Mar
26
2006

Stupid Commonwealth Games

(Add / View Comments) (0)Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 06:33:37 pm
(Posted Under: Rants)
Stupid Commonwealth Games and the timezone issue. I've spent all day thinking we were back in standard time, as specified by my computers.

Nope! I generally don't have Windows Update running and so only my laptop (which does generally do updates) had the right time. Eh! [smile] Downloaded the Windows patch...

Updating my Gentoo boxes is a bit more of a pain in the ass - in that I have to update portage, when I'd rather not.

The thing that really gets me is - the games finish today!! This whole postphoning daylights savings end is so fucking ridiculous!

I'm off to backup and then update my portage tree...
Now Playing: Domo - Calamine
Mar
24
2006

Friday Night Games

(Add / View Comments) (0)Friday, March 24, 2006 - 09:51:28 pm
(Posted Under: TV, Rants)
What do you call putting the 3 biggest bogans in front of a camera? FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES. Christ on a fucking crutch! I had the intense displeasure of watching it tonight while eating dinner. Talk about getting the three biggest wankers in Australian television to host one show. I've never been able to stand the Big Brother voice over guy, and "Fitzy?" was he a Big Brother contenstant? He certainly seems as educated at one! The chick is also pretty rank, so there really are no redeeming factors.

Also, I wish I could remember what show it rips off. Knock...It's A Knockout! That's it! Now that's a blast from the past! [smile]

What the hell ever happened to the Friday night Simpson's hour?!?!? [smile] God forbid I ever have to endure the pain of Friday Night Games ever, ever again!

In other news, I've moderately gotton into The Biggest Loser. (I win, because that definately makes me the biggest loser! [wink] I hate the fact, but I kinda have). Fiona's 7 point whatever kg loss this week was a shock. Which brings me to another thing I thought about this week. How annoying Jillian is. Well no, I thought that long ago. About how Jillian looks like Richie Kotzen, which prompted me to think how Jillian looks kinda like a guy, and Richie kinda looks like a chick. Hilarious observation. Get rid of Jillian, TJ and all the bullshit sobbing, and it's half worth watching.
Now Playing: Drive By Truckers - Heathens
Mar
24
2006

We Were Heathens

(Add / View Comments) (0)Friday, March 24, 2006 - 09:00:24 pm
(Posted Under: Music Music)
And I never hear a single word you say when you tell me not to have my fun. It's the same old shit I ain't gonna to take off anyone.
-- Heathens, Drive By Truckers
So, this is my Drive By Truckers story. This band is amazing. I remember a few years ago I used to confuse them as a Tempe band. Probably largely because of Truckers On Speed and also that (if I recall correctly) Lance Stack (who records a lot of Peacemakers shows) recorded some of their shows and stuck them on co-traders.

Towards the end of last year - well, no 2004, I downloaded one of their shows, I think off of co-traders. Or maybe it was eztree. At the time it was just to check 'em out, and because I had some bandwidth to use. As it turned out, I never got around to listening to it.

Fast forward a couple of months, I'm it Tempe, sitting at Yucca Tap Room, watching Marc Norman acoustic. Who told a cool story about being roomates with Larson (from The Peacemakers) and how he was the best roomate he has had because he was touring 11 months of the year. [smile] And then noted the lack of Steve's presence at the Yucca Tap bar. If you know anything about Steve, and anything about Tempe, you know that that is note worthy. [wink] And then Mark announced that Steve had gone somewhere for a Drive By Truckers show. Of course, on hearing this I told myself that I needed to listen to that show when I got home. And of course, I made a point to. I can't remember exactly when I did, but it was early one, and I was suitably impressed. And immediately knew why Larson was a fan! [wink]

Towards the end of last year, and I don't actually remember what prompted this, I downloaded some of their songs. Sooo, soo good. And even moreso than when I was listening to the live show, it stood out so plainly obvious that Stevie J would be a fan of this band. Since downloading the songs I've really gotten into them.

It was interesting a couple of weeks ago when I had Marry Me playing, and chatting to Cath. I considered asking her who they sounded like, but then decided to not annoy her with my Tempe music addiction - only to have her of her own accord stop mid conversation and ask "is this Stevie J". Pretty damn cool. When I said it was Drive By Truckers she said she'd heard someone somewhere (I really need to find out where) someone say that it was bullshit that <insert American Idol artist name here> was selling millions of records while these guys weren't because they were so good. Which was also cool that she had heard of them.

Favorites of mine are Carl Perkin's Cadillac, Heathens, Marry Me, Hell No, I Ain't Happy and The Day John Henry Died. Decoration Day is also starting to grow on me lately.

It really strikes me how these guys are completely bad ass, with no hint of pretention to pull it off. The songs (particularly Carl Perkin's Cadillac and The Day John Henry Died for me) hit you like a fucking freight train.

All this morning I was singing to aforementioned lines from Heathens. It's a great line to sing!

I've been trying to get Katie to appreciate the wonders of Drive By Truckers. I guess I might have more success if I ever get around to sending her some songs. [wink]

On a finally note, in Carl Perkin's Cadillac I would always sing "Velvet Elvis don't you know", which was funny. Which also reminds me that I need to put my thoughts on Velvet Elvis down on paper. Soon.

That's my Drive By Truckers story. I feel good getting that out.

"If I make it through this year, I think I'm gonna put this bottle down".
Now Playing: Drive By Truckers - Hell No, I Ain't Happy
Mar
23
2006

Walking The Edge

(Add / View Comments) (0)Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 08:05:42 pm
(Posted Under: Books)
Fine a life to choose. Don't look at the mail or be swept away by the bast driftnet of cyberspace. Go to ground. Tear away the film. Eyes open now, there are no secrets with eyes open. They are promising major dates, millennia, eras, golden shores. Magic surgery, special pulls. Fiduciary statements. These are all lies, there can be no room service. Take it, don't ask for it. Probe deeply, lick the soil, turn out the lights and feel the night sky. Security is not, security is over. Back there, yes, there on the land, the river rises, foaming red across the earth, building towards flood level, the level will not recede within safe banks in our lifetime. The cannot be helped, too late for that, but must be faced. Turn down the music, listen, hear that train whistle blow. - Charles Bowden
Over the past month I've been back to catching public transport to and from work, and hence have gotten back to reading, which has definately been welcomed. This morning I finished Charles Bowden's Blues For Cannibals. Not the easiest read, and the first quater (or so) didn't particularly grab me (save some parts here and there which really spoke to me). I half considered throwing the towel in early on, however didn't and really got into the later part of the book. It turned out to be a quite a good read.
Now Playing: The Black Moods / Sick In Bed (08/28/2005 Last Exit, Tempe, AZ)
Mar
19
2006

Now Playing

(Add / View Comments) (0)Sunday, March 19, 2006 - 10:46:15 pm
(Posted Under: Music Music, Development)
Okay, no more thinking about what I'm listening to, nor typing it when blogging...

Today I got the my Now Playing Winamp plugin up and going. The only thing it was really waiting on was the mysql support on Windows. I've been wanting to do this for a good week, and finally got to it today. Downloading mysql for Windows I found the import library and include files therein. (Previously I had downloaded the Windows source package).

Suprisingly it wasn't too much of a pain in the ass getting it to work with lcc-win32. There were some unresolved references, which had to do with VC++. I sorted one out, and then faked the rest with fake functions, as they only appeared to have to do with stack checking. Once I sorted that out, it all compiled pretty good.

So now I'm logging all my plays to a mysql database, and am working on a webpage that spits out chart related stuff. And just now I've written a module for my blog that automatically fills in the Now Playing fields when I create a post.

Sweeeeeeet!

Of course, I need a good name for this plugin. If you've got suggestions, let me know.
Now Playing: Steve Larson - 1000 Car
Mar
17
2006

What The World Needs

(Add / View Comments) (0)Friday, March 17, 2006 - 11:53:00 pm
(Posted Under: Music Music, Geek)
What the world needs is a Winamp plugin that reads your mind and plays what you want to hear at any given moment. That would be freakin' sweet.

Currently I use the shuffle mode a lot, which works okay, but needs some proding with the skip forward button every couple of songs. Largely because of the magnitude of tracks I have in the media library, and how picky I can be at any given time.

I Do was a good choice, but took a couple of manual skips.

Yes, I know, this is what playlists are for, but the mind reading plugin would be cool! [smile] Version 2.0 could pick the right song, without you having to even think about what you want to hear (which is another issue if you're tired). I guess then it wouldn't actually be a mind reading plugin, but why should I bother this fantasy with such details? [smile]
Now Playing: Better Than Ezra - I Do
Mar
15
2006

Daylights Savings Is Over

(Add / View Comments) (0)Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 08:35:02 pm
(Posted Under: No Category)
So, it seems like daylights savings is over! It actually isn't, but it's pitch black at 8:30, I can tell it's coming.

On that note, I think it's great that this year daylight savings has been extended on account of the Commonwealth Games. Such a good astomonomic reason to mess with the rules of time! [wink]
Mar
12
2006

I'm Migh High And Rising

Eric Douglas' version on the Clyne Tribute

(Add / View Comments) (0)Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 11:49:00 am
(Posted Under: Tempe Music Scene Tempe Music Scene, Music Music)
Eric's rendition of Mile High And Rising for the Roger Clyne Tribute CD is great. Initially I hated it. Initially I couldn't even hear how it was Mile High and Rising. It was actually frustrating listening, trying to latch on to a song that you know, but just can't recognise as that song. And generally, a song being completely worked over is frustrating to listen to.

But on listening to it again recently, I absolutely love it. It is the one song on the CD that completely rivals the original. And the complete reworking is actually entirely provoking. It's hard to say it's better than the original, but the again - in some way I feel that it is.

My favorite on the CD was Shaun's version of Your Name On A Grain Of Rice. It's a great version, and of course - such a great song, so it's really hard to go wrong with it. But now Eric's Mile High and Rising is a big contender for my favorite. Maybe Your Name is still my favorite, but Mile High is certainly the most intelligent and poignant. I also noticed recently that in addition to reworking the musical aspect of the song, he's completely changed the lyrics from third person to first person. It'd be really cool to see Roger adopt Eric's rendition in acoustic shows.

Cut the strings of my puppeteers, and I found freedom right between my ears.
Now Playing: Eric Douglas - Mile High And Rising
Mar
11
2006

Just When It Seemed To Go Back Into The Water

Rock N' The Seas Cruise

(Add / View Comments) (0)Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 06:42:11 pm
(Posted Under: Tempe Music Scene Tempe Music Scene, Music Music)
Ahhh, just when I thought that the Rock N' The Seas cruise was over, it lives on. Some deal with a reunuon cruise have been mentioned.

I first heard about in in Tempe, as plans for it were forming. It kinda sounded trite at the time. And as time went on, as it was pimped like crazy - it wasn't hard to look forward to the cruise to be over, to stop hearing about it.

Admitadly, it sounds and looks like it was kinda cool.

Though, now there is this reunion cruise. Rock 'N The Seas just won't go away! [smile]

Sour grapes? Maybe.
Now Playing: Oasis - Morning Glory
Mar
11
2006

Counting Infinity By One

Karma Covered Apple

(Add / View Comments) (0)Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 02:48:31 pm
(Posted Under: Tempe Music Scene Tempe Music Scene, Music Music)
Back in Feb, I finally broke into Karma Covered Apple, one of the few CD's left from the Zia Records assult that I was yet to open.

I've had Karma on cassette for years - since 1999 I believe, but haven't listened to it that much. Sure I had my favorites (Both Ways, Push Luck Shove, Hangin' Out With Ray, Seaseme), but I'd really hardly listened to it as an album. The reason probably being two fold. Firstly, the cassette factor. Second, the fact that for me 1001 has been the ultimate Dead Hot Workshop pinnicle, and Old Faves and Karma felt somewhat like a departure from 1001. And of course, are sans Steve Larson so...

Particular new highlights - Chorus. I don't remember listening to this one much in the past. In particular, it's the one from the record that reminds me the most of being in Tempe. I don't know why particularly, and I wouldn't have expected it, but from the whole album, the moment I hear it, I'm immediately transported to being sitting Mr. Burns, driving out of Meridian Corners with the desert sun beating down. Aside from that, such an awesome song, that I've previously so overlooked.

However, I can say I am so glad that I snaffled up the copy from the back shelves of Zia Records in Tempe, and that now I can't believe I have gone so long without the wonders of Karma Covered Apple. Listening to it now, it all clicks. In a large way, it's being it's a post Tempe thing. Have been in to Tempe, so many music things click so much more. Added to that, the memories of driving down the streets of Tempe, or through the Arizonian desert with Karma playing.

The second would be Seaseme - which has actually previously been a favorite, but looking up and learning the lyrics has breathed a completely new life into the song for me. I'd never picked up on the lyrics that much before, and - it was such a thing finding the dirt, grit and open highway feel of the song. Another thing I've noticed with it, is more of Brent Babb's vocal tapistry. In particularly the midway through the second verse ('Infinity counted by one / It'll drive a man insane / Let's go out having some fun / Well I'll sit down and start to complain / But I don't wanna hear it again / Blah blah blah), the odd phrases pushed out with passionate exhurtion, the even ones smoothly sung without effort. Such a Babb-ism. One of those really subtle things that is just amazing, that make Dead Hot Workshop (and Brent) one of a kind. Not to mention the simplest lyric being the coolest: "Blah blah blah". Putting that in a song is just brillant. Catching this is what actually prompted me to look up the lyrics, as to what the preceeding lines exactly are. I had noticed back in the day, but had completely forgotten that it was in the song. Also, "All the signs said push man, why'd you pull it?" reminded me of the Osco Incident in Iowa. I'm fairly certain that line was referenced in regards to that, but I can't be 100% sure. If you can confirm, please do. [wink]

The next being The Kids Are Alright. I don't think I was ever much of a fan of this, largely, or probably because of the pyschotic chorus parts. This was totally a conversationally topic between myself and KJ while driving down a desert highway last year - that the rest was okay, but that part kinda killed the song for me. Oversight! Oversight! Oversight! [smile] I can't believe how much I overlooked The Kids Are Alright. This is another which I looked up and learnt the lyrics to, and has been on constant rotation of late. Just brillance. I've also noticed, and I can't place exactly why I think this, that the leads throught the song remind me of Doug Hopkins. And that's always an enjoyable thing.

Furthermore, I used to always right off the tail end of the album - which I think was pretty much whatever was on the second cassette I had. Somewhere near Encyclepocalpse. Again, that might have been a cassette based bias. Now I am completely over that, and as it turns out, I've been giving the end of the album more spins that the start, which used to completely be the other way around.

I absolutely hate admiting to somewhat of a bias towards (or against) Karma Covered Apple in the past, it totally damages my Dead Hot Workshop fan demeaner, but I have certainly seen the light.
Now Playing: Oh Well - Dead Hot Workshop
Mar
11
2006

No Sleep Til Brooklyn

(Add / View Comments) (0)Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 02:19:18 pm
(Posted Under: No Category)
Who needs sleep? Not me, apparently.

After getting up at 6am yesterday, doing a full days work, finally getting off work at about 7, I went out last night for drinks at a friends house (and a bit more work, as it turned out). The night turned into drinks and Hold Em Texas poker until 6:30 in the morning (which incidently, I cleaned up on nice and proper by about 6am) That's being lucid for over 24 hours straight. We passed out at about 6:30am, and I didn't overly feel that tired. And woke up at 8am, feeling completely fine. Really bizarre. I'm not complaining, and this morning was such a nice morning for being up early, just shocking that I felt fine after one and a half hours sleep in 26 hours! It's heading past 2pm, and I'm still travelling fine.

I reallly thought today was going to be a write off, both from being awake for so long, and the portion of that time that I spent drinkin'. I'm sure I'll sleep like a baby tonight though.
Now Playing: Danny White - Rumor
Mar
07
2006

Windows Development

I Wanna Use Linux!

(Add / View Comments) (0)Tuesday, March 7, 2006 - 09:59:18 pm
(Posted Under: Geek, Programming)
Windows Development - what a contridiction in terms. Once of my latest projects is to write a Winamp General Plugin to write statistics on what is played to a mysql database. One of the uses for this will be to automatically fill in the Now Playing thing on this here my blog.

It's been so long since I've built anything under Windows. There is a reason for this. What a pain in the ass! (It's hard to believe from 1998 - 2003 most of my coding was done under Windows). An absolutely pain in the ass. Watch me go running, sucking firmly on my thumb, to my nice, fuzzy and dev friendly Linux box!

Getting the base Winamp plugin in stuff done was pretty easy. I did that last night, save a problem with gen_ml.dll (the Media Library plugin) stealing a Windows message that I wanted to capture. Fixed easily enough by making sure I hook into window proc after gen_ml.dll. It's been a while since I've looked at writing Winamp plugins, or building anything under Windows for that matter. A couple of tweaks to lcc, remembering how to do DLL exports properly, and I was on my way.

Tonight after working around the pesky gen_ml.dll problem, I knew I could move onto the easy stuff - the writing data to mysql - y'know, the real work, but straight forward stuff. No more of the time wasting dicking with exports and linking, making sure the plugin loads, just pumping out code....

...Uhhh, except for the lack of a mysql client import library. I freakin' hate Windows stuff. Yes, I have to screw around with that crap before I can start doing that code. Such a foreign freakin' concept, being so used to just including the headers and linking against the library in Linux - because both the headers and libraries are just there - or if they aren't, are after a simple emerge of mysql. I can't live without the Linux way of doing stuff anymore. I can't bare that the dev stuff isn't just there to do what I want, just by whipping up a quick Makefile and typing 'make'.

God knows what I need to do to compile in mysql support under Windows. I've downloaded the mysql source (which is more than I want - I just want the mysql client import library), which I'll no doubt have to sift through and try make work (or less daunting, get the prebuilt DLL and generate an import library from it). But what a pain in the ass! I just want to write my damn code damn it, I don't have time for this!

It's times like this that I realise how I take Linux for granted, and see it as the way things are. It only takes 5 minutes trying to do something in Windows to highlight that it's certainly not, it's just the way things should be. The UNiX world is just a haven, where you are spoilt by a great environment, not the norm. Sometimes I think I miss writing programs for Windows. I'm pretty sure I do not. [wink]
Now Playing: Ghetto Cowgirl - Mood Swings
Mar
03
2006

King Of The Hill Parody

(Add / View Comments) (0)Friday, March 3, 2006 - 10:46:27 pm
(Posted Under: No Category)

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