MY IPAD APPS, PART ONE

 Yes, my folders are in alphabetical order.

Due to overwhelming demand (by which I mean, two of my Twitter Twerps asked their timeline for app recs, I replied, and they said, "thanks") I am finally posting my recommended apps for iPad.

The main things I use my iPad mini for are art, reading, games and social media, with the occasional information look-up. I guess it's a big debate as to whether iPads can be used for content creation, to which I answer - I can, so who are you to tell me differently? I don't write on my iPad except for the occasional blog edit, but at work I use it for note-taking and file storage.

Art/Photography

I've never been able to do any kind of drawing with a mouse. I used to idly think of buying a Wacom tablet, but as a non-professional, couldn't justify the expense. When you buy the iPad--BOOM! You have a freehand art input device. A stylus is needed for details, but they're pretty cheap. Sure, the iPad's not sensitive to 100 levels of pressure,  but you can still do a lot. Brushes is free (but the $2.99 layers upgrade is definitely worth it) and just takes a few minutes to learn. It's easy to export to the Photos app or to social media. Check out my gallery here

Colorsplash does just one thing, but it does it really well. It makes a photo black and white, and you touch parts of the photo to bring color back to the selected area. You can add photos from the iPad, Flickr, Instagram, Picasa, etc. and send them to social media. It also looks really, really cool.

 Photoshop Touch is pricey for an app at $10.00, but it's a lot cheaper than $20/month. You have a lot of options from the desktop version - eraser, lasso, magic wand, stamp, levels, curves, layers and 36 filters. The main thing it lacks is paths for easier removal of unwanted elements, but that's a lot to ask for in a mobile app.  I was able to do this quick and dirty photo manipulation on my lunch hour.  If all you want to do is punch up your photos a bit, Photo Editor by Aviary is easy and free.


Reading 

I've started to realize just how much I read online. It is just not comfy to read for hours on a desktop. For reading books or those long New Yorker articles I find the e-ink of my Nook Simple Touch much more easy on the eyes, but for short articles or blog posts, the iPad is good, as long as you have some way to get rid of all the ads and links cluttering up the average web page.

I was mad as hell about Google Reader going away, but now I like Feedly better for all my many blogs, webcomics, and Flickr groups. The killer feature is the "remove clutter" button which makes web pages so much nicer to read. It also lets you organize by topic, save posts for later, and send posts to social media or article-saving sites like Instapaper or Pocket. The one issue I have is that it crashes occasionally.

For saving articles from Twitter and Facebook, I like Instapaper. It has nice fonts and a soothing beige background and the Twitter app allows one-click export (sadly, not Facebook, but it's pretty easy to copy the link--Instapaper will automatically ask if you want to add the last link copied when you open it). Once articles have been downloaded, you can read them even if you don't have Internet access. Sadly, I am always behind in my articles, but that was true even in paper-&-ink days.

For magazines, Zinio is good, and, depending on where you live, you might get free magazines with your library card. Again, it has a "text" button, so you can read uncluttered, then toggle back to the regular page view for all the shiny pictures.


Well, this is getting a bit long, so I'm gonna continue this in another post. Feel free to post recommendations in the comments.

THEY CALL ME THE LAZY LIFEHACKER

So, I've had Lifehacker in my RSS for a while, at first to keep up with new technology and software mostly. I liked that they told you what you could with it, rather than the "OMG-OMG-MUST-HAVE-IT-COOL-COOL-COOL" of sites like CNET and Gizmodo. Then I started trying their home improvement tips, because there were enough that were in my wheelhouse (binder clips and adult Play-Doh yes, soldering and sawing no). I'm a librarian, so I love organizing things. A holiday gift planning Google spreadsheet? Why, yes sir I think I will.

I don't think of it as a lifestyle and try to convert all my friends to the Way of Lifehacking or anything. It's not inherently better than Hints from Heloise or Everyday Cheapskate, it's just that the latter are more likely to tell me to save money by using things I don't have on hand or want to purchase. Your mileage may vary. It can be funny to see the kind of tips women have shared for millennia suddenly become cool because the word "hack" makes it OK for dudes to talk about laundry and housework, but whatever.

Of course, if lifehacking is a movement, there must be the inevitable backlash. This guy seems to think lifehacking is an evil plot to take our sleep away and turn us into the worker-robot tools of Capitalism. Hey, my goal to sleep as much as possible has not changed a bit since I started reading Lifehacker. The nature of lifehacks is that there are always going to be some I think are just insane, but might be right for you. There's no way I will spend time making my own laundry detergent or use a computer to turn my lights off and on, but you might find it enjoyable. It is possible I suppose that a large part of the population is being brainwashed into a scary deviant lifehacking lifestyle that forces them to do things they don't enjoy, work more and sleep less, but Mr. Morozov fails to convince me of it. It's true that there are strains of Dale Carnegie and Frederick Winslow Taylor in lifehacking, but there are also strains of Buddhism, The Whole Earth Catalog, Punk D.I.Y.,  Good Housekeeping, Popular Mechanics, and the Maker movement. It reminds me of the way hardcore punk pioneers The Bad Brains were inspired by Think and Grow Rich. That's the United States for ya, we like to mix and match our philosophies.

And another thing, it's fun to see what's on other people's desks and in their bags. Here are mine for your perusal:

My 24/7 belt bag:

1. Kiplinger belt bag
2. Wallet
3. Dongle
4. Cell phone
5. Calling cards
6. Pocket watch
7. iPod Touch
8. 30-pin and Lightning adapters for back-up battery
9. Freedompop 4G hotspot
10. Back-up battery
11. Flash drive
12. Stylus/pen
13. Pen
14. Change purse
15. Keys
16. Swiss Army knife

 

My weekend bag: 

1. Backback
2. Nook
3. Pencil case
4. Wet wipes
5. Sunscreen
6. Sunglasses
7. Umbrella
8. Beauty case
9. Bandages
10. Concealer
11. Lipstick
12. Antacid
13. Cuticle repair
14. Moisturizer
15. Powder paper
16. Ibuprofen
17. Clothing tape
18. Sunscreen for the face
19. Perfume
20. Pens
21. Tissues
22. Tissue case
23. Camera
24. Shopping bag

My workday bag:

1. Backpack
2. Shopping bag
3. Headphones
4. Ziplock bags
5. Checkbook
6. Nook
7. Sunglasses
8. Heating pad for the back
9. Sticky notes
10. Lunch bag
11. iPad Mini
12. Tablet case
13. Grid-it organizer
14. Tissues
15. Hi-Chew candy
16. Sunscreen for the face
17. Hand sanitizer
18. Back-up headphones
19. Umbrella
20. Bandages
21. Beauty case
22. Comb
23. Lipstick
24. Lip balm
25. Tea tree oil
26. Another lipstick
27. Lip liner
28. Blemish concealer
29. Mascara
30. Concealer
31. Ibuprofen
32. Cuticle cream
33. Powder paper

INTERNET FANDOM: RUINING IT FOR EVERYONE SINCE 1994

 

 Order of the Stick #171

I have a pretty strong tolerance for other people disliking stuff I like. When you enjoy heavy metal and kung fu movies, you develop a pretty tough hide.  It's when fans of things I like are behaving badly that I get annoyed. That's why I've mostly given up on fan forums. So, let me tell you what you all need to do to make things better.

Don't get all pissy and sulky when someone doesn't think what you love is perfect in every way. Listen, I enjoy watching Doctor Who (though I'm no uber-fan), but acting like everyone who thinks it has any racial issue must be just looking for a reason to be offended is just sad. Wah! Wah! You ruined my perfect enjoyment of my favorite show! Grow up. The local newspaper critic refuses to ever give a kung-fu movie more than 2 1/2 stars even if he apparently got nothing but enjoyment out of it according to the body of the review, yet somehow I've survived.

If your friends are involved in an argument on the Internet, it isn't really necessary to fly over and immediately go nuclear on the other person's ass. That seems to be what caused the whole Racefail '09 kerfuffle.  I just want to say that if I am arguing with someone over my issues with a work they like or vice-versa, it isn't really necessary to come over and scorch the earth. I'm a grown woman, I don't need someone to come rescue me. If someone is truly being harassed, that's different - tell the admins or publicize it if they won't do anything.

It must be hard for creators to have access to so many critical opinions about them available, what with the Internet and all. I'm afraid, though, since the public has a wide choice of entertainment options, your best best is to either try to offer a classy response or say nothing at all if you want to not leave a bad taste in the mouth of possible future fans. Making fun of people who are much less famous than you are just makes you look petty. It might seem cool at first, making fans do your bidding on the Internet like little flying monkeys, but you really don't want to start a creepy cult, unless you want to end up like these guys. No, your fans do not count as a discriminated-against minority. 

Strangely enough, driving around the Internet looking to pounce on anyone with issues about your favorite thing does not actually cause people to have kind thoughts about that particular thing.  It just makes people think that something with fans that slaveringly rabid is something they want to avoid. Who knew that my most controversial Internet statement would be that I'm anti-church burning? (And I'm an atheist!).

Here's what I said on GetGlue about the movie Heavy Metal in Bagdad:

Those Norwegian black metal church-burning losers should be forced to watch this 24/7/365 with their eyes taped open to learn true metal spirit.

months later, this let to a crazy flame war that ended with this:

Me: You admitted I didn't criticized {sic} Burzum's music or you for liking it. Previously, you conceded that church burners got what they deserved and that you had no argument for me about "metal spirit". So, you agree with everything I said in my initial comment. That's a weird way to "school" me.

Jesse Meating: Not really because I couldn't care less about them burning churches not that I'm some satanic crazy man, I just don't care. 

 

 

Yes, she felt extremely strongly that she had to school me in her opinion, which was --"Church burning--meh, I could go either way." That made me really want to explore Norwegian Black Metal and hang out with the fans. 

 

 

Lastly --and this is really, really important--please don't threaten critics with death, rape, torture or dismemberment. 
Do you really want on your tombstone "They defended Buffy the Vampire Slayer from all attacks by bloggers on the Internet by bravely making anonymous threats"?  Your Mom (or Mom-equivalent) can use the Internet, you know. She knows you're only human, so she won't check your browser history for naughty videos or fanfiction sites, but saying you'll commit a criminal act? That is something to be seriously worried about (some of you even use your real names!) Unless your Mom is a jerk too.
 

 

JFRO'S BACK ON THE AIRWAVES!

Every so often, I miss my college radio days, so I decided to do a show on my college radio station for reunion weekend. My theme was "Fogotten 80s", either tracks by forgotten bands or rare tracks, live shows, b-sides, 12-inch extended versions, etc. by somewhat more well-known bands. I have a terrible voice for radio, but please listen anyway:

JFRO'S RADIO SHOW

Track List:

Driving the Dynamite Truck - Breaking Circus
Marseilles (Live)- Rifle Sport
Burn - Black Spot
Koolegged (Live) - The Melvins
Test - Airlines
Alone - Colin Newman
You Were An Optimist - Band of Susans
Easy As It Was - The Melvins
Strange Fruit - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Wichita Lineman - B.E.F.
What We All Want (Live) - Gang of Four
Accretions - Shriekback
Hungry, So Angry - Medium Medium
Fish - Throwing Muses

Kansas - The Wolfgang Press

Incubus Succubus II - Xmal Deutschland

All To Myself - Indoor Life

Never Never - The Assembly

Sensoria - Cabaret Voltaire

Dan Destiny & the Silver Dawn - The Chills

My Boyfriend - The Cucumbers

Big Brown Eyes - The dB's

Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance) - M/A/R/R/S
The Moon is Blue - Colourbox

Dance - ESG 

Watch The Closing Doors -- IRT (Interboro Rhythm Team)

The Signifying Rapper - Schooly D

 

 

 

If you enjoy that, there is much much more in that vein here. Also, some local action from the 80s-90s here. And if you're ever on Turntable.fm, message me and we can DJ together.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

For those of you who wonder what I do all day, here is what yesterday was like. It was inspired by the Library Day in the Life Project, which I enjoyed but didn't participate in at the time, because whenever there's something that you are supposed to do at a certain time, but it's not actually required by law or your employer (like change your avatar on Facebook to support a cause or something), I get contrary and don't want to do it.


9-9:05 Processed the newspapers and put them out.

9:05-9:30 Worked on today's schedule. Two people were sick, so it took a little while.

9:30-10 Met with new employee to discuss her work schedule.

10 - 11:30 Finished up next week's schedule and worked on getting manga for the library's Manga Reading Lounge at Anime Detour.

11:30-12:30 Lunch

12:30-1:30 It gets busy at lunch time. Helped a patron find books and articles on Native American casinos for her college paper. Answered an email question about returning ebooks.

1:30-3 Participated in a Google Hangout meeting on the library having a Maker Faire.

3-3:30 Downloaded ebooks and checked out an ereader to a patron. Had an interesting discussion with him about ebooks and publishing.

3:30-5 Participated in judging our contest for the best library built by teens in Minecraft.

 5-5:30 Put out next week's schedule. One staff called to say they had a serious illness and might not be in Saturday, but another said their plans changed and they no longer needed the weekend off, so it all worked out OK.

CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP WITH THE COVER VERSIONS

Cavalcade of Cover Versions from ash966 on 8tracks Radio.

So, I keep updating my cover versions mix on 8tracks because I think of new ones. My cover version playlist on iTunes now has 233 songs on it.  As you may remember, my criteria for a good cover version are 1) it has to be good in itself, 2) it has to be good in a different way from the original, and 3) it has to see something good or at least salvageable about the original, not just be about mocking or making fun of it. I have also tried to find more obscure items from imports, vinyl only, b-sides, obscure EPs, out-of-print tribute albums, live bootlegs, and free giveaways on obscure blogs (Next to track down: The Party Party Soundtrack).


Favorite cover albums:

• Freedom of Choice: Yesterday's New Wave Hits - My favorite period in music - late 70's to early '80s- interpreted by some great 90s bands like Sonic Youth, Superchunk, The Connells, The Muffs, Yo La Tengo, Shonen Knife, and Matthew Sweet.
• B.E.F. Presents Music Of Quality & Distinction, Volume 1 - A novel idea - a mixture of veterans (Tina Turner, Sandie Shaw, Paul Jones of Manfred Mann) and 80's newcomers like Billy Mackenzie (Associates) and Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17) do 60s - 70s oldies with synthpop backing from Heaven 17. Good choice of songs meet good singers, except for squeaky-voiced TV host Paul Yates.
• Where the Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson - Wins for most diverse group of musicians - you gotta love an album with The Jesus & Mary Chain AND ZZ Top on it, not to mention Butthole Surfers, Richard Lloyd (Television), Sister Double Happiness, Julian Cope, Chris Thomas and Primal Scream. Basically, every possible permutation of psychedelia is represented, from metal to danc-y to garage to R & B-ish. I did delete that one Poi Dog Pondering song.
• Hit Parade - The Wedding Present - Sort of half counts, since it is a bunch of songs originally released as b-sides, then as half of two records. The Weddoes do everything from Julee Cruise to the Monkeys to Neil Young to Elton John in their early 90s chiming-guitar-wall-of-sound-with-vocals-in-the-back style, and it works to give them just enough pop punch to keep them from falling into a continuous river of sound.
• These Foolish Things - Bryan Ferry - An early classic in the field of cover versions that all others bow before, although his best cover was "The In Crowd" from Another Time, Another Place.
  
• Schoolhouse Rock Rocks - If you are of a certain age, you know these songs are catchy, because YOU ARE HUMMING THEM RIGHT NOW. A 90s all-star cast including Pavement, Moby, Buffalo Tom, Man or Astroman?, Ween, Biz Markie and the Lemonheads do the songs as techno, lo-fi, math rock and rap. I admit I tear up a little during "Mr. Morton". 
• If I Were A Carpenter - The Carpenters are perfect for a tribute album- they wrote catchy songs, but covered them in so many layers of production and sentiment that we may feel silly for liking them. The contributors strip them down to their essence and make you think that Ian Curtis really had nothing on Karen Carpenter in the sadness department. An all-star 90s cast featuring Babes In Toyland, Shonen Knife, Sonic Youth, Cracker, American Music Club, and Matthew Sweet.
• Kicking Against The Pricks - Nick Cave - You might think it wouldn't work for the guy from the Birthday Party to sing songs that might have been featured on the Carol Burnett Show, but you would be wrong. He;s got the chops, and he puts his all into each one.

A mixed bag, but still worth it:

Hard To Believe : A Kiss Tribute - too samey (almost all grunge-type acts), but there are some good ones, and a real snapshot of the time period (remember Skin Yard?)
Scott Walker: 30 Century Man - some great songs, but too many sensitive quiet types.


Disappointing: 

Sing for Your Meat: A Tribute to Guided By Voices - a lot of obscure indie rockers just trying to do GBV and failing. Really, no one can do GBV like GBV. What about some metal, funk, techno, R & B-tinged covers? Robert Pollard writes some damned good songs - you could take the framework and do a lot of different things with them. How about Cheap Trick doing "Pantherz"? That would be awesome. But no. I should've remembered the first rule of tribute albums - if you don't know most of the artists, there's probably a reason why.


Looking forward to: 

Everybody Loves Sausages: The Melvins



 What are your favorite cover versions?

....THE HELL, COMCAST??!!

GIF by Beaver Paralyser

This whole Comcast thing just gets crazier and crazier. I got my official notice by mail a month or so ago that in April I would have to get an adapter or lose any TV signal. But then, it turns out that is not actually true. Plus, just to add flavor to the whole thing, Comcast is charging people for these adapters without telling them in advance. Okay, then! Nothing says, "I'm a monopoly so I can do what I want" like blatantly lying to customers. No wonder the BBB gives them a C-. The only way they could be worse would be by not actually having a product. I'm so glad I don't live in a market where they're the only Internet provider. Thanks to Julio Ojeda-Zapata as well, for keeping us informed (like me, he uses an EyeTV to record television on his computer, which will be rendered a useless hunk of metal if an adapter is needed.).

Sadly, the specter of tv-less-ness still hovers, since the FCC basically gave away the farm by allowing cable companies to scramble the signals of channels that are supposed to be free.  So, I need to think of options for the future such as:

• An upgraded AppleTV model that includes HuluPlus and AirPlay mirroring of iOS apps.
• My Apple 1G hacked to put XBMC or something on it. It's old, who cares about warranties.
• Another set-top box like Roku, the Boxee Box, etc. 
• An iMac with a big-ass monitor in the living room as computer & TV. My computer is getting old, I have a Bluetooth keyboard, and my Logitech remote works with Apple computers
• An antenna. Maybe the television ones work better than the radio ones that always failed to pick up signals. I could even make one with a pie tin.
• Aereo, if it comes to the Twin Cities and isn't killed by lawsuits from the networks. Listen, networks: Comcast is the one driving me me away from you. If you want me to jump to Netflix exclusively, throttling all competitors to cable is the way to do it.  
• Nothing. Parks and Recreation and maaaaybe Community are the only shows that I watch live that haven't been cancelled, I could just buy them on iTunes and get anything else from Netflix and the library. 

Any thoughts, dear readers?