Prog Blog

Back in 1979 I was 19. I worked in a record store part time.
It was a pretty fun job, even though it didn't pay very much. I got to listen to music, talk about music and think about music for most of the day. Music was pretty much my favorite subject... it still is one of the things I love most in life.

If you grew up in the 70s you may recall the dearth of decent music available. Back in those days the best music available to anyone wanting well crafted, artistic, thought provoking music was on FM stations. It was the days before FM was considered commercially viable, and so most stations were sisters of commercial AM operations.

Many of these FM outfits had unlimited creative license. The DJs were often college students or guys that maybe got demoted from AM. The playlists were wide open, heavy rotation was NOT an issue. Usually the DJs got into a groove and could go for 20 minutes or more without interruption. They played long tracks and one would segue into another for an amazing flow. Innovative artists like (early) Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, The Brothers Johnson, Kansas, ELO, King Crimson, Neil Young, Yes and many others found airplay for tracks that never made it to AM.

I listened for hours to FM programs full of obscure and wonderful Album Oriented Rock (AOR)- blissfully passing through the late 70s without having to pay much attention at all to disco and pop music. Although The freeform days of FM wouldn't last forever (its ghost still walks among us as Classic Rock radio), it lasted long enough for me, and many others, to benefit from it.

Some of the beneficiaries were the punk & new wave movements. The FM DJs would receive promos from record companies promoting this new sound- stuff everyone knew would get little or no AM airplay. Patti Smith, The Cars, Brian Eno, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers etc. started sneaking into playlists- influencing the pliant minds of young listeners. I got my first punk album from Dick Warner a DJ at KRCB, The Ramones, Leave Home- I loved that album! I played it for everyone I knew- most people just laughed at me.

I heard Patti Smith's version of Gloria... It was dirty, sexy, crazy- Tom Petty's Break Down was sinuous, provocative- I was hooked. I would talk to anyone that had heard these new artists. I sought out more of my kind. Soon there was- even in Omaha, Nebraska- a crowd that embraced the new music. Of course the record shops were the place to find this new elixer, and so all that craved it ended up there. Homer's Records and Tapes (yes kiddies, records and tapes) was Omaha's nerve center for the new, obscure, challenging and progressive musical output of the day. Anyone that was anyone made it to Homer's as often as possible to see and hear the new releases.

Homer's is where I worked- for a little while. I met so many great people, listened to so much great music it was like a Roman orgy for the soul! One of the cool perks of working in a record store was that you got to (once in a while) pick stuff out of the promo stash. Of course, senior employees got first grabs leaving the obscure dregs for part-timers like me, but sometimes that's actually a good thing! I ended up with the most obscure collection of great stuff. I had Willy Alexander and the Boom Boom Band, Jules and the Polar bears, John Hiatt, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, UK Subs, Suicide Commandos- soooo much cool stuff!

One of the promos I picked up, and which would really shape my musical tastes, was the first Japan album, Adolescent Sex. I was obsessed by the complexity and uniqueness of their sound. David Sylvian had a panther-like growl that dug its way into my brain. The sparse guitars, layered with rich, complex keyboards and rhythms were a dusky, sinister incense that intoxicated me. Although I heard years later that the band was somewhat embarrassed by this and their second release, Obscure Alternatives, I continue to this day to thank them for these amazing works.

For decades now I have followed my own musical tastes wherever they may roam. In the 80s & 90s I lived in Seattle. KCMU was the UofW campus radio station. They played GREAT open format programs of new music. I was sad when that station faded away, but enjoyed it while it lasted. Some of the DJs allowed the open format to become quite formless- that did not hold my attention very well. There are still a number of these formless format shows on college radio, but they are still better than the top-40-heavy-rotation-crapola alternative!

Some of the KCMU DJs ended up at KNDD (107.7 the End) and continued to play great music for quite a while. I hope they are still around in some form! Nobody did ever play my perfect mix, but hey, I'm flexible! In the early 90s KNDD played Tool, which became one of my favorites. I thank those DJs for that! Tool was another band with a unique sound- they still are. Although they were adopted by Metal fans, they really are genre-less. They fit somewhat into the Progressive Rock category along with Dream Theater and my latest obsession, Porcupine Tree.

I discovered PT when I was watching the Opeth Lamentations DVD. Opeth are a Swedish Death Metal band that follows its own muse. My son got me into those guys. Lamentations included a documentary of the making of the co-released albums Damnation and Deliverance. It featured footage of Opeth frontman, Mikael Åkerfeldt, in the studio with his co-producer, Steven Wilson. Wilson was so amazing, picking up a guitar to play fills, stepping into the booth to record backing vocals and generally being a natural genius at the mixing board. After watching that footage, I had to know what his personal projects were like!

Thanks to Google and Wikipedia I am now a fan of Porcupine Tree. PT, incidentally, incorporates the talents of Richard Barbieri, who played keyboards for Japan so many years ago. So I guess that no matter where my path may wander, it always takes me home!

This blog entry has become something akin to the Prog Rock I love so much. It has wound its way around, exploring whatever it passed, shared a thought and like smoke, shifted again with the next breath... and like that genre it will probably be disregarded by 90% of all that come in for a glance. I'm ok with that, it wasn't meant for everyone.

Saw Piercing

Anyone who knows me can tell you what I love best- Silversmithing! For some unexplainable reason I have not- until this point, felt the need to create a post about it. Probably because I'm usually at my bench working on some project!

Lately I have been enjoying my Jewelers coping saw- a tool that receives a lot of bad-mouthing from many silversmith students. Yes, I do understand that it is hard to saw without breaking saw blade when you start out. However, if you keep trying, you will improve with time. Soon you will be wearing out blades rather than breaking them.

Think about learning to ride a bike. Most people didn't hop on and tootle off down the street on the first try. Most of us ended up in a heap on the ground quite a few times. Scraped knees, elbows and tears were part of the learning experience.
I remember my son at 3 1/2 years old... like anyone else he crashed and would end up shrieking that he hated his bike. Five minutes later he was back on again. By the end of the afternoon he was riding without crashing (much).
So if a pee-wee kid of 3 1/2 can ride a bike without training wheels then it stands to reason that an able bodied adult can learn to saw a thin piece of metal that pretty much stands still.

Here is a bit of collected wisdom from myself and the web:

When loading the jewelers saw frame with a blade, proper tension is a must!
With saw teeth pointing down, tighten the end of the blade in one knuckle of the saw. place the frame blade up, against the table and push the handle of the saw toward the table edge- tighten the blade into the other knuckle.
When you pluck the blade the sound should be a high & tight "ting".
If you hear a low, shaggy "buzz", loosen the frame-back nut and press the frame-back down against a table top, re-tighten and test again. If your frame only has front edge adjustments ("C" frame), loosen a front knuckle and press harder to tension the blade, re-tighten etc.

Important Basic Sawing Practices:
These points are important for accuracy in cutting:
Keep the blade perpendicular to the sheet that you are sawing.
Sit with your head above the work piece & your elbows at chest height slightly below the pin.
Find a comfortable position that allows you to see where the blade is going- not where it has been.
Saw slightly outside of your design and file finish.

These things keep your blade from binding:
With your free hand, hold the sheet flat to the wooden pin, and don't let it wiggle around.
Keep all sawing activity close to the edge of the wooden pin where the metal will be supported.
Lubricate your blade often- candle stubs are cheap and work well.

These things keep you from breaking blades:
Proper tensioning (see above).
At corners and tight curves- Turn the work piece s-l-o-w-l-y, while "sawing" the blade in place. Proceed slowly through all curves.
Never push the blade forward against the uncut metal. Let a gentle pressure on the saw advance the blade as it saws. The blade only cuts on downward strokes.

These things will make your work easier:
Choose a saw blade appropriate to the sheet gauge that you are cutting.
A saw blade that is too big will catch and chatter along the edge- You will go mad!
A blade that is too small will clog up from metal chips and stop cutting until the chips are cleaned out. This will slow the cutting job down unnecessarily- You will get bored!
When starting your first cut, use a file to make a notch on the sheet edge. This will keep the blade from wandering.
Buy good quality blades. Students often buy the cheapest tool because they don't think that expense is justified. With saw blades cheap is not the way to go! Quality German or Swiss blades will cut cleaner and last longer. Many have rounded backs for easier turning. I bought some cheap saw blades early-on, they would wander terribly and mess up my projects. They also broke like crazy!
I had a lot more filing to do with those cheap blades, and wasted silver too.

Thanks to PB Cohen's site http://www.pbcohen.com/index.php?itemid=53
for this link to Contenti:
Sawblades.pdf

James Miller FIPG has posts regarding saw piercing on Ganoksin.org. Here is a link to one of his many informative posts:
James Miller on saw piercing

If you want to customize the saw handle for a more comfortable grip, Brian Meek has the plan:
frankensaw

Well that is about all I have to say on the subject. I will leave you with a photo (at the opening of this entry) of a piece I made in red brass and copper. It was practice for a silver piece I want to make next.
Sorry for the blurry photo. My phone doesn't have a focus feature.
Happy sawing!

Oh Bangalore- Up Yours!

I HATE Tech Support!
It used to be that you could impress upon the technician at the other end of the line that you need EXPERT assistance- and they would hand the call over to a supervisor, but since most major companies have moved their "Tech Support" operations to Mumbai or Bangalore, that option is down the toilet!

This post is for all the unfortunate souls that have DSL service with Verizon Online.

Now, I realize that most people will take the Bangalore statement all wrong so let me clarify my position. Yes, maybe it is a bit difficult to understand the Indian accent, but if you are patient you can manage- so that is not my issue. Indian people are very nice, and I enjoy their company and culture. I do not dislike Indian people at all!

What I dislike is the fact that these people on the other end of the phone are completely at a loss as to how network technology- or computers for that matter- work! This is not their fault, India has a very low number of citizens that have internet access... probably very few that even own computers. In 2007 less than 4% of the population had internet access, and less than 200K had broadband as of 2004. The Indian GNP does not make for a lot of disposable cash to set up home-based LANs in India. That said, I imagine that those who do have the funds are not working in penny-ante jobs as tech support operators. Suffice it to say, that those jobs are populated buy persons able to read a script- deviate from the script and they are lost!

Now, on to what got me going in the first place:

I am a prisoner of Verizon DSL. If you are in the same boat, and you have been struggling with a lousey connection thru an Actiontec GT704WG Modem/router- I FEEL YOUR PAIN!

The real problem is that the modem and the wireless seem to- on a regular basis- duke it out in some internal struggle for dominance. If you have ever experienced life with a schitzophrenic- it is not unlike that. This internal battle makes for dropped connections and frustrated users! We were resetting the modem 3-4 times a week!
My kid got kicked while playing WOW on a fairly regular basis and was extremely pissed to the point of nearly smashing the GT704WG with a hammer. Though I don't love WOW, I do expect my service- which I pay good money for- to be reliable!

I called Verizon several times last year to see about solving this problem, never getting anywhere with the tech support- (see above). I was informed that I own this Pc o' S'ht modem, and if I wanted to get a new one they would send me one for about about 100 bucks. Now why would I want another one of these things? I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I went down to Fry's and purchased a DSL Modem made by D-Link, model DSL-2320B for those of you making note. This DSL modem requires a router in order to distribute internet access to your home LAN. If you have only one computer accessing the internet no router is needed. I already had a Linksys router, but it has no wireless capability, so I also purchased a D-link wireless N router, model DIR-615. Wireless N is an upgraded technology from the older wireless G of a few years back.

A modem is a modem is a modem- right? that was my thinking. You plug in the settings and you're good to go. So I plugged the modem in to my kid's PC, so I could use the set-up CD that came with the modem. I set up everything as best I could, called Verizon TS-India and asked for appropriate settings. Ruh-Roh! It would not connect, so they referred me to D-link for further assistance, informing me that I am a DHCP client not a PPP client.

After a call to D-link TS- India, informing them of my plight and DHCP account issues, they walked me thru a setup that was identical to the setup I already had. Still no connection. They referred me back to Verizon telling me it was a server issue... 3 1/2 hours gone and still no internet connection. I finally had a D-link TS-India operator inform me that the DSL-2320B modem was a PPP modem and could not be configured for DHCP client access. MAN was I P-Oed when she told me THAT!

I boxed up the stuff to return to Fry's and left it on my desk overnight. Perhaps I hoped that the internet brownies would come and set it up for me- I dunno. Next day I fired off an angry email to D-link and called them "assholes"*.
Looking at the stack of boxes, I felt unsatisfied with the previous day of wasted effort. When I feel this way I often go to Google for consolation- and so I did again.

According to several disparate posts across the web I found that many people were dissatisfied with the Verizon DSL service using the GT704WG modem. Some had been given advice by knowledgeable individuals, who did not need a script to provide technical assistance. After an few hours of combing posts and gathering information this is what I came up with:

1. GT704WG is a problematic modem, which can be made serviceable by reinstalling the OEM firmware and using it as a dumb modem in Invisible Bridge mode- negating its router capabilities and wireless access function. The Verizon-installed software that the modem arrives with does not allow this option. It is installed for one purpose- to make TS from a script possible.
2. Verizon DHCP access can be obtained by a new modem simply by turning off the GT704WG for 2 hours thus allowing the DHCP lease to expire, then installing the new router using the "bridging" choice in the setup.

After gathering this info, I turned off the modem and let it sit for a couple hours. I then attached the D-Link DSL-2320B modem, ran through the Manual Setup on the CD- using the above info- and as the French say, Voila! Internet connection. After that I set up the Router behind the modem according to the D-link CD and everything is copasetic!

Two things to note of interest if of little value:

1. When I called Verizon the second time I chose the "Mac computer user" option in the call routing menu (I will not get on about the call routing as I have already ranted enough) and I was routed to an American voice which seemed much mote knowledgeable- but still could not help.
2. *Calling D-Link "assholes" in my email note caused their CSR to provide a direct phone number to a "Product Specialist Department" So it does exist- it's just a well concealed secret!

I have had the D-link modem installed for a week now. It has kicked off once for a single interval, other than that it has been fine. No more turning off the modem for 20 minutes, hard resets etc. I hope for the best in this modem, only time will tell.

A Shout Out to all the knowledgeable Network Admin's and Techies- willing to post tips to the numerous help-boards on the web- You guys & gals ROCK!

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Lets see if this thing works!

26 years, has it really been that long?

Saturday was a milestone day for me. I saw Jay Rosen for the first time since 1981 when I left Omaha. I picked up Jay at the Burbank Airport (I was late on account of a traffic jam in Camarillo) and we spent a bit of time driving the LA freeway in search of the museum district- which we did eventually find.

Jay wanted to go to the LA County Museum of Art LACMA, which I had not been to before. There was a great show of 60s & 70s west coast artists. Some really cool work. I really enjoy modern, non-representational and minimalist art, this was a real treat!
While we enjoyed the show we gabbed, caught up on the past two and a half decades and shared what we could about the perirheral events of our time during and immediately after the Better Beatles. After a lovely dinner of salads and hummus we headed to the venue, with plenty of what I call Lost and Found Time to spare. Even employing a Garmin I can manage to get lost in LA!

Jay plays with a performer that had a gig in Highland Park, a neighborhood in LA which until this event I had never heard of. The Venue was Mr Ts Bowl on Figueroa, a run down, repurposed hole in the wall that is the perfect place to see fringe rock and kooky antics.
Jay knew a lot of the people performing and otherwise, and introduced me around as "his friend from Nebraska, and his old band the Better Beatles... that he hadn't seen for 26 years"... I think that our reunion, if that is the right word, was a profound experience for Jay as well.

I met Jay's friend Klaus Flouride, a name you may recognize- the Bassist of Dead Kennedys fame. Klaus is a super nice guy, not what you might expect of someone that has achieved status of genuine Rock & Roll Icon. When he said that he was a big fan of mine I was overwhelmed, a man that comprised a vital quarter of easily the best Politi-punk band of my generation said he really liked my music! SOOOO COOL! I had a really nice time visiting with him.

I also met The Ledge, that's what the guys call the star of the show, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy. He is a mellow, somewhat introverted fellow with a quirky personna, that, when unleashed onstage, is like nothing else in the known universe! It's like he is a conduit channeling cosmic craziness from a non-sequiter region of the outer galaxy.
He does the hand jive, towel-snapping toreador moves, paper plate saucer flying, whooping, hollerin' and poetry reading. He tops it all off with a strut around in his underpants, like a three year old being silly-naughty while his parents are out of the room.

The entire show is driven by the well oiled machine that is his back-up band. Jay and Klaus have a simpatico relationship onstage. The drummer, Joey Meyers, barrels through the night's performance like a long distance trucker hopped up on caffiene, speed, sugar and Merle Haggard. They are real pros. They jump, whoop, goof and crash around, avoiding The Ledge's towel snapping and manic gyrations. It is ballet des lunatics. These guys could back a train wreck and make it a beautiful experience.
They mused about the fact that still, after all these years, The Ledge doesn't recognize the intros to specific songs, and that no two shows are ever the same. That is probably one of the reasons they enjoy the gig, it's always fresh.

During the show I also met a couple of Jays confederates, locals that came down to say "hey" and see the show. Pete and Eric are working musicians, sleep deprived and bleary but so fun to visit with. Jay has nice friends.
Jay and Co. were planning to crash at Pete's house. Pete lives near the venue and had planned to take them all back after the show. Unfortunately he was exhausted from a week or more of long nights and a looming deadline. He looked like he could be happy curling up next to the homeless man sleeping in the loading dock.
I got his address and put it in my iPhone so I could drive the gang, and he could split early to get some sleep. Unfortunately I seem to have messed up and somehow deleted the entry. So after the show Jay ended up having to call, waking him up, to retreive his address. Man did I feel like an ass!

Obviously it was a late night 4:20 by the time I got back to Oxnard & hit the sheets. I still feel a bit loagy, but it was so worth it. I had a great time, and look forward to seeing Jay next month and meeting his wife Michele. We will be attending Budget Rock in Oakland, with some of the performers I saw last weekend. More fun to be sure!

Serendipity

I love the concept of serendipity, it is like the kissing cousin of the old saw "good things come to those who wait".
Those of us that wait often times are given no other option, maybe giving up was our other option- eh whot?

I am a lifelong needle work enthusiast. It is something I credit to the influence of my grandmother. She is forever in my mind's eye busy with knitting needles softly clicking, yarn slowly being looped into afghans, dish cloths, baby caps, layette sets, slippers and so on. She tried once, when I was about 11, to teach me to knit. I- like all kids, had the attention span of a gnat. Gramma pronounced me hopeless. I did not give up on needle arts, I learned to embroider as a kid and made great use of it throughout High School. I learned to sew in Jr. High & taught myself garment design as an adult. I learned needlepoint from my mother-in-law in my 30s. At age 40 I learned to crochet. I taught myself crochet because it seemed that my deceased gramma was somehow egging me on, saying come on honey- you can do it!

I do love crochet, it is both relaxing and an exciting creative outlet. I have come up with several cool designs on my own. I love freeform work and I would like to try my hand at it. I have looked at several books on the subject for guidance. There are some cool books, with lots of inspiration, but they all seem to overlook on important point. Once you have crocheted up a pile of motifs, how do you form them into a garment? The books I have seen all say "sew or crochet motifs together as desired". Well, DUH! I was hoping for a bit more than that revelation from a $30.00 book!

So, I have made up a small mountain of motifs, and over time have tried to figure out how to join them attractively- with no success. UNTIL NOW! I had backburnered the crochet project for a few months. Today, while looking for some simple large flower patterns to embroider on a camo jacket that I have, I struck freeform crochet joinery pay dirt! Serendipity n. an aptitude for making desireable discoveries by accident.

I googled embroidery flowers and found a site by a needlework enthusiast with a real do-it-yourself soul. She had some nice old DMC patterns posted, and after printing one of a bird of paradise (they go nicely with flowers) I decided to poke around her site. She has a sidebar full of links to pages on various knitting, doll making, embroidery, crochet and other needle crafts.

One of the links was to Crochet Design. There, Lo and Behold was a link to crochet joining flowers and squares the precise information I had hoped for in expensive books written by freeform experts. This lady, Jessica Tromp, has put it on the web for all to access. She has the attitude of the original web citizens, information should be free and accessible to everyone. She has sponsored links to support her site and I will be certain to visit some of her sponsors. Thank you soooo much Jessica! The photo accompanying this post is from her site.

So if you have been as frustrated as I was, check out the link and get to joining your flowers and other bits together. If you need some flower motifs and such, Jessica has lots of motif patterns for you. Just poke around and you'll find em!

Labor Day continues- laboriously

Labor Day weekend is our way of celebrating these last few days of glorious warmth. We frolic like it's 1999. Some people get really out of hand. Burning Man, which I have always thought would be fun to attend, is a great place for people to go nuts. It is a party of epic proportions to celebrate art and its creators. (I'm putting this in for the handful of people who have not heard of it) Google "Burning Man" and prepare to be dazzled by the myriad factions of kooks, cults, ravers and loners. I understand that in the past few years it has exploded into a Desert Disneyland of Chaos. Oh, and admission is up to $350 for the week-and don't forget your 150 gallons of water.

This year some "performance artist" burned The Man right out of the gate. What his "piece" may have been in reference to I'm not certain, "impulse control and the arsonist in everyone"? I'm just spitballin' here.
I understand that many artists to refuse to apologize for, or to curtail their creativity in consideration of society- however they should be prepared to have their asses kicked in the name of angry mob performance art. It seems the aforementioned performance (pron. "jerk-off") artist is a self-styled Hunter S. Thompson wannabe. I think that if you really were channeling HST, taking some Vicodin and laying down for a nice little overdose would be more appropriate. Burning The Man, when it was not his art to burn is, to me, unconscionable.
I say kick the m-f**ker's ass all the way across the Nevada desert and leave him to rot in Utah.

For the full story and photos:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/29/MN1ARR0JD.DTL