dyspop

First Snowfall of 2007/2008!

2007-12-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

So it finally snowed! Lucky for me I was visiting my family in Mahopac and got to play in the fresh snow. I decided to use what little snow I had and put it to good use. Witness "Snowman's Best Friend:

It's too bad he's going to fall victim to hail and freezing rain all night...

Radiohead: the Zeros & Ones...

2007-10-22T12:23:00.000-05:00

A recent post on Puddleglum.net has stirred a bit of buzz. Check it out before you read the rest of this, as I'll be developing on some of their ideas.

My friend Jason Silverman AKA fflook e-mailed me earlier with an interesting discovery.

...I put together the alternations of the tracklisting (assigning 0 for OK and 1 for IR) and got 0101010101001010101010 . I googled this and got this page: http://www.industriassafor.net/logo.swf . I posted the find on both ask.metafilter and puddlegum, but check it out, it's a weird site with a pulsing flash splash page and that's it. weird huh?

Very strange indeed. Also take a look at the content page of industriassafor. I can't read (what is presumably?) Portuguese but I get the feeling that this is not related to Radiohead at all. If it is, someone could do some digging in the site, perhaps a translation would be nice!

Not being convinced by this result I googled 01010101010101010101010 and found some links I wasn't comfortable clicking, like hackermaster.da.ur for example. Anyone who wants to take the plunge and surf these links, please report below.

It also occured to me that In Rainbows and Ok Computer are the same number of letters. I spliced them alternatingly in a few different methods to arrive at 1. "oikn rcaoimnpbuotwesr", 2. "ionk rcaoimnpbtoewrs", 3. "oskw ocbonmipaurt enri", 4. "sowko bcnoimapru tneir", 5. "irne truapimnobco wkso", and 6. "rient urpamioncb okwos". All of which is a bunch of nonsensical gibberish. It turns out I over-thinked the entire thing, since only the first means anything to google.

sorta...

In fact, the first returns a google suggestion, "Did you mean: on rcaoimnpbuotwesr". Um... yeah sure? But surprisingly there is only one result... and it somehow links to a radiohead video on youtube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vnN9TbMUDkM. Try it yourself. I can't figure out why it links to this.

I haven't listened to the combined In Rainbows/Ok Computer mix yet, but I will soon. I still think there must be more to it.

(rough cut)

2007-09-24T16:11:00.000-05:00

Equinox

I can't write anymore.
I keep having ideas, moods; one might even call them inspirations.
The way that winter has such an impending feel to it,
the inevitability of cold ears and chapped lips.

Between.

Before the grayness penetrates everything...
The leaves haven't turned yet, but it's coming,
green to red, orange, brown, dead;
Paul to John, mandolin to piano.
Bells, timpanis.
Some underground current,
surging, rushing, pounding.
It is coming.

2007, in about 20 minutes

Japan 2007, Photos

2007-09-16T22:44:00.001-05:00

I finally got my photos up.

http://www.flickr.com/gp/13639266@N05/22yVEL

Sin City Style

2007-08-28T18:22:00.000-05:00

The goal here was to make it look like a scan from the comic, although it's probably way too photo realistic.

smoke of a fight

2007-08-24T20:36:00.000-05:00

i had difficulty doing a background, i tried initially to make a cave like environment, but the walls looked too smoky, so i change it to smoke

New Stuff

2007-08-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted here in a while. I wasn't feeling good tonight so I just sat down and drew some spur of the moment lines with a sharpie and then added some color...just for kicks. Turned out to be pretty fun

how not to write a headline

2007-08-02T14:44:00.000-05:00

courtesy the Bangkok Post... http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/03Aug2007_news04.php

Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance

2007-07-23T18:50:00.000-05:00

This is a site I've been working on for a family friend, photographer Alan Strauber. It's nearing completion, and should go online w/in the next week at CalvertVaux.org

My Sweet Illusory OS X Desktop

2007-07-13T10:58:00.000-05:00

This is a shot from the BLUEFLY studio. Lighting and camera by Ian Roberts. Styling by Paul Colombo. Color-correcting and retouching by me, Dan Black.

How to accomplish this desktop effect (OS X only):

1. Get a nice shot for your desktop.

2. Set it as your desktop

3. Open a finder window and position it wherever you want, but make sure its somewhere you won't move (because this isn't a real transparency, we're faking it).

4. Take a screenshot of your desktop (apple+shift+4, then drag over the whole desktop, release your mouse). Try to make sure you take the whole screen by dragging from the top-left to the bottom-right.

5. Minimize the find window.

6. Take a second screenshot of your desktop. You may have to move the Picture file that was created when you took the first screenshot. Again, try to make sure you get the whole screen.

7. Open both screenshots in an image-editing software of your choise. I used PhotoShop CS2.

8. Copy the first screenshot (the one with the finder window open in it) and paste it on top of the second screenshot (the one without the finder window open).

8b. If your screenshots were exactly the same size then they should match up. If you made a mistake you'll need to match them up. You can do this a number of ways, but I prefer to change the top layer's blending mode to "difference" (blending modes can be found in a drop-down above the layers palette) and then moving the layer around until the information that matches up cancels eachother out, leaving you with a mostly black screen (the portion that should be different, in this case where your finder window is, will appear to be color-inverted). Once you've lined them up you can change the blending mode of the top layer back to normal.

9. Select (in PhotoShop using the marquee tool, hotkey M) the area of the finder window that displays a background (default is gray I believe).

10. Hide the top layer (the one with the finder window displaying). You can do this by clicking the eye icon that is next to the desired layer in the layers palette. Do not deselect the area from the previous step.

11. Crop the image to the current selection.

12. Flatten the image (in PhotoShop: apple+shift+E) and delete any remaining hidden layers.

13. Duplicate or copy and paste the background layer into a new layer.

14. Blur the new layer. I used gaussian blur, but at this point you could apply whatever effects you feel like. I also lowered the opacity of the blurred layer to give it a glass-look.

15. Now save this as a jpg (I believe other file-formats will working, but jpg is pretty standard at this point).

16. Go to the finder window that you wish to make 'transparent' and change the folder view to icon mode (there are three icons at the top-left). Now click the actions icon just to the right (it looks like a gear/cog) and select 'Show View Options' from the dropdown.

17. If you want to use just one finder window to navigate then check the "All windows" radio dial at the top of this panel. This will create the illusion of transparency as your icons load on top of the same background every time. Now go to the bottom of the View Option panel and check the Background: 'Picture' radio dial. If there is no picture loaded click the 'Select' button and go find the image you created in steps 7-15.

18. Close the View Options panel. That's it! You're done!

There are obviously problems with this method, for example if you scroll the image scrolls with it (sadly). Also other finder windows will have this background, and moving the finder window destroys the illusion. If anyone knows of a method to perform true transparent effects I'd love to know. I'd assume an apple-script could control this beautifully, but that's not really my area of expertise.

2007-07-07T01:30:00.001-05:00

I will not worry when
they hatch in my sleep.

I know only my own
distasteful experience.

Under Construction .gif for Bluefly

2007-07-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

made this image for bluefly as part of a warehouse move page. this would display along with some copy to the effect of 'this portion of the site under construction.' the idea eventually was replaced with something simpler.

vxn

2007-07-04T23:42:00.001-05:00

just a quick sketch, thought it looked good though

In the Midst, by the Might

2007-06-29T13:04:00.000-05:00

this is a character i made up a while ago, and changed quite a bit, KANAK, espionage and stealth is his game. took me about 11 and a half hours

east old frisian

2007-06-29T04:32:00.000-05:00

said one to another,
the music of others inhibits the poetry of our spleen.

replied the second,

it is time to move someplace with mountains. we are furry,

and blinded by the oncoming traffic

i have been coming down for as long as i can remember

we are furry, and the streets come to pieces in our claws

i have been coming down each time they didn't call

we are furry, or we are fuzzy, but that is for philosophers

i was going to be a philosopher but then i accidentally graduated

you can use my password if it will help

can i use your vicodin

you can use my password if you want to

let's drive really fast and then turn the wheel

turn how

probably like this

fast walk

2007-06-28T02:17:00.000-05:00

this is an older drawing that i recently finished, was goign through my older art when i was cleaning up pre-apartment inspection and i felt i shouldve finished and uploaded this a while ago

Is Pandora.com Down?

2007-06-21T11:47:00.000-05:00

Ran into this blank pandora window! Oh No! It isn't just Camino that's showing this page, it is also showing up like so on Safari, checked on multiple computers! Check it for yourself, let me know if it is showing the player and please post your type of computer, operating system (and version if possible), browser results (and versions if possible) and location (if you're outside the US you sadly cannot listen to Pandora because of the Really Insidious Association of America).

Ultimate Fashion Face-Off, Turbo

2007-06-18T17:02:00.001-05:00

Collaboration with Hiran Kuru

Chimeran Overlord

2007-06-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

quite basically this is a non-direct depiction of a character from a ps3 game, resistance; fall of man. done with 2H .5 mm lead in a mechanical pencil. took about 4 hours total

Ridin the Hudson Line

2007-06-08T14:52:00.000-05:00

Doodling on my way to Croton while the guy next to was throwing back a six-pack of 16 oz Coors Lights.
Uni-Ball Deluxe Fine on Copy Paper.

Skullhead

2007-06-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

quick sketch, took me about 8-10 minutes, but it kinda makes me laugh, and i dont know why

On Et Cetera #1

2007-05-31T23:08:00.000-05:00

WonderAlice007 (23:37:31): hey dude
elusiveconductor (23:37:51): hi
WonderAlice007 (23:37:58): how's it going?
elusiveconductor (23:38:04): you haven't IMed me in quite some time
elusiveconductor (23:38:06): how are you
elusiveconductor (23:38:17): oh btw i'm somewhat drunk
elusiveconductor (23:38:18): crunk
WonderAlice007 (23:38:18): i haven't been online in quite a while
elusiveconductor (23:38:21): kerplunk
WonderAlice007 (23:38:25): haha cool
elusiveconductor (23:38:30): mmmm
elusiveconductor (23:38:32): perhaps
elusiveconductor (23:38:36): i took friday off
elusiveconductor (23:38:40): i'm going upstate for a wedding
elusiveconductor (23:38:42): my cousin
WonderAlice007 (23:38:46): awesome! where upstate?
elusiveconductor (23:38:51): corning NY
elusiveconductor (23:38:58): yeehaw
WonderAlice007 (23:39:04): very cool man. are you close to this cousin?
elusiveconductor (23:39:16): not. at. all.
WonderAlice007 (23:39:22): ah
WonderAlice007 (23:39:27): that does change things slightly i suppose
elusiveconductor (23:39:36): a bit
elusiveconductor (23:40:02): but not much
WonderAlice007 (23:40:18): hope it doesn't rain for it
WonderAlice007 (23:40:35): could be, dare i say, ironic
elusiveconductor (23:40:37): me too
elusiveconductor (23:40:42): okay alanis
WonderAlice007 (23:40:52): hehe
[...]
elusiveconductor (23:43:50): lately
elusiveconductor (23:44:00): i've been consumed by the potential of my mortality
WonderAlice007 (23:44:23): woah
WonderAlice007 (23:44:26): please elaborate
elusiveconductor (23:44:47): and because i'm not extremely satisfied by my life, i've come to fear things... i think that's just the first step though... to fear death
elusiveconductor (23:44:53): the next step is to elaborate goals
elusiveconductor (23:45:09): i suppose that since about.... oh three hours ago, i've been between steps
WonderAlice007 (23:45:21): your moving quickly then
elusiveconductor (23:45:26): i hope to spend the next few weeks elaborating specific goals
elusiveconductor (23:46:04): problem is i have many and i'm only one person... striking a balance between risk/reward, abilty, effort/output etc etc
elusiveconductor (23:46:12): thats a lot for a smart person to think about right
elusiveconductor (23:46:38): but ultimately, i/we are on a timeline, things must be done: what is important and how is it done
WonderAlice007 (23:46:51): i don't really see you as someone particularly fearful of death, but i suppose i think of "fearing death" more as a general attitude than an actual fear or lack of fear. i mean, if we knew we were about to die in 2 minutes, i think just about anyone would be terrified.
elusiveconductor (23:47:09): 2 minutes
elusiveconductor (23:47:14): that's too soon to be terrified
elusiveconductor (23:47:28): terror takes time to come to life
WonderAlice007 (23:47:28): you don't think so? i was going to put 1 but didn't think that was enough
WonderAlice007 (23:47:34): how about 15
elusiveconductor (23:47:40): how about years
elusiveconductor (23:47:53): true terror is a psychological recognition
elusiveconductor (23:47:59): its a loop
elusiveconductor (23:48:02): fear is one thing
elusiveconductor (23:48:04): fear is instant
WonderAlice007 (23:48:06): there are so many distractions though
elusiveconductor (23:48:07): fear is always there
elusiveconductor (23:48:13): waiting for you to snap into it
elusiveconductor (23:48:17): but terror
elusiveconductor (23:48:24): terror is a social construct
WonderAlice007 (23:48:46): terror's more manic, i'd say
elusiveconductor (23:49:01): to me terror is the announcement on the train to be aware of etc etc but only when you're comfortable with the announcement
WonderAlice007 (23:49:03): plays into the most instinctive emotions
WonderAlice007 (23:49:10): or maybe not emotions
WonderAlice007 (23:49:14): instinctive triggers
elusiveconductor (23:49:21): terror is the waking up in the night because something might do something, and you can't stop thinking abou tit
elusiveconductor (23:49:25): yes
elusiveconductor (23:49:30): terror feeds on fear
elusiveconductor (23:49:41): arguably the most basic emotion
elusiveconductor (23:49:50): but the distinction to me
elusiveconductor (23:49:53): between terror and fear
elusiveconductor (23:51:12): is that terror is a societal dispotion, relying on a complex interplay between society and the individual psychological zones, whereas fear is simple a biologically trained behavior pattern triggering longer life
elusiveconductor (23:51:24): paranoia is the constant combination of both
WonderAlice007 (23:51:37): well said
elusiveconductor (23:51:42): i've given these things quite a lot of thought lately
WonderAlice007 (23:51:55): it shows
WonderAlice007 (23:51:58): so which are you feeling?
WonderAlice007 (23:52:03): just fear?
elusiveconductor (23:52:04): D)
elusiveconductor (23:52:39):
A) fear
B) terror
C) paranoina
D) all of the above
elusiveconductor (23:52:58): and
WonderAlice007 (23:52:58): and this is a recent thing?
elusiveconductor (23:53:02): it is
elusiveconductor (23:53:02): but
elusiveconductor (23:54:21): it is an excellent lesson in cogniscense, balance, forethought, active non-thought, collective unconscious and many other types of things i had dismissed on lack of knowledge (created or not-yet-created by lack of experience)
elusiveconductor (23:54:39): experience is our only base knowledge, which must be subverted no?
elusiveconductor (23:54:42): i
elusiveconductor (23:54:43): am
elusiveconductor (23:54:44): so
elusiveconductor (23:54:45): glad
elusiveconductor (23:54:49): i can tell you these things
elusiveconductor (23:55:20): i googled cogniscense... #5=Downing Street Says...: Michael Howard/Terror
elusiveconductor (23:55:50): i googled it because i couldn't determine if the 2nd to last letter is an S or a C
WonderAlice007 (23:56:05): michael howard/terror... intriguing...
WonderAlice007 (23:56:14): why should experience be subverted?
elusiveconductor (23:56:24): so kgb mon ami
elusiveconductor (23:56:48): it should be because
elusiveconductor (23:56:53): some facts are evident
elusiveconductor (23:57:12): the value of experience is relative
elusiveconductor (23:57:21): the value of experience is limited
WonderAlice007 (23:57:45): but aren't there occasionally things you learn only through experience?
elusiveconductor (23:57:49): yes!
elusiveconductor (23:57:55): you only learn it through experience
elusiveconductor (23:57:56): hence
WonderAlice007 (23:58:27): i see
WonderAlice007 (23:58:27): i see
elusiveconductor (23:58:36): your ability to determine its nature through objective analysis is inherently limited more than that which is learned through things that may be learned through more than a singular means
elusiveconductor (23:59:13): i always enjoy explaining things i know but haven't stated... its good, thank you
WonderAlice007 (23:59:22): so it's sorta like getting your own unique hunk of clay that you then have to shape with all the pedegogical tools of schooling.
elusiveconductor (23:59:24): muse veseel
elusiveconductor (23:59:41): hrm that could be part of it yes
elusiveconductor (23:59:50): but
elusiveconductor (0:00:33): that analysis does not (and any analysis that understands the point, even the point itself) and cannot subvert the understanding
WonderAlice007 (0:00:52): wow
WonderAlice007 (0:01:04): that's what a lot of schools of comparative literature are all about
elusiveconductor (0:01:10): ha
elusiveconductor (0:01:13): why
WonderAlice007 (0:01:26): analysis until understanding takes on a totally subjective malleability
elusiveconductor (0:01:27): why would you create a school for something that cannot be studied
elusiveconductor (0:01:41): i know: to make money, to plunder
WonderAlice007 (0:01:52): like, we analyze the crap out of a sentence until it's dissected and put together so many times that all you have is analysis and no answers
elusiveconductor (0:01:58): at least we have grown beyong physical chaos
WonderAlice007 (0:02:05): because i didn't want to major in economics
elusiveconductor (0:02:10): it is at least emotional and intellectual chaos
WonderAlice007 (0:02:21): yes, definitely
elusiveconductor (0:02:22): which is hopefully eventually undoable
elusiveconductor (0:02:35): that's the point
elusiveconductor (0:02:42): you were forced to major in something
elusiveconductor (0:02:43): when
elusiveconductor (0:02:45): in truth
elusiveconductor (0:02:50): all you are is a person
elusiveconductor (0:03:01): you insist and it is true
elusiveconductor (0:03:15): and time/history supports or denies that truth
elusiveconductor (0:03:21): until it is confirmed or denied
elusiveconductor (0:03:30): hence schooling is irrelevant
elusiveconductor (0:03:42): study is irrelevant
elusiveconductor (0:04:03): i mean this in terms of relevancy to enlightenment (or whatever you call it)
elusiveconductor (0:04:13): not... the ability to propagate
elusiveconductor (0:04:19): propogate?
elusiveconductor (0:04:23): spelling...
WonderAlice007 (0:04:25): make babies?
elusiveconductor (0:04:28): yes that
WonderAlice007 (0:04:32): yup
WonderAlice007 (0:04:41): propagate
WonderAlice007 (0:05:14): my internet suddenly slowed down significantly
WonderAlice007 (0:05:21): as i was doublechecking the spelling
elusiveconductor (0:06:23): they are going to charge you extra for talking to a known subvertive intellect

...

2007-05-23T19:14:00.000-05:00

i honestly dont know what to call this, it feels very titleless to me...

the filename is "Emogoth" but it didnt seem to fit, so i guess a somewhat nameless title has been input

though ill probably think of some half-assed title by the time i get around to posting this on my DA account ( http://zetimenvec.deviantart.com/gallery/ if any of you care to look at my previous works)

There's a new blog in town

2007-05-17T11:36:00.000-05:00

So, for some reason or another, I've never gotten myself involved with this blogging Mafia. I've always assumed it was a time-consuming racket of some sort, and I couldn't see the point. But I keep finding weird shit on the internets. It's weird. Anyway, check out my new shizzle, and feel free to comment. Also, just ask if you want me to let you publish your weird shit you found on the internets there too.

At the slight of time

2007-05-10T19:43:00.000-05:00

quickly drawn and well done i feel, better then the astro chick, and took about half the time to draw, started the sketch yesterday, scanned, outlined, colored, and shaded within the next day...

i had fun with this