Month: November 2007

it’s everywhere

Down at the bottom you find this surprising result: “Although moderates are less enamored with it, classical music barely nudged ahead of rock as the most popular music genre overall.”… In fact, the basic value of classical music seems to be one of the few things that people of all political stripes agree on. You wouldn’t know this from watching the major TV networks or reading magazines such as Time and Newsweek .

Music writer Alex Ross:

Critic/author Jody Rosen drew my attention to a Zogby/Lear Center survey of political beliefs and entertainment preferences among 3939 American adults. Down at the bottom you find this surprising result: “Although moderates are less enamored with it, classical music barely nudged ahead of rock as the most popular music genre overall.” Almost 62% of respondents said they listen to it. In fact, the basic value of classical music seems to be one of the few things that people of all political stripes agree on. You wouldn’t know this from watching the major TV networks or reading magazines such as Time and Newsweek. The question, of course, is what people mean by “listening.” Do they go to concerts? Do they buy CDs? Put your money where your mouth is, America!

Previously: Dead or Alive, Twilight of the Gods, Classical Music as Pop Culture

[From Poll: Classical more popular than rock]

I suspect they mean stuff like their local NPR/university/public access radio station, but I wonder if this is a side-effect of the iPod generation. You can carry Barber’s Adagio around with you just as easily as your Led Zep catalog.

And yes, the iPod offers a less-than-stellar listening experience, but better a diluted hearing of whatever you’re hankering for than nothing at all. It’s certainly superior to ye olde Walkmanne . . . .

depends on how you define Green

If you can get over the fact that amimals are being raised in cages and electrocuted or trapped, drowned or beaten to death, one might be able to apply all the environmental buzzwords like “natural, renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and energy efficient.”

…A lot of the products environmentally conscious people use in their active lives is made from non-environmentally sound sources: nylon tents, technical fibers, plastic kayaks, backpacks, water bottles, shoes, etc. are all made from plastics.

Not do much factually wrong — I don’t know that it is — but Wrong on another level entirely. I haven’t heard of windfall minks or other fur-bearing animals whose hides are used after they expire of natural causes in their native environments.

2007-11-23_145841fur.jpg That statement is probably true..if you’re a mink. If you can get over the fact that amimals are being raised in cages and electrocuted or trapped, drowned or beaten to death, one might be able to apply all the environmental buzzwords like “natural, renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and energy efficient.” They have done their green homework and hit every buzzword. They even note that faux furs are mostly made from petrochemicals. [From Greenwash Watch: Fur is Green]

I think I have referred to this before. A lot of the products environmentally conscious people use in their active lives is made from non-environmentally sound sources: nylon tents, technical fibers, plastic kayaks, backpacks, water bottles, shoes, etc. are all made from plastics. Wool makes a lot more sense for clothing, as does wood for boats. Leather for shoes and containers has been used forever and will outlast a lot of other materials, especially as it can/must be maintained and cared for.

But how to finesse this while treating animals with an ethical spirit? While fur has excellent properties, I like it better on the animal that made it. Same with leather: what leather I do own I have had a long time and plan to wear out, rather than discard.

For one thing, the plastics, if they are used, should be used up and/or recycled when they’re no longer useful. One of my most used pieces of outerwear is a Polartec (polyester) pullover that I have had for about 14 years. It refuses to wear out, so I’ll keep it til it does. I don’t know if a woolen one would have done as well, given the abuse and lack of care I bestow on this.

By using things up or recycling them, we can keep them out of the waste stream or at least minimize what we do throw out and avoid going after more raw materials. And no matter what you choose, be it a high-tech polymer or a leather or wool product, be aware of what the costs are, beyond the sales tag.

shameless commerce

I wouldn’t complain if some of you stopped by on your web surfboards so you could see if Amazon has anything that might interest you…. I’m too lazy (and too much of a purist) to clutter up an RSS feed with this stuff.

I know most of my audience is reading through the Magic of RSS Syndication.

I wouldn’t complain if some of you stopped by on your web surfboards so you could see if Amazon has anything that might interest you. Or see if any of this stuff grabs you.

I’m too lazy (and too much of a purist) to clutter up an RSS feed with this stuff.

thinking through a business idea

Mulling over the idea of doing backups and basic system de- cruft ing, I realized I don’t really want to see anyone’s files, their desktop, deal with their menus, funky cursors, sounds, etc. Ideally, I want access to the drive as a pile of bits that I can quickly copy the contents of, verify that I have a copy, and call it good.

I need to be able to boot and run from a USB stick or a CD (preferable the stick, for speed and ease of making updates).

Mulling over the idea of doing backups and basic system de-crufting, I realized I don’t really want to see anyone’s files, their desktop, deal with their menus, funky cursors, sounds, etc. Ideally, I want access to the drive as a pile of bits that I can quickly copy the contents of, verify that I have a copy, and call it good.

I need to be able to boot and run from a USB stick or a CD (preferable the stick, for speed and ease of making updates).

To that end, I am researching bootable USB-based solutions. Looks like Linux is what most people use, but I may take a whack at a FreeBSD-based approach. I won’t need networking, though removing it might be more trouble than it’s worth. A simple console-based interface, perhaps a text menu with some scripted commands, and that’s it.

Anyone done a bootable USB stick? How big of one would I need? 1Gb? 2Gb? Good grief, you can get 32Gb flash drives?

quote of the day

On the fact that “New York City is on track to have fewer than 500 homicides this year”, Josh Marshall notes:

…But this does suggest that in New York City at least the sort of anonymous death by violence that bulks largest in our fears of crime has fallen to almost microscopic proportions.

On the fact that “New York City is on track to have fewer than 500 homicides this year”, Josh Marshall notes:

Death at the hands of people we know has always been an understated factor in the mental picture of crime. But this does suggest that in New York City at least the sort of anonymous death by violence that bulks largest in our fears of crime has fallen to almost microscopic proportions. [From Stick’em Up]