Everything is new

New Job, new city. Other things are new as well, but we won't go into that. I guess I'm back. Cheers! L. all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

project

 


all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

my mom gets me...

I just got the best birthday present ever - my Mom finally groks me.

Long story short - My Dad was a Mercedes guy, but used to buy my Mom quality boring automatic cars to drive. When he passed away, she kept buying quality boring automatic cars. ( I did try to teach her to drive a manual once, in my 90 coupe quattro, but that's another story ) Last year I had an opportunity to do some work for Google in the EU, and so I gave my hopped up A4 Special Edition to my 80+ year old retired elementary school teacher Mum. The timing was right - she's retired and does what she wants when she wants, and now has reliable wheels with a warranty and 24 hour roadside assistance. ( Please try to imagine Mom + Audi, cruising up and down the eastern seaboard, stopping at random spots and visiting sorority sisters and relatives at all hours of the day and night ). Anyway, so she took the car in for an inspection on Monday, and called me Tuesday to wish me a happy birthday. The interesting part of the conversation went something like this:

Mom: " Less Charles, I took the car in for service, and as usual the service people were so nice! Did you call them and tell them to be nice to me? "

Me: " Only that first time. That's what you get in that type of car, mum."

Mom: " Well it was wonderful! They inspected the car and didn't try to add any ridiculous charges, and the service manager took me out so I could get some lunch while I was waiting on them. Oooh Less, you should have seen this car! It was a little two seater, a little bigger than the one you used to have. The manager asked me if I wanted to trade up, but it was what, 120 thousand dollars? If I was a little younger I would have done it! I told him how much I was enjoying your car, and that this one was right up your alley. You know the one I mean? It had the little window in the back so you could see the engine and everything. I asked him "who really needs to see the engine when you're in the car? "

Me: " The service manager took you to lunch in an R8?!"

Mom: " I think that's what it was! I knew you would know."

Me: " You're right Mom, that's exactly what I want. If I won the lottery tomorrow, that's exactly what I would get!"

Mom: " No, my good man you would not! - If you won the lottery tomorrow, you'd pay off your house! And then maybe you could get one. Be sure and get the automatic in case you go overseas again..."

40 years old, and she's still telling me to eat my vegetables - but she groks me about cars. Best present ever!

all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

the perils of jeepin with TomTom

Frustrated with companies that don't take active roles in theft deterence...

open letter to TomTom

clearly you know these things are often stolen, but since it's in your best interest to sell more, you're not doing much about it. A bit of customer loyalty would be appreciated. Since I've bought three of these things and recommended numerous others, I would have expected you to do something about making it easy to enter stolen serial numbers etc., and take an active role in theft deterrence. Since you are clearly not interested in that, I think I will have to recommend other solutions that are. I was disturbed with the lack of concern with the initial theft of

DeviceName=TomTom ONE XL
DeviceVersionHW=ONE XL
DeviceSerialNumber=L13477G02490
DeviceUniqueID=AK9AL CSEUS

so I'm not surprised that you guys don't really care about

DeviceName=TomTom GO 920
DeviceVersionHW=GO 920
DeviceSerialNumber=M84048D14514
DeviceUniqueID=AK6S4 BJEUJ

call ref # 090 620 001774. Your rep was nice, but not much she could do since you aren't addressing the problem as a company.


all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

fun with mirrors

Ever do that thing with two mirrors where it looks like you're going back in time ?

Yeah.



all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

Fwd: fun with VMS when you dont know the volume name...

Thanks to Alan Frisbie!!!

this solved a couple of recovery issues for me!

R. D. Davis wrote:
 

> I How do
> I find out what the right volume name of this device is in order to
> mount it, or how else can I mount this disk?

I have a simple procedure for doing this. CAUTION!!! This is
not a good idea to do in most cases. I use it primarily when
mounting CDROMs when there is no danger of someone writing to
the wrong disk.

$! S y s M o u n t . C o m
$!
$! Command procedure to mount a disk system-wide without
$! knowing its volume label.
$!
$! P1 = Disk device name (e.g. DKA400:)
$!
$ Old_Privs = F$SetPrv("SYSNAM,SYSPRV") ! Make sure we can Mou/Sys
$ Mount /NoAssist /Foreign 'P1 ! Let system find volname
$ Label = F$GetDVI("''P1'", "VOLNAM") ! Get volume name
$ Dismount /NoUnload 'P1 ! Dismount disk, but keep it spinning
$ Mount /NoAssist /System 'P1 'Label ! Remount it /System
$ X = F$SetPrv(Old_Privs) ! Restore original privileges
$ Exit

Even he, to whom most things that most people would think were pretty smart were pretty dumb, thought it was pretty smart.
 - Douglas Adams

new thug life!

http://newthuglife.com/

all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

For my pal 2nd Nature

From 2ndnature's facebook....

Hey fellow djs and friends!

Today is the last day to vote for me as your favorite VJ for 2008! So if ya wouldn't mind, head over and vote! THANKS!
http://www.djmag.com/index.php?op=top20vj

My latest video set performed at House of Blues:
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=41012821


As you all know I do a lot of remixes. I've recently finished 2 that I'm very proud of.


A Few Honest Words Remix aka "Barack Obama Remix"
I co-produced it with a cello player and singer from Louisville, KY named Ben Sollee http://www.myspace.com/bensollee
http://www.2ndnatureremix.com/AFewHonestWordsRemix.mp3

My first fully original dance remix. Very pop so not for everyone.
http://www.2ndnatureremix.com/FallForYou_2ndNatureRemix.zip

And a very quick house remix of Lady Gaga 'Just Dance" done with Antonio Smith
http://www.2ndnatureremix.com/LadyGaga_JustDance_2ndNatureandToneremixver2.mp3

THANKS FOR LISTENING

all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

A funny thing happened when I went to Europe, and came home to find the rednecks have nearly taken over. No, don't get me started on the election.

Wow, it's been months since my last post. I've been working overseas, and busy as a ... well, busy.

One of the strange twists of fate about this project has been that I didn't want my car to sit around. So I gave my mom my 05 Audi a4 special edition. It's been tinted out with custom wheels. Just the thing for a 70+ lady to hit the AKA and Boulé meetings in. That's my mom for you - she loves to see the jaws drop.

Anyway, so I came back earlier than I thought. I wanted to get back around Thanksgiving, and pick up a sports car, but life kind of got lived there for a minute, and here we are. So we needed something now, and we actually settled on a Jeep.



I used to build 4x4s for fun a long time ago, and I'd forgotten why I got out of it. Now I remember - it's the assholes. I went looking on Petersen's forums for some build tips, and got so frustrated that I wrote the following diatribe - I was/am so upset that I figured I'd repost here, thus this entry

**********************************

I've got to say I hope most of this is just some testosterone fueled chest beating, and we'll get back to the learning part in a minute.

I grew up with willys, broncos, power wagons, and harvesters. I've wrenched K5s, and SJs mainly, and admit to owning a couple of xterras. They were all good at different things. The garage is a tool-box - you get the tool you need to do the job. If you don't have it, you ask a friend.

What I'm hearing is that we've all kind of forgotten that we don't all have the same jobs to do, and so it's kind of a my hammer's better than your hammer thing, when my hammer's not a hammer at all, it's a screwdriver. Or maybe even a level. I'm also hearing that we may have forgotten that we just need a claw-hammer, not necessarily a sledge. Lastly, I'm hearing that we've all gotten fed up with ALL the manufacturers for selling us tools, for whatever purpose, that are cosmetic and unreliable.

All of that to say this - I'm the guy you're all getting down on. With a lot of hesitancy about Chrysler, I just bought a new ( to me ) jk 4x4, and I do think it's softer than I remember. I've got a day job, and I haven't been anywhere but down some powercuts yet. However, it's hard enough to get me and my kids to the camps, and I'm finding a lot of parts. My wife loves it. Time and spirit willing, it'll get me and my family out into the woods, and back again, and that's what it's supposed to do. So no, I probably wont build another crawler or mudder with it - I'll just drive it and replace the things I don't think are making the grade until it becomes the tool I need.

That's what I came to the forums for - to find people that know more about it than I do, so I can find the parts and techniques I need to make the truck do what I need it to do. If it's not capable, or I made a poor tool selection, I'll get something else. But unless someone misrepresented the capabilities of the tool I selected, you wont hear me complaining about that company. Nor will you hear me bad mouth anyone else's selection in return because it doesn't fit my needs.

One final thing before I get off my soapbox and we get back to learning - I haven't been around forever, but during my years, I've noticed that there is always someone that's better at "it" than I am. I can recall a particularly humbling experience where I couldn't get a jacked xterra up a narrow rocky arroyo. I tried a bunch of lines and none of them worked. My mechanic was out that day, and took my x through with no problems, then had me take his stock CJ through with him spotting the same line. I thought the jeep made it look easy, and I told him so. He told me the reason it looked easy from the jeep was because he'd been able to see me blow the line 6 times in the x and had figured it out.

Can we get back to figuring it out now ?




all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

Working in Mons

I'll include just this one, because it reminds me of something my friend benzilla might have cranked out.


My Employer has sent me to Mons to do some work. The catch is that I have to find my replacement before I can come home. But they were cool about it, and let me bring my family. So head on over to picasa and check out the pix!

Belgium

Cheers. Missing you all.



all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

early release for good behavior...

All,

thanks to tunecore, this came out early. It should be hitting itunes on april 22 or so.


Deadsuperstar, MP3 Album Music Download at eMusic
Deadsuperstar by Dead Moon at eMusic. MP3 album download, Alternative.

enjoy!

L.

all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

deadsuperstar

I got bored over Christmas and started a record company. First off, I published a bunch of older work from Superstar Pillowfight, but now I am cleaning up my solo back catalog and recent stuff. It's mostly music for film, and it's mean to be edited. But I'm happy to be back in that saddle again, keeping my work/life balance. Cheers!





all works subject to copyright. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

Gmail - P1020705.JPG

Gmail - P1020705.JPG


...what you look like AFTER you've finished scraping a ceiling? Well wonder no more.


all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

My idea of a good time...

Now that x-mas is over, I can get down to my idea of a good time.


Cakebread is a special treat to myself, and Mingus is Mingus. I might be reading something a little heavier than Weber, but hey - it's fun time, and I love military space opera. I'll save the Dostoevsky or Republic for some other time.

“ου φροντις 'Ιπποκλειδη - Hippocleides careth not”

Happy new year!

oh, and if anyone's wondering, no, I didn't get the new Zeppelin box set.

all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

Super duper busy, but traveling at c

and:

'nuff' said.

all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

Be there - dont be square.

all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

super duper busy

WOW have I been super duper busy with all kinds of excellently great stuff for that place that I work for that i cant tell you anything about.

it is EXCELLENT.

never met so many smart people in one place that are so focused on making stuff happen like it's supposed to.

and my boss doesn't suck.

gotta go take care of getting some people promoted...

cheers,

- d

all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

And Of Course...

Linkage love...
all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

Things that amaze me....

People do great work all around you - sometimes you have to stop and smell the greatness.

My friend Accipiter is an awesome photo editor. He's something of a mash up freak in general, with a great appreciation for other people's works. It's rare that a week goes by that he's not sent me or my wife a link of some awesome music or visual mash up. But he also does his own great work; he does both composites and removals. Dont like that shady guy in the background of your wedding photos? ZZZZAAAAPPPP! gone. You'd never know. And in this case, he's taken one of my favorite scenes, from one of my favorite films, and cleaned it. Leon the Professional style. Accipiter: Nettoyer.

Check it. Before After

all works subject to copyright. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.

Times change

Wow.

Time flies when you're having fun.

Got a new job. if you know me, you know what it is. The rest of you, keep guessing.

My lovely wife told me some of my links here had degenerated into porn. Not surprising - they were probably pretty close to begin with. Sorry guys, all that's been fixed.

I'm going to try to dig up some Superstar Pillowfight links and stuff to put up here - I'll let you know.

Anything else ? not at the moment.

L.

all works subject to copywrite. Anything here just reflects my mindset, not that of my friends, relatives, employers, etc.