MPH’s shared items in Google Reader

txtBOMBER, A Mobile Wall Printer For Guerillia Art Thursday, 29 July 2010, 3:11 pm

Felix Vorreiter created a prototype of the txtBOMBER, a hand-held digital printer that lets you add text to flat surfaces.

via Make

This is a blog post from Laughing Squid, subscribe via RSS, Email, Twitter, Facebook & Google Buzz.

Here are a few other possibly related posts you might enjoy:

- The Squid List: iCal, Mobile Version & Twitter

- Engagement Ring Made Using MakerBot 3D Printer

- Google Releases Mobile Gmail Application

- Ghostmatrix, A Light Printer That Creates Glowing Text That Spookily Fades Away

- Animated Music Video Printer Jam by Mistabishi

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Scott Beale

John Callahan, 1951-2010 Wednesday, 28 July 2010, 1:00 pm

“My only compass for whether I’ve gone too far is the reaction I get from people in wheelchairs, or with hooks for hands. Like me, they are fed up with people who presume to speak for the disabled. All the pity and the patronizing. That’s what is truly detestable.”
—John Callahan, "a quadriplegic, alcoholic cartoonist whose work in newspapers and magazines made irreverent, impolitic sport of both people with disabilities and diseases and those who would pity and condescend to them," died this weekend. Perhaps best known for his cartoon "Don't worry, he won't get far on foot, Callahan once told the New York Times Magazine that he hoped to have children because, "I think it would be fun to hear the whir of little wheels around the house." He was 59.

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Balk

Meet the Lower Haighters Behind SF's Newest Bar Sunday, 25 July 2010, 8:37 pm

Shared by Liz Winters
Yay Tym and Liz!

Brother and sister Tym and Liz Ryan aren’t just Lower Haight regulars — they’re also the team behind the newest bar in SF, The Sycamore.

Located at 2140 Mission (between 16th and 17th), The Sycamore threw open its doors to friends and family on Sunday, and the place quickly garnered 5-star buzz around the web. But it was a long journey that led up to the bar’s successful launch.

********

The Ryans, who are natives of the North Shore of Massachusetts, are new to bar ownership. Liz moved to San Francisco about 11 years ago to attend art school, and began bartending at various locales around the city, including a year-long stint at Noc Noc. After so many nights slinging drinks for others, she had the thought that’s no doubt crossed the mind of many a mixologist: “Why not try opening my own bar?”

Knowing the process would be challenging, Liz enlisted the help of her brother Tym, who was working as a DJ back in Boston at the time. Tym was ready for a change, so he came to SF, found an apartment near Haight and Steiner, started DJing at a few places around town (including Noc Noc), and began collaborating with Liz on plans for the bar.

The siblings’ first challenge? Finding a location. They searched the city for the perfect spot, and after nearly two years of hunting, finally settled on the Mission Street space being vacated by Cafe Prague.

Then, the renovations began. Because the space, well… it needed some work.

Flickr/aquababe

They outfitted the place with new furniture, lighting, paint, and artwork to create a classy but comfortable neighborhood bar.

Here’s the result.

Touches like a jukebox and games are meant to create a casual atmosphere where people will want to sit down and spend a few hours with friends.

One of the bar’s greatest aspects is its back patio. Liz and Tym set up picnic tables, chairs, heat lamps, and stools fashioned out of tree stumps (in keeping with the “Sycamore” theme).

The Ryan siblings have stocked the bar with more than a dozen varieties of bottled beers, including microbrews, imports, and Mission staples like PBR and Miller High Life. They’ve also got eight beers on draft, more than half a dozen wines, and their own homemade sangria by the carafe.

And oh yeah. There’s a freaking. Amazing. Food menu.

Chili roasted peanuts. Lamb burger sliders. Pan fried provolone with chimichurri. Pulled pork sandwiches with pickled slaw. And the Sycamore’s signature sandwich, a roast beef creation that they’ve brought to the west coast from their native North Shore.

The Sycamore is open every day from 11:30am to midnight (they’re working on getting a permit to stay open later), and there’s a daily happy hour from 4-7pm with $1 off drafts. They’ll be posting more details of specials, events, and menu items on their Facebook page in the weeks ahead.

Congrats to Tym and Liz on the launch of the Sycamore. Go check it out this weekend — and let us know what you think!

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | (author unknown)

Mapping what your neighborhood used to look like Thursday, 1 July 2010, 4:03 pm

In part of their initiative to get young and old people to hang out, We Are What We Do, in collaboration with Google, built Historypin. The map application invites people to upload their pictures and pin them in street view. The effort creates something of a digital time machine where old and young can find common ground.

Obviously, the more people who use it, the more useful it becomes. There doesn’t seem to be ton of pictures yet, so all you get is Google street view in a lot of places.

It’s easy to see the potential though. Just imagine being able to watch the evolution of your city, town, or neighborhood, like a block-specific museum with people’s personal stories and old photos with modern context.

[via infosthetics]

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Nathan Yau

Used Tires: Recycled Tire Rubber Art and Design Tuesday, 8 June 2010, 5:00 pm

[ By Marc in Environment & Nature. ]

Tires are boring. Except for the occasional horror experienced when one bursts or hits a nail, they’re simply an additional expense for your car. It’s amazing then, to see how many uses, both functional and aesthetic, that hard rubber can be bent toward. Here are some of the most innovative and artistic recycled tires you’ve ever seen:

(Images via ecouterre, drorbren, elite feet, makezine)

Most shoes have rubber soles, but only the most ecologically minded shoe companies intentionally reuse tire rubber for the bottom of their products. In some countries recycling is a necessity, and tires are salvaged for DIY shoe soles.

(Images via trilliumartisans, stylehive, stylehive, thedailygreen)

At some point in the last couple decades, tire rubber became chic. Tires are now a sought after material that can be used in clothing accessories ranging from necklaces and earrings to bracelets and belts. The durable material looks tough but is quite moldable and durable.

(Images via earthship, makingthishome, greenbridge, recyclart)

Tires are an integral structural ingredient in Earth Ships, the incredibly low impact and environmentally friendly houses that are becoming increasingly popular. Tires are formed into walls and then filled with dirt and sealed in with a stucco-like material. They provide great insulation while reclaiming huge amounts of used rubber.

(Images via ps1, uberreview, found shit, housewife splinder)

Tire rubber is durable enough to form usable furniture, and can be surprisingly beautiful. Despite the interesting aesthetic, I can’t imagine these chairs are very comfortable for sitting. They definitely seem to serve a better function as a conversation starter.

(Images via keetsa, igreenspot, greenlaunches, inhabitat)

Some furniture sets are made entirely out of tires and inflated tire tubing, creating extremely odd and interesting pieces. Whether the furniture keeps the tire’s original shape, or strips it of all but its most basic materials, tires are always eye-catching.

(Images via curbly, dailyartmuse, stylehive)

Some artists are able to turn the dullest materials into objects of real beauty. These decorations manage to take an incredibly dull object and turn it into something both lively and exciting. With a bit of coloring, the tire tread design becomes a pattern to be admired, rather than a feature to be taken for granted.

(Images via zuzafun, abovetheweather, makezine, guy schmidt, visualfunhouse)

Tire sculptures are awesome. The shape and durability of used tires make them an ideal material for playground creations and stand-alone sculptures. Creative tearing and shaping can turn a pile of junk that would otherwise be burned into foul smelling clouds, into a hilarious Buddha, saber-toothed cat, or mythical warrior.

(Images via swamp politics, dudecraft, medill, art knowledge)

Tires are proudly displayed on roadsides and in art museums; there are countless examples of finely shredded and shaped tires being turned into pieces of art. Pieces can be abstract and confusing, overwhelmingly large, or simply intricately decorated, but they’re all interesting.

(Images via mo_metalart, thememagazine, artnet, nymag)

Animal sculptures made out of tire are surprisingly fluid and realistic. The natural texture of tire rubber lends itself to such designs, and can replicate cords of muscle when shaped by a skilled hand.

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Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

20 Eye-Catching Pieces of ‘Recycled’ Urban Furniture: Geeky and Green Adaptive Reuse Design Projects

These urban furniture designers prove recycling can be a lot more interesting than stuffing cans, bottles and cardboard into the proper containers. 96 Comments – Click Here to Read More »»

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[ WebUrbanist - By Marc in Environment & Nature. ]

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Marc

Ram Jam "Black Betty" Tuesday, 8 June 2010, 3:04 am

I liked a YouTube video: relish in the burn-out bearded idiocy of Ram Jam!as seen on VictimofTime.com

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | (author unknown)

Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick [Official Video] Tuesday, 8 June 2010, 2:59 am

I liked a YouTube video: Official video for "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" by Ian Dury and The Blockheads.

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | (author unknown)

San Francisco crime mapped as elevation Monday, 7 June 2010, 4:01 pm

Doug McCune maps San Francisco crime in 2009 as if it were elevation. Peaks and valleys emerge with the rolling terrains of crime. The above is the map for prostitution:

My favorite map is the one for prostitution (maybe “favorite” is the wrong choice of words there). Nearly all the arrests for prostitution in San Francisco occur along what I’m calling the “Mission Mountain Ridge”, which runs up Mission St between 24th and 16th. I love the way the mountain range casts a shadow over much of the city. There’s also a second peak in the Tenderloin (which I’m dubbing Mt. Loin).

I love how realistic the 3-dimensional models look. They could almost pass for clay figures. Doug notes that the series of maps are more an art piece than they are information visualization, but these would be a great complement to your standard choropleth.

—
San Francisco crime mapped as elevation / Follow @flowingdata on Twitter or fan on Facebook for more data goodness.

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Nathan Yau

Facts Of Life Friday, 4 June 2010, 5:00 pm

Submitted by: dunno source via Submit a Photobomb

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Cheezburger Network

Five ancient technologies that were ahead of their times [Ancient Technology] Thursday, 3 June 2010, 11:48 pm

Sometimes archaeologists find artifacts so mind-blowing they seem like evidence of lost civilizations or alien visitors. Which ones are misinterpretations or hoaxes, and which are the real thing?More »

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Ed Grabianowski

Are Cameras the New Guns? [Privacy] Wednesday, 2 June 2010, 9:00 pm

In response to a flood of Facebook and YouTube videos that depict police abuse, a new trend in law enforcement is gaining popularity. In at least three states, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer.More »

Facebook – YouTube – Law Enforcement – Law – Security

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Wendy McElroy

Flooding in Guatemala causes completely surreal sinkhole Tuesday, 1 June 2010, 5:41 pm

The above photo, shot by Paulo Raquec of the Guatamalan government, shows a massive sinkhole formed as a result of the current flooding in Guatemala City. From the Associated Press…Flooding and landslides from the season’s first tropical storm have killed at least 150 people and made thousands homeless in Central America, officials said.Dozens of people were missing and emergency crews struggled to reach isolated communities cut off by washed-out roads and collapsed bridges caused by Tropical Storm Agatha.…

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | (author unknown)

Mobile number that rang the death knell Wednesday, 26 May 2010, 6:08 am

A Bulgarian mobile phone number has been suspended after every person who used it in the past 10 years died.

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | IBNLive.com editor@ibnonline.com

Google offers encrypted search Friday, 21 May 2010, 9:05 pm

Google has just announced that it will provide encrypted searching. That means that your ISP (and people on your network) won’t be able to see what you’re searching for, though Google still will, and the government can still subpoena your search history from them.

Encrypted Google search

Google announcement

EFF analysisGoogle launches encrypted search

• BoingBoing search privacy challenge: show us the data …
• Canadian customs refuse to disclose laptop border search policy …
• Google CEO says privacy doesn't matter. Google blacklists CNet for …

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Cory Doctorow

motorbikes Friday, 21 May 2010, 12:38 am

motorbikes

Vintage, restored and custom motorcycles

• VISUAL GRATIFICATION
• bubble visor
• Bike EXIF Daily Update
• Motorcycle Picture Of The Day
• The Vintagent
• Pipeburn

Preview this bundle

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | MPH

Roll it Experimental Housing / University of Karlsruhe Thursday, 20 May 2010, 6:28 am

Roll It, a cool experimental house, resulted from the collaboration among different institutes within the University of Karlsruhe.  This cyclindrical design is a modular protype that provides flexible space within a minimum housing unit.  Three different sections are dedicated to different functional needs: there’s a bed and table in section, an exercise cylinder, and a kitchen with a sink.

More images and more about the prototype after the break.

Structurally, the prototype includes an outer shell with the four support rings over a rigid inner shell.  A translucent membrane envelops the entire form and serves as advertising space for sponsors. Thin wooden slats are attached to the membrane to form the running surface of the roll.

The inner cover is a series of laminated OSB panels, each 15 mm thick, that cover the support rings. Circular openings in the side walls allow light into the structure, and a large opening serves as the entrance.

As seen on Detail.

Further information:

University of Karlsruhe

Participating institutes:

Institute of supporting structure (ift)
Prof. Matthias Pfeifer

Mitabeiter
Camille Hoffmann
Matthias Michel

Institute of supporting structure (ift)
Institute of Industrial Design and construction output (ifib)
Prof. Petra von Both

Institute of Industrial Design and construction output (ifib)

Roll it
info@rollit-09.de

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Karen Cilento

HTML5 visualization readiness Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 6:16 pm

Everyone’s been bashing Flash lately and holding HTML5 up on a pedestal. This circular graph thing, for example, shows what a combination of HTML5 and CSS3 can do and what features are available in major browsers. That’s great and all, but as you can see there are still a lot of holes.

The most glaringly obvious hole is Internet Explorer – which supports practically nothing. This is nothing new. Anyone who’s designed a site to work in all browsers knows this. But as much as you hate Internet Explorer, you’re not going to block content for some 80 percent of visitors, right?

On top of that, Flash provides richer interaction than HTML5 right now, and it’s going to be like that for a while. A lot of the work from the New York Times is in Flash. Stamen Design uses Flash. A lot of great work has come out of Flash – not just cruddy MySpace pages.

Now I’m not saying HTML5 isn’t going to be useful. It will be and is in some areas. But in terms of visualization, Flash is still better.

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Nathan Yau

Read Any Good Books Lately? Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 12:07 am

Brought to us by the sick bastards over at Bad Advice For Good Times.

“Do you want to be a nicer person? Are you looking for inspiration to do good things? Well keep looking. But if you’re into opening up terrifying vistas of reality then the Esoteric Order of the Old Ones and Cthulhu Cultists want to help. Contact us today to find out how.”

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Post tags: Blogroll, Books, Crackpot Visionary, Cryptohistory, Cthulhu, End of the World, Geekdom, Horror

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Mer

HearseCon 2010 Thursday, 13 May 2010, 2:46 pm

HearseCon 2010, a gathering of hearse owners, takes place June 18-20 in Englewood, Colorado. Opening night kicks off with a game of “Capture the Funeral Flag”.

HearseCon is like a funeral at a rock concert, Sturgis for hearse owners, Burning Man for People who shower… If you want to spend 3 days surrounded by hearses, hot girls, fires and excitement then there is nowhere else that you need to be.

photo by Mike Rogers

via Art Car Central

This is a blog post from Laughing Squid, subscribe via RSS, Email, Twitter & Facebook.

Here are a few other possibly related posts you might enjoy:

- BaconCamp San Francisco 2010

- links for 2010-01-12

- Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010)

- My Zombie Pinup Calendar 2010

- links for 2010-01-16

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | Scott Beale

Solif Designs mesmerizing Prototypes Tuesday, 11 May 2010, 6:00 pm

There is this gentleman by the name of Michael Smolvanov who can do some really amazing designs on 2 wheelers. And as is already evident from the pictures, you can jolly well make sure that ‘amazing’ here is really in a different plane altogether. His breath taking prototypes has often been much talked about over many forums and blogs and why not! Very sublimely, he translates his creations from motorcycles to work of art blurring between practicality and prototype. Michal Smolvanov is from Russia and goes by the pseudonym of Solif and he showcases his designs in his blog Solif Design
His designs are really unique, in a way that it is difficult to categorize it even as a ‘prototype’. For example, look at the ‘Black Widow Steam punk’, overall the model is so elegant in the matt finished black and golden colour. Look at the frame, like a few other recent custom designs, it doesn’t support the fuel tank at all, the swingarm is extra long to the fact that it will be probably a problem riding this bike even to show events. But then the vintage headlamp and accessories, the low stance, the un-describable single seat, everything is so drool worthy that even if it is just a prototype, you feel like getting one. The engine somewhat seems to be based on a boxer twin, but then it is just my guess, can not really make that out. Somewhere I read the designer describing the Black Widow as “frame, suspension and steering grown from organic substances,” and to “destruct the organics and process the carbon of the frame, leaving a strong and lightweight structure”. It has something to do with being eco friendly but more than that, I am yet to assess what that means, I don’t even wanna try, but whatever it is, the final product is definitely something any bike collector would love to add to his collection.

Then there is the ‘Styrr’, a name as radical as the prototype itself. Designed in blue and yellow, the first ‘styrr’iking thing you notice is the stance of the bike. It’s more curvy than Jennifer Lopez was at her prime with twists and bends at all the expected places and also where least expected. Okay, this is based on a V-Twin, that is evident, but hey! What’s that? No front forks! But wait, there is something shiny shiny besides the front swingarm. It may be that beneath the cycle styled front arms, there just might be the forks hidden. And to supplement them, those brakes (I am failing to recall the name and where I saw similar designs, please help me on that) on both the wheels. With that wide a rear tyre, I wonder if the bike really needs a side stand. It is weird, but looks fantastic.

And then if you think you have seen it all, wait… here comes the hot stepper, the ‘Speeder Mechanicus’. Once you figure out whether it is going or coming (meaning the front from the rear), you will either love it or loathe it. Well I liked it. This is different to say the least. Okay, one thing ‘not good’ about the whole Solif thing is that there are absolutely no inputs or write up anywhere in the net. The blog also has no write ups. Not even in Russian. Absolutely no idea where or how the idea generated or how it came into being. So it is little difficult to guess what is inside the bike. Anyway, you can figure out that this has a W3 cylinder, similar to the Fueling. Anyway, why does the bike remind me of a locomotive engine, dunno, there is something very eerily similar. Maybe the elongated hub centred steering along with the belt drive, it reminds me of those connecting rods on the metal wheels. The bug eyed headlamps are extended from the supposedly tank and there are a lot of crimson red round metal objects connected to one another. Of course they are here for the visual effect, but tend to look beyond the visual glory, maybe this prototype has a futuristic producable stage of course with a lot of remodelling, but think about it, those glass item lights in the front and rear, those wonder years just might be back!

My favourite is the ‘C-Org’, a unique concept. This bike looks real close to being ‘made-able’. I dont know how the forks will work, but otherwise, we have a generous looking V-Twin engine with an almost real tank, the handlebars doesn’t look like they are out to kill your back and the seat is almost ready. Solif has been very radical in the use of colours and here too the green sticks out with the yellow tyres, but in a very good way. I probably would have dreaded the idea of riding a grenn bike as green as this (The Kwacks don’t even come close!), but look at this bike, so stylish, you almost feel like streching out your leg over it and see what it can do. You might remeber the million dollar Chicara Prototypes, compared to that, this seems to be pretty tame. And of course, those oh! so gorgeous headlamps, I am sure they have been thought of as projector lights, it looks like those Hollywood films aliens with tentacles ending with eyes. You just might miss another unique feature of the bike. Try looking at the front mudguard! What did I tell you, this truly is a unique concept.

This guy is really a genius. At least I have never heard about Solif before. The world sometimes seems so big that so much talent really goes unnoticed. Check out his blog, he has lots to offer. The first bike above is the SapFire, then there is his latest creation, the Spirit of Design, which seems to have been inspired from the Victory Vision 8 Ball, which made a lot of news recently, the third one is Arx 3 Trike and he has Ark 1 & 2 motorcycles too. The last one is the Steampunk Version 1, from which the Black Widow is derieved. Visit his blog Solif Design to see some amazing designs on motorcycle and some cars too.

Source: MPH’s shared items in Google Reader | DIESEL

Array ]]> http://michaelphale.com/brain-stimulus/feed/ 0 http://michaelphale.com/brain-stimulus/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Michaelphalecom/~3/w45YsSPfDCA/ http://michaelphale.com/notzero/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:10:48 +0000 mph http://michaelphale.com/?page_id=320 ]]> http://michaelphale.com/notzero/feed/ 0 http://michaelphale.com/notzero/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Michaelphalecom/~3/n_HYgpck1C8/ http://michaelphale.com#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:40:32 +0000 mph http://michaelphale.com/?page_id=315
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Andrea In Gislow Garden, originally uploaded by michaelphale.

Here is Andrea hanging out in the garden of the late Elsa Gislow’s Muir Woods home, now abandoned. The dogwoods thought it was spring, even though this was taken in mid-February.

God of Sound, originally uploaded by Rey Misterio (Juan Molinet).

Rey Misterio (Juan Molinet) posts his lively illustracions from Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to his Flickr profile. I present you a great graphic of the elusive God of Sound. A negative background with lightning bolts, drums and waveforms would extend it’s reach past the music theme.

Appropriate for Vishnu’s Nue-style ipod skin?

View Larger Map

Indies Trader from Michael Hale on Vimeo.

Last year Mom surrendered her barn workshop to become our ‘music room’. It started when I wanted to buy a used drum set and the barn was the only place to house the thing. I got a sweet deal on a Pearl Export Pro Series 5 piece. Sunny got into the spirit quickly and started adding pieces to the set. Mom’s workshop quickly became the ‘music room’, complete with electric guitars, a bass and a couple of amps. Soon a microphone showed up along with a tambourine and shakers.

Over the past few months I have been back to Tennessee twice and I have been making some modifications to the room. To start, the barn is a cinder block structure. The old workshop has power, space heaters and outdoor carpet. The walls, however, are painted cinder block. Not so good for a jam room. After about 15 minutes the reverberation from the cymbals starts to really get to you.

I cleaned the room up, removed some pool toys and sleeping bags from the floor and riveted up a old red, black and white Mexican blanket that was my bedspread when I was about 9. I hung the blanket up by the rivets next to the drum kit, in an attempt to dampen the sound.

Mom and I threw around some ideas and we concluded that covering all of the walls with hanging sheets might do the trick. It was off to the Goodwill store for some sheet shopping. I found some jersey material sheets in red and purple. Next was how to hang them so they didn’t look lame. I lost my momentum for the day and didn’t get the sheets up. Later that night I remembered that I wanted to pick up some snacks at Trader Joe’s in Atlanta before I drove to Nashville. We started talking about how great Trader Joe’s is and when is Nashville going to get one? Growing up in California, we grew up with Trader Joe’s. Sunny even worked at a couple when he was a young surf rat. One thing led to another and was online at the Trader Joe’s website. I did a little victory dance when I saw that Nashville had a new Trader Joe’s. We immediately started making our plans for the next morning, which included swinging by a Costco.

While I was in Costco, I picked up two cheap 5′x7′ carpet rolls for $22. They were made from recycled water bottles and fairly light. Later when we got back to the house, I threw the carpets down on the floor of the ‘music room’. They were too small for the room, but they were a nice addition. Then it hit me. Glue the carpet to the cinder block walls! Which I proceeded to do and very much liked the result. One tube of Liquid Nails per carpet roll did the trick. Then I had to fly back to San Francisco the next day, so the room would have to wait.

I was back in Tennessee a month later with two large Indian tapestries from Haight St. for the ceiling. Mom went back to Costco and picked up 5 more rolls and over the course of two days I was cutting and gluing dark grey recycled water bottles to the walls. It made a huge audible difference, and it looked nice. The ‘music room’ suddenly was renamed the ’studio’. I picked up some flags at a military surplus store up the road, popped some rivets in them and hung em up. The framed photo of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley received some sticky back velcro and is solidly hanging up on the carpeted walls.

I am looking forward to some family jams over the summer. I still need to rip out the electrical system and completely cover all of the block walls with carpet and install a power conditioner so the amps don’t buzz from dirty power. I also need to pick up two more tapestries to do the ceiling up right. All that’s left after that is some shelf installation and possibly a ceiling fan for those hot summer nights.

I am afraid I will have the urge to get a computer interface mixer and some decent microphones for some serious recording. I should really learn to play some more songs before I dump loads of cash on recording gear. On that note, I am off to practice my guitar.

Well, today the Cramps official website was updated. Not with an album announcement. Not with a tour schedule. At first it was just black. As of this writing, it is updated with a classic photo of Lux on a stage floor and the dates that he was alive.

Lux isn’t the type of person that many people associate with being a hero or someone to look up to. Most people haven’t even heard of the Cramps. Since I was 14 I have respected the Cramps and Lux Interior for blazing their own path and trampling on the rules that govern the music industry and popular society. My list of original and influential artists of my time is a very short one and the Cramps are at the top of that list.

Here is the video that was my introduction to the Cramps (in 1983), from Urgh! A Musical War (circa 1981).

!!!

the ‘trailer’ states that IPV6 gets you color.

They put on a very fulfilling and excellent show, complete with string section, several instrument changes and special bonus aerial dancers.

Finally, I was able to see Lucero this year. I missed them in Nashville earlier this month.

I caught both shows at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco this weekend. Saturday was more of a rockin’ show, but Sunday produced some of my favorite songs I might not otherwise see live.

The band was very cool, hanging out in the club while Glossary and Jessica Lee Mayfield played. I chatted for a bit with frontman Ben and the tour manager Chris. They were very approachable and genuinely nice folks.

Big thanks to both the band and the venue for being photographer friendly.

A few more pics can be found on my Flickr page.

Mom and I rolled into Morristown, OH from Pittsburgh around 6pm on Wednesday. My cousin Jayme and her sons, Jason and Kaleb, stopped by for a swim. Aunt Robin and Uncle Robert took us up to Chaps for a bite to eat. We ended up sticking around until 11pm. Soulbridge was the local cover band who played out back in corraled tent. Through Robin and Robert, I met about 20 people that night. And yes, the waitresses wear chaps there. MPH got a fine taste of Belmont county.

Thursday at around 1pm, Mom, Robin, Robert and I headed over Jamboree central. Robert had arranged for Mom and I get our wristbands from the show rather than at an off-site location. Mom being neighbours with Reba and me flying all the way in from California, along with Robert being the Mayor of Morristown all contributed to this exception. Later, back at the house, my cousin-in-law Michael came by with his buddy Tucker to take me down to the Fine Day campsite. The super deluxe 1974 Roadking 2202 Rockwood camper awaited our arrival. We later dubbed it the double-duece ought-two. A fine piece of camping machinery, complete with a generator, microwave, a fan, and a wide awning, all headed up with a Dodge SportsMan van chassis. Later on we met up with Mom, Robin and Robert at the green-H. The green-H was a marker at the Jamboree bowl and the central location of our Jambo partying. I had plans to head to the Thomas house with Mom, Robin and Robert. I barely noticed the music coming from the stage. After several beers, I decided it was best that I head back to the Roadking with Michael and Tucker. When I returned from the porta-john, everyone at the green-H had evacuated. I don’t know how, but I made it back to the double-duece ought-two with everything except my sunglasses. I crashed for a bit on ground until it got a bit chilly, then I headed inside the Roadking for some padded warmth. I was cutting logs until Tucker came in, loudly demanding the keys to the truck so he didn’t have to sleep in a folding chair in the cold pre-dawn air.

Friday welcomed me with a much needed warm shower at the Thomas’ followed by a good-ole Robert Thomas breakfast. I would be ready for Fine Day with my sleeping bag this time. Before I was fully awake, talking about heading over to the bowl later in the day, Michael and Tucker showed up. Robert hooked me up with a cooler and we were headed back to the Roadking, despite my talk about laying low for the afternoon. Before we headed out, we had to pick up my cousin Beth at Michael’s folk’s place. “That’s our camper?!?” Apparently, it was her first sighting of this fine recreational vehicle. I decided to pace myself so I wouldn’t loose anything. We chilled out at the campsite for a few hours, watching the camp-sights, meeting our neighbours, and having a few beers. Us three boys took turns dragging the cooler wagon up the hill to the Jamboree bowl. It was only about a half-mile, but after three beers in humid 90 degree weather, it was quite a workout. Teamwork left us with a cooler packed with beer and ice at the green-H where we quickly met up with Mom, Robin and Robert. I headed to the VIP section (many thanks to Robin and Robert) for some grub and limo-style bathrooms. I brought back some food for everyone who didn’t get free food and it was well received. The music was jamming out of the stage and it was officially a party. I was being introduced to many people as the nephew who flew in from California for his first Jamboree. For the entire weekend, I was referred to as a Jamboree virgin. We all headed back to the campsite together this time. We hung out a bit before I decided to take a walk. I roamed deep into the campsite and stumbled across a mesh tent with a few guys playing live music. I decided I needed some company. I headed back to the Roadking and dragged Beth from her comfy Dodge Ram front bench seat bed. Mike was snoozing, as he usually was before 11pm. Tucker was game for some rambling. We headed back to the campsite with the musicians and slowly mozied our way in front of the tent. It was a great atmosphere with the cool night air filled with some acoustic Skynyrd covers. Then Charlie began to sing and my beautiful atmosphere began to crumble. We chatted with some folks for a bit then headed back to envy of Fine Day, the Roadking 2202. Beth went to bed and Tucker and I roamed around some more. At some point I whipped out my mini sleeping bag on the ground and had a few hours of shut-eye.

After a couple hours of napping upstairs at the Thomas’, I was treated to some good coffee and another king’s breakfast. The fire chief came by to chat on the porch and he was still there after I shaved and showered. Soon after, Mike and Tucker drove up waving for me to hurry up. Another nice afternoon under the Roadking awning. Our neighbours, six or seven girls from somewhere in Ohio, came back from the mall, three of them dressed in prom dresses. One red, one white and one blue. It was a true kodak moment. The looked great, but they looked like they would be way too hot. Mike and Beth tried to convince them to cut the dresses into skirts, but they were not into it. They would endure the heat for fashion. Later that day, they were asked up on stage and one of them took advantage of the situation to propose to her boyfriend while she was on stage. I brought over some more free VIP food to a welcome crowd. Saturday was the peak of the party. The sights were amazing. Custom made coolers everywhere. Men and women in bikinis. Everyone was squirting everybody. Beads were flying. Beer was going down like oxygen and the music kept getting better. Robert and I went for food and we came back with some manly roasted turkey legs. Right after the Brooks and Dunn hot air balloon flew over us the sun started to go down. That was Aunt Robin’s cue to break out the bowl of vodka infused mandarin orange slices resting in jello. I warned Mom to take it slow with the jello shots. She thanked me later. Soon after the tequila green jello container was being passed around. The place went nuts. Everyone was singing and dancing. I have never felt so at ease with 80,000 drunk people dancing around me. Saturday night didn’t produce any live acts at the campgrounds. We even went looking for Bubba, who was playing just up the hill from our campsite on Friday. Tucker and I roamed Fine Day and tried to get into the other campsites to check the scenes there. We were denied without appropriate wristbands. After bailing on the all-man slip and slide, I lost Tucker somewhere near the school bus with the hot tub. I ran into an acquaintance of my cousin’s named Jen who was at the Roadking earlier that afternoon. After joking with the campers, we found our way back to the 2202 and I crashed for a few hours under the stars.

Mike and Tucker nearly drove over me on their way out for coffee. They dropped me off at Robin and Robert’s and after my morning nap I fueled up on coffee. Robert and I were the only ones who headed back to the bowl for some more Jamboree. The hot wet air quickly turned to an almost cold wind when we noticed the dark gray storms moving north of us. Not one minute after Robert headed to the bathroom, I found myself drenched, running towards the tin-roofed shelter to avoid the sting of the hail on my skin. Once inside the shelter, I caught a man stumbling backwards towards me from the 70 mile an hour winds. Lawn chairs, blankets and people were being pushed by the wet wind. Once the sideways rain subsided, some folks thought it would be a good idea to drop the tarps on the side of the shelter. Robert found me at the shelter after a bit. We decided to hang tight and enjoy our beer. We headed out for a while before the second wave came. It had been many years since Mother Nature gave me a good shower like that. The air became warm and the announcement from the closed stage stated that another wave was coming through before it would clear and the show would commence in an hour. Once the rain ceased and we ran out of beer, Robert and I headed home. We cruised around town checking out all of the downed trees and limbs. Mom and Robin shared their storm experience at the house. All of the furniture on the porch was blown about and several items needed to be retrieved from the yard. We received word from Jayme and Scott. They had no power and there were trees blocking the road to their house, where we had plans for dinner. Panic struck me. How could I have travelled all the way to Ohio and be faced with not being able to see Jamie and her family? Later, Robert confirmed that the trees were just a delay and the worst case scenario would be that we would have to visit with no power. Relief. I decided to walk off my panic with a visit to the Blackhorse Inn to take some pictures. We packed the leftover Jamboree picnic food and headed out to Centerville. We arrived to welcome hugs and a huge living room of plush carpet. My talented nephew Jason was quick to share his prized guitars and we began to pluck some notes. During an impressive Stairway to Heaven on a Spanish classical guitar, I asked a seemingly mesmerized Kaleb if he liked to listen to Jason play. I received a big nod of approval. Shortly after, Beth, Michael, Issac and Josie arrived. Fresh fruit, cheese, crackers, then hotdogs and beans filled our bellies. Beth and Michael told me how they had to cut the Roadking awning off of the camper after the storm ripped it up. The view out of Jamie and Scott’s front door looked like a Sierra Club photo. Only after a few times that Mom though all of Beth and Scott’s light bulbs were burnt out, the power came back on. All of the boys swarmed Robert the entire time. Wresting ensued. Sissy (Josie) only jumped in and out of her grandmother’s lap about 2000 times.

Before I could blink it was time to head out.

My Jambo photos on Flickr

jamboreeinthehills.com

JITH on Wikipedia

Mostly for my own reference of nightlife, I have put together a short set of links that can be found by following the NYC Guide link along the top banner of my site.

I am very interested in worthy additions to the list, so feel free to send them on. I am painfully aware that there are multitudes of existing tour sites, but I have failed to find one that allows one to find bars, restaurants and music halls concisely and easily. If you know of good NY nightlife portals, send those along too!

After I made the list, I remembered I started something similar for San Francisco in the form of a Google Map. I now intend to do the same for NY.

More at my Flickr pad.

RadioPopper has announced they are taking pre-orders for the RadioPopper P1, a radio flash triggering device. The radio frequency units do not require line of sight to remotely trigger a flash and the units can run in either transmit or receive mode. A complete set of two units is $349, or $175 per unit. There are other radio-based remote flash triggers on the market at similar price points. The RadioPopper boasts TTL (through the lens metering) capability allowing photogs to leverage brand-specific intelligent light metering capabilities without cables. Today, photographers who utilize wireless flash triggering either pay a hefty price tag or must setup the flash settings (light strength, sync time, etc.) manually, usually requiring some trial and error shots to get the right effect. The RadioPopper also has a significantly smaller form factor than competitive triggers. Support for Canon and Nikon TTL are advertised.

RadioPopper also have a multi-frequency unit, called the P8, which isn’t yet available for pre-ordering.

The market differentiator photogs have been drooling over is the announced RadioPopper Jr. The Jr. boasts a tiny form factor to match it’s tiny price tag of around $25. The Jr. doesn’t support TTL, but photogs who are used to shooting manual with higher priced RF triggers or less-reliable IR triggers can easily cope.

Check out Strobist.com for all things remote flash.

Not often do are we exposed to such responsible art. Jordan’s works silently screams of American consumption and the waste thereof.

Through photography and graphic representation, Chris Jordan’s exemplification of our mindless consumption and frivolous excess are as riveting as they are revealing.

http://www.chrisjordan.com

Enjoy (your hopeful transformation)

Current exhibits:

2008 UPCOMING: Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH Mar.11 – June 1
2008 CURRENTLY SHOWING: Handwerker Gallery, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY Feb.28 – Apr.6
2008 CURRENTLY SHOWING: Winsor Gallery, Vancouver, BC Feb.6 – Mar.2

2008 UPCOMING: Sharon Arts Center, Peterborough, NH �Disposable: How Our Culture of Waste Affects Art� (Mar.7 – Apr.26)
2008 CURRENTLY SHOWING: Montpelier Arts Center, Laurel, MD “Digital Sequences” (Jan.11 – Feb.29)\