karl

I never post here, it's become a strange place to me. Oddly, I still read my friends page, it's still a missing stream of voices that other sites just don't have. There are still a lot of good groups and writers on livejournal, but archives, old friends, and last ties between the past is all that's left for now.

I've revived my past, no longer own k4rl.com or dotter.tk, or the myriad of other domains. Just posting to the old faithful new element (using tumblr!): http://www.newelement.org

the aftermath outside my window from the fire.

I'm safe, but not home tonight.

My apartment complex had a major fire which completely devastated the 3rd and 4th floors with 3 alarm flames.

I'm extremely lucky, with water damage to my first floor apartment being the only thing I am for sure is the case - I still have not been granted access to my place until tomorrow morn.

so happy to be safe and warm tonight.

I have gotten darn sick this week, so much so that I stayed home today from work. I've felt like I've gotten hit over the head with a caveman club at times. The plan is to rest up tonight and come in to work tomorrow.

Life is very fulfilling lately despite having no immune system in 2007.

I called Jamie again tonight and apparently he is sending postcards. Let me preface this: xiu xiu has essentially made a crazy amazing band hotline where Jamie changes the answering machine message every day to anything he wants, this is too good for my obsession with all things jamie and xiu xiu.

I'm starting to make proper food in the kitchen. Mostly of the healthy variety, and mostly without a microwave. This is exciting.

As the descendents once said, "i like food, food tastes good! i like food, food tastes good! juicy burgers, greasy fries turkey legs and raw fish eyes teenage girls, with ketchup too! get out of my way, or i'll eat you i like food, food tastes good! i like food, food tastes good! i'm going to turn dining back into eating."

so, I went to macworld today and snapped a few pictures of my supposed iphone future.

I'm not your average mac fan by any means, but if you were to take the luddite sensibility of rick tharp mixed with the frugality of fall from grace frugal gourmet chef Jeff Smith, you'd have essentially myself, the frugal luddite ui guy who uses a computer in both work practice and lifestyle, and who somehow has been known to keep things past their expected expiration date (except milk).

Case in point, my current phone, the nokia 6820, which I have had for about 3.5 years now - many of my friends are rooting for me to trash it.



I lovingly call it the maxi-pad phone for the twin fold-out qwerty keyboard amazingness. This phone was superseded by my previous phone's demise which I only departed with because I dropped it in a toilet by accident.

Recently, I've almost karmic'ly gotten rid of my phone twice in 2 months: losing it in a cab ride home, and last week in a bar..I've never had a binded contract, never been tied to any given technology except for my rife sense of getting the most out of a device that is seen as far gone in the consumer market. There is something to be said about phones and laptops that still work 4-10 years later that are not turned into fishbowls or art pieces. The time for an iphone-like device is approaching, but why spend so much money on one when I can clearly walk in to a cingular store right now and trade this old phone in for some free/simple ui driven nokia device....or? Any advice for a replacement before the June 2007 iphone conundrum?

I'm clearly proclaiming myself as an anti-change geek, but, really, if I have a good experience with technology, I'll stick with it. If you can find me a device that I'll use for more than 3-5 years, I'm sold, and I might buy you dinner..in 3-5 years. (buying dinner is not frugal, except after 3-5 years)

I gotta go back to ocean beach when it's warmer...if that's possible. This vacation was just starting to get relaxed mid last week, and now it's over. I'm exhausted from getting home late last night from avi's new year's party...having left cupertino for the very awake town of sf monday morn.

Today, I discovered, on new years day in sf you can pretty much just expect to do your laundry, go to a coffee shop, and take a nap if you're lucky. I had somewhat plans to go to muir woods in mill valley today, but I guess my sf friends slept the whole day through, so I spent my last vacation day alone...last night I brought my own japanese rice beer, then promptly kept to dr. pepper and pretzels...it was a fun, almost alcohol-less new year, spent with my best friends.

An observation of post-new years day sf: there are more people sleeping on the streets this morning in my neighborhood than usual (I don't think they are all homeless) and some ghetto blasting cars on my street that I think are out of towners just sort of lingering and chatting to girls on their cellphones, this is all in broad daylight.

The funny thing is that the rest of my neighborhood is dead silent, and near shutdown, it's an odd mix of peacefullness and post-party people...

I rented the icelandic movie "noi" to watch tonight with my dinner, but instead, I ended up eating my vegetarian shepards pie and thinking of songs for a mixtape. 2 hours has gone by, and I have to be rested for work tomorrow...

My dream this year is to have an early momentum towards accomplishing big things. You know what I'm talking about, the stuff that is worth working towards:

» better/stronger, new and improved™ family/friend relationships,
» going back to school/getting a hold of my degree
» really make some music, really make good/bad art
» planning on not planning things too much and having fun at work and play.
» one word: cooking, second word: dinner.

...the easier ones are missing from the list on purpose, but this is the start for 2007ish.

The hi-fives play once a year. They have a song that they wrote in college called "7 years" (because 7 years is a long time when you're young) that they recently changed to "7 beers" with similar lyrics. They're classy folks.

Katie & Jym from the Specs and the rock & roll adventure kids played as well...(katie is also in the devilettes, jym in the mr. t experience, and both old kscu dj's) it was a kscu reunion of sorts spending time w/ joce, sunra, alan, tyler, and the one and only casper...I might be convinced some day to do radio again, this is an itch that does not go away easily.

vacation is so close to expiring...2006 almost gone, a resolution list is in the works.

Dana Boyd generally sums up my feelings on why I have problems with social media, 'not allowing to manage collapsed contexts' is an amazing problem to have, click her qoute below:

“Are you my friend? Yes or no?” This question, while fundamentally odd, is a key component of social network sites. Participants must select who on the system they deem to be ‘Friends.’ Their choice is publicly displayed for all to see and becomes the backbone for networked participation. By examining what different participants groups do on social network sites, this paper investigates what Friendship means and how Friendship affects the culture of the sites. - dana boyd

also, this is just sad: "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

today I turned 26.

On December 3, 2006, Logan Whitehurst passed away after a long battle with brain cancer.

this daniel johnston movie really haunts me, I'm casper these days.

the hidden cameras show was wonderful, I can end my november in peace!

I'm done with traveling this year. I want to go farther next year. I was in texas, washington, portland, virginia, dc, and boston. Chicago and Canada are in my future.

notes: toga parties are not just for jocks, find Carla Bozulich's music, watch akira kurosawa's lower depths, read for the relief of unbearable urges, consume mark newgarden's we all die alone, paul hornschenier's perfectly clear, and nate powell's please release, forget about parody blogs.

BBC: Tetris - from russia with love (58:52)

I'm eating roasted green chili & jack cheese tamales from rainbow grocery and watching an hour long bbc documentary on the history of Tetris. This is what happens when you don't plan anything for Friday night and your friend bails on you to go see the movie "short bus", and that's ok...right?

I've been reading the new lemony snicket book while on the train to work and just started From Hell, the alan moore adapted jack the ripper graphic novel. I've lost track of the numerous anthology and collection books I've started too. Reading for enjoyment has never been this strong in my life. The amount of books at a time (maybe about 3 real books plus 2 graphic novels) is kinda staggering for a brain like me. Maybe I really shouldn't go ahead and buy a TV after all.

I have a whole bunch of musical outings planned in November, but there's something about this week that has been increasingly lonely, almost self-inflicted... but I noticed my lips have started chapping up in the cold weather and today I took the outbound N Judah line towards castro instead of the caltrain by accident. My brain is slowly decaying from lack of human/heart pumping/contact (work and family doesn't count). But, like most things in my life, the timing is just right... for me. Next week I'll be able to play-up this new found character as I plan to dress up as a lab coat wearing, mustache touting, mad scientist.

jamie,

Slim moon has nuth'n such on you.

love,

-me

Kill Rock Stars Retires 5RC
2006-10-23 10:38:30.110,
Story by: Alex Billig

Shortly after announcing the impending departure of label founder Slim Moon for his new post at Nonesuch, Kill Rock Stars has confirmed that its avant-garde offshoot, 5 Rue Christine, will soon be closing up shop indefintely. KRS vice president Maggie Vail explained the situation to Pitchfork, saying, "We're calming down a little bit and not putting out so many records. We'd like to focus on our bands more."

While this decision may allow KRS to provide its bands with additional attention, 5RC's retirement brings into question the future of artists like the Advantage, Excepter and the Robot Ate Me, who are all currently on its roster. At this stage, Vail is still uncertain about the paths each of its artists would take. While some acts have already arranged to switch over to KRS, others may choose, or be forced, to seek deals with other labels.

In the 10 years since its creation in 1997, 5RC has established a name for itself by releasing innovative records by boundry-pushing bands like Hella, Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu. Before becoming "dormant," the label plans to finish out their 2006/2007 plans, which include releasing new full-lengths from the Punks, BARR and Marnie Stern.

we've started back up for the fall edition of our aol ooto's baseball team. This is looking to be our strongest team yet. We lost 11 to 8 last night, but it was such a good game - everyone did something on our team to turn the tide: hits, runs, walks, double plays, jumping catches and even a fan and a professional photographer on hand. (photos by andy hakim!)