I've decided to make a change to my blog - not that I have done much of it lately. And that perhaps is because everyone can whine about the current idiot in the Whitehouse - whoever that may be. No, instead I am going to concentrate and write about something much closer to me and personal. My sailboat.
A couple of years ago we purchased a 1969 Morgan 28 sailboat. That sounds like an old boat and it is. But we have embarked on making her new again. We have already taken a lot of steps and made a lot of changes to improve her, but I've noticed the updates never end. They may not be as critical for safety or usability, but they are needed nevertheless for comfort and enjoyment. It is time consuming, frustrating and pleasing all at the same time. I am not overly mechanical. I have a desk job and am pretty much a geek. So my learning has been slow but steady.
So my plan is to create a blog for each new chore I embark on. It may be trying a new product, building something or just basic maintenance. A blog of diary would be a bit boring so I will try to teach you what I've learned (if anything) and learn from you at the same time. Some of it may appeal to you, some not. I feel the same way about the bulk of my chores on the boat. Some I just curse from start to finish others, I search for imperfections I want to correct.
Well that's the plan at least. I will start adding a blog once a week going forward. Hopefully it will be a beneficial for you. I know it will be for me. So before we get too far into this world, I want to give you a little insight into who you are dealing with here on this page. I'd like to say I am a blue collar "done it all" but I'm not. Like I mentioned earlier, I am pretty much a middle-aged geek. I spend most of my life in front of a computer screen. Most of what I do is too boring to write about. The garbageman still has the edge. I need to learn about my boat and learn how to do manual labor. For those of you who are PC and cringe at real life honesty, well pretty much, piss off. If you want honesty, I'll try to give it, good or bad. I have a lot of short comings, but manual labor isn't one of them.
So anyway, here we go. I will do my best and hope you will appreciate the tellings of a guy who has no idea what he is doing but is doing it anyway - just because...
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Junkin' - Episode 102 segment 1
Junkin' was by far our favorite Sunday morning show. Relaxing, interesting and just plain fun. Dave and Val were staples of discussion during our morning coffee. TV worth watching.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The music formula
I listen to a lot of music. If I'm awake, there's a good chance music is there. My tastes are on the broad side. From Celtic to Classical, to Jazz and Rock, it's all in my MP3 player. Listening to all this music through the years, I've noticed bands that write this music tend to go through phases. They start raw and disjointed and end up melodic and repetitious. In my earlier years, I called it "going pop". As bands matured, their music tended to become more mainstream and acceptable. While in the beginning bands were raw and fresh, near the end of their tenure they drifted toward sounds that were homogeneous and indistinguishable from anyone else. Hence, the phrase "going pop". Because as anyone will attest; pop music is always the same and always predictable. That is not necessarily a bad thing unless you enjoy variety.
This phenomena is probably what drove me to different music styles. I just couldn't listen to the same type of music every day of my life so I'd switch the channel. It was then that I noticed that many of these different musical styles and the bands that played them, tended to do the same thing as the musical forms and artists I was trying to leave behind. They would migrate towards a similar melodic and vocal style that left them all sounding the same. I found this irritating and it required more channel changing. After a number of decades of this chase, I became concerned that I would run out of genres to turn to. Basically, I would run out of channels.
To give you some examples, I'll reach back a few years. Huey Lewis and News was a raw pop band their first couple of albums. However, as each new album was released, I noticed the inevitable drive towards pop. Near the end of their reign, I didn't buy their music because I knew it would sound like too much pop. There were plenty of other bands that went this same way. REO Speedwagon, No Doubt, Van Halen, ELO, Keb Mo', the Chieftains, The Stones and Jimmy Buffett just to name a minuscule few. Regardless of the musical genre, they all migrated toward a repeatable similarity that basically spelled the end of what made them special. There were some exceptions to this and they were usually less popular bands who didn't get the comfort of the big record industry. That is when it hit me.
Today, making a hit song is straight forward. If Britney Spears can make a song that goes to number 1, you know it can't be too difficult. It's even easy to make a song that sounds like it is from days gone by into a hit. For example, take "That Thing You Do". The reason this is so easy is that there is a formula for making popular music. Music executives know this and this is why record producers will steer artists into altering their music to sound different than it was originally written. The goal is to adhere to the formula.
What kind of proof do I have? Well that should be fairly obvious. The Beatles, Radio Head and a number of other bands have struck out on their own starting their own record labels so they could produce their own music. However, most of the time, when an artist is popular enough and has enough resources to go this route, they've already been indoctrinated with the formula and they are never able to retrieve that special something that brought them original glory. The vast majority of artists stick with the music industry and their formula.
I was listening to a band called "Great Big Sea" recently. They had just released their latest album. The CD also came with a video of the band making the CD. And there he was: The producer. "Change this so it flows", "Reduce this so it fits better." A number of changes were made to the original tune to make it better in the producer's eyes. To make it more homogeneous and to lose the edge that made the music different. The end result, from a Celtic band who during their first few albums spent their time recreating old sea faring songs in a modern vein, was a pop album that could have been made by Michael Jackson.
I can understand the producer's plan. He wants an album that can sell and make everyone a lot of money. To reach the widest audience, you have to have a consistent trait the masses will flock to and buy in droves. So the music has to adhere to the "Hit" formula to get it mainstream. It is in that movement towards popularity that the music and the artist dies. His music becomes someone else's. It becomes the mobs music. It's Popular.
There are some bands who were able to buck this trend. REM is an example. They made a concerted effort to return to their roots. And in doing so, they disappeared from the radio. However, bands like REM are the exception, not the rule. For most, the idea of fame and glory leads them down the pop stream until their music isn't distinguishable from anyone else's with the exception of the lead singers voice.
The formula works when pushing music to the masses. It generates sales which makes everyone rich. However, in recent years as we all know, sales of music have fallen off. Record companies blame it on downloading. That might play a part, but I think the true reason is that many people are getting tired of the formula. We want to hear the awkward lyric or out of pitch voice that makes the artist more human. We want music that is more human with all its imperfections. We don't want to hear the formula. We want to hear the artist.
Alas, there is where things have gotten tricky. The formula is powerful. People new to music or easily led will listen to the formula not really knowing (or caring) that it is contrived. They are comfortable knowing that each tune, each song, will sound the same. Variations only exist in minute detail. There is comfort in familiarity. But there is also boredom. So those of us who live on the fringes, who desire raw human emotion and raw displays, will continue to search. It is a hard road because those artists we find who break the mold, often don't get enough following to survive. And the formula brings them into the fold of pop.
My dream is that the Internet will eventually wash away much of the formula. It will certainly mean the end of music as we know it today. Instead of multi-platinum records, artists will make a living performing in small venues where the money is low but the support is intense. Regional sounds will return to music so music heard in California will sound substantially different then what is heard in the outskirts of Atlanta. It's a dream I have that the formula will fight against. And it will take people with a desire to stand apart to make it happen.
I don't hold out much hope. So my search continues. The formula keeps on making money and those of us who want the human touch continue to search the dark crevices of music looking for that nugget. The hope is that we can find it long before everyone else so we can enjoy that raw emotion, that unbridled passion for a little while.
This phenomena is probably what drove me to different music styles. I just couldn't listen to the same type of music every day of my life so I'd switch the channel. It was then that I noticed that many of these different musical styles and the bands that played them, tended to do the same thing as the musical forms and artists I was trying to leave behind. They would migrate towards a similar melodic and vocal style that left them all sounding the same. I found this irritating and it required more channel changing. After a number of decades of this chase, I became concerned that I would run out of genres to turn to. Basically, I would run out of channels.
To give you some examples, I'll reach back a few years. Huey Lewis and News was a raw pop band their first couple of albums. However, as each new album was released, I noticed the inevitable drive towards pop. Near the end of their reign, I didn't buy their music because I knew it would sound like too much pop. There were plenty of other bands that went this same way. REO Speedwagon, No Doubt, Van Halen, ELO, Keb Mo', the Chieftains, The Stones and Jimmy Buffett just to name a minuscule few. Regardless of the musical genre, they all migrated toward a repeatable similarity that basically spelled the end of what made them special. There were some exceptions to this and they were usually less popular bands who didn't get the comfort of the big record industry. That is when it hit me.
Today, making a hit song is straight forward. If Britney Spears can make a song that goes to number 1, you know it can't be too difficult. It's even easy to make a song that sounds like it is from days gone by into a hit. For example, take "That Thing You Do". The reason this is so easy is that there is a formula for making popular music. Music executives know this and this is why record producers will steer artists into altering their music to sound different than it was originally written. The goal is to adhere to the formula.
What kind of proof do I have? Well that should be fairly obvious. The Beatles, Radio Head and a number of other bands have struck out on their own starting their own record labels so they could produce their own music. However, most of the time, when an artist is popular enough and has enough resources to go this route, they've already been indoctrinated with the formula and they are never able to retrieve that special something that brought them original glory. The vast majority of artists stick with the music industry and their formula.
I was listening to a band called "Great Big Sea" recently. They had just released their latest album. The CD also came with a video of the band making the CD. And there he was: The producer. "Change this so it flows", "Reduce this so it fits better." A number of changes were made to the original tune to make it better in the producer's eyes. To make it more homogeneous and to lose the edge that made the music different. The end result, from a Celtic band who during their first few albums spent their time recreating old sea faring songs in a modern vein, was a pop album that could have been made by Michael Jackson.
I can understand the producer's plan. He wants an album that can sell and make everyone a lot of money. To reach the widest audience, you have to have a consistent trait the masses will flock to and buy in droves. So the music has to adhere to the "Hit" formula to get it mainstream. It is in that movement towards popularity that the music and the artist dies. His music becomes someone else's. It becomes the mobs music. It's Popular.
There are some bands who were able to buck this trend. REM is an example. They made a concerted effort to return to their roots. And in doing so, they disappeared from the radio. However, bands like REM are the exception, not the rule. For most, the idea of fame and glory leads them down the pop stream until their music isn't distinguishable from anyone else's with the exception of the lead singers voice.
The formula works when pushing music to the masses. It generates sales which makes everyone rich. However, in recent years as we all know, sales of music have fallen off. Record companies blame it on downloading. That might play a part, but I think the true reason is that many people are getting tired of the formula. We want to hear the awkward lyric or out of pitch voice that makes the artist more human. We want music that is more human with all its imperfections. We don't want to hear the formula. We want to hear the artist.
Alas, there is where things have gotten tricky. The formula is powerful. People new to music or easily led will listen to the formula not really knowing (or caring) that it is contrived. They are comfortable knowing that each tune, each song, will sound the same. Variations only exist in minute detail. There is comfort in familiarity. But there is also boredom. So those of us who live on the fringes, who desire raw human emotion and raw displays, will continue to search. It is a hard road because those artists we find who break the mold, often don't get enough following to survive. And the formula brings them into the fold of pop.
My dream is that the Internet will eventually wash away much of the formula. It will certainly mean the end of music as we know it today. Instead of multi-platinum records, artists will make a living performing in small venues where the money is low but the support is intense. Regional sounds will return to music so music heard in California will sound substantially different then what is heard in the outskirts of Atlanta. It's a dream I have that the formula will fight against. And it will take people with a desire to stand apart to make it happen.
I don't hold out much hope. So my search continues. The formula keeps on making money and those of us who want the human touch continue to search the dark crevices of music looking for that nugget. The hope is that we can find it long before everyone else so we can enjoy that raw emotion, that unbridled passion for a little while.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Can I sit out 2008?
The 2008 election is being billed as the most important in out lifetime. This is in contrast to the 2004 election that was 'the most important in our lifetime'. It seems journalism can't survive without everything being a crisis or epic. This election isn't all that important - not anymore important than any other. Those who think otherwise are deluding themselves.
Contestants:
First off, we have three contestants of questionable moral character and certainly a lack of ethics. Obama is under fire for sticking by a guy who claims white people unleashed AIDS on blacks in America. Hillary can't recall if she ran for cover or was met by a little girl as she deplaned in Bosnia, and McCain has forgotten that he contemplated leaving the Republican party in a very public display not 6 years ago. The character in all three candidates certainly seems to be lacking regardless of your political bent. With contestants like these, statesmanship has not only left the building, but taken a slow boat to somewhere else.
Topics:
During this Presidential cycle, there is no calamity that must be overcome, and there isn't any divisive argument going on. You can use the war as an exception but you'd be wrong. 1) Regardless what any candidate says, no one is going to pull our troops out without a plan for Iraq to take over. That means more time. Candidates can lie and say otherwise, but it ain't gonna happen. Universal healthcare is not that important compared to the economy and safety, so it won't get scarce mention. As for the economy, it will take care of itself as it always has. The best the politicians can do is get out of the way and not impede it.
Timing:
For an election to be of importance (like this one isn't), there has to be a number of critical positions at stake with contestants taking decidedly different tacks. If Obama for instance suggested we convert to a distinctively Christian nation to a intolerant country of Islam, I'd be more inclined to agree that the election took on greater importance. If McCain suggested we invade Iran and start a draft to sustain the war, again, I would agree with the importance. If Hillary just wasn't so dislikable. Well you get the drift. The thing is, all three of these candidates are different flavors of the same lollipop. They just have nuances to make them different. And there isn't any external source that differentiates them that much.
So you have a choice. Choose any one of the bad candidates or consider wishing for someone with actual character to run in 2012.
Contestants:
First off, we have three contestants of questionable moral character and certainly a lack of ethics. Obama is under fire for sticking by a guy who claims white people unleashed AIDS on blacks in America. Hillary can't recall if she ran for cover or was met by a little girl as she deplaned in Bosnia, and McCain has forgotten that he contemplated leaving the Republican party in a very public display not 6 years ago. The character in all three candidates certainly seems to be lacking regardless of your political bent. With contestants like these, statesmanship has not only left the building, but taken a slow boat to somewhere else.
Topics:
During this Presidential cycle, there is no calamity that must be overcome, and there isn't any divisive argument going on. You can use the war as an exception but you'd be wrong. 1) Regardless what any candidate says, no one is going to pull our troops out without a plan for Iraq to take over. That means more time. Candidates can lie and say otherwise, but it ain't gonna happen. Universal healthcare is not that important compared to the economy and safety, so it won't get scarce mention. As for the economy, it will take care of itself as it always has. The best the politicians can do is get out of the way and not impede it.
Timing:
For an election to be of importance (like this one isn't), there has to be a number of critical positions at stake with contestants taking decidedly different tacks. If Obama for instance suggested we convert to a distinctively Christian nation to a intolerant country of Islam, I'd be more inclined to agree that the election took on greater importance. If McCain suggested we invade Iran and start a draft to sustain the war, again, I would agree with the importance. If Hillary just wasn't so dislikable. Well you get the drift. The thing is, all three of these candidates are different flavors of the same lollipop. They just have nuances to make them different. And there isn't any external source that differentiates them that much.
So you have a choice. Choose any one of the bad candidates or consider wishing for someone with actual character to run in 2012.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Writers Strike? Who Cares?
Sit back and think for a couple minutes about how you spend your pasttime. Has the writer's strike out in Hollywood made any detrimental impact on your life? Have you rediscovered the kids, found reading enjoyable or discovered the outside world? Or do you sit in front of your television wishing it would all end so you could be productive watching new shows instead of the reruns? I am willing to bet that it isn't the latter because television and its shows have become irrelevant and predictable and no one really cares what happens to them in Hollywood. DVD sales are plummeting not because of piracy, but because most movies and television shows made today are lame. There is the occasional decent show but they are too few and far between to prop up this bloated, self-indulgent world called Hollywood.
The writer's strike will simply quicken the demise of Hollywood's irrelevance as Americans (and the world) start focusing on their wants and needs rather than what Hollywood wants to feed them. Web sites like YouTube, Facebook and numerous others have lessoned Hollywood's impact as have radio improvements like Sirius. The the ever present sue crazies from RIAA and film publishers only further alienate the population and what you get is exactly what we see today. Declining interest in an industry and the resulting decline in revenue. The writers are going after a larger share of a shrinking pie.
So I say fare-the-well and don't let the door hit your posterior on the way out. I'll just tune into YouTube to watch a film created in someone's back yard while listening to my Sirius radio station while I set up my Wii. I'll be much happier that I can do it on my schedule, without fear of lawsuit and at a much cheaper price.
The writer's strike will simply quicken the demise of Hollywood's irrelevance as Americans (and the world) start focusing on their wants and needs rather than what Hollywood wants to feed them. Web sites like YouTube, Facebook and numerous others have lessoned Hollywood's impact as have radio improvements like Sirius. The the ever present sue crazies from RIAA and film publishers only further alienate the population and what you get is exactly what we see today. Declining interest in an industry and the resulting decline in revenue. The writers are going after a larger share of a shrinking pie.
So I say fare-the-well and don't let the door hit your posterior on the way out. I'll just tune into YouTube to watch a film created in someone's back yard while listening to my Sirius radio station while I set up my Wii. I'll be much happier that I can do it on my schedule, without fear of lawsuit and at a much cheaper price.
Monday, January 14, 2008
What will it be like?
Starting from the beginning is a good thing most of the time. This blog will center around life. Not it's meaning, but the parts that make it whole. Topics will cover things dear to me such as sailing (after all I am a pirate), guns, FSU sports, wines and observations. There is enough political refuse on the Internet already so I won't foray into that realm of animal dung at least not often enough to make it a common topic.
So there you have it. A humble beginning, starting a little late to give you a little insight into the the realm of Calico Jack.
So there you have it. A humble beginning, starting a little late to give you a little insight into the the realm of Calico Jack.
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