ok go!

this is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.



OK Go - Here It Goes Again [YouTube]

before they were stars

Lately there's been a lot of noise about YouTube, the wildly popular video-sharing site that just got acquired by Google for about $1.6 billion. A lot of the noise has been about the two principal founders and how fantastically rich they have become. This is nothing new. However, there is an interesting subplot surrounding Jawed Karim, a third founder who left the company to finish his master's degree at Stanford. Most of the articles focus on how he's not going to be as rich as the first two; don't worry, though, he's still getting a nice chunk of change.

The interesting part is that most of my friends and I knew about Jawed Karim way before YouTube was even a twinkle in the the three soon-to-be-millionaires' eyes. You see, way back in the days of Napster, before anybody knew or cared about the RIAA, Jawed created a LAN-crawling program called MP3 Voyeur. It was in wide use throughout my freshman dorm, and to those of us with T1 lines and empty wallets, Jawed was a hero. No need to spend time clicking through every folder on the network neighborhood to find Doggystyle or "Paradise City;" just run MP3 Voyeur, sit back, and select the files you want, available immediately over a lightning-quick local connection. This is how we found, for example, the legendary "Andrew K's Smooth Shit" folder of over-the-top makeout songs.

It's refreshing to know that YouTube is a logical evolution of MP3 Voyeur, and it's good to see the man cashing in by staying true to his roots.

With YouTube, Grad Student Hits Jackpot Again [New York Times]
MP3 Voyeur [jawed.com]

rally caps, people

The A's are down 2-0. Everyone needs to start following Rich's example.



(Except for the part about being at work, in Korea, 16 hours in the future. That's a tough act to follow.)

from the land of ten thousand lakes

Amazing game today. I'm still somewhat in disbelief that the A's were able to take one from Santana in the Metrodome. Thank you, Frank Thomas. Chicago misses you, but you're ours now.

There's still a long way to go and I'm very nervous. To pass the time, here's some reading material for both sides:

Pro: Athletics Nation
Con: Ken Macha is a Moron & I Hate Him

Either way, there is nothing better than playoff baseball.

an historic day in faceball

First things first: I've moved back to the Bay--work decided to bring me back from Chicago. My last night there I went to a Cubs game, which was the best way to leave, I think. My first night, I took the Red Line up to Addison and circumambulated Wrigley as a ritual offering, so it was fitting that I went out the way I came in.

My last few days or so were pretty eventful--saw HORSE the Band open for the facemeltingly hilarious Dragonforce (and convinced Brad and Sally to go, which was also pretty funny). HORSE were awesome beyond my expectations. It was a pretty giant show at the Vic Theater. At the other end of the rock spectrum I got to see pat's band play their very first show. They were also outstanding. They played a short but intense set, and when you're as intense as the Black Ladies you end up with great pictures like this (photo credit to Emily):



Also went to El Jardin and a sweet loft party with Mario and Joyce, threw an omelette party with a bunch of people at my place, and went to the aforementioned Cubs game on my last night. Really good times. Chicago people, I will miss you. Come visit.

Anyway I'll be moving up to San Francisco shortly, so if you're looking for a roommate or know someone who is, let me know.

But I digress. On to the pièce de résistance...

continue reading »Many of you have heard of Faceball, and if you have not, I encourage to you check out the link for historical context.

Colby and I were playing Faceball late Friday afternoon (making up for lost time), when a red Toyota minivan drove through our game. Since we play in the parking lot, this isn't an unusual occurrence. However, Colby has sharper eyes than I and as the van passed he yelled, "Hey, that's Steve Young!" I checked, and was skeptical at first, but soon realized that Colby was right, it was Hall of Fame quarterback and 49ers legend Steve Young:



Yes, that Hall of Fame legend Steve Young.

He stopped in the parking lot and we ran inside and grabbed a Sharpie. We went up to him as he was unloading his three kids from the van, confirmed that it was him (question: "Hey, are you Steve Young?" response: "I am"), and got him to sign the faceball. He was holding his baby carrier in his right hand and signed with his left. He was definitely not happy that we were there, but he was very gracious and we left him alone after that. We walked the ball around the office to an ovation.

It was really cool to think that we were just minding our business, playing catch with the football in the parking lot, and right there at the same time was one of the best humans ever to do what we were doing. I loved watching him play.

The ball has been retired permanently from Faceball, and will become the perpetual trophy awarded to the current champion. He didn't join us for a game, but hopefully Steve Young's celebrity endorsement will give Faceball the legitmacy it needs to become a truly global sport.