Genius Lessons

I'm a big nerd now. Well, BIGGER nerd.

2006-10-19T00:23:00.000-04:00

I just got a few answers to an email query I'd sent out, giggled with excitement, and plugged in my newfound code (which worked!) -- and then realized that if this had been two months ago, I wouldn't have even been able to understand the subject line. Things have changed mighty quicly.

Walking through the pComp lab (to put my beloved glue gun away), I took stock of the people around me. People waving their hands over homespun projects, creating strange squawks of sound, others testing choke sensors or simply cursing at lines of code or that one LED that just wouldn't light up properly.

I am now a creature fueled by falafel, black coffee and whatever beer's cheapest. I babble about programming, soldering and the "future" of ... stuff. Today I helped someone patch holes in their code (strings and arrays). Um, who am I? I don't know anything about these things, I'm a writer, damnit!

If Corporate Mike of two years ago passed Gleefully Nerdy Mike on the street, would the two even recognize each other?

...do I care?

[this is a copy of the post I'd put up at ITPd!, which is pretty much the only place I have time to post anything at these days. Soon, I'll move all of Genius Lessons over to DxM, but for now... well, so that's about it]

Flaming Lips

2006-09-25T23:46:00.000-04:00

fifteen
Originally uploaded by nicole s.

This is what being in the audience at a Flaming Lips show looks like.

Jesus, I swear I'll blog more soon, once I present on Tuesday? What am I presenting, you ask? Why, HelpTank.org (currently hosted at www.doryexmachina.com/helptank until I can resolve the URL issue).

Back to work...

LactoseTolerance.Org

2006-09-20T22:21:00.000-04:00

LactoseTolerance.Org
Originally uploaded by doryexmachina.

Dear LactoseTolerance.org,

I hate you.
I hate your slogan.
I hate your damned posters all-the-fuck-over everything.
I hate your hatred of lactose intolerance.
...and your product sucks.

Kisses,
Mike.

School is schooling me.

2006-09-19T01:21:00.000-04:00

The ITP Blog has become the primary focus of my attention these days. Well, more the concepts behind it, but that's beside the point.

Back here to write funny things soon. Really.

Gray's Papaya raises prices!

2006-09-13T12:16:00.000-04:00

Gray's Papaya raises prices!
Originally uploaded by doryexmachina.

WTF?!?

CoverFlow - now in iTunes 7.0!

2006-09-12T23:06:00.000-04:00

Those pigeffers included it into the latest build of iTunes! Like, 2 days after the latest release! Cool idea to include it, but apparently it won't full-screen, which is one of the coolest features of the newest stand-alone version. Good news though.

Rest of the Apple updates were rather meh, although the new shuffle is tiny and cool-looking.

CoverFlow

2006-09-11T17:39:00.000-04:00

CoverFlow
Originally uploaded by doryexmachina.

A screenshot of CoverFlow in action. I realize I'm a little late to the party here, but lord this interface is gorgeous. And it gets back to cover art, which I'm such, such a fan of. Bring on the jukeboxness!

WorkingWorkingWorkingWorking

2006-09-11T15:57:00.000-04:00

Sweet Priscilla
Originally uploaded by doryexmachina.

Camped out at Sweet Priscilla for the third day in a row (if I'm here any more often I'll have to start paying rent!), still doing classwork. Actually, mostly, I'm doing things that will make classwork easier and more logicial, but I think I've also wasted a good deal of time on random crap. Today has been spent trying to figure out how to install WordPress and get an active blog running... and I think I'm finally realizing I just don't know enough to do so, and should have just gone off and running with the Moveable Type interface that ITP provides. Aaaaargh. I won't give up yet!

Still trying to reconsile my desire to hide in the corner of a coffeeshop vs. the ITP way of hanging out on the floor 24/7 -- I'm sure I'll end up there more and more. It'll be like the newspaper days again, getting used to constant noise as I attempt to concentrate. Honestly, I miss that anyway.

Oh, and Sweet Priscilla has insanely good quiches. I just had a ham one, and it rocked my Chucks right off. And I want the mug featured in this shot, the We Are Happy To Serve You ceramic mug. So killer.

Btw, posting now at the ITPRadio Blog -- read! Listen! Comment!

Crappy recap.

2006-09-09T15:28:00.000-04:00

Lord, I have so, so much to catch up on, and so little attention span left. Let's try to recap:

Quit my job. Had a nice farewell at No Idea (rain effed up both the beer garden and Ace Bar plans, but had a blast anyway). Drank like a fish. Slept.

Went to Baltimore for the Third Annual Mary Kate & Ashley Ohlsen Birthday Party.

Ah, good, you weren't so creeped out that you stopped reading. To explain, four years ago my good friend Tom joked with his college friends about how he'd throw a party when the Ohlsen twins turned 18. They did, and he followed up on his end, throwing a two-day wasteland of a party. The second year was more of the same, adding in a ton of pasta (as Tom now lives in little Italy) and a break in Tom's roof. Oops.

This year, however, was a full-out success, with a massive attendance and no major snags. There was enough alcohol to poison a small town's water supply, a few excellent trips, a great O's game (I mean, if they even count as a sports team), and a long episode of meter-hopping and mailbox crashing that was later renamed "Mike Hops Meters and Alex Stands on and in Stuff." My right thigh still hurts from falling off a parking post. It's a long story...

Week before that, we had a killer party at Casa Del ChipalDory. Did I blog on that? Meh, let's assume I did. If I didn't, it ruled.

Then, orientation week. Basically, me walking around looking like a lost puppy while meeting 250 new fellow geeks and trying to memorize the dumptruckload of information I was present with. In retrospect, good. At the time, mildly terrifying.

Last weekend, Lenny got married. Fucking married! So we did what we do best: drink, congratulate, drink, celebrate, drink, make asses of ourselves, drink, yell at/with Slamiak, drink, sleep. Good as hell to see everybody, but really weird to be sitting at a table with the boys... and their wives. Maturity = odd, but I'm getting used to it.

The next day, Russ picked us up (like the angele he is) and we trekked out to Vernon/Hamburg, to see Rita's P's new place. Holy crappiles. It is AMAZING. First night, Rita, Russ and I had a Prison-Break-a-thon, featuring a case of Labatt and Russ's chemistry inventions. The next morning, Sean, Vikram, Maya and Nicole arrived. We cooked, ate meat, drank beer, went to the lake, threw frisbees, played Scrabble, and sang songs about pie. Killer-sick. (And Vikram/Maya found Photobooth on Lappy.

And now I've completed a full week of classes, somehow, and survived. That will be reported on shortly, but I'm currently loading up Wordpress so I can do it proper. It'll be up on DoryExMachina, which is also about to get its full overhaul. I shall report back. The quickest possible summation is that I am now surrounded by some of the smartest, nicest, and genuinely coolest people I've met in a long time. This looks to be a knock-me-on-my-ass experience of the highest caliber, but that's a good thing. And thanks a TNO discussion with new friends Leslie and Bryan, I can't stop listening to DFA1979 again. Aaaargh, I thought I'd escaped their clutches last year!

And you? How are you? Family's okay? How's your dog? And that weird neighbor?

Classes have started

2006-09-06T00:03:00.000-04:00

...and I have a cold. School starts, and I get sick. This is oddly fitting for me, I feel.

Big updates will have to be saved until after I have de-hivved myself, but classes kick ass so far.

Weekend was good...

2006-09-05T01:38:00.000-04:00

russ, sean and their pitchers
Originally uploaded by nicole s.

So far behind in blogging it's not even funny.

But more to come, I swear.

Meantime, pictures are flickr'd.

First day of classes tomorrow! Err, today, after I wake up!

ITP has begun...

2006-08-30T22:16:00.000-04:00

My locker, now.
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

...and I have a locker, a pile of papers I don't quite understand, a pile of new faces to remember, a lot of excitement and a dumptruckload of nerves. Huzzah for graduate programs!

Eeeeeeeeek.

Tomorrow I will tell the tale of Baltimore, yo.

at CC Presents: Josh Sneed

2006-08-28T23:25:00.000-04:00

at CC Presents: Josh Sneed
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Nicole got us tickets to see Comedy Central Presents Josh Sneed. EFFING HILARIOUS.

More on that when I recover from last weekend (after NYU orientation tomorrow), which is a whoooooole lot of story on its own.

Sic transit Dorya

2006-08-24T09:35:00.000-04:00

Ebert00: mazel tov
Ebert00: You've finally graduated work and now you're ready for school. Congrats on doing life ass backwards.

Faye429: happy last day to you, happy last day to you, happy last day dear miiiiike, happy last day to you
Faye429: (to be sung to the tune of happy birthday)

So it's my last day of "real" work before a week of drinking, orientating (not becoming oriental, as my dear sister once thought), more drinking, a wedding, a trip to the country, and then finally the start of classes. Eek.

Stressed? Me? Never. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH.

The good news is that tonight there will be a grand trek to Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Astoria, which (as you may have inferred from the name) features an outdoor garden where they serve beer. I've never been, but I've heard so much about this place that if I hear one more recommendation without actually experiencing it, I might kill the recommender. Which seems impolite. I will chronicle my exploits on that later.

But there's even better news here: LAPPY HAS ARRIVED!!!

It's even more amazing than I could have predicted. It's SO. EFFING. FAST. And beautiful. And waaaaaaagh it rules. All future posting shall come from it. I will tinker more and post. But last night I was so tired all I really did was tweak the basic settings and transfer my programs, set up firefox/adium/iscrobbler/etc. So much fun remains!

Board! Beer! Ba-gonna leave work soon!

2006-08-22T20:42:00.000-04:00

I have carried all manner of objects through the turnstyles of PATH stations in the past few years -- a longboard, a snowboard, a PowerMac (twice), power tools, a drunk Sean, bags of crickets, guitars, etc. Today I topped myself.

Today I brought home a case of Spaghettios and a crock pot.

Cleaning out my desk at work turned out to be much less of an ordeal that I would have guessed, leaving me only one box full of crap (plus a pile of books and aforementioned crock pot) to bring back. Whereas leaving past gigs, I always seem to have brought back everything that wasn't bolted down, this time I've realized that there's precious little to care about. If it didn't contain vital information to my life outside work, it met an untimely death in my trash can (and after I ran out of room in mine, the two in the kitchen and the one in the bathroom. I had a lot, lot, lot of crap to throw out).

Pre-trashing pictures up here.

And on Thursday I leave. It's feeling oddly... okay now. I think much of this has to do with the fact that it's been four months since I announced I was leaving, letting me go through the inital shock and sadness phases, followed by boredom, annoyance and isn't-this-over-yet?-ness. Still, waking up on Friday (with a mild hangover and a half-packed suitcase for Operation: GetShitFacedInBaltimore) and never having to go back to my job is going to be a trip.

But so. On to fun things. Last weekend, Rita and I threw a party to celebrate the fact that we now live together in roommate-less happiness bliss. And how does one celebrate such a thing? Why, with six cases of beer, three handles of vodka, an army of wine bottles and enough scotch to kill a pack of elephants. Somehow, in our modest apartment, we hosted an estimated 42 people over the course of the evening. And it rocked, in my humble opinion. It was so freaking to cool to see all the people who attended, from "I see you almost daily" types to "Holy crap, I haven't seen you since you moved to Florida!" folks. Really nice, too, to finally feel like our apartment is "there." It's finally at a point where there aren't five million things we have to do. Now it's just, like, 20. And at least 5 of those 20 include food or beverages.

However, right before the party, I got a call from Russ (who subsequently earned Friend of the Month -- I'll have to make him a trophy or wall placard) saying he could get me the deal of the century on a Ride Timeless. And now -- I HAVE ONE! A 2004-5 161 Ride Timeless. It is going to absolutely murder me this winter. And I will get slaughtered with a smile.

And THEN!

Then I found myself a wonderful pair of Dragon DX goggles for like 1/assth of their normal price. Now I can go zip AND see! What a CONCEPT! (Skill not included.)

And so that's that. I can't stop thinking about winter, and it's still 87 degrees out.

Hmm. Did I blog on Lenny's bachelor party? No, no I did not yet. Shit. That'll have to wait. But this is a start. We showed this guy one hell of a night. Lenny, I mean, not Tiny Dancer on the right there.

And this, which I swiped from…. Some blog or other. Crap. Where was that? Anyway. How Republicans see the New York Times. I'm relatively convinced that this is what my father hears when I talk to him.

New board!

2006-08-21T19:08:00.000-04:00

Ride Timeless - back up close
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

I own a Ride Timeless now.

Yes, that's right. A Ride motherhonking Timeless. I owe Russ a bazilion thanks, and I will explain why ... when I get around to blogging that and everything else from the past two weeks.

Which will be damn soon.

She sends stop-motion kisses

2006-08-14T19:28:00.000-04:00

Russ found this. It's the best ever. EVER!

Nearly done...

2006-08-10T15:58:00.000-04:00

TWO WEEKS LEFT!!!!!!!

I have nothing more to say, really, just that. =) I'm out of this popsicle-stand-of-a-PR-company in exactly two weeks. Holy Hell. It's time to start stealing office supplies and hogging all the good snacks in the kitchen. I mean, more than I already do.

Also:

"Girl takes pic of herself every day for three years"

Creepy, but really fascinating to note the change over time (and what doesn't change much at all).

NEW BEERFEST TRAILER!!!

2006-08-09T15:37:00.000-04:00

More high-qual version at Apple Trailers.

Waterfront love

2006-08-08T10:42:00.000-04:00

DSCN2497
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

It's funny -- I've lived in JC for a little over two years now, and for as long as I've been here, I've barely spent any time at the waterfront until a month or so ago. Then, all of a sudden (largely due to self-guided tours via longboard) I started going down there nearly nightly. And I honestly never get un-shocked that this is less than five minutes (on foot, mind you) from my apartment.

Much though I love NYC, sometimes it's nicer to sit outside it and just watch. Especially when that means you can sit on the waterfront (esplinade, if you will) and enjoy the peace and quiet that only JC has.

Backidy wack attack. (huh?)

2006-08-07T18:56:00.000-04:00

RHelf311: the planets have aligned and the gods have spoken...mike got sunburned!!!

Yes, it’s true, I saw the sun – and it made my skin turn all pinky-red and gave me a headache. More about that in a bit, but first, the fun stuff:

Went to Montauk this past weekend with Rita, getaway-styles, and it was absolutely everything that you could ask for in such a venture. The weather was gorgeous, the beach was uncrowded, the folks in the area were wonderfully un-pretentious, and they had amazing seafood.

After a mostly-peaceful drive up in our go-kart of a rental, the lovely lady and I checked into our hotel, took a quick nap, and then jumped in the pool (y'know, to get a feel for water again). Somehow, the hotel Rita found was classy and trendy without being at all snobby, meaning that there was a great restaurant with cool candles and tasty foods as well as a wonderfully manicured garden to walk around, but nobody looked at you funny if you wore out-of-date clothes and were a bit out of shape (read: me).

We bolted out to find good seafood and watch the sun set, and holy woah did we do both. This place called the Inlet Seafood Restaurant (as reviewed by the NY Times!) served unreaaaaal seafood dishes (including lobster sushi!) on a deck looking right onto the bay. So beautiful. Also took a few tours of the area on the longboard, which given the long, flat stretches of land out there was pretty damn cool. Also tried teaching Rita how to ride, which resulted in a lot of "eek!"-ing and ended with "umm, okay, I wanna get down now." Hehe.

And we went minigolfing, which clearly is the coolest form of golfing EVER. It’s the only time you’ll ever hear the words “golf” and “Mike” in the same sentence when not separated by a “not.” And this place (the Puff and Putt. huh huh) had pirates! Also, many many twelve-year-olds debating early retirement strategies. No, that's not a joke. I'm serious.

Also, it was the only time all weekend I really saw teenagers. Most of the rest of the weekend, it was all about tiny kids and adults. I wonder where the keep the tweens -- do they lock 'em up at night? Fine with me if they do. =)

And then, the beach. Did I mention the beach? I still don't know how they keep it so pure, so blue, so uncrowded... so CLEAN! And even in the middle of August, it was nice and warm, but the breeze kept it peacefully cool. I'd forgotten how good it was to see the ocean...

Also, today was the the WWDC for Apple. Us geeks? We get a little excited:

Auto response from Brain Brimstone: Mac Keynote. Leopard preview. Don't talk to me.

Lepoard looks monster-styles. Check out the sneakie peakie. The Time Machine option looks killer, and the iChat updates look good, but I guess it'll be a while until I'll have my hands on it to know for sure. I mean, I'm not even on Tiger yet, so who am I to talk?

AND HOW DID I MISS SMACKBOOK?!?!

Brain has been schooling me on how people have not only fooled their motion sensors, but also the light sensor. I cannot, cannot, cannot wait to get mine and start smacking it around and toying with its sensors. ...that sounded even more wrong than I meant it.

And finally, I get to eat beans. Rita's gone for the evening, and that's very sad. However, this means that all responsibilities in making "quality" meals goes out the window, and therefore beans and toast becomes an acceptable dinner again. Though, let me tell you, if I'd had any Spaghettios left, I'd be ON that. Yum.

Girl! I wanna take you to a clam bar!

2006-08-04T10:02:00.000-04:00

Going to Montauk for a getaway with Rita this weekend, so I shan't be accessible nor updating this thing. Meh, probably not anyway. But I shall return with a shitpile of photos, and hopefully a good story or three. Current plans include doing nothing productive, longboarding along the beach and renting bikes to go explore the area.

And eating my own weight in seafood.

Mmmm. Fried clam strips. Yummmmm.

Asshats.

2006-08-02T14:02:00.000-04:00

img_3839
Originally uploaded by AntonOlsen.

Okay, lied about that being that rant being last for a while, as I've blogged twice since, apparently.

Anyway.

I just found an entire Flickr pool devoted to asshats, called, appropriately, AssHat. Good for hours of enjoyment!

Clutching logic.

2006-08-02T11:15:00.000-04:00

"this is really good ice cream, you want some? oh, my bad, i didn't realize you were lactose intolerant, makes you pass gas and frightens all the girls away, the only friends you keep are the ones you pay. i'm always ready for the wack snack attack and carry sandwiches around in a straightedge-style backpack."
-Clutch

Random babblings.

2006-08-01T18:31:00.000-04:00

So I owe an update of the weekend, I suppose. For some reason, lately, I’ve been going out without any camera. I can’t explain why, and the fact that I’m even remotely okay with this is kinda scary, to be honest. But I digress.

Tom called me a month or so back to let me know that he’d be in town to see a friend and make up for missing his wedding (long-ass story), which led me to demand that he come visit and attempt a full drinking off of the faces. We didn’t quite drink the faces all the way off, but we certainly gave it a half-assed running start.

Firstly, let me talk about the newly redesigned Hard Grove. I had me a Cuban sandwich that tasted like fried happy, and the beers are still $3. That’s good news. Secondly, I went to Marco and Pepe for the first time ever this weekend, and was FLOORED by how freaking good the food its. Maya, Vikram – you are right, I am wrong.

Back to Tom and Morgan’s visit – Tom showed up on Friday with Morgan (and Sean, farm fresh from NP), and I showed off my hospitality skillz by giving them Coors tallboys and making them sit on the floor. I’m classy, biatch! We shortly realized, however, that we were too tired to make much a go of it, so it was decided that we should save our livers for the next night. Wise decision, in hindsight.

Saturday saw Rita and I being lazy with Maya, which ruled, letting us mock everybody who dared to show their faces on the TV. Love it. As evening approached, we were visited by Sean and Nicole, letting us talk on many things musical and Linux-based (and Sean totally SCHOOLED me on nerdery. I am slipping in my old age! And hot damn, the boy is crafty with his programs). Then, off to Hard Grove for food, excellent chocolate cake, and Cara (she wasn’t on the menu but she showed up anyway). Shortly after, Russ (and two ladies whose names have since escaped me) arrived, and the eight of us snagged two cabs to Hoboken.

Now, normally I’d give a rant about my opinion of Hoboken, but let me tell you – I think we may have just found a bar that redeems the whole damn town. DC’s, which happens to be owned by Sean’s neighbors from home, is one HELL of a bar. It has all the prime elements: it’s small, it’s dirty, it has a killer jukebox (INCLUDING THE WRENS AND CLUTCH!!!) and has very good beer for cheaps ($4 Guinness, bitches!). It was a good small-bar night, and if I’d brought my damn camera I’d have pictures. But I didn’t. So I don’t. I do, however, have excellent memories of Russ and I pouring over the myriad music books they had and of myself trying about 30 times to convince Nicole she needed another beer. She didn’t, apparently.

(Edit - Nicole would have me say that she did, in fact, but needed a cab home more than a beer. While I cannot confirm that transportation does in fact trump the need for beer, I must admit it's at least a cunning argument.)

And to cap off the weekend, we recorded a song of Rita’s for my buddy Aaron’s wedding, which is not only an amazing concept, but turned into an amazing-sounding song. As it turns out, Rita is even more freaking amazing than previously stated, and her voice is pure gold on record. Sounds so pretty…

This might be my last blog entry for a bit – I have much to do in prep for school, and not much interest in the not-school work. At this point, I am unfuckwithable in the workplace, but I still have some stuff to do. Ugh.

P.S. - The longboard still rules.

Taken down a peg

2006-07-31T18:47:00.000-04:00

In case I was previously curious as to where PR people sat on the corporate totem pole, my client's INTERN just asked us to look something up for her. When an intern is assigning you projects, it's time to go home. And I've never been happier to be leaving. =)

In three weeks I can invite her to just fucking google it and smack her in the head with a burger, Half Baked-styles.

Rita's new baby.

2006-07-28T17:13:00.000-04:00

DSCN2326
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

I'll officially be sleeping on the couch for a few weeks now.

Then again, seeing as I'm getting my MacBook Pro next week, this will be fair trade.

MWAHAHAHAHA!

Pigeons are not cute.

2006-07-28T10:15:00.000-04:00

So I was walking to Guitar Center yesterday to meet Rita as she picked up her beautiful new child, and I was nearly killed by a pack of dive-bombing pigeons. As it turns out, the ghastly aviarian creatures were not interested in me, but rather this woman feeding them bread. On purpose.

This is a problem, and it must be addressed.

Pigeons are not cute. You should not feed them. They aren't pretty birds, they are rats with wings. And if you feed them, there will be more of them directly in the places where I am trying to conduct my daily business.

Therefore, if you feed pigeons, bystandanders should have the right, nay, the DUTY to run up and kick your ass so you learn your lesson.

Yesterday was the 24th...

2006-07-25T17:10:00.000-04:00

...which means that I'm now less than one month away from leaving work and going to school.

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON, BITCHES!!!

Chilly.

2006-07-25T14:48:00.000-04:00

DoJo found a great piece on JC being named the second-chillest town in the nation, according to Bailey's (and a few other names I've forgotten since I closed the window). Diggit. I mean, we rule, obviously.

Btw, I've just discovered that if you wash your hands, then after drying them (but not too thoroughly) pick up a bunch of M&M's that only the yellow ones will mark up your hands. Who knew?

No Indeed

2006-07-25T14:39:00.000-04:00

So I haven't been so much (or even a tiny bit at all) a fan of James Blunt, but that may change after seeing/hearing the slideshow/song "No Bravery". I'm not sure how involved he was in the video, but the song alone is a careful shot at war, and it's a good one.

Longboard!!

2006-07-24T15:21:00.000-04:00

DSCN2283
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

IT'S HEEEEEERE!!!

My beautiful new Arbor Rail longboard is finally here, after a horrible week of waiting in pin-drop anticipation.

I hereby resign from any activity for the next two months while I get used to riding this thing, going really fast, and falling flat on my ass.

And hands.
And face.
And anything else.

Annyong.

2006-07-24T14:48:00.000-04:00

So apparently, if you sing Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” in a karaoke bar and don’t suck, that will gain you respect. If you go to the upstairs lounge of a trendy-for-NYU-graduates bar in NYC and are too broke to buy beer and therefore too sober to dance, that will get you (innocently) laughed at. These are my findings from the weekend.

When you close early on a Friday, does it count as part of the weekend? I’m not sure, so I’m starting with Thursday, which involved us taking one of our Austin-based clients out for a few drinks. He’s quite a nice guy, and a lot of fun, and apparently has a hell of a liver. What started with a few beers and a little karaoke ended with a train back after midnight and a bit of a hangover the next morning. The latter is largely due to drinking a ton of beer without eating dinner, and also the fact that we were drinking Kirin. I cannot drink that stuff. Ricebeer = not my friend.

Friday = late start (due to aforementioned hangover) --> short day at work --> nap --> dinner with Rita’s fam and friends --> family friend Amita’s engagement party in the city at Bar 13. I’ve been to ye olde thirteen a million times, but usually during happy hour, and never the upstairs room. Let me tell you – different scene. Especially since the kids we were there to see were all well-dressed, bankers/lawyers/doctors and good dancers. Mike is none of these things. Fortunately, they seem to like me anyway (oddly enough), but are amused by my utter lack of dancing ability.

Listen, I’ve tried it before, but like pistachio ice cream, it’s just something I don’t particularly like and am frankly better off without. And trying to teach me to dance? No no no. If I feed you bits of HTML, do I expect you to suddenly be able to build a website? No. So giving me an introduction to dance moves will only invoke a high holy disaster. A funny disaster, apparently.

So after a lot of funny disastering and a lot of cheering for the bride-to-be (who I wish all the best in the world to, along with the other newly-engaged couples also at this gig), made it home quite late, slept till noon, cleaned, puttered, went for a super-duper long walk by the waterfront. I’m amazed – two years ago, when I was looking to move to the Grove area, the waterfront was UGLY. I mean, there were spots of niceness. But it wasn’t anything to write home about. Now? Now it’s all nice boardwalks and running trails and pretty flowers and trees, and the luxury apartments along the esplanade are actually really pretty and add to the scenery. Plus anytime you can cruise along the water and look at the NYC skyline, it’s good by me.

Saturday night featured a special appearance by Adam and Rochelle, which led to a night spent drinking Hoegaarden and playing Photo Hunt on the MegaTouch machine at Lucky 7’s. And a few rounds of Centipede on the old-school machine they’ve got. Because it rules. So of course, super-late to bed, late to awake. Sunday meant cleaning the hall and watching a half season of Arrested Development. There, aren’t you glad I typed out my whole weekend?

But the news few weeks are going to be busy as donkeyballs – The T-Man is coming up to visit (with M. Miller in tow, and probably featuring an appearance by S-Man2), we have a trip out to Hamburg to see Rita’s p’s new place (and hike, and laugh at the people playing golf), and BentoBox has a few new projects. On that note, some nice kid in Ohio (on Milk Milk Lemonade)gave a lovely review to The Secret Life of Sofia’s EP – and gave us a shout! Thanks bud!

And school is now just a tad over a month away. EEK!

Drinky drinky.

2006-07-23T19:07:00.000-04:00

0721062128.jpg
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Mihir makes a mean cosmo, apparently.

2006-07-18T18:39:00.000-04:00

Avacado = nature's mayonnaise? Discuss.

More about longboards

2006-07-17T16:16:00.000-04:00

So, I think I may actually want the Arbor Hybrid instead, as it's a little shorter, a little more maneuverable, and a little wider for standing on it. I can't imagine that I'll have all that much room to go high-speed cruising in this area.

...but if anyone has any thoughts please do let me know...

Yummmmm.

2006-07-16T23:01:00.000-04:00

Okay, so operation "buy MacBook Pro" became operation "wait for class registration before buying lappy with educational discount" ...shield. So, instead, I got a cup of coffee and went home, but the walking left me thinking that I don't really like relying on walking as my primary mode of transportation. It's boring, and doesn't go fast enough for me. And then I remembered I've been wanting a longboard for like 4 years. And then I saw this:

...which I may have to buy. And oh how lovely that would be. Yum. Yum yum yum.

Unrelatedly, took a nice long walk today after working for a few hours on recording Rita's new material (which is mindblowingly good), and realized there's a million things in this city I completely ignore on a regular basis. There's a ton of cool shit within 10 blocks of my place, and yet I go to the same places over and over again. Must change that. But more importantly, JC is fast on its way to having its very own music venue. Fifty8, the wonderfully community-oriented art gallery in our hood, is now hosting shows for local bands -- and apparently, our local bands are much better than I'd last remembered. I only ducked in for half a second (I was late for dinner), but if this keeps up, they may have the start of something amazing on their hands.

How wonderful it would be to have music and art return to our "artist community" city...

Siren Tomorrow

2006-07-14T22:34:00.000-04:00

So the Scissor Sisters are playing Siren tomorrow, and so of course we must go (if I get over this stupid cold). I'm not sure if this makes me old, lame or just really out of touch, but this year I'm not that stoked by the bands. Man Man will likely be fun, and Tapes n' Tapes will be a good show I'm told, but beyond that, I'm not sure how much of it I'm all that interested in. However, admittedly, I haven't been to Coney since I was so young I don't remember it, so this will be cool, definitely.

Debating the rest of the show allowed for the following observations

mjdtext100: i get the feeling it'll be like this:
mjdtext100: woah, long commute.
mjdtext100: wow, lots of people!
mjdtext100: wow! music! i love music!
mjdtext100: nodding head, tapping foot.
mjdtext100: damn hipsters.
mjdtext100: fuck you, 15-year-old assmunch!
mjdtext100: gah, so many people!
mjdtext100: ARRRRRGH YOU TEENAGE MORONS!
mjdtext100: i'm going home.
mjdtext100: ::scene::
so nicole said: hahaha awesome
so nicole said: see, i envision it more like this
so nicole said: you want HOW MUCH for a beer?
so nicole said: hot dog hot dog hot dog
so nicole said: one hundred degree weather
so nicole said: great band
so nicole said: LONG COMMUTE
mjdtext100: yeah. that too.

Blah blah bridge over troubled water joke blah blah...

2006-07-14T18:18:00.000-04:00

DSCN2267
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

I’m starting to hate Brooklyn less. Not a single good thing can come from this, I assure you.

A trek across the rivers yesterday with Rita to join Ian and Alex for Movies with a View at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park (Brooklyn Bridge Park is a better name), which is situated right in between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, turned out to be awesome. Sir Quay and Miss Alex had laid out one hell of a picnic spread for us, and we enjoyed our turkey sandwiches with Easy Rider in the background. It’s not so much of a movie you pay attention to as much as you look up when someone gets beaten up or does drugs. Which is like every 5 minutes.

This is one of the things that I like least about Jersey City – we have a wonderful standard of living, overall, with (somewhat) affordable housing, parks, cool bars, good foods, and a really short commute, but those events where a million young-to-middle-ish-aged folks show up to hang out? Not so much. Hopefully that’ll change as we face redevelopment after redevelopment and the millions of 99cent stores become something useful. Hopefully, also, that will mean an introduction of fun things without the full-scale gentrification that DUMBO has seen. Not holding my breath.

Also, I think last*fm is ruining my life. I’ve been getting really into all the me-ware products (as I heard someone once say, and therefore they must be correct), but for the wrong reasons. I learned a lot of funny things. Like I listen to a SHITLOAD of Aimee Mann and Four Tet, but the bands I’d tell someone I listen to the most barely crack the top 30. However, I’m now very much aware of the magic 1:31 moment in the song when last*fm clocks it. I stopped listening to shorter albums, for fear they wouldn’t appear in the weekly top 10, and I now let the computer run on albums I want to see more of. In short, I’m wholly abusing the system, and it’s in fact running my musical experience. As such, I’m giving myself two weeks to start acting like an adult and listen to whatever I was going to before this all (so as to actually spy on my tastes, as intended) before I pull the plug.

So tired. Going home. More tonight/tomorrow.

Briefly: ITP profile is now active! Look at my dumb ass on an educational site!

Only Tuesday? HOW?!?!

2006-07-11T18:37:00.000-04:00

Okay, seriously, how do weeks get this bad in only two days? Yarrrr!

On a better note, I've taken a big-boy step toward maturity on the web -- I finally bought my own web doman. Well, one that's not for a band I'm in, a studio I co-own or the michaeldory.com addy I bought forever ago that's doing fuckall for me right now. dory ex machina will go live... soon. Really soon. But probably not by the time you read this for the first time. But soon! Vikram thought up the name, which adds another notch to the "reasons I hate Vikram for being more creative than me" counter.

Also, Vikram's finally launching vikramtank.com. Go look. Pictures are three steps beyond amazing.

And now, I must write my NYU ITP bio. Why does this feel like middle school all over again? Will they like me? Will I have to meet the bully at 3 p.m. by the swingset?

...and speaking of reading to smarten up:

2006-07-10T19:19:00.000-04:00

New York Times: Someone to Watch Over Me (on a Google Map) - a 24-year-old's recounting of how social software has taken over (and arguably for the worse so) her life. Blatantly honest, and annoyingly close to ho
New York Metro: Happiness: A User's Manual
- not only is this something we all need, but in this particular case it's really fitting for the over-mass-media-out'd NYC under-30-ers. Jeez, did that make any sense?

Tonight's reading...

2006-07-10T19:01:00.000-04:00

Tonight's reading...
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

So I have a much longer post brewing on the subject (and in fact, every relevant subject for the past 2 weeks -- nay, 2 months), but I started really thinking about the fact that I'm going back to school in a month and a half.

So, of course, I’m fucking freaked.

Over the course of the past few days, Rita’s convinced me that I’m not a total moron, but I haven’t convinced myself that this in any way means I won’t fall flat on my face. So I started reading up again, remembering how to be smart like I used to, and I took out a million (okay, five) books on the subject. Added to my own stack (some of which are at work, some of which are at home), I’m going to be reading a crapload in the next few weeks.

I think that’s part of the key – I used to work on thinking inventively and embracing innovative concepts, and I’ve successfully beaten my quirk factor into submission so as to better function in the corporate environment. Which, thankfully, I’m about to tell to fuck off. I just need to remember how to be creative. How to be confident. Shit, how to be ME.

The good news is that this is rubbing off on Work-Mike, which has led to me using “clusterfuck” on a conference call and calling a client a dickshaft. The funny thing is that people don’t seem surprised. I’m not sure if that means they assumed I’m an uncultured sloth or that they’ve seen through this fascade of calmness the whole time. Shit, do I care?

On a more fun note, I’m probably going to pick up my soon-to-be-beloved MacBook Pro shortly (read: this month). I’m so excited it’s ridiculous.

I agree.

2006-06-30T10:44:00.000-04:00

This is what I have been up to for a month and a half.

2006-06-29T17:20:00.000-04:00

This is what I do at work all day.
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Hey, remember when I used to blog? Man, that was a long time ago.

Okay, seriously, what happened was a I did a lot of really, really cool (and some uncool) shit at once, and then was trying to figure out how to best go about posting it all so as it do it justice. So, in typical me fashion, instead of that I just didn’t do anything, and now the news is all over a month old. …and score another point for Reality.

I went to Colorado to visit a pile of family members who I haven’t seen in as many as 15 years, as well as little cousins I’ve never met. It was a fantastic trip. I have pictures, of course.

Before that I went to Baltimore. That ruled too, and of course I took a million pictures.

Then I’ve been here, there and everywhere since. I’m getting ready for grad school. I’m working on more music. I might be joining a new band. I am buying a new MacBook Pro at long freaking last. I now live with just Rita (Jamie has moved out) and it's the coolest thing since ever. I have tried many new beers in many new bars. And I just got the Wrens' Meadowlands on vinyl, and it has made my universe complete enough to start blogging again.

…and finally, the new Yo La Tengo album is slated to be called “I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.” Nothing tops that, seriously.

So I guess I'm returing to active status as a blogger. This could be dangerous.

At red rocks

2006-05-18T18:03:00.000-04:00

At red rocks
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Nothing can even prepare you for Red Rocks. Wowza.

I do promise, all these "I'll update that later" will actually get updated when I return. Flickr stream will be full of camphone photos along the way.

Pandora'd!

2006-05-17T00:02:00.000-04:00

Pandora Panel -3
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Nicole scored Friend of the Week (FoW) this week by snagging an extra ticket to a Pandora/Music Genome Project user's group. Basically, Pandora called a meeting to discuss what they were doing, what their early adopters, what their future plans were.

Holy crap. So much to say. So sleepy. Will post more tomorrow.

...and while walking by a Washington Mutual (and somehow avoiding buying Grey's Papaya hot dogs!) on the way back to the PATH, we found a Jeff Beck album from the 80's, on vinyl, MINT! So cool!

Went to a wedding...

2006-05-15T13:42:00.000-04:00

0513061826
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

It was very, very Jersey. All outfits in black/white, lots of big hair, and a Jersey Shore cover band playing their hearts out at the reception. Half of Rutgers was in attendance, many of which I vaguely remember from my RU bar days. Think Olde Queens in suits and dresses.

Food was good, though.

And now, for two days of work-hell before I take off for Colorado with Rita. So, so so so sososo excited! Not just becuase it's a really cool area, nor that it's a chance to see a lot of my family I haven't seen in years (or are too young for me to have seen before ever), but just because it'll be AWAY.

So stoked.

The ITP Spring Show... wow.

2006-05-11T19:53:00.000-04:00

DSCN1437
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Just leaving work now (GRRR!) so I'm going to suck on my update for this for now as well, but the pictures are pretty at least.

Baltimore Trip Recap

2006-05-10T23:17:00.000-04:00

The bad: I'm a jackass and have not, two weeks later, posted about my super-duper-mother-fucking-hum-dinger trip to Baltimore with Sean to see Tom, Shane, Morgan, Eileen and my dear sister.
The worse: I'm still not going to. I'm exhausted from working 14+ hours (whine whine whine) and do not feel like it.
The decent: I promise to update it later.

Best use of HTML tags for not-HTML

2006-05-09T12:04:00.000-04:00

mm901: this was the first meal he ever cooked for me
mm901:< /sappy>

*It should be noted that Maya tagged it right, but I can't enter a non-existent tag in something that accepts HTML. Damnit.
**After being scolded, I have ammended it to look closer to what it should be. Hmmph!

Unappreciated nerdery

2006-05-05T10:42:00.000-04:00

In attempting to share some thoughts on good FTP clients for Mac:

mjdtext100: http://cyberduck.ch/
rchip123: um..."wah wah wah womp womp"
rchip123: is what i'm reading

Went to Balitmore...

2006-05-02T17:40:00.000-04:00

Tom, Mike & Sean -- Inner Harbor
Originally uploaded by mdm173.

...and this is proof of how the weekend went.

More to follow shortly.

PB&Life

2006-04-21T15:29:00.000-04:00

So as I ate my much-later-than-planned lunch, I realized that through either some diabolical bastard’s swiping of my food, or more likely me just not buying enough earlier in the week, I did not have enough of most of the ingredients that you would put in a sandwich. No veggies, nearly no meat, and only a little bit of cheese (which I can barely eat anyway). So I splathered the thing in peanut butter, and was happy.

That’s when it dawned on me: peanut butter is like the blank space in Scrabble – you may not get points for it, but it can be filled in as a substitute for ANYTHING. Peanut butter is like duct tape for foods. Especially sandwiches. It just sorta fixes everything.

No truth in crowds

2006-04-21T12:55:00.000-04:00

Inspired by a lovely viewing of Low in Europe last night, I remembered a phrase that I still cling to, and thought was worth repeating here:

Where the crowd is, therefore, or where a decisive importance is attached to the fact that there is a crowd, there no one is working, living, and striving for the highest end, but only for this or that earthly end; since the eternal, the decisive, can only be worked for where there is one; and to become this by oneself, which all can do, is to will to allow God to help you - "the crowd" is untruth.
-Soren Kierkegaard

If there were any way to sum up the attitude of the truly independant-minded musicians that I (and so many, many others) embrace as the true spirit behind innovative music, that is it. That, and "Godsmack sucks."

Rita was a bit miffed by the attitudes of the band members, who were a bit somber and tended to wax philosophical while avoiding the camera -- "They really need to smile. and sleep." as she put it. However, while I totally get that, I think that's part that resonates most deeply with me. Low has been a band for nearly 15 years, touring their butts off and putting out amazing albumts -- and they can still feed themselves by doing so. If you can make a life for yourself that is nearly devoid of groupthink, remains independant of corporate pushes (as much as possible, anyway), and satisfies you -- hell, what's better? I hope to someday be so lucky.

PS - Rita now says she's inspired to start playing live again. ATTN: World -- be ready to hear more good music soon.

MiniMiniMiniMini

2006-04-20T18:10:00.000-04:00

This is exactly what it looks like -- a full rack chock-fucking-full of Mac Minis. If you worked in Microsoft's Apple room, and you had stacks and stacks of computers, what else would you do?

Yum.

(thanks Sean.)

Union Sq.

2006-04-19T15:12:00.000-04:00

0419061309
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Nothing to say. Just lots of flowers.

Magazine rack

2006-04-18T18:17:00.000-04:00

Magazine rack
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Here at work we've been protesting that many "cute" things keep showing up in the men's restroom (flowers, hand cream, etc.) while not getting the things we want (magazine rack, free gum, rocket launcher).

So, when a neat seat thingie showed up, we did what should come naturally -- ripped the crap out of it and started using it as a magazine rack.

Toilets are the mothers of invention.

PEEEEEPS!

2006-04-17T15:49:00.000-04:00

The New York Times says Peeps are taking over the world.

You can't argue with the Gray Lady.

...though you can put them in the microwave for 30 seconds and watch them blow up to like fifty times their size. Whee!

Robots on skiis = best grad school logic yet.

2006-04-17T12:25:00.000-04:00

I have found photographic proof that I need, need NEEEEEEED to attend ITP.

Dennis (founder of dodgeball.com, teendrama.com and an ITP grad/teacher) is a man I’ve heard about for the whole two years I’ve been stalking ITP, and I’ve seen him speak on panels, but now I see the REAL reasons to attend the program. If this ain’t funny enough for you, go read the full story and watch all the helmet-cam videos (which I promise you are worth the watching).

This follows up on my weekend of drinking beer, causing trouble with The Tom and Sean Show, going out gallivanting in the city, dealing with relatives, and stalking ITP students’ blogs. Also in my stalkery, I found Xinroman’s blog, which gives a lot of good nuggets to describe ITP far better than I could.

Why isn’t it September already?

...and now for the Thank God We're Closing Early dance!

2006-04-14T14:39:00.000-04:00

Tell it like it IS, Mr. T!!

I so need this.

2006-04-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

I'd be totally ripping off Dooce, but it'd be so, so worth it.

This made me laugh so hard I almost sharted.

2006-04-13T18:15:00.000-04:00

Floating like 3D cubes...

2006-04-13T14:40:00.000-04:00

DSCN9814
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Scared shitless.

I think that’s the only way to say how I feel at the moment. An acceptance to the program of my nerd-dreams (NYU ITP, for those keeping score at home), which prompted a weekend of stoked-ness, now leaves me freeeeeaked. Had a nice long talk with my parents last night, which left me with more questions than answers, and nothing indicates to me how the hell I’ll pay for it. Why isn’t everything free?

So I now have to sit and wait to see who will be paying me what as we move forward. Is the concept of spending tens of thousands of dollars I don’t have an unrealistic fear, or am I right to be going nutzoids here?

...floating along...

Our industry is a nutterball.

2006-04-13T11:02:00.000-04:00

As snapshot of angry PR professionals as they discuss this CNN Money listing of salaries:

mjdtext100: um, who the fuck are they surveying?
Sandals1025: yeeeeaaaaaah
Sandals1025: and who is their employer
mjdtext100: and who is their daddy, and what does he do?
Sandals1025: YOU DID NOT JUST TAKE IT THERE

Why I rule.

2006-04-12T17:52:00.000-04:00

Ebert00: sweet christ
Ebert00: you're the messiah
Ebert00: i'm no longer jewish, i'm doryish

Front of a random truck outside my office.

2006-04-11T18:25:00.000-04:00

Front of a random truck outside my office.
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

I love this city. I really do.

Rita, couch'd.

2006-04-11T10:18:00.000-04:00

0410062131.jpg
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

This is what I come home to every day.

Does it get any cuter? I ask you, does it? I submit that it does not.

NYU?!?!?!?

2006-04-07T14:12:00.000-04:00

HOLY FUCK I GOT INTO NYU GRAD SCHOOL!!!!

Rita's Birthday!!!

2006-04-07T12:05:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday baby...

Fun with Red Meat

2006-04-05T14:38:00.000-04:00

(and you can make your own too here.)

JC is getting spring-y.

2006-04-03T14:37:00.000-04:00

DSCN0800
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Trees! Flowers! Homeless dudes without blankets! We're nearly there!

The locals like fuzzies.

2006-04-02T15:21:00.000-04:00

The locals like fuzzies.
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

(outside Sweet Priscilla in JC)

Adam is amazing at art-ing.

2006-04-02T00:17:00.000-05:00

0401061908.jpg
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

That was far too many A's in one sentence.

Anyway, tonight saw us trekking to scenic Asbury Park (which, at this point, actually IS kinda scenic) to see Adam's art opening at Rock Paper Scissors Gallery. When I say holy crap, I mean holy crap -- the man has taken three steps beyond kickass.

I'll recap later, but I'm tired now from eating cheese and crapping myself nearly to death.

Owwwww.

Raised Manholes

2006-04-02T00:13:00.000-05:00

0401060036.jpg
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Russ and Brain found this utterly hilarious last night. I don't get it, but I'll post it in hopes that someone else finds it funny too.

2006-03-31T12:47:00.000-05:00

No more slogans.
No more excuses.
No more blinding our eyes
and baring our asses to the world.

We have the power!
We have the resources!
We have the energy!
Let's get together and wreck shit!

~Evil Nine

JC is a-changin'

2006-03-30T16:31:00.000-05:00

Nice find by Dojo -- great story about the changes in JC.

Grubby, using that word for the first time since 1987.

2006-03-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

So Nicole showed me this New York Magazine article on "grubs" which described this new class of sorta-grown-ups thusly:

He owns eleven pairs of sneakers, hasn't worn anything but jeans in a year, and won't shut up about the latest Death Cab for Cutie CD. But he is no kid. He is among the ascendant breed of grown-up who has redefined adulthood as we once knew it and killed off the generation gap.

Um. As if I wasn't scared enough about being lumped into that definition, I'm wearing jeans, sneakers, an old rugby shirt and just had a Handi Snack as I listen to Eiffel Tower through my iPod headphones at work while I contemplate the differences in my life if I moved with Rita to Portland and lived my dream as a freelancing tech nerd.

I hate fitting stereotypes.

Unrelated sidenote – Dooce and husband Blurb both posted spectacular stories about civil rights recently – both make me really, really happy that smart, tolerant, equal-minded people in this world really DO exist.

Paradise and parking lots

2006-03-28T09:13:00.000-05:00

0328060834.jpg
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

The yuppies are nigh.

"Grove Pointe," which apparently is French for "we bulldozed a neighborhood of brownstones for this ultra-modern shite," is getting bigger by the day. Walking up off the PATH used to be kinda ugly, but in a good way. Now there's this constant reminder that in a few months, the cost of living here will likely take another jump up.

Whee!

I'd love to know what Tris McCall has to say about this one -- if I end up slightly less lazy I'll even look!

Two cups of coffee into my week before the first hour's up.

2006-03-27T09:31:00.000-05:00

I have forgotten how to sleep.

While an on-its-own catchy note from Eiffel Tower (who has at least partially restored my faith in Brooklyn as a bastion of good music, rather than like-minded telecasters, sneakers and haircuts), it’s also quite true for me these days. It started at first with a tough series of days, where I’d work twelve hours, come back, work some more and find that it was nearly midnight, and I’d still not eaten dinner. Then it was some late-night talks and a few too many trips to the bar. And now it’s pure excitement over a new musical idea and a stack of old gospel records (and a Kurtis Blow single that has yielded a ton of great-sounding drum hits). And now, spring is here, and it's reminding me -- who can sleep when there's so much stuff still to do?

Also, I hate hangovers. I think that’s the lesson that the past week has taught me. As seems to be part of my personal cycle, I recovered from my near-hermititude by going out every night last week, and somehow every night’s promise of “no beer tonight” ended with a realization that around 11 I’d had not one, but many. That was capped off with a great night with my parents, filled with poker and scotch, which I think officially has brought me to attempt to get through this week without a drop. And go to the gym. The prior is much easier and more likely than the latter.

Quite unrelatedly, TSLOS continues to rock the party (that rocks the party) with an ever-expanding stack of coverage and fan base, however the most exciting part of this for me is the new songs they’ve got going now. “Weathering” is one of the most beautiful and perfect songs I’ve heard in a long time. No, you can’t have it. Make them do a full-length, then you can hear it too.

Happily, I saw V for Vendetta with Nicole last night. Holy schnikies. I haven’t seen a movie that cool (and to that effect) since I first saw the original Matrix. Of course, the fact that the Wachowski brothers are behind this one would explain that a bit, but it certainly helps redeem them for the clusterfuck that was the past two Matrix movies. I would highly, highly recommend you see it.

And in closing, if you see Rita, tell her that her music is amazing and she needs to finish up her EP. She somehow doubts just how amazing her work is, but nobody who hears snippets of it doubts a thing. It MUST be heard.

We blew the doors didn’t we?
Pissed in their champagne
And did a real thing didn’t we?
Gave ourselves a name
And peeled away the shame
I wanted to explode
To pull my ribs apart
And let the sun inside

And when the sunshine
Throwin’ me a lifeline
Finds it’s way into my room
All I need is you

~Elbow

They're out to get me!

2006-03-27T09:07:00.000-05:00

Damnit. Why is it that every time I (at least partially) curb my spending on audio gear, somebody releases something so monsterously cool that I can't take my eyes off it?

Looking at this, I think I finally understand how Rita feels about Minis.

Vinyl Heaven

2006-03-24T14:18:00.000-05:00

Acadey Records LP's. It's really so amazing I can't talk about it right now. Little choked up. Unfair!

Morning scene in Jersey City.

2006-03-24T09:10:00.000-05:00

Morning scene in Jersey City.
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Every day I work, I wake up excited about the same thing: that one day, I will not be going in to work, and that I can sit with my laptop (or a good book) and a strong cup of coffee and stare out this window from my alcove/barstool perch.

It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.

Low on vinyl!

2006-03-23T22:08:00.000-05:00

Low on vinyl!
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Seriously, nothing has sounded this good since Dark Side of the Moon when I was seventeen.

Genius at work

2006-03-23T17:35:00.000-05:00

adamcarretta-adamself
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

No, not me.

Adam. Adam Carretta.

The man (also, myth, legend and genius) is going to be showing a dumptruckload of his works at the Rock Paper Scissors Gallery in scenic Asbury Park on April 1st.

If you're around, and you don't come, you are an idiot. Seriously. He's that good.

TSLOS hearts the LES.

2006-03-22T13:07:00.000-05:00

0321062050
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Headed down the the hipster-trodden streets of LES last night with Rita to check out the latest show featuring our heroes The Secret Life of Sofia. I say this as an objective-as-possible observer, but holy crap, what a band they've become. It was one of the better shows (in general) that I've seen in quite some time.

They're also reprinting the EP (a BentoBox project) in September, complete with fancy mastering job and new art -- and that is just simply dandy.

Cameraphone shots posted, which don't completely suck.

My screen.

2006-03-21T15:32:00.000-05:00

0320061743a
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

In case you care, this is what I look at all day. Quick camphone'd photoset on flickr.

This makes no sense out of context, but it's still funny.

2006-03-21T13:13:00.000-05:00

nsignoretta: oh that's right
nsignoretta: i forgot about the unfucking

Morning at the park

2006-03-21T10:24:00.000-05:00

Morning at the park
Originally uploaded by pmarella.

There's a great group of photobloggers (the JC group on flickr) who are taking some absolutely amzing shots. This is but one, but they're all worth a really good look.

Linoleum love.

2006-03-21T08:50:00.000-05:00

It just dawned on me that the floor of some PATH trains are exactly the same as those of my second grade classroom. Suddenly i want a juice box and a nap.

Overlight'd.

2006-03-20T17:17:00.000-05:00

They just changed a broken light in the men's room at work with what may be the brighest light known to man. It's now absurdly light in there. Like surgery-bright.

This should not be!

I now feel guilty for pooping at work. I don't want to have to cower while using the restroom, that's just too much.

Pooping is best done in the dark.

More picties.

2006-03-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

http://www.flickr.com/groups/highholyholiday/pool/.

We took us a lot o' pictuahs, y'hear?

St. Pat's.

2006-03-20T12:10:00.000-05:00

DSCN0758
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

So first off, The High Holy Holiday was a success again this year. It wasn’t quite as insane as last year, as we actually remembered it the next day, but we also didn’t all wake up and simultaneously say “OUCH.” Trade off, I suppose.

Tom, Shane, Eileen and Morgan all drove up from Baltimore (bless their souls) for the day, brought cookies (which, in trade for sleeping on my floor, is one I’ll make ANY day. These were damn good cookies.) and off to the city we headed. The night was spent, more or less, at Kettle of Fish in the West Village, while at one point at least one or two people were out at Gray’s Papaya (leading me to eat no less than five hot dogs throughout the night). Vikram thanked everyone for wearing the colors of his county’s flag, and could not be persuaded it was merely a coincidence that St. Pat’s invokes the wearing of green. Shane kicked ass in darts cricket while Sean threw darts at the floor. Tom licked several people, while Emily nearly ate Nicole’s ear. Maya gave us all the "i'm going to kick your ass for not answering the call of the 'help me!' eyes" look. Russ showed up, delivered hot dogs, and left shortly after. Lots of other people did lots of other things.

…and then like jackasses we did it all over again, in a smaller group, the following day at Barrow St. Bar (the JC one, not the NYC one). However, on this night, Russ and I developed a very strong love for Spring Heat Spiced Wheat beer, and drank the tap dry. I’m not kidding. We really did.

However, to be honest, the pancakes of the next day may have been the highlight. I don’t think I’ll ever spend a weekend away from JC (at least for a month or so) simply because I’ll be forced to skip out on the Brownstone Diner’s bacon and eggs and sausage and pancakes and an ice cream scoop of butter for $7.75 setup.

Nicole and Ellen got good snaps too, diggit.

Is it possible not to love this face?

2006-03-13T14:02:00.000-05:00

0311061734b
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Those eyes. Normally I'd guess they were saying either "I love you" or "did you just fart?" with that expression, but in this case, they're probably saying "holy crap, did we just have 3 bloody marys and shots at 3 p.m.?"

The weekend rocked.

Sage advice from yours truly.

2006-03-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

shbeel: mike. i dont' have crazy amounts of work to do tonight, and i don't know what to do with myself
shbeel: you're good at this, what do i do?
mjdtext100: drink.

Cute.

2006-03-05T21:37:00.000-05:00

either really sweet ... or rita's hand tastes like beer
Originally uploaded by nicole s.

And drunk.

75 Years Of Birthday!

2006-03-04T13:05:00.000-05:00

DSCN0619
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Russ got older. We celebrated. Someone dropped a beer. Many random frat-type people vomited. We then began with the drinking off of the faces. Then we ate pizza at 3 a.m. at a Papa John's. And somehow found our way home.

Russ was wasted. It was appropriate.

Dude, I moved.

2006-03-01T18:40:00.000-05:00

0225061513.jpg
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Full story to follow. The hilarity of my stuff occupying 1/7903th of a 17-foot truck, however, is available now.

Would you trust these men to help you move everything you own?

2006-03-01T18:09:00.000-05:00

0225061715.jpg
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

Only in JC.

2006-02-25T00:54:00.000-05:00

beerstoreflute
Originally uploaded by mjd+JC.

What you can barely see here is that the dude in the beer store is playing jazz flute. For customers. Really.

Thersdeey.

2006-02-23T10:01:00.000-05:00

nsignoretta: so, i walk into my building today and there is a sea of people. our elevators were broken. why were our elevators broken, you ask? someone cut the wire. what wire? no one knows! hello and welcome to thursday