Category: Uncategorized

So after some discussions with people at work, I’ve realized that it’d be nice if I had someway to force my musical tastes on you lot.
So, behold, as a sort of holiday gift, I’m going to be streaming 12 hours of meticulously selected music tomorrow, from the moment I leave in the morning (8 AM) until I get home post-dinner (roughly 8 PM). I’m streaming with Nicecast at 56kbps; I should have enough bandwidth to squeeze the entire audience of the six people who read my blog daily in.
Like I said, this is the result of my meticulousness. Each minute of aural pleasure is hand-crafted from my absurd range of ratings and metadata to provide the optimal polyphonic auditory experience. Look, I even have a schedule (all times are Eastern and VERY approximate):
08:00 – 08:28 | Wake Up Mix
A handful of random songs, all having to deal with sleep in some way. Prodigy, TMBG, Ted Leo, Akira Yamaoka, and more.
08:29 – 09:30 | Best Of Beatmania IIDX
One of my existing playlists – three songs off each of the OSTs I have, taking you chronologically through what I consider to be the best music from my favorite music game. Plus, a remix at the end.
09:30 – 10:00 | Taste Of FPM
A very small handful of Fantastic Plastic Machine, the very finest in Japanese House.
10:00 – 11:00 | Get Your Bootleg On
An hour of bootlegs, mashups, and fan-made remixes. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll demand to know where I found this stuff.
11:00 – 12:00 | My Bizarre Tastes In Hip-Hop
From MC Chris to Asletics to Jurassic 5, this only proves I’m mentally insane.
12:00 – 02:00 | Burnout 3 Custom Soundtrack
Two hours of music I use when playing Burnout 3; all good driving music – also good working music. Death In Vegas, Underworld, Green Day, Chemical Brothers, and many more.
02:00 – 03:00 | Afternoon Nap
For the post-lunch sleep we all need, some downtempo and trip hop. Massive Attack, Tosca, Thievery Corp, etc.
03:00 – 03:30 | Ben Folds Interlude
Finishing off the nap, a handful of Ben Folds, including a number of songs off his new EPs.
03:30 – 05:00 | DJ Shadow’s “In Tune & On Time” & “Pushin’ Buttons Live”
An hour and a half of DJ Shadow live. Hear him mix his own stuff first with “In Tune & On Time”, and then listen to him, Nu-Mark, and Cut Chemist go nutty with the drum machines on “Pushin’ Buttons Live”.
05:00 – 06:00 | Best Of M-Flo
If you don’t like m-flo, what the hell is wrong with you? Japanese hip-hop with some eclectic twists.
06:00 – 06:30 | Obscurity
The most random stuff you’ve never heard. Strange covers, local hip hop, and oh yes, MC Pee Pants.
06:30 – 08:00 | Best Of Orbital
Closing out the night, my selections of the very best of a band I wish hadn’t broken up this year. Closing out with the epic, unmatchable 28+ minute version of The Box.
In total, it’ll be 141 songs of bliss. I hope you’ll tune in and enjoy. Link to the streaming server will be posted in the morning.

What follows are hastily jotted down observations about New Orleans:
I passed a free standing building entitled “JAX DAX” – selling only daquaris. Well, there was a sign in the window for EGG NOG as well.
Sign for a business entitled “DOLLAR $NACK” – no idea what they were selling.
Passed Crescent City Baptist Schools, which was an elongated building – like a car dealership. Also helping this mentality: A large sign, with a logo and phone number, and in bold letters underneath: “OUR PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN CAN READ – CAN YOURS?”
I saw at least three buildings labeled with “BLDG.” after their name. Apparently it’s easy to forget that buildings are buildings in Louisiana.
Another oddly named business: “Spa’n Tub World”. No space between the “spa” and the “‘n”. Still can’t figure out proper pronounciation of this.
Another business: “Big Fat Christmas Tree Company”.
Advertisement: CHRISTMAS ON BROADWAY. At the Baton Rouge Casino, which is arguably not on Broadway.
I went into the cleanest mall I’ve ever been into in my life – the Canal Place mall – which is like a miniature 5th Avenue. Lots of fashion designers and such, with a little indy theatre at the top. The only odd part? Two school buses were parked out in front of Sak’s 5th Avenue.
In another shopping stretch, a store entitled “Del Sol” – selling only hypercolor-style shirts and merchandise.
In the same mall, I walked by a fudge shop three times, not giving it any notice other than the smell of fudge eminating from it. On the fourth pass, I thought to myself – thinking I was being witty – “I wonder what they’re making at the fudgery!” I looked up – the place was, in fact, named “FUDGERY”. I left defeated by my own joke.
Fun at conferences at hotels: The fact that everyone uses the same shampoo. 150 heads all smelling of peppermint rosemary leads to some nice aromatherapy.
Strangeness of the W: The minibar contained an “intimacy kit”. Two condoms, tube of lube, and some antiseptic wipes. $10.
The casino across the street from the hotel had both “Winning For Dummies” and “Jeff Foxworthy You Might Be A Redneck” slots.
All that said, I enjoyed the area, and I hope to head back there sometime.

Katie the Bag Lady, originally uploaded by Dan Dickinson.

Katie was mentioning that there was a new bag she wanted for her birthday. I immediately went into the closet and threw every bag she owns on the floor.

After some laughter over the absurdity of her collection, we decided to make a little photo shoot out of it.