media updates and PVDS

some very interesting things recently online. Two interviews with reclusive and mysterious musicians reveal two very normal guys that seem... pretty nice.

http://www.avclub.com/content/node/55757

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/39683/Interview_Interview_Tom_Waits

check em out, good reads. Jesse, catch the merkin reference in one.

secondly, let me just say that PBS is the shit. I know that I talk smack about television almost on a daily basis. I despise television. I judge people that regularly watch television. I think quality of life is inversely related to amount of television watched, more specifically amount of advertisements ingested. (Don't think that you can avoid my judgement simply by muting the commercials. Product placement is out of control--advertisements work in incredibly devious ways.) This isn't to say that I'm completely outside of it either. I've had shows--Arrested Development, Battlestar Gallactica--that I've watched on DVD. It's just as bad; it's terrible. It's like a drug state.

But PBS is the shit. This is what television was envisioned as when it was invented--educational. Ok, some of the british comedies are not too educational or even fun. Believe me, I sat through an entire 12 minute episode of "Never The Twain" last night and it nearly killed me. But by and large PBS delivers. This Old House, Ask This Old House, Frontline, Car Talk, News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Charlie Rose, and the show about old timey wood working are all quality programs. You learn when you watch them.

Last night I tuned in to Charlie Rose and he was having a very interesting conversation with the CEO and Founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute. This man was amazing. Some of you may know that energy is my number one political/social issue, so of course my interest was skewered. But this guy was a great speaker--articulate, calm, metaphorical in a fresh way. I want to go work for him. As a bonus, the Rocky Mountain Institute is located in Snowmass, CO. Probably not a bad place to work. Unfortunately I hold no advanced degrees in architecture or engineering. However, Amory B. Lovins, Chief Executive Officer of Rocky Mountain Institute, if you're reading this, and I hope you are, me can read real good and me can write decent too. Also, I really care about energy, so please hire me.

Some interesting notes from Mr. "Alternative Energy" Lovins, apparently the Pentagon is his number one pick for leading energy independence. The military is apparently leading the way for alternative energies, because 70% of their total energy usage is spent on "logistics," of which most is dedicated to transporting (vulnerable) fuel to operations centers. What else... he had some very interesting ideas on how to make cars 3 times more efficient (hybrid, lighter materials, fuel cells), and he grows banana trees in his house despite not having a furnace (the home is heated with solar and other fun power sources). The coolest thing about his whole shpeel is that he is very market oriented--all of his solutions apparently turn profits. This is really the only way that this whole deal is going to work, in my mind, because the type of innovation needed will only be driven by competition.

Anyways, he says it all better so check out the links.

Lastly, I am suffering from Post Visitor Depression Syndrome (PVDS). Visitors left on saturday, sunday I was a shell of a man. I've done essentially not a single thing since saturday. It's hard coming home to no one smoking on the patio and no one to anticipate plans of reverie for. Oh well, Molly and I will pull on through. Probably the cat will get a lot of attention this week. Anyways we had some really good times last week. Notably, the organ hike, high desert (which shows up as 'high dessert' on your bill), amazing yardwork, radium, gila awesomeness, thanksgiving awesomeness, that italian joint, and on and on. Thanks for coming one and all, and let that be a message to you non-visitors--come come we'll have fun.