Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick


Finished it in just an evening. Totally fun, got sucked in and couldn't put it down until it was through. Nowhere near as long as I expected when starting. Spoiler alert: there's an electric sheep in the book.

I'd seen the film Blade Runner but wasn't quite sure what to expect in terms of parallels with the source. Better to treat them as different animals altogether. The text is definitely more layered, characters less one-dimensional, far more questions asked than answered. There are themes of religion, racism, thought control and the role of government pervading the text from end to end. There are even occasional hallucinations.

The movie is in contrast a very 'hollywood' version, focusing on imagery, sex and violence... surprised? It fully ignores all the facets that really make your mind twist and covers the space with slow sax solos. I totally enjoyed the movie. The book is in many ways better; I'm glad to have been able to enjoy both- they enrich and complement each other.

5k!

Just ran my first 5k. 29:14, not a bad time (9.25min/mile or just under 6.5mph). My calves hurt quite a bit, which I expected. I was really hoping to go slower but that kind of pace is just demoralizing. Anyway Special H and I are running in another one in just a few weeks; hopefully there will be less pain by that point. I'll just keep up light workouts, stretching, maybe a little swimming. Yay me!

Historically I've run much further and faster, but (a) it's been a long time since doing any serious running (high school was in 1989, friends) and (b) I gave it up for a few years in '05 when I started getting pain in my calves that wasn't going away.

Hopeful that it's just a stumbling block this time around.

I could go for a nap right now. Whew. The guy at the coffee shop told me I should run more often- I guess he prefers better red-faced and exhausted over my usual can't-stop-can't-shut-up.

hot

it's too hot to think. too hot to move. I just dunked my head in the shower, and it granted thirty seconds of clarity. not long enough to make decisions or write down instructions for myself. now I know how that guy in memento felt.

I need your help

Hi all,

My birthday is a month away. I expect none have you have been thinking about it. Neither have I. Putting away some laundry today I saw that although winter clothes have mostly gone away, summer clothes were not taken out yet.

Which brings me to the focus of this post: I don't need or want any more clothing for a few years. I really do have enough. I hope it's far enough in advance for you to not have bought anything yet. With this in mind please don't buy or give me any clothing such as:

Handkerchiefs
Sunglasses,
safety glasses
Hats,
helmets
Scarves
Socks
gloves
Ties
T-Shirts
Shorts
Underwear
Shirts
Sweaters,
coats,
windbreakers,
jackets
Boots
Shoes
Sandals
Accessories
Watches
Bangles
Baubles
Jewelry
of any material for hot weather, cold weather, all weather; for any style, form fitting, comfort, saggy, baggy; for any purpose, casual, business, performance, sport-specific or general athletic.

I surely left some things out but I'm also sure you get the drift. I would really appreciate it.

If you have your heart on sending me great-grand uncle Alexand-tholomew-ford's medicine ball, that he used to win the medicine-ball-eating-contest where he met and married Chiquita-Consuela-Harmonica, where they had the stillborn child who I was so well named after, since it is the three-hundredth-anniversary of that meeting and wedding, I'll find a place for it. But please help me simplify this year,

Thanks!

nook, cranny

I wanted to juggle in a nearby park while killing some time waiting to meet a friend today. But the park was full of strollers and kids - I'm not a juggling clown. Not now, anyway. So I found this little spot, tucked away across the street.

It's a tiny little garden attached to a school. The bush is more overgrown now, but my control has improved enough so it wasn't really a problem. Perfect place in the shade to throw up for twenty minutes- a nice afterwork prebeer treat.

By the way, Bierkraft is one of my new favorite places to go- and apparently the sandwich shop next door is pretty great too! Too bad I was carrying such a heavy pack because we were then off to Ample Hills Creamery for dessert, and a good mile home from there. This is not a good rest day for legs, but I am emphatically NOT complaining.

horn-tooting, chest-beating, up-throwing

This is a post about juggling. Just getting that out there. This is the kind of thing I should just have on the wall and not brag about; but that's what blogs are, right? The everyday stuff you really don't want to hear me talk about...?

I've been juggling for awhile. A long time. I think someone showed me basic 3-ball when I was 15 or 16.

Anyway I've been working on a basic 5 ball pattern since last spring. Excluding two or three three-week breaks, I've been working reasonably consistently at it since. There are a lot of videos around to show what it should look like, and how to do it, if one were to look.

It's tough. It gets boring. Frustrating. The good news is, I'm finally getting somewhere. For the last six months or so, I made just 20+ catches about once a month. And here's a summary of highs of the last four days:

Thurdsay: 22 catches
Friday: 23 catches
Saturday: 25 catches **
Sunday: 27 catches **

(** beats previous record)


Last week I took a short video of myself to look at the pattern- not that the exercise was very illuminative, but something about changing my focus seemed to help. I talked to a lot of people about different things to try, in case there was a parallel training regiment I hadn't tried or something. Nothing new there either. Just one of those plateau-feeling-places that it appears I'm getting toward the edge of. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's my dear love being away for days at a time. Anyway I feel gratified, and since there's nobody to *tell* I'm just putting it here.

yay!

Never wrote down anything like this. Seems willfully cheesy. Sappy. Maybe I'll start small and just add things in the comments later as they occur to me. The new, positive me is a strange and weird creature to me. Hardly recognize myself in the mirror sometimes.

I discovered a new pocket in my favorite pants. It fits my phone *perfectly*. Now I don't have to worry about scratching it with change or keys, or moving it around. It's basically where Robocop kept his gun: in his friggin leg. Favorite just became favoriter.

Music:
-Going somewhere there's music and loving it.
-Leaving that somewhere, making sounds to myself and variations on a theme.

Various physical fun and games, exercise. Long list there.

Realizing I'm about to make a mistake beforehand and not doing it. Immense satisfaction there.

Realizing that I can be just as positive to me as I can be to others when called upon, and actually doing that.

Remembering a really good joke.

Equanimity.

Okay, solid start, going to hold off there. Wouldn't want any medical interventions on your part.

Today's gem

Making decisions as a kid:
Duh, I pick the option that doesn't suck!

Making decisions as an adult:
Hm. All these options in some way, suck. Will someone please direct me to the option that doesn't?

Today's picture: Buddy, the 5-year old Bearded Dragon I met briefly while downing multiple cups of espresso.

angry thought

I have an angry thought with nobody to direct it to. should I call someone? blog it? facebook and announce it to the world? The urge to direct it is like one of those little bugs you can't squash because they jump inches away faster than blink. It's distracting, annoying, persistent, pervasive. Are they baby pillbugs?

write it down and walk away. don't say it. put it away. put away a ton of them and forget it for awhile. let it go. come back later when you're feeling different. might still be amazing or funny but then again, it might not and you'll be better off just leaving it in a book somewhere looked over occasionally or never; like decades-old love letters you have no need or reason to keep.

a post on 'cool hunting' about espresso.

Reading posts on "cool hunting" I came across this one:
http://www.coolhunting.com/food-drink/a-guide-to-pro.php?

Nice, informative, good photography. But it leaves out the crucial issues of prosumer espresso. If you want to do solid, consistent espresso in your house, you have to be willing to sacrifice time. That's the short version. The longer version breaks it down into space, the beans, the money, and the time. Feel like reading some more? Okay, come on then!

The space: a mid-level espresso machine is bigger than a toaster, and so's the grinder. Chances are they're two or three times as tall, too. Not something you can just whip out from under the counter, it's more like a KitchenAid. And you need room to work, too. Better get a separate kitchen or a separate closet because everything will just smell overpoweringly like coffee. Which is great until you can't sleep at night or taste anything else. The grinds and the oils get into your clothes, your hair and follow you around for days.

The beans: are you getting them freshly roasted? if not, after a week they won't be the same- inconsistent. As good? Maybe, but the point is they'll taste different, which is the thrust of the article. Different ≠ consistent. Different how? well, 5-7 days after roasting, the beans have fully degassed.
'Scuse me? Say what?
Degassing is a cool-down period for the beans to sweat out oils and release trapped (ahem) gasses inside, which will change the flavor profile. You've then another 4-5 solid days to grind and pull. After that, well... I like to think of roasted coffee like any baked good: there's a shelf life to bread and cookies. Maybe they're more like peanuts than cookies, but I never grind peanuts and make hot beverages from them. (Hm, that might be a fun experiment- a tangent to be continued another day).
So if you're not roasting at home yourself (I am NOT covering roasting here, this is long enough for one of my rants) you've got to buy beans fairly regularly, fairly fresh. And those tend to be pricey. Most of the shops I go to that sell espresso-quality coffee (no, not Whole Foods, sorry) don't sell in small quantities. So you're looking at $15-20 every week you want to be able to make coffee at home- and that's our segue into money.

The money: considering beverage prices, it could pay for itself in a few years, depending on how much you drink. Honestly, after a couple years you'll have spent more on beans than the machine, grinder, and all those cute toys like tampers and knockboxes. You can easily spend $1200+ on a good setup. I last seriously considered this on my own between 2006-2008, which is why I've so much to say on the subject) and those were rock-bottom prices then. $15 a week on coffee beans is that much in eighteen months.

The time: this is the most important dimension. It takes more time than making a pot-o-joe. You have to warm up the machine, and grind a few test shots to make sure it's calibrated, and then start pulling. This could take awhile. Sorry to kill the fantasy, but you can't just roll out of the shower and pull an "I just saw God" shot with the Washington Post in one hand while waiting for your toast to warm; you have to taste your way through it. To use another baked goods metaphor, if you want a piece of fresh apple pie, and you don't want to bake it yourself, you're really better off going to a place that is set up to make it and is expecting you (eg. a bakery, hopefully right next door to a Gimme! Coffee or other.

It seems the home espresso thing is best set up for someone who has no job to rush to, or is ok with just doing it on the weekends. You picked up fresh beans on Thursday or Friday. Espresso for you and your friends or spouse, no rush; because when your coffee moment is over you'll have to clean up. Clean out the portafilter, group heads (the oils will get funky and you won't have great coffee next time if you don't) and maybe even the grinder. There are coffee grinds everywhere. Oh look, a stack of dishes, too!

Let's face it. If you have that kind of space, money, and time- you're already living in a swank neighborhood and went to the local espresso joint- you paid someone to make it for you and got on with the day doing something more jet-set than (no offense to all my friends who are amazing Baristas and amazing people) a Barista's job in your house. Some people really enjoy it. But it's a real labor of love and a minority calling for those who can afford it since it's essentially skilled, manual labor.

The worst news of all: I find that most people don't want straight espresso, they want to drown it in steamed, textured milk; so they can barely taste the difference between all that hard work, and what you got yesterday from Starbucks. So what was the point of all that?

I've had some really great moments with coffee at home with a $100 burr grinder and a french press. No reason you can't do the same, or even cheaper with fresh beans ground at the store once a week.

Long day...

Dear Diary,

Today I woke up at 5:30- a daylight savings day. To the gym for some bicycle-riding. Not bad except for the fella who wouldn't stop whistling.

A long walk to breakfast at the Milk Bar. Delicious food but awful coffee.

Then a walk downtown to a random turning point; Starbucks coffee on Jay St.

Slow meander back through MetroTech, Fulton Mall and Carrol Gardens to the train, I started some laundry. I hate the laundromat sometimes. Crowded, laundry doesn't feel clean enough, and I got my stuff out of the dryer before it was dry, so I spent a good twenty minutes hanging and spreading it all around the apartment.

Some quick advice for a love-forelorn friend... a half hour later, off to the city to do a little juggling. Always wish that goes better, but it's fun while it lasts. Hied me back homeward for really good coffee and a couple of groceries to make some turkey-sausage-risotto. Sidetracked for dinner at Brook-vin instead- always a perfect experience there- hell- I'll call it quits early and cook tomorrow. That bottle of wine in my bag can wait and so can I.

Best bit of continuity to the day was reading this: Milo i volshebnaia budka / The Phantom Tollboth by Norton Juster

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A one-day read. I really needed this book today. Wish I'd read it at age ten.



View all my reviews

Good night, I'm freakin' DONE. You know what would make today perfect? Knowing I wouldn't have to go to work tomorrow. Well, there's still room for improvement!

On bolstering the economy

Definitely doing my part- more than, it would seem.

Think I just spent myself into a hole. How did that happen? Why did I just shred all those convenience checks? I haven't literally been broke in a long time; this will be an interesting month. Good thing I like eating in.

biggest shelf you've ever seen

I didn't post this on another blog because it's irrelevant but enjoyed it enough to not want to throw it away.

Ben said:

Subway cars, for instance, have a shelf life of around 40 years before they’re up for replacing, and in the interim, it’s possible that hundreds of newer and better models have hit the rails since then.

And I thought: Shelf life? lifespan?

I pictured the shelf large enough for a fleet of R-160s, with crossbeams, supports, lights, and price tags; train sets wrapped in a dozen miles of cellophane shrink wrap untouched for forty years.

...

Who does that boogiedown music at the closing credits of sesame street? you know, after the credits?


Check it out here, open this link and skip to 5:45 for the start.

Since I'm not doing anything else today, this is probably the best link I'll post for a long while while. It's a page with a ton of sound from the show. A ton.

It led me to this, and also impelled today's post.

getting things done- there's a trick

My natural inclination is to think that I can be efficient. Super-efficient.
Therefore I don't need to wash two dishes a day if I can wash twenty on Saturday.
"it will take less time" I tell myself.
However...
(this is only a metaphor, hey. I like doing dishes no matter how slow she says I do them.) However it's more important to make little gains in as many areas as possible every day because I silently judge myself on how many different things I get done- the smallest measureable amount is still something to feel good about. One push-up and one situp is better than ten push-ups, because I did more things. Of course there's a diminishing return, I'm not measuring one sit-up versus a hundred push-ups.
Do a little- then stop. congratulate yourself and feel good about having done that thing- but then do something else!
If I could stop myself from judging me it would be a different story. but I dunno that I can. Meanwhile I'm going to try and make the best of it.

Human Planet

dear bbc1;
re: your upcoming show 'human planet'.


I've only watched the trailer so far... and visually it's a nice composite but...






surfing ≠ struggling to survive. promise.


Episode fragments via youtube here.

This one's probably my favorite. A fella fishing 30m down with no gear. Holds his breath a really really long time.

paranoid

There's a new application in my dock, The App Store. When did that get there?

The idea that the company I bought the computer from occasionally contacts me for updates is ok. I want them to make it work better- but that's not it at all anymore. They say it's performance and security upgrades- but updates to iTunes and new applications to sell me software isn't exactly analogous to tuneups or maintenance. This isn't the exterminator showing up once a month, or someone cleaning the dust out of my refrigerator coils to make it more energy-efficient (OK, since that never actually happens it's more like me showing up at my mom's every six or eight weeks to change lightbulbs and move furniture).

Installing newer and better avenues to time and money spending on the company that sold me the thing makes me feel less an owner of a computer so much as a team member being managed. Yes, you can follow your own goals and dreams so long as you do all your shopping at the company store. Am I alone?

Sure, I don't *have* to get updates- but I don't have to have compatibility either. That's the tradeoff- if you want to use the computer to keep up with news/media/people/content, you have to play the game and hand over that visual real estate, those moments of distraction… otherwise, in two months you won't be able to see the content anymore. It will evolve to require a new platform delivery mechanism. The weather, pictures of your niece, recipes, and one day… hear me out… your own files… you'll need to download flash 12 or html 8 and allow cookies, cakes, biscuits.

So, realizing this already sounds totally paranoid, I might as well go full monty:
So if they are putting things ON my computer like applications and advertisements, what are they taking off my computer? I need a second computer. A closed system just for private content: financial documents, writing, my music, pictures, videos… but how to get things on and off? re-writable CDs? can't network the thing. Sometimes I just want to go back to printed newspapers, rabbit-eared tv and radio, hide down my rabbit hole. I'd cutting up my credit cards and go cash-only, blacking out the windows on my online persona. I'd communicate by US Postal Service and in person only. No phone.

And I'm blogging about this because….?