Sunday, February 14, 2010

This I Don't Believe


This I believe. Generally speaking, people are stupid. They tend to base their beliefs on superstitions, ill-conceived notions, and poorly rationalized half-truths.

In a search for inspiration, I picked up This I Believe - The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman. Derived from a NPR series, the book originated from the resurrection of a 1951 Edward R. Murrow radio program of the same name and contains short essays by average and famous people trying to condense their personal core beliefs into a couple of hundred words.

Some of the essays are from the original 1951 series and some from a project NPR put together.

Although I am only half way through, thus far, the book has presented only a few profound glimpses into the human intellect. Very few.

The best one is the first one, Be Cool To The Pizza Dude by Sarah Adams. She presents the pizza delivery dude as a charming example of why we should follow the Golden Rule. I will probably be a bit nicer to other people because of it. (But, I have to admit, I was already biased toward this behavior. I was once a pizza dude myself, having worked for Domino's while in college.)

Unfortunately, most of the other essays were slop. Even some of the more famous authors like Albert Einstein came up pretty lame. He called for “the establishment of a planned economy coupled with an education toward social goals.” Really? Social and economical engineering? That is what he believed in? Isn’t that what the Soviets and Nazis were all about? We need to have the smart people tell the dumb people how to live. That qualifies as enlightened thought?

Anyway, I won’t be wasting any time on This I Believe II. Although, I do have to admit, I will be taking a peek at it in the bookstore. The second edition contains a couple of pages of -- I am guessing -- brilliant insight put together by professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. The rest I will bypass, venturing a guess that there will be very few life-changing revelations to be found.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Stills Are In A Holding Pattern

Forming about a decade ago, The Stills have honed an arena-friendly anthem-based rock that is infectious and best played loud. With the release of 2008’s Oceans Will Rise behind them, and the acclaim of being the only multi-winner at the 2009 Juno Awards -- the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys -- what’s next for Montreal’s The Stills?

Well, after making an inquiry of their label, Arts & Crafts, apparently, not much. The only response I received was, “Nothing new to report. The band is playing a show in late February in Vancouver during the Olympics and they’re currently working on their next record. writing, demoing... No idea of release date yet.”

Well, here is hoping that one of Canada’s rising bands can keep up the momentum. In the meantime, we will have to keep Oceans Will Rise on heavy rotation. Here is one of the gems off that disc, I'm With You:



-dane
As posted for noisecake.com

Monday, February 8, 2010

Greg Mortenson's Stones Into Schools


The latest book to get checked off my to-read list is Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson, the follow-up to Three Cups of Tea.

While Greg Mortenson’s first book was about how a failed attempt to climb K2 turned into the fulfillment of a promise to build a school in Korphe, Pakistan, Stones Into Schools is about how that original mission progressed into the establishment of The Central Asia Institute and it’s incredible involvement in helping to establish over 130 other schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

My fascination with Mortenson’s work comes from many directions, namely my love for a great adventure story, my undying belief in the importance of education and my admiration for the power of a single individual.

The advancement of mankind takes place when good ideas win out over bad ones. This advancement does not occur through the use of a proxy -- in this case, the actions of our own military. Gaining compliance from the rest of the world at the barrel of a gun will never stop terrorism. Terrorism will only end when we, as individual American citizens, engage the world directly and independently, with sincere compassion for everyone’s well-being.

This book shines as a prime example. Greg Mortenson dodges the bureaucracies on all sides and, with the help of donations from common, every-day individual American supporters and a rag-tag team of Central Asians on the ground, manages to traverse all obstacles.

Greg Mortenson is an adventurer, humanitarian, educator, and a little bit crazy, but the team he has assembled on the ground in Central Asia is even more interesting, making this follow-up even better than the first. Stones Into Schools is heart-wrenching, thrilling and down-right satisfying. More importantly, it is a guidebook on how we can change the world one little girl at a time.

Who Was That Kid?


Watching The Who’s Super Bowl Halftime show, it was impossible not to recognize founders Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. It was also difficult not to watch the guy stealing some of their spotlight in the background. Who was that “kid” playing drums?

With Keith Moon and John Entwistle having moved on to rock and roll heaven, replacements have had to fill their spots for some time now. Not so much the “kid” at 44, drummer Zak Starkey, son of famous dad Ringo Starr, has actually been with them since 1996.

Starkey received his first drum kit from his idol, original Who drummer Keith Moon. He then built his career as a steady session player for bands like the Icicle Works, the Waterboys, and the Lightning Seeds, did some time as a member of the reformed Steve Winwood led Spenser Davis Group, pounded sticks for Oasis and even did some work with ex-Smiths Johnny Marr.

It never ceases to amaze me how the rock and roll world is so intricately webbed.

The Wonderful World of Hockey Dino

Some people may find this odd, but I have a few “friends” on Facebook that I have never met. I really have no problem justifying this. When you look down your list of status and news feed updates, I am betting you find all kinds of interesting stuff like what your friends had for lunch or some animal that needs saving in Farmville.

That is the number one reason my friends who aren’t really my friends are my friends on Facebook.

They are interesting and add some depth to my Facebook world.

Case in point: Hockey Dino.

After stumbling onto his blog through a recommendation from a friend I was directed to his Facebook page as well. Hockey Dino writes about “Truth, Sports, Liberty, Chicks”, then adds great observations about other interesting cultural phenomenons like collecting belly button lint.

This guy is hilarious.

His Facebook page is a good time as well. His status updates are littered with interesting and often off-kilter questions and frequently receive thirty to sometimes well over one hundred equally interesting responses.

He will throw in questions like: “Can you list the things that make you jealous?” Or, “Can you describe your life with a six word sentence? Here’s mine: My mind is an open book.” Or -- one that prompted over one hundred novel length responses -- “Should the wealthier members of society be forced to pay through taxation, for the poorer members?”

Looking to add some quirky, funny, interesting and at times thought-provoking spice to your social media life? Look up Hockey Dino.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

There are Two Kinds of People in the World -Part 1

Change is neither good nor bad. It is only certain.

George Carlin
may have had it right when he said, “No one knows what’s next, but everybody does it,” but how we “do it” differs radically.

There are the pessimists, those that see change as an evil encroachment on their tried and true ways. They are reactive, only complying at the very last minute when they have no other choice, which, of course, is usually the least effective time to do so.

This includes entire industries like the railroads. As Jason Jennings pointed out in his book Less Is More, “if the railroad companies had recognized they weren’t in the railroad business but in the business of transporting people and goods, the airlines today would have names like Union Pacific and Santa Fe.” Instead, they marginalized themselves by ignoring change.

This lack of embracing change also applies to individuals like myself, who on multiple occasions stayed in jobs literally to the very end knowing full well that technology had passed my employers by. Yet, when the doors closed I still had the audacity to exclaim, “whoa is me, poor me,” knowing all the while that deep-down I had seen it coming, ignored proactive action, and was, therefore, responsible for my own predicament.

Then there are the optimists, those that recognize the opportunities that change presents. They are the proactive, the ones that believe they can benefit by paying attention and jumping on the wave.

This list includes obvious big-time innovators like Bill Gates, who purchased a poorly engineered computer operating system for around fifty-thousand dollars and turned it into a multi-multi billion dollar computer software mega-giant. He didn’t even develop the software himself. His innovation was recognizing it’s importance and distributing it to the world.

Those who proactively react to change also include ordinary people like your neighbor who gave up her dead-end office job. Recognizing that coffee was more than a fifty cent morning beverage, she turned it into a livelihood, creating a local social gathering spot where people meet all day long to sip variations of the roasted bean juice and play on their computers. And although many may have recognized it, she took that extra step and risked implementing it.

Change happens. As Seth Godin points out in his new book Linchpin, “This is either a huge opportunity or a giant threat. Revolutions are frightening because the new benefits sometimes lag behind the old pain.” The key then is in ignoring the fear and recognizing the opportunity.

There are two kinds of people in the world, those that reactively and begrudgingly comply to change only when they have to and those that proactively use change to their advantage. Pessimists see change as painful; optimists see change as beneficial. Recognizing this, we can avoid becoming the former and learn from the latter.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Sade Adu Soldiers On February 9th


"I only make records when I feel I have something to say. I'm not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something. Sade is not a brand," so says Sade Adu in the biography section of her band's home page. So after a ten year hiatus and after releasing only five other studio albums in their twenty-five plus years together, album number six, Soldier Of Love, is set to be released February 9th.

Although she graces the cover of her new album with the same beauty of '92's Love Deluxe, she now comes across bolder, stronger, more determined and resolute. Here is the first single from the album, the title track, Soldier of Love:



-dane
As posted on Noisecake.com

Friday, February 5, 2010

The Features Get Some Solid Backing


The Kings of Leon’s album Use Somebody may have taken top honors as Record of The Year at the Grammys last week, but their influence is growing in other areas as well. Last year, they went into a joint venture establishing a new record label allowing them some leeway in signing and promoting bands they favor. First up was fellow Tennesseans The Features.

Some Kind of Salvation is the second full-length album by The Features and was originally self-released before getting backing from The Kings of Leon’s new label, 429 Records. The album also shares KOL’s Grammy-Award winning producer, Jacquire King.

Check out their latest:



Now with a stronger backing for their latest album, hopefully the band will get some extra light shown on their incredible portfolio of older material as well.

Wooden Heart remains my favorite.

-dane
As posted on Noisecake.com

Thursday, February 4, 2010

GM Ready For A Comeback

As US automaker, Government Motors, is having it’s investigative wing -- The US Transportation Department -- look into new brake problems that have been discovered in the Toyota Prius, GM’s Board of Directors -- The US Congress -- prepares to dictate terms to Toyota on whether they can continue to operate in the United States.

Asking to remain anonymous, a spokesmen for Government Motors was quoted as saying, “We’ve got ‘em right where we want them. With the full financial backing of the US Government, we were able to dismantle any real competition from Ford, since Ford has to actually worry about who they make loans to and we don’t. After all, our loans are backed by the US taxpayer and their's aren’t.

Now with the full backing of the US Congress, we will be able to use the safety angle to destroy any real competition from Toyota, as well.

Capitalism was too annoying with all that pesky competition to worry about, but now that industry has joined hands with government, we can finally dominate the market with our new-found consumer-friendly fascism. With these obstacles out of the way, GM is finally set to rebound and dominate the market.”

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Shout Out Loud's New Album Out February 23rd

Shout Out Louds, the ebullient Swedish pop faves, are gearing up for their next move. The Stockholm natives are scheduled to release the first single from their upcoming album, Work. The first single “Fall Hard” comes out February 2nd, followed by the release of the full album February 23rd, then a North American tour in May, beginning in Wasington DC and working their way across the country to California.

For those unfamiliar with the band, the peppy, yet moody vocals of frontman Adam Olenius often reflect the Cure’s Robert Smith and their material can be as bi-polar as well, effortlessly bouncing between pure joy and down-right depression.

Their website has a link to the first video from the upcoming album, Fall Hard. Also, here is a free download link for another track, “Walls”.

Until you have full access to the new stuff, check out “Tonight I Have To Leave It”, the first video from their last album, 2007’s Our Ill Wills.



-dane
As posted for Noisecake.com

Monday, February 1, 2010

Benjamin Zander on music and passion | Video on TED.com


This is probably the most worth-while twenty minutes I have spent so far this year. Benjamin Zander is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. My friend Marna passed this video along to me. Worth a watch, lessons to be learned -- even if you have no interest in classical music.

Benjamin Zander on music and passion | Video on TED.com

Debt -- Why The Economy Will Get Worse

Is our economy turning around? Despite what Obama and the Democrats would like you to believe, and despite what minor tweaks the Republicans want to throw in -- even if they could -- don’t believe it. Remember, none of these people saw any of this coming, much less were properly explain it. Why would you listen to them now?

Politicians are only capable of telling people what they want to hear, not doing the hard work of examining the problem at it’s root causes. Therefore, we continue on the same course. When the only solutions offered to fix our debt problem include more spending -- not less, how can any sane person expect things to get better?

In the last decade, we have had a tech bubble and a housing bubble, and now, get ready for “another ‘Grand’ bubble,” warns Texas Representative Ron Paul. “The next event will be a “dollar” crises...The addiction to easy credit and deficit defies a wise political solution. Politicians are incapable of delivering the message of frugality, common sense and sound money.”

Indeed. It does not take an economist to figure out what happens when you flood the market with more and more money. Things may seem to be turning a corner, but don’t be fooled. Until our politicians reign in the Fed and stop the printing presses from flooding the planet with US Dollars, our economic future will continue it’s downward spiral.

Also, don’t fall for the so-called economic indicators that point to a supposedly recovering economy. Government and consumer spending do not equate to economic growth. Until our economy actually sees the value in actually producing something, real growth will not happen.

With more money and more borrowing, of course our spending has gone up. Spending borrowed money is not indicitive of an economic recovery. As individuals, we know we can not borrow our way into wealth. Why would we think the government can transcend this economic fact?

There are only three ways to fix our over-exuberant, debt-based economy: 1.) Do the responsible thing and pay down our debt, 2.) Default on our ever-growing debt, or 3.) Print more money.

Which choices do you think your elected officials are going to make? Don’t expect option number one. That would require politicians to not only reign in the spending on the programs that get them elected, but would also require them to ask you to be responsible for your own actions as well.

They won’t do that. They are too busy telling you that you can have your cake and eat it, too. Afer all, that is the very definition of what politicians do.

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