KSR Redux, Calling all Kinetinauts

A few weeks late, but here's a quick recap of the Kinetic Sculpture Race. It was a long and tiring day of volunteering, but Jenny and I both had a great time, and would definitely do it again next year [but for other plans, potentially - see below]. From the opening ceremonies - the Star-Spangled Banner sounds pretty good on kazoo! - to lavish and grotesque trophies at the very irreverent award ceremony, it was a blast.

There were really no surprises when it came to my tasks at the mud pit: go to pile of dirt, wet dirt, rake/shovel, repeat. We didn't snare as many sculptures as we would have liked, but we did have a very strong, vocal crowd of a few-hundred spectators, most of them rooting for the sculptures while we secretly rooted for the mud. We really are kind of the bad guys of the race, and I know that we all heartily enjoyed that role. Jenny and I also met some fantastic people amongst our fellow volunteers; in retrospect we wish we would have gotten better (read: any!) contact information for them. I feel obliged to link to one of the web sites of an artist and fellow mud-connoisseur, both because she was so friendly and because her latest project is so cool.

We'll have some photos up before too long on Jenny or my Flickr pages (or on both), but until then here are the official race photos and re-cap.

Looking forward to the 2008 KSR, which will be the tenth running of the Baltimore edition of the race, we're thinking why volunteer if we could be competing instead? Competing might be the wrong word for a "race" with the grand prize going to the team that finishes in the middle, but you know what I mean. So take a look at the race web site, read through the rules, and then let us know if you're interested in being on the team. We're going to have to start building this summer, and all we're starting with are a few solid ideas, plus our soaring dreams of artistic and kinetic adequacy. No really, we are serious about this, please let us know if you want in.

Grindhouse!

If you don't mind a little gratuitous violence and blood, go see Grindhouse. As soon as possible. Seriously. Yes, I'd pay $8 to see it again in the theater, in case you're interested. Don't wait for the DVD - see this on as large a screen as possible, and with a big crowd. We caught it at the Senator, Baltimore's biggest screen, on Friday night, it was packed (700+, easily, in the 900 seat theater) with quite the enthusiastic crowd. It's the most fun I've had at the movies in years, no exaggeration. Better, in terms of sheer entertainment value (not story or acting, mind you) than Kill Bill.

Both of the films are excellent, but also take very different approaches; Rodriguez' Planet Terror is almost non-stop, blood-soaked, campy action from beginning to end, while Tarantino's Death Proof has a slow build-up, and is a masterful piece of emotional manipulation with a cool payoff. And then there are the trailers, 3 out of 4 which are hilarious, each in its own way.

For those of you who are fortunate enough to have already seen the movie(s), here's a clip that puts some of Death Proof into context. [recommendation: Don't visit this link before seeing the film!]

Also, if you've seen Grindhouse and didn't like it, please don't bother leaving a comment to that effect- it will be removed.

Revelations in Music and Fashion

I'm reading this book of Jenny's on the train this week about the history of the DJ, and it mentions Ben Sherman, a clothing designer that I dig, as having been the label of choice in the working class "northern soul" clubs of Northern England back in the sixties. I can see that, although they've come a long way since then, with $90 shirts and the like.

And on the train this morning, I'm listening to Kraftwerk (also a Jenny musical selection - yes, books on DJs, early elctronic music, she's much cooler than me), and I hear a familiar melody while listening to Computerlove. Turns out that it's the melody that Coldplay uses in Talk. Who knew? Not a great song though, IMO, even with the catchy melody.

Seven Wonders

This Post article marks the first I've heard of this, but there is currently Internet voting for a new Seven Wonders of the World. The 21 eligible wonders are decent, but in this modern age, aren't they missing a few obvious ones, like the Internet itself, or George W. Bush? (a two-term president that's as dumb as he is a modern wonder, in a terrible sort of way).

Seriously though, what about the canals of Venice (too crumbly?), the Vegas Strip (too capitalist?), the Panama Canal (too utilitarian?), or the Sistine Chapel (too arty?). Don't get me wrong, their list is fine, I'm just thinking a few of the choices aren't too stellar. The Statue of Liberty - they chose that to give the US an entry, right? The Alhambra - maybe I'm not cultured enough, but I've barely even heard of it. And the minarets of Timbuktu either look like they've seen better days, or weren't all that fantastic to begin with.

Another Dumb Criminal, + How Ticket Sites Could Work

I read this bizarre story on the train this morning, and am convinced now more than ever that the intelligent criminal is the rarest of species. This guy accuses a recently-fired employee of having an affair with his fiancee, and fires a few shots at him with his shotgun. But the defendant claims that it was an accident, he was going to offer the shotgun (and a big-ass knife) as a parting gift to the ex-employee, who he considered "a real woodsman", when he tripped and the gun went off. Riiiight! Maybe he meant to say that he was going to offer the shotgun slugs to the guy's chest, and the knife to his back? To top it all off, the defendant runs an nonprofit organic farm that provides food for soup kitchens. Apparently even the most charitable among us aren't immune to crimes of passion. Once again, I'm sure glad I live in the City and not the County - those County people are nuts!

As I continue the saga of trying to obtain Police tour tickets, I came upon mention of Scarlet Mist, one of several UK-based ticket sales and exchange sites, upon which users can only buy and sell tickets at face value. What a fantastic idea, and it seems to work too! Granted, for most of the listed events no tickets were currently on sale, but there was some availability for big names like Ricky Gervais and Justin Timberlake. I couldn't find a U.S. equivalent; can we get one of these sites over here?

They Cause Scenes

Improv Everywhere. Cool idea.

Give 'em the Boot

The U.S. World Cup squad, that is. I'm not going to comment much on the game, since I didn't get to see even a minute of it, but I think it's telling that the guys who have done well attacking the goal are guys that don't normally start for Bruce Arena - Eddie Johnson had several nice chances in the Czech game when he came in late, and Clint Dempsey started the last two games after seeing no action in the first, and scored the only goal for the U.S. (not counting the Italy own-goal) in three games. The U.S. entered the World Cup with nothing to lose, and played with a timidity that indicated otherwise. Maybe with a new coach, and with the most aggressive and creative players starting, the U.S. will have a better result in South Africa in 2010. There will be plenty of new blood then, since mainstays Reyna, Pope, McBride, and Keller will (should?) all be retired from national team play by then.

Still plenty of World Cup left though, now that the U.S. and other weak sides have been eliminated. For what it's worth, weekend matches that I'm looking forward to are Holland-Portugal and Germany-Sweden. Also, England-Ecuador smells like an upset, but I'm doubting that Mexico will give Argentina many problems.

Finally, my mom sent me this amazing futbol-related video, here's the originating web page (it's a blog, but one that actually entertains!). The video she sent me was from this guy's 2 June entry. As my friend Neal used to stay - and probably still does - mad skillz.

New 007 Announced

I think that James Bond fans will be quite satisfied with the choice of Daniel Craig to replace Pierce Brosnan as 007. I've only seen him in one film, last year's excellent gangster caper Layer Cake, but I was impressed. I was hoping for Clive Owen to accept the role - he apparently was offered it but turned it down - but Craig is a great choice, IMO. Maybe he'll be able to inject some life into the character; Pierce Brosnan seemed bored as hell during the last few films, like he couldn't wait to get out of the role. Of course, maybe he was just tired of waiting for a nipple to appear.

Puppets AND Hippie Music!

This morning I was all set to write about this column by the Sun's new sports columnist, and how he got it exactly right - the Orioles won't return to prominence, or even respectability, while Peter Angelos owns the team.

But then I found this video. These Gloves and Boots people took the fantastical hippie sound of the Polyphonic Spree and created a music video starring their puppets! Yeah, the lyrics and the puppet singing don't snyc up all that well, but hey most puppets aren't great singers anyway. What's important is that the video captures the peace, love, flower-child, cult-like vibe of the Spree. Enjoy!

Epigenetics

This is the first time I've ever encountered the term epigenome. Did I miss the boat on this? Is this news to anyone else?

Looks like this has a lot of potential, but then again most 'hot' scientific fields always seem to hold so much promise.

Podcasting Verdict: Groovy

It took me a little while (I've had my ipod mini for a few months now), but this past weekend I looked into podcasting and have subscribed to a handful of podcasts. I have to say that this technology has real promise, and I hope it sticks around and gets more popular. Ideally, podcasting could eventually kill the on-air doldrums that is commercial radio, if satellite radio doesn't kill it first. More on that later.

For those who didn't follow the Wikipedia link, podcasting refers to subscribing to a particular audio program, updated regularly. The software I use is itunes, since it came with my ipod, but there is other (and better) software out there that manages podcast subscriptions - itunes only recently added decent podcasting functionality with its latest software release, although I've heard that more features are on the way. So the software downloads the latest program in the form of an mp3 file, which one can then listen to on their computer or mp3 player. Programs range from music programs to political shows to international news to comedy - well, you get the picture, there's a lot out there. But the idea is that you can search out shows and topics that interest you, and essentially program/compile your own personal radio station.

How many podcasts that are out there now are good? That's an excellent question. Since I've only been at this for a few days, it's difficult to say - most of the worthwhile programs that I've heard so far are, not surprisingly, produced and distributed by existing 'big media' companies such as ABC, ESPN and MSNBC. I've also subscribed to several podcasts by Adam Curry, who is considered one of the pioneers (if not the pioneer) of podcasting and who does a lot to promote the technology. Some of you may remember him as the MTV VJ from the mid-80s to mid-90s; he later founded several internet start-ups during the dot-com boom and is now apparently all about podcasting. From his latest podcast: he met with Apple's itunes people over the weekend in the Bay area to discuss improvements that they could make to their software in the podcasting department. I've also found several smaller, independent podcasts that I enjoy so far: the 40+ minute movie review show Cinecast, the short Baltimore history segment Baltimore Stories from the local NPR station WYPR, and a media & culture show from local college/public station WTMD.

I've also already discovered some bizarre, poorly-produced, and just plain bad podcasts. I was hopeful that maybe NYC Beercasting would be about beer, but it's really just stupid conversations among a group of 3-4 friends that takes place in a bar. I don't know who would find that interesting, because I sure didn't. There must be real beer-analysis shows out there, and if there aren't, there should be. The Baltimore NPR station has a weekly wine discussion called Cellar Notes, and a beer equivalent is surely needed. Let's see, what else sucked...ah yes, the British-based political comedy sketch show Whack My Bush was neither funny nor clever, and I'm a guy who really appreciates humor at W's expense. There were a few more that were equally forgettable, unsurprisingly I can't remember the specifics.

So getting back to the technology, I can see it being adopted more as mp3 players make their way into more homes (as part of the regular entertainment system components of CD/DVD player, receiver, etc.) and cars. These types of players do exist, and some even include the necessary Wi-Fi functionality that enables one to listen to pc-based mp3 files from the living room. But from what I've read, these products are far from perfect, and not all that 'smart' yet. A car-based player should have built-in Wi-Fi and should be able to scan the pc hard drive for podcast updates and new songs while it's parked outside or in the garage. As far as portable players go, leading companies (read: Apple) need to incorporate wireless features into their players, that would enable users on the street/bus/subway/airplane/boat/highway to share their podcasts and music - the music that isn't under the RIAA umbrella, of course. Although the copyright holders of signed musicians should think about loosening the copyright laws to allow temporary sharing of content - a digital stamp that starts a timer, so that a shared song is available for listening for 4, 12, or 24 hours, and then available for purchase afterwards. If they can come up with secure technology that enables that type of sharing, it makes them money in the long run, right? Put it all together, and maybe more people can start to own, and share, their own personal radio stations.

By the way, if any of you are subscribing to any podcasts that they really enjoy, don't keep them to yourself...

Revenge is a Dish Best Served on Ebay

I don't know whether it's a real auction, but either way it sure is creative.


Yes, in case you were wondering, it IS a slow (and rainy) Friday at the office...

HFStival 2005

Saturday was quite a busy day for me. I began the day out in Frederick, running in the Mission of Mercy 5K with my dad and sister. Beautiful weather, and a decent race. I got almost the exact same time I had been getting earlier in the week when I ran the 5K course over in Patterson Park - 25:35. Odd, because usually people run a bit faster on race day, perhaps I've hit a bit of a 5K plateau and need to push through it. Anyway, Em finished about 90 seconds after I did, and Barry came in 30 seconds after her. Not too bad overall, especially the old man, who knocked 2+ minutes off of his previous 5K personal best.

After the race, it was back to Baltimore for the 2005 HFStival. The lineup this year was really strong, so after living in this area most of my life and never attending an HFStival, I've been the past two years. Strange. Overall, a good time. This is despite some crappy weather, tons of inconsiderate, punk-ass kids, and a few less-than-stellar performances. Here's the summary, I'll start with the not-so-good:

• Interpol - I'll put them first not because they were particularly bad, because they weren't, but because I've seen them twice before. They were incredible both times, so expectations were high. Yes, they sounded great. But they went on early in the day, around 2:30, and it seemed like they didn't want to be there. They played 6 songs or so, and while this was similar to the set lengths of other acts, their set seemed much shorter. Their bass player smashed his bass (badly - the Who would have laughed at him) before they walked off the stage, so maybe they were angry about something. Message to Interpol: you guys might be big now, but you're not U2 just yet. Adjust your attitude.
• Echo and the Bunnymen - Their lead singer's voice was malfunctioning, so they couldn't even play. He tried a song or two, but that was it. If you haven't been around for a while, it's probably best to take care of your voice before a big live show. Echo didn't get any new fans on Saturday. Also, the Bunnymen were not in costume.
• Good Charlotte - I thought their stage set, which Amy hilariously called the "Hot Topic set", consisting of gargoyles in a graveyard, was a bad sign. I was right. How did these guys ever get a record contract? They stink. Maybe there should be a new label for their type of music, because applying the pop-punk label to these types of bands disparages both Justin Timberlake AND the Ramones. Throw them together with Blink 182, Sum 41, Linkin Park, and you've got Hot Topic Rock. Cheap, trendy, appeals only to teenagers, won't last more than a few years.

Now, on to the acts that didn't suck:

• Garbage - We've seen them twice before, but unlike Interpol, the third time didn't disappoint. They are simply a great rock band, and Shirley Manson is a great performer and terrific live singer. If you like their music, I would recommend a live performance. Even the songs from their new album, which I think is quite unspectacular, sounded great live.
• The New York Dolls - I don't know much about them, other than they were a short-lived but influential punk band from the early 70s (the American answer to the Sex Pistols?), perhaps more influential for their style and appearance than anything else. They sounded damn good! They were clearly having fun up there, playing in front of a larger crowd than I'm sure they've seen in many years. And here's some bizarre music trivia about their lead singer, David Johansen. I knew I recognized him from somewhere, but when the guitarist announced his name mid-way through the set, I finally put it together. This is the same David Johansen who was also known in the 80s as Buster Poindexter, a purveyor of cocktail party songs and cheesy conga line dance numbers. He was almost unrecognizable, he currently looks like he's about 70 years old (he's 55) and a poster child for heroin use - either that or he's really sick.
• The Pietasters - Over at the locals stage, they went on last, and played an abbreviated set due to the appearance of some lightning. They sounded much better than last time I saw them, probably because they weren't drunk (yet). I vowed to never pay to see them as headliners ever again - they're a great band if they're opening for someone, but as the main act they can't keep it together because they're drinking - heavily - before and during their act. On Saturday, they were behaving, and consequently they sounded good.
• Billy Idol - The biggest reason that I was at the HFStival was to see this man perform, and he did NOT disappoint. He and his band just rocked. Simple as that. Definitely the highlight of my evening. He looked and sounded amazing, and knew how to work a crowd better than anyone else there (although Shirley Manson and Chris Martin came close). He reminded us several times that he was, after all, "Billy Fucking Idol". But we didn't need him to tell us that - we knew.
• Coldplay - They came on after a brief lightning delay, and had a surprisingly good live sound. Like Billy Idol, Chris Martin has a very distinct voice that shines through during live performances. He's quite the performer, very animated on stage, he really gets into each song. I'd love to see a show of theirs in the future.
  

As for the other acts that we saw, we caught They Might Be Giants towards the end of their set. They were funny, energetic, nothing really special though. That goes for the last act of the evening as well, the Foo Fighters. They played loud, hit their power chords, and Dave Grohl sounded good. I've never been too impressed with them though. Evidently, neither had Jenny, Amy, or Matt; we left mid-way through their set.

Super Nerdio

12 USC engineering students + 3800 Post-It notes + 90 minutes = a nerd art masterpiece.

The name is Sir Graham (like the cracker)

Back in 1984, the term "personal computer" was still relatively new, and very limited. If there was a computer in the house, it was likely a Commodore 64 or Apple II. My family had IBM's first real personal computer, the PCjr, because my dad worked for the company. I honestly remember when he brought it home, along with a bunch of games in ugly hard plastic hinged boxes. One of them, King's Quest, turned out to be the most popular in our family - and it was no surprise! You could control the little protagonist Sir Graham (later on, his highness King Graham) , making him walk around in his bright blue pants, red shirt, and feathered cap, climb beanstalks, outwit his fairy-tale foes, all the while exploring a magical 16-color world! Yes, sometimes in took a while to load the next screen, but a little patience when playing from a single 5 1/2-inch floppy, please!

No wonder it's been recognized time and again as one of the most important games ever made (#15 on this list, I would have ranked it higher of course).

Terps Beat Duke: A Familiar Refrain

The Terps triumphed for their third win in a row over the Blue Devils on Saturday night, in a game that could not have been hyped any more by ESPN. I hate to say it, but this just isn't a big deal anymore. There's not a disparity in talent between these two programs, when you look at the teams as a whole. Might their starters be better than MD's? Maybe. But as a whole, since Koach Konsonant insists on recruiting only the top-rated HS players, he's left with a 1 or 2 player bench when those players leave early for the NBA. Meanwhile, Gary recruits very good players as well, but he seems to recruit those who for the most part are going to stick around for 3-4 years. And given roughly equal talent, Gary has been able to out-coach Konsonant pretty regularly. Speaking of the Koach, I was under the mistaken impression that all the students in Durham loved him. My bad.

Now, is this the beginning of the Terps' run to the tournament this year? Perhaps. One well-played team game with many contributors is certainly a good sign. There may be more hiccups along the way, time will tell. I was wondering 2 weeks ago why a team with so much talent could play so poorly, and often without the requisite effort, against teams like Clemson and Miami. I forget that these players are in their late teens and early 20s; given the hype of certain games, and the disinterest from media and fans for other games, asking them to play with the same level of intensity for every game is probably the most difficult thing they're asked to do as players. It simply runs counter to human nature.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that today was Valentine's Day. Jenny decries this as a greeting card holiday (I agree), and therefore we do not observe said holiday. But most relationships could use a little bit more romance throughout the year, so with that in mind I give you the Onion Love Coupons. Enjoy!

Wind-Powered Tube Animals

I saw this article on WIRED this morning and it absolutely amazed me. Larger-than life plastic animals that are wind-powered and have the capability to anchor themselves in storm conditions? Where can I get one? There are additional photos, and some videos as well - although I couldn't get some of them to play correctly - at strandbeest.