randomness personified

the days pile on

well baby, i’ve been here before
i’ve seen this room and i’ve walked this floor
you know, i used to live alone before i knew you
and i’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
and love is not a victory march
it’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah

-j. buckley via l. cohen

i like girls with glasses

Tonight I was completely sucked in by the goofy, disturbingly cute, bespectacled goodness of Lisa Loeb. For those of you unaware, she and the lucky Dweezil Zappa now have a charming cooking show on Food Network. Cleverly titled "Dweezil & Lisa," it depicts them traveling about cooking, eating and playing. I like it muchly. I tuned into the first episode because they were visiting familiar haunts in Atlanta (Watershed, the Varsity, Gladys & Luther's). This time they were visiting Phoenix.

Lisa claims to be a vegetarian. Whatever. The opening shows her "sneaking bacon into her vegetarian diet," she orders fish at a restaurant and eats the batter off Dweezil's chicken. No matter. She's still damn cute.

I see that she's playing the Bowery next month. Whatcha think? Would the estrogen levels just be too much for me?

today is january 28, 1964

My pal Vernam found a very absurd music blog. He had the creativity to come up with a much better title ("blog me do") and gave a brief synopsis of what's there. I'm not that nice. You'll just have roll your eyes for yourself...

good times, good times

My commute was aided this morning by following not one but six sand trucks down I-95. It snowed twelve inches between eight p.m. and dawn. Good times, indeed.

I keep trying to remember what someone much wiser than I once said...

New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
-Leonard Cohen, "Famous Blue Raincoat"

this just in

I just had the opportunity to listen to Norah Jones' forthcoming sophomore release. Titled "Feels Like Home," I officially declare it my new favorite music to nap to.

A once in a lifetime voice, yes. A flair for anything interesting, no.

oh, oscar

randomness always greets the Oscar nominations with excitement and anticipation. randomness is always disappointed. There are a few interesting twists this year, though.

Best Picture
Seems like the Academy is finally willing to give the geeks their due. LOTR looks like the favorite. I'll be crossing my fingers and swooning, of course, for "Lost in Translation."

Best Actor
Johnny Depp is always a randomness favorite and his Adam Ant impersonation was great. Bill better win this one, though.

Best Supporting Actress/Best Actress
What? No Scarlett Johansson whatsoever? That's absurd. I love Samantha Morton in that role but this is certainly Charlize's year.

Best Director
Kudos to the Academy for recognizing Fernando Meirelles for "City of God," of my favorites of, um, 2002. I'll be rooting for Sofia, naturally.

Documentary
Wow. I've actually seen four of the five. "My Architect" is by far the best. "Friedmans" will undoubtly win. I thought "The Weather Underground" was interesting but not a very good film. "Fog of War" isn't Morris' best work but is a much more accessible subject.

Foreign Film
Not a very inspired list. Only one, "The Barbarian Invasions," has U.S. distribution. Hopefully that will change very shortly. I'd really like to see "The Twilight Samurai" as I've been hearing great things about it for months.

Original Song
randomness ends here and feels rather chuffed. Mr. Elvis Costello is nominated for a song he wrote with T-Bone Burnett for "Cold Mountain." Too bad that incredibly boring song from LOTR seems pre-ordained to win.

take a bow for the new revolution

I don't watch a lot of current television. I've not seen 24 seconds of Keifer Sutherland's blockbuster. I've witnessed more of the O.R as of late than "The O.C." I certainly don't love Raymond. I work for CSI but, alas, I've never sat through the show.

That changed a bit tonight. I was in the middle of exercising when C.S.I.: Miami came on. I failed to change it for a few minutes. First off, what's with with the annoying sepia tint? Is the whole show like that? Are both of the franchises shot with that filter? Annoying. Second, how the hell does David Caruso have a hit television show? I'm serious. From my brief glimpse I cannot imagine that there's a worse actor working today.

By the time "Won't Get Fooled Again" kicked in I'd moved on. Don't worry. I won't...

yay!

I know you're tired of hearing me bitch. I'm just tired of it happening...

The tri-state area will be affected by winter weather for a prolonged period of time from tonight through Wednesday morning. This bout of wintry weather will come in two parts... the most significant of which will affect the region Tuesday night into early Wednesday.

At this time... the potential exists for a significant snowfall from Tuesday night into early Wednesday across the tri-state area with amounts of 10 or more inches possible. Winter storm watches could be issued later today if it becomes more apparent that heavy snows will occur

middle of the road

A pretty fun tool can be found at World 66. You can make maps of the states or countries that you've visited in your pathetic little life. I initally went for the global approach but when my map simply colored in all of North America and the lot of Western Europe (plus the former Yugoslavia) I decided it was a bit too uninteresting. My US map, though, is pretty funny

How sad is that? It's just all the middle and Mid-Atlantic bits!

And yes, I do realize that this is my eighth post today. It's cold. I'm bored. Cut me some slack.

randomness outing

So who wants to go see King Lear at Lincoln Center? It is my favorite of the Bard and stars Christopher Plummer in a production directed by the esteemed Sir Jonathan Miller. Best of all, I think I can get cheap crip tickets. At worst, the New Yorker is advertising $60 preview tickets.

Who's in? You know you need a little culture, and by that I don't mean you should get that rash on your elbow looked at. That's not a bad idea either, though.

a note to my hometown senator

Hey, Joe. For the love of all things holy, please stop using the term "Jomentum." We're not going to suddenly think you're hip. You're barely a Democrat fer cryin' out loud.

Also, a note to dear old Ted. Johnny Cash's wardrobe really isn't working out for you. No. Really. I'm serious.

the good people of babb 2004

rapture via john deere

My favorite fashion punching bag, Ashton Kutcher, is interviewed about his dreadful new film "The Butterfly Effect" in this week's Time Out New York. Ever the diligent hipsters, TONY takes the opportunity to ask him about his beloved trucker hats. Seems there's more to the boy than just a scruffy mug and the most annoying show in MTVs illustrious history...

TONY - Can we blame you for the ubiquity of trucker hats?

AK - No. You can blame my friend Jon Abrahams (mrw - boring story omitted). ...and I was like, I'm loving it. I had, like, a hundred of those hats that I've had since I was a kid. And I've always like wearing hats, because I don't like combing my hair. There are spiritual reasons why I like wearing a hat as well.

TONY - Spiritual?

AK - Most of the energy that we receive comes in through our head, much like most of the heat in our body comes out of our head. So the only way to achieve enlightenment is to restrict that.

Not to worry, Ashton. I think there's very, very little coming out of your head. Perhaps you would benefit from one of these, though? (link via frankenstein)

oh, hi ya

This is primarily for Jesse as he requested a sample from Songs: Ohia but I figured I'd let others take a listen if they wanted.

So, here's "Farewell Transmission" from Songs: Ohia's The Magnolia Electric Co. (right click, save target as). I hear it sorta like Bright Eyes meets Neil Young. I like it muchly.

reinventing the wheel

I'm always curious when someone decides to cover a song that is ubiquitous in popular culture. I can think of very few examples that are better than Whitney Houston's take on "I Will Always Love You." I hope you'll agree with me that her approach is pretty damn awful. In case you weren't aware, that song was penned by and originally recorded by Dolly Parton. I've never been too keen on Dolly's take, either. She sings most of the life out of it.

So the other week I picked up a copy of "Just Because I'm a Woman - The Songs of Dolly Parton." It's a pretty decent tribute album. I bought it for the Shelby Lynne content. It also features Melissa Etheridge covering the aforementioned "I Will Always Love You." I'm not a huge Etheridge fan, I think she's pretty much a one trick artist. However, I have to say that I was actually moved by her cover. It's not brilliant, but it's not as horrible as I would have thought.

So wipe away all your preconceived listenings of Whitney and see how a song can be transformed in the right hands. (right click, save target as)

Oh, that's probably not dial-up friendly. I encoded it really high. It's just over seven meg. Sorry!

enough already

A Sunday morning ritual, going to get the paper and a bagel, is normally a comforting way to start a day. However, when you step outside and it's a whopping six degrees it's not quite as much fun. I'm not exaggerating in the least when I tell you that my coffee was tepid after the scant two block walk.

no, really

I did have a wonderful time at the Blogger Bash last night and I do have some really great photos to post. It's all just a sleepy Maker's Mark induced blur right now. Full details and a sober, rested randomness tomorrow.

In the interim, if you want to see what a giddy boy on the Mark looks like, visit the esteemed Mr. Frankenstein. Top billing. How lovely. Actually, I believe that to be in the first bar, pre brown liquor. I have no idea what my excuse is in that case...

Ken seems to recall us making fun of the other Blog Nerds. Why I never!!

Brian whipped up a jukebox playlist that was the stuff of legend.

See! The details. They're coming back. Oh the stories we can share the clouds part...

all hyped up

You know me. I love the hipster crap. My latest acquisition, "The Magnolia Electric Company" by Songs: Ohia, is pretty freakin' brilliant and in constant rotation. I listen to music in a lot of different genres. I've written here in the past, though, regarding my inability to understand the brilliance of most pure rap. I love Outkast, I can appreciate old NWA and Public Enemy. That's about it. Anything else really just washes over me.

The latest hipster darling is the British rapper Dizzee Rascal. I wrote about him a few months back but the Old Grey Lady recently devoted a entire page to his story and Time Out has followed suit. In a cover story urging us to "Believe the hype!" TONY says he's "poised to make a big impact in the States."

Again, I just don't "get" it. Take a listen. Tell me I'm wrong. Here's the first single, "Fix Up, Look Sharp," from the Matador site.

Of course this issue of TONY features a turtleneck sweater clad Ashton Kutcher on the cover. Perhaps I should just consider the source and move on...

no entry

I had a "proceeeeeedure" done today. A same-day surgery sort of deal. I'll spare you all the details. It's better that way. Trust me. Just suffice it to say that you really should be nicer to me. All of you. Every day. Thanks.

sometimes disneyland isn't so bad

I first came to NYC in 1992. It was pre-Giuliani, of course, and it was still the gritty, grimy city. I immediately fell in love with it. I missed the bizarre sights of the 1980s, though, and I'm always intrigued by them.

See, this is the typical NYC subway scene circa 2004. These fascinating shots, however, are circa 1980.

(via Gothamist)

ho hum

Yet again another lackluster Super Bowl looms on the horizon. I'm not really a big NFL fan. I watch the playoffs, I watch my pathetic Lions whenever possible and I always have a Super Bowl party. I just can't get fired up, though, for either the Pats or the Panthers. I'm going to root for New England. Seems like the right thing to do geographically and their two most prominent players (Tom Brady and Ty Law) are both former Wolverines.

This year I'm again having the party. Mostly cow-orkers and neighbors, but if anyone in NYC doesn't have plans why don't you come on out? It's really an easy train ride. Right now I think everyone's more intrigued by the commercials and the opportunity to laugh at Janey & Puffy at halftime...

that joke's not funny anymore

I grew up in Southern Michigan. I know winter. Winter used to mean the snow would begin sometime after Halloween and you wouldn't see the grass again until sometime in March. You didn't watch the weather report in the winter. You knew what was going to happen. It was going to snow. Years of living in the South, though, and a few easy winters in the Northeast have put those seasons firmly out of mind.

Now, we're losing our fifth weekend of the winter to snow. When it hasn't been snowing it has been bitterly cold. Next week's lows are again supposed to be in the single digits. I'm all for feeling like a kid again, but this is absurd.

at long last, a resolution for the new year

better stop dreaming of the quiet life
'cause it's the one we'll never know
and quit running for a runaway bus
'cause those rosey days are few
and stop apologising for the things you've never done,
'cause time is short and life is cruel
but it's up to us to change
this town called malice
-paul weller

the weather outside is frightful

Winds will continue from the north to northwest at 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph at times. The combination of very cold air with the strong winds will result in wind chill temperatures from 20 to 30 degrees below zero overnight into early Friday morning.

Suddenly I hate Atlanta just a little bit less.

I've been awfully quiet this week as I had a frightful, pressure-laden demo today for a Japanese conglomerate that could be an amazing deal for my company. It went very well. Wish me luck. Now, though, I have to do some serious sleeping...

not really an improvement

This weekend was pretty boring. It was super cold so I slept a lot and worked around the house. In my shut-in hours, though, I briefly contemplated shaving my beard entirely. I haven't been sans facial hair since I was in college.

Then I sat down and watched "Love Liza." The movie was brilliant yet absurdly melancholy. I only managed to get through it because Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of my favorite actors. Probably the best actor of his generation. But suddenly it hit me. Without a beard I'd no longer be told that I looked like Chris Elliott. Instead I'd be Philip Seymour. I'm no expert, but I don't think that's a good look...

good mouse, good mouse

Do you, like me, tire of staring at a PC and wish your machine could provide you with something in return? Well, ladies, your wishes may have been answered. Behold, the USB Vibe Personal Massager. It's, ahem, recommended for your "back."

a new addition

I've decided that little Alison really needs some company during the day. She's a very social cat and loves to be around other people and, believe it or not, other animals. I had thought about getting a kitten for her to play with but now I'm thinking about getting a rabbit. That's right, a rabbit.

Apparently rabbits and cats can do very well together despite what you would think in terms of a hunter-prey sort of relationship. Of course the rabbit can't be tiny and the cat can't be of the vicious mouser variety. My little Ali is a horrible mouser. She once "caught" a mouse in my old house in Atlanta and simply played with it. She didn't even once try to bite it. I guess she thought it was a new toy.

If I go through with this hare-brained scheme (groan) I'll end up adopting from The Carrot Patch here in Norwalk. Any thoughts?

hey, brainiacs

Note to Joe the UPS guy, the cashier at the pet store, Vic the mailman, the waitress at IHOP and the guy who pumped my gas. I am indeed aware of the fact that it's effing cold out. Rhetorical questions regarding the chill are complete unnecessary and annoying. Thanks.

i never liked that airwolf show, either

The State of Alaska has decided to sanction wolf hunting in their fair state with the alleged goal of preventing the population from endangering the moose population.

I won't even comment on the absurdity of the rationale. However, the mechanism for the hunt is particularly disturbing. Wolves which are naturally wary of land-dwelling foes now have to look to the sky. That's right. The State of Alaska has approved arial wolf hunting. Wolves can now be hunted with rifles and shotguns from planes and helicopters. Hunters can even chase them from the air, corner them, jump out of the plane on skis and suddenly open fire on them with semi-automatic weapons. I'm sure this makes them feel very James Bond-like, but it's certainly very cruel.

Friends of Animals provides more information on this travesty. If you're so inclined the governor's address and phone number can be found on the FoA website.

the spam magnet

Jerry Lewis, as I've pointed out here many times, is nothing short of an asshole. He also seems to be a spam magnet. I keep meaning to install MT Blacklist in order to keep spammers from posting comments. However, I'm now somewhat amused by the spammers.

See, I don't get that many spam comments. Maybe one or two a week. However a particular post on Jerry Lewis seems to constantly collect spam. Check it out. I wonder why that is?

ouch

You know, I'm glad I drove home like a maniac in the muck of rain from New Jersey to watch this Indianapolis - Denver game. Thanks for making it interesting, Peyton.

these are the good times

Paul and I sacrificed a small portion of our respective livers on Friday night to find an appropriate locale for the latest installment of the Big Apple Blogger Bash. Looks like we've settled on AZ.

Won't you please join us? Hopefully this lost crustacean won't still be found outside the bar underneath a ice cream truck. Bizarre, indeed.

no hipper than thou

I hang my head. I own merely eight of Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2003. As it's the ultimate online hipster music rag, I simply had to order five of them from Half.com.

I'm geniunely geeked over "Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State" by Sufjan Stevens. I mean, the track list is:

1. Flint (For The Unemployed And Underpaid)
2. All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!
3. For The Widows In Paradise, For The Fatherless In Ypsilanti
4. Say Yes! To Michigan!
5. The Upper Peninsula
6. Tahquamenon Falls
7. Holland
8. Oh Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)
9. Romulus
10. Alanson, Crooked River
11. Sleeping Bear, Sault Saint Marie
12. They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For The Homeless In Muskegon)
13. Oh God, Where Are You Now? (In Pickeral Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)
14. Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)
15. Vito's Ordination Song

Deliriously loopy.

This after buying a boxset and three discs (on all sale mind you!!) at Tower today. As I've said many a time, I have issues...

hunters & collectors

After spending some time with the CD inventory this afternoon I realized that I had inadvertently applied a filter to my reports. It explained why discs were myteriously missing from the inventory but it didn't do anything to help me to reclaim the several hours I spent this weekend adding and deleting the phantom discs. It's always the obvious, isn't it?

It seems that I've also created a bit of controversy amongst the curious as to what goes into my actual count. Over the last few weeks I've rediscovered downloading entire albums from newsgroups. It's a really an amazing resource. Newsgroups aren't the easiest place for newbies to upload or download MP3s. As a result the quality of the rips is pretty consistantly top-notch. I only download full albums and then burn them to CD after making the appropriate artwork (which is also amazingly easy to find). These discs then go on my shelf. Don't yell at me for piracy. I've spent well over $20k in my lifetime on music (another $70 today, in fact). I've paid my dues. Also, if I like the album I can guarantee you that I will pony up the cash to buy a "real" copy.

The dilemma, of course, is whether or not these burned discs should be listed in my inventory. I think they should. My librarian-type friends seem to agree. After all, how else can I keep track of them? My techie-type friends, however, have all said that they should not be included. It's cheating, so goes their line, because I don't really "own" them.

I think I've found an appropriate compromise. I'm going to include them in the collection but mark them as CD-Rs and as being in a Slimline case (my case of choice for burned CDs). Here's an example of a Pogues album I downloaded.

Any complaints?