellen.
Friday, January 25, 2013
inspirational Gandhi quote
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Levon on a jet plane...
I placed a hold on This Wheel's On Fire: The Levon Helm Story and while listening to episodes of Fresh Air from last year came across two interviews with him, then heard a cut from his solo release, Dirt Farmer, on last night's episode of The Grateful Dead Hour...
"We are in control of the vertical and the horizontal!"
"We are in control of the vertical and the horizontal!"
Amazon Deal of the Day: Best American Writing EBooks for $1.99
This Amazon offer is good only today (not sure if this works outside the States).
Bought Essays, Short Stories, Science and Nature, and Non-Required Reading.
For good measure, added Best Buddhist (not on sale).
Bought Essays, Short Stories, Science and Nature, and Non-Required Reading.
For good measure, added Best Buddhist (not on sale).
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Updates to previous posts
Whole Foods CEO John MacKey received a lot of press in response to his "fascism" comments.
Here is an audio interview with him about his new book and his comments.
Organizing for America is the new name for the re-purposed Obama for America organization.
The focus is to build a continuous strategy and field organizations to promote Obama's policies.
Perhaps this will counter some of the Right's strong efforts along those lines for their ideology.
High stress without managing it well this week led to my first headache in three months. Well, you can't win them all! "More sitting practice of meditation is recommended." -- Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche
Plans for our Rio and Buenos Aires trip progress well!
Here is an audio interview with him about his new book and his comments.
Organizing for America is the new name for the re-purposed Obama for America organization.
The focus is to build a continuous strategy and field organizations to promote Obama's policies.
Perhaps this will counter some of the Right's strong efforts along those lines for their ideology.
High stress without managing it well this week led to my first headache in three months. Well, you can't win them all! "More sitting practice of meditation is recommended." -- Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche
Plans for our Rio and Buenos Aires trip progress well!
Nels Cline Singers in residence in Oakland tomorrow thru Saturday
at Duende
Note: Thursday: Ben Goldberg on clarinet
Friday: Josh Jones on percussion
Saturday: Zeena Parkins on electric harp
Note: Thursday: Ben Goldberg on clarinet
Friday: Josh Jones on percussion
Saturday: Zeena Parkins on electric harp
Monday, January 21, 2013
note to self on ZOL mountall
To make this work on Ubuntu, manually call `zpool import` before
upstart gets any of the "*-filesystems" events. Adding an exec line
for each pool to the `/etc/init/mountall.conf` file should get the
desired result:
script
# ...
exec zpool import -N alfa
exec zpool import -N bravo
exec zpool import -N charlie
exec mountall --daemon $force_fsck $fsck_fix
end script
The -N switch matters here, and the patched mountall from the PPA is
still required.
-Darik
upstart gets any of the "*-filesystems" events. Adding an exec line
for each pool to the `/etc/init/mountall.conf` file should get the
desired result:
script
# ...
exec zpool import -N alfa
exec zpool import -N bravo
exec zpool import -N charlie
exec mountall --daemon $force_fsck $fsck_fix
end script
The -N switch matters here, and the patched mountall from the PPA is
still required.
-Darik
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Winston Churchill quote regarding defeated politicians
"I think we need fewer peerages and more disappearages." Amen!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
DJ Gilles Peterson
Thanks to sadams.uk for his introduction to the Gilles Peterson music radio show on Saturdays on BBC6! It's like a UK/EDM version of Dore's Tangents show on KALW, a nice variation.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Unclear on the Whole Concept
In a Mother Jones interview, Whole Foods' CEO and founder reveals he thinks Obama is headed towards fascism (his word) and that climate change is good for humans. This stuns me! How he can invent and manage such a well done enterprise yet hold such deluded views escapes me... No, I won't boycott, but if I had better alternatives I would switch.
sonics
I finally got my stereo linked up to my desktop PC via HDMI! With the sub-woofer providing kidney massages, even the low-bit-rate MP3 recordings of radio netcasts sound pretty good! Now to hook in the DragonFly Asynchronous Digital Audio Converter and listen to some high-bit-rate shows from the Internet Audio Archive!
dream time
I dreamed I was in a large communal household, very overcrowded. It was a Python (computer language) cult...
New WIll Self novel review by NY TImes
Umbrella. I have read Will Self since he appeared in The Whole Earth Review. This is a note to myself to check this out...
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I joined Twitter and Branch
Hoping that repair and keeping my nose clean for eleven years is enough...
I want to explore branch.com...
I want to explore branch.com...
Brian Eno on "we don't do politics"
via Edge.org ( a great resource, BTW)
This point was also made by Ross, who complained that we don't do anything remotely like the well-financed, well-planned and well-staffed campaigns of the Right: home-schooling materials for K-12, arch-conservative colleges and law schools, campaigning and intern training programs for dog-catcher through Senate, think tanks and ALEC, and so on. h/t to Steve for the link, although I am a subscriber to Edge.org as well.
This point was also made by Ross, who complained that we don't do anything remotely like the well-financed, well-planned and well-staffed campaigns of the Right: home-schooling materials for K-12, arch-conservative colleges and law schools, campaigning and intern training programs for dog-catcher through Senate, think tanks and ALEC, and so on. h/t to Steve for the link, although I am a subscriber to Edge.org as well.
add a second disk to ZOL boot RAID array
note to self: (from zfs-discuss list):
Having made a bootable installation of Linux on ZFS using this HOWTO, I was slightly puzzled as to how to add a second disk to the array and make the second disk bootable. In the end I did the steps below. They may be simple to many people, but gave me a bit of trouble. I wonder if a small addition to the HOWTO to deal with the case of adding extra disks to an existing system would be of any use?
Steps taken:
------------
Boot the system with the Linux disk and the new, blank hard disk attached.
Login and run 'sfdisk -l'. This shows from the partition tables which disk is the Linux one and which is the blank one. In this example the Linux disk is /dev/sda and the new disk is /dev/sdb.
Run 'sfdisk /dev/sda -O table' to dump the partition table of the Linux disk.
Run 'vi table' and change references to 'sda' to 'sdb' (This step probably not necessary, but won't hurt)
Run 'sfdisk /dev/sdb < table' to copy the partition table of the Linux disk to the blank disk.
Run 'sfdisk -R /dev/sdb' to get the kernel to reload the new partition table.
Do 'sfdisk -l' - both disks should have the same partition table.
Run 'ls -l /dev/disk/by-id' | grep scsi' to get the disk IDs which relate to sda and sdb. Note which is which.
Run 'zpool status'. It should show that the device ID corresponding to sda is online. Also note the pool name (eg 'tank01')
Do 'zpool attach [pool name] [existing attached disk id] /dev/disk/by-id/[id of disk to be attached]-part[x]' where 'part-[x]' refers to the partition number of the partition for ZFS storage.
Run 'zpool status'. The pool should be resilvering. Wait for this to complete before reboot.
As in the howto, do 'mke2fs -m 0 -L /boot/grub -j /dev/disk/by-id/[id of new disk]-part[x]' where [x] is the partition number for the Grub partition.
Do 'umount /boot/grub', then 'mount /dev/sdb1 /boot/grub' (assuming the Grub partition is the first one).
Do 'grub-install /dev/sdb', then 'update-grub'
Shut down the system and detach the original Linux disk. The new disk should now boot into Linux.
Monday, January 14, 2013
GMail Contacts update script
I ran into some intermittent problems with labnol's script to email selected contacts and provide a link to allow self service editing of the info. Worked for some, permission errors for others... So far I look like a spamming phisher because I ran it four times :-( sorry...
Update: I think the "errors" were the message that it is not a Google script, which arises only as a tip that it was written by labnol, not Google, Inc.
Update: I think the "errors" were the message that it is not a Google script, which arises only as a tip that it was written by labnol, not Google, Inc.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Ubuntu 12.10 problems and solutions
I lost a few days to work on a fresh install of 12.10 (was running 12.04). Notes on the experience:
- It turns out a fast machine with an SSD can beat the lightdm startup, leaving the machine with a blinking cursor, which happens to look like a complete grub failure; this in turn led to re-installing grub and worse - bleh :-( Workaround: add a few seconds pause before exec lightdm
- during installation, in the hardware scan section, modprobe I915 for Intel graphics will hang; workaround: delete i915.ko This error was due to a regression in kernel 3.7, which was
- installed by adding xedgers PPA to get the NVidia-current drivers... and I could not get full resolution until I added a custom xorg.conf
- cannot get to virtual consoles: hangs until in CTL-ALT-F7 back to X UPDATE: edited /usr/share/
nvidia- current/ nvidia- current. grub-gfxpayload and commented out the example rule, ran update- grub-gfxpayload , rebooted. This may make me vulnerable to other problems, but enables virtual consoles.
TrakDot Station
TrakDot will arrive in April, allowing us to track our luggage anywhere in the world.
email subscription added
Down at the bottom of the page you should see a link that allows email subscriptions to this blog.
Attention: Henry
Attention: Henry
Paying attention to what is du
Du or sie is the German flavored version of an issue that took a valued friend of mine away. She was from California, where she married an East Coast man in Silicon Valley. When it came time to have kids, he insisted they move to Princeton, as he did not want to them to grow up with Cali ways. "The waiters here talk to you as if you are their best friend. Back home they just serve you and let you get on with your conversation," he said. I miss her and wish her well. I, on the other hand, am third generation native Northern Californian. "Hi, I'm David and I'll be your waiter tonight!"
Good advice from Aaron Swartz
This advice from Aaron Swartz is similar to what I told myself when I was in a bad way. It pays off.
The whole series is worth reading, as is the blog in general.
h/t to Dave Winer.
The whole series is worth reading, as is the blog in general.
h/t to Dave Winer.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Thoughts prompted by the suicide of Aaron Swartz
(Various pointers to coverage)
While I did not know the man, his choice to do this and his connection to the development of the Net bring to mind some thoughts.
I too once suffered from depression that brought me to my knees and to the brink of disaster. What kept me going was the sense that we can't actually end it and can't erase and start over, that we have to address the root of things. I dropped the non-sense pre-occupations of my life, went off the Net and into therapy, took meds, and restarted my spiritual practice. Equally important, I found the love of a good woman, who had known me for a long time, who knew my essential core to be more than what was prominent at that time. I got to a better place, those many years ago, and continue. I am very grateful for this opportunity and the grace that has led to a very happy and productive life... All Thanks...
I suspect that Aaron felt that there wasn't a viable future, that the forces weighing on him were too much. I know that was true for one of my closest friends, who also took his own life a year ago. I wish they both had seen a glimmer of hope for something better and had chosen a different path.
While I did not know the man, his choice to do this and his connection to the development of the Net bring to mind some thoughts.
I too once suffered from depression that brought me to my knees and to the brink of disaster. What kept me going was the sense that we can't actually end it and can't erase and start over, that we have to address the root of things. I dropped the non-sense pre-occupations of my life, went off the Net and into therapy, took meds, and restarted my spiritual practice. Equally important, I found the love of a good woman, who had known me for a long time, who knew my essential core to be more than what was prominent at that time. I got to a better place, those many years ago, and continue. I am very grateful for this opportunity and the grace that has led to a very happy and productive life... All Thanks...
I suspect that Aaron felt that there wasn't a viable future, that the forces weighing on him were too much. I know that was true for one of my closest friends, who also took his own life a year ago. I wish they both had seen a glimmer of hope for something better and had chosen a different path.
Climate change talks
These talks are worth a listen. In the early Eighties I worked in a junior capacity for James Hansen at NASA Ames Research Center. I recently read Michael Mann's The Hockey Stick and The Climate Wars and highly recommend it to understand the political battles, especially the so-called "Climate-gate".
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Amazon AutoRip loaded my library with a ton of music!
Amazon just announced they are providing mp3 versions of CDs I bought since 1998! 15 years of CD purchases now available online!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
the book Subversives captures the history
Subversives provides superb analysis of the intertwined histories of J. Edgar Hoover, Ronald Reagan, and the Sixties student radical movement. If you want to know something about Cointelpro, covert collaboration between the FBI and Reagan (from early years onward), FBI informant's early arming and training of the Black Panthers and many other aspects of our history, read this. The inner details are revealed as a result of a long-running battle over Freedom of Information Act requests, which was ultimately won by the author. While the book is very detailed, it does not repeat the error of Manning Marible's Malcolm X biography, which was weakened by excess personal trivial material.
I finally finished it last night!
I finally finished it last night!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
testimony: my headaches have been cured by Alexander Technique
Since I began training in this three months ago I have only had one headache, which happened to be transformed on the spot to feeling great, not just relieved, when I was in for a visit. I continue to go weekly and learn more. It is enlightening to learn how much I contort and hold, to my detriment... What a relief after a lifetime of pain! For Marin County training I recommend Elaine Belle and John Baron.
Shoegazer rock originated in 8 Miles High?
Suggested by Sound Opinions show yesterday on NPR... It actually holds water!
Spacemen 3 spawned from the Byrds?!
Spacemen 3 spawned from the Byrds?!
The New School is the Old School: "I want my NCTV (Network Computer TV)"
Sadams.uk and others will recognize that in this.
Did you know Dirk is working on the Google Chrome OS?
I wonder if Ross could get by with this?
Did you know Dirk is working on the Google Chrome OS?
I wonder if Ross could get by with this?
Saturday, January 5, 2013
John Tischer's writings
I enjoy the musings of John Tischer; ThaiSteve, Charley, and others might also...
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Ubuntu Phone product announcement
I'm excited to see I will be able to have same system on my phone as on my desktop and laptop!
Announcing Ubuntu for phones
Announcing Ubuntu for phones
Ken McLeod
All my best to Ken, a Buddhist teacher I studied with, who has retired from teaching for now.
I highly recommend his book Wake Up to Your Life
I highly recommend his book Wake Up to Your Life
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year!
Best wishes for everyone! I am enjoying DJ Krush Radio on Pandora, visiting with the love of my life (wife Sara), and preparing for a house party at Barbara and Michael and swing dancing tonight at WnY Warehouse!
Update: Great New Year's Eve party with local Linguistics MeetUp group, great party with Barbara and Michael and friends yesterday, then watched the US Open Swing Dance finals for 2012 on DVD. Company party tomorrow night and Next Generation Swing Dance Club Saturday - an unusual bout of socializing for us!
Update: Great New Year's Eve party with local Linguistics MeetUp group, great party with Barbara and Michael and friends yesterday, then watched the US Open Swing Dance finals for 2012 on DVD. Company party tomorrow night and Next Generation Swing Dance Club Saturday - an unusual bout of socializing for us!
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