JSngry

I used to work with a guy named Little Joe Blue (you moght've heard of him if you're a blues geek), great guy, great musician, and top-knotch "street-skilled" businessman. His line when asked to work for "exposure" - "Hey, baby, too much exposure'll give you pneumonia!" You're right, it's a tough situation either way, especially since the old promotional "networking" systems are drying up. I just try not to get too pontificational either way, and sometimes I actually succeed!

Dude, believe it or not, I was in your shoes once. Young, not exactly..."affluent", and despearaate to hear all this great music. So I bought what I could new, bought a lot used, and taped shit off of friends. I did it, but I never pretended that it was "ok". Ifessed up to my jones, and I tried to keep it as hinest for myself as I could. But I never claimed that my actions were totally harmless, becuase when you get something for free that you could/should pay for...hey, do the math, right? I'm older now, a little bit more affluent, and I buy a lot more, just because I can. But I alos got buddies, and we trade stuff back and forth for audition purposes and stuff like that, and yeah, ok, some of it I "like" but not enough to buy, but I still keep the burns, and you know.....that shit still ain't right, even though I spend more $$$ than ever. All I'm saying is that, like that Dylan line, "to live outside the law, you must be honest", and above all that means being honest with yourself. Anytime you (or I) get something for free, that's not harmless. No matter how much we do to make up for it, whatever net "plusses" we create, that doesn't later the fact that a wrong was committed. So let's not justify, rationalize, or otherwise attempt to defend what, if we are honest, is indefensible. Let's just have a code, live by it, keep it to ourselves, and try to do more good than harm over the long haul. Anything else really is a lie.

Where does that merchandise end up when your trials are finished? im sure im just some stupid fuck piece of shit kid, but i dont understand your question. Well, I'm reasonalby sure you're not, but can we not go there, please, if the sole reason for this dialogue is to discuss an issue? The point of my question is to point out that in the acvtivites you descrive, you get a trial of the merchandise, and then it returns to its owner. When you file-share/etc (and unless it's a matter of "formal declaration", I think most of us are at least somewhat more tolerant of sharing for the purpose of exposing between true - as opposed to imaginary/virtual - friends than we are purely illegal file-sharing networks), not only do you get a free trial of the product, you get the product itself, and at no charge. Yeah, I know, there's packaging, but isn't packaging getting to be a bit geeky? Not that that's a bad thing, but don't most consumers today reaally just go for the tunes? Now yeah, you do the right thing and you put your money where your...bits are, and kudos to you for that, but a lot of people don't. Or they'll only buy a fraction of what they would if they followed your code as honestly as you do. And that, my friend, does have implications all up and down the musical food chain. Some of these things will get sorted out as people get out of the cloud of the old paradigms, but some things just cannot be overcome. And losing $ w/o finding an alterantive way to compensate is a bitch to beat. Some might call it impossible.

You have a lot to learn about strategy, not the least of which is to never fire all six cylinders when only one - or none, even - will do. A man who comes off like he enjoys being a target will sure as hell become one. Just some friendly advice. Take it or leave it.

Where does that merchandise end up when your trials are finished?

I'm somewhat in sympathy with RadeoHed Jr in sentiment on this, but his style, (apparent) disinterest in nuance. & the (again, apparent) ability to see other, less benevolent realities resulting from the activities that he himself practices benevolently leads me to think that this is a smart-as-far-as-he-goes kid who just needs to get a bigger taste of the bigger picture before bringing such a toughass attitude. One thing's for sure - the internest, phile sharing, and other digital dissemenations ain't goin' away. Best to find a way to work it instead of getting punked by it. But until "hey I ain't hurtin' nobody" Thommy and others like him see (and accept) that there really is a bigger picture, and no, it's not all about greed and old farts not getting the future, we're far more likely to get punked than not. A little nuance ain't gonna kill you. A lot might even free your ass up.

That's the same argument for any team in the league though. They're all supposed to strive to become Super Bowl Champions. I think they're for real. Are they equal to Indy and the Patriots? Well, they're .500 against them in their most recent head-to-head meetings. Is there room for improvement? Of course. The Dallas CB's still aren't completely healthy. That's a question mark. They lost NT Jason Ferguson, and have Tank Johnson coming in to make up for that. That's a question mark. Does Tony Romo occasionally throw INTs? Yep. But which other QBs in the league other than Manning and Brady would you trade him for? I can't think of any. edit - MAYBE Carson Palmer, but even then I'm not sure I'd do that. Yeah, they're a damn good team right now. But if they played a 16 game season against only Indy & NE, with the physical and mental (the most important factor at this phase, imo) team they have right now, do you honestly think they would finish at even .500? I don't. They still got a ways to go, especially in terms of mental focus and toughness. Like I said, I'm lovin' 'em, but I'm not one to proclaim premature "greatness" on anything or anybody, not when the standard ot true greatness is in plain sight for all to see. Let them show that they can not only reach that level, but hang at it, and then I'll say we're there. Until then, we're getting there. Hopefully.

Cowboys "for real"? At what level? Whatever level it is (including "best team in the NFC, which I think you have to at least consider a possibility) is a darn far sight better than where they've been in ages, but... Until they can be taken seriously as a potential Super Bowl champ, it still needs to be about shutting up and moving ahead. And to be taken seriously as a potential Super Bowl champ means to be taken seriously as an equal or better match for New England & Indy. And I am so not ready to do that yet. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun team to watch, and I'm enjoying the hell out of them. But fun & reality only sometimes intersect, and this ain't one of those times. Yet.

What? Until we can even think about competing on an equal footing with Indy & The Martyrs...uh, 'scuse me, PATRIOTS we best just shut up and keep trying to improve.

God, I grew up surrounded by hardcore Cowboys fans in the 60s & 70s. This paraniod persecution complex sounds very familiar... Please, god, make it stop.

William B. Williams World B. Free Johnny B. Goode

I....don't......think so.... My bad. I was reading Leonard Feathers' original liner notes (first mistake...) and it starts, "This LP constituted a double premiere. For the first time Sommy Rollins in heard appearing before the publick as leader of his own combo." Meaning, it's apparently his first "live" date as a leader. Too much Scotch last nite... And if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not think about what you do in your pants... But cumin is an herb, and who amongst us doesn't (or hasn't) appreciate(d) herb? To clarify Feather (which is not as pleasuarble as to clarify butter, but that's another thread, I suppose) through Joe Goldberg's Jazz Masters Of The 50's, Newk had opened at the Vanguard w/a quintet that included Donald Byrd. By thte time the BN recordings were made, there had been a succession of personnel changes (and by all accounts, they were numerous, frequent, and at times quixotic), trio finally became the final format, and remained so up until the comeback (and even then, Sonny kept reverting back to it). So I think that Feather is saying that the Vanguard gig (how long it was, I don't recall, but clubs used to book bands for long-ass stints back then, not the weekend or week so that they do today) was Sonny's debut as a bandleader. The grocery store is loaded with cumin btw. Beware!

Cells alone are potentially bad enough, but now with the Bluetooth things...

What bugs me about this is, as predicted, the "tone", that "payday lenders" are really just good businessmen providing an honorable service to a market despearately in need of same since there are not other alternatives, real or potential, so let's ditch the stigma and...encourage these guys, why don't we? Yeah yeah yeah, how many time are we gonna get fooled by this type of rhetoric before we recognize that a turd poilished is still a turd, and even if we all gotta shit, there's no need to put the toilet in the kitchen? The reality is simple - this is a market that largely has no options, and those serving it look to profit from that absolutely as much as the market will bear. "Desperate" customer base meets opportunisitc service provider. LEgal as hell, maybe even "moral" in the very broadest sense, but let's leave it right there and not start getting misty-eyed about how it's capitalist humanitarianism in action or some other type bullshit. I remember when it was the hippies/etc who were dissed for "sugarcoating" reality. That was a legit criticism too. Now it's the moneybaggers doing the sugarcoating, and we're supposed to take them seriously why? Becuase they mean well? Because they understand shit we don't? Because they hold the keys to The Wonderful World Tomorrow? I don't think so. Oink oink.

Anybody know what's up with this one? http://wc09.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&...10:0ifyxzthld6e

I....don't......think so.... But anyway, hell, I love this album. The kids today probably can't understand how cuminmypantsy I got when the extra material came out on the old BN 2-fer. Frankly, I think the cream of the crop made it onto the original album, but hey... This shit swings like a mofo. The dance impulse runs through, over, under, around, inside, outside, the basis of the DNA of it. And it's got brain to match. The body and the brain in perfect sync at a very high level dancing through life without missing anything. Let that be a lesson for us all. Tenor trio, Tenor Trinity, Sonny, Ware, & Elvin. That's gotta be God's band. Gotta be God's band.

Anybody see the recent episode of Curb... where Larry gets seated next to a guy blabbing away on his cell? Larry's response - just start talking loudly to no one in particular, enough to disrupt/piss of the blabber.

And early on in the plan, if youy're a day or two or ten late on a payment, no prob. But towards the end, if you're 5 seconds late, UH OH, here come the repo.

Ya' load 16 tons, and what do ya' get? The Man giveth, and The Man findeth a way to taketh it right backeth. Why don't we cut the pretense (pretense is so 20the Century, doncha' know), and bring back the company store. Who needs money when you can just use script?

Howsabout that Larry Bunker, eh? Come to think of it, that's a guy who always seemed (seems?) to bring fire and drive to wherever. He's on a buttload of sides too, but isn't a "legend" like some of his peers. So here's some love for Larry Bunker! And now - back to Gary Peacock.

Well I'll be darned!

Either that or else he had to hock his box to pay the rent...

Straight to the source: About the drummer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_C._Coleman

Hey y'all, thanks for the detailed details. Exacty what I was hoping to get!