Soundtrack: “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse
Writer Kurt Vonnegut died earlier tonight. He will be missed.
He was a man who was a free thinker and challenged our world in many ways. My favorite short story is one that Kurt wrote titled “Harrison Bergeron”. I remember reading it, and Slaughterhouse Five in high school and being left speechless.
I don't know if words can describe the loss we have suffered. He was one of the greatest minds who ever lived.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Smart = Sexy
“Hot Soft Light” by The Hold Steady
I have been noticing a trend that frankly makes me smile really big.
Smart girls are popular.
It may be that this trend is only within certain circles, because I have noticed that there is a similar and disturbing trend in the media. This trend is ditzy party girls. Paris Hilton, “The Bad Girls Club”, and celebrity cat fights are all the rage right now. And while Geekdom has held on to it’s hot girls for years, starting with Captain Kirk’s girls on the original Star Trek, these hot girls were not always a part of that community.
But now video games are cool, not something for geeks and nerds and losers. Star Wars has firmly entrenched into pop culture, and Kari Byron on Mythbusters makes being smart, well, sexy. All I have to say is it's about time.
I am proud of being a geek. I am proud of being smart now, but when I was a kid I was ridiculed for it. I read books instead of watching TV (although I had a few shows that I loved), I listened to music that wasn't the flavor of the month (something that I am still proud to do today), and I could draw like a motherfucker. I was the “wierd” kid. It took some time to come to terms with being a little bit different, but I have grown into it and now I openly embrace my geekiness. And the great thing is, so are all of the hot girls who were afraid to before. Plus, geeks are just plain fun in the sack... If you need solid proof, just check out Wired’s Sex Drive blog.
You know what this means? Me and some lucky geek girl out there are one day going to openly embrace our geekiness together. Bust out the Voltron DVD!
I have been noticing a trend that frankly makes me smile really big.
Smart girls are popular.
It may be that this trend is only within certain circles, because I have noticed that there is a similar and disturbing trend in the media. This trend is ditzy party girls. Paris Hilton, “The Bad Girls Club”, and celebrity cat fights are all the rage right now. And while Geekdom has held on to it’s hot girls for years, starting with Captain Kirk’s girls on the original Star Trek, these hot girls were not always a part of that community.
But now video games are cool, not something for geeks and nerds and losers. Star Wars has firmly entrenched into pop culture, and Kari Byron on Mythbusters makes being smart, well, sexy. All I have to say is it's about time.
I am proud of being a geek. I am proud of being smart now, but when I was a kid I was ridiculed for it. I read books instead of watching TV (although I had a few shows that I loved), I listened to music that wasn't the flavor of the month (something that I am still proud to do today), and I could draw like a motherfucker. I was the “wierd” kid. It took some time to come to terms with being a little bit different, but I have grown into it and now I openly embrace my geekiness. And the great thing is, so are all of the hot girls who were afraid to before. Plus, geeks are just plain fun in the sack... If you need solid proof, just check out Wired’s Sex Drive blog.
You know what this means? Me and some lucky geek girl out there are one day going to openly embrace our geekiness together. Bust out the Voltron DVD!
Resist Openly
Soundtrack: “Dream Brother” by Jeff Buckley
Remember that wiley Trent Reznor and the clever marketing strategy for his new Nine Inch Nails Album, Year Zero? While the album is a great collection of some killer songs and the concept behind it is intriguing and thought-provoking, he isn’t one to take an idea only half way. That is where OpenSourceResistance.com comes in. The idea is to gather the art and ideas of people who care enough about the world and what is going on around us that we do not want a Year Zero. Not through paranoia and destruction, but through activism. After all, if we have an opportunity to prevent the downfall of our society, if we have the opportunity to change the things that are wrong, wouldn’t not doing anything be the greatest sin of all?
Open Source Resistance is only one outlet for making your voice be heard. There are some great organizations out there such as Amnesty International and Save Darfur that are working to create an understanding of some important issues and change things. The people who complain about the world being fucked up but do not do anything about it are just as guilty, perhaps even moreso, than the people who are doing these atrocities. And it is only going to get worse the more people who use, abuse, and exploit realize that nobody cares enough to stop them.
So get out there. Be a voice. Be an activist. Be a dissident. Resist openly.
Remember that wiley Trent Reznor and the clever marketing strategy for his new Nine Inch Nails Album, Year Zero? While the album is a great collection of some killer songs and the concept behind it is intriguing and thought-provoking, he isn’t one to take an idea only half way. That is where OpenSourceResistance.com comes in. The idea is to gather the art and ideas of people who care enough about the world and what is going on around us that we do not want a Year Zero. Not through paranoia and destruction, but through activism. After all, if we have an opportunity to prevent the downfall of our society, if we have the opportunity to change the things that are wrong, wouldn’t not doing anything be the greatest sin of all?
Open Source Resistance is only one outlet for making your voice be heard. There are some great organizations out there such as Amnesty International and Save Darfur that are working to create an understanding of some important issues and change things. The people who complain about the world being fucked up but do not do anything about it are just as guilty, perhaps even moreso, than the people who are doing these atrocities. And it is only going to get worse the more people who use, abuse, and exploit realize that nobody cares enough to stop them.
So get out there. Be a voice. Be an activist. Be a dissident. Resist openly.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Disappointed
Soundtrack: “The Bends” by Radiohead
I am more than just a little disappointed at the moment. I would be frustrated, but some awesome acupuncture earlier today cleared that up. I have been making a conscious effort to not get stressed out or frustrated or angsty and simply keep doing what it is I do. And that is design.
But the disappointing this is that this aspect of my life, the thing that I feel I am best at, is not paying off. It should be, but my current employers, who promised me in contract that I would be paid biweekly for the services I render. At the least I should be paid at the end of each project and that is not even happening.
If you recall, some time ago I wrote a blog about being very excited to work for NeverAsk. I still love working for NeverAsk in many aspects, but things are going downhill very fast. To the point where I do not know how I am going to pay rent this month. And I owe money all over town, although not to known pornographers.
I just do not know what to do anymore. I am looking for a job that actually pays right now, but finding a job can take time and I am out of time. I cannot help feeling that I am responsible in some part for letting my friends walk all over me, but I can only take so much responsibility and that is what is frustrating about the situation... a lot of it is out of my hands. I do not like feeling helpless, but when things are out of my hands that is how I feel.
I know what most people are going to say the solution is. “Just have faith”. It’s a nice idea, but faith doesn't pay the bills. Working at my vocation, my calling, is what puts money in my pocket so I can pay rent and eat and do all those other fun things like drink beer. I know what happens when people go overboard with “trusting” faith with their needs... they end up hurting themselves, and usually many people around them. I am not going to renounce my faith and deny that I believe in God, or the tenants of Christianity, but I need to be realistic. And reality is telling me I need to rob a bank.
Just kidding. I am not going to be robbing any banks any time soon. But I am going to start working my ass off even harder than I have been. Instead of spreading myself thin as I have been, I need to focus on the one thing that will help me survive, and that is my career in design. I do not care where I start, I’m even willing to work crappy coffee shop jobs for a while, but I need to get my foot in the door, I need to get my portfolio all nice and shiny, and I need to work to convince the design world of Denver that I am what they need. It will not be easy, but I am always up for a challenge!
I am more than just a little disappointed at the moment. I would be frustrated, but some awesome acupuncture earlier today cleared that up. I have been making a conscious effort to not get stressed out or frustrated or angsty and simply keep doing what it is I do. And that is design.
But the disappointing this is that this aspect of my life, the thing that I feel I am best at, is not paying off. It should be, but my current employers, who promised me in contract that I would be paid biweekly for the services I render. At the least I should be paid at the end of each project and that is not even happening.
If you recall, some time ago I wrote a blog about being very excited to work for NeverAsk. I still love working for NeverAsk in many aspects, but things are going downhill very fast. To the point where I do not know how I am going to pay rent this month. And I owe money all over town, although not to known pornographers.
I just do not know what to do anymore. I am looking for a job that actually pays right now, but finding a job can take time and I am out of time. I cannot help feeling that I am responsible in some part for letting my friends walk all over me, but I can only take so much responsibility and that is what is frustrating about the situation... a lot of it is out of my hands. I do not like feeling helpless, but when things are out of my hands that is how I feel.
I know what most people are going to say the solution is. “Just have faith”. It’s a nice idea, but faith doesn't pay the bills. Working at my vocation, my calling, is what puts money in my pocket so I can pay rent and eat and do all those other fun things like drink beer. I know what happens when people go overboard with “trusting” faith with their needs... they end up hurting themselves, and usually many people around them. I am not going to renounce my faith and deny that I believe in God, or the tenants of Christianity, but I need to be realistic. And reality is telling me I need to rob a bank.
Just kidding. I am not going to be robbing any banks any time soon. But I am going to start working my ass off even harder than I have been. Instead of spreading myself thin as I have been, I need to focus on the one thing that will help me survive, and that is my career in design. I do not care where I start, I’m even willing to work crappy coffee shop jobs for a while, but I need to get my foot in the door, I need to get my portfolio all nice and shiny, and I need to work to convince the design world of Denver that I am what they need. It will not be easy, but I am always up for a challenge!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Year Zero
The story about the hype behind the new Nine Inch Nails album Year Zero is not a new story. But there is so much going on that there is still plenty that is new.
If you have been living under a rock, Nine Inch Nails has a new record set to drop April 17th. It is a concept album about what the United States fifteen years from now would look like if fundamental religion, mind-altering drugs in the water, and overzealous government combined to create the world of Year Zero. It doesn’t stop there, though. Trent Reznor has always been good at not only selling the fans on his work but getting them involved as well. This time there is an Alternative Reality Game (ARG) that has everyone from the 16-year-old baby bat fangirl to the staff at Rolling Stone Magazine jonesing to find out more.
In fine fashion Trent Reznor has offered the album in streaming form for all of us to enjoy, and it is nothing short of impressive. I was disappointed with the overly-commercial With Teeth. It was good, but not good by Trent Reznor’s standards. I won’t hold it against him, though. It was the first album he's done since becoming sober. I am sure getting back into the groove of pure creativity can be hard after being around drugs and alcohol for so long. But he has done it very quickly. With Teeth came out in late 2005 and here it is, early 2007, with a new Nine Inch Nails album ready for our consumption. Usually fans have to wait a ridiculous amount of time between albums. And here we are with a new album just a year and a half after the last one.
If you are a Nine Inch Nails you will probably like this album. If you are a fan of electronic music you will probably like this album. In fact, if you are a fan of music at all you will most likely love this album. It's one of those works of music that leaves you breathless, shaking your head and wondering “how the hell did he do that?” He has taken the best ingredients from the entire body of his previous work and very carefully crafted them into the best music he has put out since 1999’s The Fragile. The simple sythpop of Pretty Hate Machine meets the noisy angst of The Downward Spiral in songs like “The Good Soldier”, “Vessel” and “Capital G”. The lilting melodies of the Fragile are sprinkled throughout the entire album, especially on instrumental numbers “Zero Sum” and “Another Version of the Truth”. And With Teeth’s neo electro-punk attitude has been refined, with noisy and loud guitars and quirky synth noise giving this album frenetic and immediate pace. You’re probably going to want to dance to it all night long, and if you have a special someone that is also a Nine Inch Nails fan this album is perfect for other, uh, nocturnal activities. If you catch my drift.
So go out there and get caught up in Year Zero. Go to anotherversionofthetruth.com and uncover the truth about Parepin and the Presence. Go to bethehammer.com and learn how the Angry Sniper went from being a tool of the government to one of the biggest keys in the resistance. Go to artisresistance.com and assault your town with the downloadable flyers, stickers, and other methods of spreading propaganda. Go to echoingthesound.org and learn about the other sites and other people who are caught up in this crazy thing. Go listen to the songs at yearzero.nin.com. And then go buy the album on April 17th. You will be glad you did.
If you have been living under a rock, Nine Inch Nails has a new record set to drop April 17th. It is a concept album about what the United States fifteen years from now would look like if fundamental religion, mind-altering drugs in the water, and overzealous government combined to create the world of Year Zero. It doesn’t stop there, though. Trent Reznor has always been good at not only selling the fans on his work but getting them involved as well. This time there is an Alternative Reality Game (ARG) that has everyone from the 16-year-old baby bat fangirl to the staff at Rolling Stone Magazine jonesing to find out more.
In fine fashion Trent Reznor has offered the album in streaming form for all of us to enjoy, and it is nothing short of impressive. I was disappointed with the overly-commercial With Teeth. It was good, but not good by Trent Reznor’s standards. I won’t hold it against him, though. It was the first album he's done since becoming sober. I am sure getting back into the groove of pure creativity can be hard after being around drugs and alcohol for so long. But he has done it very quickly. With Teeth came out in late 2005 and here it is, early 2007, with a new Nine Inch Nails album ready for our consumption. Usually fans have to wait a ridiculous amount of time between albums. And here we are with a new album just a year and a half after the last one.
If you are a Nine Inch Nails you will probably like this album. If you are a fan of electronic music you will probably like this album. In fact, if you are a fan of music at all you will most likely love this album. It's one of those works of music that leaves you breathless, shaking your head and wondering “how the hell did he do that?” He has taken the best ingredients from the entire body of his previous work and very carefully crafted them into the best music he has put out since 1999’s The Fragile. The simple sythpop of Pretty Hate Machine meets the noisy angst of The Downward Spiral in songs like “The Good Soldier”, “Vessel” and “Capital G”. The lilting melodies of the Fragile are sprinkled throughout the entire album, especially on instrumental numbers “Zero Sum” and “Another Version of the Truth”. And With Teeth’s neo electro-punk attitude has been refined, with noisy and loud guitars and quirky synth noise giving this album frenetic and immediate pace. You’re probably going to want to dance to it all night long, and if you have a special someone that is also a Nine Inch Nails fan this album is perfect for other, uh, nocturnal activities. If you catch my drift.
So go out there and get caught up in Year Zero. Go to anotherversionofthetruth.com and uncover the truth about Parepin and the Presence. Go to bethehammer.com and learn how the Angry Sniper went from being a tool of the government to one of the biggest keys in the resistance. Go to artisresistance.com and assault your town with the downloadable flyers, stickers, and other methods of spreading propaganda. Go to echoingthesound.org and learn about the other sites and other people who are caught up in this crazy thing. Go listen to the songs at yearzero.nin.com. And then go buy the album on April 17th. You will be glad you did.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
