Afghan Banana Stand

Moving and Shaking

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:16:00 +0000

I decided to get my own web site in order to teach myself CSS and web design and a few other things. Come check it out: Michael Musgrove

I've alsobeenplaying around with Seth Godin's creation, Squidoo. Here are a few of my pages from that:

Best South Park Episodes Ever
Free BlackBerry Apps
Best Grateful Dead Shows
Best Computer Speakers
How Long Does it take You to make Money on Squidoo?

What Comcast Did

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:49:00 +0000

Below is an email I had to send to my landlady this winter:

Nikki-

This is what happened last Thursday when Comcast came to visit:

A Comcast technician showed up unscheduled at my door around 11am. Fortunately I was here but needed to leave around noon. The tech explained Comcast had detected a problem with my internet, and it was "reading 60 when it should be reading around 30 or 35." I had no idea what he was talking about but showed him where the cable modem was while I continued to get ready to leave." He hooked up a handheld instrument and took a reading, fiddled around in the apartment and went outside to check the exterior line. He came back up and soon thereafter a second tech showed up in another Comcast van. They looked at all the cables inside the apartment that were here previously and decided they needed to install another line. One of the techs asked where the attic was, and I told him there was a common crawlspace at the top of the stairs, but I didn't know if it was secured or even what was up there. He went and got a ladder while the other tech was outside doing something-I assume getting new cable to run into the apartment.

I was still trying to get ready and could hear one of the techs setting up a ladder and crawling around above. This was about 11:45 and since I didn't want to get in the shower or leave them unattended, I laid on the bed to wait for them to finish. About 5 minutes later the tech's lower leg/knee came busting through the drywall/sheetrock in the ceiling, with insulation, drywall and everything else pouring down onto the bed and floor next to me. He seemed shocked and didn't move for a second, then moved and looked down through the hole at me. I heard him complaining about the flimsiness of the materials of the ceiling, etc...but considering he wasn't on the beams, of course the ceiling gave way; it isn't meant to support weight.

The techs came into the apartment and looked at the mess, talking about how thin the ceiling was, which is, of course to code and standard building material. There was a gigantic mess in my apartment, the hallway, and stairwell. One tech packed everything up at that point, while I gave the other your name and phone number. He said the house doctor woul;d be out the next day to make repairs and they would cove rup the hole, which was approximately 2-1/2 ft x 1-1/2 ft, and a long crack going down the side of the ceiling/wall. He gave me a work order to sign, still not really knowing what they did or exactly why they were at the apartment in the first place. Since it was then noon and I was late, I signed it. I then checked my internet connection, and they hadn't hooked it back up or checked to see if it even worked in their haste to get out of the apartment quickly. I chased them down and told them it wasn't working, and one came back up, connected the cables and tested my connection and left. It appears they took the cover to the entrance of the attic and used it to put over the hole, as they left the attic unsecured not to mention the entire mess they created.

I returned last night (Sunday) and the mess was still all over my apartment and the attic was still wide open and nothing had been touched. I haven't heard from Comcast since.

If you need any further details or any other aspects of what happened, please let me know.

Thanks!
Michael

Verizon MiFi Review

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:21:00 +0000

Disgusted with Comcast and faced with the prospect of being in remote areas and places that don't have internet access, my girlfriend and I got a MiFi.

We've had it for several months and used it quite a bit. Here's the lowdown:

You can have up to 5 computers use this as an access point. I believe you are allowed something like 8 gigs of downloading, which isn't nearly enough. The salesperson told us he could download 5 full-length movies in HD with no problem, which obviously was a lie. Verizon sales associates may know cool tricks and apps for their phones, but I haven't seen a lot of IT knowledge displayed by that crowd. Long story short: We downloaded .pdfs and maybe a few other things and went over the allotment to the tune of several hundred dollars.

It's slow. We regularly have 2 laptops using it, and often cannot have one person doing something such as streaming music without the other seeing a loss in speed. I never did a download/upload test, but it's about half as fast as my home connection, which by many measures is slow as well.

The battery lasts about 3 hours, so it must be charged regularly. We usually just leave it plugged in when using it near a plug, but one of the great features, that despite the shortcomings make this a great product nonetheless, is that it can be used anywhere you can get a signal. Verizon has a great network and is one of the reasons I've been a customer for so long, so only in the true outback of Alabama can I not receive a signal. This sole aspect made it a winner when I was traveling back and forth to Montgomery and my PhD student girlfriend and myself, a student at the time, needing access to lots of information at all times. Graduate school is a lot of work at all hours, and we've both passed the point of feeling something is amiss if we're off the grid, I'm sad to admit. I have a BlackBerry Tour 9630, which solves a lot of problems, but it has its limitations of course.

The MiFi is about the size of a thick credit card, so it fits easily in a pocket. The Verizon MiFi also can slide or fall right out of a pocket, and is made from a slick plastic material, so be careful. These are expensive items, although we found it for $50, with a contract of course. I think if one were to buy it outright with no hooks or contracts it's around $500. It would be nice if mobile phone co's could rely on their outstanding service and low costs to keep their customers instead of legally binding them for up to two years.

Overall, if you need the internet at all times or even just rely on it heavily for light work such as searches and general surfing it's a great product. If you need it for downloading files, streaming, or just heavy data usage, you may be SOL, or at least annoyed by having to work with a connection reminiscent of dial-up.

In the end, she had to crawl back to Comcast and dig out her cable modem again. But we still use the MiFi for traveling, and it's about to save us $10 night when we're in a hotel next week in Portland and hanging out in airports, both which charge for internet usage, sadly.

A New Family Mamber has Arrived

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:36:00 +0000

In commemoration of my graduation from the MBA program last Saturday, my generous cousin gave me this(in addition to other goodies):

Fender DG-60

Although another entry-level guitar, I have to say, I really like it. I have the option of trading it up if I want, but I think I'm going to keep it. The action is light and easy and it has some decent bass, considering it's not a dreadnought. I plan on putting some Elixir nanoweb strings on it and seeing (or hearing) what happens. They really make a big difference.

The black finish is awesome, but I'm going to have a time keeping it scratch and smudge-free. It's also a little heavier than what I'm used to, but no big deal; I need the exercise.

I won't give a comprehensive review, but here are my initial impressions: it's lows and highs are pretty good and the mids are hidden. The materials are what you'd expect: plastic bindings and inlays, but they look nice. The machinery is pretty good quality. I don't have to tune it nearly as often as my Taylor(thank God) and the tuning keys feel solid. I like that it has silver hardware instead of gold, which is something I wish guitar manufacturers would get away from. The black finish is surprisingly deep and even. This axe is made in China, which contrary to a belief left over from days recently gone by, is actually capable of making quality goods these days. If China could shake that reputation, there wouldn't be any looking back for them economically.

I would highly recommend this guitar to an adult or younger person with big hands that is beginning to learn how to play. It cost a little under $200 but is sturdy, stays in tune, sounds good, is easy on the fingers, looks great, and doesn't have any little annoyances this range of guitars is prone to.

The Mundahs

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:51:00 +0000

Some great guys from SC, and a great album that makes me think of and miss the coast.

Their best albums: Palm Tree Congregation & Tropical Update which apparently have become collector's items.

My New Favorite Song -Backwards Down The Number Line

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:32:00 +0000

Sung in one of my favorite cities on Earth, where I've lived, and found the greatest dog ever.

I just downloaded this from Amazon, and will most likely end up learning it on guitar shortly. The best birthday song I've heard, and I still insist Trey is one of the most underrated guitarists ever.

Edit 04/02/2010: I have now learned this easy song. I also found this great rendition of it:

Slacker v. Pandora

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:25:00 +0000

Since I burn through my free Pandora account within 2 weeks, and am tired of setting up new accounts, I decided to try Slacker Radio, for which there is an app for my BlackBerry Tour 9630 and I knew nothing about otherwise.

So far: Slacker Radio wins. Slacker groups music together by genre, so if you made a "Pearl Jam" station, it would give you grunge. Alternatively, and a much cooler process, Pandora identifies lots of traits each song or artist has and lumps them together with algorithms a la Match.com. Pandora sounds like it would have the better output, but since Slacker has about 10x more songs in it's library than Pandora I don't end up hearing "The Golden Road to Unlimted Devotion" by Phil Lesh every 10 minutes (even though it rocks.)

Also, Slacker allows you to dictate how far into a genre it delves: deep, the fringe, mainstream, popular, etc...

Prime Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:32:00 +0000

I love this show; there's something here for everyone. This is the infamous Dane County Colosseum show.

This was when the keyboardist, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, was fooling around with Janis Joplin. They had two things in common: love of liquor and song. She sings on this one, and a great song choice.

The Dead have gone through keyboardists like Spinal Tap drummers. But the lawr of averages says the next one should be OK.

Horne & Corden

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:34:00 +0000

A friend of mine showed some of these skits to me, and for the most part, they're really funny. The diving and gymnastics ones are great, too.

What I found today

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:09:00 +0000

While rummaging through several dozen CD cases that contain CDs with images of events I'd rather forget, I stumbled upon these, which I hadn't seen in a very long time.

I saw many more shows than these indicate, but these have survived time. Some better than others. These were from Atlanta, D.C., Charlotte and St. Petersburg. I was on the road a lot in 1989 it seems. They didn't play much around where I lived; they only played once in S.C., and despite them playing many songs that mention Alabama, only played in AL once.

The top red one was a great show. The guest was Bruce Hornsby and when they played ILLR, it's started lightly raining. $21 to be on the 8th row to see the Grateful Dead on the field where the Redskins play as well isn't a bad deal. There was a Super-Weirdo on the train going there with us.

I included a (upside-down) Drivin' N Cryin' ticket that was stuck in there for some reason. When I went to see them at the King Street Palace, which was a small arena in Charleston, I ran into a childhood friend I hadn't seen in ages(to a 19 year old) while we were waiting for the band to take the stage. As I was talking to him with the house lights up, someone launched a combat boot across the place. Guess who didn't even see it coming and was hit in the side of the head with it? I'm sure that was memorable for him as well. Someone also fell out of the balcony and cracked their head open on the floor where we were. I wouldn't have thought a DNC show would have been so dangerous.

Why I hate Hyatt

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:19:00 +0000

I once owned a franchise which required extensive training to be given to me, specifically in-store, in the other corner of the state. For the two months I trained, I stayed at a Hyatt hotel, which was conveniently located on Main Street in downtown Greenville, SC, across from the store I trained in. I cut a deal with them for staying there for so long, but it still amounted to a pretty large bill. (I did get the best rooms, however, which were surprisingly nice and very cool, such as a long triangular room with all glass on 2 sides).

What I should have negotiated was free Wi-Fi. I couldn't believe I was expected to pay $10 a day for internet service at a hotel that normally charges $200/night for a standard room. I stayed there so sporadically, it wouldn't have benefitted me to purchase more "air time." The entire area of Main Street has free Wi-Fi, but it's cleverly blocked from the hotel that sits on Main St. I wouldn't recommend hanging around on Main Street after midnight with an expensive laptop.

So I was stuck there one weekend, and had been there for days, and was going stir crazy. I don't drink, and was married at the time, so that limited my options for recreation. Greenville doesn't have much of a nightlife to begin with. Friday night I stayed in and watched probably my 1,000th episode of "Forensics Files," in order to save $10 and not bother with the cyber world.

I love bluegrass, and was up near bluegrass country, so Saturday I paid the $10, and looked online for open mikes, jams, gigs, anything to go to for some local amateur entertainment. I discovered Del McCoury made an appearance and gave a free show at a coffeehouse/CD store 1 block from my hotel the night before. That's when depression set in. The problem, you see, is that if I had paid the ridiculous $10 surcharge the previous night, I would have seen the gig, and been set. Instead I missed probably my only chance I'll ever have to see Del, who I consider a legend, do what he does best.

Those are his sons that play with him. I couldn't imagine playing and touring with my dad for as long as they have. But he seems like a really nice guy. He's a big Christian, and forbids swearing on tour. His band is probably in a very small minority that doesn't tolerate any cursing on their tours. And you don't see hair like that much anymore.

His cover of Richard Thompson's 1952 Vincent Black Lightning is my favorite by him. Slow bluegrass doesn't do much for me most of the time.

Oneupsmanship

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:51:00 +0000

Someone sent me the transcript to this, and I'm pretty sure it's the hardest I've ever laughed from reading something. This pretty much takes care of any joke about oneupsmanship(I like that word), because it's perfect.

Apparently, not everyone likes Monty Python. I can appreciate that; it's just as some people don't like cartoons, or science fiction, or fantasy. I hate horror movies and pretty much any movie that spends over 1/4 of it dealing with a romantic relationship or just talking. Those camps are pretty well separated into male/female, although there are exceptions. Finding a girl who is an exception is nice.

The Boss has retired.

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:32:00 +0000

Man, what happened to Bruce Springsteen? When he was young, he was the crazy New Jersyer from ovah by the shoah, that sang for the working man, belted out some heartfelt rock and wrote 'The River' and this awesome (my favorite) ballad. I like the lyrics and Clarence's red suit(always) and Bruce jumping off the damn piano and just wearing it out. Not to mention I wonder what it would be like for a strange woman to approach you and touch you as if you were some god, as done in this video (Don't you hate when embedding is disabled?): Stuck somewhere in the swamps of Jersey

Then, next thing you know he's bopping around with Courtney Cox after hitting GNC, hard. Other than hitting the gym, he released "Born in the USA," not to be confused with "Born to Run." Although I must admit it was a pretty good album and was a unifying piece of work, but it's when he crossed the line. I grew up near Darlington County, so he had 15,000 sure sales right there.

Now when I see him it's usually for some democrat fundraiser or on a commercial for AIDS or something. Whatever mellowed him out, I don't want.

Inspired!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:49:00 +0000

What better to think about in July than winter? I really like this song, as non-heterosexual as admitting that may make me, since musicals aren't usually associated with testosterone. But this whole movie is great, from the cinematography to the stop-motion animation to the character development to just being a great piece of imagination come to "life." It was groundbreaking at the time.

Danny "Oingo-Boingo" Elfman is an incredible talent, although his "sound" is becoming tiresome. He needs to reinvent himself, and I know he has the skills to do so. But the Simpson's bouncy-horn theme is played. Nonetheless, I'll contradict myself and present this, just because it's good. I like the touch of having the short, fat elves going by singing "la-la-la-la" and modulating into a minor near the beginning, and the commitment to the song/character Elfman gives.

And Fall Out Boy's version, which is simply awesome(I can't imagine this being an easy song to cover):

Light the fuse, I must Ignite!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:20:00 +0000

How old is this song!? I still will wake up mornings with it in my head. Which, if you're going to want to spring out of bed, is a great song to get you going. I wasn't big into the Damned at all, either. But somehow I ended up with this album (actual vinyl!) which I seem to recall having pigs and strawberries on the cover, and this song lodged itself into my brain for all eternity. Crazy. That's some sort of power: to have all kinds of people walking around singing(and waking up to) words that you wrote.

I can picture scenes in my head that this song, and lots and lots of others, would be perfect for in a movie. I mean dead-on, for whatever type of emotional effect you want. I would love to make a movie. I study the technical/production qualities of movies when I watch them as much as the storyline, settings, acting techniques and writing and everything else. I'm a harsh critic. I was once a media arts major, before switching to English, and it was fascinating. You really have to be visionary to make a movie. Even the crappiest of them involve a big vision and a lot of work by a lot of people. Who's financing these things is beyond me, but more movies get made that shouldn't than do. And MST3k was born.

Along those lines, I'm particular about my audio and video as well, and have made a promise to only post the best quality of both on this site. Only HQ and no cell-phone garbage, unless it's of an actual alien. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but as with movies, there are far more videos out there that shouldn't be than are. Sometimes it takes a lot of weeding.

Souls for Sale, cheap.

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:59:00 +0000

I was reminded of a band that has been omnipresent, it seems, in my life since I was a teenager: Indecision. I started thinking of other bands that flared up around them and have since been placed in life's more standard roles. New Potato Caboose, the Connells, Love Tractor, The Stegmonds, The White Animals, Jupiter Coyote, The Mundahs, etc... New Pot Cab sucks, but I started thinking of bands that didn't suck but didn't make it. I realize "Didn't suck" is subjective in the highest order, but no one can deny these bands were/are highly popular, or very competent musicians and songwriters, unless you just don't know what you're talking about. It's mind-boggling to me that so many of these bands faded away after being either REALLY popular, REALLY talented, having a truly unique sound, or some combination of all, when so many truly sucky acts have been gone on to be signed and become millionaires. Jessica Simpson!? Are you kidding me? And her less-talented-than-I sister?

I present some of the bands I think should have been bigger, but have either died or remained touring for no other apparent reason than the love of music. If they haven't made it by now...:

The Connells (Granted, these guys are old, but their songs are pretty catchy)
The Mundahs (from HHI,SC-I love this band. Now extinct.)
The Blue Dogs (They're warriors, and great guys!)
The Drexlers (husband and wife from AT-beautiful voice and music, and really catchy. Any decent A&R guy should pick them up.)
The Reivers (formerly Zeitgeist, one of my favorite bands, ever)
Jupiter Coyote (Matt Mayes went to Woodberry[as did Bobby Houck of the Blue Dogs-he even taught there]and they have always draw a big crowd)

Let this be a warning: Beginning your band's name with "The" is risky to the future of your band!

Love Tractor (This is debatable; there's only so much keyboardy-music one can take, and they covered it pretty well)
Let's Active
Game Theory(OK, Mitch Easter in general should have remained active)
Zwan

This list could be expanded considerably. These are acts just mostly from the southeast. I'm sure there's a story just like theirs in every city.

Tunes, Man.

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:52:00 +0000

I was just watching some of the videos I have posted here, while at a house where I am currently storing my heavy-duty home theater gear, set up. I have my laptop connected to it, and I decided several things:

1) People's audio standards seem to be (temporarily) cast back to late AM/early FM days.

2) What type of audio system you have makes a big difference in the experience.

3) There is a huge marketing segment here.

4) I wanted to showcase my "stuff" and thought this would be a good place to share ideas and thoughts on equipment.

I'm going to work under the assumption that most people are listening to their audio mostly in these ways:(I'm in a listing sort of mood today) Crappy laptop speakers, Crappy desktop speakers, an iPod on a preset eq and with the crappy bud earphones, a car stereo which has never been adjusted properly, an iPod dock with crappy speakers, and a home theater system that isn't maximized. If it's a couple and there's a guy around, this may not be the case, but if it's a single woman: forget it. I don't think I've ever been in a woman's car where the stereo was set anywhere near what it should. Bass:+10, Treble: -4, Fader: 10, Balance: 3, etc... I'm not an audio engineer, but I can play with them enough to get something that makes instruments sound like they should, even on a much larger scale. If you're gonna listen to it, at least take a few seconds and adjust your settings so they sound like you like them to, if not for yourself, for your passengers. This research is based on being left in a girl's car to wait, and after waiting for 10 times the length of time promised, having to go ahead and adjust their stereos for them, after going through their glove box of course.

But listening to "Orinoco Flow" on my home system vs. my laptop speakers, which aren't bad for laptop speakers, it's like hearing 2 different songs. One version makes you yawn; the other gives you goosebumps.

OK; what I have: Energy Encore 5.1 speakers which are really nice speakers. They're made in Canada and just have a weak marketing department, because these speakers shred. I actually saw an Energy subwoofer for sale in Costco the other day, so I hope they're starting to penetrate the U.S. market more. They were really hard to find when I bought them about 9 years ago. I would place them in the low-high end category, having seen $60,000 speakers in my quest for the best, in my price range which was around $1500.

To spare the agony, I scoured everything I could to review speakers. I landed on these and got them for $999, brand new.I get deals on everything I can. I got my television from Sears, before they wised up on the price-matching promotion. I found one online from a guy basically selling them out of a truck, took it into Sears and after a string of managers inspected it, got a $2400 TV for $1200. That was in the days when that was obscene. Although tempting, I'm not sure how much I would spend on a top of the line monitor, because they are becoming outdated in an exponential fashion. That seems to be a trend with an exponential amount of products lately, too.

Anyway, they have been discontinued. But I would give Energy a look. Cheesy name, I know, but they are a great deal and seem to be built to last.

I've owned a Best-Buy's worth of computer speakers. For the most part, they've sucked. Computer speakers aren't exactly bank-busters, so I, of course, researched these ad infinitum as well. I bought a Klipsh 2.1 ProMedia system. I've owned Klipsh loudspeakers before, which were stolen from me in Atlanta, and I know Klipsh makes great stuff, and is great for jazzy horns and all that. These speakers, which must be broken in and separate monster cables purchased for, blow any others away, in clarity and volume. Of course I'm not including gaming setups that I would imagine some strange humans own. Just speakers that normal people would have at their office.

They are in I.R. right now, pending death. Not long after discovering my ex-girlfriend's 5 year old daughter punched in the paper cones in the mids, the left channel went out. I suspect the cable connection to the subwoofer, which is known for being a piece of Chinese crap. But it's my female connector, which means I have to crack the sub open (about 100 screws) and it looks like will involve soldering (my ex-brother in law stole my soldering iron and solder) and just a general PITA.

But, I have headphones! For those times when you don't care if you look like a total loser, and want to hear something closely and/or dangerously loud. I have Sennheiser HD-595s which are ridiculous looking and expensive. But they sound great and are comfortable to wear. I have an apartment in Tuscaloosa at school, and although I have a Sony Dream System (I bought that for another great deal-it's a very good and easy to set up system, but discontinued as well)sometimes I actually have enough free time to watch a movie, and want to blow my mind. These will do it. They set up a sound stage that's unbelievable. But as you may imagine, aren't practical for bringing on the commute.

I have amassed quite a representation of Sony products. They make a lot of stuff, and I have a lot of the stuff they make. I think their nicer products are well-built and nice looking, and their low end offerings are just crap like the rest. Sony isn't cheap, but I have a Sony desk radio from the 70's that still works like a charm from our old beach house. It's a trouper. And their TVs are tanks, and weigh as much. I own a tube Sony, and it's 150 lbs. 32". I had looked at getting a bigscreen Sony, and it weighed 300. Something to think about it you move a lot. Or ever. Their laptops are very appealing to me, but I've never been able to find the value in the difference in price. Sony's invariably are more expensive.

I put a Sony head unit in a Volvo I owned, which was just a low-end unit to replace the crapped out one that came in it. These days, manufacturers have caught on that a nice audio system helps sell cars, so it's not as much of a concern. When I was young, there was a big market for aftermarket stereo systems, because the stuff that came in them, except for the luxury brands such as Mercedes, was pure garbage. And the dealer would try to charge you $1000 or more for these things. Two paper cone speakers in the back, which would be dried out and rotten in a year from the southern Sun, and one in front. Then, 2 in front, and finally, when they really poured on the luxury, 2 in the kickpanels. It wasn't until the early 90's I think before cars had passable systems. I actually have had 2 cars that had only one speaker in the center of the dash: BMW and VW. Although I drove an MG-GBT for a long while that, although probably pretty nice when it was new in 1974, only had one speaker as well. Ironically, the only other stereo I've upgraded was in a Porsche. Germans. I switch cars a lot, too.

But I hope technology starts to catch up and brings low-priced, high-end audio to the masses. In the meantime, please don't settle for what is ever the standard.

And always adjust your settings!

Unbroken Chain

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:04:00 +0000

I could go on for the rest of my life about the Grateful Dead. They seem to be a very polarizing group: people either love them or hate them. I can understand why they may not be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone who knows anything about playing instruments and music composition has to admit to their virtuosity. Also due to their high profile followers, their fans earn a certain reputation which may or may not be deserved. I actually keep my love for them low profile because I'm pretty laid back naturally, and when people who don't know me well learn I'm a fan, they assume I'm an acid-dropping pot-smoking hippie.

But if one listens to their music carefully or tries to play it they will see what the band members are doing is not only very, very difficult, but their lyrics are beautiful and inspired(thanks to John Barlow and Robert Hunter among a few others). Jerry Garcia's improvisational abilities are equalled by only a very small group of musicians, ever.

However, I must give Phil Lesh credit where credit is due. As the bassist he doesn't necessarily command the respect he deserves, but he has written some of my favorite songs the Dead play. The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion, Passenger(both which are essentially Rock and Roll, a style usually associated with accomplished and unconventional rhythm guitarist Bob Weir), The Eleven, and this incredible piece: Unbroken Chain, to name a few.

These guys do one of the best, if not the best, cover I've heard. It's a hard song for the odd time signatures and tempo changes, and they nail it, including the solo, and do it on acoustics. I would recommend subscribing to them on YouTube, as their offerings are well worth it. Their Chinacat/Rider is awesome and Phish's You Love Myself is plain ridiculous (Trey Anastasio is another underrated guitarist). Hey, it costs nothing! That's a great return!

I'm Giving it Up

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:27:00 +0000

What a groove... now with more cowbell!

Mazzy Star - Hope Sandoval

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:12:00 +0000

Mazzy Star has been a band on my radar since their widely released "Fade into You" way back when. However, I've been becoming more entranced with their music as I dig deeper into their repertoire. Not to mention Hope Sandoval is bad to the bone.

As much as I detest MTV, I do really like their unplugged series, and this performance of "Into Dust" is amazing to me, not just for the music, but for the visual qualities as well. I believe most people would consider "art" to be something created which evokes emotion in the audience, and to me, this qualifies. Although it helps to be in a very somber, introspective mood.

Pearl Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:16:00 +0000

This is a video of their practice at 30 Rockerfeller. I've been in the SNL studio, and that stage is tiny. The guys still manage to destroy "Rearview Mirror" even in rehearsal.

Porsche: There is No Substitute

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:58:00 +0000

Actually, if we had truth-in-slogans for the entire line of models, it would be "There are a few substitutes." But for one model, at least, I found there is no substitute(within a budget). I bought a 2004 Porsche 986S, or more commonly known: a Boxster, and just as commonly, and annoying: a Boxer.

Most people who have read this far are thinking, "So what? I don't want to read about some rich guy bragging about his toy." So I'm going to debunk some myths, Bust them if you will, and give you the real deal with owning a Porsche, and hopefully dispel, and create, some stereotypes.

I am not rich. I am a graduate student. I don't have a six or seven-figure salary, and I didn't defraud an insurance company. I save my money for things I want, and sold my previous car, rather than trading it in.

I have always wanted a Porsche. Two of my uncles have had them, they are unique-looking, and are race cars. I was finding deals on 356's as I approached my 15th birthday(When I got my license-God help us) and giving my dad my best sales pitch. Unfortunately, he was, and always will be, a Corvette enthusiast. I was given my mother's old bright green 1978 VW Rabbit instead, which I promptly totaled.

So, I waited. I drove the same Honda for 12 years. I'm putting a page together to highlight my rolling stock on my website HERE. I've had a lot of cars. My dad races cars:

I can't believe the size of the crowd! It's Woodstock!

So I know some things about cars. A lot, in fact.

So the time came where I was unattached romantically, and that detatchment took my dog and my car, and I had some money in the bank. I needed wheels, and, long but very interesting story short, I bought a Guards red 2004 Boxster with 30,000 miles, just had it's service done(which are expensive)for a great deal:$27,000. I know and see plenty of people that spend more than that on their car. Black interior.

I had driven Porsches before, but of course didn't drive them like they were mine, so this was a thrill on many levels. My favorite color is red, as well.

So that's some of the background, and here's the deal:

Myth #1(and this one is the worst): Convertibles, and roadsters are "chick cars."(The words used to describe the types of people that drive them vary). People that say that have either never driven a convertible Porsche, or a Boxster, like they were meant to be driven or have serious doubts about their masculinity. Many of my friends were members of this camp, and couldn't stop smiling after driving or even riding in it(at 146 mph). That may have been a smile of terror, however.

This car was a race car meant to be tracked. The fact it has a convertible top is an added bonus or negative, varying by the hour. If you're driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway on a nice Spring or Fall day, it doesn't get any better. If it's raining and you're wearing a suit and have a lot of bags, it sucks. Also, if you're taller than 5'2 and constantly are opening and closing the top so you never learn where the roofline is(like me), get used to hitting your head.

It has a front and rear trunk, which is very nice. Two bags of golf clubs can fit in the rear one, I'm told and have seen in a photo. I never even came close to filling it all up. But, to make that space, it has a mid-engine.

The mid-engine gives the car perfect weight balance. It handles like it was on rails, to use on overused phrase. It really does. The "S" has bigger brakes, wider tires, I believe more negative camber on the tires(they are pointed in on the tops), have Z rated tires, have more horsepower, and there is no reason anyone should buy a base model, of anything. I spit on the base model. If you can't spring for the extra, wait and buy it later, or buy the next nicest badge down's top of the line. I installed rear speakers, and a new stereo.

The stereos that go in them are garbage. That isn't my opinion, it's a fact. Actually, it is very common for the stereos to crap-out. They're the same ones that go in Lambos, Ferraris, and several other exotics. I don't know what's up with that or what kind of naked pictures someone has of somebody at Porsche, but they need to review that supplier. I have fairly high audio standards, admittedly, but these things actually break. Mine went crazy, I shipped it back to the manufacturer(whose name I will have to remember and repost here), and they told me water had gotten into it. There was no way. They offered to sell me another unit to replace it, at a "discount." I bought one from Crutchfield, sold the old broken one(Yes, they knew it was broken, and I sold the faceplace separately from the head unit) and was set.

Incidentally, the Blaupunkt stereo(which are the stereos that used to come in Porsches) I purchased came with a remote control. I thought that was ridiculous, but I came to use it a LOT. It's handy to have on your lap, if you have to scroll through radio stations, for example, or search for songs on a CD. And the next buyer, if you sell it, will think that's cool.

To access the engine is a small undertaking. Clips have to be undone, panels have to be removed, the roof is put back, but not a big deal. The only reason a non-mechanic would need to get in there is just to clean the compartment out. There's no room, and nothing really to access. The car sits about 3" off the ground, so you need a lift or have to buy Rhino Ramps because of the angle, and even then there's not much clearance. I'm not brave enough to put the whole car on stands by myself. But you may want to change your own oil, for example.

This car takes 12 (twelve) quarts of oil. An oil change at the dealership is about $350. If you don't know what you're doing, that may be worth it. That's a lot of oil to drain in a garage, on a very low-slung car. I changed my own, but I'm just saying...

Parts for this car, not surprisingly, are expensive. Don't mess it up. Fortunately, the car is so well tweaked out that you can't really do many mods to it. I know people do, all the time, but for the everyday driver, this car performs like a jet. I kept an informal count when I drove around, and I know I could take 99% of drivers around me at any time. That's just straight-line driving, or dragging. These cars were meant to be raced on curvy, winding tracks, not dragged.

This car is more expensive than average cars to operate, for sure. It takes premium gas, and doesn't get very good gas mileage, considering the weight and size. It just has a large engine. 18mpg was standard, but if I'm wearing it out, 14mpg. But I also got it for a steal, so I just applied my operating costs toward the cost to rationalize it. I recommend you do the same.

MYTH #2) This car is comparable to the Audi TT, Honda s2000, Miata, or any other small convertible. Possibly the Audi in terms of speed, but the Audi loses in terms of masculinity(important), storage room, handling, and comfort, something none of these cars have for long distances. The other cars are simply out of the Boxster's league. The guy I sold it to had been looking at a TT, until he drove my Porsche. Coincidentally, Volkswagen owns Audi, and was where Ferdinand Porsche worked before founding his company.

You will be asked the following questions every time you stop: What is that, what do you do for a living, how much did that cost, and how fast will that go? It becomes tiresome, but personally and vainly, I enjoy the eye appeal when I'm in motion, or at a stop light with pretty girls around.

If you take care of this car, which you should, you'll start wanting to steer even clearer of Wal-Mart and such parking lots. These cars are not safe to park alone in questionable areas, which sometimes is a worry. Few people only drive from one secure parking space to another. I was always worried someone would key it or cut the top just for spite. Both happened to a friend of mine in college all the time, who had a convertible BMW (black, no less) by hooligans. A funny thing happens, though. I would park it WAY out away from other cars at Wal-Mart, and other people would park around it. Ugh.

I eventually sold it to get an SUV, as I was doing a LOT of traveling, woodworking, and wanted to get another dog. This is a questionable "only" car. For a weekend, fun car it's ideal. You can buy a hardtop for it, although they are hard to find and expensive. Many people who buy these cars are, in fact, affluent, and have all sorts of hoists and tire racks for their summer and winter tires and go all out. It's recommended that if you live in a place that sees winter weather, you switch out tires. I drove mine in some very cold and less-than-ideal conditions, and I would agree-you need two sets. This also requires 2 sets of rims. They are VERY expensive, although a lot of people buy just the cheapest of both for winter, it that's fairly reasonable. Especially if you plan to keep the car for some time. I did not.

There are great resources online for Porsche owners. They are a tight bunch, and obsessive. There's probably a Porsche Club in your city, in fact. Many great forums and online parts dealers. I would recommend buying a used one from male previous owners. Not to be sexist, but I know how women take care of cars, IN GENERAL. Some are good at it, but I see some women driving these cars and if they aren't doing the maintenance themselves, they probably dropped dead at the price of the first servicing, and didn't go back. Of course there are a few that kept it up as it should be, but overall, I see more men, like me, that buy these and keep them mint.

A hard-to-find Tune

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:35:00 +0000

This was a single on the Please No Profanity compilation album, co-released by my undergraduate Alma Mater, in conjunction with local Columbia, S.C. artists back in the early 90's. These were the days when Hootie & the Blowfish were still local and would play at our fraternity parties, and Edwin McCain was still trying to jump on their coattails.

Notable tracks were Danielle Howle's(Lay Quiet Awhile), Blightobody (awesome), Hootie's acoustic "Drowning" and interesting originals such as this.

Click under the CD image or the 'Flying a Plane' link to play.

My Hatchet: Taylor BT-3

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:09:00 +0000

Here is how I came to own this parlor/travel/widget-sized guitar, and what I think of it and Taylors in general. I have been playing guitar for 26 years or so, but my skills don't reflect that large number. I simply think it's a very interesting and versatile instrument that's fairly easy to manage. My dream job would entail me running an acoustic guitar manufacturer. Possible...

After a very long string of guitars, both electric and acoustic, I now have an Ibanez PF-40, which is an entry level, all maple dreadnaught that my dad gave me for my birthday in 1992. It was(note tense) a guitar that I learned a lot on, and had a very slender neck, from the fretboard back. That made me develop a Hurculean muscle between my thumb and forefinger, and my left-hand pinch now must be registered as a deadly weapon. That guitar had a life that, between being hoisted into a ceiling fan in Marathon, FL. and dropped down a flight of stairs in college, saw the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Atlantic ocean and pretty much everything around and in between.

My cousin, who lives VERY nearby, adopted a stray dog. But it's not what you think. She allowed this dog to become pregnant on what had to be her first heat by her existing Australian Shepherd, Blue. They had 8 puppies. Or, I should say, WE had 8 puppies, 11 dogs in all(I have a great dog, too). So while dogsitting for some of my pack, they started playfighting, rumbled over to the stand, and long story longer: Broken headstock. Repairable only to the very sentimental and wealthy. I only fit one of those criteria, and not the one that matters. So it sits in it's now tomb of a case in the corner. I just can't put it up in the attic, even though I know it's useless.

So I began guitar shopping. I had a low budget, for various reasons named Nancy, and I travel a lot. Seemed logical to get a travel guitar--I had seen Martin's offering, The Martin BackPacker travel guitar, and it was cool-looking. At the same time, I knew this wasn't going to result in a concert-hall quality sound, but I at least wanted to not sound as if I should be playing at a luau. Time for test drives and research. Two things I'm REALLY good at. And exhaustive, given the time.

I narrowed the search to the BackPacker, the Taylor Baby and the Seagull Grand Parlor Guitar and the Larivee Parlor guitar , until I saw the price. I should say the choices were narrowed for me, because these are really the only contenders in that market. Don't think I haven't made a note of that.

Locating a Seagull where I live was an impossible task, and I wasn't going to buy a guitar I couldn't play, so that was out. I've heard they're very nice, but they only got lukewarm reviews however. There is quite an online debate on this topic-which travel guitar to buy, and the camps seem pretty well divided between the Martins and Taylors. The arguments for a Seagull just weren't compelling enough to go to Atlanta to test drive one, and I would have if more people were raving about them. I was now in the under $400 price range, which seemed steep for a travel guitar that's probably going to see a fair amount of neglect. I had only played the Martin BackPacker at this point. The main problem I had with the Backpacker was that you need to use a strap, and after the novelty of the design wore off I'd start feeling like a Frank Zappa wannabe. Also I don't necessarily want to be approached every time I play it by curious requestors of Jimmy Buffett and James Taylor.

I went to Birmingham and drove a Taylor BT-1, which is the baby with a sapele back, then a BT-2, which is a mahogany back, and was immediately convinced this is what I was looking for, and the price was justified. At the time, Taylor was offering the limited edition BT-3, which is a flamed maple back and sides. I knew I liked the brighter mids of an all maple guitar, so I rolled the dice and ordered one, as there didn't appear to be one for sale within 1000 miles. I learned how these guitars are made, and know Taylor's reputation for quality, so I felt confident I would be pleased.

That's not an abominable snowman holding it for me. It's a giant sheepskin I shipped back from New Zealand over a very old and comfortable (but an eyesore) leather wingback chair. It will eat you, though.

I have owned the guitar for 1 year now and here are my thoughts:
The sound is great for the size. The bass doesn't thunder, of course, but considering the 3/4 size, you get more than some cheap full-sized guitars. The neck is easy to navigate, however, you'll have to relearn how to do bends. The e strings, and b if you're really bending, will slip off the frets. Annoying at first, but you'll learn to work around it. It has bright highs, with the help of Elixir strings, which I've found to be in another league as far as strings go. The mids are bright, due to the maple materials used-mahogany and sapele will sound different, of course.

The guitar has a satin finish, which is great for showing off the maple grain and flame. The rosetta is laser-etched, and is largely unnoticed. There is no pickguard, and I'm seeing quite a bit of wear already. I play a lot, but I have a feeling this thing's going to look like Willie Nelson's remnants of an acoustic guitar by the time we part.

But the guitar is constructed well. It's largely machine made, and all cuts and joints are laser-tight, literally.The hardware seems to be well made, but I'm starting to wonder. My top e string(bass) NEVER stays in tune. I can hear it flipping over the correct note, but it won't keep a perfect "E". I use a KORG Chromatic Tuner CA-30 and it confirms this. I'm going to contact Taylor and see what they say about this. It may just need to have a tune-up done-truss rod adjusted or something(something I don't recommend doing unless you know what you're doing) but I'm always tuning this thing.

Taylor makes a very big deal out of keeping their instruments at a regulated humidity. They're obsessive about it. I also wonder if their instruments are more sensitive to humidity and that's what's causing the frequent re-tunings? Problem is, it's a travel guitar-it's going to be exposed to lots of (and possibly sudden) changes in humidity, depending on where you live. I'm in Alabama, and travel North-South-North a lot, so that's humidity variation for sure, but enough to have to tune the guitar every time I pick it up? Apparently.

Taylor has achieved an admirable feat: they gained a loyal customer. Even with the shortcomings I ponder, for the price and parameters, this is an excellent guitar. It's well-made, nice looking, compact, has a good tone and volume, doesn't need a strap, comes with a gig-bag that is decent, is good for teaching girls on, and comes from a company that believes in quality (even if you have to pay for it). I have played many, many Taylors since buying this guitar and can't wait to upscale. Taylor is a well-run company that makes heirloom instruments. Getting a job there and learning where El Cajon, CA is will be my next challenge.

Hulu Labs Desktop-neat!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael B. Musgrove) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:47:00 +0000

If you're like me, and considering canceling your cable or DishTV subscription, you'll find this exciting:

Hulu Labs-Dig This Stuff!

There is becoming more I'd rather watch online than via cable. I think I see which way this is heading. Who will the first joint venture be between to give us a usable console?