Open DNS

If you want to speed up (slightly) the web, you might want to try OpenDNS service. DNS is Domain Name Server and is what your computer uses to translate the text of an http address (like google.com) into the numbers the internet really uses -- IP address (192.168.1.1 for example [not google's]).

This company has their own, more effecient DNS server which speeds up the request for IP addresses and also blocks phishing sites. Seems like a good idea. Not sure how they make any money on it though. Privacy policy seems pretty good.

If you are using DSL, click on configuring your router instead of each computer and then all computers will use it.

http://www.opendns.com/

Live Earth has started...

Well, I was looking forward to the Live Earth web broadcast. But what I'm seeing right now...well, it sucks. I was expecting a lot from the same people who did Live Eight. That was a great web broadcast. Great sound, full screen video, easy to change to different stages. No commercials, no interruptions.

What do we see so far with Live Earth? Well, if you don't use Internet Explorer, you get a tiny Quick Time window. Boo! :( If you use Internet Explorer, you figured it would be awesome right? No! It's also not full screen. There is an option to make it full screen, but the resolution is not good enough... it's blocky. So the regular resolution is bigger than the Quicktime/non-IE version, but still not full screen. Gee, thanks Microsoft.

Oh, and get this. Australia concert has started but you can't even access it on IE. You click on the concert link and nothing happens!! Firefox/Quick time is running though. Hope they fix that problem before some real network traffic comes through.

Anyhoo, I'm really only interested in the concert on the Kyoto Stage. Haven't been able to find if it is being broadcast anywhere (HD TV or XM radio). Looks like the Tokyo one is partially on Sundance channel. Here's Kyoto Stage lineup:

LIVE EARTH KYOTO (Special Broadcast Event)
(not representative of running order; TBA)

BONNIE PINK
MICHAEL NYMAN
RIP SLYME
UA
YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA

SPECIAL BROADCAST EVENTS To-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan

LOCAL START 11:00 p.m. 7/7

USA START (EDT) 10:00 a.m. 7/7

Yeah, I don't know why Nyman is playing there...but that's okay. The big news is Yellow Magic Orchestra!! First reunion under that name in over 10 years. They have been playing a little under the name Human Audio Sponge over the last 2-3 years.


Well, the rest of the lineup is here:
http://liveearth.msn.com/about/factsheet

Only other artists I'm kind of interested in are: The Police and Spinal Tap (not together, unfortunately)

If anyone finds out info about the Kyoto broadcast (other than the web, please post!)

Enjoy??

Odd things from my trip to Singapore/Bali

Here's a link to some photos I took on a recent trip to Bali. They are photos of commercial products or things I found amusing.

BaliTripCommercialThings

Make sure to pick "slide show" so you can see all my clever captions.

Dedicated to Charles Nelson Riley who passed away last week.

Taigan No Kaji

is a Japanese saying that translates roughly into "the fire across the river". It's a nice phrase basically meaning that there is a problem out there but it is far away enough from you that you don't worry about it. I don't think there is an similar phrase in English.

In a work context, I was thinking that there are a lot of people who do their job with this feeling.

Sean Lennon back with new album finally

www.myspace.com/seanonolennon

Sean Lennon is back with a new album finally. Coming out in September of 2006 on Capitol Records. On his Mysapce page, you can here one final track (Dead Meat) and two demos. All are very nice and mellow. Looking forward to hearing the whole thing. The artwork that MySpace shows while playing Dead Meat is the artwork from Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon.

I was thinking about him today after reading about the Beatles /Cirque De Soleil premiere in which an online article mention him as mysteriously absent.

A year or two before he was arrested for murder, it was rumored that Phil Spector was producing his album. Wonder if there was any truth to that rumor...

Thomas Dolby & George Clinton - the real story

Thomas Dolby’s Blog » Blog Archive » George Clinton

Interesting story on how Thomas Dolby and George Clinton ended up working together. Great story about George in the Bermuda Triangle too!

Yeah, your Ipod is cool, but is it Bible Stylish?

cowon - bible stylish mp3 player screenshot detail

A description that is (as of 6/3/2006 21:15 PST) on the Cowon website for their G3 MP3 player.

What innovation will Cowon come up with next!??!

Human Audio Sponge DVD!

Saw that Human Audio Sponge (aka YMO aka Takahashi, Hosono & Sakamoto) will be releasing a DVD Feb 8, 2006 called "HAS". Preorder at Tower.jp here: http://www.towerrecords.co.jp/sitemap/CSfCardMain.jsp?GOODS_NO=926020&GOODS_SORT_CD=103

Don't know if there are any more details, but I'm assuming this is the show they did in Spain @ Sonar 2004. Heard some of the audio from that and it was good. Looking forward to this.

Bob Moog has passed away

Decent article at MTV
Bob was the one who started the whole synthesizer craze really. He was 71.

THanks!

After a co-worker accidentally types HTanks instead of Thanks in an email, I came to the reliazation that when we are all typing Thanks, we are really typing in the user ID of Tom Hanks in a typical networked computer (first initial + last name). So, next time you write an email, remember Tom. THanks!

Thanks is also one of those words if you repeat it enough times, it sort of loses its meaning. Try it! (make sure you aren't at work or saying outloud).

New Stereolab & new (lost) Esquivel

Billboard is reporting some new Stereolab tracks coming out on 7" only, plus a lost Equivel album he recorded live in the studio for the La Margerita mexican restaurant chain in Chicago (circa 1975). Esquivel due Sept. 6.

New Morricone compilation coming Sept 6

http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000999533

double disc, 30 track obscure 70s stuff, so you know it will be good!

New Goldfrapp in September

Billboard is reporting a new Goldfrapp album, "Supernature" on Sept. 20 with a new single "Ooh La La" on Aug. 23.

New Kraftwerk

Saw this on the Japanese HMV site, but it is a forthcoming (June 6th release)
http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail.asp?sku=1068500

It's a 2 CD set of live Kraftwerk called Minimum-Maximum

Their early live stuff that I've heard was pretty amazing.

Tired: Podcasting

I'm sick of the word Podcasting. The radio station KCRW uses it like in every other sentence. "Can't listen to the radio? Go to the website and get the podcast!" I can't take it anymore. Can't you just "download" like the good old days of 2000? Now you have to "podcast"? Come on!

A dog called chappie..

http://www.wesserworks.co.uk/wesserworks/Images/Pet_Portrait_Gallery/chappie_1.jpg

If they made doggie romance novels, this dude would certainly be on the cover. Nice flowing mane, Lion King!

Robbie Dupree = Michael McDonald?

How come Michael McDonald never covered Robbie Dupree's 1980 classic "Steal Away"? It totally sounds like a Michael McDonald song.

Rip Taylor sighting!

Saw Rip Taylor today in the food court at Century City Westfield Shopingtown thingy (whatever they call it).

http://www.riptaylor.com/index2.html

Have you been to his website? It is amazing!
Apparently, his image has appeared on a green bell peper.

Strange, but true!

Americans are crazy #32

I'm going to France next month, so my wife and I picked up a French conversation CD. To show you how cheap or crazy Americans can be, check out these bizarre conversations that would probably never be in a regular conversation CD.

Lesson 12:

[mad tone of voice]
"Does anyone here speak English??"
[continues...]
"I NEED AN ENGLISH SPEAKING LAWYER!!"

Yes, so often I go to a foreign country and I just need to talk to an English lawyer. It happens more than you'd think!


Lesson 14
"Do you have a senior discount?"


Yeah, senior discount... in France. Okay... I'm sure French McDonalds has one.

ZTT paper plates?