Author Archives: Sir Barken Hyena

About Sir Barken Hyena

Software developer by profession, player of diverse instruments and writer of songs, a decent cook they tell me, memorizer of quotes that I can then drop like my own, architect, novelist, surgeon.

No Farms No Food

Posted on May 1, 2013

Sir Barken Hyena writes: That’s a bumper sticker I saw on a truck today. It was the only one on it, with simple bold letters, so clearly it’s a statement the owner thinks important. The genre of smug bumper stickers … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and health | 5 Comments

Notes on Los Angeles, Part II: Mostly Architecture

Posted on April 27, 2013

Sir Barken Hyena writes: The L.A. visit continued with a walking tour of glorious, or at least much photographed, Downtown Los Angeles. We had some highs and some lows with this one. One “high” was certainly the LA City Hall, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Travel | 11 Comments

Notes on Los Angeles, Part I

Posted on April 20, 2013

Sir Barken Hyena writes: Lady Hyena has been getting restless lately, never a good thing, so I took her and myself for a few days in the Big City: The City of Angels in this case, a place we’ve only … Continue reading →

Posted in The Good Life, Travel | 4 Comments

My Verdict on Vinyl

Posted on April 16, 2013

Sir Barken Hyena writes: After many years in an all-digital audio world, the one we all inhabit now, from cell phone to DVD, I’ve recently been listening to vinyl again. I’ve got a lot of company too, and it’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Personal reflections, Technology | 14 Comments

“14 Western Stories” by Lloyd Fonvielle

Posted on March 5, 2013

Sir Barken Hyena writes: This recent collection has been generating some buzz around my Facebook circle, which includes the author, so I thought I’d give it a try. Now, I read hardly any fiction, but I can see that’s going … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged | 1 Comment

European Polyphony and Low Tech Brain Hacking.

Posted on November 12, 2012

Sir Barken Hyena writes: As a youngin’ I was first exposed to music theory in high school. I had a great music teacher, one of those rare souls blessed with contagious enthusiasm. I found, to my surprise, that I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 10 Comments

Contrasting Musical Cultures: Mali, Gypsy and Americanus Hipsterus

Posted on November 8, 2012

Sir Barken Hyena writes: I’ve long found myself frustrated by the musical culture I’ve had to live in, and been drawn to other cultures as a kind of refuge. At home sick for a day recently, I watched three documentaries … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 6 Comments

Anti-Harassment Training, Today’s Roasted Goat Bones?

Posted on October 25, 2012

Sir Barken Hyena writes: The Ancient Greeks sacrificed goats to the gods, then roasted them and examined the cracked and burned bones for signs of The Gods’ beneficence. We have corporate Anti-(sexual) Harassment Training programs, which serve double duty as modern … Continue reading →

Posted in Sex | 10 Comments

The Tea Party: Today’s Marauding Civilization-Crushing Nomads?

Posted on October 18, 2012

Sir Barken Hyena writes: Yeah, I know they aren’t literally nomads, although I do bet RV ownership tracks well with Tea Party membership. But first, I present the contortions of Frank Rich: http://nymag.com/news/politics/elections-2012/tea-party-2012-10/ A few paragraphs will do it. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy and Religion, Politics and Economics | 9 Comments

Economists are not humans

Posted on October 9, 2012

Sir Barken Hyena writes: Economists are not humans. Reminders are never far away but this is a good one. “It’s overwhelmingly likely that we’re going to want the public sector to be a larger share of the economy in 10, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Economics | 6 Comments