Special birthday wishes to one of my favorite musicians, Dave Matthews. Ever-inspiring I wish you many more enriching years to you. DMB taking a well deserved break in 2011, I don't doubt that they'll come back stronger than ever in 2012. Maybe they use this respite to collect themselves and expand the boundaries of they're creativity. On the plus side, maybe Jeff will tour with the Flecktones, assuming Bela is through hyping "The Music of Rhythm". (Great Record)
Very quick mention of how well the Lake show played against the New York Chandlers, I mean, Knicks. Bynum was a force before he was tossed. No team passes better in the paint. Lamar Odom helping me cruise to a 9-1 record this season. (I made draft and depth charts.) I don't want to make this blog about ball, although it easily could be. I'm pretty much going to leave technical ball talk of of the blog, unless someone wants me to discuss something in a separate post (which I'd be happy to do).
Lots of new jazz stroking my ears lately. Some legends that are new to me, Freddie Hubbard and Albert Ayler. Some other musicians that I'm feeling are Anat Foot, Redrush Mahanthappa, Fred Hersch, Eric Dolphy, Ray Brown, Cecil Taylor, Carla Bley, and jazz's anointed one, Jason Moran living up to the hype among a few others. Thinking about starting a jazz sharing circle among some friends so that we can share new sounds with each other and share opinions and whatnot. Coltrane would call it a community of faith, and I can't say I disagree too much.
On a similar note, The Bad Plus and Geri Allen recently out with new albums I can't wait to take in. I suggest you do the same.
Advice of the Day: Playing the greatest hits of Limp Bizkit in a crowded billiard hall will likely not be as well received today as it would in your late 90's middle school homeroom. So what if I where my red Yankee hat backwards?
Thought of the Day: Caught one of those Teprupedic (spelling?) commercials on the TV today. Seems like a great product and all, but I was getting a little laugh about the way they were knocking regular beds. Something like...
"For hundreds of years, people have been sleeping at night (which makes me wonder where they nap) on hard steel rods and springs, uneven matting, live grenades, hornets' nests etc. (I exaggerate the last couple.)
They forgot to mention the soft feathery support that goes between you and those metal springs. Of course, the entire time, their showing people acting like they're in agonizing pain, but honestly their "model bed" looked like it could be used for Mortal Kombat-esque fatalities, so I don't blame them. Ah, the magic of advertising.... Finish Him!
Sleep well, my friends. Enjoy your spontaneous pillow fights with friends while wine glasses rest undisturbed on your Temprupedic.
Song of the Day: How To Fight Loneliness - Wilco
Jazz Song of the Day: Angels - Geri Allen
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Joyous Return
Here I sit after a sojourn into enjoyable entropy.
I do hope my rather underwhelming return finds all enjoying what life offers.
This post is a first attempt at reshaping what was previously a strictly academic blog. From here on, this blog will serve as a documentation of what it is to be me. Thoughts, writings, journal entries etc. With that said, here it goes.
My thoughts and deepest emotions go out to Arizona tonight. An absolutely terrible tragedy taking place, 19 were wounded, 6 dead, among the critically injured, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Such a shame to live in a world where such hate is not only possible, but present. I'm not going to get preachy, I hope for healing of all involved and their families. Politics is politics, but people are people.
Not to be a sudden cynic, but I was rather annoyed that Fox News kept on repeating the sentiments of former Alaskan Senator Sarah Palin over the little scrolly-thing at the bottom of the screen. Sarah Palin was (naturally) appalled and deeply saddened and I certainly respect and share her feelings, but her opinion in the matter was about as irrelevant as Billy Joel's (guess who's on my ipod right now) or Chevy Chase's. Fox had the decency to share Palin's thoughts repeatedly, which I was very grateful for, as I wouldn't know how to react to the tragedy were she not to weigh in so emphatically and incessantly.
No disrespect to Mrs. Palin intended, and I'm certainly not one to define myself by a political party, just a little jab at Fox News.
Let's "move forward."
A word of advice: When watching sports competitions, always save some of your snack for after halftime.
Thought of the Day: Saturn is kind of the goody-goody of the planets. One of the larger planets (I believe second to Jupiter) trying to prove its worth by having its rings made of various rock and ice chunks hangin' out for everybody to see, boasting about its sixty moons and moonlets. Who the heck is Saturn trying to impress? Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter all have rings, but you don't see them being all hoity-toity about it. Clearly, Saturn is compensating for something. Furthermore, it wouldn't surprise me if Saturn began the campaign to remove Pluto from the planet list. My guess is Saturn is trying to pick off all the planets one by one until it is the only planet left. If intelligent life does exist on Saturn, they're probably a bunch of snobbish assholes that none of use would want to get to know anyway. You can keep your advancements in medicine and technology, Saturn, I'd rather have my self-respect.
Song of the Day: Loving Wings - Dave Matthews Band
Jazz Song of the Day: The Good America- Keith Jarrett
I do hope my rather underwhelming return finds all enjoying what life offers.
This post is a first attempt at reshaping what was previously a strictly academic blog. From here on, this blog will serve as a documentation of what it is to be me. Thoughts, writings, journal entries etc. With that said, here it goes.
My thoughts and deepest emotions go out to Arizona tonight. An absolutely terrible tragedy taking place, 19 were wounded, 6 dead, among the critically injured, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Such a shame to live in a world where such hate is not only possible, but present. I'm not going to get preachy, I hope for healing of all involved and their families. Politics is politics, but people are people.
Not to be a sudden cynic, but I was rather annoyed that Fox News kept on repeating the sentiments of former Alaskan Senator Sarah Palin over the little scrolly-thing at the bottom of the screen. Sarah Palin was (naturally) appalled and deeply saddened and I certainly respect and share her feelings, but her opinion in the matter was about as irrelevant as Billy Joel's (guess who's on my ipod right now) or Chevy Chase's. Fox had the decency to share Palin's thoughts repeatedly, which I was very grateful for, as I wouldn't know how to react to the tragedy were she not to weigh in so emphatically and incessantly.
No disrespect to Mrs. Palin intended, and I'm certainly not one to define myself by a political party, just a little jab at Fox News.
Let's "move forward."
A word of advice: When watching sports competitions, always save some of your snack for after halftime.
Thought of the Day: Saturn is kind of the goody-goody of the planets. One of the larger planets (I believe second to Jupiter) trying to prove its worth by having its rings made of various rock and ice chunks hangin' out for everybody to see, boasting about its sixty moons and moonlets. Who the heck is Saturn trying to impress? Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter all have rings, but you don't see them being all hoity-toity about it. Clearly, Saturn is compensating for something. Furthermore, it wouldn't surprise me if Saturn began the campaign to remove Pluto from the planet list. My guess is Saturn is trying to pick off all the planets one by one until it is the only planet left. If intelligent life does exist on Saturn, they're probably a bunch of snobbish assholes that none of use would want to get to know anyway. You can keep your advancements in medicine and technology, Saturn, I'd rather have my self-respect.
Song of the Day: Loving Wings - Dave Matthews Band
Jazz Song of the Day: The Good America- Keith Jarrett
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thinkature makes me think negative thoughts
My new tool demo project deals with Thinkature. This is a website that seems pretty darn cool. Its goal is to give you a virtual meeting room for you and your work colleagues. You can upload documents, things from the Internet, chat, write various post-its. I imagine it feels a lot like being in the same room with your co-workers, when in fact you could be in the Bahamas on vacation, sitting at a local Starbucks wishing both the weather and you coffee were a bit warmer, or just relaxing in your dorm listening to John Coltrane. (Guess which I'm doing) The homepage is compact, which is solid. The hands on demo is a nice touch, however, the "cards" which explain what you can do with the program are pretty scattered and difficult to follow. It is quite honestly hard to ascertain what exactly the purpose of the site is. The About Us section is very helpful in that respect, but that is to be found at the bottom of the page and were this not an assignment I'm almost sure I would have left this site for greener pastures before seeing and/or reading that section.
The sign in offering is large, attention grabbing, and in good proximity with the workspace demo. I have had trouble signing up (I'm 0 for 4) but that has little to do with the homepage itself and is therefore for another blog post. I'm curious if the member homepage is different. I imagine it is geared towards helping colleagues find each other to do the work assigned them. I am still very heavy handed with this program, but I do hope that with time I can get a bit of a better feel for this program.
The sign in offering is large, attention grabbing, and in good proximity with the workspace demo. I have had trouble signing up (I'm 0 for 4) but that has little to do with the homepage itself and is therefore for another blog post. I'm curious if the member homepage is different. I imagine it is geared towards helping colleagues find each other to do the work assigned them. I am still very heavy handed with this program, but I do hope that with time I can get a bit of a better feel for this program.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The Sun Rises and Sets in Baltimore, Maryland
It seems I have saved the best for last. I have decided to take a closer look at Baltimore's primary source for news that matters most.
All playful kidding aside, the Baltimore Sun website really is pretty admirable. The site has easy navigation toolbars at the top of the page that allow the visitor to navigate different topics and stories with ease from anywhere on the site. It's so simple. A tool bar exists for both news types, (sports, local, weather, entertainment, and of course, a seperate link for the O's) and a toolbar for the publication itself, regarding available jobs, homes, and a contact section). The clear seperation of links and what they pertain to, is invaluable to web design ease and enjoyment to the visitor.
The homepage is colorful, with major headlines listed clearly on the homepage of the site. Note that school closings are listed even before these headlines. This is effective because the website seems to have its priorities in order. That is to say that they know what information that the most people of the area would want to know most quickly.
Seperate boxed sections with title headings make it clear what stories will be covered where. At the bottom of the page, are more links to help narrow down what type and what area you want your news to pertain to. This is also the first website I've seen with a clear search box at the top right corner of the page.
There is a lot of scrolling that this website demands which can probably be cut down upon, but then again, there is a lot of news in Baltimore.
The gray columns on the sides of the site prevent having to read too long on the same line. Makes things easier on the eyes.
Baltimore has lived up to its reputation and has developed a top notch newspaper website.
All playful kidding aside, the Baltimore Sun website really is pretty admirable. The site has easy navigation toolbars at the top of the page that allow the visitor to navigate different topics and stories with ease from anywhere on the site. It's so simple. A tool bar exists for both news types, (sports, local, weather, entertainment, and of course, a seperate link for the O's) and a toolbar for the publication itself, regarding available jobs, homes, and a contact section). The clear seperation of links and what they pertain to, is invaluable to web design ease and enjoyment to the visitor.
The homepage is colorful, with major headlines listed clearly on the homepage of the site. Note that school closings are listed even before these headlines. This is effective because the website seems to have its priorities in order. That is to say that they know what information that the most people of the area would want to know most quickly.
Seperate boxed sections with title headings make it clear what stories will be covered where. At the bottom of the page, are more links to help narrow down what type and what area you want your news to pertain to. This is also the first website I've seen with a clear search box at the top right corner of the page.
There is a lot of scrolling that this website demands which can probably be cut down upon, but then again, there is a lot of news in Baltimore.
The gray columns on the sides of the site prevent having to read too long on the same line. Makes things easier on the eyes.
Baltimore has lived up to its reputation and has developed a top notch newspaper website.
The Best of What's Around
DMB's homepage is pretty flawless in my mind. The page is colorful and symmetrical. With a navigation bar present at the top of the page that can be found at all pages of the site. The boxes show, and tell simply what can be found if you click on the box. The homepage simply helps you find what you are looking for and nothing more. It is informative and not overly elaborate. There is no search box, which could help, but the site is laid out well enough that I dare say, one may not be needed.
New Dave and Tim Vegas album looks far out.
New Dave and Tim Vegas album looks far out.
Monday, March 15, 2010
These cats almost ruined my birthday
My driver's licence expired on my 21st birthday. I have not been home to New York to renew it. As a result, my licence is technically invalid and does not scan correctly at bars (such as Murph's) that scan I.D.s to determine whether or not you can get into the place. I was essentially told that after my birthday, I would not be re-admitted until this situation was rectified. As an homage to this predicament, I take a look at the New York State Department of Motor Vehicle's website.
This homepage is decent, I don't like the lowercase links. Without bold font and CAPITALIZATION, those links blend right in with the web page. The links at the left of the screen are pretty clear and helpful and there is a search box available in the top right corner of the site. The various things that the web site offers you are color coded in boxes which is helpful, considering just how confusing the DMV can be. The information in the grey blue area seems kind of clumped together, while related, and though red arrows separating them are better than nothing, I feel as though this could be cleaner. There is also kind of a false bottom beneath the ever-taunting smiling face.
It's really the lowercase letters that get to me, and the information seems a bit intimidating and overwhelming at first glance.
This homepage is decent, I don't like the lowercase links. Without bold font and CAPITALIZATION, those links blend right in with the web page. The links at the left of the screen are pretty clear and helpful and there is a search box available in the top right corner of the site. The various things that the web site offers you are color coded in boxes which is helpful, considering just how confusing the DMV can be. The information in the grey blue area seems kind of clumped together, while related, and though red arrows separating them are better than nothing, I feel as though this could be cleaner. There is also kind of a false bottom beneath the ever-taunting smiling face.
It's really the lowercase letters that get to me, and the information seems a bit intimidating and overwhelming at first glance.
Something else I did (in moderation) on my birthday
In keeping with the 21st birthday theme, I took a look at the website of Samuel Adams brewery. This is a high quality beverage with a homepage to match. It requires no scrolling and have scrolling adds and photos on the page. The links are a bit small and should probably be on the top of the page and not the middle. However, since there is no scrolling anyway, I don't think that the clarity of the site is an issue. What immediately catches your eye other than the pictures, is the text offering a list of their flavors which is what I would imagine, most people would use the site for (unless they wanted to contact the company, which is also quite clear.) The site is minimal, but effective considering that looking and web surfing is not something usually associated with beer.
On a side note, the entering your birthday and confirmation was virtually cumbersome. I'm sure they have to do that by law, but it was still pretty annoying.
On a side note, the entering your birthday and confirmation was virtually cumbersome. I'm sure they have to do that by law, but it was still pretty annoying.
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