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The Summer of Music

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-07-04T17:26:44

2008 has proved to be the Summer of Music, now publicly declared. I usually catch brilliant artists by accident, but this year is exceptional with regards to big names:

Grant Lee Phillips, April
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, 16th of May
Leonard Cohen, 1st of July
Tom Waits, 31st of July
Neil Young, 11th of August

And who knows what else I'll happen to stumble across? Lady C's going to see Bruce Springsteen next week, but since that's the beginning of my holiday I kindly turned her down. I also chose a dentist appointment over Bon Jovi in June, which may sound a bit weird, but I guess sometimes superstars just have to step aside.

Except for Waits playing in Dublin, these are all in or around Oslo. Check out my concert tagged photos from previous and coming shows from the artist above and more.

To and fro Bodø Airport

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-07-04T16:57:51

June 24-29th I went to Røsvik with Lady C, and here's the flight log from my little black box. Incidentally, it doesn't say anything about the actual stay, just the coming and going. With respect to airport security. Here's an extract:

25.96.08: To
Have you ever been sick of dogs humping your leg? (It's a rhetorical question, you animal lover.) Yes? What I do to teach 'em a lesson is simply grabbing hold of their leg and hump my heart's desire. At least when the dog's an airport security nasty with fascist fetishes from a traumatized childhood.

At least, that's what I was thinking when I was waiting in line to get my public bumhole examination. I was anxious about my brand new Zippo lighter that my brother gave me for my birthday. It's custom engraved by hand and angel nail clippings: Philosophy and Bacon. Just to make sure that lighters were allowed in principle I had checked the new rules in full the night before. It's good reading and I can only recommend it if you need a laugh. Unfortunately, it seems the rules have been adopted uncritically from the USAE. I mean, how often do you see someone crying their heart out in security because they can't bring THE FLAMETHROWER they got for X-mas? Or the TOMAHAWK they bought in the gift shop? However, it's the more mundane and ordinary restrictions that create such annoyance. Like, you can't bring the cattle-prod inside the plane, but it's okay to ship it. And lighters? They are fine, one per person, as long as its not shaped like a gun and the fuel is completely absorbed into solid matter. What the fuck?

Standing there I mused over several scenarios where the security guard saw all my books and the Zippo and put two and two together. As we all know, sec brutes didn't pass math in the first grade.
- You making a fire, sir?
- What? I read.
- Three books on a weekend?
- I could if I wanted to. But I'm not gonna
- Fire is not allowed aboard the aircraft son, I can't allow you to bring this disguised weapon-of-mass-destruction firewood you refer to as books
- I could put the seats on fire
- Can't allow them either. From now on, we're all standing
- And I think the floor is mostly carpet floor, right?
- Removing the floor
- What about the cabin crew? AFAIK airport hotels serve really crappy food
- Your point?
- Pure methane gas. Highly flammable
- Crew's gone
- And the engine fuel?
- Way ahead of you, we've already drained the plane
- And if I'm not mistaken, sir security guard, two vital components of any fire whatsoever are significant temperature and oxygen
- I'll set the temperature down and suck out all the air. There you go. Have a nice flight!

But when I got to the OMG Chernobyl cul-de-sac, they had replaced the usual low-brows with hot babes. Yeah. A barely legal with the tip of her elbows resting lightly on the top of the scanner and her back in an arch topped by her two nipples slightly visible in the air condition cool, gave me a lustful, daring stare as I approached the robot detector. I swear it was just like Sound of Music, skinny bratwurst lolita singing in the Alps. Suddenly the air smelled like spring, white doves appeared, the lambs of the season danced happily on the dewy grassland and surely the detector looked more like a wedding gate with roses, green ivy and white draperies.
EEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Barely flexing the spirited teenage muscles of her high school body, the airport angel floated towards me just a few inches above the ground.
- You will have to remove the belt, sir
- I know, I said, sucking in the marvel of her Venus appearance
- What?
- Oh, sorry
I was so disappointed when she didn't ask me to 'follow her'. I'd hump her leg any day. The rest of them, all girls, were chewing bubble gum and eyeing up the other guards and staring in the general direction of other male passengers' genitalia. And people were shocked and enraged a few weeks back when a child got into the x-ray...

Incidentally, the kid in casu was an alien

Seriously though, the pass-through went better than expected. I just stood at the end of the conveyor belt collecting what remained of my items one-by-one, since one of the bubble heads had tipped over all of my white, plastic, anti-terror technological devices (boxes) during the FUD procedure. By the time I had recovered as much as I could find, I had to run for my gate. 'Boarding' the screen said, but it hadn't checked its info with the rest of reality 'cause they were only letting disabled people, senior and junior citizens through. I have yet to experience a flight where the majority's minors or contenders in the Special Olympics and they have to wait. Man looked at me when I accidentally stepped on his heel, and said: "Are you a fucking idiot?"
- Mentally challenged, you insensitive clod!
- Oh, sorry
Then I was moved in front of the line.
Which is the right place to be, given that you'll be sitting on the plane waiting while the rest of the plane is boarding. Then the captain goes something like: "Cabin crew disarm lights", which is the motherfucking cabin crew slang shit for "dim down yo ride biatch", and the plane takes off. And the kids squeal in delight, babies from agony and some people just join in for the heck of it. I'm not going to say anything about prepackaged meals, 'cause I don't want to end up like Jerry Seinfeld.

26.06.08: Fro
.. way back though, bastards took my sun lotion! The container was too big, although two 3rds had gone already, but empty containers are apparently extremely dangerous. Didn't like my brand either, Jihad on Sun factor nine-eleven.
- I'm gonna have to confiscate that dangerous item
- But it's nearly empty..
- You're not making sense. The container is too big
- But I need it! My skin! It will crumble and fall off in scales like the T1000 in T2!
- Sorry, can't have it
- «Then Moses said unto Pharaoh: Let my people have lotion, and lubricate»
- No can do. But you can check it in, the girl said with a smile
- OF COURSE! I screamed. It will only take another hour and a half to get back here!

Got to the gates, Lady C traveling economy and I on Diamond Line VIP. Set to be a relaxing experience of soothing comfort, you'd think. Aside from the fact that her flight was leaving when my plane hadn't even arrived! So there was I, tightly secured from any chance of smoking and severly vulnerable to third-degree sunburns while the common folk were humping away leisurely an hour and a half before the elite.

Then someone on Scandinavian Airlines - Yes, I will call names - had a brilliant idea; Let's get these people boarded now, this way we will save time while waiting for the plane onto which the passengers are supposed to embark to arrive.
Brilliant.
We were queuing up and herded into a closed-off part of the gate like sheep, like cattle, like common folk. The area was too small for the crowd of passengers. I couldn't take it.
- Look missy, you're not fooling anyone! You can't board people now, there's no light at the end of the tunnel. No plane to embark. No hill where the grass is greener. You can't cross the river of Styx on an optimistic whim! No less fly to Oslo in an aircraft that refuses to manifest itself!
The stewardess looked at me like I was a first grader, she mrs. Jenkins, and the crowd behind all the parents of the entire class of 03. Fuck 'em.
- Do you want to scan your fingerprint, sir?
- No, I said confidently. I work in IT.
There was a murmur behind me.
- You know, I added, we're not really saving any time doing this here
She didn't say anything. Instead I got a text from Lady C beaming from Oslo International Airport wondering when the plane was going to land. "LAND?!!" I yelled on the phone, "we're still waiting for some god damn evidence regarding the plane's physical existence!" "Oh," she said. And I could just hear how she struggled to hold back all the smug remarks about VIP class.
- When do you expect to take off then?
- At this rate? Post-mortem. See you on the other side!

When the the plane finally decided to descend from above we had to wait for an ambulance that was there for a pickup. At that point courtesy was void and thankfully democracy as well, as people behind yelled for lynching and to let the mothafuggah burn.
Ready to embark I looked at the watch and up again, sending a tell-tale gaze in the particular direction of Mrs. Jenkins. It said: See? Was I right or was I right? Holy Jebus H. Christ el Salvador jelly-fish-faced Jehova on a vampire stake, for Christ's sake! I was right!? Who would've known??!!!11!eleven! The flawless and effective SAS passenger handling has unforeseen consequences, however, and we were forced to wait fifteen minutes outside the plane.

Did you ever notice that most Boeing 737s look a bit "patchy"?
I mean, despite their funny name, Boeing *boing boing boing*..

F.I.N.A.L.L.Y inside the plane, I got to the rear and found my seat, sat down, looked up into the eyes of a baby looking straight back at me. "Holy Bloody Mary and the Sanitary Napkin!" The mum was shocked at my outcry. Well, at the least the kid gets to know some North-Norwegian slang.

Babies on planes. The situation has been thoroughly described on several occasions by Dr. Pauly to such an extent that it is formally known as Pauly's Position in the scientific world. And it's indeed an unfavorable position, that reaches its climax during taxi, take-off and landing. In fact, statistics show you'll have a reduced quality-of-life throughout the entire flight. Sampling includes syntax for risk-relief (virtually zero when the flight's fully booked), senior stripper sideviews, temporary and permanent loss of hearing, and random variables for throwing up -- or simply throwing inanimate OR animate objects around, regardless of property rights and the general respect for other people's personal boundaries. Seated in the middle, suffice to say I spent the two hours as a buffer 'tween mother & child and a weird guy gobbling GUMMY BEARS from a brown paper bag.

.....I should have checked in the damn lotion. Defeat.

Interview with Zenwalk creator

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-07-03T16:36:07

Here's a quick interview with the original creator of my favourite OS, namely Zenwalk GNU/Linux for the desktop user. Jean-Philippe Guillemin, age 36, started Zenwalk (then known as Minislack) as a personal expansion project and to simplify his own installation processes. Today, he's mainly leadership responsibilities like administration tools development, kernel configuration, Desktop design, and strategic decisions.

Full interview: Interview with Jean-Philippe Guillemin, Zenwalk’s creator

The interview was mentioned in Distrowatch's issue #259 and I figured I should pay homage here as well, since Zenwalk has become my base operating system.

The Man in Oslo - Leonard Cohen Tour 2008

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-07-02T23:11:24

Oslo was in ecstasy when the man entered the stage in front of around 13,000 people on Bislet stadion last night. I was one of them. Add Koew, Kornelius, Apoet, Lady C, Lady C's mother, my own mother, my sister, the mysterious mr. S and around 12,991 others and you have a great crowd in concert. I have never been to Bislet stadium before, but new and renovated it proved worthy of its first big musical event in years: Leonard Cohen Tour 2008.

Norwegian news media always emphasize the special relationship between Cohen and Norway, due to his affair with Marianne, which is highly overrated. The relationship consists mainly from everyone's private record collection in which Cohen is very likely to have his own place. Righteously, I should add. There were only two-three songs I hadn't heard before. During I'm your man the applause went wild at the chorus, and when he sang Take this Waltz I must admit I was touched to tears and speechless. Thank you, Cohen. For your words, your art and your grace.

«I didn't come all the way to Oslo just to fool ya» ˜ Cohen

Bislet Stadium a few hours before the concert
I barely managed to gobble down a mini pizza before we headed out

The view from block A where we were seated
Ironically, these were the best tickets available at ticket sale's opening hour

People living nearby had free access to the glory
Even the roofs were populated by fans

The concert gets going

Bring more beer over here, please

Hallelujah!

I think this blurry picture depicts Cohen's persisting energy on stage

Born in 1934 it is an honor, and quite the gift, to get to see the old gentleman hunter perform live. Like he said: "..and if you want another kind of love, I'll wear this old mask for you" Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself:

Suzanne - Cohen, Oslo 2008

Hallelujah - Cohen, Oslo 2008

First we take Manhattan, Then we take Berlin - Cohen, Oslo 2008

Before you shoot me down, let me add that this was taken with my cellphone, hence the audio and image quality. Also, we couldn't help singing along, so you might hear some rather curious backing vocals from behind the camera. I have some mp3s too sounding, well, like bootlegs should: Gipsy Wife (the laughing is about a couple of drunks waltzing mathilda on the racetrack), Tower of Song, If it be your will (Cohen reads the first verse) and Take This Waltz. There's a lot of atmosphere caught there, including what it sounds like to be inside my shirt. Right click and save as *.mp3. Enjoy!

Last five pics

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-07-01T15:35:39

Fire exits in Bodø airport..
This architect clearly saw Star Wars as a kid, don't you think?

This is where we slept, in an old storehouse
Almost felt like living in a dollhouse

The bedroom view
Sheltered from the world we had a small veranda, couple of chairs and coffee:)

Oslomøy at dock in Røsvik

The brilliant midnight sun appearing at around 2am.. It was hot too!

...and back again!

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-29T23:03:29

To be more exact, we were right here, on the top of the pin. More tomorrow. I've had an exhausting flight, and I've got bacon pizza and Battlestar Galactica waiting for me:)

Just another hiatus...

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-24T21:59:19

Going to the North this time, more specifically to Bodø.
In Bodø there is no people, no food, no water to drink, and no internet access!

Well, maybe there is and maybe there isn't. After battling with Chinese hackers takin' ovah over the weekend I sure could need a break. So what am I going to do there? I have no idea. Rumor says I can expect a lot of grass, that is, cutting thereof. But Rumor says a lot of stupid things. Like that time he said he was married to an alligator? *tsk tsk* Stupid, stupid Rumor. Oh well, tickets are ready. See ya!

Making your own GRUB splash

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-24T15:30:46

Since I don't use the default Zenwalk boot loader, lilo, I was left with the rather boring black and white GRUB interface at boot. If you only use one OS you can safely set timeout to null (0) or use lilo instead, but I need to have the option of booting alternative OS'es. But how could I mend the woeful and cold command-line ?
Answer: Add a splash to the damn thing!
I used the simple instructions from the Gentoo wiki's HOWTO Splash Image in GRUB:

Manipulating existing image
You can pick any image type supported by ImageMagick and execute:

# convert picture.jpg -resize 640x480! -colors 14 -depth 8 ImageName.xpm.gz

Creating a new image (GIMP)

Start the GIMP.
Click on File » New or type Ctrl+n
In the new image dialog, change Width to 640 pixels and Height to 480 pixels (the image should be of size 640x480 pixels). Now click OK.
Create the image which you would like to be the splash image. It's quite fun to experiment with the various tools of the GIMP!
After you have finished creating the image, hit Alt+i or right click on the image and click on Image » Mode » Indexed.
In the Indexed Color Conversion dialog that appears, click on the radio button Generate optimal Palette and in # of colors enter 14. Click OK (the image should be of only 14 colors).
Now right-click on the image and click on File » Save As.... Save the file as ImageName.xpm in a directory of your choice. If you can't create ImageName.xpm you can save it as ImageName.png and then convert it with convert ImageName.png ImageName.xpm (convert is a part of imagemagick).
Open a terminal, change directory to where the ImageName.xpm was saved, then compress it using GNU-zip: gzip ImageName.xpm

But be careful if you create you work with GIMP under Windows. It will use the standard Windows newline CR+LF. Nethertheless it seems as if GRUB can only cope with plain LF newlines. You have to convert the lineformat manually.

Installing the Image
Make sure you are root and that /boot is mounted, then run the following:

# mv ImageName.xpm.gz /boot/grub/

In the /boot/grub/grub.conf you have to point splashimage to newly created image i.e.:

# Splash Image

splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/ImageName.xpm.gz

That's it! When you reboot, you will find your image in the background, with the menu of operating systems etc. in the foreground.

Here are some examples I made in two hours:

Dolphins GRUB splash for Zenwalk Linux

Simple GRUB splash I made for Zenwalk

Read the wiki above to see how to change default colors too. Note that the rights of the image sources allow non-commercial use! I have an active thread on the Zenwalk support forum, Zenwalk GRUB bootsplash, where I'm posting new GRUB splashes as I make them with download and installation instructions.

Last five pics

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-24T15:26:16

Been a while since I posted some pics, and since I'm too stressed to write anything... Oh, and if you have a flickr or a yahoo account, you can login on flickr and add comments, notes and whatnot to the pictures yourself:)

My mother had a visit by her godson this weekend and while she was cooking dinner she asked me to take care of the kid. "Take care?" I said, flashing the gun sign. NO! ..Instead, we headed to Norway's museum of technology and science where the little boy turned out to be Harry Potter.

Took this picture walking home thru Little Kariachi last night

KRISTIANIA 2: Ford Oldsmobile in Oslo

Swedish seagull on the Koster Islands, Sweden

Took this from a nachspiel at 3am in Koster, Sweden

Imagemagick - just like magic

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-23T18:37:32

I've been waiting to send some 150 pictures from my trip to Rome to my father, but have been reluctant since each picture is 2mb+ in size. They were originally in huge resolutions as well, which my father wouldn't take much joy from given his 1024x768 screen res. Of course I could resize them manually in the Gimp, but since I've grown used to batch processing in Photoshop I denied myself the possibility. After a bit of looking at the Script-Fu scripts for the Gimp, I stumbled over this article at novell.com called Batch Resize Images Using Imagemagick. I've only tried Imagemagick when working with online gallery scripts, so running it locally just didn't occur to me.

So, having made a backup copy of the images I simply did:

sigg3[pics]$ mogrify -resize 1024x768! *.JPG

And voilà! All the images had been resized. Gotta love command line image manipulation. Note: this command does not care about image rotation, so it will only work if all your pictures are portrait or landscape format, or you run different commands in different folders. I bet Jamie can give us a few good tips.

Last ten books I ordered

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-13T17:07:29

Just got this work-related order sent to Amazon:

The Zen of CSS Design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web (Voices That Matter) - Dave Shea
Bulletproof Web Design: Improving flexibility and protecting against worst-case scenarios with XHTML and and CSS - Dan Cederholm
Introducing Character Animation with Blender - Tony Mullen
Learning XSLT - Michael Fitzgerald
Learning MySQL (Learning) - Seyed M.M. (Saied) Tahaghoghi
XSLT Cookbook, Second Edition (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)) - Salvatore Mangano
Learning Python, 3rd Edition - Mark Lutz
Advanced Search Engine Optimization: A Logical Approach - Terry Dunford II
Beginning SQL Server 2005 Programming (Programmer to Programmer) - Robert Vieira
The Artist's Guide to GIMP Effects: Creative Techniques for Photographers, Artists, and Designers - Michael J. Hammel

Total around $340 USD. It's amazing, in Norway I'd barely get 3 books for that price.. Which means more beer for me! ..nah, my workplace is paying those. But I'll grab a beer anyway. Have a nice weekend folks, and behave better than I!

Pledge your place in the Firefox 3 World Record attempt!

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-13T14:53:26

June 17th the long-awaited browser Firefox 3 will be released and downloads are expected en masse. In that event, go to the site below and pledge your participation to download your copy of the world's best web browser (that just got a whole lot better) on that very day. The Guinness World Record attempt aims to go for the most software downloads in 24 hours. You are allowed to drink as much Guinness you can during and after the FF3 download.

Link of the day: Download Day 2008

I've just solemnly pledged to follow suit.
By downloading and using Firefox 3 along with other browsers that respect the democratic web standards of the World Wide Web Consortium you help out in the power struggle between common sense and capitalist monopoly (a.k.a MS Internet Explorer). Picture a future where you do not have to buy a particular product in order to open a document, and where it renders completely alike in all programs across platforms because internationally agreed-upon standards are followed; contrary to the present where public and private institutions are coerced to buy software "just to be safe that it will work". In addition you get a faster and safer internet experience all for free. Information wants to be free. Free as in beer and free as in speech.

Semi-weekly roundup

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-12T12:44:56

It's been quiet round here lately, due to a number of things. Look, it's a list!

Nick Cave concert
Exams (did one and forfeited the other)
Translated Zenwalk manual (still not released)
Went to a cabin in the mountains
Back to work after 2+ weeks of hiatus. Total chaos ensued
My kernel conf project was scrapped when Zenwalk 5.2 was released. Yay!
Went to a wedding
Went to the theatre
Seen Battlestar Galactica (refurbished version) seasons 1 and 30% of 2
Also, we've had 30°+ Celsius for the last three weeks

And I intend to keep busy. At the moment I'm working on a lot of stuff, some of it even interesting, while continuing to perfect my Zenwalk system. Sunday I'm going away for a three day seminar in Sweden, then I have an appointment at the dentist, and 1st of July I expect to take out some holiday time. Take out seems to be the appropriate words, given that I still have a novel to finish, and several others on hold.

Then getting to work today I was bothered with a baby. Yes, the babies are back, and snuggling plus worthless commentary is mandatory. I held up the baby like a weird, exotic pot plant. Tilting it just a little. Then I said: "Babies.. do they bounce?"
People have no sense of humor.

June Truckin 2008, Vol. 7, Issue 6: Happy B-day Truckin!

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-05T22:17:04

That's right! The good ol' contribution driven travel log known as Truckin' turns six years old today! And it's time for a new issue as well! AND I'm featured as well as other brilliant minds on the creative edge of madness! Whoa! .. Pauly writes:

Welcome to the special birthday issue of Truckin'. We turned six this month. Man, I'm still socked that we're still operating on this little corner of the web. The last year was one of the best to date. I want to personally thank everyone who has been involved with Truckin', especially over the past twelve months.

This issue includes some of your favorite writers include Sigge S. Amdal, Betty Underground, and May B. Yesno. Drizz makes his Truckin' debut with a touching piece. I wrote something about Ikea and this issue also includes a flashback from the very first issue when I wrote a story about following Phish in Japan.

If you have friends, family, or co-workers that love the written word, then please tell them about your favorite Truckin' stories. It takes only a few seconds to pass along the URL. The writers certainly appreciate your support.

Please note the last paragraph. I've added Truckin' to my workplace and private e-mail signature. Small steps help, even considering your height if you're really small.

Before presenting the Six Year Anniversary issue allow me to shamelessly promote myself. Hey, at least I warned you. The story featured this time is called One Night Out Part I: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and is the first of three parts about One Night Out in Oslo, so I urge you to keep an eye on future issues. This part takes place, in part, in Statholdergaarden in the picture to the right. (Photo: Kjetil Ree CC-BY-SA). For the next two parts I will also put out some photographs I assume were shot during the events that took place. Just a little word of what's to come. Anyway. Thank you Pauly, Jessica and everyone involved in editing, publishing and writing Truckin; who've given me and others the opportunity to spill our beans to like-minded truckers, diners, strippers and strangers across the world. And thank you for reading!

Ikeaphobia by Paul McGuire
I kept imagining Swedish people in Sweden coming home from their Swedish jobs and sitting down on their Swedish couches and eating Swedish meals cooked in Swedish pans and served on Swedish plates...

The Crucification of Kaminsky by Betty Underground
The diet pills made her skinny. Made her feel excepted in the land of the beautiful. The speed getting her through the days. Coke came at night, when she needed to escape her own mind. Her past...

One Night Out, Part I by Sigg3
I noticed that I wasn't alone in the alley, and I looked up quick enough to see a prostitute coughing up a recognizable white substance. She looked up and for a brief time our eyes met. Only one window apart earlier, but out here we were both equally being sick. It was a strange moment of solidarity...

The Reason Why... by May B. Yesno
The place had a less than classy name, The Roamin Gardens, to say little of the fact the only garden about it were two fake, potted palm trees at the front door. A typical sleazy pick-up joint. One in which you feel like everything you touch you can pick-up most anything...

Drafting Richard Petty by Drizz
Imagine starting every day with these heavy chains pinning you to Davy Jones' Locker, and having zero motivation to try to swim to the surface because those depths didn't provide any sunlight to reach...

Fukuoka, Phishy City by Tenzin McGrupp
The workers are tiny Japanese girls who wear the most adorable white and red uniforms and lovely white gloves cover their tiny hands. They greet you with big smiles and sing a nice happy song to you as the customers pay...

The Interview: Hillary & Oh-Bama

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-04T13:39:56

Heard on the radio this morning that it is most definite, 100% positive and sure this time around, that Obama Obama is the presidential candidate for the 2008 election in the United States of the American Empire. The citizens have have ruled: a president needs to have a penis. Universal Records says in a press statement that they've signed an agreement with Australian artist Nick Cave to write the victory song. It's believed to be a re-written Obama version of the song called Oh Mama. Oh Bama!

In a lucky turn of events, a Sigg3.net correspondent got hold of Hillary right after the fallout, and was able to get a few answers exclusively to the readers of Sigg3.net. Hold on to your hats.

Sigg3: So, Hillary, is this a sad day for the white race?
Hillary: No, not at all! It's Wednesday.
Sigg3: Will you consider to approach the Obama clan as a step to gather the troops?
Hillary: As I said in the speech, I'll make no definite decision tonight
Sigg3: Given your victory in drinking McCain under the table (check it), do you consider Obama a capable man for the position? Will he be able to live up to the prejudices about slave labor home brew as portrayed by author Mark Twain?
Hillary: As I said in the speech, I'll make no definite decision tonight
Sigg3: Right.. Are you drunk?
Hillary: Go on
Sigg3: Do you consider creationism symptomatic of USA's educational system?
Hillary: A leading question. But I think God created men, and men created religion.
Sigg3: Good answer! Do you eat bacon?
Hillary: Luv it. Can't have enough. All night long it's bacon!
Sigg3: But you endorse vegetarian voters?
Hillary: Yeah, the poor things. There's another flaw in basic education for ya.
Sigg3: If a baby seal was gorging on a North Korean baby, what would you do?
Hillary: That's a tough question, but nature must take its course regardless.
Sigg3: Now a completely different question. If a baby seal was gorging on a glorious American Jesus-like innocent baby with tears of starlight and a rump of velvet, wrapped in the Union Jack, what would you do?
Hillary: Baby seal must die. They are harmful to the environment.
Sigg3: Speaking of which, do you consider Bill Gates' Windows OS pollution of the natural *nix desktop environments?
Hillary: What?
Sigg3: What do you prefer? Clean shave or ruggedly handsome?
Hillary: In public: Clean shave. In private: ruggedly handsome
Sigg3: Riding on the back of a tortoise, what kind of tortoise is it?
Hillary: Like, the big marine ones, big land ones and tiny pet ones?
Sigg3: Yeah
Hillary: Pet size. I just like the cracking sound of crushing shell under my bum. That said, I think every little girl all around the globe likes to ride the big one.
Sigg3: Dr. Ron Paul won the heart of many internet users during the Republican nominations, do you think he would have been a harder opponent than a right-wing fascist fossil that is likely to win anyway due to his backing from the Bush dynasty and other reptilian aliens?
Hillary: Ron who?

In closing an interview Obama had this to say to Google News:

Obama: Change! Have any change?!
Google: So what do you feel about the outcome now that you are the presidential candidate of the quote unquote Democratic party of the United States of the American Empire?
Obama: I feel great! And ready for change! These clothes smell.
Google: Is there a place for Hillary in your proposed administration?
Obama: For a better future we must all be willing to change, reminding me of the South Park Saddam special "I can change, I can change."
Google: And that's what we have from the winning side, probably one in which Hillary will have a say as well in their joint effort against candidate McCain of the quote unquote Republican party. At least that's my 2 cents.
Obama: CAN I HAVE THEM?! Change?! CHANGE!

// end hiatus

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-06-02T20:03:06

That's right, ladies and gents! I'm back from my study & translation & personal recreation hiatus. The first week was terrible and the latter was great! I had to forfeit the latter of two exams because I simply couldn't bring myself to read another line of anglo-american analytical philosophy. I don't know about you, but I don't see why we can't study some of the noteworthy American philosophers, like C.S Peirce, Kripke, Rorty and even Rawls. But no. Let's insist upon a completely dogmatic analytic approach, in the tradition of philosophy of language, without reference or appeal to real world appliance except for some murky and undeclared notion of the correspondence theory of truth! Yeah, let's do that.

Suffice to say being a continental philosopher, in contrast to an incontinent one, I couldn't get my head around it. Despite some great minds already mentioned by name, we shouldn't forget we're talking about a country run by an administration whose major philosophical influence is none other than mr. Hobbes of the 1500s. Talk about a war against common sense and philosophical insight. But I digress.

My first exam went beyond my expectations (I expected a cigarette and blindfold). I was a bit surprised when I had to write 4 tasks (two tasks with subtasks) instead of the usual 1, but that meant that I had at least 2 I could fill out without feeling like a douche bag. Speaking of filling out, there were master students in economics handing in their multiple-choice exams after one (1) hour! These are the guys that you depend on with your mortgage, your loans and your future savings. They get an A on an exam that, in principle, any living species on the planet could get graded A in!
.. so, why not multiple-choice philosophy?

After the exams I was completely exhausted, and I took on the not-so-mindless task of translating the latest edition of the Zenwalk manual to Norwegian. I'll post a link when it's published. This job, however, was done in the beautiful scenery of Norway's most attractive winter-sports site called Hafjell where Lady C's family has a cabin. I say 'cabin' but what I really mean is: 'Mountain Palace in Beautiful Scenery, With All The Convenience You Have At Home and A Whole Lot MORE!' From ashy to classy to ashy, returning home.

Writing this, I'm sitting at work updating and error checking a couple of laptops, broke as a badger in a government retirement home, putting that sour bread on the table. I've been away for two weeks and when I return it seems like this place has been through the Biblical Flood. As if all the machines around here just decided to collapse in on themselves at the same time e.g. when I am away. Which is kind of good, you know, returning to things to do; it's just that they are boring things to do. I've heard that "boring pays off" but I've yet to see it. I have things to live for too, such as Battlestar Galactica, the Tom Waits concert, the Cohen concert, my vacation and continued work on my never-ending novel. Not to mention all that hot steaming sex I'll be having. Right now, however, all I look forward to is some spaghetti and sausages in the shelter of my bedsit after work. Amen.

Tom Waits tickets ready!

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-05-27T10:15:50

I'm feeling like a happy badger 'cause I snatched Block A tickets!

Tom Waits Live at the Ratcellar, Phoenix Park
America's legendary songwriter and performer Tom Waits brings his Glitter and Doom tour to Europe this summer, with three concerts in Dublin's Ratcellar in Pheonix Park on Wednesday 30, Thursday 31 July and Friday 1 August.

These exclusive Dublin dates, which end the Glitter and Doom tour, will be the first time the Grammy-winning artist has played in the city since the early Eighties.

Tickets will be fully seated and go on sale Tuesday 27 May at 09.00. Tickets are strictly limited to two(2) per person.

That's it, I'm going back to bed. Had a dream about fighting gorillas with my bare hands in order to save some damsels in distress. I'm gonna have to see how that turns out.

After having reserved the best possible tickets I logged in again to Ticketmaster to see whether I could snatch two tickets from the concert the day after (1 Aug). After five minutes in line I was turned down. Tickets for other shows are still available and I urge you to grab the opportunity. I may also go to the Prague concert, but I'm as of yet undecided. Going back to bed.

Also, if you don't know Waits yet, think of it as a mind-opening experience. He is like a guardian angel of the best America has to offer. Despite "his gambling debts, his animal magnetism, coupled with his disregard for the feelings of others… His elaborate gun collection, his mad shopping sprees, the face lifts, the ski trips, the drug busts and the hundreds of rooms in his home. The tax shelters, the public urination" he seems more like a man who is "gentle, intelligent, open, bright, helpful, humorous, brave, audacious, loquacious, clean, and reverent. A Boy Scout, really (and a giant of a man)". You can read the rest of his latest interview with himself over at the Anti label's blog: True Confessions

Happy Towel Day! DON'T PANIC!

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-05-25T15:20:58

Congratulations folk, I hope you'll enjoy this fine Towel Day! I'm currently wearing a bathrobe with bits of egg breakfast still on it for nourishment suckage, the sun is shining, birds are chirping and it's exactly what a lazy Sunday afternoon is supposed to be. I'm gonna have to do some washing unfortunately, and I should really be sitting with my nose in a book right now. Not because my nose itches, it just enjoys reading.

What is Towel Day?
Commemoration day for Douglas Adams (1952-2001) creator of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

What do I do?
Carry your towel with you throughout the day to show your participation and mourning.

When do I do it?
May 25th.

Why May 25th?
Here's what I want you to do. Start, Run, calc.exe. View, Advanced, then change the calculator to work with Hexadecimal (Hex) numbers. Add 25 + 5 and equalize that (Enter) - you'll get 2A, right? Now, switch back to Decimal (Dec). Happy?

Where do I do it?
Everywhere.

So.. how's the reading for the exam going?
Reading?? EXAM!!??

Don't Panic.
Phew, thanks.

What will you do then?
Exactly that. Carry my towel with me all day (unfortunately I must leave this bathrobe behind unless I want to make myself a criminal) and The Good Book (above) as well. Maybe I'll re-run the H2G2 DVD at my mother's place, doors and windows open and volume on full. If you don't believe me there are pictures: 1 and 2.

There's a lot of h2g2 fan-fiction. Do you have any?
Sure enuff and yes I do: H2G2 - in memory of Douglas Adams (Truckin' May 2005)

Still on hiatus (until June 1st at the least)

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-05-21T23:02:05

...and because I've been having so much hot steaming sex lately, I have to read strategically instead of thoroughly. I hate doing this, because I really love philosophy, or, more correctly; I am a philosopher. I can only blame myself for not spending enough time with the material, and despite the fact that I've read 80% of the curriculum in prior years, I choose to read strategically this time around.

Which is almost like an academic lottery.
If I get the right theme/philosophers to write about, I might just do an A.
If I don't, I'll do mediocre at best, and perhaps flunk on purpose.
For reasons grounded in paranoia, I find it best not to disclose my strategy any further.

First one up (discussed here) is Ethics, on Friday. Then it's Philosophy of Science next Wednesday. After which I plan to immediately withdraw from my natural urban habitat up into the mountains, where I will ponder extremely deep thoughts or, rather, translate the Zenwalk manual to Norwegian before the next ZW release.. Just thought you should know I'm still alive. It's good to be a bear, but it's better to be a bear with bacon.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig (Oslo 2008)

Sigg3 (mailto:me@sigg3.net) — 2008-05-17T14:06:06

The concert last night was great, and I thought I'd share some of the pics and video clips I took. Unfortunately there are no entire songs, because the dang security personnel came looking for bootleggers. Also there are quite a few parts where the camera faces right into oblivion. This is because I tried to hide it. Sound and picture is crap, but at least you get the atmosphere. Last time I saw Nick Cave was back in 2004.

Crowd starting to grow before the concert

The show goes on..

Dig Lazarus Dig!!!

First set was primarily from the new 14th album of the group, namely Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!, which has quite a few in-your-face songs and eerie lyrics. I haven't heard much of the album before the concert so it was mostly new material to me. I realize I have to get that album. They also played a few songs from earlier albums (Let love in and Oh Deanna). The second set was, as usual, more freely chosen and in my mind better. To our great excitement they among others played Stagger Lee, a most brilliant song from Murder Ballads. Here's The Lyre of Orpheus in which Cave tries to draw the crowd into a sing-along.

Lyre of Orpheus sing-along fuckup
"You got that mate? I can see this bloodiest expression on your face. A great cloud of unknowing."

Oslo Spectrum is not really a concert hall, it's a hockey stadium where they also play basket and do horse-shows, so the place can't carry sound at all. But it's the only indoor hall with place to so many people in this town. Which is shitty for a capital of a country. Despite your ticket fee you get crap sound quality, and instead they just turn the music louder. But it was a great concert experience and really good music! Nick Cave will come back to Oslo in August @ the Øya festival with the Grinderman project. That's it for now, my head is bashed in from beer and I gotta go clean up to celebrate this holiday.

Sigg3.net - just another weblog

The Summer of Music

To and fro Bod&#248; Airport

Interview with Zenwalk creator

The Man in Oslo - Leonard Cohen Tour 2008

Last five pics

...and back again!

Just another hiatus...

Making your own GRUB splash

Last five pics

Imagemagick - just like magic

Last ten books I ordered

Pledge your place in the Firefox 3 World Record attempt!

Semi-weekly roundup

June Truckin 2008, Vol. 7, Issue 6: Happy B-day Truckin!

The Interview: Hillary &#38; Oh-Bama

// end hiatus

Tom Waits tickets ready!

Happy Towel Day! DON'T PANIC!

Still on hiatus (until June 1st at the least)

Nick Cave &#38; The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig (Oslo 2008)

To and fro Bodø Airport

The Interview: Hillary & Oh-Bama

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig (Oslo 2008)