Yeah, yeah, posting here has been light, and I have all kinds of plans, hopes, and dreams that I want to pursue with this blog…
Moving on.
I awoke at 4 a.m. today thinking that there was a fire above me on Stringer’s Ridge. Once I gained my bearings, I realized that there was no fire. Everything was ok, and it was all in my head. I’ve been hard at work on Chattarati the last 2 weeks, and I had a series of ideas I wanted to get down before lying back down for a few more hours of shuteye.
That’s been my motus operandi as of late — having nightmares that the neighborhood is burning down, or waking up in desperate need of a shovel.
As is his prerogative, Michael Lewis takes a lengthy look at the Houston Rockets’ Shane Battier, his team-oriented approach to the game, and why he’s one of the best-kept secrets in the superstar-driven NBA:
Battier’s game is a weird combination of obvious weaknesses and nearly invisible strengths. When he is on the court, his teammates get better, often a lot better, and his opponents get worse — often a lot worse. He may not grab huge numbers of rebounds, but he has an uncanny ability to improve his teammates’ rebounding. He doesn’t shoot much, but when he does, he takes only the most efficient shots. He also has a knack for getting the ball to teammates who are in a position to do the same, and he commits few turnovers. On defense, although he routinely guards the N.B.A.’s most prolific scorers, he significantly reduces their shooting percentages.
I wonder how Grizzlies fans will feel about Lewis’s conclusions on Battier?
Christopher Fahey argues that the pre-2000 paradigm of the “dumb client” is no longer applicable:
…I still regularly hear designers and consultants stereotyping their clients as if it were still 1999, as if they were still dealing with people who had never bought a book online and don’t know how search engines work, much less joined a social network or had their own blog. This is just wrong. This kind of attitude doesn’t help you as a consultant, nor does it help designers and consultancies as a whole. If this sounds like you, I suggest you drop it. You’re making your clients mad and probably coming across as more than a little condescending.
I’m not pointing any fingers, here, but idle chatter in Chattanooga occasionally lends itself to that kind of stereotyping. Granted, many area clients are still behind the curve, but their lack of knowing is more naivete than ignorance. How you differentiate between the two is important in the long run. Word gets around in a small city.
Billionaire Mark Cuban is putting his money where his mouth is, and opening up his capital to start-ups in order to stimulate the economy. All you have to do is post your business plan on his website for he and others to review. If he deems the plan worth his while, he will provide some kind of assistance. If not, then he won’t.
There are of course, a host of rules and stipulations involved which you can review on his blog, but it’s pretty incredible that he’s looking at the current economy as an opportunity rather than a liability, and acting accordingly.
When you’re a kid, your parents probably told you that you can do anything you want if you set your mind to it. Having recently turned 30, it seems I’m past the statue of limitations on this golden rule of ambition. Given my age, background, and natural proclivities, there are some things that I really can’t accomplish with my life anymore. And I’m kinda ok with that. Here are three.
Moonwalk. No, not the Michael Jackson kind. Anyone can learn to do the dance sensation that swept the entertainment world of the 1980’s. I’m talking about the Neil Armstrong, ‘holy shit, I’m walking on the moon’ variety. I might as well add ’spacewalk’ to this list, because I don’t think I’m cut out to be an astronaut. For starters, NASA probably wouldn’t accept me into their program. And even if I did miraculously get in, it’s highly unlikely that I would be one of the lucky few chosen for a hypothetical mission to the moon. Virgin Galactic might be my one last hope on this front, but I’m not holding my breath.
Become President of the United States. If Barack Obama proved one thing in the last election, it’s that anyone can become President…sorta. His story is very unlikely and fraught with all kinds of political missteps (admitting his youthful indiscretions in Dreams of My Father for instance), but he’s also an incredibly gifted orator and thinker — two qualities I definitely lack. I didn’t attend an Ivy League school and never will. And it takes a certain kind of audacity to think one could ever become President (or should) that I will never have.
Host The Daily Show. The Daily Show is probably my favorite television show that I watch on a regular basis. While taking a well-deserved stab at cable news coverage, it can also be quite poignant in its political and social commentary. Jon Stewart has an uncanny knack for getting to the heart of issues during interviews without being condescending (most of the time) or overly flattering. Stewart’s successor will have some very big shoes to fill, someday. My proverbial feet are too small for that kind of role. And given my lack of experience in show business — you really have to cut your teeth at an early age for gigs like that — I doubt my audition tape would pass muster.
I’m sure I could think of more if I tried (like curing cancer for instance). But this brief list serves as a reminder that there are limitations in life, and while acknowledging those limitations can be a little on the cathartic side, it’s also a good way to take stock of what I can do.
Bitter Brew — Michael Idov opened a coffee shop, and then watched his life (almost) fall apart in bankruptcy:
The small cafe connects to the fantasy of throwing a perpetual dinner party, and it cuts deeper—all the way to Barbie tea sets—than any other capitalist urge. To a couple in the throes of the cafe dream, money is almost an afterthought. Which is good, because they’re going to lose a lot of it.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve mistakenly thought I could run a kick-ass coffee shop.
Beyond a few token acts of bipartisan marketing, Barry’s major duty in the Senate was to avoid legislating, so he could pretend Washington-outsider status and nullify attacks on his non-existent policy positions. That’s the thing about Obama and his candidacy: He was a blank slate, the pinnacle of vapid public relations—onto which the benighted masses may project their sincerest, yet unfounded, hopes in the wake of the worst administration in history.
On paper, Porsche made between €30-40 billion in the affair. Once all is said and done, the actual profit is closer to some €6-12 billion. To put those numbers in perspective, Porsche’s revenue for the whole year of 2006 was a bit over €7 billion.
Strangely, the takeover received little attention in Chattanooga, where VW plans to break ground on its first U.S. manufacturing plant in March.
I’ve never maintained a New Year’s resolution for longer than a week, so this year I want to keep it simple. I want to be better. I want to be a better husband, a better friend, a better musician, a better employee, a better writer, and so on. In 2009, I want to spend my time and energy improving myself and my abilities.
I’ve been toying with the idea of putting together a new resumé. This little list gives me a better idea of what not to include: swastika’s, poor hygiene habits, and the like. Take a moment to check out the rest of Holy Taco for other amusing lists and photo galleries. There are some real winners there. Some NSFW photos, though. You’ve been warned.
The scoop on Apple’s new Macbook Wheel — a revolutionary new laptop with no keyboard.
I never really realized how much I hated keyboards until I saw this thing. I like how the email automatically says, ‘Sent from a Macbook Wheel,’ that way people know you have one.
For some reason, Wal-Mart keeps poppingup on my radar. I went grocery shopping there last night, and lay in bed, watching the tail-end of Where the Heart Is this morning.
A very tedious work assignment has pretty much consumed my attention for the last 2 months. The project is now complete, and I’m incredibly relieved. It was never my intention to go so long without writing on this blog, but I haven’t had much time outside of the occasional Twitter post or writing something up for Chattarati during the interim.
With that little disclaimer out of the way, I had a great Christmas. Spent some long, overdue time with the wife, and happened to score a Wii 4 days after Christmas due to an early morning assault on Wal-Mart. Also, Kristen and I re-arranged our apartment after purchasing a new TV. I’m digging the new layout, and hope to get some pictures up soon.
Coral Castles met for the first time in 2 weeks (minus Mr. Kincaid) last night, and worked on some new music while we get ready for an upcoming show with Mean Tambourines and Heypenny.
Work, Wife, Mario Kart, the apartment, and back to Coral Castles = Christmas Break 2k8.
Sprint: Plug into Now — A lot of informational widgets jammed into one page, presumably as a selling point for Sprint phones. It’s like a website out of Terry Gilliam’s imagination. I was immediately drawn to the world population, energy consumption, and deforestation widgets. But I’m sure anyone will find something in his/her obsession portfoilo there. via yewknee.
A pretty remarkable journey from the Cretaceous Period to Soil Deposits to Cotton Production to Slavery to the Black Belt to Obama v. McCain: The election that always was. Absolutely fascinating. HT: kottke