Rooster_Ties

I'm sure our deciding NOT to have kids will have had a HUGE impact on our financial situation, over the long run. We're not rich, by any stretch, but I know we have WAY more financial options than we otherwise would if we were trying to save for a college fund, to say nothing of the other expenses associated with children. I also currently have a job in the not-for-profit sector, at less than half the take-home pay of my former IT job (more like 1/3rd, actually) -- which has fortunately had little impact on our quality of life -- since we're such cheapskates to begin with, and were always living below our means -- even when we had more means.

Last June ('06) we bought our first new (or newer) car in almost 15 years... ...and got a Prius -- and we love it!! We would buy another one again in a heartbeat. Last summer and all through most of the fall, we were getting a good 45 mpg, sometimes even closer to 48 mpg. But our mileage went down in the winter (since the engine has to run all the time to try to heat the passenger compartment), to about 35-38 mpg. The car handles wonderfully, has WAY more get-up-and-go than I was ever expecting (the extra power from the batteries). Anyone who's car shopping, and doesn't at least test-drive a Prius -- is really doing themselves a disservice. My Dad (who turns 80 this year, in May), is going to be in the market for a new (or newer) car within about the next year or two (he drives a '92 Olds now). It's a shame that he wouldn't even consider a Prius (or any non-U.S. car), and he would never buy one even if his life depended on it.

TRUE STORY (cuz it happened to me) Years ago, before I discovered automated snipers -- I was just a manual snipester. And one week there was this one really obscure classical CD that I was just DYING to get (three obscure 20th century trumpet concerti, with the same soloist as the Henze Trumpet Requiem). Well, I was due to literally be on-stage with the Kansas City Symphony that night (singing in the chorus), during the exact time when the auction closed. DRAT, I wouldn't be around to manually snipe the auction, if necessary - at the last second. Well, there was either only one really low bid (like $5), or maybe no bids, I forget which. So I used eBay's proxy bidding to bid some crazy max amount that I knew wouldn't get outbid --- THINKING that I was gonna get this thing for less than $10 or $15 -- so whatever happens, happens. So, with about an hour left in the auction, I proxy-bid (through eBay) some crazy amoung -- like $100 maybe (a whole lot, is all I remember) -- and I left home confident that I would win the auction, and probably cheap (after all, the only bid was like $5). Surely I would get it for $10 or $15, and all would be well. WELL, I get home from the concert, and check my eBay account and -- HOLY SHIT!!! -- yeah, I had won the auction, but my winning bid was something close to $60!!!!! The one $5 bidder had come back, and chipped away at my proxy bid, dollar by dollar (the guy must have bid 40 or more times!!!). And each time my proxy would outbid him, just like it was supposed to. He finally gave up at like $57 -- so with shipping, I was out a little over $60. Now if I had known about the auto-sniping stuff back then -- I would have surely won this disc for only $10 or $15 (or maybe $20). Some lessons you just have to learn the hard way.

Can't imagine how something like

Dear lord, the whole thing. And the 2nd disc of the expanded edition is SWEET!!! I first heard the Superfly soundtrack my freshman year back in college (Fall of 1987) -- just something crazy I borrowed from the college radio station (with the die-cut fold-out cover). I taped Superly on one side of a C90, with Herbie's "Death Wish" soundtrack on the other (another crazy find from the radio station library). This was all WELL before I had ANY interest in jazz (and I hadn't heard any jazz either, for that matter). And truthfully, I mainly dug Superfly (and Death Wish) because they were unlike ANYTHING I'd ever heard before in my life. At the time, I thought they were weird -- but "weird good" (or is that "weird baad!!!"). And for several years, they were basically a novelty items in my musical upbringing. Now, I just love 'em - and there's no novelty factor to them at all. I started getting more and more solo Curtis Mayfield several years ago, and even some really late 60's Impressions too. But it all started with Superfly, some 20 years ago.

Thanks Free!! I tried to post to this thread twice on Sunday, but my ISP kept dropping my connection all day. (And then Monday went wrong ten ways to China, which you know all about Paul - but all is well with all that now, whew!!) So, I'm just catching up with this thread now. Thanks everybody!! And for the record, I do own the Tolliver Select (always have!! - since the month it came out). It was the new Tolliver Big Band disc that I didn't have -- although I just got one late last week, so I've got that base covered now too!!! (Whew!!) Had a pretty uneventful birthday, and my birthday dinner wasn't until tonight actually -- which my wife and I had with my buddy who had the stroke back in January (that I've mentioned in another thread). He's doing well enough that he is getting out some now (he's been home from the hospital for about two weeks). Couldn't think of a better thing to do for my birthday, than to spend time with a friend that we're all lucky is even still around on this earth. Kinda makes one appreciate what one has, and has helped me keep everything a bit more in perspective in recent months (or so I've discovered, visiting my friend a couple dozen times since the first onset of his situation). Anyway, a pretty low-key but nice birthday this year. Thanks for the thread, Free, and all the well wishes people. Much appreciated!!

http://www.auctionstealer.com And plenty of other tools out there to do the same -- some server-based, and some that run off your own computer.

We like and use Country Companies for all our insurance (home, car, etc... - including some extra liability insurance because of an easement on our driveway), but I started with them many, many years ago with just auto insurance (gosh, almost 15 years ago, come to think of it) -- and they were very reasonable. I've never had a claim, so no idea if they'll jack up your/my rates if/when something like that happens. But I've otherwise been pretty happy with them. Might also just be the luck of the draw that I've got a really good agent (who is a Country Companies agent, not an independent agent), who -- frankly -- has really saved me a bundle by pointing out ways to reduce my overall rate(s) through multiple various legitimate discounts I could qualify and ask for -- discounts that I would have otherwise never thought to ask for (or had any clue about). He really showed me all(?) his cards (or so it would seem), and helped me work the system in my favor (at least as best I can tell). For instance, I was able to keep my "good grades" discount (that I started with WAY back when I was still a college student) – and I was able to keep that "good grades" discount all the way until I turned 30, at which time I suddenly got the same discount for just having turned 30. (Who would ever thought to ask for (or expect) a "good grades" discount for nearly a whole decade after one had gotten out of college??) Seems like a good company, but again - it could easily be that lucked out and just have a really good agent. PS: BTW, my agent's daughter is his office manager (and she really handles a ton of stuff for him, I suspect - especially as he's getting older), and she is THE single nicest and maybe THE most professional personal I think I've EVER dealt with in almost any situation I can think of.

Looking at the number of Selects they've issued in recent years, I would think that they would actually be doing a bit better than ever. (I'm not saying "lots" better, but -- WOW -- there is a LOT of Mosaic product available these days -- and one would think that would probably have to be good.)

What about a Pink Floyd?

Ornette? Did I miss something? Perhaps might have been refering to Jackie's "New And Old Gospel" (with Ornette on Trumpet) -- just a guess.

This is an unpopular thought I'll share, but I'd go one BIG step further... Change the game (radically, if necessary) and/or change the padding (radically, if necessary) so this shit doesn't happen in the first place (or not NEARLY as often). Whether or not the NFL makes good on these cases from a financial standpoint, the BIGGER problem is that they occurred in the first place - in what appears to be a systemic problem with the game. (Even if you pay them after the fact, are these players just "acceptable losses"??) If it were up to me, I'd say just ban the game. I know it'd never happen in a BILLION years. (And truthfully, I really do realize that's probably 1000x more overkill than is really necessary -- which is why my first suggestion up above was more constructive.) I feel the same way about boxing, but even more so. Grown men beating the living shit out of each other. WTF kind of sport is that?? Don't just ban boxing, criminalize it. Just because they're willing participants doesn't change the fact that the sport is basically assault and battery. (Yes, I know I'm WAY in the minority on these issues.)

What kind of jazz is it that most 'regular' folks think of, when they think of the kind of music they associate with what they think is jazz?? -- thus resulting in their claim of not liking (or specifically "hating") jazz?? I guess I'm asking this: what is the most commonly or frequently perceived notion of what "jazz" is?? - to those who have little to no idea what it really is. Kenny G?? Wynton?? Fast bebop with horns?? Trane, circa 1965?? Pops?? KoB?? Big Band?? I know, the answer depends largely upon what generation the person being asked is from, among other factors. Let's limit ourselves to people under the age of 45 (which, like it or not, is the age of people driving popular "culture" in this country (I did put that word in quotes). So that would be people born in or after 1962 -- people who turned 18 in 1980 -- people for whom there (probably) was no gateway to even hearing jazz much ever, except in unique circumstances that probably only pertain to less than 15% of the population. What do THOSE people think jazz is?? FWIW, before I met my wife (who turns 40 this year), she pretty much thought jazz was all noisy, noodly horns -- so probably "Bird & Diz"-type bebop, and other 50's and 60's horn-based small-combo stuff (or stuff that sounds like that). "Noisy" and "busy" would be the most frequent words she would have used to describe what she thought most jazz was.

I'll agree with you about the Wayne date, which sounds pretty lackluster. But much of Tyrone's "Trainwreck" sounds kinda interesting, actually. Not all of it, mind you, but I'd love to hear two or three tracks of it someday as bonus material on an "Natural Essence" Conn.

Other than Michael of course, there's at least an even odds chance David Weiss has heard this date. He's at least heard the now mythical Tyrone Washington "Trainwreck" session, and also the unreleased Wayne Shorter session too. Here's a post I made elsewhere on the board once... ===== Here's more info about the 'trainwreck' than probably any one here has ever seen (or heard). (Weiss also talked about an unreleased Wayne Shorter BN session too.) The quote comes from this thread on AAJ, but I thought I'd preserve it here too, since threads can occasionally be deleted, posts edited, etc... Full disclaimer -- Chuck may be absolutely right about this kind of material needing to stay under lock and key. (Doesn't mean I'm still not curious though.)

To put it short and sweet, "Passing Ships" is probably my favorite out of all his '67-'70 dates. It grooves at times, but it's still Hill in every way. The arrangements always blow me away every time I listen -- with two or three of the tunes easily sounding like a group with at least twice as many horns. AND -- bonus!! -- it's got Woody Shaw. What's more not to love?? Passing Ships, and Black Fire, are probably Hill's two finest hours.

It very may well be bad enough to stay locked in the can forever and always (Chuck, I'm saying you're probably right), but I'd sure as hell love to hear any line-up with... Woody Shaw (tp), Jackie McLean (as), and Tyrone Washington (ts) Woody and Tyrone -- DAMN!!!

Speaking as a fan, of course... I think this is rather damn amazing, for what it is...

If I remember correctly, it's an issue of bandwidth and revenue... They can transmit 100's and 100's of channels digitally using about HALF the amount of bandwidth needed currently for just ONE analog channel. (Or something like that, I can't remember the exact figures.) By going digital, the FCC can then auction off the use of 95% of the current bandwidth required by all of the analog stations. I seem to remember this was expected to be a windfall for the government in terms of a close to a billion dollars or more in revenue. That, and you really do get far better picture quality (not that I care). Also, they can transmit several lesser-quality channels (in terms of video quality), in the same space needed by just one HD channel. PBS, for instance, is likely to have one big HD line-up of programming in the evenings, but then something like 4 separate non-HD channels during non-primetime hours, all with different programming.

BTW, the original title of this thread was "Who is this trumpter?" -- which I've already changed, because we appear to have the answer already (thanks Larry!). ===== Here's the full clip: from Thought it might have been Terence Blanchard, but he looks a little too young (not way too young, but a little bit). Is there a recording of this available? What else was on the program? What was this group? If not Blanchard, Jeremy Pelt maybe? (FYI, the conductor does mention to soloists name at the very end, but I sure can't tell what he's saying -- other than it doesn't sound like "Terence Blanchard", at least not to my ears.) Opinions of the rendition and performance?? I'm rather liking it. The soloist doesn't take things into territory too uncharted - but it isn't entirely a straight rendition of Miles' original either. PS: And once we get an answer about who the trumpeter is, I'd like to morph this topic into a "further interpretations of the "Miles + Gil" material (orchestral, big band, or otherwise)"-type direction - - including changing the topic name as such. So, if you wanna go ahead and take it that way, have at it. In other words, what are all the various reimaginings of the "Miles + Gil" material that are worthy of discussion -- good, bad, or otherwise?? (Including Mile's own (few) later performances of that material, in various contexts. There's the obvious Miles and Quincy Jones event, of course, but then there's also this.) But first, who's the trumpeter in the first clip?? - and any other details about it.

I think Boston's chief problem with not having aged well is their over-exposure over the years. Well, over-exposure of a fairly small amount of material (what, didn't they really only have two albums 'back in the day', and like one more a good decade later). Their entire reputation rests with something less than three hours of unique material. I'm not a particular fan of Boston, but it's really not at all half bad (for what it is) -- as long as you haven't heard it recently, like say, anytime in the last 5 or 10 years.

Well, this morning I got my tickets for the July 2nd St. Louis concert. My wife and I are pretty stoked!! $100 to join the fan-club (which comes out to an 'up-charge' of $25 per ticket, for four tickets), and then I got $90 tickets that were damn near as good (within a few rows) of many of the $200 tickets. So all told, it cost about $125 per ticket, everything included -- for four tickets. The concert isn't in Kansas City, but we can stay with my Dad near St. Louis, and can even take the Metro (light rail) to the concert from a station less than a mile from where my Dad lives. NO hotel costs, and just gas money (in a Prius) to St. Louis and back. Yeah, the tickets cost a bundle -- but the total cost for the whole trip (tickets included) won't be any more than if we'd gone out of town somewhere other than St. Louis, and had to stay in even a modest hotel for even just two nights. Two of the tickets are for my dear friend who recently had a pretty major stroke (and he's only in his mid-30's) -- I had another thread about it elsewhere on this board back in early January. He and I have been going to concerts together for almost 10 years (we used to work together in my last job). I'm not 100% sure that he'll be well enough to go on the trip and to the concert, but the doctors are saying he'll probably have a full (90%) recovery, in the long run. And the chances of him being well enough for the trip and concert by July are looking pretty good!!! At least a HELL of a lot better than a couple months ago, THAT'S for damn sure. Oh, the tickets we got were in the Plaza section #104 (the red #104 in the diagram below), row G. I think that's only 7 rows off the floor, and the seats just happen to be on an aisle too. Edit: And I see now that the aisle is between us and the stage (the gap between #104 and #103), so we won't be looking out over a sea of heads as we look towards the stage!! Even better, if my buddy sits on the aisle, he can probably actually SIT and see the stage!!! (even if the rows in front of him are standing up). Couldn't be better!!!

Yes, they are. Seriously.

Can't wait!!