Married, moved, and getting it together.

October, 2005: 18 posts.

Guts Cake

Yeah, no posts in a while eh? Latest bit of interestingness is the cake I made for Alex’s birthday:

Alex's Guts Cake 3

White cake, raspberry filling, and powdered sugar icing.

The ribs are made from white chocolate.

Sculpted by Joe.

It was a lot of work, but very fun.

More later this week.

Zappa Chess Engine

In Zappa news… Zappa Chess Engine

Zappa is not named for the great Frank Zappa, or at least not directly. Frank rather quixotically named his daughter “Moon Unit”, and Mike Myers used this in Austin Powers 2: there is a scene where Dr. Evil talks about how he has divided his moon base into “Moon Unit Alpha” and “Moon Unit Zappa”. I had just finished reading a book by Bruce Pandolfini, “Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps”, and I thought that Zappa had a nice sound to it. I have never actually listened to a single song of Frank, although I am quite fond of several of his quotes.

via robotwisdom

Archaeology: EMPLOYEE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND INVENTIONS AGREEMENT

Cleaning out the hard drive, from March, 2000:

*EMPLOYEE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND INVENTIONS AGREEMENT *

Bidland.com, Inc.
3990 Ruffin Road
San Diego, CA 92123

The following confirms an agreement between bidland.com, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and *Name (referred to in this agreement as “I” or “me”). I understand that this agreement is a material part of the consideration for my employment with the Company:

1. Proprietary Information. I understand that the Company possesses and will possess Proprietary Information which is important to its business. For purposes of this Agreement, “Proprietary Information” is information that was or will be developed, created, or discovered by or on behalf of the Company, or which became or will become known by, or was or is conveyed to the Company, which has commercial value in the Company’s business. “Proprietary Information” includes, without limitation, information (whether conveyed orally or in writing) about algorithms, application programming interfaces, protocols, trade secrets, computer software, designs, technology, ideas, know-how, products, services, processes, data, techniques, improvements, inventions (whether patentable or not), works of authorship, business and product development plans, the salaries and terms of compensation of other employees, customer lists and other information concerning the Company’s actual or anticipated business, research or development, or which is received in confidence by or for the Company from any other person. I understand that my employment creates a relationship of confidence and trust between me and the Company with respect to Proprietary Information.

I don’t remember anything from bidland’s technology other than that they had their own in-house templating language and that every transaction with the (Oracle) database was handled in stored procedures that the DBA wrote.

Bidland has not existed for several years.

Art*’s that Never Were

The nicknames that never were (for me), from 2000. From the crew that hung out on AOL chatting trivia and whatnot.

ArtViedersehn
ArtMum
ArtFess
ArtNaturale
ArtSafety
ArtTip
ArtDuck
ArtJovi
ArtPhile
ArtDeco
ArtHowl
ArtLunar

Joker Joe 1991

JokerJoe 1991/Colorized Badly

I’m a big fan of Halloween.

In 1991 or so I won a costume college (I was either first or second place out of maybe 2 dozen or so health science students at CHRV College of Health Sciences).

The other day I posted the “guts cake,” which I submit as evidence of liking Halloween.

Funny enough, I’m not a big fan of scary movies. I don’t really care for horror movies unless MST3K is making fun of them. I did like _Shaun of the Dead_, but in general, not so much.

I’m rambling.

The image above is a bad colorization of a scan from a college yearbook. The yearbook is from 1991, the colorization was me doing PhotoShop for a class at UCLA Extension in 1995. It’s not great colorization. These days I’m much better.

Hmm.

Today was not so great. Plenty busy all around, feeling choked by work.

Let me say that Leah rocks my socks off. She’s on the verge of being the best project manager I ever worked with _ever_. And I’ve worked with some great ones. Also terrible ones. _Terrible_ ones.

Okay, enough rambling.

Go Read Brian Dear

This wonderful set of posts deflates “Web 2.0 Hype™”, reinforces the awesomeness of those folks (like EVDB) who are working to remake the web to actually *use* these wonderful syndication tools and browser technologies to the fullest extent: Part I, Part II.

_Backstory:_ I’ve actually met both Andy Baio (briefly) and Brian Dear (less briefly, we had lunch once. Smart fellow and a nice guy.) and have read them for a while. I think both Upcoming and EVDB are kickass tech.

And if you hadn’t noticed, this post was for geeks.

Lincoln Memorial, 1990 or so.

Lincoln Memorial, 1990 or so.

I guess I’m making up for lost time.

The Lincoln Memorial is by far my favorite place in Washington, D.C.

I can’t not cry when I turn to the right and read Lincoln’s great words, his second inaugural address. This bit, among others, always slays me:

The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.

The Civil War is raging, and the war _must_ be won or the United States of America will not ever be the same, and the President broaches no prediction? What act of humility and realism was this? Sure, there was no live coverage from C-SPAN, but the words would be in the paper. What a different time that was. My wish is for a return to such statesmanship.

Synchronicity & The West Wing

Chicken suits on _Lost_ and _The West Wing_.
Mentions of Grand Guignol on both robotwisdom and _The West Wing_.
Ice cream in my hand and on _The West Wing_ within 10 minutes.

If I were a tinfoil hat wearer I’d say that TWW were trying to send me a message over the past three days.

_Naaaaaaaaaah._

Well, maybe.

Me @ La Jolla Cove, 1995

Joe at La Jolla Cove 1995

And I played around with these experimental photos after scanning them into PhotoShop.

If you’re counting, that means I have TEN years of experience in PhotoShop.

I love the Cove very much.

It feels like I still have much to learn, still.

Digital Archaeology: Favorites List, 1990s

A list I kept of stuff I liked. Why? Don’t ask me! I’m the 35 year old version of me. Now I do this sort of stuff on the website. Heck, why am I posting this here?

Well, it’s fun.

*Movies*
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai
After Hours
Aliens
All The President’s Men
The Big Red One
The Birds
Blade Runner
Blow Out
The Blues Brothers
Body Double
Brazil
Breaking Away
Bringing Up Baby
Broadway Danny Rose
Chinatown
Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb
Dressed To Kill
Hannah & Her Sisters
Heaven
Home of the Brave
The Hustler
Jaws
Killing Fields
Lost In America
M*A*S*H
Mister Roberts
My Dinner With Andre
My Life as a Dog
Papillon
Patton
Platoon
Purple Rose Of Cairo
Raising Arizona
Rashomon
Rear Window
Repo Man
Roxanne
Seven Year Itch
Sleeper
Stalag 17
Star Wars Trilogy
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Return Of The Jedi
The Sting
Stop Making Sense
Swimming To Cambodia
Take The Money And Run
Top Secret!
True Stories
2001: a space odyssey
2010: odyssey two
Wait Until Dark
Walk Proud
Witness

*TV Shows*
Batman
The Bob Newhart Show
Connections
Day the Universe Changed
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Evening at the Improv
Frontline
The Frugal Gourmet
Hill Street Blues
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Jeopardy!
L.A. Law
ULate Night with David Letterman
Leave It To Beaver
McLaughlin Group
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
M*A*S*H
Max Headroom
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Moonlighting
Newhart
Night Court
Nova
This Old House
Perry Mason
Police Squad
St. Elsewhere
Saturday Night Live (in syndication)
Speed Racer
Star Blazers
Star Trek
Story of English
Soul Train
Tales from the Darkside
Taxi
Twilight Zone

*Comic Books*
Batman: Year One
Concrete
Dark Knight
Elektra: Assassin
Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters
Lone Wolf and Cub
Mage: The Hero Discovered
Ronin
Swamp Thing
Tales of the Beanworld
Watchmen

*Comedians*
Dan Aykroyd
Woody Allen
John Belushi
A. Whitney Brown
Bobcat Goldthwaith
Sam Kinison
David Letterman
Dennis Miller
Bob Newhart
Mort Sahl
Robin Williams
Stephen Wright

*Artists (Comic & Otherwise)*
John Bolton
Berke Breathed
Art Crawford
Chris Greazel
Matt Groening
Larry Marder
David Mazzuchelli
Frank Miller
Patrick Nagel
Jackson Pollack
Robert Rauschenberg
James Rosenquist
Charles Russell
Bill Sienkewicz
Andy Warhol
Frank Lloyd Wright
Vincent Van Gogh

Lyrics of the Day

Lovely day today. Swap Meet in Goleta (just outside Santa Barbara), then a trip to Fry’s in Oxnard. Lovely day.

Lyrics of the day, via an ancient mix tape by my friend Erin:

Cemetery Gates, by The Smiths

A dreaded sunny day
So I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
A dreaded sunny day
So I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
While Wilde is on mine

So we go inside and we gravely read the stones
All those people all those lives
Where are they now?
With loves, with hates
And passions just like mine
They were born
And then they lived
And then they died
Which seems so unfair
And I want to cry

Zombie Joe

Rain & Varmints

It’s raining like a big dog out here.

Last night we had a flash flood of ants show up in the kitchen. Literally, one minute, no ants, and 10 minutes later they were making a beeline for the potted plants on the bartop above the sink.

Wait, can ants make a beeline?

Anyway, we dispatched the ants tout suite.

We keep getting eruptions of ants, for a while we had them coming up through the drain in the dishwasher! We poured vinegar down there, then later bleach, then more soap. Eventually they stopped. We’re pretty much sick of the ants. Though it could be worse — namely — mice or roaches. I suppose we’re lucky with regard to varmints.

But it’s raining again, I think it rained all night. It’s nice, though a bit chilly.

Busy lately. Not enough sleep. But things are pretty good. I should have news soon on some things. Not much news for now though.

For now, rain.

Stray Thursdayness

ASP.net, disgruntled clients, ungruntled clients, flooding, Blue Angels overhead, trips to hairdresser, ants that come and go, trashcans that need bringing in, job resignation, new free metal desk, SQL Server, OO PHP4, shopping carts, new MySQL databases, exporting JPEGs, lack of a whiteboard, couch-sleeping.

It’s a good day, but another busy one.

Found Object of the Day

Learn HTML, Make $$$

Talking Heads Superfan Thing

missewon sent me this link: Talking Heads DualDisc Brick:

The first complete artist catalog released on DualDisc! This specially packed boxed set contains all eight of Talking Heads’ studio albums, expanded and remastered as two-sided DualDiscs featuring audiophile DVD-A sound, rare and previously unreleased material, and video tracks. Packaging includes an outer white molded plastic box with raised song titles, housing eight individually packaged white jewel cases, each containing liner notes, rare photos, and song-inspired art pieces.

Formed in New York in the mid-’70s by David Byrne, Chris Franz, Tina Weymouth, and ex-Modern Lover Jerry Harrison, Talking Heads transcended their humble CBGB beginnings to become one of the most adventurous and influential bands of all time. Their visionary, polyrhythmic stew combined funk and punk with African beats, avant-garde minimalism, and pure pop. From their 1977 debut to their Brian Eno-produced classics to their 1988 swan song, Naked, Talking Heads consistently pushed creative boundaries while delivering smart radio hits like “Once In A Lifetime,” “Burning Down The House,” and “Wild Wild Life.” In 2002 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I have no idea how I would even play a DVD-A. But that’s definitely something I’d like to have in the distant future. Real distant.

Steely Dan Dictionary

I’ve really become attached to Steely Dan of late. And the site Steely Dan Dictionary has become a favorite, explicating such vagaries as “Black Cow” and “Muswellbrook” and “Cobalt Cigarettes” and “Kirschwasser” and “Mizar Five.”

I just love that I can get all the Steely Dan lyrics I want from SteelyDan.com.

We’ll jog with show folk on the sand
Drink kirschwasser from a shell
San Francisco show and tell
Well I should know by now
That it’s just a spasm
Like a Sunday in T.J.
That it’s cheap but it’s not free
That I’m not what I used to be
And that love’s not a game for three

It’s Sunday Morning.
You sure have changed since yesterday.
Without any warning.

Everyday is like Sunday.
Everyday is silent and grey.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday.
How long…
How long must we sing this song?
How long? how long…

Sunday Papers.
Read all about it!
Sunday papers.

Have a great day, you.

Current iTunes Playlist: “Don’t”

Don’t … Jewel
Don’t Be Sad … Dwight Yoakam
Don’t Believe The Hype … Public Enemy
Don’t Break the Heart … Mono Puff
Don’t Bring Me Down … Paul Shaffer
Don’t Cha (featuring Busta Rhymes) [Radio Edit] … The Pussycat Dolls & Busta Rhymes
Don’t Cha Stop … The Cars
Don’t Change Your Plans … Ben Folds Five
Don’t Come Around Here No More … Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Don’t Cross The River … America
Don’t Cry No Tears (Live) … Matthew Sweet
Don’t Do Me Like That … Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Don’t Dream It’s Over … Paul Shaffer
Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow … Frank Zappa
Don’t Ever Dance With Maria … Brave Combo
Don’t Fade Away … Dead Can Dance
Don’t Fear the Reaper … Sifl & Olly
Don’t Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy) … Ween
Don’t Give Up (w/Kate Bush) … Peter Gabriel
Don’t Go … Matthew Sweet
Don’t I Have the Right? … Mono Puff
Don’t Know How To Party … The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Don’t Know Why … Kostars
Don’t Know Why … Norah Jones
Don’t Know Why (Live/Leno) … Norah Jones
Don’t Laugh (I Love You) … Ween
Don’t Let’s Start … They Might Be Giants
Don’t Let’s Start (Demo Version) … They Might Be Giants
Don’t Let’s Start (Single Mix) … They Might Be Giants
Don’t Look Back … Luscious Jackson
Don’t Lose Your Mind … Miles Davis
Don’t Make Me Love You … Christina Aguilera
Don’t Marry Her … The Beautiful South
Don’t Panic … Coldplay
Don’t Ruin Our Happy Home … Randy Newman
Don’t Speak … No Doubt
Don’t Stand So Close To Me … The Police
Don’t Stand So Close To Me ’86 … The Police
Don’t Stop … Fleetwood Mac
Don’t Stop Swaying … Sophie B. Hawkins
Don’t Stop The Dance … Bryan Ferry
Don’t Stop The Rock … Chemical Brothers
Don’t Stop To Watch The Wheels … The Doobie Brothers
Don’t Sweat It … Ween
Don’t Take Me Alive … Steely Dan
Don’t Take Me Alive (6/9/00, San Diego) … Steely Dan
Don’t Talk … 10,000 Maniacs
Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) … The Beach Boys
Don’t Tell Me … Blancmange
Don’t Think I’m Not … Kandi
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right … Bryan Ferry
Don’t Try To Explain … Keb’ Mo’
Don’t Want To Be A Part Of Your World … David Byrne
Don’t Want To Know … Bryan Ferry
Don’t Worry About The Government … Talking Heads
Don’t Worry Baby … The Beach Boys
Don’t Worry Baby … Los Lobos
Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing? … Frank Zappa

←September 2005November 2005→