I just received news which has me in a state of utter discombobulation, but which should not, really. I lack a behavioral model to appeal to. I think I know how to be gracious in the situation. My goodness. I can’t think of a single person I know who has ever been in this situation. My situation, that is, not the situation which is in fact newsworthy but which I here elide.
the black of night swirled down before his eyes
NYT: Robert Fagles dead.
RIP.
That's enough now
That will be enough winter weather, thank you. Please, feel free to leave now.
Fire
Fire in White House Complex. The affected office apparently is part of the Vice Presidential office suite.
No-one’s ever gone wrong believing the worst of this administration, so:
Could it be arson?
Could some records be destroyed by the fire?
Could it turn out that the arson, if found, was at the direction of unnamed members of the executive branch?
If it does turn out to be arson due to break-in, I’m thinking it’s time to start looking for hidden microphones – I mean in the White House, sorry, not the ones already in place on our phones.
Flood
Thanks to Mugu Brainpan, I wonder if the triumph that is the They Might Be Giants LP Flood moughtn’t relate to the ‘hermetic artist’ Robert Fludd.
In a previous online life, copious speculation on a graphic-design email list I belonged to led to the enunciation of a postulated theory of hermetic design, as modernist design principles are closely founded upon medieval European traditions of harmony and good measure, which, in turn, stem from Greek-enunciated principles of harmony and proportion. Careful readers will be unsurprised to learn that it has long been my opinion that the closest students of these lessons in the middle ages were persons operating within the expanding economies of the Islamic sphere of influence.
Islamic geometry
Here’s the Beeb on that story about the advanced geometry of Islamic art I was flappin’ my gums about at Greg and Stacey’s t’other day. The coverage doesn’t capture the “NO SHIT, SHERLOCK” sense I had as I listened to the coverage, but the last time I really had the same sense of the obvious was listening to Colin Powell lie his head off about WMD in Iraq to the UN. In each instance I was shouting at the radio.
Laughter ensued
nyt_02162007.jpg 1008×1117 pixels (via BB): Oh, they don’t look all THAT divided. Perhaps some fresh black metal ‘zine subscriptions would pick them right up.
Apple Torrrent
Cringely pulls some amusing speculation outta his piehole on why a) iTV has a hard drive and b) iTV, Mini, and the new-model Airport all are designed as stackable components. Where others would boldy solve the conundrum with cries of ‘design obsessives!’, der Cringler connects the dots via Unca Stevie’s recently declared jihad on DRM and foresees Apple edging out the cable companies via install-base numbers and cheap-ass hard-drives.
I’m not buying it, but the case is solid enough that someone is going to be shipping 200+ gb drives wrapped in networkable set-top boxes that cost nothing except a subscription promise by the end of the year. i think I’ll sign up for all of them, just to to strip-mine the drives and sell ’em on ebay for the first year.
Yoornalista
I totally missed the memo, but TCJ editor emeritus Dirk Deppey has bravely picked up the banner of the sorely missed Journalista chez fanta. Several years ago, Dirk launched the site embedded in the upolished confies of the Fantagraphics website and within months, due simply to absurd internet diligence, had transformed the site into not only the single-best comics news-roundup site on the web, but in many ways, into the single-best topic-focused newsblog on the web. When he was rightly selected to head TCJ, the site was understandably suspended; now that’s he’s back at it, who knows what will happen. If Fanta doesn’t see how to properly capitalize on Deppey’s magnificent obsession, I am sure someone shall. I am sure that his TCJ stint has if anything sharpened his capacity for the job.
Dirk, what you do with Journalista is formally astounding considered simply from a blogging perspective. the fact that it is comics which inspires your labors is a credit to Fanta, and to you.
I love coffee, I love tea, I love the Java Jive and it loves me
I received an email (presumably due to these blog posts) from the owners of Tacoma’s hallowed Java Jive at the end of January and promptly forgot to post it here.
Forthwith:
“I love coffee, I love tea, I love the Java Jive and it loves me”.
Those words have been the life story of the little Coffee Pot on South Tacoma Way for 80 years now.
I’m the grandson of Bob. My mom is Danette Staatz, I’m Rich Staatz.
Tacoma fire code and other factors have shut us down for the time being.
We have been in the Tacoma Tribune since January 25th and on, and all over the TV regarding this.
Volunteers have stepped in to help, i.e.: Blaze Electric pulled a permit with their own money the next day after the close. Tacoma Electric Supply has donated and gave reduced cost on supplies. Journeymen electrical contractors have been donating there time to demo and rewire the jive, family and friends/customers have been cleaning and getting rid of stuff. But we need more help.
We need: neon people, roofers, plumbers, carpenters, floor covering people, upholstery people, painters, etc.
We need cash donations or supplies to help renovate the Jive and get her back on her feet so she can keep on loving and caring for her customers for another 80 years.
I remember the days when I used to tend the bar back in ’93. The Jive was still the Jive with all its branches and stuff and it felt so alive, people really cared about it. They weren’t ripping up seats and writing things that were rude and uncalled for.
I see the Jive being something you could bring your kids or grandma too without a blind fold and still be a blast for all. God…I can’t seem to get the Simpsons nights out of my head, those were some good times. J!!
BTW:
Tacoma Fire Dept made us take down all the branches and other decor that made the Jive unique. We will be putting some back up, but not all, after fire coating them.
We LOVE the Jive with all our hearts, and that feeling is mutual with most of the people who’ve been there.
The Jive has been a good friend to all who came through her doors.
Like my grandpa Bob use to say “there’s no free lunch here” but then would give the shirt off his back to help someone out of a jam, maybe even to a fault (if you were around, you know what I’m talking about). Moms the same way and yes even to a fault.
The Jive needs help out of a jam! Lets make her proud again!!
Donations to “Bob’s Java Jive” can be made at any:
Washington Federal Savings Bank or HomeStreet Bank
Anything helps!!
Thank you!!!
Bob’s Java Jive
2102 South Tacoma Way
253-475-9843