Bill's Prog Blog: CD REVIEW: Frogg Café - The Safenzee Diaries (200...

No, I'm not going to be linking back to every one of Bill's blog entries, but since this is a republish of a review of one of my favorite live albums, I wanted to share this as well.

Bill's Prog Blog: CD REVIEW: Frogg Café - The Safenzee Diaries (200...: "(NB: this review was originally web published 3 April 2007.) Robert Fripp of King Crimson once made a series of analogies comparing the b..."

Bill's Prog Blog: CD REVIEW: Frogg Café - Bateless Edge (2010, 10T R...

Check out this review of a great album, then follow Bill's blog, then buy the album. In that order.

Bill's Prog Blog: CD REVIEW: Frogg Café - Bateless Edge (2010, 10T R...: "THE ARGUMENT: In which a gauntlet is thrown down… I have been planning a review of the new Frogg Café album, Bateless Edge, for a short ..."

Jethro Tull - Stand Up Collector's Edition

Good news for Jethro Tull fans at spincds.com

Jethro Tull - Stand Up (2CD/DVD Collector’s Edition)
Label: EMI
Format: CD (three)

This item is due to be released on 27 Sep 2010 and will be dispatched when we receive stock.

Description
CD 1:
Stand Up Original album
1. A New Day Yesterday
2. Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square
3. Bouree
4. Back To The Family
5. Look Into The Sun
6. Nothing Is Easy
7. Fat Man
8. We Used To Know
9. Reasons For Waiting
10.For A Thousand Mothers

Bonus tracks:
11.Living In The Past
12.Driving Song
13.Sweet Dream

14.17 *
15.Living In The Past (original mono single version) *

Top Gear BBC Radio session recorded on 16/6/69 and broadcast on 22/6/69:
16.Bouree *
17.A New Day Yesterday *
18.Nothing Is Easy *
19.Fat Man *

20.Stand Up US radio spot # 1
21.Stand Up US radio spot # 2

All tracks stereo except * mono.

CD 2:
Live At Carnegie Hall, 1970
1. Nothing Is Easy
2. My God
3. With You There To Help Me/By Kind Permission Of
4. A Song For Jeffrey
5. To Cry You A Song
6. Sossity, You’re A Woman/Reasons For Waiting/Sossity, You’re A Woman
7. Dharma For One
8. We Used To Know
9. Guitar Solo
10.For A Thousand Mothers

DVD:
Live At Carnegie Hall, 1970
Carnegie Hall audio: DTS & Dolby Digital 24 bit 48kHz
5.1 surround sound and 2.0 24 bit 48 kHz LPCM stereo (no footage of the concert).

1. Introduction
2. Nothing Is Easy
3. My God
4. With You There To Help Me/By Kind Permission Of
5. A Song For Jeffrey
6. To Cry You A Song
7. Sossity, You’re A Woman/Reasons For Waiting/Sossity, You’re A Woman
8. Dharma For One
9. We Used To Know
10.Guitar Solo
11.For A Thousand Mothers

DVD Bonus Feature
An interview with Ian Anderson, London, 2010

All tracks stereo except * mono.

DVD:
Aspect ratio 16:9
Region: 0
NTSC
Duration:
Carnegie Hall audio: DTS & Dolby Digital 24 bit 48kHz 5.1 surround sound and 2.0 24 bit 48 kHz LPCM stereo

Stand Up was released on Island records in the UK on August 1st, 1969 (catalogue no.: ILPS 9103) and in the US on Reprise Records on September 29th, 1969 (catalogue no.: RS6360).

Living In The Past/Driving Song was released on single on Island Records on May 2nd 1969 (catalogue no.: WIP 6056) and in the US on Reprise Records on July 28th, 1969 (catalogue no.: Reprise 0845).

Sweet Dream/17 was released on single on Chrysalis/Island Records in the UK on October 3rd, 1969 (catalogue no.: WIP 6070).

Musicians on Stand Up:
Ian Anderson (flute, acoustic guitar, Hammond organ, piano, mandolin, balalaika, bouzouki, mouth organ, vocals)
Martin Barre (electric guitar, flute on Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square)
Clive Bunker (drums and percussion)
Glenn Cornick (bass)
David Palmer (string arrangement and conductor on Reasons For Waiting)
Recorded at Morgan Studios, London from April 17th to May 1st, 1969 except Bouree recorded at Olympic Studios, Barnes, London on April 24th, 1969)

Musicians on Living In The Past:
Ian Anderson (flute, vocal)
Martin Barre (electric guitar)
Clive Bunker (drums and percussion)
Glenn Cornick (bass)
Lou Toby (string arrangement and conductor of members of The New York Symphony Orchestra)
Backing track and vocals recorded on March 3rd, 1969 at Vantone Studios, West Orange, NJ.

Musicians on Driving Song:
Ian Anderson (flute, vocal)
Martin Barre (electric guitar)
Clive Bunker (drums)
Glenn Cornick (bass)
Recorded on March 18th, 1969 at Western Recorders, L.A..

Musicians on Sweet Dream:
Ian Anderson (12 string guitar, flute, vocal)
Martin Barre (electric guitar)
Clive Bunker (drums)
Glenn Cornick (bass)
David Palmer (string arrangement and conductor)
Recorded on August 31st, 1969 at Morgan Studios, London.

Musicians on 17:
Ian Anderson (flute, vocal)
Martin Barre (electric guitar)
Clive Bunker (drums)
Glenn Cornick (bass)
Recorded on September 11th, 1969 at Morgan Studios, London.

Musicians on the John Peel Session:
Ian Anderson (flute, harmonica, vocals)
Martin Barre (guitars)
Clive Bunker (drums)
Glenn Cornick (bass)

Musicians on the Carnegie Hall recording:
Ian Anderson (flute, harmonica, vocals)
Martin Barre (guitars)
Clive Bunker (drums)
Glenn Cornick (bass)
John Evan (Hammond organ and piano)

(EMI)

Posted via email from RAW UNBRIDLED BUFFOONERY

New Technology Could Replace HDMI With Ethernet Cables - PCWorld

Are HDMI's days numbered? They might be if a new a new audio/video (A/V) cable standard developed by four tech companies catches on.

The newly finalized cable technology, known as HDBaseT, transfers audio and video signals over ordinary RJ-45 ethernet cables. It's the result of an effort that started a little over six months ago by LG, Samsung, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Valens Semiconductor,

Goodbye, HDMI

The venerable HDMI cable was first produced back in 2003, and the rise of Blu-ray and the growing popularity of HDTV fueled its adoption.

While HDMI has several advantages to other sorts of A/V cables, it isn't without its problems. The technology often suffers from switching delays and is known for its limitations when it comes to cable length--problems that HDBaseT could solve.

The Benefits of HDBaseT

HDBaseT will be able to deliver full-HD video, audio, Web connectivity, and power over one cable simultaneously. Whereas a HDMI cable can be no more than a few meters in length, HDBaseT supports cables up to 100 meters long. The new cable spec can also carry 100 watts of power via the cable.

But what do all these promising advantages really mean? The back of any TV is usually an unsightly mess of cables. If this specification proves popular, it'll mean fewer cables. A single cable would not only power your television, but it could also send in all your data--sound, visuals, and more. Replacing multiple cables with just one is a welcome change.

When Will It Become Commonplace?

The HDMI cable isn't dead just yet, but the HDBaseT alliance hopes that devices supporting the new standard will ship later this year, with the new cable becoming more widely adopted during 2011. Whether this desire will become a reality remains to be seen, especially since an updated HDMI specification is expected in the not-too-distant future.

You can find more information--including this comparison table (PDF)--on the HDBaseT Website.

Would you like to see one cable to rule them all? Let us know in the comments.

[HDBase-T via Thinq]

For more geeky updates, follow Chris Brandrick and GeekTech on Twitter.

via pcworld.com

Posted via email from RAW UNBRIDLED BUFFOONERY

Are You Raising a Douchebag?

This is a great article. I see this developing sense of entitlement (and where it comes from) just about every day.
Unfortunately, the people that will write it off as hogwash after the first two paragraphs and not read further are likely the ones who can answer "Yes" to the headline.
For the record, I'm not a parent and I read every word.

Click HERE for the original article.

Are You Raising a Douchebag?

Your indulgent parenting is spawning a generation of entitled hipster brats.

By David Hochman,

Photograph by Alex Tehrani

Let us begin with the assumption that if you are a parent, you wish for your child every advantage and opportunity. From the ergonomic high chair to that all-important first sushi experience and beyond, life should be as golden for your little one as it is for, say, Pax Jolie-Pitt.

But inevitably the moment arrives when all your doting and care come back on you in the form of a precocious little barb that reminds you in no uncertain terms of . . . you. It might be that his friend Jake's eighth-birthday party was "unbelievably lame" or that "it's weird that Brandon's family flies first-class and we don't," or maybe it's simply that "these taquitos taste like turd."

It's then that you must reckon with the real possibility that your drive to make little Johnny better, smarter, and hipper has merely turned him into a douchebag. Put it this way: If it's your child, not you, who gets to choose your weekend brunch spot, or if he's the one asking how the branzino is prepared, it's probably time to take a hard look at your own behavior.

It's not like we're the first generation to turn out Frankenkinder. Since the dawn of time, parents have been dressing their kids in ridiculous sailor suits and dragging them on ski trips to Gstaad. But lately it feels like we're scaling new heights as bad examples. We create parenting blogs that transform our preschoolers into fetishized celebrities. We subscribe to magazines that suggest buying a 5-year-old a $400 Marc Jacobs cashmere hoodie. We think it's cute when our kids learn to text message (until we realize POS means "parent over shoulder") and quietly rejoice when they can tell which Ramone is Dee Dee and which one is Joey.





Alas, convenient as it might be, we can't blame the children. "There's no such thing as a spoiled gene," says parenting expert Michele Borba, author of Don't Give Me That Attitude! "The brat factor is all learned." Which means that if you're the dad pushing Junior around in a limited-edition Bugaboo stroller by Bas Kosters ($2,000), carrying a Louis Vuitton diaper bag ($1,380), and checking in at a members-only parenting club like Citi-babes in Manhattan (annual membership: $2,000), your offspring are probably developing some serious entitlement issues. Just read the news. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the rise of sixth-grade "fashion bullies" who terrorize peers who don't wear Junior Dolce & Gabbana. Then there was the New York Times article on youngsters—4-year-olds!—who fancy themselves collectors of highly coveted works of art.

It's not just about money, though. Since the nineties, a surge in overprotective parenting has promoted discussion over discipline and made leisure activities contingent upon nanny CPR training (have you ever even considered letting your kid play with a pocket knife or a rusty Flexible Flyer, never mind have a paper route?).

In 1999, Katie Allison Granju wrote a book, Attachment Parenting, about the virtues of catering to the needs and emotions of the very young, from breast-feeding-on-demand to co-sleeping. While she still advocates that approach, she also believes that society tries to turn babies into children too fast and then treats older kids much like babies. Her forthcoming book is titled Let Them Run With Scissors: How Over-Parenting Hurts Children, Parents and Society. "We no longer allow children to have personal autonomy, to experience hard knocks, or to take real risks," she says. "The result is a nation of overweight, overindulged, overly neurotic kids who whine and moan and often can't function on their own."

It certainly doesn't help that we 21st- century thirty- and fortysomething parents expect our children to dress, speak, and appreciate Roxy Music just like us. "The Mini-Me phenomenon of kids wearing Sex Pistols T-shirts and sending back foie gras is cute but also gross and dangerous," says Ada Calhoun, the editor-in-chief of Babble, an online bible for hipster parents. "If you've turned your kid into a carbon copy of yourself, that kid loses his voice. He's only trying to please the grown-up, who only wants to live vicariously through the kid."





Greg Ramey is a child psychologist with nearly 30 years of experience counseling families and children at Dayton Children's in Dayton, Ohio. He says the biggest change he's seen is that parents no longer want to act like parents. "Over and over, I see parents who try to be their kids' best friends," he says. "That's a flashing red light. Our kids don't need to be our buddies. They can like us when they're 30. Mostly what kids want is for a parent to be in charge."

The consequences of parental boundary blurring are everywhere. As Vanity Fair recently noted, 2007 is the "year the mothers of Hollywood's wild girls—Paris, Lindsay, and Britney—have found themselves almost as much a part of the tabloid circus as the daughters themselves."

Fortunately, it's never too late to fix the problem. Sharon Pieters sees kids with terrible behavior make the turnaround week after week, and it has everything to do with parenting, she says. The former nanny runs Child Minded, a parent-coaching company that goes into homes to vanquish the Scylla and Charybdis of offspring hell: disrespect and boorishness. For $1,200 a day, Pieters will help parents tame their brats. Whether it's a problem with too much stuff ("I visited some kids in Long Island who had their own moon bounce," Pieters says) or incessant back talk ("Some children's vocabulary is limited to 'Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!'"), the solution is the same: "Set limits and stick to them." The hard part for most moms and dads is admitting there's a problem in the first place. Borba, the parenting writer, says, "The last thing parents today want after a day of work is to come home and be a cop. They think it's going to hurt the child's self-esteem to get a hard no. But you have to look at your kids and say, 'Are they turning out the way I want them to turn out?' If not, it's up to you to start to change things."

That takes care of the kids, but what about you? A possible solution comes from Asra Q. Nomani, who recently wrote an essay on Babble about being trapped in a cycle of out-of-control birthday parties, in which she kept trying to outdo the previous year's festivities. Turns out what her kid liked most wasn't the trip in the limo to the recording studio or even the playtime with a real tiger cub. It was the simpler, everyday stuff, the things that any kid's birthday party might include, like a birthday cake. Which makes you realize, the next time your inner douchebag tells you to book Criss Angel for your son's fifth birthday, you might want to take a deep breath and give yourself a hard no.

Posted via email from FZDolfan's Posterous

Pride? What about loyalty?

On the road today, I saw a car with one of those window mount flags (like the ones everyone had after 9/11), and it was the flag of England. In the United States of America, on the day when the USA played against England in the World Cup, a citizen (presumably) of this country was waving a flag of England.
This is something that I could never fathom. Why would a citizen of the United States champion for a foreign country over their own? Of course you also see shows of support for other countries as well from Americans. I just don't get it. I mean, when you were in high school or college, did you redirect your allegiance towards the school that your parents or grandparents went to (especially if they were playing against your school)? Some may say that it's not the same thing. Well, yeah...it is. If you are a citizen of the USA, you are an American, plain and simple. I don't care if you're of Italian, Greek, Portuguese, or Irish descent. If you're a citizen and resident of the USA, you're an American. You're a part of "team" America.
If you're ashamed to call yourself an American before your country of ancestry...if your "motherland" is so much better, then please, by all means don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.

Oh, and before some wise-ass tries to call me out on the fact that I am a Miami Dolphins fan living in New Jersey, forget it. That's NOT the same thing, and I'll explain why.
When the USA has a team, it is made up of Americans. As Americans, we are by default a "part" of it. When you are a student of a school, that school's team is made up of other students of that school. Again, by default you are a part of them.
But in the case of professional American sports, the Miami Dolphins are not comprised of residents of Miami. They are paid employees doing a job for an employer that happens to have it's office in Miami. Even the residents of Miami are not a direct "part" of the team. They just happen to share real estate with the team's office.
It's not the same thing.

In search of Keith Moon

Check out the drummer in this video. He's like a caricature of Keith Moon (if that's even possible).

Posted via email from FZDolfan's Posterous

Finally! New Frogg Café!

Some of you are familiar with this great band.
For those that aren't, to borrow and paraphrase from Frank Zappa, check out..."the best band you haven't heard in your life."

FROGG CAFÉ Release “Bateless Edge” on 10T Records

 

Charleston, SC – June 1, 2010 (10T Records) – 10T Records is ecstatic to

announce the release of the brand new studio release by FROGG CAFÉ,

entitled “Bateless Edge.”  This will be the New York-based band’s fourth

studio release and will be officially released by 10T Records on July

2nd, 2010.

 

On “Bateless Edge,” Frogg Café consists of Bill Ayasse (violin,

mandolin, vocals, hand percussion), James Guarnieri (drums,

glockenspiel, orchestral percussion), Andrew Sussman (bass, cello,

acoustic guitar), Nick Lieto (lead vocals, keyboards, trumpet,

flugelhorn), John Lieto (trombone), and features the triumphant return

of co-founding member, Frank Camiola (guitar, string bass, banjo).

“Bateless Edge” is a stunning 78-minute statement, described by

bassist/composer Andrew Sussman as a "reflection on incidents revolving

around our own personal lives, as well as an integrated and newly formed

sound that takes this band into realms that have been unexplored until

now."  “Bateless Edge” sees Frogg Café fearlessly breaking new musical

ground while crafting some of the darkest and most intense musical

statements made thus far by this ever-evolving band.

 

In this elaborate journey, Frogg Café explores many new textures and

colors that add great dimension to the contemporary jazz-fusion sound

that is unmistakably their own.  The band incorporates for the first

time detailed orchestration akin to symphony music.  Clarinets,

mandolins, cellos, glockenspiels, bass clarinets, xylophones, string

quartets and many other instruments all integrate to create a soundscape

that will yield the listener infinite details on future listens.

Classical Indian influences also find their way into the mix, along with

new levels of intricate compositional complexity, including a track that

boasts a 28-page musical score consisting of roughly twenty-five

different instruments.

 

Many additional instrumentalists were recruited to record this latest

opus, including Andrew Sussman's father, Steve Sussman, on clarinet,

Cardboard Amanda member, Dee Harris, on Indian Slide guitar and

Tamboura, as well as fellow 10T artists, Vessela Stoyanova (Fluttr

Effect), and Steve Kastikas (Little Atlas).

 

“Frogg Café is very special to 10T Records,” says label president Steve

Carroll.  “They were one of the bands that were foundational to the

creation of 10T, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be bringing this

release to the world.  It is quite simply the definitive creative

statement for a band that has consistently made a career out of being

among the best of the best.”

 

“Bateless Edge” is available for pre-order starting on June 1, 2010. 

All orders received between now and the official release date will ship

by the end of the week prior to the official release.

 

Additionally, everyone who pre-orders “Bateless Edge” will receive

exclusive FREE temporary access to download “On the LillyPadd,” a full

length digital album featuring the following previously unreleased Frogg

Café recordings:

 

1. A Brass Quartet piece called "Prelude" that was originally

recorded for Bateless Edge, but was cut due to time constraints. 

 

2. A 25-minute in the studio spaced-out Frogg jam called "At the

Table of the Leptons". 

 

3. Excerpts from a never-released live show from Orion Studios

recorded in Dec. 2006.  

 

The band feels that this was one of their best shows, and features never

been heard tracks.

 

All tracks from “Bateless Edge” are currently available to preview in

their entirety through the 10T Records website:

http://10trecords.com/artists/genres/progressive-experimental/frogg-cafe/discography/

 

After July 2, “Bateless Edge” will be available through your favorite

retail outlet for immediate purchase.

 

For further information: Steve Carroll 10T Records www.10trecords.com

Posted via email from FZDolfan's Posterous

Home Theater Concert: Jethro Tull

I've been a fan of Jethro Tull for about 33 years now, and they are easily one of my favorite artists of all time. In fact, among my all-time favorite artists, only Kansas matches (and just barely surpasses) them in longevity, being a favorite of mine since 1976.
I own every official Tull album and DVD or Blu-ray disc. I just watched the latest DVD, 'Live at AVO Session Basel.' As far as modern-day Tull goes, this is a great DVD. The performance is well executed as per usual Ian Anderson standards, and the setlist contains a good mix of older tracks (the only song written after 1978 is Rocks On The Road from 1991's Catfish Rising album), including a few rarely played ones like Nursie, Dharma For One, and Heavy Horses. It's a good selection of songs that Ian's very limited vocal range can and does handle pretty well. The band can still rock pretty well, albeit with a slightly more subdued sound. I can't really put my finger on it...it just doesn't pack the same punch as it used to (musicians' ages shouldn't affect the sound of the instruments). On the up side, I think Martin's guitar playing has only gotten better over the years, and Ian can still belt it out on the flute. On the down side, while limited to only one track here (IIRC), that dreaded accordion is still present. I was hoping that was just a phase Ian was going through, but it's gone on way too long to be a phase. All in all I really enjoyed it, although I still like the Live At Montreaux 2003 performance a little better.
The one disappointment in this for me is that it was not released on Blu-ray, only DVD. Judging by the video, it seems to be near-HD quality, so why it was not released as a Blu-ray disc escapes me.

Home Theater Concert: Jeff Beck

Just finished watching 'Jeff Beck Performing this week: Live At Ronnie Scott's' on Blu-ray disc.

Now, I should point out that I have never claimed to be a huge Jeff Beck fan. I own maybe half a dozen CDs of his, but I never really kept up with his work. On top of that, I never listed him as one of my favorite guitarists (although I do consider him a great guitarist).

That being said, I had heard and read a lot of great things about this disc, so I decided to pick it up. Needless to say, I do not regret this decision in the least. First, the audio and video quality on this disc is amazing, akin to the Return to Forever Live at Montreaux BD. Of course, not to be outdone by the film and sound crew, the performance is outstanding, with a nice blend of rock, jazz, and fusion selections, and is sure to please even the most casual Jeff Beck fan. In fact, even if you're just a fan of music you'd probably get enjoyment out of this disc. Accompanying Jeff in the core band for this performance is Jason Rebello on keyboards, my second favorite Zappa drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (second to T. Bozzio IMO), and the extremely talented and very cute Tal Wilkenfeld on bass. Guest appearances include Joss Stone, Imogen Heap, and Eric Clapton.

Also, as a bonus (exclusive to the Blu-ray), you get a shorter Rockabilly set with Jeff and the Big Town Playboys as sort of an opening performance (if you watch it first, which I did not).

In any case, if you're a fan of good musical performances, I highly recommend this disc. If you're a fan of Jeff Beck, it's a no-brainer.

NYC board backs plan to build mosque near Ground Zero -

I am pretty much speechless. I really don't even know what to say to this, other than that white guilt in this country has officially gone too far.

NYC board backs plan to build mosque near Ground Zero -

Sirius XM Showcases Opie & Anthony - SiriusBuzz

In an interesting content move Sirius XM Radio is showcasing the Opie & Anthony show all month on Sirius XM Stars Too. The O & A showcase will run through June 18th. The radio personalities have been an XM staple for many years and are well known for on air antics and some infamous stunts that had them fired from terrestrial radio stations in years past.
The Opie & Anthony Show runs from 6:00 AM to 11AM EST on the XM Satellite Radio platform sharing the same time slot as Howard Stern, which is on the Sirius platform. By simulcasting Opie & Anthony on Sirius Stars Too, the duo is available on both platforms.
Sirius XM is essentially giving Sirius subscribers a taste of what is available on the BEST OF package for XM while the company seeks out a way to replace the morning slot void on Sirius XM Stars Too left by Vinnie Politan. It is an interesting move in many ways. Some may even theorize that the company is showcasing Opie & Anthony as a negotiating ploy by Sirius XM in the Howard Stern contract talks. Sterns contract expires at the end of this year. No matter what the reason, the Opie & Anthony show is edgy, catchy, and entertaining.
Listeners can catch the show on Sirius XM Stars Too (Sirius 108 XM 139), as well as on the Virus channel 202 on XM or Sirius channel 197 for Sirius subscribers with the BEST OF XM package.
Position – Long Sirius XM Radio
-->

via siriusbuzz.com

Posted via web from FZDolfan's Posterous

Say goodbye to our sense of humor!

Yesterday I posted a viral video of a 2-year-old from Indonesia smoking a cigarette. Today that video was pulled by YouTube.
Now, I'm not saying smoking is good, ESPECIALLY for a baby. But I'm sorry, if you don't think a baby from halfway across the globe masterfully smoking a cigarette is funny, then I would recommend you reach behind yourself, firmly grasp the stick protruding from your ass, and yank it out.
There is humor in EVERYTHING; even if it's cringe humor. You just have to know how and where to look.
Here's the video on MSN.

Best YouTube video ever!

Posted via email from FZDolfan's Posterous

The future of TV

Lately I've had my eye on a new Blu-ray disc player that supports Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, Picasa, etc.
I already have a BD player, but it doesn't have any network capabilities other than upgrading the firmware and accommodating BD-Live content from the discs. The new one is essentially the same machine with the aforementioned services added.
Well, I just received an email from Logitech which pointed to a page that has made me forget about the new BD player and instead wait for the fall for what looks to me like an amazing product, Google TV.
After watching the video below, as well as the 22 minute "announcement" video, it seems that this is basically an Android "smart TV". For anyone who has an Android smartphone, you already know that this is an exciting concept. For those not familiar with Android, it's basically an operating system made by the people, for the people. After watching the announcement video on the main page, the implication is that like the Android OS on phones, Google TV will be an open source system.
Oh, and if like me, you have DISH network, then this will be even better. This has been designed along with DISH to be seamless.

You scare me.

Someone shared this on facebook (originally from Snopes), and I found it interesting enough to share here.
I love things like this from well-educated and accredited people, because most Dems feel that you can't possibly have those qualifications and not be "one of them."
Now, of course this letter is obviously written from a more conservative viewpoint (would you expect different from a former corporate executive?), but does that make it invalid?

I'm just so sick of the two extremes. It's like we're a nation made up of two races of sheep. Otherwise the Libertarian party would be bigger.
If you don't agree with that, ask yourself this....which party's candidate are you voting for in 2016? If you can already answer that question, say "Baa baa."
I would venture a guess that Obama was elected by a bigger "bandwagon" than any other president in history.
For a party that claims to be well-educated, it seems there were a countless number of people that voted for him that couldn't give you a well-educated reason why.




AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the

others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League

education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of

support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up

in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't

understand it at its core..

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with

radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these

radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and

deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country

where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a

government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our

own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays

the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain

banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on

your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing

points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and

omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys,

O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not

feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett

 

Origins:   Lou Pritchett is a former
vice president of Procter & Gamble whose career at that
company spanned 36 years before his retirement in 1989, and he is
the author of the 1995 business book, Stop Paddling & Start
Rocking the Boat.

Mr. Pritchett confirmed to us that he was indeed the author of the
much-circulated "open letter" quoted above:

I did write the 'you scare me' letter. I sent it to the NY Times but
they never acknowledged or published it. However, it hit the internet and
according to the 'experts' has had over 500,000 hits.

Last updated:   31 May 2009  
The URL for this page is
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/youscareme.asp

Posted: April 29, 2010

High-end audio a calling for Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson

BY BRIAN McCOLLUM
FREE PRESS POP MUSIC WRITER

Steven Wilson isn't the first musician to lament the age of the MP3. But he's certainly one of its fiercest critics.

He's also among those most willing to put money where mouth is: Wilson's band, Porcupine Tree, is on the vanguard of high-end audio and packaging, dedicated to the proposition that art should be treated like art.



"How would you rather see a great painting -- in a gallery where the textures and light come off the canvas to convey the subtlety of the work, or a thumbnail JPEG on a cell phone?" says Wilson, the band's founder, guitarist and lead songwriter. "It's a no-brainer to me, and yet so few people seem to think that way about music now. Music should be presented as art, not as software and content. Convenience has triumphed over quality and experience."

Where other rock acts are content to tally streaming Web hits and iTunes sales, Porcupine Tree has earned a reputation for releases that go above and beyond. The band's albums are typically accompanied by high-def surround versions and handsomely crafted vinyl packages; last fall's "The Incident" was released on DVD-Audio and a $100 vinyl edition that included two books of photography and illustrations.

Wilson, who founded the English band in the early '90s, is increasingly recognized as a go-to expert in the field: The 42-year-old is a regular contributor to audiophile magazines such as Sound & Vision, earned a Grammy nomination for his 5.1 surround production of Porcupine Tree's "Fear of a Blank Planet" album and was recently handpicked by Robert Fripp to create 5.1 mixes of the vaunted King Crimson catalog.

 

"I grew up loving music and fantastic-sounding records," says Wilson. "So I've always aspired to making fantastic sonic experiences that people can immerse themselves in."

In that sense, Wilson and Porcupine Tree harken back to heroes such as Pink Floyd, whose decades-old albums still serve as fine-tuning reference discs for audiophiles and studio technicians.

"That's still the golden era," he says of the decade that followed the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" -- a period when "every album was inspired by the idea that it could be more than 10 pop songs thrown together."

So it's more than the high-end sonics: Porcupine Tree's imaginative, cerebral art-rock is conceived with an old-school approach to the album as a thematic statement.

"There are still some people committed to the album as a kind of musical journey, very much the antithesis of the iPod shuffle mentality. Bands like Porcupine Tree, Mars Volta, Radiohead, Opeth, Muse -- in addition to specializing in an artful form of rock music, we're committed to the idea of the album. That's the other side of the MP3 coin: You're not only listening to (crappy) sound -- you're not hearing albums the way the artist intended."

Wilson's war on the iPod isn't just rhetoric. He's drawn thousands of views for a YouTube video series that shows him gleefully destroying the MP3 devices with all manner of weaponry: a rifle, a blowtorch, a sledgehammer. The clips have produced an inevitable pushback from some young viewers and Apple aficionados, but Wilson has also been heartened by the response.

"What was also encouraging was seeing the news that sales of vinyl are on the rise again, including kids who appreciate that tactile experience," he says. "People are happy to feel they have something they can treasure and cherish."

With "The Incident" having peaked at No. 25 to become the band's top-charting U.S. release, Porcupine Tree will arrive Sunday at the Fillmore Detroit with a new burst of momentum. It's been a long, steady upward trajectory for the band since its 1991 debut, largely driven by word of mouth among music connoisseurs.

The group is often tagged with the "progressive rock" label, and indeed, its audience is heavily composed of fans from the prog-rock and metal worlds, where Wilson says listeners "are instilled with an appreciation for people who can play their instruments."

"I don't think you come to a Porcupine Tree show expecting a party," he says. "You come ready for something a little more intense, ready to engage more than you would with an AC/DC concert."

Still, there's a softer, more pristine edge to much of Porcupine Tree's music, and Wilson says the band strives to craft songs that are as accessible on the surface as they are deep underneath.

"I've never been one to be obscure for the sake of being obscure, or complex for the sake of it," he says. "I think there's a way to strike a balance between classic songwriting and a performance that has many levels to it, so you can immerse yourself in the musical landscape on many different levels. Those are the records I loved when I was a kid -- sometimes you'd just sing along, and sometimes you'd immerse yourself in the whole of a beautifully produced musical experience."


Contact BRIAN McCOLLUM: 313-223-4450 or mccollum@freepress.com

Posted via web from FZDolfan's Posterous

I got your entitlement right here!

So I'm sitting in a Shop Rite parking lot checking Twitter instead of getting anything done, and I notice this woman with a young child trying to get her cart over the "island" between parking sections and having little success. She must have called out to the guy collecting carts to help her because by the time I saw this he was already running over to help.
As soon as he grabs the front of the cart and lifts it, she let go and took her child over to her mini-van which was about 75 feet away. She gets in and opens the automatic side door as if this guy is going to bring her cart all the way over there for her. He obviously assumed she just wanted help getting the cart "over the hump," because that's all he did and then went back to rounding up carts. She finally realized he wasn't coming and closed the door and drove over to the cart. It gave me a nice little chuckle to see someone "expect" someone to provide tailored service and end up having to do it themselves.
Could he have been more helpful? Sure, but considering her apparent sense of entitlement, it was almost like he said, "Come get it yourself stupid! I did the hard part! It's not my fault you forgot where you parked! I have work to do!"

I almost got out and yelled to him, "Atta boy Spider! Don't take shit from anyone!"

Posted via email from FZDolfan's Posterous

It pays to pre-order

So Porcupine Tree will be releasing a Blu-ray/DVD package of a concert filmed towards the end of their amazing Fear of a Blank Planet tour. It is called "Anesthetize" (also the title of an epic track off of the album Fear of a Blank Planet) and will be released in June. A financially draining limited special edition, which includes audio CDs of the video as well as a hard cover "book style" package can be purchased from the band's online store. Anyway, I decided to take the more frugal approach and I pre-ordered just the standard BD/DVD package from Amazon. Well, at the time I placed my order, it was showing that it was Blu-ray only for $17.49, and also available was DVD only for $19.99. As it turns out, these were wrong, as it is ONLY being released as a BD/DVD set. I just checked, and they seem to have fixed the issue, and now it is listed at $22.49 (as of this blog post...it could still change). So thanks to Amazon's low price pre-order guarantee, I'm still only paying $17.49!
It pays to pre-order. :-)





I should note that Amazon STILL has a listing for just the standard DVD, but Kscope records (the label the DVD is on) insists it will NOT be released this way (unless they meant just the Blu-ray won't be standalone).

Real Time excerpt

 Here's a short clip from Real Time with Bill Maher. Funny and sad at the same time.
I took the video with my phone pointed at the TV, so give me a break on the quality.

Posted via email from FZDolfan's Posterous