Dan Dickinson: The Primary Vivid Weblog

Short version this week because I’m in Ithaca after three days of Turkey and we’re going shopping shortly. Touch Me, by Supreme Beings Of Leisure, off Divine Operating System Fantastic bouncey house tune I had forgotten existed until it came on my iPod. Nearly impossible not to like. Logical Dash, by dj TAKA, off Beatmania 5th Mix OST I don’t know what it is about Logical Dash, but there’s this fantastic hook of the beat and the hoover-esqe noise in the background. And you can’t help but love the BASS PLEASE, OOOOWOOOO! Landslide, by Smashing Pumpkins, off Unplugged I used to hear this all the time on WICB, and now it’s mine, all mine. This is the best cover of Landslide ever – screw the Dixie Chicks. orbit 3, by m-flo, off The Intergalactic Collection I don’t know how I forgot about this, but here’s another fantastic m-flo song. The melody and the rhythm here drive the whole song, and Verbal’s rapping in the middle is fantastic. If you haven’t been exposed to m-flo, do it NOW. Give Judy My Notice, by Ben Folds, off Speed Graphic EP I’m always shocked at how well Ben Folds works with just a piano. Here’s more evidence. That’s all for now, we’ll be back home tomorrow.

In mostly alphabetical order: 30-day unlimited ride Metrocards, for making my traveling (mostly) hassle-free. Apple, for making 40 gig iPods that keep me sane during my commute. Everyone at and associated with Freeverse, for making the work portion of my life fun and interesting at all times. Giovanni at Forma Italia, for making the best pizza in the world. Josh Davis, for being a bad ass motherfucking DJ. m-flo, for making the best damn hip-hop I’ve heard in years. People like Atrios, Eric Alterman, and Kevin Drum, for doing their best to keep the world sane. R Stevens, for the best comic ever. The people at the laundry place in LaGuardia Plaza, for taking another bit of hassle out of my life. The people online that affect my life for the better on a regular basis – Jared, Nastassya, Hannah, Paul, Brett, Peter, Corey, Malcolm, Don, Ryan (both of them), Kim, and everyone else I’m forgetting in my tryptophan-induced state. Thom and Gil, for still checking in regularly. And as always, Katie, for being all I could ever ask for. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. And never forget the epic words of one of the world’s most famous actresses in one of the most talked about movies of this year… “It’s turkey time. Come on, gobble, gobble!”

Rockstar loves controversy, and controversy loves Rockstar. Grand Theft Auto, after years of being a sleeper hit, rose to national attention with GTA 3 and Vice City, and countless news reports were done on what the effect might be on the youth of the world. Lawsuits were filed. Millions of games were sold. State Of Emergency got off the ground to similar effects, except that the game was so uniformly bland that the attention rapidly dwindled. But now, with practically no advertising, Rockstar has released what may be their most violent game ever. Titled Manhunt, the game revolves around a man on Death Row being falsely executed, thrown into a run down city, and forced to fight for his life while the “Director” hisses directions in his earpiece and videotapes the whole thing. Yup, it’s the only video game where you are an unwilling actor in a snuff film series. Read on, won’t you?

I went back to Best Buy at 6 PM, after I got off work. Lo and behold, four copies of Midway Arcade Treasures were out. I am so busting that kid with the manager next time I have a free minute.

The sun has been shining, the temperature has been around 60. A beautiful November day. Something had to fuck it up. I decide to go to Best Buy to try and find Midway Arcade Treasures during lunch. Now, I had been of mixed faith about the Best Buy on 23rd & 6th; for weeks they had been fucking with me by not getting anything in on the release date, or not having what I wanted in. Luckily, the service staff has mostly been nice to me, including going to the back without me asking to check if they have things in stock. This is how I got Manhunt on Friday, so I was certainly on the “pleased” side of things when I went in today. But when I went to the video game section, my arch-nemesis was working. You know the type – greasy shoulder length black hair, a little pimply, completely unconcerned with anyone in the department, and completely inept. I walked to the PS2 section. I see that there are no copies located by the sign for MAT. I check the “front display”, there’s nothing there either. I sigh and approach the Greaseball. Me: Do you have any more copies of Midway Arcade Treasures for the PS2? Note the key word in this phrase: More. Implying that there aren’t any there. So what does the kid do? HE WALKS PAST ME AND LOOKS TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY ON THE SHELF. Then he turns to me, shakes his head, and gives me a big shiteating grin. I storm off towards lunch at – you guessed it – Boston Market. It had been almost a week since our fateful play, and I walk in and – like the gods are against me – there’s the same fucking inept girl trying to take my order again. I was ordering for Ian as well: Me: I need a grilled chicken sandwich and a meatloaf sandwich. Her: blank stare What? Me: CHICKEN. SANDWICH. AND. MEATLOAF. SANDWICH. Her: goes over to the carver, says something quietly Carver: WHAT? Me: I am not having deja vu at all. Her: comes back over One more time? Me: I need a grilled chicken breast sandwich and a double sauced meatloaf sandwich. Please. Her: back over to the carver Carver: WHITE OR WHOLE WHEAT? By this point, I have learned my lesson, and just begin yelling instructions right at the carver. He is much appreciative, as am I to be able to get my food without resorting to homicide. And as I’m walking back to the office, you can’t help but notice that it’s a little bit darker and that the wind is blowing enough to make you button up your coat. Yes, the asshats of the world are to blame for it all.

I had almost neglected to do this. My iTunes library hosed itself yesterday morning, and only by a miracle was I able to recover the data for the majority of my library. And then the lovely gentleman Stanley has beaten me to the punch on my own concept. But lo, we must persevere! And by we I mean I! Joga by Bjork, off Greatest Hits Bjork is one of those artists who for years I had a passing appreciation of. I believe the phrase I’ve used before is “wouldn’t go out of my way to buy an album, but wouldn’t turn them off on the radio”. I nabbed Bjork’s greatest hits album a few months back, and while I was on the way to work the other day, this came on and just blew me away. Bjork’s voice has always impressed me as to how well it works with various instrumental backings, and this song uses some very sorrowful strings for great contrast. Quality track, here. Born Slippy 2003 (12 Inch Version) by Underworld, off Born Slippy 2003 EP 1996 was a fairly good year for techno and trance. Besides the US “explosion” of electronia (read: Prodigy and Chemical Brothers getting high profile releases), things began to filter into the general populace a little more. And this was the year Underworld appeared on most everyone’s radar, as Born Slippy NUXX appeared prominently in Trainspotting. Come on, you know the song – the “DUNN, Dunnn, dunnn, dunnn….” of the melody, the driving drums, Karl Hyde’s hypnotic vocals. The new EP in question here, the 2003 mix, replaces the melody with some echoing pianos, giving the track an entirely new feel. Of course, there’s also three other new remixes on the EP, so it’s worth picking up for any Underworld fan. We Don’t Care by The Audio Bullys, off Ego War I’m sure you’ve heard this if you’ve played SSX 3. In the game, it’s just a sort of thumpy-thumpy house tune. On the OST, on the other hand – and also on the original CD – it grows some balls. It’s a fun, unapologetic house song that you just can’t help but to like. It’s being labeled as “hooligan house” by some media outlets, and given how much I dug The Streets, it’d be hard not to dig this. Recommended for anyone who likes The Streets or hard house in general. 6 by Stereoprimer, off SID Tunes SID Tunes is an album full of low-tech dance music made with Commodore 64s. If I need to explain to you why this is logically a good album, you’ve lost all hope. Come On, Ghost by The Pillows, off Thank You, My Twilight I hadn’t even heard of The Pillows until Steve Tze handed me one of their albums after he got back from Japan. They’re a light J-Rock band, and while I haven’t crunched through all of their album, this track has stood out thus far as having a nice hook and good brain-sticking ability. Check it out if you can.

!!!! From the Konamistyle newsletter: Title: beatmania IIDX 7th Style (Tenative) Platform: Playstation 2 Reservation start time: In the next few days Songs: 80 or more planned Features: 5-key/10-key Light-7/Light-14 7-key/14-key Expert Ranking Courses Free Mode Training Mode Beginner Mode Original Course Mode And more! Best. News. Ever.

Lazyweb, you’re my only hope – I need something, be it an app or a small script or something – that will analyze my MP3s and set the BPM field in the ID3 info to a best guess based on the spectral data. If I have to click by hand for the ridiculous number of MP3s I have to approximate the data, I’m going to get RSD. Looking for an OS X solution, although platform agnostic would be fine.

The Market Of Boston
A One-Act Play Based On True Events
By Dan Dickinson
CURTAIN UP:
INT. COUNTER OF BOSTON MARKET AT 23RD AND 8TH IN MANHATTAN.
DAN DICKINSON approaches the counter.  He examines the cold case for a
moment.  He looks at a sign above the cold case and reads it to himself.
DAN DICKINSON
All salads will be freshly tossed on request.  Hmm.
He picks up a CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD as a BOSTON MARKET EMPLOYEE
approaches on the other side of the counter
EMPLOYEE
May I help you?
DAN DICKINSON
Yes, I'd like this salad tossed, please.
EMPLOYEE (blankly)
Tossed?
DAN DICKINSON
Yes.
EMPLOYEE (confused)
Do you need a different chicken breast or something?
DAN DICKINSON
No, I'd just like it tossed
EMPLOYEE (after a beat)
Okay, hold on.
EMPLOYEE walks to the CARVING STATION, located behind the counter.  She
puts the salad down and talks to the BOSTON MARKET CARVER.
EMPLOYEE
(inaudible)
CARVER (shouting)
DOES HE WANT A NEW CHICKEN BREAST?
DAN DICKINSON (from afar, shaking head)
No!
More inaudible dialog.  The EMPLOYEE returns to near where DAN DICKINSON is
standing.
EMPLOYEE
Did you want a new salad?
DAN DICKINSON (getting annoyed)
No.  I just want that salad tossed.
EMPLOYEE
All right...
EMPLOYEE returns to where she put the salad down.  She opens it, and
removes the croutons and the dressing.  She then walks away from the tossing
area, towards the back.
DAN DICKINSON (incredulous)
What the fuck.
EMPLOYEE returns with a MANAGER, and explains the situation.  MANAGER picks
up salad and returns to the tossing station.
MANAGER
I'm sorry, she didn't know what you meant.
MANAGER begins to toss the salad.  MANIFESTATION OF PATHOS enters.
PATHOS
One chicken sandwich, and make it a combo.
With cinnamon apples.  To go.
CURTAIN FALLS.
END.

(If you don’t dig my Bemani nerdisms, skip this post.) So I’m on my way to lunch with my Dad today, since he’s in the city. I switch on my iPod and hit Play. The first song that plays is 19, November. While I’m walking in New York City (which is relevant if you’ve seen the video). On November 19th, 2003. I have had a cry.