I think when you work on the internet all day, it gets to you and your coworkers.
her: lunch planz?
me: i don’t haz them
her: u can haz cheezburger
Archive for February, 2008
LOLwerk
Friday, February 29th, 2008Comic Sans
Thursday, February 28th, 2008Fuck that tacky-ass font. I think the only respectable person I know who uses this font is Berto, but even then, this may because of his particularly high sense of irony and absurdity – so only he should be able to get away with it.
I should explain that I just got a company email that was written in Comic Sans. I just… can’t really respect anyone with that kind of typographical identity.
Down Time
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008Well, crap. Email is down here at work and though I can still access the net, it seems our servers are being punks. It’s actually not that bad considering the IT guys are installing a new Xserve, but in an era of instant gratification everyone seems to want email NOW! Especially since we should write back our clients as quickly as we can.
Did anybody notice the little Apple tagline on the Xserve page: “Blazingly fast architecture. Now even more blazing.”? I thought that was funny, and not because I was (am?) a stoner. Okay, well, that maybe helps… but I just think it would be funny to be an IT guy and think, “Dammit! Our server needs to BLAZE more! BLAZE, DAMN YOU! Why aren’t you BLAZING!?” and then, with the Apple solution, having testimonials of IT pros in quotes on the Apple page:
“I always thought our servers should blaze more, and I was always looking for ways to make it blaze harder and faster. Then I got an Xserve, and now it blazes like a champ! Thanks, Apple!” -Mark, webmaster for Portland Trail Blazers
blaze blaze blaze blaze blaze blaze. That word sounds weird now, doesn’t it?
On an only remotely related note, I was reading Lifehacker’s article on how to fix up a cubicle and I wondered, how many of us 20-somethings work in a cubicle? I don’t. If you do, does your office let you decorate your cubicle? Would they let you do these kinds of things to it?
…I just realized that this entry was very ADD. I suppose loading up on caffeine and then all of a sudden being unable to perform certain important work tasks (eg., emailing), leads to a frantic dip in the blog-ocean in place of emailing.
I wonder if it works now…? Yep.
Ok, back to work.
[edit] Ugh. Let’s get rid of the Javascript on the menu on the left, it’s bogging everything down pretty hardcore.[/edit]
Vomit.
Sunday, February 24th, 2008I had a very eventful weekend, and I can still feel the effects. This is most notably a series of vomiting. Oh, it was fun, but maybe a little too much, and probably more than I was designed to handle.
A jump has been created for those of you that would just like to skip over the details. (more…)
Simmer Down, Now
Friday, February 22nd, 2008I bet it’s from over-caffeination, but I’m going stir crazy in my office chair so much that I have been stepping out for more cigarettes than I usually would. That, and having to crank out a PowerPoint deck, which is a task I’ve never been fond of doing.
It’s nothing like line-graphs that will make you feel like you’re a number, yourself — and I’ve never been good at math.
I also realize that blogging only gives me a reprieve of maybe 5-10 minutes, but after remodeling the blog I feel like I should post something substantial. And then it occurs to me that I’ve lately been posting things I think and not necessarily about things I’ve been doing. So here’s what I’ve been up to:
- 1. Figuring out where to live. I’ve been apartment hunting lately, and it looks like I’m going to be living in a loft with some awkward architecture above some run-of-the-mill businesses. The cool part about this is that the awkward structure will encourage some unorthodox thinking (or at least this is my hope). And even more cool, I’ll be living alone! In a free-standing structure, no less! I haven’t really felt alone – well, ever. I’m around people 24/7, and it’s been that way since I was a kid. And though I love my family, my friends, my coworkers (for all of my jobs) and my roommate (whose birthday is today! And the only way to honor him IS TO GET DEBILITATINGLY DRUNK.), I love my alone time because I rarely get it in life. I can write music and practice sight-singing without bothering anyone or feeling self-conscious, I can play video games aaaalllll night, and can take up the entire loft with creative projects! I’m excited. Of course, guests are welcome anytime, but falling asleep alone will be so infinitely therapeutic.
- 2. Learning how to wield a sword. “What? Is he serious?” Yes, I am. In the hullabaloo that is me and all of my friends figuring out where to live and shuffling around various possessions, Fred has bequeathed to me a shikomizue. And in classical/epic tradition, we have named this blade Nezumi Owari, which effectively means “the ender of the rat.” You see, our office has had a rat problem recently, and though the subject matter has provided us with some amusement, having a sword to threaten them is taking this to a whole ‘nother level. And you can ask Katelin, to validate my reasons, the last rat was fuckin’ huge, and I’m sure she saw it.
- 3. Playing Video Games. Yeah, that’s predictable, but I just recently got my 360 back from the manufacturer and so I’m due for logging many more hours. Welcome back to my life, xbox 360. Please don’t ever leave me again. I love you so. <3
- 4. Attending the Microsoft 2008 Joint Launch. Mmmmm…. SQL Server 2008…… delicious! Say what you want about this corporate brand, I mean, I’m an Apple kinda guy myself, but that is one fine product if you’re not going to take the time and effort to use the other SQL database software. And I’m getting a FREE COPY of it (ok, well, CTP5, which means it’s not the final version, but good enough) at the event!
I think that’s it for now. *sigh* Back to work…
Progress
Thursday, February 21st, 2008Ahhhh, don’t you love the smell of progress? Thanks to Evan Stiles for the photo in the background (even if I did hack it up…).
More craziness to come – need ideas for a masthead…
BOrkenz!
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008Holy crap I think I just broke my blog.
That’s cool, I’m remodeling, so you can all watch me fumble while this is going on. Why not, right?
Just a note and warning; gonna start from another base template again. Could get dirty…
~n
EEEEeeeeeexbox360!
Monday, February 18th, 2008I just checked the repair status of my Xbox 360 and my account says that the unit has been repaired and has been shipped back to the customer! I’m the customer! It will be shipped back to me! The unit!
I’m sorry, I haven’t been this excited since purchasing the Orange Box. I’m going to throw a party. And there will be cake! Ok, I’m lying, there won’t be cake.
As excited as I am for getting my 360 back, this may be bad timing as my freelance work, especially in the Photoshop department (Hi Conrad!), has recently picked up. This time, it’s pro bono stuff for portfolio-ing, which I actually seem to enjoy more than the pressure of paid gigs.
And speaking of paid gigs, nobody told me that half of freelancing work is really just keeping it going. It’s seriously 40% actual work and 60% client-project management. One of these days, I’m going to ask some people to jump on this train and help me manage accounts and charge my clients because I am getting sick of explaining what I do, how much it will cost, then doing it, and then explaining what I’ve done, and explaining why what I’ve done costs [x] amount of money.
Does anyone (in the LA area) want to make a start-up? I’m thinking I may need some help here.
Obligatory Valentine's Day Post (and another song)
Thursday, February 14th, 2008Well, crawling the blog-oh-sphere I found that a lot of people have posted their thoughts and the general consensus is a resounding: “lame.”
I think the same thing, but in order to be different, what can one say? Well, one can encourage romance, if one so chooses, especially while one is speaking so candidly in third person.
So, in keeping up with posting music, here’s a song I wrote in college that I thought was romantic… in a sense, even though I largely think there’s a reason Valentine’s Day shares its acronym with Venereal Disease (VD).
This is The Fallout Waltz, written in 3/4, so you can actually waltz to it. I used the word “Fallout” because that’s the term for residual radiation hazard from a nuclear explosion, and the idea came after I rendered the kick drum to echo like explosions over a bomb shelter.
The Fallout Waltz
The voice samples are kind of hard to hear. Here’s the transcript:
Guy: “You know, with a world that’s been taken over by corporations who have the financial capability to afford human souls, human resources, and human nature – it feels pointless to [something? I forget...] while the world collapses above us on the earth’s surface. There won’t be anything left by the time this is over.”
Girl: “Just dance with me.”
Let's All Be Musicians (or: The Internet Jam Session)
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008Alright, so I have been working with some melodies and beats etc., but as this time isn’t any different from any others, I find I am a way better collaborator than I am a solo artist. This may stem from my desire to see a song fleshed out as completely as possible, but when I hit a roadblock, the song just kinda doesn’t get finished.
And this is where you, dear reader, come in.
I’m posting two sketches here of songs that are currently in the works and I’d like to ask you where you’d like the songs to go – because you’ll notice they start, establish a little bit of motion, repeat a couple of times, and then… just cut off. I’m out of ideas. So help out!
Here’s what I’m talking about:
| Airplanes |
| Connectivity |
So – what do we want to hear next out of these? Lyrics? More guitars? Different instruments? Key changes? “Moods” or “ambience”? Sound effects? Transitions? Your ideas will be taken seriously and further drafts will incorporate them. Don’t be afraid to be harsh with constructive criticism, I have no ego, and after all, criticism is all for the betterment of the song(s).
BONUS: If you notice these two sketches are in the same key, you can actually play them at the same time and see that they kind of blend… kind of.
