Quote for the Day (Recently Deceased Visionary Division)

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish." - Steve Jobs, Stanford University commencement address, June 2005.


Created on a Mac. R.I.P., Steve.

Friday Random 10 plus 4

Not Really!!!!

A random sampling of my iMac's music library, as chosen by the iTunes Party Shuffle function (minor editing to remove audio books):

Jet Set (Sigh)/Stephen Stills/Manassas

Rock And Roll Evacuation/Electric Six/Senor Smoke

Poor Girl/X/More Fun In The New World

The Call Up/Chris Whitley/War Crime Blues

17 Ghosts II/Nine Inch Nails/Ghosts I-IV

Losing Streak/Eels/Live At Town Hall

The Good Times Are Killing Me/Modest Mouse/Good News For People Who Love Bad News

The 5th Of August/Peter Himmelman/Skin

Breach Birth/Chevelle/This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)

She's Got A Way/The Smithereens/Live In Concert - Greatest Hits And More!

Set Yr Sights/The War On Drugs/Barrel of Batteries

Hieroglyphics/The Jealous Girlfriends/The Jealous Girlfriends

Sing For The Submarine/R.E.M./Accelerate

The Judgement/Elvis Costello & The Imposters/The Delivery Man

Two from Chris Whitley's "War Crime Blues"! A great album by a great artist (no longer with us). The man could play dobro like nobody's business. It sounds like he's using a slide, but he ain't. The closest to sounding like an acoustic Jimi Hendrix I've ever heard. Like this:

Boomer's photo shoot

I thought it was time for a series of pictures of one of our cockatiels, and Boomer is about the most cooperative. He flew to my iMac and perched there for a while, allowing me to get some handsome shots of him:

He really likes to watch the cursor, for some reason, although here he seems to be looking for help.

Here he establishes his ownership of the computer.

"You lookin' at me?"

"No more flashes, please! I have spots before my eyes!"

A picture says a thousand words:

(Via bifurcated rivets)

Friday Random 10 plus 5

My iMac would make a pretty good DJ. Here's a random sampling chosen by the iTunes Party Shuffle from the computer's music library:

get it on the run/Chinga Chavin/Country Porn

Vibrator/Electric Six/Senor Smoke

Ray-O-Vacs Theme/The Ray-O-Vacs/Album

Up So Close/Cake/Motorcade Of Generosity

The Shadow Government/They Might Be Giants/The Else

Hella Good/No Doubt, Shapeshifters/Mashed

Poor Boy/The DeTractors/Last Tractor Out Of Town

Old Part Of Town/James McMurtry/Childish Things

Evening On The Ground (Lilith's Song)/Iron & Wine/Woman King

Another One Bites The Dust/Queen/Pure Funk, Vol. 2

There Ain't No Heart in My Anymore/TK Major/A Year of Songs

Paranoimia/Art Of Noise/In Visible Silence

Business Time/Flight of Conchords/The Distant Future EP

Human Behaviour/Björk/Debut

Red And Purple/The Dodos/Visiter

I remember when I worked in a truck stop after high school, Chinga Chavin was a universal choice for the pill-poppin', not stoppin' trucker crowd. Crude? Well, yeah, but ain't that the point? He wrote "Asshole from El Paso", a take off/reply to Merle's "Okie from Muskogee", which Kinky Friedman had a minor hit with. WMFU has the whole thing up on line here. Ah, nostalgia . . . .

The bird on the computer . . . .

It's Boomer, of course. He likes to sit on top of the new iMac as much as he liked the old one. He'll lean over and go after the cursor, too. Quite a guy!

Friday Random 10 plus 5

A random sampling of my iMac's music library, as chosen by the iTunes Party Shuffle function (no editing allowed!):

She Sold the Silver/Ronny Elliot/My Nerves are Bad Tonight

Sawdust & Diamonds/Joanna Newsom/Ys

The Bride Stripped Bare By 'Bachelors'/The Bonzo Dog Band/Vol. 2 - The Outro

Good And Evil (Rumba,Llesa)/David Byrne/Rei Momo

Carry On/Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young/Four Way Street

There's a Monster in my House/Eric Herman and the Invisible Band/The Kid in the Mirror

Bandages & Scars/Son Volt/Okemah And The Melody Of Riot

The House Wins/Ok Go/Oh No

worms/the Ambulance/demos 2&3 produced by Daron Malakian & Cyrus pre-production sessions

Heart Shaped Box (Live Acoustic)/Evanescence/Origin

billnick.11/Magnesium Cake/Recliner By the Side of the Road Album

Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)/Incubus/S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

Right Now/Stephen Stills/Manassas

Come Back Baby (Bonus Track)/Jefferson Airplane/Surrealistic Pillow [Bonus Tracks]

Lorelei/The Pogues/Peace and Love

Okay, let's have a show of hands: who remembers the Bonzo Dog band? 

Friday Random 10 plus 5

Ten plus five utterly random and sometimes embarrassing songs chosen by my Mac's Party Shuffle function from the music library. (Listing includes song/artist/album):

Revolution/The Beatles/Love
Morning Calls /Dashboard Confessional/A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar
Apple Tree/Wolfmother/Wolfmother
I'll Start With Me/Alice Peacock/Alice Peacock EP
Tyrant/OneRepublic/Dreaming Out Loud
Back In The U.S.S.R./The Beatles/Love
Slippin` And Slidin/Johnny Winter/Second Winter
She's Pulling Out the Pin/Elvis Costello & The Imposters/The Delivery Man
The Blue Note/They Might Be Giants/Live Downloads
Kool & The Gang - Get Down On It/Various - Jazz, Blues, Funk /Pure Funk, Vol. 2
The Call Up/Ian Dury/Reasons To Be Cheerful (With the Blockheads)
Strange Goodbye/Frank Black/Honeycomb
The Race Is On Again/Yo La Tengo/I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
Down All The Days/The Pogues /Peace and Love
What Are They Doing in Heaven Today/The Be Good Tanyas/Hello Love
The War Of All Against All/The Receiving End Of Sirens/Between The Heart And The Synapse

Actually, this list has nothing I can see to be ashamed of: two Beatle's songs (from the wonderful Love collection), They Might Be Giants, Kool and the Gang, Yo La Tengo---hey, I'm turnin' this batch on!!!

Friday Random 10 plus 5

It's been a while, so here's a random sampling of tunes from my new iMac's music library, chosen by the Party Shuffle function in iTunes (listed by song/artist/album):

Driven Under/Seether/Disclaimer II
Jack The Ripper/Link Wray & His Ray Men/The Swan Singles Collection
No Sign Of Life/Ok Go/Oh No
Who Do You Love?/Ted Leo & the Pharmacists/Living With The Living
Oxycontin Blues/Steve Earle/Washington Square Serenade
Play Tough/Apples In Stereo/New Magnetic Wonder
Me, I'm Not/Nine Inch Nails/Year Zero
Friends of Mine/The Shatners/Sad Encounter with Shirtless Boy on Short Bus Ride
Lets Not Talk About Love/Heather Nova/Storm
Bonus/Ministry/Rio Grande Blood
Spinning World/Foxglove/http://music.download.com
The Fall (Live In London)/Ministry/Rantology
Love Gets Strange/Don Dixon/E E E *
Glass Concrete and Stone/David Byrne
Enjoy Yourself/Todd Snider/East Nashville Skyline
Drive featuring Michael Stipe/Dashboard Confessional/MTV2 Album Covers: Dashboard Confessional & R.E.M.

(*By the way, "E E E" is one of those unknown albums by one of those under appreciated artists that you really should seek out and snap up. Don Dixon is an amazingly talented song writer, producer (including the first two R.E.M. albums), and musician who has labored under the radar for far too many years. "E E E" was released in 1989, but it is a mix of pop, rock, and R&B that sounds as fresh today as it did then. Maybe fresher, given the current crop of pablum we are inundated with. It is still available, so your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to find it, buy it, and listen to it repeatedly. And keep an eye out for Don's latest album, "The Entire Combustible World in One Small Room", or for that matter any of his releases. You won't go wrong---trust me!

Friday Random 10 plus 5

Here's a selection of songs chosen by my NEW iMac, picked by the Party Shuffle function in iTunes (listed by song, artist, and album):

Tongues of Fire/Foxglove/http://music.download.com
Muskrat Sally/Mustard/Eureka Grande
Tell It to Me /Tom Waits/Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
Never Gonna Change/Drive-By Truckers/The Dirty South
Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?/Frank Zappa/12/2/72 --Cowtown Ballroom, Kansas City, MO
Love, Reign O`er Me/The Who/Quadrophenia
Bethlehem/Westminster Glee Singers
Women Without Whiskey/Drive-By Truckers /Southern Rock Opera
Invisible Man/Wall Of Voodoo/The Index Masters
Ocean Of Noise/Arcade Fire/Neon Bible
I Want To Hold Your Hand/The Beatles/1962-1966
My Tulpa/Magazine/Real Life
Breach Birth/Chevelle/This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)
Getting Into The Jam/Electric Six/Fire
Planet Of Weed/Fountains Of Wayne/Traffic And Weather
Ordinary People/Neil Young/Chrome Dreams II

Long time no see!

Well, that has to be about the longest time I've been postless here at the birdhaus blog. As I said previously, my job position at the nonprofit where I work was abolished, so I am now looking for new employment. I'm not sure where I will land, but I do feel some relief, along with the requisite anxiety. It's odd. I feel compelled to really assess my direction here, and not just jump at the first possibility for employment that looms in my path. It seems important to me to look for the true path I NEED to be on, and not just grasp at straws. I am striving to see the opportunity in what at first feels very adverse.

And I did get a new computer. (What do you do when you lose your source of income? Buy something!) I purchased one of the new series of iMacs, and it is such a quantum leap forward for me from my five year old G4 iMac. The Intel processors definitely make a huge difference speed wise, though I haven't gotten any of the memory eaters like PhotoShop or Final Cut to really test its mettle yet. I am hoping this is a part of my new start in finding a way to make money with my talents, instead of just selling my time to some business entity which doesn't really give a rat's ass about me.

We'll see. For now, I'm looking to the future with hope, uncertainty, and faith. An odd combination, but one which is just a part of being in the midst of change. So it goes . . . .

Quarantined

I haven't posted for a few days, I know. First we went up north to visit my wife's daughter and her daughter, and then when I got back I had contacted some sort of flu bug. Yuck! I don't get sick very often, so this is not something I handle very well. Rest and recuperate? What's that? I'm doing it though, trying to let myself be sick and allow myself to be taken care of. Indulging my slothful streak, I guess.

I am also on the verge of buying a new computer. My old iMac, which I bought over five years ago, is starting to show it's age. The super drive gave out a year or so ago, and any functions that require a lot of memory just . . . . plod . . . . along. I was thinking of getting aMacBook Pro for the portability, but when I compared that to the NEW 20 inch iMac, which is more powerful at $1000.00 less, I think that's what I'm going to go for.

Making a decision like this to spend a lot of money is always difficult for me. I know that I need a new computer for the work I want to do, and I even think I can justify it as something that will produce income for me eventually. But the lizard brain whines about the cost and my uncertain future. "How can you spend this money at this time?" it natters and spits, leaving me sort of wavering between making the commitment and backing off.

Ah, the fear of financial insecurity. I thought it had left me. Apparently, not so much.

Friday Random 10 + 6

Here we go again, with a random sampling of my computer's music files chosen by the Party Shuffle function in iTunes:

Moon Is High/ The Lowdowns
Come On In My Kitchen/Crooked Still
You'll Remember/Patty Griffin
On Love In Sadness/Jason Mraz
You_Know_What_You_Are/Nine Inch Nails
In The Flesh/Pink Floyd
Spered Hollvedell/Alan Stivell
Strapped For Cash/Fountains Of Wayne
Piece of Cake/Michel Camilo
Barefoot Sessions No. 001/Gail Bixler and Gerry Manacsa
Tojo Told Hitler/R. L. Burnside
It's Over/Tom Waits
Tragedy /Brandi Carlile
I've Been Waitin' For Tomorrow (all of My Life)/The The
Filthy Bird /Robyn Hitchcock
Down In Hollywood/Ry Cooder

Seems the old iMac chose some more obscure stuff today. Blues man R. L. Burnside turns up with amazing regularity (and can drive my wife out of the room), and Crooked Still are a bluegrass/classical/whatever hybrid that are seriously worth a listen. And if you aren't familiar with The The or Robyn Hitchcock, why the fuck not?

And what are YOU listening to?

Friday Random 10 + 6

Even with the music festival I work for going on, I still listen to other music. Ladies and gentlemen, a random sampling of the music library on my iMac:

Squeaky Fingers/Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Going Down The Road Feeling Bad/Etta Baker and Cora Phillips
Help Me Somebody/Brian Eno and David Byrne
Scene 2 - "I was just looking at her jeans."/Pigeon John
Megan & Kevin/Anne Heaton
Time Will Tell/Cecil Gant
Monkey & Bear /Joanna Newsom
Follow Me/Breaking Benjamin
La Costa Brava/Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
Set It Off (Live) /Audioslave
I`m In Love With You/Steve Forbert
American Girl/Roger McGuinn
Sympathetic/Seether
Shadow On The Sun/Audioslave
How She Does It /Allison Moorer
Brazen/Heartless Bastards

Apparently, my computer really loves Ted Leo and Audioslave. Not that I'm complainin' mind ya.

And what are YOU listening to?

Friday Random 10 + 6

So here's sixteen songs chosen randomly by my iMac's extremely objective Party Mix function from the current music library on my 'puter.

Flushed From The Bathroom Of Your Heart/Johnny Cash/At Folsom Prison
Pyroman/Mark Knopfler/Hamburg 2001 (Disc 2)
Sit Down - Stand Up (Snakes & Ladders)/Radiohead/Hail To The Thief
Gotta Keep Rollin'/Hoyt Axton/Gotta Keep Rollin': The Jeremiah Years 1979-81
Ebony wall/Testimony/Black harmony
I Believe/R. L. Burnside/Mississippi Hill Country Blues
Pango Pango/Atomic Fireballs/Torch This Place
La question/Nietzsche/HPS MP3 Compilation Vol. 1
Only Love Can Break Your Heart/Neil Young/After The Gold Rush
Brick House/Commodores/Pure Funk
The Good Times Are Killing Me/Modest Mouse/Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Suzanne/Pearls Before Swine/Balaklava
Goddamn Lonely Love/Drive-By Truckers/The Dirty South
Ticks & Leeches/Tool/Lateralus
Stigmata (Update Mix)/Ministry/Rantology
One On The House/Allison Moorer/Iota, 10-21-03

Yes, life and music are good. What are YOU listening to?

(By the way, "Flushed from the Bathroom of your Heart" is a very funny song, and one of Johnny's which doesn't come up on the Millenium Collection. Have you heard him do "Hurt" on his last album? Makes Trent sound positively cheery!)

Friday Random 10 + 5

Here's a bunch of songs randomly grabbed by Bill W., my computer, in the Party Shuffle function of iTunes:

Rescue Blues/Ryan Adams/2001-02-18 Foley's Cellar San Francisco, CA
Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)/Tool/10,000 Days
Jesus, Etc./Wilco/2004-05-20 AUD Otto's - DeKalb, IL Disc 1
Tosawihi/Conrad Praetzel/Myths and Memories
The Clincher/Chevelle/This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)
Violent Pornography/System Of A Down/Mezmerize
Another Know It All/Chevelle/This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)
Lubricated Strings/Ken Krauss/Prudently Adventurous
Status Back Baby/Frank Zappa/Easy Rider Generation
Young Ned Of The Hill/The Pogues/Peace and Love
19th Nervous Breakdown/Rolling Stones/Big Hits - High Tide And Green Grass
Good Lover/Jimmy Reed
Guru/Loudon Wainwright/Unrequited
fancy_pants/Roadsaw
Getting Smaller/Nine Inch Nails/With Teeth
Everybody's Talkin'/Harry Nilsson/Misc Oldies

Whoa! Bill got all hard core with me! Tool, two Chevelles, System of a Down, NIN---guess it threw in Harry Nilsson to cool things down at the end.

And what are YOU listening to?

Truth in Advertising

Via Bifurcated Rivets)