Thursday, June 30, 2005

instant death vs godheadsilo

The best damn hard rock bass/drum duo is instant death dave & scotty byrne write damn near perfect rock tunes in a 1-2 minute blitz. Their perfect tune is called "The Enabler" which is on my top 100 drunken sing along song list. Other duos of interest: The Spinanes, Bubble/gum, and godheadsilo. The tradition is bass and drums or bass and guitar. Two bands eek on my list because of their stripped down sensibility drums & Tuba, which actually is one of the funkiest trios(drums, guitar, dobro)I've ever heard live, what makes them unique is that they sample each other so all these extras layers get added. Catch some tunage on their myspace site. The other was this touch and go band calledBad Livers They also had this cajon south western feel which also incorporated a dobro. Silliest track was 'sleepy peepy'. We won't mention that current famous duo here on this post as they get enough press.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

How to make Rational Unified Process fusion salad

The explanation for what is the Rational Unified Process from Wikipedia free encyclopedia is pretty decent. Wikipedia is this weird project that you can contribute to which I found when trying to learn what some of these achronyms (RUP) mean and their applied uses. Some I knew already like FTE and FPE. Some I have made up myself to move a conversation along(heh he). It is so comical how all this 'applied process theory' though are so much more like a philosophy. Where true gaps exists, and it's no wonder anything ever gets done in this world and no amount of theory is ever going to be replaced by AI. I have been finding that people are mostly affraid to set deadlines/timelines which is ironic as a self proclaimed PM/Producer(talent manager), it's extremely annoying, when you're trying to figure out the next job phase and noboby can commit, they give partial answers, lack of follow thru and or by the time they do, you've moved on to the next pitch, changed focus and even funnier than that, is that is the exact description of a Project Manager's job responsibility, is to manage accountability, expectations, and to manage these exact company issues. There are different grades/types of pms but that is a whole other story.
Simply: I look at process models as a group making a salad. (Yes it's close to lunch time) Everybody is in charge of one part of what makes the end product a salad. Everbody has particular things they like in their salad, or something they are in charge of of for said sald. Yes, the analogies are easy to see, and what makes an awesome salad is when everybody in the team has idea of what the other persons is good at or responsible for and one of those duties is knowing when the salad is ready to eat.

Sunday, June 26, 2005

cannondale Mt bike fly attack

You know you are deep in the woods of NH when the bugs are hitching rides and turning to you asking for your tourist visa. It was great to get on the bike but the air was so thin, even at 9AM, I felt demolished by the time we got back even for just 4.5 mile ride. I also forgot my bike tool. Later that day I watched the national geographic channel about last years Mt lion attacks. Pretty vicious thing that happened. Apparently happens all the time in Bombay but just starting to get humans. I believe mostly do to the lions 10 Mile hunting radius! And when you have 40 lions in a wooded area being developed they have to adapt to the changes in their ecosystem.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

kicking out bad habits

I am my reality kicking what I know as certainly bad, unheathy obsessive behavior can be adjusted. Some say do to depression. I can probably agree, although, as I am also in touch my artistic selfand I know love to escape and meander around, selfishly. There are casualities. I can kick it. I kicked video games. I know I need to focus to reach my 5 year plan which is in reach.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

What defines you in an Interview?

Do you define your self thru work? Your Art? Your spouse? Your family? Your sense of perspective? Your ability to spin the story in a focused direction? Through the way you communicate with your friends? Should your writing(1) equal your outer speaking voice(2) or by your ability to observe(3) things happening around you. I think the triad formula is the answer.

Do you gage your sense of self by how much you talk or how much you reveal? I fear I don't reveal enough verbally. I certainly am reserved in that respective. I don't like to brag but I imagine in some ways the Interview is the forum, but it needs to be done with style, you don't want to sound like some prophet, then it might seem like you're just there to entertain them. Because one thing is for certain these are self examining times. Vices are an easy place to run to when I am not on point. I know even in an interview I do a lot of listening to people. Maybe too much. There is an art to listening as much as presentation. I read somewhere that an interviewer should do 20% of the talking. I am not sure this is right. My talking skills needs to be sharpened as I have been trying to add to my resume and not just read off of it. I like to be efficient when I speak. But maybe I should have a couple different scripts so I stay on point. I wish my writing were tighter; that is for sure.

Recently, I have been coming in with my own agenda: check list of typical questions HR questions and then some of my own. The anticipated interviewer questions are usually right on the mark. Those who have spent the time I think actually read/glossed my resume we were actually able to have a conversation. I've spent a lot of time combing it and finessing it, and customizing it for my audience. Granted not all interviewers are good interviewers. They want to be fed. In some respects this notion is correct. The phone has been ringing and one of the questions I have been asking my potential employers is how I have faired in their interview, and what are they looking for. Some are reluctant and some were up front. It's a "personality" mesh we are looking for one said but wouldn't say what kind. One gentleman told me exactly were I landed compared to the other candidates and that was very helpful. So this lead me to my first question of the day. Who am I?

I know I have the ability to adapt quickly to a new environment's culture. This is how I was brought up. Do people see this as a weakness or an asset?

How do you know your presentation of self is effective? What are the rules for giving somebody confidence in your abilities: suit, posture, eloquence, straight narrative, wishy-washy back tracking factor, balance of honesty. My first inclination as to the outcome of the decision process has to do with personality mix. Second, believability/ confidence factor, 3rd experience and 4th skills. My attitude, in the back of my mind, has been that the interview should have read my resume more than once for their wants need to be clear? I got an awesome company interview yesterday for this Agency that seems to want to nurture their employees, but will the 2nd interview come? Granted it was a sessioned tag team interview (where one person comes into the room at a time and then leaves--my terminology) I have also started to rate how I think their perception of my presentation went. Over all I give my self two out of three stars. Mostly having to do with an awkward start for one of them and them not knowing what the other person asked.

I am going to start putting more weight on the initial small talk, not just if it happens
or not but the way you respond to it. I think in the few interpersonal communication classes I took. This was discussed especially for high stakes interaction. There is so much at play when your on the other side of the table it can be unnerving and slightly madening.

The thing you don't say are also important. I've been told by one of my ex-supervisors that I am really laid back. In the sense that I am comfortable will be appreciated by some that but commented not everybody would. Ok so posture is good. But my gut tells me I don't want to be too over the top and stiff. The suite commands posture. I think my confidence might be deceiving me. I certainly like to be in the drivers seat and control the narrative my way. But what about others? What are the ones who land the gig doing or have done differently with their self presentation?

Friday, June 17, 2005

blog lunch

blog lunch lunch
blog lunch lunch,
originally uploaded by daviso.
After taking the pooch for a walk, I got the urge for a dog. Saw an increase in site traffic because of blogexplosion and blogclick which is pretty cool. I did notice that my blogger template choice is quite popular and I A) either should customize it a wee bit more or b)find a more unique one. Once I find an appropriate image for the header, I am sure I will change my opinion.

To blog promote or not: reviews

I know I am an ego maniac when it used to come to monitoring my usage stats for my rock band's websites, I still pop in every once in awhile to see what keywords people googled, etc. but don't bother updating the sites as much:
A: no shows B: no real activity to announce. (Life has happened) I obviously added a banner and links to my sites so people could find me if they really wanted to. (duh) [If you know where this is going skip this entry]

So, to start promotion I of course hit up google and found this list of sites that offer traffic building programs. The result I found most useful was on miriadz.com. A bunch of blog link trade type sites and credit banner programs came up. I won't know results until later after i've spent some quality time earning credits and if some of them were worth the hours for set-up, and investment of some browsing time. So we'll see what sort of traffic they generate collectively. Obviously people have these same obsessive compulsive needs to blog. Sarah did her research and can wax on for you from her post yeterday, and her counter shows her dedication at 33 thousand views. Now that is progress.

I found this pretty cool comic book/music site called stupid beautiful
after joining blogexplosion which overall had much better content and better looking blogs. The only problem I had found seemed to be cache related, as these type of sites have human click navigation, that you have to click where they dictate, in order to prove you are not a bot trying to spidering and earn false credits so others(a pyramid schema of sorts) can do the same for you. Eventhough I think this technology has been beat already and I will have to amend this post with info later after I visit the blog forum.


Another "traffic" builder I tried was blog clicker which left me we wondering where have all the creative people gone? It was easier to use, yes. but over all blogger content was on the lame side and the people's template choices left a lot to be desired, not all but most. Seemed to be less metropolitan and more middle america. Might just just be me being classist.Emoblog, was the opposite, totally striped down on purpose, which I respect aesthetically but the content of some of the random samples was fairly boring. People like eye candy, so if your're looking for advise, make sure you have something a little special, if your're not sure get an opinion from somebody else. I know boring content is going to happen so don't be prepaired to be blown away but do make sure to link to the sites you like. That is the best filter. Your're on your own for for these: Blogcrowd | Successful bloggers and report back. Would be good to know.
Have a quality day. I have to make something happen with mine.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Back to the music of relevance

While I've been trying to work out my need to work, the music has been ignored completely like an orphan. The guitar sits lonely, silently vibrating by itself and the melodies have luckily been able to sing to themselves. Although the creative juices can always be kick started so they flow, there is the truly mundane to contend with. Analog living's main diet of relevancy must be addressed for my democracy to exist as it is luckily my choice and path. Others will not ever get such opportunities and I am lucky for that.
The day has slid dark and I just got inspired to actually listen to music, even though yesterday I was taking care of business with the emusic folks, tracking down paperwork and looking at some rather lame download reports, no fault really of aviso hara as we've never been championed or business marketeers and for some reason we're our own masters again - allegedly living myths. The time in between performances is getting longer and for some reason the desire to rock is still there and that is all the relevant evidence I need.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Tastemakers still say: Hit it or quit it

See how music industry sources like billboard are still trying to remain relevant with their re-sourcing like hits from the web. Missing is itunes reporting (of course). So many interesting weird things out there. Including the hit predictorwhich has been around for a couple years and claims 75% accuracy. Where is the human radio element in all this? I know where: Tastemakers do not rely on algorithms. They use their damn ears. What does the perfect hit song look like? What does it smell like? Who are they? Who starts the ball rolling? My answer is of course the artist but who listens to them anway... Record executive would love to control them but the internet is surely spinning everything out of control and that is awesome. []

The Gathering of a doomed Nation

The nation is Gathering so they can romp freely like the buffalo on their continually expanding wifi networks. Somehow more disconnected. I only cared for less than two seconds if Jacko was going to get acquitted. A reasonable doubt leaves a lot of room for his high paid lawyers to show. Where were you when you found out? Is it possible for the mass migration to come full circle and away from this need to be connected? Are we doomed? Can you live without checking your email for a day or two? How many times a day do you check it? I used to have a rule BJS (before job search) that I did't even check personal email on the weekend, forget about work unless there was a pending deadline. People just can't help themselves, it's so damn easy, and a huge productivity distraction when not work related. I remember having a constant need to have my yahoo irc on way back when before friendster/my space etc. Much more important than work. I eventually just stopped and focused on work up until it became a useful work tool again and everybody had one. Oh Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Personally, I saw the light a few years ago in 01' and since have been working to enjoy my off-line time -- it's harder than you think. Give it a go.

Analog Living is evidence of my own corruption and human need to communicate; but that hour spent plugged into music while on a train or bus is priceless, the satisfaction of a well tailored lawn, the perfect barbq, the perfect blog entry, oh so many other things. Life has become so much more demanding and we're all guilty of forgetting how to live. In particular those of us living in metropolitan areas.

Ask yourself: Does doing things faster and immediately raise response expectations? Certainly the edicts' are scrupulous. I know I like to sit on email responses to make sure I am clear, while trying not to seem passive aggressive in my delay time. People appreciate good timing and manners. I know exercising the delete key is always a wise choice too. Now, put that into play and see how you feel.

Monday, June 13, 2005

Ridin le info chu chu

Ok this a transit entry from my phone while on train. F'n a!
-du


Ademdum: the above post cost me .25 cent.

Alotto wrote about the 14 best phone blogs. My particular favorite is mobile girl. She wrote a line that was very sexinthecity "...are we beginning to enter the information addiction age?" My answer is the minute Marconi created the concept of free flowing radio waves - the game was on. It's just moving fast babe. Which is also oh so close to my old video game addiction theory that people can be addicted to anything... sex, disinformation, hollywood etc. etc.

open source music geeks strike again

Our life is being infested and meshed with new ways to share music across airwaves, radio satellites and now from your car! A rolling radio station as reported by Technologyreview.com (MIT's daily news) where just like a shared podcast play list, you can now be a Car DJ thru a Hi-FI Wi-Fi network of course would be optimum. Now if I can only convert my old g3 harddrive into a linux server...
 
 

Saturday, June 11, 2005

now this is power man

I have spent a large part of this week catching up with blog ecosystems,  blog nodes and all the little quirks of self publishing. Good part is just the satisfaction of the set-up. The list of pros and cons is growing. Eventhough spent most of the morning reading up and asking myself questions,  like what was my usr/password again for this site? Do i have a c name record. Advantages, easy factor etc.
 
  • http://www.livejournal.com/users/daviso live journal templates we're cool but no sub-domain
  • flickR is a cool photo posting utility that has proofed to be quite useful.
  • blogger so far is most robust. Lets see how far i can take it. Seems I have a few other test accounts here can't get the one I recreated to post properly on one of my own domain yet.open design tech.
Well this post is being done via email. lets see how it goes? By far posting image via email is the coolest. Have to set this up for blogger next... so much to do so little free time.