Materialism!

I feel like I've got too much stuff.
None of this stuff I want.
M:TG cards from middle school, tons of old Stars Wars toys,a GBA with a few games & and E-reader, and a variety of knick-knacks. I want to get simple and easy. I want to make it easier next time I move (June?). And of course, a few spare $ wouldn't hurt.
I'm really too lazy to E-Bay. Shipping things requires travelling to the post-office which is never open when I can go. I'd craigslist the stuff except everything is either worth nothing or is worth quite a bit (those dang magic cards!).

I might just Goodwill it all.

Embedded Systems Conference

Plus: Spend whole week in San Francisco, get good free lunches courtesy of my company, cool seminars, no real work done.
Minus: More than an hour in the train every morning, have to get up a 6AM to catch train, bad seminars, I'm so tired!

So the first few days of the ESC have been good. Its so laid back and even though I'm being taught like I'm in school there are no tests. I caught a good talk on Sunday about scalable software systems using model-driven architecture. It was really good but the bit that stuck out to me was the idea that we should treat writing software as engineering (think factory standard) vs. craft (think pre-industrial revolution).
Even though I'm going to be "working" Sunday through Thursday I still have to go in to work on Friday. I hate deadlines!

Posi-Punk!!!

So I learned the other day that in Japan they have no goth scene. But how is that! Well they have a scene but it goes by a different name. They are posi-punks over there. Stemming from some article in the U.K. (where goths are "goff") before goth music was really defined. After goth music escaped and became post-punk (since it never was really a punk thing) some press guy called it "positive punk". How he created that name I'll never know. When has goth music sounded positive? Anyways I think its cool. I'm not a goth but I wouldn't mind being called a posi-punk. It just sounds so much less cliche and so much friendlier.

Music blurbs

I've started reviewing music for KSCU. I need to build up my name-dropping and genrefication. Girls only like guys with skills.

Angels Of Light - Sing "Other People"
Brainchild of Michael Gira (ex-Swan). Mostly acoustic sounds with lots of vocal harmonizing and choral sounds. Country/folk vocals without the twangy-ness. Each song is an epic story waiting to unfold. This is the music Johnny Cash would have made in college.
RIYL: Brian Wilson, William Shatner, Iron & Wine
PICKS: 1, 2, 4, 8
DIRTY: 10
Young Gun Records


Brice - Cabin Capers
From Minneapolis, the songs were actually crafted in a cabin. Upbeat catchy energetic pop w/ female backing vocals. Think Weezer or They Might Be Giants only more serious and somewhat slower. This is fun pop rock.
RIYL: Apples in Stereo, Cornershop
PICKS: 2, 3, 4
DIRTY: None
Self-Published


Open Hand - You and Me
Last album this band was one of the poster-children of screamo, well, when that got old fast Open Hand decided to get with the time. Remember 90's grunge? Well this is fuzzed out rock 'n roll crossed with droning indie-esque. Maybe its a bit like progressive stoner-rock but its got layered sounds and harmonized vocals. Watch out! Some of these songs are <2 minutes.
RIYL: Hopesfall, Hum, Failure, Shiner
PICKS: 1, 8, 9
DIRTY: None!
Trustkill Records


Rat Cat Hogan - We're Bicoastal
Slow rock spinning tales with sleepy vocals AND pianos! Focus on the lyrics because the music seems minimal. A poor man's Ben Gibbard pretending they're from Seattle. Robbie Skrocki is in a few of those Seattle mega-band troupes like Revolutionary Hydra.
RIYL: Death Cab For Cutie, Go-Betweens
PICKS: 1, 5, 8
DIRTY: 6
Skrocki Records