S.o.t.D. - Namaste – Beastie Boys

Namaste – Beastie Boys

Rest In Peace Adam.

S.o.t.D. - Mystic Sunset – Marky & S.P.Y.

Mystic Sunset – Marky & S.P.Y.

Oh hellz yeah! Chugging, bass heavy monster of a tune, that still has some soft touches. If I ever decide to take up a career as a get away driver, this will be blasting through the speakers.

Bibliophilia: Rule 34 – Charles Stross

Rule 34 – Charles Stross

I admit it, the tattooed, pistol packing babe on the cover got me to pick it up and check it out, and the description got me to read it. I liked the gritty blend of sci-fi/police drama. Told from the perspective of three characters, but mainly from that of Liz Cavanaugh, a Scottish police inspector in the not too far future who has to investigate the ever widening world of cyber-crime. Weird and unsettling, but mainly because you start to wonder whether some of it might not come to pass fifteen years in the future.

S.o.t.D. - Pouncer – Krusseldorf

Pouncer – Krusseldorf

Curious as to whether this has anything to do with Kruder & Dorfmeister, but I’m pretty certain this is a great track.

Chief Tecumseh’s words of wisdom:

Chief Tecumseh’s words of wisdom:

Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion;
respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.

(This is also known as “Live Your Life”, and while some claim it was composed by Tecumseh it has also been ascribed to Wabasha, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Wovoka. But I lived on a street named after Tecumseh, he died not far from where I used to live, and I think the sentiments are right on.)

MECEDCFAK

Lots of acronyms. Mountain Equipment Co-op, Every Day Carry, First Aid Kit. I wanted a slightly more substantial FAK in the Messenge’mups than just a boo boo kit. Dug this one out of the box o’ gear and filled it up.

The MEC first aid pouch comes in three sizes. The one I have is the small one. 22 cm (8½") x 13 cm (5") x 6 cm (2¼"). For the price you really can’t beat it. It’s not the pouch I would build, but it is a decent, serviceable pouch. It’s got a pair of belt loops so you can wear it on your belt. I replaced the zipper pulls with some spiral sinnets.

One side has a slot for a little organization.

2 pairs of nitrile gloves.

1. Povidone Iodine Prep Pads
2. Eye Dropper
3. Laerdahl CPR Face Shield
4. TransPore Tape
5. 1" Gauze
6. Finger Cots (4 sizes)
7. Tubular Gauze Finger Dressings
8. First Aid Guide
9. Thermometer
10. Benzalkonium Chloride Wipes
11. Knuckle Bandages
12. Fingertip Bandages
13. Scalpels
14. Sting Stop Wipes
15. Ammonia Inhalant
16. 2" x 4.5 Yards Gauze
17. SteriStrips
18. Povidone Iodine Ointment
19. Eye Pad
20. Blister Pads
21. Finger & Toe Blister Pads
22. Butterfly Bandages (various sizes)
23. Vitamin A & D Ointment
24. White Petroleum Jelly
25. Biohazard Bag
26. Triangular Bandage
27. Laerdahl CPR Face Shield
28. 4"x4" Gauze Pad
29. Second Skin Moist Pads
30. Mole Skin
31. 2"x2" Gauze Sponges
32. H&H 4.5" x 4.1 Yards Compressed Gauze
33. Coban
34. 1" Gauze
35. 2" x 3" Gauze
36. 2"x2" Gauze Sponges
37. Burn Jel
38. Cool Jel
39. Double Antibiotic Ointment
40. 3"x3" Gauze Sponges
41. Pill Pack

And some larger, unlabelled photos if you want to get a closer look at anything.

S.o.t.D. - She Was Here (Arthur Deep Remix) – Mango

She Was Here (Arthur Deep Remix) – Mango 

The girl is cute, and the track is a simple yet really infectious groover.

No caribou?

Alex Jack, an elderly Gitxsan man, living in the Stikine Valley in British Columbia, tells a story of his father encountering a Catholic missionary at the turn of the century. Jack’s father was utterly confounded by the Christian notion of heaven. He could not believe that a person was expected to give up all the things that made life worth living, in order to go to a place where they did not allow animals. “No caribou?” he would say in complete astonishment. He could not conceive of a world without wild things.

p.36 Light at the Edge of the World - Wade Davis

S.o.t.D. - Mundian To Bach Ke – Panjabi MC

Mundian To Bach Ke – Panjabi MC 

I had almost forgotten about this track until I saw an ad for Sasha Baron Cohens new movie. If you like this, Snaps The Power of Bhangra goes well with it.

S.o.t.D. - Hit That Jive Jack – Diana Krall

Hit That Jive Jack – Diana Krall

It’s jazz, but it rocks.

S.o.t.D. - Old Man – City & Colour

Old Man – City & Colour

I like Neil’s original, but Dallas’ cover is pretty swell.

S.o.t.D. - Emaline - Jeff Healey

Emaline - Jeff Healey

The blues stuff he did? Meh. The big band jazz he did? Love it!

I think it was Stuart McLean who mentioned going by his house, and in his basement he had 30,000 old 78s. You mention some amazingly obscure 1920s ragtime track or a rare 1930s big band track, and he would go over to a spot on the shelves, and pull out the exact record. Knew where everything was. Which, given that whole lack of eyeballs, is rather remarkable. And I though my record collection was organized.

Bibliophilia: Samurai: An Illustrated History – Mitsuo Kure & Samurai: The Story of Japan’s Great Warriors – Stephen R. Turnbull

Samurai: The Story of Japan’s Great Warriors – Stephen R. Turnbull

Samurai: An Illustrated History – Mitsuo Kure

Okko featured a character in partial samurai armour. I have always found their armour interesting, and occasionally day dream that if I didn’t have a hundred other things I want to make, I would love to make some kind of cyber-samurai armour from Kevlar and titanium and carbon fiber. Not for any really practical reason, but it would look really damn cool. And it would keep me busy. My knowledge of samurais and the history of Japan is a bit spotty, so I got these out to study their armour a bit. 

Anything about samurais always talks about what noble warriors they are, and their code of honour and all that. I guess, but what I came away with more than anything (and admittedly I didn’t read every last word in these books) is how Japan was essentially involved in a centuries, millennium long civil war, where one rich scumbag fought against another rich scumbag. One feudal lord engaged in petty conflict with another feudal lord for gaining wealth, power, land, prove his martial prowess, whatever. And invariably it was always the little guy who got shafted. Warfare to defend against a foreign invader who will destroy your country, enslave your people? Okay. Warfare without end to see who has the bigger penis? Please.

S.o.t.D. - Milky (PFM Sunrise Mix) – Trickbaby

Milky (PFM Sunrise Mix) – Trickbaby  

PFM are the quintessential chilled out D&B artist.

Bibliophilia: Chew: Taster’s Choice – John Layman & Rob Guillory

Chew: Taster’s Choice – John Layman & Rob Guillory

This did nothing for me, and I will even go so far as to say I really disliked it.

Time warp

This past weekend, for about the second time in a year, the intersection of Main and James here in Hamilton was closed for use in a film production. Both times it was for a period piece, since it’s an intersection that has old, architecturally interesting buildings on all four corners, something I suspect is a bit of a rarity in a lot of places now.

It was for a series pilot being made by NBC/Universal for airing on the SyFy network, called Rewind. The executive producer is Jack Bender who has worked on Lost, Alcatraz, and The Sopranos. Set in both present-day and 1929, Rewind involves a group of military scientists who hope to un-do a nuclear explosion in present-day New York by manipulating a particle-accelerator to achieve time-travel.

I was in the neighbourhood so I went by to have a look. Not a big car buff, but still cool to see the ones they had out.

S.o.t.D. - Worship – Beat Pharmacy

Worship – Beat Pharmacy

Trippy and bassy.

S.o.t.D. - Red Pine Cliff – Shen

Red Pine Cliff – Shen

Hot damn is this ever good.

S.o.t.D. - Axis Mundi – Kalya Scintilla

Axis Mundi – Kalya Scintilla

Sort of funky, middle eastern tinged glitch-hop.

Birth of a Tool

A reader shared these with me, but I didn’t want them to be hidden away in the comments section. 

John Neeman hand makes woodworking tools – axes, draw knives, framing slicks, chisels, kitchen and hunting knives, and other goodies.

These two short films are not only beautifully done, they show a beautiful process. The shop is envy inducing. I have tried my hand at a variety of skills, but blacksmithing is one I very much want to tackle one day. Oh time and space and money - why must you be in such short supply?






When I have some money, I must talk to him about an axe.

Love the quote used as well.

“It is a tragedy of the first magnitude that millions of people have ceased to use their hands as hands. Nature has bestowed upon us this great gift which is our hands. If the craze for machinery methods continues, it is highly likely that a time will come when we shall be so incapacitated and weak that we shall begin to curse ourselves for having forgotten the use of the living machines given to us by God.”
Mahathma Ghandi
 

S.o.t.D. - Ring The Alarm (SixteenArmedJack remix) – Tenor Saw

Ring The Alarm (SixteenArmedJack remix) – Tenor Saw 

I have fond memories of Jarkko mixing this into sets at the Spadina Hotel. Good times.

Prints & Printer

My bro from another mo recently got an Epson 4900. Not your average desktop printer. At well over a hundred pounds and taking up almost 6 square feet, unless your desk is titan of industry huge, it will take up all of it. Your kids will be able to make a great fort out of the box. (Although to be on the safe side, you might want to hang on to the box until you’re certain there aren’t any problems with it.)

Not going to start spewing out too much in the way of technical details. This article gives a very thorough writeup if you’re interested.

Helped get it set up, and have seen some of the results roll out the other end.

I contributed some old map drawers to the cause.

Like I said, desk top doesn’t really apply any more.

This printer can handle a lot of different mediums. Be they roll fed or sheet fed, the options are far greater with this machine.

One of the things it can print on is wood veneer. Exotic Woods in Burlington has some neat stuff including lacewood.

First up.

Here are some prints by our pal Simon coming out.

Here it is on lacewood.

Different print, different wood. Like the effect a lot. Nice to see it on something other than plain old paper. Gives it a whole different feel.

And some prints by Bryce Huffman.

Some other miscellaneous print outs hanging up, including stuff by Andrew Little and Seth Rowanwood.

If any of those prints look appealing, contact the artists in the links provided.