jgd3's superfeed

It's Better To Regret Something You Have Done Than Something You Haven't Done

jgd3 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:15:00 -0700

I totally miss this blog and wish I had enough time to post here again regularly. Maybe I'll find some surprise extra hour in the day and start doing so...

In the meantime, you can always find me posting the ephemera of my life on Twitter or Facebook.

Watchtower Genius Meme

jgd3 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:58:00 -0700

So my friend Rich has started a meme: tell iTunes to create a Genius playlist based on Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" and publish the results. Here's mine:

"All Along The Watchtower" - Bob Dylan
"Young Americans" - David Bowie
"Rhiannon (Single Version)" - Fleetwood Mac
"Reelin' In The Years" - Steely Dan
"Saint Simon" - The Shins
"Alison" - Elvis Costello
"Where It's At" - Beck
"In Between Days" - The Cure
"Do You Realize??" - The Flaming Lips
"Wolf Like Me" - TV On The Radio
"Fell On Black Days" - Soundgarden
"7/4 (Shoreline)" - Broken Social Scene
"Changes" - David Bowie
"Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads
"The Chain" - Fleetwood Mac
"Kissing The Lipless" - The Shins
"Lithium" - Nirvana
"Baby Brother" - The White Stripes
"Just Like Heaven" - The Cure
"Bigger Than My Body" - John Mayer
"The Only Living Boy In New York" - Simon & Garfunkel
"Dirty Work" - Steely Dan
"My Best Friend's Girl" - The Cars
"Rebel Rebel" - David Bowie
"The Man In Me" - Bob Dylan

Dude, that's just strange. Seems like it just wanted to pull anything old it could find.

Best parts:

iTunes somehow draws a line between Dylan and TVOTR
The list begins and ends with Dylan tracks

Everything That Happens Will Happen Today -- out now!

jgd3 — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:27:00 -0700

The first new album by David Byrne & Brian Eno in nearly 30 years is out now:

Get it!

Steve Wozniak at BbWorld '08

jgd3 — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:30:00 -0700

Steve Wozniak at BbWorld '08
Originally uploaded by jgd3

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First Pluto, now this

jgd3 — Sat, 10 May 2008 04:37:00 -0700

First Pluto, now this
Originally uploaded by jgd3

Best Music of 2007

jgd3 — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:47:00 -0800

It's my Top Ten for 2007...finally!

I realize I said this for 2006 too, but last year was a fantastic one for music. So much so that I struggled for a month deciding which albums would make it into my list. Usually each year I try to write up a review of my top albums, but it's February now and I haven't found the time yet. Since I don't see that changing anytime soon, I give up. Here's my list, straight up:

Top Ten Albums for 2007

Honorable Mentions:

Walls - Apparat
Person Pitch - Panda Bear
Oblivion With Bells – Underworld
Consequence Music – Dextro
Fur And Gold – Bat For Lashes
I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead – El-P
In Our Nature - José González
The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! – Saul Williams
Language Barrier – Lusine ICL
We Can Create – Maps

Yeah I know that's a lot of runners up, but there were way more than ten great albums this year!

And now as a bonus for all those of you who so patiently , here's the bonus round:

Song of the Year

"Stars"* - Goodbye - Ulrich Schnauss

Best Live Album of 2007

Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) - k-os

Best DJ Mix of 2007

Live'r Than You'll Ever Be - Bestival 2007 - The Kleptones

Best Album of 2006 That I Didn’t Discover Until 2007

Carnavas - Silversun Pickups

Biggest Disappointment of 2007

Atlantis - k-os

Agree? Disagree? Just feel like commenting? Let me know what you think!

('*' = not a DRM-free link)

See also:
Review: "Year Zero" by Nine Inch Nails (that's right – the only top ten review I managed to get done)
Top Ten Albums of 2006: Recap (+ Bonus Round!)

"Yes We Can"

jgd3 — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:09:00 -0800

Okay, no surprise to my regulars that I support Barack Obama for president. But whether you do or not, I encourage you to check out this song and video, "Yes We Can":

This is really moving. I could not have imagined Will.i.am capable of something like this. My hat is off to him, director Jesse Dylan and all the people that pitched in to be a part of it.

If you're in a Super Tuesday state, please get out and support the candidate of your choice -- it's never been more important than it is right now.

Tops of My Pops for 1/13/08

jgd3 — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 08:30:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending January 13, 2008
1. Massive Attack
2. Burial
3. Maps
4. Amy Winehouse
4. Apparat
4. Ulrich Schnauss
7. M.I.A.
8. Panda Bear
9. Radiohead
10. Nine Inch Nails
10. Meat Beat Manifesto
10. LCD Soundsystem

Quick Hits:

Finally broke down and checked out Back to Black. After hearing it, I'm convinced Mark Ronson is a genius.
I'm really having serious issues trying to fit Apparat, Ulrich Schnauss and Panda Bear all into my Top Ten for 2007. Not all of them are going to make it, yet all of them are good enough to have a spot.

New Jamie Lidell Album & Tour in 2008

jgd3 — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 04:58:00 -0800

Check out this live rehearsal video from Jamie:

Looks like he's bringing a full live band with him this time. He was awesome last time I saw him live -- and that was just him solo!

See also:
Jamie Lidell – Live Goodness!

Tops of My Pops for 1/6/08

jgd3 — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:00:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending January 6, 2008
1. Radiohead
2. Thom Yorke
3. Dextro
3. Iron & Wine
5. The Church
6. David Bowie
6. Clark
6. Ultramarine
9. Nine Inch Nails
9. The Kleptones
9. Klimek
9. He Said
9. Faithless
9. Spoon

No surprise seeing Radiohead topping the week's listening, given that In Rainbows is so obviously the Album of the Year. More on that when I get my Top Ten together for 2007...

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 12/30/07

jgd3 — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:38:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 30, 2007
1. Radiohead
2. k-os
2. David Bowie
2. Beck
5. The Kleptones
5. Spoon
5. DJ Shadow
8. Justin Timberlake
9. Kate Bush
9. Josh Rouse
9. Sondre Lerche
9. Jurassic 5
9. Foo Fighters

Nothing interesting going on this time around. We had relatives visiting all week, so we were listening to pretty innocuous stuff.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

The Clinton's Halloween Party

jgd3 — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 04:24:00 -0800

Just saw this hilarious SNL clip and had to share:

Go Barack!

Tops of My Pops for 12/23/07

jgd3 — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:40:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 23, 2007
1. DJ Z-Trip
1. Beck
3. Radiohead
4. The Kleptones
4. Kiln
6. Beastie Boys
6. Nine Inch Nails
6. k-os
9. The Bees
9. David Bowie
9. Spoon
9. Klimek
9. Josh Rouse

Quick hits:

Z-Trip's All Pro soundtrack is unfortunately not scratching my turntablist itch the way Shifting Gears did so well.
Kiln has released a nice album (Dusker) and ep (Vaporbend) that occupy the crossroads where crisp electronics meet noise and ambient.
Speaking of ambient, my buddy mrkvm turned me on to Klimek's interesting Dedications. Executed by Sebastian Meissner under one of his many aliases, it's not necessarily cohesive as an album but the individual tracks are very nice (and trying guess how the varied individuals influenced the compositions dedicated to them is fun).

Tops of My Pops for 12/16/07

jgd3 — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 08:55:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 16, 2007
1. Nine Inch Nails
1. Burial
3. Underworld
4. Massive Attack
5. David Bowie
5. John Mayer
7. The Kleptones
7. Zero 7
9. Boards of Canada
9. Jamie Lidell
9. Josh Rouse
9. Coldplay
9. Coil
9. RJD2
9. Radiohead
9. Renegade Soundwave
9. Lamb
9. The Decemberists
9. Seefeel

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 12/9/07

jgd3 — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 08:35:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 9, 2007
1. The Kleptones
1. Saul Williams
3. David Bowie
4. Amon Tobin
5. Soundgarden
6. Klaxons
7. The Church
8. DJ Shadow
9. Spoon
10. Sigur Rós
10. Radiohead
10. Beck
10. Múm

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 12/2/07

jgd3 — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:10:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 2, 2007
1. Nine Inch Nails
2. Radiohead
3. Stars of the Lid
4. Yppah
5. Cocteau Twins
6. Seefeel
7. Underworld
8. k-os
8. Spoon
8. The White Stripes

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 11/25/07

jgd3 — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 07:50:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending November 25, 2007
1. Burial
2. Beck
3. Radiohead
4. Cocteau Twins
4. Josh Rouse
4. Gang of Four
4. Underworld
8. Massive Attack
8. Renegade Soundwave
8. Boards of Canada
8. Spoon
8. Jurassic 5
8. Autechre
8. Nine Inch Nails

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 11/18/07

jgd3 — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 07:40:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending November 18, 2007
1. Stars of the Lid
1. Radiohead
3. The Hives
4. Ulrich Schnauss
4. Kiln
4. The Church
7. Killing Joke
8. Lusine ICL
9. El-P
10. Thomas Fehlmann
10. Meat Beat Manifesto
10. Spoon

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 11/11/07

jgd3 — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:59:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending November 11, 2007
1. Iron & Wine
2. David Bowie
3. Lee "Scratch" Perry
4. Tim Hecker
5. Rockers Hi-Fi
6. The Sea and Cake
6. Killing Joke
8. Faith No More
8. The White Stripes
8. Brian Eno
8. DJ Shadow
8. Nine Inch Nails
8. The Field
8. Everything but the Girl

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

The Office Is Closed

jgd3 — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:34:00 -0800

For those of you living under a rock, the Writer's Guild of America is striking in order to force the studios and networks to negotiate residual payments for digital media. Sounds complicated or maybe boring, but it's not. And every TV show and movie currently in production in the U.S. is affected. And tragically, that includes The Office. Listen to what the show's actors and writers have to say about it:

Find out more at United Hollywood. Support the Strike!

Tops of My Pops for 11/4/07

jgd3 — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 15:52:00 -0800

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending November 4, 2007
1. Nine Inch Nails
2. David Bowie
3. DJ Shadow
4. Underworld
4. Amon Tobin
4. Renegade Soundwave
4. Radiohead
8. Autechre
8. Clark
8. Meat Beat Manifesto

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 10/28/07

jgd3 — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 16:45:00 -0700

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending October 28, 2007
1. The Dead Texan
1. Underworld
1. Radiohead
4. Spoon
5. Stars of the Lid
6. James Brown
6. DJ Shadow
8. Gang of Four
8. Wagon Christ
8. Lusine ICL
8. David Bowie

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 10/21/07

jgd3 — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:35:00 -0700

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending October 21, 2007
1. Underworld
2. Apparat
3. David Bowie
3. Josh Rouse
5. LCD Soundsystem
5. Spoon
7. Radiohead
7. Beastie Boys
7. Beck
10. The Kleptones

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 10/14/07

jgd3 — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 16:05:00 -0700

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending October 14, 2007
1. Radiohead
2. Spoon
3. Maps
3. Silversun Pickups
5. Lusine ICL
6. Wilco
7. Amon Tobin
7. Beck
9. Robert Fripp
9. Underworld
9. Plaid
9. David Bowie

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 10/7/07

jgd3 — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:50:00 -0700

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending October 7, 2007
1. Spoon
2. Foo Fighters
3. Fridge
3. Josh Rouse
5. Manual
5. Lusine ICL
7. Radiohead
8. Beck
8. David Bowie
8. Interpol
8. Meat Beat Manifesto
8. Gang of Four
8. The White Stripes

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

TokBox Brings Video to Facebook IM Chat

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:25:12 -0700

TokBox Brings Video to Facebook IM Chat:

a very strong addition to Facebook Chat!

“John McCain is Aware of the Internet” (via...

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:40:48 -0700

“John McCain is Aware of the Internet” (via personaldemocracy)

Absolutely awesome! Thanks to Intellagirl for pointing me to this!

In this, the first of three exclusive videos filmed during...

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:09:49 -0700

In this, the first of three exclusive videos filmed during rehearsals for their upcoming tour, we get a private glimpse of Nine Inch Nails as they careen through a live rendition of 1,000,000. (via 1,000,000 | Pitchfork.tv)

I’m Voting Republican

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:01:04 -0700

I’m Voting Republican

Finally! Now we can get on with the real election!

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:52:23 -0700

Finally! Now we can get on with the real election!

Twitter Tweet Sheet — JasonTheodor.com

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:13:05 -0700

Twitter Tweet Sheet — JasonTheodor.com:

Handy roundup of Twitter mobile/IM commands

The Phoenix has landed! via www.jpl.nasa.gov

Sun, 25 May 2008 20:21:16 -0700

The Phoenix has landed!

via www.jpl.nasa.gov

Five Extensions You Won't Need with Firefox 3 [Firefox 3]

Tue, 20 May 2008 18:15:49 -0700

Five Extensions You Won't Need with Firefox 3 [Firefox 3]:

Now that Mozilla’s locked down Firefox 3’s feature set, it’s clear the new browser iteration will render some extensions obsolete. Firefox 3 will include functionality out-of-the-box that…

Attention all news organizations: From now until June 9, it's nothing but iPhone, 24x7

Tue, 20 May 2008 18:15:49 -0700

Attention all news organizations: From now until June 9, it's nothing but iPhone, 24x7:

So our leak to Gizmodo worked like a charm, and they’ve posted the news about the 3G iPhone drop here. Big date is June 9. Katie and her crew are putting together the final memo which will…

“Apple Mac Music Video” (via Scribbling.net). ...

Mon, 19 May 2008 13:52:48 -0700

“Apple Mac Music Video” (via Scribbling.net). Brilliantly creative independent video for “Again & Again” by The Bird & The Bee.

Download Music from Your Friends' iTunes Libraries Over the Internet with Mojo [Featured Download]

Sun, 18 May 2008 23:35:45 -0700

Download Music from Your Friends' iTunes Libraries Over the Internet with Mojo [Featured Download]:

Shared by jgd3
Absolutely awesome music sharing app!

Windows/Mac only: Share any song in your iTunes library and download any song from your friends’ iTunes libraries over the internet…

Final Crisis Annotations

Sat, 17 May 2008 15:03:26 -0700

Final Crisis Annotations:

Shared by jgd3
Yay! Douglas Wolk will be writing about DC’s “Final Crisis” series!

Cinemax: Molotov Alva

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:08:40 -0700

Cinemax: Molotov Alva:

Shared by jgd3
Very interesting. I’m going to have to schedule some serious time to watch this.

The first documentary shot entirely in a virtual online platform, Molotov Alva and His Search for…

iVolume – listen to music freehand

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:52:43 -0700

iVolume – listen to music freehand:

Really excited about the v3 release of one of my favorite utilities. iVolume automates the process of adjusting the perceived volume of your iTunes tracks so that all your songs play at the same volume level. Awesome!

Team WhiteBoarding with Twiddla - Painless Team Collaboration for the Web

Sat, 10 May 2008 23:52:21 -0700

Team WhiteBoarding with Twiddla - Painless Team Collaboration for the Web:

“Twiddla is a free no-setup, web-based meeting playground”

Glasnost: Test if your ISP is manipulating BitTorrent traffic

Sat, 10 May 2008 23:52:21 -0700

Glasnost: Test if your ISP is manipulating BitTorrent traffic

First Pluto, now this

Sat, 10 May 2008 11:07:43 -0700

First Pluto, now this

Hillary drawing new voters into the Democratic party

Fri, 09 May 2008 16:47:58 -0700

Hillary drawing new voters into the Democratic party:

Well it makes me sick to report this but apparently Hillary’s new outreach to white supremacists and her new campaign slogan — “Wake up, white people!” — is paying off bigtime. She’s…

Best Online File Sharing Services [Hive Five]

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:14:40 -0700

Best Online File Sharing Services [Hive Five]:

Whether you’re trying to share megabytes worth of music with a friend or send an important document to a coworker, nothing outshines a fast, easy-to-use file-sharing service. On Tuesday we…

Empire Strikes Back in 60 Seconds

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:22:15 -0700

Empire Strikes Back in 60 Seconds:

Shared by jgd3
“Empire” sweded!

Sheer brilliance.

The Best of 2006 Roundup

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:53:38 -0700

This list is taken from my regular music + pop culture blog, Telephasic Workshop. You can find my full commentary right here.

Top Ten Albums for 2006

1. Sound Mirrors (review)
2. The Eraser (review)
3. So This Is Goodbye (review)
4. Burial (review)
5. The Kleptones - 24 Hours (review)
6. Harmony In Ultraviolet. ( kranky ) (review)
7. Body Riddle (review)
8. Days to Come (review)
9. The Information (review)
10. Hello Everything (review)

Honorable Mentions:

* St. Elsewhere
* Mr. Beast
* Amputechture
* Beat Konducta, Vol. 1-2
* Hideout

Song of the Year

* Live With Me

Best Live Album of 2006

* Iron & Wine - Live Session (iTunes Exclusive)

Best DJ Mix of 2006

* Dj-Kicks

Best Album of 2005 That I Didn’t Discover Until 2006

* Speak for Yourself

Biggest Disappointment of 2006

* Riot City Blues

Next year I'm gonna get start putting this together waaaay earlier!

Where's my music journal?

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:01:58 -0700

I love Last.fm with the kind of love that's a little awkward at dinner parties and family gatherings. But I do my music blogging elsewhere.

For those of you interested in reading my reviews and musings, you can find it all over at Telephasic Workshop.

Enjoy!

A ton of FREE GTD Resources | GTD Times

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:27:02 -0700

GTDInbox for Gmail - Easy email management, organization and workflow based on GTD

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:07:58 -0700

Gmail + Firefox tool for implementing GTD. Desktop version promised soon.

Usablenet mobile

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:41:13 -0700

MIT Mobile Web

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:39:21 -0700

The MIT Mobile Web offers up-to-date information, optimized for different types of mobile devices. Find people, places, events, course news, shuttle schedules, and more. All you need is a mobile device with a web browser and either WiFi or a data plan

Sperling's BestPlaces

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:10:38 -0700

StillTasty: Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide - Save Money, Eat Better, Help The Environment

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:57:11 -0700

The Grid System

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 05:23:21 -0700

"The ultimate resource in grid systems."

Text Message (SMS) Polls and Voting, Audience Response System (ARS), PowerPoint Polling | Poll Everywhere

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:42:57 -0800

Go2Web20.net - The complete Web 2.0 sites directory

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:37:45 -0800

Font Squirrel | Handpicked free fonts for graphic designers with commercial-use licenses.

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:57:23 -0800

LinuxPlanet - Tomato Firmware Turns Your Cheap Wireless Router Into a Powerhouse

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:32:06 -0800

Urban Legends Reference Pages

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:49:08 -0800

The Civil Rights Digital Library

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:51:57 -0700

The CRDL features a collection of unedited news film from the WSB (Atlanta) and WALB (Albany, Ga.) television archives held by the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia Libraries. The CRDL provides educator resources and contextual materials, including Freedom on Film, relating instructive stories and discussion questions from the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia, and the New Georgia Encyclopedia, delivering engaging online articles and multimedia.

World Day Against Software Patents - 24 September (Stopsoftwarepatents.org)

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:02:23 -0700

43 Folders Series: Inbox Zero | 43 Folders

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:35:08 -0700

Jeremy Ellis

(author unknown) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:53:34 -0800

I rated a YouTube video (5 out of 5 stars): Jeremy Ellis putting on a display of MPC brutality @ Brainfeeder Sessions 11/08/09, Downtown Independent Theatre, Los Angeles. Amazing visuals by Traxex.

Occam's Razor Is Simply Wrong!

(author unknown) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:22:17 -0800

I rated a YouTube video (5 out of 5 stars): The most complicated, difficult explanation is usually the right one. Because God is infinite.

Why Homosexuality Should Be Banned

(author unknown) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:21:06 -0800

I rated a YouTube video (5 out of 5 stars): I do not take credit for making this video, I just found it online. Its here cause its true.

Match Game 74 - Part 3

(author unknown) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:57:36 -0700

I commented on a YouTube video: How about that pants suit!

Empire of the Sun - We Are The People (HD)

(author unknown) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:51:18 -0700

I rated a YouTube video (4 out of 5 stars): "We Are The People" is second video from Empire of the Sun's debut album "Walking On A Dream" Shot on location in the towns of Garcia, Xilitla, and the Icamole Desert in Mexico. Directed by Josh Logue of Mathematics (xy-1.com) Join the Empire at www.walkingonadream.com DEBUT ALBUM "WALKING ON A DREAM" OUT NOW IN AUSTRALIA UK / EUROPE RELEASE FEB 23

"The Downward Spiral: Live at Webster Hall" fan-produced DVD

Rob — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:17:00 -0700

During the 2008 Lights In The Sky tour we began an open camera policy for stills and video during all NIN shows, inviting fans to capture the events with anything from a cell phone to a hi-def video camera. The results have been overwhelming, filling our own galleries with thousands of images and videos from every show, and inspiring a number of ambitious fansourced video projects within the NIN community. Some of those projects are starting to surface now, and we couldn't be happier with the way the fans have organized themselves and created some truly impressive work.

On the recent Wave Goodbye tour, we were unable to professionally film the band's performance of The Downward Spiral at Webster Hall, due to exorbitant fees requested by the LiveNation venue. Our open camera policy, however, remained in tact, and as soon as the show ended fans took matters into their own hands, organizing online to track down everyone who had filmed HD footage of the show. Now, only two months later, the group has released a polished, edited, downloadable DVD of the full Downward Spiral performance from Webster Hall. The entire thing has been recorded, edited, and distributed entirely by fans, and it's the latest example of the amazing things fans will do when their creativity isn't limited by outdated, misguided restrictions.

You can watch "The Downward Spiral: Live" in HD on this YouTube playlist. You can download it via torrent as a burnable DVD or an iPod/iPhone-friendly video from this page (click the question mark link on that page if you're new to downloading with torrents).

We filmed all of the other final Wave Goodbye shows professionally, and you can expect to see that footage surface in some form or another in the future. In the meantime, we appreciate the efforts of The NIN Hotline, This One Is On Us, and everyone else who helped to immortalize the Webster Hall performance.

How The iPhone Is Blowing Everyone Else Away (In Charts)

Erick Schonfeld — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:29:26 -0700

Yesterday at the Web 2.0 Summit, Morgan Stanley Internet analyst Mary Meeker did her annual data dump slide presentation, this year focusing on the growth prospects of the mobile Web. As usual, there were 3 or 4 slides that really captured the trends she was talking about, particularly the ones around iPhone adoption and how that phone in particular is catapulting mobile Web usage into the mainstream.

You can see her full slide show below (all 68 of them), but let me pull out the three iPhone slides that helps put its growth into perspective. The first one above shows the growth of data traffic on AT&T’s mobile network. It is 50 times higher than it was just three years ago. I added two arrows to show when the first iPhone launched in June, 2007 and the iPhone 3G in July 2008.

AT&T saw massive pops in data usage following those two launches as consumers discovered the unadulterated mobile Web for the first time. And it is not just the iPhone. With the ubiquity of WiFi, the iPod Touch offers pretty much the same experience without AT&T’s monthly fees. Taken together, the adoption of the iPhone and iPod Touch is outstripping the early adoption the desktop Internet, as represented by AOL and Netscape in Meeker’s chart below. It is also outstripping the early growth of NTT Docomo’s imode, which was the most successful example of the first generation of mobile Web adoption in Japan.

The chart overlays the first 20 quarters of user growth for each product. Only eight quarters after launch, the iPhone and iPod Touch has more than twice as many users (57 million) as imode (25 million), five times as many as Netscape (11 million), and eight times as many as AOL (7 million) at a comparable points in their histories.

The iPhone/iTouch combo is also the fastest-growing consumer electronics product of all time. Its adoption ramp is even steeper than videogame consoles including the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and Sony PSP. The original iPod and Blackberry aren’t even in the same league.

Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

The Power User's Guide to Google Chrome, 2009 Edition [Google Chrome]

Gina Trapani — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:37 -0700

Breathe 04

(author unknown) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:13:34 -0700

Shared by jgd3
The latest in this great series of free downtempo and ambient compilations. Did I mention free?

Our new compilation now is released, new artists join, our regular talent creating a mosaique through great melodies and rythms. Inspired, eclectic of course. Open your mind and your ears.
You can not leave to download it.

Go to the link and enjoy it!!!

Review: Netaudio.pl

Thanks to: DeepGoa´s, Techno-Locator, PerlssDj.net, metro electrónica, Extra Music New, Fabrik Project, INQ Mag, Rowolo, Inversepop, FOEM blog, noerror, Banaboogie, arhiva7, New TechnoID.

Vote in: Starfrosch.

National Geographic: 50 Years of Space Exploration

(author unknown) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:11:09 -0700

Shared by jgd3
Simply wonderful...I want a poster!

Ready to lose 20 minutes of your day?

Check out this huge infograph that displays the last 50 years of space exploration. It’s awesome although it does kind of indicate that Venus is closer to earth than the Moon. The “50 Years of Space Exploration” graphic was created by Sean McNaughton and Samuel Velasco for National Geographic. I must say though, skip the interactive edition on NationalGeographic.com and check out the full size version on Flickr.

[via OhGizmo]

T-Mobile: All Your Sidekick Data Has Been Lost Forever

(author unknown) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:00:11 -0700

Shared by jgd3
Unbelievably stupid!

There’s bad news for Sidekick users today: T-Mobile has announced that it was unable to recover Sidekick data after a server failure at Microsoft subsidiary Danger. This means any data not stored on your Sidekick but residing in the “cloud” has been lost.

Sidekick users are advised to keep their devices powered up and not conduct a reset or remove the battery: a power-down would mean any data still on the phone is lost. T-Mobile will provide an update on the situation on Monday, but things are looking very bleak indeed.

In T-Mobile’s words: “based on Microsoft/Danger’s latest recovery assessment of their systems, we must now inform you that personal information stored on your device – such as contacts, calendar entries, to-do lists or photos – that is no longer on your Sidekick almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server failure at Microsoft/Danger.”

The story is a jarring one for those storing increasing amounts of data in the “cloud”: as we become more reliant on servers to house our data, such losses can be catastrophic.

The full press release is below (via Engadget).

T-Mobile Press Release on Sidekick Data Loss

T-MOBILE AND MICROSOFT/DANGER STATUS UPDATE ON SIDEKICK DATA DISRUPTION

Dear valued T-Mobile Sidekick customers:

T-Mobile and the Sidekick data services provider, Danger, a subsidiary of Microsoft, are reaching out to express our apologies regarding the recent Sidekick data service disruption.

We appreciate your patience as Microsoft/Danger continues to work on maintaining platform stability, and restoring all services for our Sidekick customers.

Regrettably, based on Microsoft/Danger’s latest recovery assessment of their systems, we must now inform you that personal information stored on your device – such as contacts, calendar entries, to-do lists or photos – that is no longer on your Sidekick almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server failure at Microsoft/Danger. That said, our teams continue to work around-the-clock in hopes of discovering some way to recover this information. However, the likelihood of a successful outcome is extremely low. As such, we wanted to share this news with you and offer some tips and suggestions to help you rebuild your personal content. You can find these tips in our Sidekick Contacts FAQ. We encourage you to visit the Forums on a regular basis to access the latest updates as well as FAQs regarding this service disruption.

In addition, we plan to communicate with you on Monday (Oct. 12) the status of the remaining issues caused by the service disruption, including the data recovery efforts and the Download Catalog restoration which we are continuing to resolve. We also will communicate any additional tips or suggestions that may help in restoring your content.

We recognize the magnitude of this inconvenience. Our primary efforts have been focused on restoring our customers’ personal content. We also are considering additional measures for those of you who have lost your content to help reinforce how valuable you are as a T-Mobile customer.

We continue to advise customers to NOT reset their device by removing the battery or letting their battery drain completely, as any personal content that currently resides on your device will be lost.

Once again, T-Mobile and Microsoft/Danger regret any and all inconvenience this matter has caused.

Tags: sidekick, T-Mobile

thank you, internet

(author unknown) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:50:53 -0700

The Truth Part II, Dear Readers [Image Cache]

Mark Wilson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Listen to Google Voice Messages in Gmail

Alex Chitu — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:50:00 -0700

Gmail Labs has a new feature, but it's only useful if you have a Google Voice account. When you receive a new voicemail, Google Voice sends an email notification that includes a transcription of the voicemail.

The problem is that you have to click on a link and open a new page to listen to the voicemail. If you enable "Google Voice player in mail" in Gmail Labs, you can play voicemails in Gmail.

"Best of all, your message status will stay synced: messages played from Gmail will appear as read in your Google Voice inbox and won't be played again when you check new messages via your phone," explains the Gmail blog.

A simple Google search lets you find some public voicemails and their transcriptions, but it's worth pointing out that sharing your voicemail is optional.

While this feature is useful, it's limited to Google Voice. Gmail should provide a scripting framework like Google Apps Scripts that lets you add features and handle repetitive tasks.

15 Snow Leopard Tricks You Have to Try [Snow Leopard]

Adrian Covert — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Yet more bloody thoughts about Batman and Robin #2

(author unknown) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:30:16 -0700

Shared by jgd3
Accurate and entertaining over-analysis of Batman and Robin #2

Batman & Robin #2 would appear to be the book where the uncommitted became converts, or at least became considerably more interested. People have made the usual gestures towards Quitely’s wonderful art, and highlighted the elegant conceptual economy evident in Morrison’s character work and its meta-textual dimensions. And here we get to the first object of this droplet of criticism - a slice of meta-commentary of surprising value, in that it makes a strong case for shedding our fears and anxieties about this ersatz Batman. By framing Dick’s tenure as a performance, Morrison shows us how both the characters and we, the audience, can engage with the new status quo without feeling that anyone’s toes are being trod on. The real beauty of this idea is that it brings with it the flexibility and permissiveness of adaptation and interpretation (key elements of any performance), and consequently lends the book a lightness and unboundedness (made much of by Amy in his review) that is all too rare in A-list superhero books. Put simply: a lot more can happen because this Batman isn’t Batman. Implicit to this way of approaching the comic is the understanding that theatrical performances are there, largely, to be enjoyed. Morrison is tacitly telling us to allow ourselves to sit back and have fun, to take pleasure in the unfolding of the role, to view it for what it is: entertainment.

The sad thing is that superhero comics have become so insular, so continuity obsessed that Grant should feel the need to supply us with this altered perspective in the first place

That not insignificant worry aside, Alfred’s dialogue can also be viewed in terms of character development: Dick and Alfred are bound together by Alfred’s references to both their shared heritage as performers and the implicit understanding that they were both extremely close to Bruce Wayne. A point emphasized by their mutual recognition that Bruce would “hate” to think of Dick’s taking up of the mantle as a “memorial”. Additionally the dialogue paints Alfred as a sensitive, empathic and very clever customer. This is Alfred as both support team and close confidant, the archetypal manservant – exactly the kind of Alfred we want to see but so rarely get.

Finally, to go back to meta-commentary for a moment, Alfred’s dialogue also works to reinforce the conceptual and thematic coherence of the piece by tacitly demonstrating that the Circus of Strange and Professor Pyg can be read as part of a wider conceptual and thematic framework. We can plausibly read them as externalisations of Dick Grayson’s very own haunted psyche made manifest at the moment of his greatest confusion of identity (this side of his parents lying dead on the circus floor)*, but Alfred’s pep-talk works to highlight them as performers, as signifiers of the kind of entertainment that Dick’s Batman embodies, as part of the argument that this should all be understood as some fantastic show.

*I could probably bring in method acting here, and the ways in which it attempts to build a bridge between an actor’s life experience and their performance and how that particular lens might help us get more out of the text, but I’m worried that I might end up heading up my own arse, so I won’t.

What we have here, in short, is a veritable tour de force. 3 or 4 panels of sleek dialogue that punches so far above its weight it’s almost absurd. The kind of work that most writers working within the superhero genre simply couldn’t conceive of, let alone execute, and an argument in and of itself in favour of the attention we give Morrison.

And so to the second object of my critical ministrations

There’s something slightly depressing about the ways in which this fight sequence has been discussed. Lots of references to its prettiness, the quality of Quitely’s work, etc… but sadly the focus has tended to build upon the art/writing divide, and lose sight of the fact that rarely are we treated to fight sequences of this caliber, and by rarely I actually mean hardly ever. Here Morrison eschews the tricks of his JLA run – there’s very few idea bombs in evidence, ala Batman’s many and varied plans to take down the Shaggy Man – and instead relies upon the clarity, formal inventiveness and beauty of Quitely’s art and choreography; and layers of story. The most exciting beats aren’t to be found in demonstrations of Batman’s overwhelming hyper-competence, or even the left-field berserkness of the supervillains (although they’re dead bloody good), but in the ebb and flow of the combat itself, and the drama of the unfolding narrative, generated primarily by strong character conflict.

This powerful melding of writing and art puts the focus on comics as story, as movement. Too often we can drag plot away from art not simply because our critical language is broader in that arena and our confidence consequently greater, but because there is frequently a disconnect between the art and the story in that neither is working hard to service the other. Here, thankfully, that’s far from the case. Of course, the other common critical focus, particularly in discussions of Morrison’s work, comes in the form of an attempt to list and explicate the conceptual easter eggs and examples of momentism that litter so many superhero comics. This impulse naturally arises from the fact that such easter eggs and moments are one of the principal ways in which the genre attempts to entertain. Again these elements have a tendency to drag one out of the flow of story, as they often exist, at least on some level, as things to be enjoyed in and of themselves, as mini-entertainments. Intriguingly for Morrison there’s very little of that here, and this serves to smooth the experience still further. What’s particularly interesting to me is the way in which Alfred’s dialogue later in the book works, on a reread, to build upon this sense of slick, holistic storytelling. We’re encouraged not to read this with expectations of momentism* (or not as much expecting, anyway – follow the link if you want to get a handle on what I’m talking about), where the pleasure is to be found in demonstrations of the quintessential Batman experience, but as something less defined (Batman isn’t Batman, remember), more capable of delivering entertainment through the simple joys of brilliantly executed fight sequences and the momentum of the story.

*I should probably point out that the one great big example of momentism in the comic is probably Alfred’s dialogue. As I have noted above, one of its functions is to give us a quintessential Alfred moment. Momentism certainly hasn’t deserted this title (see the paracapes panel in issue #1 for further evidence), but I would argue that at this stage it’s been complicated in an interesting way, and that the book emphasises other pleasures

Seen through this lens the fight at the beginning of the issue is positioned as key driver of the book’s appeal. Yes it’s better because it’s an action sequence featuring Batman, as fans we’ll always feel that way and Morrison and Quitely know it and, yes, they do act on that information, but the fight as the purest, surest path to the quintessential Batman experience is largely rejected in favour of more traditional action sequence fun: the flow of combat, the action beats, the story of the engagement. Because of this deprioritising of momentism and the scarcity of easter eggs it’s works as an entertainment high point for both the hardcore and casual fan alike, after all everyone likes well done action sequences, but not everyone will find the introverted language of quintessential superhero moments comprehensible let alone fun.

To go back to the art and its role in delivering an experience that keeps one’s attention focussed on the flow of story, Quitely’s work during the fight sequence emphasises movement over moment in a variety of ways, from the overlaying of panels and the genuine narrative responsiveness of their shape, size and positioning, to the use of background or ambient detail to economically and elegantly draw attention to motion - Robin’s leg arcing through the smoke comes to mind as a rather good example of the kind of thing I’m talking about – to the under-reliance on splash pages, or even large panels. Then there’s the fact that Quitely’s fight is comprised of panels that build on one another to create sequences of interlocking action, mini stories that add up to a grander whole. Too many fights simply list a series of barely related kicks and punches, and even when they do marry up there’s seldom much storytelling force to speak of, with most fights simply coming down to two guys hit each other, one guy wins. Sometimes by doing something clever. Sometimes for no discernable reason at all. Sometimes, quite often in the case of Daredevil, because he’s the angriest (oh, Brian Michael Bendis!)

Here not so much. Take the sequence where Robin attacks the siamese ninja-triplets, in addition to telling us that Robin is overconfident, rash, tough and tenacious - in that he almost gets his arse handed to him, then comes back for more, then almost gets his arse handed to him again - it also provides him with strong motivation for taking on Big Top single-handedly: he lost one round and someone has to pay (hey, he’s also angry and vengeful!) – which consequently leads to the dissolution of the Batman and Robin team both within this scene (they split up and lose: Toad gets croaked), and the comic as story arc as a whole. But that’s not all, the sequence of panels works not simply as a series of cool looking pictures of flailing extremities but as a cogent whole, one panel leading inexorably to the next. The other day I read a chap complaining that the fight suffered from the same problem as many of the fight sequences in Batman Begins: over reliance on close-ups in an effort to communicate the confusion and violence of combat (without resorting to blood and other PG 13 unfriendly antics), but failing thanks to the way in which the technique tends to work against clarity. That’s not what’s going on here. To begin with Quitely doesn’t overuse close-ups, and where he does use them he uses them with purpose. We get tighter and tighter because that’s what Robin is experiencing: a closing down of options, a tighter and tighter spot. Also note the juxtaposition between the final extreme close-up on Robin’s eyes, and the next panel where we pull out to take in the action and Robin leaps to safety before the ninja does to his head what he ends up doing to the wall. This dramatic change of perspective and influx of motion is like the air hitting your lungs after a long spell holding your breath, and is a trick which Quitely memorably brought to bear in We3 (I won’t say where, but it’s one of the most effective sequences I’ve ever come across and probably warrants a Fuck Yeah essay).

Unlike JHW3, Quitely isn’t composing pages that function as artifacts, that encourage the reader to step back and consider them not simply as storytelling elements from which additional meaning can be drawn, but also as beautiful, self-contained objects - artworks. If William’s has a weakness it’s that his glorious pages all too easily lend themselves to fetishisation and as a consequence can work to rip one out of the narrative experience and into something else entirely - something that might well benefit the text, but something that can also be said to stand alone. To his credit his work on Batwoman actually benefits from this, he uses it to super-charge the character with the electricity of meaning and significance, but I’m glad to see Morrison and Quitely demonstrate that unknown quantities like Dick Grayson’s Batman, indeed, like Batwoman, can find strength in their inauthenticity and lack of weight.

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Yet more bloody thoughts about Batman and Robin #2

Zom — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:01:19 -0700

The sad thing is that superhero comics have become so insular, so continuity obsessed that Grant should feel the need to supply us with this altered perspective in the first place

And so to the second object of my critical ministrations

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Node Power Outlet Makes Power Strips Almost Useless [Design]

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:20:00 -0700

Google Calculating Who's About to Quit

(author unknown) — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:41:38 -0700

Shared by jgd3
Whoa...

The Wall Street Journal today writes:

[Google] recently began crunching data from employee reviews and promotion and pay histories in a mathematical formula Google says can identify which of its 20,000 employees are most likely to quit.

Google officials are reluctant to share details of the formula, which is still being tested. The inputs include information from surveys and peer reviews, and Google says the algorithm already has identified employees who felt underused, a key complaint among those who contemplate leaving.

Laszlo Bock, responsible for human resources at Google, is quoted saying “We haven’t seen the most critical people leave”. He also says that the algorithm helps Google “get inside people’s heads even before they know they might leave”.

Tags: The Algorithm, Philip K. Dick

[Hat tip to /pd and Kevin Scott.]

[By Philipp Lenssen | Origin: Google Calculating Who's About to Quit | Comments]

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Duarte offers slide:ology workshops via webinars

Garr — Tue, 19 May 2009 08:05:29 -0700

In this post by Seth Godin, he list 45 ways that you can take charge of whatever professional situation you may be in and make a change. I like #16 — "Learn to be a killer presenter." Everyone can get better and it can indeed make a big difference in your career. You can learn a lot on your own, but workshops are still relevant and important learning environments for adult learners. Seminars and workshops are great, but given the current economic situation, it's difficult for many people to attend full-day workshops, especially when participation involves transportation and hotel costs, etc. Duarte Design, which has run many successful workshops at their head office in Silicon Valley since last year, has an answer for the recession blues: The Webinar. Last week Paula Tesch announced that Duarte will be offering a series of six webinars beginning on May 27 and continuing once a week until July 1. You can sign up for a single webinar or just a few, or sign up for all six and get a good discount. Even if you can't catch the webinar live you can watch it anytime after the event if you registered.

Each Slide:ology Webinar is 45 minutes in length and starts at 10:00am on the West Coast of the United States. Sign up here for the webinars on Duarte's website.

Slide:ology Webinars
May 27 Introduction to the Principles of Slide:ology
June 3 Connecting with Your Audience
June 10 Story and Structure
June 17 Design Thinking
June 24 Visual Storytelling and Design Part I
July 1 Visual Storytelling and Design Part II

Live in-person workshops
Duarte just finished up some full-day workshops. Their next workshops held in their offices in Silicon Valley will be from September. Go here to check out the details of their workshops. I do not usually do many public workshops — though I'll be in Wellington, NZ in July for some public seminars — so Duarte's workshops and webinars are something I am pointing everyone I know to checkout. I think the webinar is a pretty good deal. Also, if you know anyone who could benefit from reading Presentation Zen but they are too busy to go through the book, point them to this 50-min online video of the Presentation Zen Approach available on the PeachPit website. It will be available as a DVD in June as well. It's about 20-26 bucks — that's not cheap, but it's cheaper than bringing me from Japan to your living room (though I'd come for free if there were chocolate chip cookies involved).

Related
• Also checkout Decker Communications for great live training. Wonderful people!
• The slide:ology book on Amazon.