Back at BFC for month of February
Posted by zeruch in Aesthetics, Out and About, Visual Arts on February 5, 2012
I’ll post a pic or two later this week, but I am appearing for the 7th time at Barefoot Coffee Bar/Roasters. This will be only the second time I’m not on the main wall, but given how work and other commitments have gone, it was better to play a smaller role. It’s a few prints from recent abstract and representational work, as well as a clutch of actual pencil and ink works in various stages of completion (almost all of them having never seen the light of day before now)
Falkvinge on the Offense
Posted by zeruch in Law, Observations, Politics, Pop Culture, Technology on February 5, 2012
Sounds about right indeed. Now, Rick Falkvinge is not exactly a neutral actor in all this, seeing as he’s the main mouthpiece for the Pirate Party out of Sweden; that doesn’t change the accuracy of his observations, or the appeal of his proposed legislative fixes.
The key is that there has to be a coordinated push against, instead of a constant reaction to, the machinations of Big Content and their various proxies (i.e. the laughable anti-Piracy industry, which consists largely of small, poorly managed firms doing lackey-like bidding for Tiberius-grade media oligarch-luddites).
VoTD: Julia Nunes – Stay Awake
Posted by zeruch in Aesthetics, Pop Culture, Sounds, Visual Arts on January 25, 2012
Congrats to fellow Portuguese-American Julia Nunes, for her new video and her recent appearance on Conan. Thank you for being something other than the lead singer from Journey, the lead guitarist from Extreme or that skinny Canadian chick with an avian fetish.
tuesday armageddon will be here
Posted by zeruch in Aesthetics, Observations, Pop Culture, Visual Arts on January 23, 2012
Working title was after the Police tune Truth Hits Everybody but I heard a Family Stand track on the way home that the lyric from Sky is Falling provides the title for now.
VoTD: Sound Machines
Posted by zeruch in Aesthetics, FOSS, Observations, Pop Culture, Sounds, Technology, Visual Arts on January 23, 2012
Found this one at Creative Applications, and I have to say that the product design and implementation just floors me. Interactivity and style like that just doesn’t come around much.
In a sleek glass covered case Jens’ team installed three units of what at best resembles unconventional record players. Instead of vinyl each unit spins a pre-installed disc with concentric geometric patterns that translate into control signals for Ableton Live. Three discs, three tracks of different sounds each. Enough for sound designer and producer Yannick Labbé (of Trickski fame) to work and perform with. The visual patterns were created by ‘reverse-engineering’ a set of music he had composed exclusively for the event. “After discussing which tracks were most suitable for the performance and the audience, Yannick produced the whole set,” says Jens. “We then fitted the discs, set up our software (Arduino, Processing) to read the patterns and control the tracks.” Interestingly enough, the discs themselves were produced manually – no sophisticated software workflow needed.
Lot’s of great FOSS tech there, and used in a way even Apple-monkeys would have pause for.
VoTD: Harriet Tubman Double Trio live
Posted by zeruch in Aesthetics, Pop Culture, Sounds on January 22, 2012
Harriet Tubman is a trio (typically) that has done some recent gigs as a “double trio” (to borrow the Crimsonism), and that does some mind-bending damage live, especially when covering John Coltrane’s Ascension. Big, messy, and moving with a leviathan-like power. Not for the weak-willed.
Brandon Ross: guitars
Melvin Gibbs: bass
JT Lewis: drums
Graham Haynes: cornet
DJ Logic & Val Inc.: turntables
Sommelier of Malt
Posted by zeruch in Observations, Out and About on January 18, 2012
So in Slate there is an article on beer sommeliers (or a reasonable facsimile thereof).
Like great wine, great beer deserves well-trained people who can build a strong collection of barrels and bottles, and know how pair them well. Many restaurants and bars have a long way to go,…
This is very true. Thankfully, living in the Bay Area means that many places are already getting there, with not only good venues available (i.e. Martins West, Magnolia, Alembic, Monk’s Kettle, etc), but quite a few have expertise to help pair the stuff with meals (although I’ve become decent at determining what will and won’t work with certain things myself, I like it when someone with a real passion for comestibles and imbibables points out something unexpected.
Fundamental Flaw in Oracle
Posted by zeruch in Observations, Technology, linkedin on January 18, 2012
Apparently its been sitting resident in the DB software for some time, but I always thought it was just Larry Ellison’s hubris.
SOPA needs to go away, permanently.
Posted by zeruch in Law, Observations, Politics, Pop Culture, Technology on January 17, 2012
Letting a largely luddite-grade band of opportunists, led by a stack of lobbying dollars fed from venal Big Content coffers, does not intelligent technology legislation make. I guarantee any Congressperson who supports SOPA, regardless of any other position on any other topic, you will be on my “donate to their competition” list. I am also sure I am not alone in that sentiment. Your bumbling avarice has begun turning me into a single-issue voter, which I didn’t think was really possible until now.
QoTD: Ricky Gervais on What Merits Recognition
Posted by zeruch in Aesthetics, Observations, Pop Culture on January 16, 2012
There’s no difference between fame and infamy now. There’s a new school of professional famous people that don’t do anything. They don’t create anything. You should make something. You should bring something into the world that wasn’t in the world before. It doesn’t matter what that is. It doesn’t matter if it’s a table or a film or gardening — everyone should create. You should do something, then sit back and say, “I did that.”
Ricky Gervais from a recent Esquire interview. I have to say I’m in total agreement.
VoTD: BRC’s tribute to Gil Scott Heron on Kickstarter
Posted by zeruch in Aesthetics, Pop Culture on January 8, 2012
Vanbot Remix EP
Posted by zeruch in Aesthetics, Pop Culture, Sounds on January 4, 2012
Found this via the Fear of Tigers remix, and its overall a good slice of electro-pop. Alternates between ethereal and dreamy to propulsive anthemic synth-sprints. More here