Silicon Surfer Reviews

Rattlesnakes and Dogs, keep them apart!

2007-04-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

SSSSSSSSSSSSSS! RATTLESNAKE! If you’ve ever heard one you know how spine tingling the sound of a large rattlesnake is. It sometimes takes a moment to realize what you’re hearing… The sound of something frying. A hissing sound. A rapid crisp rattling vibration. A sound like an angry cicada. Whatever it sounds like to you, it means don’t tread on me.

Your dogs don’t speak Rattlesnake, however! They’re much more likely to be intrigued than intimidated. Domestic dogs do not know the danger of rattlesnakes and every year over 15,000 dogs are bitten by poisonous snakes. 70-80% of these bites occur on the face and head which says that the dogs are mostly satisfying their curiosity about this strange, hissing creature.

Last year I took my two dogs to the Mountains Restoration Trust to attend Patrick Callaghan’s Rattlesnake Avoidance Clinic for Dogs. This is a great fund raiser for the Mountains Restoration Trust and is now in its fourth year. The Mountains Restoration Trust purchases sensitive ecological areas and restores the native plants and wildlife habitat. This year’s Rattlesnake Avoidance Clinic with Patrick Callaghan happens on May 4, 5, & 6, 2007 at Headwaters Corner at Calabasas – you will need reservations, so read on.

Patrick Callaghan, the gentleman who personally trains all the dogs who attend, has over 20 years experience in training dogs and his clinics sell out all over California. Puppies as young as 3 months can be trained to avoid rattlesnakes and a dog’s trained behavior can alert the owner, as well. Patrick is a large, jovial man who takes his mission seriously and has quite a sense of humor, to boot.

I take my dogs hiking nearly every weekend, and just a few months after we’d gone to the clinic my dogs alerted me to a 5-6 foot rattlesnake coiled at the edge of the trail we were on. I was extremely thankful that I didn’t have to worry about keeping them away from it. That left me free to concentrate on finding a very long stick to shove the snake off the trail and down the hillside where it quickly slithered away.

The clinic is very well run. The enormous Texas rattlesnakes Patrick uses are truly beautiful, if a bit sinister. They’re wearing snake muzzles, so they can’t bite, and Patrick uses live rattlesnakes to train dogs in avoiding not only their appearance, but their movement and most importantly, their scent, as well. The clinic fills up fast, so if you’re interested in giving your dog and yourself a great gift call the Mountains Restoration Trust at 818-591-1701 x 189 or visit their website at http://www.mountainstrust.org, click Current Projects and Events and scroll down to find the flyer. If you have an interest, they are in dire need of volunteers for this year’s clinic. As a volunteer your dog receives training for half price in return for a half day shift. To volunteer email shaugland@mountainstrust.org or at 818-591-1701 x 212 and mention where you read this. For more information on Patrick Callahan visit http://patrickcallaghan.com

Massive Attack

2006-09-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

I have to hand it to KCRW and Jason Bentley. Thank you for the great concerts this year. And, thank you to the Hollywood Bowl and the LA Philharmonic for their part in all of this, too.
And, Massive Attack. Right on. I understand they have not toured in about 8 years and I am SO glad I was there for this concert.

This is the band that defined the trip-hop genre and I have to say they were such a welcome sound. The concert was awesome, it was great to hear the songs live. There is not a lot on YouTube that sounds good, but here's a clip that gives you a tantilizing idea of what it was like.
You'll notice the very cool lightboards at the back, and along the stage floor. This is where Massive Attack ran interesting, suggestive statistics that made social commentary on the current state of the world. Clearly there was a political message. I understand people getting bent when bands make political statements, but I have to say I thought this was well done and didn't interfere, but rather added to the show.

Their website, though artistic and deep, is also slow and confusing. Here is some interesting data that it flashed me after I had been there for a bit...

./Window 1
External Data change since your login

Number of aircraft take-offs________________________________774
U.S. spending on alcohol and tobacco (millions USD)_________5
Worldwide new AIDS infections_______________________________195
Distance travelled by Earth in solar system (miles)_________21128
Cigarette-related deaths____________________________________114
CO2 emissions(metr.tons/industrial)_________________________861891
Cumulative hours waited for internet to download____________1417048

./Window 2
External Data change since launch

Acres of rainforest destroyed_______________________________276044151
Worldwide AIDS related deaths_______________________________10236637
Newspapers Circulated_______________________________________1917356668
Food Production (tons)______________________________________9201472
US murder- and rape arrests_________________________________2610918
U.S. spending on perfume (millions USD)_____________________15988
CO2 emissions(metr.tons/industrial)_________________________86802083388

Scissor Sisters

2006-09-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

OK, I know I am a little bit late to the party, but at least I am here. The Scissor Sisters were mentioned in The Week Magazine (which you should just subscribe to) about a year ago, but I just fully clued in. I recommend a visit to their site: http://www.scissorsisters.com/media/, click on Ta-Dah and watch the video clip "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'". (The You Tube version you see below is not as high quality, but it's the whole thing...)
A little like Beck meets the Bee Gees, the Scissor Sisters have a way with catchy grooves and I can only imagine how fun they would be to see in concert. The review at Amazon.com begins: "Since not liking the Scissor Sisters is tantamount to not liking fun, let's just assume that everyone already adores this band and go on from there, OK?" I say, OK! See you on the dance floor!

"The Israelites" Laughing So Hard I'm Crying

2006-09-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

OK, first, read these lyrics:

(lyrics by Desmond Dekker - who dresses sharp, baby)

Get up in the morning slaving for bread sir
So that every mouth can be fed
Oooh, oooh mi israelites.
Mi wife an ma kids them a pack up an a leave me
Darling she said I was yours to be seen
Oooh, oooh mi israelites
Who am I workin for?
Cho! shirt dem a tear-up trousers a go
I dont wan to end up like bonny and clyde
Oooh, oooh mi israelites
After a storm there must be a calm
Uou catch me in your farm, you sound your alarm
Oooh, oooh mi israelites

Then, watch this Maxell commercial. It's hilarious:

Then, watch the real thing. Excellent, and somewhat hilarious, but great, too:

Zero 7 and Sia, the best of YouTube....

2006-09-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect example of why I love this song, and this singer, and this band so much. Watch it all the way through and then let's talk about being exuberant. I love watching Sia because it is so obvious how good it feels to be able to have that voice, that joy, that full expression flow out of you. No wonder she does that cute stuff with her hands. I would love to talk with her some time. And Kudos to the guys from Zero 7. They create such a great opportunity for people with such great voices, like Sia and Jose Gonzalez. I really admire them. It's like the best business advice I ever got: B people hire C people to make themselves look better. A people hire A+ people 'cause they aren't afraid to learn and they want to succeed! Go Henry & Sam! And, thanks!

Flamenco and Dinner at the El Cid

2006-09-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

Recently I went to the El Cid Restaurant for the Flamenco Dinner Show. I will admit right now that I have a soft place in my heart for the El Cid, so I had a great time. If you've never been there I will tell you it is really a fun experience. It isn't like they're the youngest, or best Flamenco dancers ever. But, that's not the point! People, this is happening in your city! You owe it to yourself to experience this!

First off, it's not what one would think of as a typical Hollywood show. As you enter off of Sunset Blvd. you wind your way down lots of steps that have been warped over the years (El Cid was built around 1900 and was used to screen "Birth of A Nation" which opened in 1915 and had 12 reels of film!). It feels like you're going back in time and you catch a whiff of the glory days of 1950s Hollywood. Once you enter the El Cid, you're in an authentic replica of a 16th century Spanish Tavern, complete withoutdoor gardens and seating, and an indoor stage, armor on the walls, and very dim lighting. It's great.

You order dinner (filet mingnon, pork tenderloin, Paella, and others, including a vegetarian option) and then the show begins. A singer, a guitar player and two women dancers take the stage. An aura of Gypsy Kings pours off the stage and the show begins.

One of the women who dances has a certain Bride of Frankenstein quality that I suspect inspires a cadre of admirers. They both give great performances and I was reminded again of the physicality of Flamenco. The intimacy of the El Cid really contributes a lot to the overall experience. You're practically right there on stage with them.
I remember the first time I went, several years ago, I thought the singer was going to keel over right there on the stage, as he closed his eyes and rubbed his hands together. In between belting it out he'd close his eyes, lean back, and be so relaxed I thought he was going to fall askep. But then he'd lean forward and let loose again. He's got a great voice for Flamenco and he's looking better a couple years later now than he did then. The guitar player reminds me of Kieth Richard.
I guess what I am getting at is that this isn't the youth obsessed, perfection obsessed, special effects driven performance one might expect from Hollywood. This is people performing from the heart, performers who are obviously human doing something they obviously have done for a long time and which they clearly love to do. It's really refreshing, actually.
The Flamenco and Dinner at the El Cid is one of those things that is so totally and completely just "what it is" that it is really trancendental in its just being what it is and not being what it is not. And, I say: Right on.
And, if you dont' like it you better watch out. With arm strength like they have (you try clapping that hard for that long) I am sure either of the women could give you a spanking till the cows come home, and I should probably just stop right now. But really, these women do not sit at home and obsess about whether their bodies look like Elle. They are themselves and they get up there and perform. They express themselves. As do the musicians, and they love what they're doing... in my book that's real beauty.
BTW, this is who El Cid was.

More Zero 7 at the Hollywood Bowl

2006-08-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice write up of the show.
(I'M JUST SAYIN'): Zero 7 At the Hollywood Bowl

And here is an excellent video to give you a feel for Zero 7. Watch it all the way to the end of the performance. Sia is so cute. (I actually waited in line to get her autograph, which I never do, but now I can't say that, can I?)

Here is a link to some live footage. Each one starts with the introduction of the band, but then they're different songs. This gives you a pretty good feel for the show. Oh, this was so good.

You're My Flame (very fun)

Awesome Jam! (I dont' know the name)

Destiny (one of my favorites)

Zero 7, Sia, Jose Gonzales, Herbert and Gotan Project at the Hollywood Bowl.

2006-08-28T00:39:00.000-07:00

Zero 7, Sia, Jose Gonzales, Herbet and Gotan Project at the Hollywood Bowl.
Wow. I thought I liked Zero7 before. And, I didn't even realize who Sia was before. But, tonight in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl Zero7 and Sia just put in a performance like one rarely gets to experience. Just goosebumps amazing.
Sia told us that this was the biggest audience she'd played to before, and maybe I made it up, but it seemed like there was some aspect of real courage to her performance tonight, not like you'd know it from watching. But, it seemed like it took something for her to be as open, and real, and utterly there as she was tonight, and it was inspiring. Sia has something very special going on.
Jose Gonzales was excellent, too. Zero7 gets such kudos for creating the context and environment for such an amazing gouping of talent along with them.
Sia. Wow. There is just something about her delivery that is humbling. Some aspect of what she offerts is really tapping into that place genius comes from. She's channeling something uplifting and inspiring.
Herbert, Jose Gonzalez, Sia, Zero 7, Sia, and Gotan Project were great.
Gotan Project
Zero 7
José González
Sia
Herbert

The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle, Review

2006-08-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle
You've heard about this book for long enough, just get it now. I got the CDs so I could listen to them in the car (much more uplifting that the news) and I am very glad I did. Eckart has a soft German accent and I have heard that he can hold a room awestruck with his mere presence. All I can say is that listening to him read his book was a gift I am very glad I gave myself. There is so much to say about it that I will, instead, tell you about a huge philosophical question it answered for me.

I have struggled with the question: "Does the end justify the means?" For example, the old cliche: would murdering Hitler when he was a baby be justified? Well, let's look at it. Eckart points out that there is never really anything but now. The past is gone and the future will never actually get here, because the moment it does it will be now, and then it will be the past. The only place that we ever get to exist is in the now. However, our brains are able to remember the past and imagine the future and that is how our brains derive their importance. But, those are not the places we can actually live. We derive our best happiness when we focus on being in the moment, being present where we are, when we are. The now is the most precious gift we have, yet so often we squander the now by reliving the past, or worrying about the future.

So, if the past and future will never actually exist, the end cannot possibly justify the means. Look at the Communist Revolution in Russia. Millions and millions of people were killed in order to bring forth the beautiful vision that communism is on paper. The big problem is that the lovely future could never materialize in a now that was willing to kill the very people it was intending to liberate. When we sacrifice our now we sacrifice the only worthwhile thing we actually have.

There are a bunch of gems for you to find in this book. Get it now.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, Review

2006-08-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
I was definitely avoiding what is arguably an unfortunately titled book. I hated the thought of "winning friends and influencing people," I mean, you know, said like that! Jeez!
However, now that I have "read" the book - I listened to this one on CD, too and I have to say I love listening to CD books now. Yet ANOTHER thing that I thought I hated. Surprise John! I have decided to give it a subtitle: or, How to Live Powerfully and Well Among People. I think that sounds more like the book to which I listened. Another bonus of the CD is that the guy who reads it is the perfect, amazing, wonderful "authority figure" voice. You'll recognize his voice as being very similar to the guy who did the bawdy Internet sound file about the entemology of the F word which everyone sent each other a few years ago. His voice is perfect, once you stop laughing.

If you want to give yourself a totally amazing leg up on your life then get this book immediately and read it like you mean it. Dale Carnegie shares such wonderfully illustrative stories from his amazing trove of experiences that you can't help but be moved and inspired to deal better with the people. If I could enforce it I would decree that everyone who works with me or for me would read this book. I will also assure you that anyone who wants to succeed in their endeavors will find it to be time well spent.

The nice, unexpected bonus is that the language of the book, and the stories that are told, are so recognizably from a very different era in the past that I found it quite comforting to listen to the book. The Principles the book extolls are, however, timeless and every bit as important, or more so, today!

Bottom line: If you never have to deal with people then don't worry about reading this book. If, however, you ever interact with others then this book is a must read. Further, if you read this book you will gain an advantage over your peers in business who haven't read it, that is almost unfair.

Weird Entertainment: DSoTR, or, DSOTM & The Wizard of OZ, Review

2006-08-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Weird Entertainment Suggestion - Dark Side of the Rainbow, or DSoTR - Yes, it's worth doing! A number of years ago I foisted this on our Digital Dinner group. We all had some cocktails, cued up Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (DSoTM) CD and started it in synch with The Wizard of Oz. What you do is "watch" the movie but "listen" to Dark Side of the Moon, so Pink Floyd becomes the soundtrack.

Below is one of many websites dedicated to this phenomenon. Click on set-up and don't read too much beyond how to do it so you don't ruin it. The quick instructions go like this: queu up Dark Side of the Moon in your CD player by hitting play and then pause immediately. Then, start the Wizard of OZ in your DVD player. Right before the actual movie starts that cool old lion roars three times. Right after the third roar you hit play on the CD player and switch the sound so you're now listening to Dark Side of the Moon. (We chose the third roar, although some people argue fine points about when to actually hit start.) Sit back, and enjoy the way your brain creates meaning and connection. It really is great. I also believe that this phenomenon is similar to harmonics, or the self similarity of the Universe.
To recap: Yes, I have done it. Yes, you should try it. Yes, if you want to make it a party, that would be a good idea! ;)

http://www.synchronicityarkive.com/dsotr.php
If that doesn't work, try going to http://google.com
and searching for: DSOTM Wizard of OZ

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kyosaki, Review

2006-08-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kyosaki

You're going to have to deal with money for the rest of your life, even if you're really rich. After all, you want to keep it if you got it and get it if you don't! So, don't wait, just read this book now. After looking at it for too long, I finally, finally pulled Rich Dad, Poor Dad off the shelf. That's what I mean about inspiration plugging up one's nostrils sometimes. It was sitting on the shelf I look at every morning, at exactly eye level, and I just "didn't have time" to read it. I am getting very clear on the fact that the stuff I don't want to deal with is precisely the stuff I ought to deal with. And, the things that challenge me, scare me, or threaten me the most are the hardest things to even see. It's like they're wearing next gen. camouflage. If money is a challenge to you this book is a must read. I stayed up way past my bedtime, caught up in reading it. It's inpirational. It is a fast, fun, really interesting read. He rambles and repeats himself a lot, but it works because it makes you feel like he's talking to you, right out of the pages. I actually felt like he cares. I believe he's sincerely trying to help people out of what he calls the "Rat Race."

The things he repeats are important concepts, too. There are a lot of things he talks about in this book that you "already know." However, by putting this particular group of things you "already know" in this particular arrangement and by including a few things you might not have known Robert Kyosaki really hands you some powerful ammunition for the game of life. The younger you are the happier you'll be to know this stuff now, if you apply it. "I don't work for money!" Rich Dad says quite often, "Money works for me!" He also takes issue with a lot of the "conventional wisdom" about assets and liabilities saying that, as traditionally figured, people's "net worth" is often "worth less" than they think. Is your home really an asset?

As a final note, when I talked with my friend Paul, who read Rich Dad, Poor Dad about six months before I did. He said, "It really works! When I read it my financial life was a mess. But, these days I'm putting money away, I know where I stand, money is showing up unexpectedly." It reprogrammed his subconscious. "It's not like it makes you a millionaire overnight, but it gets you ready, which makes all the difference." I can say now, years after having read this book that it has had a major, beneficial impact on my finances, as well.

Rich Dad Poor Dad is one of my recommended Life Matters books. It's someday morning. Here's a round tuit. The sooner you read it the happier you'll be.

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, Review

2006-08-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

Years later this book is still blowing my mind. I felt like a genius just reading it! I slowed down near the end because I didn't want it to end. There really isn't a way to explain this book and do it justice. It is phenomenally interesting and utterly astounding. It attempts to answer the question: why did human history turn out the way it did? Why didn't the Aztecs come conquer Europe, or the Incas invade China? The answer will definitely surprise you. The breadth of the view, the depth of Jared Diamond's knowledge and the lucid and engaging examples and stories he uses make you feel smart just reading the book. It is not a difficult read. However, it stretches your usual outlook so much that it makes you feel smarter for absorbing the knowledge. It shifts your paradigm and the way you see the world will be irrevocably altered. This is a totally enjoyable read and very worthy subject matter, too.

Soon after reading GGS I had a chance to see Jared Diamond speak. I was definitely not disappointed! I even stood in line to get a signed book, not a typical John thing to do. Jared is the real deal: a classic "absent minded professor" type. Completely brilliant in his area and completely oblivious to unimportant stuff like clothing style and a mussed up hairdo. It was truly exhilirating to just listen to him speak. I also got a chance to ask him a question during which I told him I felt like a genius while merely reading his book and talking about it at cocktail parties. That elicited a big round of "me too!" laughter from the audience.

One of the main points he talked about, which I found truly amazing once he'd pointed it out, is that environmental degradation and political chaos go hand in hand in the world. If you were to ask a completely non politically-savvy ecologist where the world hot spots of environmental degradation are he'd say Afghanistan, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, the former Yugoslavia, Zaire, Iraq and so on. Then, if you were to ask a completely ecologically unaware politician (uh...) where the world's political hotspots are he'd say Afghanistan, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, the former Yugoslavia, Zaire, Iraq, and so on.

Coincidence? I think not.

Here is a quote and a link to an article from 1995, which anticipates the book upon which he was then working, about Easter Island and other failed societies, called Collapse.

"In just a few centuries, the people of Easter Island wiped out their forest, drove their plants and animals to extinction, and saw their complex society spiral into chaos and cannibalism. Are we about to follow their lead?"

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/042.html Again, tend your garden.

Guns Germs and Steel is one of my recommended Life Matters books. It's someday morning. Here's a round tuit. The sooner you read it the happier you'll be and the richer your perspective on things will be.

Hello World, the Silicon Surfer is back!

2006-08-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello World!