this just in...

science will save us in the future from everything but ourselves.

birthday card

most happy to you, little knitter-

wishing the next year treats you as you deserve;
delightful, playful, with sunshine and warmth
challenging you without intimidation, obstacles without frustration
giving strength and wisdom when you most need them.

giving you the present you asked for, you'll never read this;
you won't know that I wished it and you won't care.

If wishes and hopes could affect someone else without their knowledge, you'll benefit.
and then so will I.

emo-leeching off the radio

I've been listening to music in a different way lately: unsynchronized. I'll pick a local radio station and listen online, like right now I'm checking out 'the moonshine show' from Columbia University. Then I take my little transistor radio and tune in the same station.

The transistor is about fifteen seconds ahead of the computer, and here's why (in non-techspeak.) Radio is broadcast over the air directly, from the station, to the amplifier, to the transmitter. Broadcasting over the internet is a little more complex- signal processing, servers, miles of cable- even at the speed of light, it's a much longer trip, so there's a delay.

Okay, so why am I listening to two versions of the same thing, out of synch? It doesn't really make sense, it's just a jumble of noise, or two parts of the three part 'round of "row row row your boat" you did in grade school. The two stereo signals mess each other up in some ways, and mesh in others. It has a live feel.

Normally, I get easily distracted by music, and that prevents me from doing anything else. This strategy allows me to read or clean up or type or whatever, without stopping; since I know it won't make sense, the part of my brain that makes me stop and listen doesn't bother. If I do bother to stop and listen I get right back into what I'm doing.

All the same, good music is still good, and bad musicians still sound bad- and I still get to tap the emotional content that the music delivers... and since I'm not paying attention to it.. it's paying attention to me. The musical emotional projector.

I'm thinking about getting a delay effect for the rest of my music. Anyone know of an iTunes 'effects' plugin that will let me do this?

could something be new in music?

I've been listening to music in a different way lately: unsynchronized. I'll pick a local radio station and listen online, like right now I'm checking out 'the moonshine show' from Columbia University. Then I take my little transistor radio and tune in the same station.

The transistor is about fifteen seconds ahead of the computer, and here's why (in non-techspeak.) Radio is broadcast over the air directly, from the station, to the amplifier, to the transmitter. Broadcasting over the internet is a little more complex- signal processing, servers, miles of cable- even at the speed of light, it's a much longer trip, so there's a delay.

Okay, so why am I listening to two versions of the same thing, out of synch? It doesn't really make sense, it's just a jumble of noise, or two parts of the three part 'round of "row row row your boat" you did in grade school. The two stereo signals mess each other up in some ways, and mesh in others. It has a live feel.

Normally, I get easily distracted by music, and that prevents me from doing anything else. This strategy allows me to read or clean up or type or whatever, without stopping; since I know it won't make sense, the part of my brain that makes me stop and listen doesn't bother. If I do bother to stop and listen I get right back into what I'm doing.

All the same, good music is still good, and bad musicians still sound bad- and I still get to tap the emotional content that the music delivers... and since I'm not paying attention to it.. it's paying attention to me. The musical emotional projector.

I'm thinking about getting a delay effect for the rest of my music. Anyone have an iTunes 'effects' plugin that will let me do this?

great idea for the casinos

one-armed russian roulette booths

sit inside, close the curtain, stick a dollar in the slot and pull the arm. watch the numbers spin...

98/100 chance that nothing happens
1/100 chance you win $100
1/100 chance you get killed on the spot (I think a hi-voltage oversized egg slicer would do the trick)


I know, inspired by futurama.

bugs on the windshield...

supercloseups of carnage on the microscale.

watching grass grow

I narrowly missed being in a car accident today. It was the middle of part two, in a 'running to catch a cab to catch a bus to catch a ride to play a game' sequence, and some impatient or unaware person made a left turn from a two-way street and was hit by an oncoming car. It was only two cars ahead of me.

Seeing that violent hit, a flurry ran through my head. It was something like 'hey, most traffic accidents are from people running red lights.. how weird, this wasn't the same case. I guess (s)he was really in a rush. Why are we in such a hurry all the time? Why do so many of us want to be continuously creative, useful, active, involved, engaged?

We constantly sell ourselves to each other as being more on top of the game, with it.. we wish we could improve our brains and skillsets just as fast as our tech upgrades. To some extent people want to be machines- to fit in seamlessly with our gear- obviously, we being the most important cog of the mech..[ anthropocentrism, anyone?] I was thinking it's more like Charlie Chaplain in 'Modern Times'.

Fact is, nobody wants to be around people who are always achieving. Sitting and doing very little is one of the most valuable activities we can do as aware beings. It provides focus and perspective on how to expend energy when you do decide to get up and do something. This is so easy to forget in and around Gotham. It's something I am going to try to keep more in mind.

whoa science

here

and

here.

gist: everything you know is wrong.

slightly more: although we all understand that nerves communicate via electrical impulses for OVER A CENTURY, new data suggests these signals travel by soundwaves instead.