Thursday, August 16, 2012

Check Out This Music I Found #7 - Black Light Dinner Party

It's like techno, but then there's a piano. And somewhere in there is stringed instruments. And in the end you end up with something that you can't just shove behind smalltalk at a party or use to clean the house. You have to actually sit down and listen to this stuff, or you have to be in a club taking in a show, or it is something you are sharing with your friends where the point of it being on is for it to be heard.
It is nearly impossible to play this song and not be focused on it. It does not do well as background music. This is why I love it.

I found 4 of their tracks for free over at SoundCloud. That made me sad, because I couldn't find a way to give them money for these noises. I'll find a way.

Watch this.


Something to Believe In, or, We Heart Nikola Fucking Tesla

There are times when the Unholy Ghost comes to sit on my chest and I can see it hovering in the doorway like that cousin you were told to include at the family gatherings... and I laugh at it and tell it to go away because I have discovered something being done by mankind that is SO awesome, I can't help but be in awe and in love with the entire human race and the Unholy Ghost can gain no footing on me that day.
This is it.
Nikola Fucking Tesla might've been batshit crazy, but he was amazing. Amazing deserves a museum. The fact that The Oatmeal put together a crowdsourced fundraiser to get this to happen was amazing enough. Behold, the effort to support Wardenclyffe at left!



But then something happened that was even more amazing. The internet responded with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for flashmobs and free beer. By the time I got to a computer where I could make a donation ($100, because I believe in this and I want to see this shit happen) it was at $122,000 dollars. That was perhaps 8 hours after the initial announcement went up.
When I went back last night it was at $230,000 and jumped by $4,000 in the course of 20 minutes while I was vacillating between watching that update and wasting my time seeing faked ghost videos on YouTube. It was exciting to say the least.
At the time of this blogging, 9:30am on the 16th, it's at $323,000. In the space of time since I began typing this, it jumped by $1,500 dollars! That is ASTOUNDING to me.
In fact, I just refreshed and we're staring at the front side of $325,000 now. In the course of 10 minutes.
A friend of mine pointed out smartly that it hasn't even hit the major news outlets yet, this is all just based on word of mouth and those who subscribe to Oatmeal's fansites. When it hits CNN, it's going to EXPLODE.
Internet, you are fierce and scary and passionate, and when you love something you love it HARD. I am in awe of you and the amazing things you can do for others when you know about it and care.

(I don't think we're getting more apathetic as a society. I think there is so much going on we can't know about everything. If we did, we would care, and we would right all the wrongs.)

Monday, August 13, 2012

Actual Convo #114 - The Truth Will Out, or, The Lightbulb Goes On

Helen: Oh crap... I have vinyl. And a polaroid. And I write in a Moleskin.
Helen: Oh crap.
Helen : OH CRAP
Helen: I HAVE GLASSES
Helen: I LIKE LOMOGRAPHY!!!
Joseph: lol'
Helen: But I don't dress like a hipster.
Joe: I've been trying to tell you for a long time
Helen: Can you be one without the ironic mustache?
Joe: yup
Helen: And the skinny jeans?
Helen: And the billion tattoos and piercings?
Joe: and you don't have to wear scarves in the summer
Joe: some hipsters look normal
Helen: GOD DAMNIT
Joeh: it's like all sad kids don't look sad
Helen: Okay. I guess that makes sense.
Joe: it's a lifestyle choice
Joe: not a fashion trend
Helen: It's still irritating. This just happened, I didn't decide it all at once. : /
Joe: see lifestyle choice


(Sometimes the truth hurts but this... this felt right. This felt good.)

Friday, August 10, 2012

My Delivery (Admittedly) Needs Work

-or, this could be an actual convo but I'll tag it later...

Me: *walking in to office while staring at news feed on iPad* Baby?
Bob: Yeah?
Me: David Rakoff?
Bob: From This American...
Me: So we saw him at the live show they did earlier this year?
Bob: Yeah. He was fighting cancer.
Me: well..... He's not anymore...
Bob: *turns in his chair to look at me, somewhat incredulous*
Bob: He's dead?
Me:...... Y....... Y... *giving up and nodding*
Bob: Is that really how you decided to tell me about that?
Me: it was on Facebook posted by This American Life and I wasn't sure, and...... Huh.
Bob: *stares* Really??


RIP David Rakoff. We enjoyed your stories. You enjoy your break.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Blah. (I has an eloquence)

We are hip-deep in to August and I have done very little in the way of blogging. I am sorry, or else you are welcome, depending on the camp you're in.
Right now so much of my time and energy went in to creating the first half-dozen videos for my web series.
I suppose I should link it, were I responsible enough to consider getting it a viewership.
But it's Jessiebellespeaks on Youtube, and I'm hoping to make it a random little horror series that touches on a few weird things. Ohhhh the plans I have. *rubs hands together gleefully*
In other news, I find myself being unusually tired and cranky again. I try to get enough sleep and enough to eat and I find my mood is all over the place in spite of trying to take care of things properly. But the strange little visual hallucination bits are popping back in to my life, to the point that I am again becoming concerned. The lack of mental prowess is also asserting itself. I'm wondering if it's a cycle thing, a hormonal thing, or just a plain exhaustion thing. Maybe it's an I'm Fucking Sick of My Job Thing, because I suddenly realized I've spent 10 years answering phones and I don't want to anymore.
Speaking of which, I have checked Craigslist for artsy type jobs. Looks like photographers and graphic designers are in demand. Girls who can sketch stuff out pretty good? Not so much. I have no idea how to proceed, I just know I want ot od something that will get me off the phones and working with markers and pencils and a tablet stylus in my hand.

That's about it for now. If I don't go too crazy, I'll fill you in later about my hawt date Friday at the Orangery, and a trip to Longwood Gardens to see the light installations they have there. :)