Sad sunny day

I'm sad today because I can't find my suglasses.
They were the neat blue ones I wear in my avatar --->

I know I lost them sometime last Thursday. I've looked everywhere I can think that I might have put them down. But, I have a bad feeling they have fallen out of my pocket. The worst part is that because they are prescription no one has stolen them, so somewhere they are just sitting.

I hate to think about spending money to replace them... and I should go get my eyes checked, which is just more money. DOH.

Off the radar

Is loosing track of people part of getting older?
I don't mean like forgetting where you put them or where you saw them last - although that is funny too
The last few days have felt that way. How the heck do I loose track of people so quick.
On the weekend I got together with some of my classmates from the Radio and TV at Conestoga. Thanks to Amanda (far left) for the pictureIt was a good time and I think we will hang out more often (maybe even get a few of the guys to show up next time) But that got me thinking... "wow we loose track of people so quick"
Carla (first on the left) convinced me that I needed to be on facebook.com - So I added myself to yet another social network
Sidebar - I will NOT be blogging there too :)
And what happens when I add my name. I see that my friend Rachel has added me.... and she is holding a new little baby. So is it possible that a friend that in recent history was a great friend has had a baby and I didn't even know about it. (Ok, actually the other day someone asked me if Rachel had a baby and I didn't know)

You get the point. With all this technology and stuff and I still loose track of people.
Just makes me disapointed.

I'm back (maybe)

Hi... I know that 1 of you checks this often. I don't even need to guess because I have software to check these things.

I've been thinking that I should be adding stuff more often. "why?" you ask.
Well recently some new friends have been around The Gig - Mike and Em. Em has posted some stuff about their experience in coming to The Gig. (you can find that here) It really inspired me in reading how they have found a place where they are not the weird ones. (apparently we have enough weird ones.... ah Alan) :)

But the truth is that their passion has excited me. I don't know that I have done a good job of telling them that. Maybe Mike has software that will tell him I have linked to him and now he will know.... gotta love technology.

So I thought maybe it would be worth putting my thoughts down every once and a while... no promises

So you want to start recording services on CD (or other Digital)?

The era of the analog tape has ended. We now live in a digital age and to a certain extent churches are doing their best to get caught up. It is hard to find a household or car that doesn’t have a CD player and many people have stopped using their cassettes altogether. The major duplication companies (e.g. Telex) have completely stopped making tape duplicators. In fact, the cost of buying blank tapes has pushed many churches into looking at CD duplication. The CD has become the standard by which people expect recorded material to be distributed on.

Advantages to consider:
- Maximum 80 minutes of audio per disc
- Digital. Quality is better than analog cassette tape and CDs can be copied over and over without any generation loss.
- Most discs are made to label or write on

Frequently Asked Questions.

Q: Our service is longer than 80 min. What do you suggest?
A: Most churches have realized that what people really want to “take home” is the sermon. Rarely will people want to hear the worship time, announcements, offering etc. There are some exceptions to this – mostly relating to shut-ins and people that were not in attendance. A CD with the sermon only usually meets the needs of the congregation.



Q: We want to record more than the sermon. What else works?
A: Many churches have also found success by choosing to only record a few songs of worship or pause the CD recorder during some portions of the service.
There are also CD burners that will record starting on one disc and continue to the second. But keep in mind that now 2 CDs will have to be distributed.

Q: Can we continue to record on tape as well as add a CD recorder?
A: Yes the record signal from the console can be split and run to both machines.

Q: Can we record to a computer (or other device) and then edit to fit a CD?
A: Yes you can. But keep in mind that it becomes a task to edit before the file can be burned to a CD. It is one more job that must be done by a member of the congregation. Also a good computer and proper sound card are necessary to properly record audio.

Q: We currently have a computer for displaying songs (PowerPoint etc) Can we use the same computer to record the services?
A: Yes and No. Graphical programs and Audio programs both use a great deal of system resources and it might load down most computers. A very new computer with a lot of processing power might be able to handle it. But use caution.
Also, keep in mind that Video and Audio usually have separate operators, who now are both trying to share one computer to do their tasks.

Q: What are the duplication options when recording to CD?
A: CD duplication units are available for all sizes of distribution. Starting with simple “1 to 1” units ranging to the “1 to 16” tower units. No matter what the size these units are very simple to operate and come in variety of bay sizes to meet the individual needs of your church.

Q: In the past we dubbed tapes one at a time. Is that possible with CDs?
A: Yes there are two bay CD recorders that can dub bay to bay. Also the “play” bay can be used during the service to play any program material.

Q: Can we make multiple CD copies (duplicate) ?
A: Yes you can. The advantage of duplicators is that they are designed for that task. It is as simple as put the master copy in and start the duplicator. Windows XP machines do make the process quite easy and it is ultimately an issue of how much time is required to make copies on the computer vs. a high-speed duplication machine

Q: Is there a way to label or print on these CDs?
A: Of course there is always the reliable “Sharpie” marker. But, yes there are a variety of options for printing. For small batches, many churches will just buy labels and print off as many as necessary on a standard office printer. Beyond that there are Disc printers that actually print directly to printable discs, Also, there are “Publishing” duplicators that will do the job of both burning and printing to each copy of the disc and can work in volumes over 100 discs at a time.

Here are some Pros and Cons of the various formats available with the approximate cost of each option.

CD Recording:

Pros:
- Standard household format.
- Easy to use. (Just hit record)
- Digital format that is easy to copy
Cons:
- Limited to the 80 Minute CD format

Approximate Cost: $750 - $1200 (CAD)


Wav/Mp3 (Device) Recording

Pros:
- Digital format – easy to import to edit software
- Length of recording time of up to 8 hours depending on quality.
- Must be Edited to fit on 80 min CD format
- Small equipment size (Single space rackmount)
Cons:
- Must be copied to computer and edited to burn to CD


Approximate Cost: $1350 - $1500 (CAD)
(Recorder and 2 Gig compact flash card – not including editing computer)


Software Based Recording

Pros:
- Ability to edit recorded material
- Length of recording only limited by physical memory of computer
Cons:
- Someone MUST edit to fit on 80 min CD format
- A computer with proper system requirements and a quality (usually external) sound card are necessary
- Can be a slow turn around time for distribution
- Above average ability (or some training) required.
- Must be recorded onto media for hard copy distribution.

Approximate Cost: $1800 –? (Varies by quality of computer) (CAD)

There are various good “freeware” audio-editing programs that are available for public use. One we would recommend is Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

A change of direction

What is a blog?

For some people it is pouring out their soul about the stuff that is happening in life
That not for me.
For some people it is a bunch of links without any real context
Tried that , but what is the really point when for the most part I am just lifting them all from other place
For some it is a deep spiritual statment - with the goal of starting converstaion.
I like to read those, but I get bogged down tring to create the content myself

So for over a month I've not bothered to post.

Today in searching for a bass line to "Hungry" I came across a blog started by the artist behind the song Katherine Scott (and also the name of her blog). She has written a number of small articles about her experience on worship etc.

To be honest it inspired me to look at putting some of my experience down for others to come across. To write articles from the technical (and I guess the bass) side of worship, church and life. Maybe at the least it will inspire some other techie to do something.

So hopefully this is the start of little more consistent blogging. I don't promise every day, but I'll do my best to offer what I've got

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.