I'm an Australian, based in the Washington, DC, area of the United States. I spend a lot of time there with Jasmine, Australia's best-known speedsolver of the Rubik's Cube. Prior to the US, Jasmine and I were based in London, UK. We have also lived previously in the United States and Australia.
I have worked for an Australian business rules and compliance company since 1999 in Australia, the US and the UK. I have also lectured in IT and Law related topics at King's College, London, and at The Australian National University.
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- February 2007
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These are a few of my favourite links:
- Jasmine's site
- Jasmine's blog
- Mikal
- Daveydweeb
- Beth
- Lyn
- Doug
- Marissa
- Lisaloha
- David (Greenomics)
- Paul's Ramblings (music)
Hits since 1 Sep 2004
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Site design by Jasmine
Fri, 17 Sep 2004 [Australian eastern time]
[/Popular culture] permanent link
One note, over and over; and low tech music for high tech people
I have been known to listen to The Ramones, although I have to admit to seeing another band instead when The Ramones played on one of the many stages at Sydney's Big Day Out in 1994. I was young and stupid back then.
The net has been littered with articles and tributes following the passing of guitarist Johnny Ramone, but one in particular caught my attention. I came across an article in BoingBoing that published Johnny Ramone's guitar solo for "I wanna be sedated" -- one note, over and over. When I followed a link back to the original source of the guitar tab comment (a site called Crooked Timber), I felt like I was entering a web of linked Ramones tributes. One comment (originally from Weasel Manor) caught my eye: Johnny Ramone "took the instrument away from the rock gods and handed it back to the rest of us".
Recently, I found another site which proves that cool music can be made of quite simple stuff: www.micromusic.net, which bills itself as a community about "low tech music for high tech people". MicroMusic is all about music inspired by early computer game soundtracks -- the type that contained lots of "ping" noises -- not like today's game soundtracks that just have some CD-quality industrial band to keep you company as you blow stuff up. I thought the site was a lot of fun.
And I could go on now about all the cool bands that have ended up writing computer game music, but I might save that for another time.
It's all about God, relationships, donuts
I got home today to find a flier from a local church (Grace Community Church of Arlington) in my mailbox. Apparently, the church is about to run a series of sessions about relationships -- finding the love of your life and then living with them. But what really grabbed my eye was a note down the bottom:
FREE DONUTS. September 19th is Krispy Kreme Sunday! Join us for free donuts.
You can see this announcement if you scroll to the bottom righthand corner of the church homepage (as of today, anyway).
This is a great gesture. Krispy Kreme donuts are one of the things that make America great (even if Krispy Kreme coffee is possibly the worst I have ever tried). But I had never seen donuts used as a marketing tool by a church before.
Still, this might not be a bad idea. At work, maybe I should offer every government agency that signs up for a large deal with my company a Krispy Kreme donut.