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Friends
Jul. 10th, 2009
07:40 pm - SoundExchange
I can't make any sense of what this new SoundExchange settlement actually means for DNA Lounge. Is someone going to come knocking on my door asking for an additional $25,000 per year because of our webcasts? Given that A) we are already paying ASCAP/SESAC/BMI for them, and B) the webcasts produce zero revenue. If you think you understand this crap, please explain it to me...
01:53 am - Enveloping New Music
Today’s song of the day comes from the just released sophomore album from London band Engineers. This fantastic album is a wall of sound that fully envelops the listener in lofty, lush dream pop. It has been over 4 years since their debut, during which time they unfortunately got caught up in the failure of their record label and struggled to figure out their next move. The time away, I’m happy to report, has not hurt their music at all and after the first few listens, I am already starting to believe this one will be in my top 10 list for 2009. Enjoy!
Engineers – Clean Coloured Wire
07:19 pm - The Robotic Head of Albert Einstein Teaches Itself to Smile.
| And Soon It Will Destroy You.
To begin teaching the robot, the researchers stuck Einstein in front of a mirror and instructed the robot to "body babble" by contorting its face into random positions. A video camera connected to facial recognition software gave the robot feedback: When it made a movement that resembled a "real" expression, it received a reward signal. | |
11:54 am - Real USSR - Lifting the Iron Curtain
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realussr — Blogging about lifestyle of the the Soviet Union the biggest country in the world. Telling stories of many years kept behind the Iron Curtain. No propaganda, no censorship.
Please find some recent topics listed below:
- How Khrushchev had killed the “Vampire”
- The Book on Tasty and Healthy Foods: Una Dolce Vita, Soviet Style (featured at DYT)
- Soviet automobile industry – Part 1, Part 2
- Funtime with Soviet Playthings
Subscribe to syndicated realussr feed | Follow @realussr on Twitter.
Stay tuned!
Jul. 9th, 2009
07:27 pm - Short-term rental in Chapel Hill
I'm looking at being homeless as of August 1, so I need to find somewhere to live. My current lease ends on July 31st and I don't have anywhere to live yet. My original plan fell through because the other people living there don't want a cat in the house. So here is what I'm looking for:
--Cat allowed. I have one young, sweet cat.
--Preferably short-term (month-to-month, three months, six months) but I may consider a one year lease
--Chapel Hill...or surrounding area
--max $500/month
--Furnished would be great, but not necessary
--My own bedroom, and other shared living spaces
--Prefer roommates, but willing to live in a 1 bedroom
--Safe neighborhood
--Parking
Anyone know of a place that matches this? Or good websites, newspapers, etc. to look at? I've been trolling Craigslist daily and haven't had much luck.
Thanks!!
02:18 pm - Gaultier still engaged in Barbarelloid acts of Supervillainy.
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06:48 pm - rAA News: rPath Platform Agent 3.1.4 released
rPath Platform Agent 3.1.4 is a maintenance release.
Bug Fixes:- pressing Enter now submits the login form on IE (RAA-1725)
- processes whose status returns 'dead but pid file exists' now show the 'Locked' state in the service plugin, instead of 'Unknown' (RAA-1727)
- the backup properties in the raa database now store the correct top-level group information for each backup. (RAA-1728)
- In rapa-console, re-authenticating after a password change is no longer necessary. (RAA-1733)
- saveGeneral in the netowrk configuration plugin has been made backward-compatible with 2.2 and 3.0. (RAA-1736)
- XML-RPC method calls are now logged in the access log (RAA-1657)
- the rollback plugin no longer errors when no rollbacks exist. (RAA-1738)
- XML-RPC functions can be added to the rpcLogBlacklist setting to prevent their parameters from being logged (RAA-1600)
- Encrypted backups now have encryption info stored in their backup properties in the raa database (RAA-1705)
- An XML-RPC function called saveAll2 has been added to allow all network settings to be saved in a single call (RAA-1706)
11:45 am - POSTER UPDATED - Charlotte, NC August 1st
MAGIC by HANNIBAL!
MUSIC by DJ SPIDER
also...
Have you ever seen a girl HULA HOOP STRIP TEASE?
YOU WILL!
10:15 am - tech notes roundup
03:23 am - Technical Difficulties
Please excuse the technical difficulties I’ve been having with raleighing over the past day. Been working with my hosting provider to identify the issue and get it resolved. I think I’ve made some progress in the right direction so fingers-crossed the site will stay up and running. Otherwise, I may be looking for a new place to house the new raleighing!
02:02 am - business card caliper v2
New revision of the card. No big differences except for the slide now includes useful info printed on it, and the instructions go onto the part of the card that doesn't get used.
Paper with a pattern on top, and white on the back seems to work best for engraving. This was cut on the Epilog laser cutter.
Lots of adjustments trying to get things to fold up nicely with the different papers. 
Jul. 8th, 2009
09:43 pm - Raleigh Amtrak?
What, might I ask, is a girl to do on a Friday in Raleigh on foot?
*must be within walking distance of the Amtrak station
*food?
*sights?
*things to take pictures of?
*life-changing encounters?
Yay ^_^
03:37 pm - JAILBREAK ZEPPELIN!
Spanish police thwart jail break using remote-controlled Zeppelin
Three people have been arrested after their plan to aid the escape of an inmate from prison in Las Palmas on the Canary Islands was discovered by police. They planned to use a 13 foot long remote-controlled airship to deliver night vision goggles, climbing gear and camouflage paint to the Italian convict who would then use the equipment to escape from prison.It is thought the inmate, identified by police as 52 year-old Giulio B, would use the gear to scale down a prison wall at night where a car would be waiting to take him into hiding.
"He would be transported to a foreign country where he would hide out while he waited for false identity documents and would continue to oversee the shipment of drugs to our country," a statement released by Spanish police said.
The three people arrested by police had sent up camp in a camouflaged tent on a hill some 600 metres away from the jail where they spent weeks observing security measures at the prison through powerful binoculars and telephoto lenses. The team of two Spaniards and a Urugauan had set up motion detection sensors around their camp to warn of anyone approaching their stake-out site.
Authorities said they learnt of the plan and intercepted the package containing the inflatable zeppelin when it arrived in the Canary Islands from Bergamo.
12:34 pm - the time is now...
...12:34:56 07-08-09.
07:03 pm - Scott Parkerson: Eternal Optimism [2]
Every software developer should read this awesome takedown by Benjamin Pollack on the optimism of developers who say they can clone a successful product in a weekend.
tl;dr? Here are my favorite grafs:
That is why an open-source clone of StackOverflow will fail. Even if someone were to manage to implement most of StackOverflow “to spec,” there are some key areas that would trip them up. Badges, for example, if you’re targeting end-users, either need a GUI to configure rules, or smart developers to determine which badges are generic enough to go on all installs. What will actually happen is that the developers will bitch and moan about how you can’t implement a really comprehensive GUI for something like badges, and then bikeshed any proposals for standard badges so far into the ground that they’ll hit escape velocity coming out the other side. They’ll ultimately come up with the same solution that bug trackers like Roundup use for their workflow: the developers implement a generic mechanism by which anyone, truly anyone at all, who feels totally comfortable working with the system API in Python or PHP or whatever, can easily add their own customizations. And when PHP and Python are so easy to learn and so much more flexible than a GUI could ever be, why bother with anything else?
And the closer:
The next time you see an application you like, think very long and hard about all the user-oriented details that went into making it a pleasure to use, before decrying how you could trivially reimplement the entire damn thing in a weekend. Nine times out of ten, when you think an application was ridiculously easy to implement, you’re completely missing the user side of the story.
TRUE STORY: when I was but a wee lad working at my first startup, I had the pleasure of interview a hot shot who claimed during the interview that “what you guys have done is trivial” and that “he could write the whole thing in Perl over the weekend”. That asshat didn’t get hired.
01:45 pm - Hot Rod Hoopla.... this weekend...
with Killer Filler.
come on out and enjoy the festivities.
Hot Rod Hoopla is a monthly car show, cruise in, pig pickin’, event.
It's located at Locked and Loaded.
1125 US Highway 70, Garner NC, 27529 (919) 661-6688
Saturday, July 11th w/ Killer Filler
Saturday, August 15th w/ Hank Sinatra
Saturday, September 19th w/ The Tremors
Pin Up Contest
Bring your Hot Rods, Kustoms, or Bobber out.
Hot Rod Hoopla is a monthly car show, cruise in, pig pickin’, event
noon to 6pm or whenever
Special thanks to The Dirty Derelicts
It's put on with the help of Rod-O-Rama
1220 S. Saunders St. Raleigh NC 27603 (919)838-5080
Bands and dates subject to change. Check back often for the latest info.
![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/shock.gif){kind=small}
anxious01:41 pm - Hot Rod Hoopla this weekend....
with Killer Filler.
come on out and enjoy the festivities.
Hot Rod Hoopla is a monthly car show, cruise in, pig pickin’, event.
It's located at Locked and Loaded.
1125 US Highway 70, Garner NC, 27529 (919) 661-6688
Saturday, July 11th w/ Killer Filler
Saturday, August 15th w/ Hank Sinatra
Saturday, September 19th w/ The Tremors
Pin Up Contest
Bring your Hot Rods, Kustoms, or Bobber out.
Hot Rod Hoopla is a monthly car show, cruise in, pig pickin’, event
noon to 6pm or whenever
Special thanks to The Dirty Derelicts
It's put on with the help of Rod-O-Rama
1220 S. Saunders St. Raleigh NC 27603 (919)838-5080
Bands and dates subject to change. Check back often for the latest info.
![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/punquinheads/blue/worried.gif){kind=small}
anxious12:03 pm - Recommendation for Built-in Bookshelves
I was looking to get some built-in bookshelves and I was wondering if anyone on here had some recommendations (or warnings) for local companies that did that kind of stuff (cabinetry, woodworking, etc.)
You know, things like: Were they easy to get in touch with? Did they do free estimates? Were their time and financial estimates accurate for the project?
Thanks!
11:54 am - Canvassing businesses?
So,
I am back in my old haunts ( Chapel Hill/Carrboro) in August for Job Hunt purposes, and so far I only have one informal interview for the whole week I am there.. ONE. This does not look good for my chances of getting my foot in the door and moving down there before 2010 ( I'd prefer to be down there ASAP, but I know the consensus is that it's really rough economy-wise in NC, even in the usually stable Triangle area. I am , not surprisingly, finding that very few places will even give me 5 mins for an informational meet and greet, despite me having skills they might actually need. I am going to look locally where I am now ( back up in CT, unfortunately) but I would like to think that I could get back down to NC at some point. I'd love to move down tomorrow, but that requires a steady source of income to keep me there.
I know NC is in suckage mode right now, but who IS or WILL BE hiring? Is my adventure down south completely doomed? I am bringing resume cards with me and want to at least TRY and get 3 more interviews set up for the week I am there. To clarify, my experience is mostly in Grantwriting/Grants Consulting as well as International issues. I have strong writing and editing skills, though I have not edited professionally.
To the person who commented before on contacting your boss at that Educational Equality non-profit, It doesn't look like they are hiring, but thank you SO MUCH for at least giving me the heads up!
11:13 am - Can someone recommend a local mover?
Hello y'all, I'm hoping someone can help me out. I moved to Raleigh last summer from Atlanta, and now I'm moving again...all of a mile up the road. However, I have several heavy pieces that will need to go from a second-story apartment to a three-level townhouse, so I need a local mover.
Can anyone recommend (or not recommend) a local mover that isn't too pricey? We're trying to move as much as possible ourselves, but will need some help with the heavy things. I'm guessing this won't take more than a couple of hours, tops, and I'm wondering if that will actually be a hindrance in terms of booking a mover.
Adding to the fun is the fact that I'll have to book this move for August 1, so I need recommendations ASAP!
Thanks in advance for your help and advice!
10:36 am - Lets find these guys homes...
6 kittens, cute, cuddly, tons of fun...
( more behind the cut )
anxious10:35 am - Lets find these guys homes...
6 kittens, cute, cuddly, tons of fun...
( more behind the cut )
anxious
Jul. 7th, 2009
09:43 pm - dnalounge update
DNA Lounge update, wherein even ABC's own investigators think ABC is out of control.
09:16 pm - The Zeiram Burqa and other Tentacular Fashions.
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06:43 pm - The Absinth Martini
I blame Kay of The Dorsai Irregulars for this one, since she mixed it. OK, in all honesty, I’d also like to THANK her for it as well, since it’s not only delicious, it takes two of my favorite things and puts them together in one glass.
2.5 oz Gin (the good stuff, not the cheap stuff)
1 oz Absinthe
Shake lightly with ice, and pour into chilled martini glass. Requires no garnish.
By the way - any Con with the Dorsai as security staff will be one of the BEST cons you attend. At least that’s been my experience.
Originally published at sonney.com. You can comment here or there.
07:35 pm - fullsteam ah...no, I can't do it
03:46 pm - Avid Facebook User?
Then get your Raleighing fix right in your News Feed by becoming a fan of the Raleighing page on Facebook. My posts here on Raleighing are automatically imported into the Facebook page which then makes them available via the News Feeds of fans. It’s an easy way to keep up with what’s going on here without filling up your email inbox or your feed reader. Plus, you can use the other features of Facebook to interact such as the Wall or Discussion Boards. I myself am a Facebook user and will be able to join in any discussions over there too.
So, just head on over to the Raleighing page on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/raleighing
and click on the “Become a Fan” button which is up by the “Raleighing” page title. That’s it! Let me know if you have any questions or if it isn’t working for you.
12:35 pm
I just created the feed for marc_gunn. Marc is a wonderful Celtic musician and he is also a podcaster of various types of music. His news page has details of upcoming shows, albums and sometimes even free goodies.
Go check it out;)
11:04 am - Used car?
I'm looking for a good used, cheap car in Raleigh. I have bad credit so I will need to deal with a dealer who does on lot financing. Can someone recommend a dealer to me that is honest and won't rip me off and sell me a crappy car? Thanks.
04:09 am - Get Your New Music and MJ Fix At The Same Time
UPDATE: This album is now available in MP3 format at Lala.com and Amazon.com for only $3.99. I’ve inserted a Lala.com player below where you can listen to the full tracks on the album once. Subsequent listens will be reduced to 30 second samples.
How’s this for luck?
As I mentioned in a “song of the day” tweet last week, the band Discovery is a collaboration between members of Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot. Their debut album, titled simply LP, is set for release today and is a funky, dance-y, indie mix that is an engaging listen. Included on the album is a cover of The Jackson 5 number-one single, “I Want You Back.” The original song appeared on The Jackson 5’s debut album and was their first hit, recorded when Michael was just 10 years old.
Of course, the guys in Discovery had no idea they would have such timing, but I’m happy to say that their cover version is inventive yet very respectful of the original. This is the best approach to a recognizable classic, as we have all learned again and again from Simon Cowell over the past several years (yeah, yeah, yeah… you can deny watching AI all you want…).
Discovery – I Want You Back
[audio:08-I-Want-You-Back.mp3]
Jul. 6th, 2009
09:27 pm - I, for one, welcome our new seething, glistening bryozoan underlords.
The sewer monster is made up of thousands of tiny organisms called bryozoans, or moss animacules, said N.C. State University biologist Thomas Kwak. Invertebrates, they bunch together in colonies and feed with tiny tentacles."They can get as big as the size of a watermelon," he said.
They've been known to clog pipes, but Raleigh officials aren't worried, even though bryozoans can move up to 10 centimeters a day. "I don't know if we've seen anything move on its own inside a sanitary sewer line," Public Utilities Director Dale Crisp said.
10:30 pm - rMake Blog: rbuilder-client 1.1.1 released
rbuilder-client 1.1.1 is a bug-fix release.rbuilder-client 1.1 was incompletely modified to handle API changes in rBuild 1.1. rbuilder-client 1.1.1 handles the API changes correctly.
11:01 am - Get me off this crazy thing.
dangerous overscraping of the bottom
of the cultural barrel:
10:46 am - A "Dead Ringers" quote here would be traditional.
02:39 pm - Joseph Tate: Working around KDE bug 162485
If you want to add support for third party certificates in your KDE 4 desktop, you'll have to work around this languishing bug. KDE for some arrogant reason includes its own certificate authority bundle located in /usr/share/kde*/apps/kssl/ca-bundle.crt,02:14 pm - Erik Troan: Clouds as terrorist targets?
As a rule I don't repost from other blogs; I figure there isn't much of a need to just parrot at a distance. I can't help myself this time though.Thanks Bruce.
10:09 am - Clouds as terrorist targets?
As a rule I don't repost from other blogs; I figure there isn't much of a need to just parrot at a distance. I can't help myself this time though.
Thanks Bruce.
09:59 am - LET IT BE TIME THEN LASSIES!!!
http://www.gmhg.org/
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering O' Scottish Clans
The 54th Grandfather Mountain Highland Games will be held July 9-12, 2009 at MacRae Meadows on Grandfather Mountain near Linville, NC. 
12:28 am - house concert Monday in Raleigh
( Milwaukee and Chicago coming to visit with noise and feedback )
03:36 am - New Music From One of Raleigh’s Best
UPDATE: This wonderful album is now available. I’ve posted a Lala player below with the full album. It will let you listen to the full tracks one time each after which it will reduce them to 30 second samples unless you buy them from Lala (or buy them somewhere else and upload/match them on Lala).
There are times when I buy and listen to music because it is local. There are other times when I buy and listen to music and it just happens to be local. The Bowerbirds squarely fall into the latter category. Out this Tuesday is their latest effort, Upper Air, which I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone and would do so even if they weren’t based in Raleigh. Listen to a song from the new album below and you’ll see what I mean. It’s an acoustic affair, but just as edgy and interesting as anything out there.
For those who can’t wait another day, purchase the CD or LP here and you’ll receive immediate access to download a digital version of the album.
Once you’ve had a listen, let us know what you think in the comments below!
Bowerbirds – Northern Lights
[audio:06-Northern-Lights.mp3]
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