i've been listening to radio.wazee for such a long time...since 2001 or 2002, if i remember correctly. i remember long days in the maclab and long nights in the a-level of the reg, sitting with my headphones plugged into the computers, listening to that station as i worked on papers for school. i remember it being the only thing that kept me sane as i sat at the computer entering barcode after barcode during that boring job at the law library. i remember being so angry i couldn't see straight when i tried to play it on my computer at my last job, but it was blocked. but, i could always turn it on when i got home.
always...until about two weeks ago. the stream has been down, and i have to resort to pandora. resort to youtube. resort to my own collection.
it's not the same.
i have a long list of songs and bands i'd never know if not for that station. people nowadays have the luxury of tailoring things like Pandora to their tastes, but even in the early aughts, before such custom musical streams...it was as if i had that luxury already, because the music radio.wazee played so well reflected my musical tastes.
i'm hoping against hope that the maintainer of the station, who has been MIA for an extended period of time, reappears and brings the stream back up. if he doesn't, the internet has truly lost its best radio station.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
finally finishing that thirty-days meme...
...although, for one thing, i sort of let that thirty-days meme drop by the wayside when i left for Berlin, and didn't get around to finishing it. since it's rare enough that i finish anything i start, i may as well finish this meme, trivial as it may be.
Day 26 → Something you consider to be overrated
The Latest And Greatest Apple Product, whatever it happens to be at the time. yeah, i'm still really sick of seeing references to iWhateverTheFuck on my twitter feed today, but it's the same feeling i get whenever they release a new version of the iPhone, iPod, or iAnything. it's no longer cute or special or rebellious to be into Apple stuff. sure, Apple hardware is pretty and packaged well, but it's overpriced. i'm happy with my cranky old Linux boxen, and don't feel the need to follow and buy whatever Apple puts out.
that's not to say i don't have warm, fuzzy memories of certain Apple things. they're just...older things. that Mac 512 my family got when i was three? that was a fun computer, and i still miss it. i'd love to have one again, and love to play Dungeon of Doom for the first time since i was 10 or 11 and that box kicked the bucket.
Day 27 → Something you consider to be underrated
mid-to-late 1990s alternative rock. the verve pipe. matchbox20. third eye blind. the marvelous three. fuel. i could go on and on, list bands all night, but it makes me really sad when people call the bands of this era "faceless". they've been doing that since the mid-90s, and years later, still do. it's unwarranted. their songs had stories to tell, and many of these stories were there for me to make me feel a lot less alone during those teen years when i didn't feel like there was anyone out there who knew what i was thinking or feeling.
...and really, if you don't think this song is gorgeous and haunting, i worry about you.
Day 28 → Something about yourself that most people don't know
this is a tough one, as i'm not exactly good at hiding things about myself. i'm a pretty public person by nature, and even though i can keep secrets about other people, i'm pretty terrible about keeping secrets about myself. those little things about myself, the kinds of things people would generally keep private, just end up being inextricably linked in my mind to bigger or more public-appropriate things, and they end up sneaking out in my attempts to give people the complete story about...whatever facet of myself i happen to be discussing at the time.
that being said, i'll go for something really frivolous of which i was just reminded. "better than me" by hinder just came on my pandora station. i hate hinder, and everything they stand for. but, i really, really like that song. i don't think i've admitted that to anyone, so there you go.
Day 29 → Hopes, dreams and plans
learn as much as i can about systems administration, computer networking, and infosec. find an employer who will take a chance on me as a sysadmin or net-admin. not completely FUBAR whatever aspect of the network i'm building at Shmoocon next week.
never do law again.
work these ideas for musical pieces that are bouncing around in my head into...actual musical pieces that other people can listen to. work the ideas into musical pieces that won't lead people to break the speakers on which the pieces are playing...in other words, into actual musical pieces that other people *will* listen to.
come up for good talk ideas for upcoming conventions, specifically Penguicon and HOPE. (DEFCON is still up in the air--i don't know yet if i'll be there that weekend, or at Maker Faire Detroit.)
not be The One At Pumping Station: One Who Lacks Ideas. not be The One At Pumping Station: One Who Keeps Starting Projects But Never Finishes Them. not be The One At Pumping Station: One Who Wants To Do Server Stuff But Has No Clue What She Is Doing. in other words, start to actually feel like i'm coming into my own as a hacker, instead of being so directionless, confused, and distracted.
get a clue.
Day 30 → Whatever tickles your fancy
...silly hats only.
Day 26 → Something you consider to be overrated
The Latest And Greatest Apple Product, whatever it happens to be at the time. yeah, i'm still really sick of seeing references to iWhateverTheFuck on my twitter feed today, but it's the same feeling i get whenever they release a new version of the iPhone, iPod, or iAnything. it's no longer cute or special or rebellious to be into Apple stuff. sure, Apple hardware is pretty and packaged well, but it's overpriced. i'm happy with my cranky old Linux boxen, and don't feel the need to follow and buy whatever Apple puts out.
that's not to say i don't have warm, fuzzy memories of certain Apple things. they're just...older things. that Mac 512 my family got when i was three? that was a fun computer, and i still miss it. i'd love to have one again, and love to play Dungeon of Doom for the first time since i was 10 or 11 and that box kicked the bucket.
Day 27 → Something you consider to be underrated
mid-to-late 1990s alternative rock. the verve pipe. matchbox20. third eye blind. the marvelous three. fuel. i could go on and on, list bands all night, but it makes me really sad when people call the bands of this era "faceless". they've been doing that since the mid-90s, and years later, still do. it's unwarranted. their songs had stories to tell, and many of these stories were there for me to make me feel a lot less alone during those teen years when i didn't feel like there was anyone out there who knew what i was thinking or feeling.
...and really, if you don't think this song is gorgeous and haunting, i worry about you.
Day 28 → Something about yourself that most people don't know
this is a tough one, as i'm not exactly good at hiding things about myself. i'm a pretty public person by nature, and even though i can keep secrets about other people, i'm pretty terrible about keeping secrets about myself. those little things about myself, the kinds of things people would generally keep private, just end up being inextricably linked in my mind to bigger or more public-appropriate things, and they end up sneaking out in my attempts to give people the complete story about...whatever facet of myself i happen to be discussing at the time.
that being said, i'll go for something really frivolous of which i was just reminded. "better than me" by hinder just came on my pandora station. i hate hinder, and everything they stand for. but, i really, really like that song. i don't think i've admitted that to anyone, so there you go.
Day 29 → Hopes, dreams and plans
learn as much as i can about systems administration, computer networking, and infosec. find an employer who will take a chance on me as a sysadmin or net-admin. not completely FUBAR whatever aspect of the network i'm building at Shmoocon next week.
never do law again.
work these ideas for musical pieces that are bouncing around in my head into...actual musical pieces that other people can listen to. work the ideas into musical pieces that won't lead people to break the speakers on which the pieces are playing...in other words, into actual musical pieces that other people *will* listen to.
come up for good talk ideas for upcoming conventions, specifically Penguicon and HOPE. (DEFCON is still up in the air--i don't know yet if i'll be there that weekend, or at Maker Faire Detroit.)
not be The One At Pumping Station: One Who Lacks Ideas. not be The One At Pumping Station: One Who Keeps Starting Projects But Never Finishes Them. not be The One At Pumping Station: One Who Wants To Do Server Stuff But Has No Clue What She Is Doing. in other words, start to actually feel like i'm coming into my own as a hacker, instead of being so directionless, confused, and distracted.
get a clue.
Day 30 → Whatever tickles your fancy
...silly hats only.
...
sigh.
i've been so bad about writing in this. sometimes i wonder why i even come back and claim that i'll keep using this.
it's not like my life has gotten boring...on the contrary, it has been more interesting lately than it probably ever has been. (note: if you're curious as to some of my shenanigans since i last posted here, i have a few [okay, over 100] photographs on my picasa showing some of my adventures in Berlin for the Congress and New Year's.)
it's not like i've stopped spending time on the computer...on the contrary, i still spend just as much time on these here intertubes as ever.
i haven't even disconnected from the blogosphere; i still read my LJ friendslist religiously. (and even if you're not on LJ, i've either found or made a syndicated feed from your RSS feed, so that's where i grab your blog entries.)
but, either my thoughts and observations are so short that twitter is a far better place for them, or they're so complex that i don't have the time or energy to work them up into full-blown blog entries here.
i still can't let this place go, though. it has been my rant-space, and a way of communicating, since 2003. i can't discount the idea that in the future, i'll want to return to writing more here. i can't promise when...but i can promise that this place is still in my mind.
i've been so bad about writing in this. sometimes i wonder why i even come back and claim that i'll keep using this.
it's not like my life has gotten boring...on the contrary, it has been more interesting lately than it probably ever has been. (note: if you're curious as to some of my shenanigans since i last posted here, i have a few [okay, over 100] photographs on my picasa showing some of my adventures in Berlin for the Congress and New Year's.)
it's not like i've stopped spending time on the computer...on the contrary, i still spend just as much time on these here intertubes as ever.
i haven't even disconnected from the blogosphere; i still read my LJ friendslist religiously. (and even if you're not on LJ, i've either found or made a syndicated feed from your RSS feed, so that's where i grab your blog entries.)
but, either my thoughts and observations are so short that twitter is a far better place for them, or they're so complex that i don't have the time or energy to work them up into full-blown blog entries here.
i still can't let this place go, though. it has been my rant-space, and a way of communicating, since 2003. i can't discount the idea that in the future, i'll want to return to writing more here. i can't promise when...but i can promise that this place is still in my mind.
Monday, December 21, 2009
thirty days: day 25
Day 25 → Your day, in great detail
sigh. really?
well...i passed out last night around 12:45, after lots of IRC goodness. i was hoping to get up at an early hour as a result of going to bed earlier than i had in months, but that failed miserably--i didn't wake up until 11:45 this morning. oopsies.
i spent about an hour and a half being cobwebby, half-asleep, and procrastinating. that means i spent the time sitting on my bed, talking on IRC and contemplating a shower. then, i finally took a shower, put on those much-maligned things we call pants, and heading to ps:one. i spent the afternoon at ps:one working on my trivia game proposal for notacon and having random chats with my friend nathan, who was painting the space's TARDIS while i was working on the trivia proposal.
i got the trivia proposal almost done by the time i had to leave for monday night pub trivia. i got to Chief O'Neill's, and had dinner and a white russian. (and then, a few more white russians, since the special round tonight was the big lebowski...) again, trivia went nicely. again, i really hope people didn't hold it too badly against us that we are the kinds of trivia masters that integrate trivia with relentlessly making fun of each other in front of everyone--seriously, if you've never been to our trivia night, i encourage you to come visit and relentlessly make fun of us for absolutely anything!!!
then, after trivia, i got home. home means time to chat on IRC and go to bed. goodnight. :)
sigh. really?
well...i passed out last night around 12:45, after lots of IRC goodness. i was hoping to get up at an early hour as a result of going to bed earlier than i had in months, but that failed miserably--i didn't wake up until 11:45 this morning. oopsies.
i spent about an hour and a half being cobwebby, half-asleep, and procrastinating. that means i spent the time sitting on my bed, talking on IRC and contemplating a shower. then, i finally took a shower, put on those much-maligned things we call pants, and heading to ps:one. i spent the afternoon at ps:one working on my trivia game proposal for notacon and having random chats with my friend nathan, who was painting the space's TARDIS while i was working on the trivia proposal.
i got the trivia proposal almost done by the time i had to leave for monday night pub trivia. i got to Chief O'Neill's, and had dinner and a white russian. (and then, a few more white russians, since the special round tonight was the big lebowski...) again, trivia went nicely. again, i really hope people didn't hold it too badly against us that we are the kinds of trivia masters that integrate trivia with relentlessly making fun of each other in front of everyone--seriously, if you've never been to our trivia night, i encourage you to come visit and relentlessly make fun of us for absolutely anything!!!
then, after trivia, i got home. home means time to chat on IRC and go to bed. goodnight. :)
Sunday, December 20, 2009
thirty days: day 24
Day 24 → Whatever tickles your fancy
"the company won't colour me" by colour of fire has been my crack lately. i've been listening to it over and over and over again. now, it can be your crack too. :)
"the company won't colour me" by colour of fire has been my crack lately. i've been listening to it over and over and over again. now, it can be your crack too. :)
Saturday, December 19, 2009
thirty days: day 23
Day 23 → A YouTube video
...because cats in things they're not supposed to be are, in fact, amazing.
...because cats in things they're not supposed to be are, in fact, amazing.
Friday, December 18, 2009
thirty days: days 20 and 21
i got behind again yesterday. sure, i spent a bunch of time on a computer, but most of it was on computers that are probably as old or older than most of the people who read this...namely, my Commodores.
Day 21 → A recipe
i used to love to cook, but then outgrew it. when i was a kid, it was something special...i would spend hours reading the Joy of Cooking, and pick out recipes to make on special days. now, it's something that's at best boring, and at worst that i just don't have time to deal with, since there is so much other stuff i want or need to do. however, spinach gnocchi are really nomzy, and i should really get the ingredients and make some.
Day 22 → A website
Computer Stupidities is the funniest site on the internet. i stumbled across it many years ago, and have read through its stories over and over again. it's exactly what it sounds like--vignettes of really dumb things that people have said about computers. but, what can i say? i love stupid people stories, and these are the creme-de-la-creme of stupid people stories.
Day 21 → A recipe
i used to love to cook, but then outgrew it. when i was a kid, it was something special...i would spend hours reading the Joy of Cooking, and pick out recipes to make on special days. now, it's something that's at best boring, and at worst that i just don't have time to deal with, since there is so much other stuff i want or need to do. however, spinach gnocchi are really nomzy, and i should really get the ingredients and make some.
Day 22 → A website
Computer Stupidities is the funniest site on the internet. i stumbled across it many years ago, and have read through its stories over and over again. it's exactly what it sounds like--vignettes of really dumb things that people have said about computers. but, what can i say? i love stupid people stories, and these are the creme-de-la-creme of stupid people stories.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
thirty days: days 15-20
thanks to my little jaunt to NYC for neighborcon last weekend, and the associated recovery, i've gotten way-too-many days behind on the thirty-days meme i'm doing. so...time to play a little bit of catch-up. :)
***
Day 15 → A fanfic
this is one that really doesn't fit me at all. i don't read fanfic. i don't write fanfic. i don't have anything to do with the world of fanfic. seriously, i think the closest thing to fanfic that i've ever created was a backstory that i started writing in high school [or possibly early college] about my imagined backstory for the song "hey jealousy" by the gin blossoms. i don't have it anymore, though, so you're out of luck.
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
i have quite a few songs that make me cry, but "tonight is the night i fell asleep at the wheel" by the barenaked ladies probably has the strongest effect on me at this point in my life. it's a really, really sad song about someone who either commits suicide or just so happened to crash his car when his life was at a low point...and the lyrics paint a picture that can't help but suck me into the story.
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
webcomics involve drawing, right? <3 i love toothpaste for dinner, and this comic is especially genius.
Day 18 → Whatever tickles your fancy
a silly poem:
Fenton Phlantz
by Jack Prelutzky
Fenton Phlantz is fairly weird.
He puts peanuts in his beard.
Elephants are often found
Following Fenton Phlantz around.
Day 19 → A talent of yours
singing. i've been singing since i was a little kid, and i love it. i've been in various choirs since i was nine years old, been in the occasional play or skit, and even took some voice lessons in law school. a lot of people have seen me sing karaoke...although not as many have seen me sing anything of a more classical nature. i really like karaoke, and there are some songs i've found that i can sing fairly well--but really, my voice is far more suited to more classical singing, and that's my favourite kind to do.
Day 20 → A hobby of yours
writing twitter bots. i've written quite a few so far, although the best one i've done to date is most definitely @rogue_bot. i started messing around with the twitter API a little over a year ago, when i wrote a twitter client in bash scripting language, and then moved on to playing with the python-twitter library and started to write bots. it's really fun. i can't say i've finished anything that useful yet (although i'm currently working on a CTA Bus Tracker twitter bot, which will allow people to query it and get bus tracker preditions via twitter--useful for those without a smartphone!), but they're fun to make and they allow me to practice my programming skills.
***
Day 15 → A fanfic
this is one that really doesn't fit me at all. i don't read fanfic. i don't write fanfic. i don't have anything to do with the world of fanfic. seriously, i think the closest thing to fanfic that i've ever created was a backstory that i started writing in high school [or possibly early college] about my imagined backstory for the song "hey jealousy" by the gin blossoms. i don't have it anymore, though, so you're out of luck.
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
i have quite a few songs that make me cry, but "tonight is the night i fell asleep at the wheel" by the barenaked ladies probably has the strongest effect on me at this point in my life. it's a really, really sad song about someone who either commits suicide or just so happened to crash his car when his life was at a low point...and the lyrics paint a picture that can't help but suck me into the story.
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
webcomics involve drawing, right? <3 i love toothpaste for dinner, and this comic is especially genius.
Day 18 → Whatever tickles your fancy
a silly poem:
Fenton Phlantz
by Jack Prelutzky
Fenton Phlantz is fairly weird.
He puts peanuts in his beard.
Elephants are often found
Following Fenton Phlantz around.
Day 19 → A talent of yours
singing. i've been singing since i was a little kid, and i love it. i've been in various choirs since i was nine years old, been in the occasional play or skit, and even took some voice lessons in law school. a lot of people have seen me sing karaoke...although not as many have seen me sing anything of a more classical nature. i really like karaoke, and there are some songs i've found that i can sing fairly well--but really, my voice is far more suited to more classical singing, and that's my favourite kind to do.
Day 20 → A hobby of yours
writing twitter bots. i've written quite a few so far, although the best one i've done to date is most definitely @rogue_bot. i started messing around with the twitter API a little over a year ago, when i wrote a twitter client in bash scripting language, and then moved on to playing with the python-twitter library and started to write bots. it's really fun. i can't say i've finished anything that useful yet (although i'm currently working on a CTA Bus Tracker twitter bot, which will allow people to query it and get bus tracker preditions via twitter--useful for those without a smartphone!), but they're fun to make and they allow me to practice my programming skills.
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