AfricaBrass

I was typing my last post when you posted this one. I guess we are in similar frames of mind.

Jarod, your post was really interesting. I'm not really sure if I understand where you're coming from, but thinking on what you said has got me thinking. There was a time when my listening was more narrow. If the music went out of a certain comfort zone; I would think there was something wrong with it. Now, I try as hard as I can to come to each piece of music with FRESH ears. When I buy a cd, I won't read the liners or reviews until I've given the CD a few plays (hopefully more). I really want to get into the music and face it on its' terms. It's strange, I find that as I listen to music that I know inside and out already, I can really enjoy it if I try to throw out my previous thoughts, experiences, connections with the music, I can often get into a new space with it. I know I probably sound nuts, but like Jazzmoose said, an album isn't the same as it was three years ago. The only difference is the listener. So... how do I avoid getting trapped in a listening rut with too many preconceptions. This is an interesting thread, thanks for starting it.

Daniel A recently brought me up to speed on this stuff. I'm now using EAC, the LAME encoder and I have "--alt-preset standard" in my command line. I was doing 192/kps fixed rate, but now I'm using variable bit rate. My mp3s sound really good with this setting.

I hope you have a great birthday, Noj!

Or something... Okay... Samarai Ninjas... that's what we'll be. It's nice to actually use this smilie as it was intended.

Good one. I'm serious... what thread are you guys talking about? Exactly...., what thread? What, did it already get deleted? I'm not worried about what's already on the board. I'm just asking everyone to be a little more conscious of the issue in the future. That's all. We'll be like ninjas.

Good call, Jim.

It's really cool to see the kindness of everyone in this thread.

Thank you for yours, J Lee. You make some great points in this post. I can't believe it... but I agree with your thoughts on this topic. My only concern on this whole subject is that people aren't making it and it disturbs me when profits outweigh the employer's concern for their employees. I think/hope there's a balance that can be found. I don't have the answers; I wish I did.

I think it's the epitome of arrogance for one person or group of people to dictate what another's "minimum" wage ought to be -- and to thereby attempt to control or limit both the sorts of jobs and the quantity of jobs from which another person may be able to select. One person may find a job at $5.00 an hour, at a location five minutes from her house, a better deal than a job at $10.00 an hour, involving a difficult commute, necessity of an automobile, etc. Who am I, or anyone else, to decide the price at which another woman or man may sell his or her labor? In other words, start a thread, dudes -- and stop the crude, inchoate insults. The Austrian School of Economics is not exactly an unknown subject, so perhaps it's time to stop flinging sand and sucking thumbs and read a few books, if you find the concepts difficult or my position unorthodox. von Mises's _Human Action_ is a great place to start, and it's available for free in PDF at at least one easy-to-find website. Or, if cartoons are your thing, http://www.jonathangullible.com/mmedia/Phi...glish_music.swf is always good -- you can watch with your kids. The chicks can stay, and I hope that the next time I visit this thread they will have become even frothier and more alluring. Er...you know, time-preference, subjective value -- I mean, the women have the right to remain. I understand your argument in theory, but theory doesn't match real life. You suggest that someone will take a job at half the pay rate because it's closer, etc... but can you really live on $5 hour? That's my question. The problem is that there will always be someone who's willing to work for less than you are. I see it happening all the time. How is it arrogant that I support keeping the playing field fair? So you insult me by suggesting that I read a few books. That's fine, but will the books give me good rationale to not care about the welfare of others. I'm sorry if I was a jerk to you, but I'm tired of seeing business models played out at the expense of people's lives. I appreciate the idea of self ownership. I really do. I'm no fan of big government; but as long as we view using people as something we can just use, I can't support what you suggest. When people believe that always treating each other with respect and kindness is the way to be, then I'll see no need for the minimum wage.

I know I'm unfair in my assessment of Billy Bragg. Most of my opinions have come from soundbytes, etc... I have that Mermaid Avenue cd he did with Wilco (I've never listened to it). I'll give it a play and listen with an open mind. It is okay to be greedy and indifferent today... Check out the Wal Mart thread. I still appreciate most protest singers even if I don't love their style. I have the utmost respect for someone who truly fights for those without a voice. I forgot about Springsteen. My dad loved his music when I was growing up. His early work really seemed to say a lot about what was happening. I guess the Born In the USA album's success affected my view of him. I know he was against the rah rah Reagan stuff, the album was lumped into that category. The subsequent work I have heard hasn't been as protest oriented (I could be wrong, having not heard it all).

My wife does Target, too. I guess that just means we're married to a coupla babes, Jeff. Yup!

I actually went to school with Tom Morello. My brother was pretty good friends with him back in the day.... small world. I never met him, but I've heard really good things about him. He is a interesting guitarist. I only knew Zack and Tim. It is a small world.

This is an excellent point. Anyone else ever notice how many frickin' babes shop at Target and how few seem to make it into Walmart? Maybe that's the secret of their success: There are far more arfs than there are babes. they're sellin to the masses ... and those with masses of asses. My wife LOVES Target. She can't stand Wal Mart. I've been to both places and my guess is that Wal Mart just feels claustrophobic. Everything is crammed in there, while Target is more open. I know I feel more comfortable in Target. I don't want to shop in Wal Mart anyway because of the way they handle themselves.

So... you think minimum wage is communistic. Okay... that's your right. Your attitude towards those with Ph.D's who fight for this kind of stuff is a very negative one. As far as I'm concerned, I'm grateful for the social reformers of the past and present that do everything they can to make it possible for those you refer to (obese uselessness of many of their patrons) to have a decent wage. I also have news for you. People can't really live on the minimum wage anymore. I'm sure you figure they're living it up already. Maybe I should change my attitude. Maybe something like, "Fuck the weak; they're stupid, ugly, fat and worthless. They don't deserve to be as happy as I do; since I'm superior." No... I wouldn't think like that for all the money in the world.

Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" still haunts me. My favorite protest singer was Woody Guthrie. One album of his that I find very interesting is: Ballads of Sacco & Vanzetti Bob Dylan in his protest phase was amazing. His "Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" brings often brings tears to my eyes. He captured the humanity of the woman and her plight versus the spoiled lack of humanity of the murderer in a very real way. I tried to get into Phil Ochs, but couldn't. I don't know the reason why. I only bought the A&M best of, so that might have been past his prime. As for Joan Biaz, I don't like her because of a story a very good friend of mine told me years ago. Her brother was returning from the Vietnam war (he was DRAFTED - he DIDN'T WANT TO GO), and when he arrived at the airport, Joan Biaz SPIT ON HIM. If that story is true (which I see no reason for it not to be), then FUCK YOU JOAN BIAZ - I WISH THEY COULD'VE DRAFTED YOUR ASS. I have no problem fighting the power, but she had no right to do this to this man. It's not like he started the war or even wanted to go. I don't really go for Billy Bragg or any modern protest singers I've heard. To me a lot of them are just obnoxious; I can't get past that and I miss out on their lyrics. Maybe it's that I feel I'm being talked down to. I like a protest singer that weaves a tale that inspires me to change my mind or motivates me to become active against a wrongdoing. Don't even get me started on Rage Against the Machine. I went to high school with those guys. Heck, I even jammed with Zack (when he was a really BAD drummer). We all lived in highly sheltered in Irvine, California. If you've ever read interviews about Zack being oppressed because of his race; he wasn't, he was way more popular than I was (and I had tons of friends). I just can't stand arrogant fakes and that's what they come across as to me. Be honest, if you grew up with money and had a change of heart, that's one thing. But to play that you've been oppressed when you weren't is pathetic. Heck, you should have seen their bassist when he was in high school band called Crystal Pystal... total hair farmers.

Same here. I've never gotten into these albums, but I'm keeping them too.

You know... Why don't they just change it to a Joe Henderson album... I bet his family wouldn't get all uptight... It's not like it hasn't been done before... There's that Cecil Taylor session that became a Coltrane album... Problem solved. (Just kidding ) It's happened to Pete before, Turkish Woman at the Baths was re-issued as a Chick Corea album "Bliss" Ouch! I was only joking... I think it would be really sad if such a thing happened.

I purchased the two TOCJ volumes in 1994.

Nice cover, Kari!

Cool! Thanks Ubu!

Wow! That looks great. I"ve been a Flaming Lips fan since '89 and would love to see it. Is there any chance it will get a DVD release?

Thanks for posting this, David! I would love to read more of your poems.