Why the "loudness wars" are killing today's music

collision detection:

"Pull out a vinyl record from the 70s or early 80s, and listen to it. Odds are it'll have a big dynamic range -- it'll be whisper-quiet in some parts and booming loud in others. You'll pick up new nuances every time you listen to it. Now listen to any music track recorded in the last ten years, and it'll be radically different. That dynamic range is gone: The entire track is loud, all the way through. The sound sounds a lot more intense, and it 'grabs' you more quickly the first time you hear it. But does it still reward re-listening?"

24

Guardian Unlimited Film | Interviews | What a difference a day makes: Has an article with Kiefer Sutherland, which is not a bad read. I like this part

24 things you didn't know about 24

1 Jack Bauer has killed 112 people over the five years of the show. Season 4, during which he dispatched 44 'hostiles', was his best ever; in the first season he managed a lacklustre 10.

2 Kiefer Sutherland heard that American college students use 24 as a drinking game, downing a shot every time Jack Bauer says 'damn it'. So he changed the script in one episode to have Jack say 'damn it' 14 times in one hour.

3 Another frat-house game is to monitor Jack's flouting of the Geneva Conventions. In season 2 he shot a key suspect under interrogation in the heart before beheading him. In season 3, he executed a colleague on the president's orders.

4 Jack's entry codes for CTU (Counter Terrorism Unit) are 4393 and Q22Q17

5 For season 2, a prototype script was written in which each (non real-time) episode would span 24 hours, but execs decided to stick to the original format.

6 During season 4 an incoming call number was shown on a character's mobile phone. More than 50,000 fans dialled the number - only to find it was real and belonged to one of the crew.

7 More than 20 lead characters have died in seasons 1-5.

8 Jack Bauer has actually died twice. In season 2 he was tortured, burned and tazered to death before miraculously coming round. In season 4 he was shot dead; then Tony Almeida injected him with epinephrine and he recovered.

9 Executive Producer Evan Katz once said: 'We make a lot of it up as we go along.'

10 24 was the first TV show to embrace real-time - the clock keeps ticking during ad breaks and there are no flashbacks.

11 Of course, it's not quite as simple as that. Three minutes are in fact gradually added to the timer during the ad breaks.

12 Almost all scenes are shot at head height.

13 We've never seen Jack eating, sleeping or going to the toilet. As a joke for season 5 he was filmed exiting the bathroom, eating a sandwich and wearing his pyjamas. It didn't make the final cut.

14 What might have been: 'The original iteration of 24 was that we were going to do 24 hours in the life of a wedding ... kind of a romantic comedy series.' (Creator Joel Surnow)

15 In the US, the Fox network had to screen adverts during season 4 episodes showing 'positive' images of Muslims, to counter charges of Islamophobia.

16 Everyone on the programme has to sign pledges not to reveal the plot.

17 Former presidential candidate and Republican Senator John McCain is such a fan of 24 he landed himself a walk-on part.

18 Blooper alert! The Californian presidential primary - the backdrop to season 1 - is held in March, not June.

19 The premiere was due to air in the US just one month after 9/11. Following the attacks, a shot of a 747 exploding was removed and the screening was delayed.

20 Jack's daughter, Kim, has been held captive in one form or other eight times.

21 Sarah Clarke was cast as Nina Myers on the morning filming was due to begin for the pilot episode.

22 Glenn Morshower, Kiefer Sutherland, Carlos Bernard and Dennis Haysbert are the only actors to appear in all five seasons.

23 To speak fluent Jack, use the following phrases often: 'Where's Kim?', 'Who are you working for?', 'Get down on the ground!' and, of course, 'Damn it!'

24 Fox commissioned two more series of 24 in May. A feature film will begin production next year, with parts to be shot in London.

Hilsong Parody

If you're easily offended - keep moving on :)

A better wall plug

A new plug design, angled out from the wall to make it easier to plug things in or out. It was created by University of Notre Dame student Julia Burke, and won an IDSA award this year.

Looks like an interesting way to try it.

read more | digg story

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR RAWWWWWWBEEEEEE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Today is the Rev. Robert Abbott's 36th birthday.
Happy Birthday Old Man.

Happy Canada Day

Just sitting at the computer enjoying a coffee, paying some bills and letting the breeze roll in the window. An excellent day in Kitchener.

I have to head to The Gig to clear out the sound gear so that we can clean things up to hang the lights on Monday. Might even get a chance to wash the truck.

Happy Canada Day

Supposing ... I'm too old for MySpace

Charlie Brooker: Supposing ... I'm too old for MySpace:

"I don't 'get' it. I mean, I know what MySpace is and what it's supposed to do and how influential it is. It's just that whenever I've visited a MySpace page I've thought 'is that it?' and wandered around the perimeter looking confused, like a blind man patting the walls for an exit he can't find.

So users create a page and upload their music and photos and videoclips; they post blog entries and links to other stuff and leave witty little messages for one another. And it all meshes together to form a thriving social network. Okey dokey. On the surface it all makes sense.

Yet it's not for me. I mean, I could go and create a page myself, but somehow I'd rather scrape my retina off with a car key."

Morning thoughts

Brea is heading for Windsor for a wedding this morning and stopped at the shop to say hi before leaving and brought me a Starbucks' Carmel Sugar Flappa Mappa(or something like that)

Of course I enjoyed it and when it was done I started reading what was on the cup.

The Way I See It #101
The most valuable things in life are
priceless. They are courage,
compassion, wisdom, respect for
ourselves and others and a host of
characteristics that we call the beauty
of the human spirit

-- Herbie Hancock
musician

Ok before you think that I have gone nuts and my comments is on this quote and some deep emotional response you need to see what is written below the quote.

This is the author's opinion, not necessarily that of Starbucks

Is this how they try to weasel out of being accountable for what it says.?.. This isn't a talk show were somebody could accidentally say something stupid this is a coffee cup with a quote that you choose to print. It's not like Starbucks is going to allow anything controversial on the cups...

Oh wait I have an idea.

The Way I See It #102
I am the way and the truth
and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me.

-- Jesus Christ
carpenter

I bet they could use the disclaimer then.

Maybe I've had too much caffeine today

Too much time on your hands?

click on me

Bass Player Infractions

This was passed along to our shop a while ago by one of our guitar playing sales reps.

If you play with/are a bass player this is kind of fun.

QUIPMENT VIOLATIONS - ELECTRIC
Forgetting strap $10
Changing strings after every set $15
Using electric tuner $15
Setting up mic "just in case" $75
Forgetting to turn amp on $40
Bringing amp larger than 1 person can carry in 1 trip $50
Asking horn player for help moving amp $25
Bringing custom-made bass $100 per string above 4
Bringing more than 1 bass $100 per extra bass
Skull decals on bass $150
Bringing fretless bass $500

The full list is here