Saturday, November 9, 2013

RIP DJ Cheb i Sabbah

The well known ethno-dance DJ died after a long-running battle with cancer.

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...

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Sunday, October 27, 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!

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).

Saturday, September 28, 2013

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

Sara Cahill produces a weekly radio show I enjoy, 33 1/3 RPM on KALW-FM.  She is also a piano player.  Her new release is streaming freely for a week here.

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!

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.

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.

touch screen Digital Audio Workstation controller supreme

raven-mti  for OSX + ProTools  $2499

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

wanted: apk file for icontrolav2 app

to install on Kindle Fire HD

Mark Porter's latest baby

Amazon's relational database service

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 Ã–nder in a performance of percussion-heavy music by Xenakis and Bartok.

standing desks reviewed

thewirecutter.com

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.

Dwight House sold in January for $800k

"Memories, of the way we were..."

Larry on Charlie

The August 14, 2013 episode of the Charlie Rose show is a one hour interview with LJE.

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

Friday, July 19, 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.

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

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!

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

Integral Theory and Critical Realism

Lots of reading here.

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.

Terri Lyne Carrington's re-make/homage to Ellington's Money Jungle

this album is great!

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!

Takei to the bridge

This PSA is true and funny!

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.

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.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Thursday, April 18, 2013

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!

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.

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...

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!"

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!

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 )

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!

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...

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

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.

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 ;-)

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.

Sasaki Roshi sexual scandal reported

NY Times coverage

new Berkeley Art Museum under construction

New Berkeley Art Museum to open in 2016 at Center and Oxford

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

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!

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 ;-)

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...

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Silicon Valley housing prices rising dramatically

according to Redfin.  Good for RS and other owners...

Zakir Hussain/Bela Fleck/Edgar Meyer

If it weren't sold out, I would buy a ticket!

Special note to Dore...

color photos of Paris in 1914

Paris1914.com  Recommended to Ellen, Ross, Leonard Pitt, LoriL, and all lovers of Paris.

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.

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!"

Watch that language!

Language Log is full of linguistic humor, perfect for the Linguistics MeetUp.

Stewart Brand and Amory Lovins

In Climatewire.

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).

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!

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

Buddhist meditation fits the Bill

Bill Clinton hitting the cushion these days...

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

Chipotle coming to Santa Rosa!

Bring those calories!