Through Pete's Eyes

Partition a Drive Without Loosing Data using Disk Utility - Mac

2009-12-10T11:50:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I have a 1TB drive with info on it and I decided to also set it up as my Time Machine backup drive. A few months later I realized that Time Machine will continue storing its incremental backups until the drive is filled. Well, I don't need a backup history that is so extensive. Ultimately, I needed to partition my 1TB drive without deleting the 300GB of existing information (that wasn't my TM backups).

I set up a test using another external drive so I wasn't experimenting on the data I want to preserve. Using Disk Utility I partitioned the drive preserving the sample data and even repartitioned it successfully.

A week later when I had time to partition my "real" drive Disk Utility told me that all of the data on the drive will be erased. So, I hooked up my test drive and was unable to replicate the previous partitioning that preserved the data. After reading online most sites recommend using a 3rd party application to achieve what I did with Disk Utility AND even said you can't do partition a drive preserving the info using Disk Utility. Apple's site was no help either.

I finally figured out how I managed to do this, here are the steps:

Launch Disk Utility and select the drive you want to partition. Then "shrink" the size of the drive by grabbing the lower right hand corner of the image that represents the drive and make it smaller. Click on Apply.

Next, click on plus at the bottom left of the graphic representation of your disk space and a 2nd partition will be added using up the remaining space. Click Apply.

Now you have 2 partitions and you have not lost any existing information!

I hope this is useful, I know it saved me a bunch of time!

Oh, the reason I was having difficulty repeating this is because I was going to Volume Scheme and selecting 2 partitions, which requires the existing data to be erased. The above description is a long way to create 2 partitions but it allows you to keep existing data!

Smart Playlist

2009-08-06T10:03:00.003-04:00

I'm always looking for interesting Smart Playlists for iTunes. My most useful Smart Playlist is called Pete's Radio. This culls all of the radio stations I listen to in one list. I set it up by selecting Kind Is "mpeg audio stream"
Great stuff!

Pack Envy

2009-05-31T22:11:00.002-04:00

When I save up some dough, I'm getting this pack! Just after I save up enough to get the hot tub :)

Vinyl records firm presses on

2009-05-05T08:12:00.002-04:00

Archer Records! Mike, a friend of mine, has been getting a lot of positive press lately. 1st a Youtube video, now this. He's been interviewed numerous times for just about every Detroit Techno book or movie, but it's always good to see positive press!
Keep it up Archer Records, and get a replacement archer logo to stamp in each of your records!

Wordle

2009-04-02T12:09:00.003-04:00

Make fresh word clouds like this at http://www.wordle.net !! BTW: This is a word cloud of my blog.

ThumbTacks microphone for the iTouch

2009-03-31T10:38:00.003-04:00

I just ordered one of these for my iTouch. I would really like to get a mic adapter, or mic that will allow me to plug a high quality mic into my iTouch. I use the iTalk mic with my iPod Video, but it doesn't work with the touch. If anyone knows of a mic or adapter please let me know!

http://www.switcheasy.com/products/ThumbTacks/ThumbTacks.php

VoiceThread

2009-03-30T12:30:00.004-04:00

VoiceThread is a cool multimedia sharing tool. It allows users to input messages 5 different ways. Check it out!

Weekend Project: Spider Rifle

2009-03-29T13:07:00.002-04:00

Make magazine's Spider rifle. A cool little gadget that demonstrates Bernoulli's principal.

Linking to an iTunes U page

2009-03-27T13:26:00.005-04:00

This tutorial demonstrates how to link to an iTunes U page. I don't know why Apple isn't highlighting the ability to make these links as this makes iTunes U much more usable and meaningful.

Mac Tracking Software

2009-03-25T11:49:00.004-04:00

Does anyone know of other tracking software for stolen macs? This seems like cheap insurance.

Orbicule

The Third Place

2009-03-25T11:44:00.002-04:00

Concentrate Blog called Ypsilanti's Corner Brewery a Third Place. I'd never heard the term before, but really like the concept.

"The third place is a term used in the concept of community building to refer to social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home and the workplace. In his influential book The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg (1989, 1991) argues that third places are important for civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and establishing feelings of a sense of place."
- Wikipedia

Simple Solutions

2009-03-25T11:38:00.003-04:00

Why not carry one of these in your laptop bag?

Record Store Day - April 18th, 2009

2009-03-16T11:41:00.007-04:00

What a great idea! I'm going to start asking the independent stores in Ann Arbor, MI about their potential participation.

From the Record Store Day website:

ABOUT US
The original idea for Record Store Day was conceived by Chris Brown, and was founded in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner as a celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally.

This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day at Rasputin Music in San Franscisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the second Saturday every April.

Record Store Day is currently managed by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Scott Register, and Carrie Colliton. Folks wanting to contact Record Store Day are encouraged to email us at information@recordstoreday.com

A Wall Painted Animation

2009-03-15T22:48:00.001-04:00

Many people have seen this before, but after seeing it with sound added I had to include it here. This is so very cool, and ambitious! Nice Work!
http://www.blublu.org/

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Audiowood Turntables = WOW!

2009-03-12T08:10:00.004-04:00

A friend sent me this link, and DAMN, it gives me more reason to continue saving for my audiofile quality set up. I think the turntable pictured above is my current favorite. I'd like to see them make a Craftsman style turntable.

Jackson Kayak's Tandem Whitewater Boat!

2009-03-03T09:35:00.002-05:00

Check out the video on Jackson Kayak's website. It shows the process of making and paddling their tandem whitewater kayak the Dynamic Duo. It is all very impressive!

Charging Flip Minos

2009-03-02T12:36:00.004-05:00

We turned to Flip Video Mino cameras to fill part of our video needs. The Mino has a built in battery that charges itself when plugged into a USB port. The problem arose when we decided to charge all of our Minos at one. Our solution was to purchase a powered USB hub and 2, 4 port octopi style USB ports.
This solution did not work. If anyone has a different charging solution, please let me know. Thanks!

Silent Star Wars

2008-12-24T08:30:00.002-05:00

How Wonderful is this?!

Bon Iver Does TV on the Radio

2008-12-22T15:01:00.008-05:00

Bon Iver does TV on the Radio ballads almost as well as they do. I must admit I've only heard one of their songs, Skinny Love, and it's very compelling. I'd like to hear more, and hope that the rest of their stuff does not sound this much like TV on the Radio. I'm afraid I'm going to buy the album and try to listen to it until I can't take it anymore and listen to the real thing, TVOTR. Oh well... here's to hoping that they have as compelling of a sound that is original enough to enjoy as a stand alone band.

http://www.boniver.org/

http://www.tvontheradio.com/

Bebop & Hard Bop

2008-07-25T13:29:00.009-04:00

From what I can gather Bebop (Bop) derives from Swing Jazz, which allowed the musicians more freedom especially when soloing. The solos in Swing Jazz, for the most part, maintained the melody of the song throughout the solo. Whereas with Bebop, the musicians often play the melody in the first measure or so and take off into their own jam. They often visit the melody during the jam but ultimately come back to the melody and eventually return to the song itself. An easily recognizable sound of Bebop is when the drummers use the ride symbol to keep the time and use the snare and bass drum as unpredictable accents.

From what I understand Hard Bop evolved from Bop but incorporates more Rhythm & Blues, Gospel, and Blues into the structure of the music. To me Hard Bop has a more sultry sound than BeBop does and is often considered to be easier to dance to, if Bebop can be danced to at all.

A far too simplified example of these 2 genres of Jazz:
Charlie Parker's Ornithology - Bop
John Coltrain's Blue Train - Bebop

References:
Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD 7th ed.
Third Ear's Essential Listening Companion: Bebop
Wikipedia: Jazz
Wikipedia: Hard Bop

The Hot Club of Detroit

2008-03-09T10:24:00.003-04:00

I finally made it to a Hot Club of Detroit show at Concordia College and I'm glad I did! The musicianship of all 5 players was impressive and the energy, enjoyment, and sounds put forth by the band made me wish that I knew how to swing dance, or whatever dance would be appropriate for the music. Below is a video of the band playing "Swing One" with a little different makeup of the band, where there is 1 extra guitarist, and an accordion instead of a reed horn player. I would love to see this arrangement play live as well. Enjoy the video and I strongly recommend seeing the Hot Club of Detroit if you get the chance!

Doodle 4 Google

2008-03-02T20:40:00.002-05:00

Check out this really cool contest put on by Google. The challenge is to create a doodle using the Google logo, the winner gets a scholarship to college and money for their school's technology budget. Admittedly, I just read the info about schools entering, but I believe there is a competition for private individuals as well... Enjoy!

A Quick Reminder For Future Band...

2008-02-14T07:28:00.002-05:00

If I ever start a band and we take photos, remind me not to be the one up front staring into the camera with the rest of the band acting nonchalant in the background.

Lydia The Tattooed Lady

2008-01-20T22:17:00.000-05:00

I love the Marx Brothers! If you haven't seen this clip of Lydia the Tattooed Lady, it's a must. Once you're familiar with this song you will notice references to it all over. Enjoy, this clip is from their movie At the Circus.

My Class Blogs

2008-01-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'm still trying to figure out how to get our new RC Tech Podcast episodes automatically posted on iTunes. Don't worry, I'm workin' in it! Here is a link to our blog with the podcast:
http://rctechblog.blogspot.com/

This other blog, titled My Tech Class houses various work created by my students. BTW, we were recently contacted by the inventor of the Cell Phone, Martin Cooper about the Inventor Research Project Rap! Apparently, he was flattered and enjoyed it a ton!
http://mytechclass.blogspot.com/

SCRATCH

2007-12-17T12:14:00.001-05:00

Scratch, Imagine-Program-Share!!

Scratch is an object orientated programming language that allows you to program animations, games, music, and art. It combines programming, gaming, logic, art, music, entertainment, and social networking together to create a powerful interactive way to entertain and edify.

One of the nice features of SCRATCH is the ability to download completed programs and dissect them to learn how they were made.

SCRATCH, check it out, you'll be glad you did!

Rouge Roastery Coffee

2007-08-19T10:07:00.001-04:00

A great friend of mine has started his own business, Rouge Roastery! If you've ever had fresh roasted coffee you understand why it's worth it. If you've never experienced the heightened flavor and bouquet that fresh roasts provide, then you owe it to yourself to experience the difference, and I suggest that you get it from Rouge Roastery.
The additionally exciting aspect of this roastery is that the goal is to eventually expand it to a brewery as well... Fresh coffee in the day and fresh beer at night! DAMN, that's a fine idea!

Edward's-Venn Diagram with 4 components

2007-08-03T14:59:00.001-04:00

I'm thinking about using this 4 component Venn Diagram to assist others and myself with dividing my time equally among colleagues at Skyline High School.

I am represented in green, the Magnet teacher is the black circle, the Social Studies teacher is the black rectangle, and the Language Arts teacher is the red rectangle.

Link

KNBA 90.3 Anchorage

2007-06-21T16:55:00.001-04:00

I've been amazed and pleasantly surprised at the awesome music that KNBA plays! I am glad that I neglected to bring the cable to hook my iPod to the rental car. I will stream this station once I get back to Michigan! I strongly recommend checking this station out!

My Little Run Route

2007-06-06T21:03:00.000-04:00

I just wish I ran this route more often... some might say at all ;)

Give Your Photos a Masterful Makeover — Enhance Your Photos with Classical Art

2007-05-06T13:03:00.001-04:00

With this new PhotoShop "match Color" tool you can make take a photo of yours and automatically use the same lighting/color/contrast that the great painters used. This creates an impressive effect, check it out. Link here or here.

Cool Gift Idea

2007-04-24T21:52:00.001-04:00

After recently getting married I have found the value in taking note of a quality gift of thanks. Well, Photojojo has a great idea.

Sure, we've all seen the T-shirt, or Coffee Mug, but now they print photos on a bunch of different sized bags... Pretty cool if you ask me.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

2007-04-24T21:37:00.000-04:00

I'm realizing that everyday I feel a little bummed that Kurt Vonnegut Jr. has passed. I remember being in High School and needing to find a book to do a report on. I asked a friend Matt if he had any recommendations and he said:
"You should read a Kurt Vonnegut book, these books are so funny, and you can even use them for your book report! Get Slapstick or Breakfast of Champions, I laughed out loud all the way through both of them!"
I'm glad that I asked for the recommendation, and I'm glad that the books will last longer than Kurt did. :)

Need I say more?

2007-04-19T10:25:00.001-04:00

WHAT IS WEB 2.0?

2006-12-29T12:48:00.000-05:00

From Time Magazine's website Tim O'Reilly describes it as:

"Welcome to the 2.0 of 2.0 — only, is anyone using the phrase correctly? Web 2.0 is thrown around to refer to a) user-generated content b) podcasting c) social networking websites d) anything that didn't die back in the tech bubble e) all of the above. Tim O'Reilly of O'Reilly Media, credited with popularizing the phrase in 2004, describes it thusly: "the network as platform, spanning all connected devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the most of the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering software as a continually updated service that gets better the more people use it, consuming and remixing data from multiple sources, including individual users, while providing their own data and services in a form that allows remixing by others, creating network effects through an 'architecture of participation,' and going beyond the page metaphor of Web 1.0 to deliver rich user experiences." And that's his "compact definition" — seriously." link

And you know what... I trust mr O'Reilly when it comes to matters of technology. Thanks for the clarification!

Extreme Pumpkin Carving

2006-10-09T10:33:00.000-04:00

Here's a great idea from Extremepumpkins.com

CBGB Roadtrip

2006-09-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

As you probably know the famous punk rock club CBGB's in NYC is closing. It's been a long fight and they've finally lost. So, before they close in mid-October a friend and I are going to go catch a show there.
Since they keep changing the closing date, and I believe Patti Smith is playing the final show, so we decided to go asap, which ends up to be this weekend. So, on Friday after school, I'm going to pick my brother in arms up in Hamtramck and we're going to trek it over to the Bowery to see a show at the famed and filthy CBGB's.
A snippet from wikipedia:
CBGB, also CBGB's or CB's is a club at the address 315 Bowery in New York City, New York. The full name is CBGB & OMFUG which stands for "Country Bluegrass Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers". Gormandizer usually means a ravenous eater of food, but according to CBGB founder Hilly Kristal here it means "a voracious eater of ... music"

Clearly, it never turned into a Country bar as the Punks got in there first with bands like Television, Ramones, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, and Blondie among others. Since then it has given the opportunity for underground musicians to play at a club with a high quality sound system, sort of a intermediate step between local bars and the big time. However, famous acts often play at the legendary club as well, making it a unique venue to play both while you are "making it" and after you've "made it."
CBGB's is currently looking for new space somewhere in NYC as well as entertaining the idea of opening a CBGB's West in Vegas, or some such place.

Wish us luck on our journey to visit one of America's historical landmark, the birthplace of PUNK!

Jo-Jo The Dog Faced Boy

2006-09-12T15:26:00.000-04:00

Jo-Jo The Dog Faced Boy is a famous carny. A friend of the family grew up in the carnival, was a barker for his mom among other things, and eventually ran away to go to college. He ended up the department head of the sociology department at Eastern Michigan University. A great guy, with great stories, who never said a bad word about anyone. He recommended a book to me years ago called Geek Love which is about a canival family and what happens when what society deems is normal isn't normal, and the normal become the abnormal. Get it :)

Anyway, as Tom Waits said; step right up, step right up folks, see Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy.

Yale Management Courses

2006-09-12T08:24:00.000-04:00

Yale has redesigned it's management courses to reflect how businesses run, and what students will encounter when finding jobs. Hopefully this will help high schools and other universities create an argument for updating course structures and content delivery styles.
"Since managers today must frequently work across boundaries of function, organization, and industry, Yale's new curriculum teaches management in an integrated way, rather than in separate, single-discipline courses, such as Finance or Marketing." Link

Lying

2006-08-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

"I’d like to point out that this video has a time code on it, and time codes are very hard to fake.
For the benefit of the court could you please explain time codes.
Uhm… just because I don’t know what it is, doesn’t mean I’m lying."

Lawrence 'Ramrod' Shurtliff: 1945-2006

2006-06-05T16:45:00.000-04:00

Regrettedly I never got around to mentioning the passing of long time Grateful Dead family member Ramrod.
The following is from Jambase
Larry 'Ramrod' Shurtliff, one of the Grateful Dead's most celebrated crew members died of lung cancer in Petaluma, California on May 16. He was 61 years old. Ramrod linked up with the Dead in 1967 as a truck driver and would eventually go on to become the crew chief. Shurtliff garnered his nickname "Ramrod" while traveling through Mexico with LSD-hero Ken Kesey.

Yet another lifelong cigarette smoker, Ramrod was diagnosed with lung cancer a few weeks ago. In his final days he didn't want anybody to know he was dying, but band and crew members from the Grateful Dead family would visit him frequently.

Robert Hunter presented the following eulogy: "Most never knew his given name/they called him Ramrod/Lawrence didn't fit him. He came down from Oregon/Prankster sidekick of Cassady/Kesey and the merry crew, a silent stoic in a vocable milieu/his heart was stolen by the Grateful Dead."

Brother Vince: 1951-2006

2006-06-05T13:15:00.000-04:00

From www.dead.net:

"The wheel is turning almightily fast. Life is loss, but our times have turned sorrowful indeed. It is with very heavy hearts that we must tell you that Vince Welnick passed away today, June 2, 2006. His service to and love for the Grateful Dead were heart-felt and essential. He had a loving soul and a joy in music that we were lucky to share. We grieve especially for his widow Lori, his sister Nancy, and the rest of his family.

Our Grateful Dead prayer for the repose of his spirit:

May the four winds blow him safely home."

Snakehead Fish

2006-05-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

This Snakehead fish is native to China and was presumeably introduced to Michigan waters intentionally. They have no natural predators in the U.S. and are voracious carnivores that can even breathe out of water for 3-7 days!
If you catch one of these fish, do not put it back. Call the DNR. Please see Michigan's DNR page for more detail. link

Those Darn Europeans!

2006-05-01T08:32:00.000-04:00

As if those tiny cars, motorcycles, and mopeds that Europeans drive aren't fuel-efficient enough the Italian company Vespa has introduced a hybrid scooter!!
Echoing the complaint common across the United States residents in Ann Arbor, Michigan are talking about the 1 year 60% rise in gas prices. High gas prices are contributing to the nation's automotive industry woes, and in Michigan the impact on the automotive suppliers is huge. Much of southeastern Michigan's industry is dependent upon auto companies, from the tool and die shops, to parts suppliers, to advertising agencies, this region is being hit hard! My fear is that (what used to be called) the Big Three will employ the age-old tactic of, "let's wait this crisis out."
It is no secret that building smaller cars, using alternative fuels, refining mass-transit, and employing hybrids of all sorts are just the beginning to ameliorating our dependency on oil. So let's learn something from Vespa's parent company Piaggio, that while their vehicles may be small and fuel efficient, they can be improved!

Metacluelessness

2006-04-28T09:43:00.000-04:00

On Edutopia's blog Jim Moulton pontificates on the importance of educators being aware of what you don't know. Focusing on technology, his contention is that you need exposure to what is possible before you can begin to build knowledge, ask questions, and ulitmately introduce something new into the classroom or school. He even includes a link to the multimedia section of the Edutopia Web site to find effective uses of technology that may be beyond your practice.
If you are in education, or an interested parent give this a look, and hey Jim, thanks for the new term!

Handmade globe

2006-04-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

Mr. Jalopy's got a new website titled Jalopy Junktown, and on it there is this really really cool hand made globe that he found. Check it out!

Delivery Man

2006-04-02T22:45:00.000-04:00

I just picked up Elvis Costello's Delivery Man album on vinyl. I mention this because as many new pressings it requires 2 records to fit the CD lenth album. Therefore, I haven't made it past the 1st two sides. I can't get past the 2nd side where the title track lies. Every once and a while an EC song really speaks to me. Delivery Man off of Delivery Man :) and Battered Old Bird off of Blood and Chocolate are my two favorites. If you haven't heard either of these songs and are an Elvis Costello fan, I recommend going out and buying both albums. If you're so so on EC, then I recommend going to the library and checking out both CDs and giving them 3 serious listens.
Enjoy!

Friction

2006-03-20T22:09:00.000-05:00

Did you know that without friction we couldn't walk? Think about that my friends!

New Boots!!

2006-03-19T08:36:00.000-05:00

Check out these bad boys!! I've wanted a pair of these boots ever since I started hiking in 1993 or 1994. However, I was in college then and was happy to have enough money to buy a sandwich let alone leather boots. Someone bought be a pair of Raichle's that weren't exactly what I wanted, but have lasted me this long... admittedly, I don't get out much. That aside, let's move on, shall we?

I found these boots on ebay as they don't make this exact style anymore. Sure Vasque still makes Sundowners, however, they are now made in China, and the quality has fallen. These are the classics, made in Italy. I can't wait to break them in.

And we need SUV's

2006-03-19T08:15:00.000-05:00

American's cry out that we need SUV's so we can comfortably get our groceries home. Well, guess what? We've got it made!! Check out some of these overloaded pictures at ezprezzo.com. Even though many of these pictures made the email circuit years ago it's worth a look, and man are they amazing!

Derek Trucks Band Gear Stolen

2006-03-13T17:01:00.000-05:00

If you aren't in the know, Derek Trucks is the prodigy guitar playing son of Butch Trucks from The Allman Brothers Band fame. He's learned from the best and his band's music is eclectic, check it out. Their website has music on it so be careful at work.

The following is from the Derek Trucks Band website.
DTB Gear Stolen
As many of you already know, the band's trailer was stolen last Thursday night with all of our stage gear. We really appreciate everyone's concern and support. The gear was insured so we're not looking for donations, just asking for everyone to keep an eye out for the gear in their local communities and online since many items were unique and irreplaceable. Since the trailer was stolen in Atlanta it would be helpful if fans/friends in the southeast would contact their local music stores that buy used gear and give them the list below to keep an eye out. Everyone else should keep an eye on websites that deal in vintage gear. Thanks again for your concern.

Key items to keep an eye out for:

Pearl 5-piece Drum Kit (Black) (SN# 652623, 642341, 83233, 6526231, 652163)

Fender Super Reverb Combo Amp
(blackface) with Weber speakers by Jenson (SN# A13225)

Fender Super Reverb Combo Amp (SN# A06896)
(blackface) with Pile Driver speakers

Hammond B-3 (SN# pending)
Custom foot switch

Hammond Leslie amp – 147 model (SN# H25474)

Hohner Clavinet E7 (SN# 3447 410)

Yamaha Motif keyboard (SN# IHO1189)

Ampeg SVT Bass Head (1974) (SN# 112149)

Matchless Chieftain 2X10 combo amp (’96)

Win the Home of the future!?

2006-03-13T10:21:00.000-05:00

Boy oh boy a free house! According to Treehugger 58 Lustron Homes will be given away by the Quantico Marine Corps. The first 23 of the post WWII houses will be given away in May.

Many historians blame WWII's GI Bill for instigating urban sprawl with products such as the Lustron Homes. GI's were provided with Loan guarantees for Houses, Farms and Businesses, but the homes had to be new construction. This spurred suburban growth that has yet to cease.

That aside there are a number of Lustron homes where I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan and one is for sale. I think I'll just have to stop by during the next open house and see what I may be able to win! Click here to enter (link on the lower right of site).

Technorati tags: lustron WWII urban sprawl win home of the future

GI GI Bill

Falafel Sandwiches with Tahini Sauce

2006-03-07T19:42:00.000-05:00

When I make this meal, I triple or quadruple the recipe, and usually make some kind of substitution due to the lack of ingredients in my house. It’s always good and I never have enough left overs! This recipe comes from Cooking Light’s Vegetarian Cookbook, so it’s healthy too!

If you make it let me know what you think!

Falafel Sandwiches

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cloves garlic
Vegetable cooking spray
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
Tahini Sauce
2 (6-inch) pita bred rounds, cut in half
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves

Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add first 10 ingredients, and process until smooth. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 3-inch patty. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add 1/1/2 teaspoons oil, and place over medium heat until hot. Add 4 patties to skillet; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and patties.
Spread about 2 tablespoons Tahini Sauce evenly into each pita half; fill each half with 1 lettuce leaf and 2 falafel patties. Yield: 4 servings.

Tahini Sauce
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons commercial tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash of ground red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients into a bowl; stir with a wire whisk until well blended. Cover and chill.
Yield: ½ cup.

Technorati Tags: falafel cooking light tahini vegetarian recipe dinner

AAAHHH!!! Ali Farka Toure, we'll miss you!!

2006-03-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

I just heard on All Things Considered that Ali Farka Toure passed away today! I'm so saddend by this, his music is so beautiful, relaxing, and full of images. I'm no expert on this amazing guitarist and singer, but have loved his music for an easy 10 years. Through the popularity of his music Ali Farka Toure became an unofficial represenative of Mali. Read more at NPR's ATC, and at the BBC.

If you have not listened to his music, Talking Timbuktu with Ry Cooder is an excellent place to start.

If anyone has favorite songs to recommend, or stories about Ali Farka Toure, or stories about listening to him please leave a message, I'd love to read them and include with this posting.

Techorati Tags: ali farka toure Mali Guitar farka toure toure ali Talking Timbuktu

Wetpaint Wiki

2006-03-07T15:34:00.000-05:00

Wetpaint is a cool free wiki tool. I've been looking for a good reason to start a wiki but haven't come across it yet. If anyone has a great idea please share it here!

wetpaint wiki wiki editor create wikis

Pandora's Music Genome Project

2006-03-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

Pandora is an automated system designed to introduce people to new music based upon their musical tastes. The folks at Pandora have crossed referenced songs and artists based upon a number of different musical attributes not generes or categories of music, but melody and rhythms, etc. The result is wonderful!

Once you sign up, either free (with ads) or $39 a year you can make up to 100 "radio stations" of your choice. To do this enter as many artists or song names that you want and let Pandora do the rest.

I have an old laptop hooked up to my stereo that runs Pandora, as well as other online radio stations, but Pandora gets more play time than any other online radio station at my house. Great Job to the folks at Pandora!! Keep it up!!
Link

Technorati Tags: pandora music genome music online radio new music

Let the Yellow Mello

2006-03-06T20:03:00.000-05:00

Jenny Cuthttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifraro reported about Falcon WaterFree Technologies waterless urinal for Wired.com.

This waterless system uses a "seal" of liquid that is lighter than urine to trap the urine in a resevoir as it travels through an S pipe and drains into the plumbing system.

I stand corrected! I've used the Sloan Waterfree urinal pictured above in Ann Arbor. I used it again today and while there is a slight odor that is detectable, it smelled better than many of the urinals that I use throughout the week. As with Falcon the Sloan site offers a detailed explaination of how the system works. The two seem to work in the same way. Link to Sloan's explaination.

I've used one of these urinals in Ann Arbor, MI. and truthfully, it was a little stinky. However, as Cutraro reports it's difficult to tell how many times it's been used and the cartridge needs to be changed or cleaned. All in all I think this is a great idea and I'm sure the custodial staffs will quickly figure out how to keep these smelling great. Awesome Job Falcon!! Keep the water conservation ideas coming!

Live for Music? Then check out Podbop!

2006-03-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

Hello faithful readers!! If you haven't already please check out Podbop. It's moniker is "We podcast bands coming to your town"

On their site you can conveniently check out what bands are playing in what city, and if there's a podcast or mp3 of the bands music they may have a link to it on their site. If your favorite band isn't represented yet, they even have a Volunteer section that allows you to add info, links to music, etc. Don't forget, you can subscribe to a podcast of what's playing in your city/town and stay updated via Podbop.

Let me share how the folks at Podbop put it:

"Old way: Looking up concerts in your town on an event site, googling 100 different bands, tracking down an MP3 for each band, and then deciding which show you want to go to.
The Podbop way: Type in a city, get MP3s, discover a band you like, and go see them."

I'm excited to explore this site!

Technorati tags:podbop music bands live music local music MP3
tour dates

Kerouac

2006-03-03T15:04:00.000-05:00

A few Kerouac poems that have stuck in my mind over the years... They rattle around in there and spill out everyonce and a while. When these poems spill out they influence my day... sort of put me in the mood from when I was reading a lot of Kerouac. I like it.

Flies is just an excerpt from the original and is the only part that sticks in me noodle. Actually, On Ether might be 1 section from a 3 section poem, however, I've never read it that way and think of it as a stand alone poem. After all... it's through my eyes, right?
Oh, all of these come from the book: Kerouac Pomes All Sizes.

On Ether
Let slide sweetly
the transformations
of the thinking

Flies
And wasnt there ever a time when flies
didnt seek the sun through forbidden
windowpanes?...

Pome
If I dont use the cork
I may spill the wine--
But if I do?

Wikimedia

2006-03-02T14:56:00.000-05:00

An important force in the wonderful world of wikis. Check it out!

Anthere

2006-03-02T14:34:00.000-05:00

I came across Anthere while I was looking for a search engine specific to wiki's. Naturally I got sidetracked.

Anthere is a "Contributing User Representive to the Board and vice-chair of the Wikimedia Foundation." I'm blogging about her, not because of all of her wonderful contributions to the online community, or the really cool stuff she's been involved with, but because of a beautiful list of wishes and a quote she has on the wikipedia entry on her.

I'll start with the quote as it's shorter:
"Only wimps use tape backup; real men just upload their important stuff on ftp, and let the rest of the world mirror it."—Linus Torvalds (Maybe apocryphal)" Link

Now for the beautiful list of wishes:
"Just to be able to dream is already very important. Dreams while sleeping, dreams while awake.

I wish you dreams, numerous dreams, endless dreams...and a tremendous will to realise some of them.
I wish you to live with passion and to share your passions.
I wish you to love what should be loved; I wish you to forgive what should be forgiven. I wish you to forget what should be forgotten.
I wish you silences and a love of being alone.
I wish you birds' songs when you wake up. Flowers blooming and releasing their heavy perfume. The gentle sound of rain splashing on dry earth. Sand- and pollen-carrying winds. And children's laughs.
I wish you to love being with others. I wish you to listen and hear other people's dreams.
I wish you to resist indifference, violence, grey moods, lost friends, negative virtues, lack of ethics, and broken dreams. I wish you not to sink.
Most of all, I wish you to be yourself." Link

I had a tough time last night and this wish list made me feel better. Please share it.

A friendly alternative to Ticketbastard?

2006-03-01T10:46:00.000-05:00

A friendly alternative to Ticketbastard? Could it be? Well it looks like the kind folks
at In Ticketing are becoming a viable competitor to the Ticketmaster monopoly. Breaking into the market through "Jam Bands" In Ticketing has been broadening its base of genres with a proven market plan. The ecofriendly company has service fees around 1/4 of Ticketmaster's making both bands and fans happy.
JamBase has a great interview with the companies founder Steve Weisz.

Technorati Tags: inticketing local music mp3 podcast ticketmaster ticket bastard concert tickets tickets

Jazz Fest: A Tale of Two Weekends from Relix

2006-03-01T10:22:00.000-05:00

Well concertgoers, if it's been a while since you've made a road trip to see your favorite minx NOLA, I think this year's Jazz Fest may inspire you to load up the van and wander down. Here's the latest from Relix:

"As we previously announced, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will return to the city in late April and May. The music, along with the Festival’s Louisiana Heritage Fair, will be back at the Fair Grounds Race Course from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 28-30 and May 5-7. Given the efforts of the City to rebuild following Hurricane Katrina, there will be a particular emphasis on New Orleans artists this year, with the Jazz & Heritage Stage offering brass band and Mardi Gras Indian performances while highlighting additional aspects of the city’s culture.

As of yet the individual day schedules have not been announced. However, the weekend clusters of acts have been confirmed. Musicians slated to appear on April 28-30 include: The Meters, Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, Allen Toussaint with special guest Elvis Costello, Ani DiFranco, Dr. John, Hugh Masekela, Galactic, Keb’ Mo’, Yerba Buena, Sonny Landreth, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, the subdudes, John Mooney & Bluesiana, Terrance Simien, Anders Osborne and BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet.

The second weekend will offer a similar range of artists, such as: Fats Domino, Jimmy Buffett, Paul Simon, The Ohio Players, Irma Thomas, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Little Feat, Koko Taylor, The Radiators, Angelique Kidjo, Yonder Mountain String Band, Buckwheat Zydeco, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters, Big Chief Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias, Ivan Neville & Dumpstaphunk, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles, Marcia Ball, Astral Project, New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, Theresa Andersson, and Papa Grows Funk. "
Link to Relix
Link to the NOLA Jazz Fest site.

Smithsonian Preparing for Hip-Hop Exhibit

2006-03-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

"NEW YORK - For nearly three decades, hip-hop relics such as vinyl records, turntables, microphones and boom boxes have collected dust in boxes and attics.

On Tuesday, owners of such items — including pioneering hip-hop artists such as Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Fab 5 Freddy — will blow that dust off and carry them to a Manhattan hotel to turn them over to National Museum of American History officials." Link

A fully loaded chair!

2006-03-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

Too cheap to replace the white plastic patio furniture that has turned black while sitting out in the weather? What could be a compelling enough reason to purchase a new chair? Well here it is folks, the elite hunter's patio furniture, a "fully loaded chair!" The perfect accompaniment to a taxidermist's masterpiece.
Link to Alexander Reh's gallery.

Timeless photograph

2006-02-25T23:29:00.000-05:00

I came across this photo from J. Patrick on Flickr. What a great picture! It artfuly captures the timeless Rock-n-Roll persona. Guess what year it was taken in and then check out his site. The date is under additional information.

RoofStudio

2006-02-23T19:25:00.000-05:00

Talk about a cool interface design. Roofstudio is a collection of painted Mini Cooper roofs, and the design of the page is everybit as cool as the detailed car tops. Hats off to Mini Cooper's web design department!Link

Tagging a Tag

2006-02-23T10:37:00.000-05:00

I can't answer the question what happens when you tag a tag, but I can answer what happens when you talk about what happens when you tag a tag. This is what I found...

If you tag a tag you might get sucked into a vortex and be swept away.
When you put instant coffee in a microwave you go back in time.
That Steven Wright jokes are best told while imitating Mickey Rourke in Bar Fly.
That many people who feel a deep connection to the movie Bar Fly have an appreciation for Charles Bukowski.
That some people mistake William Burroughs role in the Beat Generation with Charles Bukowski (who didn't play a role in the Beat Generation).
That Naked Lunch is fucked up.
And the most recursive theme of them all... Some of the most interesting conversations that I have take place when I'm supposed to be doing something else.

Painting My iBook

2006-02-23T09:39:00.000-05:00

This is a cool site called Geektechnique.org. There are many cool DIY projects and useful links on this site. Check it out!!

Detroit Zoo Closing

2006-02-22T10:01:00.000-05:00

The city council and goveners' office are threatening, even planning to close the Detroit Zoo. The city of Detroit is buried in deficit and is looking to save some money however, they approached this possible savings with a too little too late attitude. The amazing lack of planning and stubbornness has resulted in the potential closing of our Zoo.
If you're interested please sign a petition to keep it open click here.
To learn more about the issues from the channel 4 website click here.

Music worth a 2nd listen

2006-02-21T20:18:00.000-05:00

If you haven’t dug deeply into your music collection recently dive down to the mid 70’s for a few albums that are sure to put a smile on your face.

The Band’s Best of the Band album (1979 Capitol Records) is a gem that was recently unearthed from my collection. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of Best Of albums, but I’ve been listening to this album for a week now and I still can’t stop whistling these tunes at work.
The Band was well-loved by critics, musicians, and music lovers alike. Their casual feel-good brand of folkish rock-n-roll is infused through every track on this Best Of album and it’s tough to turn off once it’s on.
Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, and Richard Manuel may have had their ups and downs, but you sure can’t detect the downs by listening to this album. The Best of the Band gets a big ***** rating from me.

The Band brings me to another beauty pulled from the depth of the record rack and that’s Maria Muldaur’s self titled album (1973 Warner Bros.). In the same kick back on the porch with a bunch of friends vein as the Band’s album, Maria assembled a star-studded cast to record with her including Mac Rebenack AKA Dr. John, Ry Cooder and David Grisman, believe it or not the list keeps on going from there!

Midnight at the Oasis and My Tennessee Mountain Home are two songs that found radio play, but Three Dollar Bill, and Don’t You Feel My Leg are two less commercial hits that are crowd favorites. Muladaur’s sultry rolling voice makes for a beautiful sound woven through the expertly played music on this album. Maria Muldaur’s album gets a ****1/2 stars from this reviewer.

technorati tags: 70's music maria Muldaur Muldaur music review the band Robbie Robertson levon helm record collection

Family Stories

2006-02-21T20:10:00.000-05:00

It is not often enough that people record themselves or family members to create an archive of stories and experiences to pass down through the generations. The thought of “who would want to listen to me?” plagues society and prevents folklore from being documented. Well there are two websites that are doing an excellent job at preserving history in the form of written and audio stories. They are This I Believe and Story Corps. Both of these sites are archiving slices of Americana via personal stories, and both sites are looking for participants.

The 1950’s radio program This I Believe has been adopted and is now run through NPR. The website has extensive lesson plans for implementing this as a classroom project or at home with the family. With this project a written essay is submitted and archived. If the essay is selected as one that should be recorded a monetary prize is presented (I think it is $50) and the essay recorded. How about that for an enticing start to documenting your family history?

The theme of the Story Corps project is to "interview someone you love." Story Corps has mobile booths set up around the country for people to stop in and conduct an interview. However, interviews can be conducted anywhere and submitted via the web. Attention budding Podcasters, this is a great opportunity to refine interviewing, recording, and editing skills.

So check out these websites as potential springboards for sharing your experiences with future generations. And hey, keep me posted on your participation. I’d love to hear what you’re doing.

Technorati Tags:Story Corps This I believe Family Family History

Tiggeriffic Orange in Detroit

2006-02-21T15:04:00.000-05:00

An article in thedetroiter.com has highlighted a project that highlights the blight of Detroit in what they call Tiggeriffic Orange. Dilapidated houses that have long stood vacant are being painted orange and the city is responding by razing them. If painting abandoned houses orange is
the only way to get the city to see them then lets buy more paint! link

A wonderful blog about Detroit

2006-02-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

This is an original drawing of the Fisher building complete with 3 towers. Link
It comes from the dETROITFUNK blog. Check it out!

Don't try this at home!

2006-02-20T23:04:00.000-05:00

I think YIKES would be an appropriate exclaimation when spotting your neighbor perched on the top of a homemade rollercoaster!

This comes from the Next Big Thing's radio show website. Link

Primary Space

2006-02-20T22:56:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful space! Primary Space is a pop art gallery in Hamtramck, Michigan. If you find yourself in the Detroit metro area this gallery is a must visit.
Link

Mathematical beauty

2006-02-20T22:31:00.000-05:00

Mathematical beauty
Originally uploaded by GustavoG.

Truly amazing!