Month: January 2008

who’s with me?

I’ve had numerous writing students who participated in NaNoWriMo and used it as a way to surgically burn away their self-doubt, destructive reliance on “inspiration,” and cherished illusions about the process of writing, acquiring in a mere month the kind of discipline that often takes writers many hard years to arrive at.

The rules of RPM Challenge are simple: write and record 10 songs, or 35 minutes’ worth of material, in the 29 days of February, using anything and anyone you can shanghai into your project.

RPM 2008 Challenge: record an album in 29 days

Boing Boing1/27/08 12:25 AM Cory Doctorow Audio Copyfight maker
The RPM Challenge begins on February 1 — just a few days off — and all over the web, musicians will work to produce an entire album in just one month. This is the music version of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and inpsires the same passion and creativity. I’ve had numerous writing students who participated in NaNoWriMo and used it as a way to surgically burn away their self-doubt, destructive reliance on “inspiration,” and cherished illusions about the process of writing, acquiring in a mere month the kind of discipline that often takes writers many hard years to arrive at.

The rules of RPM Challenge are simple: write and record 10 songs, or 35 minutes’ worth of material, in the 29 days of February, using anything and anyone you can shanghai into your project. Last year, over 850 records emerged from the competition. The RPM site will connect you with other challengers and let you offer support to one another as you go.


This is the challenge: record an album in 29 days, just because you can.

That’s 10 songs or 35 minutes of original material recorded during the month of February. Go ahead… put it to tape.

Don’t wait for inspiration – taking action puts you in a position to get inspired. You’ll stumble across ideas you would have never come up with otherwise, and maybe only because you were trying to meet a day’s quota of (song)writing. Show up and get something done, and invest in yourself and each other.

Anyone can come up with an excuse to say “no,” so don’t.

Link (via /.)

Inspiration doesn’t come. You have to go get it.

Continue reading “who’s with me?”

if you see this . . .

In an effort to secure the return of this instrument We offer this 8.5” x 11” e-poster (which will be sent by email [Please be sure to indicate the email address to which you would like the poster sent] in any photo format of your choice, I.E. .tiff, .jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, .psd, .pdd, and encourage duplication and dissemination) which contains full description, serial number, several photos of distinguishing marks and wear patterns, police and personal contact information.

…Also I hope that you are proud and take satisfaction in stealing the irreplaceable memories taken from a 66 year old paralyzed, wheelchair bound, musician who’s only joy was sharing music with others.

Up for auction is an e-poster for a stolen 1959 Fender Precision Bass and case. Unlimited number available.

On February 21, 2007 a 1959 Fender Precision Bass and “Neil Diamond” touring case were stolen from a recording studio in Encinitas, CA. In an effort to secure the return of this instrument We offer this 8.5″ x 11″ e-poster (which will be sent by email [Please be sure to indicate the email address to which you would like the poster sent] in any photo format of your choice, I.E. .tiff, .jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, .psd, .pdd, and encourage duplication and dissemination) which contains full description, serial number, several photos of distinguishing marks and wear patterns, police and personal contact information. Sorry about the 99 cent BIN price but that’s the minimum eBay will let me charge.


As one might imagine, this is a very special instrument having been played on numerous hit recordings by artists such as, Neil Diamond, Linda Ronstadt, J.D. Souther, Alex Harvey, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, The Everly Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, The Association, Gabor Szabo, Gary McFarland, Cal Tjader, and so many others.

Over time people (thieves) become careless and let things slip to friends or close relations. This e-poster is being offered so that perhaps someone out there may have seen or heard something of this instrument and case either personally or through “the grapevine.”

A word to whomever may have taken this instrument … due to it’s uniqueness and rarity it will be impossible to sell and is completely traceable. Our interest is not centered on prosecution, just the return of the instrument and case. Also I hope that you are proud and take satisfaction in stealing the irreplaceable memories taken from a 66 year old paralyzed, wheelchair bound, musician who’s only joy was sharing music with others.

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Who would do this?

links for 2008-01-26

the prize [updated]

I really don’t want to buy a new car to get access to this technology, but I would like to see someone devise a powerplant that can replace the existing ones in modern cars…. Not as cool, perhaps, not as much headline-grabbing or front-page picture potential, but what makes more sense: replacing/upgrading a million motors and powertrains in existing cars or trying to create uptake/demand for replacement cars?

This article [“UltraBattery” Could Put a Hybrid in Every Garage | Autopia from Wired.com] is just one of many that seem to crop up on this topic.

So what’s wrong with this?

People love their cars. They are vital links to our jobs, our community, ourselves. For everything we love about them, cars are chained to the most severe global crises of our time: oil dependence and climate change.

We aim to break this deadlock through the most radical approach to innovation yet – the X PRIZE.

The Automotive X PRIZE will invite teams from around the world to focus on a single goal: design viable, clean and super-efficient cars that people want to buy.

This will be a race for the ages, with major publicity and a big sack of cash waiting for the champion, and perhaps our future hanging in the balance.

[From Automotive X PRIZE]

Read the first sentence. I think people want a new kind of car so much as a less destructive way to propel the ones they have.
I really don’t want to buy a new car to get access to this technology, but I would like to see someone devise a powerplant that can replace the existing ones in modern cars. The car is not something that needs to be perfected: the materials from which they’re made, perhaps, but mostly how they are powered is where the benefits are to be had. Not as cool, perhaps, not as much headline-grabbing or front-page picture potential, but what makes more sense: replacing/upgrading a million motors and powertrains in existing cars or trying to create uptake/demand for replacement cars? I’m happy to drive mine for quite a bit longer, even at the pathetic 20 mpg it gets, before I spend $30,000 or more on a new vehicle. And I expect these X-prize vehicles will be more — much more — than $30K.

I just dropped them a note about this. We’ll see just how unappealing they find the idea.

Continue reading “the prize [updated]”

[technology, information] != knowledge

“If the passenger with the iPhone would be kind enough,” he began, “to use it to check the weather at our alternate airport, then calculate our revised fuel burn due to being rerouted, then call our dispatcher to arrange our amended release, then make a call to the nearest traffic control center to arrange a new slot time (among all the other aircraft carrying passengers with iPhones), we’ll then be more than happy to depart…. [From iPhone Ownership Does Not Bestow Meteorology Degree – Boing Boing Gadgets ] I agree that the pandering and security theater are worse than stupid but so is assuming what your friend sees out the window is an accurate meteorological view of the conditions at 35,000 feet.

We were informed that Chicago had put a three-hour delay on all incoming flights due to weather. People around me were calling friends there who reported it cold but clear. [From Naked Terrorist Toothpaste]

I was reminded of this:

Reportedly, the captain responded with a public address announcement that was sharp enough to elicit audible laughter from the cabin.

“If the passenger with the iPhone would be kind enough,” he began, “to use it to check the weather at our alternate airport, then calculate our revised fuel burn due to being rerouted, then call our dispatcher to arrange our amended release, then make a call to the nearest traffic control center to arrange a new slot time (among all the other aircraft carrying passengers with iPhones), we’ll then be more than happy to depart. Please ring your call button to advise the flight attendant and your fellow passengers when you deem it ready and responsible for this multimillion-dollar aircraft and its 84 passengers to safely leave.”

[From iPhone Ownership Does Not Bestow Meteorology Degree – Boing Boing Gadgets ]

I agree that the pandering and security theater are worse than stupid but so is assuming what your friend sees out the window is an accurate meteorological view of the conditions at 35,000 feet.

catless once more

Having had a cat from a kitten to senescence with those issues, at the expense of many items of furniture, untold amounts of time in vet visits (you think getting a urine sample from a cat is easy?

…Look for more feline frolic come summertime when fresh crops of kittens are ready (15-30 per day arrive at humane societies, some without mothers, so the cycle continues).

Well, I just took my two foster cats back to the Humane Society. We have had an outbreak of “inappropriate elimination” this past week and it was just too much. Having had a cat from a kitten to senescence with those issues, at the expense of many items of furniture, untold amounts of time in vet visits (you think getting a urine sample from a cat is easy? Want to do it every week? For a year?), we decided to take a break.

Look for more feline frolic come summertime when fresh crops of kittens are ready (15-30 per day arrive at humane societies, some without mothers, so the cycle continues).