I used to live next door (shared a wall, actually) with an experimental musician. The dude specialized in modulating feedback. Basically, static and noise all day.
It got even weirder when they'd have "concerts" in his place. You'd have 4-5 guys "playing" "instruments" that consisted of things like just randomly rubbing the tape from a reel-to-reel against the read head. It produced the kinds of noise you'd expect.
Where am I going with this? Hell, I don't know. If Murilee gets to wear carburetor masks and inject Mickey's in people's mouths with a syringe, I get to tell a tangentially related story.
@wkiernan: If nothing else, it proves that I was incapable of being cool even as a 22-year-old. Once you free yourself from the need to be cool, life gets a lot more fun.
You know, as an engineer, I typically make fun of the guys who drop out of engineering for other, less-employable degrees. But, dammit Murilee, you bring me so much weekend joy.
Besides, I'm working on my second month as freshly-gradumacated, unemployed electrical engineer. Thanks, Carpocalypse.
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was starred
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was unstarred
@FromaBuick6: I started out as an engineering major because A) I was a math geek in high school and B) I wanted to make things. Once I figured out that A) my fellow engineering students were not the people I wanted to work with the rest of my life and B) it's possible to make things with words and/or images, I was done with engineering.
That FORTRAN I learned before switching sure does come in handy, though! Well, maybe not... but being able to converse with engineers and deal with math/code has been a big help for me as a technical writer.
@skulldriveshaft is on picasaweb jalopniking: Indeed, I'm too overedjumacated to deliver pizzas now. As for the student loans, one could purchase a new Honda Civic with the amount I owe, and I'm pretty sure my voter demographic is all wrong to merit me a guberment bailout. Not without joining the Peace Corps, at least.
@Murilee Martin: Engineers are a lively, engaging bunch, aren't they? Engineering school has an uncanny way of sucking the fun out the interests that drew you into the major in the first place. But you've somehow still combined your gearhead nature into a writing career-that's really something. If nothing else, its a helluva lot more entertaining than designing a boring-ass part for some boring-ass product.
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was starred
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was unstarred
Are we not men? We are Holley. We're Through Being Dual. Is this how Laurie Anderson got started? What grade did you get? And who is wearing the remarkably ugly green shirt?
@tonyola: Laurie Anderson- wow, dude. When I was growing up, I had a cassette of Big Science (CD players still cost about as much as a LeMons racer then) that I wore right the fuck out.. loved that album. I have yet to actually meet anybody else who's even heard of her. Theoretical re-heart-click for the reference and the memories.
@Murilee Martin: For real? When she was right, she hit it perfectly but then there were some really, really, tough stretches where I sort of thought, hmm, am I missing something? But this was at concerts during the 70s, so, well. Never mind.
And she finally married Lou Reed. That's a household where it would be amazing to be a fly on the wall.
Liberal arts should be banned. Like for serious. If you want to be a doctor or lawyer or engineer or something that requires a specific skill set then fine, go to school. Otherwise let these useless spoiled brats go get jobs or join the army or something. Fuck.
@Almostbanned: So I guess journalists and creative writers, teachers, and the people who make the movies you watch and thousands of other professions--are useless?
No skill sets there?
Also, this may shock you, but you can't get a Bachelor's degree in Law or Medicine.
As a further shock, kids who work their way through school also major in liberal arts.
And finally, Murilee chose to share something really funny from his past with us. How very rude of you to make comments like this ("spoiled brat"?)and attack every single person who pursued a liberal arts degree.
You would have benefited from a few of those courses because they might have pried open your perspective and prejudices a little bit. And if I pay for my own education--or don't ask YOU for the money, the WTF is it to you what I study?
Yeah. Liberal Arts. Bringing you Civilization for 3,000 years or so.
@skulldriveshaft is on picasaweb jalopniking: Sorry. We get some a-hole weekenders here (see Lemons Troll, for instance) and there was not sign the first that it was actually sarcasm.
06/15/09
It got even weirder when they'd have "concerts" in his place. You'd have 4-5 guys "playing" "instruments" that consisted of things like just randomly rubbing the tape from a reel-to-reel against the read head. It produced the kinds of noise you'd expect.
Where am I going with this? Hell, I don't know. If Murilee gets to wear carburetor masks and inject Mickey's in people's mouths with a syringe, I get to tell a tangentially related story.
06/15/09
BTW, I stayed on the engineering pathway for my degree and did the liberal arts/literature/public speaking/drama stuff on the side.
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Besides, I'm working on my second month as freshly-gradumacated, unemployed electrical engineer. Thanks, Carpocalypse.
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how's the student loans?
is the gubment gonna write those off, or collect from your tax return until you die?
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That FORTRAN I learned before switching sure does come in handy, though! Well, maybe not... but being able to converse with engineers and deal with math/code has been a big help for me as a technical writer.
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@Murilee Martin: Engineers are a lively, engaging bunch, aren't they? Engineering school has an uncanny way of sucking the fun out the interests that drew you into the major in the first place. But you've somehow still combined your gearhead nature into a writing career-that's really something. If nothing else, its a helluva lot more entertaining than designing a boring-ass part for some boring-ass product.
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Dance with carburetor masks?
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My car may or may not have been built. Depends when in '88.
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_embedded
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Of course, I was 7, so I probably wasn't there.
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Hah! If only!
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And she finally married Lou Reed. That's a household where it would be amazing to be a fly on the wall.
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So hold me mom
In your long arms
So hold me mom
In your long arms
In your automatic arms
In your electronic arms
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No skill sets there?
Also, this may shock you, but you can't get a Bachelor's degree in Law or Medicine.
As a further shock, kids who work their way through school also major in liberal arts.
And finally, Murilee chose to share something really funny from his past with us. How very rude of you to make comments like this ("spoiled brat"?)and attack every single person who pursued a liberal arts degree.
You would have benefited from a few of those courses because they might have pried open your perspective and prejudices a little bit. And if I pay for my own education--or don't ask YOU for the money, the WTF is it to you what I study?
Yeah. Liberal Arts. Bringing you Civilization for 3,000 years or so.
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Now get off my lawn.
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