.:.impossible

We've been getting into the curling this year as well. Our best frame of reference has been shuffleboard, bocce, petanque. It looks like fun to me!

Sangrey did a pretty good job of explaining everything regarding the dynamic IP address. Basic residential service is going to get you a variable upload/download speed that you can usually count on to be around 384k/1.5M. Y'all's speed tests seem low. Most carriers are now offering premium services for gamers who do actually use there upload bandwidth. Aside from Jim Alfredson and a few other posters here, most of us are rarely using 10% of our upload bandwidth. As soon as I hit 'Add Reply' I am uploading this tiny text file to the server that hosts org.org. Immediately my modem begins downloading the most current version of the thread I posted in. Businesses pay A LOT more for their static IP addresses, their guaranteed symmetrical bandwidth, etc. They are using their bandwidth to transfer larger amounts of data back and forth between locations. In these cases, upload is as important as download. Think about a four lane road in town that shuts down one of the inbound lanes during evening rush hour and reallocates it for outbound commuters. Your ISP is basically deciding for you that you don't need that extra outbound lane. They are reallocating that bandwidth for other users on the network.

Major Holly Buddy Holly Holly Hobby

I think. I'm not sure. Too many aliases. Monk Hughes, Otis Jackson Jr., Malik Flavors, etc etc.

Madlib is more than turntables. You might like Yesterday's New Quintet. I've heard some of these tracks and they are very Madlib, at the same time very Blue Note. I think he did a good job, but there are shoutouts from obscure rappers (which is weird to me) as well as from Andrew Hill, Lou Donaldson, Leon Spencer etc. I have a feeling you might like this disc. Look into Yesterday's New Quintet as well if you are interested. Stones Throw

That's true you know.

While we're at it... Dmitry bought both my brother and I Christmas gifts this year. He's just a generous guy.

It was suggested that I go on explaining to you what Signal To Noise refers to. I have to admit, I just copy/pasted the definition from a website, but I think it is fairly comprehensive. In analog and digital communications, signal-to-noise ratio, often written S/N or SNR, is a measure of signal strength relative to background noise. The ratio is usually measured in decibels (dB). If the incoming signal strength in microvolts is Vs, and the noise level, also in microvolts, is Vn, then the signal-to-noise ratio, S/N, in decibels is given by the formula S/N = 20 log10(Vs/Vn) If Vs = Vn, then S/N = 0. In this situation, the signal borders on unreadable, because the noise level severely competes with it. In digital communications, this will probably cause a reduction in data speed because of frequent errors that require the source (transmitting) computer or terminal to resend some packets of data. Ideally, Vs is greater than Vn, so S/N is positive. As an example, suppose that Vs = 10.0 microvolts and Vn = 1.00 microvolt. Then S/N = 20 log10(10.0) = 20.0 dB which results in the signal being clearly readable. If the signal is much weaker but still above the noise -- say 1.30 microvolts -- then S/N = 20 log10(1.30) = 2.28 dB which is a marginal situation. There might be some reduction in data speed under these conditions. If Vs is less than Vn, then S/N is negative. In this type of situation, reliable communication is generally not possible unless steps are taken to increase the signal level and/or decrease the noise level at the destination (receiving) computer or terminal. Communications engineers always strive to maximize the S/N ratio. Traditionally, this has been done by using the narrowest possible receiving-system bandwidth consistent with the data speed desired. However, there are other methods. In some cases, spread spectrum techniques can improve system performance. The S/N ratio can be increased by providing the source with a higher level of signal output power if necessary. In some high-level systems such as radio telescopes, internal noise is minimized by lowering the temperature of the receiving circuitry to near absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius or -459 degrees Fahrenheit). In wireless systems, it is always important to optimize the performance of the transmitting and receiving antennas. .:. Now, when he said "taste", did he actually mean "tact"?

Happy Birthday! I hope you spent some time in front of that Deagan of yours!

The Chesapeake Bay has, on an almost regular basis, frozen over so thick in areas that auto traffic can cross. Of course the Chesapeake is a relatively shallow bay. This has happened on a larger scale as recently as 1977. Before that, the late 1930s I believe. Second story snows have been reported from islands in the middle of the Bay going back to 1780. This is not a common occurrence and I wouldn't imagine trying to explain it. Odd weather we're having, eh? ... I've read many scientists contribute our current state to both cyclical occurrences and human impact. I think it is odd for people to deny that scenario. My knowledge on climates is limited, but I have done some reading on global warming. Global warming is about sea level rise and fractional changes in the oceans' temperatures. Thermal expansion and glacial recession contributed under 15cm of sea level rise over the past 100 years. Past that, we don't have data to compare to. My hunch would be that it is an accelerated rate due to human impact. CO2 emissions continue to rise. Even if emissions were reduced tomorrow, CO2 levels would continue to increase. I've read different ideas as to how long this would continue. That is nuts. Reading a lot of these reports, especially “An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century,” it almost feels like we are hopeless. It is an absolute shame that we neglected these issues for so long in pursuit of progress.

"Signal" is singular. You are typing it in plural (signals). It refers to signal to noise ratio.

http://www.signaltonoisemagazine.com/

Same thing in Newport. A few minutes into the first tune and many people began to ramble around. I think Ornette followed a big band of all-stars, but I can't remember. Night and day though.

oh... the wiltern show. I read that he was on a mini-tour west coast with Calexico and Iron&Wine.

Adam, Do you know if Tim Rutili was also playing that LA show? Just curious.

Thanks for that link Lazaro. I am really looking forward to hearing this new album. Even the man's song titles are inspiring! Not to mention the music!

I think there are too many variables here. I think the biggest one is location. Where do you live? You can rip through the most difficult of tunes, sight read like you're eating alphabet soup, and have been composing for three or four horns since you were a teenager, but you live in Iowa. That's going to be tough, even though you've mastered every reed instrument you've been able to get your hands on. I think the second biggest one, also dependent upon the first in ways, is what do you play? If you play guitar, for instance, in a town full of guitarists, you are going to have a lot more competition for the gig. How dedicated are you? If you don't eat, shit, breathe music, chances are the bassist across the river does. He's going to get the gigs you dreamed of when you first started going at it. My brother makes his living solely on music. Yes, he teaches privately to supplement the money he makes on gigs, but he has never had any other job. Crazy to think about, considering I started working when I was fourteen. Thing is, it sometimes seems like I have more free time than he does. If I want to make a road trip and take a few days, or a long weekend, I can just do it. He, on the other hand, has too many commitments. He has to find a sub for three or four days worth of gigs, reschedule lessons, and hope that a band gig doesn't pop up unexpectedly on short notice like they so often do. Bands don't accept subs...

I saw this group play at the Newport Jazz Festival (was it two summers ago already?). They were fantastic. Everything I was hoping and then some, of course. It's Ornette. I've probably talked about this elsewhere. Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Brian Blade played the set after Ornette's. Pretty amazing stuff. Similar mood actually. Ornette was wearing the best suit I've ever seen in person. It was a like a television test pattern. The music was just incredible.

Well, having lived with them for over a year now, I would say that the upper octave is extreme, but the lower and middle octave have a lot of depth that I would not describe as "bright". Maybe I got it wrong. The upper octave SCREAMS if I'm playing with med-hard mallets! Maybe that is how other vibists describe these bars as bright! I've found that the mallets make as much of an impact on my tone as anything. The bars sound very different playing with a medium mallet vs. a medium hard mallet. I always thought I'd play with the motor running, but I've really been playing more without vibrato than I have with. Bruce, do you play with vibrato most of the time?

I don't think a listener is necessary, though. Not to get into the whole "if a tree falls in the woods" thing.

I will refute that argument with but two words: Kenny G. Of course I excluded the bastardization of music. Though who knows, I don't know how Kenny G's playing makes him feel.

That is something else that I had written down.

Yeah! First time! It is always amazing when I hear something like that for the first time and I wonder why I hadn't ever checked it out before. I'll pull it out again this weekend. I remember really loving the left hand!

I wrote a lot of things down today, but this was the one that I thought I'd type up. Music is a means by which to diminish physical pain by creating sound. I wouldn't say that is how I define music. This is one way that I would describe it.

Yes. That is great stuff. Initially, I thought I'd prefer the trio recordings to the quintet, but that quintet is just fantastic.