Better see a doctor

I'm gonna be consuming a lot of sick music later this year....

The Beastie Boys has just announced a new album this year - which has got me foaming!

I've already started mashing up some of their acapellas with some crazy ass electro/rock beats, just to get back into the mood! Wow - some great news today, and I feel real good about it. Methinks it's time to load all their albums into my iCar*.

*an iCar is my 10-CD shuttle in the car. I press this neat button called 'random' so I'll not know what the next song is, until.. oh nevermind.

See! I'm sick.

The Monofuck

Receive a stereo mp3 file, but the audio is in mono?
Or it sounds weird, like some vocals or instrumentation is either missing, diminished or muddy?

It's the monofuck.

The "monofuck" is somewhat nasty. It's a stereo file with both channels fed by either a doubling of the left or right source.

L + L (or R + R) feeding L + R

There's also the "stereofuck" when one of your cables is earthing or our of phase, and the whole recording sounds 'underwater', sounding whack.

-L + L (or -R + R) feeding L + R

Both are ghastly in a song with panning production elements!

(above) Normal stereo file

(above) Monofuck L+L

(above) Monofuck R+R

Try this Beatles "Revolution" Pack I put together to hear what I'm talking about. I clipped it to the first 40 seconds. The download is about 5Mb, and loaded to a temporary online storage website (zShare). Click here to download it.

You'll find 6 files:
1 the original track
2 monofuck left
3 monofuck right
4 stereofuck
5 stereofuck (left inverted)
6 stereofuck (right inverted)

Note the properties of the original track, like where the vocals are placed, where the guitars are placed, drums etc. See if you can spot what what happens with each file.

If you're an mp3 blogger - perhaps posting mp3s in actual mono, or "monofuck", may help to serve as a 'technicality', if you get into a wrangle with your local record company agents.

Awesome!

As discussed in my upgrades post, here are a few pictures I wanted to share :)

If it's been a while since you climbed Mt Maunganui - this from Jan 2007
click for a bigger image

Back in Feb, I got the heads up over in Sydney, of these two fine shows that were on their way to NZ

The Strand in Sydney was just beautifully presented for Valentines Day this year!

No, U2 did not "peak" in the 80's, they peaked in 2006.

Upgrades!

What is it about us, that makes us want to make things better?
Is it a matter of keeping up with 'the joneses', or necessity?

We have Windows and all the security programs on our computer telling us to "stay updated" with its security and version updates. New version this, free upgrade that.

I was thinking about posting some pictures here, of some recent trips around NZ and Oz. I was thinking that I haven't spent much time at his blog, and it's be nice to let you know whats up in my life.. after all, Google Analytics (the upgrade of Urchin) is my new stats software. I upgraded. It tells me that I still have a lot of visitors, so yes, it would be a worthwhile thing to put up some pictures, and tell a few yarns.

From there, I thought, we'll I'd better offer you something fresh - just to let you know that I AM still functioning as a person and transparent in receiving information and pouring my painted opinion of it here on the blog. So, methinks trying to figure out how to integrate a picture viewer using Flash, would somehow impress upon your good self.

Where to start? Well, I'm already with Google, and I know they have Picasa. I've previously not favoured this product (too unnecessarily difficult basket), but should I try it again?

The other day, a friend sent me a link to a 'picasa web album', with pictures from her wedding. I was there. It was a lovely day, and I got to see some funny photos by some of the new faces I met there. Picasa worked. It gave me ease of use, so I was focussing on the event, rather than the interface. When you're able to forget the catalyst, it's a sure sign the product works well.

Should I upgrade and sign up for a Picasa album? If I already shared a lot of photos with you fine readers, then yes. Truth is, I don't do that very often - or at all... so I won't. To be honest, the process is easy enough already to display a single image here. I could say, upload 5 pictures, pop in my captions and be happy with my contribution. You'd also be happy that I haven't swamped you with stuff you don't want to see, nor wait on it downloading, or surf off to web-links that may subject you to more hassle than it's worth.

There's an upside to upgrades, but I think it's also important to know what's necessary and what works. Perhaps that's the attitude of those using a Linux OS?

Are we improving our life, evolving, or just upgrading for the sake of tomorrow?

oh - by the way, the new Playstation 3 is out.. are you getting two of 'em?

Save Easter!

There are currently two bills before Parliament that would extend shop trading to all or some locations on Good Friday and/or Easter Sunday.

Both bills are going to be debated in Parliament today (March 14).

Both bills come before Parliament just as a UNICEF report has shown up our poor record in encouraging family time and at a time when we are suffering from crippling levels of consumer debt.

Helping us stop this bill is easy.

Just visit the NDU retail campaign website http://www.shelfrespect.org/ where you can email your local MP.

My letter:

Dear Judith,

Numbers are growing fast around support for the preservation of Easter observances, as they are for Anzac Day. These days are becoming more important than ever. We cannot lose sight that people have a right to their history and culture in NZ, and we have been very good in continuing to preserve, and embrace these events.

Please oppose the two bills before Parliament that would extend shop trading to all or some locations on Good Friday and/or Easter Sunday.

With so many people employed in retail and related jobs we need to keep shops closed a few days a year so that religious observance, family, cultural, recreational and community events can be enjoyed by almost all workers and their families.

At a time when UNICEF has shown up our poor record in encouraging family time and when we are suffering from crippling levels of consumer debt we hope you will vote against shop trading at Easter.

Do me proud Judith,

Richard Phelps