From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V12 #210 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, June 12 2003 Volume 12 : Number 210 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Whoops [Ken Weingold ] Re: The return of the howling monkey (or was that hooded?) [Aaron Mandel ] Laphroaig's lament ["Gene Hopstetter, Jr." ] Re: Albini vs. the press [Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey ] Re: The return of the howling junkey (or was that hooded?) [Ethyl Ketone ] Re: Squidelicious! and the pinhole eyes of the nautilus ["Matt Sewell" ] More gasoline for the inferno ["Glen Uber" ] Re: reap 2 ["Sumiko Keay" ] settign up a listserve; from the minds that brought you Number N ine Line's "Only the Stones Remains" comes Drikung Music Vol.1 [] Re: reap 2 ["Glen Uber" ] Re: More gasoline for the inferno ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: More gasoline for the inferno ["Glen Uber" ] run of the mill ["ken ostrander" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 11:56:23 -0400 From: Ken Weingold Subject: Whoops ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 12:00:16 -0400 (EDT) From: Aaron Mandel Subject: Re: The return of the howling monkey (or was that hooded?) On Thu, 12 Jun 2003, The Great Quail wrote: > That's right -- because the act of creation should have no benefits for > the creators and producers. Why not *give* away art, music, software, > books, films...? I'm sure all those pesky artists, editors, producers, > writers and so on can hold other menial rent-paying jobs, after all, > just so long as they *walk* to work. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Maybe this was only clear to me because I know a lot of people who are into this idea, but the model Cap was talking about is not the one you're criticizing. Try this: http://www.openculture.org The idea is that people who want a thing (an album, a piece of software, whatever) collectively pay for it in advance. Once it's released, it's free. Maybe the donors get it earlier, or the creator promises them a big sloppy kiss if they ever meet in person, or whatever. My impression is that the bulk of major-label acts might as well be under this system, in that their advance is their only paycheck for the album. I'm also hearing about a growing (but overall tiny, I realize) number of artists who seem to be financing records with donations/pledges/pre-orders from dedicated fans on the internet even when they can't get label funding. But the largest group of people currently working under this system aren't artists at all: they're more or less everyone *else* in the working world. My boss doesn't withhold cash from me until he sees how I've done my job on a given week, he just pays me what we agreed on in advance. If he doesn't like how it goes, the repercussions will be along of my not being employed in the *future* rather than him choosing retroactively not to fund the work I've already done. Is this a great idea for art? I don't know. I think it would be excellent for the option to be available, but it still might well not take off. Still, it's not *insane*, and it doesn't involve artists going penniless. There's plenty to pick on in Jeme's ranting without claiming (incorrectly) that he thinks creators should have to earn their money doing something other than their art. aaron ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 11:07:14 -0500 From: "Gene Hopstetter, Jr." Subject: Laphroaig's lament Stewart C. Russell poured me one clean and said: > If Laphroaig's what you're trying, it's no wonder you find it hard. > It's rather more than an acquired taste. A good point. I did like how the Laphroaig settled down and matured a bit as the ice melted, which is one thing that intrigued me about Scotch. > Balvenie Double Wood would be my choice. In a few short months, I have > my colleagues hooked on it. Very smooth, very sweet, yet cheap at C$56 > at the LCBO. Thanks for the tip; I'll keep an eye for it in my local watering holes. I've actually been more entertained by wine lately. My wife and I cook a lot, and I've become quite good at grilling steaks -- which are always tasty with a Californian Cabernet Sauvignon. And sake, too. I had some Momokawa, which is brewed in Seattle, and it was oh so delicious. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 11:08:14 -0500 From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: Albini vs. the press Quoting "Gene Hopstetter, Jr." : > Case in point: for years and years, I read that Jim Thirlwell (aka > Foetus) was a mean, insufferable misanthrope. Imagine how nervous I > was when I picked him up for an interview in 1995. He turned out to be > a quiet, considerate, well-spoken, and intelligent man. But I was very > well familiar with his work, and I didn't act like a sycophant, and we > got along very well. I think the word "sycophant" is key: I don't actually know, but I imagine it would be extremely difficult to remain polite and nice and comfortable with person after person alternately asskissing and drilling you. And _American Idol_ notwithstanding, most musicians do not pursue their career so they can be harangued by journalists - so I'm not sure why we expect them to act like professional politicians. I mean, yeah, it'd be nice if people were nice - but not all of them are. Does that make them assholes? My other main point: I wouldn't presume to judge, because for all I know, I'd be just as much an asshole if I had to deal with the same things they deal with. I'd hope not - but I couldn't promise it. I mean, I'm sure they're grateful that fans like their music - but, just as you might be flattered that someone has a crush on you but not want to spend any time with them, it creates neither guarantee nor obligation that you'd like them back. Again, I suspect most musicians want fans in the abstract - not as individuals impressing their needs upon them. ..Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society www.uwm.edu/~jenor/ADS.html :: it's not your meat :: --Mr. Toad ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 18:23:51 +0200 From: Ethyl Ketone Subject: Re: The return of the howling junkey (or was that hooded?) On Giovedl, giu 12, 2003, at 18:00 Europe/Rome, Aaron Mandel wrote: > The idea is that people who want a thing (an album, a piece of > software, > whatever) collectively pay for it in advance. Once it's released, it's > free. Maybe the donors get it earlier, or the creator promises them a > big > sloppy kiss if they ever meet in person, or whatever. > Is this a great idea for art? I don't know. I think it would be > excellent > for the option to be available, but it still might well not take off. > Still, it's not *insane*, and it doesn't involve artists going > penniless. I know of plenty of artists, not musicians, mostly printmakers and book artists who have funded travel, costs of materials, costs of space, etc. with subscriptions and pre-purchasing. Several of our residents pre-sell prints on the promise that their month in Italy will inspire great work. Many book artists have subscriptions, pre-sold rates for the next book, which more or less covers, or tries to cover, the cost of materials incurred in the production of the book. Don't know how this would work in any other field but it is based heavily on trust, integrity and responsibility. - - c ************************************** "Questions are a burden for others. Answers are a prison for oneself." ************************************** C. Galbraith / Ketone Press meketone@ix.netcom.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 17:48:15 +0100 From: "Matt Sewell" Subject: Re: Squidelicious! and the pinhole eyes of the nautilus Mmm... not wanting to go over old threads but... Youngs beer... mmm... brewed in Wandsworth. They also do the Double Chocolate Stout, with real chocolate... Laphroaig - it's a very intense scotch - It's either an Islay or Island malt, which tend to be smoky and seaweedy in character - my favourite kind; a little like finding a bit of rope washed up on the shore, then burying it in peat for a couple of years before digging it up and giving it a good suck... You may prefer sweeter, more heathery whiskies, Gene - Highland malts are like this, or perhaps Speyside... ND: Oban, from er, Oban... smoky... Cheers Matt >From: "Gene Hopstetter, Jr." > >Stewart C. Russell wrote: > >>being all grown up, I use the tubes from bottles of Laphroaig, >>Glenlivet and Balvenie. But none of them have worked as well as the >>CartonCam. > >Imagine that -- after my first bottle of Laphroaig, everything >looked all fuzzy and artistic to me, just like in your picture. And >that bottle was much cheaper than a decent camera. > >That was my last bottle of Laphroaig, by the way. I tried the >Scotch Thing and it just didn't work for me. I'm happy with a few >bottles of Young's Oatmeal Stout. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you love music, create your own online music collection with MSN Music Club. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 17:50:20 +0100 From: "Charlotte Tupman" Subject: A useful invention with a Feggy name The 'Trilobite': a vacuum cleaner that cleans your carpets all by itself, 'modelled on an ancient arthropod'... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3031219.stm I want one!!!! Charlotte _________________________________________________________________ Stay in touch with absent friends - get MSN Messenger http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 10:46:14 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: Remembering the Taste of Something Awful herbie: >>np -> "Bells, bells, Bells" Christmas In The Stars (Star Wars Christmas Album) Now that's just weird. Skip a few tracks forward to hear Jon Bon Jovi wishing R2-D2 a Merry Christmas... ______ Carrie: >>I've not bought Robyn Stings ;-) yet but do love his Dylan covers so >>may get it soon. His Visions of Johanna at the GAMH in 98 or 99 was the >>most beautiful rendering of that song I've ever heard. Welcome back. Not everyone would agree but I'd strongly recommend Robyn Stings. You get two Johannas, just for starters. One of my favorite records of last year; if you like Robyn doing Dylan at all, it should be hog heaven. _____ Eb: >>Gee, Jeme, thanks for letting us in on the big secret about the Oscar >>choices being less than perfect. Once again, your lacerating insight >>saves the day. Suddenly the battle lines are radically redrawn from just a few days ago. Go, Eb! ______ ferris: >>Is a songwriter's value in the songs not >>yet written, with those that came before supposedly flowing freely? If >>that's the case, then in light of their recent works, Dylan and the >>Stones aren't worth a hill of beans, are they? The whole copyright debate is too vitriolic and needlessly abstract for me to wade into it too deeple, so I'll not. But I would quibble with this example: Dylan's still got game. But when Bowie was trying to sell shares in his future songwriting? That there was a sucker's bet. ________ JeFFrey: >>So, I don't have a problem with people making money...but not when >>they're doing so off the backs of people who are literally starving to >>death. So I guess I'm some sort of democratic socialist... I'll throw my hat in the ring with Jeffrey here (which is not uncommon)... I'll even go so far as to say that I really, really hate money. It's not truly worth anything, nor is it an accurate measure of the value of anything else, and I resent the fact that amassing it is nonetheless the primary goal of just everybody on the planet, and even I have to chase after it in order to, as W. would have it, put food on my family. But honestly, if I were to spend my time persecuting a vitriolic jihad against people who don't share my views, I wouldn't have the wife or the kids, would I? Life might be a little easier, but how happy would I be? Bottom line is that Jeme's abstract arguements seem lacking in any consideration of the human element... like, how, starting from where we are now, do average people of average means go about smashing the system while still nurturing relationships, friendships, and basically retaining our own humanity?* Given that his primary mode of address seems designed to piss people off, maybe that doesn't matter to him. More power to big ol' self-contained you, then, but most of us need more. Otherwise why be on a mailing list where the point, although we rarely get to it, is to share thoughts and feelings about an artist and his art? *This by way of addressing Jeff's question about why people get outright *offended* when basic economic/political precepts are questioned... speaking only for myself, I'm not offended to see bricks thrown through the windows of capitalism, it's just the mode of address and the implication that I have some duty to do X, Y, or Z about it that rankles, and yes, offends. Jeffrey, you make similar arguement in your post and you don't piss me off at all, so there's that. Sigh. I already miss "funny feg". - -Rex "when are these damned antibiotics gonna start working?" Broome ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 14:14:16 -0400 From: "Timothy Reed" Subject: RE: Remembering the Taste of Something Awful Minor correction. Bowie issued bonds backed by the value of future royalties from his back catalog not future songwriting. I'm not sure I'd recommend Heathen bonds should they come out but his old music is licensed all over the place so it's backed by an actual asset. The bonds are guaranteed by EMI, whose own stock value has plummeted 85% - so if Bowie bond's rating get downgraded it's not due to his failure to invent an interesting persona. How this fits in with the 'everything should be free' argument I'll leave to the experts. Tim np: Rockets from the Tombs live at Maxwell's > The whole copyright debate is too vitriolic and needlessly > abstract for me to wade into it too deeple, so I'll not. But > I would quibble with this > example: Dylan's still got game. But when Bowie was trying > to sell shares in his future songwriting? That there was a > sucker's bet. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 11:34:22 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Fegs and all things Egyptian (RH content) on 6/11/03 3:29 PM, Ethyl Ketone at meketone@ix.netcom.com wrote: > Dear Feggys, > After a 4 year hiatus that included, among other things, an MFA, 8 > trips cross country, my mother's death, a move to Italy and beginning a > teaching career (in Italian no less, which I did not know upon > arrival), I have returned to fegmaniax, and I find comfort in the fact > that so little has changed on the list. So many familiar voices and a > few new ones (Welcome Nora!). Even some of the old quarrels and > lingering personal digs remain the same. > Yay! Welcome back Carrie! It sounds like you've lived quite a bit since we last saw you at the Great American in SF (98?). Good for you.\ To tell you the truth, I haven't even listened to Luxor yet - too much other stuff going on. I have a feeling your assessment is true though, that he slapped it together quickly. That's probably why we had to beg for a wider release - it was just a pet project to mark where he was at 50. I'll give it a spin tomorrow probably. I'm still in the middle of listening to "Reefer Madness" by Eric Schlosser during my commute time. Ciao! - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 11:52:18 -0700 From: "Glen Uber" Subject: More gasoline for the inferno What fegsynchronicity! Contrary to what Jeme thinks, even the open source people believe that copyrights and trademarks are essential. Of course this may just be a case of "the opinions expressed do not reflect the opinions of those associated with us, etc..." - -- Cheers! - -g- "Remember when you're out there trying to heal the sick that you must always first forgive them." --Bob Dylan, "Open The Door, Homer" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:55:55 -0500 From: "Michael Wells" Subject: reap 2 Gregory Peck, 87. Any wagers on who's going third today? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:59:24 -0500 From: "Sumiko Keay" Subject: Re: reap 2 Not a death, but Adam Ant was institutionalized (according to the MTV Music news.) Sumi >>> "Michael Wells" 06/12/03 01:55PM >>> Gregory Peck, 87. Any wagers on who's going third today? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 15:03:30 -0400 From: "Dudich, Luther" Subject: settign up a listserve; from the minds that brought you Number N ine Line's "Only the Stones Remains" comes Drikung Music Vol.1 I've got two completely different issues that I was hoping that someone on the list may be able to help me with. 1) I've been asked to set up a listserv for work on building codes, and could use a little advice in setting it up. Please contact me privately. ____________________________________________________________________________< /FONT> ___________________________________ 2) As I think I mentioned a while back, my former Number Nine Line (as heard on "Glass Flesh 2" Co-conspirator Davy and I have been working on a musical remix project of Buddhist chants for a dharma center I am the webmaster for in Frederick, Maryland. Here's what we have done so far: http://www.drikungtmc.org/drikung_music.htm Once this project is done, I am planning on approaching some small ambient/ New Age labels to see about marketing the resulting CD for that center. I know there are a lot of electronic musicians on here, so I put the question to you- have any of you tried dealing with these kind of labels? What have your experiences been like? Was there any idea to approach a small label to put out the Glass Flesh albums before the decision to produce them ourselves? Just curious- Lwwd Luther W. Wills-Dudich Alliance to Save Energy National Programs Team Research Associate 202/530-2243 202/262-8352 (cell) 202/331-9588 (fax) ldudich@ase.org The Red Cross is running critically low on blood right now. Please consider giving. http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 12:04:30 -0700 From: "Glen Uber" Subject: Re: reap 2 Michael earnestly scribbled: >Gregory Peck, 87. > >Any wagers on who's going third today? Bob Hope? Luther Vandross? John Paul 2? - -- Cheers! - -g- "Half the world's starving and have the world bloats; half the world sits on the other and gloats." --Robyn Hitchcock, ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 15:37:58 -0400 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: More gasoline for the inferno Glen Uber wrote: > > Contrary to what Jeme thinks, even the open > source people believe that > copyrights and trademarks are essential. The Open Group are nothing to do with Open Source. They're a consortium of commercial Unix vendors. The 'Open' bit is from open standards like POSIX. For once, I think I'm siding with Apple; 'unix' should become a generic term. It'd stop all this bickering and build the community. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:53:11 -0500 (CDT) From: gshell@metronet.com Subject: Re: the only thing you can depend on is dying On Thu, 12 Jun 2003, Glen Uber wrote: > >Any wagers on who's going third today? last night at 11 a 70 foot tree cracked at about 10 feet up from it's base and came down on my house. lucky it fell just as i predicted it could and the porch roof took most of the impact. but it puntured the roof and the ceiling of the house, embedded a large limb in the floor of the living room just a few feet from where i was sitting and almost completely destroyed the porch. The worst part is that about 5 nesting pairs of birds, all with fledgelings or hatchlings were also destroyed. one was a cavity nest i believe was the home of red-bellied woodpeckers and a big bush beside the tree was home to a pair painted buntings who also had hatchlings. i had just watched and listened to those woodpeckers yesterday afternoon and i heard the male bunting almost every morning. now they are dead. and with just a slight differential in things like wind speed, temperature, humidity or even something as seemingly remote as testosterone level and i might be just like those birds. fate and destiny are both tools used to control the poor and weak through fear. the only thing we could ever be destined to do is die. chance is the only thing we have on our side. chance is unscrupulous but at the same time it is fair, precise and not bigoted. and as much as it works for us it is always working just as hard against us. chance didn't deal those birds a good hand last night, but it dealt me royal flush. - --------------------------------------------------- on another note, this looks fun. and if i'm still alive in september, i'll probably go. 'Austin City Limits' Fest Unveils Full Lineup By Barry A. Jeckell NEW YORK (Billboard) - More than 100 artists will perform on eight stages during the second annual Austin City Limits Music Festival. Set for Sept. 19-21, the event is expected to draw more than 75,000 to Zilker Park in the heart of the Texas capital Among the newly announced performers for the show are Dwight Yoakam, Yo La Tengo, Steve Winwood, Bela Fleck, Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, Jay Farrar, Asleep At The Wheel, Hank Williams III, the Dandy Warhols, the North Mississippi All Stars, Howie Day, Cody ChesnuTT, Spearhead, Jason Mraz, Yonder Mountain String Band, Donovan, Charlie Robison, Doyle Bramhall, and Keller Williams . The eclectic event will also welcome R.E.M., Al Green,Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Mavis Staples, the Mavericks, Liz Phair, Ben Harper, Polyphonic Spree, Jack Johnson, String Cheese Incident, Patty Griffin, Alejandro Escovedo, Leftover Salmon, Kings Of Leon, Topaz, the Derailers, Richard Buckner, the Gourds, Robert Randolph, Ween, G. Love & Special Sauce, Spoon, Galactic, O.A.R., Gomez, Doyle Bramhall, Ian Moore, Beth Orton, Beta Band, Old 97's, Abra Moore, Ben Kweller, and the Shins. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 15:50:05 -0400 From: Jeffrey_Rose@eri.eisai.com Subject: DVD Burning I need help from any of you Feg-burners out there. I have an iMac G4 with iMovie/iDVD and I just figured out how to convert a downloaded avi/divx file into a QTmovie file with DVDDoctor and I burned my first DVD-R last night (PowerPuff girls for my 6 year old). When I tried to burn other movies, there seemed to be a restriction of 90 min per disc even though the disc supposedly holds 120 min (4.4 GB). I understand some movies are so long they should be split onto 2 discs but what if the movie is just over 90 minutes? I just purchased DVD2One which was billed as a program capable of compressing files to fit on one recordable disc but now that I have the thing, I can't figure it out because all the intructions are about ripping/copying and VIDEO_TS folders, etc. Is this the right program for what I want to do? Can it be done? Can someone give me a quick "DVD burning for idiots" lesson? I've registered on about 4 help forums and no one wants to give a newbie a break. Thanks in advance. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 12:53:27 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Speaking of copyrights... http://www.mplcommunications.com/list_by_title.asp?letter=1 I hadn't come across this site before today. Pretty amazing to see exactly what Mr. McCartney owns. Everyone knows he owns the Buddy Holly hits, but how about other ditties like... Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive Bandstand Boogie (the "American Bandstand" theme) Big Girls Don't Cry + Sherry (and the Four Seasons were considered a Beatles RIVAL in the early days!) Blue Suede Shoes (and other Carl Perkins hits) Hello, Dolly! (and some other songs from that musical) Incense and Peppermints In the Still of the Night It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas The Long and Winding Road + Yesterday (huh...I thought McCartney didn't own ANY Beatles songs) Summer Nights + Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee (from "Grease") Luck Be a Lady (and some other songs from "Guys & Dolls") Midnight Cowboy (theme) Mister Sandman Never on Sunday One (and some other songs from "A Chorus Line") Palisades Park (a Chuck Barris/McCartney connection!) Riders in the Sky (huh...I always thought this was called GHOST Riders in the Sky) Sentimental Journey 76 Trombones (and some other songs from "The Music Man") Stay (you know..."Why don't you staaaaaaaay/Just a little bit longe-errrr?") Tomorrow (plus other songs from "Annie") Unchained Melody Witchcraft (you know, the Sinatra hit) Young at Heart I Love Lucy (theme) Songs from the Danny Kaye/"Hans Christian Anderson" musical Songs from "How to Succeed in Business WIthout Really Trying" Numerous college fight songs, including Notre Dame and UCLA I smirked at a song he owns called "I Promise You a Happy Ending." Instantly imagined it being sung by a masseuse. ;) Plus, there's this mysterious entry: http://www.mplcommunications.com/song_display.asp?SongNum=3367 Scarrrrrry. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 12:59:47 -0700 From: "Glen Uber" Subject: Re: More gasoline for the inferno Stewart earnestly scribbled: >Glen Uber wrote: >> >> Contrary to what Jeme thinks, even the open >> source people believe that >> copyrights and trademarks are essential. > >The Open Group are nothing to do with Open Source. They're a consortium >of commercial Unix vendors. The 'Open' bit is from open standards like POSIX. Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't aware there was a distinction. Of course, I'm mired in a world of commercial OSs and apps. >For once, I think I'm siding with Apple; 'unix' should become a generic >term. It'd stop all this bickering and build the community. I totally agree, actually, unless another term can be coined that could mean, "Any non-specific Unix-derived operating system, be it BSD, Linux, SCO, Solaris, etc." How about Multinix? Or Un-unix? Nonix? Genix (Generic Unix)? - -- Cheers! - -g- "Soylens Viridis Homines Est" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:22:28 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: DVD Burning on 6/12/03 12:50 PM, Jeffrey_Rose@eri.eisai.com at Jeffrey_Rose@eri.eisai.com wrote: > I need help from any of you Feg-burners out there. I have an iMac G4 with > iMovie/iDVD and I just figured out how to convert a downloaded avi/divx > file into a QTmovie file with DVDDoctor and I burned my first DVD-R last > night (PowerPuff girls for my 6 year old). When I tried to burn other > movies, there seemed to be a restriction of 90 min per disc even though the > disc supposedly holds 120 min (4.4 GB). I understand some movies are so > long they should be split onto 2 discs but what if the movie is just over > 90 minutes? I just purchased DVD2One which was billed as a program capable > of compressing files to fit on one recordable disc but now that I have the > thing, I can't figure it out because all the intructions are about > ripping/copying and VIDEO_TS folders, etc. Is this the right program for > what I want to do? Can it be done? Can someone give me a quick "DVD > burning for idiots" lesson? I've registered on about 4 help forums and no > one wants to give a newbie a break. Thanks in advance. DVD2One doesn't really "compress" files. It saves space by allowing you to chop out all the extras and menus and crap so that there's a good chance you can fit just the movie on a single DVD. If it still won't fit, the program will allow you to spread the movie over multiple discs. The "1200 minutes" claim on the packaging is just a rough number. It really depends on the encoding software and the content. Really good encoders can fit more than 120 minutes at decent quality, while most encoding software make a time/quality trade-off. I guess iDVD just decides that 90 minutes per 4.7GB is as low as they're gonna go. I recently finished my DVD of "Storefront Hitchcock" and was relieved that the entire thing fit on one disc with about 1 meg to spare. - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2003 18:00:29 -0400 From: "ken ostrander" Subject: run of the mill greetings fegs! amy and i are still getting settled in orlando - or, perhaps as jeme might say, whorlando. i've been enjoying the back and forth in the last few digests. jeffrey's comments have the most resonance for me. still, i find myself wondering why we need any of this stuff. all of the music, movies, and software aren't essential to life, are they? the real problem in all of these industries is the human one. people make choices and try to escape the consequences. and it's not just the choices; but why we make them. i'm going to make a leap and say that if we are doing something for profit, then we're going to suffer a bit. the same goes for fame or whatever deadly sin you like. they all come from pride: the conceit that we have something special that someone else should pay for that they somehow lack. the fact that there are all of these musicians, artists, and designers out there makes for quite a glut of product. for all of the conveniences of technology, we still don't have the time to take it all in. even if we stick to just the hyperbole of marketed product. believe me, i've got more music already than i can listen to. there's a point, beyond which you're showing off. and i can't even do that anymore, since much of the music that i have aggrivates my wife. anyway, the point is that anyone can be an artist. we are all trying to be heard in some way. sometimes it seems like people are shouting so loud to be heard that they aren't listening. the human exchange of ideas can get lost. the whole quid pro quo thing is always there; but it's all about intention. do you want to give or to get? there's a point where you feel like you should be compensated for your ideas and work. something freely given cannot be stolen. but how do we make a living? we live in a society where people can survive eating out of dumpsters. we call them bums and freeloaders; but maybe they're just smarter than the rest of us. unless you're doing something that you love, work is a drag that we subject ourselves to in order to get by. to pay the rent so that we can have a place to store all of our stuff. i guess when you're worrying about where the next meal is coming from, the new radiohead cd doesn't seem such a priority. the irony is that you'd have plenty of time to listen to it. the whole compare and compete model is drummed into our brains from kindergarten. it works to motivate the bulk of people; but the people that don't fit in are forced into remedial roles. our educational system typically ignores the creative process. it's simply not valued. unless of course, someone can sell it. otherwise, what's the point, right? pharmaceutical companies take a medicinal plant and break it down to find the active ingredient so that they can sell it. more often, we choose the convenience of buying the pill over the freedom to grow our own. pascal claimed that all man's miserys derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone. and buddah said that desire is the root of all suffering. the stuff doesn't make us happy. only we can make ourselves happy. in the last month or so my wife and i have been listening to a lot of my ancient vinyl copy of _all things must pass_. i've had it for years; but never really got into it until now. we've enjoyed it so much that we decided to get it on cd. the thirtieth anniversary remastered version sounds fantastic. the wall of sound thing seems a bit of a novelty. that said, i'm a bit skiptious about all of the remasters of classic albums that are coming out. i can't help thinking of the greedy producers in 'paint a vulgar picture'. "reissue. repackage." it's like going to rent a movie these days. some new films are only being released on dvd. at least that's what they say at cockbuster. i've been leary of buying into the dvd thing for several reasons; but this may be the one that gets me. i am excited about the prospect of being able to watch everything in widescreen format (is that really an option on all dvd's?); but wonder if i'll be able to record my own. chances are that i'll need the vcr and the dvd player. though i've noticed that even videotapes have protections against copying. the same is true with software. eventually you need to get the updated version or face complete incompatibility. though, aren't you able to download a trial version of photoshop for free? and then do it again when it expires? books and music too. you can get it elsewhere. you can go to a library or a bookstore and read it there. you can record your favorite song off the radio or download it off the internet. you can steal the cd from the store or burn it from a friend. it's all about choices. and what's important to us. what we put our energy and focus into is what will flourish in our lives. i agree with jeme when he says that the way we do things is just as important as what you do. it may sound pompous and it may be annoying; but you have to answer for yourself why that is. ken "the lurker formerly known as the kenster" peace? i'd like a peace _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V12 #210 ********************************