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Uploaded photos of spring here in Berkeley and spring break in Southern California. Check ‘em out!

I’ll also be changing the header images sometime soon, because it’s spring (obviously) and no longer winter.

The end of spring break in Southern California meant a trip to the beach, which is covered with a whole lot of bamboo driftwood—dry as a bone and perfect for two things: forts and flutes. I found one good stick and decided to make a flute out of it, so I made the original tone (mouth) hole by grinding it thin with round rocks and boring it out with a sharp stick. It was actually amazing how nice the tone was off the bat. After a good deal more walking and talking, I got home and looked up the calculations and other instructions (and programs) for making the finger holes (this PDF was by far the most helpful).

It was very cool to drill the holes in the right places and tune each one with sandpaper and eventually come out with an instrument that actually sounds good. My main mistake was making it too short to begin with, but I didn’t have much choice considering that I had already made the hole with a rock. However—I still have 4 more sections of bamboo on this stick, which I’ve cut up for easy air transportation.

Hopefully I’ll make more flutes and share some recordings! It’s fun and rewarding, so if you play flute or any musical instrument, give it a shot.

Let me give you an example of how the music buying process should work:

Last week, I found a band called The Decemberists on iTunes, and since I liked their sound from the samples, I went out and bought their CD “Castaways and Cutouts” at Ameoba the very next day. The CD was so good that I listened to it nonstop for the next three days, and found out that the band was releasing a new CD (Picaresque) the very next tuesday.

Seems everyone’s enthralled with this article on Pixar behind-the-scenes. I could have done the same article, but I was a bit afraid to take pictures when I went. It was more of a private visit to talk with a friend of a friend for advice; and, of course, to see the place.

From what I saw, it did indeed look like a great place to work. It had an air of creativity and fun, and the food was wonderful. It was just a giant warehouse, but laid out beautifully; so open and inviting. It was a very cool place.

Unfortunately, their software internships are just for graduate students, and only the top ones at that. I heard they’re overpaid and overqualified. Not my area anyway.

Just wanted to say “I saw it first!” just because.

The Daily Show this evening was, like every other major media outlet for the last week, focused on the political and religious drama surrounding Terri Schiavo—only Jon Stewart did it with wit and style.

The highlight was this: Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.): “The measure of a nation’s commitment to the sanctity of life is reflected in its laws and to the extent those laws honor and defend its most vulnerable citizens.”

Jon Stewart: “What? We’re getting universal health care?? ... or, not.”

In every Daily Show I’ve seen, Jon Stewart never fails to bring out the hypocrisy, irony, and fallacy that is our current government in a most intelligent and humanistic manner. He says everything that should be said and everything that really probably shouldn’t be said. I would just like to recognize his genius. Thank you, Jon.

Related articles (yet to be written):

• How the US government spent trillions on the war in Iraq and left behind our schools, healthcare, and our own people.


• How the government pushes Christian morality in tiny, insignificant, yet very public cases instead of truly helping the most people with the most need (examples: Terri Schiavo, abortion, Gay rights, steroids in MLB).


• How the essence of being a “Republican” has changed from believing in moderating federal power into believing in the Christian ethos and the federal power to impose Christian values on all people of the United States, and indeed, the world.


• How every liberal idea or politic in the past has eventually become mainstream, accepted, and undisputable (examples: abolition of slavery, womens’ rights, civil rights, free speech, clean air, environmental protection, recycling… soon to come: Gay marriage and womens’ choice. Learn to love it.)

It all just pisses me off, and that’s a small sublist.

New input devices (read: toys) came today (consider this another reason to buy from newegg.com—surprisingly fast ground shipping).

First is the nice shiny silver keyboard (Zippy WK-722). This is the first typing I’ve actually done on it, so I’ll tell you at the end if it’s nice or not. So far so good though. It’s exactly what I’ve always dreamed of in a keyboard—laptop keys! It’s IBM ThinkPad keyboard quality, if not better [Types on thinkpad for a few seconds…] well, not quite better, but very similar key action and overall feel. The convenient multimedia hotkeys worked out of the box with no configuration. And it’s shiny. And it takes up about half the desk space of my old keyboard (8 years old and way too big).

Second, a working mouse. Nothing special—I tried to get as close to what I had before, so I went with a simple Optical Blue. It’s the same design as the old Intellimouse Explorer, so it feels the same in my hand.

Verdict on the typing: very very comfortable. I can feel myself typing faster already. Ah! I love it.

Is your school this nerdy? The digits of pi extended from the math building to the computer science building, I’d estimate a few thousand or so.

Speaking of holidays, tomorrow is St. Patricks day! I’ve got to find me an Irish band to listen to. I’ve been practicing my tin whistle!

Bought a new CD today—The Decemberists—Castaways and Cutouts. Ironically, they’re right behind Death Cab in all the music stores, but I’ve just ignored them until iTunes told me I might like them. I do. Very smart lyrics and a sort of melancholy folk-rock sound. And it’s the first time I think I’ve ever heard the word “clarinet” in a song lyric. Mad props for that.

It is very seldom you see a musical performance that truly touches you for more than a second. Actually, I take that back—music more than anything has that capability, but in this case it could be called particularly profound.

First, a little preface. My high school does a musical every spring; I did them when I was there (played in the pit), and I’ve seen every one since. They are always excellent productions—not your average high school performances—and yes, better than your high school ever did.

This year they did Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods”, and it was quite possibly the most moving theatrical experience I’ve ever had. The play is incredibly thoughtful, the music is amazing, and of course the kids (my brother included!) were absolutely wonderful. There is no better group of musicians for miles around this tiny little town.

The striking thing about this musical is the writing. I won’t go into details, but Sondheim struck a chord with me somehow; there were great truths effortlessly expressed, and so many at once it was almost overwhelming. More correctly, they were truths effortlessly expressed by wonderful actors and singers, each one perfect in his or her own right. You couldn’t ask for better.

If you’ve never seen a broadway musical, put it on your list, because it’s a wonderful experience. If you’ve never seen Into the Woods, I highly reccomend it. It could change your life.

But then, I heard the broadway version wasn’t as good.