Monday 5 May 2008

Tracking Pop Culture References about the Web

As many readers are aware, I’m one of the old ladies of the Web, having started in 1993 back when the Web was text-based, accessible and not at all a part of culture much less popular culture.

It surely has been a fascinating experience watching the Web, and the online world in general, infiltrate society in different forms. From the first time I saw a URL advertised on television (1996, I believe, for Subway Sandwiches); read about Web sites in books (”Mary went downstairs to Google for an answer to her lonely heart”); and more recently, references to Twitter on shows such as CSI, I have been in awe of how the Web has become a part of the fabric of our lives.

Sitting here last night watching an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun from 1999, I was tickled beyond pink to hear the character of Dick Solomon quip “I was going to order it off the Internet until I realized there was no such thing as Amazon Dot Crap.” It got me thinking that tracking such references to the Web and Internet in popular culture could be a really fun and revealing adventure.

Got a favorite reference about the online world from a film, book, lyric or other relevant media? Share below!

Filed under:   music, pop culture, film, society, molly asks you, community
Posted by:   Molly | 12:29 pm | Comments (18)

Monday 7 April 2008

Design Coding: Rap for The Rest of Us

The very awesome iJustine posted this like ten days ago, but I can’t stop watching it, it’s just that yummy.

Just(in)e case you haven’t seen it, I’m re-sharing it here and hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

BTW, who did this bit of brilliance? Where was it filmed?

Comments are open, I want to know.

Enjoy:

Design Coding

Your site design is the first thing people see
it should be reflective of you and the industry
easy to look at with a nice navigation
when you can’t find what you want it causes frustration

a clear Call to action to increase the temptation
use appealing graphics they create motivation
if you have animation
use with moderation
cause search engines can’t index the information

display the logos of all your associations
highlight your contact info that’s an obligation
create a clean design you can use some decoration
but to try to prevent any client hesitation

every page that they click should provide and explanation
should be easy to understand like having a conversation
when you design the style go ahead and use your imagination

but make sure you use correct color combinations
do some investigation, look at other organizations
but don’t duplicate or you might face a litigation
design done, congratulations but it’s time to start construction

follow these instructions when you move into production
your photoshop functions then slice that design
do your layout with divs make sure that it’s aligned
please don’t use tables even though they work fine
when it come to indexing they give searches a hard time

make it easy for the spiders to crawl what you provide
remove font type, font color and font size
no background colors, keep your coding real neat

tag your look and feel on a separate style sheet
better results with xml and css
now you making progress, a lil closer to success
describe your doctype so the browser can relate
make sure you do it great or it won’t validate

check in all browsers, I do it directly
gotta make sure that it renders correctly
some use IE, some others use Flock
some use AOL, I use Firefox

title everything including links and images
don’t use italics, use emphasis
don’t use bold, please use strong
if you use bold that’s old and wrong

when you use CSS, you page will load quicker
client satisfied like they eating on a snicker
they stuck on your page like you made it with a sticker
and then they convert now that’s the real kicker
make you a lil richer, your site a lil slicker

design and code right man I hope you get the picture
what I’m telling you is true man it should be a scripture
if it’s built right you’ll be the pick of the litter
everyone will want to follow you like twitter
competition will get bitter and you’ll shine like glitter

if you trying to grow your company will get bigger
design and code right man can you get with it

Filed under:   humor, standards, music, pop culture, software, web design and development, society, creativity, browsers, innovation
Posted by:   Molly | 7:27 pm | Comments (17)

Sunday 30 December 2007

Strangest Dream: End to Browser Wars?

(original lyrics by Ed McCurdy and known to most because of Paul Simon, thx guys)

Strangest Dream (Web version)

Last night I had the strangest dream
I’ve ever dreamt before
I dreamed we had all agreed
To put an end to browser war

I dreamed I saw a mighty room
Filled with women (but mostly men)
And the papers they were signing said
They’d not do specs wrong again

And when the specs all were signed
And a million copies made
Some joined hands and thought they’d have a prayer
About the specifications, made

And the people on the Web below
Were running up and down
While markup and scripting and browser wars
Were scattered all around

Last night I had the strangest dream
I’ve ever dreamt before
I dreamed that we had all agreed
To put an end to browser wars.

Filed under:   professional, humor, music, pop culture, software, web design and development, creativity, browsers, community
Posted by:   Molly | 7:55 am | Comments (31)

Thursday 31 May 2007

Not Me But You: “Maybe”

There are people in my life that are so incredible.

Today I honor the friend who has stuck by me for nearly a decade no matter what. Michael is a musician, and several friends like Eric and Jeffrey have met Michael. No easy personality, but it takes one to know one perhaps. He grows. I grow. We grow.

Here’s a song called “Maybe” with a link to a directory with the m4a version and some photos. There’s an MP3 version in there now as well as a compressed RAR, courtesy Face and Thacker (thanks guys)! In the meantime, I hope you’ll appreciate the people around you as much as I’m learning to do, again.

Maybe

By Michael William Forkan

I love a girl and her name is Maybe
she doesn’t have the power to save me
and everything
is exactly what it is

All of my life it’s been the same way
can’t help falling on the dark days
that make you wanna die make you wanna sing

This tarred and feathered beauty
this tattered compromise
has torture in her past and kindness in her eyes
bark out your judgement calls to souless, empty halls
teach me how to lie, I’ll teach you how to sing

I love your baby’s breath
I love you half to death
which is half
of what you really need
Come to I’m all alone
died by the telephone
confessing sins that I really didn’t need.

I love a girl and her name is Never
broke her heart to last forever
so anyway
I’m not as clever as I dream

All of my life it’s been the same day
can’t help falling on the always
and make you wanna cry make you wanna scream

this scarred and weathered beauty
this perfect sacrafice
has madness in her kindness and wisdom in her lies.

I love your baby’s breath
I love you half to death
which is half of what you really need
Come to I’m all alone
Died by the telephone
Confessing sins
that I really didn’t need

I love a girl and her name is Maybe
She’s no longer out to save me
and everything is exactly what it is.

Filed under:   music, creativity, family, nmby
Posted by:   Molly | 9:22 pm | Comments (26)

Friday 13 January 2006

Three Great Love Songs

I feel we need a bit of music talk around molly.com. I’m thinking about top three love songs. My choices today:

• Northern Sky - Nick Drake
• You Do Something to Me - Paul Weller
• Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

Somehow I’ve ended up choosing three sentimental tunes from soulful Brits. Go figure! I think the Clapton might be a weakish choice, with better contenders if I really had to give it more thought, but the song’s always held a certain sweet spot for me so there you have it.

Show me your love!

Filed under:   music, pop culture
Posted by:   Molly | 7:21 am | Comments (269)

Tuesday 6 December 2005

Name The Movie

Tell me where the following quote is from. Tell me the film, the character, the awesome soundtrack, the context.

“How much for the masterpiece?”

Dare ya.

Filed under:   humor, music, pop culture, film
Posted by:   Molly | 3:59 am | Comments (36)

Saturday 3 September 2005

Of Old Recordings

GOING THROUGH OLD RECORDINGS today I stumbled across some of the studio work I’ve done. I’ve never shared these because I just now pulled them together, but I hope you’ll enjoy them. Regular readers and old friends know I had a bit of a music career at one time as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. I had some dumb fortune: amazing talent perform my songs with me - ah, Tucson - legendary musical talent but shitty venues. You’ll hear some great playing here that makes me sound lots better than I might have really been.

You can download the tunes (MP3 format, all for broadband) at your leisure from the directory page or one at a time here. This first batch came from a locally distributed album I did back in 1990 called Mysteries Involving Circles and Rings.

• Terra Cotta Slumber. One of my earliest songs written for guitar, composed somewhere around 1980. Recorded here in 1990 with the phenomenal guitarist Ed DeLucia featured playing acoustic lead.
• Lost Heroes. The line about George Bush makes me shiver considering I wrote it about George I. Beautiful lead guitar work once again from Ed.
• Postcard from Haiti. Something for you folks who want a little more rock in your political roll.

Here are a few other things I found:

• Life as a River. Recorded at Crash Landing Studios with Courage Sisters. Me, Patty Sundberg, Don Reeve (another phenomenal guitarist - listen for the soaring electric leads in this one), and fantabulous Marx Loeb on drums.
• This Heart. A one-off recorded with my amazing friend Mark who walked into the studio and we got these harmonies down in one take. An uplifting love song with more guitar from Ed DeLucia (sound quality unfortunately not so good, but Mark’s vocals are worth it).
• Wrapped in Gray. Just me: lead and harmony vocals, guitar. A song contrasting my life with the death of my father. Annoyingly long, but the lyrics are cinematic.

I have more. Let me know what you think.

Filed under:   music, flashback
Posted by:   Molly | 2:08 pm | Comments (25)

Sunday 22 May 2005

Finding the Missing Pieces

SOMETIMES I FIND MISSING PIECES OF MYSELF. Some readers here know I once was a serious musician and performer. I haven’t been following that muse lately, though. She still calls, but I’ve been ignoring her, for whatever reason(s).

Sometimes, visiting the past can help us find a missing piece. Today, I’m thinking of a concert I did with Patty Sundberg in our nearly ten-year duo, “Courage Sisters.” (Wow, check out that page for a real flashback, yikes!)

We performed at the Southside Presbyterian Church, home of the Reverend John Fife.

Reverend Fife is a revered humanitarian and immigration rights advocate here in the Southwestern United States:

“My understanding of the church’s role in a community like this and my understanding of the faith is very clear. You look at where the most oppressed and poorest people are suffering, and you try to relieve those — that suffering and those problems.”

The good Reverend heard Patty and I sing at a wedding held in the Kiva chapel, and invited us to hold a concert there. We loved the idea. We also decided that all proceeds beyond cost would go to charity.

So we played inside the Church’s magnificent Kiva, which is built upon American Indian tribal custom. It’s a round building, made of natural wood, stone, and adobe, all gathered from here in the Sonoran desert.

The acoustics are phenomenal.

So, here’s a song recorded live and in the round from that very special night. The song is called “Love’s Immortal Fountain.” Patty Sundberg is singing the beautiful harmonies, and we have Phil Stevens (honorary sistah) on viola. I wrote and arranged the song, and I’m doing the finger-picking on an electric acoustic Takamine as well as singing the lead vocals.

Love’s Immortal Fountain (MP3 format)

I hope you enjoy! And I hope you will share some good things you thought once lost but now again found in your life.

Filed under:   music, flashback
Posted by:   Molly | 10:16 am | Comments (39)

Monday 16 May 2005

The Musical Baton

MALARKEY PASSED ME the musical baton, which is going ’round. I really wish I had more time to take with this, but for now here’s a quick answer.

Total Volume

Since I’m not at home where my MP3s reside, I can’t give a precise number, but it’s around 35GB.

Last CD Bought

Not a CD but just a single, “Feel Good Inc” by Gorillaz.

Song Playing Right Now

“Joyful Sound” by String Cheese Incident

Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:

• “Bring Your Loving Back Here” by Gomez
• “Balham to Brooklyn” by Turin Brakes
• “Sunken Eyed Girl” by Mike Doughty
• “Can’t Let Go” by Lucinda Williams
• “On Your Side” by Pete Yorn

Geez, that’s just silly. I have thousands of songs that mean much to me. These are just a few off the top of my head.

Five People to Whom I’m Passing the Baton

• Kevin Cheng
• Meri Williams
• Matt May
• George Kelly
• Brandon Goode

If you’ve been passed the baton, leave a comment so we can find yours. If you haven’t, consider me passing you an extra baton: blog it and trackback here, or leave your answers in the comments.

Fun Stuff!

Filed under:   music
Posted by:   Molly | 9:11 pm | Comments (47)

Thursday 21 April 2005

music me in review

THE BRITISH HAVE INVADED yet again. Very good at their outreach programs, they are.

Music!

I mean music. Here are some thoughts:

• A new album from Turin Brakes,
• My first exposure to The Decemberists,
• Revisiting Ian Dury.

So Turin Brakes - Great acoustic duo, singer/songwriter stuff, no one recommended this band. Some of my favorite tracks are Feeling Oblivion, The Door and title song from that album, The Optimist.

I somehow stumbled upon them several years back on my own. I love them and will be in the UK while they’re touring. I hope to catch them live.

The Decemberists - Jeremy Keith recommended this band in my “Music Me” post last month.

I love this band. I absolutely adore the song “California One Youth and Beauty Brigade” and, oh, there are others.

Take a long drive with me, on California One, California One . . . Take a long drown with me, on California wine . . .

So easy.

And from the song “Red Right Ankle”

This is the story of the boys who loved you
Who love you now and loved you then
And some were sweet, some were cold and snuffed you
And some just laid around in bed.

Some had crumbled you straight to your knees
Did it cruel, did it tenderly
Some had crawled their way into your heart
To rend your ventricles apart
This is the story of the boys who loved you

Jeremy pimped his own band in that post, a bit with the alt.country flavor and pleasingly so to one who lives in the wild American West. Salter Cane have a tune or two that are definitely playlist-worthy. “Long Gone” shows off the musicianship. But, the sorrowful, melodic “Love Stranger Than This” appealed to my morose side today:

I long for the water, something so good, to just come and wash me away.

With his “Reasons to be Cheerful, Part III” post, Andy Clarke encouraged me to revisit Ian Dury.

My experience of Dury wasn’t broad but it was definitive. “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick” played long and hard in my New Jersey town, and my teenage years are perfectly defined by Dury’s anthem “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll.”

Here’s a little piece of advice
You’re quite welcome it is free
Don’t do nothing that is cut price
You know what that’ll make you be . . .

Sex and drugs and rock and roll
Are very good indeed.

Listening now, more closely, I realize how ahead of his time Dury was, yet how perfectly he defined that time. The song I’ve recently discovered, “Reasons to be Cheerful,” exhibits not only Dury’s great talent for showmanship, but a rap rhythm the black boys in my ‘hood wouldn’t discover for at least a decade.

I’m still working through the list that friends shared last month. There’s so much good here, and I like the feeling that I have more to choose from. But it’s still not enough! Please, please, keep sharing it all right here.

Filed under:   music, pop culture
Posted by:   Molly | 2:20 pm | Comments (22)

Monday 28 March 2005

Paul Hester RIP

PAUL HESTER HAS TAKEN HIS LIFE. Only 46 years old, the Crowded House drummer has hung himself from a tree in a park. With two children and a seemingly happy life, clinical depression appears to be the cause.

I’m a long time fan of Crowded House and the Finn Brothers, this loss is a hard one.

Rest in Peace, Paul. And thank you for the music.

Filed under:   music
Posted by:   Molly | 5:59 pm | Comments (63)

Sunday 27 March 2005

Music Me

MUSIC ME. Here I am back at home, sorry about the over-exposure.

See my cute old iMac in the background? Still serves me while testing OS 9 stuff.

I’m looking for great new music mixes for my next adventures.

What have you got music-wise?

Please share and thank you always . . .

Filed under:   music, blogging, pop culture, photos, travel
Posted by:   Molly | 4:31 pm | Comments (49)

Wednesday 23 March 2005

I Want to Take My iPod Everywhere

I WANT TO TAKE MY iPOD everywhere.

It’s true. I nearly left it in a hotel room tonight and it freaked me out so bad to find it sitting there, all perfect and gleaming and beautiful and filled with music that I realized I am truly committed to my iPod.

Am I now officially a slave to a gadget?

Filed under:   music, pop culture, travel
Posted by:   Molly | 6:34 am | Comments (37)

Tuesday 9 November 2004

music slut (again)

MUSIC SLUT (AGAIN). I like this playlist but I need your suggestions for improvement.

• Neko Case
• Iron and Wine
• Fellaheen

From the best.bands.ever vault: Cake and Green Day rule with their recent albums.

What’s spinning with you?

Filed under:   music
Posted by:   Molly | 6:45 pm | Comments (51)

Saturday 25 September 2004

three good things

THREE GOOD THINGS to tell you about. Movies and music.

Shaun of the Dead

I think Shaun of the Dead creates a new genre: Punk Horror. I laughed almost the entire way through, except for the parts where I was screaming “EWWW” with the rest of the crowd.

I loved it.

Antigone Rising

Living long enough to see women rock mighty is a joy. I don’t mean women rocking a little. I mean women taking rock to its hardest, sexiest, hottest, realist end. Antigone Rising, one of The. Best. Bands. Ever.

Rich Robinson

Rich Robinson is a songwriter that totally embodies American roots rock. Folk, blues, country, and sheer rock n’ roll.

His brother, Chris Robinson has born all the fame for the frontman tricks when The Black Crowes were out there (not to mention that he’s married to Kate Hudson), but in brother Rich is the songwriting that made that band the musical genius it was.

There were problems with Rich’s show, but it was all in the venue and sound. The man is no doubt a genius songwriter that will probably be an “unsung” American hero, no matter what his brother has done.

He plays slide guitar like no one I know. I am glad I saw.

Good things come in threes, so they say . . .

Filed under:   music, pop culture
Posted by:   Molly | 9:25 pm | Comments (35)