Check out my sister's paintings! Here's the one that I had above my bed (she's holding onto it for me until I get back to the States.)
Three Surprises
My first field visit was last Tuesday, to the Chola site. Jake (expat staff), Andrew, Moses (Kenyan staff) and I visited five farmers and handed out logbooks for them to record some of what they eat and buy. Limited trial to test the logbook format before we roll it out for real. We left the house before 9 and got back a little after 12.
The first surprise for me about Bungoma wasn't the size, it was the density. The main roads are a constant stream of bikes, trucks, and matatus (overstuffed minibuses.) Shops, markets and restaurants are crowded full. I figured boredom would be a problem, peace and quiet wouldn't. Guess again.
The second surprise came when Jake and I were walking between houses and he mentioned that a lot of our farmers don't do much during the day. I'd have expected people experiencing chronic hunger and the resulting health problems and infant mortality to be working themselves to the bone.
Then I remembered a line from the One Acre reference materials; paraphrased, "our farmers are not used to being rewarded for their effort." They lack capital for quality inputs (seed, fertilizer.) They lack the expertise to plant and harvest most effectively. And it's difficult for them to get their outputs to an interested buyer.
Those three basic things are what we offer to farmers, and are the reason One Acre Fund exists. And here's the third surprise: One Acre is close to sustainability. In fact, at current maize prices - which are, however, unusually high - farmers are paying back enough to cover our operational costs and then some.
Alright, there was a fourth surprise: field work is fun. Visiting farmers is better than frowning at a laptop. Speaking of ...
The first surprise for me about Bungoma wasn't the size, it was the density. The main roads are a constant stream of bikes, trucks, and matatus (overstuffed minibuses.) Shops, markets and restaurants are crowded full. I figured boredom would be a problem, peace and quiet wouldn't. Guess again.
The second surprise came when Jake and I were walking between houses and he mentioned that a lot of our farmers don't do much during the day. I'd have expected people experiencing chronic hunger and the resulting health problems and infant mortality to be working themselves to the bone.
Then I remembered a line from the One Acre reference materials; paraphrased, "our farmers are not used to being rewarded for their effort." They lack capital for quality inputs (seed, fertilizer.) They lack the expertise to plant and harvest most effectively. And it's difficult for them to get their outputs to an interested buyer.
Those three basic things are what we offer to farmers, and are the reason One Acre Fund exists. And here's the third surprise: One Acre is close to sustainability. In fact, at current maize prices - which are, however, unusually high - farmers are paying back enough to cover our operational costs and then some.
Alright, there was a fourth surprise: field work is fun. Visiting farmers is better than frowning at a laptop. Speaking of ...
And go
Landed in Nairobi the night of the 13th. Up early the next morning for a bumpy eight-hour ride west to Eldoret; two hours by taxi later and I'm getting picked up in Bungoma by another expat staffer. Hellos, a trip to the grocery store, some unpacking, and by 6pm I'm crashing in my bed under a mosquito net.
We live in a little compound with three houses near the center of town; One Acre's been growing, so there's now another house just down the street. Don't let "compound" confuse you: it's nothing elaborate, there's barbed wire on one side but this is not your typical expat bunker. There is a dual-tank reserve water system that I spent some time learning about today. Playing house ...
Looking forward to later this afternoon when I find out what kinds of projects Andrew (founder) and Veronica (current Director of Program Innovation) have in mind for my first three months.
We live in a little compound with three houses near the center of town; One Acre's been growing, so there's now another house just down the street. Don't let "compound" confuse you: it's nothing elaborate, there's barbed wire on one side but this is not your typical expat bunker. There is a dual-tank reserve water system that I spent some time learning about today. Playing house ...
Looking forward to later this afternoon when I find out what kinds of projects Andrew (founder) and Veronica (current Director of Program Innovation) have in mind for my first three months.
Where are you moving again?
Final shore leave
Just got back from the desert, am now spending a week in Minnesota with family. On September 12th I take a plane to Nairobi, followed by a bus to a town called Bungoma, to start a new job with One Acre Fund. A little busy until then.
Last week Kristy and I headed into Gerlach to make a water run, in a big Budget truck loaded with empty 55-gallon drums in back. We stopped at Sylvia's place, which has a potable water hose right next to the tent where she sells sunscreen, beef jerky and blinky lights. Sylvia also has a ranch further out, where she keeps livestock and has a license to hunt mountain lions.
Kristy, innocently: "and what do you do with the mountain lions? Catch them and release them?"
Sylvia enunciated her reply clearly: "I shoot 'em and kill 'em dead."
Last week Kristy and I headed into Gerlach to make a water run, in a big Budget truck loaded with empty 55-gallon drums in back. We stopped at Sylvia's place, which has a potable water hose right next to the tent where she sells sunscreen, beef jerky and blinky lights. Sylvia also has a ranch further out, where she keeps livestock and has a license to hunt mountain lions.
Kristy, innocently: "and what do you do with the mountain lions? Catch them and release them?"
Sylvia enunciated her reply clearly: "I shoot 'em and kill 'em dead."
In praise of separation
This discussion in praise of idleness prompted me to think about how the Greeks (according to Hannah Arendt) separated their activities into two parts, labor and work. Labor is those activities required to support life: getting food, shelter, etc. Work is basically political activity: arguing, voting, taking part in the life of the city.
I've struggled myself with how to achieve deep alignment between my values and my work, with the assumption that it's best to do one thing that is simultaneously my job, my passion and my push toward a better world. Having a corporate job that pays, and doing non-profits on the side, looks like a lesser alternative.
But the Greeks had an entirely different starting point. For them, taking money for political activity would cheapen and degrade the experience, and put your motives under suspicion. The basis of a political life is the freedom to reason and act apart from pure self-interest. So they serenely and proudly built on the very separation that I've been wondering how to eliminate.
I've struggled myself with how to achieve deep alignment between my values and my work, with the assumption that it's best to do one thing that is simultaneously my job, my passion and my push toward a better world. Having a corporate job that pays, and doing non-profits on the side, looks like a lesser alternative.
But the Greeks had an entirely different starting point. For them, taking money for political activity would cheapen and degrade the experience, and put your motives under suspicion. The basis of a political life is the freedom to reason and act apart from pure self-interest. So they serenely and proudly built on the very separation that I've been wondering how to eliminate.
In case you were wondering
Burning Man was awesome, and you should go.
Spring equinox
The sun is out.
There's a rock paper scissors tournament downtown this weekend.
The beat just dropped in the track I'm listening to.
75% of my MySpace Top 8 Friends are beer.
I'm slouching in front of a computer screen, listening to electronic music, in the under-furnished offices of a startup. Yay it's 1999!
Christ that was eight years ago. Eight.
Christ that was eight years ago. Eight.
Slaving away near the sin mines
I'm now spending a few days a week working for a company in the Flynt Building. On my floor is a mysterious room.
Just throwing this into the ether: I would snort broken glass to get my hands on a Rising High "FACELESS TECHNO BOLLOCKS" t-shirt.
I am getting Sorcerer's Apprentice-level attention from sexy MySpace spambots. It's clearly only a matter of time before some poor guy brings a hot girl home from a bar in real life, and then for pillow talk she's like "CHEAP V1AgrA GREETINGS LAGOS BANK TRANSFER".
I fucking hate January
There is nothing good about this month. It's too cold. There's no sun. The holidays are over. If January was a gift you'd return it. Shit, all the smart animals skip this part of the year completely while still burning fat.
(Yeah so I have problems with February too. I'll keep beating on this topic until we get some changes around here. Like, pool party weather. Or some sort of yearly government-subsidised migration to the southern hemisphere. No justice, no peace.)
RETURN TO LA - RIDDEN HARD AND PUT AWAY WET - BACK TO A BETTER WEIRDNESS
Six days, motherfuckers!
Even the crucial Lego analogy!
7G iPod with enhanced support for colocation
So I'm in DC for a while. I forgot one very important thing in my car, on the roof of a parking structure near LAX, inside a glass-steel bubble, under a 24-hour heat-cool cycle. God, I am bereft.
woo summer
weekend plans - going up-country - electronic camp music
photos i might print super-huge and put on my wall
Taking the train through southern California is a strange, foreign luxury, like having a sommelier pour your drinks at a football game. Most of the trip has been through densely populated areas, so the driver's been leaning on the horn (or the conductor's been hanging on it, or whatever) most of the way. The train tracks don't skirt the cities - it's a constant level of sprawl and we're just cutting through it. Mostly, though, it's the novelty of public transportation that makes an impression - you've given up some of your God-given auto-driving freedoms to sit on this train, and in exchange you get to sit and relax for a bit. books to read
- amazon wishlist
- hm, should i read the Dark Is Rising series again, or will it disappoint me?
- the art of looking sideways
- book on the underground railroad
2005: the year in cities
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Tucson, AZ
Boston, MA
Cambridge, MA
Saint Thomas, USVI
Sao Paolo, BR
Salvador da Bahia, BR
Recife, BR
Washington, DC
Black Rock City, NV
Wait, is that true, did I not visit New York at all last year? Jesus.
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Tucson, AZ
Boston, MA
Cambridge, MA
Saint Thomas, USVI
Sao Paolo, BR
Salvador da Bahia, BR
Recife, BR
Washington, DC
Black Rock City, NV
Wait, is that true, did I not visit New York at all last year? Jesus.
Santa Monica has the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. Of course, I've seen them all from inside my office...
You are 'regularly metric verse'. This can take
many forms, including heroic couplets, blank
verse, and other iambic pentameters, for
example. It has not been used much since the
nineteenth century; modern poets tend to prefer
rhyme without meter, or even poetry with
neither rhyme nor meter.
You appreciate the beautiful things in life--the
joy of music, the color of leaves falling, the
rhythm of a heartbeat. You see life itself as
a series of little poems. The result (or is it
the cause?) is that you are pensive and often
melancholy. You enjoy the company of other
people, but they find you unexcitable and
depressing. Your problem is that regularly
metric verse has been obsolete for a long time.
What obsolete skill are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
to read
Anatomy of Criticism by Northrop Frye
The Art of the Novel by Ian Watt
Art and Illusion by E. H. Gombrich.
Anatomy of Criticism by Northrop Frye
The Art of the Novel by Ian Watt
Art and Illusion by E. H. Gombrich.
After 24 hours without coffee, life becomes meaningless.
Radiohead's weblog is exactly what you'd want it to be - lo-fi, tossed-off, a buncha pics and late-night, stream of consciousness bursts from all the bandmates. Thom being arty. They all seem like lovely lads with good chemistry between 'em. I'm sorta pessimistic about the new album as a result. I remember all too well how cool it was to be watching the webcam pointed at U2 in the studio - and then they released Pop.
Radiohead's weblog is exactly what you'd want it to be - lo-fi, tossed-off, a buncha pics and late-night, stream of consciousness bursts from all the bandmates. Thom being arty. They all seem like lovely lads with good chemistry between 'em. I'm sorta pessimistic about the new album as a result. I remember all too well how cool it was to be watching the webcam pointed at U2 in the studio - and then they released Pop.
You will receive email confirmation of your order shortly.
So I just ordered all 11 of the Analord records.
I'm actually thrilled to be back into Aphex again, somehow it helps me feel more whole again. I loved him beyond reason for the longest time, and when I stopped feeling his work it was disheartening, literally, in that it suggested that my emotions were fickle, not connected to substance in any important way. I spent years living in his world and then - nothing? So reconnecting with this stuff has sort of strengthened my feeling of identity, like I'm reconnecting to my 20-year-old self.
Ironically, it was another Warp record that triggered this little avalanche today, Jamie Lidell's Multiply. I read an obnoxious set of posts from Momus chastising Lidell for abandoning the revolution and cashing in on his avant-cred by recapitulating the styles and gestures of the masters. Infuriatingly on-the-mark.
And that's what I love about the best Aphex, it's not trying to be anything else. It's not entirely correct to say that's it's forward-looking: a lot of his best melodies are wistful child-like stuff. But it's imaginative and compelling, like a new organic thing.
So given the fact that, based on what I've read, this whole series is a self-consciously retro move on RDJ's part, I could be setting myself up for a lot of disappointment, drukqs-style. But I found just enough favorable reviews online (some from surprising sources) that I started to get excited about the idea of wading through 11 slabs of afx vinyl.
And what pushed me over the top, I suppose, was a loyalty to me circa 1998, when I immersed myself in a sound, subjected myself to the discipline of new genres. Which is the opposite of what I'm doing now. But the idea of force-feeding myself academic electronic music, or classical music, or anything else really, is not appealing to me right now.
But in the future ... well, anything's possible.
Irish bed & breakfasts are the best. Any place that instructs you to get your room key from the bartender definitely has your best interests at heart.
ok i'm sorta spoiled
My boss is handing out copies of Tufte's "The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint" to everyone in our group. Pretty subversive given that our company is built on slides.
My boss is handing out copies of Tufte's "The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint" to everyone in our group. Pretty subversive given that our company is built on slides.
bring back email
I miss email. IM has replaced it for most of my online social interaction. If you chat to someone for five minutes every day or two, there doesn't seem to be much point in spending an hour writing an update on the last month of your life. I miss using friends as an excuse to sit and reflect.
I miss email. IM has replaced it for most of my online social interaction. If you chat to someone for five minutes every day or two, there doesn't seem to be much point in spending an hour writing an update on the last month of your life. I miss using friends as an excuse to sit and reflect.
i got pranked
(18:46:07) mactheosx: Ilxor?
(18:46:10) Lukas: ?
(18:46:20) mactheosx: ure weird lol
(18:46:40) Lukas: huh. still blank.
(18:46:55) mactheosx: i just got my new laptop today, i'm excited lol
(18:46:59) Lukas: oh
(18:47:02) Lukas: nice white font
(18:47:13) Lukas: glad you like the laptop
(18:47:15) Lukas: yeah
(18:47:15) mactheosx: oh =-O
(18:47:17) Lukas: me ilxor
(18:47:31) mactheosx: I understand
(18:48:30) mactheosx: Your not talkign
(18:48:43) Lukas: i'm a bit busy at the moment
(18:48:55) mactheosx: busy causes stress, and thats not good lol
(18:49:02) Lukas: i agree!
(18:49:13) mactheosx: uh huh... sure lol
(18:50:18) mactheosx: is there something u want to know about me?
(18:50:40) Lukas: like your name?
(18:50:43) Lukas: that'd be nice
(18:50:49) mactheosx: lol your funny
(18:51:18) mactheosx: haha, FunnyMuffin.com has really funny pictures. have you ever been there?
(18:51:38) Lukas: er, no
(18:51:50) mactheosx: well, maybe
(18:51:50) Lukas: i'll put it on the list, tho
(18:52:07) mactheosx: ure weird lol
(18:53:08) Lukas: right, i'm weird. you're writing in all white and won't tell me your name!
(18:53:09) mactheosx: uh hello? why aren't you talking?
(18:53:24) Lukas: cuz i want to finish my work and get out of the office
(18:53:35) mactheosx: i am NOT your babe...
(18:54:14) Lukas: um
(18:54:14) Lukas: ok
(18:54:24) mactheosx: what?
(18:54:52) Lukas: you said you weren't my babe
(18:55:06) mactheosx: leave me uot of this. i did nothing wrong
(18:55:22) Lukas: you're a bot, aren't you?
(18:55:36) mactheosx: im not a bot, lol did u really think i was?
(18:55:51) Lukas: heh, prove me wrong
(18:56:01) mactheosx: ugh
(18:56:17) mactheosx: You have been talking to a computer! One of your friends is reading the whole conversation and laughing it up right now! GET EVEN! Have the bot talk to all your friends by visiting chattingaimbot.com
(18:46:07) mactheosx: Ilxor?
(18:46:10) Lukas: ?
(18:46:20) mactheosx: ure weird lol
(18:46:40) Lukas: huh. still blank.
(18:46:55) mactheosx: i just got my new laptop today, i'm excited lol
(18:46:59) Lukas: oh
(18:47:02) Lukas: nice white font
(18:47:13) Lukas: glad you like the laptop
(18:47:15) Lukas: yeah
(18:47:15) mactheosx: oh =-O
(18:47:17) Lukas: me ilxor
(18:47:31) mactheosx: I understand
(18:48:30) mactheosx: Your not talkign
(18:48:43) Lukas: i'm a bit busy at the moment
(18:48:55) mactheosx: busy causes stress, and thats not good lol
(18:49:02) Lukas: i agree!
(18:49:13) mactheosx: uh huh... sure lol
(18:50:18) mactheosx: is there something u want to know about me?
(18:50:40) Lukas: like your name?
(18:50:43) Lukas: that'd be nice
(18:50:49) mactheosx: lol your funny
(18:51:18) mactheosx: haha, FunnyMuffin.com has really funny pictures. have you ever been there?
(18:51:38) Lukas: er, no
(18:51:50) mactheosx: well, maybe
(18:51:50) Lukas: i'll put it on the list, tho
(18:52:07) mactheosx: ure weird lol
(18:53:08) Lukas: right, i'm weird. you're writing in all white and won't tell me your name!
(18:53:09) mactheosx: uh hello? why aren't you talking?
(18:53:24) Lukas: cuz i want to finish my work and get out of the office
(18:53:35) mactheosx: i am NOT your babe...
(18:54:14) Lukas: um
(18:54:14) Lukas: ok
(18:54:24) mactheosx: what?
(18:54:52) Lukas: you said you weren't my babe
(18:55:06) mactheosx: leave me uot of this. i did nothing wrong
(18:55:22) Lukas: you're a bot, aren't you?
(18:55:36) mactheosx: im not a bot, lol did u really think i was?
(18:55:51) Lukas: heh, prove me wrong
(18:56:01) mactheosx: ugh
(18:56:17) mactheosx: You have been talking to a computer! One of your friends is reading the whole conversation and laughing it up right now! GET EVEN! Have the bot talk to all your friends by visiting chattingaimbot.com
Wow, February really sucks. Every year it manages to catch me off guard with its badness. I'm trying to figure out a way to express my loathing of the second month without doing any actual work, stand by.
ok:
ok:
a few days ago
REC → GRU → DFW → LAX, EDT → PDT, R$ → US$, 1N → 10W, KXLU → Public Enemy, "Welcome to the Terrordome". Hi Los Angeles, nice to be back.
REC → GRU → DFW → LAX, EDT → PDT, R$ → US$, 1N → 10W, KXLU → Public Enemy, "Welcome to the Terrordome". Hi Los Angeles, nice to be back.
Dylan wants to know what else is as good as BoingBoing. I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head, but I'm going to track the sites I visit today and see what happens. (These are all sites I visited by keying in a URL, not while clicking around.)
Slashdot
AskMetaFilter
BoingBoing
kottke.org
Gizmodo
Engadget
Terra Nova
Crooked Timber
Haddock
Slate
(a bunch of World of Warcraft sites...)
Something Awful
I Love Everything
I Love Music
Slashdot
AskMetaFilter
BoingBoing
kottke.org
Gizmodo
Engadget
Terra Nova
Crooked Timber
Haddock
Slate
(a bunch of World of Warcraft sites...)
Something Awful
I Love Everything
I Love Music
So I ordered an iMac, which is supposed to arrive around the end of the month. Now I visit the Apple support forums every day, so I can do things like check out pictures of someone else setting up their iMac. What's wrong with me?
to load onto ipod
Orbital, In Sides
Underworld, dubnobasswithmyheadman
Aphex Twin, Come To Daddy
Michael Mayer, Fabric 13
Luomo, Vocalcity
CCR
Figuring out what I load onto my iPod first might be a good way of figuring out what my favorite albums are.
Orbital, In Sides
Aphex Twin, Come To Daddy
CCR
Figuring out what I load onto my iPod first might be a good way of figuring out what my favorite albums are.
I met Gisele Bündchen today. I was dropping off my roommate's cat at the vet, she was dropping off one of her four dogs. Since we don't have a cat carrier, the cat was in a cardboard box. With a Clue box (Simpsons edition) taped to the top to hold her inside. It was a little embarrassing. Gisele listened while I explained to another pretty girl why I had such an unusual cat carrier.
harvard theater database 2.0
I don't remember doing all that shit.
(ok, that Revisionist History poster was pretty kickass)
I don't remember doing all that shit.
(ok, that Revisionist History poster was pretty kickass)
ALSO I had a birthday party and here are pictures.
fortune cookies
I've opened two fortune cookies in the last couple weeks. At some point early in the interview process, I got this one:
PEOPLE FIND IT DIFFICULT TO RESIST YOUR PERSUASIVE MANNER.
Now, while I'm waiting on pins and needles to hear back, I get this:
A TEMPTING PROPOSAL WILL SOON PRESENT ITSELF TO YOU.
Whoever's got the sense of humor, quit it already.
I've opened two fortune cookies in the last couple weeks. At some point early in the interview process, I got this one:
PEOPLE FIND IT DIFFICULT TO RESIST YOUR PERSUASIVE MANNER.
Now, while I'm waiting on pins and needles to hear back, I get this:
A TEMPTING PROPOSAL WILL SOON PRESENT ITSELF TO YOU.
Whoever's got the sense of humor, quit it already.
It's going to be slow around here until I sort a few things out. Have a dig through the archives.
my birthday party
Ben blogged about it. I'm not sure he appreciates how much effort I put towards entertaining everyone.
Ben blogged about it. I'm not sure he appreciates how much effort I put towards entertaining everyone.
stolen from ilm
My next album is going to be called "I Swear To God I'm Totally Going To Kick Your Ass"
My next album is going to be called "I Swear To God I'm Totally Going To Kick Your Ass"
today i placed an ad on craigslist
"wanted: cute girl to watch french new wave films with"
First in a series. Feel free to suggest more.
"wanted: cute girl to watch french new wave films with"
First in a series. Feel free to suggest more.
Christopher Walken says Ladies are your
trouble!
"Okay....look....friend. You've gotta stop
thinking about the girl. She...she lied to
you- your family knows it. Look, I knew that
stings, like a wasp, like a wasp with teeth,
baby! Here's some walking around money. Take
it from me, go and get yourself a new suit.
Not one of those JC...Penny jobs, but a good
suit. A nice fabric, like Wool. Get yourself
a wool suit and enjoy yourself. See a
cockfight, anything, pal? Look, you're number
one."
What advice would Christopher Walken give you?
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I dreamt about Andy Warhol last night. He carried a Fred Astaire cane and said he was running for president.
I'm moving to Los Angeles in four weeks. This is a chase scene and I'm jumping onto the next speeding car.
Lukas (10:04:55 PM): i can't believe how long ago the first underground party was
Lukas (10:04:59 PM): I'M SO FUCKING OLD
Lukas (10:05:04 PM): hey
Lukas (10:05:13 PM): if you put the space in the wrong place (as i originally did)
Lukas (10:05:15 PM): it's
Lukas (10:05:20 PM): I'M SO FUCKIN GOLD
Lukas (10:05:26 PM): i'll have to remember that
bex (10:05:26 PM): GOLD
bex (10:05:31 PM): yes
Lukas (10:05:47 PM): i will undoubtably make everyone sick of that joke as we move closer to death
Lukas (10:04:59 PM): I'M SO FUCKING OLD
Lukas (10:05:04 PM): hey
Lukas (10:05:13 PM): if you put the space in the wrong place (as i originally did)
Lukas (10:05:15 PM): it's
Lukas (10:05:20 PM): I'M SO FUCKIN GOLD
Lukas (10:05:26 PM): i'll have to remember that
bex (10:05:26 PM): GOLD
bex (10:05:31 PM): yes
Lukas (10:05:47 PM): i will undoubtably make everyone sick of that joke as we move closer to death
me: "he's best when he sticks to melancholy tracks with weird drum noises."
me: "come to think of it, that describes about half of the music i like."
me: "come to think of it, that describes about half of the music i like."
reading list
my family and other animals
toop, ocean of sound
yoga for people who can't be bothered to do it (?)
burke
wodehouse, uneasy money
Alexander of Macedon, a historical biography by Peter Greene
waugh, decline and fall (?)
schumpeter, 'capitalism, socialism and democracy'
seabiscuit
auerbach, 'mimesis'
walter benjamin, 'illuminations'
Amazon.com wishlist
my family and other animals
toop, ocean of sound
yoga for people who can't be bothered to do it (?)
burke
wodehouse, uneasy money
Alexander of Macedon, a historical biography by Peter Greene
waugh, decline and fall (?)
schumpeter, 'capitalism, socialism and democracy'
seabiscuit
auerbach, 'mimesis'
walter benjamin, 'illuminations'
Amazon.com wishlist
I'm playing at Hibernia tomorrow (Friday). In Boston? Come. Otherwise, I'll be recording, and posting the results, good or bad. (Yeah, didn't happen. The manager of the bar decided he didn't feel like opening that night. At around 9pm, apparently.)
On the plus side, summer is an excellent time to have all your plans shot to hell. It's impossible to remain permanently pessimistic with this much warmth and sunlight. And after you've become reconciled to an entirely different year than the one you'd been imagining, it's just possible that the teacup will jump up and reassemble itself. This time I got lucky.
Cory and I got kicked out of the 4th of July. Doesn't affect our feelings, though. God Bless America.
I just had so much fucking fun spinning at Signals and Systems. For my last mix I went from Pita's "Get Out" to Curtis Chip's...uh, the last track on Zod #4. Fuck yeah.
My friend Etienne is in town. Check out these photos of him I took with my digital camera!
[X] [X] [X]
Oh, that's right. I lost my camera.
[X] [X] [X]
Oh, that's right. I lost my camera.
I thought if I charted my productivity day to day I might be able to shame myself into working faster. This doesn't seem to be working. In the first place, I quite frequently lie about how much I got done on a particular day. In the second place, if I didn't get anything done, putting down '2' for the day isn't quite grueling enough. Time for something more extreme: at the end of each day I'll write down exactly what I've done and my plans for the next day. Unfortunately, since much of the information I'm working with is proprietary, I won't be able to make this diary public. Too bad, would have been a nice way to induce better work habits.
Incidentally, this is just the sort of artificial, self-directed personal growth effort that made me puke as a teenager. I suppose this is growing up.
Incidentally, this is just the sort of artificial, self-directed personal growth effort that made me puke as a teenager. I suppose this is growing up.
My set last night was awful. I recorded it. Why? Why not give memory the space to work, to fail? Memory's failure would be my opportunity to turn it into, at least, a mediocre effort. But since I have the tape...
Scared? Yes, I am. Beautiful spring days always seemed pregnant with...something, now it's menace. I keep reminding myself that we're not the first to go through this, that the Beats did their thing back when new houses came with bomb shelters. During the Blitz pieces of London would just blow up, with no warning, because the V2 rockets came in too fast to be audible. But people still ate at cafes and had sex with strangers. People still go to nightclubs in Tel Aviv.
At the airport, flight delayed. And that gig I mentioned is looking highly provisional. That is, I'll still be at Vertigo with my records, sipping free drinks, but I only go on if enough people show to fill up the dancefloor and then some. Apparently, the lounge was drawing too many people away. Heh.
11:11pm, and I'm at work. And I'm glad; recently I haven't felt worthy of the fun I've been having. Pacing around the office, talking to myself, scribbling uselessly on a whiteboard...coffee!
Update: 12:44am. Still juggling many mental balls, but their orbits are becoming more erratic.
1:43am. Progress. The fog is slowly clearing.
Update: 12:44am. Still juggling many mental balls, but their orbits are becoming more erratic.
1:43am. Progress. The fog is slowly clearing.
Yay! A gig! May 21st, 11pm-2am, for Chasm at a Boston club called Vertigo. I'll be playing in the chill-out lounge upstairs. My set will be micro/tech-house, like the Cellar gig, but more relaxed and less quirky.
I wish I could say this was because I got off my ass and started promoting myself, but I just woke up yesterday and found the invitation in my inbox. Not that I'm complaining.
I wish I could say this was because I got off my ass and started promoting myself, but I just woke up yesterday and found the invitation in my inbox. Not that I'm complaining.
Good Christ, there's another Lukas Bergstrom in the US. I thought I was the only one outside of Sweden. Not only that, he lives in San Francisco. He probably works for Google and dates Nicole Kidman, too.
I've long had this juvenile fantasy that the sullen clerks where I buy my records would recognize my taste in music and welcome me as one of their own. Last night it actually happened. They were playing Pepe Braddock's mix of Iz and Diz's 'Mouth'; I asked what it was, and he handed me the sleeve: "House record of the year." We started talking, and before long he was handing me records to listen to, saying "where is it, it couldn't have been sold, nobody ever buys good music in this store" and gratifying stuff like that.
[14:38] Lukas3030: but it's friday...get to leave work for a few days...get to sit in my room...rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...
[14:38] maltedmonkey: word
[14:39] maltedmonkey: i get to leave early too
[14:38] maltedmonkey: word
[14:39] maltedmonkey: i get to leave early too
I'm walking to work Monday. Three kids are ambling down the middle of the sidewalk. I'm in a hurry, so I split the trio, mutter 'excuse me'.
"My man got a pink shirt on."
I turn around. "Salmon. It's salmon-colored." Oh, you saw that Friends episode, too?
"I look at it, I see pink."
I throw up my hands and keep walking.
"My man got a pink shirt on."
I turn around. "Salmon. It's salmon-colored." Oh, you saw that Friends episode, too?
"I look at it, I see pink."
I throw up my hands and keep walking.
There are no traces of bad weather left in Boston. Expected high for tomorrow is 91 degrees Farenheit. There's something sinister about all this sudden sunlight and warmth. Going outside is like walking into some weird philosophy thought experiment: "How do you know you experienced six months of winter? What if those memories were implanted in you by an evil scientist?"
"Here, have a cream pie . . . hey!"
This weekend I visited my friend Charlie -- Charlie's been a friend since the 5th grade -- and his fiancee. While I was there, I found out I get to help plan his bachelor party.
I wonder if the 1945 edition of Emily Post's Etiquette I just got on eBay will have anything to say on the matter. This is going to be a rigidly correct affair from top to bottom, you understand.
The party's in August, and to be honest I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. Mostly, I want to strike the right tone -- I want the party to be memorable and story-worthy, but I don't want to do anything that would make Charlie too uncomfortable to enjoy himself. And, damn, it's part of the wedding of one of my oldest and dearest friends in the whole wide friggin' world, I want it to be perfect.
I wonder if the 1945 edition of Emily Post's Etiquette I just got on eBay will have anything to say on the matter. This is going to be a rigidly correct affair from top to bottom, you understand.
The party's in August, and to be honest I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. Mostly, I want to strike the right tone -- I want the party to be memorable and story-worthy, but I don't want to do anything that would make Charlie too uncomfortable to enjoy himself. And, damn, it's part of the wedding of one of my oldest and dearest friends in the whole wide friggin' world, I want it to be perfect.
This is Lukas Bergstrom's personal site and weblog. New entries are posted to the front page with an irregularity bordering on inconsideration. Mostly, it's my personal bookmarks and annotations, with some consideration afforded to visitors. I also use it to post dj sets (ambient, idm and tech-house). You can email me at lukasb@gmail.com.
Information about this blog:
links to/from: blogdex, technorati
geneaology: blogtree
geography:
title: I really hate the title of this blog, but I guess I'm stuck with it now.
syndication: rss 2.0
information about me:
last.fm profile
flickr: photos, profile
here's what i've been listening to recently...
(disabled due to brokenness on the other end)
Information about this blog:
links to/from: blogdex, technorati
geneaology: blogtree
geography:
title: I really hate the title of this blog, but I guess I'm stuck with it now.
syndication: rss 2.0
information about me:
last.fm profile
flickr: photos, profile
here's what i've been listening to recently...
(disabled due to brokenness on the other end)
I've been listening to my sets from the Advocate and the Cellar over and over. It's torture, but it's instructive. I lost the plot at some point during my Cellar set: the track sequencing just became random, and my beatmatching skills disappeared. The Advocate set, the set that I kind of tossed off, turned out much better. Dance sets (like the Advocate, unlike the Cellar), though, it's always easy to put together an emotional arc. With idm, what, I move from melancholy to playful and back?
Actually. Hmmm....
Anyway, I'll be posting both sets in the next week or so.
Actually. Hmmm....
Anyway, I'll be posting both sets in the next week or so.
The death clock says I've got until Monday, January 15, 2052 to figure stuff out.
(this one was written around February 2001)
[omitted]
Actually, maybe not. As much fun as that kind of anger-fueled writing can be, I think I'll leave it in the past. The curious can check out the old site for themselves.
[omitted]
Actually, maybe not. As much fun as that kind of anger-fueled writing can be, I think I'll leave it in the past. The curious can check out the old site for themselves.
Apparently I'm the kind of person that kicks dogs. I experienced this epiphany after lashing out at a Dalmatian puppy that jumped up on my leg during breakfast. I know, I know -- boo, hiss.
Words you never want to have directed at you in combination:
- arrears
- situation
- initiate
- notice
- statute
Played the gig. People seemed to like it, and my mixing wasn't awful. Still, I'm not happy with the way it jumped around from track to track, rather than flowing smoothly. The tracks I mixed didn't sound bad together, but I'm not sure if anyone besides me could discern the logic behind my track seqeuencing.
Ok, I give up. My cell phone and my beautiful new digital camera are gone forever. Still, it wasn't a totally wasted night. I walked up to the turntables at one point and asked Derrick Carter if he wanted a drink. He drinks Cuervo and Red Bull, turns out. After I delivered the drink he called me back to thank me and shake my hand. (starstruck)
I don't suppose anybody happened to find a cell phone and a digital camera last night in the vicinity of the Phoenix Landing.
Sigh.
Sigh.
I've been seized by a sudden desire to repost the random scraps of writing that were on my previous site. Unfortunately, most of them are bitter screeds against ex-girlfriends. Better stamp them with creation dates to prevent any confusion.
Anyway, thank you, Wayback Machine!
Anyway, thank you, Wayback Machine!
