TECH: 3 Must Have Programs

Is there anything more rewarding then discovering a program that changes the way you do things? I for one am always looking for that perfect application that can save me time, money and allow be to be that much more efficient in my life.

Here are a few such programs

1. Picnik - Since discovering this amazing photo editing site i have not opened up photo shop once. It works as a firefox extension. Right click on any photo or webpage and it instantly allows you to crop, color, resize or any other aletration. oh, and its free.

2. dropbox - A shared drive that lives in th sky. Two gigs of space to share with you friends or workmates. Files instantly become availible to you on any computer in the world, also free.

3. gotomypc.com - yes its a bit clunky and costs a monthly fee but for the ability to access my office computer from anywhere in the world its worth it. Thanks to American Airlines new wifi service, its like i never let the office. Thats supsed to be a good thing

Delicious Foodstuffs: Food Pic Diary From SXSW

I can only remember a small handful of bands I saw in Austin during SXSW, but I can definitely remember every single meal I had there.  Here is my photo diary...

Chile Relleno

Marisco Grill
211 E 6th St. Austin, TX 78701
http://www.mariscogrill.com/

Bratwurst

The Best Wurst
6th St and San Jacinto Blvd. Austin, TX 78704
www.myspace.com/thebestwurst


Potato, Egg and Cheese Taco


Torchy's Tacos
Various Locations
http://torchystacos.com/


Free BBQ @ FILTER Magazine's Showdown at Cedar Street (Thursday - Saturday goodness!)


Courtesy of Péché and Cedar Street Courtyward
208 W. 4th St. Austin, TX 78701
http://www.pecheaustin.com/
http://www.cedarstreetaustin.com/


Glazed Do-nut


Shipley Do-nuts
Various Locations
http://www.shipleydonuts.ws/


The Super Duper Combo


The Boiling Pot
700 E. 6th St. Austin, TX. 78701
http://theboilingpotonline.com/


Any recommendations for next year's trip?

PS - Me in a bib? So ridiculous, but worth it for the big pile of shrimp and crab. 

East Bound & Down: The show you should already know

Ever since The Sopranos ended with a Journey song, and Dexter became one of the best shows on television, many people have been saying how the days of the great HBO were finished, and the channel had been usurped by Showtime. Personally, my love affair with HBO ended when Deadwood did, and, to a lesser extent (but way more symbolic), Carnival. I know, I know, Big Love is supposed to be great now, and The Wire was the best show EVER, but for me, it’s been a while since HBO slayed me with something amazing. Then I watched East Bound & Down.

The first episode didn’t reel me right in, I was actually contemplating not watching any more than that, but I always try to give shows at least two or three episodes to improve, and boy did this show improve. It has quickly become one of my favorite shows of all time. The Kenny Powers character immediately comes off as so abrasive, you can’t really see how he can have a redeeming quality, but it does manifest itself through a series of painful, gut wrenching events. Along these lines, it’s not totally unlike the Ricky Gervais’ David Brent from The Office, whom I often had trouble watching, it was just too painful.

Here are some of my favorite scenes, and be aware, these are seriously NSFW, audio-wise. Don’t blame me plz.

Where The Wild Things Are Trailer with Arcade Fire

The trailer for Spike Jonze’s hotly anticipated movie adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are has just been released, soundtracked by the fantastic Arcade Fire:

The movie is released on October 16th,  was written by Maurice Sendack, adapted by Jonze and Dave Eggers and while Arcade Fire are featured on the trailer, the soundtrack was handled by Karen O. Sounds like catnip to FILTER writers!

And here’s a bonus vid with some test footage shot by Disney in 1983 when they still owned the rights, directed by Pixar’s John Lasseter:

Do You Disco?

I disco.

The genius that is DJ Harvey graced the airwaves of Tim Sweeney's Beats in Space. Someone really should just give Harvey his own show. He's the DJ that all DJs look up to and respect - he basically created the edit and yet here he is, decades later, so excited by music still.

Welcome to the secret music club. Take a listen and learn a thing or two about dance music. Click here to listen

Politics: Paramilitary Corporations = Bad Idea

For those of you who watch 24 and missed last night’s episode, this is a bit of a “spoiler alert”. No, this isn’t a review of the show or commentary on its controversial nature.  The story I’m choosing to write about involves the latest plot twist where a private military company called Starkwood is believed to be complicit in atrocities around the world and is planning an imminent attack on US soil.

What drew me to this story were the uncanny parallels between the non-fictional Blackwater Worldwide (now called Xe due to constant bad publicity) and the fictional Starkwood.  Xe, a US based private corporation, operates in a paramilitary/security/training capacity around the world. Employees are made of highly specialized ex-military and law enforcement professionals who train US and foreign military, government agencies, local police forces, and private citizens.

Perhaps it is time to take a serious look at the potential dangers of blood for money corporations and halt their operations before things get out of control.  Here are some of my thoughts on the matter:

·     All private corporations operate in the interest of profit and growth.  There is something inherently wrong when an entity’s very existence is dependent on the continuation of war and insecurity around the world.  

·     When peace and security is a threat to the survival of a business, it is very possible that such business will do whatever it takes to reduce and eliminate such threats.  

·     Companies training both US and foreign militaries begs the question, “whose side are they REALLY on?”

·     Throughout history, we’ve seen how private industries (arms, finance, energy, pharmaceutical, etc.) gain influence with high-level connections in both government and private institutions around the world.  These connections have rarely held the public’s interest as a primary motivator.

·     Paramilitaries are not bound to the same rules and regulations as US military personnel are.  The laws governing their behavior on foreign soil gets even trickier and rarely do the wheels of justice turn. 

·     Historical note: Adolf Hitler’s Sturmabteilung or "brown shirts" were a private army of specialized WWI soldiers who were key to his rise to power through terror and intimidation within Germany.  We all know what happened after Hitler came to power.  Could the same thing happen here in the US today? It almost did in 1933. 

·     Another fictional parallel:  Star Wars fans saw the potential evil of paramilitaries in Episodes II & III with the rise of Emperor Palpatine’s clone stormtrooper army. 

What do you think about all of this?  Should the US government be using your tax dollars to employ the services of companies like Xe?  

Delicious Foodstuffs: A Love Letter to Chicharrones

Dear Chicharrones,

My love. You're so amazing in my mouth. Er... what I meant to say was, you're really swell.  I like you a lot.  I love how you're so simple on the outside with your cute little packaging, but inside, mmm... you're full of vibrant flavors and you leave my lips burning a little from your chili, sugar and salt combo.  I've had other like you before, but never have I felt so in heaven.  You really leave me wanting more.  I want more.  Why do you live in San Francisco? WHY?  I won't question it.  Just know I'll be waiting for you in LA.

Love,
Connie

Chicharrones
http://www.4505meats.com/chicharrones/
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TECH: Must Search Faster

Having to open a new browser and type in myspace.com/newawesomeband just takes too long.

Thankfully the firefox gods have gifted us with a new add on that gives you the ability to highlight any band name, right click on it and immediately pull up their myspace, wiki, last FM or pandora page.

Click here for the add on https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6400

What will you do with all the time you save?

Naked Words

With such a heavy-saturation of all things dripping with libido on TV and film, why not extend the courtesy to the printed page and see if it can’t raise your, um…blood pressure. On the horizon are three worthwhile works that deal with the subject matter that most interests nearly everyone: S.E.X. If you’re looking for something risqué, something tantalizing or something X-rated that you can enjoy while flying in a plane or sitting in the dentist's waiting room, try these out for size.

I Did It for Science (cover above)
By Reverend Jen Miller
Publisher: Soft Skull Press
April 1, 2009

I Did It for Science chronicles Reverend Jen Miller's two-year career as a sex columnist for nerve.com. Her columns detail various “sexperiments,” such as working as a nude girl, attending fellatio school, and reaching Zen during tantric sex.

Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories
Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
Publisher: Cleis Press
Date: March 1, 2009

Collecting the stories of several writers, Do Not Disturb delves into the most intimate moments in the naughtiest of places: hotel rooms. And you thought you were the only one who felt indulgent on the 13th floor.

Hos, Hookers, Call-Girls, and Rent Boys - Sex Workers and Prostitutes: Writing on Life, Love, Money and Sex
Edited by David Henry Sterry / R. J. Martin, Jr.
Publisher: Soft Skull Press
Date: July 1, 2009

Borne from SAGE (Standing Against Global Exploitation), a San Francisco nonprofit dedicated to helping people who have worked in the sex business, Hos, Hookers, Call-Girls and Rent Boys collects the autobiographical writings of sex workers, who leave no bed sheet—or body—unturned. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

Billy Corgan Takes On Capitol Hill

This week, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins went to the nation's capital to testify on the Performance Rights Act (first introduced to Congress in 2007) at the House Judiciary Committee hearing. Corgan was representing all artists in the musicFIRST Coalition, an organization that models itself much like a PRO (performing rights organization like ASCAP, BMI), but focuses on paying performers - not just writers - royalties for songs played on terrestrial radio.

Their 'Fair Pay for Air Play' mantra is directed mostly toward corporate radio who often receive special treatment or engage in illegal acts of payola. In addition to paying royalties to performers who bring the song to life, Corgan also attested that he wouldn't mind if labels received half the radio royalties. Back in 1981, petitions to change copyright laws were shot down by Congress stating radio stations were providing valuable promotional airtime in exchange for music.

First of all, why is Billy Corgan the voice of reason for this? When was the last time he made a record? Besides his old Smashing Pumpkins catalog being shoved down our throats on KROQ every other hour, but doesn't he have writing credits on those, therefore he should be getting paid?  The way the copyright rules and regulations stand is the writer/publisher gets the credit, so why should people like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears get more money for songs other people write for them to make hits? And is terrestrial radio really that viable of a platform for artists anymore? That new judge on American Idol keeps saying, "You could be on the radio," but who really listens anymore?

The biggest indicator in whether or not this is passed is dependent on what defines value, i.e. how do artists/record labels benefit from music played on the radio?

Photo from Pollstar