National Talk Like A Pirate Day

No, it's not today...it's Friday though! Talk Like A Pirate Day is celebrated every year on September 19th. This is a the Christmas equivalent in the religion of the Flying Spaghetti Monster also known as Pastafarianism. This day is celebrated by talking like a pirate all day. It is believed that on this same day, since pirates already talk like pirates, they choose not to talk in this manner. This is simply a myth. If one is caught not talking like a pirate on Talk Like A Pirate Day, they will find their booty pillaged. Anyways...here are some great resources so you can make your Talk Like A Pirate Day the best Talk Like A Pirate Day EVER!!!!!! ARRRGGGHHH!!!!!

TalkLikeAPirate.com
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Pirate Costumes

YAY to mclusky and being alive!!!

This post is to try to get people actually reading my blog. *sighs* And I promise to keep it up this time. I suppose I should let the internet world know what I've been up to.

Well, to start off with, my girlfriend and I broke up. I took the spring semester off of school and got a job. Moved back in with my parents. And that pretty much covers it. As for my recent developments. My car is out of commission, I'm going to Gulf Shores this weekend, I discovered a new band by the name of Mclusky(I will talk more about them in this entry), and um...well, I think that's about it for now. So shall we get started?

Mclusky

Mclusky is a indie/psych/underground band that unfortunatly broke up in 2005. Their sound is like...well, I supposed I could best describe it as what your brain sounds like after dropping some acid, poppin' ecstacy, smokin' pot, and then mixing a Full Throttle energy drink with Drank(an anti-energy drink).

They released 3 albums as follows:
My Pain and Sadness is More Sad and Painful Than Yours
Mclusky Do Dallas
The Difference Between Me and You is that I'm Not on Fire(being my favorite)

If you like weird indie shit then check them out. And Def. listen to the song: She Will Bring You Happiness off their third album.

You can read more about them beyond these fancy hyperlinks below:
Myspace
Wiki
LastFM

I have returned with bountiful riches....of programs!!!

Ok, so I haven't been quite honest or reliable to those people who read this and don't actually exist. But I have returned and will post a blog...which I'm doing right now.



Alright. I now work at a software company so I feel the need to address issues and concerns...concerning the computer world. So here are some fascinating programs I've discovered recently.



1. KMPlayer


KMPlayer is a free media player that has more controls and fetures than Windows Media Player has compatible file extensions. In fact, the only program I've found that can play more file types than KMPlayer is VLC player. But as far as overall features and asthetics go...KMPlayer wins the gold. Just right click on the program's window and be amazed by all you can do with it.

WARNING: If you are technologically challenged....DO NOT USE!!!!!!



2. Mixxx


I was recently hired to DJ for a high school dance. Well, I may be a lover of music but I have never, nor did I have any idea how to DJ. Luckily the school provided the equipment...I just needed to provide the medium for which to present the melodic sounds of high school love or some nonsense. Obviously I decided on digital files via my PC, but I felt using KMPlayer on shuffle would be a little....dry. That's when I discovered Mixxx. It's a free DJ mixing software that allows you to import your media library and then MIXXX!!!!!! Equipped with 2 channels, individual tempo controls, individual and master volume, crossfader, seperate headphone controls, mic input, vinyl record player input(for that funky scratchin' those hip guys do), and able to play virtually every music file. This program did me well and put some extra income in my pocket...and the same DJ gig for next year....YEAH!!!!!



3. CrossLoop


Ever had a friend who needed help because they didn't understand how to set tabs in Word or something to that affect? Me neither, but now that I'm a tech support supervisor, I have complete strangers that have similar issues. Usually the issues consist of, "I have an error message." "Ok sir, what does it say?" "Error" "What error number sir" "I don't know, I closed it and it didn't make sense." That's when I would normally be banging my head on my keyboard. But luckily I discovered CrossLoop. CrossLoop is a remote desktop program that's....you guessed it....FREE!!!! And very much more reliable than that damn Microsoft thing. Anyways. Simple and quick download on both machines(no registration), give the controller the numbers...and SHAAZAAAAAMMMM!!!12@ Complete and total control. Then you can tell the customer to go eat a donut while you fix things. Awesome huh?



I am doing all this from work. Once I get home I'll present links and screenshots.

Update

I know that no one reads this, but I'm going to post this despite that little fact. In a few days I will post the three movie reviews I wrote for my college newspaper this semester, and I hope to be soon writing some movie reviews on my own time. In fact, right now I am working on a review of Sean Penn's new film, Milk. That review will be posted within one day of my newspaper articles. So, if someone out there really does read this...I'M STILL ALIVE....kinda.

Playing for Change: Peace Through Music

Hello internet world, I've been on a bit of a hiatus, but I have returned to bring you something I discovered just about 2 hours ago.

I woke up around 4:45 am this morning and looked at the TV where Bill Moyers Journal was playing, and recognized instantly Grandpa Elliot. Grandpa Elliot is a local street musician in downtown New Orleans(where I'm from and currently reside) and he is the sweetest old man. Definitely one of the most fascinating and most interesting people I know. I've seen him perform on the corner or Toulouse and Royal several times as well as in front of the court house in the Quarter. Oh, and when I worked at RadioShack I had helped many times put minutes on his phone. But anyways, I saw this on TV and thought, "Wow, Grandpa's on TV....but why?" I then noticed that the scenes of the show were transiting between different street performers from around the world, including two others from New Orleans(Washboard Chaz and Roberto Luti). They were performing, in sync, the song Stand By Me. It was beautiful. Well, after the song/video finished, Bill Moyers came on and started talking about what we just saw. It was an exert from a documentary, Playing for Change: Peace Through Music, by Mark Johnson and Jonathan Walls. I was fascinated by it, at first by the simple fact that Grandpa Elliot was in it, but then by the idea about it. The interview Bill Moyers had with Mark Johnson revealed the intent behind the film, and it was simply...to bring together the world through music. I further researched and discovered the Playing for Change Foundation (PFCF) and what they were doing. In addition to making this documentary, they have and are still building music schools around the world. The fist I believe was in South Africa, which they built right smack-dab in the middle of a lower-class community where one of the performers in the film live. I believe in what this foundation is doing, and for the first time in a long time...if not ever, I see a cause that I am truly motivated to stand behind. I hope everyone checks out the website and blog, and the video from Bill Moyers Journal, and support what the PFCF are doing.



Websites: Playing for Change(flash)
Playing for Change

Bill Moyers video: Here

It's called a Sphygmomenometer!

I'm not a big fan of rap. Not even a little bit. Well, I take that back. I recently discovered 3 rappers that made me look twice. Now, they're not exactly in the same league with Snoop Dog, or Lil' Wayne...but they are BITCHIN'!!!!!

First, let's take a look at MC Mr. Napkins. What? Mr. Napkins? Yeah well, I personally think he's badass. I mean, come on, he's rapping about medical equipment!




For more, check out his Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/mrnapkins

Second, we look out the rapper of funny titles, and very nerdy themes. With a name like Dragon Boy Suede, you have to be a little nerdy.



Yeah, ya heard? Better quit that video game playing and get laid: http://www.myspace.com/dragonboysuede

Ok, and last but not least is a rapper who, unlike the previous two comedians, is actually a musician. Very talented German raised, half French/half African-American Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts(or Reggie Watts for short) brings mixing and sampling to a whole new level. This man gets 2 videos.





And you can find out more at: http://reggiewatts.com

That LHC is a little bitch

Back again. See, I'm not a one hit wonder....BOOM!

Ok, so I was checking out Chris Hardwick's(from WIRED magazine and the band Hard'n'Phrim) blog, the Nerdist(which can be find among my links over there > on the side), and found a little comment on the Large Hadron Collider. And here it is:

""LHC Acting Like A Little Bitch

Is a hadron a lazy bitch who won't do its work? If so, then the LHC is a large one of those. Black Hole enthusiasts will have to wait until Spring '09 to be crushed into a singularity after a recent electrical tantrum thrown by this 5-billion dollar Swiss celebutante. Described in schematics as "the part that looks like Optimus Prime's eye," the LHC is too cool at the moment to be entered by scientists but researchers feel that their "intense Frenchness" will warm it up and get them inside it in about a month, right before it takes the winter off for ski season. During that time, CERN officials will fill their days with "soft hitting contests," whereby an excessively hard punch will forfeit the match on the first try.

The Large Hadron Collider is ranked #32 in FHM's upcoming "Mechanical Sluts" issue.""

And of course being Chris Hardwick, he had to add this picture:

I personally now believe one of the following. Either Optimus Prime's eyes are made of LHC's, or these scientist are actually making Optimus Prime(I favor that one). Well, I suppose I should probably talk a little about the LHC incase you have no idea exactly WHAT I'm talking about.

The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest particle accelerator/atom smasher. It is located underneath the Fraco-Swiss border in the neutral country of Switzerland and reaches the seemingly unpractical length of 17 miles. Imagine those thousand of scientist that put this thing together ramming 2 hydrogen atoms stripped of their electrons at 99.99% the speed of light each. That would mean each one is traveling approximately 299,762,479 m/s. That's equivalent to 670,549,568 MILES PER HOUR. Now, also realize that this is the speed of each one, and they are headed straight for one another. Which would put the closing speed at about 1,341,099,136 mph. Now, what happens when these two particles collide next spring? Optimistic scientist say it will create the legendary Higgs boson, which is some particle that will supposedly reveal the Grand Unified Theory. But the pessimists of the science world say black hole. Which means we will all die instantaneously. Sounds fun huh? Don't you just love science?

Well, that's all I have for now. Hope you keep reading (or should I say I hope I get readers).

Until next time, just remember, if a black hole does happen, it will be quick and painless.