tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76103759621627756572011-11-27T19:25:21.324-05:00Minds, Music and MalarkeySean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.comBlogger431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-71076433916154842862011-08-20T16:20:00.001-04:002011-08-20T16:22:44.996-04:00

Shhh...listen closely. Do you hear that? It's the sound of crickets chirping away in the blogosphere. Let's make some noise, Mr. Carr, shall we?

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-29942387387449611232010-02-21T21:03:00.000-05:002010-02-21T21:03:04.198-05:00

Google Energy: Google Can Now Buy and Sell Electricity: " Google’s ever-expanding empire has added another branch: subsidiary Google Energy has been granted an order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to buy and sell energy at market rates.Does this mean Google is set to become your power company? Not yet — instead, Google wants more control over the high energy costs of its many data

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-44517851729568224042009-09-11T12:30:00.001-04:002009-09-11T12:31:50.350-04:00

Google's Custom Solar Technology Will Reduce Costs by 60% : TreeHugger"Just like everybody else, Google's disappointed by the industry's lack of innovation so they've decided just to do it themselves."Want to learn more? Google it, and help pay for it.

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-36725494402335407602009-09-10T20:22:00.006-04:002009-09-10T20:32:21.878-04:00

Oh Dear God in Heaven, why, oh why, could you not have stricken Phil with a vocal cord injury instead? I don't think I've ever read anything as recently chilling as this line: "But don't worry, I can still sing."Now, Phil deserves his props as a drummer. In early Genesis, he was absolutely amazing and had an intuitive grasp of complex time signatures. He rocked. He drank lots. He sang backup to

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-37630450423476877932009-08-20T21:51:00.002-04:002009-08-20T21:55:08.313-04:00

The iconic trio of The Police -- Sting, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers -- could not be more famous. But very few remember the name of Henry Padovani, the band's original guitarist. As recounted in Summers' memoir, "One Train Later," among other places, Sting and Stewart ditched Padovani in favor of Andy while the group was still in its infancy. Padovani's Police tenure survived in just two tracks

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-65620290734686640562009-08-12T18:11:00.002-04:002009-08-12T18:18:35.604-04:00

Environmentalists were mixed on cash-for-clunkers (costs more energy to make a fuel-efficient car than to drive a less-efficient one around), but these numbers from the U.S. Department of Transportation (via the Sierra Club) are something: -- The average fuel efficiency of trade-ins was 15.8 mpg.-- The average fuel efficiency of new vehicles purchased was 25.4 mpg.-- 83 percent of the trade-ins

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-53417168139054541722009-07-28T18:16:00.003-04:002009-07-28T18:25:22.206-04:00

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-41092666768504625692009-07-23T22:24:00.000-04:002009-07-23T22:25:38.570-04:00

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David GrannMy rating: 4 of 5 starsPart detective story, part travelogue, part adventure from a gifted writer and dogged researcher.View all my reviews >>

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-51332040845962954062009-07-23T22:17:00.001-04:002009-07-23T22:20:43.765-04:00

Fraud: Essays by David RakoffMy rating: 4 of 5 starsListened to the audiobook, read by the author. He makes David Sedaris seem macho -- and that's not a criticism. Hilarious -- and at times, poignant -- essays.View all my reviews >>

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-47384414117698681002009-07-21T22:04:00.001-04:002009-07-21T22:07:09.167-04:00

Stealth Starbucks: Coffee Chain's New Stores Disguise Brand Name(Mother Jones)

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-43009592645059973442009-07-20T17:18:00.000-04:002009-07-20T17:19:23.844-04:00

Here's a timely gem, given the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11. It comes courtesy of my friend Ray (@raylehmann on Twitter).From The New York Times:On Jan. 13, 1920, “Topics of The Times,” an editorial page feature of the New York Times, dismissed the notion that a rocket could function in a vacuum and commented on the ideas of Robert H. Goddard, the rocket pioneer, as follows:"That Professor

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-75490639022116057212009-06-26T14:56:00.004-04:002009-06-26T15:12:10.390-04:00

Finally, "smart musician" is not an oxymoron: witness the marketing genius of session drummer Josh Freese. Although he has a patchy musical history, toeing the line between "ugh" (Kelly Clarkson, being in the same hemisphere--never mind the same room--as Axl for Chinese Democracy), and "cool!"(Tool, NIN), Josh has come up with a great way to market himself and his new album, Since 1972.Depending

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-74454256878354619422009-06-26T10:53:00.003-04:002009-06-26T11:09:39.139-04:00

In honor of this week of celebrity deaths (Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Mark Sanford's career), I give you the Abe Vigoda Status page. Never again will cocktail parties come to a screeching halt while people debate the oxygen-breathing status of the former "Barney Miller" star. Be sure to click on the sick, twisted and delightful Bauhaus parody cover, "Abe Vigoda's Dead."(Thanks to Mr. Jotz

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-46056251644537215592009-06-21T18:40:00.000-04:002009-06-21T18:42:20.527-04:00

Man, to Bartender: Jameson's on the rocks, please.Bartender, pouring drink: Say when.Man: Every 20 minutes.

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-20930546577781708602009-06-08T00:21:00.003-04:002009-06-08T00:25:27.396-04:00

First came open-source software. Then came open-source sex. Now, open-source religion. In the May/June edition of Search Magazine, Sam Kean writes about small groups of Jews, Christians, modern Pagans and "Yoists" taking the principles of open collaboration to the spiritual plane.Open-source religion is an amalgamation of two ways of thinking about the world. The first is religion, a common set

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-51347219936107853522009-05-31T23:10:00.001-04:002009-05-31T23:10:05.271-04:00

A Santa Fe architect has a plan that combines investments in green tech and new spending priorities for federal stimulus spending. All he needs now is for someone to give it a shot.Michael Mechanic writes in Mother Jones:"Sounds like a fantasy, but Santa Fe-based architect Edward Mazria has done the math, and his "14x" plan,which he calculates will generate $14 in private spending for

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-58071216405763678052009-05-31T20:50:00.002-04:002009-05-31T23:17:19.994-04:00

Jay Bennett, 1963-2009Songwriter, guitarist, singer and more Jay Bennett, formerly of Wilco, was found dead last week. A cause of death has not yet been determined.I'm a fan of both the with-Bennett and post-Bennett Wilco material, buthis loss is a damn shame. I picked up his "The Magnificent Defeat" soloCD for two bucks at a shop in Berkeley in 2007. I thought it wasmediocre. Then I listened to

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-71825067436527629572009-04-21T00:04:00.004-04:002009-04-21T00:22:59.938-04:00

Ironically, I just decided to look back at when this blog started and realised it was one year ago today, April 20, 2008--a day that will live in infamy.Apparently, it's a holiday of sorts as well for those so inclined. Oh yeah, and it's Earth Week, too. Those of you with weak hearts try not to be overwhelmed by this amazing triumpharate.By the way, I heartily recommend the brilliant author

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-91061088373969915242009-04-20T22:59:00.005-04:002009-04-21T00:19:32.508-04:00

So, I was sitting here last night knocking back Rolling Rocks and thinking of the salad days in Rahway, NJ. How young, naive, and happy we were! Times were simpler back then; often weekend nights were fraught with the great mysteries of our generation, like how did we get where we are politically today, and can we ever really escape New Jersey (Answer: physically, yes; mentally, never). And the

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-43435025602136726622009-04-16T20:25:00.006-04:002009-04-21T00:20:13.319-04:00

The Hunchback Sketch - watch more funny videosA short video piece courtesy of my brother Ryan's brain. The uncredited, drunken Waitsy music is an old piece of mine, lovingly edited to be more hunchback-friendly.If you like the video, go here and vote "Funny." Or "Die." Either one works. Enjoy.

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-42219946331417966642009-03-25T00:07:00.004-04:002009-03-25T00:15:46.439-04:00

'Visions link' to coffee intake People who drink too much coffee could start seeing ghosts or hearing strange voices, UK research has suggested. People who drank more than seven cups of instant coffee a day were three times more likely to hallucinate

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-25192277658776382262009-03-24T22:41:00.005-04:002009-03-24T23:46:55.645-04:00

The BBC is one of the most renown news sources in the world. If they say climate change is good for boobs, I believe them!Great tits cope well with warmingWhat do you mean they're not talking about those tits?Oh. Well, they're still a pretty pair.

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-44766190034093496782009-03-10T23:21:00.000-04:002009-03-10T23:22:39.114-04:00

Flying from Sam Fuller on Vimeo.

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-11573075929714171672009-02-22T21:39:00.007-05:002009-02-22T22:23:33.051-05:00

"Slumdog" is another visually compelling film, with beautiful images of beauty and beautiful images of ugliness -- of both the landscape and human variety on both counts. For its sassy exterior and slight substance, I give it the Sarah Palin Award.I was afraid our impressions of "Frost/Nixon" would suffer from it being the final film of the night. But it proved to be a gripping -- if

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-53074846325843061852009-02-22T20:46:00.006-05:002009-02-22T22:21:08.254-05:00

Next up was "The Reader" starring Kate Winslet. This subtly complex and compelling movie -- based on a German novel of the same name -- gets shortchanged by the shorthand "Holocaust Film" tag. Some have criticized it as a nasty piece of revisionist work, but I think this oversimplifies the piece. I'm more inclined to agree with this take.Plus, any movie in which Kate Winslet disrobes is

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-91918051137121232132009-02-22T19:31:00.003-05:002009-02-22T19:48:45.228-05:00

The first film of the day was the best. "Milk" inspired the political activist in me. What a story, what a man -- and Sean Penn was simply astounding. Admittedly, the whole approaching-40-and-unsure-about-what-to-do-in-life vibe at the opening struck a chord as well.Sign of the times: After, I overheard two high-school age males talking about the movie and specifically the gay sex scenes. One

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-74315731361410079772009-02-21T19:09:00.004-05:002009-02-22T19:24:54.241-05:00

One day. Five movies. Do my wife and I have the gludial fortitude and attention span to sit through the 5 nominees for the Best Picture Oscar in one long day? We're at our local AMC to find out.

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-38897986355744192352009-02-05T13:27:00.006-05:002009-02-05T13:43:25.935-05:00

Willie Nelson's guitar is famously all beat-to-hell, so I've stumbled across the perfect solution: the hemp guitar! Touted as using no trees and being sustainable, it's a cool-looking axe with only three major flaws.First, no one knows how the hell this sounds. Is it only good for stoner-rock? Maybe it really sparks to life when accompanying a Woody Harrelson pro-hemp rant. Or it could be the

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-54121373852433921612009-01-28T22:46:00.004-05:002009-01-28T23:06:07.315-05:00

While most beef jerky tastes something like ass, someone...out there... is marketing the convenience-store counter delicacy in a form that just might have been "probed" by aliens.The folks at Alien Fresh Jerky are offering products that are, in words of the kind folks at io9, "taken from the carcasses of cows abducted and mutilated by aliens." I doubt the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-28131793164429885382008-12-16T23:47:00.000-05:002008-12-16T23:47:43.226-05:00

No-Town 120

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-63705735345628455762008-11-12T00:09:00.002-05:002008-11-12T00:25:50.957-05:00

Researchers at Rice University have brewed a beer with even more life-sustaining qualities than a West Coast microbrew.As detailed here and here, the newly dubbed BioBeer contains yeast that has been engineered to produce resveratrol -- a chemical in red wine that has been has been attributed with powers to stem diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's and other conditions.Soon, maybe Guinness won't be the

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-40337078585598057382008-11-10T17:36:00.000-05:002008-11-10T17:37:04.008-05:00

Please don't mind the previous burst of optimism and pride. I'm fairly confident it's not a permanent condition.Well...we'll see!Sent from my iPhone

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-64577191572919438392008-07-28T13:21:00.002-04:002008-07-28T13:28:58.709-04:00

Finally got a chance to check out Tom Waits' hilarious press conference today. That man is a hoot! I find it ironic that although he lives about 50 miles away, I can never see the bastard as he won't PLAY anywhere near here. I swear, I am going to follow through with our squatting-on-Tom's-doorstep idea until he finally caves in and gives an impromptu lawn performance for only us, with roosters

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-73662401202275645762008-07-09T21:43:00.003-04:002008-07-09T21:48:42.223-04:00

Runnemede, N.J. (Pop. 8,533)

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-56528242986529497252008-07-07T22:30:00.004-04:002009-01-31T18:42:35.900-05:00

I can depend on Sierra magazine for environmentally responsible news and information, but not usually insight on new and innovative strip clubs. But the July/August edition provided useful insight for conservation-minded pursuers of poon in Portland (Oregon).From the magazine:"Casa Diablo is probably the only strip club where the hottest dish is the soy burger and the dancers won't wear leather.

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-80555832166786419172008-07-01T21:41:00.009-04:002008-10-10T01:13:47.024-04:00

Tired of the bleating and beeping of cell phones? Longing to combine the carrying convenience of a land line with the public nuisance of yelling into a cell with poor sound quality? If so, this is for you:But some land-line-lubbers are more demanding. As one said, "Now they just need an infinite length of cable that I drag around with it..."Here it is...well, close -- with these.

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-82814414135726988712008-06-30T23:55:00.004-04:002009-01-31T18:42:35.904-05:00

This was a loss to comedy, prophecy and profanity as a fucking art form. As the man said below, he didn't pass away, he fuckin' died. And it's our loss.

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-24685291993235740252008-05-28T13:10:00.008-04:002008-07-09T21:50:57.533-04:00

Sustainability is a big buzz word these days, and pops everywhere in the media--sometimes as a marketing tool, other times as a genuine attempt to identify wise choices and help consumers make informed decisions. SustainLane is a San Francisco-based organization that reviews sustainable products in efforts to sort the wheat from the chaff, and has gone one step further--they've published a list

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-33620638812446300712008-05-22T23:13:00.004-04:002008-05-22T23:28:46.706-04:00

The current issue of the Columbia Journalism Review continues a cringe-inducing trend of "woe is we" pieces about the media, printed in the media, for the media. The latest lamentation is "Lost Media, Found Media," might as well be titled "Real Journalists Think Blogs are Scary and They're All Alike." Oy.My response:Stop whining. Start innovating. Every reporter, editor and news exec should

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-89817902030628311122008-05-08T13:50:00.005-04:002008-05-08T14:04:38.814-04:00

Giving up bottled water is all the rage these days, but what if your "better option" involves filling landfills with once-used, toxin-containing plastic filters? If we're choosing one type of plastic over another, we should at least be able to recycle these filters. Please sign this petition if you agree, and don't let England pull ahead again (they already have better music, so let's take back

Jimlethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350519265688567679noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-2203783520930808832008-05-06T22:29:00.005-04:002008-10-10T01:13:13.966-04:00

More than the title of a prototypical steampunk novel, Charles Babbage's Difference Engine remains a marvel. Designed by Babbage in the mid-1800s but never built in his lifetime, the engine was the world's first computing machine. This mammoth and ingenious undertaking -- first built in 2002, more than 150 years after being designed -- is 11 feet long, five tons and 8,000 parts of steam-era

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-18691472159358268012008-05-05T00:12:00.006-04:002008-05-05T21:24:34.081-04:00

The following is a brief and completely arbitrary review.Crowded House put on an inspiring and sometimes surprising performance at Washington, D.C.'s 930 Club on Friday, May 2.The band delved deeply into their back catalog early, making "World Where You Live" the second song of their 2-hour set. Mixed in with older material were some compelling new songs the band is trying out on tour, including

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7610375962162775657.post-46382504904040003552008-04-20T17:42:00.001-04:002008-04-20T18:50:44.896-04:00

The Junto is a place for irregular, irreverent dialogues, rants and perspectives on music, art, society, books, beer, science, life, politics (in moderation), wine, women and song. And more. Friends for 20 years and now living on opposite coasts, we're going to give this blogging thing a shot.The name is inspired by a club founded by Benjamin Franklin as a young man. Franklin and an evolving

Sean P. Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01742062255834948840noreply@blogger.com0