An old soul

On Vox: Lyrical Musing

2009-05-07T01:05:03Z

"Leavin' pussycats like why hoes need Kotex ." -- MF DOOM

So DOOM uses this line in "Accordian" off the Madvillian album (you must listen if you haven't.) Got me thinking about how rarely reference to particularly feminine themes are used in rap particularly, and lyrics in general.

I will have to author a battle-rap wherein I boast of my skills by suggestion that my words hit with such force that they reduce all other MCs to a streak of menses.

If you get into a battle rap before me, feel free to steal this rhyme.

I'm sorry that this is the update I'm making- but it is.

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: A NEW WARRIOR Has Entered the Ring

2009-03-02T19:42:47Z

Hello, everyone!

Are you playing Street Fighter IV? Please friend me on X-Box Live for battlings. My GamerTag is BOODOOperson.

Other news: Amanda and I were considering GDC, but that doesn't look like it will be happening at this point as enthusiasm has leveled.

Haven't played as much music as I should recently, I've been Team Fortressing or Street Fightering instead. I've recorded almost literally nothing, so that needs to change. SG and Strat could both use some attention/setup, but that's no excuse!

I tried to call out due to the storm today, but instead I ended up working the 12:30-9PM shift because two people had beaten me to calling out, one of whom works this shift. Showed up to work and the cafe in our building is closed, so I'm not sure what is happening re: food today. I may eat people's brains.

That's all for now. Peace out, Seacrest!

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: Obamanation + Guitar Recordings

2009-01-20T20:06:02Z

Long time no speak, internet. Hope you're all doing well in the first few hours of the Obama presidency!

I've been working (not today- sick day!) and keeping warm through the snowy season, and I'm about three weeks away from my 23rd birthday. Just two more months after that, and spring is on its way.

This past Sunday, I finally set up the beginnings of a recording solution with my computer. I've started recording my practicing some, to get a feel for recording itself.

Hopefully I can start actually making things and not just mess around on the guitar when I'm bored, but I'm not there yet. I'll be uploading MP3s to Vox as I complete them.

There are 3 MP3s up right now, totaling just under 15 minutes. Different effects/settings are used on each file, but there is repeated material, mostly Melody of Lute from FF IV.

I'm mostly doing this for my own re-enforcement, but if anyone has musical/technical/general feedback I would be grateful for it.

The guitar is a Sigma CS-3 (nylon string) classical. The recording is through two Behringer C2 condenser mics near the sound hole, through a mixer to an external sound card's Line In. Software used is Ableton Live 7.

Also, Joe Biden was president for 5 minutes today. Those must have been the happiest five minutes of his life, narrowly edging out his victory over Little Mac

VP Macho Man

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: QotD: Make it Count

2008-11-04T19:42:52Z

It's Election Day! How was your voting experience?

I was able to vote today, and it was a real vote— not one of those provisional ballots. I'm in Ward 5, Precinct 1 of Cambridge and voted at the LBJ apartments on Erie St. about 3 minutes from my apartment by foot.
They helpfully posted a copy of their registered voters list outside of the location, and my name was conspicuously absent. I had confirmed my registration to vote by VoteForChange.com's Facebook app, so I was surprised.
I was sent home to call the city election people and come back with mail in my name as I'm currently awaiting a replacement of my driver's license. The city people found me with no trouble (in their computer) but I was nowhere at the 5,1 polling place (paper listings.)
The woman who helped me at LBJ was quick, courteous, and knowledgeable. The explanation I received for my name not being on the listings they had was, "You're a Libertarian." I guess they only queried for voters
WHERE RegParty IN ("R","D","U","I")
I also saw a girl in front of me receive and fill out two ballots. One was of course marked SPOILED immediately at check-out, but it was funny that she filled them both out. I felt the very fabric of our democracy tearing. :)

Styrofoam Boots/It's All Nice On Ice, Alright

Modest Mouse

I'm in heaven
Trying to figure out which stack
They're going to stuff us atheists into
When Peter and his monkey laugh

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: I don't CARE if I get to be Jet Boy

2008-05-27T03:51:39Z

Let's say you love the Venture Brothers— because you should. Maybe you also need shirts, so that those snobs at the supermarket won't call the cops to boot you again.

This is the perfect thing for you, my friend.

Each week a shirt is produced to coincide with that week's Venture Bros. episode, and is printed in volume to match the orders received.

You can either order the shirt per weekum as episodes air and designs are revealed, or you can sign up for the automatic purchase subscription for the full effect of having a shirt delivered to you each week reminding you how good your taste in cartoons is.

If you don't have Venture Bros. shirts you'd better be walking around topless!

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: Smash Brothers Brawl Friend Code

2008-03-12T01:00:48Z

1160-9448-0774

So add me please!

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: Today's... Scary Statement of Fact

2008-01-29T22:38:17Z

Of [...] 80 million new antidepressant prescriptions in the '90s, non-psychiatrists wrote 60 million. And if studies of primary caregivers are any indication, most of those diagnoses of depression were made in less than three minutes.

Which is really upsetting! So then you get really mad at doctors, but then realize they're just giving the people what they want (as patients are now customers) and so you shift the rage to the Pharmaceutical companies for pushing the stuff like cold cereal to elementary school kids.That's not very fair though- no amount of advertising forces you to want/buy something.

So why? Why do such a high proportion of people looking for relief from depression seek it in the same manner? Is there some factor aside from personal decision-making which compels us into the 'take a pill and get on with your life' solution? Well, consider this:

Try getting your company's health insurance to cover the expense of counseling. Odds are, it won't. But it'll pay for pills.

Thanks again to Salon.com, my daily workhorse of a site to read while not working at work. Post coming later tonight about something way cooler and more fun and interesting and relevant to people who are awesome. I also tried to upload some music but Vox is too busy having sex with journaling platforms of its own gender.

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: Knut is an (Inverse) Furry

2008-01-25T21:54:28Z

Some very sad news reported by The Independent yesterday.

Apparently the world's cutest future murder-machine, Knut, has spent too much of his formative years around humans, rendering him a 'psychopath,' presumed incapable of mating with another of his own species. Clearly the solution is to put another polar bear* in a human suit, and Knut won't be able to walk for the involuntary thrusting of his loins. The downside being that this could yield procreation, and until now the only solace I've found in one being attracted to other species is knowing progeny are out of the question.

This doesn't mean Knut is no longer adorable, it just means he's adorable and terribly damaged goods. Knut is both a furry and a child actor. That poor, poor bear. On the lighter side, observe this hilarious Rebus puzzle (stolen from Salon.com's Broadsheet:)

Hillarebus

*Furries have taught me it does not matter what gender the other bear may happen to be.

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: Wiki Random Article album meme

2007-12-10T03:44:24Z

Go to the Wikipedia home page and click Random Article. That is your band's name.
Click Random Article again; that is your album name.
Click Random Article 15 more times; those are the tracks on your album.

Mar Ukba, by Subterraneans (band).

Tracklisting:
Tettenhall (which like my home town is between Warwick and Worcester)
Ulrich Roth
高知ファイティングドッグス [Kochi Fighting Dogs],
Col. Thomas Dent
Henry Hastings Sibley (first governor of Minnesota!)
Beacon Hill (Gloucester) (Tom Green and Tom Cruise both have ties here)
list of sportspeople by nickname (This one writes itself)
大本 [Ōmoto] ('The creator of Esperanto, L. L. Zamenhof, is [...] considered a kami.')
Gamm Theatre (a small theatre in Pawtucket, RI)
Scandinavian Bunkering
Episcopal Diocese of Newark
Conservatory Garden
R. D. Hinshelwood
Hüttikon
Henri Meige

I like the idea of a band named "Subterraneans (band)," especially as it's pretty clear that name is already taken.

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: WANTED:

2007-10-29T21:32:44Z

So Rock Band is a lot of fun, though the five songs we could choose to perform while being taped due to rights concerns were all kind of butt. We settled on Bon Jovi, which proved hilarious when they told us to 'jump around' for the video as it's difficult to rock out that hard to any Bon Jovi song. I tried, though—check the mad whammying on my bass for proof that I was trying very hard to make 2 notes per measure look interesting!

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: The Insincerity of the World's Leaders

2007-10-06T17:35:52Z

Moon Palace

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: Life and Dreaming

2007-09-27T17:46:54Z

Hello, it's been a while. I won't spend any time addressing that as I will just lose the will to compose if I do. I have had little to say and less desire to say it, and that's about the long and short of it.

Around Thursday or Friday of last week I contracted what certainly felt like a sinus infection from Amanda, after making it a week or so and figuring I was in the clear. I went to the German beer fest on Saturday, which helped to ignore the symptoms that day, and by Monday I was feeling fine. Tuesday I slipped back into sickness and was feeling like a TB patient with my hacking coughs in 80 degree weather.

Tuesday night I had a dream where I could fly. Like, by flapping my arms I could slow my descent and then eventually fly around- not Superman flying, but more what it would be to have Avian Bone Syndrome. This is the kind of dream that makes you incapable or at least highly unwilling to go to work, and I clearly needed the rest as I slept through to the early afternoon without interruption after a quick call to my team voicemail at work to let them know I wouldn't be in.

I did some tidying of wires, sweeping, and other maintenance on the apartment yesterday as an inspector is coming by today, due to the fire in Mike's room early this year. He will surely cite us on some insignificant nonsense, and I will be scolded by the Sohs for something which will not be in any way my fault. They've already given Amanda and I shit for 'losing a fire extinguisher,' which I believe is just as ridiculous an accusation as it sounds— they do not walk off on their own, and we would not throw out a fire extinguisher.

I get back in to work today and learn that the VP of my department (VP of Customer Relations) is gone, as of yesterday. Also, the latest full-time hire is no longer here as it seems something went amiss in her hiring process (drug test, education verification, or something.) My immediate manager is away on vacation and will soon be leaving/replaced anyway to my understanding. Anarchy is sure to ensue, and I expect I will need to prepare myself mentally for the clusterfuckery which is surely coming down on our asses between, say, now and Christmas. Did I mention we're replacing our Order Entry system with a piece of software in Belgium which we'll be accessing remotely
via Citrix a month from now? This is after our Global Head of Operations and Software or whatever resigned last month. I really want to make an animated org chart to show what has happened since I arrived in July.

OK, that's about all I've got to dump out of my head for now. I apologize as reading back through this post I don't think it contains a single thing of interest to anyone who might read it- but that's the difference between blogging and talking, you can skim or ignore my blog posts and it's not rude. On a totally unrelated note, here is a list of songs I like practicing on my bass:

Earthbound - Winters White (melody line, octave down)
Earthbound - Paula
Radiohead - Bones
Nina Simone - My Baby Don't Care About Me (octave down, solo notes only- not playing the base of guitar chords)
Super Mario Brothers 2 - Overworld (on the higher octave of the bass, as it involves an occasional Low D)
CREAM - Sunshine of Your Love
Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side

and most recently added:
Pixies - Gigantic

Now that I've made this shitty dump post, I will feel more comfortable creating smaller more consumable posts in the near future. This is assuming I have anything to share, which I may or may not. In the meantime, enjoy this excellent song.

What`s New In Baltimore

Frank Zappa

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: So how much worse can Iraqi government get?

2007-06-29T23:59:49Z

To excavate the depths of tragedy in Iraq, try this on for size: the attempted arrest of a minister accused of murdering another parliamentarian's sons is sparking the latest deterioration in sectarian relations. And the parliamentarian fears the Bush administration is helping the minister escape arrest in order to prevent the Maliki government from imploding.

On Vox: Big Brother UK 8 - The Beginning...ing

2007-06-01T02:17:38Z

My ordered list of the (first) 11 BBUK 8 housemates. I don't think anyone cares except for Mike, Kristen and Bryan—but that's enough for me!

Laura, Carol, Nikki, Chanelle, Tracy, Leslie, Emily, Sam / Amanda, Charlie, Shabnam

If you have an hour of free time a day (give or take) and want to know how you can best fill it for the next three months, you should give this show a watch. If you want my advice, start with the first non-live episode [BB-torrents.net free registration required] which aired tonight in Britain, and don't watch the live "bringing in the housemates" episode with casting interviews/crowd reactions until a week or two into the show and realize the awesome power of analytic chronodistortion™.

Included in the cast of characters above are:

Catholic Indian girl adopted at 1-yo from Mother Teresa's orphanage
A Victoria Beckham (US translation: Posh Spice) wannabe [get it?]
Frighteningly vapid/deranged 18-yo loli twins
Superhead
AND MORE!

So please—watch this show. You don't need to watch every episode. You don't even have to watch an episode! I will try to periodically triple-distill this potato juice into a refreshing and potent preparation fit to ingest in small but effective doses regularly for longer life and lower blood-pressure. You don't even have to take my word for it, ask any doctor* and he'll tell you—I'm not really a doctor, I'm just wearing this coat to get laid.

I'll provide these low/highlight video clips on Vox, hopefully with some regularity. Maybe I should change the potato stuff to prunes....no, not worth it.

*Dr. Billy Chen

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: NPR Franchise on a Premium Channel

2007-04-01T05:02:36Z

If you have access (Showtime, Showtime on Demand, Torrents, etc.) to This American Life, do yourself a favor and watch the two episodes that have aired so far. It's awesome. I've never really listened to the radio program, but I may seek some out now.

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: QotD: Showing My Support

2007-03-30T02:35:57Z

What are some charitable causes that you support or would like to support?

I give homeless/faux-homeless people change all the damn time, and cigarettes flow from me like water. I cut out the middle man.

So quick jorrrrrrb update: assuming my math's right (which it almost certainly isn't- though I couldn't say in which direction it's wrong) I'll be taking home about $300 for Wednesday-Friday of this week. Not only do I feel like a have a decent handle on my job, but I feel I have a pretty good stance on most other people in the company's jobs as well- it's always helpful to know how the sausage is made. On top of that my boss/guy who hired me is not only pretty cool, but also seems to think pretty highly of me which is always a welcome bonus in the work environment.

Despite telling myself "the first or second day, you'll want to quit/kill yourself" (as has been the case with every other job I've worked so far) this has been an overwhelmingly pleasant experience. Even going to bed at 2-3AM the past two nights to be up and out of the house by around 8AM and not getting lunch today because the in-house caf doesn't accept cards hasn't been a problem in any meaningful way. All in all, I feel pretty good about this. Making money, the order system is so slow I read Salon.com and the New Republic while waiting for queries to return, great salami+cheese on wheat in the caf, and it's right on the boardwalk so when it's breaking 60 consistently it will be the nicest lunch breaks possible. And I haven't even seen the gym yet! <3333 Thomson

Plus I could ideally leverage this experience into a position helping with copyright/trademark issues as a paralegal or assistant in the future— ding! Now maybe this sounds a bit too optimistic considering how early in the game it is, but this is a world apart from how I felt a week or so ago and I'm going to bask in it.

Oh, and lost was a pretty sweet episode this week so that helps too. I hated Nikki and Paulo until they had their episode, and now I forgive how dumb and irrelevant they were previously. Also, Sun gets hotter every episode- I hope they don't give her a preggers belly :(

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: Tonight's Keyboard Lesson:

2007-03-23T04:27:00Z

I think I'm going to force myself to learn how to play some simple pieces on my (computer) keyboard to get my timing and fingers in shape for if I get a MIDI keyboard (which I am toying with the idea of, but far from using the term "will" to describe the likelihood.) You see, it costs money and I need to pay upcoming rent, two and a half months' rent equivalent in borrowed money, and then all the other shit I haven't bought in weeks/months- so I need a way to test and nurture my interest in the meantime. Tonight I'll be learning to play the harmony part of Zelda 2's dungeon music, which according to the arrangement I'm working off of looks something like this in tab form.

I use Absynth 4 to use my computer keyboard as a narrow range (~30-key) faux-MIDI device for playing the software synth— it's tons of fun in and of itself. If I had to buy a keyboard today, I'd probably start myself off on this one. That's all I've really had any kind of inclination on, as the rest is way too complicated to just make a decision about without having a goal in mind. I know I'd need an interface/digital mixer since my sound is onboard and absolute ass, but that's still a lot of choices/decisions.

Ideally I'd have a minimal setup, I really just want a keyboard and interface to mess around with- a mic wouldn't hurt. Especially since Mike has the bass and amp, there's an actual instrument in case I feel the need to try that out. It's nice to think about what you'd do with money you don't have and time you do, but it's nicer to be getting money and not have as much free time, so the "leisure gap" I've seen being bandied about a few sources recently is such misleading bullshit.

I have a phone interview at 1PM tomorrow for a company Mike used to work for (can't name names as I've being placed by a staffing agency) so I really hope that goes well— I need a jerb, and I'd work so hard- I'm hungry like the wolf.

Zelda 2 [Live@Magfest 3]

Smash Brothers

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: Quick Job Hunt Update

2007-03-01T11:13:44Z

For anyone who may be curious (which I assume is no one) I'm providing a quick update of how my job search is going. I'm a bit disheartened that so far I've only made solid contact with two tech staffing groups and nothing that's a direct position response, but I don't know how reasonable making that distinction is- it just rubs me wrong.

One lead is on a call center/help desk position in Braintree. Obviously I'm not ecstatic about the prospect, but certainly regular work is better than no work, even if I can only hold that specific job for a few months before I have to go crazy and start looking again anyways. The other I've been told has "multiple positions" which I may be a fit for, which sounds nice enough. I returned his e-mail very promptly and I'll be calling tomorrow (today!) and hopefully scheduling a face-to-face meeting for Friday down by the Burlington Mall.

Other jobs I applied for but haven't heard back from yet this week include telephone support for a program that trawls/parses/retains jobs and résumés from various online sources which I feel I'd be a great match for, and a tech support position at an underwriting firm. It's probably best there's been no response on the latter, as the last thing I need is to get into insurance and never hear the end of it from my mother, an underwriter. I also sent in a résumé to Children's Hospital Boston for an "End User Support Specialist" position, but who knows how I would deal with being in a hospital all the damn time.

So there are possibilities, none I'm terribly excited about on their own merit but to be honest I'd be excited to start work as a garbageman if it meant getting paid again about now, beggars can't be a lot of things! So music, eh? Let's go with:

Yo' Mama

Frank Zappa

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

On Vox: [this is bad]

2007-02-06T03:58:09Z

Tonight while Mike, Jesse, Amy and I were watching the Syracuse v. UConn game upstairs we saw smoke in the hallway and evacuated the building. There was a fire in Mike's room, which Jeff from across the street and Bing attempted to quell. We stayed across the street while Cambridge FD brought trucks in and extinguished the flame.

The good news is that nobody was injured or killed, and according to the firemen the damage was mostly localized to the one room. We've been allowed back in on the first floor and told that everything is copesetic here, and also that the second floor is likely fine. I have no word on what the actual damage upstairs is, but I think it's a safe assumption that Jesse, Amy and Mike will need alternate lodging.

I'm really, really thankful that nobody was hurt which is the really important thing. ~~Bing went to the hospital, but I think that had moreto do with his being out in the sub-zero temperature with very littleclothing than with anything directly fire-related~~. Update:Bing came back alright, so no loss of life/health, though Jeff acrossthe street was coughing a bit last night. I'll keep peopleposted, but I really don't know much right now aside from what I'vesaid.

Update 2: Third floor should be allowed back in as early astoday/tomorrow, so that's good news. I'll be trying to get somepictures of the room later on and I'll be sure to upload them if I do.

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com

Expostulation and Reply

2007-01-29T15:18:35Z

"Why, William, on that old grey stone,
Thus for the length of half a day,
Why, William, sit you thus alone,
And dream your time away?
"Where are your books?--that light bequeathed
To Beings else forlorn and blind!
Up! up! and drink the spirit breathed
From dead men to their kind.
"You look round on your Mother Earth,
As if she for no purpose bore you;
As if you were her first-born birth,
And none had lived before you!"

One morning thus, by Esthwaite lake,
When life was sweet, I knew not why,
To me my good friend Matthew spake,
And thus I made reply:

"The eye--it cannot choose but see;
We cannot bid the ear be still;
Our bodies feel, where'er they be,
Against or with our will.

"Nor less I deem that there are Powers
Which of themselves our minds impress;
That we can feed this mind of ours
In a wise passiveness.

"Think you, 'mid all this mighty sum
Of things for ever speaking,
That nothing of itself will come,
But we must still be seeking?

"--Then ask not wherefore, here, alone,
Conversing as I may,
I sit upon this old grey stone,
And dream my time away."

--William Wordsworth
from Lyrical Ballads 1798

I hope to add some commentary at some point, but in case I don't get around to it I at least wanted this poem to be posted. Vox was supposed to crosspost but I think I forgot to check the little box telling it to.

On Vox: Pardon the Interruption

2007-01-04T00:04:54Z

So my friend Jesse watches PTI a lot, and I've been conflicted about liking it before. On the surface it's just a screaming heads show in the vein of Fox News Channel's biggest successes, a genre which holds no appeal...

» Read more on Vox

On Vox: Political Intrigue!

2006-11-25T17:06:04Z

First Daughter Barbara Robbed in Argentina George's daughter had her purse (including cell phone) stolen in Buenos Aires, under the watch of their assigned Secret Service au pairs. So a quick list of things I'd love to see the burglar...

» Read more on Vox

Breaking up is Hard to Do

2006-08-08T22:53:33Z

We've been together for over five years now, LiveJournal. I'm sure we loved each other, but now it just seems like I'm with you because I haven't found anywhere else to go. I should probably come clean and let you know that I've been conducting an affair with Flickr for months now- on and off, but I've enjoyed it a lot- it reminds me of when we first met. I think I'm just hanging out with you because if I left you, I'd lose friends- everyone always picks sides and you've never done anything wrong to me. I'm gonna be upfront with you about this one because I wasn't with Flickr: I think I'm going to start exploring my options with Vox. Yeah I know she's your sister, but look at her!

The thing is, she won't give me the time of day. So LiveJournal, could you hook me up with an invite to Vox' party? Thanks much.
(and I'm perfectly aware that people have already offered invites on my friends list, but I was being irrationally resistant to change at that point.)

...Long Live E3

2006-07-30T20:27:05Z

Hooray! E3 is likely cancelled! Sorry, Karen and Steve (and anyone else on my list this inconveniences) but it's about time. Having the Tokyo Game Show and E3 be the only times you can see products coming down the pipeline makes for terrible showings at the convention, or amazing products never getting demoed as they would be ready on Monday, but not Thursday for E3. I know what a few days means in development cycles, much less weeks or a whole month of leeway!

One could also assume we won't be seeing each company bleed millions trying to outflash their opponents while the actual research and innovation remain lacking. Getting rid of E3 is like campaign finance reform for the video game industry, I'm glad to see its time has come.

Their solutions were a way for them to change the world they lived in

2006-07-25T16:07:20Z

So $20 is more than I want to pay for it, but once they release the graphic for use in making your own screens I'll definitely be making myself this t-shirt to show just how hip I am.

To do today: listen to new Catch 22 album, take pictures of a few things to eBay (anyone wanna buy a Sidekick II or Cingular branded Treo 650?,) shower/shave, put General Ledger into program for work, save the world.