Some updates from previous posts in headline format

• LonelyGirl15 (finally) outed as fake
• Regina Spektor not that great especially if you're already sick of Missy Higgins.
• Tiddlyspot now with sexy new logo and over 4000 sign-ups.
• Parker Posey theory challenged by Frankenstein. (though I didn't watch the whole thing so can't say for sure).
• Thom Yorke did some more stunning live stuff from his solo album at the Mercury awards.
• I Killed the Prom Queen okay but needed better PA and (any?) sound engineer. Had profound realisation that I was a sad old dude who should have been at the more age appropriate INXS gig. :)
• Lisa Mitchell is (not so) great (really) but how the heck does Lavina make the bottom three?

Well that will do. Since I'm filling this page up, here's a list of stuff I was going to blog but decided it was too dull. If you want to see/hear any of this then let me know in the comments:

• A video of a 3D rendered flyover of the new motorway they are going to build from the new bridge in Condon to the northern highway.
• Video of kids playing the rainbow perspex water gun powered musical frogs installation at the Thuringowa Riverway opening festival.
• Photos of the lagoon, arts centre, bar etc at Riverway
• Boring store about how I lost my keys
• Video of myself performing "Forever Young" lounge music style on the organ with a bossanova beat and auto bass (actually the video doesn't exist yet but I have been preparing.....)
• A photo of my new door
• More Joanna Newsom lyrics!

Ps, did you know there's such a thing as board game geeks? Look here. Via the blog of my ex comp sci lecturer. John's was my favourite subject. Functional programming with Gopher, or something. I got an HD. Btw, where is Trouble? You have 400 board games and you don't have Trouble???? Tsk.

The new iPod Shuffle

I like that! In other ipod news the nano now looks like the mini and the regular ipod has a brighter screen and more games.

Update:
iTunes 7 is hot. Get it. 'Download missing artwork' is awesome. The cover browser is SWEET.

Update:
Also get it for gap-free playback for your iPod at long last.

all horns and thorns, sprung out fully formed, knock-kneed and upright

From "Ys", the new Joanna Newsom

though my wrists and my waist seemed so easy to break
still, my dear, I would have walked you to the very edge of the water
and they will recognise all the lines of your face
in the face of the daughter of the daughter of my daughter

darling, we will be fine, but what was yours and mine
appears to be a sandcastle that the gibbering wave takes
but if it's all just the same, then will you say my name:
say my name in the morning, so I know when the wave breaks?

I wasn't born of a whistle or milked from a thistle at twilight
no, I was all horns and thorns, sprung out fully formed, knock-kneed and upright
so: enough of this terror
we deserve to know light
and grow evermore lighter and lighter
you would have seen me through
but I could not undo that desire

I wanted to put the whole thing in but thought that might be a bit over the top. ;) Read the rest of the song here if you want to know what she was on about.

But the worst thing about Joanna is I can't really recommend her to you. Her voice is probably going to piss you off. You will probably find it unbearable. Oh well.

The new album is a little different. Ys (pronounced "ees") has five songs averaging 11 minutes each. The material and scope of has gone to a whole nother level of "Joanna-ness" which is a delight for Joanna fans like me but possibly makes the album a little less accessible to new listeners. Then there's the orchestration. It may grow on me but my first thoughts were, 'this would probably sound better without that orchestra'. Sawdust and Diamonds (excerpted above) is my favourite so far and that's the one with solo harp. Anyway, I still give it a double quadruple thumbs up. Have a listen if you can find it and remember to buy it for real in November. Joanna, please back come to Australia, I missed you last time.

Steve Irwin is dead

He was killed in a freak stingray accident while filming a documentary near Cairns. A stingray's tail spine stabbed him in the heart and killed him. OMG!!

Milly was telling me literally last night about how totally awesome he was on the Frank Skinner show when Frank tried to set him up to look stupid over his baby/croc incident. It went a little like this:

Frank: So croc's are quite dangerous unpredictable right? [Shows video of croc eating one of Steve's cameras off a pole]
Steve: Oh absolutely yeah, crikey mate!! Never trust a croc for a second!!!
Frank: So what are you doing here? [Show's baby dangling video]
Steve: Oh yeah jeez, crikey, I got into more trouble than Michael Jackson over that!!!
Crowd: [Huge laugh].
Frank: [Unable to suppress grin].

Frank's not an easy guy to impress but by the end he was totally won over by Steve and they parted with affectionate back slaps, etc. Something like that anyway.

Steve, the world is a little less bright without you in it. Condolances to his wife, children, family and friends.

Lisa Mitchell

She is good. Probably shouldn't be on Australian Idol though. I can't see it being good for her career, especially if she wins.

Freaky Albert Einstein robot video

I've never seen a humanoid face look this real. The future is coming fast. And this is nearly 12 months old.

Op shop scores

Here's what I got this morning... Diesel Jeans (fit perfectly, $12), Country Road pants (ditto, $9), Abercrombie and Fitch shirt (NEVER BEEN WORN, $9), a few other shirts ($3 or $6). Click photo for a closer look. The book is organ music including Blur (Country House), Pulp (Common People), Bon Jovi, Oasis. Hang on.. It's this. Now I'm not sure what I was thinking with the stripey one with the zipper. My judgement may have been clouded by an overdose of caffeine.

See here for previous scores.

Interesting article about YouTube phenomenon Lonelygirl15

I just read this article about YouTube video blogger "Lonelygirl15". Is she real or fake? I haven't seen any of her videos but either way it seems cool. Via stereogum.

Wow

We live in a world where you can buy this. At Costco...

(Via Neatorama).

I Killed The Prom Queen coming to Townsville

All ages gig, this Saturday, 26 of August and the Aitkenvale PCYC. Not really my musical cup of tea but they're pretty hot right now I think. I think I have to go. It will be weird since that's where I go to circuit class.

Update
The poster was gone later that morning. I think some screamo* fan has it in their bedroom.



<sup>* i think...? or maybe they are metalcore. or post-hardcore.

Update
okay, it's metalcore. See here...</sup>

Spam poetry

Weird huh. Could it be that the supreme beings are sending me messages through spam emails? What if I miss something important? OMG!!! Lycurgus???

Well, as I say, I was a little dazed when I came up and she wasstriking about and screaming so. We went out for a row after we got there. And then she began to cry, and I decided I couldnt talk to herany more about it there. Dont be so much of a moral and mentalcoward. Newcombs build to show what would follow in the caseof a girl of the size and weight of Miss Alden? Ever hear of people being resuscitated after they have apparentlydrowned? Well, you left her to wait until she had to threaten you becauseof her own terror and misery. I told you that afterwards I realized thatthere was nothing else to do. But you wanted to get rid of her just the same, didnt you? Why, Miss X and my life in Lycurgus, and what wed be up againstin case we did go away this way. Besides I was afraid if I went near her . And then I decided that if I wanted to save myself Ihad better swim ashore. But with that particular incident the court was adjourned for thisday. How was it that you couldget so calm and calculating the moment you set your foot on land? As far as from here to this end of thejury box or that end, or half way, or what? I dont know whether I did or not, replied Clyde, catching aglance from Jephson. Themoment she was dead to run away to that other girl. Well, then I thought I might run away, but I didnt like to thinkabout that very much. Besides, it had my camera withthe tripod outside. It seems to me that any one might ask that. And a perfectly good boat, strong enough to hold three or four up,within fifteen or twenty feet! You mean your lawyers have explained it foryou! And asthey did so Clyde chilled and stared. You received one on an average of every two days, didnt you? I wasnt exactly gay, I guess,but I thought it would be all right whichever way things went. Her bag was packed full ofthings, but there was room in mine. Well, I had thought about her too, but I thought she was betteroff and could stand it easier. About as far from here tothat end, I guess, he lied, stretching the distance by at leasteight feet. About asfar as from here to that railing beyond your table, I guess. Yet cautiously replying,I wouldnt be able to say.

Get Dancin'

Thanks to an anonymous Disco Tex and his Sex-o-lettes fan for this treat. As he says, ignore the video and Get Dancin'!!!!! Turn it up loud. :)

motorbikes

This morning I went for a lesson on one of these: It's called a Honda 400cc something-or-other. My one was blue. The instructor was very good. I basically rode around in circles in a fenced off area of carpark for about an hour in first and second gear. For variety I threw in some stopping and starting. I managed not to drop the bike or cause any major catastrophy. At one point I had to dodge a forklift that was cutting across my track. I don't think that was supposed to be part of the lesson though. My instructor has one of these: It's called a Triumph Rocket III and is the biggest and most powerful motorcycle ever produced. It has a 2.3 litre engine! I wonder if I can ride that for my next lesson. Probably not.

Interstella

I added a post about some of our gigs over on the web site. You can read it here if you like. Photos coming soon.

The groundskeepers at Rowe's Bay are real turkeys

I played the par 3 course. I scored two fours and a three right here (yeah baby) plus quite a few fine 7s and 8s. Kept the same ball for the entire nine holes. This bush turkey was raking leaves near the carpark. It was very methodical thorough and looked like it had been working for a while. I don't know why it was doing that. Perhaps it was hiding some incriminating evidence.

CoolClock

I made this totally sweet javascript analog clock. Geeky types like me can design their own clock just by editing a little bit of javascript. Works best in FireFox. To use in your blogspot blog you can add this to your template in the <head> section:

<!--[if IE]> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://simonbaird.com/coolclock/excanvas.js"></script> <![endif]-->
<script src="http://simonbaird.com/coolclock/coolclock.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Then do something like this to make a clock:

<canvas id="c2" class="CoolClock:chunkySwiss:65"></canvas>

Also available as a TiddlyWiki plugin. For more information go to CoolClock.

Mark Ryden

I learned about him from tonight's episode of Miami Ink. Check out his art, it's cool. If you like it then you can buy his coffee table book for just US$495.

cuteness

Certain other bloggers have recently posted photos of themselves or indeed their pets, perhaps implying that themselves or their pets are in fact cute. That may be so but as everyone knows the true measure of cuteness is fluffiness. Take for instance Dazey. Now she is cute. But paradoxically she's also sassy. I try not to let it show but I do have a favourite. Don't tell Zooey (and I do love her too) but if the house was burning I'd rescue Dazey first.

random youtubing: caterpillar with fur and giant robot suit

It's a caterpillar! It's got fur! A bug you can cuddle! It's so cool! It could be your pet. Plus look at it's legs. It walks exactly like Catbus! OMG it's a baby Catbus!! And here is some stoner guy's thoughts on the furry bug and another bug he once found. Brilliant. (I love YouTube...)

Also check out the ultimate nerd toy. I like his guns and his target practice setup.

Update: That damn cute mini catbus is totally poisonous! I'm serious:

... venomous spines ... extremely painful reactions... numbness, tingling, rashes and blisters, ... chest pain and anaphylaxis.

Okay, no cuddling the mini catbus.

Miami Ink

This is my new favourite show. It's on one of the Discovery channels. It's a "reality" show about a tattoo shop in Miami. Nothing much happens except people come in and get tattoos. Once they went fishing. The guy on the right is the coolest. Also I like Yoji the apprentice. If you have pay tv then check it out.