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What Is The Current State Of Classical Music ?

the horn — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:02:00 GMT

There's a great deal of hand-wringing over the current state of classical music , especially in America , where economic woes have created so much difficulty for our orchestras and opera companies . So I thought we could use a reality check .

Yes , many US orchestras and opera companies face severe financial difficulties ; several orchestras have declared bankruptcy or may do so sometime soon. Several opera companies ,such as the Baltimore and Connecticut operas have gone under . There is the problem of attracting new audiences and the fact that many of those who attend performances are older people .

But most orchestras and opera companies are still holding their own despite the discouraging economic times . There are well over 30,000 performances every year throughout America in all 50 states . There are more organizations performing classical music than ever before in America . A century ago , there were only a tiny fraction of these . Opera , in particular is more popular than ever before in America and the audience for it has grown exponentially from the past .

There are more talented young classical musicians studying at our conservatories and universities than ever before , and they guarantee that there is absolutely no lack of great young talents who will soon go on to enter our orchestras and to become opera singers , conductors and solo instrumentalists as well as composers and musicologists .

Standards of performance are higher than ever . There are more world-class orchestras in America , Europe and elsewhere than ever before . In the past , the orchestras of New York, Boston , Chicago , Philadelphia and Cleveland were called "The Big Five " ; now there are great orchestras in Los Angeles , San Francisco , Dallas, Houston , Pittsburgh , Minneapolis , Seattle , Washington , Baltimore , Detroit , Atlanta , Cincinnati and other US cities which are anything but minor league outfits .

There is greater diversity of repertoire being performed today than ever before in the history of classical music . There are ensembles which specialize in ancient music from the middle ages and the Renaissance , and ensembles which specialize in the latest works by living composers . And contrary to what many critics and commentators would have us believe, there is absolutely no lack of new classical music today worldwide , and there are many living composers who cannot complain that there music is being neglected , such as Philip Glass, John Adams , Thomas Ades , Hans Werner Henze , Kaaia Saariaho , William Bolcom , John Corigliano , Christopher Rouse , Magnus Lindberg , Arvo Part and others .

Unfortunately , few US orchestras are making commerical recordings on a regular basis because of the costs involved . The Chicago Symphony used to record regularly for such great record labels as Decca and Deutsche Grammophon under great conductors as Barenboim , Boulez , Solti , Abbado and Giulini , but those days have vanished . But now it has started its own record label and has been releasing live recordings of its own under Bernard Haitink .

And the Boston Symphony , which used to record for RCA , Deutsche Grammophon and Philips etc , has begun to issue live recordings under its current music director James Levine . The enterprising budget label Naxos has begun to record the Detroit Symphony under its new music director Leonard Slatkin .

The internet has enabled many orchestras and opera companies to stream their performances over it , and the Metropolitan Opera now makes it possible for people all over America and elsewhere to see and hear some of its performances broadcast in High Definition at movie theaters across the nation , and other opera companies are beginning to do this as well .

Despite the woes of the classical record industry , there are more classical record labels than ever before , and any one can hear nearly a thousand years of classical music on CD , including a vast number of obscure works which had never been recorded before by countless different composers . Classical CD collectors are not limited to the same old familiar masterpieces Bach , Beethoven , Tchaikovsky , Brahms and Mozart , but can also hear music by such little-known but interesting composers as Charles Koechlin , Sergei Taneyev ,Nikolai Myaskovsky , Arthur Bliss , Jon Leifs , Wilhelm Stenhammar , George Whitefield Chadwick , Mieczyslaw Karlowicz , Bernrd Gouvy , Alberic Magnard and so many others .

So there is plenty to be thnkful for in the vast and infinitely varied world of classical music .

The Gorillaz: Stylo Video.... Bruce Willis!?

cstanton — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:52:00 GMT

Though not a traditional "Roger Rabbit" type Gorillaz music video, you can't help but think that the cameo is awesome...

Gorillaz - Stylo from mario ucci on Vimeo.

The Gorillaz new album Plastic Beach is available for purchase now. There is also a special LP available on iTunes that has 2 extra tracks, and if you're a die hard fan ;) you can purchase the "Plastic Beach Experience" that comes with a documentary about the making of the album, a booklet, all the online content on the Gorillaz website, and access to a live stream TBA.

Mario Ucci's other work is really awesome. He's the CG guy. Colours by Hot Chip is a pretty cool video too.

Hot Chip: 'I Feel Better' directed by Peter Serafinowicz

cstanton — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:04:00 GMT

Hot Chip's new single "I Feel Better," off of their new album "One Life Stand", has an awesome music video directed by Peter Serafinowicz, the star of BBC's "The Peter Serafinowicz Show."

Serafinowicz is a comedian and actor, but resigned in January from his position at BBC since they refused to continue backing his show. He stated that he would probably reapply for a position at BBC, but was pretty vague about what he was going to be doing. I guess this is what he's doing, and if you ask me, he's doing a great job of it.

The video stars Ross Lee, from that superweird Ghoulies show on Nickelodeon.

I am happy about how these two seemingly random selections turned out to make such a good video. Check it out!

PayPal 2.0 Lets you Bump Phones to Submit a Payment

willburns1 — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:55:00 GMT

Paypal is a great service for making secure payments online and to people you know. I am sure that at some point we will never need to have cash because everyone will have ways of excepting payment without it. With the new version of Paypal for the iphone you can bump iphones with someone and request or send payments to them. They also have a new feature that allows you to split a check, include a tip, and request the amount from everyone else.

If you have a Paypal account make sure that you connect your bank account to paypal. That way when you make payments to friends there will not be a fee to transfer the funds. You can also make sure your friends do the same that way when you exchange money via paypal you never have to worry about transfer fees. If you use a debit or credit card it will cost you 2.9% of total plus $.30 USD for each transfer. Even though that is not that much I still don't like to pay to move money around.

Checkout the new version of Paypal on the iPhone it's a free download.

Good Beers by Category that will not break your Diet

willburns1 — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:12:00 GMT

I am a huge fan of beer and that being the case I drink way too much of it. The problem is I like drinking expensive beer from micro brewers that are better than the average beer. If you are on a diet or just trying to cut down on calories drinking the right good beers will help you avoid the good beers that will ruin your diet. If you pick the right good beer you can drink two for the price of one heavy beer. I submit this list for your consideration.

Guinness – 120 Calories – 2 Weight Watchers Points!

Ales
Newcastle Brown Ale – 140 Calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points
Bass Ale – 140 Calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points
Oberon Ale – 170 Calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points
Fat Tire Amber Ale – 159 Calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points

   IPA
       Harpoon IPA 170 Calories - 3 Food Points
   Porters
       Kallisti Pottsville Porter – 165 Calories - 3 Food Points
       Redhook Blackhook Porter – 163 Calories - 3 Weight Watchers Points
       Flying Dog – Road Dog Scottish Porter – 165 Calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points

Lagers
Harp Lager – 153 Calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points
Spaten Premium Lager – 160 calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points
Leinenkugel's Red Lager – 166 calories – 3 Food Points
Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark Lager – 170 Calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points
Kona's Long Board Island Lager – 173 Calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points
Flying Dog – Old Scratch Amber Lager – 150 Calories – 3 Weight Watchers Points

Dunfel
       Warsteiner – Premium Dunfel – 150 Calories – 3 Food Points.

These are all much better than your cheap beer you buy in bulk and will also keep the calories down. Keep in mind if you think drinking miller lite is better for you think again. Miller lite and most other lite beer is still like 96 calories which is 2 Weight Watcher points. I much rather drink good beer that is has a few more calories and only one more food point than cheap watered down beer like Miller lite.

Here is a more complete list of Beers with their calories and Weight Watchers Points

Beer Name	Calories	WW pts.
Amstel Light	93	2
Anchor Steam	152	3.5
Beamish Red
Beamish Stout	146	3
Beck's Light Beer	105	2.5
Beck's Oktoberfest	140	3
Beck's Orginal	292	6
Beck's Premium Light	64	1.5
Blue Moon	171	3.5
Boddington’s	154	3
Boulevard Bully Porter	194	4
Boulevard Irish Ale	182	4
Boulevard Lunar Ale	157	3
Boulevard Nutcracker	224	4
Boulevard Pale Ale	163	3
Boulevard Stout	149	3
Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat	155	3
Boulevard Zon	153	3
Bridgeport Black Strap
Bud Light	102	2.5
Budweiser	143	3
Chimay
Coors	148	3
Coors Light	102	2.5
Corona	148	3
Corona Light	109	2.5
Delirium Tremens
Demon Hop Yard IPA
Dos Equis XX	145	3
El Presidente
Fosters	125	2.5
Goose Island Honker’s Ale
Goose Island Nut Brown
Guiness	120	2
Harp	153	3
Harpoon Ale
Harpoon Summer
Harpoon’s Octoberfest
Heineken	160	3.5
Heineken Light	99	2
Holy Grail Ale
J.W. Dundee Honey Brown	145	3
Kalamazoo Two Hearted
Killian’s Irish Red	163	3
Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss	149	3
Leinenkugel's Red	166	3
Magic Hat #9	215	4
MGD	148	3
Michelob Light	133	3
Michelob Ultra	95	2
Miller	152	3.5
Miller Chill	110	2
Miller Lite	96	2
Murphy’s Irish Red	171	3
Murphy’s Irish Stout	150	3
New Belgium 1554
New Belgium 2 Below
New Belgium Fat Tire	159	3
New Belgium Skinny Dip	108	2
New Belgium Sunshine Wheat
Newcastle Brown	150	3
Orval Belgian Pale Ale
Pete’s Strawberry Blonde	160	3
Pete's Oktoberfest	189	4
Pete's Summerbrew	163	3
Pete's Wicked	174	3
Pete's Winterbrew	170	3
Red Stripe	153	3
Rock Bottom
Rock Bottom
Rock Bottom Red
Rogue American Amber	176	4
Rogue Imperial Stout	363	7
Rogue Shakespeare Stout	201	4
Rolling Rock	142	2
Salvator Doppel Bock	251	5
Sam Adam’s Cream Stout	195	4
Sam Adam’s Light	124	2.5
Sam Adam's Ale	160	3
Sam Adams Octoberfest	165	3
Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown
Schlafly's Pale Ale	155	3
Schlafly's Pilsner	170	3
Shiner Bock	143	3
Shiner Light	120	2
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale	171	3
Sierra Nevada Stout	210	4
Smithwick’s
Stella Artois	140	3
Warsteiner Dunkel
Warsteiner Verum	152	3
Widmer Bros Hefeweizen	159	3
Yuengling Lager	135	3

SkiFree Windows 3.1 Game now Free on iPhone

willburns1 — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:02:00 GMT

You remember the SkiFree game for windows 3.1? I do and I remember it being awesome. Now you can get the same game on the iphone. It's a very simple game, all you have to do is make it down the hill while hitting the rainbow colored jumps. If you tap or swipe on the iphone while in the air you do flips that get you points.

The game is brings back so many memories and is definitely a blast from the past. The game however doesn't feature the snow monster which was my favorite part. I use to go down the mountain after the race was over just to see how far I could get before the monster came and got me. Gizmodo said that Skifree without the snow monster is “like a Rolling Stones reunion tour without Keith Richards.” and I would have to agree with that statement.

The game developers are planning on adding the awesome snow monster, the slalom mode, and other easter eggs from the original game in the future. Pick this game up it's free it's sure to bring back memories of Windows versions past and old school computer gaming.

SkiFree on iTunes

Phonebooth an Alternative and Google Voice Contender

willburns1 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:08:00 GMT

For all you anti-google people out there that feel the sting of not being able to take advantage of some of Google's applications like Google Voice checkout Phonebooth. They have some of the same features and each of them have a leg up on the other.

Phonebooth is much like google voice in that you get a free phone number that you can forwarded to all your phones. You can route calls to different phones using groups and have your voicemail transcribed and sent to your email.

The main differences between the two services is that Phonebooth has a digital attendant that makes a menu for people to press one to call this person or 2 to call that person. With Phonebooths free membership you only get 200 free minutes for incoming calls. The free and paid membership will not let you place outgoing calls with your phonebooth number at all. This I feel is their biggest weakness in that you can't place outgoing calls and you only have 200 minutes on incoming calls. Google Voice has unlimited local calling and outgoing calls all for free.

I think the service has gotten a great start and I think they are going to do very well. They are more geared toward businesses that need a call menu to route calls than for personal use. This is why I think they are going to do very well. They perhaps will see less individuals using their service because of the lack of outgoing and free calling.

Phonebooth Website

For Chopin's 200th Birthday , Some Cho-Puns

the horn — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:46:00 GMT

The great Polish composer Frederic Chopin was born 200 years ago this month , so here are some deliciously corny Cho-puns for this momentous occaision.

I'm having Cho-pangs of guilt.

What's on your Chopin Liszt ?

Chopin-demonium.

Man up and stop being such a Chopin-sy.

Chopin your pencil !

Italian dishes in honor of the Chopin bicentennial: Chopin-icotti.

Chopin-cetta.

Chopin-demic flu.

Chopin-zees - They're at the zoo and play the piano.

I'm having a Chopin-ic attack.

A film by Benicio Del Toro: Chopin's Labyrinth.

Chopin-animatronics.

Chopin-taloons.

Chopin-zers: German tanks equipped with pianos.

Have a glass of Cho-pagne.

I had a Chopin-wich for lunch.

I hear Bob is having a Chopin-dectomy this week.

Happy birthday, Fred, wherever you are !

Windows Phone 7 isn't going to have Multi-tasking or Copy/Paste

willburns1 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:22:00 GMT

So after Microsoft made fun of the iPhone for not having multi-tasking and copy/paste features, which was part of the iPhone 3.0 update, their phone is rumored to not have them either. The fact the the iPhone hasn't had multi-tasking has been a big feature that other phones in the same market are trying to hit to give their phone something the iPhone doesn't have. Microsoft has attacked this weakness and they perhaps know understand why Apple has been reluctant to include this feature.

According to interviews with Microsoft they are not going to allow multi-tasking for third party applications because they don't want it to slow the phone down and drain the battery. This is a good point and was the problem with windows mobile phones, which would crash after you forgot to close your applications after using them.

It seems that Microsoft is going to implement a feature similar to the iPhones push notification feature, which allows servers to do most of the heavy lifting and is a limited strain on iPhone's battery and speed. This is still seen as a work-around but it's a good trade off to prevent a mobile phones from crashing and loosing battery too fast.

Apple's 4.0 iPhone OS release is rumored to have multi-tasking which would make things even worse for Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7. They need to release something with more features and better apps and it seems like they are going to release something with less features and fewer apps.

Good Luck killing the iPhone with your non multi-tasking non copy/pasting Windows Phone 7. :)

Spotify Officially Coming to the US

willburns1 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:22:00 GMT

Spotify a very successful music streaming service over in Europe is now coming to the US. If you have never heard of Spotify it's kind of like iTunes meets internet radio. If you don't pay for a premium account you have to listen to commercials but you can pick and choose what you want to listen, anything in their library is free to listen to. You can even make playlist of any of songs in their library and play them together.

Soptify had been rumored to be coming to the US for a while now but wasn't until recently Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in an interview with “The Telegraph” that Spotify would come to the US later this year. He also added that Spotify would be pretty much the same as the European service. He said that the changes will change the way people consume, discover, and manage their music.

I think this is great, I have had the chance to play with Spotify and I think it's a great service and can't wait till it's out and about in the US. It's a great way to discover new music and listen to music for free.

Sizing Up Sperm: Most Extreme Race

cstanton — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:48:00 GMT

It will probably never be publicly known who's magnificently bizarre idea this was for a television show, but National Geographic's "Sizing Up Sperm", a live-action interpretation of the struggle of sperm, is certainly a production of massive proportions.

The Sunday special aired first on March 14th, and will be next airing on March 21st. The show "scales up" the battle of the sperm to the egg to human scale, where each sperm is played by a human actor. The feature shows sperm running through valleys, fighting through tough squeezes, and battling their way through Leukocytes and other obstacles in order to reach the paramount of their existence, the egg.

The making of the show was definitely not cheap, implementing helicopter-mounted cameras, top of the line CGI, tons of actors, and commentary from well accredited scientists.

"Sperm" running through a valley

"Sperm" caught in the epididymus

The funding for this special must have come from somewhere, which means it must have been pitched by someone with great enthusiasm. "It would be a great idea... just imagine.. SPERM PLAYED BY HUMANS! People could really connect with it! I think it really would really shed some light of emotion on the whole 'sperm eat sperm' struggle that makes up their entire existence, the fight that takes place prior to every pregnancy. The dark, dank, terrible trials and tribulations that must be overcome for the magical point of conception to occur."

On the National Geographic website, on the Sizing Up Sperm page, they offer a bunch of fun facts about sperm and have a SWEET flash game where you guide the sperm to the egg. It's actually pretty fun, but I wish it was a FIRST PERSON SHOOTER! ba-dum-pssshhhh.
Be sure to check out the trailer while you're there!

Definitely worth a watch. Sunday at 2 P.M. EST

Stand at Your Desk for Better Health

willburns1 — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:25:00 GMT

It's the latest trend to stand while you work to promote better health, productivity, and posture. Everyone knows that sitting all day isn't good for you, and being someone who spends most of their time sitting I know that this is true. Ever since I started working in computers and internet marketing I have gained about 20 lbs. I also tend to get lost in websites and get distracted when sitting down and while standing I seem to stay on track a lot easier.

So I decided after reading several blog posts about standing while working to try it out for myself. Maybe for only a month but a trial none the less. I am use to standing all day from my days of working at a coffee house and once I get my legs and back conditioned to handle it I think it will be smooth sailing.

All I did to make my standing desk was to put an old coffee table on top of my desk. I put a little bit of duct tape on the feet to prevent it from sliding around. It's a very low cost solution but I have a feeling that if I really like standing and working I might upgrade to something a little more permanent if I decide I like it.

It's important, if you decide to do something like this, that you make sure that your surface is at the right height. You want to make sure that your hands are parallel to the floor and your wrists are straight when typing and using your mouse. My coffee table just so happen to be the perfect height for me ,being 6' 3'', when I put it on the desk. Some standing desks that are really expensive don't even go as high as I need it to be so find out what height you need and either make it or find one that goes to the height you need.

I also read that you should allow yourself to change positions from standing to sitting. So my setup is not ideal for that but some desks out there are adjustable for just that reason. According to a very good article on this subject over at Macworld you should also change positions while stand to prevent your back and legs from hurting. Something you might do anyways without thinking.

So that's about all I know I'll try and update this post and any interested parties know how my test went.

Do Weight Watcher For Free, Why Pay for it?

willburns1 — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:44:00 GMT

I know what you are thinking isn't Weight Watchers for woman in their 40's trying to loose the weight from their 10 kids they had? I would have to agree with you that is what I have always pictured in my mind, a big group of woman meeting to talk about their belly fat and how they were skinny before having kids. I have to say after getting to know the Weight Watchers system and Weight Watchers online website they have really moved with technology and the web and turned their woman belly fat meetings into a web 2.0 weight solution that anyone would be willing to do including men.

The question is with the whole system pretty much figured out why do you need to pay them to keep track and help you keep track of your points. The only thing you don't get when you do it by yourself is the support system and perhaps feedback, something you can create for yourself if you wanted. So I will tell you how to calculate how many points you are allowed each day and how to calculate how many points each food item is.

How to calculate how many Weight Watcher points are you allowed daily

Add the number together in each step.
Step 1
If you are a Man you get – 8 points
if you are a Woman you get – 2 points
If you are a Woman who is Nursing you get – 12 points
Step 2 - your Age
17-26 – add 4 points
27-37 – add 3 points
38-47 – add 2 points
58 – over – add 0 points
Step 3 – Height and Weight
Take the first two numbers of your weight and add them to your point total. I weight 245 lbs so my number is 24.
Under 5 feet tall – add 0 points
between 5'0" and 5'9" – add 1 point
over 5'10" - add 2 points
Step 4 – Activity level
If you spend most of your day sitting down - add 0 points
If you are occasionally sitting but mostly standing - add 2 points
If you are walking most of the time - add 4 points
If you do physically difficult work - add 6 points

So take all the numbers that apply to you in each step and add them together, and that is how many points you can eat each day. You also have 35 flex points that you can use up once a week. These points don't have to be used but can help if you go out to eat and eat foods that aren't good for you. You can also add points for working out I'll leave a link at the bottom to a website that will calculate how many point you get for different workouts.

Now you have to know how to calculate how many points are in any given food.

How to Calculate how many Weight Watcher points are in your food

1.Take the number of calories and divide it by 50. So if your item has 200 calories it 200/50= 4 point.
2.Then take the number of grams of fat and divide by 12. if it have 6 grams of fat 6/12=.5 add it to the food point total making it 4.5.
3.Then take the number of grams of fiber and divide by 5. If your item has 4 grams of fiber it's 4/5=.8 you then subtract that from the point total making it 3.8 points which we would round to 4. You only count 4 grams of fiber, if a food item had 12 you would only count 4 of those grams.

So there you have it all you need now is a way of recording your food points and figuring out what to eat to meet your goal. I would start by planning out what foods you want to eat and calculating the point totals for all of them. That way you can just stock your fridge and make sandwiches and what-not and know exactly what points your eating.

I would also suggest you drink a lot of water and eat lets of fruit and vegetables. That way you can eat more and still stay in your point limits. At this site you can find a calorie counter and workout point calculator.

There are also several websites that have Weight Watchers recipes that have the points already figured out, like Kitchen parade, laaloosh, or here. If you go to a restaurant you can find the calories of the items you ate on the restaurant's website or at other website locations like Calorie Count

Beware Ringtone Scams

IdentityTheft — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:13:00 GMT

The market online and electronic market for ringtones is full of scams.

Leave it to resourceful identity thieves to find a way to take advantage of our need for the latest ringtones and applications for our cellphones. Thieves have found a way to steal identities using ringtone web sites.

Kids make especially good targets.

Teenagers with cellphones invariably have to have the latest and coolest ringtones and, even worse, will almost always download “free” items without a second thought. Often, sites that advertise free ringtones will attach viruses to your download in order to steal personal information. or kids are enticed to text free ringtone sites to get free downloads.

The following tips can help keep you safe:

Teach your kids about identity theft and how thieves use the information they collect.

Use the ring tone that came with your phone. This isn't fun and it definitely isn't cool, but it's the only sure-fire way to avoid identity theft with ringtones.

Don't download ringtones from free sites. Too often, these sites attach viruses to your download, which can then steal personal information.

Don't send text messages to to sites in order to receive free ringtones. A common scam is to charge a fee or subscription that will appear monthly on your cellphone bill.

Don't keep sensitive personal or financial information on your cellphone (bank info, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers or dates of birth). The less personal information there is on your phone, the less thieves have to work with if you do get a virus on your phone.

Only buy your ringtones from established cell phone service providers.

If you do find yourself the target of ringtone thieves, file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – click on this link.

Western States to Create Carbon Market

moneycoach — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:07:00 GMT

Faced with declining prospects of a national bill, 2 western U.S. states and 3 Canadian provinces are set to establish a market for carbon credits by 2012.

As U.S. prospects for a national climate change bill fade, five U.S. states and Canadian provinces are on track to start a cap-and-trade market for carbon dioxide in 2012. California, with the eighth-largest economy in the world plans to join New Mexico as well as the Canadian provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec in establishing a market-based system meant to combat climate change and boost the economies of both regions. The plan follows the already working cap-and-trade system in the Northeast U.S., although the western market would be approximately four times bigger in geographic size when fully implemented.

Cap-and-trade systems put limits on pollution -- in this case, gases that suck up heat and warm the planet -- which are decreased year by year. Polluters must acquire emissions credits, which can be bought and sold. If a factory can make changes to cut pollution for less than the price of a credit, it is likely to do so, then sell unneeded credits at a profit.

Advocates of climate change cap-and-trade systems would have preferred that more states join the effort – or even better, a national market be created – but so far, such initiatives have failed. As it is, the 11-member Western Climate Initiative had originally planned a larger effort that would have covered most of the Western U.S. as well as 4 of the 10 Canadian provinces, but Arizona says it won't join cap-and-trade, and states like Washington and Montana have not obtained legislative approval.

If the current five members stay on track, emissions from power plants and other sources will begin trading in 2012, with transportation industries included in 2015. The western cap-and-trade market would be roughly equal in size to tenth of total U.S. emissions.

Social Security in Trouble

moneycoach — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:02:00 GMT

More warnings issued – the SSA collects less than it pays!

For many years now, pundits and politicians have issued dire warnings about the impending crisis in Social Security. Just as with global warming, the forecasts of disaster and increasing evidence of growing problems meet, in many cases, with excuses, rationalizations and often, outright denial. So it has been with our nation's finances.

For more than two decades, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has collected more money in payroll taxes than it has paid out in benefits each year.

It seems that the time has come for payback … literally!

This year, for the first time since the Congressional reforms of the 1980s, the federal retirement program is projected to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes – in fact, nearly $29 billion more. Unfortunately, the government has already spent that money over the years on other programs. Instead, the Treasury Department issued a stack of IOUs - in the form of Treasury bonds. The agency has issued a total of approximately $2.5 trillion in bonds.

In order to maintain he current level of payments to Social Security recipients, the government will have to borrow money in order to start paying back the IOUs, just as the annual deficit is projected to be a record $1.5 trillion this year, followed by trillion dollar deficits for years to come.

Currently, more than 52 million people receive old age or disability benefits from the government's Social Security programs. The average benefit for retirees is slightly under $1,200 a month. Disabled workers get an average of $1,100 a month.

Unless Congress enacts reforms, Social Security's current annual budget shortfall will not affect the current level of benefits paid out. Its a clear warning sign - Social Security is projected to drain its trust funds by 2037 unless Congress acts, and there is a real possibility that the crisis will lead to reduced benefits.

Social Security's financial problems have been looming for years as the nation's 78 million baby boomers approached retirement age. The oldest are already there. As that huge group of people starts collecting benefits — and stops paying payroll taxes — Social Security's trust funds will shrink, running out of money by 2037, according to the latest projection from the trustees who oversee the program. In the short term, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that Social Security will continue to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes for the next three years. It is projected to post small surpluses of $6 billion each in 2014 and 2015, before returning to indefinite deficits in 2016.

For the budget year that ends in September, Social Security is projected to collect $677 million in taxes and spend $706 million on benefits and expenses.

The national debt — the amount of money the government owes its creditors — is estimated at $12.5 trillion, or nearly $42,000 for every man, woman and child in the country.

42 Year Old Mother Strives to Become World's Fattest Woman

cstanton — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:18:00 GMT

In a world where fame is somehow more important than health and where there is apparently no irony at all, Donna Simpson, a 42 year old American woman from New Jersey, strives to become the world's fattest woman by setting a goal of 1,000 pounds. Lets keep things in perspective, the world's largest SYBERIAN TIGER.. the largest tiger ever recorded... ever, weighed 1025 pounds.

According to an article from the Daily Mail, she is planning on reaching her goal of adding 398 pounds to her already massive 602 pound body in just 2 years. If anybody can do it, its probably her.

This really came as no surprise to me that there was someone out there that would try to break this idiotic record and acquire so much body mass that it would require a crane to get them out of bed. It was also no surprise to me that they were an American. I mean, its the only country that could come up with something as stupid as this: Heart Attack Grill (its worth a read). It also wasn't a surprise to me to find that this infinitely loggerheaded woman has been making her living off of the video recording of her mass consumption of junk food. America, F--- Yeah!

It really sickens me to think that this is acceptable. I wish Guinness World Book didn't exist sometimes, specifically for the cases where some idiot parent wants to break a record that's going to directly affect the upbringing of their children. Who wants to grow up with a superfat mother that's idea of fun is sitting in front of a webcam stuffing her face with junk food?

Despite the blatant medical issues with obtaining that kind of size, Ms. Simpson insists that she is healthy. She says "My favorite food is sushi, but unlike others I can sit and eat 70 big pieces of sushi at a time!" She goes on to say that she loves sweets and cakes, but that doughnuts are her favorite. I'm sure she can eat dozens.

Her big beautiful body dons a XXXXXXXL size dress. Yes, 7 Xs before the L. At that point, it might be pretty hard to find a dress, which I'm sure is the only style of clothing that she can wear. You'd expect her partner, Phillipe, to want her to lighten up so they could get a little friskier, but that's not the case. He likes it! Weighing a whopping 150 pounds, Phillipe is what you would call a "fat admirer." They met on a dating site for plus sized people. She says that he completely supports her in everything that she does with her weight, and that she thinks that he'd like it if she was bigger. She's definitely going to be a lot bigger by the end of this!

In order to reach her goal, she will have to move EVEN LESS and consume 12,000 calories per day. At the point where she is right now, 602 pounds, she can only walk 20 feet without having to sit down. By the end of it, she won't be able to walk at all, and probably won't even be able to stand. She says "it might be hard, running after my daughter keeps my weight down."

In order to fund that kind of diet, she will need about $750 per week. She's got that covered though. After she broke the record as the world's fattest mom, she opened up a website called SuperSizedBombshells.com, a website where men pay to watch fat women stuff their faces with fast food. Go ahead... check it out... I did. They also have a sister site that I found hilarious, Gaining Bombshells, where you can see the progression of girls getting fatter.

Okay, there is a LITTLE irony to the story. When Donna was 31 years old, she was trying to lose weight. She had been making a little progress when her friend died in the middle of a gastro-bypass surgery. Once this happened, she took it as a sign and decided to embrace the way that she was. Obviously, instead of continuing her weight loss, she reversed it and decided to do this.

Overall, the stupidity of the subject of this article is what drew me in. It really is depressing that there are people out there that are willing to sacrifice their health and livelihood for money, fame, and self-indulgence. If she only knew how happy it would make her to get out on a bike, a surfboard, or even just have the ability to walk around outside on a sunny day...

via DailyMail

ScreenSharingMunulet - Quick and Easy Screen Sharing for Local and Remote Macs

willburns1 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:51:00 GMT

If you have several Macs on the same network or even Macs on a different network you can set them up so you can VNC login to them and control their screens. This is really easy if you are on the same network because all you need is there local IP address and your in. You have to remember or know what that IP address is in order to access it and this is what make this app very handy.

What ScreenSharingMunlet does for you is put a list of local and remote computers you can connect to right in the menubar. That way when you want to do something on another machine you are but a click away. It saves you time and is just plain handy to have a around and you can't beat the price of free.

ScreenSharingMunlet Website.

Google Maps' Bike Routes + Or - ??

cstanton — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:55:00 GMT

Almost a week ago, Google Maps added a great new feature to their directions that allow you to "Bike There."

The idea has been in the works for quite some time and it took a petition signed by over 50 thousand people to make it a reality.

Though the feature is still in beta, many new transport bike trails have been added to the system. In addition, Google Maps has noted which roads have bike lanes and which are bike-friendly roads. Google Maps encourages users to report problems with directions dealing with cycling suitability and restricted access roads, but regardless of the negative possibilities, I would like there to be an option to suggest new trails for evaluation. My hopes and dreams will probably not come to light any time soon, as there have already been a number of problems reported already.

Some reviewers in the New York Post already have reported some bugs that may prove to be "fatal" for cyclists. Apparently Google Maps got it all wrong and was leading cyclists down roads without bike lanes, even roads where the bike lanes had been sandblasted off because of protests. The streets of New York may be a little too much for the brand new feature to handle at the moment.

In the petition they ask for an option to pick the "safest route" as well. I think that this is important, because regardless of whether or not there is a bike lane or not, some roads are safer than others. It will be interesting to see how the Google maps out the safer routes as opposed to the suggested one.

In my home town, Tallahassee, I have seen a couple of trails added, but hopefully there will be more, and not just trails used for transportation. I'd really like to see some recreational trails listed so that maybe I could learn about some new ones. I understand that "Directions" are for getting from point A to point B, but I think it would be really cool to be able to plan a fun and meandering day out on my bike.

The travel path allows for click-and-drag editing of the route so that if you know where you're going and you don't like the road, then you can change the path to a more suitable one, but if you are expecting to learn something new from Google Maps, wear your helmet and be wary.

The feature still hasn't come out on the mobile maps application, but it really needs to. Running a wrong turn on a bike can take much longer to correct than in a car. If a trail is closed down and you're 45 minutes into your excursion what are you supposed to do? A 2 or 3 mile detour can take 20 minutes out of your day as opposed to a quick 3 or 4. Google really needs to make a mobile application for this.

I think that there is a lot left to be explored with this feature, but I really support it and think its a really good addition to Google Maps. Give it a try now!

Snowtape – Internet Radio Like iTunes Should Have

willburns1 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:47:00 GMT

The internet radio section of iTunes is less then impressive. They have a bunch of stations but not a whole lot of features, despite the fact that internet radio has been a part of iTunes for a long time. So if you are a bit internet radio fan you are going to love Snowtape.

Snowtape has several features that iTunes should have added years ago. Snowtape has an integrated online directory of it's stations. Users can even add radio stations to the directory if they are not already present. Snowtape allows you to play your internet radio stations through your airport express so you can listen to them through your remote speakers. You can even add ical events so you don't miss your favorite programs.

One of my favorite features is the recording feature which allows you to record songs from your radios stations and even add album art, tags, titles, and export them. Snowtape can automatically spit audio clips and title them if the station is broadcasting the titles of the songs as they are played. Snowtape comes with an audio editor so you can manually edit your recordings without leaving the application. You can even have the application take out commercials automatically if you would like.

If you are one the go Snowtape also has an iPhone application that can do pretty much everything the desktop application can do. You can listen to shows and record them right on the iPhone.

Snowtape is a great application, but is not free unfortunately. You can download the application to try it but the full version will cost you $30 bucks. If you are a big fan of internet radio this might be just the application for you and a great value.

If you are looking for something that can record your internet shows kind of like a internet radio Tivo iRecordMusic is where it's at. It lets you listen and record shows instantly or by calender event. So you don't even have to be at your computer when this thing records. It's not that user friendly and doesn't look pretty like Snowtape but it does provide a tivo like experience for internet radio.

Snowtape VIA Download Squad

How to set your own thumbnails on Youtube

willburns1 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:48:00 GMT

There is no way to upload your own thumbnail to your youtube video unless you are a partner. In order to be a partner you have to have a lot of videos, views, and subscribers. So for the average user you can't set your own thumbnail without tricking youtube by putting it into the video. It's actually pretty simple.

Youtube gives you three options when it comes to the thumbnail of a video. The three thumbs come from the first three quarters of the video. So if your video is 60 seconds long the first thumbnail is at 15, second at 30 seconds, and the third at 45 seconds. Or you can think of it as 25%, 50%, and 75% of the total video time, or so it seems at least. I have a couple video where this is not the case, but this seems to be somewhat true overall. I have read several comments that are saying that the thumbnails are now random but this method is worth a try. You can also place a 10 second or so banner in the video right in the middle so even if the thumbs are random you might catch one somewhere in the middle.

So if you want a particular thumbnail or poster frame, as they are sometimes called, to be displayed for your video you're best bet is to put it right in the middle of the video. Don't be one of those people who put images in just so people will click on it but something that has to do with your video. I can't tell you how annoying that is when you click a video and the thumbnail misrepresents the video. So annoying, and perhaps why YouTube only lets Partners upload a thumbnail for their videos.

Pierre Boulez , An Austere And Cerebral Icon Of Modern Music , Turns 85

the horn — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:56:00 GMT

This March 25 th , the eminent French composer , conductor and theoretician of modern music Pierre Boulez turns 85 , and is still active composing and conducting , appearing with such great orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic , Chicago Symphony , Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic .

He has been one of the most important and influential figures in classical music for 60 years or so , and even if you find his highly complex and abstruse music incomprehensible , you can still enjoy his conducting of such composers as Debussy , Ravel , Berlioz , Wagner, Stravinsky , Bartok etc on CD , DVD or live if you are fortunate enough to be able to attend one of his concerts .

Boulez has been something of an iconoclast over the years , contemptuously dismissing any living composer who does not write complex atonal music as hopelessly out of date , and even dismissing the music of Arnold Schoenberg , founder of 12-tone music as insufficiently modern . As well as Stravinsky , who did not adopt the 12-tone idiom until late in life. But this has not kept him from giving masterly performances of these composer's music , as well as others who do not follow his compositional goals .

In the 1970s , he succeeded the glamorous and charismatic Leonard Bernstein as music director of the New York Philharmonic , and his championship of difficult contemporary music caused considerable controversy there , and more than a few critics and listeners found his interpretations of more traditional repertoire chilly and clinical despite the polish, clarity of texture and precision of the performances . He had also served as music director of London's B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra .

After his years with the New York Philharmonic , he moved back to Paris to head IRCAM, a government-funded institute for modern music combining acoustical instruments with electronics and computers , continued to compose and conduct all over Europe and America .

He has also conducted a limited number of operas by Wagner , Schoenberg , Alban Berg , Debussy etc at the Paris Opera , London's Royal Opera , the Wagner festival at Bayreuth and elsewhere , and has made numerous recordings for such leading record labels as CBS /Sony Classical and Deutsche Grammophon of his own works and composers such as Debussy , Ravel, Stravinsky, Bartok, Webern , Berg, Mahler , Olivier Messiaen (his teacher) and others . If you are looking for recordings by him of such popular Romantic composers as Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, forget it ; such music he considers beneath his dignity .

Boulez has written music of daunting complexity and austerity ; if you insist on catchy melodies , forget it . He has gone beyond Schoenberg's 12-tone system and composed music in which melody is beside the point . Some of his works involve electronic music and a qusai-improvisatory technique called aleatory music , in which the performers are given a chance to make up parts of the music on the spot in a random, or chance manner . This comes from the Latin word Alea, or dice .

Boulez has gone beyond Schoenberg's ordering of the 12 notes of the chromatic scale into a specific order and created something called "Total Serialism" in which not only pitch but loudness and softness and timbre are rigidly controlled .

Some of his works are settings of texts by French symbolist poets such as Rene Char . Among the best-known are "Le Marteau Sans Maitre "(the hammer without a master), "Pli Selon Pli" (fold along fold ) "Notations" for piano ,later orchestrated , the three sonatas for piano , "Domaines" for clarinet and ensemble , Sur Incises , Explosant-Fixe , and "Repons", or response .

Le Marteau and Pli Selon Pli are works for soprano soloist and an ensemble of instruments , including marimba, Xylophone, piano, woodwinds etc based on French sybolist poetry . Explosante-Fixe is kind of a concerto for flute with ensemble and electronic modification of the sound of the flute .

So try his music on recordings if you are willing to take gamble ; it may seem puzzling at first , but with repeated hearings it may come to make more sense to you . Like his music or not , you can't deny the importance of Pierre Boulez as a composer . Check arkivmusic.com for his recordings , whther of his own music or of other composers .

Laptop Audit of British Spy Agency Reveals 35 Missing Laptops

IdentityTheft — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:52:00 GMT

Audit highlights missing laptops.

An audit of laptops used by operatives at one of Britain's main intelligence agencies revealed that the agency “lost track” of 35 laptop computers, including three that were certified to hold Top Secret information; a parliamentary intelligence and security committee reported this past Thursday. The rest of the laptops were not approved for unclassified information. According to the report, the agency's process for logging the allocation and subsequent location of laptops at GCHQ had been "haphazard" and that the agency showed a "cavalier" attitude to tracking equipment – an attitude that generated sharp criticism from the government last week.

"The Committee considers that this formerly cavalier attitude towards valuable and sensitive assets was unacceptable. GCHQ must ensure that it controls, tracks and monitors its equipment effectively. Now that proper processes have been introduced, we trust that this problem will not arise again."

In response to the report, a government statement said it accepted the committee's criticism and conceded that GCHQ had been unable to account fully for all of its laptops at that time. The government statement pointed out that although the missing laptop documentation was troubling, there was “no evidence of any loss of laptops or classified information." "The most likely explanation in most cases is that the laptops were destroyed but without the destruction being fully recorded. GCHQ has now tightened up its controls." Over the past several years, the British government has been repeatedly embarrassed by lapses over missing laptops and storage devices involving losses of information, such as when tax authorities lost data on 25 million people exposing them to the risk of identity theft and fraud.

GCHQ is the responsibility of the UK Secretary of State. The agency carries out intelligence functions similar in many ways to the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). Based in Cheltenham, the agency operates under the guidance of the Joint Intelligence Committee, and falls under the direct supervision of the British Secretary of State. GCHQ was originally established after World War I as the Government Code and Cypher School (GCCS or GC&CS), by which name it was known until 1946. During the Second World War, GCCS was based largely at Bletchley Park, and is most famous for cracking the German Enigma code.

The Profitability Hurdle

moneycoach — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:49:00 GMT

One measure of small business success: how long does it take to “break even” - and reach profitability?

The biggest hurdle that one faces when starting a small business is the profitability hurdle: the time it takes between opening for business and the day that the operation “breaks even.”

Typically, one spends (invests) money on inventory, marketing and advertising, rent and building utilities, and sometimes the salaries of employees before the business starts generating enough cash flow to cover those expenses. In a retail operation, one must cover the cost of purchasing, installing or constructing the walls, shelving, display area, etc., that make the store look the way it is supposed to look. Sometimes, reaching the “break even” point can take months or even years – depending on the type of business and the amount of investment it takes on a weekly basis to keep the operation going.

The “break-even” point is big milestone.

We have opened a retail store. As the accountant of our small business adventure, I had a number in mind – a goal – of exactly what sales target to aim for so that would know when the store reached that magic goal – self sufficiency. I hoped that it would not take more than a few months, as getting everything ready took most of the money that we had set aside from the tax refund.

The small town where the shop is located specializes in antique stores – it is a browser's paradise! When the weather is nice, there are often crowds of people wandering in and out of the unique and eclectic stores that line the main street of the town. Friendly people, warm country folk … and tourists: our target customers were potentially plentiful.

The week we opened was slow – every other business owner that we knew in town let us know that it was much slower than usual for the time of year – things would get better. Customers came into the store in a trickle – but we seemed to do OK. The weekend was sunny, but cold for this time of year – there were more customers than during the week, but not as many as I expected …

I ran the reports – and added up our sales for the first week …

We exceeded our break even number by $14.57 in the very first week!

The second week was even better … and still other business owners are telling us it is abnormally slow due to the weather …

Definitely a positive sign – the operation is paying its bills from the start. Next goal – reaching positive cash flow ...

Google Wave Extension Library Now Active

willburns1 — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:35:00 GMT

Google Wave is great for a lot of things but being able to an extension to your Wave makes the wave just that much more useful. Wave extension are elements that can be embeded and added to a wave that can add things like maps, video conferencing, iframes, and much more. It is by far one of the most powerful features of Google Wave

Before now in order to add an extension you had to know the specific URL where the extension was hosted. Google has added a new extensions section to Wave and it plays host to several new and old extensions that you can install right from there. Once you install them you can add them to a Wave right from the edit toolbar. This is much easier than having to keep a Wave with gadget and extension URLs in them. Now they are all there when you need them.

Google Wave is still under development and they are starting to release features slowly and it's shaping up to be a very useful web application. Recently they added email updates so that when someone sends you a new Wave you can get an email notification of the Wave which is a great feature. I don't login to Wave that often so if and when someone shares a Wave with me I'll know about it.