Thursday, November 27, 2008
Yamaha Digital Grand YGP 625- Great Gear for the Price!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving from Dissident Times
Here are all the things I am thankful for:
- Family
- A new beginning in Washington
- A president who is smarter than I am.
- Anne Coulter's broken jaw
- Smart is in again
- Cable TV
- Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Strats
- MSNBC
- Google Reader
- Ecomodder.com
- flickr
- Fill in your own answers here________
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Decemberists back at it
DECEMBERISTS BACK AT IT
The Decemberists recently sat down for an interview with Rolling Stone to discuss their forthcoming album, Hazards of Love. The famous literary band's promising 16 or so segments in a continuous, hour-long narrative.
The story covers a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William, who is desperate for the two of them to be reunited; a forest queen; and a villainous rake. Sounds like appropriate fodder for Meloy and company. The band's last outing was The Crane Wife in 2006. I think my all time favorite Decemberist tune is "Shiny", " Here I Dreamt I was an Architecht" and "Leslie Anne Levine". Bring on the new CD!
The Decemberists recently sat down for an interview with Rolling Stone to discuss their forthcoming album, Hazards of Love. The famous literary band's promising 16 or so segments in a continuous, hour-long narrative.
The story covers a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William, who is desperate for the two of them to be reunited; a forest queen; and a villainous rake. Sounds like appropriate fodder for Meloy and company. The band's last outing was The Crane Wife in 2006. I think my all time favorite Decemberist tune is "Shiny", " Here I Dreamt I was an Architecht" and "Leslie Anne Levine". Bring on the new CD!
Friday, November 21, 2008
How About a Salary Cap for CEO's? for Everyone?
A theory often supported by Green Party advocates is the theory of a "maximum wage", that would be preset at a certain percentage above minimum wage. Check out some of Jello Biafra's stuff on this on his spoken word recordings. It makes a lot of sense. I feel that by setting a maximum wage, it would help conserve resources on this overpopulated planet. From the Huffington Posts we have this article I found interesting:
"A powerful social science theory, much advanced by Robert Frank of Cornell, provides a strong rationale for setting a ceiling on the incomes of the executives of all corporations that receive public loans, capital injections, or some other favor from tax payers. (Surprisingly many, by the way, if you include specially tailored tax loopholes, credit below the market rates, export assistance, and so on). Before I can lay out what the theory of relative deprivation suggests the next Congress and White House should do in this department, a few words on how we got executives who are paid scores of millions in the first place.
You may well say that the astronomical pay checks -- supplemented by bonuses, stock options, and all kinds of other goodies from executive jets to suites in five star hotels -- simply reflect unfettered greed and the fact that, at least until recently, most corporate boards approved whatever pay schedules their executives put in front of them. (These boards included many of the executives' friends and retirees keen to collect hefty fees for attending an occasional meeting and voting yes.)
All this is true, but do not underestimate the role of Michael Jensen and his colleagues at the Harvard Business School. Professor Jensen was all the rage when I was teaching at what is called "The B School," on the Boston side of Harvard. He was known for his die-hard support of the free market, and his arguments that executives were underpaid. He held that given that executives generate billions in wealth for the shareholders of their corporations, to reward executives for their efforts, their income should rise as the market value of the company rises. Even if they just got a few percentages of the new wealth, Jensen argued, their compensation should have been much higher than it was at the time. No wonder he was the darling of the CEOs who visited the Harvard Business School with great frequency. They paid no mind, and still don't, to Jensen's argument that they should also pay "big penalties for poor performance."
Also, missing in Jensen's and his associates' proposal is any explanation of what, say, an additional million bucks would buy from an executive who is already making twenty. Because I was a member of a delegation that included CEOs, I got to spend several days with the CEOs of Protector and Gamble and of Boeing, and I met some others. I found them extremely hard working people. They worked long days, often taking work home, and traveled constantly from one plant to another, from one meeting to another, with little rest in-between. I cannot imagine that anything could make them work even harder -or, for that matter, that their business would benefit if they took even fewer times out. Nor can I figure out what one would buy--with, say, that last million dollars. An eighth house? Another sports car you have no time to drive?
The answer takes us to Frank and the theory of relative deprivation. Most CEOs use their compensation figures mainly as a measurement of prestige, a statement of their standing compared to other CEOs. They are keen to make more than the next guy or doll. (Indeed, this is the reason European executives, who on average make much less than Americans ones, are just as content as American ones, because their reference group are other European executives.)
A cap on executive compensation would not only save millions for the financially strapped corporations-- and be fair to the tax payers who help these corporations stay afloat-- but would also provide the executives with a new reference point. Anyone who makes the max allowed will have made it. No more need to try to outdo the other, money-wise. Such a ceiling would leave the CEOs free to do what is best for their corporations, the economy, and families-- rather than focus on ways to jack up the price of their stock each quarter.
The executives of Goldman-Sachs just announced that they will forgo their bonuses this year and will do with a "mere" $600,000 salary. Given their performances this year, one wonders why they were entitled to bonuses in the first place. Anyhow, if you are worried about how they will able to do on this meager income, perhaps you could send them a Christmas food basket..."
Amitai Etzioni is a University Professor at The George Washington University
"A powerful social science theory, much advanced by Robert Frank of Cornell, provides a strong rationale for setting a ceiling on the incomes of the executives of all corporations that receive public loans, capital injections, or some other favor from tax payers. (Surprisingly many, by the way, if you include specially tailored tax loopholes, credit below the market rates, export assistance, and so on). Before I can lay out what the theory of relative deprivation suggests the next Congress and White House should do in this department, a few words on how we got executives who are paid scores of millions in the first place.
You may well say that the astronomical pay checks -- supplemented by bonuses, stock options, and all kinds of other goodies from executive jets to suites in five star hotels -- simply reflect unfettered greed and the fact that, at least until recently, most corporate boards approved whatever pay schedules their executives put in front of them. (These boards included many of the executives' friends and retirees keen to collect hefty fees for attending an occasional meeting and voting yes.)
All this is true, but do not underestimate the role of Michael Jensen and his colleagues at the Harvard Business School. Professor Jensen was all the rage when I was teaching at what is called "The B School," on the Boston side of Harvard. He was known for his die-hard support of the free market, and his arguments that executives were underpaid. He held that given that executives generate billions in wealth for the shareholders of their corporations, to reward executives for their efforts, their income should rise as the market value of the company rises. Even if they just got a few percentages of the new wealth, Jensen argued, their compensation should have been much higher than it was at the time. No wonder he was the darling of the CEOs who visited the Harvard Business School with great frequency. They paid no mind, and still don't, to Jensen's argument that they should also pay "big penalties for poor performance."
Also, missing in Jensen's and his associates' proposal is any explanation of what, say, an additional million bucks would buy from an executive who is already making twenty. Because I was a member of a delegation that included CEOs, I got to spend several days with the CEOs of Protector and Gamble and of Boeing, and I met some others. I found them extremely hard working people. They worked long days, often taking work home, and traveled constantly from one plant to another, from one meeting to another, with little rest in-between. I cannot imagine that anything could make them work even harder -or, for that matter, that their business would benefit if they took even fewer times out. Nor can I figure out what one would buy--with, say, that last million dollars. An eighth house? Another sports car you have no time to drive?
The answer takes us to Frank and the theory of relative deprivation. Most CEOs use their compensation figures mainly as a measurement of prestige, a statement of their standing compared to other CEOs. They are keen to make more than the next guy or doll. (Indeed, this is the reason European executives, who on average make much less than Americans ones, are just as content as American ones, because their reference group are other European executives.)
A cap on executive compensation would not only save millions for the financially strapped corporations-- and be fair to the tax payers who help these corporations stay afloat-- but would also provide the executives with a new reference point. Anyone who makes the max allowed will have made it. No more need to try to outdo the other, money-wise. Such a ceiling would leave the CEOs free to do what is best for their corporations, the economy, and families-- rather than focus on ways to jack up the price of their stock each quarter.
The executives of Goldman-Sachs just announced that they will forgo their bonuses this year and will do with a "mere" $600,000 salary. Given their performances this year, one wonders why they were entitled to bonuses in the first place. Anyhow, if you are worried about how they will able to do on this meager income, perhaps you could send them a Christmas food basket..."
Amitai Etzioni is a University Professor at The George Washington University
New CD from Propagandhi Almost Ready
PROPAGANDHI, Manitoba's most rocking punk band are busy at it again, finishing up a new album and preparing for a tour. I hope it rocks with "MotorLeague" intensity. From their website:
"For the first time in the last 10 years we have completed a record on schedule!! It is a killer record!! Everything went really well. We're really excited for everyone to hear it. We will begin touring all over the place in February 2009!! Prepare yourself!!"
Fat Wreck Chords will distribute the disc.
The band released Potemkin City Limits in 2005.
"For the first time in the last 10 years we have completed a record on schedule!! It is a killer record!! Everything went really well. We're really excited for everyone to hear it. We will begin touring all over the place in February 2009!! Prepare yourself!!"
Fat Wreck Chords will distribute the disc.
The band released Potemkin City Limits in 2005.
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead To Release Sixth Album
The band with perhaps my favorite name of all time ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead have announced they will release their sixth album in February 2009 on Richter Scale/Justice Records. It was produced by Chris Coady (TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, etc.). With a style that is hard to describe, dabbling into post punk, emo, hardcore, art rock... I caught on to these guys on the "Madonna" cd. Not Madonna the singer, the cd was called Madonna. I loved the way their sound had dynamics. Soft and loud sections, interspersed with extraneous sounds and tones. Cryptic songs. And on of the most interesting websites of any band. "Source Tags and Codes" and "Madonna" are my altime favorites. Hope this new cd lives up to those.
Taking Back Sunday News you can Use
Taking Back Sunday rocks hard with great melodies and interesting material. They manage to bring in emotion to their sound without getting overly sappy or emo on us. Looking forward to the new cd, called NEW AGAIN. It will feature a familiar lineup but with a new guitarist.
From their website:
"Hello everyone! We're having so much fun as a band again and we have loved playing live again recently in NY, Baltimore and the UK. We were excited to accept an invitation to help open the new CLUB NOKIA in Downtown LA this November because we haven't been out there for a while and we also decided to hit up a few places at the end of the year that we can't always get to when we are trying to cover most of North America in a six week time frame. We have so much fun at these smaller shows too because you guys really let loose!"
Here is the info for locations and dates. ENVY ON THE COAST are supporting on all dates.
December Tour Dates AnnouncedDec 3 Concrete St. Amphitheatre, Corpus Christi, TX
Dec 4 Las Palmas Race Park, Mission, TX
Dec 5 Club 101, El Paso, TX
Dec 6 Lonestar Pavilion, Lubbock, TX
Dec 7 Rialto Theater, Tucson, AZ
Dec 9 Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
Dec 10 Blue Note, Columbia, MO - on sale Friday, October 10
Dec 11 Victory Sports Complex, Loves Park, IL
Dec 12 Club Oasis, Louisville, KY
Dec 13 Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, MI
Dec 14 Civic Theatre, Toledo, OH
Dec 16 The Norva, Norfolk, VA
Dec 17 Millennium Center, Winston Salem, NC
Dec 18 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA
Dec 19 The Valarium, Knoxville, TN, on sale @ 12 pm
Taking Back Sunday's new album will be titled "New Again". Adam Lazzara and Matt Fazzi from Taking Back Sunday did an interview with Rolling Stone and talked about three songs from their upcoming New Again and much more. "Carpathia" has three-part harmonies and a bass solo that is the meanest-sounding thing they've ever done; "Catholic Knees" is "one of the heaviest [they've] ever written]"; "Lonely Lonely" is the "most relentless."Taking Back Sunday are in the final stages of work on their new album and have also announced the title for the follow up to 2006's Louder Now: The new album is expected in early 2009.
From their website:
"Hello everyone! We're having so much fun as a band again and we have loved playing live again recently in NY, Baltimore and the UK. We were excited to accept an invitation to help open the new CLUB NOKIA in Downtown LA this November because we haven't been out there for a while and we also decided to hit up a few places at the end of the year that we can't always get to when we are trying to cover most of North America in a six week time frame. We have so much fun at these smaller shows too because you guys really let loose!"
Here is the info for locations and dates. ENVY ON THE COAST are supporting on all dates.
December Tour Dates AnnouncedDec 3 Concrete St. Amphitheatre, Corpus Christi, TX
Dec 4 Las Palmas Race Park, Mission, TX
Dec 5 Club 101, El Paso, TX
Dec 6 Lonestar Pavilion, Lubbock, TX
Dec 7 Rialto Theater, Tucson, AZ
Dec 9 Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
Dec 10 Blue Note, Columbia, MO - on sale Friday, October 10
Dec 11 Victory Sports Complex, Loves Park, IL
Dec 12 Club Oasis, Louisville, KY
Dec 13 Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, MI
Dec 14 Civic Theatre, Toledo, OH
Dec 16 The Norva, Norfolk, VA
Dec 17 Millennium Center, Winston Salem, NC
Dec 18 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA
Dec 19 The Valarium, Knoxville, TN, on sale @ 12 pm
Taking Back Sunday's new album will be titled "New Again". Adam Lazzara and Matt Fazzi from Taking Back Sunday did an interview with Rolling Stone and talked about three songs from their upcoming New Again and much more. "Carpathia" has three-part harmonies and a bass solo that is the meanest-sounding thing they've ever done; "Catholic Knees" is "one of the heaviest [they've] ever written]"; "Lonely Lonely" is the "most relentless."Taking Back Sunday are in the final stages of work on their new album and have also announced the title for the follow up to 2006's Louder Now: The new album is expected in early 2009.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Lincvolt: Electric Heavy Metal
I have been reading about the lincvolt a lot lately. It is a modified 1959 Lincoln that is shooting for a goal of 100 mpg. So far they are getting around 60. That great technician Neil Young is touting them, I read his stuff on Huffington Post and, doggonit, it makes sense.
Here it is:
"From Wichita, Kansas we get this report: A 1959 Lincoln Continental repowered to be a self charging electric vehicle by a small group of engineers and local services, is now achieving up to 65 mpg in informal tests. Work there continues. The goal of the project is to attain up to and beyond 100mpg for the biggest and heaviest car made in 1959. The car has been driven in California and Kansas and shown to over 15,000 people. In an audience of 12,000, one tenth of the people raised their hands when asked if they would like to have a car like that. That Lincoln represents a future for Detroit. It is the possibility of Big Clean cars that do not promote Global warming. Let's build them now, as well as economical small clean and green electric cars and let's put people to work. We already have the existing tooling and the facilities and manpower." Bring it on and soon. That is all I have to say about it.
Here it is:
"From Wichita, Kansas we get this report: A 1959 Lincoln Continental repowered to be a self charging electric vehicle by a small group of engineers and local services, is now achieving up to 65 mpg in informal tests. Work there continues. The goal of the project is to attain up to and beyond 100mpg for the biggest and heaviest car made in 1959. The car has been driven in California and Kansas and shown to over 15,000 people. In an audience of 12,000, one tenth of the people raised their hands when asked if they would like to have a car like that. That Lincoln represents a future for Detroit. It is the possibility of Big Clean cars that do not promote Global warming. Let's build them now, as well as economical small clean and green electric cars and let's put people to work. We already have the existing tooling and the facilities and manpower." Bring it on and soon. That is all I have to say about it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
