Andy's Blog

How you know that Kevin is home

That blue cable is how you know that Kevin is in residence. It brings Internet to his Thinkpad, because he is unable to get the WiFi to work.

-Andy.

The Postal Service - "Give up"

In the past two weeks, The Postal Service has really been dominating my listening habits. I have gone through three distinct phases in regards to this album. But in order to describe these phases, I will also need to describe some quirks in my personality regarding how I listen to music.

The initial phase, occurred when I was first introduced to "Give Up". Michael gave me a copy in mp3 format, saying that "This is what all of the hip kids are listening to". As is my habit, music that enters the iTunes on my PowerBook tends to stay there indefinitely. Whenever I listen to my iTunes on my PowerBook, I will check out the new music that found its way onto there. If it I like what I hear, I will buy the CD. If I don't like it, then I will not by the CD, and remove the music from my computer.

It is at this point that the album will have "graduated" to a point where I can listen to it in the places where I do most of my listening: on my home stereo, in the car, and it my iTunes that at work. I feel that it is important to note that my iTunes libraries at home and at work are separate, on purpose. Only the music that I have purchased finds its way into my iTunes at work. This is how I keep discipline over myself, in regards to enforcing that I legally obtain music.

That tangent side, it took about three listens of "Give Up" for me to actively seek out and purchase the CD, bringing me to phase two of my admiration of this album. Phase two was pretty much like how I romanced any regular album - I listened to it heavily (not quite every day). "Bad" albums, or "flings", will fall out of this rotation in a week or two. "Good" albums will hold on for at least a month. "Great" albums will hold on for one to three months. "Seminal" albums will always exist in my regular rotation at some level.

Examples of some seminal albums:

• Tool - Undertow
• Tool - AEnima
• Tool - Lateralus
• 16 Horsepower - Sackcloth 'n Ashes
• Radiohead - O.K. Computer
• Massive Attack - Mezzanine
• Faith No More - King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime
• Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out
• Sleeping At Last - Ghosts

For example, I listened to "Lateralus" on a daily basis for over an entire year. And I still listen to that album between two and three times per month. That is what I consider to be the quintessential "seminal" album.

Anyway, during phase 2, "Give Up" appeared as if it was on its way to only "great" status. I listened to it a bunch, including trying to infect Kevin with it. I definitely saw the value of this album, but my listening eventually tapered off sometime in early January. It could have been due to all of the new music that I received via Christmas, but I'm not sure.

But all of a sudden, "Give Up " experienced a resurgence, bringing about phase three. For the past two weeks, I have found myself listening to this album almost daily. I think it is due to a combination of this album being great, and the mood that I have then in lately. But for whatever the reason, I am totally in love with this album right now! It is too early to tell yet if this disc is going to achieve "seminal" status, but I feel that there might be a good chance...

If you haven't heard it yet, you truly owe it to yourself to go and give it a listen.

-Andy

Astonishing X-Men #7

Back in the day, but I was a huge X-Men fan. There was a period of about four years or so, where following the exploits of the X-Men on a monthly basis was a fresh and exciting experience every time. Great artists, great stories - the whole thing. At some point, however, the stories just started becoming more and more derivative. I was buying out of habit, not because I was getting that "wow factor" from what I was reading. So, I stopped collecting comics. I figured it was just part of the natural progression of growing up.

And then for a long time, nothing happened.

And then, I found out that Joss Whedon was going to be writing a new X-book, Astonishing X-Men. Sense I am a total Joss whore, I just had to start reading this book. And it has definitely been worth it. So far, I think that I have liked issue #7 the best. Joss has been doing a great job handling the X-Men. Not to wordy, good action, and a fantastic dash of comedy. The man certainly knows how to infuse emotion into his characters, which is what really draws me and as a reader. So, I have been all about Joss' writing from the start. John Cassaday's art, on the other hand, has taken me a bit longer to appreciate. However, issue No. 7 really impressed me. Page five, where he drew the giant stereotypical monster of the day? Great. How he drew Kitty rescuing bystanders caught in the crossfire on page seven? Awesome. Wolverine on page eight? Amazing. Cassaday's art and Joss' jokes are really beginning to flow together seamlessly. It seems like these days, writers are struggling with the iconic comic book characters. So many stories have been told, that things have gone repetitive and stale. So there has been a lot of constructing, redefining, and breaking down going on. What I like best about astonishing X-Men is that Joss isn't doing any of this crap. He is simply telling fun and exciting Super Hero stories. No more, no less. And I am totally hooked.

-Andy.

D'oh

So far, March has been kind of crappy. Back when I was in graduate school (early 2001), I took a class that was very demanding with the coding, and combined with some poor ergonomics with my PC, I started feeling some pain in my hands and wrists. At the time, I freaked out about it, and went to the University doctor.

At the time, the University doctor gave me a quick diagnosis, told me to take breaks and do stretches, and sent me on my way. A week or two later, I went back to see a different doctor, to get a second opinion. I received this same basic treatment and diagnosis, so I stopped going to the University doctor about this issue.

Up until last week, I managed my hand and wrist problems through improved ergonomics, taking breaks, exercise, and largely ignoring it. But a week ago, the pain that I was experiencing changed, and became something that it really wasn't wise for me to ignore any longer. So, appropriately freaked out, I was motivated to go to the doctor, which appears to have kicked off a journey to figure out what is up with my hands, and how I'm going to manage my interactions with the computer going forward.

This is taking quite a toll on me personally. Computing has pretty much always been my career focus. And outside of my career, I derive a lot of personal enjoyment from tinkering with computers. So my response to typing pain has not been altogether rational. It seems like I can deal with most of my body is changing hardships fine, but when something changes regarding my ability to type. I'd just go into the sky is falling mode. So, going forward, I have to convince myself that I have a future, and then I have to do the leg work with my doctors, etc.. In order to figure out how I'll be able to continue to lead the happy and productive life style to which I have grown accustomed.

Tilden Park

Mike and I went on a hike yesterday in Tilden Park, up near Berkeley:

When I took this picture, I thought that it was Tilden lake, but afterwards, Mike and I looked at the map, and now we suspect that this isn't the lake.

-Andy.

precious

An art photo of Mike and his Linux server, as mounted in his apartment up in Berkeley:

Milestone

I took this photo on the way to work last Monday:

My car turns 8 in May. As you can tell, I don't drive it all that much, although, I have been putting the miles on since I have been in California...