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Cameron Jackson Weatherford
Jamming Cam - Week of June 22nd
"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving." ~Mother Teresa
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." ~Winston S. Churchill
Many have asked us over the years why we don't have a dog. Perhaps because Stella, our cat, seemed to make her claim as Cam's protector soon after we brought him home from the hospital. She still follows him around and has complete trust that he will not run her over with his power wheelchair.
Cam is definitely a dog magnet of sorts, though. Ms. Amanda was pet-sitting this week and her trusty sidekick, Cam, was happy to help her out with check-ins. Roxie, the boxer, and Cam were introduced a few years ago. Roxie loves jumping into the van and saddling up right next to her buddy. Lola is Roxie's new sister and eagerly hopped in as well to meet the new guy.
We always await Michigan's strawberry season with eager anticipation. It's one of the most popular fruits of the summer and has quite an interesting history.
Today's cultivated strawberries came from an accidental cross between two wild strawberry varieties in France around the 1700s. In Ancient Rome, wild strawberries were seen as more than just a simple snack, but as a symbol for the goddess of love, Venus, due to its heart shape and red color. Medieval stonemasons would actually carve strawberries into their altars and pillars of cathedrals to symbolize "perfection and righteousness." One of the oldest varieties of strawberries in France was known as "la princesse royale" or royal princess. The symbolism of strawberries is almost as sweet as their taste.
We reserved a flat at our favorite Heidi's Farmstand and came back with 8 quarts of the hand-picked red berries. Now that we've made the jam for a few years, we have a solid process in place. We used over 10 pounds of sugar, 9 packs of sure-jel and 48 containers to finish our freezer jam. And if you pay us a surprise visit, you'll be taking home a container for yourself!
Once in awhile, an opportunity comes along that was just meant to be.
Alternatives in Motion is a non-profit organization whose mission is "To enhance independence through access to mobility equipment." Their vision is to be the central hub in West Michigan for recycling, distributing, and maintaining mobility equipment for those in need. They believe that access to mobility equipment is the path to independence. They respect and appreciate each person's unique abilities and contributions. Alternatives in Motion serves persons with disabilities and bring together people, ideas and resources to break down barriers to sustain a healthy community.
This organization was responsible for providing Cam with his first power wheelchair to practice with. The wheelchair was free of charge and we still use it as a spare when needed.
This week we "gifted" our old handicap-accessible van to Alternatives in Motion. They are so excited to have another vehicle to use for transporting people and delivering equipment to others in our community. Cam met one of the board members, Matt, while we were there. The old Dodge Caravan fulfilled our transportation needs for more than 6 years. It was our first accessible vehicle. When we asked Cam if he would miss it, his response was one we were all in agreement with. "I will not miss that old van. I like our newer one better because I can hear you when you are talking in it!"
Camology Quotes:
Even though school is on summer break, Cam can still send video messages to his teachers through an app they use. Each and every video contains almost the exact same sign-off from our son.
"I hope you have a great day! Peace out!"
Posted by Special Moms at 5:23 PM No comments:
My Hero, My Dad - Week of June 15th
"I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren't trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom." ~Umberto Eco
"Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice." ~Charles Kettering
With virtual school officially over, Cam still maintains his daily routine of walking and homework in the morning.
Ms. Amanda hangs out with Cam each day and if the weather cooperates, they usually head out on a two-mile trek every morning.
As a nature and science fan, a hike through the woods can always provide a bit of excitement. This friendly creature took a liking to Cam.
People are recognized for their accomplishments in different ways- an accolade, award, formal speech or some other verbose distinction.
There isn't a high enough honor in the universe that could be bestowed on Chris for his role as a father to his son. His amazing skill set continues to expand as noted by every accessible ramp, tray, mobile beach chair and Halloween costume he has created for his boy.
The father and son team have filled our home with an illuminated digital picture frame in motion, the lighted wall scrabble board and countless projects.
But here's the difference between Cam's dad and others... he expects no recognition and is very humble about his talents. Many have told him he could sell his ideas but he prefers to share the details online for others to make. He loves unconditionally and celebrates his boy in every way.
For Father's Day, Jane and Cam headed to Chris' favorite breakfast spot, Sundance Grill, to pick up takeout to surprise him. His biggest shock, though, was that Cam waited to eat his morning meal until we returned home at 8:30a, a true record for our son.
Chris and Cam opened matching shirts adorned with "Weatherford Wood Shop, Hand-Crafted, Custom-Made" so they now have garage uniforms while they work together.
We salute fathers everywhere and we certainly feel that Chris far exceeds his role. The definition of a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. To Cam, the word "hero" simply means his dad.
On Sunday, Cam was anticipating being able to wish Chris a Happy Father's Day.
""Happy Dad Day! You are awesome, Dad. Are you honored?"
My New Wheels - Week of June 8th
"Abled does not mean enabled. Disabled does not mean less abled." ~Khang Kijarro Nguyen
"My disability exists not because I use a wheelchair, but because the broader environment isn't accessible." ~Stella Young
Cam is very inquisitive and realistic. He has been asking his parents lately why he has to use a wheelchair. We tell him that his muscles don't work the same way as others and we talk about what his cerebral palsy diagnosis means. His response is not one of sorrow or depression. He accepts the fact that he is different, but we always also talk about the things he can do that no one else can. He teaches others not to make assumptions about what abilities a person has.
When we arrived at Mary Free Bed Orthotics to pick up Cam's new power wheelchair this week, we were anticipating his reaction. It was quite a bit of time adjusting and working things out, but after two hours, we were on our way back home. Cam declared, "I love my new chair!"
This is his second power wheelchair and although both are by the same manufacturer, the functionality is quite different. The new Permobil F5 has advanced controls, including an app controlled by bluetooth connection. Cam was quite pleased with this upgrade as you can imagine. He controls the sit to stand ability on his own and when in standing mode, he is eye level with Jane.
There is an adjustment period as Cam re-learns how much area he needs for turning and maneuvering. We equate it to someone driving a car and then buying a truck as their new vehicle. Everything is just a little bit different.
It was a celebration kind of week as Chris and Cam gave Jane the ultimate surprise for her birthday. It can only be described as a larger-than-life illuminated Scrabble board representing our family. The boys really outdid themselves by using the CNC machine to cut out each "letter" individually, sanding and painting the pieces, then they glued the entire board together, added lights and painted the outline on the wall in white so the lighting would really pop. Of course, the lighting can be changed via an app that anyone in the household can control!
As a family, we headed out to the hot tub on the weekend at Cam's request. Although it was warm outside, it was later in the day with a cool breeze and the water felt refreshing. Cam likes to practice kicking his legs to increase movement. Just like all of us, he absolutely enjoys the relaxation aspect.
At the end of the weekend, we were all pretty beat from all of the activity and excitement. Not only did Cam receive new wheels, but our family was awaiting the arrival of our new 'used' van used to transport Cam and his powerchair.
As we looked out the window Sunday evening, we noticed some friendly wildlife was taking a much needed break as well.
Humor, smiles and laughter are a daily requirement in our household.
Cam has become keenly aware of his dad's jokes and sarcasm. At dinner one evening, Chris indicated that dinner was 'explanariousfantabulouishness babelbomtagerment' and his son had the perfect response.
"Ohhh..kaaayyy...
For 1, I do not even know what that word is and
For 2, I do not think it is a word!"
Sixth Grade Graduate - Week of June 1st
"It is time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I will rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure." ~Ernie Harwell
This week, as Cam's 6th grade school year came to an end, we talked about how the entire world had experienced more changes and adjustments in the past few months than most people experience in a lifetime. The Forest Hills Northern Trails 5/6 school created a send off video for those heading into 7th grade this fall.
Class of 2026 - 6th Grade Sendoff Video
There is typically an all-school assembly to honor and recognize the sixth graders. This year it was broadcast as a live Facebook event.
Instead of just one sixth grade boy and girl, by unanimous vote, the entire 6th grade "Class of 2026" has received the Mr. Craig Mears Award for demonstrating acceptance for one another, accepting personal responsibility for learning and putting forward their best efforts. In the live event, the principal showed that there was a picture of every student taped to a chair so it felt like they were all there together. One final official zoom call with Cam's small school group included a fun game of holding up the "person" in answer to different questions about the school year. The pics of classmates on popsicle sticks were supplied by Cam's awesome teacher, Ms. Konkle.
With restrictions beginning to lift in the state of Michigan, we happily welcomed back Ms. Amanda to our daily routine! We are so thankful for her commitment and friendship.
Cam is super excited to be able to go on walks during the day, continue his homework and try out some new recipes while his parents endure their "boring" work days.
Over the weekend, it was work and then play. Our family can get pretty creative when it comes to finding ways for Cam to help out. Each and every Saturday after he has breakfast and completed his morning routine, Cam announces "It is time for helping! What is our first project?"
Cleaning the floors is an excellent job for someone with a good driving record. We were excited to finish our chores because we had been invited to 'Aunt' Carol and 'Uncle' Jim's house.
Carol and Jim are Ms. Amanda's aunt and uncle and we've known them since before Cam was born. Jim owns a building company and they have the only truly accessible home we have ever been in. The doorways are incredibly wide without any thresholds. Straight through the garage is the backyard area with the nicest fresh saltwater pool we have ever been in. The abundance of different rafts to choose from and water squirt guns made for a very entertaining afternoon. Uncle Jim even created a raft shield for Cam as the water wars ensued. We thought we would only stay for a couple of hours. Four hours later, we were headed home after a most relaxing time. The water is one of the best therapies for Cam's muscles and because he is seemingly weightless in the pool, it is a huge advantage for his parents!
Now that Cam is approaching his teen years, he has become very interested in what constitutes a "bad word" if he hears it on tv or from someone else. He always asks what a word means so he can use it again in context. We try to be cautious about what is appropriate as it relates to language.
Some phrases, though, we truly have no idea where he has heard them before.
"Mom, is 'dang tootin' a bad word?"
"Well, it is isn't the best phase to use unless you're in a western movie."
All About Cam...
Welcome to Cameron's blog. It was created and launched in August of 2007 when Cam was born. The original intent was to provide progress notes when Cam was a baby, however, it has continued to be updated on a weekly basis since. The blog is dedicated to Cam and highlights some of the adventures of his exciting life. Chris and Jane Weatherford are very proud of their son and want to share his great stories with him every week.
The entries are written by Cam's mother. You can subscribe to the blog by adding your email to the Follow by Email box below to receive notification when it's updated. You can also comment at the bottom of any posting to leave feedback for Cam and his parents.
Please continue to visit the site to follow all of the activities of Cameron Weatherford!
Grand Parents!
Grandma and Grandpa's house
Cam and Mom
Beautiful Beach Day
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Want some of these 3D dog shirts? You know you do! High-quality printed dog designs in multiple variations each with an appeal of its own offers more than just a trendy look. You don't have to take comfort for granted with these babies because they offer just that. Available in sizes and dog designs such as Pitbull, bulldog, husky, poodle designs and more.
Got 3, hope I ordered more!
Definintely need more of this. I just love them!
It fits like a glove too!


The hexadecimal color code #dafbf0 is a very light shade of green-cyan. In the RGB color model #dafbf0 is comprised of 85.49% red, 98.43% green and 94.12% blue. In the HSL color space #dafbf0 has a hue of 160° (degrees), 80% saturation and 92% lightness. This color has an approximate wavelength of 501.58 nm.


This session reviewed best practices and lessons learned in addressing issues such as climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, marine pollution and waste management, food security, alternative livelihoods and water use conservation and management through the application of integrated coastal management (ICM).
of ICM were presented, including governance partnerships with local communities (e.g., Satoumi), the business sector and/or scientific communities, greening of communities, biodiversity and habitat conservation/rehabilitation, food security (i.e., fisheries, aquaculture), alternative livelihood development, water resources and pollution management, strengthening the resiliency of coastal communities and impoverished households, etc.
This workshop also considered the transferability of innovations and lessons learned for managing marine and coastal areas and resources at the national and regional levels to other sustainable development priorities and programs in the EAS region, as well as to other regions of the world.
The process of capturing, developing, sharing, and effectively using good practices, experiences and knowledge to achieve sustainable development objectives and targets is a challenge to many development projects and programs across the East Asian Seas region. Ultimately, knowledge sharing and management can and should facilitate enhanced capacity and performance of development projects and impact investments for sustainable development of Large Marine Ecosystem (LMEs) and coasts in the EAS region. Knowledge Management (KM) in this workshop refers not only to the tools, products and services, but the networks and relationships that are critical factors in the transference and effective use of good KM practices and platforms.
The workshop reviewed the application and benefits derived from the products and services in various projects. The workshop also delved into the potential use of such innovations in other projects and by other sectors, and how a regional KM platform can serve to improve access to, and scale up investments in, good practices.
Previous valuation was done independent of coastal use zoning and other tools. This workshop emphasized the linkage between the two and how they are used to support better planning and management of coastal and marine areas and resources, to provide social and economic benefits for coastal communities.
It looked into the different ecosystem valuation and coastal use zoning frameworks and methodologies as well as their linkage and their application at the local level. It brought together practitioners, researchers, policy maker, local takeholders and communities to: (1) assess the usefulness of these tools; (2) determine the gaps and challenges in the application of these tools and methodologies; (3) identify ways to effectively utilize these for coastal and marine planning and decision-making, particularly at the local level; and (4) build consensus on the wider use of ecosystem valuation and coastal use zoning and methodologies, taking into consideration the participation of local stakeholders in the process.
The workshop also explored the value of organizing and/or strengthening a network of researchers, practitioners and service providers, which can provide support to local governments in continually developing, improving and promoting ecosystem valuation and marine spatial planning knowledge products and services among policy-makers, planners and managers at the local level.


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Our summer session begins Tuesday 7/9/19! Click on our summer division dancer below for more information.
BALLET, TAP, MODERN, JAZZ, MUSICAL THEATRE, HIP HOP, ZUMBA, PILATES
3470 Erie Blvd. East, Suite 300 P.O. Box 375 Dewitt, NY 13214 | (315) 446-6600
Created by Louis XIV in the seventeenth century, as part of his court dances, ballet has evolved into the most ethereal of dance forms, which emphasizes beautiful lines, high extensions, brilliant jumps and turns, and breathtaking choreography. In the age of fast food and instant gratification, ballet is a welcome discipline, instilling strong work ethics, personal responsibility, and respect for self and others.
Margot Fonteyn said that it takes ten years to make a dancer and Rudolf Nureyev said it takes a lifetime to make an artist. Any dancer, athlete or novice can improve agility, balance, control, speed and strength by taking ballet. Ballet is the foundation for all dance forms and the teachers at The Ballet and Dance Center strongly recommend that all dancers take ballet as part of their dance curriculum.
Modern dance has developed enormously from free spirited thinkers such as Isadora Duncan (who was one of the first to dance barefoot in rebellion against Pointe shoes), Ruth St. Denis, Doris Humphrey and Martha Graham, to name a few. Their motivation to move in a way that differed radically from classical ballet was inspired by: natural movement (Isadora Duncan), fall and recovery (Doris Humphrey) and the breath of life (Martha Graham). These pioneers have influenced other modern dance greats such as Jose Limon, Merce Cunningham and Lester Horton. The teachers at The Ballet and Dance Center will use these techniques as the foundation for the modern dance curriculum. As times change so will modern dance. New symbols and new motivations will conjure different thoughts and realities. Modern dance will function as reflections of our times
Rooted in the traditions of African dance and music, jazz dance has been influenced along the way by music of the twenties through the fusion sounds of today resulting in many styles. Pioneers of jazz dance technique include Jack Cole, Matt Mattox, and Luigi. They have influenced the theatrical styles of Fosse, Robbins, and Ailey. Jazz explores rhythm, coordination, and dynamic performance energy. Join us for an energetic and upbeat class!
Shim Sham Shimmy, Timesteps, B.S. Chorus, all Classic Steps. Tap was developed in North America and involves rhythm, coordination and style. Learn traditional tap dances along with increasingly intricate tap patterns and rhythms. Experience tapping of the feet and style in the body with great music, become a "hoofer"!
Creative movement is designed for children 3-5 years of age, and introduces them to the wonderful world of movement and dance. The class combines large and small loco motor movement, the Elements of Dance (time, space and energy), rhythm exercises and basic ballet terminology.
Children have fun learning movement skills with bean bags, scarves, maracas, ribbon sticks, parachutes and books. The class will help the student achieve better coordination, flexibility, balance, and self-confidence in a respectful and caring environment.
Stott Pilates exercise improves core strength and balances the muscles around the joints, improving the way your body functions, looks, and feels.
Zena Rommett Floor-Barre®
Zena Rommett Floor-Barre® is a ballet based technique that incorporates anatomical principles of alignment to center, lengthen, and strengthen the muscles and joints of the body. Using the floor and eliminating the pressure of gravity, Floor-Barre® gently corrects placement, sculpting the body and creating long, exquisite lines. Used by both dancers and non-dancers, as well as athletes, it is used for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and developing correct anatomical placement. Whether starting off in your performance career, seeking to extend your career, or simply looking for a way to properly align and strengthen your body for your own personal well-being, Floor-Barre® is a highly effective Technique that is taught and respected around the world.
Ballet for Beginners, "Ballet, Barre, Total Body Workout"
Strengthen, tone, and stretch the ballet way. Correct technique, ballet vocabulary, core work, and cardio progressions will build a strong foundation for the beginning dancer while providing a challenging workout. Continuing dancers will benefit from the focus on alignment and strength. For a real barre workout, come take ballet!
Thought of the day: Dance is the Joy of Movement and the Heart of Life

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Positioned as a metal-for-money alternative to lifestyle 4x4s like the Nissan Qashqai, the SsangYong Korando is likely to be a pragmatic rather than emotional purchase.
Inside Korando is a spacious beast, with a decent amount of room for five, a nearly flat floor and a cavernous boot. Fixtures and fittings all seemed solid and well made, in a standard issue sort of way.
The car is equipped with a veritable shopping list of kit, from alloy wheels, folding mirrors, cruise control and parking sensors, which proved useful given the car's bulk. Safety wise owners won't go without either, as the Korando comes with a plethora of driver aids.
As is common with cars of this type, drivers can opt for either two or four-wheel drive, which might be useful for people who want to lug big trailers carrying big loads, or a horsebox. A 2-ton towing capacity does make the Korando a serious proposition as a working vehicle.
The 2.2 litre, four-cylinder diesel in the car I drove pulled like a tractor and hit 62mph in under ten seconds, but is not the acme of refinement at low speeds, where its mechanical chatter is noticeable, but on motorways it quietens right down and the Korando thrums along in an easy, loping way.
Our car came with a six-speed automatic transmission, which was sometimes a bit slow on the uptake, and we suspect that a manual gearbox would better suit it.
As a driving experience, we're very much into "get what you pay for" territory. The Korando's big wheels/high ground clearance combo result in a slightly bouncy ride on minor roads, the steering is accurate but inert and the car rolls a fair bit when pushed through bends, but the end result is a bit flaccid rather than unpleasant.
With prices starting just shy of £16,000 we suspect cheaper Korandos represent the best value, as they undercut rivals by several grand.
If you're in the market for a more practical vehicle, why not sell your old car the practical way. Webuyanycar.com will take your car off your hands with no fuss and no time wasting.


Former Republican senator and permanent ineffectual dipshit Jeff Flake has an announcement to make: He is NOT running for president in 2020 (yawn) and will instead be joining CBS (yawn) to talk about "looking for common ground" (yawns so hard my head actually rips apart).
Flake declared his intent to make a ton of money as a paid television contributor on CBS This Morning after months of literally nobody seriously wondering whether he would actually attempt to primary President Donald Trump during the upcoming election.
Flake—whose defining image as a United States senator is when he stood in an elevator like a leathery mannequin while survivors of sexual assault shamed him—claimed that "there really isn't a path right now that [he] can see" to run for president, but said that he still wanted someone to challenge Trump for the Republican nomination in two years.


Summary: Sister town of Mal Pais, renowned for legendary surf and a variety of adventure sports.
Epic surf and a bohemian beach scene are Santa Teresa's trademarks. Situated on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, the former fishing hamlet has grown into a bustling international community that boasts a slew of adventure activities, steady waves and sublime sunsets.
Legendary waves are the area's main attraction; both seasoned and novice surfers come to enjoy the consistent left and right breaks that Santa Teresa delivers. A variety of surf schools offer private and group lessons, all taught by skilled surfers. Camps run for as few or as many days as desired.
Serious and amateur anglers alike come to fish the warm waters for mahi mahi, snook and tuna. Reliable winds attract kite surfers, while sunbathers flock to the pristine beaches of Mal Pais, El Carmen, Santa Teresa, and Hermosa. Visitors can ride horseback along backcountry roads, explore Playa Santa Teresa's rocky tide pools, or fly through the jungle on a canopy tour.
Mal Pais has become an all-encompassing term for both Santa Teresa and its adjacent village, Mal Pais. The two are so closely linked that they are rapidly becoming one, although Santa Teresa remains the more developed of the pair. Both beach towns parallel the shore, stretched along a single rocky road. Santa Teresa has amenities like car rentals, banks, cafes with wireless Internet, and a variety of accommodations for all budgets. Several hotels offer yoga, pilates and health retreats.
Due to its location, half of the adventure is getting to Santa Teresa. If traveling from San Jose, take the route from Puntarenas to Paquera, which includes a scenic ferry trip across the Gulf of Nicoya. Note that 4WD is recommended during the rainy season months of May through November, if arriving overland from Guanacaste beach towns, as several river crossings are necessary.


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Q: Logistic regression for risk adjustment I'm not sure to understant how you can use logistic regression to calculate risk-adjusted rate.
For example, I want to calculate an adjusted rate for acquiring C. difficile in a hospital. I have the real number of cases in the hospital, but I want to adjust for age, sex and other variables to compare with other hospital in Canada. I need to use the logistic regression to have my new rate adjusted.
I know I need to use coefficient derived from the regression to calculate the number of expected case and then do: number of true case / number of expected case * Canadian average
But how do I use coefficient to calculate the number of expected case?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The brand new facilities at NCS replicate real conditions so I have the best start for a career in plumbing and heating engineering!
Gain the qualifications for a career in Plumbing in our BRAND NEW Construction and Motor Vehicle Skills Centre. The £3.5 million new build provides replicated real trade workshops and all the professional tools, equipment and experience you need to develop real skills for the working world.
With excellent relationships with local employers, our courses and apprenticeships offer you the chance to meet and gain top tips from real experts from the industry. From carrying out electrical work on domestic plumbing and heating systems, to installing and commissioning central heating systems you gain all the skills you need for a start in employment.


Melbourne is home to a huge range of amazing Wildlife Parks & Zoos and visiting a zoo is the perfect activity to enjoy on a beautiful Melbourne day!
From aquariums to open range zoos, children's farms and petting zoos, you are sure to find a wildlife park to entertain you and your kids on your next trip to Melbourne.
The most popular and oldest zoo in Melbourne is the Melbourne Zoo which is located just 4kms north of the CBD. Come to this traditional zoo for a great day out with your friends and family. The best thing is that kids are free on weekends or during Victorian school holidays.
The Werribee Open Range Zoo also a must visit location on your next trip to Melbourne. This beautiful zoo is located next to the Werribee Park Mansion and is bordered by the Werribee River. Here you will see native species of Australian animals and birds, as well as a large number of animals from the African savannah.
There are also a huge range of animal farms and petting zoos located in the Melbourne suburbs. Bring your kids along as they will have amazing opportunity to interact with many animals in an open and comfortable environment. They will be able to pat and feed all types of domesticated animals including chickens, cows, goats, pigs, deer, ducks, donkeys and guinea pigs.
So check out he list below of the huge range of Wildlife Parks & Zoos in and around Melbourne.


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Board index High Culture Music
Control of free speech for popular music...
It's only cool if no one's heard of it.
Joined: Sat May 24, 2008 11:57 am UTC
Location: University o' Teesside
Contact Jackpot
Postby Jackpot » Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:54 pm UTC
hear me out on this one.
"I kissed a girl and I liked it"
"Let's get it started in here"
Many pop "musicians" or lyricists tend to use heavy amounts of inuendo, useless sexual catchphrases, and candid bullshit over and over again, over insultingly simple "beats". The time signitures are usually in 4/4 time, with no groove.
They then get labelled as genuine musicans and make a mockery of the word artist.
Is controlling free speech really that bad on this level? Millions of people are literally forced into listening to this shit against their will (seriously. if you go shopping for basic goods or anywhere public, they will play this music. not everyone has music players on them at all times, thus, you hear it against your will).
What I'm suggesting is that we have a system of quality control put in for any music that will be played by major media outlets, and force simplistic, gratiutous yet PG rated music into special acces niche programming slots (kinda like how heavy metal and ambient electronic music have).
This is only for music that is overtly simple, and have blatantly sexual content without actuall referances to human organs.
Opinions?
Even though I walk through the valley of the humourless nerds, I fear no evil, for escape and perspective is with me; my experience and love, they comfort me.
Chai Kovsky
Location: Californication
Re: Control of free speech for popular music...
Postby Chai Kovsky » Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:55 pm UTC
Yes, it is that terrible. Bad, bad, bad idea.
Jackpot wrote: Is controlling free speech really that bad on this level? Millions of people are literally forced into listening to this shit against their will (seriously. if you go shopping for basic goods or anywhere public, they will play this music. not everyone has music players on them at all times, thus, you hear it against your will)
The grocery store is a private venue, not one owned by government. You implicitly consent to listening to the music when you enter the store. Even if a government enacted your law, they couldn't touch a private venue.
Jackpot wrote: What I'm suggesting is that we have a system of quality control put in for any music that will be played by major media outlets, and force simplistic, gratiutous yet PG rated music into special acces niche programming slots (kinda like how heavy metal and ambient electronic music have).
Metal and electronica weren't forced into niche programming. ClearChannel, which owns most of the airwaves, and other companies simply decided that there was little money to be made in playing it on mainstream programming.
Jackpot wrote: This is only for music that is overtly simple, and have blatantly sexual content without actuall referances to human organs.
This is the part where, even if you allowed that it was acceptable to curb a right as important as free speech for something as trivial as pop music, your argument falls apart. By what standard is music considered worthy of being played? Is it acceptable to use a song if it has a I-ii-V-I progression instead of the more typical I-IV-V-I? What if you have "blatantly sexual content" and do actually reference human organs? What if the organs are kidneys (okay, yeah, I'd definitely listen to that song). What gives you or any other person the right to judge what music is "worthy?" De gustibus non est disputandum.
Free speech is Serious Business and as such needs serious justification before it is censored. Remember, things that actually get censored are things like yelling "Fire" in a crowded auditorium where there is risk of people dying immediately if you say it. But these aren't songs that have lyrics like "Go out now and kill all the fags/kill all the fags/kill all the fags." These are just songs whose music you don't like.
As they say, this $#!& is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
kellsbells wrote: ¡This Chai is burning me!
Chai Kovsky wrote: I can kill you with my brain.
superglucose wrote: In other words: LISTEN TO CHAI.
Delayra wrote: Yet another brilliant idea from Chai!
I <3 Pirate.Bondage!
Postby TheAmazingRando » Sat Nov 22, 2008 6:15 pm UTC
You do realize that "Let's Get It Started" is already a censored version of the original song?
Postby Cherry Kiss » Sat Nov 22, 2008 6:18 pm UTC
Lets get retarded HA! lets get retarded in here
What they call love is a risk,
'Cause you will always get hit
Out of nowhere by some wave
And end up on your own.
Location: Below the fifth cellar.
Contact tiny
Postby tiny » Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:55 am UTC
That's what god gave us mp3 players for. And those who don't own one don't seem to mind the music that you find so crappy.
I hate pop music, just like you do, but forcing your personal taste on others isn't a real solution to the problem of other people forcing their taste and/or marketing strategies on you.
"I write what I see, the endless procession to the guillotine." ~ de Sade
SirMustapha
Postby SirMustapha » Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:42 am UTC
So you want to ban Led Zeppelin?
The Rumpled Academic
Postby The Rumpled Academic » Sun Nov 23, 2008 2:40 pm UTC
Man -- upon reading the first post of this thread, I was going to write almost the exact same sequence of arguments that you have here. Nicely done.
Postby Jackpot » Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:30 pm UTC
Chai Kovsky wrote: Yes, it is that terrible. Bad, bad, bad idea.
I wouldn't exactly say shit like MK one and topshop or generic malls are "private venues". They're franchises who probably get paid to play this gobshite.
Chai Kovsky wrote: Metal and electronica weren't forced into niche programming. ClearChannel, which owns most of the airwaves, and other companies simply decided that there was little money to be made in playing it on mainstream programming.
Not exactly my point. Also, we don't have clear channel in the UK. (for clarification : my point was the reform for pop music to become how the mentioned music types are treated at present, not to invert the current structure)
Also, by deciding certain things are not profitiable (but not artistically worthwhile) (ie : the decision is made by profit, not artistic merit) you essentially throw away anything that won't appeal to everyone, and remove anything artistically worthwhile.
(additional subnote : I'll be damned if I admit current pop musicians are artists. They are barely fit to be called musicians, and they do not provide anything artistically noteworthy)
Chai Kovsky wrote: This is the part where, even if you allowed that it was acceptable to curb a right as important as free speech for something as trivial as pop music, your argument falls apart. By what standard is music considered worthy of being played? Is it acceptable to use a song if it has a I-ii-V-I progression instead of the more typical I-IV-V-I? What if you have "blatantly sexual content" and do actually reference human organs? What if the organs are kidneys (okay, yeah, I'd definitely listen to that song). What gives you or any other person the right to judge what music is "worthy?" De gustibus non est disputandum.
by an educated team of people who know what high quality music is, instead of people looking at the amount of money some trend makes. In short, substitute low level quality music with high quality music, not pop music for metal.
Chai Kovsky wrote: Free speech is Serious Business and as such needs serious justification before it is censored.
Music is fast losing it's status as an art form.
Chai Kovsky wrote: Remember, things that actually get censored are things like yelling "Fire" in a crowded auditorium where there is risk of people dying immediately if you say it. But these aren't songs that have lyrics like "Go out now and kill all the fags/kill all the fags/kill all the fags." These are just songs whose music you don't like.
Yea, these are songs that say "endanger yourself by excess consumption of alcohol, expendeture of money for frivilous deeds and have multiple sex partners without paying heed to any consequence.
Also, "Go out now and kill all the fags" is political aplication of free speech, and the reason free speech exists : to make political standpoints of your opinion. Free speech isn't there so you can make fart jokes.
Chai Kovsky wrote: As they say, this $#!& is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
That's my point.
Also : it is becoming more and more difficult for generic youth to access high quality music. they don't know where to look, and it is not made obvious to them.
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Postby ChocloManx » Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:52 pm UTC
What. Finding music (good or not) has never been easier.
Egotist, n. A person of low taste, more interested in himself than in me.
-Ambrose Bierce
"My God, all the matter in the universe has just rapidly expanded outward, in some sort of bang."
Postby Chai Kovsky » Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:14 pm UTC
This was an amusing post on many levels. I really don't know which part was my favorite: the part where you think your perception of musical quality justifies the abrogation of an essential right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the part where you think "educated experts" should determine what good music is and what isn't, the part where you grossly misunderstand the working of government in free society (evidenced by your ignorance of the implications of a "private venue"), or the part where you think that inciting to murder is protected "political" speech.
So I'll just say: you do have ClearChannel in the UK.
Postby SirMustapha » Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:23 pm UTC
Jackpot wrote: Music is fast losing it's status as an art form.
Correct. Miles Davis killed music when he released that commercial crap called Bitches Brew.
I thought it was around when Mozart wrote Le Nozze di Figaro. What a hack.
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Postby semicolon » Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:45 pm UTC
Kraftwerk ruined everything!
Postby Sir_Elderberry » Sun Nov 23, 2008 11:01 pm UTC
This is bad. Ridiculously, ridiculously bad. The part of me that handles concepts of human rights is reeling right now. I would type out a detailed response, but I think it's been covered. You want a panel of experts who "know" what good music is to decide what music to play? Seriously? That's basically a good way to ban any new forms from arising. Talk about stifling innovation.
Here's the thing, if people don't want to listen to bad music, they don't have to. It's being played because it's popular.
In the end, I'm not sure I could live in a country that allowed this sort of policy.
Postby TheAmazingRando » Sun Nov 23, 2008 11:07 pm UTC
Jackpot wrote: Free speech isn't there so you can make fart jokes.
Free speech exists so that you can say unpopular things without being lynched for it. Obscenity absolutely falls under that category. Some of the most noteworthy art ever made has been subject to obscenity trials.
Last edited by TheAmazingRando on Mon Nov 24, 2008 5:14 am UTC, edited 1 time in total.
Postby The Rumpled Academic » Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:10 am UTC
...by an educated team of people who know what high quality music is
That's pretty much the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard. You really think that there is objective "high quality music" and "low quality music", outside of the minds and opinions of those listening to it? You're going to completely ignore the subjectivity pervading all musical opinions that involve the word 'better'? Seriously? There's no "knowing" in the business of subjective evaluation! There's just your opinion, and your seemingly implacable belief that it is Objectively Right.
What sort of criteria would this team make their judgements upon, anyway? You seemed in your first post to imply that one would be 'complexity'. Does this mean that shops will only be allowed to play 500-chords-a-song avant-jazz explorations? That the 4/4 time signature (the one most people can follow and enjoy most easily) will be wiped from the airwaves? This would not be a 'public service' providing 'better' music for people - even if it's intended that way. Rather, it would just be the foisting of a minority's (subjective) musical opinions and prejudices onto everyone else, and pretending that it's somehow scientific. As has been established, the tepid pop music currently played in most stores is there because it's popular with a majority of the population. What you're essentially proposing is that an elitist vanguard takes over, and plays music that the majority would dislike. In what Universe is this considered fair practice?
"Shitty" mainstream music is very genuinely enjoyed by a lot of people. You are basically saying that they are wrong -- that their enjoyment is wrong. I hope you can realise how messed-up that is.
Listen to me carefully: you don't like the music you do because it's objectively 'better' than the music you dislike. You just like it more. That's all. There are a multiplicity of reasons why people like the different music that they do, and none of them apply (or should apply) to anyone but themselves.
Free speech isn't there so you can make fart jokes.
Free speech is absolutely there so to allow people to make fart jokes.
That is just so ridiculously wrong I can't even begin to address it. In the past, you had to rely on radio or word of mouth to hear about non-mainstream music ~~ now, what with this internet thing, "the youth" have virtually instant access to all of the different music of the world. We're in a truly unique position to seek out only the music that truly moves us, and to reject what is thrust upon us if it doesn't.
I mean... postulates wrong... conclusion wrong... all so very wrong...
Postby Chai Kovsky » Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:35 am UTC
What I'm interested in is the definition of a "generic" youth. Is this the opposite of a brand-name youth? What is a particularly good brand of youth these days, anyway?
Postby TheAmazingRando » Mon Nov 24, 2008 5:16 am UTC
I also don't get how it's more difficult for "generic youth" to find music. Pop music these days is a lot more varied and complex than pop music 30 years ago, and a lot of that music is still played on the radio.
seladore
Location: Tumbolia
Postby seladore » Mon Nov 24, 2008 8:38 am UTC
I can't imagine what criteria you would apply, in order to choose what is 'good'.
I have known a girl with a degree in music theory, who loves drum 'n' bass. Is she an 'expert'? So shops should listen to her opinion rather than anyone else's? What about other musicians?
Would you be happy with shops etc. all just playing avant-garde post-jazz freeform? I'm sure that this is critically acclaimed by many experts. But what about the NME? They must count as experts, surely?
And how can you even talk about censoring art because of its obscenity? Would you have censored 'Lolita'? What about 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'? Would you want to ban Tool's 'Stinkfist' because of the graphic content? What about the fact that it is considered high art by many people, and the philosophy lecturer of someone I knew had the lyrics on his door? But then again, it does mention body parts in a sexualised way...
tl;dr - Nope, sorry. Worst idea ever.
Vox Imperatoris
Postby Vox Imperatoris » Mon Nov 24, 2008 8:40 am UTC
You have no conception of rights at all, do you?
The government has no right to force people not to play music you don't like. They also have no right to force you to listen to music you don't like, which, in fact, it isn't doing. Private entities are doing that, and the government has no right to abridge thir freedom to play pop music you don't like, whether it's by Britney Spears, Hannah Montana, or whoever else that you deem to have no merit. If everyone thought it sucked, then it would not be making money, and therefore, wouldn't be played.
So if you really want to stop this, go out and convince people to listen to better music; don't force it on them by fiat.
Nec audiendi qui solent dicere, vox populi, vox Dei, quum tumultuositas vulgi semper insaniae proxima sit.
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Postby Eriksson » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:21 pm UTC
Okay, I'll start off by stating what has already been mentioned: This is absolute madness. It shouldn't need much more explanation than that by this point.
Also, the real issue here is with the companies providing FM radio and publishing music. If you wanted to broaden people's musical horizons on a massive scale, kill off FM entirely, hasten the digital-distribution revolution, encourage independent publishers, and implement some kind of intelligent music-blog-trawler as the new car radio. Just to drive the point home, launch a massive PR campaign encouraging people to listen to something new.
Even then, people will still listen to simple, sexy pop music. Because that's what they want to listen to (and/or can't get out of their heads).
Bobofthedead
Postby Bobofthedead » Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:25 pm UTC
Maybe we shouldn't have censorship on popular music; quite a lot of good music has questionable lyrics: you name it, it's been in the charts. Look at, maybe every band in the '60s and '70s.
We just need better quality control: look at examples like Soulja Boy. Pure, sheer excrescence (+10 if you can tell me why this isn't in fact wrong), but it somehow broke into the UK charts, and onto UK radio. Oh, and club remixes of every new song that comes out, that gets on my wick too: every time the gym radio is switched to the dance station, all I hear are cruddy remixes of the pop songs that came out last week. No talent needed to make them, just a copy of Audacity and the copy-and-paste function.
Quality control, EMI?
Postby Sir_Elderberry » Sun Dec 07, 2008 11:30 pm UTC
It's not anyone's place to enforce their idea of "quality" in anything as subjective as music. Lots of people like that stuff.
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2007 2:43 am UTC
Postby aaron » Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:35 am UTC
i just popped in to say that i love katy perry
Postby SecondTalon » Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:31 am UTC
Bobofthedead wrote: We just need better quality control: look at examples like Soulja Boy.
This website gives a figure of 1,732,000 digital copies sold for Crank Dat and 200,000 copies of the album.
You yourself say that it made it onto the sales charts and covered the radio.
Despite what you think, a whole lot of somebodies out there like it. There is a statement that's so incredibly basic and obvious but maybe you've just forgotten, so I'm going to type it out.
People Don't Like Things That They Think Suck.
At no point in my life have I ever said "Oh boy! Mushrooms!" I can't stand the vile things. But I don't start insisting on quality control on food because pizza sometimes comes with them on it, or they often end up in a stir fry. I work around it.
Now, I'm not saying that 50 million people are right. You're telling me that fifty million screaming fans are never wrong. I'm telling you that fifty million screaming fans are fucking morons... not by a long shot. I am, however, saying that those 50 million people are seeing something in it that you are not, and they like it.
As far as remixes go... like everything, the good ones hang around, the bad ones vanish and are forgotten. Have a look.
In a large, democratic environment sometimes things are going to happen that you don't like - such as radio stations being put on because the majority of the people there enjoy it, or at least find it tolerable. Unlike government elections, you do have the ability to just opt out via headphones for your own music, earplugs so you don't have to listen to it, or simply leaving.
Jackpot wrote: They then get labelled as genuine musicans and make a mockery of the word artist.
... Really? They're not? So can I say the guy that composed that 4 minute "song" that had no instruments playing or notes written on the score isn't an artist too? Because that was totally not a song.
Postby aaron » Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:09 am UTC
First John Cage mention I've seen on the board!
Postby SirMustapha » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:14 am UTC
Just dropping by before the argument that the media CONTROLS THE PEOPLE'S MINDS, so people only actually listen to that crap because THEY'RE BEING BRAINWASHED WITH SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES.
Postby SecondTalon » Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:50 pm UTC
aaron wrote: First John Cage mention I've seen on the board!
His name's come up a time or two
SirMustapha wrote: Just dropping by before the argument that the media CONTROLS THE PEOPLE'S MINDS, so people only actually listen to that crap because THEY'RE BEING BRAINWASHED WITH SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES.
Oh me yarm are they going to stealz my megahurts?!
Anyway, an interview of the Insane Clown Posse of all groups I read once actually made a pretty good point - I don't remember which one of them said it nor do I recall the exact quote, but for some reason the Spice Girls came up. This was in the late 90s at the time, so the Spice Girls were.. you know.. relevant then. The interviewer was asking them something to the effect of what their opinion of them was, and one of them said back something to the effect of "I'm not going to say it sucks. They've sold how many millions of albums now? Some people - a lot of them - like that stuff enough to buy it, so it doesn't suck to them. I don't like it myself, but I'm not going to say that it sucks."
I'm pretty sure there was more use of the word "fucking" and a juggalo reference or seven I've forgotten a this point, but the main point stands.
And really.. when the goddamn Insane Clown Posse is more open-minded than (the universal) you.. what does that say?
Berk and Hair
Postby Berk and Hair » Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:27 am UTC
I believe in free speech because an open forum for debate tends to favour good ideas over bad. But if there was a justification for limiting freedom of speech (beyond libel or soliciting a crime) rock/pop music would be it.
Rock/pop consists of a verse of one simple melody line repeated over and over until the chorus which is typically another simple melody line repeated over and over until the verse starts again. To say that the level of complexity of rock music compared to jazz or classical is as 'Spot the Dog' is to 'War and Peace' would be insulting to 'Spot the Dog'. The quality of art is subjective but complexity is not. If you listen to nothing but rock/pop as an adult you are on par with people who read nothing but comics.* If we discovered that reading novels was a rarity amongst people under the age 30 we would regard it as a cause for concern.
Manufactured/chart pop is aimed at children and the level of complexity reflects this. The sexual content of much of this music however, is entirely inconsistant with the age of the audience. Anyone who markets a singer whose audience consists mainly of 8-14 year olds by filming her cavorting about in nothing but body glitter should be put on the sex offenders register.
Rock and alternative rock have about the same level of complexity as manufactured pop, but are marketed at people who should know better. Rock stars typically represent themselves as rebels whilst living in country mansions and promoting a value system more bigoted and conservative than any mainstream right-wing politician. To them women are objects to be used for enjoyment and the goal of life is to experience as much material pleasure as possible. They may flirt with controversy as a publicity stunt, but rarely go beyond the bounds of what would be acceptable on a day-time soap opera. No current area of human enterprise is more dominated by white heterosexual middle-class males than alt-rock. The audience for alternative rock believe themselves to be dissidents when all they really have to dissent against is being asked to tidy their rooms.
I have some sympathy for the view of the original poster, but denying freedom of speech, even to something as worthless, bigoted and hypocritical as popular music, is a road that we, as a society, do not want to go down.
* This is not an attack on people who read comics. It is directed at people who don't read anything else.
Clumpy
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Postby Clumpy » Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:44 pm UTC
I think that mainstream media outlets drive impressionable dummbopfs toward bland, well-engineered music, and that, improperly used, alternative outlets like the internet drive people toward similarly-bland, independent music. Yet I don't think my musical opinions are gospel. Jackass* here obviously has no concept of subjectivity or ramifications. His categorical assertion that all mainstream music no longer has any artistic relevance alone should discount him - some of the top records of last year didn't get played much on the radio but sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
Radio will die if we let it. Letting it live on as some kind of oppressive, fascist construction is just wrong.
Which poster are you flaming, exactly? -ST
A: The only guy arguing for this type of censorship, the creator of the post whose name also begins with "Jack." In retrospect, a personal epithet was probably in bad taste and made things ambiguous besides.
(My Blog, On-Off Webcomic and Side Project)
If Chickens Were Purple...
Postby If Chickens Were Purple... » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:31 pm UTC
Rock/pop consists of a verse of one simple melody line repeated over and over until the chorus which is typically another simple melody line repeated over and over until the verse starts again. To say that the level of complexity of rock music compared to jazz or classical is as 'Spot the Dog' is to 'War and Peace' would be insulting to 'Spot the Dog'. The quality of art is subjective but complexity is not.
It wouldn't be hard to argue that your average modern rock album is as/more complex as/than a piece of classical music. Judging complexity based on the melodies alone is a filthy trick, like saying a Shakespearian sonnet is simple because it can be kept in a text file not even a kilobyte in size. The thing is, rock is a medium of sound (or 'timbre' or whatever the word is) much more than it is of melody. If a small orchestra (or whatever) performed their own note-for-note version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (or whatever), then yeah, I'd let you get away with calling that simple. But when Nirvana do it in a studio, they've got so much expensive equipment behind them that's been either specially selected or even purpose-built, then maybe tuned scrupulously by skilled people (oh man, I know nothing about anything) ...basically after all the production and post-production (and heightened emphasis on individual musicianship and blalalala) it makes no sense to just write the songs down as sheet music and say "see, see, it's all stupid and rubbish grrrrr". I would also like to defend comic books, however then I'd just be typing this paragraph over again with different examples.
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Location: 2 weeks ago
Postby Mo0man » Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:32 am UTC
Obvious troll is obvious.
I think we at the xkcd fora are kinda spoiled. We think that everyone who says idiocy actually means it.
Either that, or we've got absolutely no faith in humanity. Either way, I'll say it again
Obvious troll is obvious
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I'm number 20075. Remember that. It's important
Postby Antimatter Spork » Sun Dec 14, 2008 3:01 am UTC
Jackpot wrote: hear me out on this one.
fishyfish777
Postby fishyfish777 » Sun Dec 14, 2008 3:33 am UTC
On a side note, the rappers are actually nice, it's just the composers who make this crap up.
Jay-Z came to our school once. He was all nice, and the reason he came to our school was a particular "Playpumps" Water-in-africa project.
My mom's friend's brother composes for eminem (His name is louis or whatever).
Neon Rain wrote: And somehow we humans can invent scanning-probe microscopes that can "see" individual atoms, yet still can't invent a machine that can reliably scan tests not taken with a #2 pencil.
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Postby Marbas » Sun Dec 14, 2008 5:46 am UTC
Berk and Hair wrote: The quality of art is subjective but complexity is not. If you listen to nothing but rock/pop as an adult you are on par with people who read nothing but comics.* If we discovered that reading novels was a rarity amongst people under the age 30 we would regard it as a cause for concern.
There is an elegance in simplicity that is unparalleled by many other things. As for preferring "simplistic" entertainment, I'm going to say that there's really nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with simple escapism, and the fact that you think people are beneath you because they prefer that to your "complexity" is something I find hilarious. In fact, sometimes complexity can be a negative thing. Remember, the word Baroque is also a pejorative. For example I listen to Noise, which is obviously more complex than any Jazz or Classical piece because it is bound by wholly different considerations than standard music. Does this mean my music carries more worth than other people's? No, most people find it awful and grating, and I understand that.
Jahoclave wrote: Do you have any idea how much more fun the holocaust is with "Git er Done" as the catch phrase?
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Postby OmegaLord » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:55 pm UTC
Oh. No. My proposal falls under the start a rating system for books/music like we have for video games/movies. We have parental advisories to stop kids from buying Lords of Acid (Google it if you don't know. (Actually, don't.)), but I have lots of songs that parents of small children would probably not like their children to hear. Exempli gratia Black Cadillacs by Modest Mouse. There isn't any advisory on the album. We can't/shouldn't enforce age limits; iTunes and the like would easily circumvent any attempt. Plus, if I want a song, I would like to buy this song, and if I can't, I will turn to several questionably legal methods to obtain it. But it would work that the "Care Bear stare Theme Song" is G or equivalent, and Tenacious D is.... not.
Note to those of you who don't live in the USA: I'm not sure whether rating systems are prevalent where you live.
So what do you guys know about *glances down at sheet* the kingdoms of orgasms
but I just don't see why someone would tape themselves together.
Bear Police wrote: I got Ready to Die today. Took me too long. Great record.
1337geek
Postby 1337geek » Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:36 am UTC
OmegaLord wrote: Oh. No. My proposal falls under the start a rating system for books/music like we have for video games/movies. We have parental advisories to stop kids from buying Lords of Acid (Google it if you don't know. (Actually, don't.)), but I have lots of songs that parents of small children would probably not like their children to hear. Exempli gratia Black Cadillacs by Modest Mouse. There isn't any advisory on the album. We can't/shouldn't enforce age limits; iTunes and the like would easily circumvent any attempt. Plus, if I want a song, I would like to buy this song, and if I can't, I will turn to several questionably legal methods to obtain it. But it would work that the "Care Bear stare Theme Song" is G or equivalent, and Tenacious D is.... not.
The "Parental Advisory" sticker we have is put on CDs completely voluntarily by the RIAA. The reason we don't have Tipper Gore's proposed rating system similar to the one we have for movies is because artists such as Dee Snider, Frank Zappa, and John Denver fought it in the Senate in 1985. The current system is controversial because some obscene music might avoid getting the sticker, but it might get put on something that's fairly clean. Not too terrible, you think, until you realize that some stores (like Walmart) refuse to carry anything with the sticker. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_Advisory Also, you can read all about the Senate hearings here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMRC It's quite an entertaining read, especially if you look at the Senate hearing transcripts. The PMRC tried to classify "We're Not Gonna Take It" as promoting violence and "Rocky Mountain High" as promoting drugs. Essentially the problem the artists had with censorship was that often songs can be mis-interpreted. All in all, the system we have for censoring music is like copyright: it started out with good intentions, but it just has too many problems.
"Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together." --Carl Zwanzig


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A: Adobe has created a product which allows this:
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashmedia_gateway/

A: There's always red5phone, if air is backwards compatible with flash.

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(I work for Twilio)


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Home Robert Volpe Stage Set For Future Development Bids at Woodland Station
Robert Volpe
Stage Set For Future Development Bids at Woodland Station
DDA to Consider Two Key Commercial Proposals in Downtown Core Area
~ by Bob Volpe ~
After months of bitter feuds, a bizarre lawsuit and finger pointing, the controversial Woodland Station area, the former hub of Woodland Park rodeo activity, may see development action after all.
But don't make any serious wagers on the outcome quite yet.
The Woodland Park Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has received interest from two developers who would like to develop sections of Woodland Station, once considered the possible future development core of Woodland Park.
At a special meeting of the DDA on July 23, the board went into executive session to discuss both proposals. George Christian and Mark Weaver are meeting privately with the DDA board on proposals that may finally bring a close to the controversy over Woodland Station.
Little is known about the proposals at this time, as both developers are keeping mum about what their vision is for the property.
At a special DDA meet on July 16, Christian addressed the board with a brief synopsis of his vision for Woodland Station; however, he was very short on details and preferred to play his cards on the concept
close to the vest. He did mention there will be at least two restaurants in the project and that a "large scale site plan" is in the works. Christian cited confidentiality and pending meetings with the board and city staff as reasons for divulging little details about his project.
Even less is known at this time about Weaver's concept for the property. Both developers will give a more detailed presentation at the regular DDA monthly meeting on August 6.
Information on developers
While few details have been unveiled about the specific Woodland Station plans, much information has circulated about the possible Woodland Station developers.
George Christian and his son and partner, Ryan Christian, have been developing small properties in Woodland Park for some time. They recently accepted the first 2019 Keep Woodland Park Beautiful
Beautification Award. They own Cottage Creek Living and specialize in developing in-fill projects, building homes on small city lots platted in the 1890s.
When they accepted the award, Christian said, "We build on postage stamps. These are difficult lots, 50 by 150 feet. They look simple but each one has its own challenge. We appreciate the city staff for
helping us find solutions."
According to his website, Mark Weaver has been a commercial real estate consultant and developer involved with commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, management and development since 1985.
He's been a broker, a tenant/buyer rep, director of a corporate real estate department, property developer and has done and continues to do commercial real estate consulting. He is very familiar with commercial real estate markets in Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. He usually works confidentially with various clients to assure stealth and secrecy of acquisition, development, expansion and management plans. He also takes on listings for select, high-quality
properties in Colorado and Texas.
Weaver is also Senior Vice President for Rare Earth Development and Investments (REDI) in Woodland Park, Colorado. He serves as Asset Manager for REDI including acquisition, disposition and market
analysis. REDI is a real estate company that focuses on affordable housing concepts that use creative methods to address the critical housing shortage and chronic home ownership difficulties found across
the nation.
Big deal for DDA
If these future proposals proceed, the projects could result in the first actual developments at Woodland Station in some time. In fact, this area has been more known for fights between DDA leaders and various developers in town and city officials.
The lack of development activity at Woodland Station has been the main blemish against the DDA for years. But many previous development pursuits have been stymied due to infrastructure challenges, financing and bad timing. At one point, the DDA once heard plans for a $60 million-plus development that almost resembled a ski village.
This project never materialized along with other ambitious bids, including plans to locate the Aquatic Center there.
As a result, board leaders have mulled plans for turning the sections of Woodland Station into open space or a park, or a venue for special events.
The outcome of the latest proposals, though, could change that direction.
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Sydney – Follow the Tennis match between Andreas Seppi and Alex De Minaur live with Eurosport. The match starts at 19:00 on 12 January 2019. Our live coverage lets you follow all the key moments as they happen.
Head-to-head: see historical stats and visit our detailed profiles for Andreas Seppi vs Alex De Minaur. Get all the latest on Tennis: fixtures, results and tables.


text:
package de.skuzzle.jeve;

import org.junit.Assert;
import org.junit.Before;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.mockito.Mockito;

public class SequentialEventTest {
    private interface SampleListener extends Listener {

    }

    private interface OtherListener extends Listener {

    }

    private SequentialEvent<Object, SampleListener> subject;

    @Before
    public void setUp() throws Exception {
        this.subject = new SequentialEvent<>(new Object(), SampleListener.class);
    }

    @Test
    public void testGetPreventedEmptyNotNull() {
        Assert.assertNotNull(this.subject.getPrevented());
    }

    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
    public void preventCascadeNull() throws Exception {
        this.subject.preventCascade(null);
    }

    @Test
    public void testPreventCascade() {
        this.subject.preventCascade();
        Assert.assertTrue(this.subject.getPrevented().contains(SampleListener.class));
    }

    @Test
    public void testPreventCascade2() {
        this.subject.preventCascade(SampleListener.class);
        this.subject.preventCascade(OtherListener.class);
        Assert.assertTrue(this.subject.getPrevented().contains(SampleListener.class));
        Assert.assertTrue(this.subject.getPrevented().contains(OtherListener.class));
    }

    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
    public void testAddSuppressedNull() throws Exception {
        this.subject.addSuppressedEvent(null);
    }

    @Test
    public void testGetSuppressedNotNull() throws Exception {
        Assert.assertNotNull(this.subject.getSuppressedEvents());
    }

    @Test
    public void testAddSuppressed() {
        final SuppressedEvent sup = Mockito.mock(SuppressedEvent.class);
        this.subject.addSuppressedEvent(sup);
        Assert.assertTrue(this.subject.getSuppressedEvents().contains(sup));
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Larry David played Bernie Sanders again on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend.
- They wanted Bernie to play himself, but he's not allowed to drive at night.
Two new polls show Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in a statistical dead. The same polls show them as the most disliked Presidential Candidates in U.S. history.
- You know it's bad when you hear people talking about what a great guy "Tricky-Dickie" Nixon was.
An American man who joined ISIS for five months and then escaped back to the U.S. says joining up was "the worst decision" he's ever made.
- He's obviously got a good head on his shoulders...and wanted to make sure it stayed that way.
A new report claims the producers of the "The Biggest Loser" encouraged contestants to starve themselves and take diet pills.
- They were going to make them take laxatives too, but they would have had to change the show's name to "Game of Thrones".
- This kind of thing never happens on The Food Network.
Madonna performed a tribute to Prince on last night's Billboard Music Awards.
- She and Prince had a lot in common... he died because of drugs, and she's alive because of antibiotics.
Cher turned 70 over the weekend.
- In honor of her birthday, she's releasing a new CD including the songs: "I Got Who Babe?" and "Gypsies, Muscle Cramps, & Thieves".
Have a great day and I'll see you back here Tuesday!