text:
"For excellence as a leader of industrial research at Royal Philips Electronics and for fundamental contributions to the foundations of quantum mechanics and solid state physics."
Hendrik B. G. Casimir was born at the Hague in 1909. He studied physics at Leiden beginning in 1928 and received his Ph.D. at Leiden University in 1931. During that time he also spent some time in Copenhagen with Niels Bohr. After receiving his Ph.D., he worked as an assistant to Wolfgang Pauli at Zürich, but returned to Leiden until 1942 when he joined the Research Laboratories of the Philips Company. He became a co-director of these laboratories in 1946 and a member of the board of directors of the company in 1956. He retired from Philips in 1972.
Dr. Casimir made many contributions to science during his years in research from 1931 to 1950. These contributions include: pure mathematics, Lie groups (1931); hyperfine structure, calculation of nuclear quadrupole moments, (1935); low temperature physics, magnetism, thermodynamics of superconductors, paramagnetic relaxation (1935 - 1942); applications of Onsager's theory of irreversible phenomena (1942 - 1950); and long range van der Waals forces, so-called Casimir effect (1946).
In 1966, Dr. Casimir became co-founder and first president of EIRMA (European Industrial Research Management Association). After his retirement he was president of the EPS (European Physical Society), and also of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science.
Dr. Casimir is a foreign member or associate of several academies including the National Academy of Sciences. He also holds a number of honorary degrees including an honorary Ph.D. from Columbia University.
Cherry Ann Murray (Chair), John R. Smith, Don R. Scifres ('97 Recipient), Stephen Laderman (Vice Chair), Mark B. Ketchen


text:
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Spyro v Marcus NASTY v Mak 10 v Maximum = wot do you call it?
· Spyro v Maximum
· Spyro v Marcus NASTY
· Marcus NASTY v Mak 10
Over the last month, the rate of acceleration of the funky scene and it's interaction with grime, has seemed to speed up through the sets of four super selectors. No doubt the warm, 4x4 housey end continues to flourish, but it's the interaction with grime DJs that has been enthralling.
Recently there seems to be a loose collection of super DJs, a-list grime or funky selectors, who've been collaborating on Rinse in various formats in ground breaking fashion. Marcus NASTY, head of grime's NASTY crew but longtime uk house/funky DJ on Déjà Vu, turned up on Rinse for an impromptu b2b with grime's Spyro which featured MCs Griminal and Badness. Marcus also went b2b with NASTY's DJ Mak10, once the grime DJs' DJ but now a convert to funky. Spyro then went b2b with Maximium, the Roll Deep and Boy Betta Know selector, the latter of whom have spent several summers in Napa trying to take the pan-genre entertainers crown off Heartless Crew, and succeeding, by all accounts. (It was Maximum who broke Benga and Coki's "Night," turning it into an anthem in funky, bassline and grime).
Of the three sets - Marcus NASTY v Spyro, Mak10 v Marcus NASTY and Spyro v Maximum – it's the latter that seems to break most ground. Here's some highlights:
Spyro v Maximum on Rinse
Within 5 minutes Maximum is mixing the instrumental of (ex-grime and UKG) Donae'o's funky anthem "African Warrior" into Frisco. In general most funky is around 130 bpm, which is standard for funky house, while grime's stayed around 140bpm but feels slower because of the MC-friendly halfstep drum patterns.
Within that mix, you can see the power struggle in grime evolving. As grime moved into the mixtape era, where the mix CD was the dominant format and creative goal, once major deals became scarce, the beats chosen began to massively favour the listening experience over the dancefloor. MCs wrote to establish their "artist" status, not to scream a trademark one-liner it got a reload on Slimzee/Logan/Cameo's Sidewinder set.
The roles of the DJs have increasingly become marginalised in grime, which is why it is little surprise to see DJs like Mak10 or Ruff Squad's Scolar migrating through the porous border with funky. If grime is all about on-road peer status, and being the DJ is second fiddle to the MCs, who wants to be a DJ?
As grime went further down the MC/mixtape/rap/halfstep route, it made grime raves increasingly like concerts and less like, well, raves. Crowds would wait for the clashing and sending to start and only react when trademark bars were dropped, not a big riddim. This makes for an amazingly raw spectacle, as Ghetto's mixtape launch at Dirty Canvas showed earlier this year, but the rise of funky does suggest many of the female urban music fans had long since migrated to the more danceable funky.
(Yes I know, saying girls don't like grime and only want to dance sounds like a bad argument, but I've chatted to funky promoters who've been worried no men would turn up and have had girls complaining to a-list funky DJs that there's next to no men at the rave. Conversely grime nights are overwhelmingly male dominated, in my experience.)
I've been saying grime needs to get more danceable for about two years now but given how the power balance in grime favours the MCs, who pre-"Rolex Sweep" have little incentive to go danceable, it's been down to the DJs to make the change.
Given the rise of funky, and the subsequent influx of ex-grime producers/youngers into the older scene, it's inevitable that part of it would go grimier. Add in the fact that DJs like Spyro and Maximum are master artists with the Pioneer CDJ1000 decks, which have massive pitch bend range (most vinyl decks = +/-8%, CDJ1000s = +/-100% !!!), and the 130 > 140 bpm barrier is near irrelevant, as Maximum shows when he blends in "African Warrior (instrumental)." Shorn of the (embarrassing) vocal, its dark strings sound Eski; it's flailing percussion add energy to Frisco's bars: funky and grime begin to blur, just like Kode blurred dubstep and grime on Dubstep Allstars 3 with mixing and EQing.
Dusk and I had talked about funky earlier, how interesting it was and how it might apply to us and our sound, as I know a lot of London producers in dubstep and grime are too. The question is, with parts of dubstep off chasing the post-new-school d&b wobble dollar at 145bpm and above, do we cut out and drop to 130 bpm? Dusk was like "ah don't worry, let's wait: there'll be a speed war and before you know it, funky will be up with us at 138bpm." And he was right, only far quicker than either of us anticipated.
"Dem man are happy with a reload/me I want a dutty yard in Finchley..."
- Frisco "Big Man Ting"
The electro angle is an interesting aside to this debate, but it's essentially motivated by commerce. Electro isn't big in the ends, it's the preserve of the NME/Hoxton massive, but grime MCs have never been shy of doing anything that will get them fame and money. Once Wiley took the risk and hit the jackpot with "Rolex Sweep," Skepta, Stryder, Ghetto, Lethal Bizzle and Flowdan weren't afraid of getting involved too.
Additional highlights:
28 mins
In comes the bongos, like it was Skream's "Konga".
31 mins
"Ner ner ner... n n ner...". In comes Lil Silva's funky anthem. "Next one sounds angry!" shouts Spyro.
35 mins
D1's "Oingy Boingy" gets mixed into Lil Silva's "Mash Up the Ends." "This tune is so effed..."
If any more proof of the interaction between grime and funky, then Maximum's special of Lil Silva's refix of "Pulse X," the tune that cleared the vocals out of UK garage and made a (dark) space for grime.
Roll Deep's Danny weed or Target come in with some driving congo work out
59: hold tight Will [Wiley] on the last one.
Dizzee on IceRink!!!
JME refix/Maximum special of Groove Chronicle's remix of Myron. Spyro: "What can i play after this that can do damage? Nothing. You're an idiot..."
Beyond and around
One of the things that I've found fun about funky since I first interviewed Gee, Supa D and Soulja, is the sense of familiarity of the patterns of evolution of funky, having seen UK garage expand and then fragment. It all seems to be one big Circle, sorry circle. Simon Reynolds, in an amazing piece of insight describes it with a swing of a pendulum's arm.
"Historically, there's been an internal pendulum between pleasure and the more-than-pleasure X-Factor/Edge-Factor... This pendulum swings back and forth between pure-pleasure-and-nothing-else versus the ascesis/punitiveness of Edge Factor pursued to the exclusion of entertainment. It's a self-correcting mechanism... These mechanisms are activated (deejays, producers, promoters responding to the desertion of the dancefloor, or deterioration of the vibe) whenever the music goes too far in one direction... techstep leading to speed garage was the classic landslide election "swing" (punters voting with their dancing feet)....
Funky house seems to have been activated by the doubled upshot of grime and dubstep, indeed there was a trial run of it a few years ago called "urban house" (timmi magic talking about getting rid of the MC and the rewind and restoring "live percussion"--clearly the latter is the hallmark of funky house! [that Timmi Magic Deuce piece was by me, I really must dig it out sometime... – Blackdown]), but perhaps has swung back too far in the opposite direction, to the nullity of pure pleasure."
On Thursday I swung down to the launch of Geeneus' funky night, Beyond @ Bar Rumba. One of the circles, cycles that goes on is the relationship between a genre's incubation on the margins of London, in clubs like grime @ Sidewinder and Rex, jungle @ Peckham Lazer Drome and then how they migrate into the centres and broaden their audience/gain visibility with the media, i.e. Speed @ Mars Bar or Forward>> @ Velvet Rooms. Beyond had the feel of that moment again, this time for funky.
Beforehand I was thinking to myself: when did I last go to Bar Rumba? It reminded me of a time in about '97, though I'm sure I've been back since. I was doing work experience at Mixmag and ended up at some launch party there. A friend and I got wedged into one of those a booths they have there and started chatting to the people next to us. I met some bloke called Neil, who worked at a distribution company, then forgot all about him. Two or three years later, circa 2000, I was Mixmag's garage editor. I bought this dark garage record on Shelflife, emailed the contact name on the sleeve to say I liked it, and realised it was put out by Neil. That year he quit his job to found Tempa and Forward>> with Soulja.
So as I came down the stairs, I bumped into Kode9, preparing for his set. I was just beginning to say "I was thinking to myself: when did I last go to Bar Rumba?" when 9 cut me off mid flow.
"You know Neil's here?"
Full circle anyone?
To add to the headspin, Beyond felt like early Forwards>>. Kode was playing the warm up set (he was the resident warm up DJ to empty crowds at Forward>> for years! Hard to imagine in these headlining, Sonar-rocking times!) to an empty dancefloor. Literally: the club had put a curtain and cordoned off the dancefloor so you couldn't go on it. Inside it felt like early FWD>> again only because of the overwhelming number of headz: shout to Soulja, Grevious Angel, Boomnoise, Dan Hancox, Farrah, Dusk, Chris from Kiss, Dave from Rinse, Melissa Bradshaw and no doubt more.
Soon we invaded the dancefloor, to hear Kode b2b sour funky. One tune of his has been beguiling me since he dropped it at FWD>>. It is such pitchbent analogue sour broken bliss I videoed it so everyone can hear it.
The urban crowd, late as always, began to full the club as Kode's set ended. Dee and Perempay stood at the bar with a bunch of dressed up gyals. MA1 began dropping some more standard funky, including the epic "Something in the Air" by Dee and Permpay (aka Da'vinche and Bossman). Never let it be said I only like the dark stuff - I love full on vocal tunes and Kyla "Do You Mind" is one of my tunes of the year - I'm just fussy about which ones.
I had to cut out long before the night ended, due to a very unfortunate very early start the next day. But if the cycle goes round to where previous rotations have taken us, Beyond is just the beginning.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
a) dusk + blackdown ft farrah and teji "kuri pataka (the firecracker girl)"
b) blackdown ft farrah "con/fusion"
UPDATE: out now on 12".
out now digitally.
mastering by transition.
vinyl distribution by baked goods.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Dot Dot Dot Smash
In July I covered Dot Rotten's mixtape for Pitchfork but the full interview that went with it, remained on tape. Finally I found a spare (literally) seven consecutive hours in my life to transcribe it.
To me, Dot Rotten is one of the most interesting, developed and underrated artists in grime. In interview he's intense and fiercely passionate: qualities I enjoy a lot. You can still download the amazing "This is the Begginning" mixtape for free here. But here's what Dot had to say about his new mix CD and a whole bunch more…
Blackdown: So, you've recently released "RIP Youngdot" but to me, it was the free mixtape "This is the Begginning" that turned heads. How did that come about?
Dot Rotten: That's the one that everyone writes is the raw one, the straight out of the studio, just sitting in the studio, trying to get something done.
B: I still can't believe you gave it away for free…
DR: Yeah I know that's what everyone was making noise about but it was one of those things that there was so many people that were trying to push me and tell me and I wasn't very clued up about what I was doing, so I just did anyting. I was basically doing anything to get heard. And that's how that came across.
B: I guess it must have worked if people are still talking about that mixtape…
DR: Yeah, I think it did work.
B: Yeah it made my top 4 end of year grime releases but yours was free and everyone else's' mixtapes you had to pay for!
DR: Yeah it is crazy because with "This is the Begginning," I wasn't even trying like that. I wasn't really trying to make an effect on anything I was just doing a project because I had studio time and was making instrumentals.
B: So tell me why you killed off Y.Dot?
DR: Basically it represents a time when I was reckless and ignorant and wasn't really too too on point. Basically I didn't have my head screwed on, I had a lot of things happen that put a tarnish on the name Y.Dot, itself. So it was to have a fresh start plus Dot Rotten stands for Dirty on Tracks, Righteous Opinions Told To Educate Nubians or Niggaz or whatever… There's deeper meanings to it all so its all part of being a process of becoming a new artist, to market myself differently now.
B: It's mad because grime is so much about reputation - much more so than money – and that all builds around your name. But you've killed your name!
DR: Yeah I had to, because you know what it is, I like a fresh start. It gives you new ideas, a new opening. It gives you a chance to change everything you've done before, start afresh. Like when you've lived in an area for so long, and you're just trapped inside, so you move out and it opens out your head and you feel free. You're feel a bit more confident with yourself – well this is what it's done. When I changed my name, I wasn't sure it was going to do the right thing. After a while everything's paid off: it's just a new me really. And it's given me a chance to become more business wise and stuff. Now I've got my first product… my album's basically finished. It's coming out in October and I've finished literally all of it already. I've released "RIP YoungDot" and six instrumental CDs on digital download. My album is going to be called "Me, My Blanket and Studio." Obviously I'm in studio 24 hours a day, every day, constantly. If I'm not at studio I'm doing something to do with music: I've dedicated my life to music. So it's just constant work: I've just released six instrumental CDs. When my album comes out another six are coming out. So with my album and "RIP YoungDot" that's fourteen CDs. Plus I've got a next set "I Don't Know Who You've Been Listening To" which is 15 CDs plus "UK Yay Vol 1-3." I've got constant product after product and I'm not stopping. All it takes is consistency so I'm not stopping for nobody.
B: Tell me more about instrumental CDs?
DR: They're called "Rotten Riddims Vol 1-3," and they're basically for the MCs. Obviously people will buy them and so will DJs but really it's for the MCs if they want a riddim to spit over – then go buy it on iTunes.
B: Historically. there's not a lot of guys in grime who have managed to get on iTunes. Also not a lot of people in grime buy vinyl either. So this is a good look for you: how did you hook that up?
DR: Basically I've got the best manager in the world. Basically I've been running around looking for someone who can push my thing and the whole time it was in front of my face, but because I've had so many people around me, saying the same thing, it's like you go somewhere and hear the truth. And then you take three trips somewhere else and on the three trips three people have said exactly the same thing [as each other] "this is the truth, this is the truth, this is the truth…" so by the time you get to the fourth place the first place is all mixed up with the second and the third, y'understand? So this is one of the reasons why "This is the Begginning" never came out, because I had so much people saying, reh-te-tere, so I never got the chance to do the right things with the right people around me. So yeah, Tyrone Rowe: one of the best managers.
B: It's good because he sent me a version of your mixtape out of nowhere, which grime MCs don't do. You got a give a little to get more?
DR: You give, you receive: it's normal. As long as everyone's happy, that's all that matters because right now we're dealing with basic skills. Making something out of nothing. It's basically grafting, constant grafting. I'm basically in studio, every day. I wake up, push some weights, go downstairs straight into studio and do my work. It's Tyrone's studio. Me, Tyrone and Dennis Rowe – the man who runs Saxon Sound, we're in a yard, a lot of people live there, like a camera man: it's just a team. We're all under one house: if I don't eat, everyone don't eat. If we eat today, we all eat. We're just a family, so I'm in studio banging out product, if I want to do a video I'll go into the next room and ask Kwame. If we want to promote it we'll promote it on Genesisradio.co.uk or we'll just send it to DJs and they'll do their thing. We don't limit ourselves, it's just constant work and networking.
B: Saxon Sound obviously have this massive legacy, but it came about long before grime. Did they mean anything to you, as a grime producer, when you were younger?
DR: Do you know what, before I actually sat down I wasn't really sure. I didn't know about Saxon and I didn't know what it was. But as I've been here and seen the whole history – if it wasn't for Saxon it would have taken a long time before we would be able to perform in the Royal Albert Hall. But I've picked up a piece of UK music history and now I'm aware of how I must conduct my business, because I see how it was done time ago. They made hits before I was born. So if someone in my team is saying "don't do this because it's not right…" I don't have to listen but it's better I do listen because Dennis has already sorted out that stuff. He's already gone through certain things and made that mistake. He's not just going to tell me, he's going to tell me so I don't make that mistake.
B: It's interesting because you seem to be treating them with reverence, whereas when grime came along a lot of it was of the attitude like "we're not listening to no one and we're doing a totally new thing…" So it's mad to see the links back to the past, because it felt like a total severance from everything in like '02/'03…
DR: What I can say about grime is I am constantly trying to change the sound. So I sit in studio all day, trying to make a commercial grime tune, a radio tune – basically anything I can to make someone who's never listened to grime, listen. I try to open the sound, because everyone's a producer.
B: Your sound has some unique trademarks, like your choruses where you actually sing them: not a lot of guys in grime would have the balls to do that.
DR: You know what? If it makes the music sound better, then we're gonna do it. Simple. Because it's all about good music. And if the music ain't good, then no-one's happy.
B: How did your sung-choruses come about? Were they something you stumbled on or were they references to other songs?
DR: It's all original. You know what? You listen to music. I listen to grime but I grew up listening to Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra – not your regular artists that a yout of my age to be listening to. Earth, Wind and Fire, Sting, Phil Collins – all these people I grew up listening to. So if I think a track needs something… I don't even call it singing, I call it humming. I ain't gonna say I sing, am I? I just hummed on the tune and there you go. Moretime it will give the tune more feeling. Sometimes tunes do need feeling because you have to be able to relate to them.
B: That's what I like a lot about some of your tunes, is that the emotion and morose mood…
DR: You have to be able to feel the tune. If there's no emotion, it's an empty tune. I'm a guy that's like, if' I'm pissed off I'll make a whole set of beats that sound like I'm pissed off when I made them. Or if I'm upset or in a bubbly mood. And that's how it comes.
B: Yeah you seem to go different places on your CDs, in terms of moods.
DR: It just sets an example. If you read "RIP Youngdot" the cover says – I'll read it to you – "I'd like to thank every artist that has done a mix CD or album in the grime scene for setting an example for letting me know what to and what not to do when I started putting together my own CD. Everyone else has done something that set an example for me." I'm still listening to other artists and I still listen to other genres, so I still look at what people like and understand how to do that. It's one thing being an artist but if you don't understand how to adapt to what people like and adapt to how you're going to bring your message across, no aint gonna like it, because you're just doing music for yourself.
B: How do you balance producing with MCing? You do both but a lot of the hype and the focus in the genre is around MCing…
DR: At first I started MCing, that was just me. But I used to listen to pirate radio stations and hear everyone, and I'd hear a whole show of MCs spiting over rubbish beats, beats I knew I could do better than. So I thought to myself, bwoy, I ain't gonna holla at that producer for any beats because the tunes are rubbish. So I thought to myself, "you know what? I want to make beats." Two-two's I went around my friends house one day and he had Fruity Loops and he showed me and I got over excited because them times I was making beats on Music 2000 on Playstation, and before that I used to make beats on an Atari with an Akai sampler, because my uncle used to have one. So I said "yo I'm going to make some beats!" Two-two's got Fruity Loops, started learning how to use it. First tune that came out when I started getting advanced with it was "Bazooka," boom OK. "Oh Youngdot, that producer that made 'Bazooka?'" From there everything kicked off, I couldn't really say I was an MC as everyone was going mad for my beats. I just kept it quiet. From there, I just waited. Everyone knew after that but they didn't take me seriously.
B: So if you had to give up one – producing or MCing – which would you give up?
DR: If I had to give up one, if I HAD to, I'd give up MCing if I'm honest. But I wouldn't want to. I would just MC to myself. But I would never stop producing as it's like a constant battle as I make a tune that I think is better than my lyrics. So then I have to bring the level of my lyrics up so they're better than the level of my tune. So it's like "that lyric's good, but that tune's better. OK, so you can't stick that lyric on that tune." It's just constant racing after each other. They have to be compatible. People who want to get to know me would actually have to go through all of my tunes and see the progression from where I first started until now, to really understand me as an artist. I've gone through the step of going to pirate radio going "aaaaargh," I've gone through the stages of sending for people. And now I'm at the stage OK, this is what I can do. Buy product, have a listen and tell me what you think.
B: There's definitely a progression from "Bazooka" to "RIP Youngdot." "Bazooka" is really different, it reminds me of eski stuff but equally, it's pretty crazy. How did you go about making a tune like that, with the "doh" noise and the kicks...?
DR: When I made that tune I was making so much tunes I was like "OK that's a big tune… right next one." I did not give that tune the love it was meant to get. Then afterwards, when I played it to people, they were like "ohmygod! Blad… that tune!" And I hadn't thought anything of that tune. But it shocked me because I didn't know my levels, like "rah you are good you know, because eeeeeveryone likes that tune." So I carry on and two-two's everyone's like "Dot, you're big!" and I'm like "no, what you talking about?" I still don't think I'm a big as everyone claims I am. Because it's just normal, I'm me and not bothered about it. I'm not "I'm Dot Rotten I've been on Westwood" it's like "OK, cool, don't get carried away, you're still Joseph Ellis." That's how I look at my career, I'm not going to get too big headed or anything. I'm only 19, 20 in October. I released "This is the Begginning" when I just turned 17. Now I'm a bit more wise, more mature, more adult about how I'm going to do things. See, on my album, I hit a lot of subjects that need to be hit right about now.
B: A lot of your lyrics and in grime in general, relate to guns. Can you tell me about your environment, where you grew up. How dangerous a place is it?
DR: I'm not going to highlight it the way I would if I was on saying a lot of greezy stuff, what I'm saying is within my lyrics, if you listen to what I say, the best way to take it is that it's things that I've been through. Or it's things that blatantly are going on every other day. If I stop doing music today and go back to that life… it will blatantly just go back to that. Yes. Hmm. Mind the police every time I see them. Right now on "RIP Youngdot" I'm just letting everyone know. It is blatantly a memorial for everything I was about, back in the day, before I decided to fix up my act. You'll hear me say some reckless stuff. Only due the way I was feeling on the day I wrote the songs.
B: So what were you like, back then?
DR: The way to put it is… I don't want to promote myself in a way that sounds too reckless, but basically let's just say right now I'm on a legitimate path. Before, it wasn't that. Not a legitimate path and a very reckless path. So now, I can see the light and that ain't the way for that. So now, I'm here and I'm trying to do the right thing and inspire people to stop doing the madness and all of that stuff.
B: There are tracks on both CDs like "I Need To Get Out of the Hood" and "Got to Escape This Life", that I hear you express sentiments that I don't hear from other people in grime, that they need to get away from the madness, or stop it. Do you think that's important to do? Do you think anyone cares, from the roads?
DR: No one, at the moment, no one like is trying to save the youts right now. The only MC who's talking the way I am is Black the Ripper. But apart from that no one is talking about certain things properly now. Talking to inspire the youth. Nothing like that is going on at the moment though. So I'm going to take on that role. Obviously I can spit radio bars and greeze, but I'm going to take on a certain role and show the youth with music that it ain't really that right now. You don't need to be on road and there are too many youts dying. But it's because there's no positive role models out there, to be quite honest. No one telling no one "don't do that." Right now, on the streets, everyone thinks they are their own man. Everyone thinks "I do what the hell I want 'cause, that's how it is." That's what they've been taught.
B: So in terms of things that people could do to make a difference, what would you recommend? The music thing is a positive path and you're leading that way but there must be other things that people could do to try help the madness…?
DR: Do you know what it is: for now, there's stepping stones. The plans are youth clubs and whatsoever, but before you can even get there you have to take steps. Right now I have a big plan in my head about what I want to do but I have to start with the music. There's bigger steps but there's no point talking about them until they can come into play.
B: Are you religious? Does that play a part in your life?
DR: Yeah you could say that. I'm very religious at the moment. At the moment I've taken a step off the path just to sort everything but within myself I know who I am, so you could say that.
B: You mention "Allah" on the new mixtape…
DR: Yeah, "I'm a crazy chap/sitting down thinking why Allah made me black..."
B: That's not something I've heard someone talk about in grime before…
DR: Do you know why? Because I'm not doing things other people do. Basically I'm me. I'm an individual, my own individual. I'm not like no other grime artist because I'm not them and I do not choose to talk about rubbish. I need to talk about something that people can take in and understand. So that's all I'm doing right now. If it don't make sense, you're not going to catch me talking about it, basically. So all that "I wear my own garms stuff" it ain't helping nobody. Everyone's just trying to make money. Bun that because if I make a big amount of money you know it's going back into the community. Whether it's me actually putting money back in or me scooping up a couple of youts and saying "come on, we're going here…". Regardless, that's what it's about. So, I'm just trying my best. There's only so much one man can do and not everyone is your friend so you have to know who's who. But for now I'm just taking my time.
B: I know you're involved with OG's and Hoodstars, can you explain who they are, for people who don't know…?
DR: It's crews I contribute to. Right now there's a lot of madness going on with this crews situation so I am my own artist. I contribute towards OG's and Hoodstars but at the same time, the same contribution I give I have to see everyone else giving. So I pull my weight and that's just how it goes. If you need my help, holla. If not called for, don't ask me. Simple. Basic. I was on the whole of "OGs Season", in studio the whole time. No one knows I was directing how the CD should go. "Chorus goes like that…" Half of the tunes on "OGs Season" were meant to be my own solo tracks for my own CD. That's why I had so much time out of the game between "This is the Begginning" and now. I was doing too much stuff for other people whereas now I got to focus on myself. That's why I've got so much product coming out, going "gotta get it done, gotta get it done, ten instrumentals done in a day, alright, write some verses now." I could write a whole album in a day, 24 instrumentals in a day, easy. Maybe more.
I personally know I know every artist in the grime scene worth knowing. So I know that if I need to get in touch with anyone it's easy: one phonecall. "Y'alright..?" I spoke to Chipmunk today, Brutal, Griminal: I speak to all of them nearly every day. I make sure everyone's cool and everyone's doing something for everybody. It's just networking and keeping your work rate up so people want to work with you.
B: Who gave your first breaks?
DR: The first step was "Bazooka," that was promoted by me and Essentials. They didn't put me forward as an MC, they put me forward as a producer. After that it deaded so it was the only tune I was known for, really. I gave tunes to other people but I was known for "that one hit wonder banger." But boom, forget that, because that was then. I was giving out instrumental CDs after instrumental CDs, DJs, to Logan with 20 tunes on a CD, this one, that one, until my tunes were playing. There was a station called On Top in south west London: I went away for six months and I gave all the DJs all my tunes. When I come back, in the car, haven't listened to radio for six months, don't know what's going on, got into London, turned on the radio and my tune was playing. That was about two three years ago. And since them times I've just been getting instrumentals done. It's the same work rate but now I'm so used to it, I can just do it. Done.
B: Sounds like you were away for while. Is that something you are keen to avoid again?
DR: Being away from the scene all that would do to me is have me unaware of what's really going on. It'll have me so I'm not putting in work and I hate when I don't put in work, as I'm not viable. That'll make me feel like I'm not putting in no work, and I'm slacking. I hate feeling like I'm not doing what I'm meant to be doing.
B: You sound really driven, which is healthy…
DR: Look, I got kicked out of school in year 7. the first year I didn't have no qualifications, I didn't have no job, I was a yout from like seven, eight years old I always wanted my own money. "I wanna job mum, I want my own money…" Got kicked out of school. No job. Ended up hitting the roads and doing all the crazy stuff to get money, but still didn't get no money. Then I started doing music, I was around music and my uncle used to have a studio in his room, so I was driven by it from day and two-two's I'm an artist.
B: I've heard this regularly from grime artists throughout the years: that the life options were road stuff or music. Were there other options for you or was that it?
DR: For me, I don't know why but, when I was on road, I used to say to my friends "I'm not even meant to be here." I've always said "I'm not meant to be here" and they'd be like "shutup man, you're moaning bruv." And I'd be like "blad, I don't need to be here!" And it came to one day and I said "you know what, I cant do dis, dis is a joke ting. What am I achieving? Bun the road ting, forget the road ting, because it ain't going to help me." I'm more likely to get sent to jail, to the point where I had four, five cases on me but this YoungDot thing that everyone was feeling. So what, I could go, and miss this opportunity? Forget that. And luckily enough, I got away with… murder, basically. I got away with a lot of stuff and just said "yeah, alright I'm meant to do music. This is what I'm meant to do."
B: But did you have to do six months in jail then?
DR: Nah, when I was away for six months, that was when I was doing the road thing. I moved away and I was doing some road stuff, some stuff I'm actually proud of, but you know what: it built me as a person. You have to go through certain things to be able to say, "do you know what, that isn't for me…" I was away, out of London for a long time, moved away didn't see my mum, didn't see nobody and that was my stage for becoming a man. On my own ting. Paying own rent, buying my own shopping, clothes and that was one of the hardest times of my life but it built me as a person. I came back a bit more stronger. A bit more aware but still a bit ignorant.
B: Were you in the UK or outside?
DR: I was in the UK: I moved to Reading. I was living up there by myself and doing madness. But at the same time it built me as a person. Now I'm just ready to just put in the work. I'm just on music so if I could get a job in anywhere that does music, that means BBC 1Xtra, Kiss 100, wherever – anywhere that has music I want to be there. If you know something about music I don't know, please tell me. I would like to know. My life's driven around music. If it's going to benefit me and there's progressing out of it, I'm involved. That's all it's about.
B: So who of MCs and producers, do you rate?
DR: I'd say look out for P Money, Icekid. But the only CD I've been listening to is Black the Ripper "Summer Madness" and I listen to his old one, "Holla Black." You know when you listen to something and you can feel the emotion and pain? Like when I listen to "This is Begginning" and I feel my stuff because I know exactly what I was trying to say. He's the only artist recently I can listen to that I can feel what he's saying. And he know's what he's talking about. Producer-wise I can't say one name because I rate every producer, they're all doing their thing, because they're all good and everyone's got their own style so no-one's really better than no-one.
B: My concern for grime is that the focus is so much on the MCs that people don't even…
DR: … notice the producers.
B: They just don't want to be one!
DR: Hmm. Everyone wants to be an MC. Everyone can want to be an MC. But it's only for those that know: the smart ones will become a producer. Or become the producer and the MC. They say that phrase "it's only for those who know." I know why I want to be an MC and I know why I want to be a producer. Because either way I can say to a man when I get real big "yo, it's a grand for a 16 bar, and I can say five grand for one beat."
B: So day to day, do you get a lot of calls?
DR: Know what: I put my number on MySpace because I'm a crazy business man and I do stuff like that, trying to promote studio time and promote selling beats and so I get about a million prank calls a day and a million people pestering me going [in a chump's voice] "hi is this Dot Rotten, hi, um, your sick man!" I get it every day from 7am until 7am the next day. I'm just used to it now, so used to it. I just pick up the phone [hype voice] "Hi is that Dot Rotten?" and I'm like '[sounding bored] "yeah, hello…". I've even got people recording me back to play me to myself. It's crazy. I'm not going to lie, I'm still going to put my number on MySpace as people can feel like they can get in touch with you. It's a good thing. If people feel like they know an artist they'll feel like they're gonna buy you, because they feel like they know you. Cause when I was a young gun and I weren't nobody and I was hollering the boys I thought were the top dargs, they used to par me off. They'd say "blad, stop calling my phone [beep beep beep]…" But obviously I can't make that mistake because I know how it feels.
For more on Dot Rotten check his MySpace
Friday, September 12, 2008
Pitchfork September
It's the rise of the boundary smashers aka The month in dubstep, grime, garage, funky, soca-grime, wonky, UK hip hop-that-thinks-it's-grime, grime-that-thinks-it's-trance, -or house, -or pop, plus chip tunes, vocoder funk or free (road) jazz. Geddit? Geddit here.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
It's Mercury night!
Come on my son!!!!!
UPDATE: ah bollocks, yet another win for an indie band. Ah well, probably no bad thing for a man who above all really wants to just make tunes and keep his privacy.
UPDATE: ah bollocks, yet another win for an indie band. Ah well, probably no bad thing for a man who above all really wants to just make tunes and keep his privacy.
Pros of funky, to me:
· It's an exciting new urban London movement.
· It from the same communities that gave you dubstep and grime, and before that jungle and garage.
· It's feminine, percussive and rhythmically interesting: things dubstep and grime are failing at right now.
· All the grime youngers are jumping on it, turning it darker.
· It is mutating rapidly.
Cons of funky, to me:
· Parts of it sound like any mainstream 4x4 house tunes. I've not been exited about 4x4 house since 1997.
· Getting exited by a sound you said you didn't like before just because it's hype is a bit fake.
· Parts of it sound like any broken beat. I've not been exited about any broken beat since Bugz in The Attic's (incredible) Fabric mix CD.
· Getting exited by a sound you said you didn't like before just because it's hype is a bit fake.
· You have to wear nice shoes to the clubs. I understand the significance of dressing up to the urban crowd (what you wear affects how you act), I just feel like a doughnut in nice shoes.
Can't wait for Beyond!!!
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
November 2010
This document describes how to configure Xorg XKB from a user's point of view. It covers basic configuration syntax and gives also a few examples.
This version covers Xorg server versions 1.8 and later, used with the data files from the xkeyboard-config project.
Table of Contents
The XKB configuration is decomposed into a number of components. Selecting proper parts and combining them back you can achieve most of the configurations you might need. Unless you have a completely atypical keyboard you really don't need to touch any of the xkb configuration files.
Some desktop environments now provide integrated graphical configuration tools for setting XKB configuration as part of your desktop session. The instructions in this document are provided for those without such support, those who need to configure XKB before the session startup (such as at the login screen), or those who need to perform more advanced configuration than those tools provide.
The easiest and the most natural way to specify a keyboard mapping is to use
the rules
component. As its name suggests it describes a number of
general rules to combine all bits and pieces into a valid and useful keyboard
mapping. All you need to do is to select a suitable rules file and then to
feed it with a few parameters that will adjust the keyboard behaviour to
fulfill your needs.
The parameters are:
| files of rules to be used for keyboard mapping composition |
| name of the model of your keyboard type |
| layout(s) you intend to use |
| variant(s) of the layout you intend to use |
| extra xkb configuration options |
The rules file used depends on your system. The rules files commonly
used with Xorg are provided by the xkeyboard-config project.
On Linux systems, the evdev
rules are most
commonly used, on other systems the base
are used. Some additional rules files exist for historical reasons,
but are no longer widely used. In general, it's best to simply not
specify the rules file, in order to use the default rules selected
automatically by the X server.
For each rules file there is a description file named
for instance vendor-rules
which is located in
the xkb configuration subdirectory rules
(for example /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules
Let's say you want to configure a PC-style American keyboard with 104
keys as described in base.lst
. This can be done
by simply writing several lines from below to a new configuration file
in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d
, such
as /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/90-custom-kbd.conf
Section "InputClass" Identifier "keyboard defaults" MatchIsKeyboard "on" Option "XkbModel" "pc104" Option "XkbLayout" "us" Option "XKbOptions" "" EndSection
The values of XkbModel
and XkbLayout
really not surprising. The XkbOptions
has been explicitly set to the empty set of parameters.
The XkbVariant
option has been left out.
That means the default variant named basic
is loaded.
Of course, this can be also done at runtime using the utility setxkbmap. The shell command loading the same keyboard mapping would look like:
setxkbmap -model pc104 -layout us -option ""
The configuration and the shell command would be very analogous for most other layouts (internationalized mappings).
If you wanted to enable the Ctrl+Alt+Backspace sequence to kill
the X server by default, you could create a configuration snippet
Section "InputClass" Identifier "keyboard defaults" MatchIsKeyboard "on" Option "XKbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp" EndSection
This would be equivalent to running the shell command:
setxkbmap -option "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
You can use multi-layouts xkb configuration. What does it mean? Basically it allows to load up to four different keyboard layouts at a time. Each such layout would reside in its own group. The groups (unlike complete keyboard remapping) can be switched very fast from one to another by a combination of keys.
Let's say you want to configure your new Logitech cordless desktop keyboard, you intend to use three different layouts at the same time - us, czech and german (in this order), and that you are used to Alt+Shift combination for switching among them.
Then the configuration snippet could look like this:
Section "InputClass" Identifier "Logitech Cordless" MatchIsKeyboard "on" Option "XkbModel" "logicordless" Option "XkbLayout" "us,cz,de" Option "XKbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle" EndSection
Of course, this can be also done at runtime using the utility setxkbmap. The shell command loading the same keyboard mapping would look like:
setxkbmap -model logicordless -layout "us,cz,de" \ -option "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
Okay, let's say you are more demanding. You do like the example above but you want it to change a bit. Let's imagine you want the czech keyboard mapping to use another variant but basic. The configuration snippet then changes into:
Section "InputClass" Identifier "Logitech Cordless" MatchIsKeyboard "on" Option "XkbModel" "logicordless" Option "XkbLayout" "us,cz,de" Option "XkbVariant" ",bksl," Option "XKbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle" EndSection
That seems tricky but it is not. The logic for settings of variants
is the same as for layouts, that means the first and the third variant
settings are left out (set to basic
the second is set to bksl
(a special
variant with an enhanced definition of the backslash key).
Analogously, the loading runtime will change to:
setxkbmap -model logicordless -layout "us,cz,de" \ -variant ",bksl," -option "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
Keymap configuration is the way formerly used to configure xkb. The user included a special keymap file which specified the direct xkb configuration. This method has been obsoleted by previously described rules files which are far more flexible and allow simpler and more intuitive syntax. It is preserved merely for compatibility reasons and should be avoided if possible.


text:
With the #flegs protests seemingly diminishing, it seems like a good time to wrap up where 2012 has brought unionism, although it can be pretty much summed up in one word – crisis. It was a year in which there were early signs of modest progress visible to DUP leader Peter Robinson in March and by November he felt confident to proclaim that the constitutional debate had been won. And remember, in 2012 we were told repeatedly how 'Catholics' were being taken within, and reciprocating, the embrace of unionist outreach. Looking past the rhetoric, though, there seems little to support his optimism and the public statements neither matched the actions nor the apparent angst that those statements seemed designed to hide.
Modest progress (or, Denial)
Are there actual trends to support the DUP leader's claims? The empirical data on elections is collated here on CAIN and doesn't exactly offer him much food for comfort (and notably, the pattern since the 1980s suggest that an improvement in fortunes for 'Others' mirrors a drop in the Unionist vote). Similarly, however crude a parallel, the increasing proportion of the population estimated as Catholics in the census continues to grow mirroring rises in the nationalist vote and a long term decline in the Unionist vote. Indeed, the census data for those declaring themselves 'British', 'Protestants' and the recent electoral trends suggest that the term 'majority' in the local political lexicon is now pretty much redundant.
Those long term trends do, however, provide the real context for Peter Robinson's Catholic outreach tactic. For the strategy, read, 'we now need you to save the union [for us]'. But this outreach is hard to reconcile with the reality of the show of unionist (and loyalist) unity on Clifton St at the end of the summer. The demand then? Some inalienable right to play The Famine Song outside one of the oldest Catholic churches in Belfast, a church which sits on one of the main arterial routes into the city centre. There were echoes of the familiar themes of pan-unionist defiance of the Parades Commission and credibility-stretching denials of sectarianism. And unionism yet again publicly defined itself as Orangeism, Protestantism, monarchy and a self-declared Britishness that doesn't really resonate across the water (where it is seen, ironically, as an Irish thing). This coalescing of unionists interests was to be a recurring feature of the year.
Simultaneously, there was also disregard of the inherent (and self-defeating) risk to parades accessing that Clifton St/Donegall St route to the city centre by creating yet another parading flashpoint. For those who don't realise, there are very few usable routes into the centre from the north of the city due to the proximity of the loughshore and the peculiar post-glacial topography. Around the perimeter of the city centre lies a prehistoric high water mark and raised beaches left by elevated sea levels after the end of the last Ice Age. This pushes pretty much all routes, apart from the Shore Rd, onto Clifton St. These raised shorelines, around 7-8 m above modern sea level are no longer visible amongst the modern cityscape other than a sudden steepening of the roads as they leave the city centre, such as on Donegall Street.
Down with this sort of things (or, Anger)
Events at St Patrick's, though, were dwarfed by the subsequent flags protests, surely one of the most illuminating episodes in recent political history. The initial emphasis was on the Alliance party, with the circulation of 40,000 leaflets in one of those increasing shows of unionist unity by the DUP and UUP. The leaflet was to pressurise Alliance not to vote for a measure on designated flag days that had already been endorsed, albeit reluctantly, by unionist-led councils like Lisburn as far back as 2003. Debacle after debacle followed the Belfast City Council vote with protests, road-closures and riots.
The DUP and UUP, continuing their rapprochement from the summer, and having initiated the flags protests, made a most traditional of responses to a crisis in convening yet another Unionist Forum. Peter Robinson hailed this Forum as the most representative in 50 years. As ever, its composition merely reinforced that narrowly defined ideology incorporating loyalism, Orangeism and Protestantism. But a lack of leadership or imagination in the UUP and DUP was nowhere more apparent than the clear abdication of public media roles to various loyalist bit-part players.
Far from a unified show of strength, though, some of the protest violence suggests even deeper problems within unionism. Take, as an example, the attack on the DUP-led, 365-day-a-year flag-flying Newtownabbey Council Christmas party. Was this a clear failure of unionists in even educating their supporters on the actual issue, or, does it reflect an outright disenchantment with local unionism in favour of the likes of the BNP and UKIP? Whether the latter might translate electorally, isn't clear, but it showed that there are clearly other significant fault lines within unionism.
And the lack of leadership wasn't confined to the political sphere. The PSNI role in the protests, in particular closing roads where only a handful of protestors were present to the disadvantage of significant portions of the population, doesn't suggest a force that is yet capable of the symmetrical policing required at political protests. Repeated ineffectual announcements of the illegality of blocking roads stood in stark contrast to the inaction of the PSNI when confronted by such 'illegal' acts.
Postscript: Be very careful what you wish for (or, Bargaining)
By the end of the year, the DUP even felt emboldened enough to follow all this up with calls for a border poll (with an obvious subtext that a narrow win now would provide a pretext to veto any further polls for a generation). In the limited media debate that followed, no-one really quizzed the DUP on what would happen if they lost the poll.
Obviously, the full political outworking of 2012 will not be seen for a while. It is entirely plausible that there will be political drift from the more centrist elements of the UUP towards the Alliance (or Greens etc). Arguably, the Alliance may end up being the main political beneficiary of the flags protests. If they, and the likes of the Greens, see their party support grow at the expense of unionism (see above), it will add emphasis to the transient and transitional nature of the political institutions here which never envisaged a significant proportion designating as 'Other'. The irony of slippage in 'Unionist' support to 'Other' weakening the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement won't be lost on many people. From the bravado of the border poll call, the flags, Unionist Forum and the parades issues at the end of the summer, retrospectively 2012 clearly revealed a deepening crisis in unionism that even the rhetoric cannot disguise.
And if you feel like it, you can go to Donegall Street and, looking back up towards Clifton St, you can see the place, somewhere just above St Patrick's, where that prehistoric wave broke and began to ebb away.


text:
Dutch voters go centrist, shun euroskepticism
| Amsterdam and Utrecht, The Netherlands
The euroskeptical movement in The Netherlands was given a sharp blow yesterday in parliamentary elections that ended up with the two rival frontrunners gaining so much support, that they are now likely to be forced to work together.
The center-right Liberals of Prime Minister Mark Rutte came out of the elections as the largest party, with 41 out of 150 seats, up from 31. The center-left Social Democrats won 38 seats, a spectacular comeback for leader Diederik Samsom, whose party had 30 seats in parliament but had been polling around 15 seats only one month ago. The race between the two parties was too close to call until several hours after midnight. [Editor's note: The number of seats won by the Social Democrats has been updated to reflect revised totals.]
The populist far-right party of Geert Wilders seems to have paid the price for internal struggles and walking away from the budget talks which led to the collapse of Rutte's government in April. His party, which wants The Netherlands to leave the European Union, shrunk from 24 to 15 seats. The other euroskeptic party, the Socialists, didn't gain any seats and remained at 15, despite a good showing in the polls until three weeks ago.
The largest party in parliament has the right to start coalition talks and is usually the one to put forth the prime minister, so Mr. Rutte will most likely have a second term as prime minister. Tinke de Ree, a voter from Utrecht, praised his "positive image," while Anne Raden Karmo said in Amsterdam she feels that Rutte is the best politician to serve her interests as an entrepreneur.
According to a survey, one in four voters cast a strategic vote yesterday instead of a vote on the party they think is closest to their ideals. Rene Verburg is one of those strategic voters. "The previous time I voted for GreenLeft, but this time I voted for the Social Democrats", Mr. Verburg said in Utrecht, the fourth largest city here. "The last time the Liberals gained just one seat more than the Social Democrats and I want to prevent that this time."
In an interview with the state broadcaster NOS, Mr. Wilders partially blamed his "defeat" on the horse race between Rutte and Mr. Samsom and said that "many people have voted strategically."
Ironically, the number of seats held by Social Democrats and the Liberals are now so large that any coalition that doesn't include both is unlikely: A phenomenon that Rutte himself has complained about in the past. The 2006 elections were also portrayed as a horse race between the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats. In an interview with this reporter in 2006, Rutte called strategic voting "annoying," because it leads to two parties being condemned to each other. This time however, the phenomenon turned to Rutte's advantage.
Liberal politician Henk Kamp will begin exploratory coalition talks with party leaders tomorrow. He is scheduled to report on his findings next week, when the newly elected parliament convenes for the first time on September 20.
The Social Democrats and the Liberals have worked together in a coalition before, from 1994 to 2002. However, since then both parties have ideologically moved somewhat to the left and the right, respectively. And since the two do not have a majority in the Senate, which has the power to turn down legislation, they may want to add another party to their coalition.
Verburg is not confident the formation process will move quickly. "During the campaign, the parties have dug their heels in the sand on issues, and did a lot of mudslinging. I don't think we'll have a government before Christmas," he said.


text:
A man and a woman were celebrating their 50th anniversary. They were talking before their dinner about how they should celebrate their big evening.
The woman decided she would cook a big dinner for her husband. Then he said they should do what they did on their wedding night and eat at the dinner table naked. The woman agreed.
Later that night at the table, the woman says, "Honey, my nipples are as hot for you as they were fifty years ago."
The man replies, "That's because they are sitting in your soup."


text:
Haystack by prabir.b.sen Star this if you like it!
This is how villagers in India stack hay. Stacking hay this way keeps the moisture away during the monsoon time, and the hay inside the stack remains fresh to be consumed by the cattle the villages own .. In olden times, the villagers used to stock their grains within this cottage like hay hut for the same reason. But now most of the grains they grow are sold and the rest are kept in nylon woven bags for their own consumption.


text:
This picture shows a huge solar prominence. A prominence is a loop of gas and plasma in the Sun's atmosphere. The loop is held in place by powerful magnetic fields. The prominence in this picture is on the right side of the Sun. The right side of this picture shows a close-up of the prominence. It also shows Earth - see how huge the prominence is! Of course, Earth isn't really right next to the Sun like this. This picture was taken by a spacecraft called SOHO.
Original artwork by Windows to the Universe staff (Randy Russell) using images courtesy SOHO (ESA & NASA).


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Trying to resolve a traffic ticket or ordinance violation can be confusing and stressful, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the court system. Many people choose to have an attorney represent them to help explain the procedure and make sure their case(s) are resolved fairly. However, the decision to hire an attorney is entirely your own. You may have the right to have an attorney appointed by the court to represent you if you cannot afford one on your own, depending on the type of offense charged. The judge will explain your rights to you when you make your first court appearance.
Show All Answers
If you were ticketed for Operating Uninsured Motor Vehicle, No Valid Registration or No Valid Driver's License, but had valid insurance, registration or driver's license on the date of the citation, you must appear on your court date. Bring a copy of your ticket(s) along with proof of valid insurance, registration or driver's license to the City Attorney's Office no later than one week prior to court appearance. Your insurance agent/company will be contacted to verify that the insurance was in effect at the time of your citation.
In order to avoid a court appearance, you must provide proof that your insurance, driver's license or registration was valid at the time of the arrest to the City Attorney's Office no later than one week prior to your court appearance. Bring this information, along with a copy of your traffic citation, to the City Attorney's Office.
Do not assume that your ticket was dismissed. It's important to always follow-up before your scheduled court date to verify that your case was dismissed. If you submit your proof of compliance by email, you will receive a reply email indicating the status of your request. If you have not received verification of your dismissal, you must appear on your court date. If you do not send proof of compliance one week prior to your court date, you may still be eligible for dismissal. However, you must appear in court and bring the required proof. It is recommended that you arrive 30 minutes early.
Court dates may be obtained by the Jackson County Circuit Clerk's Office, located on the first floor of the Jackson County Courthouse, call (618) 687-7300 or visit www.judici.com.
Case status information may be obtained at the Jackson County Circuit Clerk's Office, located on the first floor of the Jackson County Courthouse, call (618) 687-7300 or visit www.judici.com.
Some traffic tickets do not require a court appearance. Look at the bottom of your ticket to determine whether you need to appear in court at all. Many minor traffic tickets may be marked "No Court Appearance Required." However, if your ticket is marked "Court Appearance Required," you must appear on the date and time indicated on your ticket.
If your traffic ticket is marked "No Court Appearance Required," you may pay your ticket at the Circuit Clerk's Office, on the first floor of the Courthouse. However, if your ticket is marked "Court Appearance Required," you must appear on the date and time indicated on your ticket.
If you want to pay an Ordinance Violation, Parking Ticket, or Administrative Tow Fee, visit our Online Bill Pay option.
Attorneys from the City Attorney's Office are responsible for the prosecution of traffic offenses and ordinance violations issued in Carbondale. Since their duty is to represent Carbondale, they are legally prohibited from giving legal advice to people charged with crimes, including minor traffic offenses. In addition, the attorneys in the City Attorney's Office are prosecuting your case, and anything you tell them could be used against you in court. Your best option is to consult your own attorney.
Your driver's license status is decided entirely by the Secretary of State. The City Attorney's Office has no involvement in issuing or suspending driver's license. For questions regarding your driver's license, contact the Secretary of State's Office at 1-800-252-8980.
Court dates are set by the judge who presides over City court. The City Attorney cannot change your court date for you. In order to request a new court date, you must file a Motion to Continue with the Circuit Clerk and have the judge grant the motion prior to your scheduled court date.
It is important to be present and on time at all required court dates. If you fail to appear, several things could happen:•In a minor traffic case, the judge could enter a judgment against you, just as if you had plead guilty. You are then responsible for paying the fines assessed.•If you are charged with a misdemeanor or felony, and you fail to make your court appearance, the judge may issue a warrant for your arrest. Any bond you previously posted could be forfeited.
If you wish to ask the court to vacate (or undo) a judgment against you, or quash (take back) an arrest warrant, you must file a motion with the court. There may be a fee for this motion, and there is no guarantee that the court will grant your motion. For more information, contact the Circuit Clerk's Office, located on the first floor of the courthouse, or call (618) 687-7300.


text:
In the annals of Rap, few are more legendary than Raekwon. Cornerstone of the Wu-Tang clan (and arguably among the most lyrically ruthless and precise of its members), the man has been creating classic rap recordings since the early 90s and is looked upon by fans with the same level of reverence reserved for old-school legends and and modern moguls such as Rakim, Jay-Z, Nas and only a small handful of others.
Famous as the originator of the gambino-influenced Scorsese storytelling flow which has become a rap paradigm since the release of his classic record Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, as well as for wearing some of the freshest Polo gear ever (the snow beach routinely breaks eBay records), perhaps the most exciting thing about Raekwon is that after a 20 year career he is currently releasing some of the most vital music of his career. 2009's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 was one of the year's most critically acclaimed records, and he continues to guest on some of the greatest contemporary rap releases as well, having featured on Kanye West's latest opus and received a grammy nomination for Big Boi's 'Royal Flush'. Against all odds, Raekwon may be one of the few contemporary musicians in any genre who continues to be as good today as he was 20 years ago.
DiS sat down with him (ermm, on the phone) to discuss the release of his new album, Shaolin vs. Wu Tang and to determine how exactly he continues to bring it. Coming across like a gentleman and a true family man, and nowhere near the incarcerated scarface one would expect from his back catalogue, we discussed the state of hip hop today, the burden of living up to a classic, and realized that he may be a bit mixed up about Justin Bieber…
DiS: First off, I just want to tell you I've been a Wu Tang fan for like 17 years so, it's amazing to get to talk to you.
Raekwon: Ah so you been there since day one huh?
DiS: Yeah - pretty much man, since I was like 13 or something.
R: That's good stuff man, thank you.
DiS: Yeah, so hey I just want to say congratulations - you're coming off of a huge year with the Grammy [for his guest appearance on Big Boi's 'Royal Flush'], all your sort of guest appearances and Cuban Linx 2, it seems like you're going through a streak. I just got a chance to listen to the new album last week, it seems like more excellent work so congratulations.
R: Thank you Adam, it just feels good man, people seeing my growth, thank you.
DiS: Definitely. So Mel [Carter, Rae's manager] said you were on vacation last week, so I just wanted to ask, what's vacation for Raekwon like?
R: Vacation for me is basically, you know, being able to get away with my kids because you know, I work hard, and I'm really just trying to step up the bar and become a better artist, so when I'm not down I just run back home and just try and get some time with my children - you know what I mean?
DiS: Yeah.
R: I think it's just so important to be an artist but to be a father of two, you know what I mean? Be a dad so you know, we just probably go out, go to Miami or something and just relax under the sun for a little bit, stuff like that. Last time I went home, I went to Disney Land with my son and my daughter - you know, just giving them that time, I think it's so important, you have to balance family with business as well. And every now and then I know if I'm out for about three weeks, I'm going to at. I kind of like, talk to my kids, let them know, you want the nice things and this is what daddy has to do in order for you to be alright... like I gotta pay for your school, make sure you got clothes on your back, make sure you got your cereal, so you gotta take care of your kids. They're young kids so it's definitely important to talk to them and let them know why Daddy ain't here all the time, you know?
DiS: That's great man! Okay, so getting to the new album album, I just wanted to ask about Shaolin vs Wu Tang;, coming off of Cuban Linx 2, which was like a classic Wu Tang record in the way it took it back to the vintage Wu sound, how is Shaolin vs Wu Tang different? What are you trying to bring to the table this time?
R: Well, number one, this album is definitely made for all the Wu Tang fans in the world. I wanted to go back down memory lane and give them an album they can say "Yo, it really sounds like that Wu Tang shit that we love", you know what I mean? Like, there's been a lot of controversy about the direction that Wu Tang clan as a group had gone with the music, so I wanted this album right here to be my follow up but still go back to Wu Tang fans because I feel like they love me so much and they support what I've done. I felt that it would be great to go back down memory lane and give them something for them, you know, really work hard it. So we came up with the title, which we felt was a great title, it wasn't really derogatory to try and diss Wu Tang, because I can't diss what I am, you know what I mean?
Shaolin vs Wu Tang is an album I feel is exciting, it's riveting, it's astonishing - it's astonishing to me, to just be able to create that sound again, put the skits on it and make everything just sound like how people wanted it I just really worked hard at it, at really making that happen now. Doing Cuban Linx 2, you know, I wanted to make sure that was great, so now I wanted to have my follow up album be just as great, as a real Wu Tang album that people will love to hear. I just took it upon myself to really guide that and go through that chamber again.
DiS: Yeah, man, definitely, well it sounds like you definitely hit the mark so...
R: You feel I hit the mark?!
DiS: Yeah man! I think it's going to be right up there with Cuban Linx 2, so I just can't wait for it to drop so I can listen to some more. So given what you've said about trying to hit the classic Wu Tang sound, is it hard to find a balance between doing something progressive, like Eight Diagrams, for instance, which I felt was a controversial record for you guys, versus sticking with the classic sound? Is this a hard balance for you to meet?
R: I mean, nothing's easy man, when you sit there, number one, the fans are so stubborn these days - sometimes you could try your hardest but it's not easy you know? Because the production is so important and it has to make you feel like them times, but by the same token, you don't want to sound outdated.
DiS: Yeah
R: We still want to sound like we giving you something new, so you know, for me, I just had to go with my heart and really go back to the tapes and see what back then made people excited. That's what we've done, but it's not a walk in the park when you're trying to emulate classic albums, know what I mean?.
I think it's just so important that we keep an open mind as far as letting an artist be creative. You know, letting them know we want is important but at the end of the day all you can do is just try and do the best you can. I think that comes with being successful...people want to see you come back to the shit that you did back then, but sometimes people can't deliver that kind of music to you, know what I mean? So me not being a producer, shit, I got to look all round the world to make sure that I can at least get the right sound. It becomes difficult every now and then but I just tend to work a little bit harder at finding things and I think that's why I was able to be successful with Cuban Linx 2 because I really took my time. It's the same with Shaolin vs Wu Tang, I wanted to really go back to that 36 Chambers dark vibe, that still not only was dark but was still you know, bright in certain ways [I know] and capture that Wu Tang essence. I really made it my business to really like go in on this one right here, and just the fact having great features involved with it [the album features guest appearances by Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Busta Rhymes, Lloyd Banks and the UK's own Estelle], I wanted to pull these features that I had into our world and I think we did a great job at picking the right guys to assist us with this project.
DiS: Yeah, definitely, I thought it was really cool that you got Jim Jones on a track with you.
R: Yeah, I mean, like I said that track right there ['Rock n' Roll'] that's definitely a great track and at the end of the day, Jones is a good friend of mine and I think that he respect what Wu Tang does, you know, they [the Diplomats] represent the eagle, we represent the eagle, you know what I mean?
DiS: Yeah!
R: Which is our W, our W is like an eagle, and their logo is like an eagle too,, so to me the track just really fitted both of us and I felt he would do his thing on it. So it's an honour to have so many great features of cats that I got love for in the game. And I thought the track fit him like a glove too. So not only was I creating a great album but at the same time I was really being a great A&R by picking people who are so good on the record.
DiS: Excellent. So not only have you been recording your own stuff lately, but you've had a really hot year with guest appearances as well, like Royal Flush for instance, Yelawolf and your work the Kanye record, so I just wanted to ask you a bit about that. When you're writing for different peoples tracks, how does the process work? Is it a different process than when you're writing for yourself?
R: It's definitely a different process, because I try to jump into their world but still give them the best of me when I'm there, you know. Yelawolf definitely is a good friend of mine , I remember when he was starting to do his thing, I got a call from somebody that works with him and they was telling me about him, and I already said back then like "yo this dude is going to be the shit". I just came in and did what I know how to do, like I listened to the track first and foremost, I loved the track, I'm always going to be one of them type of dudes where I can't just get on anything but if I like it, I'm gonna get on it. That's just what happened - we just made a great record together. Even with Kanye, you know with me being a big fan of Kanye for so many years and having the opportunity to work with him, it was like, I'm gonna go in and do my job, and he's gonna come in and do what he do. So I would definitely just say it was just me being creative and me just showing the hunger and letting everybody know, "yo I'm gonna deliver" you know what I mean? Like, I'm gonna give you what you expect out of me, and that's all we've been doing for the whole year, you know. I didn't even know that I'd be on 30 features or something like that, so to me it feels good to know that people are still checking for me and I'm back in the loop with a lot of things. It's a blessing.
DiS: I wanna ask too, you've probably had a bunch of questions like this but, how did you end up working on that Justin Bieber remix? Whose idea was that?
R: That was a Kayne and Justin Bieber conversation on the net - the two of them. Basically, it got back to me — like my fans called me — my fans jumped in and said "yo, you know what's going on?" and I'm like "word, that's whats going on?" And next thing you know, I'm getting a call from Kanye and I was excited to do it, I felt like it would be something would really have people, you know, lift their head up and be like "Oh shit," like "Word? let me see what Rae's gonna do". And some people thought it was kind of crazy to do some shit like that, and some people respected it, because they say "yo, they paying homage", and that's what its all about man. I think a lesbian artist that been in the game for a minute [HE ACTUALLY SAID THIS], we need to embrace the younger generation and give them an opportunity to stand next to us and do great, great music. And Kayne definitely orchestrated that, you know, he orchestrated that in a great way and I think that like an artist like myself, I don't discredit the younger generation. I don't look at everybody like they've got to be a fucking banging MC, you know what I mean? As long as you're a great artist and you have a strong brand and I love you for what you do, I'm gonna get down with you and we're gonna make something that's hot and we going to complement each other. I think that's what we all did at the same time.
DiS: That's great man, well I think the track definitely worked. And I definitely feel like its going to be an introduction for a ton of people to the classic Wu Tang sound too.
R: Yeah man, you know, like I said, this one is definitely for the fans first and foremost, the Wu Tang fans that have been there for so long with me and the crew, it's like I just wanted to do this album in the name of them, because when I still go out and I do tours and all that, the shows is bananas, man, the Ws go up in the air and shit, and to be able to be in the game for so long and still get that kind of impact, I think it's important that us pay homage back. So I wanted this album to definitely be be for the world, of course, but I definitely wanted this one to be for the Wu Tang fans to say, wow, I got a solid fucking album that I can bug out with, and have fun, write graffiti or skateboard, or jump in the car - you know whatever makes you happy. So if you can get that sound from what you want from us, that sound along with a newer sound too - it think it's great, I think people appreciate that in the artists that they love.
DiS: Yeah, definitely. One other thing I wanted to ask, this is a bit about how you got to finish Cuban Linx Two. When I was talking to Mel last week, he mentioned that one of the guys who was really sort of instrumental and inspiring you to get the record out was Dr Dre through some of your work on Detox and talking to him. So I know that just obviously, Detox is one of the most anticipated rap albums similar to Cuban Linx 2 in that it's taken a long time to come out. So do you think with the amount of time and the amount of work it took to get it out, can you relate to where Dre is at right now with Detox?
R: There's definitely been a lot of controversy about it, I think that at the end of the day Dre is the kind of dude that is going to deliver. He's going to make it the best that he feels it could be. I'm confident that he's gonna do what he's got to do. Like I said, we all got to understand that like, here it is: You got guys like ourselves who've got 20 years in the business of making quality music, you know, we want to deliver, we want to give you our best but by the same token, we want you to always have an open mind, know what I mean? Cause you can never redo everything. Like, even when I was making Cuban Links 2, I wasn't in a competition to make a better one, I was just trying to complement it, come up with something that could sit next to it. I think that a lot of times, the fans, they get tough sometimes, they make you feel like shit sometimes, they make you feel good sometimes. I think at the end of the day, me knowing Dre and me knowing the kind of person he is as a perfectionist, he's gonna deliver. He's gonna make sure that, number one, you get a quality piece of work. I just think that's so important, for an artist to just give you the best that he can give you. And when you think about cats like him, he's never been a bullshitter when it comes to making great albums and great records. You seen the work he's done in the past and at the end of the day, we just got to give him a shot and be open minded - if you like it , you like it, if you don't like it, then you got your opinion, I don't think there's anything wrong with opinions. You speak your mind, but I feel like, he's going to deliver.
DiS: So my last question is, what do you see as state of hip hop today? And how do you feel Wu Tang will fit into it?
R: Well I feel like hip hop today is definitely more commercialized, you know, there's a lot of politics involved with it, and I think what Wu Tang bring to the table is to keep you grounded with that authentic hip hop - with that round sound of music that attacks you emotions, you know, just still being creative. I think that's what we bring to the table. As far as hip-hop now, it's very commercial, it's politicized in a certain way now. Like if you got money, a lot of things can happen for you now in a greater way. Now everybody is so much after the dollar because of the economy, they're trying to protect their livelihoods by dealing with the politics on that level, as far as who got the money. I feel like the artistry side needs to grow a little bit more, but at the end of the day but people got to open up and still respect the art side of it. Because we want these kids to know that nothing is easy, you can't come into this game and just think you're going to have little bull shit, nursery rhymes or nursery hooks and call that hip-hop. You know, come on man, we come from the Eric B and Rakim chamber, the NWA, the Too Shorts, you know we come from all these great talented guys who paved the way for us, so we have to be at least as strong as they were with it. I just think that sometimes, you know, you may have a company that's doing business with radio that has that relationship and then the next thing you know, they sitting on all this bullshit hip hop, and cats is like "Why's this shit being played?" Because - the companies are doing business with the other companies, know what I mean? And once it becomes about money, it's like, now they don't care about the music no more. So I just think it's so important for us to still kick the artistic side, be creative, man. But at the end of the day, if this is the new generation doing their thing, then hey, that's what it is - you got a lot of young kids, and I got a lot of love for what a lot of the younger artists are doing. So if that's for them and they like it then hey that's cool. But we still got to recognize that there's cats such as us out there, you know, great MC's out there that we can't turn our back on cause hear them on the radio all the time.
DiS: Yeah man, well definitely I know our audience is definitely loving your sound and loving Wu Tang so thanks, it's an honour to talk to you.
R: Wu Tang Forever, Adam, you already know. ?
Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang is out now.


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A new introductory tutorial over on DevArticles looks to help you get acquainted with Ajax through its use in both PHP and JSP:
This is a two-part article. In these two parts I'll try to describe what AJAX is, and how to use AJAX in PHP and JSP. Later we will use some advanced JSP tag libraries to make cool AJAX-based web applications.
This first part looks at the basics of the connection - the XMLHttpRequest object and a simple example putting it to use grabbing the latest date from a background PHP or JSP script (complete with screenshots of the end result).


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Some people feel so "creeped out" that they would prefer not to receive an organ or blood that came from a murderer or thief, according to researchers who assessed people's beliefs that a transplant would cause the recipient's personality or behavior to become similar to the donor's.
"Even though science doesn't support the possibility, people still believe that transplants can result in personality changes," said Sarah-Jane Leslie, a professor of philosophy at Princeton University and one of the study's co-authors.
The lead author of the study was Meredith Meyer, a research fellow in psychology at the University of Michigan. Other members of the research team were Susan Gelman and Sarah Stilwell of Michigan. The findings were recently published in the journal Cognitive Science.
Leslie said the idea for the study came from a conversation she had with her collaborators at Michigan about author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Creeping Man."
In the story, said Leslie, Sherlock Holmes investigates a famous professor's increasingly mysterious behavior. "The professor has become aggressive, proficient at climbing; his knuckles have thickened, and so on. Holmes figures out that in order to stay youthful, the professor — who is, as it turns out, is seeing a much younger woman — has been injecting himself with a serum derived from monkeys. As a result, the professor has taken on the characteristics of the monkeys.
"This seemed to us a vivid fictional illustration of essentialist thinking: the belief that a serum — or blood, or an organ — transferred from one individual to another could cause the recipient to become more like the donor," Leslie said.
Psychological essentialism, Leslie explained, "is the idea that, from a very young age, people believe that there's something deep within us — an essence — that causes our outward features and behaviors. The inclination to think in essentialist terms is very powerful and doesn't depend on learned, scientific knowledge," she said.
The Michigan study presented an opportunity to explore essentialism in adults.
"Even with no scientific evidence to support the idea that a heart transplant or blood transfusion could make you become more like the donor," Leslie said, the study results "suggest that, despite the absence of scientific support, there's a persistent belief that individuals' internal parts have causal powers, and so — if they are mixed — can make a recipient take on some of the donor's characteristics."
According to the study results, recipients prefer to get an organ or DNA transplant or blood transfusion from a donor whose personality or behavior matches theirs, said Meyer. People think that the behaviors and personalities of others are partly due to something hidden deep inside their blood or bodily organs, she said.
What surprised the research team was that perceptions of the personality changes stemming from blood transfusions were just as strong as those regarding heart transplants.
"Since blood transfusions are so common and relatively straightforward, we had expected people might think that they have very little effect," Meyer said.
According to Leslie, the study's 696 participants included roughly equal numbers of men and women from the United States and India. Overall, American and Indian participants gave largely similar patterns of responses, with individuals in both countries expressing the belief that these transplants could lead to personality changes. Belief in this possibility was found in these two populations, despite the two countries having quite different histories with organ transplants, and despite notable religious and cultural differences.
The participants viewed a list of possible human donors and judged whether they wanted someone who shared similar traits, such as age, gender, sexual orientation and background. Possible donors also included two animals: a pig or a chimpanzee. For human donors described as having the same gender, the characteristics could be positive (e.g., high IQ, talented artist, kind person or philanthropist) or negative (e.g., low IQ, thief, gambler or murderer).
Respondents ranked how much they liked the idea of each of the possibilities being a donor. Questions also involved thoughts about feeling "creeped out" or "contaminated" by the transplant.
"Donors of the same gender, background and sexual orientation were preferred over all others," Leslie said. "When considering human donors, participants were particularly uncomfortable with the idea of receiving a transplant from an individual whom they regarded as morally repugnant (e.g., a murderer), or who was in a negative life situation (e.g., a homeless person)," she said. "Social evaluation played a significant role in people's assessment of transplants, and the strongest preference was for the donor to be just like the recipient."
Transplants from animals were judged to be particularly distasteful. The belief that a recipient might take on some of the donor's characteristics is interesting when it comes to the possibility of transplanting organs from other animals to humans, said Leslie.
"From the medical point of view, this is beginning to look like a promising way of addressing donor shortages," Leslie said. "But these results indicate that potential recipients could struggle with the belief that accepting such a donation will profoundly change who they are."
The study was funded in part by National Science Foundation grant 059394 to Gelman.


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I have an absurd amount of things to be thankful for. I've been so blessed in life that it seems as though I should be on my hands and knees thanking whatever gods there be every minute of every day for my abundance of awesomeness. Even the days that suck are still a paradise compared to those endured by scores of people less fortunate. Truly I am one of the luckiest people on earth.
Which is why it always catches me by surprise when the waves of depression wash upon my shore.
This morning I awoke with such a massive feeling of dread and despair that it was all I could do to climb out of bed. "What an asshole!" I tell myself. "You haven't got anything to be depressed about! You were just in frickin' SPAIN a few days ago for heaven's sake!"
Didn't matter. No amount of rationalization could make me feel better. No amount of self-analysis could reveal what had me feeling so down. No amount of chocolate pudding could erase the depression that swamped my every thought. I'm sure there's all kinds of pills available to fix stuff like this... but, alas, I don't have any of them, so all I could do was force myself to face the day.
Which sucked, of course, because the despair never truly went away. All I wanted was for the day to finally end in the hopes that I wake up feeling better tomorrow. And so I'm taking a couple of sleeping pills and going to bed at 7:00pm to speed up the process. I'll probably wake up at midnight, but no matter.
This past Sunday evening as I was flying home there was a beautiful sunset in The Cascades...
I keep thinking that if I stare at these photos long enough the world will come into focus, but the forecast remains cloudy.
You should seriously sell prints of your photos, or compile a book or soemthing. They're gorgeous.
And you are fortunate, as am I. Still, sometimes, I think it's healthy to wallow in shit for a day. It's just important to not let it go any longer than that.
I so get this. When blessed with good fortune, sometimes there is the very darkest of clouds hanging over. I am a teacher of 8th graders who are very receptive to my moods yet only have 2 adjectives for them – happy or mad. Ahhh, if it was so simple.
Remember to breathe and this to shall pass.
I've had all too many days like that. I hope you awaken with a brighter outlook, but I'm here for you even if you don't.
Beautiful mountains, thanks for sharing them.
Also wanted to let you know I've started teaching myself Inkscape thanks to your mention of it.
P.S. I like your new header images! (Not sure how new they are, but the vampire, digger, and couch scenes are new to me.)
Back before things in my life took a turn for the complicated and depressing, I too would wake up to days like this. I say, as long as the lows don't last too long, you just accept that this too is part of your charmed existence.
Even your depressive state is better than most. You appreciate your fortunes but to only know the good and happy is to not know the true human condition.
Aw, dude. Can I send you a virtual hug? Would that be cheesy? Would you hate it? I'm doing it anyway. Because that first paragraph up there, I totally could have written. Whenever I feel depressed, I get into this spiral of self-loathing because I KNOW how good I have it. How DARE I not be happy, when so many people have REAL problems?!
So I get it. And I hope things are better for you soon.
Dude, that sucks. I've heard that sometimes depression is a reaction to stress. Not that I'm an expert on depression, but I've had my fair share. Granted, most of it is hormone induced, but it was still not good. Hope tomorrow is better for you!
I'm so sorry you have days like this. Wish you lived closer so we could cheer you up in person, because these kids of ours are the ultimate antidepressant and there's plenty of extra fun and love to share. Hugs to you from us!
Oh Dave, I heart you.
It's funny, when you feel depressed or down, sometimes it feels like it's just you… or me, I should say. I've also been feeling really down lately because of some personal things that are going on, and I often feel like it's just me. Like, I read other people's blogs or look at the people around me and think everyone is so happy but me. Then I read something like this, from someone that is one of the people who's blogs I read and envy because they appear to have such an awesome life… and see that, for whatever reasons, you feel down sometimes too. It stops me in my tracks for a moment.
I hope you feel better soon 🙂 Perhaps you are just having a bit of patatjes met withdrawl…
Jet lag related depression. Happens to me all the time. You'll be fine, and back to your sassy self as soon as you catch up on your sleep.
I understand you Dave; the waves of depression come even if it makes no sense. Ride the wave out until a wave of reality comes in and then rejoice in your abundance. Be grateful for what you have- as you know, things could be far worse. As far as I can see, you are one of the luckiest people on earth.
Take a moment to enjoy it.
FWIW, I have been feeling the same way lately. I should be grateful for all that I have, but when the depression hits (as it always seems to around this time of year), everything I have starts to seem meaningless. Part of me even starts to feel trapped and that gets me thinking about leaving it all behind — my job, my home, my possessions, my friends — and starting over somewhere else.
I know from experience that this feeling will pass in a week or two, but that does not make it much easier to deal with. All I can say is hang in there.
((((( hugs )))))
I can't tell you anything worthy, so I'll just offer a hug and hope it takes the edge off.
If you need an understanding ear, I have two of those as well. I've struggled with down days myself.
I get pissed when I feel like this, too. Glad it's not just me!
Happens to me too, my friend. It comes in waves just like you said. I've learned not to try to fight the feeling but to simply live within it. The mountains, after all, don't try to blow away the clouds.
Thanks for writing this, Dave. It helps to hear that other people struggle with this shit, too. (Even though I already know it.)
It must be the weather. 🙂 Call up Barney for a hug? Have a mellow heart-to-heart with a friend, over a chocolate drink. At the very least, we, the Internet, feel your pain and totally relate. I read your blog instead of going to Facebook to avoid feeling blue (Facebook makes me depressed). It helps quite a bit!
Aww… of course you're depressed. No more patatjes met. Hope things look brighter tomorrow.
You're not alone, my friend. Maybe it's just that we see the world as it truly is, and while that inspires much joy… it would be incorrect to assume that it wouldn't cause a little shut down to take place in our brains, too. I've been there. Actually, Dave, I am there right now. We'll be okay.
Sometimes one should really be happy -rationally-, yet still those small and basically unimportant things in life grind your gears enough to feel crappy.
Hopefully, tomorrow will be a brighter day for you.
First of all, those pictures are beautiful!
Also, I agree with you. The depression takes my breath away, too. On the days that I'm jammin', I think "Why can't I do this all the time? This is easy!" But, on the hard days, the days I can't face, I literally find it difficult just to brush my teeth.
We'll make it, hon.
Dave, I have struggled with depression my whole life. In fact, until I experienced some remission in my mid-30s I never knew I had been depressed. The scariest part of depresion for me is its terrible authority. When you're in it you're sure this time it's the real deal, the final chapter, that happiness is an illusion for chumps and you know better. Check out Shakespeare sonnet #29, it captures the mood well for me even if it does get mushy in the final couplet. Misery loves company across the centuries too. Most importantly don't feel guilty because then "the terrorist" wins. After many flirtations I have made my peace with antidepressants and just take them. Everybody's different, though. Hope you feel better, chemically or not.
Everybody falls into those holes. They're not permanent, so don't sweat it buddy.
I love comments! However, all comments are moderated, and won't appear until approved. Are you an abusive troll with nothing to contribute? Don't bother. Selling something? Don't bother. Spam linking? Don't bother.


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Love them or hate them, food trucks in SF are here to stay. And the latest addition to the Noe food scene is a food truck that features... cookies:
Cookie Time is a cookie truck operating out of San Francisco's Noe Valley. We use organic, mostly local ingredients to deliver the most deliciously nutritious goodies! CookieTime also firmly believes in zero waste, which is why all of our serving dishes & utensils are compostable.Permitted and ready to...er...roll, Cookie Time opened Friday in the Noe Valley Ministry Farmer's Market. One positive review on Yelp, and one negative response from Martha & Bros. The Farmer's Market is already tight on space and turning away vendors; no idea if this fits in with their plans.
Whether you're a cookie fan or not, how do you feel about food trucks setting up near "brick-and-mortar" restaurants now that the long-running battle has made it to Noe Valley?
Cookie Time!
3865 24th St, San Francisco, CA
415 735 5055
Facebook, Twitter
[SFGate: Restaurants want to put brakes on food trucks]
[SFoodie: The Chronicle and the GGRA Go After Food Trucks]
[Photo: Cookie Time!, via Facebook]