Mar 30 2002 0 comments

Sorry -- this entry removed at the subject's request. It may return later, after other events transpire.

Mar 29 2002 0 comments

I'm just a fan of Frank Welker - he is so damn cool, he puts everyone to shame. He did the voice of Abu in Aladdin, he was the voice of Freddy in every Scooby Doo cartoon for the past 30-plus years, and he's the source of pretty much every animal noise in film today. Just look at his IMDB entry -- 333 credited roles, 181 guest appearrances. A-fucking-mazing! I've rarely seen Mr. Welker on TV, but this clip from the short-lived "Manny the Uncanny" (56K - 200K) has him joking around with another of my favorites, Paul Rugg, at the LA Zoo. I've spent most of the morning trying to make the monkey-noises, but despite seeing how Frank does it, I've had no success. Frank Welker is a god.

Mar 23 2002 0 comments

Am I so unusual, as my senior yearbook attests? Unusual is maybe the best term, rather than "weird" or "strange" - I'm not the usual person. As you roam through my websites, you can see I have a very unique take on things; some is maybe the wrong way, but it's still "unusual." Unusual maybe isn't always greatest, compared to some of the other categories in my yearbook: "outgoing," "talented," "likely to succeed." I'm pleased, though. I try to keep things interesting, unpredictable. Absurd even.

Speaking of which, I've updated my Backwash column, which is tied to a new "art" entry.

Mar 21 2002 2 comments

It's official, we've got a certificate -- Destiny now has part of MIT named after her. I purchased the naming rights for the Floor Formerly Known as Dead (in Random Hall) in an eBay auction for the magical sum of $36 (shipping included!). It turns out, the money was going into a community account for the purchase of Destiny Floor items (and not beer), so I was extra-generous and sent $100 instead. I was prepared to spend that much, if not a little more, anyway, and I remember the intrinsic value to a college student of a nice VCR or cooking utensils. Hopefully they bought something that they'll enjoy.

As such, the dorm government documents now officially discuss the state of Destiny -- here's a sample:

As mentioned before, it's easy to check the status of Destiny's bathrooms, thanks to the MIT bathroom server. Also, Destiny Floor is home of MIT's LEGO robotics lab, and classes are actually taught there.

Soon the Destiny Floor residents will have some pictures of Destiny to hang up. At their request, I mailed a photo-collage of Des, so they have an idea of what their new "mascot" looks like. Random Hall hasn't updated it yet, but their Rush website still calls the floor "Dead" in the maps. I'm sure that'll be fixed by the fall, unless some other change happens first. Hopefully, they'll keep the name 'Destiny' for a long, long time. At least long enough for Destiny to actually understand and appreciate the honor!

Mar 20 2002 0 comments

I posted a comment about privacy & identity theft on Plastic, and while writing I was going to mention North Dakota's BCI. I didn't actually mention them in the end, but I found some cool links. First, wanna get a copy of my criminal background? The form is downloadable, and only costs $20 to file; reminder, you either need my authorization, or you need to notify me of the release of information. I'll even autograph it, if you like!

Next, North Dakota has an online list of all registered sex offenders in the state. I'm not on that list, thankfully -- I even did a search to make sure.

Finally, here's how to get a concealed weapons permit in North Dakota. Don't worry -- it's easy! Even a blind man can do it.

Mar 20 2002 0 comments

Megnut is way cool (cooler than Kottke) -- she saw the brilliance of Zoolander as well (she re-mentioned it recently, after buying the video).

When it came out, I hesitantly wanted to see Zoolander. I'm not that big of a Ben Stiller fan, and I was worried that it could turn out to be horribly lame -- come on, fashion models as secret agents? The phrase is funny, yeah, but pulling it off in a comedy is another thing entirely. I finally gave in one lonely night. With nothing better to do, I spent a wrinkly dollar to see it at the cheap theater, and I was very impressed. I already mentioned it once, so I'm not going to go into it again. Now that it's out for purchasing, I'll have to go buy the DVD. And, Ben Stiller should be happy to hear that I am starting to appreciate his work.

Mar 20 2002 0 comments

Daily Condition:

in CD player: A mix CD of MP3s - right now, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

my condition: It's the first day of spring; why is snow falling from the sky?

Mar 19 2002 0 comments

Ashley Judd called in to Car Talk this week. Yeah, they joked around about her racecar-drivin' husband, but what struck me was how she just sounds like a regular person; she wasn't "on" like a lot of actors sound when presented with an audience.

Mar 19 2002 0 comments

First of all, this is art: Beck's iPod playlist, expressed as ASCII art of his own head.

Next, this is strange: I think these kitties spoke to me.

Finally, this is cool: a Destiny-branded clothing line.

Mar 18 2002 0 comments

My uncle is back in business -- Blacks Photography is now open. Destiny has been a help to Kevin as a model for his equipment tests, and when I started hanging up photos in the office coworkers took notice. Kevin has a distinct style of photographing children, which caught the attention of people that had mourned the closure of Kevin's old business, Downtown Photo. Kevin has said that he won't need to advertise the business: his old client base & referrals will keep him plenty of busy.

Mar 17 2002 0 comments

I've made a new contribution to the Mirror Project, plus I've added an update to Destiny's site.

Mar 15 2002 0 comments

Derek Recommends:

film: Ice Age

Ignore the Hollywoodisms, just sit back and enjoy. This ain't anime, it's not high art; it's just cute, early entirely funny, and good viewing for the whole family (despite poop jokes).

Mar 15 2002 0 comments

I bemoaned the state of music sharing services a while back, but I've found one that works - AudioGalaxy. My brother and I downloaded boatloads of Raymond Scott and Esquivel tunes last evening; so many, in fact, that I stayed up way later than I expected, and as such I'm quite sleepy today.

"...I downloaded it last night. I'll burn you a CD of all the songs later."

"Boy, for a professional photographer, your idea of 'intellectual property' is pretty lax..."

"Well, you see, when it isn't MY art, it's a different story!"

Mar 14 2002 0 comments

"You make the whole world wanna dance
You bought yourself a second chance
Go baby go go
We're right behind you
Go baby go go
Yeah, we're looking at you
Go ba--"

"DAD!"

I turn down the car stereo. "Yes, Destiny?"

"Stop singing -- it's hurting my ears! I want her to sing alone. Turn it back up."

Alas, my vocals are not complimentary to Shirley Manson's lovely voice. The radio is turned back up, and I resort to mouthing the lyrics.

Mar 13 2002 0 comments

How sad -- only two films have Fargo, North Dakota listed as a filming location, according to IMDB. I think we have MUCH to offer as a filming location! There's a river, and a couple bridges, and it's really really flat! I suggest you let any filmmakers know that Fargo has been overlooked.

Mar 13 2002 0 comments

Daily Condition:

in CD player: mix CD of MP3s. currently: Self, stay home.

my condition:Low key: last night, went bowling with classmates; this morning, dentist & haircut for Destiny; didn't have to be to work until noon.

Mar 10 2002 0 comments

Daily Condition:

on TV: a infomercial for an exercise program. I'm not listening closely; I think one of their ways to lose weight includes "sexual aggression." Freudian ears, I guess.

my condition: counting the seconds until Destiny comes home. Installing Windows 2000 to pass the time.

Mar 8 2002 0 comments

A snail had lived in Destiny's fish tank for around 6 months. This week, I noticed the shell hadn't moved in some time. I cleaned the tank and, sure enough, the shell was now empty; the snail had probably died in the past week. I showed the shell to Destiny.

"Where's he go?"

"Well, the fish probably ate him after he died. Do you want to touch it?"

Hesitantly, she took the shell in her hand and studied it.

"You can keep it if you like; you can put it on the shelf with the shells you found at the lake."

"No. Should I put it in the toilet?"

"No, you can just throw it away if you like."

"Okay."

Just a little sign of her becoming a grown-up: she realizes that pets are treated differently than non-pets. The snail's shell wasn't to be played with like the ones found in the sand - as with the fish that have died in the past, the snail's remains were to be disposed of.

Mar 7 2002 0 comments

While combing my hair, now
And wondering what dress to wear, now
I say a little prayer for you

Dionne Warwick tunes should be required for men's bathroom Muzak. I could pee all day long listening to her music.

In a week - or maybe two - they'll make you a star
Weeks turn into years and quickly pass
And all the stars there never were a parkin' cars and pumpin' gas
I've got lots of friends in San Jose
Wo oh oh oh

Mar 5 2002 0 comments

Music sharing services were once touted as a way to find out-of-the-ordinary cuts, rather than just being an opportunity to steal music. I'm now believing the latter is the truer statement.

Running right now, for almost an hour, is a search for MP3s with titles containing the words "esquivel," "raymond scott," "george shearing," or "ahmad jamal". Yes, that's OR any of the names. All are quite revered jazz musicians, and since most of their works are out of print, Bearshare would the the ideal place to find their works, don't you think? Not true. "ahmad jamal" and "george shearing" some up with a few hits, but even the recently-deceased (and long name-dropped) "esquivel" has no results whatsoever.

A search for "korn" fills my screen instantly with hundreds of hits. "britney" is just as successful. "moby grape" has none.

Mar 4 2002 0 comments

Derek Is Reading:

Imperial Stars by E.E. "Doc" Smith and Stephen Goldin

Mar 3 2002 0 comments

Have a gander - the core code of Destiny's new website is online & viewable. No content yet, but you can click around and go "oooooooh" if you like. Navigation is intentionally odd, both experimentally and in hopes of being more useful than the "standard" website formats. Shortly, lots of photos, art, homework, and maybe anecdotes & stories, and whatever I can pull together, will be forthcoming.