May 17, 2013
I felt well enough today be “art parent” at Danny’s school. The date and piece/project were chosen months ago…little could I know then that today we would discuss the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and the project would be for the kids to tape papers under their desks and interpret the hands from “The Creation Of Adam” while working on their backs like Michelangelo, and that I’d be barely able to walk. Fortunately, there was another parent who did all the bendy work. It was good to get out and to be around the kids. Now I need my drugs and a nap. Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” video is how I imagine the Drummers’ orgies from Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age would look if Baz Luhrmann were directing the movie. (That needs to happen.) The ducks from this morning moved on. Good for them and their genetic lines. I can’t really articulate it, but my feeling is that Yahoo acquiring Tumblr would just make it somehow…yucky. Remember Yahoo 360º? (No, you probably don’t.) Better them than Google, though, who would just smoosh it all into Plus. Imagine that suckfest for a minute. I’m going to strive to complain less. Many, many people have it much, much worse.

  1. I felt well enough today be “art parent” at Danny’s school. The date and piece/project were chosen months ago…little could I know then that today we would discuss the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and the project would be for the kids to tape papers under their desks and interpret the hands from “The Creation Of Adam” while working on their backs like Michelangelo, and that I’d be barely able to walk. Fortunately, there was another parent who did all the bendy work. It was good to get out and to be around the kids. Now I need my drugs and a nap.
  2. Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” video is how I imagine the Drummers’ orgies from Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age would look if Baz Luhrmann were directing the movie. (That needs to happen.)
  3. The ducks from this morning moved on. Good for them and their genetic lines.
  4. I can’t really articulate it, but my feeling is that Yahoo acquiring Tumblr would just make it somehow…yucky. Remember Yahoo 360º? (No, you probably don’t.) Better them than Google, though, who would just smoosh it all into Plus. Imagine that suckfest for a minute.
  5. I’m going to strive to complain less. Many, many people have it much, much worse.

3:41pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6ZylCOK4A
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(Notes: 36)
  
Filed under: Friday Five 
April 26, 2013
ENQ

  1. I am having lots of fun coding again. That’s going well. The aforementioned rust relates to design—where by design, I mean object design, not making pretty web pages with giant fonts and too much whitespace. The design is coming around, too, slowly. Too slowly. This all needs to move faster. I wanted to be farther by today than I am.
  2. Danny pitched in a real game last night. We purposely didn’t tell him ahead of time because he’d have been too nervous. He did great. He also hit two balls really hard, even though he was absolutely robbed on one of them. Spring is shaping up.
  3. If you raise your kids to say “thank you” to their coaches after games and practices, you are doing it right, and I thank you.
  4. Group semi-STM: I would pay you all cash money to consistently tag your internet boyfriend of the moment with something tumblr savior understands. I could do without the hourly reminder of my suburban dumpiness.
  5. I’m back on prednisone after the MRI yesterday. Activity restricted. Eating all the things. See previous for resultant mood.

11:18am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6ZyjanHlK
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(Notes: 47)
  
Filed under: Friday Five 
April 12, 2013
5

  1. I think of it as “gray insomnia.” You’re not up, not wide awake and out of bed doing stuff, but you’re not really sleeping, either. It’s like a long series of short naps that aren’t deep enough to make you feel rested. It’s not any better than the full-blown kind…net result is the same feeling in the morning. And at least you can be productive with the other kind.
  2. Everywhere I look on the social Internet lately seems to show me a series of reminders of my failures and shortcomings. I need to consume substantially less, though it’s hard to pull away. Or they need to add image recognition to tumblr savior.
  3. Ain’t no surprise like a surprise from the accountant in early April.
  4. People who used to work for me keep asking for career advice. ROLF! I mean, ROFL!
  5. Since March 1st, we have had one (1) day that meets the meteorological criteria for “Sunny.” And the high that day was 33º.

8:03am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6ZyiVoZr-
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(Notes: 45)
  
Filed under: friday five these things are probably all related 
April 5, 2013
FV

  1. There needs to be a separate stock market for sane people. Either you believe in a company and invest in it or you don’t. Did all these companies really lose 2% of their value in the last 6 minutes because of a jobs report? Really?
  2. I walked my daughter to school in my pajamas today, the ones that are stained with thinset mortar from the tile project. The moms could barely contain themselves at my hotness.
  3. All these people clamoring for war with North Korea need to recognize that maybe 100,000 civilians would die in the first few hours. Or, more likely, that’s fine with them. Seoul is pretty far from their trailer park.
  4. Looks like we’ve made it a whole hour without posting a pic of the meatball from that one show.
  5. My back hurts and it has put me in a mood.

8:44am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6Zyhyn1Hd
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(Notes: 44)
  
Filed under: Friday Five 
March 29, 2013
See that wall there? That’s covered in wet drywall compound, which I found out by leaning my now-filthy backpack (not pictured) into it. No sign warned me. I fucked up their wall pretty good but feel not at all bad about it, because howsabout you put a sign up, San Diego International Airport? Thanks for the free wi-fi, though. I love California unabashedly. Southern, central, and northern. I really, truly do. I’m sad to leave—not just because we had a great vacation, but because it’s such an amazing place. I can just feel a sense of possibility here. Of course it isn’t perfect (nowhere is), but even knowing the downsides, I can say I’ll return again and again, maybe someday for good. Huge theme parks awe me. The logistics, the organization, the creative and talented people who work there, the responsibility of those who run the place…damn. I hope the people who make these places happen with such efficiency and apparent effortlessness get paid big bux. Really looking forward to my pillow tonight. What’s up with hotels and these squishy bags of goo that they give you seven of? How about one that supports my giant head? That’ll do. Subject change: that odious thing Don Young said was no accident and he’s not sorry. It’s a shout-out to his people, a dog whistle. They are feeling put upon lately—a reelected, fairly popular black president, all the recent progress for the gay community, Hilary looming for 2016, talk of real immigration reform—and he’s letting those like him know (and they are legion) that he’s still got their backs. Watch for more of this over the next few years.

  1. See that wall there? That’s covered in wet drywall compound, which I found out by leaning my now-filthy backpack (not pictured) into it. No sign warned me. I fucked up their wall pretty good but feel not at all bad about it, because howsabout you put a sign up, San Diego International Airport? Thanks for the free wi-fi, though.
  2. I love California unabashedly. Southern, central, and northern. I really, truly do. I’m sad to leave—not just because we had a great vacation, but because it’s such an amazing place. I can just feel a sense of possibility here. Of course it isn’t perfect (nowhere is), but even knowing the downsides, I can say I’ll return again and again, maybe someday for good.
  3. Huge theme parks awe me. The logistics, the organization, the creative and talented people who work there, the responsibility of those who run the place…damn. I hope the people who make these places happen with such efficiency and apparent effortlessness get paid big bux.
  4. Really looking forward to my pillow tonight. What’s up with hotels and these squishy bags of goo that they give you seven of? How about one that supports my giant head? That’ll do.
  5. Subject change: that odious thing Don Young said was no accident and he’s not sorry. It’s a shout-out to his people, a dog whistle. They are feeling put upon lately—a reelected, fairly popular black president, all the recent progress for the gay community, Hilary looming for 2016, talk of real immigration reform—and he’s letting those like him know (and they are legion) that he’s still got their backs. Watch for more of this over the next few years.

1:17pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6ZyhQ7e4e
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(Notes: 34)
  
Filed under: friday five 
March 15, 2013
Ides/3

  1. The sale of my parents’ house finally closed yesterday. While these last few months have been a trial and I have cursed that property more than a few times, I also remember that I lived there from age 5 to age 17. It’s the place where I became what I am, really, and I have emotions and feels about it changing hands.
  2. I think my four-hour-plus job interview went pretty well yesterday. I’m awaiting word, but I think it’s likely they’ll have me back for another round next week. Keep a good thought if you would. It’d be a fantastic opportunity for me.
  3. My billion-year-old dog, Jake, had another seizure this morning, his fourth in the last six months or so. Frightening stuff. He seems OK now, but, you know, as long as I’m soliciting good thoughts, maybe spare one for him, too.
  4. I had a breakthrough on that home security/automation system installation so I’m going forward with it. I don’t admit defeat on technology issues. And I love the idea of being able to monitor the house on my phone from anywhere in the world. We live in the future.
  5. We’re going to California a week from today. A terrible virus is going through the kids’ school—20% of the student body was home sick on Tuesday. Danny’s got it now, and I’m really hoping Leah gets it tonight or tomorrow (it’s inevitable—hoping she doesn’t get it at all is silly) so she’ll be at full strength for the trip.

10:36am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6ZygJO7gg
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(Notes: 40)
  
Filed under: friday five 
February 1, 2013
…..

  1. Tea nauseates me. I would like another warm beverage besides coffee sometimes, especially when sick, but tea always makes me queasy. Brown, green, black, herbal: no bueno. Had my last cup yesterday.
  2. I unfollowed someone on twitter for the first time maybe ever today. I have a high tolerance for bad content and questionable behavior there, so I always let it scroll by. Everyone’s got a limit, though.
  3. I only watch sports, news, and news about sports on TV. I wish I liked all the sitcoms and serial dramas and reality shows that everyone posts about, but they do nothing for me. None of them.
  4. I blame the LOST finale for the dramaphobia. I invested my heart and soul in that show for all those years and the last half hour of that finale absolutely destroyed me. You don’t get to invalidate my entire investment like that. Never again. It’s why I’m more than a little nervous about what JJ Abrams will do to Star Wars. Will the whole arc end up being an ewok’s fever dream?
  5. Having a young dog around has been both great and kind of sad. The kids love her energy and play with her all the time. Jake, meanwhile, has always been old and lazy during their lives and they don’t have much of a relationship with him. I find myself rubbing his head while they play with Izzy and saying, “It’s OK, buddy. I remember.”

9:44am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6Zyd8w1km
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(Notes: 40)
  
Filed under: Friday Five 
January 25, 2013
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5

  1. When people say, “but isn’t Tumblr just a bunch of tweens reblogging each other’s pictures of One Direction?” I argue and say, “no, it’s much more! It’s a social blogging platform. There are lots of ways to use it!” But then I see this, and it becomes clear that the powers that be here see it as identically and exactly a bunch of tweens reblogging each other’s pictures of One Direction, and they have zero interest in any other use cases.
  2. So, I can take a hint. I’ll be setting up a Wordpress for my thoughts about stuff more pressing than One Direction, thoughts which I have about 3 times a year. It’s a mistake to use any software too much against the grain of the intentions of the creators. Only pain and misery line that path.
  3. I’ll keep this for pics and shenanigans. I’ll still be around as usual, hearting you whorishly, and being generally stunned and amazed by the characters here. I’m not going anywhere. I like One Direction as much as the next 46-year-old suburban dad. Don’t want to miss it!
  4. Why is it that social media entrepreneurs are so universally hell bent on destroying their products? Can anyone think of a mature medium that’s better now than it was a year ago?
  5. Speaking of entrepreneurs, I am getting some things going here. Not in social media, though. Those people are nuts.

11:46am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6Zyccd0mb
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(Notes: 59)
  
Filed under: friday five meta tumblr one direction sucks 
January 18, 2013
Fri-fi

  1. It wasn’t Yoko who broke up The Beatles. It was recording The White Album the way they did.
  2. The VIX dropped under 13 today for the first time in years, and last year the market showed some of the lowest volatility on record. Translation: this rat jumped off a sinking ship at the best possible time.
  3. That said, I had fun trading Apple options this week. I can see why gambling is addictive.
  4. Among the places that have more total snow this “winter” than Chicago: Tuscaloosa, Raleigh, and London. We have 1.3” on the season so far. There’s none to speak of in the 10-day forecast, either.
  5. Fuck Quinoa. It feels like bugs in my mouth. Disgusting.

12:11pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6Zyc34J4T
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(Notes: 24)
  
Filed under: friday five 
November 16, 2012
Friday Five

Self-Realization Edition:

  1. I now know what fueled my sleep schedule the last 15 years: stress.
  2. My 2013 New Years resolution is in: say “no.” Maybe to everything.
  3. Work sucks no matter what. Even something you love turns to shit when it becomes a mandatory obligation. There is no career bliss to chase, so find something that pays and instead look for joy in family, friends, nature, and other activities.
  4. Corollary: I made the right choice in college when I was deciding on majors.
  5. Real silence is precious and rare, a thing to be sought, treasured, and basked in.

5:45am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6ZyXN-w3f
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(Notes: 41)
  
Filed under: Friday Five 
November 9, 2012
a brief aside

  1. Imagine a word processor where you had to go into a whole different mode to add punctuation, and when you got there, it was so awkward and difficult that you just gave up and stopped using punctuation altogether unless it was an absolute emergency, like maybe 2 or 3 times per chapter. That’s Finale and articulations (accents, staccato, legato, etc.). Horrid. And the music that comes out suffers just like that hypothetical prose would.
  2. Keyboard skins are a waste of money.
  3. Projects like this teach humility. I thought I knew a thing or two about music, and it turns out that’s exactly what I know: one or two things. If you round up.
  4. It’s pronounced joo-el-ree, not joo-le-ree; ree-al-tor not ree-la-tor; shole-vin not shlo-vin. Read the letters in order and you’ll do fine.
  5. I tried un-hiding some Facebook people this morning. Too soon. Back in timeout they go.

12:35pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZEG6ZyWwvakU
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(Notes: 44)
  
Filed under: friday five help leo on ice