Archive for June, 2008

Dig Doug

Monday, June 30th, 2008

If you dig Dougs like I dig Dougs you’ll totally dig the hot new social networking site DougOrNot.com. Check it out. Take the daily Doug challenge. Put your skills to the ultimate test. Are you a Doug? Or are you Not? The process is now fully automated.

…yes, I may have spent too much time on this.

DougOrNot.com

Posted in Action, News, art, commercial | No Comments »

For the Love of Art

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

I have just put up the essay I wrote than earned me a letter of denial to the Art Institute of Chicago’s Art History Masters Program. We must have mutually decided that we weren’t right for each other, because shortly after writing this paper, I stopped believing in Art. I think there are things in the world. That I am almost certain of, but I think art is just a game. The things under that banner that have enamored me in the past are of a different sort. So I didn’t get into the Art Institute, Boo-Hoo. Saved my ass a hell of a lot of money, and probably hypertension, and it opened up the doors for me to get interested in the programming racket, which I think is fascinating, so Yee-Haw.

But anyway, I did write a damn long (if not necessarily good, although I am still relatively proud of it, you make the call) essay. Here is a link, and the opening paragraphs:

On the 23rd of November 1977 Ruth Van Herpen, a visitor in a gallery in Oxford England, compelled in such a way by a painting by the American Minimalist artist Jo Baer, pursed her lips, leaned forward, and kissed the canvas, leaving a stamp of her lipstick on the previously white surface. She was apprehended without a fuss and fined by the gallery. Her defense: “The work looked so cold, I only kissed it to cheer it up.” (Gamboni).

July 19 2007 a nearly identical incident occurred at a gallery in Avignon France; another white monochrome canvas by another artist, the American born Abstractionist Cy Twombly and a woman by the name of Sam Rindy. Rindy claimed that she was “overcome with passion” and that her lipstick “improved the white painting” adding that she believed “the canvas had been left white for her.” She maintains that “the gesture was an artistic act provoked by the power of art.” (BBC).

For the Love of Art

Posted in Writing, art | No Comments »

According to a Website I have a Genius Rating of 5%

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008

The clouds have parted (even though it’s storming here right now) and allowed me to briefly glimpse the mind of god. It is an ugly beast that takes nearly a minute to solve this simple(ish) problem, and does not lend itself easily to more complex operations, but it works for what I needed it for (to advance and increase my genius rating mwah ha ha!). Thanks for helping me solve Project Euler #10 god. Your aid will soon be forgotten, my increased genius ranking however, will not.

#!/usr/bin/env python
#euler10.py
#Calculate the sum of all primes below 2,000,000

def main():

Primes = [2]
n = 2
sum = 2
for i in range(3, 2000000):
       while i % n != 0 and n <= 2001:
       n += 1
       if n == i or n > 2000:
             Primes.append(i)
             sum += i
       else:
             n = 2
print sum

if __name__ == ‘__main__’:
main()

Posted in Code, euler | No Comments »

Ministry Interview and Audio

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

New Thirsty Media is up, and with it, my article and interview with now defunct industrial pioneers, Ministry. The interview is with Sin Quirin of Revolting Cocks and Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory, both of whom have been recording and touring with Ministry for a while. If you’ve missed it, Ministry has put out some really great albums in the last couple years, and now they’ve called it quits.

The interesting thing is that, rather than fading out into irrelevance, Ministry have pumped out some of the best albums they’ve ever recorded in very short order. They sound as fierce as ever, the music can still knock a few teeth out, and to see them on stage for this final leg of their final tour, it’s clear they’re still having a great time doing what they’re doing. To talk to them you hear that they are, if anything, going to be even more active in the wake of Ministry. Most of the current members on the tour are active participants with active projects in Al Jourgenson’s new 13th Planet records. With a new Revolting Cocks album due out any day now, new stuff from Prong, Ascension, as well as some completely new bands, records, and collaborations in the works, it leads one to wonder if there will be much time to even miss Ministry.

Link to the Article

Posted in Writing, interviews | No Comments »