Tuesday, July 6, 2004

D'Addario Normal Tension D'Addario is so cool. I have been endorsing D'Addario strings since 1990. After using a different brand for NF, and at one point having to change strings 3 times before I found a set that sounded good, I switched to D'Addario. These are the strings I use on my DeVoe Flamenco guitars. D'Addario strings are always consistent and not once in 14 years have I found a set to be below par. These are the strings I use on my electric guitar. Jon uses these strings on his new bass guitars and these on his acoustic bass. D'Addario has a great web site and when we need strings we just log on and place an order. What is really cool is that a few years back when I had problems with D strings breaking, in fact two strings broke in succession while Jon and I were performing live on Canadian TV, D'Addario quickly re-designed that particular string and it never broke again. Yes, I ordered a bunch of strings for Jon and myself this afternoon. [Ottmar Liebert] 11:13:54 PM

In Italiano Godd Rundgren. Dei loro musicanti, sulle copertine, i discografici scrivono qualsiasi cosa, meno quello che realmente conta: ha fatto o no un disco come Something/Anything? Ha ricevuto o no infuocata risposta alle invettive sui Beatles da parte di tal John Lennon? E' nato o no ad Upper Darby (Philadelphia) incrociando spesso i vocalizzi con Daryl Hall, nato a Pottstown (Philadelphia)? Ha prodotto o no Remote Control dei gloriosi Tubes? Ha condotto o no il fenomenale programma radiofonico: The difference? Per i discografici sono dati inessenziali: molto meglio stampare poesiole, chiacchiere, quisquilie e pinzillacchere oltre che nomi dall'accento folk: Max Gazzé, Michael Bublé, Piero Pelù. Invece noi amiamo certe cose, amiamo Flaw, God said, Past, dall'ultimo disco di Todd Rungren: Liars. Amiamo il talento ancora intatto, e di tanto in tanto il genio. (Se pensate invece che Brian Wilson sia rincoglionito, esponetevi, invece di accodarvi ai consensi preventivi dei nostalgici sull'ultimo album). <TR-i, il sito disegnato e mantenuto da Todd Rundgren e la biografia su AMG> Nella foto: Lo Sterne dedica un ricco speciale fotografico alle sexy tifose dei campionati europei di calcio appena conclusi. Anche il portale spagnolo Terra. [MassimoBernardi] 11:10:47 PM

On Free-Enterprise, Adam Smith's Warning Adam Smith on narrowing competition Adam Smith's name is often brought up as the champion of free-market capitalism. But he foresaw the perils of excessive concentration and urged legislators to consider carefully any change in laws pushed by the class of stock owners and dealers. Here's a passage from Chapter IX of The Wealth of Nations: The interest of the dealers [the stock holding class], however, in any particular branch of trade or manufactures, is always in some respects different from, and even opposite to, that of the public. To widen the market and to narrow the competition, is always the interest of the dealers. To widen the market may frequently be agreeable enough to the interest of the public; but to narrow the competition must always be against it, and can serve only to enable the dealers, by raising their profits above what they naturally would be, to levy, for their own benefit, an absurd tax upon the rest of their fellow-citizens. The proposal of any new law or regulation of commerce which comes from this order ought always to be listened to with great precaution, and ought never to be adopted till after having been long and carefully examined, not only with the most scrupulous, but with the most suspicious attention. It comes from an order of men whose interest is never exactly the same with that of the public, who have generally an interest to deceive and even to oppress the public, and who accordingly have, upon many occasions, both deceived and oppressed it. [emphasis added] Smith had it right, and he would be appalled at the way in which big money from oligopolies influences and even dictates economic and social policy. Free-market capitalists who spout Smith like scripture all too often blandly approve of anything that big companies do. As Smith points out, what makes individuals rich is not the same as what makes a nation rich. Look no further than Venezuela or Saudi Arabia (or even Italy) for examples. The logical conclusion of some current trends is government regulated by the oligopolies, no the other way around. [Oligopoly Watch] 10:29:16 PM

Tonal / Microtonal Etherwave. Bob Moog has designed the next step in the evolution of the original electronic instrument, the Theremin. The Etherwave Pro features professional quality response and sound in a package designed both for beauty and portability. Whether you're a seasoned thereminist or someone drawn to it's unusual sound and looks, you'll appreciate the quality of response and control this product offers. This actually looks very tempting... Just the kind of thing Robby should excel at, since he has near perfect pitch - and he is a drummer! Yes, indeed, hold your drummer jokes, because Robby does not fit the mold. Together with his brother he recorded a CD recently on which they play (almost) all of the instruments and sing beautifully. I should ask him to let me place one of their songs in our Listening Lounge. Robby might add a couple of instruments to his setup for the fall tour. Moog theremins are real attention getters on stage - whether it's a Nine Inch Nails concert or Simon and Garfunkel (Etherwaves have been seen and heard on both tours) - the audience will be captivated by the instrument that allows the musician to "pull music out of air". There you go! If it works for NIN, it should work for our show. Now we need some Pyro! Here is a link to a Theramin blog... via Wired [Ottmar Liebert] 10:17:44 PM

The McEnroe Component CNBC hopes McEnroe is an ace. ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. -- In a cable TV world where a host's ability often seems measured in volume, who better to hire than John McEnroe? [Boston Globe -- Living / Arts News] 8:13:11 PM

Tony Blair Comments "I do not think we should give up on the dialogue with the United States," the prime minister said. "I think they accept the science. The question is what do you do about it? That is in itself a significant change that we need to build upon." Via Yahoo News 7:16:37 PM