Hiatus

I had some more news items lined up for you today, but then I just said fuck it and deleted that piece.

I won't be updating this blog for a while. I'm going to focus on some other stuff. As far as this site goes, I'm maybe going to try to add more non-blog content (music stuff, etc.) and maybe play with the design of the site a little.

See you when I see you,
Jeff

Collapse Can't Wait

I don't see much future for the United States, and I put it on economic grounds. Forget moral grounds. We're far beyond any known morality, and we are embarked upon a kind of war against the rest of the world....We are going to go broke. The dollar loses value every day....We are a declining power economically in the world, and the future now clearly belongs to China, Japan, and India. They have the population, they have the educational systems. They have the will. And they will win.
-- Gore Vidal [interview, DN!]

I like the cut of your jib, Mr. Vidal. Wake the fuck up, America, and pull your heads out of your asses. And you will, once you're completely broke. That's what they're saying it might have to come to, you know, the only thing we seem to understand or truly appreciate in this corporate-owned country of ours: our money. Maybe then, amidst the Fourth Campaign of Operation: Take Over the Middle East, when our economy has fallen and a wheelbarrow of dollars fills up your gas can, and you're hungry and cold—maybe then you will realize how wrong you were to be so unwavering and steadfast in your idiocy.

Ah, but I'm getting off on a rant. Sorry. Most of the interview centers on his reaction to Bush's inaugural address. He picks out some interesting Christian imagery and some almost eerie language (eerie to godless heathens such as myself, anyway) he says can be compared pretty closely to certain biblical passages.

“We've Been Taken Over by a Cult” - Seymour Hersh [DN!]

This is the guy who wrote the New Yorker piece that broke the Abu Ghraib scandal last April. You may have caught him on the Daily Show last night. Anyway, they have a transcript of a speech he gave last month. [Or maybe it's just an excerpt, I'm not sure.] If you have any interest in knowing something about what's really going on, I urge you to read it. They also have an MP3 (and various RM streams) of the entire show available to download if you prefer. I watched most of the speech tonight after work. I actually find it a little hard to read, because the guy is basically just talking (as opposed to reading a rehearsed speech), but it's important so check it out.

Mr. Hersh also wrote this article in the new issue of The New Yorker about US plans and operations regarding Iran. You might remember my mentioning this a few days ago. I won't even go into it now; for one, I haven't yet had a chance to read the article, and two, even if I had, I'm already worked up enough as it is.

I'm a little late on some of this stuff. Work has been hell lately and I'm pretty busy all day. I've also been pretty much consciously avoiding the news recently (this kind of news, I mean. The Post doesn't really count), because I just don't need anything else to feel bad about.

That said, I really wish I could communicate to you how important this shit is. [I think my self-medication has dulled my ability to do so effectively.] You have to understand that these aren't reports from some conspiracy theorist nutjobs. Both of those guys are award-winning writers and thinkers and they're not making this stuff up.

I said it before, and I'm saying it now: our darkest days are yet to come. The future is bleak, my friends, and no one is looking out for us and no one can help it. Maybe it's better to carry on in denial and pretend it's not so bad. Is that what well-adjusted folks do? I, for one, obviously have a hard time ignoring it. Lately, I feel more and more like an open wound, one that is walking and talking and going to work, disconnected and limbless.

There's no witty end to this post, nothing to wrap it all up; it just ends.

Dear Monday

Why must you be such an unruly bitch? You anger me. Why can't you be more like Friday? You're a pain in my ass, Monday, and I'm through with you. FUCK OFFFFFFFF.

Upcoming content on glueslabs.org:

new photos
a post about podcasting
actual record "reviews"
more whining

Plus Minus

+ It's awesome having a friend who works at a record store. This week's half-priced used finds: Midnight Movies: s/t, Neu!: Neu! '75 Heartworms: Space Escapade, Mazzy Star: She Hangs Brightly.

+ Pitchfork has news on two records I'm excited about: new albums from The Books and Portishead(!)

+ Having Thursday off for the inauguration was the least I should get for putting up with another four years of Dick and Bush.

+ Did I mentioned I got an iPod recently?

- Almost breaking my iPod yesterday. Newsprint is a bitch.

- Why a snowstorm on Saturday, when I could be getting days off of work? Oh, and there are no hills to sled on around here.

- Another friend moving far away.

Fuck Bush

Hahahah [Thanks, Jen!]

iHacked

I decided to give hacking my iPod's firmware a try. It wasn't hard at all, with the help of iPod Wizard. It allows you to alter the firmware by replacing graphics, fonts, and text. I replaced the dumb NO sign (circle with a line through it) that flashes when the iPod is connected to the PC with a picture of Wally, my cat.

Four More Wars

Well maybe at least one more, for good measure:

Now US ponders attack on Iran [Guardian]

iPod Pt. 2

Well folks, I took the plunge (i.e. bit the bullet, joined the club, and cooked my own goose—all at the same time). On Saturday, despite possibilities of either getting one used or discounted by up to 20%, I decided to jump the gun and just buy one. And so I did...

I chose to go to Best Buy because I also needed to get a USB 2.0 card for my PC and didn't feel like driving out to Microcenter. I ended up getting the 20GB model I was considering last week. They had this opened/returned unit for $50 less than normal price, but when I looked it over and saw a few minor scratches on the screen and someone else's greasy fingerprints all over it, I opted to forgo my last chance to save a few bucks and ended up paying full price to get one brand-new. Yes, I can consume with the best of them.

It's been awesome, so far. I had a few issues installing the USB card (it kept conflicting with my video card, causing my PC to lock up whenever I plugged into the USB), but since I got that sorted out, it's been smooth sailing to MP3sville. The rest of my weekend was all about ripping CDs. It's tedious stuff for sure, but I'm about halfway through my first round of essentials (currently up to about 4GB). I imagine there will be at least another pass or two through my collection after I realize everything I loaded on is crap and I have nothing to listen to.

Several of the reservations I had about the accessories have been confirmed. The stock earbuds aren't doing it for me; they're uncomfortable and don't sound too great either. I've ordered these Sony MDR-EX71SL buds recommended to me by John, the reviews for which have been mostly favorable. I'm also ordering a black iSkin, since I'm already tired of handling this thing like it's a newborn strapped to twenty sticks of dynamite. As for the other stuff, the dock now seems rather unnecessary, and I'll have to wait and see how I do without a remote before looking into those. I already have an aux input on my car stereo, so I'm finally able to make use of that with the help of a simple 1/8" cable I had laying around.

I've checked out iPodLounge.com, Anapod Explorer (fully integrates the iPod with Windows Explorer and allows for direct transfer of MP3s outside of iTunes), and read about hacking the iPod firmware to add custom graphics. [Yeah, not so fast there buddy.]

So, what's next? How else can I insulate myself from this daily life I find littered with so many toolbags, rednecks, mouth-breathers, conservatives, and outright dandy fops?

How about a pair of iBalls? Why yes, thank you.

Pass the Timosil

I've just finished watching the first season DVDs of Fox's Arrested Development a second time. Man, what an awesome show. I don't think I've seen anything on broadcast television quite like it. It's a wonder it hasn't been cancelled already!

The writing is top-notch, for one. It has this weird blend of really subtle and completely over-the-top moments to it. I mean, there are just as many dry, sarcastic lines as there are prat falls or fart jokes. This dynamic is at least partially character-driven, though the same could be said for the show itself. Michael (Jason Bateman), for example, is like the straight man in the middle being driven crazy and is very dry and acerbic, while Buster (Tony Hale) is at times a complete imbecile—hilariously childish and goofy.

Which brings me to the other cool thing about the show: the amazing ensemble cast, including one of my favorite comedians, David Cross(Mr. Show, Shut Up You Fucking Baby) as Tobias Funke. He's really good, of course, though I can't say he's my favorite character. Gob, played by Will Arnett (Amy Poehler's husband) and George Michael (Michael Cera) are probably my two favs, but all of them are funny (that's the ensemble part). There are also some cool cameos, including plenty of Mr. Show cast members and various other “out-of-the-mainstream” comedians (e.g. Poehler and her fellow Upright Citizens).

What else can I say? This is a really good show. It's got clever writing, a great cast with funny people...oh, and fart jokes, a couple of fart jokes here and there. Let's just hope it's not too good, if you know what I mean.

Potluck

I had a good time last night. Tim, Jonathan, and I went out to our friend Andy's newly relocated monthly DJ nite, Potluck, at Wonderland in Columbia Heights (DC). I'd never been there before, so I didn't really know what to expect.

We arrived shortly before 10 to find a bustling crowd hanging out downstairs, near the main bar, with hip hop playing on the jukebox. Upstairs, Andy and friends were DJing to a smaller group lounging at tables and on a couple of low-slung couches. The space was nice and clean, but pretty laid-back. [Just like me!] Low-key lighting, hardwood floors, brick red walls with various LP jackets hanging on them, and lots of windows overlooking 11th St made for a more than decent atmosphere. At one end of the long room was a small, full-service bar with about six beers on tap and a cute bartender. At the other was the DJ/stage area. Although no one was making any use of it last night (it's DC, remember), there was also plenty of room for dancing in between the DJ and the sitting area.

The music was great. Andy played a good mix (hence the name “Potluck”) of upbeat rock: Velvet Underground, the Fall, and the Feelies, to name a few. My personal fav was Love's “Can't Explain” followed by “Throw Aggi Off the Bridge” by Black Tambourine (who covered the previous song)—smart!

It was good to just hang out, have a couple beers, and listen to some cool tunes, without being cramped and having to scream over the music like I would at my usual DJ night.

A regular date has not yet been announced, but Andy says look for the next Potluck one Thursday in February.