January 2009 Archives
[Moozik: The Chameleons - Up And Down The Escalator]
It's about to become obvious that I live in a cave as this has probably been linked to just about everywhere. But just in case you're one of the other people on the planet who haven't seen this yet. Go look. David Bergman made a 1,474 megapixel photo of President Obama's inauguration.
I made a panoramic image showing the nearly two million people who watched President Obama's inaugural address. To do so, I clamped a Gigapan Imager to the railing on the north media platform about six feet from my photo position. The Gigapan is a robotic camera mount that allows me to take multiple images and stitch them together, creating a massive image file.
My final photo is made up of 220 Canon G10 images and the file is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels. It took more than six and a half hours for the Gigapan software to put together all of the images on my Macbook Pro and the completed TIF file is almost 2 gigabytes.
Simply amazing.
[Moozik: Arcana Obscura - Train]
Taking photos of strangers on the street is a tricky thing. I tend to avoid it when possible because you never know if they'll want to punch you in the face, or be quite happy about being snapped. Of course the polite thing to do is ask. But you can't always do that because of the "moment" and they could be far away. Yesterday, this bloke was not happy at all and I took the fact that he spat at me as I drove past as a sign. I just thought he looked cool in those shades.
I've commuted into the center of Phoenix for years and have tried every possible combination of routes to get there and back in the quickest amount of time. Yesterday in my infinite wisdom I decided to try the freeway again. Big mistake. Still, the music was loud and the lady next to me seemed to be amused by me using my steering wheel as an elaborate drum set.
One of the biggest electronic stores, Circuit City is in the process of going out of business and closing all their stores. I was curious what was left of the one near my house so while out and about last night, went to have a peek. They're down to just selling the fixtures in the place. I arrived too late to actually go in to see if there's anything worth having.
[Moozik: Black Light Burns - Lie]
Don't you find that you get awfully spoiled when watching entire seasons of your favorite TV programmes on DVD? There's something really quite addictive about watching so many episodes one after the other isn't there?
Of course the downside to all that TV cramming is that once you stop watching from DVD and actually start watching on the regular TV schedule, waiting a week between episodes is agony. Agony I tell you. I'm looking at *you* Lost and *you* Battlestar Galactica.
I think the better idea might just be to skip watching them on their regular schedule and just wait for the DVDs.
[Moozik: Combichrist - All Pain Is Gone]
Last night's Combichrist gig at the Marquee Theatre was amazing. It's been a rather long week and the combination of a frosty beverage and extremely loud harsh electronics hit the spot nicely ;-)
Black Light Burns opened and were really quite good. Their cover version of the Sisters of Mercy's 'Lucretia My Reflection' was most excellent and the crowd loved it. It was cool to see them hanging out at the bar after their set talking to fans.
[Moozik: Combichrist - Enjoy The Abuse]
Yesterday's inauguration of Barack Obama was the first time I've ever watched from start to finish. In years past I didn't really take an interest in American politics so always caught nothing more than a fleeting glimpse at the tail end of the news.
This year was different though. Firstly I felt compelled to watch for the historic significance. And It was extremely significant from a civil rights perspective. And secondly, even though I don't blog about it much anymore, I do take a far greater interest in American politics than I ever used to. I think this is partly due to me feeling more and more like America is my home now so I need to pay attention to the goings on in government. Maybe it's that whole getting older thing? Who knows?
So much has already been said about his speech, but for me, I was left with a sense that the country is finally going in the right direction. We'll be less insular, pay attention to the planet, and look to science instead of religion. Well at least that's my hope. The new Obama administration has promised much and it will be interesting to see if they can deliver on even half of their stated goals.
Sure change won't happen overnight, and I think we need to be a little patient. But I'm hoping that good things are ahead for this country. Time will tell and at the end of the day it's going to be up to us to measure their performance and ultimately hold them accountable. In 2012 it will certainly be interesting to see what became of his first term in office won't it?
[Moozik: Recoil - Strange Hours]
Back in the day, the only parking spaces you'd typically see reserved were those for disabled drivers.
Not anymore of course.
The Police now have their own. Which I think is a bit extreme, I mean what if they're not even touring in America?
Some stores have now started reserving spaces for those with children. Which I don't think is fair at all. Walk across the car park like the rest of us. That's just lazy.
And something I noticed today that I'd never seen before, Hybrid cars getting special treatment. Bummer for the Hummer.
Oh, and while I'm thinking about the lazy. When you only have to walk 10 feet to your left to take your cart (trolly) back...
...don't bloody abandon it.
[Moozik: Fujiya & Miyagi - Knickerbocker]
Mark your calendars kids; Depeche Mode release their new album on April 21st. That means that this year will be the year they reclaim their my fave band ever title back from The Cure.
January 15, 2009- Groundbreaking, chart-topping electro legends Depeche Mode are proud to announce the release of their long-anticipated new studio album, Sounds Of The Universe on April 21, 2009 (Mute Records).
Eclectic and energized, the band's new release is their most dazzling and diverse album in decades. Recorded in Santa Barbara and New York, Depeche Mode returned to using a lot of vintage gear, from analogue synthesizers to drum machines, in order to conjure up the retro-futuristic arrangements featured on the album. Lyrically the release contains many of the group's enduring obsessions plus more overt black humor than any of their previous collections.
I'm patiently waiting for them to announce tour dates and hoping they don't decide to take the Nine Inch Nails approach and skip Phoenix.
Thanks Cindy.
[Moozik: The Clash - (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais]
When I'm 90 years old, drinking my pint of Guinness, boring young whippersnappers to death with stories of the days when it took a good half an hour to get to New Zealand from the US, I'd love to be able to say I'd seen some of this planet the old fashioned way.
(Actually just recently on Christmas Day I felt about 90 years old having to explain to teenagers how, as kids, we happily waited a good 20 mins for a video game to load from cassette tape back in the day. I honestly thought they were going to say "er, ok Granddad".)
Anyway, where was I going with this? Oh yes, right, looking back on your life ensuring you've sufficiently seen the planet. Well, if that's your thing. A friend of mine said that his goal in life is to ensure he doesn't die with a big boil on his bum.
A noble goal I feel. But for me, I'm rather partial to travel. I'm sure as I get older this list will change but for now, these are the places I would love to visit before I get too old to appreciate it.
• Australia. Great Barrier Reef. The Outback.
• Japan. Tokyo.
• China. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Great Wall of China.
• Egypt. Pyramids, Sphinx, Nile.
• Arctic Region. Icebergs, Polar Bears in their natural habitat.
• Amazon. Rain forest, river, jungle.
• Kenya. Animals in their natural habitat.
So a bucket list of where I suppose. One day I'll have to think of a different bucket list consisting of what. That might be fun actually.
Where are the places you'd love to visit before you depart this mortal coil?
[Moozik: Lola Angst - Mr TriseX]
Tilt shift maker is a handy way of creating fake miniature photos that look like you were in a model village or something.
Kind of cool but to be honest, I got bored rather quickly ;-) Anyway here's two of my photos that I used that I thought were ok-ish.
Fake Miniature Dublin
Fake Miniature Paris
[Moozik: Nachtmahr - Endzeitstimmung]
I don't like Bluetooth headsets. Well, I take that back, I don't like people that walk around all day with one in their ear. Why do they do that? Is it laziness? Can they not be bothered to answer the phone like everyone else? Is it importance? Maybe they're the city manager and get 20 calls an hour all day long? Or is it a case of self-importance? If I wear one of these borg devices in my ear, everyone will think I'm important and dammit I'll look cool too.
Except you're not. And you don't. You're just a regular person like me, and you're reading the back of cans of soup in the grocery store just like I am. And don't think for one second that I was fooled into thinking you were talking to me because I actually answered you. You bastard.
So do I have a headset of my own? Of course I do. And it's a bloody lifesaver. Now, mine is only used when I'm working from home and I'm on a call that requires me to be in front of a keyboard. Because there's nothing quite like that hour conference call with your head stuck to your shoulder desperately trying to stop the Blackberry from falling while you type.
Obviously I could have just used speakerphone but I always think that I sound like a bit of a wanker. Now I'll just look like one. But you'll never see me as I won't leave the house with it.
[Moozik: M83 - Couleurs]
When watching scenes of abandoned cities in the movies, I've always wondered if it was cool special effects or whether the film studios paid the city handsomely for closing off a few streets for a little bit. I should wonder no more. All you have to do is get up reasonably early on Christmas Day and you have an abandoned London. What a cool idea. I think this one is my fave.
Oh and speaking of special effects, this list of the top 50 movie special effects is really worth a look. I do think it's worth noting how much more effort they had to put in back in the early days. The approaching the death star trench scene from 1977 is still amazing even today.
[Moozik: Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch (Live 2008)]
A little over 20 years ago I was watching Top of the Pops and happened to see a video from a band I'd never heard of before. The song was This Corrosion by The Sisters of Mercy.
I was only 14 at the time and had never heard anything like it before. It was dark & gloomy, yet oddly atmospheric and catchy at the same time. I was totally blown away and I bought it on 7" single that weekend. I had to hear more so I saved all my pennies and bought Floodland on cassette. I remember taking my Sony Walkman on a school trip to Belgium and played Floodland to death.
It was only later that I learned of the history of the Sisters, Wayne leaving to form The Mission, and the sheer and utter brilliance of First and Last and Always. But Floodland is where it all started for me; where my love of the Sisters started; and where I started getting into music from the oft-derided genre known as (ssshhh) goth.
The album itself has aged really well. I still love it as much today as I did then and often find myself playing it. The pounding bass of Lucretia My Reflection, the synth of Flood II, and the haunting vocals of Driven Like The Snow all work tremendously well. Highly recommended. 10/10.
Track Listing:
Dominion/Mother Russia
Flood I
Lucretia My Reflection
1959
This Corrosion
Flood II
Driven Like The Snow
Never Land (a fragment)
Torch
Colours
[Moozik: Jakalope - Go Away]
I was introduced to wine 13 years ago when I lived in a region of Northern Italy well known for producing a rather excellent Pinot Grigio. I've been a fan ever since. But that's all. I mean I really don't know much about wine at all. I can tell you the types of wine I like and I know that after a few glasses, everything is right with the world. But ask me about the different types of grape or how a bunch of them become a fantastic vintage and I'm clueless.
I hope to change all that this year and actually learn about the delicious liquid I'm sipping merrily. As a good start then, I happened to get an excellent book about wine for Christmas. I've been reading away like mad and I must say I've learned a lot already. One day I'd love for us to go wine tasting in the Northern California Wine Country. For now, I'll raise my glass and look forward to learning as much as I can about grapes, soil, and barrels.
[Moozik: Nine Inch Nails - Non-Entity (Live 2006)]
So, a rather belated Happy New Year then. So far 2009 has brought me a case of the suck. Usually I get over colds/flu pretty quickly. Not so this time and I've been totally wiped out. Friday night I went to sleep at 6:00pm and woke up at 8:45am Saturday morning. Last night I was in bed by 7:30pm and woke up around 9:00am ish this morning. I don't remember the last time I slept this much or had so little energy.
Still, I've managed to feed my Battlestar Galactica addiction, watch Batman movies, and get caught up on all the old episodes of The Young Ones. Which have surprisingly stood the test of time rather well.
"Dr Martens, Dr Martens, Dr Martens Boots"
Them: It's Harry the bastard.
Harry: And you owe me 500 quid.
Them: Well, what a complete bastard.