Red Chuck

Happy Birthday Queen Helen!

Mp3 Player

So look over there. No, over there, right above the calendar. Not the most beautiful creature but hey, it works...

Kind of. Its not showing up in IE. So if you're using IE, you won't see anything new in the Red Chuck links bar, but if you're using Safari or Firefox, its party time!

First, a big thanks to the Gurus Network tutorial. Lots and lots of code but it's all well explained. Also I found Steve's "Flash MX MP3 Player" tutorial discussion thread extremely helpful, especially Brian's post on page 9 concerning Movable Type.

Really the only major obstacle (other than IE) that I encountered was getting the player to successfully load the mp3s from xml. Somehow a directory change made that work.

Of course I'm writing all this without checking the site from outside this LAN. I'll probably go home and find that none of this is working at all.

So now I just gotta fill it up with moods. And in case you were wondering, The Kung Pao Groove is the most recent Garageband dish.

F

So here it is! And I am overjoyed to find out that someone finally came up with the ultimate slam to those obnoxious W stickers. Its perfect! Its brilliant! And it's so much better than the Y concept! Thank you JimmyJames for the link and all praise to those who thought this up (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Heavy Rotation

I don't know what it is about this Arthur Russell compilation that has me so entranced. Maybe its because his instrumentation is so unusual (drum machine, distorted cello, and voice). He's been described as a mix between Nick Drake and New Order but this doesn't do him justice. Why? Because Nick Drake never sounded so damn catchy and New Order never sounded so incredibly haunting. Given those hints, I guess you'd call this sorrowful dance music. Need a genre? How about early IDM. Whatever. It's good.

Here's a couple articles from the Village Voice and the New Yorker. Obviously from these sources you can tell this guy was a lower Manhattanite. So chalk up another point for the Big Apple. A dead NYC songwriter is now mayor of my iPod.

Coming Attractions

We hope. Lots of bumps on this road, since this is the first I've worked w/ Flash. Keep your fingers crossed. The exciting thing about this particular player is its ability to update playlists using XML.

Counter Inaugural

Here's a nice site devoted to encouraging inaugural protests. I especially like the list of events being staged around the country. There's some really creative stuff happening. In New Orleans you can attend the Jazz Funeral for Democracy: Wake for Peace. Or if you are in Portland you can parade with the Tin Foil Hat Conspiracy Theorists (who plan on compacting all their tin foil hats at the end of the rally and shipping the giant foil mass to "George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld, to use as their personal body armour"). Don't you just love civil disobediance.

Noise Against Fascism

So these guys didn't get the memo about not spending money on Inauguaration Day but maybe they've got a better idea. Anyone feel like playing a show next Thursday?

Inaugural Protest

So here's one, I mean, two websites proposing we protest the Bush inauguration by keeping the mouths of our wallets shut on January 20th. Hmm... OK. I'll buy it. I mean, come on, this has got to be the easiest form of protest in history. I think I can go a day without spending money, don't you? Spread the word.

New Murakami Novel

Haruki Murakami has a new novel called Kafka on the Shore. Why didn't someone tell me! Man, I am so out of it. Anyway here's David Mitchell's take on it from the Guardian. I particularly like this bit:

For sheer love of a thumping narrative, the novel delivers gloriously. The author's trademark kookinesses, particularly his talking cats, maybe-phantoms of army deserters and the appropriation of Colonel Saunders, Kentucky Fried Chicken King, add smartness and colour.

So this is next on my list after I finish David Mitchell's novel, Cloud Atlas.

The Balloon

Dragon R.I.P.

Dragon, you were enigmatic, lethargic, and in the end, bloated.

You will be missed.

More Garageband Silliness

I forgot all about this little ditty. It popped up in iTunes over the holidays and the kids started dancing. So it must be good for something. I'd describe it as attention deficit disorder disco jazz fusion with some cable TV sound bites sprinkled on top. And what would a Red Chuck instrumental be without some Fuzz Probe? So without further ado, here's "If The Shoe Fits, Bad Weather May Follow".

What are you doing tonight?

Easy Like Tuesday Night

Word is, Isaac and Rob have a new song for us to learn before the big show tonight.

3 NYE Closeups

Eat Your Greens!

This recipe is from Magnolias Southern Cuisine by Donald Barickman, published by Wyrick & Company, 1995.

MAGNOLIAS' COLLARD GREENS

12 cups washed, stemmed, and roughly chopped collard greens, (2 large or 3 small bunches)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 servings

Wash the collard greens very thoroughly with cold water, remove the center stem and the large ribs and give them a rough chop. They should still be leafy. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 2—3 minutes, stirring, or until the onions are translucent. Add the ham hock or neck bones. Add the vinegar abd gradually add the collard greens. Cook the greens over medium heat, stirring occassionally, until they are all wilted. As they wilt you will have enough room to get them all into the pot. Add the chicken broth. Add 1 teaspoon of Tabasco. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, adding more chicken broth if necessary, one cup at a time, until the greens have a good flavor and are silky in texture.

Add the other teaspoon of Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste.