Here are some music recommendations for your weekend.
"Goodnite" by Melody Gardot: A dreamy jazz ballad from Gardot, whose voice is smooth like glass.
"Long Lost Brother" by Over the Rhine: A primo track from OTR's magnum opus. "I wanna do better, I wanna try harder / I wanna believe down to the letter / Jesus and Mary, can you carry us / Across this ocean into the arms of forgiveness."
"Light Up Ya Lighter" by Michael Franti: Rough, blistering reggae critique of the war and more importantly, the culture of war. I'm not really into anti-war songs, but this one happens to move me. Plus it has an awesome hook.
"O Heart Bereaved and Lonely" by Sandra McCracken: This is a haunting acoustic reworking of an old Fanny Crosby hymn. "O cling to thy Redeemer, / Thy Savior, Brother, Friend / Believe and trust His promise, / To keep you till the end." Such a comforting song.
And finally, two Phish songs. People often ask me where to start with Phish, so here are two recommendations. "Down With Disease" is a great example of a fairly short, concise song that still showcases a lot of the band's sound. And "You Enjoy Myself" is maybe my favorite example of the more stereotypical Phish song: long, heavily composed, time changes, goofy lyrics. It's pretty boss.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, June 08, 2009
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
More doggie tips
Our obedience class trainer, Bob Minchella, teaches owners a consistent process of issuing commands that has been really helpful for us. I'm recounting it here, not because I expect anyone to memorize it and apply it (though I know some of you will), but because I think it is an interesting window into a dog's brain. Here's the process, which we follow every time, for recall (a.k.a., "Come!").
1. Give the command: "Satchmo, come!" Come is a position, seated and facing me. Running toward me, and then past me, does not count.
2. As soon as his butt hits the ground at my feet, "mark" the behavior. This means, essentially, say "Good boy!" The theory here is that you can't consistently give a reward with the correct timing, so you mark the behavior with your voice instead.
3. Reward! As Bob says, "with a treat the first bazillion times." As I consistently mark behavior with my voice and follow the mark with a reward, the puppy's little brain begins to associate the two, and after a while, I can phase out the treats.
4. Wait a few seconds. The dog needs to hold his position after the reward is issued. No fair sprinting off with that piece of hot dog!
5. Release. Say, "Okay!" Only then can he get up. If he gets up before he's released, he gets a voice warning ("Ah!") and/or a correction with the leash.
Nifty, huh?
1. Give the command: "Satchmo, come!" Come is a position, seated and facing me. Running toward me, and then past me, does not count.
2. As soon as his butt hits the ground at my feet, "mark" the behavior. This means, essentially, say "Good boy!" The theory here is that you can't consistently give a reward with the correct timing, so you mark the behavior with your voice instead.
3. Reward! As Bob says, "with a treat the first bazillion times." As I consistently mark behavior with my voice and follow the mark with a reward, the puppy's little brain begins to associate the two, and after a while, I can phase out the treats.
4. Wait a few seconds. The dog needs to hold his position after the reward is issued. No fair sprinting off with that piece of hot dog!
5. Release. Say, "Okay!" Only then can he get up. If he gets up before he's released, he gets a voice warning ("Ah!") and/or a correction with the leash.
Nifty, huh?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
On cargo shorts
Cargo shorts: they're a staple of summer. From frat boys to farmers, everyone loves the casual utilitarian style only cargo shorts can provide. So you'd think that by now, someone would have perfected their design. But as far as I have been able to tell, no one ever has. I'm not a clothing designer, but I am highly opinionated, and I do have legs—so I feel qualified to write about this topic. Here is how some designer could create the perfect cargo short; I offer this free of charge as a service to society.
Cargo Pockets
The heart and soul of the cargo short are its cargo pockets, obviously. The ideal pocket should be roomy but not bulky, secure but easily accessible. Most often it is the issue of accessibility that clothiers muck up. Repeat after me: buttons are a bad idea. If it takes two hands to open, you've failed. My first choice would be velcro, but snaps are also acceptable. Either way, you'll want two anchor points (rather than one in the center of the pocket flap) for added security.
Belt Loops
It's casual summer attire, so you probably aren't going to want a belt, but you still need to have belt loops. Why? Because it's also utility attire, so you ought to be able to clip in your keys. And since you're going to sew some belt loops on them, you might as well make the loops wide enough to fit a belt through. You know, on the off chance someone wants to go d-bag casual and slap a belt on. Bonus points here for a drawstring on the inside of the shorts.
Fit
Crotch: Tight-crotched low-rise jeans are one thing; I guess they're okay, if you are the type of guy who wants to go troll for the type of girl who likes guys who dress like women. But again: cargo shorts are casual wear—they should fit loosely and comfortably.
Length: Here's a simple rule: make the legs long enough so I don't look like a geometry teacher in line for Space Mountain. The hem of the shorts ought to flirt with the top of the knees, okay?
Front Pockets
Loose and deep. Not only should you be able to fit your hands in comfortably, but you ought to be able to hop in the car without fear of dropping all your change down into driver's seat no-man's-land.
Rear Pockets
These are a bonus feature. You're probably sticking your wallet in one of the cargo pockets, but sometimes you'll want a place to keep a napkin while you eat ice cream, or a place to stow your keys so they don't jangle so much (remember, they're on your belt loop). So repeat after me again: buttons are a bad idea. They're an even worse idea on the back than on the sides, because they're even more impossible to access. Matter of fact, let's get rid of the flaps altogether on the back pockets. Okay? Good.
Well, there you have it, clothing designers: the perfect cargo shorts. I'm not sure why this should be so hard, but now that I've spelled it out for you, can you get to work on it for me?
Cargo Pockets
The heart and soul of the cargo short are its cargo pockets, obviously. The ideal pocket should be roomy but not bulky, secure but easily accessible. Most often it is the issue of accessibility that clothiers muck up. Repeat after me: buttons are a bad idea. If it takes two hands to open, you've failed. My first choice would be velcro, but snaps are also acceptable. Either way, you'll want two anchor points (rather than one in the center of the pocket flap) for added security.
Belt Loops
It's casual summer attire, so you probably aren't going to want a belt, but you still need to have belt loops. Why? Because it's also utility attire, so you ought to be able to clip in your keys. And since you're going to sew some belt loops on them, you might as well make the loops wide enough to fit a belt through. You know, on the off chance someone wants to go d-bag casual and slap a belt on. Bonus points here for a drawstring on the inside of the shorts.
Fit
Crotch: Tight-crotched low-rise jeans are one thing; I guess they're okay, if you are the type of guy who wants to go troll for the type of girl who likes guys who dress like women. But again: cargo shorts are casual wear—they should fit loosely and comfortably.
Length: Here's a simple rule: make the legs long enough so I don't look like a geometry teacher in line for Space Mountain. The hem of the shorts ought to flirt with the top of the knees, okay?
Front Pockets
Loose and deep. Not only should you be able to fit your hands in comfortably, but you ought to be able to hop in the car without fear of dropping all your change down into driver's seat no-man's-land.
Rear Pockets
These are a bonus feature. You're probably sticking your wallet in one of the cargo pockets, but sometimes you'll want a place to keep a napkin while you eat ice cream, or a place to stow your keys so they don't jangle so much (remember, they're on your belt loop). So repeat after me again: buttons are a bad idea. They're an even worse idea on the back than on the sides, because they're even more impossible to access. Matter of fact, let's get rid of the flaps altogether on the back pockets. Okay? Good.
Well, there you have it, clothing designers: the perfect cargo shorts. I'm not sure why this should be so hard, but now that I've spelled it out for you, can you get to work on it for me?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
"The Case for Working With Your Hands" - NYTimes.com
Great article from the NY Times about categories of work and their perceived and actual value. Money quote: "A gifted young person who chooses to become a mechanic rather than to accumulate academic credentials is viewed as eccentric, if not self-destructive. There is a pervasive anxiety among parents that there is only one track to success for their children. It runs through a series of gates controlled by prestigious institutions."
Friday, May 22, 2009
Back from the library again
OK, another stack of books and I don't know where to start. Bookish friends, any advice? (Other than the iced coffee, which seems obvious.)
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