bacon tumblr

"Here’s the other problem with Facebook and Twitter and even The New York Times. When you expose..."

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:47:53 -0800

“Here’s the other problem with Facebook and Twitter and even The New York Times. When you expose yourself to those things, especially in the constant way that people do now—older people as well as younger people—you are continuously bombarding yourself with a stream of other people’s thoughts. You are marinating yourself in the conventional wisdom. In other people’s reality: for others, not for yourself. You are creating a cacophony in which it is impossible to hear your own voice, whether it’s yourself you’re thinking about or anything else.”

- William Deresiewicz, in a lecture titled “Solitude and Leadership” that was delivered to the plebe class at the United States Military Academy at West Point in October 2009. Truly moving, but also heavily guilt-inducing, I implore you to devote 30 minutes to reading it in full.

@Methodologie Make Shit Day, in action. (Taken with instagram)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:50:04 -0800

@Methodologie Make Shit Day, in action. (Taken with instagram)

newsweek: floralavenger: Interviewer: You’ve long argued for...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:07:18 -0800

newsweek:

floralavenger:

Interviewer: You’ve long argued for the decriminalization of marijuana. Do you smoke weed?

Barney Frank: No.

Interviewer: Why not?

Barney Frank: Why do you ask a question, then act surprised when I give an answer? Do you think I lie to people?

Interviewer: I thought you might explain why you support decriminalizing it but don’t smoke it.

Barney Frank: Do you think I’ve ever had an abortion?

via

Awesome.

Notice anything different about me? 2012 is going to a be a year...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:07:00 -0800

Notice anything different about me? 2012 is going to a be a year of big change for me, starting with the theme on this blog. I’ve purchased a pretty cool theme called “Notes” by Mikedidthis. It’s new as of January 14 of this year, and even though I found the theme last night, I’ve already had a great back and forth with Mike on how I’m using it and what his plans are for it in the future. Technology!

I gave the Bacon Review a thorough overhaul last year, but I went ahead and tweaked the colors over there as well. Minor differences, barely noticeable.

This is just the beginning. I hope to repurpose Bacon Tumblr to be more than just a random collection of stuff, trying to target it to what I’m most interested now (outside of music) and where I’m headed. So, stay tuned for that. In the mean time, I hope you like what I’ve done with the place.

Nice write-up from my friend hellbox about Seattlites in the...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:04:10 -0800

Nice write-up from my friend hellbox about Seattlites in the snow:

Ah, the dulcet tones of everybody in the country mocking Seattle when we get snow. Including not-from-Seattle people who live in Seattle and, despite moving here, still need find reason to crow about the superiority of the hometown they fled.

But, I mean — come on, Seattle — One or two inches and the city shuts down? That place I’m from gets much more than that and remains functional, and doesn’t whine about it! Amiright?

Before you go blame horrible Seattle drivers (they are, mostly, but err on the side of politeness, if you can believe it), or allege that we are less than resilient, keep in mind these complicating factors:

We only get a snow event once a year, and a major one only once every five or so. The city can’t pay for the infrastructure to support massive snow equipment because it rarely needs it. They tend to sand only the big hills and major roads.

The snow melts when it hits the ground, since it rarely goes much below freezing here. That means the new snow falls on top of the melted snow and the water turns to ice. Very slippery, for humans and for cars.

Seattle is full of hills. Even downtown, which appears flat from that aerial shot they love on television shows set here, has a grade. If you were to head down 1st from Denny you’d be going uphill until you reach Virginia, at which point you’d be going downhill until you reach Pioneer Square. In fact, the city is so hilly that the rich people used to live on top of First Hill, and used a series of sluices to move their waste down to the waterfront. When the tide would come in, their toilets would back up. Living in the lap of luxury! The plumbing has improved in the last 100 years.

The snow tends to last only a day or two before it is a wet dirty mess, and another few before it’s gone altogether and we’re back to our normal winter temperature of somewhere in the 40s. Or 50s, as of late. The most prudent course (which appeals to our Scandehoovian roots) is to wait it out and take care of some indoor chores in the meantime.

The barista in the coffee shop I’m writing from drove her car from North Seattle, wrecked it (totaled, she says) near the flagship REI store at 4:30 am this morning and still managed to make it in to work without wheels, two miles away, in time to open. She didn’t even mention it until I specifically asked how her morning was. That may not pass as a Jack London story, but in the city, I think it shows a certain spirit that I found pretty common in these parts.

But, if this logic leaves you skeptical of our non-gender-specific manhood, then go ahead and believe what you want. We here in Seattle offer our explanation, but if you went to dinner with us you’d know that we always split what’s left on the serving dish so as not to be the asshole who takes the last bite. We’d rather be courteous to you and your beliefs (even if they disparage us), then go into our basements and write more songs and software and make more food and coffee that you can’t seem to get enough of. That’s the voice we have that speaks the loudest. That’s the one we’d rather be concentrating on while you’re busy talking smack about the weather.

Snowmingos (Taken with Instagram at Woodland Park Zoo)

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:36:22 -0800

Snowmingos (Taken with Instagram at Woodland Park Zoo)

"How do you have so much time to discover 31 albums, let alone listen extensively to with enjoyment,..."

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:58:19 -0800

“How do you have so much time to discover 31 albums, let alone listen extensively to with enjoyment, over the span of the past year?”

- Me, over on my music blog The Bacon Review, where I’m currently counting down my Top 31 albums of 2011, in case you’re interested. You should be. http://baconreview.com

"Arrange to be carried around by ankles."

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:36:59 -0700

““Arrange to be carried around by ankles.””

- Tim Carvell’s Easy Halloween Costume Ideas from McSweeney’s is laugh-out-loud funny.

Brilliant video describing the new thinking around the...

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:57:15 -0700

Brilliant video describing the new thinking around the differences between our left and right brains. I’m going to have to watch this 2 or 3 times to really get it, but the first time through I was glued to it.

Renowned psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist explains how our ‘divided brain’ has profoundly altered human behavior, culture and society. Taken from a lecture given by Iain McGilchrist as part of the RSA’s free public events program. To hear the full lecture, go to youtube.com/user/theRSAorg#p/u/2/SbUHxC4wiWk.

/via TED.

Giving a little love

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:58:23 -0700

Giving a little love:

Frank Chimero, designer extraordinaire, gave an amazing talk at an AIGA conference recently. Enjoy.

"99 percent is a very large percentage."

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:57:10 -0700

“99 percent is a very large percentage.”

- Lemony Snicket, aka the brilliant Daniel Handler, from his piece, “Thirteen Observations made by Lemony Snicket while watching Occupy Wall Street from a Discreet Distance. Be sure to read it as you’re donning your protest clothes; it will give you a boost.

Generation X Doesn't Want to Hear It

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:58:07 -0700

An awesome monologue from a blog called emptyage titled “Generation X Doesn’t Want to Hear It”:

Earlier generations have weathered recessions, of course; this stall we’re in has the look of something nastier. Social Security and Medicare are going to be diminished, at best. Hours worked are up even as hiring staggers along: Blood from a stone looks to be the normal order of things “going forward,” to borrow the business-speak. Economists are warning that even when the economy recuperates, full employment will be lower and growth will be slower—a sad little rhyme that adds up to something decidedly unpoetic. A majority of Americans say, for the first time ever, that this generation will not be better off than its parents.

— New York Magazine

Generation X is sick of your bullshit.

The first generation to do worse than its parents? Please. Been there. Generation X was told that so many times that it can’t even read those words without hearing Winona Ryder’s voice in its heads. Or maybe it’s Ethan Hawke’s. Possibly Bridget Fonda’s. Generation X is getting older, and can’t remember those movies so well anymore. In retrospect, maybe they weren’t very good to begin with.

But Generation X is tired of your sense of entitlement. Generation X also graduated during a recession. It had even shittier jobs, and actually had to pay for its own music. (At least, when music mattered most to it.) Generation X is used to being fucked over. It lost its meager savings in the dot-com bust. Then came George Bush, and 9/11, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Generation X bore the brunt of all that. And then came the housing crisis.

Generation X wasn’t surprised. Generation X kind of expected it.

Generation X is a journeyman. It didn’t invent hip hop, or punk rock, or even electronica (it’s pretty sure those dudes in Kraftwerk are boomers) but it perfected all of them, and made them its own. It didn’t invent the Web, but it largely built the damn thing. Generation X gave you Google and Twitter and blogging; Run DMC and Radiohead and Nirvana and Notorious B.I.G. Not that it gets any credit.

But that’s okay. Generation X is used to being ignored, stuffed between two much larger, much more vocal, demographics. But whatever! Generation X is self-sufficient. It was a latchkey child. Its parents were too busy fulfilling their own personal ambitions to notice any of its trophies—which were admittedly few and far between because they were only awarded for victories, not participation.

In fairness, Generation X could use a better spokesperson. Barack Obama is just a little too senior to count among its own, and it has debts older than Mark Zuckerberg. Generation X hasn’t had a real voice since ~~Kurt Cobain blew his brains out~~, ~~Tupac was murdered~~, ~~Jeff Mangum went crazy~~, ~~David Foster Wallace hung himself~~, ~~Jeff Buckley drowned~~, ~~River Phoenix overdosed~~, ~~Elliott Smith stabbed himself (twice) in the heart~~, Axl got fat.

Generation X is beyond all that bullshit now. It quit smoking and doing coke a long time ago. It has blood pressure issues and is heavier than it would like to be. It might still take some ecstasy, if it knew where to get some. But probably not. Generation X has to be up really early tomorrow morning.

Generation X is tired.

It’s a parent now, and there’s always so damn much to do. Generation X wishes it had better health insurance and a deeper savings account. It wonders where its 30s went. It wonders if it still has time to catch up.

Right now, Generation X just wants a beer and to be left alone. It just wants to sit here quietly and think for a minute. Can you just do that, okay? It knows that you are so very special and so very numerous, but can you just leave it alone? Just for a little bit? Just long enough to sneak one last fucking cigarette? No?

Whatever. It’s cool.

Generation X is used to disappointments. Generation X knows you didn’t even read the whole thing. It doesn’t want or expect your reblogs; it picked the wrong platform.

Generation X should have posted this to LiveJournal.

I don't get why you're crying about Steve Jobs

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:29:00 -0700

I don't get why you're crying about Steve Jobs:

Kristina Halvorson, CEO of Brain Traffic, regarding the death of Steve Jobs, from her blog Work/Life Imbalance:

I’ve never had a religious experience with an Apple product.

I owned a PC and a Treo until 2009. The staff at my company Brain Traffic all use PCs. I don’t make fun of my friends with Androids. And I still don’t own an iPad.

When news of his death came yesterday, my online community immediately went into deep mourning. Every single tweet in my timeline was about him. The response was overwhelmingly emotional.

I didn’t get it. Me, I was shocked but not saddened. To be perfectly blunt, it seemed like everyone was being overly dramatic about what was a sad but not, like, epic historic event. Of course, I didn’t say this to anyone, because then who’s the ignorant asshole? Me, that’s who.

But after a few hours of nonstop Steve Jobs hashtags, I started clicking links and reading. For the first time, I learned about his life and his leadership. I read personal accounts from colleagues about how his products were the doorway into their careers and passions. Over and over, I read the list of legacies he left behind: the personal computer. Pixar. The iPod. iTunes. The iPhone. The iPad.

Of course, like the rest of the world, I take that stuff for granted. Big time. I don’t even really see my iPhone or MacBook Air anymore. They’re kind of like the glasses I wear every day. I grab them and put them on without thinking about it, first thing in the morning, and I can see. Anything. Everything.

On a recent trip to the bookstore, my son selected a book called “Heroes of the World.” We read about one person every night before bedtime: Gandhi, Edison, Da Vinci. Yesterday, for the first time, I realized that it was missing someone. So last night, instead of reading his book, I read my son an article about Steve Jobs. My son said, “Wow. Why isn’t he in my book?” I said, “He will be.”

We both get it now.

Steve Jobs’ death hit me particularly hard, and I’ve been struggling to figure out what it is about this particular billionaire CEO of a technology company that makes it such a difficult thing for me to take. Until reading Kristina’s post, that is.

pauloctavious: joshuanguyen: vimeo: Four words: slow motion...

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:43:03 -0700

pauloctavious:

joshuanguyen:

vimeo:

Four words: slow motion water slide.

8 Hours in Brooklyn by Next Level Pictures has us scrambling to pick up our jaws off the floor.

One of many reasons why I come back to Vimeo so often. The skateboard is my favorite shot.

Wow

Wow indeed. The skateboarding and the water spray at the very end is unreal. Some day super slow-mo will be uninteresting. I hope that day never comes.

merlin: I love you anyway too Best. Line. Ever. Man,...

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:52:56 -0700

merlin:

I love you anyway too

Best. Line. Ever.

Man, fatherhood just wrecks you. I just about cried at this simple blog post.

pauloctavious: Symmetry is Amazing. Yes it is. Truly,...

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 13:24:51 -0700

pauloctavious:

Symmetry is Amazing.

Yes it is. Truly, amazingly beautiful.

Cranking, by Merlin Mann

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:35:38 -0700

Cranking, by Merlin Mann:

Best thing I’ve read in ages. Seriously. Drop everything and read it right now, especially if you have or plan on having kids. Best thing. Ever. I love @hotdogsladies, and this post, more than anything else, sums up why.

Unimpressive video of the blizzard I’m in.

Sun, 26 Dec 2010 17:30:22 -0800

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

Unimpressive video of the blizzard I’m in.

All alone… (Taken with Instagram at Olympic Sculpture Park)

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:56:15 -0800

All alone… (Taken with Instagram at Olympic Sculpture Park)

Translate text IN REAL LIFE (signage, etc) in one language into...

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 20:59:07 -0800

Translate text IN REAL LIFE (signage, etc) in one language into another language using this Augmented Reality iPhone app. We live in amazing times, people. /via @lonelysandwich